3 Bean Mexican Soup

This recipe has some canned beans, and some beans cooked at home. I pretty much used what I had in my fridge and in my pantry. But I'm sure you could adjust the ingredients, if you would like to do all homemade beans, or all canned, or a mix like I did tonight.

Sautee in olive oil until tender:
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 small stalks celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup tightly packed cilantro, finely chopped

Stir in until it's all smoothly mixed in:
1 box (1 QT) organic vegetable broth
1 can Fat Free refried beans (it's just pintos and salt, no lard)

Add:
1 can organic black beans, undrained
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
Juice of 1 lime

Add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon each:
pepper
cumin
chili powder
onion powder
garlic powder
oregano

Simmer 20 minutes

Garnish with olives and green chilies

Italian Tomato Soup

This recipe is SO good, it came from the back of a Barilla brand pasta box.

Soup:
1 jar Roasted Garlic and Onion Barilla sauce
3 cups chicken both (we did vegetable broth)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
1/2 Tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
1/2 cup orzo pasta (we did 2 cups cooked great northern beans instead)

Pesto:
2 cups (2 oz.) fresh basil leaves, trimmed
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Make the pesto in a food processor, gradually adding the oil.
Heat the ingredients of the soup together until hot.
Serve each bowl of soup with a dollop of pesto.
We also toasted wheat pita bread slices with olive oil and garlic salt.
Serves 4

*We halved the pesto recipe and it was fine. The basil and pine nuts are quite expensive.

Split Pea soup with Sesame CrackerstickS

Madras Split Pea Soup and Sesame Crackersticks (not quite a cracker, almost a breadstick)
The soup is an Indian recipe. But to me it tasted like a very basic, plain yet hearty, bean soup. The flavors are very mild and delicious. We didn't try to mint yogurt but I'm sure it would be good.

SOUP
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups green split peas, sorted and rinsed
1 quart organic vegetable broth (one box)
2 large carrots, sliced
1 small box of frozen spinach, 10 ounces
1/2 teaspoon salt
RAITA:
8 ounces fat-free plain yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or 1/2 teaspoon dried
Directions

1.To make the soup: Warm the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, and pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
2.Add the split peas and broth. Increase the heat, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes, or until the split peas are very tender.
3.Add the carrots, spinach, and salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are tender and spinach is thawed and thoroughly mixed.
4.To make the raita: Meanwhile, mix the yogurt and mint in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
5.Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with some of the raita.

CRACKERSTICK
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cup milk (almond milk)
6 tbs. melted butter (earth balance)
Sesame seeds and garlic powder/fresh garlic.
In a small bowl, combine first 4 ingredients. Gradually add milk and stir to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface. Knead gently 3 to 4 times. Roll very thin, think pizza crust. Cut into 24 breadsticks. Place butter in 2 13x9x2" pans. Put breadsticks in butter and turn to coat. Sprinkle with seeds and garlic.

Bake at 450°F for 14 to 18 minutes.

Soup from Prevention's "The Sugar Solution Cookbook" and breadsticks from Cooks.com

Butternut Squash Soup

Another toddler approved recipe

(very enthusiastic licking of the spoon)

2 butternut squash, washed and cut in cubes and seeds removed
1 onion, chopped
olive oil to cook onion in
1 or 2 cans chicken/veggie broth
about 1 cup cashews, soaked
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper


Cook your squash somehow. I used an electric pressure cooker. I added 1 cup water with the cubes of squash to the pressure cooker and cooked on HIGH for 4 minutes, using quick pressure release.

Cook your onion in oil until tender.

I blended my cashews (about 1 cup soaked) in some water (about 1-2 cups) to create a cream.

Now you need to blend the cooked squash, cooked onion, cashew cream, and chicken broth all together.
If you have an immersion blender this soup is easier to make, you can put it all in a soup pot and blend it together. I blended it in batches with my vitamix.

Just add the spices to the soup pot and heat it to the temperature you want it.

Wild Rice Soup

WILD RICE SOUP


Tastes like rice pilaf, very mild. From the classic Betty Crocker cookbook, with my modifications.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium stalks celery, sliced (I used my "chopper" for the celery, onion, and bell pepper. Then I used a cheese grater for the carrot.)
1 medium carrot, coarsely shredded
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (If you don't do gluten: I'm sure you could leave this out, or try gluten free flour. I think it's just to thicken it a bit)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 and 1/2 cups cooked black wild rice (I cooked the wild rice in the pressure cooker so it was really fast)
1 cup water
1 can chicken broth (or veggie broth)
1 cup almond milk (If you're allergic to almonds, you could use coconut/soy milk and do a different toasted nut)
1/2 cup toasted almonds (Put in oven under broil, watching VERY carefully until just toasted, not burned)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Season with salt



1. Medium-High heat: cook celery, carrot, onion, and bell pepper in olive oil about 4 minutes, stirring, until tender.

2. Stir in flour and pepper. Stir in wild rice, water, and chicken broth. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir in milk, toasted nuts, and parsley. Heat just until hot.

4. Season with salt to taste.