Kosher Vegan Lentil and Onion Soup

I love onions. When I lived in Germany, I'd sometimes saute a sliced onion with a couple cloves of garlic and eat it on a toasted baguette. My roommates thought I was The One Poor American, and therefore kept trying to kindly slip meat into my food for fear I'd starve to death.

• 1 pound brown lentils
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 small red onion
• 1 cup peeled pearl onions
• 2 leeks
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 head garlic
• 1 tbsp basil
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp olive oil

In a very large soup pot, bring the vegetable broth and bay leaf to a boil.

Meanwhile, dice the onions into different sized chunks for texture variation. Personally, I dice the red onion pretty fine, the yellow onion into larger chunks, and the white portion of the leeks into broad strips. Throw away the green portion of the leeks.

Bring a skillet to medium heat. Add the olive oil and all your onions (including the peeled pearl onions). Saute until the the onions start to turn translucent. Now press or dice all the garlic and add it in as well. Stir heartily and continue to cook until some of the onions just start to caramelize. Don't worry that a lot will still be translucent. They're different sizes and types. They're supposed to cook at different rates.

Now add the rest of the spices. Stir well so your onions are thoroughly coated.

Hopefully, your stock is now boiling. (If not, take the onions off the heat until the vegetable broth boils.) Add your pound of lentils to the boiling broth and stir well. Now dump in your onion mix. Try to scrape any lingering spices and such out of your skillet.

Once the mix is boiling again, give it another good stir. Now cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. If your pot is prone to boiling over, leave a tiny crack for steam to escape.

Stir once every half an hour. It should take about 2 hours for the lentils to fully cook.

Serve with a hearty brown bread. On the second day, it'll be thick enough to serve on top of cooked rice for a complete protein in one meal.

Kosher Lite White Chicken Chilli

This is a lite take on the heavy southwest inspired soups which are usually served with a ton of shreaded cheese and fried tortilla strips. In this version, the lack of cheese not only keeps it kosher, but also strips away a ton of calories. If you love cheesy soups, try adding a quarter cup shreaded soy cheese before serving.

• 12 oz cooked chicken breast, diced small
• 6 cups veggie broth or low fat, low sodium chicken broth
• 3 fifteen oz cans Great Northern Beans
• 2 four and a half oz cans diced green chilli peppers, undrained
• 1 can "Fiesta" corn
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp minced bottled garlic
• 1.5 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 6 cloves
• 1 bay leaf

Bring oil to medium-high heat. Add diced yellow onions, cloves, and garlic, then cook until onions are translucent. Add broth and stir well. Add all other ingredients, mixing well. Bring to a boil, then partially cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes, preferably for about an hour. Serve hot.

There are 30 Weight Watchers points in the entire pot. That adds up to 3 points per 2 cup bowl of soup - not as lite as the Confetti Soup, but incredibly filling.

Kosher Vegan Lite Confetti Soup

This is a light, tasty, zero point soup. The key to it is dicing the vegetables into very tiny pieces. A food processor works well in this regard. If you don't have one, just be patient when chopping.

• 6 cups home made vegetable broth
• 2 yukon potatoes, diced into 1/4 inch pieces.
• 1/2 large carrot, sliced very thin
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1/4 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 ear yellow corn (or 4 tablespoons canned)
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Bring broth to a boil. Add spices and potato. Cover and reduce heat to low. Add everything else. Mix well, cover and continue to simmer, uncovered, for another 15 - 30 minutes, or until potatoes are fully cooked. Makes about 8 cups. Like most soups, this one is even better the next day.

There are only 4 Weight Watchers Points in the entire pot. That adds up to about half a point per cup, so eat up and enjoy!

Kosher Vegan Lite Vegetable Stock

As part of my diet, I decided to experiment with home made broth. I'd always heard they were both tastier and better for you, but I'd never actually put in the time to find out for myself. Now, I'm glad I did. This broth is good enough to drink on its own as a soup. It freezes well and makes a fantastic base for quick soups.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 4 large yellow onions, with skin
• 4 celery stalks, with leaves
• 4 carrots
• 1 turnip
• 1 rutabaga
• 1 head garlic
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 4 strands fresh thyme
• 4 fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 16 cups (4 liters) water

In a large stockpot, heat oil at medium-high.

Chop all vegetables into rough pieces, no more than 2 inches each. KEEP the skin of the onions and garlic - they will add color as well as flavor.

Add the vegetables to the stockpot, stirring frequently until they are lightly coated in oil. Cook over medium-high, stirring frequently. Continue cooking until the vegetables are almost burned, about 20 minutes. If they start to smell burned, you've gone too far, but you really do want the vegetables to be dark brown and well past the point where you'd normally eat them. If they look edible, keep cooking. The longer you cook, the more flavorful your broth will be.

