Wayback Machine: Spring Soup, So Many Ways

Sweet readers, we're taking the week off to catch up on some real-life work. In the meantime, we're re-posting some of our favorite recipes and essays. This one was written by Leigh last week. Blogger ate it during their 24-hour loss of service, so we're re-posting. Enjoy!

New Yorkers like their soup. Just how much was a phenomenon unfamiliar to me when I moved here in the mid-’90s and found myself serving it by the bucket to insatiable Upper West Siders. Diners based their lunch orders on the soup du jour and were often despondent if told their favorites were off-menu or, even worse, sold out.

It’s just soup, I would think, sometimes aloud to my fellow waitrons. But what did I know; I grew up eating soup from a can. Occasionally, my grandma would try to get me to eat her homemade vegetable or chicken noodle, but I rebuffed her advances. It wasn’t sodium-rich Campbell’s, and I would have none of it.

As a frugal eater-outer, soup never seemed like a good bargain. A bowl of soup can run upwards of $6 or $7 dollars in a New York restaurant. As a vegetarian, the “is there meat in it?” question is often difficult to nail. One chef/waiter’s meat-free soup is another’s fish stock surprise. A bowl of watery, mushy vegetables just didn't seem worth it.

But somewhere along my home-cooking journey, I discovered something: soup is amazing. It can be simple or complex, light or hearty, bland (in a good way) or rich. Soup is a fabulous way to get vegetables into the diet and, with few exceptions, is easy to make. I don't know what took me so long.

I stumbled on this simple, rich and light green pea soup on Chow.com a few weeks before Easter. The vibrant green color caught my eye; it looked like spring and tastes like spring: green peas, leeks, fresh mint, a squirt of lemon. The sun came out just to see if it could have a taste. With only a few ingredients, this brightly colored soup whips up quickly and makes an impressive starter or light lunch supplement.

Coincidentally, my colleague E supplied the optional crème fraîche when she whipped up a batch from scratch. It was lighter than I expected and added a delightful tanginess to the sweet peas.

Take Chow's advice to water down commercial broth, if you go that route. I didn't for my first batch, which made for a very oily soup when combined with the whole tablespoon of butter the original recipe suggests. I recommend halving the fat and using home-brewed broth (or watered down store-bought) for a less greasy mouthfeel (ew…I said mouthfeel).

Now for the variations. I've made this soup about five or six times since Easter when it made it's debut (to raves). After a couple of batches, I started changing up the veg and the herbs, and it just kept being fantastic, like changing the curtains when you want to freshen up the living room. The variations are listed below the recipe.

I finally get it. Soup is easy, delicious, and versatile, and except for the eating out part, 8 million New Yorkers can't be wrong.

~~~~

If this recipe floats your boat, paddle on over to:

• Chilled Summer Squash Soup
• Sweet Potato Soup with Swiss Chard
• Vegetarian Miso Soup

~~~

Green Pea Soup
Serves 4–6
adapted from Green Pea Soup from Chow.com

1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil
1 medium leek, root trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 1/2 cups homemade vegetable broth or 1 cup low-sodium store-bought vegetable broth mixed with 1 1/2 cups water*
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
3 cups shelled fresh peas (from about 2 1/2 pounds of peas in their pods) or 16 ounces frozen peas, thawed**
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves***
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
Crème fraîche, optional

1) Heat olive oil or butter in heavy bottomed sauce pan. Saute leek in oil with pinch of salt. Add broth and bring to boil.

2) Add green peas, remaining salt, and black pepper. Return to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

3) Remove from heat, stir in mint (or parsley), and allow flavors to meld for 10 minutes or so.

4) Transfer soup to a blender and puree in batches until smooth. Add lemon juice to tasted.

5) Serve hot or cold with a dollop of crème fraîche or a sprinkle of finely chopped mint or parsley.

Broccoli Potato Variation
Makes 6 servings
* 4 cups vegetable broth
** 12 ounces broccoli, chopped + 8 ounces, red bliss potatoes, washed and chopped into 1/8" dice

At step 2, add broccoli and potatoes, remaining salt, black pepper. Return to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

Cauliflower Variation
** 16 ounces frozen cauliflower, thawed
***1/4 cup parsley

At step 2, add cauliflower, remaining salt, and black pepper. Return to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
Green Pea (four servings): 131.8 calories, 1.9g fat, 5.5g fiber, 6.6g protein, $.78
Broccoli Potato (six servings): 85 calories, 1g fat, 4g fiber, 3.6g protein, $.59
Cauliflower (four servings): 71 calories, 1.9g fat, 3.8g fiber, 3.6g protein, $.73

Calculations
1/2 tablespoon butter: 70 calories, 7.5g fat, 0g fiber, 0.5g protein, $0.08
1 medium leek: 54 calories, 0g fat, 2g fiber, 1g protein, $0.25
2 teaspoons kosher salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
2 1/2 cups homemade vegetable broth: 50 calories, 0.25g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.48
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
16 ounces frozen peas: 350 calories, 0g fat, 20g fiber, 25g protein, $2.19
[12 ounces broccoli: 164 calories, 0g fat, 20g fiber, 16g protein, $1.32]
[8 ounces red potato: 140 calories, 0g fat, 4g fiber, 4g protein, $1.00]
[16 ounces cauliflower: 108 calories, 0g fat, 9g fiber, 9g protein, $1.99]
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves: 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.08
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice: 3 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.00

Note: One teaspoon of crème fraîche per serving adds 7.7 calories and .7g fat.

Green Pea Soup
TOTALS: 527 calories, 7.75g fat, 22g fiber, 26.5g protein, $3.12
PER SERVING (TOTALS/4): 131.8 calories, 1.9g fat, 5.5g fiber, 6.6g protein, $.78

Broccoli Potato Soup
TOTALS: 511 calories, 8g fat, 26g fiber, 21.5g protein, $3.53
PER SERVING (TOTALS/6): 85 calories, 1g fat, 4g fiber, 3.6g protein, $.59

Cauliflower Soup
TOTALS: 285 calories, 7.75g fat, 15g fiber, 14.5g protein, $2.92
PER SERVING (TOTALS/4): 71 calories, 1.9g fat, 3.8g fiber, 3.6g protein, $.73

Wayback Machine: Spring Soup, So Many Ways

Eggplant and White Bean Soup, Alanis, and Me

In the autumn of 1996, I heard Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic” approximately 12,457,233 times.

(In the years following, the only tunes that came close to that number were the Goo Goo Dolls “Iris,” “Smooth” by Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas, and that godawful Nickelback song that you couldn’t escape if you blew off your ears, stuffed socks in the resulting head wounds, and then set those socks on fire.)

Like every other not-a-girl-not-yet-a-woman at the close of the 20th century, Alanis appealed greatly to me. Her voice was rockin’, her hair was pretty, and I totally let it pass when she mistook irony for sheer bad luck. But even I, a headstrong Labatt’s lover who listened to the first track from Jagged Little Pill as if it held all the secrets of the universe, grew tired of Alanis after awhile. It wasn’t anything she did. It was just … her songs, though strong, were mercilessly overplayed. It got so bad that my friends would switch the radio station when “You Oughta Know” came on, because – really? Dave Coulier? In a theater? Cut. It. Out.

Time passed. I graduated, got a job, started dating this guy. Several guys, even.

And then, years later, right around the time she released her cover of Black-Eyed Peas “My Humps” (a song surely co-written by Satan), I got to digging Alanis again. Like an old friend who had gone away to grad school in Saskatchewan, it was really nice to see her happy, not to mention gleefully taking the piss out of herself. Plus, I don’t think I had heard “Ironic” in about a year, so that helped.

Eggplant is like Alanis.

Hear me out here. About two years ago, it seemed as if every other recipe I tried involved eggplant. Its versatility and low cost were tremendously appealing, as was the idea that it could actually taste good. An eggplant hater early in life, I discovered its purple majesty far too late, and wanted to make up for lost time. After awhile, though, I started getting a little sick of the vegetable, and as a result, didn't go near it – in any form – for months and months.

Then, last week, this recipe for Eggplant and White Bean Soup appeared at stonesoup. Eggplants aren’t quite in season in the U.S., but that creamy, fibery, deeply flavored-looking concoction was just too tempting.

So, I made it last night, following Jules’ original recipe fairly closely, with one big exception: Instead of using the bean juice for the soup broth, I subbed in chicken stock. Not having tasted the bean juice version, I can’t definitively say the stock variation is better, but it was dang good. Dang good. Like, Alanis-good. And with it, I've arrived back in Eggplantville.

