Tomato Carrot Soup with Bacon Croutons

It's been awhile and I'm ok with that. I've been cooking and experimenting more than ever before and the pressure to not photograph everything has been spectacular. The early setting sun offers another bit of encouragement to sit down and enjoy a loving meal with A instead of waiting for the wafting steam to fade away.

I'm ok with it. You should be too. But now that the sun is hanging around a bit longer with each passing day, I'm more and more encouraged to snap a picture or two. I've also been enlightened by the book "The Everlasting Meal," but more on that in another post.

Thank god this picture isn't all moldy either as I'm pretty sure we ate this way back in December, but hold tight! I have a few more excuses: 2 weeks for the holiday's away from my now home to my childhood home. Then another 10+ days in January for a trip back to my other home (the Pacific Northwest). Then ta-da! End of January and I don't know there the time went.

This soup recipe was actually made by A as I don't eat bacon. He gobbled all that up while I had my soup sans bacon. Just as delicious but I guess not as boy-friendly. It was the perfect amount of smokey, soul-heating goodness balanced against the healthy hearty vegetable base. 

Tomato Carrot Soup with Bacon Croutons

Adapted from Bitchin' Camero 

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 4 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 7 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch medallions (about 2 cups)
• 3 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes (canned ok)
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp. hot smoked paprika
• A few grinds of African Spice seasoning (Trader Joe's)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 5 saffron threads (optional)
• 3 slices, thick center-cut bacon, cut into lardons
• 2 cups cubed day-old bread

Directions: 

1. Set a large pot over medium heat. Once it’s hot, heat the olive oil then add the onions and cook for 7 minutes, or until they begin to brown a bit. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the carrots and tomatoes.
2. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, then add the chicken stock and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Using an immersion blender, blender or food processor, puree the soup until no large pieces of carrots or tomatoes remain. Return to the pot.
3. Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, paprika and saffron and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
4. While the soup is cooking, set a large skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon. When the bacon is beginning to turn brown, add the torn bread and cook until golden. Remove with a slotted spatula to a paper towel.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a heap of bacon croutons.

Makes 6 servings. 

Curried Carrot Pepper Lentil Coconut Soup

Sometimes I can be pretty bad at keeping track of the last time I posted a recipe. I'll think "oh, it was just a few days ago" or "it must have been last weekend, I can wait a little longer." Usually 'last weekend' seems to be two weeks ago and I guess I still have yet to grasp what a Gregorian day is. Ignore me, I'm probably just making excuses for pure laziness. For example, I'm watching Felicity for the first time on Netflix and the messiness of my hair is starting to rival hers. Actually, dismiss that earlier announcement of laziness and let me plead insanity for losing track of the days. I have the madwoman hair to prove it.

Before I get to the food, I need to talk about this mug. Yes, the children on it are slightly creepy in their frozen exuberant states. No, I didn't buy these. Yes, this pair of soup mugs is one of my more cherished hand-me-downs from my childhood. I can't remember exactly when they slipped from the shelves of my parents house into my kitchen, but I'm going to assume it was sometime during college. 

I remember growing up and eating tomato soup from these mugs on snow days as a kid. When I wanted a particularly large cup of cocoa, I would reach for these and hope my mom wouldn't notice. The love scratched spoon lines prove that they've been used for decades and probably will be for many more. Moral of the story, these mugs just make things taste better.

As these kids are showing you, dear readers, this soup is M'm! M'm! Good! Really good. As in sometimes I would sneak a chilled spoonful or two out of the tupperware just to make sure it still tasted awesome. The best part is I made the soup with surplus ingredients from the Super Bowl and some of my pantry staples. 

Roasting the carrots and peppers really brings out their sweetness while adding a nice depth of flavor. You'd also be a fool not to throw in some coconut milk too, trust me. When I first served myself a bowl, I realized I had run out of coconut milk. The soup was good, thick and hearty, but it lacked the creaminess factor I was lusting after. I later stirred in a can of light coconut milk and let me tell you, the difference was remarkable. It also doesn't hurt that it added almost another full serving of soup!

