White Bean and Kale Soup

Kale.  Lovely Kale!  

Besides being incredibly delicious, these healthy curly leafs contain a chemical called, sulforaphane, that has potent anti-cancer properties!  Awesome, right?? Makes you want to eat loads more! Sulforaphane is more potent when eaten raw, and when kale leaves grow larger some varieties can be rather strong to eat raw.  If this is the case, I would recommend using baby kale available at some health food or grocery stores.  

Speaking of fighting cancer, I wanted to introduce my readers to a very courageous and inspiring woman, Heather Von St James, who began fighting cancer over 6 years ago and is now cancer free!  I was incredibly touched when I heard her story and just love her remarkable and encouraging blog, found here!

Ready for another interesting raw kale fact?  Kale freezes well and tastes sweeter and more flavorful once chilled!  I usually give my kale an ice bath before tossing in a salad.

I think I can voice for pretty much everyone that soups are a universal household staple.  Warm, hearty, usually healthy and great for leftovers! One downside? Canned foods are found in most recipes.  I do know sometimes it's hard to completely cut-out canned foods, but I like to avoid it when possible.  Plus it's so easy to plump up those hard dried beans in a snap, well, almost a snap! Simply place rinsed beans in a pot, cover with water, leaving about 2-in of water above them.  Bring to a boil and take off heat.  Let sit for 1 1/2 hours, drain and rinse.  Easy and far more healthful then canned! 

The fresh beans add such a rich texture and taste to this soup!  

*Don't forget to enter my Shabby Apple Giveaway for a free $75.00 Gift Card!* 

Enter here: http://www.epicureanmom.com/2012/04/shabby-apple-giveaway-75-gift-card.html

White Bean and Kale Soup

Recipe created by Epicurean Mom

Yields 7-8 servings 

Ingredients:

2 cups dried cannellini beans, rinsed well (white kidney beans)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped

5 cups vegetable broth

2 1/2 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon thyme, minced

1 1/2 cups carrot, diced

1 1/2 cups celery, coarsely chopped

8 cups kale, coarsely chopped

3 small yukon gold potatoes, washed and diced (leave skin on)

1/3 cup strawberry tomatoes, quartered (any kind of small tomatoes will work)

1/3 cup shaved parmesan cheese, for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation: 

Place rinsed kidney beans in a medium pot.  Cover them with water until they are completely submerged, leaving 2-inches of water above them.  Place over medium-medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until boiling.  Take off heat and let sit uncovered for 1 1/2 hours.  Drain and rinse well.  Set the beans aside. 

In a large dutch oven over medium heat, heat the olive oil and add garlic, stirring constantly, until fragrant.  Add the onions and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes.  Add all ingredients, except for diced potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.  Add the potatoes and continue to cook for another 30-35 minutes, until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.  Season with salt and pepper, I also add a sprinkle of Trader Joe's 21 seasoning salute (I love this seasoning!)

Spoon into serving bowls and garnish with shaved parmesan cheese. 

Chili with Chipotle {3 Bean Recipe}

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After a Dailey Method or Pilates workout I crave a meal that's hearty, healthy and enriched with protein.  (On a side note if you haven't checked out the dailey method, I suggest you do!)

Eating healthy can be, well, slightly boring and monotonous.  I love salads, grilled veggies, quinoa and raw foods; although sometimes these can be on the light side.  After a hard workout protein is what your body craves.  Chili is hearty, healthy and veggie filled...everything your muscles need.

A hearty chili meal isn't a "real" chili without its partner in crime...corn bread.  If you want to avoid unwanted calories, skip the corn bread; although I wouldn't recommend it!

My chili is super simple, quick and easy to adapt. 

Enjoy! 

3 Bean Chili


Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 onion, diced, plus 1/4 cup for garnish
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon 21 seasoning salute (from trader joes) *Optional*
1 bay leaf
1.2 lbs lean ground beef/turkey
2 1/2 cups water
4 cups diced tomatoes ( I used Pomi brand)
1 chipotle pepper (in adobo sauce), minced
2 1/2 teaspoons adobo sauce
1 can organic kidney beans, rinsed
1 can organic black beans, rinsed
1 can organic pinto beans, rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream, garnish
cheddar cheese, grated, for garnish

Preparation
Heat olive oil and garlic in a  dutch oven (or heavy saucepan) over medium-high heat, until fragrant.  Add the onions, red/green bell pepper and carrots, stirring until soft, about 10 minutes.  Stir in cumin, thyme and oregano stirring for 1minute.  Add bay leaf, 21 seasoning salute and beef.  Cook beef until no longer pink.  Pour water, diced tomatoes, adobo sauce and chipotle pepper.  Cook partially covered for 30 minutes.

