Spicy tomato soup

I recently tried this recipe from Vegetarian Times but made a few tweaks to the recipe.

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 tbsp tomato paste or sauce

1 clove garlic, diced

1 tsp sugar

1 15-oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

4 cups water

1 tsp dried thyme

1-2 tbsp fresh basil

2 heaping tbsp cornstarch

Vegetable broth

1. In a medium pot, saute onion for a few minutes in a few tablespoons of olive oil, then add tomato paste, garlic, and sugar.
2. Add tomatoes, vinegar, water, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, the cover and simmer at a low temp for about 15 minutes.
3. With am immersion blender, process until smooth. 4. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and a few tablespoons of broth. Add to pot. Stir, let sit for 5 minutes to thicken, and serve.

Black Bean and Sausage Stew

 I recently ran across an old issue of Family Circle with some great soup recipes. I made this black bean and sausage stew, and loved it!

1 lb black beans (soaked overnight)
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage (casings removed, if any)
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
Chopped cilantro, avocado, and tomato for garnish (optional)
Or chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, and sour cream for garnish (optional) <- my="" p="" personal="" suggestion="">

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add onion and garlic. Cook five minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in broth, water, soaked beans, chili powder, oregano and cumin.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 60 minutes or so until beans are tender. Add red pepper during last few minutes of cooking.
5. Remove about 1 cup of the mixture to blender and puree, return to pot. (I skipped this step).
6. Garnish each serving as desired.

Veggie chili

It's been crazy cold here in LA the last week, so what better way to warm up than will a bowl of hot chilli? And even better, in a bread bowl?

I followed this recipe from SparkPeople to the tee, but poured the chili into a bread bowl.
Gimme some hot chocolate and a pair of slippers and I'm all set!

Veggie broth

With fall comes the warm tasty fall veggie soups that come with it. I make a lot of soups, but the one thing I've never made was my own veggie broth. I found this recipe from VegantYumYum.com and tweaked it a bit to fit my tastes.

For my broth, I used carrots, celery, potatoes, onions, garlic, leeks, and tomato paste.

I split the broth into two tupperware containers and froze them until needed.

Classy Ramen-Style Mushroom Soup

Super flavorful and quick enough that it just may get me to drop my Top Ramen habit.

From The Mushroom Channel

Makes 3 to 4 servings

• 8 small dried shiitake mushrooms
• 8 square inches dried kombu (optional)
• 4 ½ cups water
• 4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 6 – 8 ounces cremini and/or shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon crushed red chili flakes (to suit your tastes)
• 1 ½ tablespoons shiro miso (white miso paste)
• 1 ½ tablespoons aka miso (red miso paste)
• 10 ounces dried ramen noodles (aka, chukka soba), freshly cooked (or any other Asian noodle you have - soba would be delicious)
• Fresh cilantro leaves, to garnish (optional)

1. Make the mushroom stock: Place the dried shiitake mushrooms and kombu a pot with the water.  Bring the water almost to a boil and then turn down the heat to maintain a simmer.  Cook for 5 minutes.

2. Remove the pot from the heat and let the stock stand for 3 minutes.  Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer and set the stock aside.

3. Make the soup: Heat 3 teaspoons of the toasted sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat.  Add the sliced cremini mushrooms and cook for about 20 seconds.  Drizzle in the remaining 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, then add the finely chopped garlic and crushed red chili flakes, and stir-fry for another 20 seconds.

4. Pour the mushroom stock through a fine-mesh strainer held directly over the pan.  (Discard the solids left in the strainer.)  Adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer, and separate the cooked noodles into 3 or 4 bowls.

5. Place the shiro miso and aka miso in a small bowl and ladle some of the hot stock from the pan into the bowl. Whisk the miso pastes and broth together until smooth, then add to the simmering stock in the pan.

6. Turn off the heat, then ladle the broth over the noodles in each bowl.  Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve immediately.

