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!
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!)
April 29, 2019 | Posted in:
Taco soup, or spiced beef soup
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.
February 26, 2019 | Posted in:
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.
February 23, 2019 | Posted in:
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!
November 3, 2016 | Posted in:
Cream of Mushroom Soup
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.
February 3, 2014 | Posted in:
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!
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!
October 19, 2013 | Posted in:
Hearty Chickpea soup
Another great warm and cozy meal that’s put together in 10 minutes…
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.
October 9, 2013 | Posted in:
Quick coconut curry noodles
Here’s another near-instant soup that’s perfect if you’re craving something spicy and warm.
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.
September 25, 2013 | Posted in:
5 minute Asian noodle soup
This is a quick lunch for a cold day. I tend to throw whatever greens I have in there!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp srichacha or other chilli sauce
1/4 tsp sugar
squeeze of 1/4 lime
!/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 chopped scallion (green onion)
1/2 cup coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
Leftover chicken or pork, sliced or shredded
Any Asian noodle- soba, ramen, udon, rice
Preparation
Heat broth. When boiling, add soy sauce, fish sauce, chilli sauce and sugar. Add noodles and cook according to directions.
Put slaw mix into bow. Pour hot soup on top. Top with cilantro, scallion and a squeeze of lime.
September 27, 2012 | Posted in:
Tortilla chicken soup
by Sarah S.’s book, Milwaukee, WI
Ingredients
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large cans of fat-free chicken broth
2 jalepeno peppers, chopped or mashed
4 tsp. chili power
2 cups chopped seeded tomatoes (canned OK)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (or add to taste)
1 T. ground cumin
Salt to taste
4 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup Mexican cheese — (grated)
Preparation instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Heat a soup pot or Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add cubed chicken and saute 5 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove chicken from pot.
Add onion to pan, cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic; saute 15 – 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, jalepena peppers, and chili powder. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
Stir in tomato and next 3 ingredients; add chicken. Cover and simmer another 20 minutes.
While soup simmers, cut tortillas into 1/4 X 2-inch strips. Place on a baking sheet in a single layer, and coat lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.
Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle servings evenly with grated cheese, cilantro and tortilla strips.
Submitted by: Sarah S