Isn't it ironic?

~~~

If you like this, you’ll love:

• Broiled Eggplant Japonais
• Pasta e Fagioli
• Roasted Eggplant Spread

~~~

Eggplant and White Bean Soup
Serves 2 or 3
Adapted from stonesoup.

1 eggplant, sliced in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 can cannelini or small white beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup chicken broth, plus another 3/4 cup set aside
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1) Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with Pam. Place eggplant cut-side down on foil and bake 25-30 minutes, until eggplant is tender and a little browned on the exposed flesh. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

2) Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add beans and 3/4 cup chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.

3) Scrape insides of eggplant halves into bean mixture. Heat for 1 or 2 minutes. Using a hand blender or a regular blender, puree into desired consistency. (Be very careful if using a regular blender that it doesn’t splash.) Add more chicken broth if you’d like it soupier. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in lemon juice and serve.

NOTE: This can easily be made into a vegetarian/vegan soup by using vegetable broth. Try it!

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
2 servings: 349 calories, 9.6 g fat, 20.4 g fiber, 19.6 g protein, $1.64
3 servings: 232 calories, 6.4 g fat, 13.6 g fiber, 13.1 g protein, $1.09

Calculations
1 eggplant: 132 calories, 1.1 g fat, 18.7 g fiber, 5.6 g protein, $1.26
1 tablespoon olive oil: 119 calories, 13.5 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.10
1/2 large onion, chopped: 32 calories, 0 g fat, 1 g fiber, 0.7 g protein, $0.25
1 can cannelini or small white beans: 385 calories, 0 g fat, 21 g fiber, 28 g protein, $0.79
3/4 cup chicken broth, plus another 3/4 cup set aside: 25 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 4.9 g protein, $0.60
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and price, $0.02
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice: 4 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.25
TOTAL: 697 calories, 19.1 g fat, 40.7 g fiber, 39.2 g protein, $3.27
PER SERVING (TOTAL/2): 349 calories, 9.6 g fat, 20.4 g fiber, 19.6 g protein, $1.64
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): 232 calories, 6.4 g fat, 13.6 g fiber, 13.1 g protein, $1.09

Eggplant and White Bean Soup, Alanis, and Me

An Open Letter to My Neighbor With the Car Alarm. Plus, Tomato and Bread Soup with Rosemary.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I do not know your identity. You may be a candystriping Girl Scout, or a grandmother who volunteers 20 hours a week at the Red Cross. You may work to save endangered species, and your dedication to social equity and human rights might make Mother Theresa look like Jeffrey Dahmer on a bad hair day. You may be kind to children, fair to animals, and a patron saint to environmental causes the world over.

I do know that you have a car alarm, and that it's gone off twice in the last week, at 3am, for 30 minutes each time. And that makes me hate you.

What is it with car alarms? They seem like leftovers from the '80s, the pride of hyper-vigilant teens and twentysomethings with shiny new Iroc-Zs to protect, presumably from menacing threats like wind and rain. (I do not know what else sets off car alarms.) Yet, especially in the Tri-State area, they are as prominent as Applebees and lower back tattoos. Why they haven't been relegated to the dustbin of history, along with stonewashed jackets and Ratt posters, is beyond me.

In fact, I have it good on authority (meaning: my own delusion) that, throughout the course of automotive history, car alarms have deterred exactly two burglars. The first was Borden P. Titmouse, a hapless petty thief doomed by his particularly sensitive hearing and lack of arms below the elbow. The second was a cat who mistook a Chrysler for a hunk of steak. Cats are dumb, see.

The number of people awoken, annoyed, and otherwise driven apoplectic by car alarms, however, numbers in the millions. The billions, even. McDonald's would kill for that kind of demo.

Someday, I may be a mother. And if your car alarm wakes my child - who I presume will have spent the whole day alternately being adorable and vomiting into my open mouth, if Facebook is any indication – I will key it into oblivion, then pound the remaining atoms into a pretty purple paperweight. I don't care if you are the Chairperson of Greenpeace, the head of Habitat for Humanity, and the potential broker of peace in the Middle East combined. You will be upset. Neighboring cars will weep. Charlie Sheen will question my destructive tendencies.

In closing, no one wants to steal your Honda. For the love of god, turn off the alarm.

Love,
The rest of Brooklyn

Oh yeah – the food. About two years ago, we ran a Jamie Oliver recipe for Pappa al Pomodoro, or Tomato and Bread Soup. It was pretty simple, involving some roasted cherry tomatoes, a few handfuls of basil, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Well, brace yourself, Waldo, because this one is even easier, tastes just as lovely, and can be made (almost) entirely from ingredients sitting around your pantry. Except rosemary. You have to buy that. The fresh stuff is worth it.

But, mmmm. So good. Make it now! And don't buy a car alarm.

~~~

If this looks real purty, you’ll be like, “Yeah, y’all!” to these:

• Easy Tomato Sauce
• Grape and Feta Salad with Rosemary
• Tomato and Bread Soup

~~~

Tomato and Bread Soup with Rosemary
Serves 3
Inspired by Jamie Oliver.

Without cheese

 2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
28 ounces whole canned tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth (veggie broth for vegetarians)
About 1/3 large loaf Italian bread, chopped or torn into chunks:
Grated Parmesan, for serving

1) In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add rosemary and garlic. Sauté 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and broth. Turn heat to high. While mixture is coming to a boil, break tomatoes up with a wooden spoon or good set of kitchen shears. Once it starts boiling, drop heat to a healthy, rolling simmer and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2) Kill heat. Add bread. Gently stir so bread soaks, but doesn’t fall apart. Serve with Parmesan, if desired.

With cheese (avec frommage).

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
183 calories, 5.9 g fat, 3.6 g fiber, 6.9 g protein, $1.05

Calculations
2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin: 9 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, 0.4 g protein $0.10
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary: 2 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.2 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.50
1 tablespoons olive oil: 119 calories, 13.5 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.10
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.02
28 ounces canned tomatoes: 151 calories, 0.8 g fat, 7.9 g fiber, 7.3 g protein, $1.25
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth: 25 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 4.9 g protein, $0.57
About 1/3 large loaf Italian bread, chopped or torn into chunks: 244 calories, 3.2 g fat, 2.4 g fiber, 7.9 g protein, $0.60
TOTAL: 550 calories, 17.6 g fat, 10.7 g fiber, 20.6 protein, $3.14
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): 183 calories, 5.9 g fat, 3.6 g fiber, 6.9 g protein, $1.05

An Open Letter to My Neighbor With the Car Alarm. Plus, Tomato and Bread Soup with Rosemary.

Guest Post: Sweet Potato Soup with Chipotle

Erin joins us from Hot Dinner Happy Home, where she chronicles her adventures feeding a hungry husband and a hungry self.

As (relatively) intelligent beings, we take the advice of those around us who are wiser and more experienced in order to avoid undesirable consequences. We wear seatbelts. We say “No!” to drugs. We steer clear of young children at the mall wearing Heelys. But sometimes we just need to learn lessons for ourselves.

For me, pureeing hot soup in a blender was a life lesson that fell squarely in the second category.

The husband and I crowded into our postage stamp kitchen with a few friends to whip up a batch of Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup. Everything was going swimmingly. The soup was nearing completion, and everyone was laughing and joking. More importantly, all our digits were still attached and no one had sustained major burns.

Then I read this step in the recipe, “Let soup cool slightly. Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth. (Use caution when blending hot liquids).”

Well, did I mention I was starving? Overconfident? And also impatient?

I loaded that blender to the tippy-top, slammed on the lid, and switched it on with a flick of my wrist and a cocky gleam in my eye.

And sweet potato soup exploded all over my kitchen.

So, when you make this soup (because you really ought to; it’s delicious), I implore you, take caution. When the recipe says to puree in batches, it ain’t kidding. Cover the lid of your blender with a towel and hold on for dear life.

Or, just do what I did and put an immersion blender on your birthday list. Because I’m still starving, overconfident, and impatient. I guess I’ll never learn…

~~~

If this looks good, imagine the following:

• Curried Sweet Potato Stew
• Molasses Whipped Sweet Potatoes
• Sweet Potato and Swiss Chard Soup

~~~

Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup
Serves 8.
Adapted from Everyday Food.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds total), peeled and cut into 1” chunks
1 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
7 cups low-sodium chicken broth (feel free to use a bit more or less until the soup is the desired consistency)
Sour cream, for serving

1) In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion to pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook onion, stirring as needed, until softened and golden brown at the edges, about 7 minutes. Add cumin and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2) Stir in sweet potatoes, 6 cups chicken broth, chipotle chile, and adobo sauce. Bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer until sweet potatoes are very tender, about 25 minutes.

