White Bean, Garlic, and Leek Soup

Recipe from Lattes and Leggings

My sister gave me this recipe because she said I had to try it. I will definitely be making it again. It's super yummy! I think it's the fresh thyme that makes it so delicious. The recipe is super easy and is a must try!

What you'll need
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, halved
1 tbsp fresh time leaves
2 (15-oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to
1.  In a large pot, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and celery. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened.

2.  Stir in the garlic, thyme and beans. Add the broth and reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer for about 20 minutes until the garlic is softened.

3.  Puree 2 cups of the soup (include all the garlic cloves) in a food processor. Transfer the pureed soup back to the pot. Stir together until combined. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Spicy Sausage, Potato & Kale Soup

Recipe from The Candid Appetite.

I love this soup! It is hardy and flavourful and has the perfect amount of spice. I did however forget to add the cream to the soup, so if you are trying to be calorie conscious and want to omit it, I can say it is delicious even without the cream. 

What you'll need 

1 lb. spicy Italian sausage (gluten free if necessary), casing removed

2 tbsp butter or olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

2 large bunches of kale, stemmed and chopped, about 4 overflowing handfuls

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced

8 cups chicken broth (gluten free if necessary)

1/2 cup heavy cream

How to

1.  Heat a large heavy-duty pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it ip with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally until cooked through. Remove sausage from pot and set aside. 

2.  Lower heat to medium, add the butter or oil, onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Continue to saute until the onions have caramelized. 

3.  Add the chopped kale in batches, allowing it to wilt down as it cooks. Add the nutmeg and stir. Cook the kale for another 3 minutes until it has turned bright green and completely wilted down. Add the sliced potatoes and cooked sausage.

4.  Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat and allow the soup to simmer until the potatoes are tender and soft. Add more salt, pepper or red pepper flakes to taste, if desired. Once the potatoes are fully cooked, stir in heavy cream. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Mulligatawny

Recipe from Jamie Oliver's Great Britain.

Whenever I hear mulligatawny, I think of the Seinfeld episode with the "soup nazi". I never actually knew what it was though (I figured it was soup). Andrew gave me Jamie Oliver's Great Britain cookbook for my birthday. When we were looking through the recipe's together, he said "this looks like something you'd like". I agreed, so I though I'd give it a try. Well, Andrew knows me well because I looooved this recipe! One dish dinners is my kind of eating (if you've noticed from the majority of the recipes on my blog) and the flavours in this dish are right up my alley.  Curry, ginger and cilantro I love. What surprised me in this dish however was how the flavours from the HP sauce, thyme and butternut squash set this recipe apart from my other curry recipes. I will definitely be making this recipe a lot!

What you'll need

Olive oil

8 1/2 oz Ground beef

1 Red onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 Carrots, peeled and finely chopped

4 Garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced

1 Red pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 Piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 or 2 Fresh red chiles, seeded and finely chopped

A small bunch of fresh cilantro

1 heaped tbsp Curry paste

1 heaped tbsp Tomato puree

Sea salt 

Ground pepper

1 heaped tbsp HP sauce

5 cups Organic beef stalk

1/2 Butternut squash (about 12 oz)

A couple sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked

A couple pinches of garam masala

1 cup Basmati rice

Plain yogurt to serve

How to

1.  Put a large pan on high heat and add a splash of olive oil and the ground beef. Cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the beef, until it starts to turn golden and caramelize.

2.  Stir in the onion, carrot, garlic, red pepper, ginger and most of the chiles, and add a splash more oil if needed. Cut the top leafy section off the cilantro and put aside in a cup of cold water for later. Finely chop the stalks and add to the pan. Cook and stir for around 10 minutes over medium heat, or until the vegetables have softened. 

3.  Stir in the curry paste, tomato puree, a good pinch of salt and pepper and the HP sauce. After a few more minutes, when it smells fantastic, pour in the stock. Leave to blip away with the lid on over a medium heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4.  Meanwhile, cut the butternut squash in to 1/2-inch chunks, getting rid of any seeds. Put a smaller pan on high heat. Add a lug of olive oil and the squash. Stir in the thyme leaves and the garam masala. Place a lid on the pan and cook for around 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring every few minutes until softened and golden. Add rice to the pan with 2 cups of water and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Replace the lid and cook for around 8 minutes on medium heat, then turn the heat off and leave to steam for 8 minutes with the lid on.

