Hearty And Healthy:
Soups And Stew

Spicy Carrot Peanut Soup

1 Tbs. canola or other vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
2 lbs. carrots, peeled and thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Chinese chili paste or use 1 fresh stemmed and chopped fresh chile
2 minced garlic cloves
6 cups water
2 Tbs. peanut butter (see note)
3 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
A few fresh lime wedges

In a soup pot on medium heat, warm the oil and add the onions, carrots, celery, salt, and chili paste. Sauté on high heat for

5 minutes, stirring often. Add the water, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the carrots are soft, about 25 minutes.

Stir in the peanut butter, soy sauce, and lime juice. In a blender, puree the soup in batches. Reheat, if necessary.
Serve with lime wedges.

Note: If you wish, replace the peanut butter with freshly ground peanuts. Grind 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts in a blender or small food processor and add them to the soup just before pureeing it.

Variation: Try serving the soup cold. It's not your usual chilled soup candidate, but we like it!

Sweet and Sour Soup with
Pineapple & Basil

3 medium-sized fresh ripe tomatoes
2 Tbs. minced garlic
1-1/2 Tbs. vegetable oil
4 cups water
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 tsp. salt
1 20-oz. can pineapple chunks (packed in juice)
The equivalent of 20 to 25 large leaves of fresh basil, coarsely chopped
Approximately 1/3 lb. fresh mung bean sprouts

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Core the tomatoes and add to the boiling water for a slow count of 10. Remove from the saucepan and rinse under cold running water. As you rinse them, gently pull off the skins. Chop the peeled tomatoes into 1-inch chunks and set aside.

In a large saucepan, kettle, or Dutch oven, sauté the minced garlic in vegetable oil very briefly over medium heat until the garlic turns light brown.

Add water, onion, celery, and salt, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about

5 minutes.

Add pineapple chunks with all their juice, and the chopped tomatoes. Cover again, and simmer about 15 more minutes.

Just before serving, add basil and bean sprouts to the hot soup. Simmer, covered, for just a few minutes, then serve.

Creamless Broccoli Soup

1 Tbs. canola or other vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onions
1/4 cup diced celery
2 garlic gloves, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large broccoli stalks
4-1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
1/3 cup quick-cooking oatmeal, or use a scant 1/2 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats, whirled in a blender for about 15 seconds
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill (1 tsp. dried)
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Fresh dill sprigs, paper-thin lemon slices, or minced fresh chives In a soup pot, combine the oil, onions, celery, garlic, and salt and cook, covered, on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often. Meanwhile, rinse the broccoli, cut into 4 to 5 cups of florets, and peel and chop the stems to make about 2 cups. Reserve 1 cup of the florets.

When the onions are translucent, add 4 cups of the water or stock and all of the broccoli except for the reserved florets.

Cover and bring to a boil; then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the oats and simmer gently for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the broccoli is tender and the soup begins to thicken. Remove from the heat, and then stir in the lemon juice, dill, and pepper. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth.

Bring the remaining 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the reserved broccoli florets and cook, covered, until they are bright green and crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the florets and their cooking water into the soup.

Serve garnished with dill sprigs, lemon slices, or minced chives.

Indian Tomato Coconut Soup

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 cups boiling water
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. whole or ground cumin seed (if using ground, you may increase to taste)
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
3/4 tsp. each cinnamon and ground coriander
1 Tbs. butter or ghee
1/2 tsp. salt (increase to taste if using fresh tomatoes)
3 cups pureed cooked tomatoes

Yogurt, for garnish

Small sprigs of fresh mint, for garnish

Lightly toast the coconut, either by stirring it in a cast iron skillet over medium heat or

in a toaster oven. Watch very carefully to prevent burning.

Place the toasted coconut in a bowl, pour the boiling water over it, and let it soak for about 15 minutes.

Strain through a fine strainer or sieve into a blender or food processor container, pressing out and reserving all excess liquid.

Discard the coconut.
In a medium-sized cast iron skillet, sauté sesame, cumin, and mustard seeds with cinnamon and coriander in butter over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they give off a deeply toasted smell (and the whole seeds start popping). Remove from heat and add salt.

Combine the sautéed seeds and spices with the coconut liquid in a kettle or Dutch oven. Add the tomatoes.
Heat just to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer very gently 15 to 20 minutes. Correct and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve topped with yogurt and a few sprigs of fresh mint.

Russian Tomato Cabbage Soup

1 cup chopped onion (2 onions)
1 tsp. tarragon
1 tsp. dried dill weed or 1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill weed
1 tsp. dill seed
2 Tbs. sunflower oil
4 cups thinly sliced white cabbage
1 cup chopped kale
1 cup water
Two 28-oz. cans whole, peeled tomatoes
2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
Dash of black pepper
1 tsp. honey

In preheated 3-quart soup pot, sauté the onions, tarragon, dried dill weed, and dill seed in oil on medium heat. When onions just begin to brown, add cabbage and continue to cook until cabbage begins to get tender. Add kale and cook for

2 more minutes. Lower heat to a simmer and add the water. Drain the tomato juice from the canned tomatoes into the soup pot. Chop the canned tomatoes slightly (the chopping blade of a food processor does the job quickly) and add to the soup.

