Betcha didn’t know that you actually like lima beans, huh? Lima beans (Phaseolus Lunatus) and butter beans are actually the same beans, but at different stages: limas are green and immature, while butter beans are, white, mature, and dried. These kidney-shaped legumes got their name from Lima, Peru, their place of origin. They are a great source of fat-free protein and their high fiber content help stabilize sugar levels—perfect for individuals with diabetes or hypoglycemia!

I normally use canned organic cannellini beans, but for this particular post, I wasn’t able to find them at the grocery store. You can essentially use any of the three popular “white beans” (i.e., navy, Great Northern, or cannellini), that pleases your palate. Read about the differences HERE.

INGREDIENTS:

• organic grape seed oil
• 10 cups filtered water
• 1 28-ounce can organic stewed Roma tomatoes ~ cut into large chunks, keep the liquid
• 1 16-ounce can organic butter beans~ strain the beans of the liquid
• 1 16-ounce can organic Great Northern beans ~ strain the beans of the liquid
• 1 medium yellow onion ~ washed, peeled, and diced
• 8 large cloves garlic ~ peeled, smashed and coarsely chopped
• 2 medium organic carrots ~ washed, cut into desired size
• 5 large stalks organic celery ~ washed, ends discarded, cut into desired size
• 2 medium zucchini ~ washed, ends discarded, cut into desired size
• 1 bunch organic lacinato kale ~ washed, tough stems discarded, leaves cut into strips or large chunks
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried organic oregano
• sea salt ~ to taste
• evaporated cane sugar ~ to taste
• freshly ground black pepper ~ to taste
• red pepper flakes ~ optional
• organic curly parsley ~ washed, stems discarded, and chopped; optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prep all your vegetables.
2. In a large stock pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until translucent and aromatic.
3. Add the carrots, celery and zucchini; sauté until half cooked.
4. Add the 10 cups of water, canned beans, canned tomatoes, and the bay leaf.
5. Bring to a boil for a few minutes. Skim off the foam and discard.
6. Lower heat to medium for a soft rolling boil.
7. Add the oregano, sugar, salt, and any spices you’d like.
8. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
9. Slowly stir in the kale strips/chunks and remove from the stove.
10. Serve with freshly ground black pepper and chopped parsley. Enjoy and stay warm! 🙂

When I think of chowder, it’s usually a bowl of creamy soup with vegetables, potatoes, and clams. It’s not a brothy soup with tomatoes. However, when I started looking for recipes to try because I have hominy and corn in the pantry, most corn-hominy chowder recipes called for lots of tomatoes, sans cream or dairy of any sort. I thought, “Well…OK. I’ll give it a whirl, but it just sounds like I’m making corn-tomato soup with some hominy in it.” While it tasted great, it just didn’t have that cozy, “chowder-y” feel I was craving. SO, after having already cooked this pot of chowder, I took out a new pot and sautéed some diced celery in butter, added milk, and several heaping spoonfuls of organic flour I had in the freezer, then into the already cooked soup they went ─ voila! Instant chowder! 🙂

So, what is chowder? The word chowder is a corruption of the French word “chaudière,” meaning cauldron, the pot in which stews and soups used to be cooked. There are different styles of chowder. In North American cuisine, most chowder recipes contain some sort of fish and/or shellfish, like clams and oysters. New England-style chowder is rich and creamy, often containing salt pork, clams, onions, and potatoes. Manhattan-style chowder omits the cream-based broth in lieu of tomatoes. Of course, as with all recipes and cuisine, the dish will vary from region to region. If you go to the south, you’ll find corn instead of clams in your chowder. If you are in Florida, you’ll see conch in your chowder.

I guess I ended up making a New England-Manhattan-Southern chowder! 😉

I like this recipe because it forced me to use ingredients I never thought could, should, or would go into chowder: cinnamon, cumin, and garam masala.

INGREDIENTS: Use veggie broth if you want a vegetarian meal.