Add black, pinto and kidney beans to chili, cook for an additional 20-25 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately, garnishing with cheddar cheese, diced onions and sour cream.

Roasted Sweet Potato Apple and Sage Soup

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First and foremost, I love all my wonderful readers!! If it wasn't for you this blog wouldn't be.  Thank you! Let's all stay in touch, take a minute to subscribe to Epicurean Mom by email or RSS feed and on Facebook.  

Now on to SOUP...

I'm boycotting our sunny California weather and dipping into a nice warm bowl of homemade soup!  I've been patiently, or not so patiently, waiting for a cold winter day to make a simmering bowl of goodness!  Alas, it hasn't happened.  Next option? To make one anyway!

Finding the right method for cooking vegetables is important, since it's a pretty well known fact: Vegetables are good for you!  A lot of people see eating veggies as a chore.  Well, it doesn't have to be that way. Vegetables can actually be very tasty!

Roasting gives the vegetables a unique flavor.  Cooking them slowly in the oven helps to caramelize and enhance the natural sweetness.  Even though it takes a while to roast, the prep time is virtually non-existent!  Just toss vegetables with olive oil and herbs, put in a baking dish and let them roast!  So easy and tastes much better then steaming or boiling.

I'm a savory sweet gal, so I thought adding a touch of apple and sage to the sweet potatoes would be a yummy addition, and it was! This recipe is so easy to modify to your liking.  Add a dash of cinnamon and/or nutmeg to give it a real harvest kick!

Enjoy! 

Roasted Sweet Potato Apple and Sage Soup
Recipe Adapted by Epicurean Mom


Yields 4-6 Servings 

Ingredients:

3 red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams)

3 tablespoon olive oil

1 apple, peel and cored

1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

1/4 cup apple cider

3 cups vegetable broth

1 cup 2 % milk

1 onion, diced

dash of cinnamon 

dash of nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash and dry potatoes.  Place whole potatoes on a baking sheet drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until soft and cooked through.  Cut into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.

Pour remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onions, apples and sage.  Cook until onions are soft and translucent.  Mix 1/4 cup apple cider and veggie broth.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer.  Cover and cook until the apples are soft, about 10-15 minutes.  Place the potato chunks in the dutch oven, using an immersion blender or blender, blend until pureed.  Add milk, salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg, mixing well.  Spoon into bowls, garnish with cinnamon and sage leaves.  

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

My family and I just recently got back from a trip to South Lake Tahoe for a dear friends beautiful wedding.  After two flights and screaming children (Yes, we were the most hated passengers on the plane!) all we could think about was food...Glorious food!


I'm sure most of you have flown.  If not, do not eat airport food.  It really is awful.  I attempted to eat a caesar salad....safe, right?  No, not so safe.  After 2 bites down it went into the garbage.

Immediately when we received our rental car we asked for the nearest healthy, good restaurant or deli.  They pointed us to a place called süp (Pronounced:soup). It's small quaint place that serves great sandwiches, salads and soups (no they didn't sponsor this post.  I just really liked it!)

I bought our 16 month old a baked potato soup (playing it on the safe side, since she's a picky eater) and we all fought for spoonfuls.  I knew this was a soup I would try to recreate when I got home.

I would definitely say this soup is comparable or even slightly better (yes, I'm biased.)  ;-)

It tastes exactly like a loaded delicious baked potato.  My soup is a thicker soup but it's easy to thin it out with adding extra milk or chicken broth.

Now, comes the good part...the giveaway!

This giveaway isn't sponsored (although I do have a fun sponsored giveaway coming up soon!) I recently bought a few items for myself and I love them and wanted to share it with all my wonderful readers/friends!

One of my favorite stores for home and clothes is anthropologie!

A few weeks ago I found some adorable ceramic 'cartons'.  I use them for fruit and planted flowers, but they can really be used for anything, and they are great photo props!

This ceramic rolling pin is the best and most efficient rolling pin I've ever used. Virtually no sticking, and it's adorable!

