Farro and Lentil Vegetable Curry Soup

Farro and Lentil Vegetable Curry Soup
How I Did It:

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
3/4 cup farro
3/4 cup lentils
32 oz low sodium Vegetable Broth
28 oz finely diced tomatoes
3 ribs celery, chopped
5 carrots, chopped
2 parsnips, chopped
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsps + 1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 head cauliflower, large chopped
8 oz spinach, roughly chopped


1. Heat 2 tablespoons of water in a large pot and then throw in the onion and garlic. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water as needed.

2. Pour in two cups of water and bring to a boil. Stir in the farro and reduce the heat to medium. Cover with a tilted lid (to let out some steam) for about 15 minuets and then add the lentils, celery, carrots, and parsnips. Add more water as needed to keep cooking for another 10 minutes.

3. Add broth and tomatoes. Stir to combine and then stir in the ginger, lemon juice, curry powder, and red pepper flakes.

4. Cook for about 5 minutes, add the cauliflower, cook for another 5 minutes or until vegetables are the tenderness that you prefer.

5. Stir in spinach and let it cook down for a couple minutes. Serve.

Rice and Veggie Soup

With all the super grains now being promoted everywhere, sometimes it's nice to enjoy good old rice (brown rice of course). Growing up my grandma used to do two amazing dishes with rice - tomato based risotto (with butter too of course) and rice soup. In both the star and the only feature was the rice. I was really wanting some rice soup, but I somehow can never just make a simple dish without adding lots of veggies. So I made this brothy tomato soup with lots of veggies and rice and just a hint of spice. Honestly, it's nothing like anything my grandma made, but it's delicious and very satisfying on a cold "spring should be here, but it's not" day. The photo above was from the day I made it and the photo below was the next night after the rice had absorbed more of the broth. I like a thick soup, but you could always thin it out with more broth when reheating (or add more to begin with).

Rice and Veggie Soup
How I Did It:

1 cup short grain brown rice
2 onions, peeled and chopped
8 carrots, chopped
1/2 stalk of celery, chopped
bunch of rainbow chard, chopped
64 oz low sodium vegetable broth
28 oz diced tomatoes
15 oz cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp thyme
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp red chili pepper flakes
5 oz spinach, roughly chopped


1. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil and then stir in the rice. Lower heat and cover, but leave the lid off a crack to let out steam. Add additional water as necessary until cooked.

2. While the rice is cooking, heat 1/8 cup of water in a large stock pot and add the onions. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally and adding more water as needed. Adding more water if necessary, add in carrots, celery, and the chopped stalks of the chard. Cook until slightly softened.

3. Pour in the broth, diced tomatoes, and beans. Stir to mix everything up. Stir in the thyme, oregano, rosemary, and chili pepper. Bring to a boil and then cover and lower heat,

4. Cook until your vegetables are as soft as you want them and then stir in the chard leaves and spinach. Cover and let the greens cook down,

5. Once the greens are cooked down, stir again to distribute and then stir in the rice. Cook for a couple more minutes and then remove from heat and serve.

Fontina Farro Risotto with Roasted Cauliflower

Have you had farro? I adore the texture - very chewy, but in a soft and welcoming way. It's high in fiber, protein, iron, and calcium making it a fun alternative to rice and even quinoa. I made farro with lemon a few months ago and was blown away and decided to incorporate into my meals more often. This is a slightly less healthy way to prepare it (cheese instead of lemon), but it is still pretty healthy and trust me when I say that it tastes amazing and does not feel heavy and cheesy. All of the flavors really work well together. I have been really into roasting cauliflower so I had to throw that in of course and it complimented everything nicely. Oh, just thinking about it makes me wish I still had some left.

