Soup

I know I mentioned that I find casseroles to be a comfort food. But so is homemade Soup.

To that end, here are six homemade soup recipes to help you through the day, including Hearty Ham and White Bean Soup and Three Sisters Soup. Enjoy!

SMOKY TOMATO SOUP

This yumminess is from Alexa Weibel at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Alexa wrote, "A grown-up version of grilled cheese’s best friend, this tomato soup is subtly complex thanks to the addition of ancho chile and smoked paprika, but it still has all of the nostalgic qualities of a really good tomato soup: It’s silky, robust and wonderfully tomato-y. Taking a cue from this classic tomato soup, this recipe calls for sweating the onion and garlic with a little flour to thicken the soup, which creates a velvety texture that doesn’t hide the pure tomato flavor. Simmering a whole ancho chile in the soup produces an undercurrent of heat; but if you prefer more spice, pluck off the stem and blend the chile into your finished soup rather than discarding it. Adjust the amount of cream and the level of heat as you like and the soup will taste just right to you."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 1-1/4 hours; Total Time: 1-1/2 hours; Yield: 4 to 6 servings (about 8-1/2 cups)

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026266-smoky-tomato-soup. While you're at it, if you haven't already subscribed to The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 large yellow onion (about 1 pound), minced

Salt and black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

8 fresh thyme sprigs

2 tablespoons sugar

1 ancho chile

Crema (or sour cream thinned with water), for serving

Chives (optional), for serving

grilled cheese (optional)

Preparation

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.

Add the garlic, crushed red pepper and paprika, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Sprinkle the flour on top and cook, stirring constantly, until sizzling and crackling, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and their juices, squeezing the tomatoes to crush them as you add them to the pot. Stir in the stock, thyme sprigs and sugar. Drop in the ancho chile (plop!) and bring to a simmer over medium-high.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover almost all the way and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors deepen and tomatoes break down, about 45 minutes.

Pluck out the ancho chile and thyme sprigs, then transfer the soup to a blender (in batches, if needed) and blend until creamy. (Alternatively, use an immersion blender to blend it right in the pot.) Give the soup a taste and adjust seasoning if desired. If you’d like to increase the smoky flavor, you can blend in a portion of the stemmed and deseeded chile, if desired.

Transfer to bowls, top with a swirl of crema and a sprinkle of chives. Serve with grilled cheese, if desired.

PUMPKIN SOUP

This is from Lidey Heuck on The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yumminess, Lidey wrote, "This recipe turns canned pumpkin purée into a sublimely creamy, aromatic soup that makes for an elegant first course or a satisfying lunch on a cold day. While the combination of pumpkin and fall spices can easily veer in the direction of dessert, the addition of fresh rosemary, garlic, caramelized onions and curry powder plants this soup firmly in the savory camp. Finally, to make this recipe vegan, substitute olive oil for the butter, full-fat coconut milk for the heavy cream, and vegetable broth for the chicken broth. If time and availability allow, consider roasting your own sugar pumpkin for this recipe: The soup will have a deeper, more complex flavor (see Tip)."

Total Time: 50 minutes; Yield: 6 servings

This was featured in "This is Not Your Average Pumpkin Soup," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021618-pumpkin-soup. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more. What's not to love?

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary)

2 tablespoons maple syrup

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup fresh apple cider (or 3/4 cup apple juice)

4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed

2 (15-ounce) cans pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling), or 3 cups homemade pumpkin purée (see Tip)

1 teaspoon mild curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more for serving

Pinch of ground cloves

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed

1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more for serving

For the Fried Sage Topping (optional)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

12 fresh sage leaves

Preparation

In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes. If the onions begin browning too quickly, turn the heat to low.

Add the maple syrup and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have darkened in color, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cider and cook, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced by about half.

Add the broth, pumpkin purée, curry powder, nutmeg, cloves, salt and pepper, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook at a full simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching.

Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender or food processor and return to the pot (or use an immersion blender). Bring back to a simmer over medium heat, then turn off the heat and stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add more broth if the soup is too thick.

To make the optional fried sage topping, melt the butter in a small or medium skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the sage leaves and fry until just crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or a fork, transfer the sage leaves to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the butter left behind in the pan.

To serve, spoon the soup into individual bowls. Top each serving with 2 fried sage leaves and a drizzle of the reserved butter (if using), or a swirl of cream and pinch of nutmeg. Serve hot.

Tip

To make your own pumpkin purée, heat oven to 425 degrees. Trim the stem from a 4- to 5-pound sugar or “pie” pumpkin, then cut the pumpkin in half through the stem. Scoop out the pulp and seeds and discard. (Or rinse and dry the seeds, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast on a sheet pan in 375-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.) Carefully slice the pumpkin into 1-1/2-inch-thick wedges. Place the wedges on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the pumpkin flesh is very tender when pierced with a fork. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then spoon the flesh into a large bowl, discarding the skins. Mash with a fork until mostly smooth.

ITALIAN MEATBALL SOUP

Recipe Yield: Yield: 8 servings (about 2 cups each)

Source: 1,001 Recipes For People with Diabetes

Book Title: 1,001 Recipes For People with Diabetes

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/italian-meatball-soup.

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds ground turkey

2 egg whites

1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

4 cloves garlic, minced, divided

3 tablespoons Italian seasoning, divided

Olive oil cooking spray

4 cans (15 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth

3 cups water

2 cups green beans, diagonally cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4 medium carrots, sliced

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

8 ounces thin spaghetti, uncooked, broken into 2-to 3-inch pieces

2 medium plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Mix ground turkey, egg whites, bread crumbs, 2 cloves of garlic, and 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning until well blended; shape mixture into 32 meatballs. Spray large saucepan with cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Cook meatballs until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add chicken broth, water, green beans, carrots, onions, remaining 2 cloves garlic, and remaining 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning to saucepan; heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered until vegetables are almost tender, about 8 minutes.

Heat soup to boiling; add pasta and tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 270; Fat: 8.7 g; Sodium: 174 mg; Cholesterol: 31.7 mg; Protein: 19 g; Carbohydrates: 30 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Bread, 2 Meat, 1/2 Fat

TURKEY TACO SOUP

This comes from Laurel Randolph, one of the writers on The Spruce. Laurel wrote, “Taco soup is an easy, one-bowl version of everyone's favorite dinner: taco night. All of the ingredients simmer together to make a robust, flavorful soup that's especially good with a side of crispy tortilla chips. And with only one dirty pot and a few dirty soup bowls, it's totally carefree. The typical ground beef is replaced with shredded turkey for a lighter meal—or you can replace it with cooked chicken, if that's what you have on hand.

“We love to make this soup after Thanksgiving, when we have leftover turkey to use up and we want to do as little cooking as possible. It's a great way to repurpose cooked, shredded breast or dark meat to create a totally different dish. No one will be complaining of leftover fatigue with this recipe.”

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: Serves 3 - 4.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola (or grapeseed oil)

1 small red onion (diced)

1 green bell pepper (diced)

1 jalapeño (seeded and minced)

3 garlic cloves (minced)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (with juice)

1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)

1 cup packed shredded cooked turkey

3 cups turkey or chicken broth

Salt and pepper

1 avocado (diced, or sour cream for serving)

Optional: Chips (for serving)

Directions

Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the oil followed by the onion. Sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the bell pepper, jalapeño and garlic. Sauté for 2 more minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and juice, pinto beans, turkey and broth, and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn up the heat and bring to a simmer.

Turn the heat to low and let simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Serve topped with diced avocado or a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips.