Broccoli soup

Yes, this recipe from Tasty-Yummies.com is vegan, but you'd never know it! It's very quick to make, and doesn't take many ingredients at all - basically just broccoli, onion, garlic, broth, and beans - and doesn't take much time either. And I just realized I forgot the pine nuts, which would've been a nice addition! I think croutons would work great with this soup too, especially cheesy ones.

Butternut squash soup with ravioli

A great recipe from BHG.com. Very easy to make, and quick to whip up! I used about half a large squash, and bagged mini-raviolis from Trader Joe's. A yummy autumn meal that actually filled my belly!

Butternut Squash Soup

Years ago, my father gave me a recipe for butternut squash soup. It was simple and delicious. And I lost it. But then I found it! And I made it again. And it was just as delicious as before. And so simple! 5 ingredients, including salt! One note, I made it with a fairly small squash and it barely fed two adults and a toddler, so if you're hungry or cooking for a group or like to have leftovers, make extra! It's great for fall and would fit in great at a holiday table.

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash, halved and seeded
1/2 sweet onion, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F

2. Place the halved and seeded squash on an oiled roasting pan and roast in the oven for 1 hour or until a knife goes in easily. Let the squash cool slightly and remove the skin, which will come away easily when the squash is cooked.

3. Sautee the onion in the olive oil for 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the squash and the broth to the pan and simmer together for about 10 minutes.

4. Place the mixture and salt in a blender (you might want to let it cool slightly, first), blend completely.

If you're wondering why there's no picture of the soup, try making it yourself. See if you have time to snap a photo before devouring it.

A Passover-friendly vegetable soup

My daughter eats Vegetable Barley Soup almost every day. And with Passover approaching, I wanted to make a Passover-friendly version.

Ingredients:
4 carrots, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 potatoes, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup quinoa
dill, to taste
parsley, to taste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions:
1.  Saute onion, garlic in olive oil.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and cover with water.
4. Cook for at least 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

I had recently made a big pot of vegetable stock, so I reserved the cooked veggies from that, pureed them  and added them to the soup to thicken it. If you don't have extra veggies on hand and want the soup thicker, throw a few cups of it in the blender and mix back into the pot.

Split Pea Soup

I hadn't had split pea soup in forever, so I looked up some recipes for it online. None seemed similar to the one my mom used to make, and they all called for ham hocks, which require de-boning. I used delicious bacon instead and used ideas from several recipes to formulate my own. It turned out great and was eaten up faster than any other soup I've made recently.

Ingredients:

1/4 stick butter

1 large chopped onion

3 stalks chopped celery

3 carrots chopped

1 1/2 cups green split peas

5 bacon strips, sliced

8 cups water

2 tsp marjoram

2 bay leaves

4 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 can evaporated milk

Directions:

In a stock pot, melt the butter and saute the veggies and garlic about 8 minutes.

Add the pork and spices. Stir 1 minute.

Add the peas, bacon, milk, and water.

Bring to a boil.

Simmer for 1 hour, 20 minutes.

Serve hot or store overnight in the refrigerator and reheat.

Wild Mushroom & 3 Bean Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 cups diced potatoes
• 6-8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 package (25 grams) dried, wild mushrooms
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 can butter beans*
• 1 can red beans*
• 1 can kidney beans*
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp basil
• 1 Tbsp herbs de provance
• 1 tsp tarragon
• 1 tsp dried ginger
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a stock pot, saute garlic and onion in olive oil over medium heat.
2. Pour broth over the mixture, then add the potatoes.
3. Add remaining ingredients, rinsing and draining beans first.
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.
5. Remove bay leaves and serve hot!

*Feel free to use your favorite beans if these don't tickle your fancy.

Soup Mix Review: Southern Sweet Potato

Since the last soup mix I tried from World Market went so well, I gave the Sweet Potato mix a chance. This was a great mixture of sweet and savory. Again, it was quite easy to make and much better tasting than most canned soups. Definitely recommend this if you enjoy sweet potatoes!

