Roasted Mushroom, White Bean, and Kale Soup

This soup is deceptively amazing.  I know that it looks so normal and sounds boring, but somehow as if by by magic these totally normal ingredients combine to make a totally soul-warming soup, perfect for a cold winter day.  It is this type of magic that makes me love soup!

In addition, though this soup is creamy in appearance and texture, there is not a drop of cream or cheese in it, making it a healthy alternative to richer winter soups.  This soup could easily be adapted to be vegetarian or vegan without sacrificing anything, simply by leaving out the sausage and using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.



Inspired by this post, I made a handful of changes that I think made this soup extra amazing.  I will be remaking this again and again.  Here is the recipe as I made it:

Roasted Mushroom, White Bean, and Kale Soup.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. mushrooms, quartered (I used plain white mushrooms, but a variety would be great)
• 1 large sweet onion, quartered
• 1 regular yellow onion, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and slightly crushed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 10 fresh sage leaves
• 10 stems + 1 tablespoon leaves fresh thyme*, divided
• 3 garlic and herb chicken sausages, casings removed (leave out for a veg version)
• 4 cups chicken broth (vegetable broth can be substituted for a veg version)
• 2 cans (15 oz) white beans, drained but not rinsed (I used great northern but cannellini would also work)
• 1 bunch of kale, ribs removed, sliced thin (I had about 4 cups once chopped up)
• Additional salt and pepper for seasoning

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Toss mushrooms, garlic and onion in olive oil, adding 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. (I separated the mushrooms from the onions and garlic before roasting because later you want them separate! You can separate them after roasted if that's easier for you.)
3. Spread on baking sheet. Add sage leaves and stems of thyme and toss them around slightly so they get a little bit coated with the oil. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes then toss everything around a bit and roast for an additional 15 minutes.
4. While vegetables are roasting, pour a glug of olive oil into a dutch oven and warm over medium heat.  Add the sausage and cook, breaking the sausage up into crumbles. 
5. Add 3 cups of the broth, 1 can of beans, a pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper, and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves to the pot and bring to a simmer.
6. When the vegetables are done roasting, let cool slightly. Separate mushrooms from other roasted vegetables (if not already separated).
7. Place into a blender the last cup of broth, the 2nd can of beans, along with the roasted onions, roasted garlic, and slightly crispy roasted sage (remove the stems of thyme).  Blend until smooth.
8. Add pureed bean mixture into the dutch oven, stirring in until smooth. Add roasted mushrooms and chopped kale to the pot. 
9. Let simmer for about 10 minutes to soften up the kale and let the flavors meld a bit.  Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
10. Keep warm over low heat until ready to serve. 
11. Don't forget a delicious loaf of bread to soak up all the tasty herby broth!

 Note:  *Dried herbs may be substituted for fresh at the rate of one part dried herbs to three parts fresh.


Watch the magic!

Tuxedo Chicken Chili and Baked Polenta

New years day is sometimes more of a mixed bag than New Year's Eve is.  I find that there tends to be a little bit of regret - from the night before, hopefulness - for the year to come, and some relief - for getting to wipe the slate clean.  This year a group of us got together at the Adrift Hotel in Long Beach, WA to eat a good meal, spend some time together gussied up and drink way too much because of the short distance it takes to stumble back to your room.

The next day left me going through my mixed bag of emotions which led me to make this soup.  It had a fancy title, sounded healthy, and little chopping was required for my hungover lazy self.  I expected this soup to be good but it actually turned out to be incredible.  I measure that based off of the number of times DP and I both swoon and mmmm while scarfing it down.  There were a lot of those on this one my friends.

I ended up adding the baked polenta for a few reasons.  I wanted something to dip in the soup but there's always that moment when we're on our best behavior when one of us decides that bread is just too unhealthy.  I was still determined though so I thought about making some simple focaccia but alas, I was almost out of flour.  So I landed on polenta which is so easy to whip up.  Because I wanted it to have a crispy exterior to mimic bread I let it cool in the fridge then sliced it up and baked it on a cookie sheet at high heat.   It did the trick! Every time I make polenta, either in soft or baked form, I always remind myself not to overlook this gem for any other suitable application.  The only thing I'd do differently is cut it up smaller so it has more crispiness and then bake it a little longer and finish it off with a few minutes under the broiler.

The original recipe for the chili comes from Food 52 and the baked polenta recipe is an adaptation of this one.  Below are the recipes as I made them.

