Creamy Cannellini and Kale Soup

I discovered small sun dried tomato bits in the bulk spice section of a local market and thought they would be great to use in all sorts of culinary applications. The first thing I thought of was soup! I wrote out this recipe on a whim during the summer months, and finally the weather is cooling down to give me the opportunity to actually give it a go. Yum! The flavors go well together and are simple enough that they do not compete. Hope you enjoy it as well!

Creamy Cannellini and Kale Soup

1 Tb Olive Oil

1/4 cup Shallots, chopped

4 cloves Garlic, minced

2 – 15 oz. cans Cannellini Beans

4 cups Vegetable Broth

2 head Kale, chopped

½ cup Sun Dried Tomato pieces

Salt to taste

Sauté the olive oil, shallots and garlic until golden. Place the beans in a food processor along with the sautéed shallots and garlic and blend. Add broth until it's a smooth consistency. Add contents into a large sauce pan on medium heat. Add the remaining broth, kale and sun dried tomatoes. cook for about 20 minutes on medium-low heat. Add salt to taste before serving.

* If you are unable to find smaller sun dried tomato bits, you can use the regular size and just use scissors to cut them a little smaller. Using sun dried tomatoes that are not in the oil works best.

White Beans & Cream Chili

Even though the summer is thinking of coming to Oregon (at least it is finally spring weather!) I was still craving something warm to eat. I discovered when I had pneumonia earlier this year that consuming warm foods really did help, and when I drank ice water (my favorite!) my body was not too happy. The last few days I’ve been feeling like I am fighting to stay healthy, so this chili seemed like a good answer. I get bored with soups and chili sometimes, but the addition of green chilies and the vegan sour cream really brought out the flavors. Enjoy!


White Beans & Cream Chili

1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 medium Zucchini, chopped
1 medium Yellow Squash, chopped
1 Tb Olive Oil
28 oz. White Beans (any variety)
14.5 oz. can Diced Tomatoes
1 Vegan Bouillon Cube
2 cups Water
8 oz. Diced Green Chilies
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Garlic Granules
½ tsp Cumin
6 oz. Vegan Sour Cream

Sauté the chopped vegetables in the oil over medium-high heat until almost soft. Add the beans, tomatoes, bouillon cube, water, green chilies and spices. Cook about 10 minutes over medium heat. Add more water if you would like it to be more of a soup consistency. Add the sour cream and blend into ingredients. Cook an additional 5 minutes, or until the chili is the desired temperature.

Creamy Potato Vegetable Soup

I was the last at my work to get sick this season, but I didn't just get a cold, I got pneumonia. I am still not 100% yet, but am doing much better. While sick, I did not eat too much, but soups were a staple. Mostly I ate canned soups (which I don't think are very good) but when I had a little more energy I did get around to making my own. My original idea was a potato dill soup, but somehow that turned to this instead. Get your soup on before the sun comes back.

*Please excuse the bad photo. I forgot to take a pic with my good camera before eating the last of it at work.

Creamy Potato Vegetable Soup

3 cups Potatoes, chopped
1 Red Onion, chopped
2 medium Zucchini, chopped
3 small Squash, chopped
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tb. Vegan Margarine
1/2 tsp Garlic Granules
1/3 cup Nutritional Yeast
3 cups Coconut Milk (I used So Delicious)
2 cups Broth
Salt & Pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until soft. Drain off liquid until there is about 1/2 cup of water still in pot. Mash potatoes until half mashed, half has some texture. Add half margarine, garlic granules and nutritional yeast. Set aside.

Saute the onion in half the margarine until soft. Add the garlic, zucchini and squash and cook until slightly browned. Add the potato mixture, coconut milk and broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat until hot and serve with bread or a salad.

Dinner with the Fam - Part 1

I had to post this recipe right away since my mom kept asking me about it after making it for my family. Although I spent Thankgiving day with friends, I brought an extra gluten roast up to my parents for a visit. I also make a kale salad and this coconut veggie soup. Funny thing is, my mom had just bought some coconut milk for the first time since she has seen it in so many recipes, and then suddenly could not find one to use it. Now, here is a recipe!

This soup was eaten quickly at dinner with no left overs, not even enough to save some for my sister who was not there since she was sick. I made a different version for lunch the next day with broccoli, red onion, yellow squash and orange bell pepper. Again, there was no leftovers to share with my sister. Good sign! Hope you enjoy the recipe as much as my family!


Coconut Veggie Soup

1 head of Cauliflower, chopped
3 Carrots, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Leek, chopped
1 tsp Olive Oil
3 cups Vegetable Broth
1 can Coconut Milk
1 tsp Garlic Granules
1 tsp Onion Granules
1 Tb Parsley Flakes
Juice of 1 Lime
Salt and Pepper to taste

Saute the cauliflower, carrot, leek and garlic in the olive oil until the vegetables start to soften. Add the broth, coconut milk and seasoning and cook about 15-20 minutes. Squeen the lime juice into the soup along with salt and pepper. Cook an additional 5 minutes, or until vegetables are to desired texture. Makes 6 servings.

Curry Veggie Split Pea Soup

This is the time of year that I can really get into veggies! I am trying to visit the farmers markets and check out all the local offerings at my local natural food store. I have been eating a lot of salads and have found that making bean spreads work great in place of a traditional salad dressing. I have used hummus, bean & artichoke dip and I even had success blending up black beans with a green tomatillo salsa.

Soups are also great for veggies. Although I avoid making soup when the temperature is above 90°F outside, the summer here has been mild and soups can be so easy to conjure up. Here is my latest creation.