THREE SISTERS SOUP

This is from American Heart Association, and begins, “Simple Cooking with Heart brings you this interesting vegetable and bean soup called Three Sisters Soup.

“This is actually a Native American recipe and the three 'sisters' refer to corn, beans and squash!”

Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://recipes.heart.org/en/recipes/three-sisters-soup

Note: This recipe calls for either chicken or vegetable stock on the American Heart Association web site. However, since this is a vegetarian blog, I'm keeping it at only the veggie broth. Also, if you're looking for quite a few yummy heart-healthy recipes, check out the AHA's site and follow around to their recipes.

Ingredients

6 cups fat-free, low-sodium vegetable stock

16 oz. canned, low-sodium yellow corn or hominy, drained, rinsed

16 oz. canned, low-sodium kidney beans (drained, rinsed)

1 small onion (chopped)

1 rib celery (chopped)

15 oz. canned, cooked pumpkin (Tip: Be careful, don’t get pumpkin pie filling!)

5 fresh sage leaves

OR

1/2 tsp. dried sage

1/2 tsp. curry powder

Directions

Bring veggie stock to a slow boil.

Add corn/hominy, beans, onion and celery.Boil for 10 minutes.

Add sage leaves, curry and pumpkin and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

HEARTY HAM AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

This is by Pam Anderson and was in the January 2010 issue of Runner's World (page 44; "The Athlete's Palate"). It begins, "The cabbage in this dish is rich in vitamin C and fiber, as well as phytonutrients that helpl protect against some cancers. To save time and speed up the cooking process, heat the broth and tomatoes in the microwave while chopping the vegetables."

Pam Anderson has a really great cooking site, called Three Many Cooks. I really recommend it. Go ahead, I'll wait. (Tap, tap, tap

And now, on to the soup.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced into medium pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

2 large carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin

1/2 cabbage, cored, cut into bite-size shreds

12 ounces lean ham steak, diced into small pieces

1 quart chicken broth

1 14.5-ounce can petite-diced tomatoes

2 cans (15 oz each) white beans, undrained

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Heat the oil over medium-high in a soup kettles. Add the onion, saute until soft and golden, about five minutes. Add the Italian seasoning and saute until fragrant, about one minute. Add the remaining ingredients, then bring to a full simmer, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to low, simmer gently (partially covered) until the vegetables are just cooked and flavors blended, about 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley; cover and let stand five minutes. Serve's six.

Taco Tuesday

It's time for another Taco Tuesday. Today's yummy offerings include Garlicky Shrimp Tacos and Turkey Taco Soup. Enjoy!

CHEESY TACO SKILLET

This is from Lindsay Funston on Delish. The recipe begins, “Everything you love in beef tacos, only without the tortillas.

Total Time: 20 minutes; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 4.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 c. sliced green onions, plus more for garnish

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. ground cumin

kosher salt

1 lb. ground beef

1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes

1 c. black beans

1 tbsp. Hot sauce

1 c. Shredded Monterey Jack

1 c. shredded Cheddar

Directions

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add bell pepper and green onions and cook until tender, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add chili powder and cumin and stir until combined, then season with salt.

Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, 5 minutes more.

Add diced tomatoes and black beans and stir until combined. Stir in hot sauce, Monterey jack, and cheddar. Cover with a lid and let melt, 2 minutes, then garnish with green onions and serve.

EGGPLANT TACOS

This is from Reiko on her blog, The Culinary Tribune. She starts off writing, “I love eggplant!…

“These tacos are so delicious!!

“If you like eggplant, try this.

“If you are a vegan or vegetarian, try this.

“If you want good tacos, try this.”

To view this online, click here. It looks like this makes 2 tacos.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 eggplant, cut into bite sized pieces

2 tablespoons water

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon garlic chili paste

dry oregano

ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon corn starch plus water (for thickening)

salt and pepper

2 taco shells

a few slices of red onion

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped green onion

Directions

Cook eggplant in oil until tender. Add water, sugar, soy sauce, garlic chili paste, oregano, and cumin. Add corn starch and water mixture to thicken it slightly. Salt and pepper.

Warm taco shells in a toaster.

Fill the shells with the eggplant. Serve with red onion slices, cilantro, and green onion.

SLOW COOKER CHIPOTLE-HONEY CHICKEN TACOS

This yummy recipe is from Sarah DiGregorio in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Sarah wrote, "These may be the easiest tacos you ever make, but you’d never know it. The recipe hinges on just two ingredients: canned chipotles and honey, which slowly caramelize together for a glossy and incredibly tasty sauce. You may hesitate because there's so little liquid in the slow cooker with the chicken, but don't worry. That's how it's supposed to be. It allows the sauce to get a little sticky, which is exactly what you want. (Get the pressure cooker version of this recipe here.)"

Total Time: 3 to 5 hours; Yield: 4

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019693-slow-cooker-chipotle-honey-chicken-tacos. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

3 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

\1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 to 4 chipotles from a can of chipotles in adobo, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Juice of 1 lime

Warmed tortillas, for serving

Pickled onion, for serving (see Tip)

Sliced or cubed avocado, for serving

Preparation

Combine the chicken, honey, onion and garlic powders, cumin, salt and chipotle chiles and adobo sauce in a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker. Stir well. Cook for at least 3 hours and up to 5 hours on low. If it’s more convenient, you can let the slow cooker switch to warm after 5 hours. The dish will hold on warm for about another 3 hours before the chicken starts to become quite dry.

Using two forks, coarsely shred the chicken in the sauce. Stir in the black beans and lime juice. Cover and let the beans warm through, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt or lime juice if necessary. Serve in tortillas with pickled onion and avocado.

Tip

To make quick-pickled onions, thinly slice a red onion and put the slices in a bowl or container. Bring about 1½ cups cider or white vinegar to a boil, and add about 3 heaping spoonfuls of sugar and a big pinch of salt to dissolve. You can also add a pinch of red-pepper flakes, a bay leaf or some dried oregano, if you like. Pour the hot vinegar over the onions and let them cool. They’re ready to use right away, and can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

GARLICKY SHRIMP TACOS

This is from Kay Chun at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Kay wrote, "A nod to gambas al ajillo, the immensely popular Spanish tapas dish of garlic prawns, this recipe tucks garlic shrimp into festive tacos that can be on the dinner table in 30 minutes. There are very few ingredients involved, but they all pack a punch. The quick-cooking shrimp are seared and finished in olive oil that’s infused with lots of fragrant garlic and rich smoky paprika. Be sure to save the robust oil that’s left in the skillet and enjoy it drizzled over your tacos. Dress them up with crisp sliced radishes, creamy avocado, spicy pico de gallo and fresh, herbaceous cilantro, plus a final squeeze of lime to brighten all the flavors."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

To view this, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025852-garlicky-shrimp-tacos. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon lime juice, plus wedges for serving

Salt

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp (about 2 dozen)

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Warm corn tortillas, sliced avocado, sliced radishes, pico de gallo and cilantro leaves, for serving

Preparation

In a small bowl, combine sour cream and lime juice; season with salt. Mix well and set aside.

In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. Season shrimp with salt and add half to the skillet; sear for 1 minute on each side and transfer to a plate. Repeat with 1 tablespoon of the oil and the remaining shrimp.

Adjust heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, the garlic and paprika to the skillet and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add shrimp (and any accumulated juices) and cook, turning and basting, until opaque, just cooked through and nicely coated in the sauce, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp and sauce to a shallow serving bowl.

