Mexican Rice Soup

This is a lovely light soup. Perfect for a summer evening.
It goes together very quickly once the broth has been prepared (and even that doesn't take long).

The shorter-grained rice and avocado give this soup a nice creaminess without making it heavy.

I actually made this a while ago and paired it with avocado bruschetta. Tonight, I had it with zucchini-tomato gratin. Both meal combinations worked really well together.


Serves 6

Ingredients: Broth
1 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cloves, garlic, crushed
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tbsp. grated lime zest
Juice of 2 limes, squeezed
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 cups water

Soup
1/4 cup short- or medium-grain rice
1 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1 avocado, diced (approx. 1 cup)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Method:
1. Make the broth first. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5-7 minutes. Add in the garlic and continue to saute for another minute. Add the veggie broth, zest, lime juice, oregano, and water. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the broth to simmer for 10 minutes then strain it, discarding the solids and returning the liquid to the pan.

2. Add the rice to the broth and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cover the pan and allow the rice to simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and corn and add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer an additional 10 minutes.

3. Pour the soup into serving bowls and garnish with the avocado, green onions, and cilantro.

Reference:
Based on Mexican Rice Soup from the September 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times.

My Changes:
*I actually used 1/2 avocado for 1 serving. :) What can I say? I love the stuff. I placed part of it on the bottom of the bowl before pouring the soup in and then added the rest on the top.
*Added the lime juice.
*Skipped the tortilla strips. I thought about breaking up tortilla chips but couldn't get the effect I wanted. (The original recipe called for 1 tortilla to be cut into thin strips, baked, and then used to garnish the soup).

Carrot-Ginger Soup

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this and actually thought I might not like it. I was proven wrong and now I can't wait to make it again! I'd like to try it chilled next time.

The mild carrots are really set off by the spicy ginger!

An immersion blender is a great tool for pureeing just a small amount of this soup if you divide the recipe.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. canola oil
4 medium onions, sliced
1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
6 cups vegetable broth
8 large carrots, peeled and roughly cut into evenly sized pieces
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, if desired

Method:
1. Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Saute the onions until translucent. Add the chopped ginger and saute an additional 2 minutes.

2. Increase the heat to medium an add the broth and carrots. Simmer until the carrots are tender. Season to taste. Puree.

Reference:
From The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.

I didn't make any changes to this but there is a note at the bottom of the recipe saying "Reduce the vegetable broth by half and replace the remaining half with orange juice, apple juice, ginger ale, or sparkling cider." Definitely something to think about for next time!
I might also add some crushed pineapple to a chilled version.

Mushroom-Bean Stew with Garlic Crumb Topping

This smelled so wonderful while it was cooking (even M mentioned how good it smelled more than once) that I made a comment along the lines of "I hope this tastes half as amazing as it smells!" Oh, did it ever! :)

This is a great treat to use up half a can of beans and whatever veggies you have hanging around the kitchen. It started out as a rather plain recipe but I gave it the G treatment and it turned into something quite spectacular!
It's full of protein, iron, complex carbs, and fibre while still being very low in fat and cholesterol (zero cholesterol if you leave out the cheese).

It's vegan if you don't cheat like I did and add a smidgen of Parmesan to the crumbs...
I'd bet money that herbivores and omnivores alike would really enjoy this so it's a great one to serve for company (and it's just so pretty and colorful - who wouldn't love it?!)

I'm saving the best for last here - this goes together in less than 45 minutes (including chopping!) Yeay!
Great for a quickie weeknight dinner.

Serves 2 (easy to double or triple if needed)

Ingredients:
1-1/2 tsp. olive oil, divided
5-6 button mushrooms, quartered
Approx. 1 cup green onions, sliced
1/8 cup red onion, diced
1-1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 can (15-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed (or whatever beans you have)
1/4 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 tomato, chopped (I included the seeds)
1 large garlic clove, minced (for the stew)
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
1/2 tsp. dried culinary lavender, crushed
1/4 tsp. dried fennel, crushed
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
Small amount of panko breadcrumbs (1/4-1/2 cup or so)
1 small garlic clove, minced (for the crumbly topping)
1/8 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Optional: 1-2 tbsp. freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Method:
1. Heat 3/4 tsp. of the oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Stir in the mushrooms, green onions, red onion, and Italian seasoning and cook for 10 minutes or until softened.

