A New (Creamy, Smooth) Beans & Greens Soup

Last winter, I made a fabulous, easy "beans & greens" soup. Yesterday I made up another version that might have even been better. Well, maybe not better, but it was enjoyed by everyone in our family and I am thinking it was due to the last step, when I blended the soup into a creamy puree. I had green soup on my mind when I did my marketing the day before. I think it was last weekend when I read an article about one woman's venture into satisfying green soups. (I'll have to dig up the article...) We all know leafy greens are good for us. And when the weather turns brisk and drizzly there's nothing more satisfying than soup. I like soups, my kids don't love them. My motive for coming up with a health and protein-packed soup that they actually like stems from the fact that both kids have already missed a day of school because they were sick. After a summer of chicken nuggets and other junk from snack bars, it's time to get back to nourishing meals when we're at home.

The "recipe" (if you can even call it that, because it's so simple):

A New Beans & Greens Soup
(makes a giant pot, at least 12 servings)

1 lb dried navy beans, soaked*

8 cubes Rapunzel brand vegetable bouillon

16 cups of water

2 T frozen garlic, or a few cloves (minced)

22 oz (two large boxes) kale or other leafy greens**

optional: chicken sausages, sliced (see my notes at the bottom photo)

Bring the water, bouillon cubes and garlic to a boil. Add soaked beans and cook over a medium simmer until the beans are tender (about 1 hour). During the last few minutes of cooking, add the leafy greens and cover. Let the greens wilt and stir them into the soup.

The soup is done, your kitchen will smell fabulous and you can sit down and enjoy the soup as is-- very chunky. Or, as you'll see in the photos below, you can blend it until smooth. You can either do so using an immersion blender (which I don't have), or you can let it cool down and run it through a regular blender, until desired consistency. This soup freezes beautifully, so making a big pot and setting some aside for a busy night is ideal.

*I quick soaked the beans, because I had not planned ahead to make soup. The method for quick soaking beans is to bring 1lb of beans to a boil for 2 minutes, in 10 cups of plain water. Then turn the burner off, cover the pot, and let the beans soak for 10 minutes. Drain and proceed as you would with beans soaked overnight.

** Our local Whole Foods has many convenient packages of greens these days. Yes, they cost more. But....if their convenience encourages you to use them in your cooking, then I think they're worth it!

I first served the soup to the kids as is, plus I added some whole wheat rotini I had leftover in the fridge to their bowls before heating them. My little one had a hard time getting the soup from bowl to mouth without in slopping everywhere and dribbling down his chin...

I enjoyed the texture and the individual tastes of the beans and kale. But, I did wonder what it would be like pureed...

So, the next meal, I popped it into the blender...

and whizzed it around using the pulse function, stopping at this point to check and see if they wanted it a bit chunky still? Nope. They wanted it smooth.

So, this is where we ended up, and all four of us enjoyed it. I had my bowl vegetarian, or as is. For the kids and my husband, I added a few cooked chicken sausages when blending the soup. They loved this addition. It gave the soup even more bulk, protein from the chicken and a nice smokey flavor.

beans & greens soup

This is one of those fabulously simple made-up recipes that's worth passing along, especially if tomorrow ends up being a rainy day. There's nothing more comforting than a bowl of homemade soup on a rainy day, don't you think? Originally inspired by Kelley, the project manager of one of my favorite local non-profits (who also happens to be a great home cook), this is my version of "kale-white bean soup". I made a double batch last week and shared it with a few special people that could use a night of comforting food. It was a hit.

Beans & Greens Soup

(8 servings)

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, diced
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup pancetta, chopped
1 bag Trader Joe's Southern Greens blend (found in the produce section)*
5 (14.5 oz.) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 (32 oz.) boxes veggie broth

* this is a pre-cut, pre-washed combination of mustard, turnip, collard and spinach...you could make your own 5 cup combination of hearty leafy greens like kale instead but I love that I can save a little time by just popping this greens mixture right into the pot...


In a blender, combine two cans of cannellini beans and one (32 oz.) box of broth. Pulse until smooth. Set aside. (This is what is going to thicken the soup.)

In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, pancetta and garlic and saute 5 minutes. Add the greens and saute another few minutes. Then add the broth, cannellini beans, and the pureed beans (that you just blended). Cover the pot and cook over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until greens are wilted and tender. Serve warm with crusty bread and a hunk of good cheese. Freezes beautifully too.

follow-up to black bean cake recipe

There's a meatless meal idea conversation going on over on the Facebook page, and a recipe that I recently proposed to one friend was the Black & Pinto Bean Cakes when asked for a cheese-less idea that isn't spicy. I thought it might be helpful to share a few more photos of the prep of that recipe, in case any of you might be giving it a whirl tomorrow as a "Meatless Monday" option.