To build tacos, pile a few shrimp in the center of each tortilla and drizzle with some of the garlic oil. Top with avocado, radishes, pico de gallo, cilantro and lime crema. Serve with lime wedges.


CHICKPEA TACOS

This is from the March 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 36. It starts off, “Turns out, tacos don’t have to be hot to be delicious. The chickpea-avocado mash used as a filling here is prepared and served at room temperature. (It makes a great sandwich spread as well.) Because the fat content of taco shells can vary, look for brands that contain approximately 6 grams or fewer per shell.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 Tbs. chopped cilantro

4 tsp. fresh lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)

8 corn taco shells

2 cups baby salad greens

1 cup prepared salsa (medium or hot)

1/2 cup nondairy sour cream

Directions

Place avocado in small bowl, and mash with fork. Stir in chickpeas, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic; season with salt and pepper.

Set taco shells in napkin-lined basket. Place salad greens, salsa, and sour cream in separate bowls, and set out alongside chickpea-avocado mash.

To serve, let each person build their own taco by filling each shell with 1/4 cup chickpea-avocado mash, some greens, salsa, and sour cream.

nutritional information Per Serving (2 tacos): Calories: 402; Protein: 11 g; Total Fat: 19 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 51 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 800 mg; Fiber: 10 g; Sugar: 2 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

TURKEY TACO SOUP

This comes from Laurel Randolph, one of the writers on The Spruce. Laurel wrote, “Taco soup is an easy, one-bowl version of everyone's favorite dinner: taco night. All of the ingredients simmer together to make a robust, flavorful soup that's especially good with a side of crispy tortilla chips. And with only one dirty pot and a few dirty soup bowls, it's totally carefree. The typical ground beef is replaced with shredded turkey for a lighter meal—or you can replace it with cooked chicken, if that's what you have on hand.

“We love to make this soup after Thanksgiving, when we have leftover turkey to use up and we want to do as little cooking as possible. It's a great way to repurpose cooked, shredded breast or dark meat to create a totally different dish. No one will be complaining of leftover fatigue with this recipe.”

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: Serves 3 - 4.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola (or grapeseed oil)

1 small red onion (diced)

1 green bell pepper (diced)

1 jalapeño (seeded and minced)

3 garlic cloves (minced)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (with juice)

1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)

1 cup packed shredded cooked turkey

3 cups turkey or chicken broth

Salt and pepper

1 avocado (diced, or sour cream for serving)

Optional: Chips (for serving)

Directions

Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the oil followed by the onion. Sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the bell pepper, jalapeño and garlic. Sauté for 2 more minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and juice, pinto beans, turkey and broth, and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn up the heat and bring to a simmer.

Turn the heat to low and let simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Serve topped with diced avocado or a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips.

Taco Tuesday

It's Taco Tuesday. Today's yummy offerings include Sweet Potato and Spinach Chicken Tacos and Cheesy Chicken Tacos. Enjoy!

TURKEY TACO SOUP

This comes from Laurel Randolph, one of the writers on The Spruce. Laurel wrote, “Taco soup is an easy, one-bowl version of everyone's favorite dinner: taco night. All of the ingredients simmer together to make a robust, flavorful soup that's especially good with a side of crispy tortilla chips. And with only one dirty pot and a few dirty soup bowls, it's totally carefree. The typical ground beef is replaced with shredded turkey for a lighter meal—or you can replace it with cooked chicken, if that's what you have on hand.

“We love to make this soup after Thanksgiving, when we have leftover turkey to use up and we want to do as little cooking as possible. It's a great way to repurpose cooked, shredded breast or dark meat to create a totally different dish. No one will be complaining of leftover fatigue with this recipe.”

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: Serves 3 – 4.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola (or grapeseed oil)

1 small red onion (diced)

1 green bell pepper (diced)

1 jalapeño (seeded and minced)

3 garlic cloves (minced)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (with juice)

1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)

1 cup packed shredded cooked turkey

3 cups turkey or chicken broth

Salt and pepper

1 avocado (diced, or sour cream for serving)

Optional: Chips (for serving)

Directions

Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the oil followed by the onion. Sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the bell pepper, jalapeño and garlic. Sauté for 2 more minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and juice, pinto beans, turkey and broth, and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn up the heat and bring to a simmer.

Turn the heat to low and let simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Serve topped with diced avocado or a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips.

BEEF TACO BOATS

These are from Lauren Miyashiro on Delish. Lauren wrote, “Your new favorite way to eat a taco.”

Yields: 4; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes

To view this online, go to https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a53019/beef-taco-boats-recipe/.

Ingredients

4 medium flour tortillas

Uncooked rice

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 lb. ground beef

1 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. paprika

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Shredded lettuce

1/2 c. shredded cheddar

Pico de gallo

Guacamole

Sour cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Shape a large piece of foil (smaller than the size of your tortillas) into a boat. Place one tortilla inside foil boat so that the perimeter of tortilla comes up the sides. Repeat to make 4 boats. Fill each boat with rice.

Bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool in foil until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add ground beef, chili powder, and paprika and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until beef is no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Drain fat.

Remove rice and foil from tortilla boats and fill each with ground beef. Top with lettuce, cheddar cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream.

BLACK BEAN AND POBLANO TACOS

This comes from David Tanis in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “There are many kinds of tacos, some piled high and overstuffed and some more minimal, meant to be more a snack than a meal. These little tacos are in the second category, similar to what you might find in a Mexican market for a quick bite. Savory black beans and roasted poblano chiles make a satisfying vegetarian version. Fresh soft corn tortillas, hot off the griddle, are essential.” Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

This was featured in “The Unstuffy Taco” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1/2 pound black beans, rinsed and soaked 4 to 6 hours, or overnight if possible

1 small onion, halved

1 bay leaf

1 large sprig epazote (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

4 poblano chiles

Soft corn tortillas

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella or Oaxacan-style string cheese, shredded

1/2 pound queso fresco, available in Latino groceries

8 ounces crème fraîche or Mexican crema

Preparation

Drain beans, put in medium pot, add water to cover and bring to a boil over hight heat. Add onion, bay leaf, epazote and salt and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 1 hour, longer if necessary, adding water occasionally if liquid falls below surface of beans. When beans are tender, taste and adjust salt. Keep beans warm in their broth.

Meanwhile, roast poblano chiles over a charcoal grill, under the broiler or directly on a gas stovetop burners until skins are completely blackened and blistered. Set chiles aside to cool, then split lengthwise. Scrape away skins and seeds with a paring knife. Cut cleaned chiles into 1/2-inch ribbons, transfer to small bowl and season lightly with salt.

To serve, warm the tortillas on a hot griddle or cast iron pan over a burner. Put 2 warm tortillas side by side on a small plate. With a slotted spoon, place 2 tablespoons beans on each tortilla. Top with a few shreds of mozzarella and 2 or 3 strips of poblano. Crumble a little queso fresco and drizzle about 1 teaspoon crème fraîche on each taco.

SWEET POTATO AND SPINACH CHICKEN TACOS

This is from Diabetes Food Hub, and begins, "Unexpected taco fillings are all the rage on the food truck scene. Make these rich and savory versions at home!"

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Servings: 4; Serving Size: 1 taco

To view this online, go to https://www.diabetesfoodhub.org/recipes/sweet-potato-and-spinach-chicken-tacos.html.

Ingredients

1-1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic (minced)

24 oz. baby spinach

1 (about 8 oz) large sweet potato (peeled and diced)

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 tbsp water

1 cup cooked shredded chicken

4 6-inch corn tortillas (warmed)

4 tsp light sour cream

1/2 cup pico de gallo or salsa

Directions

In a large nonstick pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the spinach and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the sweet potato, cumin, black pepper, and water to the pan. Sauté for 2 minutes. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 8 minutes.

