We all love this soup!! It’s a Melissa Clark recipe from the New York Times. The added punch here is carrots, cayenne, cumin and fresh lemon juice!! These all give the soup a wow flavor!
The lentils don’t separate as in some soup recipes. That’s because half of this soup is puréed after cooking is completed. This technique adds creaminess without removing all the texture. Great idea!!
I often double the recipe and share jars full with family and friends
I’m also generous with my carrots. How big is 1 large carrot? I often use 3 average carrots
I’m also generous with the tomato paste. I love that intense flavor!
The NYT recipe adds cilantro at the end, but I don’t. It’s your choice
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon cumin
1-2 dashes cayenne or chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salt
3 carrots, peeled and diced
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 cup red lentils
1/4 -1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Heat a large Dutch oven or stock pot. Add the olive oil.
Add onions and sauté until softened
Add garlic and stir 30 seconds
Add cumin, cayenne, black pepper and tomato paste. Stir and simmer 2 minutes
Add broth, water, carrots, and lentils. Use lid and leave partially uncovered. Simmer 30 minutes
Add salt if needed
Remove from heat and ladle 1/2 of soup into a large bowl. Purée mixing bowl of soup with a stick blender. Return puréed soup to Dutch oven.
Reheat soup. Add lemon juice and cilantro
Serve soup hot. Sprinkle with cayenne if you like
Voila!
All the ingredientsPurée Half of the SoupPuréed Soup is Added Back to Dutch Oven
This Italian soup historically is made for sick family members. It’s called “Italian Penicillin” and is said to help illnesses go away!
It’s very simple and quick. Simmer, puree and serve. The secret ingredient is a rind from Parmesan Reggiano which is simmered with the vegetable soup. Keep these rinds in your freezer after you’ve finished the cheese. It adds a sweet umami flavor to this soup and many other sauces and soups
Homemade chicken broth is a perfect base for Pastina but a quick alternative is broth made from Better Than Bouillon
Ingredients
7 cups chicken broth
4 large carrots, peeled and cut in 4 inch pieces
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
4 ribs celery, cut in 4 inch pieces
4 inch piece of Parmesan Reggiano rind
Salt to taste
1 1/2 cups tiny pasta such as Acini di Pepe by DeCecco
Finely grated Parmesan Reggiano for serving
Chopped parsley for serving, optional
Directions
In a Dutch oven or large saucepan combine broth, vegetables and Parmesan rind
Bring to a boil, cover and simmer till vegetables are very tender. At least 30 minutes
With a slotted spoon remove vegetables from soup and place in a food processor. Remove Parmesan rinds and discard.
Purée vegetables until very smooth. Return this purée to the pot of broth and whisk together. Cover and simmer 2 minutes
Add salt if needed
Now you have 2 options with adding the pasta. My choice is to cook the tiny pasta in water as directed on its package. Drain and add some pasta to each bowl and pour the soup over it
The second option is to cook the pasta in the soup until tender. Either method is good
Make sure to use the tiny pasta. I use the Acini de Pepe style of pasta by DeCecco
When serving the soup and pasta make sure it’s piping hot and for sure top with finely grated Parmesan!
The added chopped parsley is for color and can be added to each bowl if you like
Voila!
All the Ingredients Ready to SimmerAfter Simmering and Ready to PureéVeggies in Food Processor Puréed VeggiesCarrots add to this beautiful color!
This is comfort food that’s easy, traditional and quick! The soup is not puréed as my Moms was. It’s still a smooth satisfying meal!
The ham bone adds alot of flavor. The size and type makes a difference. Honey Baked Ham bones are sweet, traditional ham bones are not. You can also use ham hocks instead of a ham bone. Try it!!
A large meaty ham bone adds big flavorDiced carrots are added the last few minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 large bay leaves
10 black peppercorns
1 pound dried split peas, rinsed
4 cups chicken broth or your choice of broth
4 cups water
1 ham bone or 2 ham hocks (Honey Baked Ham is our favorite for ham bones!)
