Fall has fell

How refreshing is the weather this morning?  To be one of the first to welcome fall, I made a hearty and healthy soup for lunch this week.  I found this recipe off one of the thousands of blogs I read, but I can't for the life of me remember which one to give them credit.  What they don't know, can't hurt 'em, right?

I've been trying to "get out of the box" lately and try flavor combos that I've never done before.  This week's experiment is sweet potato and black beans.  This combo is pretty common on restaurant menus, but I've always passed it up for something else.  I made the soup last night and tried it out.  It is the perfect way to welcome in stick to you ribs fall dishes!  Even my husband liked it.  He described it as chili without the meat...I'd like to think it's a little more culinary advanced than that.  But from my chili-worshiping husband it was a big vote of confidence in this soup.

The soup is meatless of course, but has tons of fiber and protein from the black beans, along with vitamins and minerals from the sweet potatoes.  Be careful when adding in additional salt.  You might not even need to with the sodium already in the cans of Rotel tomatoes, and some in the vegetable broth.  Taste it before you toss any extra in.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 roasted red pepper, chopped (you can use jarred)
2 cans low sodium vegetable broth (15 oz. size)
2 cups water
3 cans low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
Dash of red pepper flakes
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:
1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add in the onion and cook until tender. Add in the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.

2. Stir in the sweet potato and roasted red pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

Make sure all the sweet potatoes are cubed the same size. 
Its important so they all cook in the same amount of time.

3. Add in the broth, water, black beans, and tomatoes. Stir well.

4. Add the chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Stir and toss in the cilantro. Stir again. Let the soup simmer on medium low for 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft.



I pluck the leaves from the cilantro and use kitchen shears to snip the leaves to the desired dice.

5. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

You can top this soup a thousand different ways as you would any other southwestern soup.  Crushed tortilla chips, cheese, avocado slices, and sour cream (or Greek yogurt or us healthy eaters) are all great add-ins.  If you are watching your calories like me just be mindful to watch the amount of add-ins, you also add in additional fat and calories with each.

Who wouldn't want this hearty, warm bowl on a cool fall day?  Enjoy!

Soup Kitchen

I seem to be stuck on making soups for lunch lately, huh?  This weeks lunch is a super healthy homemade soup I adapted from Mrs. Paula Deen.  She used Chicken broth (ick, trust me, once you use vegetable stock, chicken stocks and broths will gross you out), so I adapted it to a vegetarian version by using Vegetable Stock instead.  Also added in some red pepper flakes for heat, and topped the soup with feta cheese for a natural salty bite at the end.

This dish is much more tasty than salty, over-processed, canned soup varieties.  Nearly pure vegetables.  Its filling and delicious.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

2 Large Red Bell Peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 cup chopped Onion
4 cloves of garlic, minced
10 medium fresh from the garden, or on-the-vine tomatoes from store
1 cup Vegetable stock
1-2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

Topping: Feta Cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 450.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange peppers on prepared sheet pan in a single layer.  Bake 15 minutes or until tender and browned.

Meanwhile, in a dutch oven or large soup pot heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add onion and garlic, and saute 5 minutes or until onions are tender and transparent.  Add chopped tomatoes, and saute until softened, about 5-10 minutes.  In the container of a blender, add tomato mixture, peppers and chicken broth; process in batches, until smooth.  Return soup to Dutch oven.  Add salt, basil, oregano, and peppers.  Stir in balsamic vinegar.  Heat until desired temperature to serve.

Top with a little bit of feta cheese, if desired.

Note: If you have never put hot liquids in a blender before, beware.  Only fill blender half-way full. The hot liquids will expand some when blended.

This soup is a perfect example of Michael Pollan's Food Rule, number 14:

"Eat foods made from ingredients you can picture in their raw state or growing in nature." 

Today's soup? Check!

Chicken-less Chicken Tortilla Soup

Last week, my boss was talking about a big pot of chicken tortilla soup her son was munching on while we were on our business trip. Having not much else to think about in our meetings but food, it started to plant a seed in my mind. I wanted to work on a vegetarian version. I'm not crazy about bland shredded chicken to begin with so the thought of parting with chicken in my soup was not heartbreaking to me. I started working on MY recipe in my head. Sunday I brought my creation to life.


But first, a little background. I've been reading a ton of blogs, books and articles lately about our meat industry and factory farming. It's alarming! I can't believe how uninformed we are about the things we are putting into our own body. I could go on, but I'll sit that soap box aside for a later post. I've decided that I would experiment with becoming a work week (Monday-Friday) Vegetarian; of the lacto-ovo variety (still eating dairy and eggs). I am too much of a people pleaser to be a full-time vegetarian. I would never want my family to, nor would they, change our Thanksgiving menu on my Vegetarian needs. I'm a southern girl, and you don't go messing with Mama's cooking! Same applies for going to friends houses and out to eat, I don't want to inconvenience anyone. If meat is on the menu or I want meat, I'm going to have it. But for a while, and if only during this one week alone, I'm going Vegetarian baby!

So, my soup was created for my lunch this week. This pot will last all week, even after sharing a bowl with my neighbor. If you are looking for a spicy, healthy option for Tortilla soup then I've got a recipe for you, my friend.

Disclaimer: I cook on a "chop and drop" and "eyeballing measurements" method. Don't get too caught up in my measurements. Alter ingredients and measurements to your taste buds.

Chickenless Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 Softball size sweet yellow onion; chopped

3-4 big cloves of garlic; minced

1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes

3 vine ripe tomatoes; chopped

1 can tomato sauce

4-5 chopped Chipotle peppers in Adobo Sauce*

(*can kind found on in Mexican food section of your grocery)

1 carton of Vegetable Stock

1-2 cups water

1 package of extra firm tofu

1 bunch of fresh kale

Cumin

Kosher Salt/Fresh Pepper; to taste

1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves; chopped

Wash up all your produce and get a large cutting board situated next to a big Dutch oven or pot.  Start with a tablespoon or so of Olive Oil in the pot and chop and dump in your onion and garlic.  Saute until tender and translucent.  From there dump in all your tomatoes, Chipotle peppers, stock and water.  Bring mixture to a boil.  Meanwhile, rinse and pat dry the tofu.  Cut into small cubes.  Heat a non-stick skillet with a little cooking spray over medium high heat.  Saute tofu cubes, a single layer at a time until they start to brown up on all side.  Scoop tofu into pot and return to a boil.  Add in all seasoning and cilantro leaves.  Let simmer covered for 30-45 minutes.  Taste for salt or any other additional needed spices about half way through.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with whatever toppings you like.  I did, 1/2 of 1/2 of an avocado, vegan shredded cheese (which was surprisingly good) and crushed up blue corn tortilla chips.

I had leftover soup for lunch today.  Think it's even better the second day!  Enjoy.

-Amanda