White Bean and Cabbage Soup

Simmer down! This is not the horribly bland cabbage soup recipe you used that summer after freshman year when you were trying to quickly drop the added pounds. It is, however, a very comforting and hearty bowl of soup that will knock these winter nights out of the park.

It also comes from my new favorite cookbook Recipes from the Root Cellar. I halved the recipe and used the other half of the cabbage for a recipe that will be posted on the blog soon. I used Mexican Chorizo instead of Spanish. The difference? Mine was crumbly like hamburger meat and not really like smoked sausage. Honestly, you should never feel like you HAVE to have the exact ingredients. Cooking is all about making what you have work for you. I will say that I think the recipe needs more broth... it just seemed to be more like a stew. I also forgot to put the white beans (which I cooked at home) until after I had my first bowl. So that may have been why the broth to ingredients ratio seemed off. Oops.

I am telling you people to give cabbage a chance. I have a friend that says he can't get excited about cabbage, "It's just cabbage" he says. I used to be the same way, but now I know if you add the right ingredients cabbage is as tasty as you can make it. I am excited because I am about to cook with my first head of red cabbage soon!

Have you made cabbage a part of your winter diet?

White Bean and Cabbage Soup
(Serves 6-8)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small head green or savoy cabbage, thinly sliced (6-8 cups)
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 pound thin-skinned potatoes (do not peel), cut into 1-inch cubes
8 ounces Spanish chorizo, andouille, or other full-flavored, fully, cooked sausage
1 1/2 cups cooked white beans, or 1 (15-ounce) can, rinsed and drained.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the cabbage and onion and saute until beginning to color, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the broth, potatoes, and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and summer until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

3. Stir in the beans and simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and serve hot.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Getting tired of soup season yet? I didn't think so. So today's recipe is another winning combo - black beans and sweet potatoes. Honestly, I could probably just eat both of them cooked and mashed together by themselves. Remember recently we tried out Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos - and they were a hit with all who tried them. I was tempted just to make those again, but when I sit down to watch some TV I like the easiness of bowl in one hand spoon in other. It works well.

I also amazingly didn't have to use canned tomatoes. There are still tomatoes in my box? I am really perplexed by this, but I am going to attribute it to our Indian Summer we had this year. Did you know... an Indian Summer is classified by the unseasonably warm temperatures after the first frost that makes the leaves change colors. I did feel strange crunching leaves on the sidewalk with my flip flops. Oh the joys of the South! Back to the tomatoes... because they weren't canned, I added them a little earlier in the simmering process to give them time to break down and flavor the soup.

I topped it with a little sour cream and shredded cheddar. It was super filling and tasty. The chili was made for two servings, but my girlish appetite probably will be pulling three out of this bad boy. The last little bit might have to be eaten with a grilled cheese.

Do you have any out of the norm chili recipes you'll be making this winter? Do you let yours sit in the fridge for seven days before it's ready to be served? Please share in the comments section.





Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili
(Serves Two)

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 1/3 cups water
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

1. Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sweet potato and cook, stirring often, until the onion is slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, ground chipotle, and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water, bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sweet potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Recipe from Eating Well Serves Two.

Collard Green & Black-Eyed Pea Soup

-My friends, the recipes for greens never ends! I find myself singing the song from the musical Into The Woods... ♪Greens, greens, and nothing but greens!♪. After working with them, I have realized that I really enjoy collards, kale, and of course spinach. Sadly, mustard and turnip greens don't always substitute well in recipes. However, no substitutions were needed for this Eating Well recipe. If you recall I talked about how collards were often just lumped into Southern Cuisine and recipes I have found played around with that. Collard Green and Black-Eyed Pea soup couldn't sound more Southern. And once you read the recipe and realize there is bacon in it you know you've found a winner. (On a side note, this recipe easily adapts to a vegetarian by changing the broth and skipping the bacon or substituting soy bacon).

This recipe is not for two, but I divided it into freezer bags with two servings in each bag. They are now frozen and will be enjoyed later. I've never been a huge fan of canned soups, so having frozen soup in two serving portions is super nice. Perfect for Sunday lunches when I don't want to cook. I was able to use not only collards from my box, but also carrots. I had no taste testers to give me feedback (my room mate shys away from cooked greens) but I really enjoyed the soup and will make it again when I have collards.

The only thing I changed about the recipe, was that I just made regular cheese toast with whole wheat sandwich bread and Swiss cheese.

I find that I've been making a lot more soups this year than I have in the past. What are your favorite soups you make at home? Please share in the comments section.






