Soupe au Pistou

Pistou is a fragrant sauce of garlic, basil, and olive oil that’s related to Italian pesto. Here, it is stirred into a Provençal soup at the last minute. The heat of the soup releases the flavors of the garlic and basil without cooking them.

Ingredient List

Soup
* ¹⁄3 cup dried chickpeas, rinsed
* ¹⁄3 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed
* 1 15-oz. can chopped tomatoes
* 1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
* 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 sprig fresh thyme
* 3 medium red potatoes, cut into ½-inch chunks (1 cup)
* 2 carrots, sliced (1 cup)
* 1 cup frozen Italian flat beans
* ¼ cup vermicelli, optional

Pistou
* 8 cups fresh basil leaves
* 8 cloves garlic, peeled
* ½ cup olive oil

Directions
1. To make Soup: Place chickpeas and pinto beans in large pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand 30 minutes. Drain beans, and rinse.

2. Return beans to pot; add tomatoes, onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and 5 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Season with pepper, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Add potatoes and carrots, and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Stir in flat beans, and cook 10 minutes, or until beans are tender. Stir in vermicelli, if desired. Cook 3 minutes more.

3. Meanwhile, make Pistou: Pulse basil and garlic in food processor until finely chopped. Add olive oil, and pulse until combined. Transfer to small bowl.

4. Spoon 2 Tbs. Pistou in bottom of each bowl. Spoon Soup over top.

Serves 8

Nutritional Information
Per : Calories: 237, Protein: 6g, Total fat: 14.5g, Saturated fat: 2g, Carbs: 22g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 375mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugars: 5g

Soupe au Pistou: Vegetarian Times Issue: November 1, 2008 p.82

Lentil Soup

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion
1 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
4 cups water
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 small kohlrabi or other root vegetables, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 large tomato, cored, seeded and diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
plain low-fat yogurt (optional)

Cooking Instructions
1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onion until lightly browned, 5 minutes.

2. Have kids add lentils and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often.

3. Kids can add water, carrots, kohlrabi, celery and potato. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, about 30 minutes.

4. Kids can stir in the tomato. Cover and simmer 30 minutes longer, until lentils and vegetables are tender.

5. Season with salt and pepper. Have kids top each bowl with a dollop of yogurt prior to serving.

This recipe serves: 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

Children's Lentil Soup Recipe by FoodFit

Peanut Noodle Salad

Ingredients
1/4 cup reduced fat peanut butter
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound soba noodles
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup blanched peas

Cooking Instructions
1. Mix the peanut butter in a large bowl with the soy sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil and ginger. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook stirring constantly until the water returns to a boil. Cook until the noodles are al dente.

3. Scoop the noodles out of the pot and directly into the bowl with the peanut butter mixture.

4. Add 2-4 tablespoons hot pasta water to loosen up the sauce.

5. Add the vegetables and toss well. Let cool. Cover and refrigerate.

This recipe serves: 4 children
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Peanut Noodle Salad [Recipe by FoodFit]

Silky Carrot and Ginger Soup

Ingredient List
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 small onion or 2 shallots, chopped
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
3/4 lb. carrots, peeled, trimmed and chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 tsp. light brown sugar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 to 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbs. white rice
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
2 Tbs. thick yogurt for garnish
1 Tbs. slivered mint leaves, optional

Directions
1. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes, until translucent. Add ginger and carrots, and cook, stirring, 5 minutes more. Add sugar, and cook, stirring, 1 minute more; add orange juice; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring bottom of pan with wooden spoon to deglaze. Cook until liquid reduces by about half, about 3 minutes.

2. Add broth and rice, and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper, reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 30 minutes, or until carrots are very tender.

3. Put mixture in food processor (or in blender in batches), and purée until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste. Heat through, garnish with dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of mint leaves and serve. Serves 2 to 3.

Silky Carrot and Ginger Soup [via: Vegetarian Times]

Roasted carrots with barley risotto

Barley is a wonderful ingredient - it's so earthy and unprocessed and I like to throw it into all sort of things, such as lamb stews and soups. I've used it here to make a dish much like a risotto, but without all the stirring! Despite seeming an odd couple, miso and parmesan do work well together and give the barley an intensely savoury flavour that's perfect with sweet carrots.Serves 4.

2 tbs light olive oil
12 baby carrots, ends trimmed
2 tbs butter
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled and cut in half
500ml [vegetable] stock
1 tbs light soy sauce
220g barley
1 tbs butter
3 heaped tbs finely grated parmesan cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a frying pan until very hot. Add the carrots and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until golden. If your pan isn't big enough you may need to do this in batches. Add the butter, thyme and garlic to the pan with 125ml water and season with sea salt and black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turning often, until the carrots are tender.

