Pasta Fagioli

I know we're getting into warmer weather, but I love soup year round.

This was a ridiculously easy, super healthy soup and tasted realllly good. Tim immediately declared it 'a winner'. Sometimes, the simple things are most enjoyed.

It's not a heavy soup, so a side salad and some crusty whole wheat bread are a perfect accompaniment.

My only commentary on the recipe is to warn you not to overdo the peas. A 1/2 cup is the perfect amount. I love peas, so I deviated from the recipe and added about 3/4 cup, and gosh darn it if it wasn't slightly too much. Reason being, the peas give the savory soup just a hint of sweetness. With too many peas, it can overpower the soup. I know, who would have thought a few extra peas could do that?! But it was still delicious and Tim ate the leftovers the next day for lunch.

It doesn't make a lot, so I recommend doubling the recipe for leftovers or to freeze a couple portions for later. We got 2 dinners, and 1 lunch out of 1 recipe batch. Mm, mm, good.


Pasta Fagioli (pasta and bean soup)
from Walgreens Health Corner & ChefMD

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 carrots, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
One-quarter teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups low-salt vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup (2 ounces) uncooked whole wheat gemelli (small twisted pasta), or small shell pasta
1 can (14.5 ounces) seasoned diced tomatoes, undrained - such as Muir Glen brand (I used diced tomatoes with basil)
1 can (15 to 16 ounces) kidney beans or red beans, rinsed and drained (I used cannellini beans, kidney beans seem too much like a chili bean to me)
1/2 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
One-quarter cup chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley (I didn't have this, and was fine)
1/4 cup grated Romano or Asiago cheese (We used parmesan)


Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and carrots; cook 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute. Add broth and pasta; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and beans; return to a simmer and cook 5 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in peas; heat through. Ladle into shallow bowls; top with basil and cheese.

Substitutions: Freshly shelled peas may be substituted for frozen peas; stir them into the soup with the tomatoes and beans. Great Northern or cannellini beans may replace the kidney or red beans.

Tips: Leftover soup will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. For extra flavor, drizzle a small amount of rosemary-infused olive oil over the soup just before serving.

More pasta soup recipes from the blogosphere:
- Garden Pasta Soup, from Cooked from the Heart
- Tortellini Pasta Soup with Blue Cheese, from Foodie by Nature
- Vegetable Soup with Orzo, from Cook Almost Anything at least Once

Guten appetit!

Tuscan Chickpea Soup - Winter Warmth

The winter is not over yet! Spring is near, but there are still plenty of cold nights to warm yourself over a bowl of soup.

I like this recipe because it's filling, without feeling heavy. Considering the ease of work involved and the fairly limited ingredients/spices, it has plenty of flavor. Pair it with a salad and crusty bread, you'll have dinner ready in 30 minutes.


I made a couple of slight adjustments based on other reviewers notes. Most important is to use a fairly good balsamic vinegar. There are occasions to use cheap vinegar, but this is not one of them. I also added the cayenne for a little more kick. It's not spicy, but I thought it added some extra 'umph'.

This one is definitely a winter staple, and I hope you have the chance to try it before the cold weather disappears!

Tuscan Chickpea Soup
adapted slightly from Cooking Light

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
7-8 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups water
1 teaspoon minced fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (use a fairly good vinegar)
1 teaspoon cayenne
6 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese


Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the water and the next 5 ingredients (water through tomatoes), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Place 2 cups soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour the pureed soup into a bowl. Repeat procedure with 2 cups soup. (I used my hand blender, directly in the soup pot - much easier! It also allowed me to puree most of the soup yet still keep some chunks of garbanzo bean for texture.)

Return all pureed soup to pan. Stir in the vinegar and cayenne, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Spoon 1 1/2 cups soup into bowls; sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.

More warming chickpea soups:
- Chickpea and Tomatillo Soup, from Cookworm
- Chickpea Soup with Spinach, Tomatoes and Basil, from Kalyn's Kitchen
- Chickpea Soup with Moghrabieh (Lebanese Couscous), from FatFree Vegan Kitchen
- Tunisian Chickpea Soup, from The Well-Seasoned Cook

Guten appetit!

Patriot Soup

Saint Patrick's Day is nearly upon us. I love the holiday itself, but it's extra special because it's also my brother's birthday (yay!).

To get in a fun, celebratory mood, lets have a bit of trivia...

