Vegetarian Delights: A Confessions of a Foodie Offspring

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Showing posts with label Lentil Minestrone With Greens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lentil Minestrone With Greens. Show all posts

Thursday, February 9, 2023

Soup's On!

When it's cold out, homemade soup is almost the perfect meal. Add biscuits to it, the meal is complete.

With that in mind, check out the Vegetarian Tortilla Soup, the Five Bean Soup, or any of the other soups in today's post. Enjoy!

RAINBOW SOUP

This comes from Laura Dolson, Low Carb diet expert for VeryWell. Laura wrote, “Rainbow soup is a great way to follow so many nutritionists' advice to ‘eat a rainbow.’ In fact, that's what makes rainbow soup unique. While it is generally hard to eat all of the colors of fruits and vegetables at one meal, rainbow soup makes it possible. This is one of those soups that people tend to love, despite the unusual seasoning combination. I often put leftover turkey or chicken in it, but it can stand on its own without meat. It is also good with beans or chickpeas if your diet allows. The idea is that it has vegetables from all the ‘color groups,’ so it has lots of antioxidants and other nutrients for your family. If you have any fresh herbs around, feel free to throw them in as well.”

Laura also suggested adding meat to the soup for anyone who isn't a vegetarian, as well as liking “vegetable or chicken broth”. I'm leaving out the chicken broth, as well as the addition of meat. If you decide you'd like to add these, check the above link to see when to add the meat.

Total Time 45 min; Prep 10 min, Cook 35 min; Yield 9 cups of soup

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 medium onion (2 1/2 inches in diameter), chopped

2 large stalks celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, pressed

1 medium red bell pepper

1 cup chopped carrot (you can use chopped pumpkin, if available)

1 heaping tbsp. sweet paprika

3 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 bay leaf

A little hot sauce

1 15 oz. can tomatoes, chopped

1 large leaf of chard, about 1 and 1/2 cups – can use spinach or other dark leafy green such as kale – cut into thin strips

10 oz. frozen green beans (or fresh)

Salt and pepper

5 cups stock or broth (I like vegetable or chicken better than bouillon—but watch the saltiness)

Preparation

In a large soup pot, simmer oil, onion, and celery. Cook on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes to develop more sweetness in the onion.

Add garlic and turn up the heat to medium. Cook for a minute or so and add the peppers and carrots. Cook another minute or two and add the spices. Stir and cook until fragrant—another minute or so.

Add tomatoes and stock, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add frozen beans and chard and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the beans are cooked.

Adjust seasonings as needed.

Serving Suggestions for Rainbow Soup

As a main course, this soup is perfect, but be sure that you add other items for adults to eat before they get to the main dish, so that they won't be over or underfed. A nice starter salad with a vinaigrette dressing is appetizing before soup.

FIVE BEAN SOUP

This comes from Eden Kitchens. Check out their site; great stuff!

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.

LENTIL MINESTRONE WITH GREENS

This is from Martha Rose Schulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “A number of greens work well in this hearty Italian dish. Chard and turnip greens are growing in my garden, so those are ones I’m using now, but I wouldn’t hesitate to use kale, either.”

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 15 minutes.

This was originally featured in “Lentils: A Versatile Staple Flavors Classic International Dishes” and can be viewed online here.

Check out Melissa Clark’s guide “How to Cook Beans”.

Ingredients

For the Lentil Minestrone with Greens

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste

1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid

1 pound lentils (brown or beluga), washed and picked over

2 1/2 quarts water

A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf, 2 sprigs each thyme and parsley, and a Parmesan rind

1/2 pound Swiss chard, mustard greens or kale, stemmed, washed in two changes of water, and roughly chopped (about 6 cups)

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup elbow macaroni or other soup pasta (optional)

Freshly grated Parmesan for serving

Preparation

For the Lentil Minestrone with Greens

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat, and add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add half the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir together for a minute, just until the garlic is fragrant, and add the tomatoes and their liquid. Turn up the heat slightly and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the lentils, water and bouquet garni, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add the remaining garlic, salt to taste and add the greens. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 15 minutes. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the pasta, and continue to simmer until the pasta is tender, five to 10 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and serve, passing grated Parmesan at the table.

Tip

Advance preparation: The soup can be made up to a day or two ahead of time, but do not add the pasta until you are ready to serve. Reheat and add as directed. A note about salt: From now on, I will indicate a preference for kosher salt in my recipes. Because of its crystalline structure, kosher salt is not as salty as fine sea salt.

