Sunday's Soup/Glazed Maple Carrot Soup

 It's been quite a while since I've posted a soup recipe, but I'm back with a good one, if I say so myself. I've posted a number of carrot soups, but what I especially like about this one is that it is truly perfect for the upcoming holidays. And such a nice change from the traditional pumpkin soups. It's quite easy to make, and will freeze beautifully. And too, it's quite aromatic, so it will make your home smell so inviting. 

Begin with 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot. Add 2 large yellow onions and saute until tender.

  

Add 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic and 3 pounds of chopped carrots. Saute until the carrots glisten, and are glazed with the oil. 

Add 8 cups of vegetable broth, and 3 bay leaves. Cook over medium heat until carrots are tender, about 30 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of maple syrup, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, and 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice. Remove bay leaves, and using a blender or hand held blending wand, blend soup to a smooth consistency. 

Ladle soup into your favorite soup bowls. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and a drizzle of maple syrup. YUM!!! :)

Glazed Maple Carrot Soup

serves 12

Printable Recipe

ingredients;

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions chopped

3 cloves garlic finely minced

3 pounds carrots chopped

3 bay leaves

8 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

fresh cilantro for garnish

salt and black pepper to taste

directions;

Pour olive oil into large soup pot. Add chopped onions and saute until tender. Add minced garlic and chopped carrots. Saute until carrots are glazed with oil, about 5 minutes.

Add vegetable broth, and bay leaves, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender, about 30 minutes.

Add maple syrup, lime juice, and coriander. Remove bay leaves. Using a blender, or hand held mixing wand, puree soup until smooth. 

Serve soup with freshly chopped cilantro and a drizzle of maple syrup. 

If you give the soup a try, I so hope you enjoy it!

Rhonda

Sunday's Soup/Rustic Potato Soup

I have really neglected the blog of late. Everything's fine, just life. I have been sewing, and I have been cooking, just not posting. 

The soup recipe that I'm sharing today is a favorite of mine during the cold winter months. Although, I don't make it that often as it does contain butter and cream. But, it's one that makes my husband smile, so from time to time, I figure, a little butter and a little cream is not going to be the end of the world ;)

Rustic Potato Soup

I call this a rustic soup as the skin is left on the potatoes, and it's not your typical creamy, potato soup. 

This soup came about because I had leftover small boiled potatoes. I'm sure the soup will be just fine, and taste just as good if you begin with raw potatoes. But, you will need to adjust the liquid as the raw potatoes may absorb more of the broth than the pre-boiled potatoes.   

I began with 1 pound of small golden potatoes that were previously boiled, and then sliced. Small red potatoes would work just as well. 

Heat the oil and the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion. The butter will turn the onion a beautiful golden yellow. Saute the onion until tender. 

Add 1 cup of sliced small portobella mushrooms and cook until tender. They will turn a lovely dark brown. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic, and saute for about a minute just to release the flavor, but not burn the garlic. 

Add the sliced potatoes and allow them to saute in the onion and mushroom mixture until they just start to turn a little brown. This will only take a few minutes. To be honest, you could actually stop here and just enjoy the potatoes as they are :) But don't!!! I think you'll love the soup! 

Add 2 chopped carrots, 2 chopped stalks of celery, 1/2 cup wild rice, and 6 cups of vegetable broth. Stir in 1 teaspoon of rosemary, thyme, and sage, along with 2 bay leaves. Bring the soup mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and allow the soup to cook until the wild rice is tender, about 45 minutes. 

Once the wild rice is tender, add 1/2 cup of cream. The rice and the potatoes will thicken the soup, so adjust the consistency at this point by adding in more vegetable broth. Two more cups may be needed. Heat the soup over a low flame, and do not allow the soup to come to a boil once the cream has been added. Before serving, remove the bay leaves. 

