Lentil Stew with Butternut Squash

Lentil Stew with Butternut Squash

    3 large stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

    1 large yellow onion, chopped

    1 large butternut squash, cut into 1-inch chunks

    4 cups brown lentils

    6 cups vegetable broth

    2 bay leaves

    1 teaspoon of cinnamon 

    1 teaspoon dried rosemary

    1 teaspoon of salt 

    1 tablespoon of cracked black pepper

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

1.    In a large pot, combine celery, onion, squash, lentils, bay leaves, cinnamon, broth, rosemary, salt, and black pepper.

2.    Cover pot with lid, and cook on medium heat for 1 hour.

3.    To serve, spoon lentil stew into serving bowls; top with Parmesan shavings, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. 

Spicy Sundried Tomato Soup with White Beans & Swiss Chard

Spicy Sundried Tomato Soup with White Beans & Swiss Chard

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

medium onion, chopped 

2 medium carrots, sliced 

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 small zucchini, sliced 

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

2 cups vegetable broth

4 cups diced tomatoes

2 cups cannellini beans, cooked

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

6 ounces Swiss chard, chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 cup torn fresh basil

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.

2.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant.

3.  Stir in onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, and rosemary, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until onions are soft.

4.  Add broth, 2 cups tomatoes, and beans.

5.  Scoop 1 cup mixture into food processor or blender, and add remaining tomatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes.

6.  Purée until smooth, stir mixture into soup, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. 

7. Simmer10 minutes.

8.  Add Swiss chard and thyme; simmer 5 minutes more, or until chard is wilted.

9.  Remove pan from heat, and stir in basil.

Tortellini & Zucchini Soup

Tortellini & Zucchini Soup

·       1 tablespoons olive oil

·       1 large carrots, diced

·       1 celery, diced

·       1 large onion, diced

·       2 tablespoons minced garlic

·       1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

·       6 cups vegetable broth

·       2 medium zucchini, diced

·       2 cups cheese tortellini

·       4 plum tomatoes, diced

·       2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

    1.  Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.

    2.   Add carrots, celery, and onion; stir, cover, and cook stirring occasionally until the onion is soft and just beginning to brown, 6 to 7 minutes.

      3.  Stir in garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

      4.  Stir in broth and zucchini; bring to a boil.

      5. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.

      6.  Add tortellini and tomatoes and simmer until the tortellini are plump and the tomatoes are beginning to break down 6 to 10 minutes. 

      7. Stir vinegar into the hot soup just before serving.

Farro and Chickpea Soup

Farro and Chickpea Soup

1 1/2 cups of farro soaked in water for at an hour

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely diced

2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tablespoons of fresh oregano, chopped

2 tablespoons of parsley, chopped

3 bay leaves

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 garlic clove, smashed

1-inch piece of Parmesan rind

6 cups of vegetable stock

2 cups of tomato juice

2 cups of cooked chickpeas

1 cup of spinach, chopped

salt and pepper

olive oil

1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, minced

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Drain farro.
2. Heat oil in a wide soup pot and add onion, celery, rosemary, parsley, oregano, bay leaves, and tomatoes.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic, cheese rind, drained farro, stock, and tomato juice.
5. Bring to a boil, then cover pan and simmer until the farro is tender about 20 minutes.
6. Add chickpeas and spinach for 5 minutes.
7. Taste and correct for salt and pepper.
8. Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle some olive oil, add rosemary, and grate some Parmesan cheese.

Butternut Squash & Rosemary Soup

Butternut Squash & Rosemary Soup

1 butternut squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

a few rosemary sprigs, plus extra to garnish

2 garlic cloves, minced

¾ cup red lentils, washed

1 teaspoon of basil

1 onion, finely chopped

3¾ cups vegetable stock

salt and cracked pepper

1. Cut the squash in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and fibrous flesh.

2. Peel and cut the squash into small chunks and place in a roasting pan.

3. Sprinkle with the oil and rosemary, and season well with salt and pepper.

4. Roast in a preheated oven, 400°F, for 45 minutes.

5. Last 10 minutes of roasting sprinkle the minced garlic over the squash.

6. Meanwhile, place the lentils in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes.

6. Strain, then return the lentils to a clean saucepan with the basil, onion, and stock and simmer for 5 minutes.

7. Season to taste.

8. Remove the squash from the oven, mash the flesh with a fork and add to the soup.

9. Simmer for 25 minutes and then ladle into bowls.

10. Garnish with more rosemary before serving.

Autumn Minestrone Soup

Autumn Minestrone Soup

 

  2 medium carrots, diced

1 medium onion, chopped

       1 tablespoon olive oil

 3 cloves garlic, minced

      6 cups vegetable broth

  2 1/2 cups diced Yukon gold potatoes

2 1/2 cups diced butternut squash

1 medium zucchini, sliced into half moons

2 cups diced tomatoes

2 1/2 tsp finely minced fresh rosemary 

2 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme 

 2 bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2/3 cup dry small shell pasta