The reason I like this recipe, when cooking for varying tastes, is that it's a healthy base from which kids and adults can then customize their toppings. When I make these, I put out a "topping bar" of: sour cream, a mild and spicy salsa, chopped cherry tomatoes, chopped avocado, corn, shredded cheese, jalapenos, etc.

Here's the original recipe again:

Black & Pinto Bean Cakes

1 onion, diced
olive oil
two 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
one 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 tub crumbled Feta**
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder (optional, omit if you want them more mild)**
2 eggs
1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (maybe a little more)

Even if you're modifying the ingredients, the first two steps are always the same: preheat oven to 350 degrees and saute the onion in a bit of olive oil, until tender, and set aside to cool.

Then my recipe tells you to mash the beans coarsely. I find using a potato masher works best for this part.

This is where you want to get in terms of texture. Some beans are left whole and some are smashed into more of a paste. But if your family prefers a smoother texture, then keep on mashing!

Next you'll incorporate the rest of the ingredients into the mashed beans. I do this with my hands so I can really tell that things are mixed together.

My friend had asked for a meatless meal without cheese, that wasn't spicy so, here's how I'd go about modifying the original Black & Pinto Bean Cake recipe:

Because I am leaving the Feta out, I'll add a hearty pinch of Kosher salt so I still get the saltiness the Feta gives the cakes. My kids like cumin, so I'd leave that in. But in lieu of chili powder, I would add some or all of the following to bump up the flavor in a non-spicy way:

• lemon zest
• fresh cilantro or 1-2 cubes of Dorot frozen cilantro
• minced garlic or 1-2 cubes of Dorot frozen garlic
• or I could go for more of an Indian flavor and add mild curry powder...

As you can see, these bean cakes are really a blank palate that you can flavor to, as you wish. As soon as you've added your choice of spices and herbs, you shape bean mixture into 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick patties and place them on a cookie sheet that's been lightly sprayed or rubbed with olive oil. Then bake the cakes at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through and a little crispy on the outside, carefully flipping the cakes after 10 minutes.

You can also freeze uncooked black & pinto bean cakes for a later dinner. I layered them in a tupperware between sheets of parchment. The day we were going to have them I thawed them in the fridge and then baked them as instructed. Had I baked them from frozen, I would have just doubled the cook time, flipping them after 20 minutes instead.

Extra cooked black & pinto bean cakes can be stored in the fridge, and simply heated in the microwave. They lose their crisp outer edge, but are still tasty.

Meatless Meal Idea: Black & Pinto Bean Cakes with Feta

Whoa, time to play catch up. My friends' comments that my postings have been few and far between have gotten less subtle. Apparently, while we can all do recipe searches online, many of you are waiting for me to cull through the clutter and test the recipes on my own kiddos, passing along those that everyone likes-- and that we can all quickly whip up. Lucky for you, everyone's (finally) healthy and back to school as of today. I am doing a little happy dance right now, but I'll spare you the visual. I do, however, have some cooking videos (from this winter when the film crew was here) that I will be sharing once I have a moment to work out the technological side of things.

In the meantime, let me share a good recipe...or two or three.

I know a few of you are trying to incorporate more meatless meals into your family dinners. Here's one that I recently made that was a total hit:

Black & Pinto Bean Cakes

1 onion, diced
olive oil
two 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 tub crumbled Feta
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder (optional, omit if you want them more mild)
2 eggs
1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (maybe a little more)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute the onion in a bit of olive oil, until tender, and set aside to cool.

Place drained pinto and black beans in large bowl. Using a potato masher (or fork if you don't have one), mash beans coarsely. (You want some left whole, and some smashed into more of a paste, so your cakes will have good overall texture.) Mix in onions, feta, garlic, cumin, chili powder, eggs and 1 cup of whole wheat breadcrumbs. Using your hands, combine all ingredients. (If necessary, add additional breadcrumbs until you get to the consistency of oatmeal cookie dough. You want the patties to hold their shape.)

Shape bean mixture into 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick patties and place them on a cookie sheet that's been lightly sprayed or rubbed with olive oil. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through and a little crispy on the outside, carefully flipping the cakes after 10 minutes.