2. Stir the beans, large garlic clove, tomato, broth, tarragon, lavender, and fennel. Cook until heated through and thickened. Stir in the salt and pepper.
Yum! There it is sans crumbs/before it got really thick:


3. While the stew cooks/thickens, prepare the crumb topping. Heat the remaining 3/4 tsp. oil in a small non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the panko for 6-8 minutes or until it is crispy and golden. Add the small garlic clove during the last couple of minutes so you get the garlic flavour without getting a burned-garlic flavour.
They should look like this (mine really weren't that washed out.. I have the oh-so-lovely fluorescent lighting in my kitchen to thank for that!):


4. Add the fresh parsley to the bean mixture and then sprinkle the crumbs on top of the stew.
Optional: If you choose to add Parm to the crumbs, transfer the crumbs from the skillet to a small bowl and let them cool off for a couple of minutes. Grate the Parm into the bowl and mix to combine.

Reference:
I based this on the recipe "Golden Crumb-Topped Mushroom-Bean Stew" from the February/March 2009 issue of Cooking Pleasures magazine.

How I made it my own:
*I used black beans instead of Great Northern beans (had half a can of black beans open on top of having a bad case of Monday Brain and forgetting to soak my dried Navy beans that I was originally going to use in place of the GN beans... Despite all that, I thought the black beans were wonderful in it!)
*I used green onions in place of leeks. I just can't do leeks... I'm sure I've told this story but my mom used to make this potato-leek soup every year on Ash Wednesday. Nasty... tasted like ash! Sad that I claim to be this open-minded liberal yet I just refuse to give leeks a second chance! lol ;) And like green onions are really any different! Please..!
*I added onion (much as I hate leeks, I just can't have enough of all their other allium cousins!)
*I used panko in place of a slice of bread
*I added garlic to the panko
*Added the tomato
*I also added lavender, fennel, and tarragon
*Almost forgot... I'm still out of wine and veggie broth! I did find some "Reduced-Sodium (organic!) Vegetable Bouillon" so I cut a chunk off a cube of that and dissolved it to make "veggie broth"

Moroccan Lentil Soup

I got an immersion blender for Christmas so I'm always excited when recipes like this come my way and I find a new excuse to use it! It's quickly becoming one of my favourite kitchen gadgets!

I loved all the flavours in this soup - it was almost a little smoky. It's full of great low-fat protein from all the beans and lentils and the veggies and spices add all their own health benefits.

This is a really easy, low-maintenance dinner. Other than all the chopping and the occasional stir, this stuff cooks itself! Great for rainy weekends (because we have so many of those in San Diego!)
I wouldn't really suggest this for a weeknight dinner because it has to simmer for so long. You could make it one night and let it simmer while you cook/eat something else. Store it in the fridge and then re-heat it the next day. That would make it suitable for a busy weeknight since all the work is done! Just pair it with a crisp green salad and some crusty bread (or toast if you always seem to forget to pick up crusty bread for soup nights!)

This will make a lot - I'd say 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup dried lentils
2/3 cup dried chickpeas (aka: garbanzo beans) or 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup dried navy beans (or other white beans) or 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
4 medium-sized fresh tomatoes, chopped (include the seeds) or 1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes (include the juice)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups white wine
1 1/2 tsp. garam masala (I make my own - see the note below)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2-1 cup button mushrooms, sliced (however many you like)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (couple tablespoons)

Method:
1. First things first, you'll need to soak the beans if you're using dried ones. There is a quick-soak method that I got from the Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites Cookbook down below in the "My Changes" section. Otherwise, soak the beans overnight. Once soaked, just drain them and give them a quick rinse before adding them to the rest of the ingredients.