Meanwhile, to make the barley risotto, put the stock and soy sauce in a saucepan with 1 litre water and bring to the boil. Add the barley and cook for 45-50 minutes, stirring often, until the barley is soft but not breaking up. Stir in the butter and parmesan. Serve the carrots on top of the barley.

Next time: The carrots could be served hot on a bed of couscous or, left to cool and tossed in a salad with beetroot, toasted pine nuts and a soft cheese.

Roasted carrots with barley risotto [via Treehugger]

Carrot and lentil soup

You'll need to use a variety of lentils here that will soften to a mush when cooked for a short time. French green lentils, or puy, will not work. Orange or red varieties are what's needed and they also help to create the rich autumnal colour. The taste of this soup belies the simplicity of its ingredients. Carrots can be very sweet and lentils are nutty and wholesome, so they make a perfect pair. For a simple twist on this great recipe, try adding a couple of tablespoons of good-quality curry powder to the onions at the early stage of cooking. Serves 4

3 tsp butter
1 red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tsp sun-dried tomato purée
500g carrots, grated
250g red lentils, rinsed and drained
1.5l chicken stock
125ml natural yoghurt
a handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Heat the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over high heat. When the butter is sizzling, add the onion and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add the sun-dried tomato purée and stir-fry for one minute. Add the carrots, lentils and stock to the pan and bring to the boil.

Cook at a rapid simmer for 40 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Spoon the soup, in batches, into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Return the soup to a clean saucepan and cook over a low heat for a few minutes, until heated through.Serve with dollops of yoghurt and the coriander sprinkled on top.

Carrot and lentil soup [via Treehugger.com]

Rice Noodle Salad with Pineapple Dressing

Ingredients:
7 oz. thin rice noodles
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 cup finely diced red bell pepper (1 small)
1 cup grated carrots (about 2)
1⁄2 cup chopped cilantro
1⁄2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1 medium head Boston lettuce, leaves separated
1 lime, sliced in half moons, for garnish

Dressing:
1 cup pineapple juice
1⁄2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1⁄3 cup coarsely chopped fresh ginger
1⁄4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
3 to 4 tsp. vegetarian Thai green curry paste
2 tsp. brown sugar
6 medium cloves garlic, minced

This delicate and refreshing salad is guaranteed to perk you up on a hot summer’s day. The generous amount of fresh-tasting, tangy dressing is enough to moisten the salad and pass the remainder as a dipping sauce. You could also serve rice paper wrappers alongside and use the noodle salad and lettuce as a filling for spring rolls. Dip rice paper wrappers in warm water 10 to 20 seconds to soften before filling.

Directions:
1. Bring large pot of water to a boil.

2. Make dressing: In blender or food processor, combine all dressing ingredients; process until well blended. Set aside. (Dressing can be made up to 4 days ahead and refrigerated.)

3. Put noodles into large bowl. Pour boiling water over noodles and stir to immerse and separate strands. Let soak 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again, shaking colander. Return noodles to bowl, drizzle with oil and toss to coat.

4. Add bell pepper, carrots, scallions, 1⁄4 cup cilantro and 1⁄4 cup mint to noodles in bowl. Add half of the reserved dressing and toss to coat. Line platter or shallow serving bowl with lettuce leaves; top with noodle salad. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and mint and garnish with lime. Serve, passing remaining dressing separately.

Rice Noodle Salad with Pineapple Dressing [via Vegetarian Times]

Carrot and Coriander Soup

1 tbsp oil
2 onions, chopped
3 tbsp ground coriander
2 tbsp marjoram
6 cloves of garlic, minced
3 large carrots, chopped
1 sweet potato, chopped
8 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Heat oil in pot and saute onions until soft, about 5 minutes
2. Add coriander, marjoram and garlic and stir for about a minute.
3. Add carrots. sweet potato and stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until carrots and potato are tender, about 30 minutes.
4. Add cilantro, salt and cayenne pepper.
5. Puree using an immersion blender, or in batches in a food processor. [Serves 4]

TreeHugger Recipe of the Week: Carrot and Coriander Soup

Tofu-Carrot Cacciatore

Tomatoes and carrots grow better when planted side-by-side in the garden—and they taste great together too (Serves 6).

2 Tbs. olive oil
2 medium-size onions, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 large green pepper, cut into 1 1⁄2-inch strips
3 large cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
2 8-oz. bags baby carrots, halved diagonally
1 8-oz. pkg. Italian-flavored baked tofu, cut into cubes
1 Tbs. rubbed dried sage
1 bay leaf
12 oz. linguine or other pasta

1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions and pepper, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until softened, stirring often. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more, or until fragrant.

