We craved homemade lentil soup, and I remembered Ina Garten's recipe from many years ago. Unlike in the past, I followed the recipe almost exactly: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lentil-vegetable-soup-recipe-1948822. We slightly reduced the salt to 2 tsp and used 1 3/4 Tbsp barrel-aged red wine vinegar. This is a delicious and comforting plant-forward soup. (Mar. 2024)
Tag: soups and stews
Mexican chicken tortilla soup (sopa Azteca)
When I was menu planning for the week, my husband requested we make chicken tortilla soup. We tried this recipe by Chef Rick Bayless: https://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/tortilla-soup/ This soup is an ingenious and hearty way to use leftover cooked chicken and tortillas. Our modifications: first, we couldn't find dried pasillo chiles, so we used a total of… Continue reading Mexican chicken tortilla soup (sopa Azteca)
Korean spicy braised catfish with daikon radish
We found a beautiful, juicy daikon radish this weekend, and I couldn't stop thinking about this braised fish dish: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/eundaegu-jorim Our modifications: first, we couldn't find black cod, so we got 1 1/4 lb fresh catfish filet. Second, we reduced the heat a little: (1) one red Korean finger pepper (down from two); and (2)… Continue reading Korean spicy braised catfish with daikon radish
Indian mung bean dal (moong dal)
We made this recipe as a side dish: https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/moong-dal-recipe/ We used a pressure cooker, and we followed the blogger's tip about adding a bit (1/2 tsp) of red lentil to the 1/2 cup of moong dal to reduce stickiness. We found the instructions confusing and imprecise (for ex, it is vague about the amount and… Continue reading Indian mung bean dal (moong dal)
15-bean Cajun stew with andouille sausage
We tried this recipe: https://hurstbeans.com/recipes/slow-cooker-cajun-15-bean-soup We do not have a slow cooker, so we made some modifications: first, following the bean prep instructions here (https://hurstbeans.com/recipes/15-bean-soup-with-smoked-sausage-swp) and we soaked the 20 oz Hurst's dried beans overnight in 8 cups of water in the fridge (we set the Cajun seasoning packet aside). Second, the next day, we… Continue reading 15-bean Cajun stew with andouille sausage
Split pea soup with smoked turkey (+ potato), version 2
Split pea soup always reminds me of my childhood, when one of my mom's good friends made the soup from scratch (and it took hours). We had a craving for an old fashioned split pea soup, but we were searching for one that didn't use ham or a ham bone. We tried this recipe, which… Continue reading Split pea soup with smoked turkey (+ potato), version 2
Pakistani mildly spiced chick peas (chikad chanay)
I carry a lot of food memories. I recently craved a delicately spiced chick pea side dish that we had enjoyed at a local Afghan kabob place many years ago. While I couldn't find that exact recipe, I stumbled upon this Pakistani recipe: https://sabihaskitchen.com/chikad-chanay/ Our modifications: first, after soaking the 1 lb dried chick peas… Continue reading Pakistani mildly spiced chick peas (chikad chanay)
Italian pasta and bean soup (pasta e fagioli )
We had an incredible homemade pasta e fagioli over the holidays, and we felt inspired to try a recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/pasta-e-fagioli Our modifications: first, instead of a ham hock, we browned 1 oz center cut bacon cut into match sticks. We also used 2 parmesan rinds. Second, we did a quick soak of 8 oz dried… Continue reading Italian pasta and bean soup (pasta e fagioli )
Portuguese potato and collard greens soup (caldo verde)
We tried this recipe from a great cooking blog, Feasting At Home: https://www.feastingathome.com/caldo-verde/ This is our favorite caldo verde recipe to date. Our modifications: first, for the smoked sausage, we used Aidell's Spanish chorizo (made from chicken). We halved lengthwise and then cut into 1/2" thick half-moons, which we browned in about 2 tsp canola… Continue reading Portuguese potato and collard greens soup (caldo verde)
Middle Eastern style lentil and split yellow pea soup
We were craving a legume-based soup and tried this recipe: https://thishungrykitten.com/2013/03/26/middle-eastern-delight-lentil-and-split-pea-soup/ This was comforting, earthy, and tasty. Our modifications: first, we don’t have a slow cooker, so we made this on the stovetop. Second, we increased the ground cumin and supplemented with ground coriander. Specifically, after sauteeing the onion, we added 2 tsp cumin and…… Continue reading Middle Eastern style lentil and split yellow pea soup
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