Curried Carrot Pepper Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil
• 5 large carrots
• 2 medium sized bell peppers (preferably yellow or red)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• ¾ cup red lentils
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced (you may substitute with powdered ginger)
• ¼ teaspoons chili powder
• 5 cups veggie broth
• 1 can coconut milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F and line a roasting tray with baking paper. Peel and chop carrots into 1 inch chunks, cut bell peppers into 1 inch squares and place them in the tray. Drizzle over about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper and toss to coat. Bake for about 45 minutes until carrots & peppers are golden and tender. Remove from oven and set aside.
2. In a pot over medium high, heat up another 2 tablespoons of olive oil and tip in the chopped onions and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes until onions are transparent and starting to brown.
3. Next, add lentils, curry powder, ginger, and chili powder. Stir and let cook until spices become fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Stir in veggie broth and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cooking until lentils are soft, 10-15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and using either an immersion blender or a regular blender, puree until soup is smooth. Return soup back to stove, stir in coconut milk, and heat soup for another two minutes, tasting and adding spices as you like.

Chickpea, Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Stew

This soup is neither red, heart shaped nor will it make your beau swoon. Ok, well, it might do the last part because I think I saw 'A' teetering on swooning when I made this for dinner last week. He may have also been falling asleep sitting up but I'm going to be positive here and settle on swooning. Regardless of the holiday at hand (Valentine's Day for all you people reading this any other day but 2/14), I think this soup is fitting for the one who makes your heart beat a little faster because it will keep your heart healthy for all valentines to come.

To help save money, I've become that lady at the supermarket checkout with bags upon bags of bulk items. Nuts, grains, peanut butter filled pretzels… you name it, I have it in a twisty tie bag or old glass jar somewhere. As my pantry was starting to seem a little overwhelmed, I lightened the load and put some lentils and chickpeas to good use. Along the way I may have picked up a butternut squash the size of my head but hey, who are we kidding here, they're delicious.

With all our key players at hand, I crafted the most magnificently large pot of stew ever. Even after sending 'A' off with leftovers for work, I had enough to feed me for about a week. Towards the end the stew was probably a bit questionable, but as it goes with stews, the longer it is left to age the better it tastes. True story. As the soup is 100% vegan, my logic was that the lack of dairy meant it would last longer. Right? Even if I'm wrong, let me float along in blissful ignorance.

So if you want to keep you and your valentine's heart strong for years to come, save money AND have a delicious dinner, why would you want to make anything else?

Chickpea, Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Stew

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon chili flakes
• 2-3 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 1  28-oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into ¾ inch cubes
• 1 can chickpeas
• juice of one lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• small bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped (save some for garnish)

Directions:

1. Heat a large dutch oven (or saucepan) and dry-fry the cumin, chili flakes and garam masala for 30 seconds or until they start "jumping" around the pot and release their aroma.
2. Add the olive oil, onion, carrot, garlic and jalapeño and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion and carrot are softened.
3. Stir in the lentils, stock, tomatoes and butternut squash, then bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils have softened.
4. Stir in the chickpeas, lemon juice and salt/pepper to taste, heat gently. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro. Serve and finish with a garnish of cilantro.

Chipotle Butternut Squash Soup

The soup has some serious heat and had the same magical powers as pho.  Remember how you feel the need to eat a whole bowl of pho every time you sense a sniffle or start covering coughs? I do. It's made even worse, or better(?), by the fact that there is a pho shop less than a mile away from me. And there isn't even that big of a hill to walk up on the way back. Too bad I don't think unemployment supports a pho-a-day habit so well. Good thing I know my way around a kitchen and can make things that are just as good, if not better, than what I was caving. Well, except Fro-Yo… if I knew how to make that you'd have to lift me out of my apartment window.

When the boy and I made this for dinner a few weeks ago, I can safely say it was the least sexy meal ever. We were both dealing with the consequences the sniffles a la jalapeño & chipotle. For anyone who has had pho, you know that this is the end goal. You want to be cleaned out and warmed up. These minor symptoms of hot soup shouldn't take away from the fact that this soup is delicious. Even more so, I was finally able to use up the butternut squash from my CSA's and fend off a winter cold. BONUS POINTS!