Add the chicken to the pan and mix to incorporate. Heat for 2 minutes.

Fill each tortilla with 1/4 of the chicken and sweet potato mixture. Top with 1 Tsp. of sour cream and 2 Tbsp. of pico de gallo.

MIDDLE-SCHOOL TACOS

This is from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “Here is a taste of a time when Mexican food was not as widely available in the United States as it is today, when parents and sports bars looked for food to serve children and those who eat like them, when the combination of crunch and fat and silk was divine. It still can be, if you avoid the taco kits of yore and make your own picadillo, then put it in hard-shell tacos and top how you like. For those who want to avoid prefabricated taco shells, make a form out of aluminum foil, fry fresh corn tortillas in shimmering neutral oil and then allow them to cool into shape on their aluminum saddle. Taco night. You can’t eat just two.”

Serves 6; Time: 30 minutes.

This was featured in “The Case for Hard-Shell Tacos” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola, peanut or grapeseed

1 medium-size yellow onion, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 pounds ground beef

2 tablespoons chile powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons smoked paprika (or substitute hot or sweet paprika)

1 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes, or to taste

1 cup chicken broth or beef broth, low-sodium if store-bought

12-18 hard taco shells

Toppings: grated cheese, sliced jalapeños, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, etc.

Preparation

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the oil. When it begins to shimmer, add the onion, and cook until softened and starting to brown, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the garlic, and cook for a minute or so to soften, and then the ground beef. Cook until the beef is starting to brown, stirring and chopping with a spoon to break up the meat, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Pour off excess fat, leaving only a tablespoon or two in the pan.

Heat oven to 325. Add the chile powder, cumin, salt, pepper, cornstarch, paprika and red-pepper flakes, and stir to combine. Add the broth, stir, bring to a simmer and cook uncovered until the sauce has thickened slightly, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.

As sauce cooks, place taco shells on a sheet pan, and toast in oven until they are crisp and smell nutty. Serve a few tablespoons of meat in each taco, along with whatever toppings you like.

CHEESY CHICKEN TACOS

This is from Lindsay Funston on Delish. Total Time: 30 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 9 tacos.

Click here to view this online.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1 tbsp. ground cumin

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 c. Shredded chicken

1 can green chilis

1 c. Favorite Salsa

1 Can Refried Beans

9 hard taco shells

1 1/2 c. shredded pepperjack

Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until tender, 6 minutes, then add cumin and season with salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Add chicken, green chilis, and salsa and stir until combined and heated through.

In a baking dish, spread a thin layer of refried beans (to help the taco shells stand up!). Spoon remaining refried beans into the bottom of a taco shell and top with chicken mixture. Place in baking dish. Repeat with remaining taco shells and ingredients, tightly standing up the taco shells in the dish.

Top all over with cheese.

Bake until cheese is melted, 10 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Taco Tuesday

If it's Tuesday (and my calendar indicates that it is), it's time for another Taco Tuesday. Today's offerings include Spicy Grilled Tempeh Tacos with Frijoles Molidos and Homemade Sour Cream and Steak Carnitas Meat in the Crockpot. Enjoy!

CHICKEN TACOS

This is from Makinze Gore on Delish. She wrote, “These chicken tacos are loaded with all the best spices. They pair perfectly with watermelon margaritas.”

Yields: 4 servings; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Tacos

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" strips

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. cayenne

8 corn tortillas, warmed

Toppings

Thinly sliced red onion

Diced tomatoes

Shredded Monterey Jack

Diced avocados

Fresh cilantro

Lime wedges

Directions

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook until golden, 6 minutes. Add spices and stir until coated, 1 minute more.

Build tacos: In tortillas, layer chicken and desired toppings. Serve with lime wedges.

STEAK CARNITAS MEAT IN THE CROCKPOT

I originally found this at NoshOn.it; the link to this is at http://noshon.it/recipes/crockpot-steak-carnitas-tacos/ and takes you here. (Bless this Mess, run by “food lover, chicken wrangler, house builder, goodness seeker, mom of 5” Melissa Griffiths, looks like a really good place for more recipes. Check it out!)

This recipe Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

For the spice rub:

1 T. chili powder

1-1/2 tsp cumin or smoked cumin

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 lbs flank steak

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

Serving Options:

Corn tortillas

Shredded lettuce

Grated cheese

Tomato

Sour cream

Salsa

Instructions

Mix all of the spice together in a small bowl for the spice rub. Rub the spices into each side of the steak, using all of the mixture.

Place the spice rubbed-steak in the bottom of the crock pot. Place the chopped onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno on top of the steak. Cook for on low for 7 to 8 hours.

After the cooking time has lapsed, remove the steak from the crock pot and shred with two forks. Serve immediately or return to the crock pot for a few hours until you are ready to eat.

Serve on corn tortillas with your favorite topping.

Notes

Flank steak is generally a tougher, and therefore cheaper piece of meat. It's a great candidate for the crock pot. I actually have used everything from elk steaks, lamb, and pork and loved them all in this recipe. Use what you have on hand or what's on sale... if it's a leaner cut of meat you may need to add a bit of beef stock at the end to make sure it doesn't dry out before cooking.

SPICY GRILLED TEMPEH TACOS WITH FRIJOLES MOLIDOS AND HOMEMADE SOUR CREAM [VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE]

This recipe comes from OneGreenPlanet, and is Dairy Free; Gluten-free; Vegan; Wheat Free.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Tempeh and Tacos:

Tempeh, as needed

Spicy bean paste, as needed

Tortillas (gluten-free if necessary)

Pico de gallo

Guacamole

For the Frijoles:

6 cloves roasted garlic

4-5 cups cooked red beans

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons cumin

Juice of 2 limes

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon cayenne or chipotle

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

For the Sour Cream

1 cup raw, pre-soaked cashews

1 cup rejuvelac (see notes)

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Preparation

Brush the tempeh with the bean paste and then grill.

Lightly grill tortillas for about 30 seconds/side.

To make the sour cream, put all ingredients in a high-speed blender and run until very smooth. Then set out in a covered glass container to culture for at least 24 hours. Taste for sourness. Colder climates will require more time. 24 hours at 85°F is about perfect. Refrigerate until thickened.

To make the beans, roast your garlic or pan fry them whole in a skillet until brown. Then cook the beans a minute or two longer than normal, drain, but reserve your bean juice.

Mash the garlic cloves with a fork, then add the beans and spices over low heat. Allow them to simmer for a couple minutes while you go to work with a potato masher. Add the lime juice, olive oil, and bean juice to keep the mixture soft and workable.

Assemble tacos and add pico de gallo and guacamole.

Notes:

Rejuvelac is a fermented liquid you can buy online or make at home.

TURKEY TACO SOUP

This comes from Laurel Randolph, one of the writers on The Spruce. Laurel wrote, “Taco soup is an easy, one-bowl version of everyone's favorite dinner: taco night. All of the ingredients simmer together to make a robust, flavorful soup that's especially good with a side of crispy tortilla chips. And with only one dirty pot and a few dirty soup bowls, it's totally carefree. The typical ground beef is replaced with shredded turkey for a lighter meal—or you can replace it with cooked chicken, if that's what you have on hand.

“We love to make this soup after Thanksgiving, when we have leftover turkey to use up and we want to do as little cooking as possible. It's a great way to repurpose cooked, shredded breast or dark meat to create a totally different dish. No one will be complaining of leftover fatigue with this recipe.”