2 cups packed chopped kale, thick ribs removed

2 cups red kidney beans, cooked

Shredded parmesan cheese, garnish

1.      Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

2.      Add onions and carrots and saute 3 minutes then add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.

3.      Stir in vegetable broth, potatoes, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste.

4.      Bring to a boil then and stir in pasta.

5.      Cover, reduce heat to medium low and and simmer until veggies are nearly tender, about 15 minutes.

6.      Stir in kale and kidney beans and cook until kale is tender, about 5 minutes longer.

7.      Remove bay leaves, serve warm with parmesan cheese.

Vegetable and Navy Bean Soup

Vegetable and Navy Bean Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon rosemary

1 small onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

4 small red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 pound mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon of paprika

Coarse salt

1 tablespoon tomato paste

10 ounces baby spinach leaves, rinsed well

2 cups navy beans, cooked

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

Ground pepper

Chopped flat leaf parsley

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; swirl to coat pan.
2. Add bay leaf, rosemary, onion, carrot, and potatoes; cook until onion is lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add mushrooms, thyme, paprika, and salt; cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Stir in tomato paste and 2 cups water; cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Add half the spinach; cover, and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
6. Add remaining spinach and beans; cook, covered until heated through.
7. Stir in vinegar.
8. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
9. Garnish with parsley.

Corn Chowder with Wild Rice

Corn Chowder with Wild Rice

4 large ears fresh sweet corn, kernels removed (about 4 cups)

Cobs, reserved and halved

Chunk of Parmesan cheese rind

1 ½ cups sweet potato, diced

1 large Vidalia onion, diced

3 tablespoons butter

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 cups cooked wild rice

parsley chopped for garnish

1. In a stockpot over medium heat, combine cobs, Parmesan cheese rind, and 7 cups water, and simmer for 30 minutes.

2. Remove cobs with tongs and discard; reserve stock.

3. Add sweet potato, onion, and butter to a pot.

4. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, paprika, and cook until potato and onion soften about 15 minutes.

5. Add garlic and rosemary, and cook for 1 minute.

6. Add corn kernels, 5 cups of reserved corn stock, pepper, and remaining salt, and bring to a simmer.

7. Transfer half of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth.

8. Transfer pureed soup back into stock pot.

9. Stir wild rice. 

10. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Farro and Chickpea Soupsou

Farro and Chickpea Soup

Farro is an ancient grain that is used in Italian dishes like salad and soups.  It is chewy even after cooking for awhile in a soup.  I hope you like this recipe and barley can be substituted if farro is hard to find.  Enjoy!

1 ½ cups farro, soaked for an hour or longer in cold water

tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 celery rib, finely diced

2 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary

2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

3 bay leaves

1 garlic clove, peeled

a chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind

2 cups of chopped tomatoes

6 cups vegetable stock

2 cups chickpeas cooked

2 cups of Swiss chard

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon minced rosemary

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Drain the farro.

2. Heat the oil in a wide soup pot and add the onion, celery, rosemary, parsley, and bay leaves.

3. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onion has softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the garlic, cheese rind, drained farro, tomatoes, and stock.

5. Bring to a boil, then cover the pan and simmer until the farro is tender about 20 minutes.

6. Add the chickpeas and Swiss chard.

&.  Cook another 5-10 minutes.

7. Taste for salt and season with pepper.

8. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle over some olive oil, add the rosemary, and grate in a little cheese.

Lentil Stew with Butternut Squash

Lentil Stew with Butternut Squash

I am in the land of snow and well the last few days especially ice.  I want something warm, filling, and comforting.  You can add some hot peppers if you like, but for this soup, I usually do not. Can be vegan if you do not add the Parmesan cheese garnish.

1 tablespoon of olive oil

3 large stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

1 large onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 large butternut squash, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 pound brown lentils, rinsed

6 cups vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon of basil

1/2 teaspoon of marjoram

Salt and pepper

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, optional

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

1. In a large pot, saute olive oil with celery, carrot, onion, and squash for about 1o minutes.

2. Add the lentils, broth, rosemary, basil, marjoram, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.

3. When it boils than bring it to a simmer for about 30 minutes, until lentils and vegetables are cooked.

4. Serve and garnish with Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Roasted Carrot Rosemary Hummus

Roasted Carrot Rosemary Hummus

3

8 medium carrots, scrubbed

2 heads garlic

1 large yellow onion

3 1/4 cups of cooked cannellini beans 

1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra for oil roasting 

1 1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

dash of cayenne

dash of smoked paprika 

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Cut garlic heads in half, drizzle with oil and wrap in foil.

3. Chop carrots into 1″ pieces and quarter the onion, then lightly coat with oil.

4. Roast everything on a sheet pan for 45-50 minutes until carrots and onions are tender and browned and the garlic cloves are soft and can be easily squeezed out.

5. In a food processor, puree roasted veggies with the beans, slowly pouring in the oil to reach desired consistency.

6. It may take about 5-10 minutes to get a smooth hummus.

7. Add rosemary, salt, pepper, cayenne, and smoked paprika.

8. Give the mixture another whirl for a minute or so.