Rustic Potato Soup
downloadable recipe

ingredients;
1 pound boiled small red or golden potatoes sliced
1 large yellow onion chopped
1 cup sliced small portobella mushrooms
2 cloves garlic minced 
2 large carrots chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
1/2 cup wild rice 
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
6-8 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup cream
salt and black pepper to taste

directions;

Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until tender. Add minced garlic and saute for another minute to release garlic flavor, but not burn. 
Add sliced potatoes, and stir well into onion and mushroom mixture. Allow the potatoes to slightly brown. Add chopped carrots, celery, wild rice, and vegetable broth. Stir in sage, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and cook on low heat until wild rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in the cream, and adjust the thickness of the soup by adding more vegetable broth. Both the potatoes and the rice will absorb the liquid and make the soup rather thick. Up to 2 cups more of the vegetable broth may be needed to thin the consistency of the soup. 
Add salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer the soup on a low heat until heated through. Once the cream has been added, do not allow the soup to come to a boil. Before serving, remove bay leaves.

Ladle into soup dishes, and enjoy!

This is a hearty soup, perfect for winter. Serve with a nice slice of hearty bread.

This is a soul warming soup, at least for me. I hope that you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

Rhonda 

Sunday's Soup/Autumn's Harvest Carrot Soup

The Labor Day holiday marks the unofficial end of summer here in the U.S. All the children will be back in school. And soon, summer will fade into our memories. But, one of the loveliest delights of early fall is all the fresh vegetables that are in abundance at the farmer's markets. For someone who loves vegetables, I am like a child in a candy store :) I could easily buy more than I can possibly use. 

This week has been a bit trying, so a holiday is just what I need, a little time to slow down and just not feel that I have to be on high speed for a day or so. With that comes the desire for a pot of soup. I especially like making big pots of soup this time of year, and freezing them in smaller batches that can be taken out of the freezer for lunch and a light dinner. The soup I'm sharing today will be enjoyed this evening, and then make its way into the freezer. I'm calling it an Autumn Harvest Soup as it just looks like fall to me with its rich orange color. The ingredients are simple, carrots, fennel, granny smith apples, and a sweet yellow onion. 

.

I began by sauteing the chopped onions and the chopped apples together.  

Added the carrots.

Then the chopped fennel along with the vegetable broth, thyme, and 2 bay leaves. The mixture was brought to a boil and the heat then reduced to a medium, and allowed to simmer until the carrots were tender, about 20 minutes. 

I saved the fronds of the fennel and chopped it a bit.

Once the carrots were tender, I used an immersion blender to puree the soup. When it was nice and creamy, I added the fennel fronds. The result is a soup that is a mix of savory and slightly sweet. Not dessert sweet, but vegetable sweet.

Autumn Harvest Carrot Soup
downloadable recipe

ingredients;
5 pounds carrots, washed, skinned and sliced
1 large sweet Vadalia yellow onion chopped
1 large bulb fennel chopped
2 large Granny Smith Apples chopped
8-10 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
Reserve fronds from fennel and chop 
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
salt and black pepper to taste

directions;
Heat oil and butter in large pot. Add onions and apples. Saute until onion is tender. Add carrots and stir well to combine. Pour in 8 cups of vegetable broth. Add chopped fennel, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and cook until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. 
Remove bay leaves. Using an immersible hand mixer, blender, or food processor, blend soup mixture until creamy. Adjust the thickness of the soup if needed by adding more vegetable broth. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Mix in reserved fennel fronds.
Serve and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy the soup if you give it a try!   

Rhonda

Sunday's Soup/Cabbage Confetti Soup

A few years back, I read a book about the nutrients and vitamins contained in vegetables and why we should eat them at a certain time of year. I was blown away by cabbage...of all things. Did you know that while the cabbage seems to be similar to lettuce, it's actually related to broccoli, kale, and cauliflower? Who would have thought? Not me! It's packed with vitamin C and K, helps to improve digestion, and also has an anti-inflammatory response in the body, so it helps to protect against infection, such as colds. Cabbage has also been found to lower blood pressure as well as cholesterol. Pretty amazing for this simple vegetable. So, eating cabbage at this time of year is especially great. It may actually help ward off a nasty cold :) 

I decided to call this soup Cabbage Confetti Soup, as it is rather colorful, with celery, carrots, fire roasted tomatoes, green and yellow split peas, and finally cabbage.   