Tuxedo Chicken Chili
Serves 6

• 1 medium white onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 lb ground chorizo chicken (available at New Seasons Market)
• 1 lb ground dark meat chicken (feel free to just sub 2 lbs of this and crank up the spices if you can't find chorizo chicken above)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup water
• 3 (15) ounces cans canellini beans
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 (16) ounce can black beans
• 1 (16) ounce package frozen corn
• 1 (4.5) ounce can chopped green chiles
• Garnishments - sour cream, cheddar cheese, cilantro, and/or baked polenta below 

1. Chop the onion and garlic finely. Add to the oil in a large Dutch oven. Saute over medium high heat until soft and translucent. Do not brown. Remove the onions and garlic to a bowl and set aside. (If the onions brown and overcook, the final color of the chili will be muddy. It will still taste delicious, but won’t look as nice). Add all of the ground chicken to the pan and cook until browning slightly, breaking it up into small pieces.
2. Sprinkle the oregano, cumin, chili powder, pepper and cinnamon over the chicken. Add the onions and garlic. Pour in two cups of chicken broth and one cup of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until the water has reduced by half and the chicken is cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, drain and rinse two cans of white beans. Place the beans in a blender (don't be an idiot like me and think a food processor will work just as well, you'll end up with stock all over your counter) with the chicken broth and puree until smooth. Drain and rinse the remaining white beans and the black beans. Pour the pureed beans into the chicken mixture, stir well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining drained beans, corn, and green chiles and simmer until cooked through and thickened, about 30 minutes.
4. Serve in big bowls topped with grated cheddar cheese, polenta squares and some cilantro if you've got it (I didn't).

Crispy Baked Polenta

• 2 cups polenta (also known as corn grits)
• 8 cups water
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 3 tbs butter
• 1/4 cup buttermilk, cheese, or anything else creamy you may have on hand

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot with 1 tbs kosher salt.  Gradually whisk in the polenta and whisk after all the polenta has been added to make sure no lumps form.  Turn heat down and simmer for 30 minutes until thick, stirring frequently.
2. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and any creamy item you may be adding to the mixture.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour into 9x13 casserole pan and put in refrigerator to cool for at least 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
4. Remove the polenta from the refrigerator and slice the cooled polenta into long 1 inch strips. Slice the strips perpendicular to create 1 inch pieces. Place the polenta squares onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put into the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until they have turned golden and browned on the edges. Remove the baked polenta squares from oven and place on a cooling rack. The polenta squares can be served warm with a dipping sauce or at room temperature. To reheat the squares, place in oven at 200 degrees for several minutes. Can be stored in an airtight container for several days.

Only one picture of the end result was required because honestly, I chopped two things, sauteed some meat and dumped some other stuff in a pot.  SO simple!


I did also manage to take this video for you:

Sausage and White Bean Cassoulet

This is one of those recipes that you would be proud to serve to company yet it's ridiculously simple. My favorite recipe type by far. While it could definitely be gussied up by adding some confit, some homemade bread crumbs, or maybe serving it over some sort of puree, I liked it just the way it was. Served with some french bread torn right off the loaf, a glass of wine and a simple salad with nothing more than red leaf lettuce and some homemade vinaigrette. Yup, this was winter Friday night staycation worthy alright. Follow it up with a documentary and some downloading of Nico records and I'm in heaven.

I modified the recipe a little and added some spices to the tomatoes before they went into the oven. I also added much more than a "glug" of wine...I like to drink my wine in as many ways as possible. Enjoy!

Sausage and White Bean Cassoulet

recipe from Sweet Sugar Bean

2 pints of cherry tomatoes
4-6 hot Italian sausages OR Chorizo sausages
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 onion, cut into wedges
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
coarse salt and pepper

few sprigs fresh thyme OR rosemary

3 cups cooked white navy beans or white kidney beans OR 1 19 oz can (540ml) of white beans, rinsed and drained well
chicken broth or white wine(optional)

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 *F.
Scatter tomatoes over bottom of dish (reserve about 1/2 cup to add later). Add garlic, onion and sausages over top. Drizzle with balsamic and olive oil. Toss on rosemary and sprinkle with S & P and other spices if using. Bake about 25-30 minutes, for sausages to be golden and tomatoes start to burst. Remove from oven and stir in beans and reserved 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes. If you'd like a bit more sauce with your beans, add a glug or white wine or chicken stock. Return to oven and bake 20 minutes longer or until beans are cooked through. Serve with bread and butter for dunking; green salad on the side. Makes enough for 4.

