Prep Time: 15 minutes (not including roasting the sweet potato)

Cooking Time: about 60 minutes

Serves: 4 – 6 people

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. ghee or unsalted butter
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp. each sea salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 3/4 cup roasted sweet potato*
• 12 ounces dry yellow split peas, rinsed and drained
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup coconut milk, (use the rest of the can for garnish)
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• chopped cilantro, black sesame seeds, micogreens for garnish

Directions:

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, warm the ghee or butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the ginger, turmeric, cumin, curry, sweet potato flesh, yellow split peas and broth. Stir and bring the mixture up to a boil, down to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 50-55 minutes until the peas are very soft.
3. With an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender, puree until mostly smooth. Return to the pot.
4. Stir in the coconut milk, orange juice and taste for seasoning. Add cayenne or more ginger if you’d like it spicy.
5. Serve each bowl with dollop of coconut milk on top, cilantro, black sesame seeds, and microgreens for garnish.

Adapted from www.sproutedkitchen.com.

Minestrone is an Italian-style soup full of vegetables, beans, and pasta. It is a hearty soup that acts more like a one-pot meal than a soup. My family absolutely loves this minestrone. It is somewhat of a ‘kitchen sink’ soup, in that you can throw in whatever you may have on hand in your refrigerator, such as broccoli, herbs, etc.

Yield: 6 servings

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced (1/2 cup)
• 1 large carrot, scrubbed well, then diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces), diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 28 ounces canned, no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
• 48 ounces (6 cups) low sodium vegetable broth
• 15 ounces canned, no-salt-added small red beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup dried, whole-grain elbow pasta
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized butternut squash (about 2 lbs)
• 6 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
• 3 cups chopped leeks (or substitute 1 chopped yellow onion)
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeds and ribs removed, minced
• 6 sprigs of cilantro for the base, plus more chopped cilantro to garnish
• Sour cream, or crème fraiche, to garnish

Directions:

1. Dice pre-cut squash into 1-inch cubes OR (if you buy the whole squash) peel the butternut squash with a vegetable peeler.  Cut in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds.  Slice into 1 inch thick slices, then dice into 1-inch cubes.
2. Place the squash cubes in a large saucepan and cover with broth.  Simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.
3. In another large saucepan, sauté the leeks and1/2 tsp. of the salt in the butter over medium low heat.  Cook for 25 minutes or so, until soft but not overly browned.
4. Add garlic, cumin and chili powder to the leeks.  Sauté for 1 minute.
5. Add the squash and its broth to the leeks.  Add tomatoes, cilantro sprigs, another 1/2 tsp. salt, and the chipotles.   Bring to a boil.
6. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
7. Cool slightly, then puree with an immersion blender, or pour the soup into a food processor or a blender to puree.
8. Return soup to the saucepan and heat through. Add more broth to thin if needed.  Garnish with a few dollops of sour cream or creme fraiche and a few tsp. of chopped cilantro.

Adapted from Annie Fenn of jacksonholefoodie.com

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups (16 oz.) carrot juice
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Coarse sea salt and white pepper
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
2. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add carrots and cook until very tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
4. Add carrot juice, broth, cumin, honey, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper.
5. Bring to a simmer; cook until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes.
6. Using an immersion blender*, puree soup.
7. Stir in half-and-half, if using.
8. Serve.

Notes:

*If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a blender or food processor and puree soup in batches.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried lentils
• 1 bay leaf
• several sprigs fresh thyme, or a few pinches dried
• 2 carrots, cut into ½ inch dice
• 2 celery stalks, cut into ½ inch dice
• 2 quarts vegetable stock
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned are fine)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ cup cooked brown rice
• freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Put the lentils, bay leaf, thyme, carrot, celery, and stock in a saucepan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
2. Turn the heat down to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it softens – about 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and stir, cooking for 1 minute more. Add 1 cup chopped tomatoes. Turn off the heat.
5. When the lentils are tender, fish out the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and stir the onion mixture into the soup. Add cooked brown rice. Add more stock if the soup is too thick.
6. Adjust seasonings and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.

Ingredients:

• 8-inch piece wakame
• 1 medium onion, cut into long strips
• 1 medium daikon radish, cut into half moons
• 1/2 block tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 5 cups water
• 1 to 2 tablespoons miso paste
• 2 scallions, chopped

Directions:

1. Wash wakame, soak for 5 minutes or until softened and cut into 1-inch pieces.
2. Add veggies, wakame, tofu and water to a pot and bring to boil.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Return miso mixture to pot, reduce heat to very low and cook 2-3 more minutes. Do not boil.
5. Garnish with chopped scallion.

Ingredients:

Soup

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Pinch of smoked paprika (de la vera is the best)
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 1 cup red lentils, picked through for stones and debris
• 1 large carrots, peeled and diced
• Juice of 1 lemon, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup snow pea shoots if desired
• Good olive oil for drizzling over soup at the end

Dressing

• 1/4 cup Tahini
• 2/3 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Pour some olive oil into a large pot on medium high heat. When the oil is hot and simmering, add the garlic and onions.
2. Cook until golden and translucent, but not colored – about three to four minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and cook for another two minutes.
3. Add the broth, an additional cup of water, the lentils, and the carrots. Bring to a boil, and then partially cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
4. Once the soup is simmering, combine the ingredients for the dressing and whisk until incorporated. Set aside.
5. After about thirty minutes, the lentils should be soft and creamy, the carrots tender. Taste, add a little salt if necessary, and then, once cooled slightly, carefully pour into a blender. Do this in batches, and cover the lid of the blender with a tea towel before turning it on. Don’t worry about getting the soup completely smooth – a few chunky bits will give it a rustic character. Return to the pot, reheat if necessary, stir through the cilantro, keeping some for garnish and add the lemon juice.
6. To serve, pour into bowls, sprinkle some snow pea shoots and cilantro, a drizzle of good olive oil and a drizzle of the tahini lemon dressing.

Credit: Courtesy of Liesl van Eeden