Rachel's Thai Soup

I created this soup today when I realized there was a bunch of broccoli in the crisper that I had completely forgotten about. This soup may not be authentic, but it is inspired by Thai flavors.

Ingredients:
-2 T. vegetable oil
-1 med. onion, chopped
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-5 cups vegetable broth
-14 oz. coconut milk
-1 or 2 jalapeño
-1 large head of broccoli, cut into tiny florets
-2 roasted red peppers, cut into thin strips
-2 carrots, julienned
-4 oz. pad thai noodles, broken in half
-15 oz. cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
-juice from one lime
-2 T. chopped cilantro
-4 T. peanut butter


Directions:
1. In a large soup pot, cook the onion and garlic in the oil over medium heat until softened.
2. Once the onions are soft, add the remaining vegetables and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the broth and coconut milk to the vegetables, and turn up the heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the broccoli is fully cooked. Stir in the noodles and beans, cover the pot, and remove from heat.
4. Allow the soup to sit, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the noodles are soft.
5. When the noodles are done, stir in the cilantro and peanut butter, until well combined. Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup

I love tortilla soup, so I decided to try and make a pot. I found a few recipes online, but none of them were exactly what I was looking for. So, I decided to try and create my own recipe. And here it is:


Ingredients:
-2 T. vegetable oil
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-2 medium onions, chopped
-2 cans corn, drained
-28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
-2 roasted red peppers
-1 medium zucchini, chopped
-2 jalapeños, seeded and minced
-zest and juice from one lime
-1 T. cumin
-2 t. paprika
-4 cups water
-salt and pepper
-1 can black beans, drained and rinsed


Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large pot and sauté the garlic, onion, and corn until the onion is soft, stirring frequently.
2. Add the tomatoes and juice, zucchini, roasted red peppers, jalapeño, lime juice and zest, spices, and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a rolling simmer. Simmer until the zucchini is soft.
3. In small batches, blend the soup in a blender until smooth, but small pieces of vegetable are still visible. Return the soup to the pot, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add beans and stir, reheating the soup if needed.
4. Serve with tortilla strips, and you could also include slices of avocado, cheese, or fresh cilantro.


To make your own tortilla strips, cut corn tortillas into narrow strips. Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a heavy skillet on high, and add the tortilla strips. Stir frequently until the tortilla strips are curled and crispy.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

The recipe for this soup comes from my lovely friend Ashley's food blog. I made a few changes (mostly out of necessity), but it's pretty much the same. It's a very simple recipe, but the results are delicious. Smooth and creamy, and chock full of vegetables, I have a feeling this is going to become one of my favorite recipes.


Ingredients:
-2 T. olive oil
-1 small onion, chopped
-2 carrots, sliced
-1 red potato, cubed
-About 15 oz. of roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped*
-4 cups vegetable stock
-1 t. agave nectar


Directions:
1. Sauté the onion and carrot in the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Once the onion is soft, add the broth, potato, and peppers. Bring to a boil, then down to a fast simmer. Cover partially and simmer for 25 minutes or so, until the potatoes are tender.
3. Once the potatoes are cooked, add the agave nectar. Pour the soup into a blender (in batches if needed) and blend it up (or use an immersion blender if you have one). Pour back into the pot and serve!

I sprinkled some roasted sunflower seeds over the top, and Ashley served hers with some homemade croutons. Yum!


*I didn't have a jar of roasted red pepper on hand, so I just roasted some myself. Two medium peppers worked perfectly.

Brown Rice and Spinach Soup

I came up with this recipe because I wanted to eat Italian wedding soup, but I didn't want to use pasta. Or meat, obviously. So, I substituted brown rice for the pasta, and beans for the meat for a simple, scrumptious soup!


Ingredients:
-2 T. extra virgin olive oil
-1 large onion, finely chopped
-8 cloves garlic, minced
-1 cup brown rice
-16 oz. frozen chopped spinach (can use a 10 oz. package instead)
-10 cups vegetable broth
-2 cans cannelloni beans
-juice from 1/2 lemon (optional)


Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot, and add the onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring frequently, for a few minutes until the onions are soft (but not browned).
2. Add the spinach, broth, and brown rice. Bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer until the rice is fully cooked, approx. 30-45 minutes.
3. Turn the heat to low, and add the beans. Cook for a few minutes to warm the beans.
4. Stir in the optional lemon juice to add a nice brightness.

Leek and Potato Soup

This recipe is very simple, easy, and yummy.

Ingredients:
-4 small leeks, or 3 large leeks
-2 T butter
-4 cups veg. stock
-3 lbs potatoes, chopped (I used red, but yukon should work too)
-S/P

Directions:
1. Wash leeks very thoroughly to remove all the grit, and cut into thin rings.
2. Cook leeks in butter until soft. Do not brown! (Browning the leeks will adversely affect the flavor)
3. Add broth and potatoes. Cook for 20 mins, or until potatoes are completely soft.
4. In a blender, purée half of the soup mixture.
5. Add puréed soup to pot and reheat.

Taco Soup

This recipe is very easy, and cost effective. What's not to like?

Ingredients:
-2 medium onions, chopped
-1 large green pepper, chopped
-4 jalapeños, diced (you may want less if you don't like it hot!)
-2 T olive oil
-3 T taco seasoning
-1 T cumin
-2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
-1 can corn (drained)
-2 cans beans (kidney, black, pinto)
-4 cups vegetable broth


Directions:
1. Sauté onion and peppers in olive oil. Sweat the onions, but do not brown. They should be tender but not mushy.
2. Add taco seasoning and cumin. Stir to coat.
3. Add tomatoes, corn, beans and broth. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Serve with cheese, tortilla strips, and sour cream.