Fontina Farro Risotto
How I Did It:

1 head cauliflower, sliced lengthwise into 1-inch chunks
salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 cups farro
16 oz low sodium chicken broth
6 oz fontina cheese, grated
6 oz peas
spinach, roughly chopped


1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Spread cauliflower out on a large cookie sheet and drizzing with olive olive and then sprinkle with salt and pepper (using more pepper than salt). Flip all of the chunks and repeat. Roast for about 20 minutes or until parts of it start to crisp up and it is soft.

3. While the cauliflower is roasting, heat 2 tablespoons of water in a large pot and add the onion. Cook for about 10 minutes or until soft and translucent.

4. Add farro and let cook for 1 minute while constantly stirring.

5. Add 2 cups of broth or enough to cover the farro. Lower heat and cook until the broth has been mostly absorbed (stirring frequently) before adding more broth, 1/2 cup at a time until the farro is cooked.

6. Stir in peas, spinach, and cheese and cook on low until cheese is melted and everything is well combined.

7. Cut up cauliflower and stir in, reserve a couple larger pieces for garnish.

Ribollita (Tuscan Vegetable Stew)

Ribollita means "reboiled" in Italian and historically, that is what this soup is. Yes, Italians love their bread, but it was actually added to soup to make it last longer. So this vegetable stew was made with inexpensive vegetables and beans (cannellini...larger than navy beans, but very creamy) and before there leftovers were reheated, old bread was added to thicken it.

Have you ever put good bread in soup? Not crackers, bread. Well, I hadn't and was skeptical, but it's amazing. The flavors of the whole wheat sourdough bread I used (not old) and the broth meld together wonderfully and while soggy bread (from a rogue tomato, etc) is disturbing and unpleasant, in soup it becomes delightful and exciting. I decided to put the bread in before each serving so it wouldn't break down too much in between and it created the perfect texture for me. The soup is good without the bread too, but once you try it with bread you won't be able to go back.

Ribollita (Tuscan Vegetable Stew)
How I Did It:

1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, diced
2 carrots, chopped
2 parsnips, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/4 tsp ground sage
1 zucchini, chopped
15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch kale, destemmed and roughly chopped
26 oz good quality diced tomatoes with liquid
32 oz low sodium vegetable broth
whole wheat sourdough bread

1. Cover the bottom of your soup pot with 1/4 inch or so of water and heat. Add in onion, garlic, carrots, parsnips, celery, and all of the spices. Heat on medium-low for about 20 minutes until everything has softened. Stir occasionally, adding small amounts of water as necessary.

2. Add in the zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes.

3. Add in the beans, kale and then the diced tomatoes and broth, Stir well to submerge the kale. Lower heat, cover and cook for another 30 minutes.

4. Rip one piece of bread per bowl into pieces (not too small). Serve the soup and then stir in the bread. Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

Roasted Vegetable and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole 
How I Did It:

1/2 head cauliflower
1 orange pepper, chopped
1/2 can no sugar added corn
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground chili pepper
1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp dried cilantro
ground black pepper
9 small corn tortillas
1 bag shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 jalapeno peppers, chopped (keep seeds for extra spice)
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large jar medium salsa


1. Preheat oven to 400. Place the first 5 ingredients (cauliflower, orange pepper, corn, onion, and garlic) on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with pepper. Mix around a bit to make sure everything is covered and then spread the vegetables out so they are (mostly) not on top of each other.

2. Bake for about a half hour or until tender and just before they start to crisp up. You will want to stir them around once or twice.

3. Remove from oven (lower oven to 350) and let cool slightly.

4. In a bowl, combine roasted vegetables, jalapeno, black beans, chili pepper, cumin, and cilantro.

5. Cover the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking pan with salsa. Layer 3 tortillas on top and then cover with about 1/2 of the vegetable mixture and then cover with cheese. For the second layer of everything start with the tortilla, then the salsa, then the vegetable mixture and finally the cheese. Top with another layer of tortilla, salsa, and the remaining cheese. Sprinkle lightly with chili pepper and cumin.

6. Cover and bake for about 40 minutes, removing the aluminum foil after about 25 minutes.

7. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before digging in!