Curry Veggie Split Pea Soup

1 ½ cups Green Split Peas
4 cups Water
4 cups Vegetable Broth
2 Potatoes, diced
2 large Carrots, chopped
1 small Onion, chopped
1 bunch Kale, chopped
2-inch piece of Ginger, minced
2 tsp Curry Powder
1 tsp Garlic Granules
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast (optional)

Bring the water and split peas to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 30 minutes. Add the broth, potatoes, carrot, onion and ginger and cook an additional 15 minutes. Add the spices and kale and simmer until kale is soft, about 10 minutes.

These spices are how I like it. You may find starting with less salt and pepper and adding more as you go will cater to your own taste buds. I really like ginger, so cut down on this is you are not as much of a fan. Soups are great in that they can easily be altered to your own liking.

I am addicted to Black Eyed Peas and Greens (Soup)

I bought some black eyes peas since I have found I really like their flavor thanks to a variety of dishes including the Portland Bye and Bye bar's side dish on the BBQ platter. Yum! I have never tried mustard greens before so I decided to try them in a soup and carrots sounded like they would go well with it all. As I was cooking up the soup, I decided it needed a little more of something, and decided to add lemon juice. After it was all cooked and ready for eating, I was surprised by my enjoy of this fairly simple soup. I hope you have the same surprise.

Black Eyed Peas and Greens Soup

1 1/2 cups dry Black Eyed Peas

10 cups water

2 Carrots, chopped

2 Vegetable Bouillon Cubes

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Black Pepper

1 tsp Garlic Granules

1 bunch Mustard Greens, chopped

Place the black eye peas in 4 cups of the water and bring to a boil in a large pot. Lower heat to a low simmer and cook 30 minutes. Add the rest of the water, carrots, bouillon cubes, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic and cook an additional 15 minutes. Place the greens in the pot and stir to combine and cook for about 10 minutes, until the greens are cooked down and flavors could be absorbed.

Yes, the chili is good.

I decided to make a large pot of chili and made so much, I had enough for 4 lunches and to bring it to a potluck. Normally when chili shows up at a potluck I am not excited, but I've experienced many boring chilis in my time. So I was not too surprised when a friend asked me if it was good (of course!) and didn't touch it at first. As soon as she found out the chili contained the Gimme Lean Vegetarian beef, she was reaching for her share. Luckily, she and many others, did enjoy this chili and I hope you do as well. It will make a lot so either cut the recipe in half or plan to have it for lunches for awhile, or bring to a potluck, or both.

So this is the part where I share the recipe.  Um...  I have a bit of a problem.  I am horrible at not losing my recipes.  There are so many other recipes I have wanted to share, but then when I sit down to enter them in my computer, the nice piece of paper with all my notes has disappeared.  I don't believe my house is haunted, so there must be little fairies who take them and enjoy them too much to give back.  So, this is what I approximately did.  It is always best to use spices to your own liking anyway.

Exciting Veggie Chili

1 Tb Oil

1 tube of Gimme Lean "Beef"

1 medium Onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Bell Peppers, chopped

1 15 oz can Kidney Beans

1 - 25 oz can Pinto Beans

1 - 28 oz can Tomatoes, diced

1 cup Tomato Sauce

3 - 4 cups water

1/2 lime, juiced

1 - 4 oz can Green Chiles, chopped

1 Tb Chili Powder

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Garlic Granules

2 tsp Onion Granules

1 tsp Salt

In a large pot, heat the oil on medium heat.  Break apart the gimme lean into the pot.  I keep my hands wet so it does not stick to my hands.  Cover the gimme lean pieces in oil.  Once it starts to brown, add the onion and cook about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and bell pepper and allow to cook a few more minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and cook about 20 minutes to combine flavors.  For a thicker chili, use less water.  

Vegetable French Lentil Soup

Yesterday I made a soup that was really good. I am very picky with my soups and I am not a fan of lentils which make me liking this soup so amazing. It was a vegetable french lentil soup that I kind of just threw together, so I don’t really have a recipe, per se, but I can remember what I did fairly well.

I decided to make sushi rolls for phase 1 of my cleanse but since I could not have soy sauce, I wanted to create something to dip the sushi in. I decided to try and make a sauce from pumpkin seeds, lime, rice vinegar, salt and dates for sweetness. I did not like how it turned out.

I had already decided to make soup from some random French Green Lentils I had, already cooked and ready to go. I added some veggies to a pot and not wanting to waste the sauce I prepared, I put it in the pot to cook with the veggies. It lent not only a good taste to the soup, but also a really neat color since the sauce was light green. Here’s what I did if you want to try to replicate it.

Vegetable French Lentil Soup

Sauce:
¼ cup Pumpkin Seeds

1 Tb Ginger, grated
Juice of 1 Lime
1 tsp Rice Vinegar
½ tsp Salt
1 fresh Date, pitted
1 cup Water

Soup:
2 cup cooked French Green Lentils*
2 carrots, thinly slices
1 small Onion, chopped
1 bunch Kale, chopped (I used Russian Kale, my favorite)
4 cups Water
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Black Pepper

For the sauce, add all the ingredients except the water in the blender. Add 1/4 cup of the water and blend until smooth. Slowly add the rest of the water to get a good consistency.

In a large pot, add the chopped onion and sliced carrot along with ½ cup of water and heat on medium high heat. Let this cook for about 10 minutes to soften the vegetables. Add the sauce, cooked lentils, kale, salt and pepper to the soup base and the additional water. Cook for another 15 minutes on medium heat. Add more water depending on the consistency desired.

* To cook the lentils, simply combine 1 cup of French Green Lentils with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cover pot with a lid. Cook about 30 minutes.

I start my juice phase of my cleanse now, so wish me luck!