2a. If you have a crockpot, you can dump everything except the lemon juice in and set it on low to cook for 8-10 hours. Something about leaving something with heat on all day while I'm at work scares me so I refuse to buy a crock pot! Besides, I think of them as tools for roasting chickens and it's not like I'll be doing that anytime soon. ;) Hmmm... I will admit, I miss a good roasted chicken... not enough to go back to eating meat, though.

2b. If you don't have a crockpot, dump everything except the lemon juice in a Dutch oven and cook it on the stove-top. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn down to very low heat and let it all simmer for 3-4 hours. Stir occasionally.

3. Once it's done simmering, stir in the lemon juice. I let mine sit on the hot burner (turned off) for a couple minutes after adding the juice.

4. Just before you serve the soup, use an immersion blender to blend it all up. If you prefer, you can pour the soup in a regular blender or food processor and pulse. Probably best to do it a little at a time if you go that route. Oh, and be sure to put a towel over the top so you don't scald yourself with hot soup steam. Ouch!

Reference:
This was posted a while back by one of the ladies on the Nest cooking board (thank you!) There are a couple other sources for it, though. This one from the blog A Year of CrockPotting and this version from AllRecipes (cited on the Year of CrockPotting blog).

My Changes:
I made a few!
First, I'm not the proud owner of a crock pot so I just made this on the stove in my Le Creuset.
Ingredient changes:
*I used dried beans instead of canned. I just quick-soaked them by bringing the dried beans to a boil and then letting them sit in the hot water (off the heat) for one hour. They'll cook the rest of the way while the soup simmers.
*I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned.
*Rather than using all veggie broth, I halved the amount and then used white wine to make up the total amount.
*I added some mushrooms and lemon juice, just because. :)
*I'd really like to try this with a dollop of Greek yogurt next time. Of course, that will make it non-vegan...
*I make my own form of garam masala by mixing the following together:
4 tbsp. cumin (or coriander seeds if you happen to have those)
1 tbsp. curry powder (or cumin seeds)
1 tbsp. freshly-ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. dried ginger
3/4 tsp. cloves or allspice
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. crushed bay leaves
3/4 tsp. cardamom
I modified this recipe to get the garam masala version that I use. It makes a ton but you can store it in an air-tight container.

Black Bean Chili

My new favourite chili recipe! This is very similar to black bean soup, just a little chunkier.
It's pretty quick to put together so it makes a good option for a weeknight meal. Great with some cornbread.
The Moosewood book I got this from recommends using leftover chili to make chilaquiles (one of my favourite breakfast items!) so I will definitely have to try that soon :)

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup water
1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 tbsp. ground coriander
1/2 cup prepared fresh salsa
1 red or green bell pepper (or 1/2 of each pepper), chopped
1 (15-ounce) can of black beans or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (if using dried)
1 (14.5 ounce) can tomatoes, diced with juice
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
Salt to taste
Hot pepper sauce
1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Grated cheese, chopped raw onion, sour cream to garnish (of course, dairy cheese and sour cream would de-veganize this recipe but you can get nondairy versions of both if required)

Method:
1. Place the water, onions, and garlic in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and stir on medium-high for another minute. Stir in the salsa and bell peppers, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the black beans and tomatoes, simmer for 10 minutes. Add the corn and continue to cook for 10 minutes or until everything is heated through. Add salt and hot sauce to taste. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Garnish as desired.

Reference:
Festive Black Bean Chili from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites.
It really is very festive-looking! I'll have to get a photo next time.

Vegetarian Gumbo

I've actually never had a *real* gumbo so I don't have anything to compare this to but I think it was really rather fantastic! I'm not even sure I can really call it a gumbo since it doesn't have okra in it... isn't that a key ingredient (or is that just a stereotype?) :)

This is a great "clean out the fridge" or "use up your CSA basket" recipe. It's full of wonderful veggies and is an easy one for you to substitute whatever you have.