Begin with 1 large yellow onion, and 1 cup of chopped celery. Saute under tender. 

Add 1 cup of green, and 1 cup of yellow split peas. If you would rather, you can choose one or the other. Split peas are pretty much...split peas. I just like the added color :)

Add in 2 large sliced carrots, 1 large can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, 6 cups of chopped cabbage, 12 cups vegetable broth, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of celery seed, 2 teaspoons of dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary. 

Bring everything to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until split peas are tender. Serve and enjoy!

Cabbage Confetti Soup

ingredients;
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion chopped
1 cup celery chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 large carrots sliced 
6 cups chopped cabbage
1 cup yellow split peas
1 cup green split peas
1 28 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
12 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and black pepper to taste

directions;
Begin by heating oil in large soup pot. Add onions and celery and saute until tender. Add garlic and continue to saute for another minute, stirring so as not to burn garlic.
Add split peas, cabbage, carrots, canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaves, celery seed, rosemary, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until peas are tender, about 30 minutes. 
Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

The soup may be served as is with a nice piece of warm, crusty bread. You may also serve it over a bed of wild rice, a delicious addition. 

The soup freezes well, so have some now, and save some for later. Another idea is to freeze in small batches for lunches.

I hope you enjoy the soup, and I hope that it will help to ward off those nasty winter time colds :)
Enjoy!

Rhonda

Sunday's Soup/Bountiful Greens Soup

This past week I saw my retina specialist. I was a little apprehensive as I had been told by the surgeon who operated on my right eye this past summer that she saw the formation of a third mole on my retina. Oh my. But, the news was great! He said that yes he saw the third mole, and he felt that there was no sign of a malignancy. Whew!!! So relieved! In just a week's time, I found out that I am in great shape, colon wise, and my eyes are holding steady. The retina specialist told me to keep doing what I'm doing...and I will! 

With the holidays coming up, and the temptation to eat lots of rich food, I thought I would post a soup that I love to eat. It is chuck full of vitamins, and while it looks like a soup that will taste like grass, it's actually quite delicious.

This soup is a blend of asparagus, kale, spinach, carrots and fennel.

Begin by sauteing 1 large onion with 2 chopped carrots in olive oil until the onion is translucent.

Add the chopped fennel, asparagus, chopped and seeded jalapeno pepper, garlic and saute for another 10 minutes.

Add chopped kale, chopped spinach, and chopped parsley along with 8 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. 

Blend the soup with a handheld blender, or in a blender until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of tahini(sesame paste). The tahini adds a lovely smooth taste to the soup as well as a little protein. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Serve the soup with toasted nuts, I like toasted pumpkin seeds. 
It really is quite delicious and will ward off all sorts of winter bugs and make up for a little of the indulgences that we just can't resist this time of year :) 

Bountiful Greens Soup

ingredients;
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 large carrots chopped
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
3 cups chopped asparagus
1 fennel bulb chopped, use only the bulb
6 cups coarsely chopped spinach
1 bunch kale coarsely chopped, stems removed
1 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup tahini(sesame paste)
8 cups vegetable broth
salt and black pepper to taste

directions;
Pour olive oil in large pot. Add onion and carrots. Saute until onion is translucent. Add jalapeno, garlic, fennel, and asparagus. Continue sauteing for another 10 minutes. 
Add kale, spinach, and parsley to the pot along with 8 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. 
Remove pot from heat. Use a blender, or handheld blender to puree soup.
Stir in tahini. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Serve soup with toasted nuts of choice.

The soup will freeze well.

Enjoy!
Rhonda    

Sunday's Soup/Italian White Bean and Vegetable Soup

It's always interesting, at least to me, how a memory can be triggered. In my early twenties, I was working, going to school, paying rent, making a car payment, and there were times when my money just wouldn't stretch any further. So, a bag of beans and a bag of rice were on the menu. Not very exciting, but, I never went hungry. You would think that after weeks of eating beans and rice, I would not want to go anywhere near a bag of beans. But, rather than a difficult memory, a bag of beans represents comfort and warmth :) 

The soup recipe I'm sharing today is a very far cry from a dish of beans and rice. Actually, there's no rice in the soup. Instead, it's filled with fabulous fall vegetables, carrots, zucchini, purple top turnips, potatoes, and a bag of large white beans.

