I guess I'm on an enchilada kick. Driving to the store Monday evening I was trying to come up with something new for dinner and this soup popped into my head. It is basically the enchiladas I made in the last recipe post, converted into a soup!This is great by itself as a meal or maybe as a side with some yummy quesadillas.
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cans enchilada sauce
2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 cans black beans or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen (or fresh) corn (roasted is good if you can find it)
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 tbsp cumin
sauce from chipotle peppers (you could also add the pepper, chopped)
salt to taste
In a large pot, cook the onions and garlic for a few minutes until tender. Next, add all other ingredients and simmer for about 10 minutes or so. I would add the chipotle in small amounts and keep tasting until you reach a flavor and heat level you're okay with.
You could keep it vegan as is, or if you like, garnish with some sour cream and shredded cheese. Chopped fresh cilantro would be delightful as well. This is super satisfying and quick. Great for a weeknight dinner.
Alright, I confess to being a total liar when I've said that I was going to start posting again and didn't. In my defense, it is so much easier to be inspired in the spring and summer when surrounded by all the beautiful garden produce. It's not too late to make a New Year's resolution, right? Me being an accomplished procrastinator and all, I figure late February is about the right time.
So before I get into the recipe, a few things that have been going on with me recently (because I know you are bursting with curiosity. Do try and contain yourselves.)
1. Two weeks until the Little Rock Half Marathon...my legs have been sore since Christmas.
2. I have recently become addicted to Pinterest. Seriously, someone may need to stage an intervention. But hey, at least it cuts down on Facebook time and you get so many cool ideas. If only I could get away from the computer long enough to try them...
3. We bought ourselves a juicer for Christmas after being inspired by the movie Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Planning a juice fast in March after the half marathon.
4. In an effort to cut down on toxins from everyday commercial products, I have started researching DIY natural products from laundry detergent to face wash. I'll let you know how it goes. If anyone has any suggestions, please do tell.
5. And finally, on a more serious note, God has answered some prayers in our life recently concerning various matters. We have been really blessed.
Now, on to the soup. Admittedly, I don't have a very precise recipe to give for this. I usually just keep adding stuff until it tastes good and I don't always remember what that is. The real reason I'm posting this is because I was so excited by how good adding cilantro to it is! I got this idea from my dad who is trying to watch his salt intake. He said that adding cilantro gave it so much flavor, he didn't really miss the salt. I admit though, I did use salt as well, but I think it helps cut down on what I would normally add to potato soup, which is probably enough to turn Lake Ouachita into the Red Sea...I also use Yukon gold potatoes and cook them in vegetable broth instead of water. The Yukon gold potatoes have a better, creamier texture and more flavor and you don't need to peel them.
So here is a rough idea of what I use for a big pot:
1 lg onion, chopped
3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped
3-4 celery stalks, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
about 5 or 6 Yukon Gold potatoes, (maybe more if they are small) cut into chunks
enough vegetable broth to cover the vegetables in the pot (if you run out, you can always add water)
several tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste (I also add some Cajun seasoning, season salt, or Greek seasoning depending on my mood, but I could not tell you how much, just keep tasting)
some hot water on hand to thin it out if needed
Put all the chopped vegetables in the pot (except the cilantro) and cover with broth. On high, bring the vegetables to a boil and then let boil for about 20 minutes or so. You want the potatoes to be soft enough to smash easily. I just use a potato masher and mash until I reach a consistency that I like. It could be quite thick at this point so I add some hot water until it thins out how I like it. Now add some seasonings. I like lots of black pepper in my potato soup. You might want to hold back on the salt and let everyone salt their own bowl after the cilantro is added. Once the soup is in individual bowls, sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top and stir in. Then add more salt or pepper if needed.
I think the potatoes are creamy enough on their own and don't need added cream or milk, but if you wanted to, you could use some soy creamer and stir it in after the vegetables are mashed.
Adding the cilantro is really tasty and different. So good on cold, winter nights.
I wore socks today for the first time in about 5 months.
I had a moment of silence for my sandals.
I hate, HATE cold weather. In fact, this summer when we were experiencing our 289th day of one hundred plus temperatures, I was very careful to not let myself complain. When tempted, I would say to myself,
Self, Remember last winter?! Now keep your mouth shut and you be thankful for that sweat pouring down your back and the scalding leather sticking to your skin!
Today, September 16th, it is not even 60 degrees outside. I am really hoping this is some sort of fluke and that we still have some lovely, mild late summer/early fall weather coming. It is only fair to make up for the ridiculous winter of last year and the oppressive heat of the summer. I don't know if my sanity will hold if we dive right into miserable, dreary, soul-sucking winter. Source
There is, however, at least one good thing about this upcoming season - the food. I love so many cold weather comfort foods, but when you are miserable and cold, nothing is better than a nice, hot bowl of soup. I plan on posting lots of soups this fall and winter. I have a few staples that I make, but I would love to experiment with some new recipes.
So what I want to know from all you out there is: what are some of your favorite soups? And if you feel so inclined, leave a recipe! Many thanks.
