Chef In Making » soups

Brown Lentils and Collard Greens Soup

soniaabrol — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:44:50 +0000

Brown Lentils and Collard Greens Soup

This post is long overdue. Last few days it was little hard to keep up with things. Even though it is getting late at night, I decided today I will make an effort to get back on track .

I made this soup few weeks ago as I experimented with these two ingredients: Brown Lentils and Collard Greens. I had tried both of them in separate recipes and my son enjoyed them all. This time I wanted to make something with both greens and lentils with a mild flavor that my son will enjoy as well. It made a great nutritious low calorie soup for us and since my son enjoyed it couple of days in a row (with rice and butter), I am happily tagging this recipe as ‘Toddler Friendly’.

You need:
1 red onion, onions
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 bay leaf
3 large cloves garlic
1 carrot, chopped
1 small zucchini , chopped
1 cup brown lentils
1.5 cups collard greens, chopped

1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp salt / or to taste
A pinch of nutmeg powder
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp clove powder

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large pot or a pressure cooker
2. Add bay leaf and garlic and fry for few seconds.
3. Add onions, fry on low for about 5 minutes.
4. Add carrots and zucchini and cook for few minutes.
5. Add tomatoes, cumin powder, salt, nutmeg, clove powder and turmeric powder and cook for couple of minutes.
6. Add brown lentils, collard greens and about 6 cups water and pressure cook for about 15 minutes.
7. If not using pressure cooker then cook for about 40-50 minutes on low-medium heat until brown lentils are cooked and vegetables are tender.
8. Adjust water and seasonings as per taste
9. Add lemon juice and oregano.

Brown Lentils and Collard Greens Soup

Serve hot! Its tastes great with toasted sourdough bread and makes a wholesome quick lunch – add some rice to the soup, lunch packed in less than 5 minutes

Brown Lentils and Collard Greens Soup is a post from: Chef

Moroccan Style Red lentil and Garbanzo Soup (Low Calorie)

soniaabrol — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 06:25:22 +0000

Moroccan Style Red lentil and Garbanzo Soup

Today I tried Moroccan Lentil and Garbanzo soup at Sweet Tomatoes. The soup was great- light, chunky, flavorful and apparently low calorie just the way I like my soups. I guess I liked it so much that I came home, looked up a few recipes and decided to make a batch for dinner (while I was cooking Mint Chicken Biryani for my husband!). The soup I tried had brown lentils but I did not have any on hand, so I decided to go with Red lentils. The mint aroma from the chicken biryani was so appetizing that I decided to throw in some fresh mint leaves as well. So an addition here and an omission there, what I have is Moroccan ‘Style’ Red lentil and Garbanzo Soup. The soup turned out great, we all had big bowls including my son- I added some rice and butter in his bowl. It has all ‘good for you’ ingredients-yellow squash, lentils, garbanzo beans, garlic and spices minus the not so needed cream and extra fat! Bonus: It passes my ‘toddler test’ so I am happily tagging it as toddler friendly. A large bowl or this soup with a side salad or bread also makes it a perfect filling 400 calorie lunch or 500 calorie dinner.

You need:

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 medium yellow squash, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 x 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

a pinch saffron strands, crushed

20-25 sprigs fresh cilantro

10-15 mint leaves

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

1/3 cup red lentils cleaned and rinsed

8 cups water

1 1/2 cups garbanzo beans, boiled

1 bay leaf

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add bay leaf, followed by garlic and cook for few seconds. Add the onions, and cook for 5 -6 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally. Add celery and cook for couple of minutes. Add squash, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, salt, saffron, cilantro, mint and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until spices and herbs are nicely blended with the vegetables. Add 8 cups of water and bring it to boil. Add red lentils, reduce heat and simmer covered for about 20 minutes. Add garbanzo beans and simmer on low heat for another 20 minutes. Add black pepper to taste and serve hot.

Serves 8- if you like big servings

Moroccan Style Red lentil and Garbanzo Soup (Low Calorie) is a post from: Chef

Mediterranean Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup

soniaabrol — Mon, 10 May 2010 05:47:43 +0000

Mediterranean Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup

Couple of weeks ago I tried red lentils soup at a local Mediterranean restaurant. It was light and flavorful and perfect for lunch. Although it did resemble a bit like Indian red lentils dish and we call it ‘lal masoor dal’ and it is commonly served as a main dish with rice or Indian flatbreads for dinner. I tried to make a similar soup but decided to add fresh pumpkin as well. It added nice sweetness to otherwise meaty flavored red lentils. My two year old son liked it as well so I am tagging it as ‘Toddler Friendly’.

1 medium red onion, chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium tomato
2 cups chopped pumpkin
1 cup red lentils
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
salt to taste ( 1 tsp or so)
1 bay leaf

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker/large pot. Add bay leaf and garlic and fry for few seconds. 2. Add onions and fry until medium brown.
3. Add tomatoes, pumpkin, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric, nutmeg and cook on medium high for about five minutes.