1. According to legend, St. Patrick used WHAT to explain the holy trinity to pre-Christian Irish?
2. Where was St. Patrick born?
3. In what city and year did the first civic and public celebration of Saint Patrick's Day take place in the USA?
4. What gift do you get if you kiss the Blarney Stone?
5. What does the 4th leaf of a shamrock symbolize?
6. Leprechauns are said to perform which service for fairies?
(answers at the bottom of today's post)

As we all know, any good celebration needs good food and drink. You're in charge of your own drink, but I have a good recipe to share with you...

Patriot Soup. I found this soup in a soup book I bought in Ireland this past summer. Seemed appropriate for the holiday. It's green deliciousness. I added a can of chickpeas to give it some protein and make it our main dish, turned out great. Both Tim and I really liked it, and it's going in my soup rotation. If you're still battling a lingering cold winter this March, give this warm soup a try.


Patriot Soup
from Best of Irish Soups

Sorry for the delay, here is the recipe:

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley and chives
4-6 ounces chopped onions
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 leek (green part only), washed and sliced
8 ounces frozen peas
2-3 leaves of green cabbage, sliced thinly
5 cups vegetable stock
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
8 ounces potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
1/4 stick of butter
cream and/or finely shredded carrot - for garnish (optional)



Over medium heat, saute onion and leek in the butter for about 2 minutes. Add the stock and all the ingredients, excluding the peas and cabbage, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Then add the chopped cabbage and peas. Bring back to a boil. Cover and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

With a hand blender, process the soup to desired consistency.

Serve in white bowls (yes, it actually says that in the recipe!) and top with a swirl of thickened cream, sprinkled with shredded carrot. Accompany with home-made brown bread or scones, or potato bread.

As an extra tip, the book says: The white part of the leek is delicious sliced, lightly cooked in olive oil or butter, and added to mashed potatoes.

Answers to trivia questions:

1. The shamrock
2. Wales
3. Boston, 1737
4. The gift of eloquence
5. Luck (A 4-leaf clover occurs once for every 10,000 3-leaf clovers)
6. Make their shoes (Leprechauns are themselves male fairies)

Guten appetit!

Russian Mushroom & Potato Soup

A friend of mine, Michelle, sent me this recipe with a glowing, neon sign, electric recommendation that 'she loved it'. Ok then, it's a must-try!

When I went to the recipe site, I was then surprised to see that it had 5 stars. Some of my favorite recipes on the various cooking sites only have 4 stars. It actually seems kind of hard to get a recipe rated at a 5, since reviewers have differing opinions. This led me to be even more intrigued about the soup.

Since it still feels like winter, and is ridiculously cold (I hate when I walk outside and my ears start to ring after a couple minutes because they are so cold, ugh!), seems like there's no time like the present to make this comfort soup.

Verdict: 5 stars. It is very deserving of it's ranking. It's potato soup kicked up a notch.

Based on reviews though, I did make some changes. Especially where the calorie content would be the highest... I lessened the butter (use margarine if you can), and got rid of the half-and-half. I read through the reviews to get some additional ideas, including adding the celery. I've made my changes to the recipe below, as I cooked it. If you want to see the original recipe, click here.

I also halved the soup, which made 2 main dinner portions and 1 leftover lunch. Perfect.


So come along, travel with me to Russia. You're going to like it over there, I promise!

Russian Mushroom and Potato Soup
adapted from Allrecipes

3 tablespoons butter (or margarine), divided
2 leeks, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
6 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
1 teaspoon salt (if your vegetable broth includes salt, omit this)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
fresh dill weed, for garnish (optional)


Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Mix in leeks, carrots and celery, and cook 5 minutes. Pour in broth. Season with dill, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Mix in potatoes, cover, and cook 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender but firm.

While the potatoes/soup is cooking, melt remaining butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the mushrooms 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the potatoes/soup is done, remove from heat and discard the bay leaf. Using a hand blender, blend half the soup to create some thickness/texture. If you don't have a hand blender, you can pour half of the soup into a regular blender, then return blended soup to the pot and stir to combine. (You can omit the blending portion if you prefer the soup chunkier)

Stir mushrooms into the soup.

In a small bowl, mix the sour cream and flour until smooth. Stir into the soup to thicken. Garnish each bowl of soup with fresh dill to serve (optional). Serves 6, as a main course.

More foods from Russia:
- Russian Pirozhkis, from 5 Star Foodie
- Blinchiki (Russian crepes), from Beyond Salmon
- Russian Tea Cookies, from Albion Cooks (are these really russian or a made up american thing?)