When the vegetables are a deep brown, add the water and fresh spices. You can find fresh spices in your produce section, but if they're not available, substitute 2 tablespoons of thyme and basil. Mix well and bring to a rolling boil. Partially cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer at least two hours, stirring about once every half an hour (more if you just like to peek in the pot every now and then.) Put in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, strain broth through 2 layers of cheesecloth. If you can't find cheesecloth, put oil splatter screen over a bowl. Put your colander over the splatter screen. Then carefully pour the broth through the two layers of mesh. Discard vegetables. Use or freeze broth.

This broth has no Weight Watchers points. That's right, folks, it's free!

Kosher Chicken Vatana Soup

It was 20 degrees outside and I was in the mood for a thick, hearty, chicken soup. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to experiment with the Vatana Dahl I picked up at Jungle Jim's. If you like light, sipping broths, cut all solid ingredients in half. I prefer dense soups that will fill you up on a cold night. This is a flavorful, colorful soup that helps warm the belly and sustain you for a long night out in the cold. Incidentally, Vatana Dahl is the same as yellow peas (remember Mendel's genetics experiments? These are the peas the west decided they disliked in favor of the common green peas found in the supermarket.)

• 1 cup dry vatana dahl/yellow peas
• 2 fourteen and a half oz cans fat free low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cans water
• 8 oz cooked chicken breast (about 2 small kosher breast halves)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 ear corn (or 1/2 cup drained canned corn)
• 1.5 tbsp oregano
• 2 tsp minced garlic (or 2 fresh chopped cloves)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Cover the beans with 2 - 3 inches of water and soak overnight. Trust me, you really have to do this. Dry beans stay ubercrunchy if you don't.

The next day, put the broth and 2 cans of water (just refill the broth cans) into a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Add all spices. Drain the soaking water off the beans and add them to the pot. Let boil uncovered for about 45 minutes. You'll boil off about 1 can of water. Don't worry. You're supposed to.

Meanwhile, chop the onion and red pepper and cut the kernels off the corn cob. When the soup has boiled for half an hour, add the onion, pepper, corn, and chicken. Cover and let simmer for another half hour. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add 1/2 cup of water and adjust seasonings to taste.

Points estimate for entire dish: Broth, 0; Water, 0; Vatana Dahl, 4; Chicken, 8; Onion, 1; Corn, 1; Bell Pepper, 0; spices, 0. Total points per serving: 2 (8 side dish servings), 4 (4 meal sized servings).

Variations:

• Add 1 can diced mild green chillies when adding spices to broth
• For a hotter soup, add 1/2 tsp red pepper or a few drops of your favourite hot sauce
• For a stronger base, substitute more broth for the cans of water

Kosher Turkey Val Soup

I tried to wait until we were out of Thanksgiving leftovers, but my new bean collection just calls to me. Instead of waiting, I've decided to combine something old and something new into something tasty. This soup is loosely inspired by the seasonings in white chilli (sans dairy), with the Val dal substituted for navy beans and the addition of seasoned tomatoes because, what the heck, they're in nearly every dal recipe I've ever seen.

• 4 cups chicken or turkey stock
• 2 cups shreaded chicken or turkey (leftovers)
• 2 cups Val dal
• 1 can Italian Seasoned tomatoes
• 1 empty tomato can of water
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Put everything in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 - 3 hours, until beans reach desired tenderness. Be careful not to overboil the soup, or these beans will disintegrate and turn into a gross mush.

Variations:

• Try adding 2 ears of fresh corn
• Try adding one diced red or green bell pepper
• I'm still new to Val dal, but I'm guessing this might be a good crockpot soup. Try dumping all the ingredients into a crockpot set to low before leaving for work in the morning, then serving it up for dinner. If you try this, please email and let me know how the beans turn out.

Kosher 2nd Generation Chilli

Heirloom recipes are wonderful things. I want to send a big Thanks out to Margi, my wonderful Mother-in-Law, for this incredibly tasty Chilli. I've made a few modifications (mostly substituting my beloved chick peas for red beans and flavored tomatoes for plain ones) but this is her recipe. It's not cheap. I usually spend around $60 getting all the ingredients. However, I end up with a massive vat of chilli (around 5 gallons) which will feed me and my husband for a week...or a large group of our friends for a night. If you make your own modifications, please leave in the two kinds of meat. They add variation in the texture, which adds a wonderful mouth-feel to the richness of the chilli. (Unless you are a vegeterian, in which case you are excused.) I also urge you to cut fresh corn off the raw cob rather than use canned (or *shudder* frozen). Fresh corn stays amazingly crisp even after days in the fridge.

