Cream of Brocolli Soup

(From The Moosewood Cookbook)

2 T butter
1½ cup onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 t salt
1 bell pepper, diced
4 cup broccoli, chopped
2½ cup veggie stock or water
2 cup milk
½ cup sour cream or yogurt
¼ t allspice
pepper
dash of thyme
½ t basil
1+ cup broccoli florets, sliced and steamed

1. Sauté onion and bay leaf in butter with salt over medium heat until onion is clear, about 5-7 minutes.

2. Add bell pepper, broccoli, and stock. Bring to a simmer, cover, and continue cooking for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is well cooked.

3. Discard the bay leaf and purée the soup in batches.

4. Stir in sour cream and spices, bring almost to a boil.

5. top with optional florets, and serve.

Carrot Ginger Soup

(From The Moosewood Cookbook)

2 lbs carrots
4 cups water
1 T butter or oil
1½ cups chopped onion
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 T freshly grated ginger
1½ t salt
¼ t each of cumin, ground fennel, allspice, dried mint
3-4 T fresh lemon juice

1. Peel and trim carrots and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Place in medium saucepan with the water, cover and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender -10-15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the butter or oil in a small skillet. Saute onions over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

3. Add garlic, ginger, salt and spices. Turn heat to low and saute for another 8-10 minutes until onions are very soft. Stir in lemon juice.

4. Using a food processor or blender, puree everything together. You will need to do this in several batches. Transfer the puree to a large pot and heat gently just before serving.

Lentil Soup

(from The Moosewood Cookbook)

3 cups raw lentils (rinsed)
7 cups water or stock
2 t salt
2 t minced garlic
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup minced celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1½ t thyme
3/4 t oregano
1½ T black pepper
2 T lemon juice
1½ cups chopped tomatoes
1½ T molasses or brown sugar
1 T wine vinegar
2 T dry red wine

1. Simmer the lentils (rinsed), water or stock and salt, covered 3—4 hours.

2. Steam, or saute in butter the minced garlic, onion, minced celery, chopped carrots. Add to lentil's after they've simmered 3-4 hours.

3. Continue to simmer on low heat.

4. Add thyme, oregano, pepper, tomatoes, red wine, lemon juice, molasses, and wine vinegar 30 minutes before serving.

5. Sprinkle extra vinegar and freshly chopped scallions onto each serving.

Southwestern Corn and Potato Soup

(from Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites)

1 cup finely chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 small fresh chile (I used a mild one), seeded and minced
1/2 t salt
4 cup vegetable stock
2 t ground cumin
1 med. sweet potato, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cup fresh corn kernels (I cooked six stalks for three minutes to get about 3 c. of kernels)
salt to taste
lime wedges
finely chopped cilantro leaves

1. Chop veggies.

2. In a covered soup pot, simmer onions, garlic, chile, and salt in 1 c. of vegetable stock for about 10 min., or until the onions are soft.

3. Add cumin and cook two more minutes.

4. Add the sweet potatoes and the remaining stock and cook about 10 minutes, or until sweet potatoes have softened.

5. Add the bell pepper and simmer for five minutes.

6. Add the corn and simmer, covered, for an additional five minutes.

7. Puree about half the soup in a blender and add it back in to the pot.

8. Garnish with lime and cilantro.

Coconut Spinach

(from Vegetarian World Classics)

1.5 pounds spinach (frozen is fine)
oil for frying
1 large onion, chopped fine
½ cup roasted peanuts
1 cup coconut milk

1. steam spinach (or defrost) and squeeze out as much water as possible. chop.

2. fry onion until soft.

3. puree peanuts with coconut milk. pour into saucepan with onion, cook on high heat slightly thickened (2 minutes).

4. stir in spinach.

African Groundnut Stew

oil for frying
3 cloves garlic
1 T coriander
1 T ginger
½ to1 t cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 onion, chopped fine
4 cups sweet potato (about 1.5 large), peeled and cut into chunks
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 zuchinni, cut into bite-sized chunks
½ to 1 cup peanut butter
1.5 cups okra, sliced medium
1 to 1.5 cups tomato juice
2 cups fresh spinach

1. boil sweet potatoes. when done, drain, let cool slightly, and mash.

2. fry onions in oil and spices until soft. stir in tomatoes (drained, save the juices and use them as tomato juice) and zuchinni and cook until partly done, about 10 minutes.

3. stir in mashed sweet potatoes, peanut butter, tomato juice, and okra, and cook uncovered until okra begins to cook, 5-10 minutes.

4. add spinach and cook for about 5 minutes, until it is wilted.

5. garnish with peanuts and serve over a bed of brown rice

Persian Split Pea and Barley Stew

(From Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites)

1/2 cup raw barley
1 bay leaf
1 large garlic clove
4 cups water
1 cup dried yellow split peas
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup onions
1 cup carrots
2 cups sweet potatoes
1 1/2 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons currants
1/4 cup minced parsley
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

1. In medium saucepan, bring barley, bay leaf, garlic and 2 cups of the water to boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Add split peas, cardamom, cinnamon, and remaining 2 cups of the water and simmer, covered, for another 45 minutes or until the barley and split peas are soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir occasionally, and if necessary, add a small amount of additional water to prevent the mixture from sticking.

3. While the barley and split peas are cooking, place onions, carrots, potatoes, salt, cayenne and stock in large saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Stir in tomatoes and currants and continue to simmer, covered for another 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

5. Add cooked barley and split pea mixture. Stir in parsley, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Discard the bay leaf.

Serve with a dollop of yogurt.