There is a little surprise ingredient, and that's an onion that is studded with 8 cloves. The onion is cooked along with the beans and vegetables, and then discarded once the soup is ready. This is something that my grandmother would do, and it really adds a wonderful richness to the soup. 

This soup is a great dump and go recipe. Just chop up all of the vegetables, throw them in a big pot with the white beans. It's also a great soup to make in a crockpot. 

Below you can see the clove studded onion cooking along with the vegetables. I wish there was smell-o-vision!!! 

The soup is perfect for a cool fall evening. It will freeze well, so eat half and save the rest for another meal. 

Italian White Bean and Vegetable Soup

ingredients;
1 1 lb. bag of dried large white beans
2 lbs. zucchini
2 purple top turnips
1 lb. carrots
3 stalks celery
1 large onion
1 medium onion studded with 8 cloves
3 bay leaves
1 25 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
12 cups vegetable broth
salt and black pepper to taste

directions;
Rinse beans and soak overnight. 
Drain and rinse beans. Place in a large pot with vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Chop all vegetables except the onion studded with cloves. Place all vegetables in soup pot. Add tomatoes(do not drain), studded onion, basil, oregano, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and salt and black pepper. Return to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer and cook for 3 hours, or until beans are tender. Before serving, remove clove studded onion and the bay leaves. 

Serve with crusty garlic bread and enjoy!

If you would like to cook the soup in a crockpot:
Place all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours. 

Hope you enjoy the soup...and the beans as much as I do!
 Rhonda

Sunday's Soup/A Soup With Options

Little Mr. Berkley has now been with us for 2 weeks. He is the happiest dog I have ever seen. Believe it or not, he actually wags his tail while he sleeps :) What a gift!

Back in May, my husband and I spent 3 days touring around Wisconsin, visiting creameries, and tasting cheese. In my book, heaven! We try to do this about once a year. It's such fun. One of my favorite creameries is Union Star Cheese Factory. It's a family owned business that has been in existence since 1911. They make a 5 year aged cheddar that is my absolute favorite.  

I had given a friend of mine a block of the cheddar. She had thrown away the wrapper, so didn't know where it came from, but wanted to share the information with a friend of hers. So, I looked up the site. While I was there, I noticed that they had a recipe section. I like recipes :) Come to find out, they had a recipe for a Beer Cheese Soup. Now, typically, I would have passed right over the recipe, but what caught my attention was the list of ingredients with all the vegetables. Really?!! I always thought that Beer Cheese Soup was just that, beer and cheese. While I do love cheese, I absolutely hate beer, at least to drink it. But, there are a few recipes where I will use beer. So, I decided to give it a try.

The vegetable ingredients consist of carrots, green pepper, onions, celery, and mushrooms. You can find the recipe HERE.  

Since I had not made the soup, I followed the directions pretty much as written, but with a couple of exceptions. Rather than saute the vegetables in butter, I used 3 tablespoons of olive oil. I also deleted the ham, so mine is a vegetarian version. 

Once the vegetables are tender, but still crisp, flour and cornstarch are added  to thicken the soup. The recipe says to stir the flour/cornstarch into the vegetables and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. You'll find that it seems quite thick at this point.  

Rather than chicken broth, I used a vegetable broth. Milk is also added to the mixture. I decided to use my hand held blender and slightly puree the vegetables. So, they are somewhat pureed, but still have texture. Once the spices have been added, the soup is delicious without the cheese and the beer. So, you could actually stop here and enjoy the soup as is.   

I added the cheese and only 1/2 cup of the beer. 1/2 cup of the beer blended nicely into the soup, an entire cup, in my opinion would have been too much.

What I ended up with was a velvety smooth, delicious soup.