• 2 pound roast, defatted and cut into cubes
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 2 yellow bell peppers, chopped
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 2 jalepeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 6 uncooked ears of corn, cut from cob (honest. Unlike canned, this will stay crisp)
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 four oz can diced green chilli's
• 2 28 oz cans chopped tomatoes with juice ("Italian" seasoned or plain)
• 2 fifteen oz cans white kidney beans/great northern beans (with juice)
• 2 fifteen oz cans chick peas/garbanzo beans (with juice)
• 1 cup strong coffee
• 1 twelve oz bottle beer
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp paprika or chilli powder
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 2 tbsp oregano
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp black pepper

Brown the ground beef, drain off the grease, and set it aside. Brown the cubed meat (I just put it in my George Forman grill while browning the hamburger), drain off the grease, and set aside.

In a deep kettle, add olive oil and onions. Saute until translucent. Add hamburger, steak, brown sugar, garlic, coffee, chilies, jalapenos, and all spices. Mix very well, then simmer for about 10 minutes. It should smell very strong.

Add all remaining ingredients. Stir until thoroughly mixed, then bring to a boil.

Once boiling, turn heat to low and simmer for at least 2 hours - the longer the better. Stir every half an hour. You can leave it simmering on low all night and enjoy it for breakfast in the morning, or refridgerate it before bed.

Serve with chopped onions, grated soy cheese, and either cornbread or crusty French bread.

Variations:

• For more traditional chilli, substitute red kidney beans for the chick peas.
• For hotter chilli, double the chilli powder.
• For economical purposes, cut meats in half and double beans.
• For vegetarians, eliminate the meats and substitute 3 pounds of veggie ground meat substitute. Add the veggie ground round when adding the canned tomatoes.

Chilli is good in the fridge for up to 5 days. To preserve, refridgerate overnight, then ladle single bowl sized servings into freezer safe plastic bags and freeze. Chilli stays good in freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, empty the solid block of chilli into a microwave safe bowl, add 1 tbsp water, and microwave for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir well, let sit for 1 - 2 minutes, and enjoy.

Kosher Cajun Meatball Soup

It's time for my weekly soup experiment. Today, I had some leftover beef sausage in the freezer and some "cajun" flavored canned tomatoes I wasn't sure when I'd use. I decided to make them the basis for a new soup, and while I won't dare call the "cajun" flavors authentic, they sure are tasty. Kosher Cajun Meatball Soup

• 1/4 lb kosher beef sausage
• 4 medium onions, diced
• 2 fourteen oz cans "Cajun" seasoned tomatoes
• 1 fourteen oz can red beans
• 1 fourteen oz can white beans
• 1 10ish oz can condensed kosher beef broth
• 1 eight oz can tomato sauce
• 1 twelve oz bottle beer (like wine, cook with what you drink)
• 1 six oz cup black coffee (trust me, even if you hate coffee, you want the bitterness)
• 4 ears fresh corn, cut off cob (or 1 twelve oz can yellow corn)
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 heaping tsp "cajun" seasoning
• 1 tsp black pepper

Roll the sausage into small (nickel sized) meatballs. Brown meatballs in a large saucepan (if you don't, they'll fall apart). Drain fat and remove meatballs.

In the same pan, brown the onions until translucent.

Add meatballs, onions, and everything else to a large soup pot and stir until well mixed. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat tolow, cover, and simmer for at least 1 hour.

Variations:

• Don't like beans? Leave them out. While the soup is simmering, cook 1/2 pound of your favourite pasta (I find ditali works well) according to package directions. Five minutes before serving, mix in the pasta and let it simmer for a few minutes.
• This is a good "stone soup" recipe. If you've got a little leftover bell peppers, mushrooms, or potatoes from last night's dinner, go ahead and throw them in.

A note on beer and coffee

If you just mix beer and coffee, you have a horrid tasting mess. It's no wonder people raise their eyebrows when I recommend both in tomato based soups. Trust me. The combination works. Beer adds a wonderful sweetness to soup, which is balanced by the bitterness of coffee, resulting in a wonderfully rich flavor. Even if you hate both beer and coffee, try using both in the soup. The alcohol will burn off and the flavors will mingle with the spices and other ingredients until the whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts.

Kosher Pasta Fagioli

I love soup, but I hate spending half a day slaving over a hot pot. My soups tend to be simplified, something you can make in around an hour without messing up your entire kitchen. This is no exception - but keep in mind, all quick soups are better the next day, when the spices have a chance to mingle overnight. You find some version of Pasta Fagioli at most Italian restaurants these days, but most versions I see are both way too busy and full of two or more kinds of pork. My Pasta Fagioli is heavily inspired by the soup you find at The Olive Garden, but without any pork or celery (which I personally despise.)

