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>Italian White Bean Soup

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What is my favorite thing to cook? My answer is almost always SOUP.

I love to make soup. Soup is something that is soothing and will last me more one night (these days I am finding it hard to make food that produces leftovers, too hard).

My go-to soup recipe usually has:
-an aromatic base (onions, garlic, etc…in this case it is fennel)
-then just a vegetable and liquid overload of heaven
-I love to add leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard…)
-beans
-and some sort of grain (rice, pasta, barley…)

This Italian White Bean soup has no grains in it, however I purchased some gorgeous levain (French Sourdough) bread from a local bread company called Acme to go along with the soup. This soup is simple and that’s that. I don’t cook collards enough, and this was a great way to get my collards fix. I always like to finish off my soups with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and some salty hard cheese. Mmm.

Oh and please try to find some San Marzano tomatoes. These precious rubies are to die for. Really, the taste is just so fresh and rich.

Italian-style soups are great. I have been slapping myself to make a lovely Ribollita soup and a nice Italian Wedding Soup. One of these days I will get there…

For now…Italian White Bean Soup…

Italian White Bean Soup

from A Couple Cooks

serves 10

1 fennel bulb
2 bunches of greens (anything like collards, chard, kale, spinach, mustard greens…)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 28-oz cans diced tomatoes (preferably San Marzano tomatoes)
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 cans of white cannellini beans
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt

Balsamic Vinegar, for drizzling
Pecornio Cheese, slivered and/or grated on top
Fresh Levain Bread, for dipping and/or slathering with soft salty butter

1. Chop the fennel bulb into a large dice. Wash the greens, remove the stems, and chop them roughly.

2. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Saute the fennel for 5 minutes.

3. Add the 2 cans tomatoes with their juices and simmer for about 8 minutes.

4. Add 4 cups vegetable broth, 2 cups water, and 2 cans of cannellini beans. Bring to a boil.

5. Reduce to a simmer and add 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and 1 teaspoon salt.

6. Add the greens and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Served garnished with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, grated pecornio, and sliced levain bread.

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Categories bread, dinner, lunch, savory, soup, vegetable

Minestrone Soup

4 Dec

Yesterday I bawled my eyes out.

Amongst many other pressing stress issues going on in my life, one of the reasons I was crying was due to a lack of vegetables. No joke; eating my vegetable variety is integral to my sanity. I was unsatisfied with my eating habits for the week and it really hit me hard.

All week I was imagining a huge box of fresh vegetables just somehow appearing on my counter top so that I could make bounties of veggie stir-fries and veggie roasts and veggie soups. Unfortunately the vegetable gods did not hear my cry…so today I sucked it up and went to the store (aka today I made the time to go to the store).

I cooked up a HUGE pot of minestrone soup so that I could be eating leftovers for days. Take that, tears.

Break some bread, grate some Parm, and slurp some soup. It’ll calm you down.

Minestrone Soup

10 servings
from Cooking on the Side

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced on the bias
2 small zucchini, trimmed and sliced into rounds
32 oz broth
2 cans (14.5 oz each) petite diced tomatoes, with juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
freshly ground black pepper
10-12 oz macaroni, uncooked
1 can (15.8 oz) white beans, rinsed and drained

1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, and zucchini and cook for 4-5 minutes, until veggies are soft-ish.

2. Add broth, tomatoes, oregano, basil, and pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for 8-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in the white beans until heated through.

3. Ladle into bowls and serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and rustic bread.

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Categories dinner, pasta, soup, vegetable

When The Going Gets Tough, Grains and Carbs Keep Me (Mildly) Sane

1 Nov

I’m so busy. It hurts. Make it stop.

A girl’s gotta eat thought, right?

When the clock is ticking and time is precious, either:
1. Go out to eat,
2. Make yourself a PB&J, or
3. Cook what’s easy and familiar

One night this week I made my “go-to” comfort soup, Hearty Grain Soup with Beans and Greens:

Another night this week I made risotto (it didn’t have asparagus this time, but I did roast some carnival squash to go with my simple risotto):

And another this week I made polenta and topped it with some already prepared salmon (definitely does not taste as good as home-roasted salmon, but it saved time, right?):

**NOTE: This time I made my polenta a little different than I usually do. I did not cook it with milk and I added a snippet of butter and a bit of cheddar cheese. What can I say, I like to change it up.

All I want to do is play in the kitchen. Stir and sift and knead and chop. I need a break, folks. I need a break. School is hard sometimes.

