Meatless Monday

Sometimes the best recipes are the simplest. Today I offer one of the easiest soups I have ever made and possibly one of the most delicious. It is seasonally timely and would be a perfect addition to any Thanksgiving table that my American friends might be setting this week. Enjoy.

Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2 onions chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 butternut squash, peeled and diced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
Salt and freshly crack black pepper
1.5 litres hot vegetable stock
Parsley or thyme for garnishing

Directions:

In a large pan, fry the onions in oil until translucent and soft. Add squash and carrots and stir, cooking for a further 5 minutes. Add thyme and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour over stock and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer gently for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through.

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Using an immersion blender or a liquidiser, blend to a smooth soup. If too thick, add a little more stock until desired consistency is achieved.


Divide soup into bowls and serve with a dollop of crème fraiche if desired and parsley or thyme.

It's Meatless Monday

For the purpose of informing newbies to this space, both The Husband and I are vegetarians. It isn't important to delve into the whys and wherefores of our lifestyle decision, it is just important to respect it. We promise not to judge what you eat if you all promise the same in return. Please don't send me comments and emails as to why this recipe or any other would be better with bacon or chicken.  We just don't care.

I am not a foodie at all. I don't get bent out of shape over food or its presentation. When I post food pictures it is mostly because I am stunned that I was able to make it look as good as the recipe demanded. I am, however, constantly on the lookout for unique, filling, simple, and nutritious vegetarian meals that will meet the eating requirements of both of us. Usually that involves finding anything WITHOUT eggplant. We both absolutely loathe eggplant, (a symbiosis that makes me love this man even more than I already do) and yet most lazy vegetarian meals feel the need to throw a little of the purple gourd into the mix. My veggie recipes do not include eggplant. If you want to add it...well that's your thing.

Today I offer you my take on a November favourite, Minestrone Soup. I love soup. It is a full meal in a bowl and the perfect comfort food for chilly late autumn evenings. Obviously it can be adapted for omnivores, so have at it. 

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped

1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 carrots, washed and chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 sticks celery, chopped

1 small leek, washed and chopped

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 bay leaf

1 28 oz can chopped plum tomatoes

1 large sweet potato, scrubbed and diced

1 x 15.5 ounce can chick peas, drained and rinsed

4 cups vegetable broth

Large handful curly kale, stalks removed, chopped

½ cup orzo pasta

a bunch of basil (optional)

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon sriracha sauce (or more, if you like. I like a bit of heat) 

5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese; optional

Directions:

• Heat a large pot over a medium heat and add olive oil.  Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, pepper, leek, oregano and bay leaf and cook slowly for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables have softened.

• Add the tomatoes, potato, chick peas and vegetable broth, then cover with a lid and bring everything slowly to the boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes, then check (with the tip of a paring knife) that the potato is soft and cooked through.

• After that, add the kale and pasta, and cook for 10 more minutes, until the pasta is cooked. If the soup is too thick for you after cooking the pasta, thin it with a little more broth or water.

• The basil is optional, but delicious. If you decide to use it, stir some chopped leaves into the soup. Finish by seasoning with a little salt and sriracha and sprinkle on Parmesan.

Enjoy!

Meatless Monday....Once Again

For those of you who are new to this space, eating a healthy and vegetarian diet is very important to both The Husband and me. I have been in the veggie camp for many years (off and on, but mostly on) while The Husband is coming up to his five year veg-iversary. (That's vegetarian as opposed to vegans. I have tremendous respect for vegans and their discipline, but we just aren't there yet, so please no judgement while we continue to consume dairy and egg products.)

I am always searching for new and delicious recipes that will satisfy both of us. We often cook together, but given that I am now home on a much more regular basis, I have been tasked with adding variety to what can easily become a very staid meal plan. I research, Pinterest, and yes...steal relentlessly from my friends and acquaintances if I think that a recipe will add flavour to our kitchen.

Last week a friend posted an Aloo Gobi soup on Facebook that she had prepared and I was immediately intrigued. Cauliflower, especially laced with Indian spices, is a favourite of both The Husband's and mine. It is most definitely soup season here in the Great White North, so I begged and cajoled my friend for the recipe. I asked her if I could share it with all of you and she graciously agreed considering that she herself had "borrowed" it from the PC Cooking School. I will say that I did make a few changes to the original recipe, so the version you are receiving today is a a bit of a combination of all three sources. It is delicious and filling. Enjoy.

Aloo Gobi Soup - makes 16 servings (It makes A LOT!!!)

2 tblsp olive oil
2 cups diced white onions (I like sweet vidalia onions)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tblsp grated ginger root
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (I don't do heat well, so I eliminated this. Use as much or as little to taste.)
1 tblsp tomato paste
3 large yellow potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks (I used sweet potatoes. I had them on hand and I prefer the slightly sweeter flavour that they add. They do add colour as well, so beware the orange.)
1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut in florets
2 pkgs (each 900mL) vegetable broth
1 tsp salt (The broth was plenty salty. I really cut down on the salt.)
3 tbslp honey

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onions for 4 to 6 minutes or until softened.  Add garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne and tomato paste; cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Add potatoes, cauliflower, broth and 2 cups water; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 18 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are softened.  Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth.  Stir in salt and honey.  Garnish with chopped fresh coriander, if desired.

Per serving:  90 calories, 2 g fat, 210 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 2 g fibre, 3 g protein