soup

InstantPot Andouille Sausage and White Bean Soup

Jennifer Leave a comment

sausage and white bean soup 2-1-19

I loved using andouille sausage for this recipe, as it gives such great flavor from the spices. Any other sausage with a strong flavor profile could be substituted. Although I really like to use cannellini beans, any white bean would work well for this soup. For a thicker soup, you could mash some beans against the side of the pot after cooking or ladle out some beans into the blender and mix back into the soup.

Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
8 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into medallions
1 onion, small dice
3 medium carrots, small dice
3 stalks of celery, small dice
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound white beans, rinsed
7 cups chicken broth
salt
pepper

Procedure:
1. Set InstantPot to Saute, add oil and cook sausage until browned.
2. Add onion, carrots, and celery and saute until onion is translucent.
3. Add garlic and saute for one minute. Turn off Saute setting.
4. Add beans and chicken broth. Set InstantPot to Manual for 25 minutes.
5. After the cooking time is complete, allow for Natural Release, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Instant Pot Lentil Soup!

Jennifer 2 Comments

instantpot lentil soup 1-21-19

Happy New Year! The Instant Pot has honestly been such a lifesaver, after having a baby. This is a recipe that my husband and I have been making for years, but now I can make it in the Instant Pot. Not only is it easier to prepare in the Instant Pot but the pressure cooker deepens the flavor and the soup has a better consistency.

Ingredients:
4 slices uncured thick-cut bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
8 cups water
1 pound lentils
1 bunch parsley, de-stemmed and chopped
1 bay leaf
2 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon oregano
1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Grated pecorino cheese (optional)

Procedure:
1. Set Instant Pot to Saute. Once hot, add bacon and brown.
2. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Saute until veggies are softened and add garlic.
3. Add water, lentils, parsley, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and oregano.
4. Cover and seal the Instant Pot, and set to cook on Manual for 15 minutes. Afterwards, allow the cooker to release pressure naturally, which takes about 15 minutes.
5. Open lid and stir the soup. Remove the bay leaf. Add diced tomatoes and red wine vinegar.
6. Set Instant Pot to Saute and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Serve hot with a sprinkle of pecorino, if using.

Chili!

Jennifer 2 Comments

fancy-chili

After having a spring-like 60 degree day yesterday, winter reminded us that she’s still here with a blizzard that has dropped about a foot of snow so far in New York City. Seems like a perfect day to enjoy a big bowl of chili 🙂 I’ve begun to incorporate more meat into my diet these days, as I’m expecting and need more protein than before. However, this recipe can easily be made vegetarian just by eliminating the ground beef and possibly replacing with crumbled tofu or TVP. The recipe comes together very quickly and is delicious!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped scallion
1 pound ground beef
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
One 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
3 cups cooked red kidney beans
2 medium red bell peppers, cored, seeded and diced
6 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1 cup frozen sweet corn
Pinch of salt

Optional topppings:

shredded cheddar cheese
chopped scallion
sour cream
Procedure:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and green onions and cook for about 1 minute.
2. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and ground cumin until fully combined.
3. Add the tomatoes, beans, bell pepper, carrots, corn and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer the chili for 15 minutes.

Adapted from Trisha Yearwood’s Fancy Chili recipe

Butternut Squash Soup!

Jennifer Leave a comment

butternut-squash-soup

I made this soup as part of our Thanksgiving feast and wanted to share the very simple recipe. Although there are few ingredients, this soup is truly delicious and perfect for autumn!

Ingredients:
1 (2-3 pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced into 1” chunks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
6 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
pinch of nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. In a large pot, melt butter or add oil. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes.
2. Add squash and stock.
3. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15-20 minutes.
4. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in blender to puree.
5. Return blended squash to pot and stir.
6. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
7. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Shiitake-Ginger-Miso Soup!

