Tag Archives: soup

Kale and White Bean Stew

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Julie • 0 Comments

I can’t believe I’m posting a recipe for kale stew on a 78 degree day in early March. Isn’t March supposed to be “in like a lion?” Well, maybe it is. If the lion came from Africa and brought the weather with it. What is this, people? Back in my day we were still having blizzards in March, and weathering them with old-timey patience and probably a lot of gumption. We also walked to school in them, uphill both ways. We earned our winter stews back then, I tell you.

I might be earning myself a reputation for being cranky about unseasonably warm weather, but trust me, there are worse reputations to have, and I’m standing by my insistence that winter goes until the spring equinox, regardless of whether it’s 8 degrees or 80 degrees. Give me stew or give me death!

Kale and white bean recipes are a dime a dozen – I’m not sure what makes them go so well together, but there’s something about the creaminess of the beans with the hearty, slightly bitter kale that just makes you want to hunker down and eat your way through the depths of winter. This particular recipe started out as a way to do just that – one snowy evening last winter, I went on a pantry raid to try to cobble together a nice dinner without having to put my boots on and trudge out in the cold. This quickly became a favorite and a weeknight staple both for its hearty taste and hardy makeup – this fast dinner transforms beautifully into even better leftovers. I strongly suggest eating it out of an oversized mug under a blanket, even if you have to turn the air conditioner on.

Kale and White Bean Stew
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Category: Main Dish, Soups & Stews
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 35 mins
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with liquid
  • 2 15 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • Several large handfuls of chopped kale
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and bell pepper and saute for about two minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until onions are translucent and the celery and bell pepper are softened, about ten minutes.
  2. Add the garlic, parsley, thyme, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes and cook for about two minutes, stirring frequently. Add balsamic vinegar, tomatoes and beans and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the kale and cook over medium-low heat until wilted and tender, about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
  3. Serve over rice or pasta, or with crusty bread on the side.
Filed Under: Main Dish, Soups, Vegan

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Julie • 4 Comments

chipotle sweet potato soup

It always makes me a little bit sad when I see a casserole dish of sweet potatoes smothered in gooey, sugary marshmallow – “extremely orange and incredibly gross” comes to mind. Not that I have a personal vendetta against marshmallow – it has its place. It’s just that its place is not glopped upon an unsuspecting pile of perfectly innocent tubers, completely obliterating their delicate sweetness. I think the sweet potato is much better enjoyed when it’s balanced by something savory and smoky, with a little bit of heat. Oh, and in related news, soup season is in full effect. It’s cold and rainy and begging for warm, comforting goodness.

Enter Homesick Texan’s chipotle sweet potato soup. This does the sweet potato justice – the sweetness perfectly counters the kick of the chipotles, and (as if you needed a cherry on top), this is 100% waistline-friendly and pairs well with New Year’s resolutions, provided you know when to say when with the sour cream.

One final note before you run off to make this – respect the chipotle and know what you can handle, spice-wise. I boldly, bravely (read: stupidly) threw in three whole chipotles, seeds and all, and had to add an extra sweet potato to mellow it out – even then, it was still quite hot. So follow the golden rule of “do as I say, not as I do,” and start with one, then see if you need more heat and/or remove the seeds to tone it down.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:
For the soup:
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 lbs sweet potatoes (five or six large), peeled and cubed in one-inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalks celery, peeled and sliced
1 red or orange bell pepper, diced
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp fresh ginger
6 cups vegetable stock
1-3 chipotles in adobo sauce, sliced, seeds removed if you wish to reduce the heat
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
2 Tbsp lime juice
Salt & pepper to taste
Cinnamon-chipotle pecans (garnish, optional, to die for, recipe below)

For the pecans:
1 cup chopped pecans
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
Salt to taste

Instructions:
Make the pecans:
Melt butter in a small skillet over low heat. Stir in pecans and coat well with butter. Add cinnamon and chipotle powder and stir well. Cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

Make the soup:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and onions are translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for two more minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes, vegetable stock, chipotles, cinnamon, and nutmeg and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and cook at a simmer for 20 minutes. Sweet potatoes should be tender and easily pierced with a knife.

If you have an immersion blender, turn off the heat and puree the soup in the pot. Otherwise, let cool and transfer in batches to a blender to puree. Return to pot and add lime juice, salt, and pepper. Serve with a dollop of greek yogurt, sour cream, or creme fraiche and a sprinkling of cinnamon-chipotle pecans.

Source: Slightly adapted from Homesick Texan

Filed Under: Soups