Coconut-Curry Chicken Soup

Ingredients

1 3 lb. whole chicken (or 1 lb. chicken breast), cooked, and shredded
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 cup shallots, thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced or grated
2 tsp. red curry paste
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
6 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14 oz.) can light coconut milk
3/4 cup long grain brown rice OR 6 oz. soba noodles
1/2 cup green onions, sliced + extra for garnish
1 tsp. organic cane sugar
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped + extra for garnish
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
lime wedges, for serving

Directions

 1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallot and carrots and saute several minutes until tender. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the curry paste, curry powder, cumin, and coriander and cook spices for another minute. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, and rice (or noodles) and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the rice is tender (reduce the time if you're cooking noodles).

2. Stir in the shredded chicken, green onions, sugar, fish sauce, cilantro, and red pepper. Simmer just long enough to heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with extra green onions and cilantro and garnish with a lime wedge.


from A Hint of Honey, (Adapted from Cooking Light) 

Broccoli Cheese Soup

 We've finally reached 80 degree weather here...and it's nearly November. Not sure I'll really ever get used to the 'seasons' here. However, we will get a little taste of fall/winter next week as we head to Denver. When I visit my mom it is usually a balance of her cooking our favorites and me introducing a few new recipes. If the weather is chilly (which I'm sure it will be), this is a likely contender. Lots of veggies and lots of cheese are always a great pairing.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. butter
1 chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped carrot * See note below
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
3 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. sea salt (this seemed like a lot, I just eye-balled it)
1/2 Tbps. freshly ground black pepper (again, to taste)
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2  baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup whole milk
3 cups chopped broccoli (about bite size)
2 cups chopped cauliflower (finely chopped)
1-2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup pepper jack cheese, grated (I omitted and just did a total of 2 cups cheddar)

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, red pepper, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes. Season with salt and pepper.  Add  broth and potatoes, bring to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with water, add to soup along with the broccoli and cauliflower.  Simmer until broccoli is tender, another 10-15 minutes.  Add milk and cook until heated through.  If the soup is a bit too thick, add water or broth slowly until desired consistency is reached and bring back to a simmer. Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

*note- Instead of taking so much time finely dicing, I buzzed the soup with an immersion blender after the potatoes were tender and before I added the flour mixture, broccoli, and cauliflower. This helped to thicken the soup as well.

from My Green Diet

Black Bean Soup

Nick is working nights this month. Yep, we're back to an incredibly crappy schedule. Sometimes the 15 minutes that we have together isn't worth trying to cram down an early dinner, so Siena and I have been flying solo most nights. I made this the other night when all I wanted was to order pizza or drive to Chipotle- but Siena was already in bed and I couldn't justify the cost at the time. Besides loving black beans, I love this recipe because it is right up my alley: ingredients I almost always have on hand, easy to adjust quantity, and no measuring. I ate it just as it was, but I think you could pair it with lots of things if you prefer it as a side rather than the main dish.

Ingredients

olive oil
1-2 red bell pepper, chopped
medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans black beans (reserve 1/2-3/4 of one can), mostly drained
1/2 can diced tomatoes in juice
1/2-1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. coriander
fresh cilantro, to taste

Directions

1. In a saucepan or pot, over medium heat, add olive oil and saute bell pepper, onions, and garlic until tender (about 5-6 min).

2. Add beans (reserving 1/2-3/4 of one can), diced tomatoes (in some juice) a bit of chicken broth-I splashed some in, but start on the lower end knowing you can always add more.

3. Add cumin, chili powder, oregano, coriander (I approximated above, because I like to just shake 'em in). Bring to boil, reduce heat to low/medium low and simmer uncovered til carrots are tender. Add fresh cilantro (1-2 Tbsp. chopped)

4. Using an immersion blender, or a traditional blender, blend the beans to desired consistency. Add chicken broth as needed to get desired consistency. Add reserved black beans and return to stove to heat through.

5. Garnish with fresh lime juice, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, dollop of sour cream, and/or fresh cilantro.

If you are fortunate enough to have leftovers, this reheats really well. It may need a little broth added the next day.

Mulligatawny

originally from San Antonio Express-News, seen on Perry's Plate

Also known as the "Seinfeld soup" which is how I convinced Nick to try it- he couldn't deny it was pretty darn good.

Ingredients

6 Tbsp butter
2 small yellow onions, peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 green or red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1/2 cup flour
1 T good quality curry powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
6 whole cloves (or 1/2 tsp ground)
4 sprigs parsley (or 2 tsp dried)
2 quarts chicken broth
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups chopped tomatoes (or one can diced/whole tomatoes, undrained)
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
2 cups cooked brown or wild rice


Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy soup pot over medium-high heat (I used my 7 qt, but I had plenty of room). Add onions, carrots, celery and bell pepper; cook, stirring frequently until onions are soft and clear. Stir in the flour, curry powder, nutmeg, and cloves and cook for a minute or so. Add the chicken broth, parsley, salt, pepper, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about an hour.

2. Blend soup with an immersion or stick blender (or transfer to a blender in batches and puree) until completely smooth. If using whole cloves, remove before blending.

Stir in the chicken, cream, and rice; heat through before serving.

Serves 8.

