Lemony White Bean Soup with Greens - KindSoups

This was another KindSoups creation.  I made the vegan version, and for the greens I used a combination of collard greens, dino kale and red chard, as well as baby spinach.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 – 2 pounds ground turkey (optional, leave out for vegan version)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 large onions, diced
• 3-4 large carrots, diced
• 2-3 bunches sturdy greens, such as kale, broccoli rabe, mustard greens or collard greens
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, plus more to taste 
• 1/3 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• 9 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 3 quarts chicken stock (or vegetable broth)
• 6 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed (prepared these in the slow cooker with onions)
• 3 cups chopped fresh, soft herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, basil, tarragon, chives or a combination
• Fresh lemon juice, to taste

Instructions

• Heat a large pot over medium-high for a minute or so to warm it up. Add the oil and heat until it thins out, about 30 seconds. Add onions and carrots, and sauté until very soft and brown at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rinse the greens and pull the leaves off the stems. Tear or chop into bite-size pieces and set aside.
• When the onions are golden, add tomato paste, cumin and red-pepper flakes to the pot, and sauté until paste darkens, about 1 minute. Add garlic, ginger and salt and sauté.
• (Use of a turkey is optional) Add turkey, breaking up the meat with your spoon, until turkey is browned in spots, 4 to 7 minutes. 
• Add stock and beans, and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until the soup is thick and flavorful, adding more salt if needed, 15 to 25 minutes. If you like a thicker broth, you can smash some of the beans with the back of the spoon to release their starch. Or leave the beans whole for a brothier soup.
• Add the greens to the pot and simmer until they are very soft. This will take 5 to 10 minutes for most greens, but tough collard greens might take 15 minutes. (Add a little water if the broth gets too reduced.)
• Stir herbs and lemon juice into the pot, taste and add more salt, cumin and lemon until the broth is lively and bright-tasting. Serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil and more red-pepper flakes, if desired.

 

Collard (and other greens) salad

https://fruitsandveggies.org/blog/everyday-chef-prep-collard-greens-deliciously-creamy-tangy-salad/

The dressing was quite solid and didn’t come out at all like the creamy texture in the photos.  The taste was very good, and I enjoyed having the apple in the salad.  I tried adding avocado oil but that didn’t help.  I might try more lemon next time or making it in the magic bullet instead of whisking by hand. 

Add some other protein and make it a meal!

The Salad
Serves 4

5 cups shredded collard greens
1 cup shredded carrots
1 red apple, sliced and julienned
⅓ cup finely chopped parsley
3 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds

Lemon Tahini Dressing
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup tahini
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Remove any tough stems from the collard greens, and then stack on top of one another in a pile. Starting with one end, tightly roll the collards in a bundle then slice to create thin ribbons. Cutting the collards this way will make them easier to enjoy raw.

Add the sliced collards, shredded carrots, apple, parsley, and scallions into a large bowl. Whisk together the garlic clove, tahini, fresh lemon juice, smoked paprika, salt and pepper until creamy and smooth. Season to taste if needed, then add to the collard bowl.

Toss together until well combined. The easiest way to do this is using your hands, gently massaging the dressing into the vegetables until well coated. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve. 

Pinto bean dip recipe

From   https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/234081/pinto-bean-dip/?print

I tried cooking a pound of beans in my slow cooker.  After 5 1/2 hours, I turned it off because the beans were cooked and starting to fall apart.  I cooked them with 1/2 large onion and some spices, but no salt, as that might interfere with how they cook.  I only needed about 2/3 of it for a soup I was making (note - one bag is probably the equivalent of 4-5 15oz cans of beans).  So I found this recipe as a way to use the rest.

It can use a bit more taste - I didn’t have peppers so I added a spice blend I had from another recipe that probably didn’t make up for the heat.  I did cut down on the salt, as was suggested and only used 1/4 tsp.  I added cumin and coriander, and now I’m letting it set for a while to see if I need to add anything else. 

Pinto Bean Dip

Just like the bean dip you buy in the store but a lot less expensive. The heat can be easily controlled.

