Creamy White Bean Soup with Swiss Chard

December 18, 2014 · by ·

soup-main

I had a huge amount of swiss chard in my kitchen. I was going to turn it into a stir fry, but the wintery weather got the better of me. I decided to come up with a soup recipe that would work with what I had on hand.

swiss-chard-2

My daughter loves spinach in her soup. I had a hunch that the swiss chard would be a good stand-in. So I got to work.

I sauteed some onions and garlic in some olive oil and added in some rosemary and two cans of cannellini beans.

beans

I then added some vegetable broth to the mixture and let it come to a boil. I let the soup simmer on the stove on low for about an hour.

While the bean soup cooked, I worked on the swiss chard. I chopped up some washed swiss chard. Then, I sauteed some shallots and garlic with some salt and pepper. I used lots of garlic. I added the chopped swiss chard to the pan and let that cook for a few minutes. Swiss chard takes about 5 minutes or so to be cooked. Once it was softened, I set it aside for when the soup was done.

swiss-chard-cooking

Once the beans were cooked through, I took out my immersion blender and pureed the soup mixture. I made sure to puree everything, giving it a velvety and creamy texture. Once that was done, I added the swiss chard to the pot.

soup-pot

This soup took about an hour from start to finish. Woot woot! And my daughter approved. She’s my toughest critic!



 

Creamy White Bean Soup with Swiss Chard
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 small onions, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3 tsp. salt
  • 3 tsp. fresh ground pepper
  • 3 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
For the Swiss Chard:
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. ground pepper
  • 1 big bunch of swiss chard, stems trimmed off, washed and chopped (about 4-5 overflowing cups)
  • red pepper flakes (optional)
  • additional salt and pepper as needed
Instructions
  1. Start by heating up the olive oil in a medium size soup pot.
  2. Add in the onions and garlic, drained beans, salt, pepper and rosemary and saute another 5-7 minutes.
  3. You want the garlic and onions to soften a bit and get fragrant.
  4. Add in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
  5. Cover and let the mixture simmer.
  6. While the beans cook, work on the swiss chard.
  7. In a large saute pan, heat up the olive oil.
  8. Add in the shallots and the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.
  9. Add in the chopped swiss chard, the salt and pepper and stir a bit and let it soften - stirring a every couple of minutes.
  10. The swiss chard process should take about 5-7 minutes.
  11. Turn off the heat and set the swiss chard to the side.
  12. Let the bean soup mixture cook for a total of about an hour. The beans should be pretty soft.
  13. Using your immersion blender, puree the soup completely. The beans will give the soup a very creamy and velvety texture.
  14. Once the soup is pureed, stir in the cooked swiss chard.
  15. Serve and enjoy!

white-bean-soup

Filed Under: beans, Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Creamy Tomato Soup & Loaded Grilled Cheese

December 16, 2013 · by ·

Grilled-Cheese

This month’s Kosher Connection link-up is all about comfort food. I had a hard time decided just which food I should share with you. I decided to share with you a food and a memory that brings comfort to me. Be sure to scroll all the way down to the end of this post to see some other great recipes from my fellow Kosher Connection bloggers!

I have several defining food moments of my life. Many of them revolve around lazy Sundays with my family. My parents would both be cooking in the kitchen and my sisters and I would be running from room to room taking in the delicious smells, and probably engaged in some sibling rivalry.

Sundays were days filled with a bustle of activity. Our days were spent running from swimming to pottery to theater at the JCC, and then home for a warm supper around the family table. One of my dad’s specialties is a loaded grilled cheese sandwich. My sisters and I would gobble that sandwich up.

This grilled cheese was never just standard white bread and American cheese. It was always filled with surprises. Some days it would be tomato and onion within the gooey cheese. Other days, we might find a sprinkling of sunflower seeds hidden inside. We always enjoyed it.

Later in college, whenever I was in the mood for that taste of home,  I would order up a grilled cheese sandwich. Like during my childhood, it always had stuff in it. It was often filled with provolone, onions and mushrooms. On a rainy day, I would add a cup of soup to the meal. I learned to love creamy tomato soup on those rainy New York days. Dipping a corner of grilled cheese in to that soup and chowing down – that spelled out a bit of heaven.

Pure comfort on a plate.

I thought I’d share this fabulous meal with you today.

Creamy Tomato Soup
 
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Recipe type: Soup
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. ground pepper
  • 1 - 28 oz. can of roasted tomatoes
  • 5 cups vegetable broth
  • ½ cup half & half
  • additional salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large soup pot, heat up the olive oil on medium-high heat.
  2. Add in the onions, celery, carrots, garlic and herbs.
  3. Cook on medium-high for a few minutes until the onions begin to soften.
  4. Stir in the canned tomatoes.
  5. After a couple minutes of cooking, add in the vegetable broth.
  6. Let the soup come to a boil and then turn down the heat to medium low and cover the pot.
  7. Let the soup simmer covered for about 45 minutes.
  8. Check on the soup. The carrots should have softened.
  9. Puree the soup with an immersion blender.
  10. Stir in the half & half.
  11. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning.
  12. Serve and enjoy!