Roasted yellow pepper soup

Another delish recipe hidden in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook:



Ingredients (Makes 3-4 servings)
5 yellow peppers, halved and roasted for 10 minutes and deskinned
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 cloved garlic, chopped
32oz veggie broth
Chives and thyme

1. Bring peppers, onion, garlic, and broth to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
2. Remove peppers and pulse in a food processor until soupy (or use a strong immersion blender). Return to pot. Add chives and thyme and serve.

Soup Mix Review: Creamy Tomato & Red Pepper

I love pretty much any version of tomato soup that I've tried, and this soup mix from World Market was no exception. It was also very easy to make: just add canned tomatoes (or tomato puree, like I did), and a couple other ingredients to the mix and heat. It's nearly as easy as canned tomato soup, but far tastier. The mix even includes croutons, which I found delightful.

Squash & Apple Soup

Of all the soup recipes I've made up, this is my favorite! :)

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash

1 acorn squash

2 granny smith apples

2 tomatoes

2 large carrots

1 clove garlic

1 Tbsps vegetable oil or butter

1 lemon

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1 can evaporated milk salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup peanut butter

6 cups water or broth

pinch cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp paprika

dash cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp basil

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400. Halve and seed the squash. Bake 45 minutes.
2. While squash is baking, chop the carrots, garlic, tomatoes, and apples (which should be cored).
3. Saute these ingredients in the oil or butter until the apples are soft. Squeeze the lemon juice over this as it cooks.
4. When squash is done, scoop out the flesh.
5. Combine the squash and the sauteed mixture, along with the rest of the ingredients in a stock pot or slow cooker and simmer 30 minutes.
6. Puree the ingredients with a hand-held immersion blender, or in batches with a food processor or blender.

Lentils & Rice

I love to cook up a big batch of lentils. They freeze well, so I always have a quick, easy, nutritious meal on hand for my 1-year-old when dinner's not ready on her schedule. I always just wing it, so the measurements of the spices are approximate. This time I decided to add some brown rice so it would be a more complete meal for her without more thought on my part when I'm rushing.

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cups brown lentils
1 cup brown rice
1 bay leaf
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp thyme
sprinkle of black pepper
2 tsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)

Directions:
Add onion & carrots to a pot on high heat and cook for a few minutes while you gather everything else. Add lentils and rice. Both the lentils and rice cook two parts water to each cup, so for this recipe you'd add 6 cups of water. Add seasoning and mix. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 40 minutes, until most or all of the water is absorbed. Remove bay leaf before serving.

This meal is tasty even if you are grown!

Vegetable Barley Soup

I asked my husband if he'd like soup this week. He responded "I like soup." But when I showed him various recipes, the feedback I got ranged from the specific ("I don't like tomatoes in my soup") to the vague ("That's not what I had in mind"). Finally he asked for "something with barely in it." Okay, that I can work with. A quick search on food.com (formerly recipezaar) got me to this recipe. He was worried that it wouldn't have enough flavor, but I held strong. In the end, as usual, I was right. You will have leftovers (hooray!), but as the days go by the chunks will melt and the soup will become even creamier. It freezes very well.

Ingredients:
4 carrots (1 grated, 3 chopped)
1 onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 potatoes, chopped (I used 4, because they were small and who doesn't love little potato bits in their soup?)
2 sweet potatoes, choped
2 zucchini, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup split peas (I used yellow)
1/2 cup red lentil
dill, to taste
parsley, to taste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste



Directions:
1. Soak split peas until partially soft, or boil
2. Saute onion, garlic and grated carrot (I added some olive oil for this step even though it was not in the ingredients or directions.)
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and cover with water.
4. Cook for at least 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

I think it would work with any number of vegetable combinations would work. Next time I'm going to add some cut green beans.

If you have young children, feel free to serve this soup while singing Raffi's "Oats and Beans and Barely Grow."

