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Category Archives: Soup/Stew

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Spiced Almonds

1 medium head of cauliflower (cut into florets)

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, with skin

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

 

Transfer the cauliflower, onion and garlic onto a cookie sheet. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle salt. Roast for about 30 to 40 minutes until the cauliflower is golden brown. Keep aside.

2 tablespoons butter

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom seeds

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup sliced almonds

Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add the spices, salt and almonds and toast on medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool and keep aside. This can be done a day before and kept in the fridge.

1 medium red skin potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1 cup half and half (substitute with coconut milk for vegan)

5 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Salt

Harissa for garnish

In a large pot, bring the stock to a boil. Add the potatoes, cauliflower, onion and garlic and boil for 10 minutes till the potatoes are tender. Blend the soup with an immersion blender or in a blender till smooth. Transfer back to the large pot and bring to a boil, cook for 10 to 15 minutes on a medium heat. Check for seasonings and add more stock if needed. Strain the soup (it is optional but I prefer the smooth consistency). Serve with a sprinkle of almonds and a small dollop of harissa.

 

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup with a Smoked Paprika Cranberry Compote

This soup has yummy Latin flavors and it can be a great addition to a fabulous holiday menu…

  • 4 to 5 medium sweet potatoes, skin pierce with a fork

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet and roast till cooked, about half an hour to forty minutes. Take out and let cool. Take the skin off and roughly chopped.

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 chipotle pepper, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • Salt
  • ¼ cup half and half
  • ¼ cup milk
  • Zest of a lime
  • Juice of half a lime

Heat a heavy saucepan and add the olive oil. Add the roasted cumin seeds and sauté for 20 seconds on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, chipotle pepper, brown sugar and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Blend the mixture in a blender until smooth. Transfer back to the saucepan and add the half and half and milk. Mix well and add salt. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes and turn the heat off. Add the lime zest and juice. Mix well and check for seasonings.
Serve the soup with a dollop of compote.

Smoked Paprika and Cranberry Compote

  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Bring the cranberries, orange juice, zest, smoked paprika, salt and brown sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Simmer, covered for about ten minutes or till the cranberries burst open. Check for seasonings and cook uncovered for another two to three minutes. Turn heat off and add the cilantro.

Channa Dal with Curry Leaves

2 tablespoons extra light olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 green chili, chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 cup channa dal, rinsed and soaked in water

2 cups water

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

Juice of one lime

1 teaspoon ghee or oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

5 to 7 curry leaves

1 teaspoon garam masala

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat a medium pressure cooker with the oil. Add the onion, garlic and chili. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato and sauté for 2 minutes on medium heat. Drain the dal and add to the sautéed onion. Add the water, salt, cayenne pepper and turmeric. Bring to a boil and cook under pressure for 20 minutes. Take the lid off once the pressure has subsided. Continue to cook on medium heat. Add the  lime juice and check for seasonings.

In a small frying pan, add the ghee, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes till the cumin seeds begin to sizzle. Transfer the cumin seeds and curry leaves to the cooking dal. Mix well and add the garam masala and fresh cilantro. Serve warm.

Moroccan Style Vegetable Stew with Olive Gremolata

This is a great vegetarian stew to make for company or through the week- and a great recipe to post for meatless Monday!! It does have a whole lot of ingredients but most of them are very common and are usually in a pantry. Harissa is a Moroccan style condiment that is made with red peppers and can have some heat as well… it is commonly found in super markets…

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 dates, pitted and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon harissa paste
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 2 large carrots, chopped
  • 1 large yellow pepper, chopped
  • 1 14 ounces can of tomatoes (I used fire roasted with green chilies)
  • 1 cauliflower head, cut into small florets
  • 1 14 ounces can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 3 to 4 cups water or vegetable broth
  • Salt

Heat a large saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onion and cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cinnamon, coriander, cumin and cayenne pepper. Saute for 2 minutes on medium heat. Add the garlic and dates and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the harissa paste, tomato paste and flour. Saute for another 2 minutes. Add the carrots and pepper. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cauliflower and chickpeas. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes and add the water or broth. Bring to a boil and add 2 teaspoons salt. Lower the heat and cover with lid and cook for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and continue cooking till the consistency is of a thick stew. Check for seasonings and keep aside.