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Categories dinner, grain, soup

>Fun in the Garden + Salmorejo: Spanish Tomato and Bread Soup

11 Sep

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Just the other day, I spent some quality time in the garden with my great friends Michelle and Natasha. Natasha’s family lives in beautiful Napa Valley, California. Natasha planted a vegetable garden over the summer, and we came back to give it the love that it deserves.

It felt like we had struck gold, in the form of tomatoes. She planted sweet 100s, a cute little cherry tomato that tastes unbelievably sweet. I could not stop popping them in my mouth, it was like a little burst of sweetness every bite!

Oh my goodness so many tomatoes, it was almost overwhelming!

And, check out the ginormous squashes:

Those squashes were about as long as my torso. And heavy, too!

So it has been 2 days since we picked the tomatoes, and most of them were already starting to go bad today. You really got to pick ’em and eat ’em quick. I sorted through the beauties and separated them from the good ones to make Salmorejo, a Spanish tomato and bread soup from the Andalucian region, specifically Cordoba.

This soup literally took 10 minutes, and involved no cooking! Just throw the tomatoes, some bread (crusts removed), garlic, a piece of bell pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil into a blender then strain it through a fine mesh sieve. The soup is meant to be served chilled. It is a type of gazpacho, a smoother, almost creamier type of gazpacho. The bread helps to achieve that creamy feel and it helps to thicken the soup as well. You can save the crust of the bread to toast and serve as little dippers for the soup.

I ground up some fresh black pepper in and over the top of my soup. Mmm.

Salmorejo

adapted from BakingBites

serves 1 (but can be easily multiplied)

1 lb of tomatoes (any kind you like, I was lucky to have some from the garden)
1 4-inch piece of baguette, crusts removed
1/4 piece of bell pepper
1 garlic clove
1/2 tablespoon sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

Combine everything except for the olive oil in the blender. Blend at high speed until smooth. With the blender running, stream in the olive oil. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and refrigerate until chilled.

The soup can be prepared one day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

**NOTE: You can save your bread crusts, toast them, and serve with the soup.

Comments 2 Comments
Categories bread, fruit, soup, vegetable

>Soup’s On: Easy Carrot Soup with a Dill n’ Yogurt Swirl

25 Mar

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Fun Fact: Cooked carrots supposedly provide more nutrients than raw carrots (credit: Natasha).

A few weekends ago, I was dining at Pizzaiolo Restaurant in Oakland and ordered a carrot soup. My goodness, this was the most perfect way to start my meal. This utterly irresistible bowl of soup arrived at the table and my only job was to eat, savor, enjoy. And that I did.

The soup had a tangy tone that took it to the next level. I later discovered the secret gem that made the soup so “tangy:” lemongrass. Oh, and the soup had this dilled yogurt sauce swirled into it, which provided a beautiful medley of color and flavor.

I’ve been dreaming about this soup ever since, and as I was flipping through Cooking Light Magazine the other day, I saw a recipe for a simple carrot soup that I just had to make. This soup is not only satisfying but is also very low in calories and fat (yay).

By the way, if you have not already seen this, you should check out thisiswhyyourefat! Delicious and totally gross.

Cooking Light’s recipe uses a touch of sesame oil which “lends depth to this velvety soup”. Joining the carrots are shallots and ginger, giving the soup a nice sweet and spicy punch.

The magazine pairs this soup as a part of an Easter brunch menu: carrot soup, Parmesan thyme rolls, champagne cocktails, asparagus and spring greens salad with Gorgonzola vinaigrette, and deviled eggs with smoked salmon.

I used dill instead of mint as my herb garnish, but any fresh herb should go nicely. I also chose to top my soup with some cubed avocado.

Carrot Soup with a Yogurt Swirl

Yield: (supposedly) 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup soup, 1 tablespoon yogurt, and 1 mint sprig)

***NOTE: This soup barely served 4 in my house

Ingredients

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/3 cup sliced shallots (about 1 large)
1 pound (baby) carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup 2% Greek-style plain yogurt
8 fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots to pan; cook 2 minutes or until almost tender, stirring occasionally. Add carrots; cook 4 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 22 minutes or until tender. Add ginger; cook 8 minutes or until carrots are very tender. **NOTE: I had to add a LOT more broth than the recipe calls for. Cover and let stand 5 minutes at room temperature.

2. Pour half of carrot mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining carrot mixture. Return pureed soup to pan; heat over medium heat 2 minutes or until heated.

3. Spoon soup into small bowls, and top with plain yogurt and fresh mint sprigs.