Monday, October 25, 2010
Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple, and Red Lentil Soup
Olive oil
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
4 cups vegetable broth
plain yogurt
Add olive oil to pan over medium heat. Place the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, and onion in the pot. Stir and cook the apples and vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
Stir the lentils, ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and vegetable broth into the pot with the apple and vegetable mixture. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
Pour half the soup into a blender, return the pureed soup to the cooking pot. Bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Add water as needed to thin the soup to your preferred consistency. Serve with yogurt for garnish.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Spicey Vegetable Stew
1 T vegetable oil
1 chopped onion
1/2 c chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced (or shredded) carrot
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14 oz can diced tomoatoes
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
1 T chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1 c diced yellow squash
1 c diced zucchini
2 T chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
1. heat oil in large skillit over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, carrot and garlic....cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, for about 10 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, beans, broth, chili power and cumin. Reduce heat to ow and cook 20 minutes.
3. Add yellow squash and zucchini.and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 min more. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Seriously fast white bean soup
* 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
* 1 TBS olive oil (it called for 5 times as much but who needs that much oil?)
* 1 (14- to 15-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
* 1 3/4 cups veggie broth
* 2 (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (3 cups) any white bean will do
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 10+ cups fresh spinach, kale or other leafy green. About 5-7 oz. (if kale, coarsely chop it and remove stems)
Cook garlic in oil for 1-2 minutes. Add everything but the greens and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add greens and cook a few more minutes. The kale will stay just a bit crunchy.
Serve!
-Anne
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Big Batch Veggie Soup
You'll need:
Olive oil
2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced celery
Seasonings (I suggest salt, crushed black pepper, oregano, basil, and celery salt)
Garlic
3 cans of reduced sodium chicken broth (14.5 oz each)
2 cans of diced tomatoes, with juice (14.5 oz each)
3 cups water
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups potato (small pieces)
2 cups corn
1 cup carrots
1 cup green beans
1 cup peas
1 cup lima beans
(You can do fresh or frozen veggies; no need to thaw frozen veggies first.)
Mozzarella cheese (optional)
In a large pot, put in olive oil, onion, and celery. Cook on medium heat for 6-8 minutes. Add seasonings and garlic; stir. NOTE: I tend to be an estimator with some of my cooking. I add enough olive oil that the onion and celery won't burn, which is probably 2-3 tbsps, and guestimate how much seasoning and garlic (probably about 1 tbsp garlic). I know I've added enough seasoning when I can smell it with the soup.
Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, water, and tomato paste. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Add all the vegetables. Bring this to a rolling boil and allow to boil for at least 10 minutes, then allow to simmer for another 5 (for a total of about 25 minutes of cook time). NOTE: This works well if you have very small/thin pieces of potatoes and carrots. If you have larger chunks, you will probably want to increase the boiling time to 15 minutes in order to properly soften those two vegetables.
My friend Kathleen and Mark both swear the soup is better with shredded mozzarella cheese and cracked pepper on top.
TIP: If you freeze the leftover soup and later re-heat it over the stove, I suggest adding some more of the tomato paste when you re-heat it to help keep the soup from being a little watery.
Original recipe found here:Big Batch Vegetable Soup
Happy eating :-)
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Cinco De Mayo Taco Soup
Quick N' Easy Taco Soup
Ingredients:
½ lb. ground beef (browned, drained) I used 98% fat free ground turkey but you can use tofu for forgo the meat all together
½ onion sliced I used probably 1/4 of an onion
28 oz. can stewed or diced tomatoes I only used 14 oz, we're not big tomato fans
15 oz. can kidney beans in liquid I also used a can of black beans
1-2 cans whole corn with liquid I just used one can, since hubby isn't a fan of corn
¼ pkg. taco seasoning
1 tsp. sugar I used Splenda
Directions:
Combine all above ingredients, remembering NOT to drain canned items. Simmer 15-30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, lettuce and guacamole. (I did not add ANY of this and it tasted just GREAT!!!)
Monday, April 20, 2009
White Bean Soup w/ Rosemary, Basil & Quick Garlic Croutons
2 16-oz cans white beans, such as cannellini, drained
2 c low-sodium chicken broth*
1 cup of your favorite marinara pasta sauce
2 large garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Garnish: Quick garlic croutons (see recipe below)
Puree all ingredients except garnish in a blender until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered and stirring frequently, to blend flavors, 4 to 5 min. Serve with garnish.
*Instead of chicken broth, you can add 2 c water to the blender, and dissolve one bullion cube (I use veggie bullion) in the soup while it simmers.
Quick Garlic Croutons:
1 cup ½-inch bread cubes from good-quality French or Italian loaf (or homemade)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of salt
Heat skillet over low heat while preparing bread. A minute before you’re ready to cook, increase heat to medium. Toss bread in a bowl with oil, garlic powder and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and crisp, 7 minutes.