I would advise against eating this soup in the summer, that just might be considered torture.

Chipotle Butternut Squash Soup

Adapted from uTry

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small leek, use white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced and rinsed
• well
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 jalapeño, finely diced
• 1 Granny Smith (green) apple, cored, peeled, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 pounds Butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut
• into 1-inch cubes
• 1 pound red yam, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 6 cups chicken/vegetable stock
• 1 medium chipotle chili (canned in adobo sauce),
• can substitute with 1 tablespoon of chipotle spice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup pepitas 

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute garlic, leek, carrots and onion until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add apple, ginger and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add butternut squash, yam and stock; simmer until squash and yam are tender, about 15 minutes. Add chipotle or chipotle spice.
3. Puree using an immersion blender (or a standard blender, in batches).
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dollop teaspoon of pepitas right before serving.

Roasted Carrot & Sweet Pepper Soup

So a few weeks back I had some surgery.  Nothing huge (not in the slightest) but I couldn't eat anything with a consistency tougher than baby food for a week and a half. To add a whole bunch of insult to injury, I got my CSA box two days after surgery; it was full of leafy greens, end of summer vegetables and delicious, delicious peaches.

Usually this would make me skip all the way home but instead I shed a tear for the vegetables that had to fall into the hands of my friends.  Giving up some baby bok choy? I've never been so heartbroken. Pattypan squash? Left me in a funk for days.  However, anything that I could roast and puree up I kept.  End of the day I was left with a bunch of rainbow carrots, an array of sweet peppers, some tomatillo's and a variety of foods I could bring to that Sunday's BBQ.  Cue Roasted Pepper Carrot soup with tomatillo salsa.

It was easy to make, had a depth of flavor and magically lasted a few days in my fridge. Even though I made this in a moment of desperation, I'm looking forward to making it again.  Actually… what did I get in my CSA box again…?

Lentil, Roasted Turnip and Chard Soup

I'm baaacccckkk. Wait, what... you didn't know I was gone? Oh, this is awkward... well, I was gone. I even left the state of Washington and headed on down to California for the first time ever. You read that right, I had never never been to California before this vacation. I can finally call myself an American. I did what you'd expect me to do while on vacation. I took silly pictures with my little sister:

Smile, Caroline, you're on TGC!

 Hung out in touristy parks doing touristy things like taking ironic pictures with my iPhone:

See that yellow house in the middle? Yeah, the Tanner family lived there!

 And essentially took a sight-seeing flight back home to a (gratefully) sunny Seattle:

Sup Shasta?

I know you though, you're here for the food.

 A soup recipe in the middle of August? I know, it’s cruel and highly unusual considering 99.9% of the country in melting away in 100+ degree heat waves. But you see, I live in the .1% of the country whose summer only just started. Yes, you read me right, most days we don’t crack 80 degrees. Just two or three weeks ago, it was in the 60’s, raining and I was eating my body weight in Pho just to stay warm. My family was out visiting and I found myself saying over and over again “I swear it’s nicer in Seattle in the summer, I swear.” Then I left for San Francisco and when I came back, it has been continual high-70’s sunny days. With low humidly.

I probably shouldn’t have told you that. Now you’re all going to move here and my rent will go up.  Please ignore the last paragraph and read all my other posts about the rain here.  And STAY AWAY.

So this soup – it’s healthy, full of fresh veggies and relies on (hopefully) some of your pantry staples. If you don’t have lentils continually on hand, please, head over to your nearest Whole Foods/Food Co-Op/bulk grocery store, grab the biggest bag you can find, fill it up, don’t break your back carrying it home and enter lentil land.

You’ll thank me.

I’m also happy to say this recipe is 95.6% my own. Researching the contents of my CSA box, I had never cooked with turnips before, and looking at what's in my pantry, this soup just kind of came to be. It’s pretty adaptable for any ingredients you have on hand. Just replace the turnips with another root vegetable (taters, carrots... bigger turnips), the chard with another cooking green and you could even substitute the lentils with white beans, or something of the like.