Asian Soba Vegetable Noodle Soup

I bought soba noodles (soba is just the Japanese name for buckwheat) awhile back with the intention of making something new with them. At the same time I bought brown rice noodles which I am obsessed with and thus forgot all about the soba noodles. Well, yesterday I decided to use them. I had originally planned on using them in some sort of stir-fry like dish, but I was more in the mood for soup so I came up with this hardy (slightly spicy) soup.

I used this stir-fry sauce (soy sauce combined with oyster sauce and some other flavors) I found in the Asian section of Shaw's after deciding even low sodium soy sauce has way too much sodium (25% DV for 1 tablespoon!) and I'm happy to report that it is pretty tasty and worked well in my soup. While I love thick soups, when I make this again I will use less noodles and more veggies. They way I did it is was only really 25% broth which was okay by me really. And tonight it was even better as everything had absorbed/broken down more and the broth had turned into a nice sauce almost (photo was taken on day 1). Very tasty. If you keep the large amount of noodles, one bowl will probably leave you full and satisfied. All of the flavors worked well together and even though there wasn't that much broth, it was enough to make the noodles quite addicting without being over-powering at all. I was pretty impressed though with how tasty the noodles were just plain....and it's filling!

 Buckwheat doesn't have any gluten, but to make this gluten-free, be sure to buy noodles that are all buckwheat (many brands you see in the store will have flour in them as well).

Asian Soba (Buckwheat) Vegetable Noodle Soup
How I Did It:

6 oz Soba Noodles (use less if you want it more brothy)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
32 oz low sodium vegetable broth
3 carrots, chopped
3 parsnips, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 baby bok choy, roughly chopped
3 tbsp low sodium stir-fry sauce (not straight soy sauce)
1/2 tsp cayene
1/2 ground ginger

1. In a medium pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add in the noodles, and lower to medium. Stir occasionally. Once cooked (about 6-8 minutes usually), drain and rinse with cold water.

2. While the noodles are cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of water in a large pot and then add the onion and garlic.

3. Cook until softened and then pour in broth, carrots, parsnips, celery, sauce and spices. Stir and then cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes and then add in the bok choy and cover again for another 5 minutes.

4. Once the vegetables are almost how you want them, stir in the noodles. Cover again and let simmer for another 5 minutes or so.

5. Serve! Keep any leftovers in the fridge.

Rosemary Potato and Kale Vegetable Soup

Rosemary is definitely one of my all time favorite herbs. It makes everything better from bread, cheese (grilled cheese!), homemade popcorn, potatoes, chicken, and even cocktails! The one thing I hadn't tried was in soup. I was in the mood for a good soup and almost made up a new chili (that will also happen soon), but I had rosemary on the brain. I tried to pick vegetables that I thought rosemary would compliment. Sadly, I was unable to get parsnips, but I would recommend adding them in as well if you can. If you don't like rosemary, this soup is not for you, but the flavor is in no way over-powering. The photo is from right after I made it, but now it is two days later and the broth has definitely thickened up a bit which I like.

Note that I like to made a crazy amount at once and then freeze part of it. You can easily cut the recipe down as desired.

Rosemary Potato and Kale Vegetable Soup
How I Did It:

1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 large red potatoes, chopped
6 celery ribs, chopped
6 carrots, chopped
30 oz (no salt added) diced tomatoes
3/4 tsp black pepper
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
64 oz low sodium vegetable broth
1 zucchini, chopped
15 oz navy beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz green pigeon peas, drained and rinsed
1 bunch of red kale (any variety would work), removed from stems

1. Heat two tablespoons of water into a large pot. Once the water is heated, add in onion and garlic and cook until the onion is softened, stirring occasionally. 

2. Stir in potatoes and celery and cook for about 5 minutes. 

3. Add in carrots, diced tomatoes (not drained), and 1/2 tsp black pepper and let cook for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Throw full rosemary sprigs in, stir around and then add broth, zucchini, beans, peas, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir to combine and turn up the heat and cover. Once it starts to almost boil, turn the heat down, but not too much below medium.

