Lentil and Pasta Soup, Italian Style

LENTIL & PASTA SOUP, ITALIAN STYLE by Ellen Bales 

A high protein dish that is chock-full of herbs and veggies, sure to warm the heart and stomach. 

Recipe: http://www.recipe4living.com and justapinch.com 

Cook time: 30 Min Prep time: 20 Min Serves: 8 Ingredients 

INGREDIENTS

1/4 c olive oil 

1 carrot, peeled and diced small 

1 celery rib, diced small 

1 sm onion, peeled and chopped small 

2 lg cloves garlic, minced 

1 tsp dried oregano 

1 tsp dried thyme 

1 tsp dried basil 

2 c dried green or brown lentils 

8 c vegetable broth salt and pepper to taste 

2 c small pasta, cooked (such as orzo, ditalini, elbow, or shells) 

1/4 c romano cheese, shredded or grated 

DIRECTIONS 

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and saute the carrot, celery, and onion. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or untl soft. Add garlic, seasonings and lentils; stir. Cook for 30 seconds. 

2. Add broth, salt and pepper. Cover; simmer for 30 mnutes on low heat until lentils are tender. 

3. Add the cooked pasta to lentils; stir to combine. Serve with grated cheese sprinkled on top.

Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup

 

Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup

https://minimalistbaker.com/creamy-potato-leek-soup-vegan/#wprm-recipe-container-86225

Creamy, comforting, flavorful potato leek soup that’s plant-based, gluten-free, and easy to make. Made in 1 pot with just 9 simple ingredients!

AuthorMinimalist Baker

4.86 from 47 votes

PREP TIME15 minutes

COOK TIME30 minutes

TOTAL TIME45 minutes

Servings6 (~1 cup servings)

CourseSide, Soup

CuisineGluten-Free, Vegan

Freezer Friendly1 month

Does it keep?3-4 Days

Ingredients

• 2 cups sliced leeks, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/4 inch slices (1 medium leek yields ~2 cups or 180 g)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (or vegan butter // if oil-free, sub with twice as much water)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery*
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tsp fresh)
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups chopped potatoes, washed thoroughly, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (we prefer unpeeled Yukon gold // 1 ½ lbs yield ~4 cups)
• 2 ½ cups water (or sub up to half with vegetable broth and use less salt)
• 1 cup canned light coconut milk (or sub homemade cashew cream*)

FOR SERVING optional

• Sliced green onion or chives
• Coconut bacon
• Vegan sour cream

Instructions

• Remove the end and dark green part of the leek and discard (or reserve greens for making vegetable broth). Slice the white and light green part of the leek in half lengthwise and clean by running cold water over each half, getting in between the leaves to remove any dirt. Then slice into 1/4-inch slices.
• Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil, chopped leek, and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, until everything is slightly softened and fragrant. Add salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add in the potatoes, toss to evenly combine leek mixture with the potatoes, and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add in the water and coconut milk and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low simmer and cover for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. After 25 minutes your potatoes should be fork tender but still somewhat intact.
• Once your potatoes are cooked, use an immersion blender to purée 3/4 of the soup, leaving some small chunks of potato. You can also put half of the soup in a high-speed heat-proof blender, blend until smooth, and add it back to the rest of the soup. We like our soup a little rustic and brothy with pieces of potato, but you can also purée it until completely smooth if preferred.
• Taste and adjust as needed, adding salt for overall flavor, black pepper for kick, or more thyme for complexity.
• Serve in bowls (optionally) garnished with sliced green onions or chives, coconut bacon, and vegan sour cream. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 1 month. Reheat on the stovetop over low-medium heat until warm.

Notes

*Wondering what to do with extra celery? Make green juice!
*To replace the coconut milk with homemade cashew cream, soak 1/3 cup cashews in hot water for 20-30 minutes. Then drain and blend on high with 2/3 cup water until smooth and creamy.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.

Nutrition (1 of 6 servings)

Serving: 1 cupCalories: 149Carbohydrates: 24 gProtein: 2.8 gFat: 5.2 gSaturated Fat: 2.7 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4 gMonounsaturated Fat: 1.7 gTrans Fat: 0 gCholesterol: 0 mgSodium: 423 mgPotassium: 603 mgFiber: 2.7 gSugar: 3.4 gVitamin A: 551 IUVitamin C: 14 mgCalcium: 39 mgIron: 1.7 mg

Mushroom Soup (Vegan) with Wild Rice

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 c. raw cashews
• 4 T. butter
• 1 1/2 c. white or yellow onion, chopped (1 medium onion)
• 1 1/2 c. celery, chopped (~4 large stalks)
• 1 1/2 c. carrots, chopped (~4 medium carrots)
• 8-16 oz sliced mushrooms (~2-4 cups)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t. dried thyme
• 1/2 t. dried sage
• 3/4 c. uncooked wild rice (not a rice blend)
• 4 c. vegetable broth (I use Better Than Bouillon)
• 1 1/4 t. kosher salt
• 1 T. soy sauce (or tamari sauce - gluten free)
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 1 c. water

1. Put cashews into a small sauce pan, cover with water, heat to a slight boil, cover, remove from heat, and set aside to soak.
2. In a dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat and add the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, garlic and salt. Sauté for 10 minutes. 
3. Add spices, broth, and wild rice. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and allow it to simmer (uncovered) for about an hour. Make sure rice is tender.
4. Blend about half the soup (in batches) until smooth. How much you blend depends on how chunky you want the soup. When blending hot soup, under-fill the container, cover with a lid, and hold the lid on with a kitchen towel.
5. Drain and place soaked cashews in a blender with 1 c. water and blend until smooth and creamy. Add soy sauce (or tamari), pour into soup, and stir until well-mixed.
6. Serve with crusty bread.