3) Allow soup to cool slightly. Transfer soup to your blender in batches, being cautious not to fill blender to the top, and holding lid on tightly, and puree until smooth. Return pureed soup to Dutch oven. (Alternatively, puree using an immersion blender.) If the soup is too thick, add last 1 cup chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. At medium-low temperature, heat soup until it is warmed through. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

NOTE (from Kris): For a vegan/vegetarian version of this soup, simply replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth, and leave out the sour cream.

Guest Post: Sweet Potato Soup with Chipotle

Veggie Might: French-Style Lentil Soup with Spinach

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

A common misconception about vegetarians and vegans is that we only eat bland, boring lentil dishes that taste like paste/cardboard. Oh contraire! Lentils are freakin’ awesome, and you need not employ fancy tricks to make them delicious.

How apropos that, this week, I turn to Mark Bittman to illustrate this fact. (Mr. B, I’m going to miss The Minimalist ever so.)

Generally, my favorite way to eat lentils is all dal-ed up, Indian-style. But I’ll take them any way really: in a loaf, a patty, or in a soup with just a few simple flavors, like onions, salt, and pepper.

The thing is, as comfortable as I am around beans and lentils, wildly tossing together legumes with vegetables, grains, and spices, I’m fairly stymied by soup. I just can’t get a handle on the proportions and almost always turn to recipes. Sure enough, darling Mark Bittman and his stalwart How to Cook Everything Vegetarian saw into my heart and knew what it wanted before I did: the French variation of his Classic Lentil Soup.

It provided a use for the deep greenish-grey-colored French lentils (also known as lentils du Puy if they actually come from France) I’ve been hoarding, as well as a template for soup in general.

Even with the dicing, during which I relished using my newly sharpened knife, the soup came together in under an hour. Once the carrot and celery are diced, almost everything goes in the pot to start cooking; then the onion and garlic get their turn at the blade—a huge time saver. Plus, if you use frozen spinach, like I did, you save yourself additional washing and washing and chopping steps.

Because the recipe uses everyday ingredients—green or brown lentils can be easily subbed for Frenchies—it’s beyond cheap. At less than $3.50 for the whole pot, you get several meals for the cost of a cafe au lait—and it’s just as warm and comforting on a cold winter afternoon. The lentils, carrots, and celery stick to your ribs, while a hint of lemon juice gives a refreshing zing.

MB suggests spinach and lemon juice if sorrel is unavailable, which is the case here in the depths of Northeastern winter. Sorrel, if you’ve never tried it, is a delicate leafy green with a pungent, lemony flavor. Come spring, I’ll be giving that version a try for sure.

Now, let us lift high our spoons in praise of the lovely lentil and Mark Bittman’s deliciously simple soup. À votre santé!

~~~~

If you dig this recipe, point your [snow] shovel toward:

• Toor Dal with Ginger and Green Chilies
• Lentil, Spinach, and Bulgar Stew
• Low Down Curried Root Soup

~~~

French-Style Lentil Soup with Spinach
Serves 4 to 6
Adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

1 cup French lentils
1 medium carrot, 1/2” dice
1 rib celery, 1/2” dice
1 bay leaf
6 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons nonhydrogenated vegan butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic , minced
1 1/2 cups spinach, frozen (or 1/4 pound spinach, fresh)
1 lemon, juiced

1) Combine lentils, bay leaf, carrot, celery, stock, and salt and pepper in a large sauce pan or medium stock pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.

2) Chop onions and garlic. In a medium skillet, cook onions in vegan butter for 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. If using fresh spinach, stir into onion and garlic mixture until wilted. Add to soup. If using frozen spinach, skip wilting step and add spinach to soup separately from onion and garlic mixture.

3) Remove soup from heat when lentils are tender and squeeze in lemon juice.

4) Serve with crusty bread and a green salad or a baked sweet potato for a light lunch. So simple, so delicious, so je ne sai pas...perfectly lentil.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
Four servings: 249.6 calories, 3g fat, 18.5g fiber, 10g protein, $.86
Six servings: 166.4 calories, 2g fat, 12.3g fiber, 15g protein, $.57

Calculations
1 cup French lentils: 678 calories, 2g fat, 59g fiber, 50g protein, $0.70
1 medium carrot: 25 calories, 0g fat, 2g fiber, 1g protein, $0.16
1 rib celery: 6 calories, 0g fat, 1g fiber, 0g protein, $0.08
1 bay leaf: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $0.02
6 cups vegetable stock: 120 calories, 0.6g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $1.14
salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $0.02
pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $0.02
2 teaspoons nonhydrogenated vegan butter: 66 calories, 7.3g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.08
1 onion: 20 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.25
1 clove garlic: 4 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.01
1 1/2 cups spinach, frozen: 67.5 calories, 1.5g fat, 7.5g fiber, 9g protein, $0.75
1 lemon, juiced: 12 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.20
TOTALS: 998.5 calories, 11.4g fat, 74g fiber, 60g protein, $3.43
PER SERVING (TOTALS/4): 249.6 calories, 3g fat, 18.5g fiber, 10g protein, $.86
PER SERVING (TOTALS/6): 166.4 calories, 2g fat, 12.3g fiber, 15g protein, $.57

Veggie Might: French-Style Lentil Soup with Spinach

Pasta e Fagioli, or: I Succesfully Rehydrate Dried Beans For the First Time, Ever

Up until last night, I've always used canned beans in recipes. I wish I could say it’s because they taste better. Or they’re cheaper. Or they come in prettier colors and sing me neat Pink Floyd songs as I go to sleep at night.

Alas, that ain’t the truth. The truth is more like this: I have never been able to rehydrate dried beans. Ever. Like, in recorded history. Even before I was born, I couldn’t do it. No matter how long I soaked, no matter how many hours I boiled, my dried legumes always stayed dried. Like tiny, grainy BB gun pellets.

Then, I stumbled over The Kitchn's One-Pot Pasta e Fagioli, which uses caramelized onions and a smattering of bacon to flavor a rich broth, in which dried cannellini beans, pasta, and spinach are then cooked to a soft, hearty stew. (Wow, that was a long sentence. Also, A Smattering of Bacon is potentially great title for your next novel about Existentialism.)

And just like that, I have been joined the ranks of the People Who Are Capable of Rehyrdating Beans, or PWACORB. Really, it's kind of a revelation, and not just because dried cannellinis are much creamier than canned. They're also way, way less expensive, use significantly less packaging, and are a comparative breeze to carry. Which? Is important when you're training for the Olympics. (Note: I am not training for the Olympics.)

Back to that recipe, though: I liked it, and it's a wonderful way to incorporate bacon into your diet in a healthy way. However, it did turn kind of mushy. Not unacceptably so. Just more than I would have liked. To remedy this, next time I will:

1) Try using a thicker pasta. I added elbow macaroni, and it softened pretty quickly. A whole-wheat pasta or sturdier mezze penne or orrechiette would have probably held up better.

2) Try adding the pasta last. That way, it won't have so much time to absorb extra water.

Besides that minor issue, we ate it, and have more than enough to last for a week o' office lunches. Not to mention, now I will rehydrate beans with impunity. IMPUNITY, I SAY!

~~~

If this looks tasty, you’ll surely enjoy:

• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili
• Quinoa Soup with Avocado and Corn

~~~

One-Pot Pasta e Fagioli
Serves 8 to 10
Adapted from The Kitchn.

1 pound dried cannellini beans
5 strips bacon, chopped
2 medium yellow onions, sliced thin
3 medium celery stalks, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 pound small pasta (whole-wheat for extra healthiness)
5 thyme sprigs
3 teaspoons salt
10 ounces frozen spinach (fresh would also work)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

1) In a large mixing bowl, add beans and enough water to cover by an inch or two. Let sit overnight.

2) In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until a little crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon or a spider. Set aside. Get rid of all bacon fat in pot, except for one tablespoon. Add onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized. (This will take anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes, depending on how large you slice the onions and a few other factors.)

3) Preheat oven to 325 °F.

4) Add celery to onion mixture. Sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Scoop half of onion mixture into a bowl and set aside with bacon.

5) Deglaze pot with 1 cup chicken broth, making sure you scrape up all the tasty onion bits stuck to the bottom.

6) Drain beans. Add to pot along with bay leaf, remaining chicken broth, and “enough water to cover the beans and onions by 1 inch.” Cover. Stick in oven and braise for 1 hour. If the beans aren’t soft after 1 hour, cook an additional 15 to 20 minutes.

7) Remove pot from oven. Place on burner and turn it up to medium-high heat. Add reserved bacon, reserved onion mixture, thyme, remaining salt, and pasta. Cook until pasta is almost done. Stir occasionally, and don’t be afraid to add more water if things are getting a little dry.

