Red Lentil Soup with Coconut and Lime

This soup is amazing - savory from the veggie broth and lentils, spicy from the curry power, and THEN you end up with little bursts of sweetness from the golden raisins that have been simmering away in the broth. The squeeze of lime at the end gives it a hint of tartness, as well. Adapted from 101cookbooks.com.

(Note to raisin-averse readers: I usually hate raisins with a fiery passion, but they are delicious in this recipe. Don't let their presence here deter you!)

1 cup yellow split peas
1 cup red lentils
3 cups water
4 cups veggie broth

1 medium carrot, chopped
3-4 tablespoons fresh peeled and minced ginger
3-4 tablespoons curry powder (depending on how much you enjoy spiciness)
2 tablespoons butter
8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
Salt to taste
one small handful cilantro, chopped
1-2 limes
2 cups pre-cooked brown rice

Rinse the split peas and lentils. Place them in an extra-large soup pot, cover with the water and broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the carrot and 1/2 of the ginger. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft.  Place the butter in a pan over medium heat, add the green onions, the remaining ginger, and raisins. Saute for two minutes stirring constantly, then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two. Add the curry powder to the tomato paste mixture, mix well, and then add this to the simmering soup along with the coconut milk. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so (or simmer longer for a thicker consistency). Taste and adjust the seasoning. I added some extra curry powder here for more flavor.

 Ladle the soup into bowls over the brown rice. Sprinkle cilantro over each bowl, then squeeze some lime on top.

Butternut Squash Soup With Star Anise (with or without Ginger Shrimp)

The anise gives this soup an unusual and delicious flavor. The shrimp are amazing, but the soup would also be great without them, for those of us who don't eat things that once had legs :)

24 large shrimp (about 1 lb), peeled, deveined
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2/3 cup chopped shallot
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
3 whole star anise
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 3/4 lb butternut squash
6 cups vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil


Slice the squash in half, and scoop out seeds. Roast in a 450 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until it's soft and a fork slides in easily.

If including shrimp: toss shrimp with ginger in a bowl and marinate, chilled, 30 minutes (do not marinate any longer or enzymes from ginger will begin to cook shrimp).

Make soup while shrimp marinate:
Cook shallot, garlic, and anise in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until shallot is softened, about 5 minutes. Scoop out the inside of the roasted squash and add to soup, along with the broth. Simmer about 15 minutes. Remove star anise.

Purée soup in 2 batches in a blender until very smooth, about 1 minute per batch, then transfer to cleaned pan and keep warm, covered.

Sprinkle marinated shrimp with salt. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shrimp in 2 batches, stirring, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes per batch, transferring to paper towels.

Bring soup to a simmer and season with salt and pepper. Divide among 8 shallow soup bowls and mound 3 shrimp in each bowl.

Potato Leek Soup

. . . the vegetarian version!

I haven't loved most veggie versions of this soup I've tried, since I think it's often the chicken broth that gives it the most flavor. But this one has lots of onion, shallot, garlic, and spices that make it extra yummy. It's swiped from Epicurious.com -- with revisions.

3 tablespoons butter
3 large leeks (white and light green parts only), sliced (about 4 1/2 cups)
1 medium shallot, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 large russet potatoes, diced
4 1/2 cups veggie broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
milk or cream
garnish: yogurt, grated cheddar, or chives (chopped)

Heat butter (or a mixture of butter and olive oil, if you're feeling healthy) in a large saucepan. Add leeks, shallot, garlic, and onion, and saute for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add potatoes. Cover and cook until they begin to soften, but not brown, about another 10 minutes. Add broth, bay lead, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until potatoes are soft -- about 30 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes, then stir in the lemon juice. Transfer to a blender (or use one of those nifty immersion blenders, if you've got one!) and puree in batches until it's smooth. Return to saucepan and heat, adding milk or cream until it's reached the desired consistency. Garnish with yogurt, chives, or grated cheddar cheese. Delicious served with some crusty bread :)

Squash and Lentil Soup

Mmmmmmmmm, this soup smells like fall. And tastes like fall. And will make you feel all warm and toasty on a chilly day.

olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch chunk ginger root, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
about 3 C veggie broth
about 2 C water
1 1/4 C red lentils, rinsed
1 medium sized squash (I used a kabocha!)
salt and pepper, to taste
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

Quarter and deseed your squash. Arrange squash on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake at 400 degrees for about 40-45 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, heat several TBSP olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, add onion and garlic and saute until softened and fragrant. Add ginger and cumin and saute for another minute or two. Add veggie broth, water, and lentils - I wasn't precise with my fluid measurements so play it by ear. You might start with a bit less and then add some more later in the cooking process as the liquid evaporates. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for twenty minutes partially covered.

