Low Sodium Mushroom Barley Soup

From Mayo Clinic. For those on a low-sodium diet.

Serves 9

1 tablespoon canola oil1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped carrots
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
8 cups vegetable stock
3/4 cup pearl barley
3 ounces dry sherry
1/2 small potato, chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

In a large stock pot, heat the oil to medium-high heat. Add the onions, mushrooms, carrots, thyme, pepper and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable stock and barley and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Test the barley and see if it is as tender as you’d like it – if not, cook longer. When barley is just about the texture you want, stir in sherry and potato. Continue to simmer until potato is cooked, about 15 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve.

Nutritional analysis per serving

Serving size: 8 ounces

• Calories 121
• Total fat 4 g
• Saturated fat 0 g
• Trans fat 0 g
• Monounsaturated fat 3 g
• Cholesterol 0 mg

• Sodium 112 mg
• Total carbohydrate 19 g
• Dietary fiber 3 g
• Total sugars 2 g
• Protein 2 g

Cauliflower Soup

serves 4-6

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 medium head cauliflower
1 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups* low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I use filtered water and either Better Than Bouillon or Penzeys base)
*I prefer 3 cups broth for a thicker, creamier soup but then of course it will make fewer servings
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Toppings
chili garlic oil (Trader Joe’s Crunchy Chili Onion)
sourdough croutons (homemade from Trader Joe’s Sourdough Sandwich Loaf cut into cubes, cooked in a skillet in olive oil until crisp, and lightly sprinkled with Diamond Crystal kosher salt)

Remove the leaves from the cauliflower and cut it in half (top to bottom) with a large knife. Break off the florets with your hands. Discard the core. Chop the florets into approx. 1″ pieces.

In a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened a bit but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the chopped cauliflower, potato, broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the cauliflower and potato are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth, or let cool slightly and puree in 3 to 4 batches in a regular blender. Fill your bowl, sprinkle with chili garlic oil if you like, and bring some croutons to the table. Add croutons to your bowl a few at a time so they still have some crunch when you eat them.

Very nice with Jamie Oliver’s Evolution Carrot Salad.

Trader Joe’s Potsticker Soup

Slightly modified from Posticker Soup’s On.

3 Tablespoons canola oil
1 bag Trader Joe’s Gyoza Potstickers
1 carrot, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
8 cups chicken broth
1 bag baby spinach (8 oz)
1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
handful of fresh cilantro leaves
sriracha or other hot sauce to taste

Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with about 1 Tablespoon of canola oil and fry potstickers over medium to medium-high heat until nicely browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave them on the stove.

Meanwhile, in a large soup pot over medium heat, heat 2 Tablespoons of canola oil and saute the carrot, celery and onion until tender (about 10-15 minutes). Add broth and bring to a simmer and cook until the carrots are as tender as you like them. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and potstickers and simmer slowly until the potstickers are tender. Do not overcook them – you don’t want them falling apart. Add the spinach and stir until the spinach is as wilted as you like it.

Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro and hot sauce as desired.

Kristin=yes
Sam=no

Benihana-style Onion Soup

Serves 4 for a first course.

1 large carrot, rough chopped
2 ribs celery, rough chopped
1/2 yellow onion, rough chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed
4 cups chicken broth (I use filtered water + Penzey’s chicken base)
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
4 mushrooms, very thinly sliced
2 green onions, dark green part only, very thinly sliced

In a medium-sized saucepan with a lid, combine the carrot, celery, onion, and garlic with 1 Tablespoon of water and cook over medium-high heat until fragrant. Add the chicken broth and soy sauce. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, let simmer 30 minutes. Strain broth to remove all the vegetables. Keep the broth over low heat with the lid on until ready to serve. Ladle into bowls, top with mushrooms and green onions.

Sean = yes
Sam = yes

Beef Noodle Soup

1 small carrot, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
6 cups filtered water
2 Tablespoons Penzeys beef base
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1″ thick bunch of linguine, broken into fourths and cooked until tender and drained
leftover steak, medium dice

Put a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat and cook the carrot, celery, and onion with a tablespoon or two of water until it starts to soften and become fragrant. Add the water and beef base, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce to taste, and adjust with additional beef base if necessary. Strain out the vegetables if desired. Add in the drained linguine and steak and let sit for a minute or two so everything warms up. Serve.