Guten appetit!

Easy Veggie Chili

There are so many reasons to love veggie chili: it's easy to make, it freezes great, it's delicious and warming on a cold winter day, it's a great take-along dish (tailgating, etc).

This recipe in particular is a favorite, just because of how easy it is. I am sure there are fancier recipes to knock your socks off (see list at bottom). But I stick to my favorite, because when I'm making chili, I am not usually in the mood to put in extra 'knock your socks off' effort. This is warm (not spicy) and delicious, and hits the spot every time.


If you have time and feel like putting in some extra effort, make cornbread muffins to go with the chili. This combo will make you very happy.

Veggie Chili
adapted from CookingLight

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup diced green peppers
2 carrots, chopped (chunky)
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 small can of corn kernels (approx. 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can chickpeas
2 cups of water, divided
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, for topping (optional)


Chop/dice all your vegetables.

Heat oil in large pot, then add onion through garlic and saute 7-8 minutes.

Add corn through beans, and 1 1/2 cups water, bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Add additional water as necessary, so the chili doesn't dry out or burn on the bottom of the pan. Serve warm, with shredded cheese sprinkled on top.

Notes:
* You can use up to 4 cans of beans (and almost any variety you want: kidney, cannellini, butter beans, etc), but Tim doesn't like chili too 'beany' and therefore I use only 2 cans. Tastes great either way!
* Additional vegetables to add/substitute: diced celery, zucchini, red/yellow/orange bell peppers

More great chili recipes:
- Spicy Vegetarian Chili, from Simply Recipes
- Butternut Chili, from Karina's Kitchen
- Quick Vegetarian Chili with Avocado Salsa, from CookingLight

Guten appetit!

Hearty, Healthy Lentil Stew

This is one of my favorite winter meals. Complete comfort food.

Requires a bit of time (to cook the lentils and rice), but the preparation and work involved is very minimal. It's simple, packed with flavor, warm and healthy. Bring on the snow! I'll be tucked away on the couch, resting my big pregnant belly, watching a movie and eating lentil stew with fresh, crusty whole wheat bread. (sigh)

If you're a skier/snow-shoer, consider bringing this in your thermos instead of chili. Does a similar job, and would be a nice change.

A toast: To warm food, and cold days!



Lentil Stew
from Cooking Light

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped carrot
1 garlic clove, sliced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 cup dried lentils
3/4 cup instant brown rice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper


Heat oil in a small Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender.

Add broth, water, and tomatoes; bring to a boil.

Stir in lentils; simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in rice; simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in red pepper, salt, and black pepper.

More lentil soup recipes:
- Syrian Vegetarian Red Lentil Soup, from Herbivoracious
- Lentil and Escarole Soup, from Farmgirl Fare (use Vegetable Broth)
- Moroccan Lentil Soup, from A Year in Crockpotting

Guten appetit!

Split Pea Soup with Rosemary, a veggie twist for an old favorite

Not usually a fan of split pea soups? This recipe will give you the chance to experiment beyond your typical boundaries (yes, it's that good). Or maybe you love split pea, and you're looking for a new variation to try. For a twist on ol' split pea, definitely give this a shot!

Surprisingly, it didn't even turn out green in color. It's more reddish/brown. And the flavor is not a typical split pea (sweet, maybe some savory due to salty meat added, etc). This one has the most delicious flavors blended - rosemary, carrot, onion, garlic, and oh yeah, peas. Filled the house with a delicious smell, I love that.


For a twist on old split pea, definitely try this recipe. Was easy enough for a weeknight meal, but if the 1 hour simmer-time puts you off, make it for a cold weekend lunch and enjoy the leftovers the next day. Makes enough for 4 people, when paired with bread (go for whole wheat, crusty bread).

Split Pea Soup with Rosemary
adapted from CookingLight

1 1/2 cups green split peas
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 bay leaf
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
4 cups water
2 cups vegetable stock, or 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt (see note below)
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream


Sort and wash peas; cover with water to 2 inches above peas, and set aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and bay leaf; saute 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, rosemary, paprika, and pepper; cook 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and soy sauce; cook until liquid evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

Drain peas. Add peas, 4 cups water, vegetable stock, and salt to onion mixture; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 hour, stirring often.

Discard bay leaf. Place half of soup in blender or food processor; process until smooth. Pour pureed soup into a bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining soup. (I have a hand mixer and blended the soup directly in my pot)

Spoon soup into bowls; top each with sour cream.