Hearty Lentil Soup

It's even better with Gruyère & Dubliner grilled cheese!  Mmm!

There is nothing worse than making a recipe… then completely forgetting what you did to make it.  All I have is this picture and a few remnants of taste memories in my mind.  Blerg.  I think it is enough to write a recipe on, I mean, lentil soup is lentil soup.  And I remember making it with only ingredients I had on hand, which means this soup is very adaptable.  At the time, I remember only having some onions, so I used onions.  However, if you have celery, carrots or even potatoes, feel free to add those in too!  The possibilities are endless!  Side note: why does lentil soup have to be so ugly and brown?  Is is SO delicious and SO healthy, but it's just so… brown.

This month I have really been trying to keep way under my budget (which isn't that large to begin with) so I started off by going to Whole Foods and completely raiding their dry and bulk food bins.  Five pounds of lentil in a bag bigger than my head?  Check.  Dried black beans, kidney beans and some white beans for good measure?  Check, check, check.  But let's not forget about the brown rice!  Double check on that one.  Oy, where is the check out?  I think you all know where I am going here… I have been making a lot of soups on Sunday and eating them through the week.  It really has been quite nice (until it gets to Friday and I am sick of eating the same thing) and I like being able to have a "home cooked meal" on Wednesday without having to lift anything more than a small saucepan to reheat my soup!

I also need to give some credit where credit is lovingly due, to my sister!  This not grainy and well lit photograph is sponsored by Santa Sister, i.e. my Christmas gift from my sister!  I would like to assume that my family follows my blog in a cult like fashion, and anyone else who does would know that I am frequently at a loss for light.  The shy Seattle sun sets mighty early in the winter (around 3 pm!) and as a result, I do most of my cooking after dark.  The lights of my kitchen or a harsh flash bouncing on every which wall of my apartment do not bode my food well.  So yes, pre-light box, I bitched about lighting a lot.  Now post-light box, I can take pictures any time of the night (I feel like an evil laugh would be appropriate here)!!  So thank you, Caroline, so very very much for giving me a light box for Christmas!  This post is solely dedicated to you!

Provençal Tomato and Basil Soup

If you're anything like me, you were a little too gluttonous these past few days… and will continue to be until January 1, 2011.  I was probably worse than most, I had to hop around to a few Thanksgiving dinners (even one that required a ferry ride over to the Olympic Peninsula) and thus had to leave before the turkey was carved.  This doesn't mean that I didn't eat though, it means I gorged myself on pie and pre-dinner appetizers.  And wine, we must not forget about the wine.  Trust me, I was pretty sluggish when I woke up this morning.  Two words: Sugar CRASH.  But I tried to be good today and I was… until I went out for Ethiopian food with my friend Erin who was visiting from NorCal.  Side note: if you EVER get the chance, PLEASE go to "Chef Cafe" in the Central District on 22nd and Jackson.  It will be the best $3 (yes that cheap!) you ever spent!  Well, that's enough about my eating habits…

Now to our regularly scheduled programming: Back to Being Healthy.  And you're in luck - this soup is incredibly healthy!  I found the recipe a weeks back in the New York Times Dining & Wine section filed under the "Recipes for Health."  It has my healthy & fresh stamp of approval!  The brown rice thickens it up while still keeping the glycemic index low.  However, this soups strength lies not only how it fills your home with the scents of Provencal France, but how filling and warming it is.  Which I must say is pretty ideal for any Seattle winter day!  And for all you people out there suffering though the beginnings of winter- if good fresh tomatoes aren't available, use a 28 oz can of chopped tomatoes.

