Recipe Redux: Curried Chickpea Soup

I am re-posting this recipe in memory of my lost curry powder.

My pantry is the definition of over-stuffed.  Every time I reach in to grab something I find some sort of spice plummeting toward my head.  The last casualty was my curry powder.  An entire glass bottle fell on my kitchen floor and shattered.

By the way, vacuuming is not the best way to clean up spilled curry powder.  It will only spread it all over the floor and make it even more difficult for you when you get on your hands and knees to wipe it up.  So, uh, don't do that.

This is one of my favorite recipes I've made with curry powder.  I know it's summer and all, but I still like a good soup now and then.  It's air conditioned indoors, after all!  So, make this in memory of my lost curry powder.  

Or because it's tasty.  Whatever.

Curried Chickpea Soup

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup spinach or kale, chopped

1 tsp curry powder

lemon

Directions:

Bring the stock to a boil.  Add the chickpeas and curry powder, and cook for 10-15 minutes.  Add the spinach or kale, and cook until wilted.  Stir in the lemon juice.

Curried Chickpea Soup

This soup is the absolute coziest.  What exactly does it mean for a soup to be cozy?  Well, let me pontificate for a moment.

A cozy soup is perfect for a rainy day.  It is eaten curled up on your couch with a napkin tucked into your side for unintentional dribbles.  It pairs well with romantic comedies and good books.  It makes you relaxed and deliciously comfortable with one spoonful.

Cozy soups.  They're a wonder.

I made this last week during the first rash of rainy days in Chicago.  I wanted to use up some of my dried beans, and this seemed like the perfect the way.  I also had some swiss chard that I had no idea what to do with.

I used dried chickpeas so it took a bit longer to come together.  If you used canned beans, though, this would come together fairly quickly.  Don't skip out on the curry powder and garam masala if you're unfamiliar with them.  It gives the soup a nice heat that isn't too overpowering.

Curried Chickpea Soup

1/2 pound chickpeas
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup swiss chard, de-stemmed and shredded
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp cumin


Directions:


Cover the dried beans with water and soak overnight.  Drain the beans and cover with clean water.  I used about 4-6 cups.  Add the bouillon cubes.  Bring the beans to a boil and cook until the beans are tender, but not mushy.  This takes about 1 hour.  


Next, add the spices and swiss chard.  Cook for 10-15 minutes.  The liquid reduces quite a bit, so I would recommend eating half of this as soup and the other half served over quinoa or rice.  It had it both ways and it was equally delicious.

Mimosa Soup

This weekend I went home for Easter and I ended up eating my weight in: reubens, sweet potato fries, parmesan pork tenderloin, prime rib roast, sauerkraut, ham and about a dozen pound-cake-eggs.

Yes, I did just tell you everything I ate this weekend.  Thankfully I'm sparing you a full play-by-play.  I'd need pictures for that.

I'm assuming most of you had a similarly indulgent weekend.  If not, well, then you're a better person than me.  I enjoyed all my favorite foods with reckless abandon, and while I regret nothing (except for maybe that 12th pound-cake-egg) I do want to eat a bit lighter now.  This soup is the perfect remedy for any indulgent weekend.  It's chock full of vegetables and requires very little actual work.  The soup has to cook for about an hour, but the work before is minimal.

Oh, and it tastes good.


Mimosa Soup

1/2 pound celeriac
1/2 pound carrots
1/2 pound turnips
2 leeks
1 head cabbage
1 head lettuce


Directions:


Roughly chop everything but the cabbage and lettuce and put in a large stockpot.  Cover with water and bring to a boil.  Cook for 40 minutes.  Add the cabbage and lettuce, cook for an additional 15 minutes.


Put the soup in either a blender or food processor.  Process until smooth, leaving some texture.  If in an apartment, wince at what your neighbors must be thinking as you sound like you're grinding body parts in your kitchen.

Ladle into bowls and serve.

Source:  French Women Don't Get Fat

Pho For You

This has been a pretty spectacular week.  I decided on law school.  I started the Couch to 5K program.  And I found out that I am receiving some sort of recognition from my school at our annual Honors Reception.  I have no idea what this "recognition" means but the reception involves food and an open bar.  Thank you, School of Communication, don't mind if I do.