5.  Fluff up the rice and tip it into the soup. Have a taste, and season if needed. Gently mix together, then divide between your soup bowls witha good dollop of plain yogurt. Scatter over the cilantro leaves and add a sprinkling of fresh chile, if you like.

Spiced Carrot-Apple Soup with Fresh Mint

Recipe from Bon Appetit magazine.

This soup is so delicious. I like the use of different textures; it's pureed, but the apple, carrot and mint topping add so much. Do not be deceived, that mint is not a garnish, it really brings so much flavour and diversity to this soup.

What you'll need

2 tbsp Olive oil

1 1/2 cups Chopped white onion

1 1/4 lbs Carrots, peeled, diced, plus 1 carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise

3 3/4 cups Low-salt chicken broth

3/4 cup Diced peeled Fuji apple, plus 1/2 cup finely diced (for garnish)

2 tsp Chopped fresh ginger

4 1/2 tbsp Frozen apple concentrate, thawed

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Allspice

Coarse kosher salt

Chopped fresh mint

How to

1.  Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 2 minutes.

2.  Add all carrots, broth, 3/4 cup apple and ginger; bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat; simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

3.  Remove carrot halves; dice finely.

4.  Puree soup in batches in blender; return to pan. Mix in apple juice and spices. Season with salt and pepper.

5.  Ladle soup into bowls. Top with finely diced carrot, finely diced apple, and mint.

Moroccan Chick Pea Soup

I'm not sure where I got this recipe from, but I've had it forever. I love this soup. It's comforting, hearty, and delicious. It has the slightest bit of kick to it to off set the pureed tahini and chickpeas. It's the perfect soup for a rainy day like today.

What you'll need
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 Carrots, grated
2 Clove garlic, minced
1 Medium onion, chopped
1 Yellow or red pepper, chopped
15 oz can chick peas, rinsed and drained
3 cups Vegetable stock
1/3 cup Tahini
2 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tbsp Chopped fresh parsley
3/4 tsp Ground cumin
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp Thyme leaves
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
2 Green onions, chopped (garnish)

How to
1.  Heat oil in large saucepan. Add carrots, garlic, onion, and yellow pepper; cook until tender.

2.  Meanwhile, in food processor, puree chick peas, 1 cup of the vegetable stock, tahini, and lemon juice.

3.  Stir pureed mixture into saucepan. Add remaining ingredients including remaining vegetable stock (excluding green onions). Cook over medium heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Top with green onions and serve.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

My mom loves butternut squash and gave me this recipe. There is something about butternut squash soup that is so comforting. Maybe it's just the memories of eating a delicious bowl of soup on a crisp fall day that make it so enjoyable, but I think some credit needs to go to the fact that this recipe is just super yummy!

What you'll need
1 Butternut squash, halved and seeded
1/4 cup Butter
1 Onion, chopped
6-8 Garlic cloves, minced
3 1/2 cups Chicken broth
1 Bay leaf
1 tsp Brown sugar
1 tsp Hot curry powder
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper

How to
1.  Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake squash for one hour in a baking dish with flesh side up and covered with tin foil. Allow to cool until able to handle. Scrape out flesh into a medium sized bowl. Mash with a potato masher until large pieces are broken up.

2.  In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft.

3.  Add the squash and remaining ingredients. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Kale, Bean and Sausage Soup

Recipe modified. Original recipe from Canadian Living magazine.

Isn't it crazy how as soon as September hits, it begins to feel like fall. The air smells different, and the nights feel cooler. Every year I'm surprised how quickly it happens, and as soon as it does I start craving soup. This soup is healthy, hearty and delicious...according to my husband, it's the best soup I've ever made! Perfect for that crisp fall day soup craving. 

What you'll need

2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil

1 Onion, sliced

2 Garlic cloves, minced

1 Russet potato, peeled and cubed

1 Bay leaf

1/2 tsp Paprika

2 cups Chicken broth

6 cups Kale leaves, chopped (I didn't have kale, so I used red swiss chard, and it was delicious!)

