Soup Ideas

Arctic January in Boston means lots of soups. Here are the soups I've tried this year:

Healthy Tomato soup: I added spicy Hungarian paprika to basic tomato soup and finished it with nonfat Greek yogurt (rather than cream) for a protein-packed yet creamy consistency.

Kale, White bean, Sausage soup: iron-rich kale and lean chicken or turkey sausage create great flavor for this winter soup.

Ribollita: Following the traditional Tuscan recipe in the Italian cookbook La Cucina Fiorentina, this hearty vegetable soup uses both collard greens and kale or chard, and both whole and blended white beans for varying textures. Ribollita means "reboiled" in Italian, so this soup should be made the night before serving, then bring to a boil again the next day, hence boiling twice, for a thick, rustic result.

Roasted Cauliflower soup: I roasted both white and golden cauliflower in the oven and then created a three-cheese sauce using blue cheese, gruyere and extra-sharp white cheddar. This is snow day comfort food, best served bubbling hot.

Lentil soup: stewed lentils with sweet potato, carrots and spinach for a fiber-filled winter meal. When it's bitter cold below freezing, spiced lentil stew does the trick.

Fit for Fall

Fall is the time when a plethora of squash is in season (okay, I do just love the word "plethora", but it's true) and there are so many different ways to use these healthy, fiber-filled vegetable marrows. Here are my latest ideas:

Spaghetti Squash Topped with Marinated Roasted Soy Glazed Tofu and Spinach

How I did it:
1) Roast the spaghetti squash in the oven on low heat until tender (325 degrees for about an hour for a medium sized squash.)
2) While the squash roasts, marinate extra-firm tofu, diced and patted dry with a paper towel, in a soy basil marinade. I used low sodium soy sauce seasoned with red pepper flakes and a tsp. of pesto whisked in with a drizzle of olive oil, and some torn fresh basil.
3) Saute the marinated tofu in a medium-high heat pan until lightly golden brown on the edges, pouring the remaining marinade (saving a tsp.) in the pan to reduce. Remove the tofu to a plate.
4) Add baby spinach to the pan and wilt down, seasoning with freshly ground black pepper. Turn off heat and squeeze lemon juice for a fresh finish.
5) Remove the squash from the oven and cut it open to scoop out the soft, stringy filling and place it all in a large saute pan with a little olive oil and minced garlic. Fluff up the "spaghetti" strings with a fork to achieve a sort of creamy pasta-like texture.
6) Add a few tablespoons of tomato sauce to the "spaghetti" with the last tsp. of soy basil marinade. The soy will work as an umami booster to enhance the savory flavors of the veggies, but the squash will not actually taste like soy. Add some fresh parsley and basil to finish, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
7) Top the spaghetti squash with the sauteed spinach with lemon vinaigrette and shaved parmesan. Add the tofu to heat through, and serve. This hearty vegetarian dish will feel like eating a bowl of pasta, but in fact it's all vegetables!

Another autumn vegetarian dinner I made:

Butternut Squash and Kale with Whole Wheat Gnocchi

 

 

 

I made this dish for a nutrient-packed dinner with healthy carbs the night before the annual breast cancer awareness 5K (and followed it with a protein-packed breakfast the next morning and had an excellent race!)



Pumpkin Kale Black Bean Stew

Now that autumn's here, it's time for fall produce! At the farmer's market this week I got pumpkins, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, greens, some purple tomatoes that looked like chestnuts ...

For these chillier nights, I decided to make Pumpkin, Kale, Black Bean Stew - here's how I made it:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small to medium sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut into large dice
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into large pieces
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tbsp. paprika (or to taste)
• 1 (16 ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tbsp. pumpkin butter (I use Trader Joe's)
• 1 bunch lacinato/dino kale, stems removed, chopped 
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1 tsp. white pepper
• 1 fresh roma tomato (I just had one around and decided to use it)
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• Dash hot sauce (optional)

Directions

1. Roast pumpkin in the oven at 325 for 45 min. or until tender when prodded with a fork. (I don't season the pumpkin or anything, just simply put the whole thing in the oven and let it roast away.) Remove pumpkin and let it cool enough to touch and then slice and scoop out the seeds and dice flesh into large chunks. *I save the seeds to bake later for snacking.
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Cook onion until it begins to soften. Add garlic and diced sweet potato. Season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and turmeric, stirring around to distribute golden color throughout the onion pieces. Add a splash of water to the pot if the spices start to stick to the bottom, to bring up all the little bits.
3. Add the pumpkin and cook for another few minutes. Stir in the pumpkin butter, allowing the sweet pumpkin to coast the savory roasted pumpkin, and cook out. Season with salt and pepper. Then stir in the beef broth, tomatoes, and paprika. Bring heat up, then turn down to low and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
4. Add the rinsed/drained/chopped kale and wilt into the broth. Season the kale with nutmeg and more pepper. Add the diced fresh tomato if you have it - adds a nice contrast to the smoky fire-roasted tomatoes and peppery broth.
5. After soup has simmered for 15 minutes, add black beans and bay leaf; simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir in the sherry vinegar and hot sauce; turn down the heat. Let the stew sit so the flavors combine.
6. Serve up the stew with some crusty bread to mop up the spicy broth - enjoy!

Kale Two Ways

Kale #1: Braised kale with almonds

1) Toast sliced almonds in dry pan on low heat until fragrant and remove.

2) Saute diced onion in half each olive oil and Earth Balance butter until onion softens and is translucent; add tablespoon of minced garlic if desired.

3) Season with salt and pepper to taste and pinch of paprika for a smoky flavor.

4) Add half a cup of chicken stock and a large bunch of torn kale, stalks removed, and toss the kale with the onions and seasoning to coat it evenly.

5) Cover the pan to wilt kale in the braising liquid; check after five minutes for preferred texture.

6) Once the liquid has reduced until nearly evaporated, add almonds back into pan and adjust seasoning. Finish with a squirt of lemon juice and serve.

Kale #2: Crispy Kale Chips

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rip kale into small pieces and place over baking sheet.

2) Drizzle with olive oil and spread around to coat evenly, seasoning with minced garlic, salt and pepper. Add red pepper flakes for a spicy version if desired.

3) Bake for 20 minutes or until the kale is crispy, with a chip-like consistency; this time will vary depending on how fresh the kale is and how much time it takes to release its water.

4) Serve warm, with hummus or white bean dip or as a side dish to grilled protein. These chips are a great healthy substitute to french fries or chips. Enjoy!