Indian Soup
2 16-oz cans garbanzo beans, drained
1 14-oz can light coconut milk
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth*
½ cup salsa
1 ½ teaspoon garam masala**
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 Tablespoon frozen apple juice concentrate
¼ c packed cilantro leaves
Garnishes:
¼ cup plain yogurt and
¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
Puree all ingredients except the garnishes in a blender until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan and bring to simmer. Simmer, partially covered and stirring frequently, to blend flavors, 4 to 5 min. Serve, adding garnishes.
*You can add 1 cup of water to the blender, then dissolve one bullion cube (I use veggie bullion) in the soup when simmering, instead of using chicken broth.
**Garam masala is a blend of many Indian spices – it can be found in the spices section.
African Peanut Soup
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large red bell peppers, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with liquid
8 cups vegetable broth or stock
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
2/3 cup extra crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Cook onions and bell peppers until lightly browned and tender, stirring in garlic when almost done to prevent burning. Stir in tomatoes, vegetable stock, pepper, and chili powder. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Stir in rice, cover, and simmer another fifteen minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in peanut butter until well blended, and serve.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Split Pea Soup
You might want to double the recipe, it’s pretty delicious. Also, since you're already chopping all the veggies, chop extra and store them in a bag in the freezer, so next time you'll have them ready to dump right in the pot.
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 rib celery, sliced thinly
2 carrots, sliced thinly
1 cup dry split peas, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon dried ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried)
Cook onion in olive oil for a couple of minutes until softened, then add celery and carrots and cook for 3 more minutes. Add everything else and cook on low for 50-60 minutes (30 will work in a pinch). Pull out 2 cups and blend it until smooth and return it to the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Firehouse Turkey Chili
This Chili calls for Ground Turkey, but you could always make it without the meat. One thing I love about this Chili is that it has a lot of other Vegies in it, so it is still good without the meat.
Enjoy!!

Firehouse Turkey Chili
Adapted From Shape Magazine
Ingredients:
-1 tablespoon olive oil-1 large clove garlic, smashed (I used 2 large cloves of garlic)
-1/2 cup chopped scallions (green onions)
-1/2 pound ground turkey (I used 1 pound of ground Turkey)
-2 tablespoons chili powder(I used only 1 Tablespoon and it was just perfect for our families taste)
-1 large can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
-(I also added one small can of V-8 juice for extra liquid)
-1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I used Organic canned Kidney Beans)
-1 medium red bell pepper, diced
-1 cup carrot, diced
-1/2 teaspoon brown sugar ( I put in 1/4 cup to make the chili not so hot)
-salt to taste
Directions:
*Add turkey and continue to cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cook for 1 more minute. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, bell pepper, carrot, brown sugar, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat.
*Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Divide among 4 bowls and garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of scallions. Top with nonfat sour cream if desired. (I also served the Chili with Organic Corn Tortilla Chips, Kirkland brand from Costco)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Nutrition Score per serving: 1 cup: 268 calories, 9 g fat (27% calories), 2 g saturated fat, 40 g carbs, 17 g protein, 11 g fiber, 106 mg calcium, 6 mg iron, 789 mg sodium
Monday, February 9, 2009
Vegetarian Chili
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion
1 chopped carrot
1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
2 14-ounce cans tomatoes -added diced tomatoes, undrained
1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (see Tip)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
The following are optional
2 cups Cooked Wheat Berries (recipe follows)
Juice of 1 lime
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, chipotle to taste, broth and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. 2. Stir in cooked wheat berries and heat through, about 5 minutes more. (If using frozen wheat berries, cook until thoroughly heated.) Remove from the heat. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each bowl with avocado and cilantro.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 386 calories; 11 g fat (1 g sat, 7 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 61 g carbohydrate; 14 g protein; 15 g fiber; 703 mg sodium; 311 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (130% daily value), Fiber (72% dv), Folate (48% dv), Iron & Vitamin A (25% dv).3 Carbohydrate Servings Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 very-lean meat, 2 fat
TIP: Canned chipotle peppers (smoked jalapeños) in adobo sauce add heat and a smoky flavor. Look for the small cans with other Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 can petite diced tomatoes, 28 ounces
2¼ cups water (or instead of water & bouillon, use 2 cups chicken broth)
2 cubes chicken bouillon, or 2 teaspoons
1 cup frozen corn
1 can green chilies, 4 ounces
1 can black beans, 15 ounces drained and rinsed
tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, chopped green onion (optional)
In medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic powder in oil over medium heat, until soft (5 minutes). Stir in chili powder, oregano, basil, tomatoes, water, and bouillon. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Stir in corn, chilies, beans, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into individual bowls and garnish with chips, cheese, and green onions. Or leave out the latter for a little healthier dish.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Black Bean Soup
Delicious, healthy, and done in 10 minutes! Serve as a soup or a dip with tortilla chips.
2 cans black beans (15 ounces), drained and rinsed
1½ cups broth (chicken or veggie)
1 cup chunky salsa
1 teaspoon cumin
Cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
green onions (optional)
In a food processor or blender, combine beans, broth, salsa, and cumin.
Blend until fairly smooth. Pour into medium saucepan and heat thoroughly. Serve with sour cream, cheese, and green onions, if desired.