I served mine over a bed of quinoa (told you I qualify for that Level 7 Vegan even though I'm not even vegan... lol) but I'm having the leftovers over rice tomorrow for lunch! Yum! :)

I highly recommend letting this sit and simmer for an hour (original recipe said 40 minutes). This will allow the carrots to become tender and will really let the great cumin-paprika-cayenne flavours to really meld together even more! It takes a while, but once you have everything chopped up and in the pan it's not a lot of work.

Serves 4


Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/6 cup flour
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes, juice included, diced
1 cup green beans (fresh or frozen)
1 cup carrots, sliced
1/2 cup parsnip, diced
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1 zucchini, sliced
1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 tbsp. paprika
1/2 tbsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cups vegetable broth (or water)

Method:
1. Stir together the oil and flour in a Dutch oven until smooth. Cook over high heat until the roux becomes a dark caramel colour (think a nice chocolate brown), stirring constantly.

2. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery, and cook 5 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Stir in all the remaining ingredients and the veggie broth (or water). Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes-1 hour, or until the carrots are tender.

Reference:
Based on the Vegetarian Gumbo recipe from the May 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine. The only changes I made were to use broccoli and zucchini in place of the okra. I also used vegetable broth in place of the water.

Harira

This is a North African soup that is traditionally served as part of the evening meal during the month of Ramadan. I had a friend in high school who was from Algeria - she introduced me to all the wonderful flavours of North African/Moroccan cuisine; it is so fantastic!

Anyway, this soup is really healthy and full of those great flavours! It's a good source of protein and a decent source of dietary fiber. Plus, it's completely cholesterol-free!

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/2 cup onion, chopped (I used red onions)
2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tbsp. grated fresh ginger root
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup peeled, diced carrots
1/4 cup diced celery
1/2 cup undrained canned tomatoes, chopped (even if you get the diced tomatoes, chop them up a bit so you don't have massive tomato chunks - learn from my mistakes ;)
3/4 cup diced potatoes *see note
Pinch of saffron
1/2 cup lentils *see note
1/2 cup drained cooked chickpeas
1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

*Notes:
1) My potatoes really never cooked which was a disappointment (and I diced them pretty small!) I think next time, I'll boil them a little before adding them to the soup - hopefully that will help! I'll just have to be careful not to boil them for so long that they become too mushy. Nothing like ashy soup due to mushy potatoes.
2) I foresaw this problem with the lentils and was able to prevent undercooked lentils (hey, at least I got that right!) You can soak the lentils in hot water for 10-15 minutes prior to adding them. This helps start the cooking process so you won't have hard lentils in your soup! Use a 2:1 ratio of lentils to boiling water for soaking. Drain before adding to the soup. (I let my lentils sit for quite a bit longer than 10 minutes - I just started the soaking process while I was still chopping veggies and let them soak until I added them. Probably about 25-30 minutes total).

Method:
1. In a covered soup pot, simmer the onions in 1/2 cup vegetable broth for 10 minutes. Combine the cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, and cayenne in a small bowl. Add 2 tbsp. of the hot broth to form a paste. Stir this paste back into the pot along with the carrots, celery, and remaining stock. Bring to a boil then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes and potatoes and continue to cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Crumble in the saffron. Stir in the lentils, chickpeas, cilantro, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes until lentils are cooked and everything is heated through.

Reference:
From the Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favourites Cookbook.

Rhubarb-Lentil Soup

I grew up loving rhubarb - we actually used to grow it. :) I still look forward to spring when I know I'll be able to find it!
All this time eating it, though, and I've never tried it in a savoury dish. Wow, what have I been missing?! It was great in this soup but I think next time, I'd add a little more rhubarb - I think it got a little lost in everything else going on!

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup dried lentils
Cooking spray or olive oil
2 cups finely chopped carrot
1 3/4 cups finely chopped celery
1 1/2 cups finely chopped red onion
3 cloves garlic, minced (my addition)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3/4 tsp. fennel seeds (my addition)
2 cups chopped rhubarb (I'd use more like 3, 3 1/2 next time)
4 cups fat-free vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Method:
1. Let the lentils soak in the boiling water for 10 minutes or so.

