It is a rainy and cold April day and perfect for a warm, hearty meal. My mom warned me that the Lamb Stew with Potatoes recipe from How to Cook Everything was a little bland, so I made a few alterations to its preparation. I had bought a pound of stewing meat from Mint Creek Farm at the Green City Market in Chicago in anticipation of making such a stew. It is grass-fed, local, and not to pricy at $7 a pound. I am going to eat this with some homemade olive and thyme bread I have been saving in the freezer for such an occasion.
Irish Stew
1 lb boneless lamb shoulder trimmed an cut into 2″ cubes
1 1/2 lbs waxy red or yellow potatoes, cut in 1/4″ slices
1 1/2 cups sliced onions
salt and pepper to taste
1 to 1 1/2 cups broth: any combo of water, red wine, chicken, beef, or veg stock (I used 1 cup veg stock and about 1/4 cup of Sierra Nevada barleywine. I also added a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce)
1 cup minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
Season and brown the meat over medium high heat in olive oil in a saucepan. Set aside. Saute the onions in a saucepan with olive oil over medium low heat. Once they are soft, sprinkle with salt and cook a little longer. Add everything except for half the potatoes which you should set aside in cold salted water. Bring to a near boil over high heat and then let cook for about 45 minutes over low heat. Add the other half of the potatoes and cook for another 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender but not mushy. Serve hot with parsley. Serves 3.
Filed under: Italian, Legumes, rice, soup, vegan | Tags: beans, grain, herbs, kale, kasha, rice, soup, vegan, vegetarian
I try a lot of different recipes but soup has never turned out badly for me. I think that’s why it onto here so often. I clipped this out of a magazine last year (sadly I forget which one) and have since shared it wiht family and friends to their delight. It is incredibly healthy and nourishing and probably tastes better than any other soup you have ever had.
Hearty Grain Soup with Beans and Greens
2 tbls olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups cooked kasha (I used brown rice… you put it in uncooked, so 1/2 cup)
15 oz can crushed tomatoes
15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I used 1/2 cup dried, soaked overnight, pre-cooked)
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 lb kale, trimmed and chopped (you can use other greens but some hold their shape better than others)
3 tbls chopped fresh parsely
2-3 tsp balsamic vinegar
1. Heat 1 tbls olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, cook 3 min. Add garlic, cook 5 more minutes.
2. Stir in broth, kasha/rice, tomatoes, 1 cup beans, oregano, and rosemary. Bring to boil. Press half of kale/spinach into liquid until it wilts.
3. Press remaining kale/spinach into liquid. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 15-20 minutes.
4. Puree remaining beans in food processor. Add pureed beans, parsely, and remaining 1 tbl olive oil to soup. Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
Per serving: 204 cal, 8g prot, 6g total fat (1g sat fat), 33g carb, 0mg chol, 521mg sod (with low-sodium broth), 7g fiber, 5g sugars
Filed under: Legumes, mexican, soup, vegan | Tags: mexican, soup, Tex-Mex, tortilla, vegan, vegetarian
I have started to think of this blog as a record of the recipes I like since I haven’t been very proactive about getting people to read it. I definitely want to remember this recipe. It was spicy, complex in flavor, and filling. Grace (my cake-receiving friend) and I ate it about two weeks ago. I can’t believe I forgot to post it! Eat this!
Tortilla Soup
1 onion, chopped
1 anaheim pepper, chopped, deveined and seeds removed
1 red bell pepper, chopped, deveined and seeds removed
garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbl ground cumin
canned chipotle peppers, chopped, to taste
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (I used dried but canned are okay)
about 3/4 cup corn kernels (frozen from my CSA)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 avocado, chopped
grated cheddar cheese
tortilla chips or fried pieces of corn tortilla
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Heat the oil in a saucepan. Saute the onion, anaheim pepper, and bell pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin. Mix in tomatoes and chipotle peppers. Pour in broth, season, bring to a boil, bring heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the black beans and corn and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve in bowls with tortilla chips, avocado, and cheese. Serves 6.
Filed under: African, Legumes, soup, vegan | Tags: African, bean, peanut, stew, vegan, vegetarian
I had a stressful week and this stew saved my soul! It is from Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian but I like the spicier version from Lisa’s Kitchen better. Like the other soups I have posted, it is hearty, vegetarian, very simple, and I had everything in my kitchen already. I used the last hot pepper from my CSA in this.
Nigerian Red Bean Stew with Peanut Sauce1 1/2 cups of dried red kidney beans or a combination of dried kidney beans and pinto beans or 3 cups (two cans) canned beans
3 tablespoons of sesame oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, finely diced
1 – 2 red cayenne peppers, finely diced
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1 cup of tomato sauce (I used tomato paste and water in a pinch)
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
juice from one small lemon
3 tablespoons of peanut butter
2 teaspoons of sea salt
Soak the beans in water overnight. Drain the soaking liquid, and cook the beans in a large pot in 5 cups of water for about an hour or until the beans are tender. Do not drain. (If you use canned beans, skip this step)
Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers. Stir and fry for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 more seconds. Add the cumin, stir, then add the tomato sauce, cayenne, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of water. Stir to blend, bring to a simmer and then turn the heat to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
While the tomato mixture is simmering, put the peanut butter in a small bowl. Slowly add about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid from the beans, mixing as you add the water. Stir the peanut butter mixture into the cooked beans, along with the salt. (If you used canned beans, just add the peanut butter and beans to the soup. It will still taste great!).
When the tomato mixture is finished cooking, pour it into the cooked beans and stir. Bring to simmer, cover, and gently cook for 10 – 15 minutes.
Filed under: Legumes, soup, vegan | Tags: chili, pumpkin, vegan, vegetarian
Okay, I’m a little late for the holiday, but it’s not too late for more delicious, hearty soup! I found this recipe on my favorite food blog, Lisa’s Vegetarian Kitchen (http://foodandspice.blogspot.com/), in their monthly blogger recipe contest (it actually ended up winning after I made it so I chose well!). It wasn’t as pumpkin-y as I anticipated but would still reccomend it as a seasonal veggie chili recipe, especially if you like sweet soups.
Pumpkin Chili
1 cooking onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped (I used a hot pepper and highly reccomend it)
2 cans diced tomatoes – and please do not drain
2 cans black beans, rinsed
1 can dark kidney beans, rinsed
1 can pumpkin
1 cup beer (I used Goose Island Nut Brown Ale)
1 tablespoon paprika
½ teaspoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Salt & pepper (to taste)
Toss onion and bell pepper to a large soup pot (with a bit of vegetable oil), cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add tomatoes and their juices, beans, pumpkin, beer and spices — EVERYTHING into the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to low and simmer for approximately 1 hour.
This soup is easy to make and so good on a cold fall day! I ate it for lunch today and have made it for a family dinner. It’s one of the recipes I know by heart. The ingredients are:
1 cup green lentils
6 cups water
1 onion, chopped
2 tbl tomato paste
1 1/2 tbl flour
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup vinegar (I use apple cider or brown rice)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
olive oil
Boil the lentils in 4 cups of water for about 40 minutes. In a separate saucepan, saute the onion in olive oil over medium heat until soft, about five minutes. Add the flour and tomato paste but be careful: it will burn easily. Add the lentils and stir. Add the other 2 cups of water and salt and pepper to taste and simmer for about a half hour. While it cooks, mix the vinegar, red pepper flakes, and garlic together as a “sauce” for the soup. When it’s ready to serve, sprinkle fresh dill on the soup and spoon sauce into individual bowls (you may want more than the prescribed amount if you are like me).