Giveaway Details

You have until Wednesday, Oct 5th, 12 midnight PST to enter this giveaway.  One winner will be chosen via random.org and will have 2 days to respond or a new winner will be selected.  Only open to residents of the US and Canada. 

Items:

1 white ceramic (dishwasher safe & microwave safe) 'carton'

1 teal ceramic (dishwasher safe & microwave safe) 'carton'

1 ceramic rolling pin  

How to Enter:

5 possible entries. To earn credit for each entry leave separate comments for each step (listed below) on my blog.  If you don't leave a separate comment for each step, I will not be able to include them. 

YOU MUST leave your email, in order for me to contact you.

1. "Like" Epicurean Mom on Facebook 

2. Subscribe to Epicurean Mom by email (on my blog homepage) or RSS

3. Follow @EpicureanMom on Twitter

5. Tweet this post/giveaway, being sure to include my twitter handle (@EpicureanMom.)

4. Stumble this post 

5. Leave a comment about your favorite/most used kitchen item (mine being this amazing roller!)

Good Luck!!

*Come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset. * 

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Recipe Adapted from Epicurean Mom

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3-4 Large Russet Potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

3/4 cup flour

2 1/2 cups broth

1/2 cup half & half

2 1/2 cups 2% milk

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup (mild) cheddar cheese, grated, plus more for garnish

1 cup white (mild) cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 cup sour cream

1 large onion, diced

5 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 tablespoons chives, chopped

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Rub potatoes with olive oil and place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 45 min- 1 hour, or until soft and completely cooked. 

Cool potatoes completely and peel. Dice 2 potatoes (into bite sized pieces) and mash the other with 1/2 cup milk.  Separately, set both aside. 

Over medium heat melt butter (you can add more butter, I cut on it to save on calories) in a dutch oven and add flour, stirring vigorously, until thickened and smooth. Slowly add half and half and milk (stirring vigorously.)  Add onions and garlic and cook until soft and translucent (stirring continuously.) Add the mashed potato. Using an emulsion blender or blender, blend until smooth (if using a blender return to the dutch oven.) Add chicken broth, cheddar cheese and white cheddar cheese, salt and pepper.

Stir in the sour cream, until completely incorporated, and add diced potatoes. 

Spoon into bowls and garnish with cheddar cheese, bacon and chives. 

Organic Apple-Cheddar-Squash Soup

I finally smoothed out, most, of the kinks on my blog so I can start posting again! A few weeks ago I made a soup that I previously made for our Christmas dinner and it was a HIT! The combination of the savory prosciutto, creamy cheese and the sweet apple really gives this soup a lovely complexity!

Ingredients:
5 Tb organic butter
1 med organic onion, thinly sliced
2 med organic apples, thinly sliced
1 large organic potato, diced
1 1/2 cups organic peeled diced butternut squash, fresh
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp organic dried or fresh sage
2 Tb organic unbleached flour
1/3 cup organic apple cider
4 cups organic low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup organic milk
2 ounces thinly sliced organic prosciutto , torn into bite-size pieces
2 cups grated organic cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish
Chopped organic chives, for garnish
Garlic crusty organic bread, for serving (optional but recommended!)

Preparation:
Melt 4 Tb butter in a large pot over med-low heat add the onions, potato, apples and butternut squash. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onions are soft, about 8 minutes.  Stir in the sage and flour.  Add the cider cook over high heat, stirring, until thickened.  Add the broth and milk, cover and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the potato is soft, 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 Tb butter in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the prosciutto and cook until crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Add the cheese to the soup and cook on med-low heat until cheese is completely melted. Puree in a blender in batches *VERY IMPORTANT* If the batches are too large the heat of the soup and the blender will cause the soup to explode and burn anyone around!! Use less then half a blender full.

Return pureed soup to pot season with salt, pepper and any desired seasonings. Garnish with prosciutto, cheese, chives and bread.

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Coconut Curried Red Lentil Soup

Being pregnant there are lots of foods I'm finding I have aversions to, one of which is meat. Since Meat used to be my primary source of protein I need to find new ways to get the necessary amount of protein in my diet. A great way to incorporate protein plus lots of other important nutrients is red, brown or green lentils. Lentils can be prepared and served in many different ways such as in a burrito, pilaf, stew or hummus but my all time favorite is in soups. I came across a Coconut Lentil Soup that needed some revising and made a fantastic Coconut Curried Red Lentil Soup! 