8) Add block of frozen spinach. Cook, stirring often, until spinach is totally defrosted and spread out in stew. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

OTHER SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Try using a thicker, smaller pasta, or perhaps a whole-wheat pasta. If you’d like it to have more of a chew, add it in with the spinach and cook until al dente. The pasta will soften significantly and absorb water as the stew sits, so don't fear adding more H2O as time goes on.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
Nine servings: 312 calories, 3.6 g fat, 6.3 g fiber, 17.8 g protein, $0.68

NOTE: Calculations are for Goya cannellini beans, also known as white kidney beans or alubias.

Calculations
1 pound dried cannellini beans: 1500 calories, 10 g fat, 40 g fiber, 100 g protein, $1.59
5 strips bacon, chopped: 230 calories, 17.8 g fat, 0 g fiber, 15.7 g protein, $0.83
2 medium yellow onions, sliced thin: 92 calories, 0.2 g fat, 3.1 g fiber, 2 g protein, $0.50
3 medium celery stalks, diced: 17 calories, 0.2 g fat, 1.9 g fiber, 0.8 g protein, $0.30
4 garlic cloves, minced: 17 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.2 g fiber, 0.7 g protein, $0.32
1 (15-ounce) can chicken broth: 30 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 5.8 g fiber, $0.66
1 bay leaf: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.02
1/2 pound small pasta: 840 calories, 4 g fat, 8 g fiber, 28 g protein, $0.33
5 thyme sprigs: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.50
3 teaspoons salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.02
10 ounces frozen spinach: 103 calories, 0 g fat, 3.4 g fiber, 6.8 g protein, $1.00
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.02
TOTAL: 2812 calories, 32.3 g fat, 56.6 g fiber, 159.8 g protein, $6.09
PER SERVING (TOTAL/9): 312 calories, 3.6 g fat, 6.3 g fiber, 17.8 g protein, $0.68

Pasta e Fagioli, or: I Succesfully Rehydrate Dried Beans For the First Time, Ever

Guest Post: BFF Squash Soup With an Added Bonus Lentil Soup

Michelle spends her days as a computer geek. In her copious spare time she throws all of her creative energies into cooking. She is the mother of two pre-school aged boys and is married to a wonderful man who does all of her dishes.

A funny thing happened while I was making French Onion Soup for the first time: I discovered that onions sautéed in butter made a wonderful base for a vegetable broth. I extended that thought by adding carrots, celery, mushrooms and thyme after the onions had browned a bit (10-15 minutes), cooked for a few more minutes, and then added water. From that point, I could make any number of soups and they would have been incredibly rich.

The first time I made it, I added two cups of lentils with about 12 cups of water and some more thyme. I brought it to a boil and then lowered to simmer for an hour. It was awesome! I have always loved lentil soup and still have fond memories of eating canned Progresso as a child. This soup beat the pants off Progresso.

This weekend I was charged with making butternut squash soup for my Best Friend’s 40th birthday dinner. The complicating factor was her wonderful new boyfriend, who is a vegetarian. I always used chicken broth in the past and had a batch of chicken broth itching to be used in my freezer. Fortunately, before I offended the guest of honor and her honored guest I remembered the Lentil Soup vegetable broth base. I also decided to roast the squash with sage and olive oil to add a layer of depth. Once the squash was nicely roasted, browned and mushy, I added it to the soup base. I used my handy dandy hand blender and voila - rich yummy, vegetarian, squash soup.

Just for fun, because I don’t have enough to do with my husband, two children under five, full-time job out of the house and three cats, I decided to make sage toasted croutons out of homemade bread. I used my new go-to no knead bread recipe and then tossed crouton-sized chunks with sage and olive oil and toasted in the oven at 350 degrees until crunchy. You could save some time by toasting the croutons while you roast the squash.

If 20 cups of soup seems like too much, both soups freeze well or make great party favors. We left some with our hosts and gave some to the guest of honor to take home.

~~~

If these look good, you'll surely enjoy:

• Gingered Carrot Soup with Lime and Cilantro
• Hot and Sour Cabbage Soup
• Italian White Bean and Spinach Soup

~~~

Vegetable Stock Base

 4 TB salted butter
1 large onion (I used yellow)
3 large carrots diced (about two cups)
3 large celery sticks diced (about two cups)
1/2 pint mushrooms diced (about two cups)
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tsp salt
12 cups water

1) Melt butter in large stock pot

2) Cook onions in butter on medium heat until they brown, about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) Add carrots, celery, mushrooms, thyme leaves and pepper and cook for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

4) Add water, salt and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil and then lower to simmer for a half hour.

~~~

Squash Soup with Sage Croutons
Makes about 20 cups of soup

1 recipe vegetable stock base
1 large butternut squash peeled and cubed
30 fresh sage leaves chopped
1/2 loaf hearty bread cut into cubes
4 TB olive oil split
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2) Toss squash with 2 TB of olive oil, 1/2 the sage leaves, salt and pepper.

3) Toss bread cubes with 2 TB of olive oil and the other 1/2 of the sage leaves.

4) Roast the squash on the bottom half of the over for 40 minutes stirring at 20 minutes.

5) Toast the bread cubes on the top half of the oven until you reach your preferred level of crunchiness. I like mine crunchy and it took about 20 minutes.

6) Add the squash to the vegetable stock base. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.

7) Puree soup with a stick hand blender if you have one. Alternately you can use a regular blender but be very careful!

~~~

Bonus Lentil Soup
Makes about 20 cups of soup
1 recipe vegetable stock base
2 cups lentils
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Add two cups of lentils to vegetable stock base. Bring to a boil and then lower to simmer for an hour or until the lentils are soft.

2) Add salt and pepper to taste.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
191 calories, 6.4 g fat, $0.63

Calculations
4 tablespoons butter: 400 calories, 44 g fat
1 large onion: 67 calories, 0.13 g fat
1 medium butternut squash: 410 calories, 1.0 g fat
3 carrots: 164 calories, 0.62 g fat
3 celery stalks: 18 calories, 0.21 g fat
½ pint mushrooms: 30 calories, 0.48 g fat
4 TB olive oil: 476 calories, 54 g fat
1 tsp thyme: negligible fat and calories
30 sage leaves: negligible fat and calories
Salt, freshly ground black pepper: negligible fat and calories
½ loaf whole wheat bread: 540 calories, 6.00 g fat
TOTAL: 1705 calories, 62.44 g fat
PER SERVING (TOTAL/20): 85.25 calories, 3.12 g fat

Guest Post: BFF Squash Soup With an Added Bonus Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup with Sausage, Brown Rice, and Spinach: Things Are Looking Up

Today on Serious Eats: Swiss Chard and Turkey Sausage Over Polenta. So simple. So seductive delicious.

Painful things I have done recently (SPOILER ALERT):

Dislocated and/or broke my left pinky toe on a door frame. That’ll teach me to ... uh ... walk.  

Read the entire Lord of the Rings series. Fellow nerds! Hear my call! Why did no one tell me the books were butt-awful? Sweet bejeezus, Tolkien dedicated entire CHAPTERS to whether Frodo and Sam should take a left at the scary-looking rock, and exactly two pages on the death of Gollum, destruction of the ring, and collapse of Mordor. By the ancient sword of Elendil, Charles *freaking* Dickens would been like, “This needs fewer words, old chap.” 

Admitted my English degree has been fairly useless. With apologies to the Bronte sisters, Jane Eyre does not prepare you for the intricacies of expense reports. 

Watched Precious. “Hm,” I thought halfway through the film, “The only thing that could possibly make this more depressing is if they gave Precious AIDS.” (ten seconds pass) “Aaaaand there you go.” 

Threw out my old music cassette tapes. Oh, man. Here’s something they don’t tell you when you move: Carrying 90 boxes up a flight of stairs isn’t the hardest part. It’s chucking beloved, but outdated and useless possessions, like Open Up and Say ... Ahh!, the 1988 multiplatinum classic from Poison. Every rose has it’s thorn, indeed.

A very enjoyable thing I did recently: 

Ate Double Lentil, Sausage, Brown Rice, and Spinach Soup from the stupendous Kalyn’s Kitchen. Speaking of which, Kalyn just published her Top 10 Recipes of 2010, which you should gaze upon immediately.

HOTUS and I had guests for the first time at our new apartment. As it turns out, it’s impolite to starve company, so thus, the soup. And it tasted good. Real good. So good, there was slurping. From guests! Even my sister liked it, and she hates food.

