Mixed Lentil Soup

Tweet

Here is a hearty winter soup just before the start of spring. Mixed lentils can be bought at any food store.  It is both pretty and healthy at once and you don't want to miss that combination.  Lentils, beans and barley! As much as it is good to look at, they make a tasty protein rich fare. The benefits continue. They freeze well and also keeps in the refrigerator for at least three or four days. If you are planning to make a big batch, like I have done, then make sure you separate the soup into smaller containers, cool and then refrigerate or freeze.

I like this soup because of all the above reasons and also because they are not too cumbersome to prepare. I agree that the the cooking time can be a little much, but preparation (chopping, peeling etc) and the time you need to stand by the stove is considerably less. I hope you will enjoy this soup as much I did.

Dunk in some toasted French bread for more fun. You deserve some carbohydrates when you are good enough to eat only a lentil soup. Right?

Ingredients: (Serves 8)

Mixed Lentils - 1 1/2 cups (Soak overnight)
Onions           - 1 big chopped
Garlic            -  4 - 5 cloves
Chili Powder - 1 tspn
Cajun Seasonings - 1 tspn
Oregano       - 1 tspn
Basil             - a dash
Bell Pepper  - 1 chopped
Tomato in garlic and onion - 14 oz (blend to make small chunks)
Parsley - to garnish
Yogurt - to garnish
Lime or Lemon Wedges - to garnish
French Bread or garlic bread to go with the soup

Method:

1. Pressure cook the soaked lentils with 1/2 tspn of salt and 4 cups of water.  Wait for one whistle and shut off the fire/heat.  Set aside until all pressure has been released.
2. In a large pot saute onions followed with garlic until the onions are translucent.
3. Add all the spices. Chili powder, Cajun seasoning and oregano and saute for a minute.  Add the chopped bell pepper and saute for 2 minutes
4. Add the crushed tomatoes, stir and cook for 2 minutes.  .
5. Add about 6 cups of water and bring to a boil.
6. Add the pressure cooked lentils in and cook for about 45 minutes.
7. Soups are always better when it cooks a while on the stove.  Therefore, simmer for as long as possible.  If you need the soup to be thin after it has cooked through add boiling water and bring the soup to a boil again.
8. Serve into soup bowls and top with a small scoop of plain yogurt and finely chopped parsley.  You may also use lime wedges instead of the yogurt.

Contributor: Sunitha

Chinese Chicken/Vegetables Noodle Soup

Tweet

Keeping with the talk on love, these days my two- and- a- half year old lil imp comes first for me. Our regular readers need no introduction to my little boy since you have heard so much about him on this site. It is such an exciting age! The things a 2 year old comes up with can be funny to downright pull-out- your-hair types of things.



I am crossing my fingers and hoping you won’t mind another episode with my little guy. My boy has learned some numbers and mama is very proud. It is thanks to the cartoons that he watches religiously. And now, he loves to use this new found wisdom quite often. So much so, that my daughter prophecy’s that the whole family will forget to say numbers in the correct order in the near future. Yes, my son knows his numbers but for now, they are in random order, not in sequence. Can you see what little knowledge can do?



I know this too will pass, but not before he had his dad tearing out his hair. He and his dad have started taking the Parent-tot swimming class. This program is to familiarize children with the water, pool and swimming subsequently. One of the suggested ways, to make this program work, is for the children to jump from the bleachers, while a parent waits below in the pool to catch them. It’s great fun! His father is making up for time spent away during the week from his dear son. But this does not come easily when numbers are swimming in my son’s head. The stage is set - his Dad is in the water, my son on the bleacher and then the inevitable….
My son starts counting, “one, three, eight, and five...and then jumps! You should have seen his Dad’s concentration; he looks like the batsman waiting for the curve ball. While my husband is paying the price for the entire googly (a spin ball, term used in Cricket) he threw his own Dad, I cannot help but wonder what lies ahead.



Stories apart, this noodle soup is a very comforting meal that my family loves.'s.  By the way, these are wheat noodles and very healthy too.  It's very easy to concoct, believe me!  What is even better is that you can make it all vegetarian; if you don't eat meat.  Therefore, here we are, easy and versatile noodle soup recipe only for you.  :)



Ingredients:

Wheat Noodles- 250gm
Chicken breast/Tofu- 1 lb
Salt- To taste
Chicken/Veg stock- 1 packet(4 cups)
Sesame oil- 1 Tbsp
Ginger grated- 1 tsp
Garlic grated- 1 1/2 tsp

Soy sauce- 1 tbsp
Chilli sauce- 2 tsp
Black pepper powder- 1 tsp
White vinegar- 1 tsp
Carrot julienne- 1/4 cup
Broccoli pieces- 1/4 cup
Bell pepper julienne- 1/4 cup
Cabbage julienne- 1/4 cup
Spring onions- white part chopped from 1 bunch

Method:

1.Marinate the chicken cubes with salt.
2Heat the sesame oil in a pan. Add the grated ginger and garlic and saute till the raw smell leaves..
3.Pour and boil the stock and add the chicken and other seasonings.
3.After 5 minutes add the vegetables and cook until done.
6.Cook the noodles in boiling water with salt for 5-6 minutes or until done.
7.Serve the noodles topped with the chicken soup.Garnish with chopped green onions.