RED LENTIL SOUP WITH LEMON

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This is a lentil soup that defies expectations of what lentil soup can be. It is light, spicy and a bold red color (no murky brown here): a revelatory dish that takes less than an hour to make. The cooking is painless. Sauté onion and garlic in oil, then stir in tomato paste, cumin and chile powder and cook a few minutes more to intensify flavor. Add broth, water, red lentils (which cook faster than their green or black counterparts) and diced carrot, and simmer for 30 minutes. Purée half the mixture and return it to the pot for a soup that strikes the balance between chunky and pleasingly smooth. A hit of lemon juice adds an up note that offsets the deep cumin and chile flavors.” Yield: 4 servings; Time: 45 minutes.

This was featured in “A Lentil Soup to Make You Stop, Taste and Savor and can be viewed online here.

Want to know more about making soup? Check out Samin Nosrat’s guide “How to Make Soup”.

Also, check out Melissa Clark’s guide, “Hot to Cook Beans.”

Note: The recipe originally called for either chicken or veggie broth. I've left it at simply veggie broth (for obvious reasons)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch of ground chile powder or cayenne, more to taste

1 quart vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 cup red lentils

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.

Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.

Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.

Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.

SUMMER MINISTRONE SOUP

This comes from tbsp.com, and begins, “Minestrone soup, swimming with beans and macaroni, is vegetable soup’s heartier Italian cousin. Preparing it in advance and having at the ready in your freezer will have you singing ‘That’s Amore’ when dinnertime comes around.”

Prep Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Servings: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen™ organic diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup Progresso™ cannellini beans, drained, rinsed (from 15-oz can)

1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cut (1/2-inch) green beans

1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

1 carton (32 oz) Progresso™ broth vegetable

Shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired

Directions

In 4-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and salt; cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and oregano; cook 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, cannellini beans, zucchini, carrot, green beans and macaroni.

Add stock; heat to simmering over medium-high heat. Cook 6 to 8 minutes or until macaroni is al dente. Top with Parmesan cheese.

To freeze: In 8-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and salt; cook about 4 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, thyme and oregano; cook 2 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Stir in tomatoes and cannellini beans. Transfer to 1-quart resealable freezer plastic bag. Mix zucchini, carrot, green beans and macaroni in another 1-quart resealable freezer plastic bag. Freeze both bags up to 3 months. When ready to serve: In 4-quart saucepan, mix broth and bag of frozen tomato-bean mixture; heat to simmering over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook until frozen tomato-bean mixture is completely thawed, stirring occasionally. Add bag of vegetables and macaroni; return to simmering. Cook 6 to 8 minutes or until macaroni is al dente. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Expert Tips

Lots of fun small pasta shapes are on your grocery store shelves. Try ditalini, orzo or small shells for a change of pace from elbow macaroni.

Canned chickpeas are a good substitute for the cannellini beans in this soup.

VEGETARIAN TORTILLA SOUP

This is from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking email. Alison wrote, “This vegetarian version of tortilla soup is no less complex than its chicken counterpart, thanks to plenty of vegetables, spices and a secret ingredient: canned chipotles in adobo. Smoked and dried jalapeños softened in a vinegar-tomato mixture, these little powerhouses do much of the heavy lifting in this vegetarian soup, offering depth and a certain meatiness to an otherwise light and tangy broth.”

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 1 1/4 hours

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Soup:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons chile powder

2 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed

For the Tortillas and Assembly:

2 cups vegetable oil

8 small corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips

Kosher salt

1 avocado, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or shredded Cheddar or Monterey jack

3/4 cup sour cream or crema

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 red or yellow onion, finely chopped

Lime wedges, for serving

Preparation

Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeño and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add chile powder and stir to coat. Cook a minute or two to toast the spices, then add chipotles and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to caramelize a bit on the bottom of the pot, concentrating their flavor.

Add vegetable broth, corn and 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer until flavors meld and broth tastes rich and flavorful, 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet or heavy-bottomed pot. Bring oil to 375 degrees and working in batches, fry tortilla strips until light golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt.

Place about 3/4 of the tortilla strips into broth and stir to submerge and soften for a few minutes. Divide soup among bowls and top with avocado, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, onion and remaining fried tortilla strips. Serve lime alongside for squeezing.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Soup's On

There's just something comforting about a bowl of fresh, homemade soup. Today's six soup offerings include Five Bean Soup and Vegetarian Tortilla Soup. Enjoy!