1 pound carrots, peeled and diced
2-4 tablespoons dry sherry, optional
Directions
Heat up a large Dutch oven, saucepan or slow cooker and then add oil
Sauté onion and celery until tender, not browned. Add garlic and sauté another minute
Add bay leaves and peppercorns, split peas, broth, water and ham bone. Cover and simmer until ham is falling off bone, about 1-2 hours or longer for slow cookers
Remove bone from soup and cut off ham into bite size pieces as you trim away any fat and skin. Return ham to soup or keep separate and add ham to individual bowls as you serve it.
If you like, add sherry to the soup for its flavor at this time. Another option is each person can add a splash of sherry to her own bowl at the table when serving since everyone may not like the flavor
Add the carrots to the soup and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes
Serve piping hot in big bowls.
The soup thickens as it cools. Add broth or water to leftovers when reheating if it’s too thick
Canned Cut Green Beans, Wax Beans, Dark Kidney Beans…I’ve added Cannellini Beans too!
This mid century recipe is easy because you don’t have to cook anything! Use all canned beans and slice up an onion and a green pepper. Whisk together a simple marinade and there you have it!
I’ve added the cannellini beans to make it a 4 bean salad. It’s not always easy to find yellow or wax beans. The cannellini are a good substitute if that’s the case. I also just like adding them to the 3 beans. You can also double the green beans if you don’t have the wax beans
Ingredients
1 can dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed well in a colander
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained over kidney beans optional
1 can cut green beans, drained over the kidney beans
1 can cut wax or yellow beans, drained over the green beans
1 small onion, peeled and slice horizontally into thin rings
1 green pepper, sliced horizontally in rings, then seeds removed
2/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Drain and rinse the beans in layers in a colander, first the kidney and cannellini beans.
Then drain the green and wax beans over the kidney (and cannelloni)
In a small bowl combine marinade and whisk until dissolved and blended
Place beans in a serving bowl that has a lid
Layer onions and green pepper rings on top
Pour marinade evenly over everything
Cover and shake or invert a few times
Voila!
Main IngredientsRinse and drain kidney beansAdd Cannellini beans and rinse and drain them tooAdd green and wax beans and drainWhisk together marinadeThis salad is tossed together in a bowl. It looks even better if you fill up a glass serving bowl with the beans, then layer the rings of onion and green pepper over all. Then pour the marinade over trying to distribute evenly. Place a lid over the salad and invert it a few times to distribute the marinade
Japanese Curry UdonMinced Teriyaki BeefUdon in Boiling WaterJapanese Curry
This recipe is from a blogger called CravingsinAmsterdam. She has great travel and food videos in Amsterdam! We love this recipe. I’ve never made minced beef which is a plus to try a new kind of meat preparation. I hope you enjoy this as well!
The udon absorbs the curry sauce as the leftovers set overnight. Just add some water to make more of a saucy soup when that happens as you reheat this delish soup!
I find it easiest to make the Teriyaki Minced Beef first. Then I move on to the curry. The original recipe uses a precooked curly udon. I did not find that so I cooked the dry straight udon in water as directed. Then after draining I add it to the curry.
Ingredients
Teriyaki Minced Beef
2 tablespoons oil
1 pound thinly sliced lean sirloin beef
1 onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
Japanese Curry Udon
2 tablespoons oil
1 white onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 can coconut milk
2 cubes Golden Japanese Curry
2-3 cups boiling water
2 packets udon, precooked or raw that is cooked
Sliced green onion
Sesame seeds
Directions
To prepare the beef mince the thinly sliced beef into small tiny pieces about 1/4 inch size
Heat frying pan over medium heat. Add oil. Sauté onion until tender. Add garlic and sauté 1/2 minute
Add beef and sauté or stir fry until browned. Add 4 tablespoons teriyaki marinade or sauce
Simmer a few minutes. Taste and add more sauce if needed. Set aside
Next cook the udon per package directions unless you’re using the precooked variety
In a medium saucepan heat the oil
Add onion and sauté until tender. Add the garlic and sauté 1/2 minute.
