easy curried lentil soup

Super quick curried lentil soup with coconut milk

This is a recipe I make when I have no food in the house! I often just throw a bunch of vegetables together with some red lentils, spices and broth, and see what happens. But I think this version turned out especially delicious with it’s simplicity and cozy warmth. It’s a breeze to make vegan or vegetarian, although, being French, I tend to go for the dairy/bone broth version!
easy curried lentil soup

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil (or other type of vegetable oil)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp grated ginger (I used the jarred kind I had in the fridge)
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups red lentils
4 cups broth
1 small 5.5oz can of coconut milk
greek yogurt or sour cream or non dairy alternative for topping
chopped cilantro

Ingredients:

Heat oil in medium saucepan
Add onion, garlic and ginger. Cook over medium/low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring so it doesn’t burn
Add spice. Stir and cook an additional 3 minutes or so.
Add lentils and broth, stir, cover and cook 30 minutes or so until lentils are soft and mushy.
If it gets too dry, add a bit of water. Stir every 10 minutes or so to make sure lentils don’t stick
Add coconut milk.
Heat through.
Serve with a dollop of yogurt, chopped cilantro, and hot sauce (always!)

Creamy chorizo and tortellini soup

Ingredient list

1 lb. chorizo sausage
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 small shallot, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ c. all-purpose flour
5 c. chicken broth
14 oz. refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 tsp. kosher sea salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. Italian seasoning
6 ounces chopped fresh spinach
2 c. half & half (or heavy cream)
Instructions

1. In a large pan set over medium-high, cook the sausage until browned. Drain as much grease from the pan as possible. Set aside.

2. In a large pot, add onion, shallot and carrot, sauté for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 2 minutes, or until fragrant, stirring occasionally to prevent it from burning.

3. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add in the chicken broth, whisk to combine. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 6 minutes.

4. Pat as much grease as possible off of the chorizo, then add it along with the tortellini, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, spinach, and half & half. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the tortellini is fully cooked.

5. Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan, if desired.

Taco soup, or spiced beef soup

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Ingredient list

1 lb lean ground beef(or turkey)
1 onion
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg dry Ranch dressing
2 large cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can Rotel tomatoes, undrained
1 can of black beans
1 can of pinto beans
1 can of whole kernel corn
Instructions

Brown meat and onion. Drain. Put all tomatoes, ranch dressing and taco season into blender and blend till mixed..my kids did not like tomato pieces so I always blended them so they were smooth. Pour into a stovetop pan, add beans and corn and meat and simmer until well blended and hot. Eat and enjoy…Add grated cheese and fritos or sour cream for toppings.

Minestrone Soup

Ingredient list

2 1/2 cups cooked Borlotti or Great Northern beans
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, celery stalks, carrots, finely chopped
2 potatoes, 2 cups butternut squash, in 2cm cubes
2 cups cauliflower, cut into small pieces
3 cups cabbage, thinly sliced,
1 zucchini, chopped into 2cm cubes
1/2 cup barley, washed well
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp oregano
2 tsp salt, pepper to taste
1-2 chicken stock cubes and boiling water as needed
Polish sausage, cut into 5cm pieces, plus a ham hock cut in half
250 grams pasta, spiral, penne or shell
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
Instructions

In a large pot, heat the oil on medium heat, fry onions and celery until soft; add other vegetables. Fry for about 10 to 15 minutes. Add ham hock, garlic, bay leaf, Parmesan cheese crust and water (liquid from the beans can be used), enough to cover the vegetables. Gently simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add beans, barley, herbs, stock cubes and salt, simmer for about 1 hour. Use a blender or potato masher to mash half the vegetables and beans — this adds a thick velvety texture to the Minestrone. Add the Polish sausage and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.

Cook the pasta separately and add to the Minestrone. Remove the ham hock, take off the skin and fat and discard. Cut the tender meat into pieces and add to the Minestrone. Remove from heat and allow to sit for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

NOTE: If you don’t have a ham hock, add two or three slices of rindless bacon, cut into pieces and fry with the onions — this also adds a nice flavour.

Creamy cheese soup

Ingredient list

½ stick butter
1 c. sliced carrots
½ c. chopped onions
1 c. chopped celery
2 ½ c. chicken broth, divided
3 Tbl. cornstarch
2 c. half and half
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c. grated colby

Instructions

Melt butter in large heavy saucepan. Sauté carrots, onions, and celery until vegetables are tender. Add cornstarch and stir to blend. Put in blender and add ½ c. chicken broth and blend until smooth. Return to pan and add remaining 2 cups broth and half and half. Heat, stirring occasionally until thickened and add salt, pepper, soda, and cheese. Stir until cheese melts and soup is smooth and hot. This soup freezes well. I always double it for my family, and have even successfully quadrupled it!