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: Serves 3 – 4.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola (or grapeseed oil)

1 small red onion (diced)

1 green bell pepper (diced)

1 jalapeño (seeded and minced)

3 garlic cloves (minced)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (with juice)

1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)

1 cup packed shredded cooked turkey

3 cups turkey or chicken broth

Salt and pepper

1 avocado (diced, or sour cream for serving)

Optional: Chips (for serving)

Directions

Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the oil followed by the onion. Sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the bell pepper, jalapeño and garlic. Sauté for 2 more minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and juice, pinto beans, turkey and broth, and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn up the heat and bring to a simmer.

Turn the heat to low and let simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Serve topped with diced avocado or a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips.

BEEF TACO BOATS

These are from Lauren Miyashiro on Delish. Lauren wrote, “Your new favorite way to eat a taco.”

Yields: 4; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes

To view this online, go to https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a53019/beef-taco-boats-recipe/.

Ingredients

4 medium flour tortillas

Uncooked rice

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 lb. ground beef

1 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. paprika

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Shredded lettuce

1/2 c. shredded cheddar

Pico de gallo

Guacamole

Sour cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Shape a large piece of foil (smaller than the size of your tortillas) into a boat. Place one tortilla inside foil boat so that the perimeter of tortilla comes up the sides. Repeat to make 4 boats. Fill each boat with rice.

Bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool in foil until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add ground beef, chili powder, and paprika and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until beef is no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Drain fat.

Remove rice and foil from tortilla boats and fill each with ground beef. Top with lettuce, cheddar cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream.

Soup

One of the more comforting foods, in my opinion, happens to be homemade soup. My mother used to make homemade soup once or twice a month, usually with homemade biscuits or a loaf of crusty garlic bread. Yum!

Today's offerings of six soup recipes include Chicken Soup From Scratch and Hot and Sour Soup. Enjoy!

VEGETARIAN GUMBO

This comes from Vallery Lomas in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Vallery wrote, "This meatless gumbo has a distinct Louisiana flavor, thanks to the roux, Creole seasoning and the 'holy trinity' of Creole cooking (onion, celery, bell pepper). Gumbo is traditionally made with a variety of smoked meats and seafood, but this version gets an added bit of smokiness from an optional splash of liquid smoke. Here, the okra is roasted in the oven before being added to the pot, which eliminates the gooey-ness. There is also no skimping on vegetables in this gumbo, and the red lentils thicken it while adding protein. Serving this gumbo over white rice helps make it a complete meal."

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 50 minutes

This can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022206-vegetarian-gumbo.

Ingredient

1 (10- to 16-ounce) bag frozen sliced okra

Kosher salt and black pepper

5 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Creole seasoning, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices

3 cups vegetable or chicken stock, plus more as needed

1/2 cup red lentils

1 tablespoon hot sauce, plus more to taste

2 teaspoons liquid smoke (optional)

Cooked white rice or quinoa, for serving

Preparation

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place the frozen okra in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, breaking up any large clumps, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast, until cooked through and just starting to brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

As okra roasts, prepare the roux: Melt the butter in a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. (Either vessel will help evenly distribute the heat for a better roux.) If using vegetable oil, simply heat over medium. Using a heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix the flour into the fat. Stir continuously, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot so the roux does not burn (a burned roux cannot be saved), until the roux transforms from pale to peanut butter to a rich cinnamon color, about 7 minutes. Remove the roux from the heat and set aside. (Pull the pot from the heat just as the desired color is reached; the retained heat will continue to cook the roux slightly.)

Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the celery and bell pepper, and cook until softened, another 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Lastly, add the Creole and Old Bay seasonings, and stir so that they coat the vegetables and are lightly toasted, about 1 minute.

Stir in the diced tomatoes, stock and lentils. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat to a light simmer. Cover and allow the lentils to cook undisturbed for 15 minutes. (Add more water or stock if needed.)

Add the okra and cook uncovered until softened, another 5 minutes. Stir in the hot sauce, and the liquid smoke, if using. Give the cooled roux a good stir and add it to the pot, making sure to mix it in thoroughly, then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding salt, pepper, creole seasoning or hot sauce, if desired. Serve warm over white rice or quinoa.

CHICKEN SOUP FROM SCRATCH

This is from Julia Moskin on The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “Chicken soup is one of the most painless and pleasing recipes a home cook can master. This soup has all the classic flavors (celery, carrot, parsley) but has been updated for today's cooks, who can't easily buy the stewing hen and packet of soup vegetables that old-fashioned recipes used to call for. A whole bird provides the right combination of fat, salt and flavor. Don't be tempted to use all white meat, as the flavor won't be as round. Because making soup involves the bones and deep tissues of the bird, it is particularly reassuring here to use the highest-quality poultry you can find. This method produces a fragrant, golden, savory soup you want to eat all winter long; it's a perfect backdrop for noodles, rice or matzo balls.”

Time: 2 hours, plus chilling; Yield: 6 to 8 servings

This was featured in “A Superior Chicken Soup”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018442-chicken-soup-from-scratch.

Ingredients

For the Broth:

1 chicken, 3 to 3 1/2 pounds, with skin, cut up

3 stalks celery, with leaves, cut into chunks

2 large carrots, cut into chunks

2 yellow onions, peeled and halved

1 parsnip or parsley root (optional)

About 1 dozen large sprigs parsley

About 1 dozen black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste

To Finish The Soup:

3 tablespoons reserved chicken fat, more if needed

3 leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, rinsed and sliced crosswise into thin half-moons

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into small dice

Kosher salt and ground black or white pepper

Egg noodles (fresh or dried), such as packaged wide noodles, spaetzle, fettuccine or pappardelle cut into short lengths (see note)

Finely chopped herbs, such as parsley, scallions, dill or a combination

Preparation

Place the chicken, celery, carrots, onions, parsnip (if using), parsley, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt in a large soup pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to very low. Adjust the heat until the soup is “smiling”: barely moving on the surface, with an occasional bubble breaking through. Cook uncovered, until the chicken is very tender and falling off the bone, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

When cool enough to handle, use tongs to transfer chicken from the pot to a container. Taste the broth and continue to simmer it until it is concentrated and tasty. Strain broth through a fine sieve (or a colander lined with cheesecloth) into a separate container. Discard all the solids from the strainer (or reserve the vegetables, chill and serve with vinaigrette, if you wish).

Refrigerate chicken pieces and broth separately for at least 8 hours (or up to 3 days), until a thick layer of yellow fat has risen to the top of the broth.

When ready to finish the soup, use your fingers to separate chicken breast meat from bones and skin. Discard bones and skin. Use two forks to pull the breast meat apart into soft chunks, or use a knife and cut into bite-size pieces. (Reserve dark meat for another use.)

Skim chicken fat from top of broth and set aside. Place 3 tablespoons of the fat in a soup pot with a lid. Add leeks, stir to coat, and heat over medium heat until leeks begin to fry. Then reduce the heat to a gentle sizzle and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.

Add carrots, sprinkle with salt, stir, and cover the pot. Cook until vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes more. (Keep in mind that vegetables will continue to cook in the soup.) Do not brown.

Pour broth into pot with vegetables and heat to a simmer. Add noodles and simmer until heated through, soft and plumped with chicken broth. Add the breast meat, then taste broth and add salt and pepper to taste. For best flavor, soup should have some golden droplets of fat on top; if needed, add more chicken fat one teaspoon at a time.

Serve immediately, in a tureen or from the pot, sprinkling each serving with herbs.