 This recipe is adapt from an instant pot recipe... https://sladedcooking.blogspot.com/2019/12/description-most-comforting-soup-in-all.html

Instant Pot Vegan Cream of Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

Instant Pot Vegan Cream of Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

• Author: Alexis Joseph | Hummusapien
•  Prep Time: 10 min
•  Cook Time: 50 min
•  Total Time: 1 hour
•  Yield: 4-6 bowls 1x
•  Category: Soup
•  Method: Instant Pot
•  Cuisine: American

DESCRIPTION

The most comforting soup in all the land! This super easy and healthy Instant Pot Vegan Cream of Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup is the ultimate cold-weather meal. See recipe notes for stovetop version. https://www.hummusapien.com/instant-pot-vegan-mushroom-wild-rice-soup/

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INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (1 medium onion), diced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped carrot (4 medium carrots)
• 1 1/2 cup chopped celery (4 ribs celery)
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms (2 cups, add more if you love mushrooms!)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 3/4 cup uncooked wild rice (do not use a blend)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (sub tamari for gluten free)
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place cashews in a small bowl. Cover with very hot water and let soak while you make the recipe.
2. Place remaining ingredients except soy sauce and spinach in the Instant Pot. Cook on manual, high pressure for 40 minutes. Note that it takes ~10 minutes for the pot to come up to pressure before it starts cooking and counting down. Once it’s done, carefully quick release any remaining steam using the valve on top. Remove the lid and turn the machine off.
3.  Drain and rinse cashews. Place in blender (I used my Nutribullet) with 1 cup water and blend until completely smooth and creamy. Stir into soup along with soy sauce and spinach. Serve with crusty bread or croutons, of course!

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NOTES

Stovetop version: Follow step 1 and then sauté in olive oil the onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms, garlic, and salt in a dutch oven over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add spices, wild rice, and broth. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for about an hour, or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Proceed with step three.

Mushroom Barley Soup

By Tony Litwinko - Bon Appetit December 1995

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/mushroom-barley-soup-993

8 Servings

INGREDIENTS

1/4 c butter (1/2 stick)

1 lb mushrooms, cut into 1/2" pieces

2 large carrots, chopped

2 large celery stalks, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/2 c pearl barley, rinsed

8 c vegetable broth

2 T flour

1/4 c chopped fresh parsley

1 T chopped fresh dill or 1 t dried dill

PREPARATION

1. Melt butter in heavy large Dutch oven over med./medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion, and barley. Saute until vegetables begin to brown, about 20 minutes.

2. Add flour to pot and stir 5 minutes.

3. gradually mix in broth. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until barley is tender and soup is beginning to thicken, 40 or more minutes.

4. Mix in parley and dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

1. 
   

Mushroom Soup

Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook, 2004
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/231145
This is a ridiculously easy soup to make. It's tasty and durable, and it gets even better overnight.
Servings: Makes 4 servings. Recipe may be doubled very easily.
Ingredients:
6 T butter
1 small onion, thinly sliced
12-16 oz button mushrooms or substitute cremini
4 c light chicken stock or broth or substitute vegetable stock
1 sprig of flat parsley
Salt and pepper
2 oz high-quality sherry (don't use the cheap grocery-store variety; it's salty and unappetizing and will ruin your soup)
Equipment:
Medium saucepan, Wooden spoon, Blender
Method:

1. In the medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, then add the mushrooms and the remaining butter. Let the mixture sweat for about 8 minutes, taking care that the onion doesn't take on any brown color.
2. Stir in the chicken stock and the parsley and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour.
3. After an hour, remove the parsley and discard. Let the soup cool for a few minutes, then transfer to the blender and carefully blend at high speed until smooth. Do I have to remind you to do this in stages, with the blender's lid firmly held down, and with the weight of your body keeping that thing from flying off and allowing boiling hot mushroom purée to erupt all over your kitchen?
4. When blended, return the mix to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and bring up to a simmer again. Add the sherry, mix well, and serve immediately.

Improvisation:

To astound your guests with a Wild Mushroom Soup, simply replace some of those button mushrooms with a few dried cèpes or morels, which have been soaked until soft, drained, and squeezed. Not too many; the dried mushrooms will have a much stronger taste, and you don't want to overwhelm the soup. Pan sear, on high heat, a single small, pretty, fresh chanterelle or morel for each portion, and then slice into a cute fan and float on top in each bowl.

For a thicker consistency, blend only half of the soup mixture.

If you really want to ratchet your soup into pretentious (but delicious), drizzle a few tiny drops of truffle oil over the surface just before serving.

Tried Feb 2008 - GOOD!

Creamy Roasted Mushroom Soup

Bon Appétit November 2002
Big chunks of portobello and shiitake mushrooms make for a hearty soup.
Servings: Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Ingredients:
1 lb portobello mushrooms, stemmed, dark gills removed, caps cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps cut into 3/4-inch pieces
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 14-ounce cans (or more) vegetable broth
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Madeira
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with foil. Divide mushrooms between prepared baking sheets. Drizzle mushrooms on each sheet with 3 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Cover with foil. Bake mushrooms 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until mushrooms are tender and still moist, about 15 minutes longer. Cool slightly.
2. Puree half of mushrooms with 1 can broth in blender until smooth. Set mushroom puree aside.
3. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is tender, about 8 minutes. Add Madeira and simmer until almost all of liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add flour; stir 2 minutes. Add 2 cans broth, cream, and thyme. Stir in remaining cooked mushroom pieces and mushroom puree. Simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
4. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving, thinning with additional broth if necessary.)

May substitute cooking Sherry for the Madeira if necessary.