When squash is tender, carefully slice off and discard skins. Cube squash and add to soup. Cook over low heat for another twenty minutes. Using a potato masher, gently mash squash until you reach desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste and fresh chopped cilantro.

Serve hot, topped with a dollop of sour cream and garnished with more cilantro and toasted whole wheat bread.

Springtime Asparagus Soup

This soup is deceptively simple, but really amazing and super-quick to make. I found the recipe on Epicurious.com and tweaked it a bit. This recipe makes enough for 6 folks.

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup sliced shallots (about 6 large)
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths
2 teaspoons ground coriander
4 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel


Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus and coriander; stir 1 minute. Add vegetable broth and simmer until asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Stir yogurt, lemon juice, and lemon peel in small bowl. Divide soup among bowls. Top with dollop of lemon yogurt and serve.

Vegetarian Hoppin' John

Hoppin' John, a Southern tradition introduced to me last week by my friend Ryan, is a savory black eyed pea stew that is supposed to bring the eater health and wealth in the new year. This version, made without the traditional ham and with a few additions of my own, was full of spice and super tasty when served with a warm slice of homemade cornbread (recipe to follow)! This recipe makes a huge pot so either serve your whole neighborhood or plan to eat this for a solid week.



1 pound black eyed peas, soaked overnight
8 C water
1 medium onion, halved
2 carrots, quartered
2 stalks celery, quartered
3 cloves garlic, halved
2 tsp salt
2 bay leaves

Place all ingredients in a large soup pot, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for about 1 hour, stirring once after half an hour. (Careful not to over mix or your beans will disintegrate!) Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the chunks of vegetable and the bay leaves and discard.

1/2 C brown rice
1 1/4 C water
1/2 tsp salt

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add rice and salt, cover, reduce heat to low and cook covered for 45 minutes.

2 TBSP olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced

Heat olive oil in a small skillet and add all vegetables. Saute until tender and fragrant. Add vegetables and cooked rice to the pot of beans and mix gently.

1 can whole peeled tomatoes in sauce
1/2 pound turnip greens (or collards), chopped
4 scallions, whites and greens chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
salt to taste

Roughly chop tomatoes and add (with juice!) to the beans. Add greens, scallions, and all spices. Stir gently and let simmer for five minutes. Taste, adjust seasonings as needed.

Enjoy with a big buttery slice of cornbread!

Lemony Butternut Carrot Soup

Well, fall is officially back. I recognize it not only by the cooler temperatures and a handful of yellow leaves, but also by my burning desire to turn colorful vegetables into warm creamy soups. And this soup, eaten with a good chunk of crusty bread, is certainly a new favorite.



1 medium butternut squash
splash olive oil
1 onion, chopped
8-10 cloves garlic
1-2" ginger root, peeled and grated
1 lb carrots, roughly chopped
3-4 C veggie broth
2 C water
2 C unsweetened soy milk
juice from one orange
zest from one lemon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper

Chop the squash into quarters, deseed, and place in a baking dish with about 1/2 inch of water. Roast in a hot oven (450 degrees) for about an hour until squash is very tender. Remove from heat and let sit until cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat a splash of olive oil. Add onions, whole garlic cloves, and grated ginger and saute until onions are fragrant and translucent. Add in carrots and stir well. Pour on veggie broth and water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and allow carrots to simmer about 30 minutes. When squash is cool enough to touch, peel off the skins, roughly chop squash, and toss into the soup. Simmer all an additional 10 minutes.

Using an immersion or standing blender, puree the soup and return to the pot over low heat. Stir in soy milk, juice from one orange, zest from one lemon, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer an additional five minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve hot topped with any combination of sliced scallions, chopped fresh parsley, yogurt, or spicy toasted squash seeds. I served mine with all four, and it was awesome!

This makes a wonderful, colorful meal when accompanied by some delicious crusty bread and a plate full of Cabbage, Carrot, Broccoli Slaw.