Tip

Instead of noodles, almost any starchy garnish can be used here: matzo balls; partly cooked dry pasta, rice or other grains; or cooked white beans. Add them when you would add the noodles and simmer until heated through.

HERBED CARROT SOUP



From the December 2005 issue of Runner's World; reprinted from HerbWise: Growing, Cooking, WellBeing, by Bruce Burnett



Ingredients

2 pounds of carrots, chopped

1 large onion, diced

6 sprigs of fresh parsley, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 6 six black peppercorns, bundled together so that they can be easily removed after cooking

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 Tbs of butter

6 C of vegetable stock

Freshly grated mace or nutmeg

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Lightly sauté the onion & garlic in the butter. Add the stock & carrots & simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the bundle of herbs & continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the herbs, allow the soup to cool, & put it through the blender in batches. Reheat the soup over low heat while adding the mace or nutmeg & salt & pepper to taste. Serve with some fresh, homemade bread & garnish with some fresh parsley & a little chopped fresh thyme.

Note: The original recipe called for vegetable or chicken stock.

TURKEY BEAN SOUP

This comes from The Mayo Clinic Diet, and can be found online here.

I highly recommend checking out the site. Good food, tied in with the Mayo Clinic, so you can figure it’s not some fly-by-night junk food, but good tasting food that’s good for you.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pounds turkey, lean ground breast meat

2 medium onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup ketchup

1 can tomatoes (14.5 ounces), diced, no salt added

3 pieces bouillon, chicken, low-sodium

7 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoon basil, dried, crushed

1/4 teaspoon pepper, black ground

2 cups cabbage, shredded

1 cans cannellini beans (15 ounces), no-salt-added, drained

Directions

In a large saucepan, cook the ground turkey, onion, celery and garlic until the vegetables are softened and the turkey is cooked.

Drain off the fat and add the ketchup, tomatoes, bouillon, water, basil, pepper, cabbage and beans.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

HOT AND SOUR SOUP

Recipe Yield: 10 (1 cup) servings

View online with photo: https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/hot-and-sour-soup

Print version: https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/hot-and-sour-soup/print/

Source: Eater's Choice Low-Fat Cookbook

Ingredients

10 large dried black mushrooms

1/2 cup tree ear fungi

1/3 tiger lily stems (golden needles)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons water

3/4 diced uncooked chicken breast

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 can (8 oz.) bamboo shoots, sliced

6 cups chicken stock, or 3 cans (10-3/4 oz each) chicken broth, defatted, + 2 cans water

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon double black soy sauce

2 cakes tofu (fresh bean curd), cubed

2 teaspoons chili oil

2 egg whites, beaten

4 green onions, sliced

Directions

Place mushrooms, tree ears, and tiger lily stems in a small bowl and cover with boiling water.

In about 15 minutes or when they are soft, drain off the water and chop off stems or any hard parts.

Slice mushrooms and tree ears and pull tiger lily stems into shreds. Set aside.

Combine cornstarch and water into a smooth paste. Set aside.

In a heated wok or skillet, saute chicken in oil until chicken is cooked through.

Stir in regular soy sauce.

Stir in mushrooms, tree ears, tiger lily stems, and bamboo shoots.

Add chicken stock, vinegar, and double black soy sauce.

Stir cornstarch mixture into soup. Let thicken.

Add tofu and bring soup to a boil.

Stir in the chili oil and white pepper.

Turn off the heat for 1 minute and then slowly pour the egg whites into the soup, stirring constantly.

Garnish each bowl of soup with chopped green onions.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 97; Fat: 2 g; Protein: 7 g; Carbohydrates: 5 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 Bread/Starch; 1 Meat

TURKEY TACO SOUP

This comes from Laurel Randolph, one of the writers on The Spruce. Laurel wrote, “Taco soup is an easy, one-bowl version of everyone's favorite dinner: taco night. All of the ingredients simmer together to make a robust, flavorful soup that's especially good with a side of crispy tortilla chips. And with only one dirty pot and a few dirty soup bowls, it's totally carefree. The typical ground beef is replaced with shredded turkey for a lighter meal—or you can replace it with cooked chicken, if that's what you have on hand.

“We love to make this soup after Thanksgiving, when we have leftover turkey to use up and we want to do as little cooking as possible. It's a great way to repurpose cooked, shredded breast or dark meat to create a totally different dish. No one will be complaining of leftover fatigue with this recipe.”

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: Serves 3 - 4.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola (or grapeseed oil)

1 small red onion (diced)

1 green bell pepper (diced)

1 jalapeño (seeded and minced)

3 garlic cloves (minced)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (with juice)

1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)

1 cup packed shredded cooked turkey

3 cups turkey or chicken broth

Salt and pepper

1 avocado (diced, or sour cream for serving)

Optional: Chips (for serving)

Directions

Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the oil followed by the onion. Sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the bell pepper, jalapeño and garlic. Sauté for 2 more minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and juice, pinto beans, turkey and broth, and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn up the heat and bring to a simmer.

Turn the heat to low and let simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Serve topped with diced avocado or a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips.

What a Turkey!

When I was growing up, turkey was reserved for holidays, especially Thanksgiving and (occasionally) Christmas. But really, there's no reason why you can't enjoy turkey year-round. Check out today's six turkey recipes, including Sweet Potato and Mustard Turkey Burgers and Baked Turkey Enchiladas. Enjoy!

TURKEY MACARONI CASSEROLE

This comes from Diana Rattray, a contributor at The Spruce Eats. She wrote, "This easy turkey and macaroni casserole is an easy and tasty combination of ingredients. The sauce is made with cream of chicken soup and cheddar cheese. It's topped off with sliced or slivered toasted almonds for extra texture."

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/turkey-macaroni-casserole-3061814.

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked macaroni

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups celery (chopped)

1/2 cup green bell pepper (chopped)

1/2 cup onion (chopped)

2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup

2/3 cup milk

2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)

1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked chopped turkey

1 (4-ounce) jar chopped pimiento (drained)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

Cook and drain macaroni following package directions.

To toast nuts, spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 F oven, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. Or, toast in an ungreased skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden brown and aromatic.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and butter a 3-quart casserole.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add celery, green pepper, and onion; cook until tender.

Blend in soup, milk, and shredded cheese. Cook, stirring, until cheese is melted.

Combine the cheese mixture with the cooked and drained macaroni, pimiento, turkey, salt, and nutmeg.

Transfer to the prepared casserole; top with toasted almonds if using.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Serve with a side salad, if desired.

BAKED TURKEY ENCHILADAS

This is also from Diana Rattray. She wrote, "Turkey enchiladas are made with leftover turkey, cheese, sour cream, and tortillas. Serve these flavorful turkey enchiladas with rice and refried beans.

"Enchiladas are typically made with corn tortillas, but you can use corn or flour in these turkey enchiladas. The easy sauce is made with mild chile peppers, but if you like a little heat, add some finely chopped jalapeno rings."

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 62 minutes; Total: 82 minutes; Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/baked-turkey-enchiladas-recipe-3061803.

Ingredients

3 cups turkey (shredded)

2 cups sour cream

2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded or a Mexican blend of cheeses, divided)

1 teaspoon salt

12 (10-inch) tortillas (corn or flour)

1/3 cup corn oil

For the Sauce

2 cans mild green chile peppers (4 ounces each)

Ingredients

1 clove garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds stewed tomatoes

2 cups onion (chopped)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 cup water

Directions

Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Lightly grease a 9x13x2-inch baking pan.

Combine the shredded turkey with sour cream, 2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese, and salt. Stir to blend thoroughly.