Union Star does have a mail order service, but they only ship cheese from October-April. I sent some to a friend of mine who now lives in Galveston, Texas, but grew up in northern Wisconsin. She said that it tasted like home. Their 5 year aged cheddar crumbles when sliced and has a true sharp cheddar taste. Delicious!

Even if you can't get the Union Star Cheese, get a really good sharp cheddar from your grocer and give the soup a try. A wonderful treat! Just in case you missed it, you can find the recipe HERE :)    

Sunday's Soup/Lentil Harvest Soup

I am SOOOO excited!!!

As I've shared many times, I enjoy the blog, Design Sponge. A few weeks back, there was a contest sponsored by Design Sponge to introduce a new cookbook, Coconuts and Collards.

For a chance to win, the challenge was to share what food reminds you the most of home. Here is what I wrote;

When I think of home, I think of my grandmother's kitchen, a rather sparse space in comparison to today's kitchen, a small enamel topped table, a large Hoosier cabinet, a sink that stood on legs, and a massive stove. She loved to make muffins with Malt-O-Meal cereal. She kept them in a pan in the lower section of her Hoosier cabinet, always on hand for that unexpected visitor. Just the right amount of sweet to accompany a cup of tea.

I thought the recipe was lost once she died, but to my surprise, it's on the box, and called Magic Muffins. Such a fitting name.

I do not keep them on hand as she did, but when I need to feel her presence, I make a batch, sit down with a cup of tea, and she is there, if only in spirit. 

What an honor it is to have been chosen the winner. 

Once the book arrives, I will share lots more of what's inside. Can't wait! :)

Today's soup recipe is just a twist on other soups I've shared. When I've had to eat things for a period of time that are a little rich for my diet, be it because of having guests, or traveling, I begin to crave something that's basic and nourishing. That's what this soup is, very basic, but quite nourishing. And then, there's the added bonus of...it tastes really good! I'm calling it Lentil Harvest Soup as there's basically a harvest of garden vegetables, with lentils providing protein.

The recipe is simple and quick enough for a weeknight meal. Be sure to add the sweet potato. Adds just a bit of sweet which is so nice. Leftovers are great for lunches! 

Lentil Harvest Soup
printable recipe

1 cup red lentils
1 large onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 28 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
3 large carrots sliced
2 cups chopped kale
3 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
6-8 cups vegetable broth
salt and black pepper to taste

Begin by placing the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions and cook until tender. Add garlic and continue to saute for another minute to bring out the flavor, but not burn.

Add lentils, cubed sweet potato, carrots, tomatoes, kale, dried oregano, and 6 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, approximately 20 minutes. The lentils will absorb some of the broth, so adjust once lentils are tender. 

Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve and enjoy! 

   
When I eat a bowl of soup, I am so bad about drinking the broth out first and then enjoying the vegetables. 

As always, if you decide to give it a try, I hope you enjoy the soup!
Rhonda

Sunday's Soup/Winter Root Vegetable Soup with Kale

Happy Sunday Everyone!!!

Thank you for all the wonderful comments that were left on my Grateful post. A couple of you had me laughing so hard with the idea of the antics of my girlfriend and I sounding like an episode of I Love Lucy!!! Like I said, we've been friends for 35 years, and have done some pretty crazy things. Yes, we could be our own comedy show ;) Thanks for the laughs, I really needed that. Nothing like a good laugh to cleanse the soul :) 

Have you ever heard of the Moosewood Cookbook? It's a funky, vegetarian cookbook that I absolutely love. In fact, the same friend from the Grateful post gave it to me over 30 years ago. My copy is now a very well worn book, loose pages and a taped together spine. 

One of the things that I especially enjoy, other than the recipes, are the cute little drawings that accompany each recipe. When I began putting the soup recipes together, my goal was to eventually publish a cookbook/soup book. I'm now working on the book(finally), and rather than photographs, I'm doing drawings that are similar to what you might find in the Moosewood Cookbook. 

I'm currently going through my recipes and testing/tweaking them just to make sure that when they are published, and tried, it will taste just like what I make. 