Gremolata

  • ½ cup green olives, chopped (I used olives stuffed with garlic)
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup golden raisins, chopped
  • Zest of one large lemon

Mix the olives, parsley, raisins and lemon zest in a small bowl. Top the stew and serve.

 

Indian Fish Curry

Fish Curry with Sole

This recipe is inspired by a bengali fish curry. It doesn’t have any tomatoes or yogurt as a base for the gravy. It is mostly flavored with spices including mustard seeds and onion seeds- which is one of my favorite combinations. It is quite simple and quick to make…

  • 2 pounds fish fillets, (any white fish will do)
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Marinate the fish fillets with the lemon juice, turmeric and salt.

  • 4 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 2 teaspoons kalonji (onion seeds)
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, grated
  • 2 tablespoons ginger, grated
  • 2 medium yellow onions, chopped fine
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups water, fish or chicken broth
  • Salt

Heat a non stick pan with the 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Saute the fish pieces briefly on high heat. Keep aside. Add the leftover oil from the non-stick pan to a saucepan and add the remaining coconut oil. Heat the pan and add the mustard and onion seeds on medium heat. Saute for a minute. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onions, coriander powder and bay leaf. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the liquid and salt and bring to a boil. Add the fish pieces and simmer for a few minutes till the fish is cooked through but not over done. Check for seasonings and serve with rice.

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

Vegetable Tagine

Great healthy way to start off the new year!

Spice Mix

  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Roast the cumin and coriander seeds in a cast iron skillet on a medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or till the seeds become aromatic. Take off the heat and grind smooth in a coffee grinder. Take out in a small bowl and add the turmeric and cayenne pepper. Keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon harissa
  • 3 to 4 medium yellow potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 medium turnips, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 3 to 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • Salt
  • 1 cup green olives, sliced
  • ½ cup dried apricots, sliced
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons dried mint, crushed

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, harissa and the spice mix. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, turnips, carrots, chickpeas, chicken stock and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover with lid and cook for 30 minutes. Take the lid off and check to see if the root vegetables are tender. Mash some potatoes with the back of a wooden spoon to slightly thicken the liquid. Add the olives and apricots. Turn the heat up to cook off some of the excess liquid to get the desired consistency- it should be like a thick soup. Add the almonds, cilantro, parsley and dried mint. Check for seasonings and serve with couscous.

Matzoh Ball Soup With Dill

  • 3-4 pounds whole chicken, the breast taken apart
  • 1 large onion, cut into half
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, with skin on
  • 1 cup dill

In a large stockpot, add the chicken pieces, onion, carrots, garlic cloves and dill and cover it with about 4 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer removing the foam off the top periodically. Take the breast pieces out after about 15 minutes. Cook the rest on a simmer for 2 hours.
Cool the broth off and take the chicken pieces out. Shred the breast pieces including the rest and keep aside to add to the soup right before serving.

Matzoh Ball Soup1

Strain the broth and smash all the vegetables with the back of a ladle and strain as well. Taste the broth and add salt if needed.

Matzoh Balls

Matzoh Ball Soup3

  • 1 packet Manischewitz Matzo Ball Mix

Follow the recipe to make the matzoh balls. Also add the following:

  • 1 small shallot, grated
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 2 tablespoons dill, chopped fine

Mix the shallot, garlic and dill into the matzoh ball mix and cook according to the directions.

Soup

  • 2 carrots sliced in rounds
  • 2 teaspoons dill, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded chicken

Bring the broth to a boil and add the carrots and chicken.
Add the cooked matzoh balls to the broth and taste for seasonings. Add the dill right before serving.

Matzoh Ball Soup2