Provençal Tomato and Basil Soup
Adapted from: New York Times
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt to taste
• 2 pounds tomatoes, cored and diced
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 large sprigs basil, or about 16 leaves, plus 2 tablespoons slivered basil for garnish
• 1 quart water
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 Parmesan rind
• 1/4 cup brown rice
• Optional garnishes:
• Grated or shaved Parmesan

Directions:

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in half the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, basil sprigs or leaves, and remaining garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Add the water and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 15 minutes. Add the rice, and simmer for another 45 minutes until the tapioca is tender and the soup fragrant. Remove the basil sprigs and Parmesan rind. Puree with an immersion blender until desired consistency is achieved.  Add pepper to taste and adjust salt. Serve garnished with  Parmesan and slivered basil leaves.

Tomato Spinach Lentil Soup

I'm on a very healthy kick right now… minus the few pieces of chocolate I need to get me through the week.  I also am not inspired to spend a few hours in the kitchen every night.  My solution?  Soups!  Oh no, not just any soups, lentil soups.  As I am a little tight for money right now, I am looking to make things that are not only healthy and inexpensive, yet utilize fresh produce and are fun to make.  Cue lentils, spinach, tomatoes and onions.

When lentils were on sale at Whole Foods a few weeks ago, I bought a couple pounds.  However being that they only cost $1.50 a pound, I didn't have to resort to digging for quarters in my couch.  On top of their surprisingly low price, they are high in health benefits!  Worried about your cholesterol?  They have an app for that (too far?)!  Lentils are a good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber and this helps to manage blood sugar levels due to their high fiber content.  Vegetarian and worried about nutrients?  Lentils supply six important minerals, two B-vitamins and protein with (essentially) no fat.  This is just the tip on the bean stalk, if you want to find out more, head over to The World's Healthiest Foods.

I presume you're here for the main act, the soup, so I will stop with the smoke and mirrors.  Simply put, this soup has a very full and rich flavor.  It has a thicker texture than tomato soup, but the lentils provide a good amount of texture.  While the flavor of the spinach isn't too prevalent, the brightness of the tomatoes is instantly noticeable.  The amount pictured above is what I ate for lunch one day and I was very full until late in the evening.  It was a good full though; I was satisfied and full of energy.  I still have a lot of lentils to use, so I hope to post some more lentil-centric recipes in the near future!

Tomato Spinach Lentil Soup
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon  Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 
1 Onion, diced
• 
1 Carrot, diced

• 4 Cloves Garlic, crushed

• 2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 
43 oz. Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
  4 cups vegetable stock
• 
1 1/2 cup Lentils, rinsed and picked over for debris
  2 handfuls of baby spinach
• 
Salt & Pepper to taste


Directions:

1. Heat large cast iron pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil.  Once oil is hot, slowly add the onions and carrots until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a minute.  Pour in the tomatoes along with the vegetable stock, spinach and lentils.  Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer for 25 minutes or until lentils are tender.
3. Once lentils are tender, blend the mixture with an immersion blender (a lot easier!) or in a blender.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

The rumors and whisperings in hushed hushed corners are true - I am now a resident of Seattle!  I'm living in the Magnolia district and my condo overlooks the Lake Washington Canal.  So far every morning I have woken up to the sound of seagulls and shipbells with the sunlight (it does exist here!) streaming in.  No complaints.  The condo is beautiful too. And the kitchen, OH, the kitchen!  Mahogany cupboards, marble counter tops... and all new appliances.  Pinch me, I'm in post-grad foodie heaven!

Sadly, I feel like it will take a while for me to get up and running in the kitchen at my new place.  I have a few recipes that I made in Michigan that have yet to be posed, this being one of them.  As most of you know, I started eating chicken at the beginning of the summer.  It was a hard decision to make, but has vastly improved my health.  Once I got comfortable with the idea of eating meat, I slowly began to cook more with it.  I'm still a little uneasy when working with a raw breast of chicken, but hopefully that will subside with time.  This chicken tortilla soup requires a shredded rotisserie chicken, some vegetables, spices and stock.  The pot that I used wasn't large enough for all the stock, so I gradually refilled the soup stored in the fridge with a little bit of stock.  Best part about this soup (other than that it tastes wonderful?) it that it heats up well and stores for a good length of time in the fridge.

