SOUPS

JUST A NOTE:

SOUP IS A BASIC FOOD GROUP - AND CAN BE COST EFFECTIVE

CUMIN IS YOUR FRIEND

TASTE AND THEN ADJUST YOUR SEASONINGS

(ALMOST) AWARD WINNING CHILI

Makes enough for a family of 6

2 lbs. ground beef (or turkey)
1lb. hot Italian sausage
½ lb. bacon
2 15 oz. cans each of kidney and pinto beans, drained
2 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 yellow onion
1 red bell pepper
2 cups beef stock
3 tbsp chili flakes
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika

In a large stock pot, crumble in the ground beef and sausage and cook until evenly brown. Drain off excess grease and put meat to the side. Cook the bacon in the stock pot until crispy, then remove and drain most of the grease. Crumble bacon and add back to stock pot with onions and red pepper until onion is translucent.

Add in drained beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef stock. Season and stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. L's Tip: The longer it simmers, the better. After 2 hours, taste and adjust seasonings. When pleased, consume, preferably with cheese.

ROASTED TOMATO BASIL SOUP

Serves 8ish

8 pounds of tomatoes (Roma, Vine, Plum - whatever is cheapest)

½ cup EVOO

Salt and pepper

6 herb springs (Oregano, Rosemary or Thyme)

4 tbsp EVOO

2 onions, finely diced

2 whole roasted garlic bulbs

5 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tbsp cumin

Salt and pepper

Sprig of basil

For the Tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 450. Cut and core the tomatoes and place on a lined baking sheet cut side up. Drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper over the tomatoes. Put in the oven until they are soft with slightly charred edges, about 35-40 minutes. L's Tip: Roast the garlic - leave the skin on and cut the tops off the bulbs to expose the garlic. Drizzle olive oil over the top, wrap in tin foil and place in the over with the tomatoes. Same cooking time, but take a moment to enjoy the smell when you pull them out.

For the Soup: Tie the herbs into a little bunch. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions. Cook until clear, about 10ish minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes and broth then break them up with your spoon. Add the bundle of herbs and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until thickened, about 30ish minutes.

Discard the herbs and use your immersion blender to break up the bigger pieces in the soup. Blend until you get the consistency you desire. Flavor with red pepper flakes, cumin, salt and pepper. Tear a few basil leaves and throw into the soup. Cook on low while you whip up your grilled cheese. Garnish with whatever, I would recommend cheese, croutons and a bit more basil. Go crazy and make yourself a grilled cheese.

OMA'S SPLIT PEA SOUP

Serves 8 ish

4 cups water or stock
2 lbs. dried split peas
1 ham hock (or 1 lb. ham on bone)
1 pack of bacon
6 celery stalks, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
2 onions, diced
2 russet potatoes, cubed
1 lb. ham
2 tbsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Add water/stock to large soup pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add peas and ham hock to the pot and reduce to a simmer for 30-45 minutes. In a separate skillet, cook bacon until fat is translucent. Then remove from heat wiping down excess grease. Add celery, carrots and onions and sauté until tender. Set aside.

Once peas have transformed into a mush, add the potatoes and ham. Once everything has boiled down, add vegetables, ham and spices. Reduce to low heat and continue to cook adding water if the soup is too thick. When as desired consistency, serve garnished with bacon, cheese and croutons.

LENTIL SOUP

Serves 6ish

3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 whole carrots, peeled and diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

6 oz. can tomato paste

2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

salt & pepper

32 oz. low sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

1 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite sized pieces

1 Jalapeño, sliced

1 1/4 cup of lentils

2 bay leafs

1-2 ham hocks (optional)*

2 cups fresh spinach leaves (or heaven forbid, kale)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Juice of 1 whole lemon

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and carrot, sauté until the onion is golden. Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant. Add the tomato paste, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Stir and sauté for another 2 minutes.

Add stock, water, bay leaves, lentils, cauliflower, jalapeño and ham to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer and partially cover. Let the soup cook for 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

Remove the bay leaves and ham hocks, set the ham hocks aside. Allow the ham to cool enough to handle. Pull the meat off of the bones and roughly chop. While meat is cooling, use the immersion blender to roughly blend the soup. Return the meat to the pot and add the spinach and cilantro to the mix. Allow the greens to wilt then remove from heat. Squeeze in the lemon juice and serve, preferably over Basmati Rice.

*Alternatively, you can use 2 lbs of cooked ground turkey - healthier, cheaper and equally delicious. Just add after using the immersion blender.

