When it's cold outside, there's something wonderful about a pot of homemade soup to warm you up. To that end, here are six homemade soup recipes to help you through the day, including Five Bean Soup and Vegan French Onion Soup. Enjoy!
DUMPLING NOODLE SOUP
This is from Hetty Lui McKinnon in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this wonderful soup, Hetty wrote, "Keep a package or two of frozen dumplings in your freezer for this warming weeknight meal. This recipe is loosely inspired by wonton noodle soup, but replaces homemade wontons with store-bought frozen dumplings for a quick alternative. The soup base, which comes together in just 10 minutes, is surprisingly rich and full-bodied, thanks to the trio of ginger, garlic and turmeric. Miso paste brings extra savoriness, but you could substitute soy sauce or tamari. Scale up on veggies if you like; carrots, peas, snow peas or mushrooms would be excellent additions. Any type of frozen dumpling works in this dish, making it easy to adapt for vegan, vegetarian or meat-loving diners."
Total Time: 25 minutes; Yield: 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022937-dumpling-noodle-soup. Also, while you're at it, sign up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter (if you haven't already). Loads of great recipes, guides, and more.
Ingredients
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
6 ounces thin dried wheat, egg or rice noodles
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
6 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoon white miso paste
16 ounces frozen dumplings (not thawed)
4 baby bok choy (about 12 ounces), trimmed and each cut into 4 pieces through the stem
1 small head broccoli (about 9 ounces), cut into bite-size florets
Handful of cilantro or chopped scallions, for serving
Preparation
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions, until the noodles are just tender. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain well again. Divide them among four serving bowls.
Place the same large pot over medium heat, and add sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Stir and cook for 30 seconds, until aromatic. Add turmeric, and stir for 15 seconds, until fragrant.
Pour the vegetable stock into the pot, then season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat, to allow flavors to meld.
Remove the lid and add the miso paste, stirring constantly until it is dissolved. Taste, and season with more salt, if needed.
Increase the heat to medium-high, and carefully drop the dumplings into the broth. When they float to the top, add the baby bok choy and broccoli, and cook for about 2 minutes, just until the broccoli is crisp-tender.
Ladle the broth, dumplings, baby bok choy and broccoli into the four bowls over the noodles. To serve, top with cilantro or chopped scallions.
BEST BLACK BEAN SOUP
This comes from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “This American classic can be a perfect dish: big-tasting, filling, nutritious, easy and very possibly vegetarian. With their rich natural broth, turtle beans do not need bacon, ham or any meat ingredient to make a satisfying soup. Black bean soup recipes have a tendency to turn out sludgy or bland, but the trick here is to season generously, and purée sparingly. The beans should be swimming in liquid, not sitting in sludge: The more beans are puréed, the more starch is released into the soup. For flavor, this recipe deploys marinated chipotle chiles, but a tablespoon each of ground cumin and ground coriander make a good heat-free substitute. (A note: Since there is acid from the wine here, if your tap water is hard there might be a reaction that will prevent the beans from softening. To be safe, add the wine later, along with the stock. And if there is any question about the hardness of your water, use distilled.)”
Yield: 10 servings; Time: About 2 hours
This was featured in “Rediscovering Black Bean Soup”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018592-best-black-bean-soup.
Ingredients
For the Soup
1 small (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo (see note)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 onions, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup red wine
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
1 pound dry black beans (do not soak)
2 quarts mild vegetable or chicken stock
1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Red wine vinegar, to taste
For the Pickled Onions and Garnishes (Optional):
1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes
Salt
Sour cream or Mexican crema
Whole cilantro leaves
Thinly sliced fresh chiles
Sliced avocado
Preparation:
Empty the can of chiles into a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth, scrape into a container, and set aside. Put on a teakettle of water to boil, and keep hot.
In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add carrots, onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
Pour in wine and let simmer until pan is almost dry and vegetables are coated. Add jalapeños and cook, stirring, just until softened, 2 minutes. Push the vegetables out to the edges of the pot and dollop 2 teaspoons of chipotle purée in the center. Let fry for a minute and then stir together with the vegetables.
Add beans, stock, oregano and bay leaves. Stir, bring to a boil, and let boil 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partly covered, stirring occasionally and adding hot water as needed to keep the soup liquid and runny, not sludgy. Continue cooking until beans are just softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 hours. Add salt and pepper and keep cooking until beans are soft.
Meanwhile, make the pickled onions, if using: In a bowl, combine sliced onions, lime juice and a sprinkling of salt. Let soften at room temperature until crunchy and tart, about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry in paper towels and refrigerate until ready to serve. If desired, chop coarsely before serving.
Adjust the texture of the soup: The goal is to combine whole beans, soft chunks and a velvety broth. Some beans release enough starch while cooking to produce a thick broth without puréeing. If soup seems thin, use an immersion blender or blender to purée a small amount of the beans until smooth, then stir back in. Continue until desired texture is reached, keeping in mind that the soup will continue to thicken as it sits.