Mediterranean Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup-chopped pumpkin

4. Add red lentils, 6-8 cups of water and pressure cook for about 15 minutes. If using a pot, bring to boil and cook on medium for about 30 minutes (until lentils and pumpkin are well cooked and blended with water).
5. If needed, blend the pumpkin with lentils using a ladle.
6. Stir in fresh cilantro, sugar and lemon juice.

Serve hot with bread to make a complete meal.

Mediterranean Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup is a post from: Chef

Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Reduced Fat)

soniaabrol — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 05:51:30 +0000

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I am a big fan of Panera Bread’s Broccoli Cheddar soup. Although I usually prefer lowfat/or at least reduced fat soups, I usually can’t resist this soup on a cold (even rainy) afternoon. I have tried a few recipes from different sources and all were way too rich. So I made few changes, increased quantity of carrots and blended the soup for a creamy and rich texture.
Last weekend I made a big batch for my family – served soup and toasted bread for adults and as pasta sauce for little one. I boiled macaroni (overcooked) and mixed with soup for my son. Since my son liked it – one day with pasta, one day as soup and one day with rice, I am happily tagging this recipe as ‘Toddler Friendly’. Even though it is a reduced fat recipe, it tasted pretty much like the original rich soup.

You need:

1.5 tbsp butter
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp all purpose flour
3 cups milk
6 cups water
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
2 cups carrots, grated (medium size)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 tsp garlic spread/seasoning mix
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 cup cream

1. Heat butter in a large pot.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup-saute garlic

2. Add bay leaf and garlic and cook for few seconds. Add onions and saute for few minutes and cook until medium brown.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup-saute vegetables

3. Add the broccoli and carrots and saute for few minutes. Add nutmeg, garlic seasoning and oregano and cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Sprinkle flour slowly and cook over low heat, stir constantly for couple of minutes.
4. Add water and bring to boil. Simmer in medium heat for about 25-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
5. Add milk and cream and simmer for another 5 minutes. The soup should be thickened by now.
6. Pour in batches into a blender (I used my Magic Bullet) and puree (I just pureed 3/4th the soup as I like some bigger pieces of vegetables as well).
7. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Adjust salt and pepper.

Serve hot, garnish with shredded cheddar.

Tip: For added flavor, you can also use low sodium Chicken broth instead of water. Although, I usually use water to keep the soup ‘vegetarian’. Chopped garlic and seasonings add lot of natural flavor to it.

Serves 6

Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Reduced Fat) is a post from: Chef

Mexican style vegetable soup with black beans and rice

soniaabrol — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 23:02:20 +0000

Mexican style Vegetable soup with black beans and rice

Here is another favorite recipe of mine. It is a complete meal in itself – veggies,carbs and protein all in one and it takes less than 30 minutes to cook (I use a pressure cooker). A large bowl and a slice of French bread makes a perfect dinner. It is not very high in calories, so for my son I top it with some butter.

1 large tomato
1 cup tomato sauce
4 celery stalks
1 red onion – medium, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 zucchini
3/4 cup black beans
1/2 cup rice
3/4 cup broccoli
1 tbsp butter
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp taco seasoning
1/2 tsp oregano
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped (optional)

salt and pepper to taste
crushed tortilla chips to garnish

Melt butter in a large pot and add the bay leaf. Add onions and garlic and saute for few minutes until translucent. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce and cook for few more minutes. Add zuccini, broccoli,celery, taco seasoning, oregano and cook for few more minutes. Add rice and beans, 4 cups of water and bring it to boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes until rice and vegetables are cooked. Adjust water if needed although I prefer it thick. Stir in cilantro.

Serve hot, garnish with some crushed tortilla chips. Serves-4-6

Tip: You can use a pressure cooker instead of a pot and save at least 15 minutes of cooking time.

Mexican style vegetable soup with black beans and rice is a post from: Chef

Low Fat Chicken Noodle Soup

soniaabrol — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:23:28 +0000

Chicken Noodle Soup

On cold winter evenings, I love having a big bowl of chicken noodle soup for dinner. It is a nutritious, hearty and low fat meal that does not need too many ingredients. Moreover, this is one of the dishes my entire family enjoys including my 2 year old son. I thought I should make one more batch while it is still little chilly in my part of the world. I have experimented with different types of noodles and pasta shapes. This time I mixed tri color egg ribbon pasta with some spiral pasta (my son loves both!). However, please feel free to use regular egg noodles if you like.

You need:
1 lb rotisserie chicken (with bones and skin)

Chicken Noodle Soup-Prepare

4-5 carrots
5-6 celery stalks
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 quarts water
1 cup egg ribbon pasta
14 cup spiral pasta
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
garlic seasoning to taste
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot add water, chicken, carrots, celery and garlic and bring it to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes.