Heat the oil and dip tortillas in until soft and drain. Or, follow package directions for heating tortillas in the microwave oven or conventional oven.

Stuff the warm tortillas with turkey mixture and roll up. Arrange the filled rolls seam side down, side-by-side in the prepared baking pan.

Gather the sauce ingredients.

In a skillet, saute the chile peppers with garlic in the olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stewed tomatoes, onions, salt, oregano, and water. Simmer uncovered until the sauce is reduced and thickened, or about 1/2 hour.

Pour the chile sauce over enchiladas and bake them for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and return them to the oven for a few minutes, or just until the cheese has melted.

Let the casserole stand for about 5 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

Make the enchiladas with cooked shredded chicken instead of turkey. Chicken thighs make a good filling.

Replace the cheddar or cheddar jack cheese with pepper jack or a taco seasoned blend.

Add a few tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro to the filling.

Garnish the enchiladas with 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro or some sliced green onion tops when they come out of the oven.

Add 1 cup of cooked or canned black beans or pinto beans to the turkey filling or replace some of the turkey with the beans. It's a good, budget-friendly way to stretch the turkey.

TURKEY BURGERS

4 Servings

Source: Light and Easy Diabetes Cuisine

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/423.shtml

Ingredients

1 egg white

1 thin slice whole-wheat bread

1 small onion, grated

1 pound ground turkey

2 teaspoons ground coriander

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons virgin olive oil

Directions

In a large bowl, lightly beat egg white.

Tear bread into small pieces; soak in egg white 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients, except oil and thoroughly mix. Shape into four patties.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil. Cook patties over medium heat about 10 minutes on each side until cooked through.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 208; Protein: 17 g; Fat: 14 g; Sodium: 195 mg; Cholesterol: 48 mg; Carbohydrates: 5 g, Exchanges: 3 Meat

SWEET POTATO AND MUSTARD TURKEY BURGERS

This is from Taste for Life, and begins, “These burgers are moist and juicy and have a savory flavor that comes from a secret ingredient: A hefty amount of mustard. Half a cup may seem like a lot of mustard, but it’s what makes these burgers outstanding. Using grated sweet potato instead of traditional flour or breadcrumbs adds extra fiber and nutrients.”

Prep Time: 40 min prep time; Number of Servings: Makes 4 to 6 burgers

Recipe Source: The Living Kitchen by Tamara Green, BA, CNP and Sarah Grossman, BA, CNP ($28, Appetite, 2018)

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 cup grated yellow onion

1 cup grated peeled sweet potato

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup spinach, finely chopped

1/2 cup gluten-free whole-grain mustard

1/2 tsp sea salt

Pinch of black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Use the grating attachment on your food processor and grate onion and sweet potato. You can also do this by hand with a box grater.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until everything is well combined.

Measure 1/4 to 1/2 cup of burger meat and shape into a patty. Place on baking sheet and repeat.

Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top begins to get slightly golden. You can flip burgers halfway through cooking time if you want even caramelization on both sides.

These burgers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days. You can also make a big batch and keep them in the freezer for 3 to 4 months for a quick meal option.

TURKEY TACO SOUP

This comes from Laurel Randolph, one of the writers on The Spruce. Laurel wrote, “Taco soup is an easy, one-bowl version of everyone's favorite dinner: taco night. All of the ingredients simmer together to make a robust, flavorful soup that's especially good with a side of crispy tortilla chips. And with only one dirty pot and a few dirty soup bowls, it's totally carefree. The typical ground beef is replaced with shredded turkey for a lighter meal—or you can replace it with cooked chicken, if that's what you have on hand.

“We love to make this soup after Thanksgiving, when we have leftover turkey to use up and we want to do as little cooking as possible. It's a great way to repurpose cooked, shredded breast or dark meat to create a totally different dish. No one will be complaining of leftover fatigue with this recipe.”

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: Serves 3 - 4.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola (or grapeseed oil)

1 small red onion (diced)

1 green bell pepper (diced)

1 jalapeño (seeded and minced)

3 garlic cloves (minced)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (with juice)

1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)

1 cup packed shredded cooked turkey

3 cups turkey or chicken broth

Salt and pepper

1 avocado (diced, or sour cream for serving)

Optional: Chips (for serving)

Directions

Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the oil followed by the onion. Sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the bell pepper, jalapeño and garlic. Sauté for 2 more minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and juice, pinto beans, turkey and broth, and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn up the heat and bring to a simmer.

Turn the heat to low and let simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Serve topped with diced avocado or a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips.

TURKEY SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

This comes from FamilyTime.com. It starts off, "All your Thanksgiving Day favorites are combined in this savory casserole that's so easy to make, you can enjoy it any time of year. And it goes from start to finish in less than one hour!"

Of course, you can fix this any time of year; no need to wait until Thanksgiving! Serves 6 (about 1 cup each); Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups mashed cooked peeled sweet potato

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup evaporated milk

Swanson® Chicken Stock or 1/4 cup Swanson® Chicken Broth

1 small onion, minced (about 1/4 cup)

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

3 cups cubed cooked turkey

3 tablespoons water

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Stir the potatoes, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and milk in a medium bowl. Spoon the potato mixture around the inside edge of a 10-inch round casserole to form a ring.

Heat the broth and onion in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook until the onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the soup, turkey and water. Cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Spoon the turkey mixture into the center of the potato ring.

Bake at 350°F. for 30 minutes or until the turkey mixture is hot and bubbling. Sprinkle with the walnuts and parsley, if desired.

Easy Substitution: You can substitute chicken for the turkey.

Soup - Double-Post Thursday

Besides being Diabetic Thursday, it's also Double-Post Thursday. Today's double post deals with that soul-warming, good-smelling, great-tasting meal known as soup. (What's not to love, right?) Check out the Fennel and Tomato Soup, the Vegetable-Chicken Noodle Soup, or any of the other yummy offerings in today's post. Enjoy!

FRENCH LENTIL SOUP WITH ROASTED TOMATOES & PEPPERS

This comes from Seattle's Macrina Bakery. The recipe starts off, “This soup is a perfect comfort food on a drizzly Seattle day. We like to serve it in our cozy café with a few slices of crostini topped with goat cheese and a drizzle of good olive oil. It is pictured here with our Rustic Potato Roll. French green lentils are usually available in specialty shops and some supermarkets. If you can’t find French green lentils at your favorite market, you can substitute regular lentils.” Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

4 Roma tomatoes

3/4 cup olive oil

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Pepper

10 garlic cloves

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 red bell peppers, diced

1 celery rib, diced

1-1/2 Tbsp ground cumin

1-1/2 Tbsp ground coriander seeds

1-1/2 cups French green lentils*

8 to 10 cups vegetable stock

1 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

*Available in specialty shops and some supermarkets.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash and core the tomatoes, then cut them into 12 pieces each. Combine chopped tomatoes and 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a bowl and toss together. Pour tomatoes onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Season with salt and pepper and roast on center rack of oven for about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Place 7 of the garlic cloves and another 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook until cloves are tender, approximately 15 minutes. Swirl the pan occasionally to keep the cloves from sticking to the pan. Transfer cooked garlic cloves to a small bowl and mash into a paste. Set aside.

Pour the remaining 1/4 cup of the olive oil into a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add diced onion, red bell peppers and celery. Cover pot and cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat to sweat the vegetables, stirring occasionally. The onions will become translucent. Finely dice the 3 remaining garlic cloves and add to the soup pot along with the cumin and coriander. Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 1 minute or until garlic smells sweet but is not brown.