I made two medium-sized changes to Kalyn’s original recipe: I substituted water in for part of the chicken broth, and used a combination of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika for Spike Seasoning, which I couldn’t find in Brooklyn. Also of note: Kalyn and I both used a 3.5-quart slow cooker. If you don’t own one, she includes instructions to adapt the recipe for the stovetop at Kalyn’s Kitchen. (They’re not included here).

A wonderful thing I have recommenced recently: 

Blogging. It's good to be back, sweet readers.

~~~

If this recipe floats your boaty, these will surely make you gloaty. (Sorry.):

• Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
• Slow Cooker Pork Chops, Apples, and Sweet Potatoes
• White Bean and Kale Soup with Turkey Sausage

~~~

Double Lentil, Sausage, Brown Rice, and Spinach Soup
Serves 6.
Adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen.

1/2 medium onion, diced small
1 carrot, peeled and diced small
2 stalks celery, diced small
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
A few shakes each: kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, paprika
3 links pre-cooked chicken or turkey sausage, chopped into 1/3-inch pieces
1 (15-ounce) can petite dice tomatoes, undrained
2 (15-ounce) cans chicken broth
2-1/2 cups water
1/4 cup brown or green lentils
1/4 cup red lentils
1/4 cup long-grain brown rice
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1) Heat olive in large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Saute until ever-so-slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Saute an additional 2 minutes.

2) Pour onion mixture into crockpot. Add sausage, tomatoes, broth, water, and all lentils. Stir to combine. Cook on high 3 hours.

3) Add rice and spinach. Stir to combine. Cook 1 more hour.

4) Add balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine. Cook 15 minutes. Serve, with crusty bread and “Parmesan cheese if desired.”

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
226 calories, 7.8 g fat, 7.3 g fiber, 15.5 g protein, $1.72

Note: Calculations are for Chef Bruce Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausage from CostCo., since the numbers were easily available online. I personally used a different, yet similar brand, the label of which I can't remember, and is currently buried under two feet of garbage.

Calculations
1/2 medium onion, diced small: 23 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.8 g fiber, 0.5 g protein, $0.17
1 carrot, peeled and diced small: 25 calories, 0.1 g fat, 1.7 g fiber, 0.6 g protein, $0.08
2 stalks celery, diced small: 17 calories, 0.2 g fat, 2 g fiber, 0.9 g protein, $0.25
1 tablespoon olive oil: 199 calories, 13.5 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.13
3 cloves garlic, minced: 13 calories, 0 g fat, 0.2 g fiber, 0.6 g protein, $0.20
1 teaspoon dried thyme: 3 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.4 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.12
A few shakes each: kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, paprika: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.03
3 links pre-cooked chicken or turkey sausage: 480 calories, 30 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, 42 g protein, $4.34
1 (15-ounce) can petite dice tomatoes, undrained: 70 calories, 0 g fat, 3.5 g fiber, 3.5 g protein, $1.69 (ugh, I know)
2 (15-ounce) cans chicken broth: 67 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 13.1 g protein, $1.33
2-1/2 cups water: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.00
1/4 cup brown or green lentils: 119 calories, 0.5 g fat, 14.7 g fiber, 12.4 g protein, $0.37
1/4 cup red lentils: 119 calories, 0.5 g fat, 14.7 g fiber, 12.4 g protein, $0.37
1/4 cup long-grain brown rice: 171 calories, 1.3 g fat, 1.6 g fiber, 3.7 g protein, $0.18
4 cups chopped fresh spinach: 28 calories, 0.5 g fat, 2.6 g fiber, 3.4 g protein, $0.86
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar: 20 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.20
TOTALS: 1354 calories, 46.8 g fat, 43.7 g fiber, 93.2 g protein, $10.32
PER SERVING (TOTALS/6): 226 calories, 7.8 g fat, 7.3 g fiber, 15.5 g protein, $1.72

Lentil Soup with Sausage, Brown Rice, and Spinach: Things Are Looking Up

Guest Post: Pressure Cooker Black Bean Soup Recipe

Joy Manning is senior recipes editor at TastingTable.com. She blogs at OysterEvangelist.com. She enjoys all things cheap, healthy and good from her home/office/test kitchen in South Philadelphia.

I may be five-years-married and in my early-middle 30s, but I am having a crazy hot love affair: 252 degrees Fahrenheit, to be exact. That’s the temperature at which water boils—way hotter than the usual 212—inside my pressure cooker.

Some pressure cooker enthusiasts are keen on the fact that things cook in about one-third of the usual time under pressure. True, but for me the allure lies in its ability to produce slow-cooked flavor in a hurry. The pressure cooker happens to work magic on some of the inexpensive ingredients we all know can be made to taste amazing over the course of an hours-long braise—dried beans, beets, cheaper cuts of meat like brisket and pork shoulder—in almost no time flat. And contemporary models are so tricked out with safety features, there is absolutely nothing to fear.

This recipe for black bean and chipotle soup hits the table in 45 minutes. And 30 of those minutes are completely inactive: While you wait for dinner, have a glass of wine and watch the Daily Show on DVR. It is the absolute best black bean soup I have ever made, not just because it uses 90 percent pantry staples or the fact that it’s vegan, but because the slow cooker manages to intensify and meld flavors better and faster than seems imaginable until you use one.

As kitchen gadgets go, pressure cookers are pretty inexpensive and they’re so great at dinner on the fly you’re bound to save a bundle on take out. Get yourself one, and start with this soup that I promise will become a staple:

~~~

If you like this recipe, you might also enjoy:

• Black Bean Burrito Bake
• Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn
• Curried Chickpeas and Black Beans

~~~

Black Bean and Chipotle Soup
Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 medium celery stalks, diced (about ½ cup)
1 small carrot, diced (about ¼ cup)
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cup dried black beans
8 cups cold water
1/2 to 1 cup raw cashews
1 cup boiling water
1 to 2 chipotle in adobo sauce(depending on your heat tolerance), plus 1 to 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Juice of ½ lime
¼ cup chopped cilantro

1) In a pressure cooker, combine the oil, onion, celery, carrot, cumin and salt and cook, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat until the vegetables soften, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2) Add the black beans and cold water and lock the lid shut. Bring to high pressure over high heat, and then, once high pressure is achieved, reduce your heat to medium, as low as you can while still maintaining a steady hiss from the pressure-release valve. Cook under pressure for 30 minutes. Use the quick-release button or allow the pressure to come down naturally.

3) Meanwhile, cover the cashews with the boiling water and allow to stand while the bean soup cooks. In a blender, combine the cashews in their soaking water, the chipotles and adobo sauce, the tomato paste and 1 ladle full of cooked beans from the pressure cooker. Blend on high until a smooth puree has formed, about 1 minute. Whisk this puree back into the soup.

4) Stir in the lime and cilantro and season with additional salt if necessary. Serve immediately, or freeze for up to three months.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
Four servings: 438 calories, 14.2 g fat, 19 g fiber, 21.9 g protein, $1.13
Six servings: 292 calories, 9.4 g fat, 12.8 g fiber, 14.6 g protein, $0.80

Calculations
1 tablespoon canola oil: 124 calories, 14 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.08
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup): 46 calories, 0.1 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, 1 g protein, $0.25
2 medium celery stalks, diced (about ½ cup): 11 calories, 0.2 g fat, 1.3 g fiber, 0.6 g protein, $0.36
1 small carrot, diced (about ¼ cup): 25 calories, 0.1 g fat, 1.7 g fiber, 0.6 g protein, $0.10
1 tablespoon cumin: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.05
1 teaspoon salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.01
3 garlic cloves, minced: 13 calories, 0 g fat, 0.2 g fiber, 0.6 g protein, $0.18
1½ cup dried black beans: 1022 calories, 3.9 g fat, 67.3 g fiber, 68.6 g protein, $0.75
8 cups cold water: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, FREE
1/2 to 1 cup raw cashews (calculations are for 3/4 cup): 470 calories, 37.3 g fat, 2.8 g fiber, 15.5 g protein, $1.95
1 cup boiling water: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, FREE
1 to 2 chipotle in adobo sauce, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons adobo sauce: 20 calories, 1 g fat, 1 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.37
1 tablespoon tomato paste: 13 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.7 g fiber, 0.7 g protein, $0.05
Juice of ½ lime: 5 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.12
¼ cup chopped cilantro: 1 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.25
TOTAL: 1750 calories, 56.7 g fat, 76.7 g fiber, 87.7 g protein, $4.52
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 438 calories, 14.2 g fat, 19 g fiber, 21.9 g protein, $1.13
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 292 calories, 9.4 g fat, 12.8 g fiber, 14.6 g protein, $0.75

Guest Post: Pressure Cooker Black Bean Soup Recipe

Veggie Might: Fast, Easy Soup for Sick Vegetarians

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

Happy belated Thanksgiving, Gentle Readers! Hope your festivities were fun and delicious. Mine were joyous and pie-filled, just as I dreamed they would be.