Add the coconut milk and the curry cubes. Whisk and simmer until dissolved
Whisk in the 2 cups boiling water
Add the drained udon and simmer a few minutes until thickened. If it’s too thick add more water
Serve the curry in large bowls. Place a large spoon of Teriyaki Beef on top of the Curry.
Sprinkle with minced scallions and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Eat with chopsticks!
This is a traditional soup served in Cuba and Puerto Rico along with many other countries. My recipe is made with ham hocks and it’s served with a short grain rice. Red wine vinegar is sprinkled on at the table! It’s delish! I’ve made it for years!
The recipe is based on Craig Claiborne’s The New York Times Cookbook recipe. It was published in 1975 and is a collection of The New York Times best recipes from their food pages
I was introduced to this soup in 1978 when I visited my cousin Donna Rountree and her family in San Juan Puerto Rico. She shared this cookbook with me. Donna entertained a lot and loved to use this cookbook! Her husband Dekle and daughter Jodie enjoyed her cooking too.
To serve the soup pour it hot into bowls. Then top with hot rice that’s been patted into a 1/3 cup measuring cup or something similar. Invert it onto the soup. Sprinkle with cilantro. Sprinkle with red wine vinegar at the table!
Enjoy! And let me know what you think!
Sautéed onion, green pepper and garlicThe sofrito: onion, green pepper & garlic with tomato & seasoningHam Hocks have a Rind, Meat & BoneA Ham Hock After Cooking in SoupThe ham cut from the rind and boneBlack Bean SoupHot Rice Patted into 1/3 Measuring Cup
Ingredients
1 pound dried black beans
12 cups water
3 ham hocks
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1-2 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon cumin
Red wine vinegar
Cooked short grain rice
Fresh chopped cilantro
Directions
Place the beans in a bowl and cover with cold water to a depth of 1 inch above the top of the beans. Soak overnight. Drain.
Add the olive oil to a heated large cooking pot. Add onion, garlic and green pepper. Sauté over low heat till onion is wilted.
Add oregano, tomatoes and cilantro. Cook 2 minutes. This is the sofrito.
Add the ham hocks, beans, and water to the cooking pot. Bring to a boil. Lower to simmer and cover. Cook for 1 1/2-2 hours or until beans are thoroughly tender.
Remove the ham hocks to a cutting board. Cut off the rind and discard. Cut off the meat and return to the pot. Discard the bones.
Simmer another few minutes
Dilute the soup with broth to your desired consistency if needed. The soup thickens with time and refrigeration.
Serve piping hot in bowls
Take the hot rice and press into a 1/3 or 1/2 cup measuring cup. Invert over bowl of soup and tap out. Make sure it’s hot rice. Cold rice won’t pop out of the cup
Sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Add red wine vinegar at the table
Craig Claiborne wrote The New York Times Cookbook in 1975. It is a collection of the best recipes from The New York Times food pages from the previous decade. This recipe comes from that book. He called it Chili con Carne with Ground Meat.
My cousin Donna Rountree introduced me to this book in 1978 when I visited she and her family at their apartment in San Juan Puerto Rico where she lived with her husband Dekle and daughter Jodie. Donna did a lot of entertaining and she loved this cookbook!
I substitute olive or vegetable oil for the bacon fat and use 2-28 ounce cans tomatoes. My preferred canned tomato is the whole tomatoes packed in tomato juice. I break these up with my fingers because I like the big chunks of tomato in my chili. San Marzano tomatoes are the best!
I find great results with a very lean ground beef that’s at least 90% lean such as Laura’s brand. I also serve it over pasta and top with grated cheese. You can be flexible with the quantities of onion, green pepper, garlic and seasonings. Use your own judgement and taste.