RAINBOW SOUP

This comes from Laura Dolson, Low Carb diet expert for VeryWell. Laura wrote, “Rainbow soup is a great way to follow so many nutritionists' advice to ‘eat a rainbow.’ In fact, that's what makes rainbow soup unique. While it is generally hard to eat all of the colors of fruits and vegetables at one meal, rainbow soup makes it possible. This is one of those soups that people tend to love, despite the unusual seasoning combination. I often put leftover turkey or chicken in it, but it can stand on its own without meat. It is also good with beans or chickpeas if your diet allows. The idea is that it has vegetables from all the ‘color groups,’ so it has lots of antioxidants and other nutrients for your family. If you have any fresh herbs around, feel free to throw them in as well.”

Laura also suggested adding meat to the soup for anyone who isn't a vegetarian, as well as liking “vegetable or chicken broth”. I'm leaving out the chicken broth, as well as the addition of meat. If you decide you'd like to add these, check the above link to see when to add the meat.

Total Time 45 min; Prep 10 min, Cook 35 min; Yield 9 cups of soup

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 medium onion (2 1/2 inches in diameter), chopped

2 large stalks celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, pressed

1 medium red bell pepper

1 cup chopped carrot (you can use chopped pumpkin, if available)

1 heaping tbsp. sweet paprika

3 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 bay leaf

A little hot sauce

1 15 oz. can tomatoes, chopped

1 large leaf of chard, about 1 and 1/2 cups – can use spinach or other dark leafy green such as kale – cut into thin strips

10 oz. frozen green beans (or fresh)

Salt and pepper

5 cups stock or broth (I like vegetable or chicken better than bouillon—but watch the saltiness)

Preparation

In a large soup pot, simmer oil, onion, and celery. Cook on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes to develop more sweetness in the onion.

Add garlic and turn up the heat to medium. Cook for a minute or so and add the peppers and carrots. Cook another minute or two and add the spices. Stir and cook until fragrant—another minute or so.

Add tomatoes and stock, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add frozen beans and chard and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the beans are cooked.

Adjust seasonings as needed.

Serving Suggestions for Rainbow Soup

As a main course, this soup is perfect, but be sure that you add other items for adults to eat before they get to the main dish, so that they won't be over or underfed. A nice starter salad with a vinaigrette dressing is appetizing before soup.

FIVE BEAN SOUP

This comes from Eden Kitchens

Serves 10. Prep Time 10 minutes. Cook Time 40 minutes.

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

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.

LENTIL MINESTRONE WITH GREENS

This is from Martha Rose Schulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “A number of greens work well in this hearty Italian dish. Chard and turnip greens are growing in my garden, so those are ones I’m using now, but I wouldn’t hesitate to use kale, either.”

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 15 minutes.

This was originally featured in “Lentils: A Versatile Staple Flavors Classic International Dishes” and can be viewed online here.

Check out Melissa Clark’s guide “How to Cook Beans”.

Ingredients

For the Lentil Minestrone with Greens

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste

1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid

1 pound lentils (brown or beluga), washed and picked over

2 1/2 quarts water

A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf, 2 sprigs each thyme and parsley, and a Parmesan rind

1/2 pound Swiss chard, mustard greens or kale, stemmed, washed in two changes of water, and roughly chopped (about 6 cups)

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup elbow macaroni or other soup pasta (optional)

Freshly grated Parmesan for serving

Preparation

For the Lentil Minestrone with Greens

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat, and add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add half the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir together for a minute, just until the garlic is fragrant, and add the tomatoes and their liquid. Turn up the heat slightly and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the lentils, water and bouquet garni, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add the remaining garlic, salt to taste and add the greens. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 15 minutes. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the pasta, and continue to simmer until the pasta is tender, five to 10 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and serve, passing grated Parmesan at the table.

Tip

Advance preparation: The soup can be made up to a day or two ahead of time, but do not add the pasta until you are ready to serve. Reheat and add as directed. A note about salt: From now on, I will indicate a preference for kosher salt in my recipes. Because of its crystalline structure, kosher salt is not as salty as fine sea salt.