5. Let cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the rosemary (it will fall off stems). 

6. Remove rosemary twigs (pulling off any pieces of rosemary that might remain), mix in kale, stir to combine and cook for another 10 minutes.

7. Serve!

Quick Brown Rice Veggie Noodle Soup

With evenings that have been officially feeling like fall, I was craving some soup, but far too hungry to turn it into a huge planning/grocery store ordeal. I quickly threw this together with what I had around and it turned out really well. The broth was even tasty.

Quick Brown Rice Veggie Noodle Soup
How I Did It:

4 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tbsp low sodium dry chicken flavoring
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped dried vegetables
3 tsp thyme
2 tsp parsley
1/4 cup bell peppers, chopped
2 cups of broccoli, chopped
1/4 package of brown rice noodles

1. Bring water to a boil and stir in chicken flavoring and dried vegetables.

2. Add in all of the vegetables and spices. Stir, reduce heat, and cover for about ten minutes.

3. Stir in uncooked rice noodles and let cook in soup for about ten more minutes.

4. Serve!

Chunky Pineapple Salsa

Believe it or not, I have never made salsa. So easy and it tastes so good when it's fresh and yet for some reason I always just buy it. My first ever salsa product is this pineapple salsa which is perfect for the summer. I have had pineapple salsa before of course, but never homemade and it has always been tomato based. This was pretty good, although maybe a bit too heavy on the pineapple. The spice helped cut the sweetness though and it was pretty tasty with some blue corn chips as well as over some coconut chicken that I had made. I would say this was hot/spicy, but not overly so. Every day you let it sit in your fridge it will loose a bit of heat, so keep that in mind.

Chunky Pineapple Salsa
How I Did It:

1 cup chopped canned pineapple
1 cup canned corn
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 orange bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (removed ribs, keep seeds)
1 serrano pepper, diced (seeds and ribs removed)
2 tbsps lime juice
1/8 tsp pinch of salt

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined.

2. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour (or more) and then serve with whatever you desire. Keep leftovers covered and refrigerated for up to a week.

Moist Chocolate Zucchini Bars

Let me first clarify that I am not posting a picture of a moldy brownie. This was my first attempt at making zucchini brownies and I didn't think to peel the zucchini first. On the plus side, it was quite the conversation starter and they taste the same, but we got added fiber! With that said, if you plan to bring these somewhere peeling the zucchini might be a good idea. Or you can share that there isn't any oil or butter in them and that they are a better version of chocolate zucchini bread!

Moist Chocolate Zucchini Bars
How I Did It:

2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened plain applesauce
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups grated zucchini (for visual purposes, I recommend peeling it first)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 8x8" baking pan and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, vanilla, sugar, and applesauce. Set aside and let sit while you are mixing together the dry ingredients.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

4. Add the dry mixture to the wet in three parts, mixing just until combined. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips so they are somewhat evenly distributed.

5. Pour into prepared baking pan and even out with the back of your spoon.

6. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the edges have hardened a bit and the center has set. Let cool before cutting into squares. Anything not eaten that day should be refrigerated in an airtight container.

Rosemary and Sea Salt Sweet Potato Chips

Sometimes you just want something to crunch on. I get it. That's where oil-free sweet potato chips come in. It's just like eating a sweet potato, but in a tasty form. I never used to like sweet potatoes at all, and then I came to realize that sweet potato fries are actually really good and then I was introduced to sweet potato chips...also very good. And I don't mean that in the, "well, these have a few more nutrients in them, so I don't feel as bad eating them" so of way. Sweet potatoes taste fantastic when fried. I like them so much that I recently tried them again chopped up in a meal...ehhh. So to trick myself I decided to try to make "chips" and see how they turned out. All I did was slice the sweet potato as thin as I possibly could, lightly sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary, and then microwaved it. They were just as good as I hoped - maybe even better. I have to remember to buy more sweet potatoes. If you're more in the mood for fries, try my healthier version.