Spicy Moroccan Kale and Chickpea Stew

A lovely, spicy autumnal stew! We served it at our debate watching party this past week and it was certainly a hit. This makes one ENORMOUS pot of chickpeas. Seriously, you'll be eating it all week. Or you can just do what we did: gather all your friends and force them to eat seconds, thirds, etc... Enjoy!

1 lb dry chickpeas
10 C water and/or vegetable broth
2 TBSP olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 potatoes, chopped
2-3 carrots, diced
28 oz can whole tomatoes in sauce, chopped
1 large bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
2-3 bay leaves
5 or more shakes hot sauce
salt and pepper

Overnight, soak dry chickpeas in enough water to cover by several inches. Drain and rinse well. In a large pot, combine soaked beans with 10 cups water and or vegetable broth (I used half water, half broth left over from boiling veggies the previous day!). Salt well and bring to a boil, reduce heat, and allow to simmer partially covered for 45 minutes to an hour.

Meanwhile, in a skillet saute heat the olive oil and saute the onions until translucent and fragrant. Add garlic and saute one minute more. Add potatoes and carrots and continue cooking another five minutes. When beans are ready, stir vegetables into the beans along with chopped tomatoes and sauce, kale, all spices, bay leaves, as many shakes of hot sauce as you can like, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir well. Taste and adjust spices as needed. Allow all to simmer at least 30 minutes so flavors can meld.

Serve over brown rice or couscous. Perhaps with a side of roasted root veggies. Mmmmmm!

Cold Cucumber Soup w/Avocado Cream

10-minute recipe! Woohoo! Especially lovely on a really hot day :)

2 large English cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 tablespoon vinegar
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 8-oz container plain yogurt
1 cup ice cubes

Puree cukes with water, vinegar, and 2 teaspoons salt in blender till smooth.

Mash together avocado, lime juice, 1 tsp salt until smooth. Whisk in yogurt.

Just before serving, blend soup with ice until smooth. Serve topped with avocado cream.

"Tastes cucumber-ey." -my roomie

Miso Soup

8 C water
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 TBSP grated fresh ginger
3 TBSP dried wakame seaweed
1 lb soft tofu, cubed
4 scallions, white and green parts sliced thinly
3 TBSP miso (or more, depending on flavor)
Fistful of buckwheat soba noodles, cooked according to directions on package

Mix garlic, ginger, and seaweed into the water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook about 5 minutes until seaweed is tender. Add tofu and scallions and simmer 2 minutes. Remove about one cup of liquid to a small bowl and dissolve miso into the broth. Add back to soup and mix well. Add soba noodles, simmer another 2 minutes, and serve hot.

Winter Veggie Soup

(Swiped from Epicurious.com -- with a few revisions)

3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 cup peeled, cored and coarsely chopped Granny Smith apple
1 cup peeled and coarsely chopped turnip
1 cup peeled and chopped butternut squash (seeds discarded)
1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1 cup peeled, chopped sweet potato
5 cups vegetable stock
2 Tb maple syrup
Cayenne pepper
1 small whole-grain baguette
goat cheese

Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add apple, turnip, squash, carrot, and sweet potato; season with salt, then sauté 5 minutes. Add stock, bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add syrup, then cayenne pepper to taste. Cool slightly. Puree with a handheld mixer, food processor or blender.

Then: you can do two things. Either slice up the bread, toast it, spread goat cheese on it, and then float it in the soup; or, to add a yummy little kick to the soup, stir the goat cheese right in.

Spicy Coconut Pumpkin Soup

This soup is subtle (or not so subtle if you load up on the chili!) and wonderful with the coconut, cilantro, lemon combination. Perfect for this time of year - and if you've never cooked with a whole pumpkin before (I hadn't) this is a great place to start. I highly recommend that you split the pumpkin into halves or quarters, prick the inside all over with a fork, and stick it in the oven at 450 degrees for 30-45 minutes to soften before you try to peel it and chop it up. Roasting also brings out the wonderful pumpkin flavor. And, make sure you roast those seeds, too! Here's a little trick for detangling the seeds: when you pull them out of the pumpkin, dump them in a bowl of water and sqeeze them around with your hands for a while. The seeds will float and the goo will sink!