RED LENTIL SOUP WITH LEMON

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This is a lentil soup that defies expectations of what lentil soup can be. It is light, spicy and a bold red color (no murky brown here): a revelatory dish that takes less than an hour to make. The cooking is painless. Sauté onion and garlic in oil, then stir in tomato paste, cumin and chile powder and cook a few minutes more to intensify flavor. Add broth, water, red lentils (which cook faster than their green or black counterparts) and diced carrot, and simmer for 30 minutes. Purée half the mixture and return it to the pot for a soup that strikes the balance between chunky and pleasingly smooth. A hit of lemon juice adds an up note that offsets the deep cumin and chile flavors.” Yield: 4 servings; Time: 45 minutes.

This was featured in “A Lentil Soup to Make You Stop, Taste and Savor and can be viewed online here.

Want to know more about making soup? Check out Samin Nosrat’s guide “How to Make Soup”.

Also, check out Melissa Clark’s guide, “Hot to Cook Beans.”

Note: The recipe originally called for either chicken or veggie broth. I've left it at simply veggie broth (for obvious reasons)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch of ground chile powder or cayenne, more to taste

1 quart vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 cup red lentils

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.

Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.

Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.

Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.

SUMMER MINISTRONE SOUP

This comes from tbsp.com, and begins, “Minestrone soup, swimming with beans and macaroni, is vegetable soup’s heartier Italian cousin. Preparing it in advance and having at the ready in your freezer will have you singing ‘That’s Amore’ when dinnertime comes around.”

Prep Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Servings: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen™ organic diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup Progresso™ cannellini beans, drained, rinsed (from 15-oz can)

1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cut (1/2-inch) green beans

1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

1 carton (32 oz) Progresso™ broth vegetable

Shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired

Directions

In 4-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and salt; cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and oregano; cook 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, cannellini beans, zucchini, carrot, green beans and macaroni.

Add stock; heat to simmering over medium-high heat. Cook 6 to 8 minutes or until macaroni is al dente. Top with Parmesan cheese.

To freeze: In 8-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and salt; cook about 4 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, thyme and oregano; cook 2 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Stir in tomatoes and cannellini beans. Transfer to 1-quart resealable freezer plastic bag. Mix zucchini, carrot, green beans and macaroni in another 1-quart resealable freezer plastic bag. Freeze both bags up to 3 months. When ready to serve: In 4-quart saucepan, mix broth and bag of frozen tomato-bean mixture; heat to simmering over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook until frozen tomato-bean mixture is completely thawed, stirring occasionally. Add bag of vegetables and macaroni; return to simmering. Cook 6 to 8 minutes or until macaroni is al dente. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Expert Tips

Lots of fun small pasta shapes are on your grocery store shelves. Try ditalini, orzo or small shells for a change of pace from elbow macaroni.

Canned chickpeas are a good substitute for the cannellini beans in this soup.

VEGETARIAN TORTILLA SOUP

This is from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking email. Alison wrote, “This vegetarian version of tortilla soup is no less complex than its chicken counterpart, thanks to plenty of vegetables, spices and a secret ingredient: canned chipotles in adobo. Smoked and dried jalapeños softened in a vinegar-tomato mixture, these little powerhouses do much of the heavy lifting in this vegetarian soup, offering depth and a certain meatiness to an otherwise light and tangy broth.”

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 1 1/4 hours

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Soup:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons chile powder

2 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed

For the Tortillas and Assembly:

2 cups vegetable oil

8 small corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips

Kosher salt

1 avocado, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or shredded Cheddar or Monterey jack

3/4 cup sour cream or crema

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 red or yellow onion, finely chopped

Lime wedges, for serving

Preparation

Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeño and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add chile powder and stir to coat. Cook a minute or two to toast the spices, then add chipotles and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to caramelize a bit on the bottom of the pot, concentrating their flavor.

Add vegetable broth, corn and 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer until flavors meld and broth tastes rich and flavorful, 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet or heavy-bottomed pot. Bring oil to 375 degrees and working in batches, fry tortilla strips until light golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt.

Place about 3/4 of the tortilla strips into broth and stir to submerge and soften for a few minutes. Divide soup among bowls and top with avocado, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, onion and remaining fried tortilla strips. Serve lime alongside for squeezing.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Soup's On

There's something comforting about a pot of homemade soup simmering on the stove. If you love homemade soup as much as I do, today's six soup recipes are sure to get your attention. Check out the Vegan Gingered Carrot Soup, the Rainbow Soup, or any of the other yummy soups. Enjoy!

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.

