Food Lush

Original Recipe: Coconut Curry Cauliflower Sweet Potato Soup

by Caitlin

Well that name's kind of a mouthful, isn't it? (No pun intended.)

Over the weekend I had a lingering pile of sweet potatoes and cauliflower that needed to be used. A creamy bisque sounded just right, but as I'm off dairy that was a no go. I decided to sub coconut milk for the cream, and what better to pair with coconut milk than curry? I've never really come up with a recipe before, where I measure and pay attention to steps and write things down, but I'm glad I did for this one, and I'm sharing it with you here today!

Mmm, yellow-y curry onions.

A few notes. I originally used Lite coconut milk to cut back on fat, but that was a mistake. I ended up adding some coconut manna that I had on hand to make up the difference and give it a creamy boost. (Coconut manna is just pureed dried coconut; sometimes also called coconut butter.)

Let the vegetables cook until they're tender, but not completely mushy. Otherwise ... well, your soup will taste like overcooked vegetables. To ensure the creamiest consistency, I cooked the stock and vegetables until the sweet potatoes were very easily pierced with a fork (almost falling apart), pureed with my stick blender, waited 10 or 15 minutes, and pureed it again. 

I call for 3 large sweet potatoes, and a medium head of cauliflower but the size of your veg isn't as important as having a roughly 2:1 sweet potato:cauliflower ratio: to get the consistency right, otherwise your soup will be on the grainier side.

I used about half and half of Penzey's Maharajah Curry Powder and their Sweet Curry Powder. I added the curry in different stages, as at first I didn't want to overdo it and didn't know how much I'd need. As a bonus, the taste of herbs and spices change throughout the cooking process so adding the curry in stages - during saute, while cooking, and when almost finished - helps build the flavor and make sure this subtle soup is still flavorful. At the first taste it might seem a little too subtle, but give it a chance: it builds with each bite. That said, make sure you season it well with salt and pepper to bring out the flavor and if in the end you think it needs more curry then have at it!

You can easily make it vegan by using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. It's a great way to use up the beautiful fall produce that's so abundant now, and it's pretty inexpensive to boot. This would be delightful alongside a crispy, crunchy, creamy, chewy, big fat sourdough grilled cheese on a cold Autumn day. 

Hard to photograph, but you get the idea. Photos are mine.

Have you made a version of this soup before? Let me know if you try it!

Coconut Curry Cauliflower Sweet Potato Soup

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
medium head cauliflower, cleaned and chopped into 1-2 inch pieces (Use the stems/core pieces, not just the florets!)
1 large onion & 3 shallots, diced
1 tablespoon-ish Olive oil
chicken stock
1 can coconut milk
2.5 teaspoons curry powder, divided
salt & pepper to taste

Sauté onion & shallots in olive oil until translucent, avoid letting them brown. LOW AND SLOW, about 20 minutes. Season with salt early on to draw out the water.

Add 1 teaspoon curry powder to the onions. Sauté until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add peeled and prepped cauli and sweet potato pieces. Add coconut milk. Add stock until veg are just covered - should take 6-8 cups. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and summer until veg are soft, add 1 teaspoon curry powder. Purée with stick blender.
Taste for seasoning - add salt & pepper.

Let cook 10-15 more minutes, purée again. Add remaining half teaspoon curry powder.

Voila!

Italian Meatball Soup

by Tara

It's fall! WOOHOO! It's finally felt like fall around my area, dipping into the low 80s this week in Oklahoma, with lots of rain over the last few days. Makes me want to snuggle up with my Kindle and a mug of mulled wine. It also makes me want to make soup. "Mmmm, noodle soup."*

My absolute favorite soup is Italian Meatball Soup, which is from Pampered Chef's 29 Minutes to Dinner cookbook.

Italian Meatball Soup

Ingredients:

Spray oil
2 medium carrots**
2 stalks celery 
1 small onion 
2 tbsp tomato paste 
4 garlic cloves, pressed 
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning 
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes in puree 
2 cups beef broth 
1 1/2 cups water 
16 frozen meatballs (fully cooked) 
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper 
Croutons (optional - recipe below for Ciabatta Croutons or you can use store bought) 

Instructions:

1. Peel carrots; finely chop carrots, celery and onion 
2. Lightly spray large (4qt./4-L) skillet or stove-top casserole with oil and add carrots, celery and onion. Cook over medium heat 4-5 minutes or until vegetables begin to brown, stirring occasionally. 
3. Push vegetables to one side of skillet. Add tomato paste; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until tomato paste begins to caramelize. 
4. Add pressed garlic and seasoning mix; mix all well. Stir in tomatoes, broth and water; bring to a simmer. 
5. Cut meatballs in half; add to soup. Simmer an additional 10-12 minutes; season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve hot and garnish with croutons if desired. 

Yield 4 servings; takes approx. 27 minutes. 

Ciabatta Croutons 
Olive oil
6-oz loaf of Ciabatta or other crusty Italian bread 

1. Preheat oven to 425. 
2. Slice one 6-oz ciabatta loaf or other crusty Italian bread into 1-in. cubes. 
3. Toss bread cubes with 1 tbsp olive oil and arrange in an even layer on a cookie sheet or bar pan. 
4. Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

*Joey Tribiani
**I don't like cooked carrots, so I sub parsnips.