Another part of my spectacular week was this equally spectacular soup.  It's no surprise that I'm a soup lover.  There's just something about it that I find so satisfying.  This one is particularly good with creamy coconut milk and pungent ginger.  Usually I freeze half the batch when I make soup but I don't see myself having any trouble finish off this soup.  I can't get enough of it!

Pho

1 package tofu noodles

4 cups veggie broth

1 cup carrot, sliced

1 cup spinach

1 tbsp minced ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp lime juice

1/4 cup coconut milk

salt/pepper

Directions:

Rinse tofu noodles and microwave for one minute.  Set aside.

Bring the veggie broth to a boil.  Add the carrots and simmer until tender, 5-8 minutes.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.  Pour the soup over the noodles.  

Stuff yo' face.

Source:  Peas and Thank You

Winter Minestrone

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Let's get straight to the recipe today, folks. You may, or may not, know this but I am a big soup eater. It's the perfect compliment to just about any meal. It's usually low in calories. And in the case of this soup, I can mindlessly make it while the Superbowl is on.

This minestrone is pretty adaptable, so feel free to throw in any other add-ins that you see fit. Beans would be a great addition. I would have put some in, but I was completely out! The horror!

It's very likely that I posted something like this before, but every separate winter needs its own separate minestrone. Amen to that!

This makes roughly four servings and freezes like a dream. Try this out; you'll never regret a good soup!

Winter Minestrone

2 cups veggie stock

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 cup carrots, roughly chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 cup frozen green beans

2 tsp garlic

dried basil

dried parsley

1/2 cup dried pasta

Directions:

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a dutch oven. Saute the onion and garlic until the onion becomes translucent, roughly ten minutes. Add the carrots, saute another 5-8 minutes. Give the basil and parsley a liberal shake over the vegetables and stir. Pour in the stock and crushed tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.

Add in the frozen vegetables and dried pasta. Simmer until the pasta is tender, 10-15 minutes. Now, eat, eat, and eat some more!

Are you guys soup lovers? What are your favorite ones? Link 'em up in the comment section!!

Turkey Chili

There is this little Italian deli down the street from my office and they have the most delicious paninis known to mankind. My favorite is a pancetta and fontina panini with pesto pressed between ciabatta. I could probably eat this sandwich every day for every. single. meal. It's that tasty. But...it also is about seven dollars and a bagillion (yes that is a scientific measurement) calories.

In an effort not to empty my wallet or cancel out all the lovely workouts I've been doing, I have been making full use of my kitchen. No simple ham and cheese sandwiches for this workin' girl! I know I'll be tempted to go across the street if I don't bring lunches that I genuinely look forward to eating so I make sure that I bring nothing short of delicious!

This chili is adapted from Jenna's recipe. It takes a bit of time to make but most of it is hands off which makes multitasking an attainable dream. The recipe is rather large so get those plastic containers ready--lots of frozen leftovers are an equally attainable dream!

Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

1 1b ground turkey

1 red pepper, diced

1 onion, chopped

1 tbsp garlic

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup red wine

1 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp oregano

salt/pepper

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and pepper, saute until softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

Next, add the ground turkey and cook until the meat is browned. Add in all of the spices, stirring to coat the meat.

Pour in the diced tomatoes and red wine and simmer covered for an hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

Serve over brown rice or noodles with lots of cheddar cheese!

Lemon Lentil Soup

This week has been a whirlwind of moving trucks, interviews, and meetings. I moved into my new apartment Sunday and have been busy making countless trips to Bed Bath & Beyond and Whole Foods. I never realized how exhausting it is to stock an entire kitchen. So many things that I took for granted.

Like, ketchup? BBQ sauce? Rice? Yep, they don't just magically appear in your pantry. They aren't just chilling in the back of your fridge like they are at home, waiting for you to pull them out. You actually have to buy them. I must have gone to the grocery store five times since I've moved in with each subsequent "I forgot to buy ___!" moment. My doorman must think that all I do is grocery shop.

I finally got down to cooking my first meal a few days ago. I knew I had an entire day to myself and could think of no better way to utilize it than to dirty up my kitchen. Despite the sweltering Chicago weather, I wanted soup. To be more exact, I wanted amazing soup. Awesome soup. Mama Pea soup.

Lemon Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups carrots, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

3/4 tsp coriander

4 cups broth

1 cup red lentils (Do not sub in brown for these! Makes all the difference!)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 tbsp raw cashews (plus another cup to nosh on while cooking if your name is Liz)

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a soup pot over medium heat and add oil. Add the carrots, celery, and coriander and cook until the vegetables are tender, roughly 10 minutes. Next, add the broth and lentils. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, covering the pot. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked.