Snug as a bug

In go the beans

C'est fini

Winter Comfort in a Bowl-Vegetable and Sausage Cobbler

This is one of those recipes that surprises you with its astounding goodness. In search of something wintery and cozy to serve my craft night buddies I had been sitting on this recipe from Moosewood Cookbook called Vegetable Cobbler. It sounded a tad strange since I've only had cobblers of the sweet kind. But I figured it had biscuits on top and well, as you may know from my last post, biscuits are one of my favorite foods.

The result was something so cozy and delicious that it sent some folks back for seconds. We decided it was a cross between Shepard's pie and chicken pot pie. I'm really glad I took a chance on this one as it's definitely something I'll be making again and again (I ended up making it again 5 nights later). I added some basil garlic chicken sausage to the recipe and altered the vegetables I used a bit as I wasn't in the mood for corn or white potatoes. And if you don't fancy yourself a baker don't let the biscuit part scare you; drop biscuits don't require any rolling out or cutting. Here is the recipe as I made it.

Vegetable and Chicken Sausage Cobbler

adapted from the Moosewood Classics Cookbook

Serves 6

• 2 tablespoon olive oil (or butter)
• 1.5 lbs bulk basil garlic chicken sausage (or any type of ground meat you prefer)
  
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onions (about 1 large onion)
  
• 1 fennel bulb, core removed, thinly sliced
  
• 2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 to 5 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes (or butternut squash)
• 2 cups peeled and chopped carrots (or parsnips)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 cups mushroom stock
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dash of hot sauce (optional)

Biscuit Topping:

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt (I used nonfat yogurt)
  
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill (or any herb you have on hand)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 X 13-inch baking dish.

2. Warm 1 tablespoon of the oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the sausage and saute just until all of the pink is gone. Remove the sausage and all of its juices and set aside in a bowl to add back later. Warm the other tablespoon of oil in the same pan. Add the onions, fennel and garlic, cover, and cook on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the salt, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, mushrooms and mustard. Cook until the mushrooms start to release their juices, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the sweet potato, carrot, black pepper and water or stock, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender.

5. Stir the dissolved cornstarch mixture into the simmering vegetables, stirring constantly. When the liquid starts to thicken, mix in the peas, soy sauce and salt. Add the cooked sausage back to the pot. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. (You can also add a dash of hot sauce.)

6. Pour the vegetable/sausage mixture into the prepared baking dish, and set aside.

7. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter and buttermilk or yogurt. Combine the wet and dry ingredients with as few strokes as possible to make a soft dough.

8. Drop the biscuit batter over the vegetables in the dish in six equal mounds. Sprinkle the dill over the dough.

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of a biscuit comes out clean. Serve immediately.

Into the oven it goes

Done!

Sweet & Spicy Black Bean Soup

I was craving cornbread. V's brother suggested black bean soup via Facebook and I set off to find the most delicious black bean soup I could find. Plain old black bean soup sounded kinda blah so I chose this recipe as a starting point.

I cheated a bit because I was too impatient to make my own black beans or to let canned ones stew for a while for added flavor. Instead I bought Trader Joe's Cuban black beans in a can because they are already a little bit spicy. If you want to stew your own or spice up a regular can of black beans, check out the original recipe that I linked to above! I also omitted chipotle powder because I didn't see any at the store and I added bacon and chicken andouille sausage to the mix.

Here is the recipe as I made it:

Sweet & Spicy Black Bean Soup

2 cans black beans (Trader Joe's Cuban black beans were perfect!)
4 slices of bacon, diced
2 spicy chicken andouille sausages, diced
1 1/2 onion, 1/4 inch dice
2 celery stick, 1/4 inch dice
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons medium heat red chile powder
a few shakes of cayenne pepper and garlic powder
14 oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 orange bell pepper, diced
1 cup frozen corn
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 lime
Cilantro, minced for garnish

Cook the bacon and sausage in a large soup pot until brown. Remove from pot and set aside.

If needed, add some oil to the pan and toss in the onion, celery, and sweet potato. Saute until lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes.

Add the garlic, cumin, chile powder, cayenne, and garlic powder along with some salt and pepper. Saute a few minutes more.

Add the beans, tomatoes, broth, bell pepper, corn, and salt. Simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered. Puree 1/2 of the soup. Return to the pot. Add the lime juice and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve with cornbread!



This recipe made a ton of soup, a giant pot that my boyfriend and I ate all week. It was perfectly spicy, a hint of sweetness from the corn and peppers, and it was extremely delicious. It tasted even better the second day. Cornbread was a perfect accompaniment, and I will definitely make this again!