So good, and SO easy. Also, I tend to wind up with extra meatballs that I freeze when I make them for an entree, so it works out great to use homemade, premade meatballs.

What's your favorite soup recipe?

Vegetable barley soup

by Elsha

This recipe is originally from an old Weight Watchers Cookbook (the point system has been revised since I bought this one, but I use it all the time anyway.) We've made it several times now and this is the version we make:

3/4 cup quick-cooking barley

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 carrots, chopped

1 zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch cubes

1 yellow squash, cut into 1/4 inch cubes

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 cup frozen lima beans

1 can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes

1 tsp dried basil

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth 

(Do you like our Halloween placemats? My 4 year old thought we should go ahead and get those out.)

The cookbook calls for this to be made in a slow cooker, but when you're using quick-cook barley it's just as easy to do it on the stove. Just throw everything in! It only has to cook long enough for the vegetables to soften. (We thought things got a little mushy in the crock pot.) Sadly, this is one soup that we don't like better the next day, because everything gets a little too mushy. It's excellent fresh though! With some fresh bread of course. Yummy.

Do you have a favorite fall soup recipe?

 

Tuscan Soup

by Elsha

Our family eats a lot of soup, and here in Colorado the fall weather is cooling off into perfect soup-eating weather. This one, from The Taste Of Home Cookbook (which, by the way, is a GREAT cookbook) is one of our favorites.

Tuscan Soup:

1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup water
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can (15 oz) white kidney beans or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup small spiral pasta
3 cups thinly sliced spinach or escarole

In a large saucepan saute onion in oil until onion is tender. Add broth, water, salt, pepper, and bring to a boil. Add beans and pasta; return to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer 15 minutes or until pasta and vegetables are tender. Add spinach, cook just until wilted. 

Some notes: technically the recipe calls for chicken broth, but I've made it with vegetable broth and it is still delicious, it may just need some extra salt. Also, we always add more carrot and spinach than it calls for. And often more pasta. (I have a problem following soup recipes exactly, it would appear.) 

Anyway, this soup is wonderful. It's light but filling; it's quick and easy to make, and it's excellent served with fresh french bread. Made by someone else of course, since I don't make bread.

Gazpacho with Grilled Cheese

by Tara

The other day I really, REALLY wanted a grilled cheese and tomato soup. But it's been approximately 1400 degrees in my neck of the woods, and I didn't think tomato soup would really hit the spot. I took to Twitter, which smartly recommended gazpacho.

I've never made or eaten gazpacho, so I wasn't sure what to look for in a recipe, but I found one that looked like it would taste fresh, and went with that. This is the recipe I made (except I didn't have any tarragon so I just skipped it, and I added some Cholula sauce for some heat), and it was very, very good. Kind of had a salsa-type consistency, so I wasn't sure if I over-pulsed with my food processor or what (it looked like the picture, so I figured I was okay). But it was perfect for dipping my sandwich in.

As for the sandwich, I went for a fairly basic grilled cheese, with shredded pepper jack and mild cheddar, green chiles, and bacon. You know, the basics.

(Photo from: me)

It was a delicious and wonderful summertime soup and sandwich meal.

 

What's your favorite summer soup?

My Husband's Newest Favorite: Annie Chun's

By Jessica

I have recently gone through some major dental issues. Dental issues which require that I eat ONLY soft foods so I've been relying on a lot of soup, pudding, mashed potatoes and the like. For convenience, I'll usually grab Amy's Light In Sodium Lentil Soup but for my husband, who loves anything remotely spicy, I went a different route.

Annie Chun's Thai Tom Yum, which he absolutely loves! It comes with a sauce packet that lets you customize the spice (we use the whole thing) as well as a little herb packet that contains the mushrooms and scallions you see in the picture. He's also tried the Hot & Sour Soup Bowl and we have a few other flavors waiting in the wings. To make it a full meal, tonight, he added a couple of egg rolls and called it a day but you could add whatever meat (or other protein like tofu) you'd like to round it that way.

{Photo credit: Annie Chun}

Crockpot Lentil Soup: Learn from My Mistakes

by Katie

Yesterday morning, I chopped up some vegetables, threw them in the crockpot with some lentils, chicken broth, spices and a few bay leaves, set the timer for 10 hours on low, and smugly congratulated myself on preparing a hassle-free Halloween dinner.

image: vegetarian.about.com

I came home to a pot of lentil soup that, impossibly, was still undercooked.  After TEN HOURS.  What did I do wrong?

I hit the internet to investigate, and it didn't take me long to find out:

I added tomatoes at the beginning of cooking.

Apparently, acidic foods like tomatoes (and vinegar, and lemon juice) inhibit the cooking of legumes like lentils and beans. So no matter how long you cook them, they'll never fully achieve that creamy tenderness you're looking for. Yes, even after 10+ hours in the crockpot.

