Category: Soup

Soup

Spicy Many Bean Soup

Posted on by Immacolata

Bean soup is hearty, filling and cheap! With the right spices and vegetables, you can have a delicious, healthy meal in a bowl. Here’s a bean soup recipe that is just the thing for a cold winter day.

I serve this soup with warm crusty bread or cornbread. It’s delicious and very inexpensive to make. You can vary the spices to suit your taste.

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Spicy Many-Bean Soup

Ingredients

  • 1.5 mixed beans - I use black beans, blackeyed peas, navy beans, cranberry or pinto beans, and kidney beans.
  • salt and pepper (optional)
  • 1 tsp dried parsley (optional)
  • 0.5 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 10-oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 0.5 red bell pepper, diced
  • 0.5 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 8 cup vegetable broth

Instructions

  1. Place beans in a large soup pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until beans are tender. Add more water as needed.
  2. When beans are tender, drain them, then add all remaining ingredients except for salt and pepper to the pot.
  3. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add water if necessary, or if you prefer a thinner soup.
  4. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired, and serve

Hearty Mushroom Soup

Posted on by Immacolata

This soup is earthy and full flavored, redolent with onions and garlic, and thick with baby bella mushrooms in a rich vegetable broth. I based this recipe on the mushroom soup recipe at The Kitchn. I left out the dried mushrooms (since our own veggie broth used in this recipe was made with oven-dried mushrooms) and the 4 tablespoons of butter, bringing the cost and the fat way down. This soup will warm and comfort you on the coldest day! Continue reading →

Vegetable Stock

Posted on by Immacolata

This vegetable stock is a savory beginning to many soups, stews and sauces. It’s easy to make and it can be mega-cheap if you save odds and ends of vegetable scraps to use. You can use any combination of vegetables, but don’t use any of the cruciferous veggies, as you don’t want a sulfur taste to your stock. The measurements in this recipe are approximate; just be sure you use enough vegetables, keep the temperature low, and simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours.

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Vegetable Stock

Ingredients

  • 2 large onions
  • 6 large carrots
  • 6 stalks celery
  • 6 large potatoes
  • 1/2 c. oven-dried mushrooms see Notes
  • 10 cups water
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 t. poultry seasoning
  • 3-4 drops Kitchen Bouquet

Instructions

  1. Wash and clean vegetables, peel if desired.
  2. Put them in a large pot with dried mushrooms and add water to cover plus about one inch.
  3. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer on very low heat, covered, for at least 1 1/2 hours. It will cook down; you can add a little more water if you like but it will be more flavorful if you don't add any more liquid.
  4. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  5. Strain broth into a clean container, using a fine mesh strainer or a strainer covered with cheesecloth.
  6. Add poultry seasoning and Kitchen Bouquet if using and stir.
  7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe Notes

*To make your own oven-dried mushrooms, spread cleaned and sliced mushrooms on a baking sheet and bake in a very slow oven (as low as your oven will go) for one hour. Turn mushroom slices and bake for another hour. Remove from oven and cool.

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