Note: If you use canned broth instead of Vegetable Stock, omit the added salt.

Other split pea soup recipes:
- Kicked Up Coconut Split Pea Soup, from Karina's Kitchen
- Southwestern Yellow Split-Pea Soup, from FatFree Vegan Kitchen
- Yellow Split Pea Soup, from 101 Cookbooks
- Traditional Organic Split Pea Soup, from Organic To Be

Guten appetit!

Chickpea & Leek Soup

I ran across this recipe, in printed email format circa 2004, and thought about making it for a dinner party towards the end of the month. I was drawn to the chickpeas, one of my favorite foods. I also thought it was interesting to use them, vs potato which is more standard to see with leeks in soup. AND, this soup got the stamp of approval from my friend Jamie, who sent me the email (not to be confused with Jamie Oliver, who created the recipe).

So, I wondered... Would it be fancy or delicious enough to stand alone as a starter for my dinner party? Did I think it would blend well with my planned main course? And, what the heck do leeks taste like (they're always in something, but not the main flavor, so I really wasn't sure- onions?)?

All good questions, therefore, a trial run was called for.

Chickpea & Leek Soup
Altered slightly, from Jamie Oliver (aka- the other jamie, not my friend. Although, maybe that's too hasty a comment - maybe he'd like to be my friend...)

1 can of garbanzo beans
5 medium leeks (click here to see how to clean and prep leeks)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons pepper
3 cups vegetable stock
Grated parmesan, to taste (I used about 3 tablespoons, plus a sprinkle for presentation)
Extra-virgin olive oil

Remove the outer skin of the leeks, slice lengthways from the root up, wash carefully and slice finely (the thinner, the better). Discard the upper, greener portion of the leek leaves.

Warm a thick-bottomed pan, and add the oil and butter. Add leeks and garlic to the pan, and cook gently with a small pinch of salt until tender and sweet. Add drained chickpeas and cook for one minute. Add 2/3 of the stock and simmer for 15 minutes.

Now decide if you want to puree the soup in some sort of processor, or leave it chunky and brothy. I puree most of the soup with a hand-blender directly in my soup pot, but leave plenty of big chunks for texture.

Lastly, add enough of the remaining stock to achieve the consistency you like. Check for seasoning, adding pepper and parmesan to round off the flavors.

Final consensus: This IS the moneymaker. Great winter comfort food. I say: mmm, mmm, ye-ahh! (Ok- enough 'subtle' hints. Check out Rilo Kiley, if you haven't already. They're on repeat on our iPod, love it.)

The chickpeas added the thickness to the soup I was hoping for, and the leeks tasted a bit like asparagus (wasn't expecing that!). Was a delicious combo, and will definitely make this one again.

No problem serving this soup as a starter with some good chunky bread, although it's warming up so fast here, an end of March dinner party may be too late to serve this yummy warm soup. We had it for lunch, as J.O. recommended: he likes it for lunch with a good drizzle of his best peppery extra-virgin olive oil, a grinding of black pepper, and an extra sprinkling of parmesan.

Guten appetit!

Cauliflower Soup

Big 'Thank you' to Jamie for introducing me to a new soup! Tim has been sick this week, so hearty, healthy soup is just what Dr. Me calls for.

As you will soon learn, my favorite type of recipe is *easy*. The easier the better. I have tried super complicated recipes, and frankly, they're not usually worth the effort and taste overdone. 'Less is more' is my self-proclaimed, newly decided upon, going to forget about by tomorrow, motto.

Introducing, a super simple, rich in flavor, winter comfort food that you should not miss: Cauliflower Soup.

I have to laugh at myself for attempting a 'presentation'. Went a little overboard with the drizzled olive oil. Tim got the non-olive oil saturated bowl, although mine was still delicious! Newly added to the shopping list, an olive oil cruet/bottle for future soup presentations.

Here's the How-To: (recipe from Foodnetwork)

1 head cauliflower
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart (4 cups) vegetable stock (for a thicker soup, use 3-3.5 cups)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower, coarsely chop, and reserve.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and, using a hand held immersion blender, puree the soup, or puree in small batches in a blender* and return it to the pot.
4. Add parmesan and nutmeg, stir until smooth. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

Keep warm until ready to serve. Goes great with whole wheat, crusty bread.

1 recipe will feed 4 adults. Consider doubling the recipe and freezing half.

* When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.