Spicy Lentil and Barley Soup

A simple recipe for a delicious and hearty soup. Perfect for lunch on a cold winter day.



Ingredients:

2 tbps olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp harissa spice
1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup of red lentils
1/2 cup of barley
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
5 cups of water
optional toppings: Chopped tomatoes, parsley or cilantro



Directions:

Warm olive oil in heavy bottomed soup pan. Add onion and fry until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and spices and cook for one minute. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 minutes.

 

Black Lentil & Tomato Soup

After a weekend on the beach in Miami, I was not very excited to come back to 40 degree rain in Boston this week. This lentil stew by Heidi Swanson made the cold, dark weather a bit more bearable. Plus, the ingredient list is short which made my trip to the grocery store very easy.


Ingredients:
2 cups black beluga lentils (or green French lentils), picked over and rinsed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 28-ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
2 cups water
3 cups of a big leafy green (chard, kale, etc), rinsed well, deveined, finely chopped

Directions:
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan, add the lentils, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and salt and saute until tender, a couple minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, lentils, and water and continue cooking for a few more minutes, letting the soup come back up to a simmer. Stir in the chopped greens, and wait another minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning if need be.

Spicy Potato & Cabbage Soup

I based this recipe off of Heidi Swanson's Rustic Cabbage Soup, but decided to use tri-colored potatoes to make it more visually appealing.  I also added a bit of spice to make it more interesting. A meal in itself, this soup is very hearty.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
a big pinch of salt
1/2 pound tri-colored potatoes, skin on, cut 1/4-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
6 cups stock (see head notes)
1 1/2 cups white beans, precooked or canned (drained and rinsed well)
1/2 medium cabbage, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch ribbons
more good-quality extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:
Warm the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in the salt and potatoes. Cover and cook until they are a bit tender and starting to brown a bit, about 10 minutes - it's o.k. to uncover to stir a couple times. Stir in the garlic and onion and cook for another five minutes. Add the stock and the beans and bring the pot to a simmer. Stir in the cabbage and cook for a couple more minutes, until the cabbage softens up a bit. Now add the cayenne pepper and adjust the seasoning depending on your taste.

Serve drizzled with a bit of olive oil and/or sriracha.

Cabbage & Chickpea Soup

Simple Cabbage and Chickpea Soup


I am a solid believer in the soup diet theory. Soup is filling and nutrious, and something you can have large portions of without killing your calories intake for the day. When I saw this soup on http://www.fatfreevegan.com/, I decided to give it a try.

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
4 cloves garlic cloves, minced or pressed
6 cups hot water (plus bouillon cubes, below) or vegetable broth (and no bouillon cubes)
3 cubes no-salt added bouillon cubes (or enough to flavor 6 cups of water)*
1/2 head cabbage, chopped
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 16-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)
2 teaspoons oregano
generous grating black pepper
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted (optional)

Instructions

Heat a large, non-stick pot. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and garlic and cook for another two minutes. Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT the basil and pine nuts. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.

Stir in fresh basil and serve in individual soup bowls, topped with 1 teaspoon of pine nuts, if desired.

Gingered Carrot Soup with Sage

This soup is a Dave Lieberman recipe - the only liberty I took in order to make it vegan friendly was leaving out butter and I promise you will not miss it! The ginger and carrot go so well together and the color of the soup is just beautiful. Even though spring is around the corner it is still chilly enough up here in Boston to merit a nice warm soup for lunch.

Ingredients:
• 2 lbs carrots, peeled and trimmed
• olive oil
• 2 small onions, diced
• 3 garlic, cloved minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 14 -16 ounces vegetable stock
• kosher salt
• pepper
• 6 -12 fresh sage leaves
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 lemon, juice of

Directions:
1. Slice the carrots in half lengthwise and then into 2 inch chunks.
2. Pour enough olive oil into the bottom of a heavy stockpot to coat the bottom. Add carrots and onions and saute over medium heat. Cook until the onions start turning translucent.
3. Turn the heat down, add the garlic and continue cooking another 5 minutes.
4. Add the ginger and cook another minute or two.
5. Add the stock and enough additional water to cover the vegetables. Taste and add salt and pepper to your taste. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to barely simmer.
6. Add 6 sage leaves (the remaining ones are for garnish). Cook until the carrots are very tender, about 45 minutes.
7. Remove the sage leaves. Puree the soup
8. Bring the soup back up to a simmer and add the sugar and lemon juice. Taste and season again with salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with sage leaves.

Quick Vegan Corn Chowder

Living in New England, it is imperative that I can make some version of a chowder to see me through the winter. This corn chowder is a delicious and easy vegan substitute for the rich, creamy clam chowder that is so popular here.

Quick Vegan Corn Chowder

6 small red potatoes, diced in medium sized chunks
1 small onion, diced
½ cup celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
olive oil for sautéing
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups almond milk
2 springs fresh thyme
2 cups corn
1 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoons water

 Sauté the onions and celery in olive oil until onions are transparent and veggies are starting to soften. Add garlic and sauté another thirty seconds. Add the broth, milk, potatoes, corn and thyme. Simmer for 20 minutes until all the potatoes are tender. Wisk the flour and water together and add to the soup, simmering for another five minutes.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

I happened to have a butternut squash lying around and a bit of extra time at lunch so I made a quick soup. I love this butternut squash recipe from Ellie Krieger – super easy, only a few ingredients, and it is ready so fast!

I also had some bread on the verge of going stale so I made a quick batch of homemade croutons – simply cubed the bread, tossed with some herbs de province and olive oil, and baked in the oven at 250 degrees for around 20 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (2 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
• 2 tablespoons honey (optional for the non-Vegans out there) 

Directions

Heat oil over medium heat in a 6-quart stockpot. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft but not brown, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the butternut squash, broth, curry powder and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat stir in honey and puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender until smooth. Season with salt, to taste.

Black Bean and Tomato Soup

Black Bean and Tomato Soup 

This is another recipe from Kim Barnouin that I whipped up for lunch today. Quick and easy and SUPER delicious. I definitely recommend this one!

Ingredients:

2 tbs of olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

2 15oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 28oz can stewed tomatoes

½ cup frozen or fresh corn

3 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water

1 tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Juice of half a lime

½ tsp salt

1 tbs chopped cilantro

Directions:

In a large soup pot, heat the oil and sauté onion in oil until onion is soft & translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and sauté about 30 seconds. Add the chili powder and cumin and stir until well combined. Add the black beans, tomatoes, corn, water, oregano, red pepper flakes, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir and simmer about 15 minutes. Using a handheld blender, puree soup to desired consistency (I like it a bit chunky). Add the lime juice and salt. Garnish with cilantro.