Tag Archives: beans

Vegetarian chili

5 May

chili vegetarian

Here is a very good social isolation recipe, because it takes a long time to measure out the long list of ingredients and it makes a large amount, so you’ll have enough for several meals. It lasts a long time in the fridge, and it freezes well. So make sure you have everything on hand and start measuring! Once you’ve done that, the cooking is a snap.

You can control the heat mainly by the amount of cayenne pepper; the other spices add more flavor than heat.

The original recipe called for less zucchini and a small eggplant, but we didn’t really like the eggplant in it so we used more zuke. I also don’t care for green pepper so I use two red, yellow or orange peppers.

Ingredients:

2 tsp. kosher salt
¾ tsp. black pepper
1 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dry mustard
¼ to ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbs. dried cumin
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 green bell pepper, julienned
4 small zucchini or yellow squash, or some of each (about 1 lb.), cut in 1-inch cubes
4 plum tomatoes, peeled (soak in boiling water for 1 minute; peels slip right off)
1 (14-oz.) can crushed or diced tomatoes
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (or ½ tsp. dried)
1 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tsp. dried basil
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Grated rind of half an orange or lemon
2 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. ketchup
⅓ cup oil
3 cans beans (any combination of kidney beans, cannelini beans, black beans, pinto beans, Great Northern beans, black-eyed peas), drained
¼ bunch fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 Tbs. dried)
Optional toppings: chopped red onion, sour cream, shredded Cheddar or Mexican Blend cheese

Directions:

Combine the salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, mustard, cayenne, and cumin in a small bowl. Combine the thyme, rosemary, basil, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, rind, honey and ketchup in another bowl.

Heat the oil and fry the first group of spices for a few minutes. Add the onion, garlic, celery and bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the second group of seasonings, the zucchini, and the tomatoes and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the beans and parsley and cook for another 10 minutes or until the zucchini is soft.

Serve over brown rice to make a complete meal.

Top, if desired, with chopped red onion, sour cream and shredded cheese.

Serves at least 8

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Bean and spinach soup

31 Oct

bean-and-spinach-soupA nice soup for cool fall days.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. chopped garlic
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 cans (15 oz.) white beans, such as cannellini or great northern, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
Salt and white pepper to taste
1 package (10 oz.) fresh spinach, chopped, or frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, combine the black beans, red pepper parsley and balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Remove the soup from the heat and cool until it is very warm. Puree in food processor or blender (or with immersion blender) and return to the pot. Season with salt and white pepper. Stir in the spinach  and bring to a boil.

Divide the black bean mixture among 6 bowls and ladle the soup over the mixture.

Serves 6

 

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Stick-to-Your Ribs Cabbage and Bean Soup With Pasta

17 Dec

Cabbage-Bean-Pasta SoupThis is my favorite winter soup recipe. I adapted it from one I got at a Weight Watchers meeting many years ago; I make it every winter. It can stand on its own for lunch – or add a salad and some crusty bread to make a nice dinner. The hardest part of this recipe is opening and recycling all the cans!

The recipe makes a huge potful of soup, but it lasts well in the fridge. The original recipe says it is 3 points per 1½-cup serving, but the Weight Watcher system has changed since then so I can’t say what the points value is now. If you use vegetarian soy crumbles instead of beef, as I do, the soup will have fewer calories and less fat. You can also use high-fiber pasta. Even with regular pasta, it’s high fiber and low fat – and very tasty.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (or 1 bag veggie “beef” crumbles)
2 tsp. vegetable oil (if you use beef)
3 cups water
A small head of cabbage (1 to 2 lb.), chopped
Large can tomato juice
1 Tbs. dried oregano
1½ tsp. garlic powder
1½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. dried thyme
3 15-oz. cans kidney beans, Great Northern beans or a combination, drained and rinsed
3 14.5-oz. cans diced tomatoes, not drained
2 14-oz. cans fat-free beef or vegetable broth (or use 2 cups water and 2 tsp. beef or vegetable stock powder)
8 oz. uncooked pasta (I like elbow macaroni best, but you can also use spaghetti or angel hair pasta broken into smaller pieces or another small shaped pasta like shells)

Directions:

If you use beef, heat the oil in an 8- or 12-quart Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat and cook the beef until browned, stirring to crumble it. Drain well and return to pan.

Add all remaining ingredients except pasta. If you use veggie crumbles instead of beef, add them at this point as well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Add a little water if the soup seems too thick.

After 2 hours, raise heat if necessary to bring soup to a boil. Add pasta (if you use spaghetti or angel hair, break it into small pieces) and cook at medium-low heat for another 8 to 10 minutes until pasta is done.

Serves 12

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Taco Soup

7 Jan

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This has got to be the world’s easiest “home made” soup recipe. If you can chop an onion and open a bunch of cans and packets, you’re done! I got it many years ago from a colleague who, like me, was in Weight Watchers, and I make it every winter. At the time I got the recipe, the soup was one WW point per cup; that WW system is long gone, so I can’t say what it is now. But it’s still very low in fat and high in fiber.

Ingredients:

3 cans Great Northern beans (or use a combo of Great Northern and kidney beans)
2 14-oz. or 1 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 cup water
2 cups canned or frozen corn
1 medium onion, chopped
1 packet dry taco seasoning mix
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a 3-quart saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer about 1 hour.

Serves 6 to 8.

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