I'm also aware we are into Spring and Winter is long gone and I assure you this will be my last "Winter food" recipe...maybe! The fragrant smell of the toasted curry, the sweet coconut milk and the aromatic cooked ginger was just to good to pass up!

Ingredients
1 cup yellow split peas
1 cup  red split lentils (masoor dal)
7 cups  water
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh peeled and minced ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup  golden raisins
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 Tb Better then Bouillon Chicken paste
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 Tb fine grain sea salt
one small handful cilantro, chopped
cooked sweet brown rice ( I got mine from the bulk section at our local health food store-Lazy Acres) 

Preparation
Give the split peas and lentils a good rinse - until they no longer put off murky water. Place them in an extra-large soup pot with the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the carrot and 1/4 of the ginger. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft.

In the meantime, in a small dry skillet or saucepan over low heat, toast the curry powder until it is quite fragrant around 10 minutes. Be careful though, you don't want to burn the curry powder, just toast it. Set aside. Place the butter in a pan over medium heat, add half of the green onions, the remaining ginger, garlic and raisins. Saute for two minutes stirring constantly, then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two more.

Add the toasted curry powder to the tomato paste mixture, mix well, and then add this to the simmering soup along with the coconut milk, better then bouillon and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so. The texture should thicken up, but you can play around with the consistency if you like by adding more water, a bit at a time, if you like. Or simmer longer for a thicker consistency. I found the thicker the soup the better the taste!

Finish with 1/2 cup of warm sweet brown rice and sprinkle each bowl generously with cilantro and the remaining green onions.

Asparagus Parmesan Soup

Being 30 weeks pregnant I have been craving lots of green foods. I know, a little out of the norm! Anyways, the two main green foods have been artichoke and asparagus. I recently bought bulk of asparagus since it was on sale so I thought why not make an asparagus soup!! I used a combination of recipes to come up with this fantastic soup! First prepare the leeks by cutting them lengthwise and then in half moons. I put these into a colander and into a bowl with water and wash them very well.  All you need to do is swish swish a few times and all of the dirt falls into the bottom of the bowl.

Next cut the tips off the asparagus and then cut the asparagus stalks in 1/2 in pieces.

Melt 1 1/2 Tb butter in a large pot and added the asparagus tips. Cook them for around 2 min on med-high heat then set them aside. Lower the temp to med-low and melt another 1 1 /2 Tb butter and add the asparagus stalks and leeks. Cook those, stirring occasionally, for about 10 min or until the veggies are softened.  Turn heat up once again to med-high heat add the chicken broth, bring that to a boil then lower the heat to med-low and let it simmer for around 5min. In a separate saute pan saute 2 shallot and 3 cloves garlic with a TB of Olive oil for about 5 min and transfer it into the soup. Add the peas and the parmesan cheese then use an immersion blender to thoroughly blend the soup. If you don't have an immersion blender you can blend the soup in batches in a blender. Finally  add the lemon, the heavy cream, the asparagus tips and salt and pepper. When your ready to spoon the soup into the bowls sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top and garnish with one asparagus tip.

Asparagus Parmesan Soup Adapted from Emeril Lagasse & Cook's Country

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh asparagus, rinsed
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 minced shallot
• 2 small leeks, whites and light greens only, well rinsed
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
  

  Directions

  Trim the attractive top tips from the asparagus, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in length. Cut the woody stem ends from each spear and reserve. Cut the remaining tender stalks into 1/2-inch pieces.
  
  
  In a medium pot, melt 1 1/2 Tb butter in a large pot and added the asparagus tips. Cook them for around 2 min on med-high heat then set them aside. Lower the temp to med-low and melt another 1 1 /2 Tb butter and add the asparagus stalks and leeks cook for 10 min or until the vegetables are softened. Turn heat up once again to med-high heat add the chicken broth, bring that to a boil then lower the heat to med-low and let it simmer for around 5min. Add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese. 
  
  
  In a medium saute pot, melt 1 Tb Olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the shallots and garlic and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.Transfer into the soup pot.
  
  
  With a hand-immersion blender or in batches in a blender, puree the soup until smooth. Add the lemon, the heavy cream, the asparagus tips and salt and pepper. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.