Jennifer 1 Comment

shiitake-ginger-miso soup

I made this soup today in an attempt to beat the sniffles, but even if you’re not fighting a cold, it’s really delicious and soothing. If you prefer not to eat the ginger, you can peel and leave in large chunks so that they can easily be removed later. Boost your immune system with the help of shiitakes, garlic, and ginger in addition to the healing powers of miso. Add some leafy greens to the pot before serving for extra vitamins!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
2-3 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, diced
1 head of garlic, peeled and minced
3 carrots, diced
10-12 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup white miso paste
1 head of roasted garlic, peeled and mashed
Directions:
1. In a large dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat and saute ginger and onion until onion is translucent.
2. Add raw garlic and carrots; saute for a minute before adding 1.5 quarts of water.
3. Bring to a boil, add mushrooms, and lower heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Remove pot from heat and add miso paste, making sure all of the miso is dissolved.
5. Add roasted garlic paste and stir well.

Lucky Lentil Soup!

Jennifer Leave a comment

lentil soup

Happy New Year!! Many years ago, my boyfriend (now husband) shared this recipe with me and we would make it on New Year’s Day. Since lentils look like small coins, they are supposed to bring good luck and prosperity. Lentils contain one of the highest amounts of protein found in plants and are also a rich source of folate. This recipe can easily be made vegan by eliminating the bacon and simply sauteing the veggies in about a tablespoon of oil. While the ingredients are very simple, all of the flavors really come together into a delicious soup.

Ingredients:
4 slices of applewood-smoked bacon, diced
1 medium onion, small dice
2-3 carrots, small dice
2 stalks celery, small dice
8 cups water
1 lb lentils
1 bunch parsley, de-stemmed and chopped
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1  14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Directions:
1. In a large dutch oven or pot, brown bacon.
2. Add onions, celery, and carrots. Saute until veggies are softened and add garlic.
3. Add water, bay leaf, salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, and lentils. Bring to boil and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes and red wine vinegar. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf. 
5. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash-Red Lentil Soup!

Jennifer Leave a comment

butternut squash-lentil soup2

For a long time, I only bought pre-cut butternut squash due cutting my finger while using a knife to remove the peel off over Thanksgiving one year. Since then, I’ve learned that you can actually use a peeler to get the skin off more easily and safely, as long as it is not a dull peeler. The best way to do this is to cut off the ends, cut the squash in half cross-wise, and then use the peeler on each of the sections. My favorite peeler is the Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler, which we were given in culinary school, and retails for under $3 each on Amazon. It’s sharp, lightweight, and comes in a variety of bright colors. Dicing this squash brought me back to my culinary internship when I had to dice 12 quarts of butternut squash every Friday for the restaurant’s popular weekend brunch hash. Thankfully, this recipe only requires dicing one squash, so you won’t be left with orange, sticky hands 🙂

The addition of red lentils adds protein as well as thickens the soup. Red lentils have a really beautiful, coral color, before turning yellow when cooked. They are also really thin compared to other lentils, so they break down and cook quicker than other lentils. When the soup is pureed in the Vitamix, the result is really silky and delicious, with a hint of spice.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded and diced (about 3.5 cups diced squash)
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
1 ½ quarts of vegetable stock
Salt
Black pepper

Procedure:
1. Heat oil over medium heat in large, heavy soup pot. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic, ginger, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute.
3. Stir in turmeric, squash, red lentils and vegetable stock. Turn up heat, add salt to taste and bring to a boil.Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 35 to 45 minutes, until squash and lentils are tender. Taste and adjust salt.
4. Purée soup using an immersion blender or, working in batches, in a blender (pull a towel down over the top of blender to avoid hot splashes). Return to pot if using blender. Add black pepper, taste and adjust salt, and heat through.

Creamy Carrot-Ginger Soup!

