After a food-filled four days in California over the new year, I was ready for some greens. So I decided to make this soup I had recently saved which is basically just a ton of greens blended up with caramelized onions. The result is a super fresh soup that I felt really good about eating!
I liked this soup a lot more than I thought I would, and will probably end up freezing half of it because it made a lot of soup. Another reminder to read a recipe carefully before you start to make it because I should have cut this in half based on the amount of liquids alone. The small pinch of cayenne does not add a lot of heat, feel free to add more if you like spicy.
In any case, this soup is a wonderful kickstart to the new year and I hope you like it as much as we did!
Greens Galore Soup
Adapted slightly from Cookie and Kate
Serves at least 6
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for garnish
- 2 large yellow onions, chopped
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 2 Tbsp plus 3 cups water, divided
- 1/4 cup arborio rice, rinsed
- 1 large bunch Italian kale (about 1 pound), thick ribs removed, leaves chopped coarsely.
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 ounces of gently packed spinach or baby cooking greens, such as chard (I used two 5 oz tubs of OrganicGirl's Super Greens which is a mix of spinach, chard, and other baby greens)
- 4 cups broth (I used chicken, but veggie would make this dish vegan!)
- 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice (or more to taste)
- Serve with (optional): Cooked rice and a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas
First, start the onions caramelizing. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the chopped onions and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are starting to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add 2 Tbsp water, and cover. Cook until the liquid is greatly reduced and the onions are a rich caramel color, this should take about 20 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally, and each time replace the cover on the pan.
While the onions are cooking, combine 3 cups water, 3/4 tsp salt, and the arborio rice in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 15 minutes.
(If you want to have this over Jasmine rice and with chickpeas like we did, start the rice now. 1 1/2 cup water and 1 cup jasmine rice with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 18 minutes. If you have a small strainer that fits inside your pan that you used to rinse the chickpeas, when the 18 minutes are up set that strainer on top of the hot rice pot and put the lid over it to warm up the chickpeas!)
Add to the soup pot the chopped kale and the minced garlic. When the onions are caramelized, stir them into the soup pot along with the baby greens, broth, and cayenne pepper.
Return the pot to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until the greens are slightly wilted but still bright green.
Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and add more salt, lemon, or pepper to taste.
You can eat this as is for a super healthy green soup, or on top of rice and chickpeas for a heartier dinner. Drizzle with olive oil and enjoy! This looks swampy, but me and my love agree, this soup tastes much better than it looks!
When that first fall chill hits the air, out comes my dutch oven for a big pot of stew.
This was a crockpot recipe, but I wanted to do it on the stove top because I was worried it would turn into a big pile of curry mush. I am glad I did it my way because all the vegetables turned out perfect! The curry gives it a warm comforting vibe, like a big hug from the inside.
If you use vegetable broth, this would be vegan! If you don't like one of these veggies, just leave it out or sub something else that you do like--green beans, mushrooms, zucchini, cabbage, etc. Add some shrimp or shredded cooked chicken if you have some on hand. If you like things spicy, add more cayenne or top it with hot sauce when you eat it. We ate this as a soup but it would also be delicious over rice or cous cous.
Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew
Adapted from TheKitchn
Serves 8 - 10
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 large onion, diced
2 medium sized red potatoes
1 small sweet potato
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a medium head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
1 small head of broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
10-ounces baby spinach
1 cup frozen peas 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)
4 garlic cloves, minced 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices
2 cups chicken stock
2 (16-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup coconut milk
Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Saute the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the diced red potatoes and sweet potato and a tablespoon of salt. Saute until the potatoes are slightly translucent around the edges. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, red and green bell peppers and saute for another 5 minutes.
Stir in the curry, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Pour in the stock and the tomatoes with their juices and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer. Let simmer for 45 minutes until the vegetables are just barely soft.
Add in the chickpeas, spinach, frozen peas, and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender, the spinach is wilted, and the chickpeas and peas are warmed through. Stir in the coconut milk, taste, and adjust seasonings. Fall comfort in a bowl!