Let me know what you think. It’s a very meaty chili and has no beans in the original New York Times recipe. But I often add cannellini beans. Be careful with the heat of the chili powder you choose. Some are extremely hot. Each person can add more heat to their own bowls!
When you serve the bowl of chili over pasta, everyone can add their own chopped raw tomato, chopped lettuce, avocado, sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, chopped fresh cilantro and/or hot pepper flakes. My usual topping is just the grated cheddar cheese.
Another option is to use ground turkey instead of beef.
Chili with ground turkey and cannellini beansChili with ground turkey & cannellini beansTurkey chili with beans over pasta
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chopped onion or 1 large onion
1 1/2 cups chopped green pepper, or 2 green peppers
3 pounds 90-93% lean ground beef or ground turkey
3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 1 head)
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cumin
1 teaspoon celery salt
2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2-28 ounce cans whole San Marzano tomatoes, break apart in chunks with your fingers
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chili paste with garlic, optional
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Serve with chopped raw tomatoes, chopped lettuce, sour cream, grated cheddar, chopped cilantro, hot pepper flakes, avocado if desired
Serve over small pieces cooked pasta
Directions
Pour oil into a hot large deep cooking pot. Add onion and green pepper and cook over medium to low heat until onion is wilted
Add garlic and lightly sauté. Do not overcook or brown the garlic.
Add black pepper, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and celery salt. Stir and sauté over low heat for about 1/2 minute and then add the red wine vinegar.
Add meat. Using a heavy metal spoon cook and chop up beef to break up lumps
Add tomatoes and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Add water. Add chili paste if desired. I usually don’t
Add beans if desired. I usually do
Heat to a boil while stirring. Cover and lower heat to a simmer for 30 minutes
This makes about 4-5 quarts or enough for a party or your freezer!!
The chili thickens up as you refrigerate or freeze it. When it’s heated up again it returns to its original consistency or a bit thicker.
Voila! Serve over pasta. Add some fresh toppings too!
Traditional 1950s Dinner90% Lean Beef Meatloaf I Bake in Multiples to Freeze for LaterDelicious!Sauté Onion and GarlicUse White Bread Dried Out OvernightSlice Dried Bread Into Small Cubes4 Cups Dried Bread CubesHot Milk and Bread Mixed to a PasteAll the Ingredients Ready to Mix by HandMixing Technique Meatloaf Ready to Bake!
Sauté onion in butter and oil until tender but not browned. Add garlic and sauté 1/2 minute. Set aside
In a large bowl place beef and add onion mixture, salt, pepper and eggs.
Heat milk in a medium saucepan. Add bread cubes. Mix with a whisk until it becomes a paste. Add to the beef mix.
Use your clean hands to mix the meatloaf together
Divide mixture into 4 loaves on 2 shallow baking pans covered in parchment paper. Rinse hands in cold water to help pat each loaf into shape. This helps with the stickiness.
Drizzle ketchup over loaves making a pattern.
Bake at 350 degrees about 30-45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. If you make 2 larger loaves rather than 4 loaves, you will need to bake them more than 30 minutes.
This is my mom’s recipe which I’ve adapted. She would add a squirt of mustard and ketchup to the mixture. But I place ketchup on the top of the loaves and serve it also at the table to dip each bite into!
Tieghan has another delish recipe I love! She’s at Half Baked Harvest and this is hers! I added potato instead of flour and bumped up the spices! She calls it Lighter Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This reminds me of the Canadian Cheese Soup I have made. Sautéed veggies, broth thickened up and cheese added at the end! Comfort food!
Check out Tieghan’s blog! She is a powerhouse of talent!