1 can (19 oz/540 mL) White kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Salt and Pepper

250 g Summer sausage, cubed

How to

1.  In large Dutch oven, heat half of the oil over medium heat; cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4-5 minutes.

2.  Add potato, bay leaf and paprika; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

3.  Pour in chicken broth and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potato is tender-firm, about 10 minutes.

4.  Add kale (or swiss chard if using) and beans; simmer until kale is tender, 5-7 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Salt and pepper to taste.

5.  Meanwhile, in skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat; fry sausage until browned. Sprinkle over bowlfuls of soup to serve.

Thai Pork and Noodle Soup

Recipe by Real Simple, slightly modified.

I looove this soup! It is so fresh and has so much flavour. The recipe calls for red chili peppers, but I didn't have any, so I used some chili flakes and a seeded diced jalapeno. It still tasted wonderful, but I think the red would really have made this soup look as delicious as it tasted. 

What you'll need

2 tbsp Canola oil
2 Scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
2 Cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp Ginger, finely shredded
1 lb Ground pork
1/2 lb Shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced
4 cups Chicken broth
1 tbsp Fish sauce or Soy sauce
4 oz Wide vermicelli noodles, cooked
2 tbsp fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
Red chili peppers, for serving
Cilantro leaves, for serving

How to
1.  Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2.  Add the pork and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, 6-8 minutes.

3.  Add the mushrooms and 1/2 tsp salt and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 2-3 minutes more.

4.  Add the broth, fish sauce, and 2 cups water to the saucepan (I didn't add the water, and I think the soup turned out perfect. Give the soup a taste though and use your own judgement). Bring to a boil.

5.  Add the noodles, reduce heat and simmer until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in the lime juice.

6.  Serve with scallion greens, chili peppers, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Carrot Lentil Soup

Recipe by Canadian Living.

This soup is really easy to make and it tastes great too!

What you'll need

1 tbsp Canola oil

3 Carrots, sliced

2 Onions, chopped

2 Cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp Gingerroot, minced

1 tsp Ground cumin

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

6 cups Vegetable or chicken broth

3/4 cup Red lentils

2 tbsp Fresh cilantro or parsley

1/2 cup Plain yogurt

How to

1.  In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, cumin, salt and pepper, stirring often, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes.

2.  Add broth and lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until carrots and lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

3.  In batches in blender or food processor, puree lentil mixture until smooth. Return to pan and heat through.

4.  Ladle soup into bowls. Stir coriander into yogurt; swirl or dollop onto each serving.

Squash Lentil and Chickpea Soup

Recipe modified.  Original recipe by Canadian Living.

Two more days of classes.  The end is in sight!  I am already feeling relief.  Enough so that I had enough energy to make dinner.  Amazing, I know.  Usually cooking is a way for me to relax, but lately I've been eating whatever I can just to stay alive.  Today however, was the day to begin cooking again.  I made this delicious squash soup.  The cumin and chili powder give it some nice spice, while the sweetness of the squash brings balance to the dish.  Oh how I love good food!

What you'll need
1 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp Ground cumin
2 cups Butternut squash, peeled and chopped
1 Onion, chopped
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
3 tbsp Tomato paste
1 can (540 mL) Lentils, drained and rinsed
1 can (540 mL) Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cups Vegetable stock
1 strip Lemon rind
1/4 cup Fresh parsley, chopped

How to
1.  In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, squash, cumin, chili powder, pepper and salt.  Fry, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.  Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

2.  Add lentils, chickpeas, stock and lemon rind; cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 15 minutes.

3.  Discard lemon rind.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Serve.

Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup

Recipe by Anna Magazine.

This soup is amazing!  Sweet potato, coconut milk, lime juice and peanut butter...what could be more perfect?

What you'll need

2 tbsp Unsalted butter

1 medium Onion, chopped

4 Cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp Fresh ginger, minced

2 cups diced Sweet potatoes

1 cup Coconut milk

2 cups Canned diced tomatoes

1/2 cup Canned pumpkin puree

2 cups Chicken or Vegetable stock

1 tbsp Honey

1/2 cup Natural peanut butter

1/2 cup Fresh lime juice

Coarse salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Chopped peanuts to garnish

Chopped fresh cilantro to garnish

How to

1.  In large heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add onion and cook until golden, about 5 minutes; add garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add ginger and sweet potato and cook for another 10 minutes.