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 fourteen oz cans diced tomatoes
• 1 fourteen oz can chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• 1 fourteen oz can great northern beans/white beans
• 1 fifteen oz can tomato sauce
• 1 twelve oz can spicy V8 juice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 tbsp canned minced garlic)
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 2 tsp basil
• 2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 lb ditali pasta

Brown meat and drain off fat. Set aside. In the same pan (which will still have some grease in it) saute onions until translucent. Return beef to pan.

Add everything but the pasta. Mix thoroughly and bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour to let flavors mingle.

In a separate pan, boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and add to soup. Simmer for an additional 5 - 10 minutes.

Serve with a light salad and hot, crusty bread.

Variations:

• Make this vegan by leaving out the beef and doubling the beans. No other changes are necessary.
• For people who want the Olive Garden Experience, switch the chick peas to kidney beans and add 1/2 cup julianned carrots (easiest from a bag) and 3 celery stalks, chopped. You shouldn't need to change the spices.
• If you prefer a less spicy soup, substitute regular V8 for the spicy V8.
• For a spicier soup, substitute more spicy V8 for the plain tomato sauce.

Kosher Winter Lentil Soup

Most hearty brown lentil soups are made with pork. People insist there is no way to capture the flavor of a thick lentil soup without a ham bone in it. Ah, the naivete. In response, I submit this kosher lentil soup. I always think I'll have enough soup to provide my lunch for 3-4 days and always end up staring sadly into a fragrant yet empty pot by day 2.

This thick, hearty, Kosher soup is perfect comfort food for a cold winter day. It is inspired by the first course I enjoyed at a medieval themed bed and breakfast. Serve it with a hearty brown bread for mopping up the bowl. Like most soups, this one is even better as leftovers than it is the first day, so make it on a weekend and eat it for the rest of the week.

• 1 lb brown lentils
• 3 fourteen oz cans reduced sodium beef broth
• 1 fourteen oz can diced tomatoes
• 4 medium yellow onions, diced
• 4 large carrots, diced
• 3 tbsp chopped garlic (or 2 1/2 tbsp garlic paste, or 1 tbsp garlic powder)
• 2 tbsp coarse ground pepper (mixed peppercorns are best, but plain black will do)
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tbsp olive oil

  Wash and rinse the lentils. If you don't, you'll find some stones in your soup.

  Brown the onions and carrots in the olive oil over a medium heat for about 10 minutes.

  When the onions start to turn translucent, add the beef broth. Stir well. Add all other ingredients, stir well.

  Bring the concoction to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for the next 2 - 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Once the soup thickens from lentils in broth to a thick lentils in paste texture, it is ready to eat.

  The soup will be VERY thick, almost more like a beanpot. If you prefer a thinner soup, add an extra ½ can of beef broth and stir. If that is still too thick for your liking, add another ½ can of broth.

  
  
  Variations:
  
  * Vegetarians substitute veggie broth for beef broth and increase the thyme and basil by 1/2 tsp each. It won't taste exactly the same, but it will still be surprisingly good.

  * Beef lovers, when you add the broth, also add either 1/2 pound lean browned ground beef or 1/2 pound lean stew beef minced very small.

  * Instead of regular olive oil, use basil flavored olive oil. Do not reduce the basil.

  * Instead of plain diced tomatoes, use some of the pre-flavored tomatoes on the market these days, such as the garlic and oregano ones. Stick with European themed tomatoes. Cajun style, for example, wouldn't taste right alongside the other ingredients.

  * Rather than chop onions yourself, buy bagged frozen ones instead. 4 cups frozen onion works well.

  *If you're a good person who likes fresh veggies, rather than chop all the veggies by hand, cut the stems off the carrots and the outer skin off the onion then drop them all in a blender. The finer the veggies the better.

Canned Soup

This is a simple, hearty, parve soup made almost entirely from canned ingredients. It'll stay good about 5 days in the fridge and freezes well for up to 3 months. It's perfect for a busy weeknight meal.

• 1 bag frozen onions (10 to 16 oz will do, depending on how much you like onions)
• 1 diced bell pepper (red, yellow, or green)
• 2 cans Italian seasoned (Basil, oregano, Garlic) diced tomatoes
• 2 cans garbanzo beans
• 1 can yellow corn
• 1 can beer
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 2 tbsp minced garlic

Put everything in a pot. Stir. Heat until boiling, stirring occasionally. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and allow to cook for around an hour so flavors can blend. Serve with hot, crusty bread.

This makes fantastic leftovers. It gets much better the second day.