My body is reacting to all the friendship and gratitude by purging any built-up toxins through my facial orifices. Translation: I have a cold. And this cold wants soup.

A while back, reader and all-around good sort Chris wrote in to ask “When vegetarians/vegans are feeling under the weather, what sort of comfort foods do they like? I would love to learn how to make a flavorful broth (maybe something with ginger and onions, good for colds?) to help my sick veggie buds.”

Chris, first let me apologize for taking so long to get to your request, but as they say, necessity makes us get off our arses when we’d rather lay on the couch and watch Mythbusters reruns. Secondly, you’re a good friend.

I’ve found that most people (and plants) don’t like to eat much when they’re feeling peaked, and, as your spokesveg-in-residence, vegetarians and vegans are no different. A no-fuss soup of broth is soothing on a sore throat; noodles and one or two vegetables add a little substance.

If you are nursing someone else, like to prepare ahead for emergencies, or are strong enough to chop through the rheum, make your own Homemade Vegetable Stock for a healthy, inexpensive recuperative concoction.

If you need sustenance immediately and haven’t the strength for washing carrots, go canned broth or bullion. There is no shame, only sodium, which drinking lots of fluids will take care of. Since this cold hit right after a major holiday, my freezer was empty, and I reached for vegetable bullion cubes.

You may have noticed from articles past that I like spicy food, especially garlic. Good news! Garlic is great for colds. My favorite snorky-sinus soother is a garlicky broth soup with noodles and a green vegetable like broccoli, bok choy, or kale. These crucifers are high in vitamins A, C, and K and minerals manganese and folate—just what a recovering immune system needs.

Toss in a little ginger, crushed red pepper, or hot chili paste for sinus-clearing heat, and you’ve got a fast, easy soup that will put you or your favorite vegetarian/vegan back on the path to mixing with the general population.

Thanks, Chris, for writing with your query. Readers, do you have any favorite soup or comfort food recipes that pick you up when you’re feeling down? If so, sing out in the comments. And give us a shout if you have any questions or post ideas. The suggestion box is open 24-7, including holidays.

Now rest up and get healthy. The holiday food onslaught coming.

~~~~

If this post floats your boat, paddle on over to:

• Vegetarian Miso Soup
• Low-Down Curried Root Soup
• Cheap Healthy Sick: 10 Easy Nutritious Foods for When You’ve Contracted the Plague

~~~

Fast, Easy Garlic and Chili Soup with Broccoli
Makes about 3 servings

4 cups cold water + 2 vegetarian bullion cubes (“not chicken”, etc.)
OR
4 cups rich vegetable stock
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tsp hot chili paste or crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups broccoli, chopped (frozen or fresh)
2 oz. Korean style somen noodles (or thin noodle of choice)

1)  Pour stock or cold water into medium saucepan and set heat to high. Add garlic and bullion (if using) to pot and bring to boil.

2) Add broccoli to boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Add noodles and stir in hot sauce. Continue to cook on high heat for 3 minutes, until noodles and broccoli are tender.

3) Ladle into soup bowls and allow to cool for a couple of minutes, breathing in the spicy broth. Feel the relief in your sinuses.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
126 calories, 2.17g fat, 4g fiber, 4.6g protein, $.52

Calculations
2 vegetarian bullion cube: 60 calories, 6g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.62
3 cloves garlic: 12 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.04
1 tsp hot chili paste: 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.02
2 cups broccoli: 82 calories, 0g fat, 10g fiber, 8g protein, $0.66
2 oz. Korean style somen noodles: 225 calories, 0.5g fat, 2g fiber, 6g protein, $0.21
TOTALS: 379 calories, 6.5g fat, 12g fiber, 14g protein, $1.55
PER SERVING (TOTALS/2): 126 calories, 2.17g fat, 4g fiber, 4.6g protein, $.52


Fast, Easy Garlic and Ginger Soup with Bok Choy
Makes about 3 servings

4 cups water + 2 vegetarian bullion cubes (“not chicken”, etc.)
OR
4 cups rich vegetable stock
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2” piece fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
2 cups bok choy (about 1 small head), washed and chopped
2 oz. Korean style somen noodles (or thin noodle of choice)

1)  Pour stock or cold water into medium saucepan and set heat to high. Add garlic, ginger, and bullion (if using) to pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer about 5 minutes to allow ginger time to infuse broth. Return heat to high and bring again to a boil.

2) Add bok choy to boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Add noodles. Continue to cook on high heat for 3 minutes, until noodles and broccoli are tender.

3) Ladle into soup bowls and allow to cool for a couple of minutes, breathing in the fragrant broth. Take relief in your renewed breathing capabilities.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
109 calories, 2.17g fat, 1.3g fiber, 2.7g protein, $.50

Calculations
2 vegetarian bullion cubes: 60 calories, 6g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.62
3 cloves garlic: 12 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.04
2” piece fresh ginger: 12 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.12
2 cups bok choy: 18 calories, 0g fat, 2g fiber, 2g protein, $0.52
2 oz. Korean style somen noodles: 225 calories, 0.5g fat, 2g fiber, 6g protein, $0.21
TOTALS: 327 calories, 6.5g fat, 4g fiber, 8g protein, $1.51
PER SERVING (TOTALS/2): 109 calories, 2.17g fat, 1.3g fiber, 2.7g protein, $.50

Veggie Might: Fast, Easy Soup for Sick Vegetarians

Guest Post: Butternut Squash Soup - Test Kitchen Tuesday

Angela is on a mission to eat healthy one new meal at a time. You can catch up with her at Test Kitchen Tuesday. 

Hi everyone! Before we get started, I just want to say how happy I am to be here. So, my fellow CHG-lovers, it’s so nice to meet you!

And, now that we’re on a first name basis, I have a confession to make. I am a lot of things: a wife, a small business owner, a triathlete, a skier, and an animal lover, among others. Until recently, I was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a cook.

In fact, I used to pretty much avoid cooking as much as possible, aside from maybe boiling water for pasta. My husband and I have fully remodeled two houses together, which left little time to think about what we were eating. When you’re covered from head-to-toe in some form of paint, drywall mud, tile mastic (or worse), the last thing on your mind is what goes in your mouth. Dinner came out of a box, a bag, or from a restaurant. I. Did. Not. Cook.

About a year ago, I started paying attention to the foods we eat, and, yikes! Have you ever internalized what some of those ingredients in convenience foods really are? I finally did, and had an “ah-ha” moment: I realized the meaning of that old adage, “you are what you eat.”

The past year has been an interesting journey of figuring out how to feed us things that actually qualify as food instead of chemistry, and it has been surprisingly wonderful. Among the many surprises, I found out I really like having an active role in our nutrition. I learned to make things I would have never thought I could make, with ingredients I would have never purchased (or had even heard of) before.

It’s all good.

A while back, I was on a mission to serve my husband, AKA 2ChiliBreadBowl (yes, I actually call him that) something with butternut squash in it. I was certain he wouldn’t actually eat butternut squash if it wasn’t somehow disguised, but he had mentioned he had tried butternut squash ravioli once and liked it. My ears perked up. Anytime 2Chili mentions he likes something that does not involve massive amounts of sugar, ketchup, or barbeque sauce, I take notice. I decided I would try my hand at this magical ravioli he liked.

A surprise dinner guest on that fateful butternut squash ravioli night, which happened to be a Tuesday, gave me the idea to create Test Kitchen Tuesdays. Now, I make something completely new-to-us every Tuesday night, and have started blogging about it. 2Chili is taking it in stride. He’s the first one to admit his palate is about as diverse as your average 6-year-old’s, and watching me put effort into something new and outside my comfort zone in the kitchen has (I presume) inspired him to eat outside his box of chicken nuggets.

All that stage-setting aside, let’s get on to business. I figured since the fabulous and humble butternut squash was responsible for inspiring me to start up our weekly test recipe endeavors, it was only proper to feature a butternut squash recipe in this post.

I happen to like the ol’ butternut in a multitude of dishes, from smoothies (really!) to soup to just plain roasted. When I stumbled on a large butternut squash on the end cap at our local Trader Joe’s for only $1.59, I couldn’t resist. The result of that purchase was this creamy, savory soup that officially qualifies as autumn in a bowl. If autumn in a bowl wasn’t good enough, as an added bonus, it’s so good for you that you can gobble it down without regret!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Original Recipe/Inspiration: The Reluctant Vegetarian.

