YUMMY and Freeze well too

Hearty White Bean Vegetable Soup

Serves: 6

This hearty, healthy soup is comforting on a chilly night. Serve with warm bread or rolls.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 1 large leek, sliced into ½″ rings, washed well to remove any sand and drained in a colander
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1½ cups cooked white beans, rinsed (one 15 ounce can or homemade from dry beans)
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 6-8 cups vegetable or chicken broth, or water
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 cups diced butternut squash
• 4-5 kale leaves, ribs removed, roughly chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the onions starts to soften. Add the carrots, celery, and leeks. Continue cooking, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, being careful not to let it burn.
2. Next add the tomato paste and stir well. Let cook for 30 seconds then add beans, diced tomatoes, broth, thyme, and butternut squash. Add salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste. (It might not need much salt if the broth is salted.) Bring to a simmer and let cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
3. Add the chopped kale and let cook for another 5-10 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
4. Ladle into bowls and serve hot with warm rolls or bread on the side.

Ireland Family review: We all loved it. 


CURRY CHICK PEA DISH-

Makes about 5 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried spices: cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, coriander, ground cloves
• Salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

Step One

In a large, deep skillet, heat the vegetable oil and a small yellow onion (loosely diced). Allow this to soften for 3-4 minutes while mincing the garlic & chili and gathering the spices (which are essential for a good curry).

Step Two

Next, add the garlic, chili, and ginger to the onions with about 1/2 a teaspoon of each spice. As with all good curries, you develop so much more flavor by directly spicing the onions at the beginning as opposed to adding them to the completed dish later on. Stir and allow the spices to mingle with the onions for several minutes.

Step Three

Now, add almost all the other ingredients to the pan – throw in the (drained and rinsed) chickpeas, the can of tomatoes, the light coconut milk*, and about 1 large sweet potato that has been peeled and diced into ~1 inch chunks.

Tip: Your grocery store is likely selling light and full-fat coconut milk at the same price, but the light coconut milk is simply full-fat diluted with water. Save some money and buy one can of full-fat, dilute it with equal parts water, and voila – you have 2 cans of light coconut milk for the price of one.

Step Four

Turn the heat down to a simmer, cover, and go take a break. This curry will need at least 30 minutes (50 is ideal) to fully break down and absorb all these beautiful spices. Stir occasionally and give the dish at taste after 20 minutes; I often add a lot more spices at this point; especially cinnamon, turmeric, and salt. If you want the dish extra spicy, a dash of cayenne pepper wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Step Five

At the last minute before serving, add a handful or two of fresh chopped parsley to complete this dish. Serve atop fluffy jasmine rice for an unforgettably creamy and comforting meal. Again, this keeps amazingly well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Yay for leftovers!

Ireland Family Review: Mom and Dad LOVED THIS, Kids did ok- sauce was borderline too HOT-  I actually forgot to put in Sweet potatoes and I used Trader Joes Curry Sauce to keep it simple.