Jennifer Leave a comment

carrot-ginger soup

The other night, I was on my way home from a volunteer event and was hungry, but didn’t have the energy to cook anything. I stopped by my local supermarket and picked up a carton of organic cashew carrot-ginger soup which was delicious. However, I was appalled by the fact that the third ingredient was cane sugar! After that, I was determined to make my own healthier version. This uses Japanese sweet potato to both add sweetness and creaminess to the soup. Trader Joe’s recently started stocking them 🙂 I love the kick of the ginger that offsets the sweetness of the carrots and sweet potato. This soup is a good source of Vitamin A, especially from the carrots, and ginger is warming to the body, perfect for this chilly weekend! Hope you’ll cozy up to a bowl soon!

Serves 4

4 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoons minced ginger
1 pound carrots, coarsely chopped
1 medium Japanese sweet potato or regular sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon sliced fresh chives

1. Heat 1/2 cup broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in ginger, carrots, sweet potato, and remaining broth and heat to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

3. In batches, carefully puree in a blender. Add water or broth if needed to thin to desired consistency. Reheat soup if necessary. Garnish with chives.

Zucchini, Almond, & Mint Soup!

Jennifer 4 Comments

zucchini almond mint soup

I think I’m in denial that we are fully into autumn and am clinging to the tastes of summer, before we’re hit with winter weather. This is perfect for those of you cleaning out your garden of the last zucchini and mint. The almonds provide creaminess to the soup, while keeping it vegan and light. Zucchini is a good source of Vitamins A and C, as well as potassium. Most of the nutrients are found in the skin, so if you can, buy organic and don’t peel it. The skin also lends a beautiful hint of green to the soup. I added beluga lentils on top in order to give it some heartiness as well as texture. Enjoy!

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet onion, small dice
6 cups chopped zucchini (about 2-3 medium zucchini, unpeeled)
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup fresh mint
Salt and pepper, taste

1.Heat olive oil in a large pot, then add garlic and onion and sauté over low heat until soft and fragrant, stirring often. Add in chopped zucchini and almonds, and cook everything together for about 5 minutes.
2. Then cover with stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until zucchini is soft and tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool before blending.
3. Add fresh mint to the soup and blend in a high speed blender until smooth. Season to taste.
4. Serve the soup, hot or cold.

Garlic-Miso Soup!

Jennifer Leave a comment

garlic-miso soup

Happy First Day of Fall! With the change in weather, it seems that colds have been spreading quickly at the office. Every time I heard coughing and sneezing in the office today, I cringed, hoping I wouldn’t be the next one. On my way home from work, I stopped at the market for a head of garlic to make this soup. I learned the recipe in my Kitchen Pharmacy class in culinary school. It’s super simple and delicious! I would enjoy it even if I weren’t looking to boost my immunity. A single clove of garlic has 5 mg of calcium, 12 mg of potassium, and greater than 100 sulfuric compounds to kill bacteria and infection. Miso is a great concentrated source of plant protein, antioxidants, protective fatty acids, and live probiotics. Hope this soup will serve you well!

INGREDIENTS

1 head of garlic, peeled
1 quart vegetable stock or unsalted broth
1 1⁄2 tablespoons white miso
PROCEDURE
1. In medium pot, simmer garlic cloves in stock or broth for 15 minutes, partially covered.
2. Remove from heat. Puree garlic cloves in blender with about 1 cup of cooking liquid and the miso. Pour back into soup pot and stir.
3. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Smoky Black Bean Soup!

Jennifer 1 Comment

black bean soup2

This smoky black bean soup is one of my favorite soups to make in the winter. Not only is it really satisfying and healthy, but you can whip it up really quickly! The chipotle adds some heat and a great smoky flavor. In the past, I’ve also added in some Trader Joe’s frozen roasted corn which adds a nice sweetness to the spice. Black beans are a great source of folic acid, magnesium, potassium, and iron. This recipe is fully enjoyed by everyone, including carnivores. Try it on a meatless Monday!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
4 cups of cooked black beans
2 cups veggie broth
1 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced
2 cups roasted corn
salt

Procedure:
1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat and add onion and bell pepper. Sauté until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic, cumin and oregano; sauté 1 minute more. Stir in beans, broth, and chipotle; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Transfer 1 1/2 cups soup to blender and purée. Stir purée back into soup and add corn.