The cakes themselves are more of a vehicle for toppings than being scrumptious on their own. I serve warm with a variety of toppings, letting each person choose their own. Here are some topping ideas:
Corn (fresh, or thawed frozen)
Cherry Tomatoes, halved
Avocado chunks
Sour cream
Guacamole
Salsa
Hot Sauce
Pickled Jalapenos
Shredded Cheese

And to answer the next burning question of whether my kids ate them too?: Absolutely! They loved them. I went light on the chili powder and heavier on cumin. Then I let them choose their toppings...and to spice mine up, I just added some extra hot sauce.

Simple Make-Ahead Side Dish Idea: Lentil Salad

We're on a lentil kick around here. So, in the spirit on having sides on hand to make getting dinner on the table a cinch, here's another favorite make-ahead, simple side to share with you:

Lentil Cucumber Salad

Trader Joe's Black Beluga Lentils (which come fully cooked in a baggie, or cook lentils from your own market according to the package)
English Cucumbers, diced
Fennel (bulb part only, not the leafy part), diced
Dill (fresh, or dried if you forgot to pick it up at the market...)

Garlic
Lemon juice
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt

Combine the lentils, cucumber, fennel and dill in a mixing bowl. (I didn't put amounts in this recipe because you can go heavier or lighter on any of the individual ingredients, depdnding upon what you and your family like best. The one in the photo is heaviest on the fennel, and about equal on the lentils and cucumbers.)

Then, in a blender, combine the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt to taste. (I like my dressings very tangy. I recommend starting with a 1:4 ratio of lemon juice to olive oil and you can always add more acid (lemon juice) or base (olive oil) until you get the taste you like best. Add salt if necessary.) Pour dressing over lentil salad and let sit in fridge for up to several days. (It gets better the longer it sits and flavors meld.)

If you're looking for more side ideas, check out the comments section of this "Raising Foodies" post. There are so many great ones!! I have a particular affinty for this fellow blogger since we seem to be on the same wavelength... my boys just dug into a scrumptious blueberry crisp we whipped up together.

Sides to have on hand for quick summer dinners: Quinoa Salads

We are having a great summer. But, with days chock full of swimming, parks, tennis, and running around the yard, dinner is often times an afterthought. In the fall and winter I love to fill our home with the smell of something delicious bubbling on the stove. In the summer? We usually roll in minutes before dinnertime. The key to avoiding chaos is to have some good sides on hand. Then you can just pop some chicken or fish on the grill and dinner is made in minutes. The black bean salad I posted a few weeks ago is excellent and will hold up for several days. Quinoa salads are packed with protein and are another favorite here.

Quick Quinoa Salad with Lentils

Quinoa (cooked according to pkg, usually 1 cup quinoa: 2 cups water, covered at a simmer for about 15 minutes)
Trader Joe's Black Beluga Lentils (which come fully cooked in a pouch)
Veggie of choice (I used tomatoes)
Fresh herb (I used fresh mint)
Scallions, white part chopped
Lemon, zested and juiced
Smoked paprika
Vinaigrette (I used olive oil, lemon juice and a dash of kosher salt)

Combine everything in a bowl and let the flavors meld. Will last for up to a week in the fridge. Great served alongside grilled fish, chicken, veggies or meat.

You can vary the taste of your quinoa salad based upon the veggies/beans/etc. you add and the vinaigrette. For more of my variations on quinoa salads, you might like to click here or here.

Black Bean, Corn & Jicama Salad

Black Bean, Corn & Jicama Salad

Black beans, rinsed and drained
Fresh corn kernels or frozen corn, thawed
Jicama, chopped
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Scallions, chopped
Basil, chiffonade or chopped

Lime juice
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Use proportions of the first six ingredients (black beans through basil) that your family will enjoy. Mix together in a big bowl, and add fresh lime juice and olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste.

The colors get a little less vibrant, but the flavors meld if it last a few days in your fridge. Great served with grilled fish, chicken, or can become a Mexican Shrimp Salad with the addition of some greens, grilled shrimp, and a drizzle of a little more lime vinaigrette...

Test run on teacher gifts (9 Bean Soup with Sausage and Kale)

My older son’s school encourages the little ones to make (not buy) holiday gifts for their teachers. In past years, we have made tins of the most decadent candied pecans ever…delicious to eat, but laborious. (And not the kind of labor my little ones can help with since it involves stirring hot, sugary nuts over and over, every ten minutes.) So this year, I was trying to think of a gift the kids could really help make, and that wouldn’t be “screwed up” if my almost three year old wanted to get in on the action. A local friend sent me the most gorgeous photos from her child’s Montessori service day, where the children gathered to assemble bean soup mixes for families in need. The jars were pretty to look at, I know they are good to eat, and if a teacher is inundated with baked goods and hand-painted mugs at holiday time, this could be a nice alternative—particularly if we make it based upon the delicious bean soup I regularly whip up for my family when the weather gets chilly.