Winter Squash Soup with Gruyère Croutons

adapted from Bon Appetite 

I've heard how much people love butternut squash soup and I've even tried some before and didn't love it. Maybe my tastebuds are maturing, or maybe I just needed these croutons to entice me to try this soup- but we really, really loved it. The pairing of the croutons is vital to this little concoction- they are so delicious. One afternoon we paired the leftover soup with a Gruyère grilled cheese sandwich and it was equally tasty. This dish goes wonderfully with a side or salad which includes pears... maybe since I love pears dipped in Gruyère fondue...

Ingredients


Soup
1 butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 acorn squash (about 1 1/2 lbs)
4 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
4-5 cups low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth to make it vegetarian)
1/4 tsp. dried thyme (or 1/2 tsp. fresh)
1/4 tsp. dried herbs de provence
1/4 tsp. dried sage ( I used 1/2 tsp. fresh)
1/4 cup cream

Croutons 
butter
baguette bread sliced 1/4 in thick
grated Gruyère cheese
thyme & sage to sprinkle (fresh or dried)

Directions

1. Wash squash, cut in half, and remove seeds.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and put a garlic clove in each hole. Place cut-side down on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 30-40 min. Meanwhile, melt butter in large pot. Add diced onion and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. When squash is done, scoop out and add to onions. Add broth and herbs.

2. Working in 2 batches or so, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.) 

  

For croutons:
Preheat broiler. Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange bread, buttered side up, on baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Turn over. Sprinkle cheese, then thyme and sage over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with croutons and serve.

Coconut Red Lentil Soup

 slightly adapted from 101 Cookbooks

See? Still alive. Just trying to thaw out and get back into the swing of things after being gone for 5 weeks...


Ingredients

1 cup (7 oz or about 1/2 lb) yellow split peas- I couldn't find these, so I opted for traditional lentils, you could try green split peas
1 cup (7 oz or about 1/2 lb) red split lentils
7 cups water
1 medium carrot, diced into 1/2-inch pieces (will probably add more next time!)
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 Tbsp. curry powder
2 Tbsp. butter or ghee (can use coconut oil)
8 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3- 1/2 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup tomato paste (about 1/2 of the small can)
1 14-oz. can coconut milk (I used lite and made it sweeter with more raisins)
2 tsp. fine grain sea salt
one handful fresh cilantro, chopped
cooked brown rice or farro, for serving (optional)

{If desired, I think you could easily add some chicken cooked in coconut oil, cut into bite sized pieces.}

Directions

1. Give the split peas and lentils a good rinse - until they no longer put off murky water. Place them in an extra-large soup pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the carrot and 1/4 of the ginger. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft.

2. In the meantime, in a small dry skillet or saucepan over low heat, toast the curry powder until it is quite fragrant. Be careful though, you don't want to burn the curry powder,  just toast it. Remove from skillet and set aside.  Place the butter in the pan over medium heat, add half of the green onions, the remaining ginger, and raisins. Saute for two minutes stirring constantly, then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two more.

3. Add the toasted curry powder to the tomato paste mixture, mix well, and then add this to the already simmering soup along with the coconut milk and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so. The texture should thicken up, but you can play around with the consistency if you like by adding more water or simmer longer for a thicker consistency. I let mine get nice and thick.

4. Serve soup over 1/2 cup warm brown rice or farro. Sprinkle each bowl generously with cilantro and remaining green onions. 

Serves 6.

{freezes well}

Southwestern Chicken and Barley "Soup"

 

 adapted from Perrys' Plate

{This is kinda cheating since this recipe was already on the blog a while ago...but we ate it again and this time I took a picture...and yes, that spoon had already been in my mouth.}

    Maybe I'm super lazy, but I am beginning to have the mindset that many soups taste better and are easier to prepare in a trusty crock pot. I threw everything in just before nap-time ended, cooked on high for 4 hours and called it done. This resembles a tortilla soup, but had a little something extra filling with the barely. This is a perfect number for a busy (or in my case lazy) day.

Ingredients

1-2 chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)
1-2 minced garlic cloves
2-3 cups chicken broth {depending on if you want it more soup-like or chili-like}
2 cups frozen corn
1 15-oz can kidney or black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes w/green chilies
1/2-1 cup pearl barley (uncooked)... or just throw in however much you'd like
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
dash of coriander
juice from 1 small lime or 1/2 large lime (about 2-3 T)

Garnish with...
green onions, chopped
fresh cilantro, chopped
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese
avocado, diced

Directions

   In a slow cooker, add chicken through lime juice. Cook 3-6 hours at the appropriate temperature. Before serving, use two forks and shred chicken into bite sized pieces. Garnish with desired topping and enjoy every bite.

Serves 6

African Curried Coconut Soup with Chickpeas

adapted from Epicurious

Don't be scared of the name. This soup/curry concoction is so flavorful and tasty- even a 1-year-old enjoyed it ...and hardly threw any of it on the floor.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1-2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups low-sodium broth
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1-2 cups chopped tomatoes, seeded & peeled, fresh or canned (I used canned)
1 tsp. mild curry powder
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup water
1 cup couscous
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk (I only had regular on hand, so I used 3/4 of the can)
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions

1. In a medium stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and chili; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, curry powder, coriander, and cayenne pepper; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

2. While simmering soup, in a small pot, boil 1 cup of water. When water is boiling, add 1 cup of couscous, remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and add to soup mixture with coconut milk and cilantro, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Variations: Black-eyed peas can replace the chickpeas, if desired. Use 1 cup cooked brown rice instead of couscous, or, for a lighter soup, the rice can be omitted.

The following day it was much thicker, we didn't mind, but it could have been easily thinned out a bit by adding more broth.

Serves 4