Recipe Makes: 8 one-cup servings, plus or minus, depending on the size of your squash

 Time Required:

• 15 minutes to prep
• 30 minutes to cook

Skill Level (out of a possible 5): 2

Chili’s Taster Rating (out of a possible 5): 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 4 1/4 cups low sodium vegetable broth/stock
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/2 cup apple cider

Method

• Peel and cube butternut squash, and peel/core apple and set aside
• Heat olive oil in a stock pot. Once it begins to heat up and thin out, add onion and nutmeg; Sauté until the onions soften up – 3-5 minutes
• Add squash, vegetable, apple, and apple cider; Depending on the size of your squash, you may need more broth than called for – just make sure that the apple and squash are covered by about 3/4-1 inch of broth
• Bring to boil. Then, drop heat to low or medium-low and simmer (uncovered) around 30 minutes, until both the apples and the squash are soft and tender.
• Add soup to blender with a ladle, making sure to evenly distribute enough liquid to help blend your squash/apples well. The amount of broth you add will determine the thickness of your soup. I had to blend the soup in two batches, and I have a pretty big commercial-sized blender. It’s called the Ninja, by the way. If you’re going to blend, you might as well blend like a ninja!
• Puree soup until smooth, and serve immediately

General Notes:

• The original recipe called for seasoning with sea salt and pepper – I am generally not in to adding salt and pepper. Maybe you are. If so, season to taste!
• If you don’t have apple cider, and don’t want to buy apple cider just for this, you can do what I did. Peel and chop an apple and put it in your blender. Add a couple tablespoons of water, and blend until you have applesauce consistency. Then, pour the applesauce into a sieve that is set up to drip into a bowl, pressing down on the sauce to squeeze out the juice. Let the sauce drip for about 10-15 minutes and you’ll have about 1/2 cup of homemade cider. You can use the leftover applesauce in another recipe to replace some butter. Talk about thrifty!
• I feel like this recipe would freeze well. Perhaps make up a big pot and save half in the freezer to remember the taste of autumn when we are deep into the winter doldrums.

Nutritional Profile
I used the Lose It app on my iPhone to calculate this info based on a low sodium vegetable stock. Your final results may vary, depending on the type of stock you add.

• Calories: 79
• Total Fat: 1.9g
• Saturated Fat: .3g
• Cholesterol: 0g
• Sodium: 79.3mg
• Carbohydrate: 15.9g
• Fiber: 2.7g
• Sugars: 7g
• Protein: .9g

The Verdict: Okay, I’ll admit it. 2Chili doesn’t much like soup. He has a thing against hot liquids (yes, he knows chili is technically a hot liquid). Try as I may, I have not been able to get him to overcome his hot liquid aversion. So, for him to give it a 4 star rating is a pretty big deal. You’d think I’d learn to stop trying, but I find myself channeling my mother a lot: “just try it, and if you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it…”

Personally, I thought it was so good I would drink this soup from a mug and call it a thick latte. I guess you’re just going to have to try this one yourself and determine your own rating!

Guest Post: Butternut Squash Soup - Test Kitchen Tuesday

Green Kitchen: Gingered Carrot Soup with Lime and Cilantro

Green Kitchen is a bi-weekly column about nutritious, inexpensive, and ethical food and cooking. It's penned by the lovely Jaime Green.

One thing I love about eating in season is the way it pushes me towards inspiration. Sometimes it's a beautiful bunch of red kale at a farmer's stand, or stalks of fresh Brussels sprouts in the fall. Or sometimes it's a giant bunch of carrots I bought a week and a half ago and totally forgot about.

Nature's bounty and my flightiness would've gotten us nowhere, though – nowhere past weeks and weeks of carrot stick snacks – without a little technological intervention in the form of my brand new immersion blender.

Holy goodness, has there ever been a more glorious kitchen invention? Fill a cup with milk and fruit, bzzp, you have a smoothie. Even better, when it comes to soup – you've got a steaming pot of broth and veggies? Bzzp, you have a silky puree. Oh, and also: YOU DON'T HAVE TO WASH YOUR WHOLE BIG BLENDER.

Sure, you puree soup in a normal blender in batches, but it just takes one loosely-screwed blender bottom and one splatter painting of hot soup up your kitchen walls and down your shirt to scare a lady off of that method for good.

I started with carrot ginger soup and ended up with something a little less sweet, and with a little more kick. It's not very spicy, but the tart lime juice punches it up. As I am, thankfully, not among the disadvantaged for whom cilantro tastes like soap, that seemed like a natural addition. Also because I will put cilantro in everything. Cilantro chocolate milkshakes may be next.

With cilantro and lime you might expect this to taste something like Mexican cuisine, as I did when it was cooking. But it turns out that the ginger, cumin, and coconut oil remind your mouth of curry, too. This is a meal without a country, then, but the carrots, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno all came from the farmers market, so it's at least decidedly local, too.

~~~

If you like the look of this soup, you might also quite enjoy:

• Curried Zucchini Soup
• Hot and Sour Soup with Baby Bok Choy
• Tomato and Bread Soup

~~~

Gingered Carrot Soup with Lime and Cilantro
Serves 4 as a main, 6 as a side.
Adapted from Epicurious.

2 tablespoons coconut oil (or neutral oil)
5 cups chopped carrots (about 2lb)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons diced ginger (about 1 inch squared)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
5 cups vegetable broth or bouillon
2 limes, zest and juice
cayenne pepper to taste
handful of cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish
1 cup Greek yogurt, plus extra for garnish

1) Put a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add oil. When hot, add onions and carrots. Saute until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

2) Add ginger, garlic, jalapeno, and cumin. Saute 1 more minute.

3) Pour in broth (or bouillon dissolved in water). Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, and cook uncovered until carrots are tender, about 25-30 minutes.

4) Remove soup from heat. Stir in lime juice. Let cool a bit, add cilantro, and puree in batches in a blender, or use an immersion blender right in the pot. Add cayenne pepper to taste.

5) Let soup cool to about room temperature. (An ice water bath in your sink is a good idea here – soup sitting warm for too long can spoil.) Stir in yogurt. Cover soup and refrigerate, at least four hours but preferably overnight.

6) When serving, garnish soup with a dollop of yogurt, a sprinkle of lime zest, and a few cilantro leaves. Pretty and delicious!

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Cost Per Serving
4 servings: 185.5 calories, 8.5g fat, 5.3g fiber, 7g protein, $1.69
6 servings: 123.7 calories, 5.7g fat, 3.5g fiber, 4.7g protein, $1.12

Calculations
2 T coconut oil: 234 calories, 27.2g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.80
5 c chopped carrots: 262 calories, 1.5g fat, 17.9g fiber, 6g protein, $1.00
1 medium onion: 42 calories, 0.1g fat, 1.8g fiber, 1.2g protein, $0.50
2 T diced ginger: 3 calories, 0g fat, 0.1g fiber, 0.1g protein, $0.20
1 jalapeno: 4 calories, 0.1g fat, 0.4g fiber, 0.2g protein, $0.50
1 clove garlic: 4 calories, 0g fat, 0.1g fiber, 0.2g protein, $.02
1 t cumin: 9 calories, 0.5g fat, 0.7g fiber, 0.4g protein, $0.02
5 c Better Than Bouillon: 25 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.93
2 limes, zest and juice: 8 calories, 0g fat, 0.1g fiber, 0.1g protein $0.66
cayenne pepper: 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.01
handful of cilantro leaves: 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.10
1 c Greek yogurt (2% fat): 150 calories, 4.5g fat, 0g fiber, 20g protein $2.00
TOTAL: 742 calories, 34g fat, 21.1g fiber, 28.1g protein, $6.74
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 185.5 calories, 8.5g fat, 5.3g fiber, 7g protein, $1.69
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 123.7 calories, 5.7g fat, 3.5g fiber, 4.7g protein, $1.12

Green Kitchen: Gingered Carrot Soup with Lime and Cilantro

Veggie Might: Fruit Gazpacho for the Overcommitted

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

We’ve all had these weekends. One day the calendar is empty; you are free to do as you please. Then suddenly, you find that every hour is booked with something Very Important—much of it fun, but still—and your weekend looms like a wobbling Jenga tower.

If you’re like me, the quivering shadow does not mean you will scale back or reprioritize. No. You will keep stacking the pieces, praying to the Scheduling Gods that no one pulls out the wrong block. But I usually do.

However, when one of the activities is a Sunday afternoon potluck/barbecue for 13 foodie adults (plus two wild-eyed cherubs), this recipe for fruit gazpacho will save your sanity.