Meanwhile, make your cashew cream. In a food processor, combine the cashews and lemon juice. Wash and chop spinach. If you are like me and bought the unpackaged bundle spinach that was on sale at Whole Foods, feel free to use colorful language here.

Once the lentils are done, stir in the cashew cream and spinach until everything is evenly heated. Finally, eat.

Source: Peas and Thank You: Simple Meatless Meals the Whole Family Will Love

Spicy African Peanut Soup

Two months ago I started an internship with a local non-profit. To say that it was a change for me would be an understatement. Suddenly I was waking up at 7:30, neck-deep in Excel sheets, and constantly accidentally hanging up on people because of the office phone. A note on that last one, when people say that using an office phone is easy, they are lying. Seriously. With all those buttons and flashing lights. If you are even slightly technologically challenged watch out.

Another new thing to me was packing my own lunch. The last time I had a packed lunch was high school. And my mother may or may not have packed it for me. Now, though, I obviously can't ask my mom to do it for me. She would, of course, but the heckling I'd receive would far out-weight the extra ten minutes in the morning.

In an effort to have smooth mornings, I've taken to bringing soup to work. First, I used those powdered ones that grocery stores carry. But then I microwaved one and my coworker thought I was burning down the office. Yes, it did smell that bad. So, I threw away the powdered soup with enough sodium for five years, and instead made my own.

You may recognize this recipe. If not, you'll surely recognize the cookbook.

A little note on this cookbook. It is the most amazing thing that will ever pass through your hands. It is vegan without being preachy. The recipes don't include ingredients that cost you a kidney. And it is peppered with the most adorable pictures. Buy it. Now.

Spicy African Peanut Soup

Ingredients:

1 14 oz can chickpeas

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 can roasted tomatoes with juice

1 can lite coconut milk

4 cups vegetable stock

1 1/2 tsp curry powder

1/2-1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp minced ginger

2 tsp minced garlic

dash cinnamon

stevia to taste

2 tbsp peanut butter

1/2 cup red lentils

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Set it on high and cook for a half hour. Turn down to low and continue to cook for 3-4 hours.

OR

Combine all ingredients into a dutch oven. Bring to a simmer and cook 25-30 minutes.

Source: Peas and Thank You: Simple Meatless Meals the Whole Family Will Love

3-Ingredient-Butternut Squash Soup

Hello everyone!!

It has been a while. And while I would like to say the lag in posting was due to excessive schoolwork or some other noble cause, it isn't. I ran out of batteries.

So, with batteries bought and the stove a-burnin', I bring you a recipe.

3-Ingredient-Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash (peeled and cubed)

3 1/2 cups water

2 pinches salt

Directions:

Place cubed squash into a large soup pot and cover with the water. Add a pinch of salt, cover the pot, and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 15 minutes.

With a potato masher, break down the squash in the bowl. Add a pinch of salt, cover, and let simmer for another 7-10 minutes.

Try adding some spices at the end. Add a little curry powder for kick, or try some cinnamon or nutmeg for a true taste of the seasons :)

Chunky Minestrone

I have become besotted with this. I mean, how can I not be? The cover is lime green and the pictures inside are almost painfully pretty. Added bonus is that all the recipes are vegan, something I have found myself more and more interested in. I spent a good chunk of the afternoon exploring this cookbook. In honor, of Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan I bring you a completely non-vegan recipe. Baby steps, my friends...

Chunky Minestrone

1tbsp olive oil

1 onion

1 cup carrots

1 cup celery

handful of spinach

a can of beans (I used garbanzo)

4 cups chicken stock

Parmesan Cheese

Salt/Pepper

In a high-sided sauce pan or dutch oven heat up the olive oil. Put in the chopped onion and saute until it becomes translucent. Add chopped carrots and celery and cook until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Cover with the stock and add the beans. Let the soup simmer for about an hour, adding the spinach right before you take it off the heat. Add parmesan cheese to taste.

In light of the first part of my post, feel free to make this vegetarian by using vegetable stock. Nix the cheese to make vegan.

One of the things that I love about minestrone is that you can pretty much throw anything in your fridge into the soup. So, feel free to make this an improvise where you feel necessary. Odds are, it will turn out wonderfully!