• 3-4 tbs organic butter
• 1 large yellow onion ~ peeled, diced
• 1 garlic bulb ~ peeled, chopped
• 1 large shallot ~ peeled, diced
• 4 large organic celery stalks ~ diced
• 1 carton (48 oz.) organic free-range chicken broth
• 1 can (30 oz.) golden hominy
• 1 can (28 oz.) Rotel (diced tomatoes & green chilies)
• 1 can (15.25 oz.) organic sweet corn kernels
• 1.5 cups organic milk
• 3 heaping tbs organic all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garam masala (or an Indian curry blend)
• 2 tsp dried Thyme (or oregano) ~ crushed
• sea salt ~ to taste
• freshly ground black pepper ~to taste
• .5 cup organic cilantro ~ coarsely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, whisk the milk, cinnamon, cumin, indian curry, sea salt, black pepper, and flour together until disolved. Set aside.
2. In a large stainless steel pot, heat the butter and sauté the onion, garlic, and shallots until aromatic. Add the celery and sauté until half cooked.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, except cilantro, and bring to a boil.
4. Lower the heat to let your soup simmer for about 15 minutes.
5. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot!

This recipe is a combination of two similar recipes that I found from my cookbooks: Vegetarian and 400 Soups, both of which were treasure finds in the bargain section of Barnes & Noble ages ago. It is bound to kill any virus residing in your little body. 😉

It’s packed with potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerol. One of the main ingredients is the ginger root which boosts the immune system, aides digestion, curbs nausea and vomiting, acts as an anti-inflammatory, and protects against cancer cells. What more could you ask for from this pungent, versatile root? 🙂

Enjoy! If the soup is too spicy for your taste buds, let it simmer an extra 10 minutes and/or add some milk/cream to it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8-10 cups filtered water
• Organic EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 large yellow onion ~ peeled, roughly chopped
• 1 bulb garlic ~ peeled, smashed
• 1 organic sweet potato ~ roughly chopped into chunks, leave skin on
• 1.5 lbs organic carrots ~ roughly chopped into chunks, leave skin on
• 2 large stalks organic celery ~ roughly chopped into chunks
• 5 inch ginger root ~ roughly chopped into chunks, leave skin on
• organic curly or Italian parsley (optional) ~ big stems discarded, coarsely chopped; reserve some for garnish
• 1-2 scallions ~ ends removed, chopped; reserve some for garnish
• sea salt  & fresh ground black pepper ~ to taste
• evaporated cane sugar ~ to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large stock pot, heat the EVOO on medium-high heat. Sauté onion and garlic until browned.
2. Add sweet potato, carrots, ginger, and celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes on same heat level. Add more oil if necessary.
3. Add water. Bring to a rolling boil for about 5 minutes. Be sure your pot doesn’t boil over. Stir occasionally.
4. Stir in sea salt, sugar, and any spices/seasonings you desire.
5. Place lid on the pot and let it simmer for about 20 minutes on low heat.
6. Remove the pot from the stove. Use a hand blender to purée the soup. I opted for a semi-chunky texture.
7. Stir in some parsley and scallions.
8. Serve hot. Garnish with parsley & scallions.

‘Tis the season…for inFLUenza, that is! “Feed a cold. Starve a fever.” Whatever the old saying is, it’s never good to starve oneself (think of how bad that would be on your metabolism or your appearance!), no matter how terrible you are feeling.

This vegetarian soup is super easy to make, tastes delicious, and the garlic and spinach should help you get back to your healthy-oxen self again in a jiffy! It may also help you rid of those pesky Vampire problems I hear you’ve been having in your town!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 carton Pacific creamy organic tomato soup
• sunflower oil
• 8-10 roma tomatoes ~ blanched, skin removed, chopped into large chunks
• 1 bulb garlic ~ peeled, 1/2 minced and 1/2 smashed
• 8 cups fresh organic baby spinach
• 1/4 bunch organic curly-leaf parsley ~ washed, stems removed, chopped
• scallions ~ ends removed, chopped
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• freshly-ground black pepper
• sea salt ~ dash
• organic evaporated can sugar ~ to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large stainless steel pot, heat the oil and sauté the smashed garlic until a golden brown. Add the tomatoes and sauté until 1/2 cooked.
2. Add the carton of pre-made tomato soup, minced garlic, and 1/2 cup filtered water.
3. Bring the soup to a boil for 3 minutes then let the soup simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Turn off the stove & leave the covered pot on the stove for another 5 minutes.
4. Add sea salt and sugar to your liking.
5. Remove the pot from the burner and stir in the spinach.
6. Serve hot with freshly-ground black pepper and chopped parsley.