A stick or immersion blender is essential to making this. Using a standard blender or food processor also works but is more tedious
Tender cauliflower, carrots, broccoli stems ready to purée Broccoli florets and spices added to purée Shredded Gouda and White Cheddar Left some tender broccoli whole after 2nd purée
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons dried thyme or 2 tablespoons fresh
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cups broth
1 head cauliflower, not too big, chopped
4 cups broccoli florets and their chopped crown stems. Don’t use the long stalks
2 bay leaves (Morton & Bassett is my favorite)
1/4 heaping teaspoon smoky paprika
1/4 heaping teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper
1 can lite coconut milk
2 cups hard cheddar like cheese, shredded plus more for serving. I like the sharp cheddar and also aged Gouda is super here too! Use a mix of cheeses if you have them
Directions
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven heat oil and butter. Add onion, thyme and carrots and sauté till tender
Add potatoes, broth, broccoli STEMS and cauliflower. Cover and simmer. When tender remove from heat. Purée with stick blender till smooth
Return soup to heat and add broccoli florets, bay leaves, cayenne, and smoky paprika. Simmer until broccoli is tender. Remove bay leaves and remove from heat. Use the stick blender to slightly mash up. Make sure to leave much of the broccoli in whole pieces
Return soup to heat. Add coconut milk and cheese; stir till melted. Add salt and pepper to your taste.
Top each bowl of soup with additional cheese and thyme
This is a very forgiving recipe. The quantities of ingredients don’t have to be exact. But I do love these seasonings! I’ve been using a fresher version of bay leaves rather than the brittle dry style and enjoy their taste and fragrance. Smoky paprika and cayenne are a must!! Add more broth if needed. I like Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base to make broth. Combine no more than 1 teaspoon base per cup of water
This 1950s recipe is one my mom made and has become my favorite cookie. It took me awhile to get the technique down and the recipe correct. She would call them Molasses Sugar Cookies or Ginger Snaps. I call them Ginger Snaps.
The thing to remember is that it’s a crisp cookie. If you make the cookie too large they will not be crisp. Use a ruler and roll the cookies into balls no larger than 1/2 to 3/4 inches diameter. This will make a 2 inch cookie which is perfect for 2 or 3 bites of crisp gingery spicy cookie.
Have fun with this spicy and aromatic Ginger Snap!
A couple things you need to know ahead of time. You’ll need 1/4 cup molasses. This is NOT dark corn syrup. Molasses is very flavorful and the brand I use is Grandma’s Molasses. Mostly because I can usually find it at the grocery stores
Also I like a lot of spice. If you don’t then add less spice. The original recipe is 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ginger and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. I doubled that. So if you don’t like a lot of spice, use less.
Dry Ingredients Waiting to be Whisked Together Roll 1/2 to 3/4 inch balls of chilled dough between your hands and then roll in a small bowl of sugarSpace the balls on parchment about 2 inches apart Bake them for about 7 minutes at 375 degrees. They will puff up and then flatten while in the ovenCool the cookies on the baking sheets 10 minutes. Then place them on cooling racks
Ingredients
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Extra sugar for rolling cookies
Directions
Place melted butter in a stand mixer bowl
Add sugar, molasses and egg
Beat well until light and fluffy
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and salt
Add dry ingredients to molasses mixture and mix until just combined. Don’t over beat
Chill dough several hours or overnight
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Place some sugar in a small bowl
Take a small teaspoon of dough and roll into a ball between your hands. Balls should measure 1/2 to 3/4 inches in diameter.
Roll the balls into the sugar. I do about 6 at a time.
Place balls on baking sheets covered with parchment with plenty of space between them. Bake about 7 minutes, depending if they are 1/2 inch across or more than 1 inch. You will see the cookies puff up and rise. Wait till they collapse flat before you take them out of the oven!!! But don’t let them get too brown. Take them out of the oven as soon as they all collapse flat. Add another minute if they haven’t collapsed yet.
Cool on the baking sheet 10 minutes. Then transfer cookies to cooling racks till completely cold