So! Learn from my mistakes! Crockpots are a GREAT way to cook beans and lentils -- just wait to add tomatoes until right before serving. Other than that, though, this soup is great- enjoy!

Crockpot lentil soup:

• 1-2 carrots, chopped
• 1-2 onions, chopped
• 2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 small russet or sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup dried lentils (I like a thick starchy lentil soup, so I prefer brown lentils)
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tsp garam masala or moroccan spice blend
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp molasses (optional, but it adds a really nice flavor)
• 1 14.5 ounce can tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• 1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar (optional)

Put all ingredients except tomatoes, salt and pepper into crockpot. Set on low for 8-10 hours.  Just before serving, remove bay leaves and stir in tomatoes and add salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste. For a thicker texture, blend a little with an immersion blender, being sure to leave the soup chunky. 

Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup in the Crockpot

By Natalie

When I planned my monthly menu, I planned on making Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings. That sounded so good. When it came time to make it, I was fresh out of time. I improvised. I started throwing things in the crockpot. I'm happy to report that cooking by the seat of my pants totally worked, this time! My husband really enjoyed this soup. He's not a big soup eater, so this is a compliment coming from him.

Crockpot Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup

• 2 frozen chicken breasts
• 3-5 carrots
• 2 ribs of celery
• 1/2 an onion
• 2 tsp of oregano
• salt
• pepper
• 32 oz of chicken broth
• 1/2 lb of pasta

1. Cut up celery, onion, and carrots into bite size pieces.
2. Place frozen chicken and veggies in crockpot.
3. Pour chicken broth over ingredients.
4. Add seasonings (oregano, salt & pepper).
5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
6. When I got home I put a pot of noodles to boil, I used rotini. Cooked noodles until done, strain and then add to the crockpot.
7. Add more salt & pepper if needed and shred chicken with a fork while it's in the crockpot.
8. Stir and serve.

Serving Size: 6 bowls of soup

Photo Credit: Me!

Low-Calorie Tortellini Soup

By Ariel

I'm not really a fan of broth-based soup, but my preference of creamy chowders isn't helping the numbers on the scale. With it being soup season, I wanted to broaden my brothy horizons and came up with this tasty and very low-calorie dish.

Low-Calorie Tortellini Soup

9 oz. cheese tortellini
2 Cans (30 oz.) low fat/low sodium chicken broth
2 Cups chopped celery
2 Cups chopped carrots
1 Cup green onion
6 Cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs. Light butter
1 tsp. Grated Parmesan (optional)
1.5 Tbs. basil
Pepper to taste

In a medium-sized pot bring the chicken broth to a boil, add the basil and pepper. While waiting for the broth to heat up saute the celery, carrots, onion, and garlic in the butter until soft. Once the water is boiling, cook the tortellini per the directions. When the tortellini is al dente, add the vegetables and simmer another few minutes. Spoon into a bowl and sprinkle with Parmesan. Serves four.

This is a great dish for lunch or dinner and got the seal of approval from my husband, who usually is not a fan of my low-calorie experiments (he also claimed the leftovers for lunch the next day!). I plugged in the ingrediants (per the brands I used) and MyFitnessPal.com tells me each serving is 248 calories. It's surprising how filling this soup is along with a great flavor. Being a carbaholic myself, I didn't feel any guilt in pairing my soup with a crusty piece of Italian bread. You can make this dish more vegetarian-friendly and use vegetable broth and I don't think there will be a major difference in taste. 

I still prefer a chowder over a broth, but this is a fantastic alternative and diet friendly. What is your favorite soup when the weather takes a turn for the chilly?

Reader Help: Favorite Vegetarian Soups?

By Jessica

So it's still summer here in Houston: 100 degree + temps, horrible drought, sunny days, but unfortunately, I have recently been infected with all the germs and all the sickness. This week alone, I have transitioned from two heinous migraines into icky phlegm involved badness. Solid foods aren't really my friend at the moment and as much as my favorite is tomato basil soup, that much acid isn't doing my tum any favors either. I grabbed what I thought was a container of one of my favorite go-to organic soups: Imagine Brand Creamy Harvest Corn Soup. What I actually grabbed was their Sweet Potato variety.

Corn ≠ Sweet Potato and I found the sweet potato to be slightly sweeter than I was ready for, like almost into butternut squash territory but I decided to just wing it and treat it exactly like I would my corn soup.

Which is to say that I added spiced black beans, salsa (today was avocado tomatillo) and some cheese (today happened to be feta).

I already have a favorite Thai Squash Soup that is spicy and has coconut milk. I really would like to make a vegetarian pho, simply because I've never had it and my husband is a big fan, that way we could both eat it. I'd also like to learn to make my own vegetarian chili, I am seriously on auto-pilot when it comes to the version I make but it has meat in it for the boys. I like to try to have things that I can start with the same base and split off into meat and meat free to make my life a little easier in the kitchen.

I'm sure there are a ton of other soups that would be easy for me to steal and tweak to my dietary needs, I just need to start pulling out the books and getting more ideas or turning to you guys for help, so...

Do you have any favorite vegetarian/vegan soups?