VEGAN GINGERED CARROT SOUP

This comes from Jolinda Hackett, a former writer for The Spruce Eats. Jolinda wrote, "Colorful and fragrant carrot and ginger soup is a light and soothing soup. Carrot soup with ginger is a nutritious and low fat soup recipe with just a touch of sweetness and a touch of spice." Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 55 minutes

This recipe was posted when Jolinda wrote for about.com, which has become DotDash.com, which The Spruce is part of. I'm unable to find a current link for this recipe, but when I do, I'll be sure to post it. (Jolinda, if you're reading this, feel free to send me a link!)

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1/4 cup fresh ginger, minced

4 cups chopped and peeled carrots (about 1 1/2 pounds)

3 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups orange juice

dash nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

In a large pot, sautee onions and ginger in olive oil until soft, about 3-5 minutes.Add carrots and vegetable broth and reduce heat to medium. Allow to simmer for about 40 minutes, or until carrots are soft.

Add orange juice and stir well.

Working in small batches and using a food processor or blender, process soup until smooth.

Return to pot or serving bowl and add nutmeg, salt and pepper, stirring well. Serve with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream if desired and enjoy!

APPLE RUTABAGA SOUP

This came from Brett Moore, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. He wrote, “Here's a beautiful comfort soup from Chef Patrick O'Connell (The Inn at Little Washington). Delicious and complex flavors with a velvety texture. Perfect for those cold winter days.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/4 pound) butter

1 cup onion, roughly chopped

1 cup Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped

1 cup rutabaga, peeled and roughly chopped

1 cup butternut squash, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped

1 cup carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 cup sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped

1 quart good chicken stock

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup maple syrup

Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, apple, rutabaga, squash, carrots and sweet potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until all of the vegetables are cooked through and tender.

Puree the vegetables in a blender or food processor. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into the same pot you used to cook the vegetables. Add the cream, maple syrup, salt and cayenne pepper.

Return the pot to the stove, bring the soup to a simmer, and serve.

AFRICAN BEAN SOUP

I'm occasionally amazed at where I find recipes. This one comes from GE Appliances. It begins, “It's the season for soup and what better way to warm up than this hearty, protein packed stew! This dish works well on it's own, or for a more substantial meal, serve over brown rice and spinach.” Serves 6 to 8.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 onion, chopped

2 small yams, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained

3 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup cilantro or parsley

3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

2 teaspoons curry powder

Directions

Heat olive oil in stock pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion and sweet potato for about 5 minutes.

Add celery, carrots, bell pepper, soy sauce and curry powder and saute for another 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes, beans, cilantro or parsley and vegetable stock.

Blend peanut butter with 1/2 cup warm water and add to soup.

Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender.

LENTIL MINESTRONE WITH GREENS

This is from Martha Rose Schulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “A number of greens work well in this hearty Italian dish. Chard and turnip greens are growing in my garden, so those are ones I’m using now, but I wouldn’t hesitate to use kale, either.”

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 15 minutes.

This was originally featured in “Lentils: A Versatile Staple Flavors Classic International Dishes” and can be viewed online here.

Check out Melissa Clark’s guide “How to Cook Beans”.

Ingredients

For the Lentil Minestrone with Greens

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste

1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid

1 pound lentils (brown or beluga), washed and picked over

2 1/2 quarts water

A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf, 2 sprigs each thyme and parsley, and a Parmesan rind

1/2 pound Swiss chard, mustard greens or kale, stemmed, washed in two changes of water, and roughly chopped (about 6 cups)

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup elbow macaroni or other soup pasta (optional)

Freshly grated Parmesan for serving

Preparation

For the Lentil Minestrone with Greens

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat, and add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add half the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir together for a minute, just until the garlic is fragrant, and add the tomatoes and their liquid. Turn up the heat slightly and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the lentils, water and bouquet garni, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add the remaining garlic, salt to taste and add the greens. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 15 minutes. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the pasta, and continue to simmer until the pasta is tender, five to 10 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and serve, passing grated Parmesan at the table.

Tip

Advance preparation: The soup can be made up to a day or two ahead of time, but do not add the pasta until you are ready to serve. Reheat and add as directed. A note about salt: From now on, I will indicate a preference for kosher salt in my recipes. Because of its crystalline structure, kosher salt is not as salty as fine sea salt.