P.S. Here are a couple of my favorites previously posted:
Aunt Judi's White Bean and Kale Soup
Tortilla Soup
Minestrone
I know I've posted a tortilla soup before, but I had this idea to add to a couple things to the basic version just to change it up a bit. You can find the original recipe here. The only other thing you need to do is roast about 3-4 ears of corn and open a can of black beans. If you have a grill, then definitely use it to grill the corn, then remove it from the cob and add to the soup. If not, then roasting it in the oven will do. Also make sure to rinse and drain the beans before adding. The addition of the corn and beans makes the soup a little heartier.
Top it all off with tortilla strips, grated cheese, and fresh cilantro. Does anyone else get a little high from the smell of fresh cilantro?
No? OK. Just wondering. Me neither...
It's indescribable how fantastic it is to have fresh basil around again. It's one of the many benefits of summer. I so love summer. I need to move to a place where it's summer forever and ever...
Anyway, so this soup is very easy and also very flexible as far as the veggies you add go. I put down what I used this time, but things could be substituted, left-out, or added pretty successfully. For example, I happened to have some fresh green beans in the fridge, so I added those which is something I haven't done before. The real joy of the soup is the addition of home-made pesto at the end. You could use store-bought, but you'd really be cheating yourself. If you don't grow it, head out to that farmers market and get some! If you buy it fresh at the grocery store, you'll pay a small fortune to get as much as you need.
Ingredients for pesto:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed down
- about 2/3 cup olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, roasted (I buy the pre-roasted kind)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
In a food processor (or blender if you must - I so hate blenders) combine the basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, salt, and pepper. Pulse a few times until finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until everything combines. You may not need the whole 2/3 cup. Now add the cheese and pulse a few more times to mix it.
Smell that goodness. It's great in this soup of course, but has so many other uses.
Ingredients for soup:
- 1 32 oz vegetable broth
- 2 14oz cans diced tomatoes flavored with basil, garlic, and oregano
- 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, any variety, diced
- 2 squash, zucchini, or a combo
- 4-5 cloves garlic, diced
- handful of fresh green beans, stems trimmed and cut in 3rds
- 3/4 cup small shell noodles or elbow noodles
- salt and pepper
- some fresh chopped Italian herbs if you got 'em
Heat some olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion, pepper, and garlic and season with some salt and pepper. Let this cook for a few minutes and then add everything else and season with some more salt and pepper.
Bring this to a boil and let boil for about 10 minutes or so, until the pasta is cooked and the veggies are tender. I usually turn the heat down and let it simmer on low for another 5-10 minutes. Taste the soup to check the flavor, keeping in mind that you are going to add the pesto which will add quite a bit more. Actually, the soup tastes even better the second day, so if you want, make it before-hand.
When you serve the soup, add a spoonful of pesto to each bowl and mix in.
Fabulous.
My aunt Judi, a fabulous cook herself, gave me this idea for soup one day and I have been in love with it ever since. White beans and kale compliment each other really well. Last night I made this soup again and hopefully I recreated it accurately. The pureed beans give it a nice, creamy texture. Super satisfying, yet quite good for you!
Ingredients:
- 3 cans white beans
- 2 cans Rotel (I recommend the hot version; I like this soup with a kick. However, I was feeding Brian, so I got mild.)
- vegetable broth
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 bunch kale, washed and torn into smallish pieces
- 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp or 2 chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 1/2 tbsp cumin
- season salt, pepper
Heat some olive oil in a large pot and when hot add the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic. Season with a dash of salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables until they soften a bit and add the cumin and stir. Now add the kale and stir in with the vegetables and let it cook down for a couple minutes.
Puree one can of beans in a food processor or blender (two if want a creamier consistency). Add the pureed beans, the whole beans, Rotel, and cilantro to the pot. Mix together and add some vegetable broth. I don't measure it, I just add it until it reaches the consistency I like. Season with some season salt and more pepper. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down and let simmer for a few minutes. Taste to see if it needs more seasoning.
Goes great with some garlic bread! Even if your not crazy about kale, which Brian isn't either, you'll probably like it this way just fine.
So Judi, did I leave anything out? Any suggestions? Thanks for the great recipe.
Confession: I do not know how to make tortilla soup.
That is, not traditionally or authentically anyway. This is the version I've come up with from tasting different restaurant variations. So authentic or not, either way, it's quite tasty. If it's not my favorite soup, it's way up there.
Ingredients:
- 1 - 32oz container veg broth
- 2 - 14.5oz cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 - 6oz can tomato paste
- 1 - 4oz can diced green chilies
- 1 onion, chopped
- 5-7 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 tbsp cumin
- about 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro - you will not get the flavor from dried
- 2 tsp liquid smoke
- tortilla strips for topping
First, heat some oil in a decent size pot and add the onions and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Let this cook for a few minutes until the onions soften.
Next add the cumin and stir into the onions and garlic.
Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, green chilies, liquid smoke and cilantro. Season again with some salt and pepper. (I know I never say how much salt to add. Just keep tasting and adding until it tastes right for you.)
Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste to see if it needs more salt, etc.
Top with tortilla strips and maybe a little more fresh cilantro.
I had initially purchased some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to add to the soup, thinking they would compliment the flavors well. I was right. However, it's a good thing I tasted one first - it would have knocked Brian's socks off. So I just chopped one up to put in my bowl. It was delicious. If you can spice freely in your house (lucky you), I suggest adding a couple right in the soup as it cooks. Or you can do like I did, and your pansy family members won't pass out.
(Just kidding honey. Love you.)