Add roasted tomatoes, mashed garlic, lentils and 8 cups of the vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer. Cook soup for 45 to 50 minutes or until lentils are tender, adding more stock if needed. If foam gathers on the surface of the soup, remove it with a spoon. Before serving, add parsley and thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper.

HERBED CARROT SOUP



From the December 2005 issue of Runner's World; reprinted from HerbWise: Growing, Cooking, WellBeing, by Bruce Burnett



Ingredients

2 pounds of carrots, chopped

1 large onion, diced

6 sprigs of fresh parsley, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 6 six black peppercorns, bundled together so that they can be easily removed after cooking

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 Tbs of butter

6 C of vegetable stock

Freshly grated mace or nutmeg

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Lightly sauté the onion & garlic in the butter. Add the stock & carrots & simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the bundle of herbs & continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the herbs, allow the soup to cool, & put it through the blender in batches. Reheat the soup over low heat while adding the mace or nutmeg & salt & pepper to taste. Serve with some fresh, homemade bread & garnish with some fresh parsley & a little chopped fresh thyme.

Note: The original recipe called for vegetable or chicken stock.

TURKEY TACO SOUP

This comes from Laurel Randolph, one of the writers on The Spruce. Laurel wrote, “Taco soup is an easy, one-bowl version of everyone's favorite dinner: taco night. All of the ingredients simmer together to make a robust, flavorful soup that's especially good with a side of crispy tortilla chips. And with only one dirty pot and a few dirty soup bowls, it's totally carefree. The typical ground beef is replaced with shredded turkey for a lighter meal—or you can replace it with cooked chicken, if that's what you have on hand.

“We love to make this soup after Thanksgiving, when we have leftover turkey to use up and we want to do as little cooking as possible. It's a great way to repurpose cooked, shredded breast or dark meat to create a totally different dish. No one will be complaining of leftover fatigue with this recipe.”

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: Serves 3 - 4.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola (or grapeseed oil)

1 small red onion (diced)

1 green bell pepper (diced)

1 jalapeño (seeded and minced)

3 garlic cloves (minced)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (with juice)

1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)

1 cup packed shredded cooked turkey

3 cups turkey or chicken broth

Salt and pepper

1 avocado (diced, or sour cream for serving)

Optional: Chips (for serving)

Directions

Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the oil followed by the onion. Sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the bell pepper, jalapeño and garlic. Sauté for 2 more minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and juice, pinto beans, turkey and broth, and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn up the heat and bring to a simmer.

Turn the heat to low and let simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Serve topped with diced avocado or a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips.

FENNEL AND TOMATO SOUP

This comes from page 28 of the January/February 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “Fennel and tomato pair nicely for an Italian-style tomato soup. Save fennel fronds to use as a garnish.” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

Note: The recipe originally calls for 2 Tbs. dry vermouth, dry white wine, or water. Since I don’t keep alcohol around the house - except for rubbing alcohol - I left the vermouth and/or white wine out of the recipe and substituted water.

Ingredients

3 Tbs. olive oil

1 large fennel bulb, diced (4 cups)

3 vegan Italian sausages, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds (2 cups)

1 tsp. fennel seeds

2 Tbs. water

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

3 Tbs. chopped fresh Italian parsley

Preparation

Heat oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add fennel, and sauté 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in sausages and fennel seeds, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until fennel seeds are slightly softened and bits of sausage are stuck to bottom of pan. Add vermouth, and cook 5 to 10 seconds to deglaze pan, scraping up any brown bits. Add broth, tomatoes, and parsley; cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

nutritional information Per 1 2/3-cup serving: Calories: 163; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 19 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 380 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 2 g; Vegan

BEST BLACK BEAN SOUP

This comes from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “This American classic can be a perfect dish: big-tasting, filling, nutritious, easy and very possibly vegetarian. With their rich natural broth, turtle beans do not need bacon, ham or any meat ingredient to make a satisfying soup. Black bean soup recipes have a tendency to turn out sludgy or bland, but the trick here is to season generously, and purée sparingly. The beans should be swimming in liquid, not sitting in sludge: The more beans are puréed, the more starch is released into the soup. For flavor, this recipe deploys marinated chipotle chiles, but a tablespoon each of ground cumin and ground coriander make a good heat-free substitute. (A note: Since there is acid from the wine here, if your tap water is hard there might be a reaction that will prevent the beans from softening. To be safe, add the wine later, along with the stock. And if there is any question about the hardness of your water, use distilled.)”

Yield: 10 servings; Time: About 2 hours

This was featured in “Rediscovering Black Bean Soup”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018592-best-black-bean-soup.

Ingredients

For the Soup

1 small (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo (see note)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 onions, peeled and chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup red wine

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped

1 pound dry black beans (do not soak)

2 quarts mild vegetable or chicken stock

1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Red wine vinegar, to taste

For the Pickled Onions and Garnishes (Optional):

1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

Freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes

Salt

Sour cream or Mexican crema

Whole cilantro leaves

Thinly sliced fresh chiles

Sliced avocado

Preparation:

Empty the can of chiles into a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth, scrape into a container, and set aside. Put on a teakettle of water to boil, and keep hot.

In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add carrots, onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes.

Pour in wine and let simmer until pan is almost dry and vegetables are coated. Add jalapeños and cook, stirring, just until softened, 2 minutes. Push the vegetables out to the edges of the pot and dollop 2 teaspoons of chipotle purée in the center. Let fry for a minute and then stir together with the vegetables.

Add beans, stock, oregano and bay leaves. Stir, bring to a boil, and let boil 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partly covered, stirring occasionally and adding hot water as needed to keep the soup liquid and runny, not sludgy. Continue cooking until beans are just softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 hours. Add salt and pepper and keep cooking until beans are soft.

Meanwhile, make the pickled onions, if using: In a bowl, combine sliced onions, lime juice and a sprinkling of salt. Let soften at room temperature until crunchy and tart, about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry in paper towels and refrigerate until ready to serve. If desired, chop coarsely before serving.

Adjust the texture of the soup: The goal is to combine whole beans, soft chunks and a velvety broth. Some beans release enough starch while cooking to produce a thick broth without puréeing. If soup seems thin, use an immersion blender or blender to purée a small amount of the beans until smooth, then stir back in. Continue until desired texture is reached, keeping in mind that the soup will continue to thicken as it sits.

Heat the soup through, taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, drops of red wine vinegar and dabs of chipotle purée.

Serve in deep bowls, garnishing each serving with sour cream, pickled onions, cilantro leaves, sliced chiles and avocado as desired.

Tip

If chipotle chiles are unavailable, use 1 tablespoon each ground cumin and ground coriander. Add to vegetables at the same point in the recipe, in Step 3.

VEGETABLE-CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Recipe Yield: Servings: 6 (Serving = 1-1/2 cup)

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

6 cups 1/3-less-salt chicken broth, divided

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup thinly sliced leek (white part only)

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup peeled and chopped turnip

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1-1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoons fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

2 ounces uncooked "no-yolk" broad noodles

1 cup diced cooked chicken

Directions

Place 1/3 cup chicken broth, celery, leek, carrot and turnip in large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in remaining 5 -2/3 cups chicken broth, parsley, thyme, rosemary, vinegar and black pepper. Bring to a boil; add noodles. Cook until noodles are tender; stir in chicken. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer until heated through.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 98; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 73 mg; Cholesterol: 18 mg; Protein: 10 g; Carbohydrates: 12 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 Starch/Bread, 1 Lean Meat, 1/2 Vegetable