Moroccan Sweet Potato Stew

If you know me, you know that I tend to be a picky person. It used to be if it wasn't American or Italian, I wouldn't eat it. But in the last few years, I've been expanding my food horizons - some successfully, some not so.

I thought this would be a good trip into a new food destination. And I liked it! From Sparkpeople.com:



Ingredients
Olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/4 cup veggie broth
2 tomatoes, diced with juices
1/2 cup water
1 cup lentils
1 large sweet potato, 3/4" chunks
2 small zucchini, 3/4" chunks
1 cup couscous

1. Heat oil in a pot. Add onion and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and spices for 30 seconds.
2. Add tomatoes, broth, lentils, and potato. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes. Add zucchini and cook covered for 10 minutes.
3. Prep coucous according to package instructions and stir into the soup.

Frozen herbs

I've recently just introduced myself to the pleasures of frozen herbs.

On my personal blog, I've raved about my AeroGarden. I can grow three plants at a time with minimal care. Currently, I'm growing parsley, basil, and oregano. And let me tell you, there's nothing like fresh herbs in your meals.

Since, occasionally, the herbs grow faster than I can use them, I found a way to not let them go to waste - Freeze them!

You start off by tearing the leaves into small pieces. Put about one tbsp of the herb into an ice tray (I used AeroGarden's brand, but any tray will do obviously).
Using a super gentle stream, fill the tray with water. Be careful not to force the leaves out of the tray!
Let freeze at least overnight. Pop out of the tray whenever you need them.
Drop into your simmering soup. The ice melts away and you're left with your home-grown herbs!

Baby food (plus a recipe for grown-ups)

Now that my little girl is eating solids, most of the cooking I do is for her. First, you need to know that by "solids" I mean purees. Although, if Top Chef is any indicator, purees are hot in the grown up, tooth-filled world, too. The "recipe" for these purees is as follow: 1. steam, boil or bake until fall-apart soft 2. cool 3. puree until there are no lumps, adding water, breastmilk or formula if needed.

So far little E chomps down on:
apples
avocados (raw, mashed with a fork)
bananas (raw, mashed with a fork)
blueberries
butternut squash
carrots
cauliflower
mango
peaches
pears
peas
potatoes
prunes
sweet potatoes

It's a pain in the butt at first to get a good variety of foods, but if made in big batches and frozen in small servings (like in an ice tray), it's easy to stock up quickly. I almost never have to make more baby food. And I feel like she'll be on table food before I finish up what we've got.

We're now in the exciting world of mixed & seasoned foods. Mostly I just mix a few of the above fruits and/or veggies together. Thinking about what tastes good together and trying new combination is my new hobby. FYI peas and carrots might taste nice and bring some color to your plate, but when pureed and mixed together they make a very unappetizing color. I've started adding cinnamon to appropriate food combos (like sweet potatoes & apples). And most recently I've cooked up a big batch of veggie broth and pureed the veggies and spices for her. Mixed with any combination of sweet potatoes, carrots, potatoes and cauliflower it's been a hit.

Super versatile soup stock:

1-3 Onions, quartered or roughly chopped
3-5 Carrots, roughly chopped
2-4 Celery ribs, roughly chopped
Any other veggies (except leafy greens) on hand are welcome to be thrown in... this is a good time to use up that leek that's been sitting in your crisper
2-5 Cloves of garlic, crushed

Throw everything in a big pot (I use a pot with a giant steamer insert and put the veggies in there so I don't have to strain them out later)

Add as much water as the pot will hold and season with any/all of the following:
Dill
Parsley
Bay Leaves
(if you have fresh herbs on hand, use 'em, but I almost always go with dry and it works fine)

Bring the water to a boil, then simmer for at least an hour.

Strain out veggies, let them cool

Throw some or all of the veggies in a food processor or blender. Feed puree to baby, freeze, or add back to the stock to thicken. Or you could toss it out, but what would your depression-era grandparents say about that?


Tonight that stock is going in a lentil soup and tomorrow that soup is going in baby's belly. Fingers crossed!