2. Add coconut milk, tomatoes, pumpkin puree, chicken stock and honey.  Bring to boil; simmer for 40 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.

3.  Puree 1/2 the soup with a hand blender.  Return soup to saucepan.  Add peanut butter and lime juice and 1/4 cup water if soup is too thick.  

4.  Heat through and season with salt and pepper.  Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cilantro.  Serves 6 to 8.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup is meant for chilly fall day's like today.  Make your broth ahead of time, right after you finish making that delicious chicken dinner.  Then, when you feel like having soup, it'll take no time to whip up!

What you'll need
Broth:
Bones of 1 chicken (if using the chicken recipe linked above, add the onion and rosemary too)
Water
2-3 Celery stalks, cut into thirds
1 small Onion, quartered
2 Bay leaves

Soup:
2-3 Carrots, peeled and chopped
2 Celery stalks, chopped
2 Green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups diced Chicken
10 sprigs Fresh parsley, roughly chopped
500g pasta of your choice (I like egg noodles best, but if you're using linguini like I did here, break it into thirds or quarters before boiling.)
Salt and Pepper

How to
1.  Put the chicken bones, celery, onion and bay leaves into a large pot and add enough water so that everything is well covered.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat to low and let simmer, covered, for 4 hours.  Strain the broth using a fine strainer or cheesecloth-lined sieve.  Refrigerate broth for another day or put it back in the pot for use now.

2.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Strain.

3.  A the carrots, celery, onions, parsley to the broth and let simmer until the carrots are soft.  Add the chicken and noodles.

Note: Use this recipe as a guideline...if you made a lot of broth, add more veggies, or if your chicken was smaller and you didn't make much broth add less of the other ingredients.

4.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with fresh biscuits.

Chinese Mushroom Soup

Recipe from Mushroom by Lesley Mackley.

Perfect for a rainy day.  The mushrooms and rice noodles make this soup hearty and comforting, while the cilantro and ginger make it taste wonderfully fresh.

What you'll need
2/3 cup Water
1/4 cup Dried shiitake mushrooms
4 cups Vegetable or chicken stock
3-cm piece Fresh ginger, grated
2 Cloves garlic, thinly sliced
85 g Fresh cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 tbsp Soy sauce
70 g Rice vermicelli noodles
3 Scallions, thinly sliced
Fresh cilantro

How to
1.  Bring the water to a boil.  Remove from heat and add the shiitake mushrooms.  Let soak for 10 minutes, then remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon, chop coarsely, and set aside.  Strain the mushroom liquid to remove any dirt or grain and pour into a clean pot.

2.  Add the stock to the mushroom liquid and bring to a boil.  Add the ginger, garlic, shiitake, and cremini mushrooms and soy sauce.  (Here I added some snow peas that I had...delicious, but optional).  Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package instructions.  Drain and add to the soup, let simmer for an additional 3 minutes.

4.  Sprinkle the scallions over the soup and garnish with cilantro.  Serve and enjoy!

Broccoli Soup with Croutons

Modified recipe. Original recipe by Canadian Living.

I know soup is not really a summer food, but it's great for a cold rainy days like the ones we've been having recently. This soup is deliciously creamy though there isn't even any cream in it! I added the croutons for a bit of crunchy texture and it complements the soup quite nicely.

What you'll need
1 tbsp Butter
1 Onion, chopped
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Potato, peeled and diced
1/4 tsp each Salt, pepper and dried thyme
4 cups Vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
3 cups Broccoli

How to
1. Chop the broccoli. I hate wasting food, so I try and use the stalks too. Simply peel and slice them.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, potato, salt, pepper, thyme and broccoli stalks. Fry until onion is softened, about 4 minutes.

3. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Add the broccoli and simmer for another 5 minutes.

5. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

6. Dish into bowls and top with croutons. To make your own, simply melt some butter in a pan over medium heat (as much or as little as you prefer), chop up some day old bread, add it to the pan and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Be sure to toss the croutons occasionally. Fry until golden brown.