Collard Green & Black-Eyed Pea Soup
(Serves 6)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
5 cloves garlic, (4 sliced and 1 whole), divided
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
5 cups chopped collard greens, or kale leaves (about 1 bunch), tough stems removed
1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed
6 1/2-inch-thick slices baguette, preferably whole-grain, cut on the diagonal
6 tablespoons shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
2 slices cooked bacon, finely chopped

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add sliced garlic, thyme and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Increase heat to high and add broth, tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in collard greens (or kale), reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Discard the thyme sprig. Stir in black-eyed peas; remove from the heat and cover.

2. Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.

3. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and broil until lightly toasted, 2 to 4 minutes. Rub each bread slice with the remaining garlic clove. (Discard garlic.) Turn the slices over and top with cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve the soup topped with the cheese toasts and bacon.

Citrus-Scented Black Bean Soup with Chipotle Cream

I want to call this a pantry recipe, but I am not sure it is. I happened to have everything I needed except cilantro and I decided, even though it hurt my soul a little, that we would just go with out it. I also needed a much needed break from greens (see posts here, here, and here! - and that's not even all of them yet). So I went for a black bean soup that I knew Mallory and I would enjoy while watching one of our favorite shows, Big Bang Theory. I also had tons of oranges from my box that needed to be used. The seasons really do determine how I cook.

This is a straight forward recipe and I did only some minor changes. I left out of the cilantro like I said, but it was really only because of a time crunch. I also used cayenne pepper instead of chipotle because that's what I had in my pantry. I also just completely opted out of the green onions and decided they would be no real sacrifice I do not have a micro plane (aka zester). So I actually have to carefully peel off the skins of citrus with a vegetable peeler and then dice it up as fine as I can. I am on the hunt for one at the thrift store, until then... this will do. I also didn't puree it until smooth, but rather used my immersion blender to get it to a nice chunky state.

I actually have a really fun citrus recipe planned, but you will have to wait! Do you use citrus to cook with? Please share in the comments section!








Citrus-Scented Black Bean Soup with Chiptole Cream
(Serves Two)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
4 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream, divided
Pinch of ground chipotle
2 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beans, water, orange zest and juice, salt and pepper; increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring often. Transfer to a blender with cilantro, lime juice, and 3 tablespoons sour cream. Puree until smooth (use caution when pureeing hot liquids).

2. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon sour cream and ground chipotle in a small bowl. Serve the soup garnished with the chipotle cream and scallions.

Recipe from Eating Well Serves Two.

Curried Squash & Chicken Soup

I just call it Thai Butternut Squash soup.

This soup is s(o)uper simple to serve up! So... I think I am just cooking my way through the Eating Well Serves Two cookbook. I actually have come to realize I kind of prefer Eating Well to Weight Watchers cookbooks (previously my all time favorite), because Eating Well seems to realize that there are seasons. Not always, but most of the time I can find recipes that work perfectly with what I have on hand.

The recipe calls for frozen winter squash, but I had pounds of fresh butternut squash sitting in a bowl. So I simply cut them in half (with my very good kitchen knives) and roasted them in a olive oil coated pan. If you buy winter squash at the grocery store, they claim that you can ask the produce guy to cut in half for you. My friend Summer once told me she got Publix to cut her squash. So... I feel confident you can pry into your fresh squash with some effort. Of course, you can take the easy route and buy the frozen stuff.

After I roasted it I scooped it out (yes... I kind of burned my fingers) and then pureed the flesh with my immersion blender. I love that thing! It's as old as me and I can distinctly remember calling it the milkshake maker when I was little. Granny made some awesome blueberry milkshakes. Back to the soup... because the flesh was already hot... I didn't really have to heat it or cook it much. I kind of just dumped the seasonings in, let it simmer for a couple of minutes and then served it.

The recipes says you can leave out the chicken and spinach if you want a simple first-course soup. Or maybe you're like me and just don't have any chicken and spinach around. The recipe also doesn't talk about cooking the chicken, but if you are using raw chicken please cut it very thinly and then cook it until it's done. I bet you could throw it some precooked chicken and it would be fine. I had most everything on hand, and luckily I live next to an Indian-owned convenient store... so finding coconut milk is not a hard task. I forgot to buy limes at the store, so I just used lemon juice from my fridge. I ate this with some simple water crackers and found it quite comforting on these cool nights we've been having.

I actually trippled this recipe and put some of the soup in the freezer. If I remember correctly, I stopped getting winter squash in my box last year around December. I love the taste so much that I wanted to be sure to enjoy it a little longer this time around.

How are you using winter squash this season?