2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp brown sugar
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small pumpkin, skinned and chopped into 1-inch chunks
2-3 cups vegetable broth
1 14-oz can coconut milk
1 TBSP chili powder
1-2 TBSP lemon rind, grated
4-5 shakes soy sauce
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
yogurt, cilantro, lemon peel, for garnish

In a large pot, heat oil and gently cook onion with brown sugar and garlic over low heat until softened (8-10 minutes). Add chopped pumpkin, vegetable broth, coconut milk, chili powder, lemon rind and soy sauce. Season with freshly ground pepper. Simmer for about 25 minutes until tender. Remove and puree until smooth. Just before serving, adjust seasoning to taste. Mix in chopped cilantro. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with a dollop of yogurt and sprinkled cilantro and lemon rind.

Karin's Fabulous Tortilla Soup

This light but filling soup is packed with veggies and feels like a special treat every time. It's so quick and easy even folks with little cooking experience can make it! It is best to use stale tortillas but fresh ones will work too.

5 cups vegetable broth (I like to use vegan bullion cubes)
one bunch of green onions chopped
three zucchini or squash sliced thick
2 cobs of fresh corn, remove the kernels or just break each cob into thirds (this is more traditional)
ten corn tortillas (in a pinch you could use about 1 1/2 cup stale tortillas chips)
2 tbsp oil
a few shakes of chili powder
1/8 tsp cumin freshly ground cumin
1/2 tsp "Italian seasoning mix" or oregano, sage and tarragon

Add all ingredients less the tortillas and oil to a stew pot. Cover and bring to a simmer. Heat up the vegetable oil in a skillet. Add tortillas (if using chips skip this step) and toss them in the pan until they are evenly coated with oil. Saute them on medium to medium high turning them frequently until they become browned in some areas about five minutes. When the vegetables are nearly the desired firmness (I usually let them cook about ten to fifteen minutes) throw in the tortilla "chips" you made. Remove from heat and let steam a minute before serving, if you used store bought tortilla chips allow the soup to sit until the chips soften.

Pasta with Garlicky Butternut Squash

This is adapted from an Urban Organic recipe. Chris and I made it last night for dinner and it was seriously tasty. And oh so autumnal.

1 lb whole wheat pasta of choice
1 large butternut squash
1/4 cup olive oil
6-8 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp sage (I substituted 1/2 tsp thyme)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (I substituted 1/2 tsp dried cilantro)
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Seed, peel, and dice the squash (about 1/2" chunks). Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat and add squash. Saute about 5 minutes until it begins to brown. Add garlic and saute for another couple of minutes. Add water, herbs, salt, and pepper, and cook until squash is tender, about another 5 - 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add pasta to boiling salted water and cook until al dente. Drain pasta and toss with squash. Generously cover with grated parmesan cheese and serve immediately!

NOTE: One of the very best things about eating squash, I think, is toasting the seeds. So don't throw those seeds away!! Remove all the squash guts from the seeds, rinse them well, and mix with about 1 TBSP olive oil and any combination of spices. Combos I've tried and like: salt and pepper, curry powder, paprika and S & P, nutmeg and pepper, black tea and pepper, cinnamon and sugar. Be creative! Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 5 - 10 minutes, checking regularly so they don't burn. So good on top of salads, soups, or just by the handful...

Carrot Ginger Soup

Amazing fall soup! Make a big batch and it'll be lunch for a week...

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 minced onion
1/4 cup minced peeled fresh ginger
5-6 cups vegetable broth
2 pounds carrots, sliced
2-3 potatoes, chopped
8 - 10 whole cloves garlic
juice from 1 orange
1/2 cup half and half or milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (or to taste)
dash of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and minced ginger and sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add sliced carrots, potatoes, and whole garlic cloves, mix for a minute or two. Add veggie broth, cover and simmer until carrots are tender, about 30 minutes.

Working in batches, puree mixture in blender or processor until smoot. Return soup to saucepan. Or alternately, remove from heat and puree with immersion blender. Mix in juice from orange, then half and half or milk. Cook over low heat 5 minutes. Mix in ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to simmer before continuing, thinning with more stock if desired. Ladle soup into bowls and serve! I like it with a little dollop of sour cream or yogurt and a sprinkling of dill and pepper on top. Also delicious served with cheesy toast (you know, toast...with cheese. toasted.)