Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Soup

Here's a real winner my friend Betsy found on the New York Times site. Cauliflower by itself can be rather bland, but combined with all this roasted garlic the vegetable gets elevated to healthy greatness. Enjoy!

Credit goes to: Ali Slagle (New York Times) Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2½ pounds cauliflower (1 very large head), cut into 1-inch florets, leaves reserved
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Salt and pepper
• 1 head garlic

Preparation:

Step 1: Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a sheet pan, toss the cauliflower florets and leaves with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Cut off the top ¼ inch of the head of garlic to expose the top of the cloves, then place on a piece of foil, cut side up. Sprinkle exposed cloves with salt, then drizzle lightly with oil. Wrap the garlic in the foil and place on the sheet pan. Roast until the cauliflower is browned and tender, 30 to 35 minutes.

Step 2: Meanwhile, in a large pot or Dutch oven, bring 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt to a simmer over medium. Reserve about 1 cup cauliflower for the topping, then add the rest to the pot, including any browned bits on the sheet pan. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins into the pot. Cover and simmer until the cauliflower is very soft, 7 to 10 minutes.

Step 3: Off the heat, using an immersion blender (or working in batches in a traditional blender), purée the soup until smooth. If thick, add water to taste. If thin, simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce slightly. (The soup will also thicken as it cools.) Season to taste with salt.

Step 4: Serve the soup topped with the reserved roasted cauliflower, a drizzle of olive oil and more black pepper.

Greek Bean and Vegetable Soup

 Credit for this adapted dish goes to the ADA's Diabetes Food Hub.

Visit them for many more diabetic friendly recipes.

Known in Greece as Fassoulada, this hearty, thick soup is a popular dish in that country. Navy beans, onion, tomatoes, and garlic are the essential basics of this soup. This diabetic friendly version adds zucchini and spinach, and the result is simply divine. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup yellow onion - chopped

• 2 cups thin zucchini - sliced on mandolin for uniformity 

• 1/2 cup celery - sliced

• 2 cloves garlic - minced

• 1 cup vegetable stock

• 1 cup water

• 1 can (15 oz) navy beans - rinsed and drained

• 1 cup canned whole tomatoes - coarsely cut up in a bowl

• 4 cups ready-to-eat spinach

• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1 oz feta cheese - reduced-fat, crumbled, about 3 tbsp

• 2 tbsp pistachios - shelled, no-salt-added, dry-roasted, coarsely chopped

• 2 slice whole grain artisan bread - I use sprouted grains bread - toasted and cut in half on a diagonal

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, zucchini, celery, and garlic. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until vegetables soften a bit.

Add vegetable stock, water, beans, and tomatoes. Bring soup to a simmer and cook 5 minutes.

Add the spinach and thyme. Cook about 1 minute, until the spinach wilts. Add the black pepper and salt.

Ladle the soup into 2 bowls and sprinkle with the feta cheese and pistachio nuts. Serve bread on the side.

 Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Spinach & Lentil Soup

 Adapted from a recipe found on KINDA GREEK

One can never have enough soups... So I'm slowly building my collection of soup recipes. Most times I will tweak recipes found on the Net to either make them more diabetic friendly or just to put my own spin on the dish. I invite you to do the same with this very simple version of a traditional Greek soup called Spanaki Me Faki. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb dried lentils - rinsed and soaked
• 4 cups chicken stock to start - alternately use vegetable stock for a true vegetarian version.
• 1 lb fresh baby spinach - stems removed
• 1/4 cup olive or avocado oil
• 1 bunch scallions – white and green parts separated
• 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
• salt & pepper to taste
• grated Parmesan cheese (optional at table)

Preparation:

Soak lentils in water for one hour.

Drain and transfer to soup pot and add 4 cups of stock.  Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer until soft, about 20-25 minutes.

As the lentils cook, remove the course stems from the spinach and tear larger leaves in half.  

Cut the scallion greens into 3/4 – 1” pieces at an angle. Cut the whites into 1/4" discs.

Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the scallion whites and garlic until soft and garlic has browned a bit. It may seem like a lot of oil, but we’re basically flavoring the oil to enhance the whole soup. 

Add the sauté to the cooked lentils, oil and all. 