Rosemary and Sea Salt Sweet Potato Fries
How I Did It:

1 sweet potato
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed rosemary

1. Using the sharpest knife you have, slice the sweet potato as thin as you can.

2. Place a sheet of parchment paper in your microwave and lay the slices flat out on top. They can be touching, but don't let them overlap too much. Sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary (keep it light as when they shrink up, the flavor will become more intense).

3. Microwave for 5 to 8 minutes, making sure to really keep an eye on them. Take them out once they start to crinkle up and a few start to lightly brown. Do not let them over-brown.

4. Remove and let cool completely (so they can get crunchy) before enjoying.

Lentil Curry Stew

Lentils are great in soup, but in the past I haven't varied too much from the tried and true lentil barley soup until last year when I added some cumin to the traditional lentil barley soup. I'm not sure why I never tried adding curry. I mean, curry and lentils...not exactly a new concept. When I was home over Thanksgiving my mom made lentil curry stew from a recipe that she had found in the American Institute for Cancer Research's newsletter which she apparently receives. We all loved it and I knew I would have to make it myself. Of course, in typical fashion I changed it around a bit. Among other things, I subbed cauliflower for the potato, added more curry and some extra veggies (rainbow chard for one). In my opinion the curry flavor is just right and everything works really well together. I think this will be my new go-to lentil soup.

Curry Lentil Stew
How I Did It:

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp garlic
2 cups onions, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
4 celery ribs, chopped
3 tbsp curry powder
3 tsp thyme
64 oz vegetable broth
28 oz canned San Marzano diced tomatoes
2 cups lentils
2 tsp parsley
1 bunch rainbow chard, chopped
1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped

1. In a large pot, heat oil and then add in garlic, onions, carrots, celery, and the ribs of the chard. Saute for about 3 minutes.

2. Add the curry and thyme and stir to coat. Pour in vegetable broth, tomatoes, and lentils. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Lower to just above a simmer and cover and cook for about 20 - 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

3. When the lentils are tender add in the chard leaves, cauliflower, and parsley. Stir well and cover again for about 10 minutes. Serve.

Tomato Vegetable Soup

What's better on a lazy cold day than a nice, brothy tomato soup full of veggies?

Tomato Vegetable Soup
How I Did It: 

32 oz san marzano whole peeled tomato

32 oz low sodium vegetable broth

1 celery stalk, chopped

6 carrots, chopped

32 oz diced san marzano tomatoes
3 tsp oregano
3 tsp basil
3 tsp parsley

1 summer squash, chopped
1 zuchinni, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped
40 oz green pigeon pea beans

1 bunch kale, de-steamed and ripped

1. In a large pot empty the San Marzano tomatoes. Using your (washed) hands, squeeze the tomatoes until only bite sizes chunks remain. If you really don't want to use your hands you can use wooden spoon - just stir vigorously, mashing the tomatoes against the side of the pot. Add broth and let come to a boil. 

3. Stir in celery, carrots, diced tomatoes and half of each of the spices. Cover and let cook for about 15 minutes and then add in summer squash, zuchinni, peppers, pigeon peas, and remaining spices. Cook for another 15 - 30 minutes (depending how soften you want your veggies), stirring occasionally. 

4. Stir in kale well and let it cook down. You can keep cooking it if you still want your veggies softer or serve immediately. Once cooled, store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week.

Polenta Veggie Lasagna

I love polenta. These days everyone seems to be talking about polenta, but I can't remember a time when polenta wasn't part of my life. I used to look forward to my grandma making us polenta with her homemade tomato sauce and meat balls. Not quite as good as her risotto, but it was sure up there.

