THAI PEA SOUP

Ingredients

3 cups fresh or frozen peas (if using frozen, thaw beforehand)
1 15 ounce can full fat coconut milk
½ cup vegetable broth
1 large shallot
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime
2 teaspoons lemongrass paste
½ jalapeno
1½ inch piece fresh ginger
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Pea shoots and dash red pepper flakes for garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Garnish with pea shoots and red pepper flakes.
Soup can be served cold, room temperature or hot depending on preference.

Black Bean Curry Soup

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

3 can black beans (drained)
2 12-oz cans coconut milk
6 cups veggie stock
3 Tbsp curry powder
1 square inch of ginger, minced
3 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp chili powder
3 small onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced

1 serrano pepper, finely diced with seeds
extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1 large sweet potato, diced

1 lime

5 cups (ish?) spinach

Salt to taste (I didn't actually add any)

Directions:

In a soup or stock pot, on medium heat, coat the pot with olive oil and let it warm. Add onions, garlic, serrano pepper, and ginger.  Cook for 10 minutes or so, until onions are translucent but not brown.  Add in the spices and stir to cook for another 5 minutes.  Add sweet potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add the stock, coconut milk, and beans and bring to a boil.  Turn down heat and let it simmer covered until sweet potatoes are tender.  Add spinach and cilantro and serve. 

Sweet and Sour Cabbage, Beet and Tomato Borscht

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4-6 raw or vacuum-packed (cooked not pickled) beets, 3-4 dices and 1-2 coarsely grated
1 can (14 oz) tomatoes
4-6 new potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1 small white cabbage, thinly sliced
4 cups veggie stock
3 tablespoons sugar
2-3 tablespoons white wine, cider vinegar or citric acid
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
salt and ground black pepper
sour cream (kefir) to garnish
buttered rye bread, to serve

Directions

• Put the onion, carrot, diced beets, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, and stock into a large pan. Bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 0 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
• Add the grated beets, sugar, wine, vinegar/citric acid to the soup and cook for 10 minutes. Taste for a good sweet-sour balance and add more sugar/vinegar if necessary. Season.
• Stir the chopped dill into the soup and ladle into warmed bowls immediately. Garnish each bowl with a generous spoonful of sour cream and more dill and serve with buttered rye bread.

Potato Chowder

-Scrub a bunch of taters
-Boil in well salted water
-In a large pot, saute all kinds of root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, turnips, radishes, red onion) in vegetable oil, add garlic a minute before veggies are tender
-Use blender to liquefy potatoes WITH potato water and 2% or whole milk plus butter and spices added to the broth
-Add broth to veggies!

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN SOUP

INGREDIENTS:
4 ounces pancetta or bacon, finely diced
1 small white onion, peeled and diced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
8 cups good-quality chicken stock
4 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
salt and freshly-ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Heat pancetta (or bacon) in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Cook until crispy, stirring occasionally.  Transfer the bacon to a separate plate, using a slotted spoon, reserving about 3 tablespoons of bacon grease in the stockpot.  (Discard any extra grease, or you can substitute olive oil in place of the 3 tablespoons of bacon grease.)
Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.  Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, stirring occasionally.
Add chicken stock, beans, bay leaf, rosemary and half of the cooked pancetta (or bacon).  Stir to combine.  Continue cooking the soup until it reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover partially, and let the soup simmer for 10-20 minutes so that the flavors will meld.
Add salt and pepper to taste.  (I definitely recommend a generous pinch or two of black pepper, and extra salt if needed, depending on your chicken stock.)  Remove the bay leaf and rosemary.
Serve warm, topped with the extra pancetta (or bacon).  Garnish with Parmesan and serve with Italian bread if desired.

Cabbage Soup

Ingredients 

1 pound pork butt, cut into small cubes

1 1/2 quarts chicken stock

4 cups water

3 allspice berries

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon dried marjoram

1 cup sauerkraut, plus around 4 tablespoons juice

1 large potato, peeled and diced

2 carrots, minced

3 stalks celery, minced

1 small onion, diced

2 cups fresh cabbage, shredded thin

Directions

Place the pork in a medium stockpot with the chicken stock, water, allspice, bay leaves, and marjoram. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low heat for about 2 hours. Remove the pork and set aside on a plate to cool. Skim fat from stock, leaving a few “eyes” of fat for flavor.

Add sauerkraut and simmer for 20 minutes. Add potato and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and cabbage and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the pork and simmer for 10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add sauerkraut juice.

Lemon Chicken Orzo

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

2 Tbsp olive oil

1.5 cup chopped carrots (4 big carrots)

1.5 cup chopped celery (6 stalks)

1 cup chopped onion ( 1 large onion)

1 big lemon (zested & juiced, separately)

1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme

12 cups chicken stock

2 cups orzo

fresh tarragon, salt, & pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Heat up soup pot, add oil, carrots, celery, & onion. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the chicken, stock, & thyme. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove heat and add lemon juice & zest. Cook orzo separately and add to bowl upon serving (otherwise it turns to mush and soaks up all of your broth). Serve with fresh tarragon, fresh thyme, and thinly sliced lemon.