Heat the soup through, taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, drops of red wine vinegar and dabs of chipotle purée.
Serve in deep bowls, garnishing each serving with sour cream, pickled onions, cilantro leaves, sliced chiles and avocado as desired.
Tip
If chipotle chiles are unavailable, use 1 tablespoon each ground cumin and ground coriander. Add to vegetables at the same point in the recipe, in Step 3.
BROWN RICE AND BEAN SOUP
This yumminess is from Eden Foods. Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes; Serves: 5
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp Eden Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced or 1 teaspoon roasted garlic granules
1/4 cup organic sweet corn, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup celery, diced
15 ounces Eden Rice & Pinto Beans, or Spanish Rice & Pinto Beans
16 ounces Eden Refried Pinto Beans, or Spicy Refried Black Beans
1/2 tsp Eden Sea Salt, or to taste
1 pinch Eden Black Pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 cups diced organic tomatoes, do not drain
4 cups water
1/2 tsp Eden Dried Basil
1 tsp Eden Cumin Powder
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced, for garnish
Directions
Heat oil in a medium soup pot, and sauté the onion for 2 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients except the parsley. Mix thoroughly, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the flame to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes or until creamy. Serve garnished with parsley.
Nutritional Information Per serving – 194 calories, 4 g fat (19% calories from fat), 8 g protein, 34 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 409 mg sodium
VEGAN FRENCH ONION SOUP
When I was growing up, my dad used to make French Onion Soup. This was usually done on Sundays, frequently when my grandparents were visiting, and especially around holidays. So, of course, I had to check out this recipe.
This absolute yumminess is from Nicole, creator of Oh My Veggies. (Hint: If you've never visited Oh My Veggies, I highly recommend visiting. Great site!)
Anyway, this recipe begins, "This Vegan French Onion Soup is comfort food at its finest. Tender onions are simmered in a savory broth, topped with cheesy toast, and baked to perfection."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour; Servings: 4
To view this online, go to https://ohmyveggies.com/vegan-french-onion-soup/. While you're at it, you might want to sign up for emails from the site. Also, Nicole has a couple of cookbooks for sale (Weeknight One-Pot Vegan Cooking; Vegan Christmas Cookbook), and you can see about buying them when you visit the site. (I plan to buy 'em after Christmas.)
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
4 yellow onions thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of thyme
1-1/2 cups white wine such as Chardonnay
6 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
4 slices baguette
1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese shreds
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C, or gas mark 4).
Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook slowly for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until they are lightly caramelized. Add the garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until slightly reduced. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the balsamic vinegar and stir. Remove the bay leaves. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Spoon the soup into four ovenproof serving dishes. Top each bowl with a slice of baguette, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup (30 g) of the vegan cheese shreds. Place the bowls in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegan cheese is melted and the baguette is slightly toasted.
FIVE BEAN SOUP
This is from Eden Foods. Serves 10. Prep Time 10 minutes. Cook Time 40 minutes.
Ingredients
2 Tbs Eden Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 C celery, diced
1/2 C carrots, diced
3 Tbs barley, rinsed
3 C water
1 can Eden Organic Pinto Beans
1 can Eden Organic Black Beans
1 can Eden Organic Kidney Beans
1 can Eden Organic Navy Beans
1 can Eden Organic Garbanzo Beams
1 C sweet corn, fresh or frozen
1 can Eden Organic Diced Tomatoes with Roasted Onion
1/2 tsp dried basil
1-1/2 tsp crushed bay leaf
1 tsp Eden Sea Salt – French Celtic
Directions
Heat oil in soup pot, sauté garlic & onion until onion is translucent. Add water, celery, carrot & barley, beans, corn, tomatoes & herbs. Add salt, cover & simmer 30 minutes. Serve.
HEALTHIFIED BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP
This yummy recipe is from the Food Network. Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Easy
This can be viewed online by clicking here.
Ingredients
1 bunch broccoli
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium red-skinned potato, diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
One 12-ounce can fat-free evaporated milk
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Note: The recipe originally called for either chicken or vegetable broth. For obvious reasons, I've left this as just the veggie broth.
Directions
Separate the stems and the florets from the broccoli. Trim and discard the bottom of the broccoli stems and peel the tough outer layers. Finely chop the stems and coarsely chop the florets and set aside separately.
Mist a large pot with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the broccoli stems, onions and potatoes and cook, stirring, until softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the vegetables are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the reserved florets and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and continue to steam until the florets are bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the entire contents of the pot with the florets to the soup along with the nutmeg. Stir to combine and remove from the heat. Stir in the Cheddar, Worcestershire and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the scallions.
Cook’s Note
Leftover soup should be reheated in the microwave rather than the stovetop, where the cheese will "break" or separate from the broth.