2. Stir in tomatoes, carrots, tofu, sage and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer about 1 hour, or until carrots are tender. Remove bay leaf.

3. After cacciatore has simmered about 45 minutes, cook pasta according to package directions. Serve cacciatore over pasta.

PER SERVING: 211 CAL; 12G PROT; 8.5G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 216G CARB; 0MG CHOL; 512MG SOD; 5G FIBER; 11G SUGARS

Vegetarian Times: Recipe from May-June '06 issue

Vegetable Soup

ACQUACOTTA (Serves 6)

Acquacotta means “cooked water,” but that doesn’t begin to describe how delicious this soup is! It also freezes beautifully, so double the recipe if you like. Adding a Parmesan cheese rind to the soup while it’s cooking is a clever Italian method for deepening flavors.

1 lb. Swiss chard or kale 4 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1⁄2 tsp. salt, or to taste
1⁄2 tsp. crushed red pepper, or more to taste
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 cup tomato purée
2-inch Parmesan rind
6 1-inch-thick slices Italian bread
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Rinse chard in several changes of water until completely free of grit. Drain, stack leaves on cutting board and finely chop.

Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery, and cook, stirring often, about 10 minutes, or until softened. Stir in salt, crushed red pepper and tomato paste; cook 2 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low, add 8 cups water, tomato purée, Parmesan rind and chopped greens. Cook, partially covered, 45 minutes, or until very thick, stirring occasionally; add more water if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove rind.

To serve, place slice of bread in bottom of each bowl. Fill with soup, sprinkle with cheese, drizzle with oil and serve.
PER SERVING: 328 CAL; 7G PROT; 21G TOTAL FAT (3.5G SAT. FAT); 28G CARB; 4MG CHOL; 847MG SOD; 4G FIBER; 6G SUGARS

Recipe from the Mar. '06 issue of Vegetarian Times.

Vegetable Fried Rice with Tofu

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup celery, sliced on an angle
1 bunch green onions, trimmed and sliced into 1/2' pieces
1/2 cup broccoli florettes
1 pound firm tofu, drained and crumbled
2 tablespoons toasted Sesame Oil
2 tablespoons Tamari [or Soy Sauce]

*Tamari: Originally it referred to a liquid byproduct of miso making. Today known as wheat free soy sauce, tamari is made by fermenting soybeans and salt for at least one year. The resulting liquid has a rich sweet and salty flavor central to Asian cuisine. Due to its robust character tamari is useful in giving vegetarian dishes a meaty flavor.

Directions:
Sauté carrots, celery, onion, and broccoli in the Sesame Oil for 5 minutes. Add the tofu and rice. Cook until the rice is well coated with the oil and vegetables are tender. Add in the scallions and season with the Tamari to taste.

Servings: 4 | Cooking Time: 30 minutes - one hour
Author: Polly Pitchford, Full Spectrum Health™

Garlicky Chick Pea Soup with Greens

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups dried chick peas, soaked overnight
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
6 cups water
2 large carrots, cut into half inch slices
2 stalks celery, cut into half inch slices
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 pound greens (chard, Escarole, rappini, kale, or Collards)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled

Directions:
Drain the chick peas and discard any loose skins. Set aside. Heat oil in a large soup pot and sauté the garlic and leek for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the water, chick peas, carrots, celery, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves. Boil for 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and stir in the greens and salt. Gently simmer, uncovered, until the greens are cooked until very soft, about 5 minutes for Beet Greens and chard, and about 12 minutes for Escarole and Kale. Blend in batches and add back to the pot.

Servings: 6 | Cooking Time: Over one hour
Author: Polly Pitchford, Full Spectrum Health™"

Italian Lentil Soup

Ingredients:
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
4 cups water or Vegetable Stock
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a soup pot, saute onion, celery, garlic and carrots in oil until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients (except salt and pepper) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until lentils are soft. Remove bay leaf . Season to taste with salt and pepper. Puree half and serve.

Servings: 6 | Cooking Time: 30 minutes - one hour
Author: Polly Pitchford, Full Spectrum Health™"

Carrot and Coriander soup

25g butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
550g carrots, of which 450g roughly chopped and 110g coarsely grated
1 litre vegetable stock
pinch of freshly grated nutmet
tbsp chopped fresh coriander
150m single cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper

melt butter and cook onion and garlic gently until soft in covered saucepan, without colouring. Add roughly chopped carrots, stock and nutmeg. Cover, bring to boil and simmer gently until the veg are tender. Coolaa little, then purée in a liquidiser. Return to clean pan, stir in grated carrots, coriander and cream. Taste for seasoning. Serve garnished with a swirl of yogurt and more coriander.

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