2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the cooking spray or extra-virgin olive oil. Add carrot, celery, onion, parsley, and garlic. Saute for about 4 minutes. Add the rhubarb and saute about 3 more minutes.

3. Drain the lentils and add them to the pan. Stir in the broth, fennel, and salt; bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

4. Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Place 3 cups of the mixture in a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth. Return the pureed mixture to the pan and stir in the pepper and dill.

Reference:
From the May 2008 issue of Cooking Light magazine.
I can't just leave Cooking Light recipes as they are (too bland) so here are my changes:
*Added garlic
*Added fennel
*Used vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth
*Skipped the creme fraiche (to make this version vegan/couldn't be bothered with creme fraiche even though I would have just used sour cream - lol)
*Threw the dill in with the soup
*I also added a little extra-virgin olive oil in with the cooking spray

Split Pea and Lentil Soup (Vegetarian)

I'm not sure I've ever had traditional split-pea soup! I've been wanting to try it for a while but I know it usually has ham in it... I can't remember the last time I ate ham! Needless to say, I needed to find a vegetarian version. Well, that failed (or I just didn't look hard enough!) but I did find a recipe for "crowd pleaser split pea" in a recipe book a parent from work gave me so I figured I'd try it and just leave the ham out.
I had a feeling it may be a bit boring or lacking in flavour.. boy, was I wrong! This is great - I don't think you'd ever miss the ham! I did decide at the last minute to add some lentils for protein - they are totally optional if you don't have them.
Just made this again and added some fresh lemon juice to it. Not sure it really added anything to the flavour but it is a little extra vitamin C, right?! :)

No photo since split pea soup is hardly the most photogenic dinner! ;) It was damn tasty, though!

Serves 6 (I only made half of this - the leftovers should freeze well!)

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced (superfood!)
2 cloves garlic, minced (superfood!)
2 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup diced potato - I used red potatoes and left the skins on; if you use russets, peel them first
1 bay leaf
4 cups vegetable broth (original called for chicken broth)
1 cup split green peas
1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (new addition!)
1/2 cup lentils (superfood!)
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
Good shake of freshly-ground black pepper (probably about 1/8-1/4 tsp.)

Method:
1. In a large pot, saute the garlic, onion, celery, and carrots in olive oil for 8-10 minutes. Add the broth, lemon juice, potatoes, bay leaf, peas, and lentils plus extra broth or water if you need it (make sure the peas and veggies are covered). Stir in the marjoram and black pepper. Bring this mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer.'

2. Cook for 45-50 minutes or until the peas and lentils are cooked. Discard the bay leaf. Serve with crusty bread (I skipped the crusty bread since I had a filling today... I really wanted that crusty bread! lol)

Reference:
Based on the "Crowd Pleaser Split Pea Soup" recipe from Fresh Mama's. My changes are in purple (I left out the ham as I mentioned in my little story at the top - if you'd like to use ham, you'll need 1 cup of diced ham. Add it in with the broth, bay leaf, and peas).

Black Bean Soup with Sherry

This was really good soup - and easy to make since I cheated and used canned black beans despite the recipe specifically stating "not canned." lol ;) Well, when you're hungry, you don't want to wait, right?

The soup starts out with what is known as a sofrito - a mixed vegetable soup base. It's time consuming but easy and well worth the effort.

Leave the hot sauce out to make this gluten-free ~ I'm really not sure if hot pepper sauce is GF or not...

Serves 4

Ingredients:
Sofrito
1/2 tbsp. olive oil (superfood!)
1/2 small onion, chopped (superfood!)
1 celery stalk, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped (superfood!)
4 green onions, finely chopped (superfood!)

Soup
1 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (superfood!)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/6 cup medium-dry sherry

Method:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat for 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to low. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and green onions. Saute slowly, stirring occasionally, until the moisture evaporates and the veggies begin to turn golden, about 30 minutes.

2. Add the stock, beans, ground pepper, hot sauce, cumin, oregano, and thyme. Simmer about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

3. Puree 1/3 of the soup mixture in a blender or food processor and return the pureed soup to the pot.

4. Add the sherry and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Reference:
From Karen Lee's The Occasional Vegetarian.
My change, other than the canned beans, was to use green onions in place of shallots. Everything else remained the same. Oh, I also omitted water and cut the amount of broth since I wasn't using dry beans.