Add more stock if needed, up to two cups. Add spinach and scallion greens and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, occasionally mixing as the spinach cooks down. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Don’t be shy with the salt, because well... SPINACH! :-) Add final salt & pepper touches at the table for each person's individual taste. Also, try some grated Parmesan as garnish for a touch of Next Level. :-)

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Chilled Cucumber Soup with Avocado Toast

 Full credit goes to Melissa Clark (New York Times) - Serves 4

This chilled soup will delight your diners on a hot summer day. The flavor pallet is quite intriguing and may need some personal tweaking to suit your tastes. Experiment and enjoy!

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 2 cups buttermilk (or use 1½ cups plain yogurt plus ¼ cup water)
• 1 large clove garlic - smash minced
• 2 anchovy fillets (optional - leave out for vegetarian)
• 2 small whole scallions - trimmed
• ½ jalapeño - seeded, deveined and chopped
• ½ cup packed mixed fresh herbs (like mint, parsley, dill, tarragon, basil and cilantro)
• ½ tsp sherry or white wine vinegar - more to taste
• ¾ tsp kosher sea salt - plus more to taste
• 4 slices baguette or other bread - toasted
• 1 avocado - pitted, peeled and thinly sliced
• ½ lemon
• 2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
• Extra-virgin olive oil - for serving
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ear of corn - shucked, kernels sliced off
• Fresh dill for serving

Preparation:

In the bowl of a blender or food processor, combine cucumber, buttermilk, garlic, anchovy, scallions, jalapeño, fresh herbs, sherry vinegar and salt. Blend until smooth and adjust seasoning as needed.

Smash avocado slices and spread on the toasted bread. Sprinkle with crumbled feta, squeeze the juice of the lemon half over the top and finish each with a drizzle of olive oil and some pepper. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Distribute soup between 4 bowls and garnish with raw corn kernels and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve avocado toast on the side.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Lima Bean & Sauerkraut Soup

Credit for this delicious soup goes to my friend

Lori Lynn, owner of Taste with the Eyes.

Sauerkraut soup, also known as kapuśniak in Polish, is a traditional Eastern European dish that features fermented cabbage as a key ingredient.

Kapuśniak typically contains a variety of vegetables such as carrots, onions, and potatoes. These vegetables add sweetness and depth to the soup. Instead of potatoes, this version features plump large lima beans. A good source of protein and fiber – large lima beans have a creamy texture, and a slightly sweet, buttery flavor.

Smoked sausage or kielbasa are often added to sauerkraut soup too, as I did here in my version, but the soup can easily be vegetarian by leaving the sausage out and switching to a vegetable stock. It’s a great comfort food, and many variations of the recipe exist, allowing for personal preferences and regional differences.

Dill is popular in Polish cuisine – bright and grassy, herbaceous and aromatic, fresh dill enhances the overall sensory experience of soup. And here, a generous dollop of sour cream balances out the sauerkraut. A good artisan bread with butter is the perfect accompaniment for dunking in the savory sour broth. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 carrots - sliced
• 1 celery rib - thinly sliced
• 1/2 onion - diced
• 4 garlic cloves - thinly sliced or smash-minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice
• 2 cups reserved bean water
• 2 cup chicken stock (use vegetable stock for vegetarian version)
• 1 1/2 tsp whole grain mustard (I use Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard)
• 2 cups cooked lima beans - bean water reserved
• 14-15 oz can sauerkraut - well-drained (and rinsed if less sour flavor is preferred)
• 8-12 oz low sodium turkey kielbasa - sliced to bite size (leave out for vegetarian version)
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add carrot, celery and onion, cooking until softened. Add garlic, thyme, and allspice and cook a few more minutes, stirring frequently.

Add bean water, chicken stock, mustard and sauerkraut. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer 15 minutes, then add the lima bean mix and kielbasa to heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

How to cook raw lima beans:

• 8 oz dried large white lima beans - rinsed and sorted
• 1 medium carrot - rough chopped
• 1 medium celery rib - rough chopped
• 1/4 yellow onion - rough chopped
• 4 garlic cloves - smashed
• a few glugs of olive oil
• sea salt to finish

Place beans, carrot, celery, onion, and garlic in a pot. Add filtered water to cover by two inches. Add olive oil. Boil for 15 minutes then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until beans are tender, usually 1-2 hours. Add salt to taste near the end of cooking. Pour mixture into a suitable strainer and reserve the cooking water.

To Serve Finished Soup:

• fresh dill
• sour cream
• your favorite artisan bread & butter

Ladle hot soup into warm bowls. Top with fresh snipped dill and a generous dollop of sour cream. Serve with bread and butter.

Carnivore Bowl

Vegetarian Bowl

Blessed be... and happy cooking!