Curried Squash & Chicken Soup
(Serves Two)

1 10-ounce package frozen pureed winter squash
1/2 cup "lite" coconut milk
1/2 cup water
8 ounces boneless, skinless, chicken breast, thinly sliced
1 6-ounce bag baby spinach
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat squash, coconut milk and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash defrosts, about 10 minutes. Add chicken, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Stir in spinach, lime juice, sugar, curry paste to taste and salt and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.

African Sweet Potato Stew with Red Beans

So here are some facts for you....

1. I have been receiving and cooking with local produce for 14 months.
2. I have been cooking with recipes for 13 months.
3. Dennis and I have been dating for 12 months.

So when I tell Dennis he started dating me at the right time, I am not kidding. I had just decided to get serious about cooking and started to really explore. Before, I just roasted vegetables and served it over couscous. Yummy single food, but let's be honest girls... that's no way to win a man's confidence.

What does this mean? It means Dennis has put up with being fed homemade meals regularly (I know, so hard!). Also, I finally get to enjoy some recipes I cooked last year and build on my collection with new additions.

The first seasonal repeater is a recipe from Cooking Light: Slow Cooker. No it's not specifically for two (which sadly has become a theme lately). But Dennis has requested more leftovers so that he can eat them for lunch. This saves him money and is generally healthier than anything he can get around his office. This stew would also freeze very well. In fact, I might have to freeze 2 portions for a rainy day.

Because I still had tomatoes around, I used about 3 cups of chopped tomato instead of a can of diced tomatoes. I didn't take very many pictures because.... slow cooking is kind of boring. You dump all the ingredients in and 8 hours later it's ready to go! The recipe says you only need one lime wedge and like 1/2 tablespoon of peanuts. But really, I could skip the peanuts and double the lime juice. The tang from the lime really adds a fun kick . Dennis and I really enjoy this recipe. It's a very filling vegetarian (vegan) stew. The only thing I might add is some cornbread.

This is the only photo I have. So deal.

African Sweet Potato Stew with Red Beans
(Serves 6)

2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
1 garlic clove
4 c. peeled, cubed sweet potato
1 1/2 c. cooked small red beans
1 1/2 c. vegetable broth
1 c. chopped red bell pepper
1/2 c. water
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
14.5 oz diced tomatoes
4.5 oz chopped green chilies
3 tbs creamy peanut butter
3 tbs dry roasted peanuts
6 lime wedges

1. Heat oil in a non-stick skilled over medium-heat. Add onion and garlic, cover and cook 5 minutes (or till tender).

2. Place onion mix in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add sweet potato and next 10 ingredients. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or until vegetables are tender.

3. Spoon 1 c. cooking liquid into a small bowl. Add peanut butter; stir well with a whisk. Stir peanut butter mix into stew. Serve with peanuts and lime on each serving.

Corn and Bacon Chowder

It is the thick of summer vegetables. I am having issues keeping up with my box! So last night it was imperative that I get us to consume a good chunk of the produce. Once again I turned to old faithful, Eating Well Serves Two. It is an awesome little cookbook. I was explaining to Dennis last night that a lot of his favorites came from this book. When I mentioned Parsnip & Apple Stew, he remarked that we hadn't eaten that in a while. I reminded him that we wouldn't be eating it again until the winter. We both are getting used to eating seasonally. It really makes you appreciate a recipe.

I really needed to use up some corn and potatoes, so why not serve up Corn and Bacon Chowder? It took me a little while to prep, because I had to slice the corn off the cob and dice up my own potatoes (why would I buy packaged diced potatoes?). However, it was all worth it because we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Dennis sliced up some cucumber and tomatoes (that were also starting to pile up on me) and I threw salad dressing on them. He liked the cucumber/tomato combo because it reminded him of the salads in Greece. Maybe next time I'll throw some feta on top of it for kicks and giggles.

I've already decided to cook a batch of this and freeze it. I'll just skip the bacon step and add that in when I reheat later. I told Dennis we would either enjoy it 6 months from now when corn is no where in sight or next month when I don't feel like cooking.

Mandy's Notes: I did not add the extra olive oil the recipe calls for, I just used the leftover bacon grease. I diced up my own russet potatoes instead of using packaged potatoes. And I used fresh corn, not just because I had it fresh but because frozen corn has a weird waxy consistency that turns me off. While I would have liked to have added chives, we had none on hand. Oh well!

Cooking up some bacon.

Browning some onions and garlic.


Added the broth, milk, corn, and potatoes.

Isn't everything better with bacon?

