Living with the Webers - Soup

Vegan/Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Sarah — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:56:15 +0000

Potatoes, black beans, and corn add substance to this vegan/vegetarian tortilla soup to make it healthy, filling and absolutely delicious. I promise that no one will miss the chicken that is customarily put into tortilla soup. And, if you have any leftovers, the soup is just as good then next day, as long as you make sure to bake up some fresh tortilla strips.

Serves:

Soup:
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 poblano or pasilla chili pepper, finely chopped
1/2 red chili pepper, finely chopped
1 large potato, cubed
1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes (or 1 1/2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes)
5 cups vegetable broth
1 can corn kernels
1 cup black beans, pre-cooked
1 tablespoon cumin (or a bit more, to taste)
salt and pepper, to taste

Tortilla Strips:
8 corn tortillas
olive oil and salt

Toppings:
Avocado, diced
Squirt of lemon juice
Chopped cilantro
Cheese (for non-vegans)

Soup:
1. Sauté onions and garlic.
2. Add bell peppers and chili peppers. Sauté until soft.
3. Add the cumin, tomatoes, potato, and broth. Simmer until potato is almost done.
4. Add beans and corn.
5. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 15 minutes longer.

Tortilla Strips:
1. Cut tortillas into half and then into thin strips.
2. Coat with a bit of olive oil and salt.
3. Bake at 400F until crispy.

Serve:
Ladle some of the soup into a bowl. Top with cheese, if desired. Squirt a bit of lemon juice over the soup, sprinkle on some chopped cilantro, and then finish off with some diced avocado and tortilla strips.

Pia's Garbanzo Bean Soup

Pia — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 23:33:33 +0000

A few weeks ago we had a heavenly garbanzo bean soup in a small café in Fallbrook. I tried to recreate the same soup. I did not achieve this but created another really delicious soup. Very satisfying on an empty stomach.

Serves:

1 cup dried garbanzo beans
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 big onion, chopped
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium zucchini, or gooseneck squash, sliced
2 big tomatoes, peeled and chopped*
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup red wine
2-4 tablespoon vegetable or chicken broth powder

1. Soak garbanzo beans overnight, then rinse. Cook the garbanzo beans with 5 cups of water and 1 bay leaf and fennel seeds until tender. About 20-30 minutes.**
2. In a sauté pan sauté onion and garlic gloves for 5 minutes.
3. Add zucchini or squash and sauté for another 3 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes and sauté for another 3 minutes.
5. Bring heat to high and then add the wine and let it sizzle for a minutes. Then bring heat to medium heat and add the spices.
6. Combine the sautéed veggies with the cooked garbanzo beans and add vegetable or chicken broth powder and another 4-5 cups water. Cook for about an half hour.
7. Purée with a blender and serve.

* to peel tomatoes, slightly cut the tomatoes crosswise across the skin and then bring into boiling water for a minute. Take them out, let them cool down for a bit and then peel of the skin.

** the soaking overnight can be side stepped by bringing the garbanzo beans with plenty of water to a boil. Let them stand for about a half to a hour. Rinse and then cook garbanzo beans like described above.

Red Lentil Soup

Sarah — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 04:48:46 +0000

Mom gave me this recipe years ago. It is perfect for a cold fall or winter evening, either as an appetizer or served together with bread as a main dish.

Serves:

2 onions, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups red lentils
salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons flour
1 egg
1 cup milk (or soymilk)

Warm 2 tablespoons oil, sauté onion for 5 minutes. Add red lentils and 4 cups of water. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper, and 4 cups of broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Take off of heat and puree with a blender or food processor. In a saucepan, put 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 2 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and in a little bowl beat egg and milk. A little at a time, add the egg and milk mixture to the flour mixture, constantly whisking. Pour a little at a time into soup and whisk (this will thicken the soup). Warm up and serve.

Recommended With

Basic Bread