Super-simple Quick Black Bean Soup

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Two by Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence

Serves 2 (generously)

Soup
1 can black beans (including their liquid)
1 can petite-diced tomatoes (including their liquid)
1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon (your choice of flavor)
1/3 cup water
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
The original recipe also called for 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar but Sam and I think we will prefer it without

For serving (optional)
2 Tablespoons sour cream (highly recommended)
hot sauce

Chunky version
Put the soup ingredients in a medium-sized pot over medium heat, stir together, and heat until warm enough to eat. Add sour cream and hot sauce to individual servings as desired.

Smooth version
Put the soup ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a medium-sized pot, place over medium heat, and heat until warm enough to eat. Add sour cream and hot sauce to individual servings as desired.

Easy Vegan Tomato Lentil Soup

from Runningonrealfood.com

• tbsp olive oil (use water or broth for oil-free)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced (about 3–4 tbsp, minced)
• 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced (approx. 1.5 cups)
• 4 stalks celery, diced (approx. 1.5 cups)
• 5–6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup uncooked red lentils
• 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes with the juices
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional, for heat
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• sea salt and additional pepper, to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic, onion and carrots and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often until soft and fragrant.
3. Add the celery, stock, lentils, tomatoes, herbs and spices and bring to a simmer. Start with 5 cups of broth and if needed, slowly add a little more as it cooks to adjust the thickness.
4. Simmer lightly until lentils are soft and tender, approximately 20-25 minutes.
5. Season with salt and additional pepper, to taste, and add a squeeze of lemon juice.
6. Remove the bay leaves and serve right away. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 day or frozen for up to 3 months.

Potato Soup

Slightly modified from Pioneer Woman

6 slices thin bacon, cut in 1″ pieces (or more!)
1 medium onion, diced small
1 large carrot, peeled and diced small
2 stalks celery, diced small
6 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced small
6 cups filtered water
2 Tablespoons chicken Better Than Bouillon
1 cup whole milk
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
black pepper to taste
1 cup grated cheese of your choice

Add bacon pieces to a large soup pot over medium heat and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot and set it aside. Pour off most of the fat; do not clean the pot.

Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or so, then add the diced potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Pour in the water and stock base and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to get tender. Whisk together the flour and the milk, then pour into the soup and cook for another 5 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, puree until desired consistency.  Stir in cream, taste for seasoning and adjust.

Serve in bowls garnished with grated cheese and bacon.

Anna:  yes
Sam:  no
Ma:  yes
Da:  yes

Easy Ramen

Serves 6

1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 Tablespoon pressed garlic
5 cups chicken broth
5 cups water
6 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
12 oz. dry udon noodles
2 cups slivered kale leaves
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 cup shaved cooked chicken

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium low heat.  Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant.  Add the broth and mushrooms and bring to a boil.  Add the noodles, kale, carrot and green onions and cook until noodles are done to your liking.  Stir well.  Use tongs to portion out noodles, scoop out broth with a ladle and pour over noodles.  Fan chicken slices over noodles and serve.

Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage

from Pure Wow

Easy and delish!

Serves 8

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced small
3 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1 dried bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces store-bought cheese tortellini, preferably small size
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, for serving
¼ cup chopped fresh basil, for serving

 

1. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté until tender, 15-20 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1 minute more.

2. Meanwhile, crumble the sausage into another pan and cook until it’s well browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain excess fat.

3.  To the vegetables, add the cooked sausage, crushed tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, oregano and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer 30 to 35 minutes, until the soup’s flavor develops.

4. While the soup simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the tortellini and cook according to the instructions on the package. Drain well.

5. Stir the tortellini into the soup. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with Parmesan cheese and basil.  (I do not put the tortellini in the soup.  I put it in each bowl and top with the soup.  I store the leftover soup and tortellini separately.  I’m afraid the tortellini will get too soggy otherwise.)