Quick and easy tomato soup

It’s mid February and winter shows no sign of letting up. My go to food is definitely soups and stews during these chilly months, and I feel proud that I can basically make a soup out of pretty much anything! (I know, it’s the small things in life.) So when my husband asked what was for lunch today (he’s working at home these days but apparently hasn’t learned how to turn the stove on yet, lol!), I immediately thought of making soup.
I opened the fridge to find some sad looking winter tomatoes that had been lying in the bottom of the crisper drawer for far too long, along with a limp carrot. No problem I thought. Out comes the Instant Pot (I’m still obsessed) and 30 minutes later, delicious hearty tomato soup.

Quick and easy tomato soup @heritagecookbook.com

Ingredients
6 or 7 medium tomatoes
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
1 medium carrot
1 onion
1 clove garlic
5-6 cups chicken broth

Preparation Instructions
Put a small pot of water to boil.
Peel and cut the onion and carrot.
Score the tomatoes on the top with an x. While you are waiting for the water to boil, set your Instant Pot (or saucepan) to saute and heat up the oil.
Add the onion and carrot, and saute about 6 minutes, until translucent.
While they cook, drop the tomatoes into the water, two or three at a time, and leave in the water about 10 seconds. Scoop them out and repeat with the remaining tomatoes. When cool (almost instantly), peel the tomatoes. Cut them in half, and use your fingers to scoop out the seeds. I’m told tomato seeds and skins are very hard on the digestive system, which is why I bothered with this extra step.
When the onion is cooked, add the tomatoes, and squeeze one clove of garlic over top. Saute 3-4 minutes
Add the broth, close your Instant Pot and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes.
If making this in a saucepan, you may need to cook it for 45 minutes to obtain the same richness of taste.
Release the pressure, and use an immersion blender to puree. Season to taste
Serve with crostini (I use Ace crackers), a drop of olive oil, lots of fresh ground pepper and sea salt.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

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Prep Time: 10 min.
Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme
500g (½ lb) cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
Plain yogurt or sour cream, to serve (optional)

Directions

1. Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and let cook until starting to soften, about 3-4 min. Add garlic and thyme and continue cooking, 1-2 min.

2. Add mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms turn golden brown, about 8-10 min. Add salt, pepper and vegetable stock. Bring stock to a simmer and let cook, 20 min.

3. Using a hand blender, blend soup until smooth. Add lemon juice, parsley and cream (if using) and re-warm before serving. Serve with buttered, crusty bread.

Slow cooker chicken soup with garlic

There is a soup from the Provence, in the south of France, that is made by boiling garlic in chicken stock, and then serving the mashed garlic on a toast floating in the soup. It’s a traditional winter soup that I loved as a kid. I’ve adapted this to the North American chicken soup we all love, and thrown it all in the slow cooked for simplicity. I’m happy to report my kids love it too!
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Ingredients

1 whole chicken, breasts removed (I save them for another dish- they just don’t add much in the slow cooker)
2 small turnips, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2″ cubes
1 large potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 small onion, peeled
1/2 head of garlic, cloves removed but not peeled
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, or 1 tsp ground
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp dill
2 whole cloves
(you can add 2 pieces of celery if you like- I actually don’t like the taste of celery!)
salt
8 slices of toasted baguette, or artisanal crackers
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preparation Instructions

Place the chicken into a slow cooker. Add turnips, carrots, potatoes, onion, garlic, herbs and spices and 6 cups of cold water. Cook 6 hours on high. Let cool.
Take out the peppercorns, coriander and cloves from the soup. Remove the chicken, and pull the meat off of the carcass, the return the meat to the soup. Mash the garlic cloves, (you can just slip them out of the their skins and squash them with a spoon) and return to soup. Season with salt.
To serve, heat soup, and ladle into bowls. with meat and vegetables. Top each bowl with one slice of baguette, toasted with 2 tsp of parmesan cheese over top, or crackers, and cheese sprinkled on top.
Note: I add a squeeze of Sriracha to the soup too! But I like strong flavors!

Hearty Chickpea soup

Another great warm and cozy meal that’s put together in 10 minutes…
CHICKPEASOUP

Ingredients

3 tblsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 small can chickpeas
1 large can diced tomatoes
3 cups of chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation Instructions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan
Add the onions and garlic. Cook for about ten minutes, until translucent.
Add cumin, cayenne, herbs. Cook 2 minutes stirring constantly.
Drain chickpeas. Add to onion mixture. Drain tomatoes (reserve juice for bloody marys!). Add chopped tomatoes to onion and chickpea mixture. Cook 10 minutes.
Add broth and bay leaf.
Cook 20 minutes.

Quick coconut curry noodles

Here’s another near-instant soup that’s perfect if you’re craving something spicy and warm.
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Ingredients

1 pack ramen noodles
1/2 can coconut milk
1 tsp thai curry paste
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 cup coleslaw mix
coriander
squeeze of lime

Preparation Instructions

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add curry paste and seasoning packet from soup. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and noodles. Simmer until noodles are cooked. Pour into bowl over coleslaw mix. Top with coriander and a squeeze of lime.

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