Simmer 15 minutes covered, add parsley, fresh dill (if using), pepper, and honey. Stir well and serve. (This soup needs no salt if canned tomatoes have salt in them.)

Kale and Potato Soup with Red Chili

1 bunch kale
3 Tbs. virgin olive oil
1 medium red or yellow onion, diced into 1/2-inch squares
6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 small dried red chili, seeded and chopped; or 1/2 tsp. chili flakes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
4 medium red potatoes (about 1 lb.), scrubbed and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tsp. nutritional yeast (optional)
7 cups water or stock
Pepper

Crème fraiche or sour cream (optional)

Using a sharp knife, cut the ruffled kale leaves off their stems, which are very tough and take a long time to cook. Cut the leaves into pieces roughly 2 inches square, wash them well, and set them aside.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot, add the onion, garlic, chili, bay leaf, and salt, and cook over medium-high heat for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the potatoes and the yeast, if using, plus a cup of the water or stock. Stir together, cover, and cook slowly for 5 minutes.

Add the kale, cover, and steam until it is wilted, stirring occasionally. Pour in the rest of the water or stock, bring to a boil, then simmer slowly, covered, until the potatoes are quite soft, 30 to 40 minutes.

Use the back of a wooden spoon to break up the potatoes by pressing against the sides of the pot, or puree a cup or two of the soup in a blender and return it to the pot. This will make a unifying background for the other elements.

Taste the soup for salt and add a generous grinding of black pepper. If possible, let the soup sit for an hour or so before serving to allow the flavors to further develop. Serve the soup hot without any garnish, or with a spoonful of crème fraiche or sour cream if desired.

Eastern European Root Stew

2 Tbs. vegetable oil or olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves minced or pressed
1 cup peeled and diced potatoes
1 cup peeled and diced carrots
1 cup peeled and diced parsnips
2 cups peeled and diced turnips and/or rutabaga
2 cups peeled and diced beets
6 cups water
2 tsp. salt
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs. minced fresh thyme and/or dill (1 tsp. dried)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
5 cups rinsed and chopped beet greens, Swiss chard, or spinach
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream or plain nonfat yogurt (optional)

In a large soup pot, heat the oil and add the onions and garlic. Cover and sauté on medium heat for about 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft.

Add the potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips and/or rutabaga, beets, water, salt, bay leaves, and herbs. Cover and bring to a boil; then cook on medium-low heat for 15 minutes.

Add the vinegar and greens. Gently simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the greens are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Find and discard the bay leaves.

Serve garnished with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, if you like.

Oriental Bean Thread Soup

3 Tbs. sunflower oil
2 squares tofu, cut in 1/2-inch cubes (1 lb.)
1/4 cup tamari
2 Tbs. sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. minced fresh gingerroot
3/4 cup carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced into thin sticks (1 small carrot)
3/4 cup sliced zucchini (1 small zucchini) or snow peas
1 cup sliced broccoli, stems and florets
7 cups water or vegetable stock
1 cup sliced bok choy or Chinese cabbage, using part of greens
1 cup bean threads or rice noodles, broken in half
Dash of cayenne pepper
4 scallions, sliced

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a

10-inch cast-iron fry pan and sauté the tofu over medium heat. Do not crowd the tofu or it will crumble.

Sauté in 2 batches if the pan is small. Just before removing the tofu from the pan, pour 1 tablespoon tamari over the tofu and gently toss.

Cook 1 minute, remove from the pan, and set aside. The tofu should be lightly browned and firm.

In the same fry pan, heat the sesame oil and sauté the garlic, ginger, and carrots over medium heat.

After 5 minutes, add zucchini and broccoli and cook 5 minutes more, or until tender.

Meanwhile, heat the water or stock in a 4-quart soup pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer.

Add the sautéed vegetables to soup pot and simmer, uncovered.

Add bok choy or Chinese cabbage and bean threads.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons tamari, tofu, and cayenne.

Simmer 15 minutes uncovered and serve, garnished with fresh scallions.


Middle Eastern Spinach Soup

1 medium-sized potato, or 3 cups cooked white rice (1 cup uncooked; see instructions below)
2 cups water
2 Tbs. butter
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
4 cups chopped onion
2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. turmeric
A dash of cinnamon (to taste)
2 lbs. fresh spinach, cleaned, stemmed, and chopped
1-1/2 cups firm yogurt, room temperature
Black pepper and cayenne, to taste

With Potatoes:

Peel and dice the potatoes, and cook potatoes in water, covered, until tender. (This should take about 10 to 15 minutes.) Set aside, water included.

Heat the butter in a Dutch oven or kettle, and sauté garlic and onion over medium heat along with the salt and spices until tender (8 to 10 minutes).

Add cooked potatoes with their water, and spinach. Cover and simmer another 10 to 15 minutes.

At this point the soup can be left as is, or partially or completely pureed.

Use a blender or steel blade attachment of a food processor; it's fun to experiment with various textures. A complete puree can be elegant.

Stir in yogurt. Add pepper and cayenne to taste. This soup is equally good served hot or cold.

With Rice:

Put 2 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Sprinkle in 1 cup uncooked white rice.

Lower heat to the gentlest possible simmer, cover, and cook about 20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Set aside.