Chicken Tortilla Soup 

Seasoning mix

• 4 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

Soup

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 2 cups onion, diced
• 2 cups carrot, sliced
• 2 cups zucchini, sliced
• 2 cups green bell pepper, diced
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 10-11 cups chicken stock
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup canned roasted green chilis
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (2-3 limes)

 Garnish

• Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• Tortilla chips
• Cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Sour cream

Directions:

1. Combine all of the dry seasoning, mix and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil and butter in a stockpot. Add a third of the onion, garlic and seasoning mix and sweat. After 7 minutes, add another third of the onions, garlic and seasoning mix and cook for another 7 minutes while stirring. Add the remaining onion, garlic and seasoning mix and cook for 7 minutes.
3. Add the carrots and bell pepper and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the canned tomatoes, chicken stock and tomato sauce and stir. Cook for about 20 minutes.
5. Add the corn, shredded chicken, zucchini, black olives, green chiles and stir to combine. Cook for another 25 minutes on medium heat.
6. Add the lime juice and stir.
7. To serve, ladle about 1 cup of soup into a warm bowl, sprinkle with cilantro sprigs, cheese, crushed corn chips, a dollop of sour cream (if desired) and a healthy squeeze of lime juice.

Gypsy Soup

I love this soup.  There is no easier way to say or put it.  It has chunks of vegetables like a stew, but enough broth that it's a soup.  It is also incredibly healthy & filling - I ate it last night for dinner & reheated it for lunch today at the radio station (just as good, a little bit thicker though).  The spices also give the soup a nice little kick at the end that lingers on your lips and tongue, and the warmth stays in your stomach.  While the Moosewood cookbook says this soup takes about an hour & half to prepare, it took me more like two hours… but that may be because I'm a meticulous slicer & dicer…and as a result I'm not the fastest with the knife (but I'm good!)

Gypsy Soup

Adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil -- up to 4T
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 2 cups sweet potatoes, diced/cubed & peeled
• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, cored & chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, diced
• 1 - 15oz can of chickpeas (I prefer Trader Joe's Organic Garbanzo Beans - great texture & flavor)
• 3 cups stock or water
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• dash cinnamon
• dash cayenne (I didn't have any so I used a little bit of Chili Powder)
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Core tomatoes and place in a small sauce pot for a long 10 seconds, remove & peel skins off over sink.  Squeeze out seeds and chop remaining tomato pulp, set aside.  
2. In a soup kettle or large saucepan, saute onions, garlic, celery and sweet potatoes in olive oil for about 
3. five minutes.
4. Add seasonings and the stock or water. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes.
5. Add remaining bell peppers, tomato and chickpeas.  Simmer another 10 minutes or so - until all the vegetables are as tender as you like them.

Black Bean Soup

Well, it's safe to say I was in a cookie and sugar induced coma for a majority of the holidays.  It's just so hard not to eat all the delicious cookies lying around - especially when I made most of them and had to taste the batter!  It's almost 2010 and this soup is perfect to, ahem, cleanse them system.  This soup is high in fiber and protein while being low in fat.  The main contributor to calories in this soup is the beans, which really isn't that much.  I also need to prove to you all that I do a lot more than just bake... I do cook a lot just most of the time I don't have time to take a picture.  Most of the time I just throw stuff in a pot and pan, throw some ingredients in, and produce something that I love... but have no idea what I actually used for ingredients. Make this for dinner tomorrow night and start the new year off right!

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced 
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 5 cups of vegetable stock
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 3-14 oz cans of black beans, rinsed & drained, (divided)
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat.  
2. Add onion, both peppers, carrots, and celery.  Saute until slightly tender.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  
3. Add stock, seasonings, and half of the beans.  Simmer uncovered for 1-2 hours.  Remove bay leaf and blend using an immersion blender (or blend in 2 additions in a blender).  
4. Add the reminder of the beans..  Bring to a boil to thicken the soup.  Taste and add salt and pepper, if necessary. 

Side Note:  This soup tastes really good, if not better, reheated in the microwave the next day.  It seemed to get much thicker.