Four-Bean Chili

I used a couple different recipes to come up with this! I started out with a three-bean chili recipe from Cooking Light and then added some other things to it. It's a great one for cleaning out the pantry!
I realize "chili beans" are really just pinto beans but I still counted them as a fourth bean ;)
As far as I can tell, this is vegan/dairy-free if you leave off the sour cream and cheese.
I served this with cornbread muffins.

Serves 3 (it freezes well so plan on making the whole recipe even if you're just feeding 1!)

Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil (superfood!)
1/2 cup onion, chopped (superfood!)
1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic (superfood!)
3/8 cup water
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (superfood!)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 can (15 1/2 oz.) chili beans
1 can (15 1/2 oz.) black beans (superfood!)
1/2 can (15 1/2 oz.) kidney beans (superfood!)
1/2 can (15 1/2 oz.) cannelini beans (superfood!)
1/2 can (14 1/2 oz.) no-salt added diced tomatoes, undrained (superfood!)
1/2 can (14 1/2 oz.) reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 tbsp. yellow cornmeal (I've decided to leave this out next time)
1/4 cup beer
Fat-free sour cream (optional garnish)
Sharp cheddar (optional garnish)
Additional chopped raw onions (optional garnish)

Method:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic and saute about 3 minutes.

2. Stir in the water, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, basil, oregano, sugar, beans, vegetable broth, beer, and tomatoes. Bring this mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes.

3. Stir in cornmeal; cook 2 minutes longer. Serve with optional toppings - cheese, sour cream, chopped onions.

Reference:
This is based on two recipes - the Three-Bean Chili from the January/February 2008 issue of Cooking Light recipe and the Chili recipe I found on Annie's Eats (I need to get the new URL for her blog so I can link that appropriately).

Indian Lentil Soup

I love Indian flavours and lentils so I was excited to find this soup! It's really tasty! This is a fairy quick meal so it's good for a weeknight dinner when paired with a salad or some brown rice.

Makes 2 servings (excuse the weird amounts - I divided a recipe by 3!)

Ingredients:
1/3-2/3 cup green lentils
1/3 onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/12 tsp. turmeric
1/6 tsp. coriander
1/6 tsp. curry powder
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1/8 cup carrot, diced
1/12 cup oatmeal
1/3 tsp. tomato paste
2 cups water or vegetable broth
Vegetable oil (I used olive)

Method:
1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the cumin, coriander, curry powder, and garlic. Stir for 1 minute until the flavours bloom/become fragrant. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Stir in the tomato paste.

2. Add 2 cups water or broth, carrots, lentils, and oatmeal. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft. You can add salt and pepper to taste if desired.

**Note, the original recipe also called for 1/6 cup diced potato. I didn't feel like chopping up a potato for that small of an amount so I left it out! Next time I may add some chopped red potato.**

Reference:
This recipe is from "Fresh Mama's: Whole Cooking for Our Whole Families." That's the cookbook one of my student's parents gave me. :) It's compiled of healthy recipes using whole ingredients.

Mulligatawny Soup

I love the name of this soup - always makes me think of Irish pubs! lol :) Totally not an "Irish pub" sort of taste, though! I have been wanting to make this for a long time and have had the recipe tagged, I just haven't gotten around to it!
Well, this past Saturday I was driving home from the grocery store with all sorts of exciting ingredients to make lots of yummies over the weekend... unfortunately, as I was driving I noticed I was going from sweating to shivering and that my throat was getting scratchy. Great, here comes that nasty cold that everyone has had that I was sure I had managed to avoid. :( Good thing I was planning on soup for Saturday night's dinner! By about 4pm, I was just feeling so crummy and the last thing I wanted to do was stand in the kitchen chopping veggies. But, being the bit of a masochist that I am, I did it anyway! Boy, was it worth it! As yucky and stuffed up as I was feeling at that point, the soup still smelled so wonderful while it cooked and the spiciness really helped soothe my throat. Yum! Hooray for soup! :)
Here's the recipe:
This made enough for 2-3 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped apple (I used Red Delicious and left the peel on)
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/4 can (14.5 oz) diced peeled tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/6 cup long grain rice
1/8 cup chopped onion
1/8 cup raisins
1/2 tbsp. snipped fresh parsley
1/2-1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Method:
1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven combine the broth, apples, carrot, undrained tomatoes, celery, uncooked rice, onion, raisins, parsley, curry powder, lemon juice, pepper, nutmeg, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.

2. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the rice and carrots are tender. Enjoy :)

Notes:
The original recipe called for chicken broth in place of vegetable broth and to add 3/4 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey after simmering for 20-30 minutes. I wanted to make mine vegetarian so, obviously, I omitted the chicken!

Reference:
The original recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (1996 edition).

Anthos Lentil Soup

I found this recipe in Cooking Light and tagged it as a "must-try" :) I love lentils! This has a nice tangy taste from the vinegar and the veggie combination is really yummy (yeay parsnips!) Enjoy :)

I didn't take a picture because it really wasn't very attractive! It did taste really good, though!

Changes I made from the original recipe:
*I made it vegetarian/vegan by switching the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
*I used onion in place of shallots.
*Since I didn't have sherry vinegar (and wasn't about to go hunt some down for 1.5 tbsp...), I used 1 tbsp. of white wine vinegar and 1/2 tbsp. of sherry.

This made enough for about 3 servings (I had two large bowls of it!)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup baking potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup sliced carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
3/8 cup chopped parsnip
1/6 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp. sherry
3 cups vegetable broth
3/8 cup lentils
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
A little sprinkle of sea salt

Method:
1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the potato, celery, parsnip, and onions to the pan; saute for 7 minutes or until tender.

2. Add the sherry and vinegar to deglaze the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits. Add the veggie broth, lentils, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 45 minutes or until the veggies and lentils are tender. Discard the bay leaf.

3. *I skipped this bit because it would have been just one more thing to clean.. lol so lazy!* Transfer half the lentil mixture to a blender. Remove the center piece from the blender lid to allow the steam to escape; secure blender lid. Place a clean towel over the opening in the blender lid. Blend until smooth, scraping the sides of the blender. Return the lentil mixture to the pan; stir in pepper and salt.

Reference:
I found the original recipe in the January/February 2008 issue of Cooking Light magazine.

Minestrone

This was such great soup - it had a little of everything in it since I was using two recipes and sort of just making it up as I went! :) Great for cleaning out the fridge! I used white wine in this recipe which was great, but I think next time I'd use red instead. I think it would go a little better with the kidney beans and tomatoes in this soup.
Like hubby's beef stew, I was really wishing I had some great Italian bread to go with this... sigh

Oh my gosh, I made a TON of soup! I think this would be enough for 6! Good thing I can freeze it...

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup pasta (I used rotini)
1/2 (14.5 ounce) can tomatoes
1 cup diced zucchini
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
1 1/3 cup white wine (thinking back, that was probably way too much! Hello drunken veggies! lol)
1/8 tsp. dried basil
1/8 tsp. dried oregano

Method:
1. Cook the garlic in the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the onion, celery and carrots. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often.

2. Add the wine and pasta. Cook 2 minutes more. Add the vegetable broth and stir well. Mix in the tomatoes, beans, zucchini, bay leaf, oregano, and dried basil. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until all the veggies are tender.

Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired (of course, it won't be vegan if you add the cheese!)


References:
I used the Quick Minestrone recipe from Cooking Pleasures Magazine (oops.. forgot to write down the month/year when I ripped this out of the magazine and the website no longer tells that..)
I also used the Minestrone Soup with Basil Pesto recipe from Ingrid Croce's The San Diego Restaurant Cookbook.

Vegetable-Bean Soup

**Excuse the really yellow photos! I had to take them with my phone and I think the flash is a bit funny...**
This is one of the yummy vegetarian recipes I've had tagged for a while! I guess one good thing about Lent is that I'm finally getting to try them all :) I found the original recipe for this in a magazine - the original actually called for chicken broth but I switched that out for veggie broth. It also mentioned you can the soup with a little grated Parmesan - it's a vegan recipe if you leave the cheese off.
You can use whatever veggies you have on hand. I thought about adding some mushrooms and sweet corn but completely forgot - next time! Add those at the last minute with the spinach, salt, and pepper if you do any "softer" veggies like that. Carrot or celery could be added with the squash so it will have time to soften.

Enjoy!

Enough for 6 (I made the whole recipe - I'll freeze the leftovers)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. vegetable oil (I used olive)
1 large onion, chopped (can I just say thank God for food processors! lol)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups cubed squash - I used half zucchini, half something else - I think it was an acorn squash (long, thin, light yellow - I'm a bit squash-illiterate!)
1 32-oz can/box vegetarian vegetable broth
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 10-oz package frozen spinach
1 15-oz can cannellini or navy beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and cook 4-6 minutes until soft. Stir frequently.

2. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the squash, broth, tomatoes, thyme, and oregano. Increase the heat to medium-high; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low and simmer 15-20 minutes or until the squash is tender.

3. Stir in all remaining ingredients and simmer five minutes until heated through.

Here's the non-vegan version with cheese ;)

Reference:
The original recipe is from the October/November 2005 issue of Cooking Pleasures magazine.

Black Bean Soup

I found the original recipe for Black Bean and Salsa Soup on Annie's blog a couple months ago and have been wanting to try it. Unfortunately, it's just not something my husband would go for! Since I'm working from home today I decided to make it for lunch.
Really yummy and very quick to make! The only change I made from the original was to add some corn and to use regular white onion in place of the green onion.

2 servings

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup vegetarian vegetable broth
1/2 cup salsa (I prefer the refrigerated salsa to the jar salsa)
1/2 tsp. cumin
2/3 cup frozen corn, cooked and drained
sour cream, shredded sharp cheddar, onion as a garnish

Method:
1. Pour the beans, broth, salsa, and cumin into the bowl of a food processor (you can use a blender if you don't own a food processor). Pulse until smooth.

2. Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan. Add the cooked corn. Cook the soup over medium heat until cooked through and thoroughly heated. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the toppings.

**As far as I can tell, this soup is vegan if you leave off the cheese and sour cream.**

Minestrone Soup with Basil Pesto

This is a recipe from the book "The San Diego Restaurant Cookbook" which was compiled by Ingrid Croce (yes, Jim's widow)... it's such a great book - probably one of my favourites! This recipe is from the restaurant Arrivederci in the Hillcrest area.

The recipe will serve 6

***This recipe could be made vegetarian if you use the vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. In addition, you could make it vegan by leaving out the pesto (or making pesto without the Parm - can you do that?) and the Parmesan cheese topping.***

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
2 cups white wine
2 potatoes, diced (I used red potatoes and left the skins on. The original recipe said to peel them)
1 cup tubettini pasta (I didn't have that, so I just used some penne)
5 cups vegetable stock or water (you could use chicken stock, I used vegetable to keep this recipe vegetarian)
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
freshly grated Parmesan as a garnish

Method:
Prepare pesto:
In a blender or food processor, combine the fresh basil, pine nuts, 2 cloves of garlic, the virgin olive oil, and Parm cheese. Process for 5 minutes.

Prepare the minestrone:
1. Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a saucepan. Stir in onion, 2 cloves of garlic, celery, and carrots. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often.

2. Add the white wine, potatoes, and pasta. Cook for 2 minutes more. Add the water or stock, and stir well. Add bay leaves, oregano, and dried basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Allow the soup to come to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pesto and stir very well for a few minutes. Garnish with grated Parmesan just before serving.


Reference:
Croce, Ingrid (2005). The San Diego Restaurant Cookbook: Recipes from America's Finest City. Avalanche Records and Books: San Diego, CA.