Corn and Bacon Chowder
(Serves two)

2 slices of bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 14-ounce can chicken broth
½ cup low-fat milk
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup frozen diced hash brown potatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon lemon juice or rice vinegar

1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon, and cook, stirring often, until crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

2. Add oil, onion, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper to the pot and stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to brown and soften, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the onion mixture and stir to coat. Add broth and milk and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Add corn and potatoes, increase heat to medium-high and return to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the potatoes are tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Transfer 1 cup of the soup to a blender, and puree until smooth. Return the pureed soup to the saucepan along with chives, lemon juice (or vinegar) and the cooked bacon.

Makes 2 servings, 1 ½ cups each.

Per serving: 338 calories; 17 g fat (5 g sat, 9 g mono); 15 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrates; 12 g protein; 4 g fiber; 444 mg sodium; 507 mg potassium.

Note (8/7/2010): I recently found myself with a surpluss of corn. I decided to double this recipe and freeze it. I decided to skip putting the bacon in until later, so that there would be chewy bacon in my soup. I divided the the soup into two 1-quart freezer bags and laid them flat on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Once frozen, you can remove the cookie sheet and you'll have nice flat bags. This way they'll stack easily and thaw out faster.

Spicy Potato and Kale Soup

I had never eaten kale until early this year. It's that vegetable that you see in cookbooks and magazines, but you never really see something that calls out to you. But when you get it in your box, you just have to use it up. The first time around I made a kale and white bean soup that instantly made me realize that kale was just a more flavorful version of spinach. This time around it's red leaf kale, and I decided to make another recipe from Eating Well Serves Two. Really, if you are cooking for two you should get this book. Out of all the "for one" and "for two" books I have looked at, I have used this book the most.

This soup is so straight forward that there is no reason for me to really talk about what I did with it. If you can't find chorizo, just use a sausage of your choice. Just make it! I think I am going to make another batch to use up the rest of my kale.

I'm working on Dennis' chopping skills. The potato was simple enough.

Now what you can't tell, is that right before I snapped this picture he was hacking away at the onion (with his tongue stuck out in concentration). This picture was supposed to be captioned "How not to cut an onion." But as soon as I pointed the camera, he started doing it right.

Soup in pot.

Soup in mouth.

Spicy Potato and Kale Soup

(Serves Two)

1/4 cup halved and sliced chorizo sausage
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 14oz can chicken broth
1/3 cup water
1 small russet potato, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
4 cups kale, ribs removed, thinly sliced
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper, or to taste

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook, stirring until browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to a paper towel-lined late; wipe out the pot.

2. Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add brother, water, potato, and garlic; increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potato is tender, 6 to 9 minutes. Lightly mash the potato with a wooden spoon. Add kale, a handful at a time, waiting until it has wilted before adding more. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved chorizo and season with pepper.

Makes 2 Servings, 1 ½ cups each.

Chicken, Parsnip, and Apple Stew

Parsnips were in the Grow Alabama box last week. Since this will probably be their last appearance until this fall I had to post this soup recipe. Also, this is a great way to baby step into parsnips. It blends well with carrots and apples and so it’s not painful at all. I’ve roasted them plain just to try them. They are pretty good, somewhere between a turnip root and potato. The recipe comes from Eating Well Serves Two, a great cookbook for two with recipes on the healthier side.

Sadly, it’s been kind of warm lately and that always makes it hard to turn on the stovetop or oven. Thankfully the soup comes together quickly. So you won’t have to jack up the AC just to endure the cooking process. I’ve actually never made the recipe with chicken. Dennis gave up meat during Lent, so I inadvertently became a vegetarian for 40 days and 40 nights. However, all that will change this week. I am more than certain it will taste just as good with chicken.

This soup will make your home smell pretty great.

Just a few notes: If you can’t find parsnips, you can use all carrots or a small potato and get similar results. I typically serve it with grilled cheese or salad. Whenever you blend hot soups, do it in batches. I recently saw someone leave the middle stopper off and covering the top with a towel. This allowed steam to escape without your blender exploding hot soup on to your ceiling.


Chicken, Parsnip, and Apple Stew

2tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 parsnips peeled and finely chopped.
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 granny smith apple, peeled and finely chopped
1tsp chopped fresh rosemary
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 (14oz) can low sodium chicken broth
1 c. water
1 tsp cider vinegar
8oz chicken tender, cut into bite size chunks

1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a large saucepan over med-high. Add onion, parsnips, carrots, apple, rosemary, salt, pepper, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables being to soften (about 8 min). Add broth and water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are very tender (about 10 min).

2. Transfer the soup to a blender; add vinegar, cover and pulse until it forms a chunky puree. Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.

3. Clean the pot, return it to med-high and add the remaining 1 tsp oil. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3-4 min. Pour soup back in the pan. Cook, scrapping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until heated through (about 1 min).