When I first saw the tubes of it that Trader Joe's sells I was so excited. I would slice them and cook them in a pan. They even have a polenta/quinoa option which is delicious. I told my grandma about my discovery and she gave me some quick cooking polenta. And boy is it quick! I would make a double batch and eat half of it runny and the other half the next day after it had become more solid. They also make regular, finely ground corn meal that cooks almost as fast, but my latest discovery is stone-ground corn meal. I orginally bought it as it's a bit more nutrious in that it retains (at least some of) the hull and germ. It's more coarse and due to the oil in the germ, more flavorful! I didn't realize it would taste so much better until I found myself scraping the remains from the pot to nibble on. I used to douce my polenta in tomato sauce and shook my head at the plain polenta that would stick to the spoon b/c it was just bland on it's own. I guess now I can come up with some new recipes. This one uses only minimal tomato sauce, but you could always add more (or less).

Polenta Veggie Lasagna
How I Did It:

5 cups water
1 1/2 cups stone ground corn meal (or finely ground if you prefer)
10 oz frozen spinach, defrosted with liquid
1 cup frozen chopped stop light peppers
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp basil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
15 oz tomato sauce of choice*
3/4 cup of shredded cheddar jack cheese

1. Lightly grease two 8x8" baking pans (I used one 8x8" and one 9x9") and set aside.

2. Boil water and cook the corn meal until is has thickened up. You will need to stir frequently to avoid it sticking. Pour into both of the pans, spreading out with a spoon to make sure it is flat and even. Place in the fridge to firm up for about 20 minutes.

3. While the polenta is in the fridge, prepare the veggies. In a large skillet place the spinach, peppers, and onions. The water from them should allow you to cook without oil, but if you need to you can add some olive oil or water. As they are cooking, add in the spices.

4. Preheat the oven to 350. Remove the baking pans of polenta from the fridge. Layer all of the vegetable mixture on top of the 9x9" polenta, spreading it out evenly all the way to the edges. Coat the vegetables in a layer of tomato sauce. Gently flip the 8x8" polenta square out of its pan and place it, bottom side down, on top of the veggie and sauce layers. Coat with more tomato sauce and then sprinkle with cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes or until  the cheese is melted and the tomato sauce starts to bubble.

*I like to make my own sauce from San Marzano canned peeled tomatoes or tomato puree to which I add my own spices, etc, but you can use your favorite canned tomato sauce.

Vegetable Quinoa Soup

Did you know that 2013 is the "International Year of Quinoa"? Interesting, but not why I decided to include it in this soup. I love quinoa for it's taste and consistency and it is surprisingly high in protein as well. Oh, and did I mention all of the health benefits? I loved it in this vegetable soup. It was a great replacement for the traditional noodles of a "vegetable noodle soup" and really gave it a great stew-like feeling. The photo above was from the day it was made. Keep in mind that it will continue to absorb moisture making it thicker (goodbye broth). Personally, I love nice thick soups, but if you don't then add extra broth (or less quinoa and veggies). For maximum enjoyment, don't be shy about keeping your vegetables nice and chunky or the quinoa will steal the show.

Vegetable Quinoa Soup
How I Did It:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped
3 tsp garlic
5 parsnips, peeled and chopped
6 carrots, chopped
4 celery ribs, chopped

1 bunch swiss chard, chopped and stems kept separate

64 oz low sodium vegetable broth

3 tsp basil
3 tsp thyme

1 handful green beans, chopped in 1/2 or 1/3
1 green pepper, sliced and chopped
28 oz San Marzano diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup quinoa

1. Heat oil in a large pot and add in onion and garlic. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent. 

2. Stir in parsnips, carrots, celery, and swiss chard stems. Add 1/4 cup of broth and let cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add the rest of the broth along with the basil and thyme, turn up the heat and let cook, covered, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in green beans, peppers, and diced tomatoes and cook for another 15 minutes. 

4. Stir in the quinoa and cook for another 15 minutes and then add the swiss chard greens. Cook for another 10 minutes (or longer) on medium/high heat, stirring occasionally. Stir immediately or store in the fridge for up to a week.