Notes:

1.As I've already mentioned, if you are a vegetarian,you could replace chicken with tofu and add vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
2.The choice of vegetables is also up to you.
3.When you add chicken, you don't have to add a lot of veggies, if you want to get more flavor from chicken. My family prefers with all the veggies in it :-)



Contributor: Namitha

Tortilla Soup

Tweet

I have always loved soup and still do. It surprises me that I have not posted more recipes for soup on the blog.

I suppose, the love started with the simple gruel and green grams that was a customary dinner at home while growing up. Thereafter, the Chinese food outlets that spawn our cities made sweet corn chicken soup and manchow soup household names. But I never tried as many variations of soup as I have since I came to the U.S.



Coming to the U.S. opened a whole new world of soup to me. Hamburger soup at my friend Janet’s palce, Kale and bean soup at Marilyn’s,are just a few to mention. Today’s recipe is from dear a friend Barbara. Her cooking is superlative, and dinners at her place and socializing are some of my fondest memories from the last couple of years. She cooks everything to perfection. The spices and flavors are always the right amount to keep you wanting more.

With bay leaf, cumin and coriander leaf to flavor this soup it is very close to Indian cooking. I hope you will enjoy this soup as much as I do.



Ingredients:

Chicken Breast - 3 - 4 large
Garlic Cloves - 4
white shoepeg corn - 1 10oz. can I sometimes put two cans]
Diced tomatoes - 1 10oz. can mild green chiles
Cumin - 1-2 tsp.
Bay leaf - 1
Black pepper - ½ t
white shoepeg corn - 1 10oz. can
diced tomatoes with mild green chiles - 1 10oz. can of

To sauté:
Olive oil - 2 Tablespoon
Onion - 1 large
Garlic Cloves - 4
Cilantro chopped - 6-8 branches

Method:

1. Boil Chicken breasts for 30 minutes in sufficient water to have about 2 qts of broth left (I boiled it in 9 cups of water) with 3-4 large cloves of garlic, salt and pepper to taste.
2. When chicken is done, remove from broth, cool slightly and cut and shred into small pieces. Return to broth.

3. In small skillet with 2 T. olive oil sauté:
4-6 large cloves of garlic chopped finely
1 large onion, chopped
6-8 branches of cilantro chopped

4. Add to chicken and broth.

Add:
1 10oz. can of white shoepeg corn [I sometimes put two cans]
1 10oz. can of diced tomatoes with mild green chiles [I prefer to blend the tomatoes completely before adding.]
[You may also add 1 can V-8 juice if you prefer more tomato flavor.]
1-2 tsp. Cumin
1 bay leaf
½ t. black pepper [or more to taste.] Also check for salt to taste.

Simmer mixture for about 30 minutes more.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve in large bowls with
--Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
--Chopped Avocado [To keep avocado from turning brown, place one of the avocado stones in the serving bowl with chopped avocado until time to serve.]
--Lime slices to squeeze on top
--Frito tortilla chips OR cut 3-4 corn tortillas into thin shreds and fry them in oil until crisp. Drain well.

Contributor: Sunitha

Bok Choy and Chicken Soup

Tweet

    I have been thinking of posting soups for a while but never got around until now.  It's one of my favorite dishes and if I am eating lunch out you will see me order soup and salad.  This does not have anything to do with weight loss or any such endeavor.  I simply love soup.  My favorites have always been Chinese soups and hence I will start off with one of them.  Other than soups I also have an affinity towards leaves.  After coming to the South of US and seeing so much turnip greens being cooked down with pork fat, kale and collard greens treated the same I found out an easy way to cook the greens.  This soup has nothing to do with how turnip greens are cooked but I am just saying bok choy cooked down to tenderness in chicken broth gives me a chance to enjoy my favorite soup with a beautifully textured leaf to chew on.

Ingredients:
Bok Choy Leaves - 3 leaves with stock from a big bunch (not baby bok choy)
Chicken Broth - 4 cups
Ginger - 1/2 tspn chopped
Garlic - 1 tspn chopped
Shallots - 1 small chopped fine
Chili sauce - 1 tspn or to taste
Soya sauce - 1 tspn
Oil - 1 tspn
Salt - to taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a deep pan
2. Add chopped ginger, shallots and garlic sauteing after each addition
3. Add the chopped stalk of the leaf and stir a while and then follow up withe leaves torn into 5- to 6 pieces
4. Add soya sauce, chili sauce and follow up with 4 cups of chicken broth
5. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer till the leaves have wilted and changed color

Serves: 4

Notes:
Couple of questions I saw are about chili sauce and some unable to make this because of chicken broth.  Here are my answers:
1. Instead of chili sauce use 1 or 2 red chilies. Take the seed out and soak it in a little vinegar, grind and add
2. Vegetarians can replace chicken broth with vegetable broth
Contributor: Sunitha