RAINBOW SOUP

This comes from Laura Dolson, Low Carb diet expert for VeryWell. Laura wrote, “Rainbow soup is a great way to follow so many nutritionists' advice to ‘eat a rainbow.’ In fact, that's what makes rainbow soup unique. While it is generally hard to eat all of the colors of fruits and vegetables at one meal, rainbow soup makes it possible. This is one of those soups that people tend to love, despite the unusual seasoning combination. I often put leftover turkey or chicken in it, but it can stand on its own without meat. It is also good with beans or chickpeas if your diet allows. The idea is that it has vegetables from all the ‘color groups,’ so it has lots of antioxidants and other nutrients for your family. If you have any fresh herbs around, feel free to throw them in as well.”

Laura also suggested adding meat to the soup for anyone who isn't a vegetarian, as well as liking “vegetable or chicken broth”. I'm leaving out the chicken broth, as well as the addition of meat. If you decide you'd like to add these, check the above link to see when to add the meat.

Total Time 45 min; Prep 10 min, Cook 35 min; Yield 9 cups of soup

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 medium onion (2 1/2 inches in diameter), chopped

2 large stalks celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, pressed

1 medium red bell pepper

1 cup chopped carrot (you can use chopped pumpkin, if available)

1 heaping tbsp. sweet paprika

3 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 bay leaf

A little hot sauce

1 15 oz. can tomatoes, chopped

1 large leaf of chard, about 1 and 1/2 cups – can use spinach or other dark leafy green such as kale – cut into thin strips

10 oz. frozen green beans (or fresh)

Salt and pepper

5 cups stock or broth (I like vegetable or chicken better than bouillon—but watch the saltiness)

Preparation

In a large soup pot, simmer oil, onion, and celery. Cook on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes to develop more sweetness in the onion.

Add garlic and turn up the heat to medium. Cook for a minute or so and add the peppers and carrots. Cook another minute or two and add the spices. Stir and cook until fragrant—another minute or so.

Add tomatoes and stock, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add frozen beans and chard and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the beans are cooked.

Adjust seasonings as needed.

Serving Suggestions for Rainbow Soup

As a main course, this soup is perfect, but be sure that you add other items for adults to eat before they get to the main dish, so that they won't be over or underfed. A nice starter salad with a vinaigrette dressing is appetizing before soup.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Soup's On!

Here are six yummy soup recipes to help you through the day, including Rainbow Soup and Vegan Gingered Carrot Soup. Enjoy!

APPLE RUTABAGA SOUP

This came from Brett Moore, About.com’s Gourmet Food expert. He wrote, “Here's a beautiful comfort soup from Chef Patrick O'Connell (The Inn at Little Washington). Delicious and complex flavors with a velvety texture. Perfect for those cold winter days.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/4 pound) butter

1 cup onion, roughly chopped

1 cup Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped

1 cup rutabaga, peeled and roughly chopped

1 cup butternut squash, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped

1 cup carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 cup sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped

1 quart good chicken stock

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup maple syrup

Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, apple, rutabaga, squash, carrots and sweet potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until all of the vegetables are cooked through and tender.

Puree the vegetables in a blender or food processor. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into the same pot you used to cook the vegetables. Add the cream, maple syrup, salt and cayenne pepper.

Return the pot to the stove, bring the soup to a simmer, and serve.

VEGAN GINGERED CARROT SOUP

This comes from Jolinda Hackett, About.com's Vegetarian Food expert. She writes, "Colorful and fragrant carrot and ginger soup is a light and soothing soup. Carrot soup with ginger is a nutritious and low fat soup recipe with just a touch of sweetness and a touch of spice." Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 55 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1/4 cup fresh ginger, minced

4 cups chopped and peeled carrots (about 1 1/2 pounds)

3 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups orange juice

dash nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

In a large pot, sautee onions and ginger in olive oil until soft, about 3-5 minutes.Add carrots and vegetable broth and reduce heat to medium. Allow to simmer for about 40 minutes, or until carrots are soft.

Add orange juice and stir well.

Working in small batches and using a food processor or blender, process soup until smooth.

Return to pot or serving bowl and add nutmeg, salt and pepper, stirring well. Serve with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream if desired and enjoy!

RAINBOW SOUP

This comes from Laura Dolson, Low Carb diet expert for VeryWell. Laura wrote, “Rainbow soup is a great way to follow so many nutritionists' advice to ‘eat a rainbow.’ In fact, that's what makes rainbow soup unique. While it is generally hard to eat all of the colors of fruits and vegetables at one meal, rainbow soup makes it possible. This is one of those soups that people tend to love, despite the unusual seasoning combination. I often put leftover turkey or chicken in it, but it can stand on its own without meat. It is also good with beans or chickpeas if your diet allows. The idea is that it has vegetables from all the ‘color groups,’ so it has lots of antioxidants and other nutrients for your family. If you have any fresh herbs around, feel free to throw them in as well.”