Chicken Noodle Soup-prepare broth

Turn off the burner and take out the chicken. Remove skin, debone and shred the chicken to small pieces (you can use your fingers of pull it apart with fork).

Chicken Noodle soup-shred chicken

Return the chicken to pot, add pasta, chicken broth and cook on high until pasta is cooked.

Chicken Noodle Soup-Add pasta

For my son, I make sure I over cook the pasta. Add salt, pepper and garlic seasoning to taste.

Serve hot! I eat it with a dash of Tobasco sauce and my son enjoys it with some butter on top!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Low Fat Chicken Noodle Soup is a post from: Chef

Creamy Roasted Mushroom Onion Soup

soniaabrol — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:49:00 +0000

Creamy Roasted Mushroom Onion Soup

We had a great day today celebrating my nephew’s birthday. As with all celebrations, I enjoyed the food little bit too much . The rain in the evening and over eating at lunch tempted me to just make soup for dinner. Having just bought a box of fresh mushrooms, a flavorful and nutritious roasted mushroom onion soup was my obvious choice.

You need:

For roasted mushrooms and onions

600 gm Mushrooms

1 medium onion

2 tbsp oil (Canola or Olive)

1 to 2 tsp garlic spread seasoning or Italian seasoning

For soup:

3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1.5 tbsp butter

1.5 tbsp all purpose flour

1.5 cans (21 oz) of chicken broth/vegetable broth

1 cup milk

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 tsp oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Mushrooms and Onions tossed in oil and seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 400F. In a mixing bowl, mix coarsely chopped onions and halved mushrooms with 2 tbsp oil and garlic/Italian seasoning. Grease a baking dish and spread mushroom and onion mixture. Roast for about 30-35 minutes, tossing the vegetables every 10 minutes or so.

2. When the vegetables are roasted, combine them with broth and puree in a blender (I used my Magic Bullet).I saved some mushrooms and onions to eat with soup later.

Roasted Mushrooms and Onions

3. Heat butter in a large pot. Stir in flour with a wire whisk. Cook over low heat for two-three minutes, stirring constantly (This mixture is called a roux). Add garlic and saute for few seconds. Do not allow the mixture to brown.

4. Add the mushroom onion puree and milk and bring to boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes and stir in whipping cream, oregano and cook for few more minutes.

Simmer the soup for 15-20 minutes

5. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Instead of oregano you could also use Italian seasoning.

Serving suggestion:

1. Garnish the soup with chopped mushrooms and onions (saved earlier) and serve with a roll of toasted French bread

Creamy Roasted Mushroom Onion Soup

2. For my son I served it with small pasta with little sour cream and butter (for all the calories he need!). My son enjoyed his bowl so I can happily categorize it as ‘toddler friendly’!

Pasta with Creamy Roasted Mushroom Onion Soup

Creamy Roasted Mushroom Onion Soup is a post from: Chef

Hearty Carrot Soup

soniaabrol — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:28:50 +0000

Hearty Carrot Soup

I made a big batch of carrot soup for the Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. It is a creamy (minus too much heavy cream) and mildly spiced soup that does not come with a side of guilt! Spicy here is not ‘hot’ spicy rather I should say pumpkin spicy – just perfect for the holiday.

You need:

1.5 pound bag of carrots, coarsely chopped

1 large potato, chopped into chunks, coarsely chopped

4-5 stalks of celery, chopped

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

3-4 cloves of garlic

3 cups milk (can use skimmed as well)

6 cups chicken broth/water

1/4 cup whipping cream (optional)

2 tbsp butter ( I like ‘I can’t believe its butter’ as well)

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp clove powder

1/4 tsp nutmeg powder

salt and pepper to taste

extra water (if needed)

Garnish (optional)

Few drops of cream

Chopped Honey Toasted Pecans

Just like my other soups, in this recipe also I used steamed carrots and potatoes. This reduces the cooking time and does not reduce the nutritional value of the vegetables. Steam the chopped carrots and potatoes. I used my rice cooker with steamer, steamed for 20 minutes so that the vegetables are nicely done.

In a large sauce pan, heat the butter and add the bay leaf. After few seconds add onions, garlic and saute for couple of minutes. Add clove,cinnamon and nutmeg powder,little salt and saute for few seconds. Add celery and saute for few minutes.

Add steamed carrots and potatoes and cook for couple of minutes with the onions and celery mixture. Add chicken broth/water and bring it boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Let the soup cool down a bit,remove the bay leaf and use a blender to puree it in batches. Return the pureed soup to the sauce pan, add milk and bring it to boil.

You can add more water or milk, if needed. Simmer for few minutes. Add cream (if using). Adjust salt, spices and add pepper if you prefer it little hot.

Garnish the soup bowls with few drops of cream and chopped honey toasted Pecans. Serve hot!

Feel free to half the recipe if needed, though I think a large batch is much better

Hearty Carrot Soup is a post from: Chef