Vegetables | Eat Your Heart Out

Broccoli Cheese Soup

January 28, 2013 by Stephie 15 Comments

This morning I did something that, until this moment, completely terrified me.

This morning I handed in my letter of resignation at work.

I do not have anything officially lined up for when I leave.

It was absolutely one of the biggest leaps of faith that I have ever taken. Yet I am standing firm in the belief that this was the right move for me, and that God will provide.

I find it highly symbolic that when I walked into work this morning, it was gray and rainy and generally crappy outside.

When I walked out of that meeting – feeling lighter, and less stressed than I have in months – it had stopped raining and the sun was starting to peek out from behind the clouds.

You can tell me I’m crazy {you’d be right}, but I’m choosing to believe it was a sign.

I don’t know what this next chapter of life holds for me, but I do know this: There will be plenty of food. Starting with this soup.

Remember last week when I said that your freshly baked loaf of sourdough bread would be fabulous with some soup? This is the soup I had in mind. And here’s what’s really great about it: it’s loaded with veggies and, without any cream, is lighter than other recipes you might encounter. Don’t get me wrong – I loooooove those versions, but sometimes you just need something a little lighter.

Besides…then you can have an extra slice or two of bread.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 large bunch broccoli
2 large carrots, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Cut the broccoli into florets. If you want, you can also dice up the tender parts of the stem. Set aside.
In a large dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and onion, sautéing until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and sauté one more minute.
Sprinkle in the flour, stirring to combine. Cook for one minute, then slowly stream in the stock and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat to low. Add in the broccoli and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until broccoli is tender.
Using an immersion blender (or carefully transferring the soup to a regular blender, about ⅓ at a time), blend soup until it reaches your desired consistency. Add salt, plenty of freshly ground pepper and the cheese to the blended soup, stirring over low heat until cheese is melted. Serve warm, preferably alongside some freshly baked bread.

Filed Under: Main dish, Soups Tagged With: Broccoli, cheese, Healthier, Main dish, Soup, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Spinach and Kale Pesto

January 7, 2013 by Stephie 13 Comments

I’m trying to watch The Bachelor while I write this.

Scratch that. I’m trying to write this while I watch The Bachelor.

I’m sorry if images of Sean with his shirt off cause me to not be quite as articulate as normal.

In fact, you know what? Let’s just get to the recipe.

What we’ve got here is a gorgeous, down-to-earth guy…oh wait. That’s Sean again. Crap.

Ok, seriously. This pesto is delicious, but packed with healthy, nutrient-packed spinach and kale. Use it as you would any other pesto! In fact, my friend Stef has a great way for you to use it on some roasted potatoes. (And no, we did not confer about our kale pesto-making ahead of time.)

Have some pesto left over? Store it in an airtight container and store it in the freezer. When you’re ready to use it again, just thaw it out and you’ll be ready to go.

Spinach and Kale Pesto

Yield: Over 1 cup of pesto

Ingredients

2 cups chopped kale, stems removed
2 cups spinach
1-2 cloves garlic
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
¼ cup toasted, slivered almonds
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the kale and cook for 1 minute. Immediately drain and dunk into ice-cold water to halt the cooking. Drain and wring out any excess water.
In a food processor, combine the kale, spinach, garlic, cheese and almonds. Pulse to combine. While the machine is running, stream in the olive oil, adding a little more until you reach your desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste, and pulse to combine again.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Almonds, Gluten-free, Healthy, kale, Pesto, Quick and easy, spinach, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Turkey and Corn Chowder

January 2, 2013 by Stephie 9 Comments

It’s the new year!

And that’s all I’ll say about that. Trust me, you’ve read it all already anyway, and I’m sure you’re tired of it at this point. So let’s just move on with our post-holiday recovery, shall we?

You can’t kid me – you might want to lose some of that holiday weight, but we all know that you don’t really want to be eating salads for the rest of January. We also know that you’ve got some leftover turkey squirreled away in your freezer from the various recent family dinners. And to top it all off…it’s cold. And what you really want is some warm, creamy soup.

My friend Julia recently made some gorgeous, creamy corn chowder that I instantly knew I wanted to make. Not only is this soup chock-full of veggies (you could even add more if you like), it also makes use of some of that leftover turkey…and the best part? There is only 1/2 cup of half and half in the entire recipe. That’s right, this recipe manages to produce a creamy, delicious, comforting soup without adding significantly to your waistline. It’s exactly what we need to start off this new year.