Laura also suggested adding meat to the soup for anyone who isn't a vegetarian, as well as liking “vegetable or chicken broth”. I'm leaving out the chicken broth, as well as the addition of meat. If you decide you'd like to add these, check the above link to see when to add the meat.

Total Time 45 min; Prep 10 min, Cook 35 min; Yield 9 cups of soup

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 medium onion (2 1/2 inches in diameter), chopped

2 large stalks celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, pressed

1 medium red bell pepper

1 cup chopped carrot (you can use chopped pumpkin, if available)

1 heaping tbsp. sweet paprika

3 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 bay leaf

A little hot sauce

1 15 oz. can tomatoes, chopped

1 large leaf of chard, about 1 and 1/2 cups – can use spinach or other dark leafy green such as kale – cut into thin strips

10 oz. frozen green beans (or fresh)

Salt and pepper

5 cups stock or broth (I like vegetable or chicken better than bouillon—but watch the saltiness)

Preparation

In a large soup pot, simmer oil, onion, and celery. Cook on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes to develop more sweetness in the onion.

Add garlic and turn up the heat to medium. Cook for a minute or so and add the peppers and carrots. Cook another minute or two and add the spices. Stir and cook until fragrant—another minute or so.

Add tomatoes and stock, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add frozen beans and chard and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the beans are cooked.

Adjust seasonings as needed.

Serving Suggestions for Rainbow Soup

As a main course, this soup is perfect, but be sure that you add other items for adults to eat before they get to the main dish, so that they won't be over or underfed. A nice starter salad with a vinaigrette dressing is appetizing before soup.

FIVE BEAN SOUP

This comes from Eden Kitchens

Serves 10. Prep Time 10 minutes. Cook Time 40 minutes.

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

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.

LENTIL MINESTRONE WITH GREENS

This is from Martha Rose Schulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “A number of greens work well in this hearty Italian dish. Chard and turnip greens are growing in my garden, so those are ones I’m using now, but I wouldn’t hesitate to use kale, either.”

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 15 minutes.

This was originally featured in “Lentils: A Versatile Staple Flavors Classic International Dishes” and can be viewed online here.

Check out Melissa Clark’s guide “How to Cook Beans”.

Ingredients

For the Lentil Minestrone with Greens

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste

1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid

1 pound lentils (brown or beluga), washed and picked over

2 1/2 quarts water

A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf, 2 sprigs each thyme and parsley, and a Parmesan rind

1/2 pound Swiss chard, mustard greens or kale, stemmed, washed in two changes of water, and roughly chopped (about 6 cups)

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup elbow macaroni or other soup pasta (optional)

Freshly grated Parmesan for serving

Preparation

For the Lentil Minestrone with Greens

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat, and add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add half the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir together for a minute, just until the garlic is fragrant, and add the tomatoes and their liquid. Turn up the heat slightly and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the lentils, water and bouquet garni, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add the remaining garlic, salt to taste and add the greens. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 15 minutes. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the pasta, and continue to simmer until the pasta is tender, five to 10 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and serve, passing grated Parmesan at the table.

Tip

Advance preparation: The soup can be made up to a day or two ahead of time, but do not add the pasta until you are ready to serve. Reheat and add as directed. A note about salt: From now on, I will indicate a preference for kosher salt in my recipes. Because of its crystalline structure, kosher salt is not as salty as fine sea salt.

AFRICAN BEAN SOUP

I'm occasionally amazed at where I find recipes. This one comes from GE Appliances. It begins, “It's the season for soup and what better way to warm up than this hearty, protein packed stew! This dish works well on it's own, or for a more substantial meal, serve over brown rice and spinach.” Serves 6 to 8.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 onion, chopped

2 small yams, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained

3 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup cilantro or parsley

3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

2 teaspoons curry powder

Directions

Heat olive oil in stock pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion and sweet potato for about 5 minutes.

Add celery, carrots, bell pepper, soy sauce and curry powder and saute for another 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes, beans, cilantro or parsley and vegetable stock.

Blend peanut butter with 1/2 cup warm water and add to soup.

Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender.