Category Archives: Soup

March 28, 2012 · 3:58 pm

Curried Pea Soup

A short post this morning to share one of the easiest soups I have ever made, just in time for spring.

Ingredient list population: 2.

Peas + Leek (or onion)

Add some water or broth and some spice, and you are done.

Told you.

Fresh peas will soon be abound and will give loads more flavor, but frozen peas also work great if you are short on time.

Curried Pea Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh or frozen peas

1 leek or onion, sliced

1 tablespoon curry powder + 1 tablespoon garam masala powder

Directions:

1. If using a leek, cut away the root and dark green dense stem. Slice the white and light green parts into tubes. Rinse in a colander and drain. In a soup pot, heat a quarter sized amount of olive oil and let it warm over medium heat. Add the leek or onion and saute until they become fragrant.

2. Add peas and 2 cups of water or broth, and cover with lid for 5 min until the peas are cooked through.

3. Season with the curry, garam masala, sea salt and pepper to your liking. I used double what I listed in the ingredients for an extra kick, and it turned out great. Don’t be afraid of your spices!

4. Let cool and blend with a immersion blender, food processor or blender.

Other variations: adding potatoes or cauliflower in the water/broth before you add the peas will give you a heavier, heartier soup. Cook until the cauliflower or potatoes are almost done, add the peas and cook for 5 more minutes.

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December 28, 2011 · 5:59 pm

Weeknight Lentil Vegetable Soup

Phew!

After a few weeks of celebrating so many great things, this past Monday brought a more tired feeling with it, and left me craving something healthy after a weekend of  wine, amazing desserts and food in every nook and cranny.

I know it’s not January yet, so forgive me if you are continuing your holiday eating through Jan 1st. You’re just saving it up to do the 28 day program with me in Jan, aren’t you?

If you’re not hurricaning the holiday eating through to the New Year, I’ve got a good one for you today.

One of the blessings of eating well throughout the year is that your body can naturally sense when it needs more vegetables, good foods, and time away from the treat/wine bar. This time of year, it’s just as important to have some hearty, healthy weeknight meals to balance out your body with plenty of good stuff too. And by good, I mean good for you, not just good tasting. Not mutually exclusive categories, obviously.

An easy weeknight solution?

Lentil soup, filled with any and every kind of veggies you like.  There’s brown lentil soups, red, yellow and green versions ones too. Some complicated, and some very simple. It beauty of a lentil soup is that you can add whatever you want- curry spices, cream, herbs or keep it plain with the most basic onion, carrot and celery routine. Or, you can start it plain and add things as you go during the week to get entirely different meals each time, or freeze in individual containers for those nights you don’t even want to think about cooking.

A healthy word of advice, be sure to soak your dry lentils in water at least 6 hours before you cook them- it dissolves the phytic acid and makes it much easier on your body to digest and assimilate them. Plus, they cook faster. So do it in the morning if you plan to make at night.

Sarah’s Lentil Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups lentils, soaked for at least 6 hours, rinsed and drained
6  cups broth or water (I used water for mine)
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 sticks celery, chopped
1 lg can diced tomatoes
2 TB balsamic vinegar
Any other veggies you’d like (I added everything in my fridge this week: parsnips, cauliflower, mushrooms and green beans. All chopped.)
Big dashes of: paprika, cumin, lots of thyme, pepper and sea salt.

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, saute onion, carrot and celery. Then, add whatever other veggies you’d like to soften for a few minutes.

2. Add lentils and broth/water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low for 25-30 min. Add diced tomatoes. Add more liquid if you like a thinner consistancy.

3. Add spices and a splash of balsamic vinegar to taste- this really pulls it all together.

Serve with grilled chicken or clean sausage, avocado slices, grated parmesean cheese, old world bread, a dollop of sour cream, full fat greek yogurt, homemade pesto, or a mixed green salad. I froze my batch in smaller containers and added something a little different each time I defrosted it- like a whole new meal each time. For a family or larger dinner, set up a toppings bar so everyone can add their own twist.

Happy (& healthy) New Year’s to everyone!

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October 11, 2011 · 11:48 pm

Roasted {in a} Pumpkin Soup

I know what you’re thinking.

That’s not a pumpkin.

But I got your attention, didn’t I?

That’s because  if you are reading this, you are probably a pumpkin freak. In a nice way, of course. Anything and everything that has to do with a pumpkin, you’re in.

This time of year most of us are obsessed with the orange squashes- we carve them, decorate them, and add them to all kinds of foods for fall festivities. And I, especially, love them.

But, did you know that it’s only one of 15 different kinds of fall & winter squash out there and in season right now?

Many of the lesser known kinds of squash are often cheaper than the well known pumpkin, but have very similar tastes and can be used and substituted in most pumpkin recipes you come across. Each has their own unique flavor, but all are delicious this time of year, have lots of great nutrients and a hearty, filling texture that we naturally start to crave as the days get colder. In fact, eating more naturally sweet vegetables in the Fall and Winter seasons like squash, sweet potatoes, roasted parsnips & carrots can help with sugar cravings that can pop up naturally as the seasons change. It’s no coincidence that they are in season these times of the year.

So whether you decide to stick with the pumpkins or branch out and try some its relatives, there are so many ways to prepare them deliciously (and yes, I mean aside from the good ol’ “drench with brown sugar and maple syrup to cover the taste” thing).

Take this little cutie- it’s a small kobucha squash.

Just perfect for this roasted pumpkin soup recipe I’ve been wanting to try, without spending hours with a large pumpkin in the oven, even though that would be cool to do if you had the time. Ok, fine. Disclaimer: it does take 1 hr to cook, so this is not one of my “quick” meal posts. But with a little planning, it can be a great make-ahead meal or very impressive for a party.

Roasted {in a} Pumpkin Soup:

adapted from a Bon Appetit original recipe

Ingredients:

1 small pumpkin or squash of your choice (or 1 per person).

Savory soup:

{olive oil, sea salt, pepper, sage & raw gruyere cheese, (optional of course)}

{coconut milk, curry powder, cinnamon & sauteed onions- blended}

OR

Sweeter soup: {olive oil, sea salt, cinnamon, curry powder & unsweetened apple sauce}

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 410 degrees.

2. Using a sharp large knife, cut the top stem side so you have a small lid. Remove and set aside. Draw an “X” with your knife. Cut a square around your “X” so you have something that looks like this:

2. Push the first triangle in so you can get your fingers in there to pull the others out:

3. Expand the hole a bit wider on top and set aside the flesh pieces (cut the seeds away):

5. Scoop the seeds out (side note: you can wash and dry these and cook them the same as you would pumpkin seeds). Scrap the more slimy parts out until you have a hollow bowl. Add the squash chunks back in the “pumpkin” bowl:

6. Drizzle about 2 TB olive oil and pepper/sea salt inside the bowl. Rub the entire inside of the pumpkin with olive oil and cover with foil. Place on a foil covered baking sheet and bake for 35-40 min (or more if your squash is bigger) in the oven. I rubbed the lid with olive oil and put it in later, with 20 min left to go.

7. At 35-40 minutes, pull the tray out and gently scoop the sides of the pumpkin so you get more flesh. Mash with a fork and add some hot water or chicken stock- as much or little as you like depending on thickness of the soup. If you are doing the savory version, add your sage here. For the sweet, add the cinnamon, curry powder and applesauce here. Place back in the oven, without foil, for the last 15 min.

8. When the squash is done, pull it out of the oven. Add more water if necessary, pepper, sea salt and grated cheese on top for the savory version. Make sure you mash to get the right soup consistency- I kept some bigger chunks in there for mine. Best served when hot.

Easy Roasted Pumpkin or Squash Seeds:

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spread seeds (washed and dried) on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sea salt for the most basic version.

2. Bake for 15-20 min or until they start to brown. You may want to move them around a bit halfway through so they don’t burn. Keep in a tupperware container or in the fridge for a few days.

Happy Pumpkin-ing to you all.

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February 4, 2011 · 8:38 pm

A {Super} Bowl: Poblano Chicken Chili

It’s one {Super} bowl on Superbowl weekend, let me tell you.

In honor of the weekend, I give you my most favorite chili recipe: {Poblano Chicken Chili}

It’s thicker, filling, and a bit smokier than most, thanks to the Poblano Pepper and Quinoa in the version. Maybe I’m slightly partial to it because it was an cooking accident that turned out great- gotta love it when that happens.

Serve in sourdough bread bowls or with a full topping bar at your Superbowl party this weekend- avocado slices, red pepper flakes, cheese or sour cream if you’d like.

If you’re lucky, you’ll have a little bit left over for the week (although I highly doubt it).

Ingredients:

1 Poblano pepper

1 Red bell pepper

2 Zucchini’s

2-3 Carrots

2-3 Celery Ribs

Shredded chicken or organic chicken sausage (I used Applegate Farms Italian sausage)

1/2 cup Quinoa

1 cup (or can) White Canelleni beans or Navy beans

1 cup (or can) Black beans

1 cup Organic chicken stock

1 cup water

2 cups Fire roasted crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen brand is my favorite)

1/2 tsp Garam masala powder

1 tsp fire Roasted chili powder

2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp pepper

 

Directions:

1. In a soup pot, add olive oil and turn to medium heat. Add your chicken (or beef) sausages, cover and cook until they brown on all sides. If you use shredded chicken, add it in with your zucchini and beans later in the game. No pun intended.

2. Start chopping your carrots, celery, zucchini, red pepper, and poblano pepper:

3. Remove the sausages or shredded chicken. Cut sausages into small pieces. Add your chopped celery and carrots into the pot and let cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the sausage pieces back in and let cook for a few minutes.

4. Add the peppers in and let cook for 5 more minutes.

5. Rinse and strain the beans. Chop the zucchini into small pieces:

6. Add the chopped zucchini and beans, roasted tomatoes, and chicken stock. Stir and cover.

7. Measure out the quinoa:

8. Add the quinoa and water in. Add the chili powder, sea salt, pepper, and garam masala powder. Cover and let boil, then reduce to a low simmer for 15-20 min.

An easy meal fit for a crowd, so you can worry about more important things (like the score, commercials, or your squares). Happy Superbowl weekend everyone!

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January 12, 2011 · 2:12 am

Tuscan White Bean Stew

A quick little post, just to share this great Tuscan White Bean Stew recipe I made on Sunday. The taste is delicious and well worth making. Bring on that January snow!

Tuscan White Bean Stew Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 TB olive oil

1/2 cup diced onion

1-2 small carrots, cut into 1/4 in dice

6-7 small red potatoes, cut into 1/4ths

1/3 cup diced celery, cut into 1/4ths

1 TB minced garlic

3 cups organic chicken stock

8 oz tomato sauce (optional)

1 lb organic green beans, ends trimmed (optional)

2 cans organic cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

3 ripe roma tomatoes, diced into 1/4ths

1 TB dried rosemary

1 tsp balsamic vinegar (optional at the end)

Recipe adapted from “Food to Live By” by Myra Goodman, serves 4-6 people.

Directions:

Add onions, carrots, celery to olive oil in a stockpot. As they begin to cook through, add the potatoes. After another 4 minutes or so, add the beans, tomatoes,  garlic, rosemary, tomato sauce, green beans and chicken stock. Cover and let cook over medium heat, or until the potatoes are cooked through. For more soupy texture, add more broth until desired. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste and add a few drizzles of balsamic vinegar just before serving if you prefer.

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November 10, 2010 · 10:58 pm

Butternut Squash Soup

You Bet Your Butternut It’s Good.

Ok,  let’s start with a little disclaimer: yes, I do know Butternut Squash Soup is the most overdone and overused fall recipe out there.  But when a soup rocks your world like it did mine this past week, I thought it would be selfish not to share.

I guess I should give you all some background that I’ve been searching for the perfect Butternut Squash Soup recipe the last few months. While the idea of a BNSS is very common, (Butternut Squash Soup….come on),  I would argue it’s hard to find a great one- some are too sweet, too squashy tasting, too liquidy, too creamy, etc. Goldilocks had a good thing going on.

A side note: some might say I’m just too picky. If you think that- you’re exactly right. I have no witty comeback for you. Bad soup = not good for anyone involved. Soup takes a little bit of committment, and I wasn’t about to waste my time on a recipe that was just ok. I needed the superstar of the autumn recipe collection, not Plain Jane (aka: Soup-er Lame).

So, with my  stack of 20 or so different recipes,  blog bookmarks, and magazines tagged, all with the formula for “the best” BNSS,  I did what I always seem to do- use the recipes as mere suggestions and pick and choose the things I liked about different ones. A great technique, really. I would highly suggest it.

The result: this little beauty of a dish-very few ingredients, and a lot of flavor. Ironically, it looks like Plain Jane takes the prize- she just needed a little makeover.

Ingredients:

1 Ripe Butternut Squash

2 Cups (approx) Organic Chicken/Turkey Stock

1 Small-Medium Granny Smith Apple

1 Tablespoon Dried Sage

1/4 Cup (approx) Heavy Whipping Cream (or coconut milk for my dairy-free friends)

Directions:

1. Identify the butternut squash among all the other ones in the store. You want one that looks like this:

Cute huh?

2. Cut the stem and bottom of your butternut buddy so he can stand upright on the cutting board. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin off.

3. Slice vertically into squash slices:

4. Find those seeds and cut them away to discard or save to roast just like pumpkin seeds:

5. Cut the rest of squash into small cubes:

6. In a stock pot over medium heat, add the squash cubes to a bit of coconut or olive oil. Cover with lid.

7.  Chop Granny Smith apple into small chunks as well and add to the pot. Stir so they don’t burn.

8. When both begin to soften (you can easily poke through it with a fork), cover the ingredients with your stock so they have a little room to bob around (I apologize for the approximate measurements, but start with less, and you can always add more for your desired consistency).

9.  Simmer for 10 minutes or so. Add the dried sage, 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp black pepper (at least) and stir. Pour the cream in slowly, adding more or less if desired. You really just need a touch of it to round out the flavors. Simmer for a few minutes.

10. Puree using an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender. Serve immediately.

Notes: My only regret with this is that I didn’t make it a double batch. This would be perfect as a Thanksgiving dinner starting course or just to take to work for lunch on the weekdays- there’s something almost luxurious about this soup. Like a little daytime treat.

Variations: You can use coconut milk instead of cream, or different kids of squash if you don’t mind more seeds.

As always, comments and questions are welcome anytime. Hope you enjoy!

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September 21, 2010 · 12:07 am

Cozy Up to Homemade Chicken Soup

Yes, it’s definately Fall out there..As the wind picks up and the leaves start changing, it’s hard not to want to cozy up inside after a long day and relax. With a little bit more time to willingly spend indoors (I’m one of those people who can’t stand to be inside, especially to cook over a stove for that matter in the summertime. If there is a chance or opportunity to be outside, I’m there. Any of you who had moms like mine know this- the guilt if you weren’t outside playing on a nice day was just too much.  Some things never leave you I guess.)

I love the seasonality of Fall. Warming foods and healing foods are what we crave when we can’t get that same warmth from the sun. The season of comfort food is upon us, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be healthy as you do it. To kick off the fall, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite nourishing comfort foods. First up, a true classic with a twist: Homemade Chicken Soup.

Yes it’s warm and easy to make in a huge batch, but did you know chicken soup has actual healing properties? Mom was right again! There is a rhyme and reason why chicken soup is what you get when you’re sick.  And let’s be clear, I’m not talking about the Campbell’s here. (Have you ever read that label? Yikes.) I mean the real deal homemade chicken soup. Real chicken broth made with a whole chicken and simmered for 4 hours with water and some vegetable scraps (while you do laundry and clean and multitask with other things, of course). It is filled with trace minerals and enzymes that are hard to get in other foods, like magnesium, calcium, and even glucosamine for joint strength.  It’s cheap, it tastes good, and it’s very healthy for you. What more could you want?

If you are short on time, please make sure that at least the broth you are buying from the store is organic at the very least and doesn’t have any ingredients you don’t recognize. Seriously, it’s hard to find. In a pinch, I really like Shelton’s organic chicken broth, but if you make your own, you can make a huge pot and freeze the rest for the entire soup season, it’s healing and it tastes so much better. Plus, you cook the chicken at the same time and will have plenty of shredded chicken to use the rest of the week.

How to Make You Own, Healthy Chicken Broth:

1. Rinse a whole chicken and place in your soup pot. Cover with water and add any vegetable scraps you like: carrots, onions, leeks, celery, parsley or sage, sea salt and pepper.

2. Cover and simmer for 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through. You may skim any foam that rises to the surface.

3. Remove chicken and let cool. Carve or shred chicken to use later. Your broth is done- drain the vegetables if you’d like and freeze a portion for later.

Chicken Vegetable Soup:

If you made your own broth above:

1. Add shredded chicken and 1/2 head of shredded green cabbage (or whatever other veggies you would like- potatoes, broccoli or peas all work well too) to a saute pan and let cook until the cabbage cooks down. Add to the broth and let simmer for another 5 min. Add more parsley, sage (my secret ingredient), sea salt and pepper to taste.

If you are quick on time and using a store bought broth:

1. In a soup pot, saute chopped carrots, onions, celery and cabbage with a dab of olive oil. Add parsley, sage, sea salt and pepper as the veggies begin to soften.

2. Add your cooked chicken and let cook for a few more minutes.

3. Add the chicken broth, turn the heat to a simmer and let cook for 5-10 more minutes.

4. Serve with some toasted old world sourdough bread and an arugula salad. For a heartier meal, add brown rice/quinoa to the soup

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July 14, 2010 · 5:01 pm

Watermelon-Cucumber & Cucumber-Avocado Gazpacho

When the temp starts rising, the last thing I want to do is have my head in the oven, flush faced and sweating, all in the name of dinner. I’m sure some of you can relate. A sunburn is one thing- it can be kind of cute, really. An oven flushed face is another thing and “far from cute” would be a much better description of the situation.

Sick of only having salads in the hot weather? Well, I have just the thing- no oven or cooking required. And the best part about this week’s recipes is that they get better overnight and a few days later- perfect for my more realistic people who don’t want to spend the beautiful summer days nights toiling over great meals.

Here are some of my very favorite summer recipes, adapted from Epicurious.com: Watermelon- Cucumber Gazpacho & a new one to try from the Canal House Cooking Magazine, courtesy of the Tasting Table: Cool Hand Cucumber Gazpacho. Both feature the cucumber as the main attraction and it’s easy to see why- it’s a perfect summer vegetable. As a natural diuretic and digestive aid, cucumbers are also have a very high water content (over 90%!) to keep you hydrated on warm days. They are also high in Vitamin C, caffeic acid, and silica, which can help reduce swelling, inflammation and soothe irritated skin. So if a cute little sunburn does happen- and not from an oven- these cold soups would be a perfect thing to help you out. Not to mention, they are quite delicious.

Watermelon- Cucumber Gazpacho

 
1 3 lb seedless watermelon diced (5 cups) divided
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced (1 cup)
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 small jalepeno, seeded and diced
3 inner celery stalks, diced (1/2 cup)
1/4 small red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
3 TB fresh lime juice
2 TB red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp sea salt
 

Puree 4 cups of watermelon in a blender and place into a large bowl- you’ll need some room to grow, as they say. Add another cup of watermelon and the rest of the ingredients and puree until mostly smooth- I like to have some bigger pieces left in there as well to give it a better consistency. Add the rest of the ingredients to your bowl. Cover and chill for 1 hour and up to 24 before you enjoy.

Cool-Hand Cucumber & Avocado Gazpacho:

 
3 ripe avocados
1 English cucumber (a cucumber without seeds), unpeeled and chopped (2 cups)
2 garlic cloves
3 TB fresh lemon juice
4 cups organic chicken stock
1/4 tsp sea salt
 
Directions:

Add avocados, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, sea salt and chicken stock to a blender. Puree until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and enjoy!

Add a dollop of greek yogurt or organic goat cheese or a few shakes of chili powder for a bigger kick.

Let me know what you think if you try one of these out!

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April 21, 2010 · 9:58 pm

The Famous Tomato-Basil Soup

By special request, and because of this rainy spring weather we’re having, I think it’s time to post my “famous” Tomato-Basil soup. I say “famous” only because I talk about it so much, and make it so often for myself. It’s all relative, right?

This soup is one of my all-time favorite meals, not only for the amazing flavor and taste, but the fact that it’s so simple to make, you almost don’t believe that the list of ingredients are all there is to it! A special tip- it tastes so much better after a day or two, so make it ahead of time if you can.

“The Famous” Tomato-Basil Soup

2 large onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
28 oz of crushed tomatoes in puree (Muir Glenn are my favorite for their pure ingredient list)
1 can organic, no salt added chicken broth (Shelton makes a great one)
1/4 cup water
2-4 oz of fresh basil leaves, chopped (based on how much basil you prefer. I think the more, the better)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp raw honey (optional)

Other optional add ins: grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, or organic whole milk for a creamier consistency.

Directions:

Add olive oil to a soup or stock pot and let warm up on medium heat. Add chopped onions and stir occasionally until they are almost translucent. Add the garlic, and make sure it doesn’t burn. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth, water, raw honey and pepper. Add basil in right after that and let simmer for 20 mins on low-med heat. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 10 mins or so. Puree with an immersion blender, or full size blender in batches.

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