Coconut Lentil Soup

Inspired

Seafood Chowder - originally posted on Sep 16/12

I saw this recipe on an episode of Eat, Shrink and Be Merry so I looked it up online.  I tweaked it, but also I was out of onions.  Who runs out of onions!?  I do, apparently, so I added more celery and tossed in a chopped carrot.  Both of those changes are not reflected in the recipe below but the other changes I made to the original recipe are.  This is delicious!

Minestrone and cheese bread

Have I posted a Minestrone recipe already?  I don't remember, I'll check.  Anyway, this is the one I made today;

Broccoli Potatoe Chowder

Someone tweeted about a delicious sounding soup earlier this week, so I asked for the recipe.  What I got was this.  It made me laugh because there are no directions.  Somehow it assumes that you know what to do.  This is how the recipes are that I inherited from my grandmother.  I love it.  I'm going to re write it to tell you what I did and how I did it.

4 strips of bacon
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups milk
4 small red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
2 stalks broccoli, peel the stem and chop the whole thing
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

I cooked the bacon in my soup pot until it was crispy.  While the bacon is cooking, cut up your veggies. Take the bacon out and chop it up, toss in the onions.  Once the onions are clear, toss in the garlic.
When the onions and garlic are clear and soft, add the flour.  Stir to make a roux (paste).  Add a little bit of chicken broth, stir until it comes together.  Add a little more chicken broth, stir until it comes together and bubbles a little bit.  Then add the rest of the chicken broth, the bacon, broccoli  and potatoes.  Give it a good stir, then add the milk.   Bring it up to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.  Cover it and let it simmer until the veggies are cooked through.

This is delicious!

When I reheat a bowl for lunch tomorrow I will be topping it with some shredded cheddar cheese.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

Here's what I did;

Black Bean Soup

You should know that Mark Bittman is a genius and an activist. His blog is one that I follow closely. I seldom follow his recipes but am often inspired by them and make my own. This recipe takes a long time but it's largely unattended. You could even make it in a slow cooker. Here is an exception with my own modifications;

Creamy Broccoli and Butternut Squash Soup

Some of you hate when I do this, but I'm going to do it anyway. I'm not going to give you a recipe. I also didn't take any pictures of the process (sorry about that) and the final product is a pureed soup, which I don't find very photogenic so I didn't take a picture.

Moroccan Lentil Soup

Someone asked me for suggestions about lentils recently. She told me that she purchased them, but wasn't sure what to do with them and she felt like they were mocking her. I know the feeling because I have a bag of organic brown and wild rice that is currently mocking me. Here's what I made this afternoon;

How to make broth

Making your own broth is dead easy. Have you read the ingredients on a can or box of broth lately? Do you know what that stuff is? Me neither. Please please PLEASE make your own, freeze it and keep it on hand for soup, gravy, stew, in place of water when you make rice.

Lentil Soup

Motivated to clear my cupboard of extra dry goods I searched for a lentil soup recipe. Of course I didn't find one I liked, so I found one that came close and played with it. Here's what I came up with;

French Onion Soup

I have been asked to share my recipe for French Onion Soup. The problem is that it's not so much a recipe as an event. I suppose I could give you a "recipe" but that would just feel wrong. There is so much to say about every component that doesn't fit in a regular recipe. So many variations and options and theory-art and science and much to say about my journey to French Onion Soup perfection. I will spare you the science and the details of my journey, but will impart as much information as necessary to create the best French Onion Soup you've ever served and to embark on your own journey French Onion Soup perfection.

Italian Sausage soup

Where did I get this?  Did I make this up?

How to make chicken soup if you're not a cook

This is for my brother because my niece is sick, but I thought a few of you would be interested.

Sausage, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

As much as I hate recipe titles that read like a shopping list, here's your recipe today. I just can't think of another name for it. Yet.

The Last of the Summer Harvest (soup and a side dish)

Don’t Squish the Squash! Squash gets a bad rep. Maybe the name puts people off, but in addition to being really healthy and easy to prepare it can be delicious. Winter squash, such as pumpkin is hard shelled and sturdy. Summer squash, such as zucchini is softer and bruises easily. Both are in season and in abundance at your local grocery store.

Pumpkin curry soup;
¼ cup butter
1 small onion, diced
¼ cup flour
1 tsp curry powder or more or less depending on your taste
2 cups of cooked pureed pumpkin or one can of pumpkin puree (make sure you don’t use the pumpkin pie filling) or any winter squash such as butternut or acorn
2 cups of milk or chicken broth or a combination

Melt the butter over medium heat, add the onion and cook until the onion is soft. Stir in the flour and curry until it’s a paste. Add the milk slowly, letting the mixture bubble after each addition. Add the pumpkin and stir. Heat it up until it’s hot. You could puree it with a stick blender or in a food processor if you want it smooth or leave the onions in bits if you want. Add salt to your taste. Serve hot.

Zucchini sauté with tomatoes;
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 medium or large zucchini, sliced in half rounds
2 tomatoes, sliced in half rounds
dash each of oregano, basil and parsley or use some Italian seasoning.

Heat a fry pan to medium then add the oil. Cook the onion slowly until almost soft. If you are using dried herbs, add them now. Then add the garlic and zucchini. Stir and cook until the zucchini until tendercrisp. Add the tomatoes and if you are using fresh herbs add them now.
This is a great side dish with anything off the grill or out of the oven. It is also fantastic over pasta as a vegetarian dish.

Tomato Peanut Soup

So I found this recipe in the Chiropractors office that I just have to try. It's so different. So I get the receptionist to photocopy it for me. (I know, I know-copyright violation) So, now it's been kicking around my kitchen for weeks so I decide to make it. Except I don't have all the ingredients. HA! When did that ever stop me anyhow? Recipes are a GUIDELINE.
Here's what I came up with;