Lots of websites have recipe ideas for 1 quart jars. Fine if you can find 1 quart jars, which I couldn’t. Closest thing to it was a 1.6 quart jar at Container Store. Just keep in mind, that if you find yourself in the same predicament, simply adjust recipes by 1.5.

Last weekend we assembled the jars. The kids scooped away. The beans were flying, and they had a ball. It is impossible to “mess up” this recipe, as all that is required is filling the jar with some assortment of beans. We used kidney, black eyed peas, barley, split peas, lentils, small red beans, black beans, chickpeas, and pinto beans. My older son made sure to get all nine types of beans into each jar, my younger son was more willy nilly, and he was just happy when the beans went in the jar. Needless to say, I bought extra beans since I knew I'd be vacuuming up a lot of beans…

Then I sent my younger one to Starbucks with dad so I could tackle the (more precise) seasoning packets with my older son. Our seasoning packet was made with a teaspoon each (or so) of: oregano, basil, tarragon, thyme, dried onion, chili powder, coarse pepper, dried lemon peel, parsley, garlic powder, and smoked paprika….I learned afterwards that Costco carries an Organic No-Salt Added Seasoning mix, which I would probably opt for next time!

I gave a jar a test run today, as it was my cook day for our Wednesday Supper Swap, and the soup is delicious.

9 Bean Soup (with Sausage & Kale)

1.6 quarts (about 6 cups) of dried beans (any type)

Two 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (I used ones with garlic and basil)

Two 34 ounce boxes of broth (I used organic chicken broth)

Seasonings/spices of choice (add in stages; you can always add more but not take it out!)

Optional – Sausages (I used Turkey Kielbasa)

Optional – Greens (I used a big bunch of kale)

Soak the beans overnight. The next day, drain and rinse the beans.

In a large stock pot, sauté the sausage in a bit of olive oil. (If this is strictly a bean soup, skip this step.)

Add the pre-soaked beans, enough broth so the beans are covered by about 2 inches of liquid, and 2 cans of diced tomatoes (as is, don't drain them).

Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low, letting the soup simmer for 2 ½ hours, or until beans are tender. You'll want to stir the soup every 1/2 hour or so, to prevent any beans from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

If you are adding kale (or any other leafy green) you’ll want to do so about the last 15 minutes of cooking.

This soup freezes beautifully, so go ahead and make a huge pot. It’s also a crowd pleaser after an afternoon of sledding.

Go-To Turkey Chili (easy and always gets rave reviews)

Despite the wild temperature fluctuations we’ve been having in the Northeast, I think of Fall as soup time. I love soups because I can usually toss things in a pot, then go on my merry way while they do their thing. Plus, there’s nothing more comforting that a bowl of warm soup. I recently made this chili in 15 minutes. It was one of those days when I never caught a break…but I’d promised a girlfriend I’d come over to catch up, and I’d bring dinner along. Plus there’s the whole issue of my husband wondering what it is I was doing all day (“oh, just eating bon bons honey”), so I thought I should quickly get dinner made for all involved...

The beauty of this chili “recipe” is that you literally sauté the meat, then dump in the other ingredients, let it simmer while you check email or give the kids a bath, and it’s done. Combine it with a side of cornbread (made using Trader Joe’s cornbread mix which doesn’t have anything funny in it), and it’s even better.

My Go-To Turkey Chili
(This chili freezes beautifully, and also makes a great meal to give to a friend in need, so I always make a big batch.)

Olive oil
2 lbs ground white meat turkey (also great with beef, or TVP crumbles)
2 onions, chopped
3 bell peppers, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can hominy (optional…I had some on hand)
1 jar marinara sauce or tomato sauce
1 jar salsa (whatever level of spiciness you like)
1 large can chopped tomatoes, no need to drain them, just toss them in)
Cider vinegar
Cinnamon
Cumin
Chili powder
(brown sugar, if necessary)

Saute the turkey and onions in a little olive oil. Once they have cooked for a bit, toss in the bell peppers and carrots too. Once the meat is cooked through, I toss in the 4 cans of beans. Last night I also added hominy because I had it on hand.