Adapted from The Roasted Root

Turkey and Corn Chowder

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into pieces
1-2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bag frozen corn
1 quart chicken broth, divided
½ cup fat-free half and half
2 cups cooked, diced turkey
Black pepper to taste

Instructions

Place about half of the corn kernels in a blender with 1 cup of the chicken broth and all of the half and half. Blend until smooth and creamy; set aside.
In a large dutch oven, cook the bacon pieces until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels. Pour the fat into a small bowl.
Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add in about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and the butter. Add the onion, carrots, and potato, cooking until onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Sprinkle the flour over the cooked vegetables and stir to combine. Cook for about 1 minute, then slowly pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Stir until thickened, then add the rest of the corn, the blended corn mixture, the turkey and the cooked bacon. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Filed Under: Main dish, Soups Tagged With: Chicken, corn, Healthier, Main dish, Side dish, Soup, turkey, Vegetables

Chicken and Smoked Sausage Stew

November 29, 2012 by Stephie 9 Comments

I have a confession: I am really weirdly picky about soup.

Cheese had better be involved. Also, if there is cream in that situation, that’s even better. Bean-based soups are pretty good, too. But broth-based soups? Not exactly a fan. In fact, I tend to avoid them if possible. Sure, I’ll eat them…they just aren’t my favorite.

So when I found a broth-based stew recipe in Midwest Living magazine, I was surprised to find that it was calling to me, begging me to make it happen in my kitchen. I mean, of course I had to alter it quite a bit…but the general structure is still there. And there isn’t a drop of cream or speck of cheese in sight. And you know what? I really liked it. WEIRD, I know.

In fact, my father has declared this to be his new favorite soup of all time. Big statement, right there. I think he would eat an entire pot of this soup by himself if he could. But if you’re going to eat a giant pot of soup, this might be the one to choose. It’s hearty and will warm you up from the inside out, but is full of all sorts of winter veggies to keep you healthy during these long, cold months. Plus, it freezes extremely well, making it a great option for making ahead and reheating later. Consider serving it on top of some brown rice for some extra hearty goodness.

Maybe this is all a sign that I’m starting to grow up and appreciate soups that are actually good for me…Yikes!

Adapted from December 2012 Midwest Living Magazine.

Chicken and Smoked Sausage Stew

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
2 cups cubed sweet potato
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon each dried parsley and dried oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cooked chicken
1 13-ounce package smoked turkey sausage, sliced
½ bunch kale, stems removed and cut into manageable pieces

Instructions

In a dutch oven, saute onion, carrot and garlic in the oil until onion is soft. Add stock, potato, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried herbs and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer 20-25 minutes, until potato is tender. Stir in chicken, sausage, and kale. Simmer until heated through and kale is wilted.
Will last for about 4-5 days in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer.

Notes

The longer this sits, the more the flavor of the smoked turkey sausage mingles with the rest of the soup. You might consider making this the night before, then reheating and adding the kale just before serving.

Filed Under: Main dish, Soups Tagged With: Allergy friendly, Chicken, dairy-free, Fall, Gluten-free, Healthy, kale, Main dish, Quick and easy, Soup, sweet potatoes, Vegetables, winter

Black Bean Soup

November 12, 2012 by Stephie 13 Comments

When I had my first year anniversary, I asked everyone what you would like to see more of in the next year. While a lot of you said that you wanted more desserts and baked goods (I think I have already made good on that promise, no?), there were a lot of you who also wanted to see more healthy meals – especially soups – that could be frozen and reheated for quick and easy weeknight dinners. This black bean soup is a response to that request.

This is a healthy soup I can get behind. Yes, it’s vegan. It’s also dairy-free, gluten-free and low in fat. But that doesn’t mean we have sacrificed any flavor (you know I would never ask that of you!). It’s really just a bonus that this soup freezes well, making it perfect for reheating during the week. Serve it on its own, or alongside some cornbread for a truly comforting cold-weather meal.

{And since the soup is so good for you, that means you can have extra cornbread…right?)

Recipe adapted from Whole Foods.

Black Bean Soup

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1 pound dried black beans
2 medium onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 quarts vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
Optional garnishes: Diced avocado; sour cream or yogurt; salsa

Instructions

Place the beans in a bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak 6-8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse prior to cooking.
In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic and red pepper, sauteing until onions are translucent and just beginning to turn brown. Add cumin and chili powder, stirring to combine.
Add the beans, vegetable stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, the lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1½ to 2 hours, until beans are tender.
Remove bay leaves. Place 4 cups of the soup in a blender, pureeing until until mostly smooth. Return to the pot with the remaining soup, and add nutritional yeast and lime juice. Salt to taste. (Add a bit more chili powder if you would like more spice.) Serve warm with optional garnishes.
Will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months.

Notes

Nutritional yeast – a popular substitute for cheese among vegans that is full of protein and B-complex vitamins – can be found in health food stores or specialty/natural food stores (such as Whole Foods).