Turkey Chili

Whoa, I cooked meat! Or maybe I should say, I cooked with meat. I make chili several times over the course of each winter and as you have probably guessed from my other soups and stews, it is usually without meat. This time (not for the first time) I decided to add some turkey which adds wonderful texture and flavor (sorry non-meat eaters). I've made the same chili before without turkey (and just added garbanzo beans and more black beans) and it's great like that as well. This chili has more of a kick than is typical for me, but it's not crazy spicey - just enough to make you feel like you're really eating chili!

Turkey Chili

How I Did It:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks (with greens), chopped
3 tsp garlic

1 lb lean ground turkey
6 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
3 green peppers, chopped
1 orange pepper, chopped
68 oz San Marzano diced tomato, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp cumin
3 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3.5 oz sodium-free chicken bullion

1. Prepare all of your vegetables, keeping the leeks and garlic separate from the peppers.

2.  Heat olive oil in a large pot and once heated add the leeks and garlic. Let the leeks and garlic cook in the oil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the ground turkey, basil, and 2 tsp of the oregano. Cook until there is no more pink, stirring frequently.

3. Add the peppers and then the tomatoes, beans, and spices. Stir well to combine and distribute. Let cook for about an hour before serving to let the juices and spices meld together. 

Note: Chili is noticeably better the next day...and the day after that! Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze the leftovers for later enjoyment.

Veggie Filled Black Bean Soup

I'm not sure how or why I hadn't made black bean soup before. Well, now I have and I am hooked! There are more beans in there than it may appear, but in traditional Amy fashion I added a lot of veggies as well. I mashed up some of the black beans to give the broth and thicker, beanier texture and that worked out pretty well. Yet another soup that I would love to make again!

Veggie Filled Black Bean Soup
How I Did It:

2 28oz cans of San Marzano diced tomato (with juice)
3 cups water

1/2 onion
1/2 celery heart, diced
5 carrots, peeled and diced
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 cauliflower head, diced
4 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp garlic
3 tsp thyme
3 tsp cumin
3 tsp oregano

1 bag baby spinach, de-stemmed

1. In a large pot on high, dump in water and onions. While onions are cooking dice up your other vegetables. Put the carrots and celery in first, adding them as they are ready. Keeping the water boiling, add in the diced tomatoes. Add the peppers and cauliflower as they are ready.

2. Add 3 cans of black beans and stir in well, breaking up some of the beans. Take the last rinsed can of beans and mash up before also stirring into the pot. Stir hard for a few minutes to break down the beans and create a thicker base. Add the spices and stir hard again and then stir in the spinach.

3. Once everything has been added, keep the soup on medium-high and stir hard every few minutes for at least 30 minutes.

4. Serve immediately and store the rest in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Vegetable Strata

I know, I know, what an ugly picture. I wasn't even going to post it, but it was so good I couldn't let it be forgotten. Yes, trust me it tastes so much better than it looks. I was really happy with how it turned out. I made it for a brunch gathering (and when I took the first bite I said, "Oh, this is good!" in front of everyone) and had the leftovers for lunches and dinners. Perfect! I'll definitely be making this again (maybe add even more veggies next time...you can never have too many veggies)!

Vegetable Strata
How I Did It:

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 green peppers
3 cups broccoli, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
5 whole wheat English muffins, toasted and torn into pieces
2 cups cheddar jack cheese, grated
2 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs

1. Coat a 9x13" pan with oil and line with the torn english muffins. Set aside.

2. In a large pan, heat olive oil and then add the salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and onions. Cook for a couple minutes and then add garlic, green peppers, and broccoli. Cook for about 10 minutes.

3. Spread vegetable mixture over the english muffins and top with 1 1/2 cups of the cheese.

4. In a bowl whisk together eggs, milk and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Pour mixture evenly over the vegetables and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to let everything meld together (I made it the night before and kept it in the fridge overnight).