Then I poured in the tomato sauce, salsa, chopped tomatoes. For seasoning, I add a splash of cider vinegar (which you can correct with brown sugar if you ever get it too tart), and cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon. Continue adding the seasonings to taste. Turn the heat to low, and let it simmer for as long as you need. You'll just want to give it a stir every once in a while, so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.

There’s that it. You’re done. You just mastered the easiest chili (that always gets rave reviews)!

Cowboy Caviar

Here’s an appetizer idea for everyone gearing up for Labor Day weekend get-togethers. It was originally from our family friend, Gitti, who passed it along to my mom, who passed it along to me. Isn’t that the way most of the best recipes make it into our homes? It’s very simple to make, and a nice alternative to guacamole. Tonight, my mom and I are bringing it to the Wood River Valley Women’s Charitable Foundation’s Margarita Mixer. (I encourage my mom and women friends to read about the organization, as it’s a great concept that does so much good locally…)

Cowboy Caviar

15 oz can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
15 oz can show peg corn, rinsed and drained
2 avocados, finely chopped
½ cup tomatoes, finely chopped
1 bunch of green onions, white parts finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro, leaves rough chopped

Then for the dressing, in a blender or separate bowl you combine:

¼ cup olive oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp of cumin
dash of salt and pepper

Combine everything and serve with the tortilla chips that are shaped like mini bowls. Ole!

Note: that’s the original recipe above, but we realized we didn’t have red wine vinegar so I mixed half cider vinegar and half white wine vinegar this go round. Equally delicious. Also, for color, I think I’d add ½ a can to 1 full can of black beans. It’s scrumptious as is, but this addition would make it more colorful and would also add fiber and additional texture. So, if you have them on hand, toss them in too.

Citrus-Infused Black Beans

Simple. A great side for any Mexican/Cuban-inspired dinner!

2 oranges, juiced and zested into a saucepan
1 or 2 onions, diced
Cumin
Chili powder
Coriander
Cinnamon
Honey
Cider Vinegar
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

First I zested and juiced two large naval oranges into a saucepan. Brought that to a boil (to reduce the juice and give it a more pungent flavor). Added the diced onion as soon as it was chopped. Added a healthy shake of chili powder, coriander, cinnamon, and cumin. Let my little one squeeze some honey in for sweetness. Added a splash of cider vinegar for tang (but as it boils, this taste will mellow). Then once the liquid was reduced by about half I threw the beans in, popped a lid on top and turned the heat off to let the flavors meld. They are really delicious!

Making a Meal Multi-Task

I love it when I read an article in a magazine, or find a book, that gives me a pat on the back for what I am doing right and offers up ideas that are realistic. One of my more recent finds on this front is Lisa Barnes’ new cookbook, “Petit Appetit – Easy Organic Snacks, Beverages, and Party Foods for Kids of All Ages”. There are lots and lots of cookbooks out there, but I like hers because she does a good job of explaining what types of foods you should have on hand to easily create child-friendly homemade meals (similar to what I offer clients on my grocery shopping trips), she talks about how to instill good habits from the start and how to integrate your children in the cooking process. While I consider myself an excellent cook who is savvy in these areas, it’s always nice to have a refresher!

I recently made the boys Mango Chicken Quesadillas from the cookbook…but since I was hosting my book club that night (and my husband, achem, happened to be off on the ski slopes with college buddies which meant chaos between 5-7pm as I fed, bathed, and read to them and then quickly tidied up the house, opened the wine, lit a fire and put out a couple of apps in preparation for my friends’ arrival…) I needed a recipe that could multi-task. So after making two basic whole wheat tortilla brushed with olive oil/chicken/cheese/black bean/mango/cilantro quesadillas for them I doctored up the ones for my girlfriends.

For the mom ones, I added some mango chutney, more fresh cilantro, some finely chopped pickled jalapenos and a dusting of cumin, cinnamon and smoked paprika. I baked all of the quesadillas at 350 until they were crisp, and then sliced them into quarters for the kids, more manageable eighths for the moms (who don't want to put their wine glass down for too long). They were delish. I served them room temp with a dipping sauce I quickly whipped up (since whole wheat tortillas are fabulous, but a little dense) of Greek Yogurt + Mango Chutney + Chili Powder. The child dinner/hearty adult app was so good that I made it again the following week for my kids and my husband…then the next day brought the extra quesadillas over to a friend’s house so the mommies could enjoy a delicious lunch while the kids played.