Creamy-Tomato-Soup
Loaded Grilled Cheese
 
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Recipe type: Sandwich
Serves: 2 sandwiches
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • ½ tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced thinly
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. ground pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 5 cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly
  • 3-4 slices cooked veggie bacon, optional (or the real bacon!)
  • 4 slices of your favorite hearty bread
  • 2 slices Provolone cheese
  • 2 slices Cheddar cheese
  • 2 slices Swiss Cheese
  • Butter for grilling the sandwiches
Instructions
  1. Heat up the butter and olive oil in a saute pan.
  2. Once the butter has melted, add in the onions. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook the onions slowly until caramelized. About 15-20 minutes.
  3. Once the onions begin to caramelize, add in the garlic and sliced mushrooms. Let those cook and soften as well.
  4. Remove from heat once onions are done and set aside.
  5. Cook the veggie bacon or regular bacon in a pan or in the oven or per directions on the package. Set aside.
  6. Make the sandwich. Place a slice of provolone on the bread slice and then layer the onions and mushrooms then cheese then bacon then more cheese and then the other slice of bread.
  7. Butter the outside of the bread.
  8. Grill in a fry pan over medium-high heat until brown on both sides and the cheese is melted.
  9. Serve and enjoy!

 

Filed Under: Appetizers, cheese, Dinner, grilled, Kosher Connection Challenge, Lunch, Main Course, recipes, Soups, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

VeganMoFo: Hungarian Mushroom Soup

October 4, 2012 · by ·

With the fall holidays pouring in this month, I have been cooking up a storm. Very glad that the weather is finally cooperating for fall cooking season.

This wonderful mushroom soup is a special request that comes every year. Usually a last minute request, and I always oblige. We all enjoy it and it is pretty easy to make.
Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, sliced thin
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 pounds assorted mushrooms, sliced (Combo of Cremini, Portabella, Shitake, Button, etc.)
2 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground pepper
8 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
Tofutti Sour Cream (for garnish)

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot.

Add in shallots and onions. Sauté for about five minutes.

Add in the other veggies and cook for another five minutes on medium. Stir in the paprikas and some salt and pepper.

Add in the vegetable broth and bay leaves. Let it come to a boil.

Turn the heat down to medium low and cover and cook for about an hour. You can leave it cooking if you have something better to do. I’ve forgotten it for an hour or two and it only gets better.

Once cooked, remove the bay leaves.

With an immersion blender, puree until mostly blended. You want to keep some chunks of mushroom.

Serve with a dollop of Tofutti Sour Cream.

Enjoy!

Hungarian Mushroom Soup
veganmofo
Filed Under: Soups, Vegan, VeganMoFo, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

VeganMoFo: Red Lentil, Red Pepper and Coconut Soup

October 3, 2012 · by ·

Fall is my favorite month. It’s the perfect weather for anything. I throw on some layered clothes, and anything goes (within reason, of course). I am never too hot or too cold. The colors outside are gorgeous.

Fall means that I can play in the kitchen without melting. The stove and the oven can be on – without the air conditioner. The windows are open. The house is perfect.

Fall also means warm foods. Warm foods mean soup. Soup is one of my favorite things.

This soup came about because I needed to use things up and I didn’t want to go to the grocery store. We recently cleaned out our pantry and learned that we have enough red lentils to last a very long time. No idea why I keep buying them. I am doing my due diligence and cooking from my pantry as much as possible.

Was very happy I found that mountain of lentils. This soup was fantastic and I will be making it again.


Red Lentil, Red Pepper and Coconut Soup
Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 tbsp. ginger, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 large red pepper, chopped
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
2 tsp. sea salt salt
2 cups dried red lentils, washed and drained
9 cups vegetable broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can coconut milk

Directions:

Heat up the olive oil in a large soup pot on medium-high.

Toss in the onion and ginger and saute a minute or two.

Add in the rest of the chopped veggies and the spices.

Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until softened.

Stir in the lentils.

Add in the vegetable broth, coconut milk and diced tomatoes.

Let the mixture come to a boil.

Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the pot and cook for about an hour so.

After the lentils are soft and cooked through, remove the lid.

Blend about 3/4 of the soup with an immersion blender. Don’t blend it all of the way. You want a few chunks.

Serve or freeze for later use.

You can garnish with some fresh chopped pepper.

Enjoy!

Red Lentil, Red Pepper and Coconut Soup
veganmofo
Filed Under: legumes, Soups, Vegan, VeganMoFo · Tagged: , , , , ,
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