5. Preheat oven to 350. Bake strata covered for 30 minutes. Remove foil, coat with 1/2 cup cheese and bake for another 30 minutes or so until it starts to golden and is set.

Lentil and Swiss Chard Tomato Soup

The thought process that goes behind my soups/stews is usually based around 1-2 ingredients and what I think will taste good with them. Sometimes I just throw a bunch of stuff in a pot and keep tasting it until makes me happy and other times I plan it out a bit more.

This time I knew I wanted to make lentil soup and I was trying to think of what vegetables I wanted to include before I took a trip to the store. My mom is always talking about swiss chard and I liked it when I have had it stir-fried, so I thought I would give it a try. I really liked it with the lentils and the sweetness of the stems really worked well with the spices. I don't usually add cumin and curry to much other than of course cumin in chili, but I knew they would taste good with lentils and I was in the mood for something a little different from my usual style.  If I was making it somewhere else I might have added more curry powder, but I was worried about my stinking up my apartment. The curry flavor does stand out, but is certainly not over-powering and did not leave a lingering curry smell in my kitchen. I was a little nervous about the dill, but I have heard it pairs well with cumin, so I tested it out on a small amount and liked what it added to the soup so I added more!

Lentil and Swiss Chard Tomato Soup

How I Did It:

2 - 32 oz veggie broth
2 cans 28 oz San Marzano diced tomatoes
1 cup barley (pearl)
1 1/3 cup lentils
4 carrots, chopped
1 stalk leeks, chopped
1 stalk celery heart, chopped
1 bunch swiss chard, ripped into pieces
5 tsp cumin
2 tsp curry powder
4 tsp garlic
4 tsp dill
3 tsp oregano

1. Pour broth and diced tomatoes into a large pot. Bring to a gentle boil and add barley and lentils and half of the spices. Cover and cook while preparing your vegetables.

2. Add carrots, leeks, celery, and swiss chard. Stir in well and the rest of the spices. Stir and cover.

3. Continue on medium heat, stirring occasionally until vegetables are desired texture. Sure immediately and store remaining soup in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for later enjoyment. 

Kale and White Bean Tomato Soup

I am a big fan of kale. Let me rephrase that...I am a big fan of cooked down kale in soup and I think it tastes especially good with tomato. And it is so good for you! All greens are great, but kale especially.  Despite this I hadn't made a soup that was kale based yet so I decided to give it a try. I know "kale and white bean soup" is a thing so I decided to try that, but with a tomato base and of course it wouldn't be soup made by me if I didn't add a few extra veggies in there!

I am continually surprised with how much kale cooks down. I started out by putting half the amount of kale in thinking that would most likely be plenty, but I ended up using the full amount I had bought which turned out to be just right. The only protein in this is the white beans and there is no grains at all, but just one bowl was enough to fill me right up! Other more seemingly hearty soups have had me going back for seconds, so this is a big deal. I have had it on several different days now so it is not a fluke. Beyond that, I love the kale, tomato, and white bean flavors together. This is a soup I will definitely be making again.

Kale and White Bean Tomato Soup
How I Did It:

2 cans San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes
32 oz low sodium veg broth
16 oz Kale
3 celery, chopped
2 cans white (navy) beans, drained and rinsed
1 zucchini, sliced and halved
1 yellow squash, sliced and halved
1/2 onion, diced
3 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp basil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp parsley
3 tsp oregano

1. Pour peeled tomatoes with sauce into large pot on and mash with a spoon until the tomatoes are broken up, but large chunks still remain. Add broth and turn heat up to create a gentle boil.

2. Add kale, celery and half of the spices, including the onion and garlic. Stir well and cover.

3. Once the kale has fully cooked down add the zucchini, yellow squash, beans, and the rest of the spices. Mix to combine well. Keep covered and gently boiling, stirring occasionally.

4. Cook until celery has softened and serve. Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for later enjoyment.