Fast, cheap (depending on seasonality), and totally manageable, the steps are make a fruit salad, and zap it in the blender. Even chilling in advance is optional; a few ice cubes will do the trick in a pinch.

The peeling and chopping took about 40 minutes, but I found the mindless labor soothing after the blocks took a tumble Saturday afternoon. Once chopped, the fruit needs just a few minutes in the blender or food processor, and you’re done.

Because the fruit is well in season, there is no need for added sugar. The mint adds that je ne sai quoi that all my friends are catching on to. It used to be my secret weapon, but it’s become a trademark. Add mint to just about any fruit dish and you will receive praise to the stars.

Use just about any fruit you like. I found watermelon to be a terrific addition because it was on sale (!) and provided a good amount of liquid. If you opt out of the melon family, you may need to add more juice.

My little fruit soup experiment was a surprise hit at the rain-soaked barbecue. It was delicious if I do say so, and refreshing on what started out to be a sticky, hot day. Despite the rain, it was a perfect Sunday afternoon. I didn’t even care when half the gazpacho hit Kris’s kitchen floor. The blocks had fallen the day before, perspective had been regained (thanks CB), and I was among friends.

~~~

If you’re tickled by this recipe, you’ll flip for

• Sublime Fruit Salad
• Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar
• Grilled Peaches

~~~

The Last Strawberry Fruit Gazapacho
Yields about 16 oz and approximately 6 servings

1 cup watermelon
1 cup pineapple
1 cup mango
1 cup mixed berries (I used strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries.)
1 cup orange juice
2 tbsp lime juice
10 mint leaves, chopped

1) Wash and chop fruit into coarse chunks. You don’t have to be neat about it; it’s all going into the blender/food processor.

2) Whiz the lime juice, watermelon, and yellow fruits together in the blender 1 minute or until smooth. Pour into large bowl or storage container.

3) Combine berries and orange juice in the blender. Zap for 2 minutes or until completely pureed.

4) Add chopped mint leaves and blend for couple of minutes or so.

5) Strain out the berry seeds if you want/have the patience (I didn’t bother). Pour the berry mix into the watermelon mix, and stir to combine.

6) Chill for at least 2 hours or cool down with a few ice cubes to serve immediately.

7) Garnish with mint sprigs; serve to mmms and wows.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
60 calories, 0g fat, 2g fiber, 1g protein, $0.58

Calculations
1 cup watermelon: 46 calories, 0g fat, 1g fiber, 1g protein, $.56
1 cup pineapple: 74 calories, 0g fat, 2g fiber, 1g protein, $.75
1 cup mango: 107 calories, 0g fat, 3g fiber, 1g protein, $.50
1 cup mixed berries: 65 calories, 0g fat, 5g fiber, 1g protein, $1.03
1 cup orange juice: 112 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 2g protein, $.50
2 tbsp lime juice: 14 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.13
10 mint leaves: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $.02
Totals: 358 calories, 0g fat, 11g fiber, 6g protein, $3.49
PER SERVING (TOTALS/6): 60 calories, 0g fat, 2g fiber, 1g protein, $.58

Veggie Might: Fruit Gazpacho for the Overcommitted

Green Kitchen: Hot and Sour Soup with Baby Bok Choy

Green Kitchen is a bi-weekly column about nutritious, inexpensive, and ethical food and cooking. It's penned by the lovely Jaime Green.

After three years of farmers market shopping, I still don’t have a great handle on when fresh vegetables start showing up. I've got a history with this seasonal amnesia, too: when I was little, I would be surprised every year when it was cold at Halloween. I got that one to stick, just in time to outgrow trick-or-treating, but then I spent years expecting trees to have leaves by mid-March.

And now, for the last few weeks, I've gone to the farmers market with no idea whether I'd find bountiful produce, or just more of last year's apples.

For several spring weeks, it's still been those dang apples (okay, and asparagus), but this past weekend I was finally met by a variety of veggies at the market. Following the rules of Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle, it's mostly leafy greens – baby spinach, broccoli rabe, incredibly abundant bunches of stinging nettles. (I may be desperate for inexpensive fresh veggies, but I'm not ready for greens that can hurt me.) Maybe prettiest of all: a few big bins of light green, lovely baby bok choy.

They had the same oval leaves as grown-up bok choy, but rather than merging at a thick white bulby stem, they were gently joined at their bases, and just an inch or two tall.

So, a plan started to form in my mind.

The boyfriend and I had talked about maybe ordering in soup that night, and what is one of the most basic rules of eating cheaply, healthily, and kindly-to-the-environment? Make it yourself! I remembered a recipe with vinegar-spiked stock and lots of mushrooms and ginger, with room for the addition of just about any vegetable. Enter baby bok choy.

To refine it, I hit the internet and read through several additional hot and sour soup iterations. Some called for exotic dried mushrooms from a Chinese market; some called for supermarket mushrooms. Ultimately, I went with a one that saved me the hour-long trip to Chinatown. I also replaced sriracha with hot pepper flakes. After a few more tweaks, we had soup! And ohmygoodness, was it good!

I think the magic was this: inspired by Ask the Internet: Best Cooking Fat?, I sautéed the mushrooms and ginger in coconut oil on low heat. The soup doesn’t taste like coconut, but there’s a richness in flavor that belies how very low-calorie this is. It’s also kind of astonishingly filling.

If you're not a vegetarian, add some pre-cooked meat after sautéing the mushrooms, and cook that for a few minutes before adding the stock. Make it hotter or not, more or less sour, however you like your soup. (And might I recommend enjoying your leftovers with a poached egg? Kind of amazing.)

~~~

If you like this recipe, you might also enjoy:

• Egg Drop Soup
• Miso Soup
• Vegetable Lo Mein

~~~

Hot and Sour Soup with Baby Bok Choy
Adapted from Serious Eats and All Recipes.
Serves 6

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 10-ounce package crimini or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
A few shakes of hot pepper flakes (or more or less to taste)
6 cups broth (I used Better Than Bouillon)
2 cups water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs
1 package tofu, pressed, cut into cubes (I would recommend against extra-firm)
1 can bamboo shoots, drained
4 cups baby bok choy (or other greens)
6 scallions, chopped

1) Put a soup pot (4qt or more) over medium heat. Melt coconut oil. Add mushrooms, ginger, garlic, and hot pepper flakes. Sauté until the mushrooms are soft and have given up their liquid.

2) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and black pepper. Set aside.

3) Once mushrooms are cooked, add broth and water. Add soy sauce and vinegar mixture. Taste, and add more pepper flakes, vinegar, or soy sauce, to your taste.

4) Bring soup to boil. Whisk the eggs together in a measuring cup. While stirring the soup, pour in the eggs in a slow stream.

5) Reduce heat to a simmer. Add bamboo shoots, tofu, and bok choy. Simmer for five minutes.

6) Serve topped with scallions. Try not to burn your mouth.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
133 calories, 7.8g fat, 2.2g fiber, 11.3g protein, $1.69

Calculations
1 T coconut oil: 117 calories, 13.6g fat, 0g fiber 0g protein, $0.40
1 10oz package crimini (or baby bella) mushrooms: 42 calories, 0g fat, 1.9g fiber, 6g protein $2.99
2 T minced ginger: 3 calories, negligible fat, fiber, protein, $0.16
2 cloves garlic: 9 calories, negligible fat, fiber, .5g protein $0.04
a few shakes of hot pepper flakes: negliglible calories, fat, fiber, protein $0.02
6 c broth (I used Better Than Bouillon): 30 calories, negligible fat, fiber, protein, $1.11
2 c water: nothing!
2 T soy sauce: 22 calories, negligible fat, fiber, 3.8g protein $0.21
2 T rice vinegar: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $0.16
1 t sugar: 16 calories, negligible fat, fiber, protein $0.02
1 t black pepper: negliglible calories, fat, fiber, protein $0.01
2 eggs: 155 calories, 10.6g fat, 0g fiber, 12.6g protein $0.66
1 package tofu: 365 calories, 22g fat, 5.8g fiber, 39.8g protein $1.79
1 can bamboo shoots: 25 calories, .5g fat, 1.8g fiber, 2.3g protein $1.19
4 c baby bok choy: 27 calories, 0g fat, 2.5g fiber, 2.5g protein $1.25
6 scallions: 11 calories, 0g fat, 1g fiber, .5g protein $0.11
TOTALS: 797 calories, 46.7g fat, 13g fiber, 68g protein, $10.12
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 133 calories, 7.8g fat, 2.2g fiber, 11.3g protein, $1.69

Green Kitchen: Hot and Sour Soup with Baby Bok Choy