Back in 2013, I published a recipe for a Creamy Winter Root Vegetable Soup.   I love a good cream soup, but when I began to test the recipe, I decided to make it into a vegan version, and that's what I am going to share with you today. 

The ingredients are basically the same, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, garlic and fresh basil.

No butter was used in this recipe, just olive oil. The onions were sauteed until tender in the olive oil, and then the vegetables were added, along with the vegetable broth.

Another change with this recipe is the addition of chopped kale, green pigeon peas (for protein), and dried rosemary. 

If you have never used green pigeon peas before, they are a lovely little pea that has a bit of substance to it, not at all mushy.

This is not a creamed version of the soup, just a nice hearty winter vegetable soup.

Winter Root Vegetable Soup with Kale

printable recipe

Ingredients;

3 tablespoons of olive oil
4 parsnips sliced, about 3 pounds in total
4 Irish potatoes, chopped
4 carrots sliced
1 large yellow onion chopped
4 cloves of garlic minced
4 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil
2 cups finely chopped kale
1 14 oz. can Green Pigeon Peas drained and rinsed
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary 
10-12 cups of vegetable broth 
salt and black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot. Add chopped onion and saute until tender. Add carrots, parsnips, potatoes, bay leaves, and garlic along with 8 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, 20-30 minutes. Add chopped fresh basil, chopped kale, pigeon peas, and rosemary. Adjust liquid. Depending upon the size of your vegetables, you may need to add up to 4 more cups of broth. If more broth has been added, bring to a boil once again, then reduce to simmer and cook for another 10 minutes, giving the herbs and kale time to flavor the soup.

Serve with warm crusty bread, or my favorite, a pan of fresh made cornbread. 

The recipe yields 8 hearty servings. 

If you give it a try, hope you enjoy it!
Rhonda

Sunday's Soup/Hearty Curried Lentil and Garbanzo Bean Vegetable Soup

 YOU MUST MAKE THIS SOUP!

That is, if you like lentils and curry :)

A friend stopped by after having a difficult day. I asked, "would you like a bowl of soup?" The reply, "did you make it?" "Yes."
"Then I would LOVE a bowl of soup!" Such a nice compliment :)

If I say so myself, this is a fantastic soup.

Begin with a large chopped onion. Saute in a little oil until translucent. Add 3 ribs of chopped celery, and saute until tender. Add 3 chopped cloves of garlic and saute for just another minute to bring out the flavor but not burn the garlic. 

Meanwhile...
*cook 1 cup of dried lentils in 4 cups of vegetable broth until tender. About 20 minutes.  
*cook wild rice.

Once lentils are tender, add 2 cups of sliced carrots to the pot.
  

Then,
2 cups of chopped kale.
1 14 oz. can of garbanzo beans drained and rinsed.
1 cup of cooked wild rice.
4 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and black pepper to taste

Add 4 additional cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer until carrots and kale are tender.
  

Before serving, add juice of 1/2 lemon.

Ladle into bowls and top with fresh crumbled feta cheese. If you opt for a vegan version, then omit the cheese.

The soup is fantastic for leftover lunches. The recipe will make 8 hearty servings. The aroma will warm your soul :)

Hearty Curried Lentil and Garbanzo Bean Vegetable Soup

printable version

ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 large onion chopped
3 ribs celery chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 cup dried lentils
8 cups vegetable broth
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups chopped kale
1 14 oz. can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked wild rice
4 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and black pepper to taste
Juice  1/2 lemon
Crumbled feta cheese to top

Begin by rinsing dried lentils. Place in a large post and add 4 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and cook until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil and saute onion until translucent. Add chopped celery and cook until tender. Add chopped garlic and saute another minute just bring out the flavor without burning.

Once lentils are tender, add chopped carrots, chopped kale, sauteed onion mixture, rinsed and drained garbanzo beans, cooked wild rice, curry powder, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and cook until vegetables are tender. 

Before serving, add fresh squeezed lemon juice. 

Ladle into bowls, and if you would like, top with crumbled feta cheese. Then savor the aroma and flavor!


This soup was a HUGE hit in my house. Hope you enjoy it too if you give it a try :)
Rhonda