BEEF STEW

Serves 6ish

Beware: this will take about 4 hours start to finish, but honestly so worth it

3 lbs boneless beef chuck, cut into 1in. pieces
Salt & ground black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
2 medium yellow onions cut into 1 in. chunks
7 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
6 oz. tomato paste
1/4 cup flour
2 cups dry red wine
2 cups beef broth
2 cups water
1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp sugar
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 in.
1 1/2 lb baby Yukon golds, cut in half
Chopped fresh Italian parsley as garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 325

Make sure beef is at room temperature and pat dry. Season the cubes with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Brown all sides of the meat in batches. Be sure to leave plenty or room between cubes as this will allow for better browning. Add in another tablespoon of oil between batches. Put off to the side.

Add the onions, garlic and Worcestershire Sauce to the pot, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until onions are cooked down. Add the tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes, this will deepen the flavor. Add the beef with its juices to the pan and sprinkle the flour for about 1-2 mins. Add the wine, broth, water, bay leaf, thyme and sugar. Combine well while scraping the bottom to release any additional browned bits from of the pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the oven to braise for 2 hours.

Remove the pot from the oven and add the carrots and potatoes. Cover and place back in the oven for about 1 hour or until vegetables are cooked, the broth has thickened, and the meat is tender. Discard the bay leaf then taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with fresh parsley to serve and enjoy!

KITCHEN SCRAP VEGETABLE BROTH

Makes 15 cups

1 gallon bag of frozen kitchen scraps

2 bulbs of garlic, cut in half

16 cups of water

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp of salt

2 tbsp peppercorns

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. When complete, strain the vegetable scraps using a fine mesh strainer. Taste the broth and adjust the seasonings the put broth in airtight containers. Store in the fridge for several weeks or use right away in your favorite soup or in vegan tamales!

Note: I gathered the vegetable scraps over several weeks when cooking other dishes and saved them in a gallon ziplock bag. I had: onion skins, carrots, celery tops, asparagus, jalapeños, and a bunch of other vegetable scraps - the more diversity, the better! A great way to reuse some of those scraps.

SOPA AZTECA (CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP)

Makes 6ish servings

SOUP

3-4 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts

1 large yellow onion, finely shopped

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 jalapeño, finely chopped

Salt & Pepper

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

2 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

4 cups vegetable broth

1 15 oz. can of corn kernels

1 15 oz. can of black beans

GARNISH

Avocado, sliced thin

Tortilla Strips

Queso Fresco or Mexican Blend Cheese

Sour Cream

Cilantro

Lime wedges

Heat oil in a large dutch oven, season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then sear off in the pan. Once browned on all sides, remove from pot and set aside. Add onion, garlic and jalapeño scraping up the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan until the onion has become translucent, 5 to 8 mins.

Add chili powder, cooking for a couple of minutes to toast the spice, then add chipotle and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper cooking for several minutes until the tomatoes start to caramelize. Add the chicken back to the pot then add vegetable broth, corn, beans and 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 30 mins.

When the chicken has an internal temperature of 160, pull it from the pot and shred using a couple of forks then return it back to the pot. Allow to simmer for a few more minutes then serve with garnishes of choice and enjoy!

LONGEVITY STEW

Makes 6ish servings

1 8oz. can black eyed peas, drained (or 1 cup of dried beans)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 large red onion, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 fennel bulb, chopped

1 large tomato, finely chopped

2 tsp tomato paste, diluted in 1/4 cup water

2 bay leaves

1 bunch dill, finely chopped

salt, to taste

Spinach (optional)

In a large pot, heat half the oil over medium heat and cook the onion, garlic and fennel. Stir occasionally until soft. Add the peas and toss to coat with oil. Add the tomato, tomato paste, bay leaves and enough water to cover the contents by about an inch.

Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the chopped dill and season with salt to taste. Continue cooking for another 20 minutes until the beans are tender. Remove from heat and remove bay leases. Add olive oil and spinach. Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy!

BLUE-ISH ZONE MINESTRONE

Makes 8ish servings

1 15oz can red beans (can be substituted with pinto)

1 15oz can chickpeas

1 15oz can fava beans

1/4 cup lentils

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 in. cubes

1 onion, chopped

1 bunch Swiss chard leaves

2 fennel bulbs and stalks, washed and chopped

1 fresh tomato

2 garlic cloves

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 cups cubed squash (dealer's choice: pumpkin, zucchini, acorn, etc.)

5 stalks of garlic chives (can be substituted with green onion)

1/4 cup fregula pasta

3 qts water

Salt and pepper to taste

Turkey meatballs (optional)

Rinse and simmer beans and lentils in water, enough to cover for 30 minutes then drain. In a (very) large soup pot, combine beans with all vegetables in water and bring to boil.

Add meatballs and lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add fregula and simmer for another 15 minutes. Season the soup to taste. Service with crusty bread and enjoy!