Submitted by PRESIDENTJIM

Prep Time:

 

5 mins

Total Time:

 

5 mins

Servings:

 

6 

Yield:

 

6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

• 3 slices canned jalapeno pepper

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon white sugar

• ¼ teaspoon paprika

• ¼ teaspoon onion powder

• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Place pinto beans, vinegar, jalapeno pepper, salt, sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper in a food processor; blend until smooth.

Nutrition Facts 

           

calories44
total fat 0g
saturated fat 0g
sodium 567mg
total carbohydrate 8g
dietary fiber 2g
total sugars 0g
protein 3g
vitamin c 1mg
calcium 23mg
iron 1mg
potassium 129mg

Dressings for stir fry vegetables

From chatGPT when asked for a dressing for stir fried spinach,onions, okra and bell peppers.  I used the first dressing and added about a full tsp of rice vinegar.  It was good for a quick sauce.  

Here are a few easy dressing / sauce ideas that go really well with a stir-fry of spinach, bell pepper, okra and onion (you can drizzle these after cooking or quickly toss in the pan right before turning off the heat):

1. Simple Soy-Garlic Dressing

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 clove garlic (minced)

• Optional: ½ tsp rice vinegar or lemon juice for brightness (used about 1 tsp rice vinegar)

2. Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Juice of ½ lemon

• Pinch of salt & black pepper

• ½ tsp dried thyme or oregano

3. Spicy Ginger Sauce

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• ½ tsp grated fresh ginger

• ½ tsp chili flakes or a few drops of hot sauce

• 1 tsp honey or sugar (balances the heat)

4. Peanut Stir-Fry Sauce

• 1 tbsp peanut butter

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp lime or lemon juice

• 1–2 tsp water (to thin it)

• Optional: pinch of chili powder

5. Balsamic Glaze

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 1 tsp olive oil

• ½ tsp honey (optional)
  Mix and drizzle — works surprisingly well with onions & peppers.

Would you like me to pick one and format it as a full recipe (with exact steps and quantities for your vegetables)? 

Burst Cherry Tomato Orzotto with Basil, Arugula and White Beans

  

Adapted from NYT

We made this with KindSoups ... my version was modified, but it was delicious! 

I added a leek, used barley instead of orzo, mixed a few types of white beans, used Nutritional yeast for Parmesan

Ingredients: 

• 1/3 cup olive oil 
• 3 large shallots, chopped (about a cup)
• Salt 
• 1 head garlic – grated 
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper, to taste
• 4 ½pounds cherry tomatoes 
• 3 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped, plus 1 sprig (also used thyme, oregano)
• 2 pounds orzo (or barley)
• 4-6 cans (or 1 1/2 lb dry – precooked) cannellini (or other white) beans
• 3 quart (12 cups) low-sodium vegetable broth (used 6 cups, came out mostly solid)
• 2 cups grated Parmesan, plus more for serving (used 1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast instead)
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (used vegan)
• 1 lemon, juiced (more to taste)
• Arugula, optional topping for serving (used spinach)
• 
  

Instructions

Step 1 – Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, some salt and cook, stirring often, until the shallot is translucent and fragrant, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, another minute or so more.

 

Step 2 – Add the tomatoes, basil sprig and 3 cups water and cover the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and let cook, covered, until the tomatoes are very soft and easily burst when pressed with a wooden spoon or spatula, about 10 minutes.

 

Step 3 – Use the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to press the tomatoes against the side of the pot until all the tomatoes are broken down. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a steady yet gentle boil.

 

Step 4 – Cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato liquid has thickened, slightly deepened in color and reduced by about half,  10-12 minutes. The mixture will go from very brothy to a tomato soup-like texture.

 

Step 5 – Stir in the orzo, broth and some salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring every minute or two and making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking, until the orzo is tender and saucy, 10-13 minutes more.  Add the beans and stir it around to be well blended.

 

Step 6 – Remove the pot from the heat and discard the basil sprig. Stir in the Parmesan, butter, lemon juice and chopped basil until silky and evenly combined. Season to taste with salt as needed. Serve immediately, topped with fresh arugula and more Parmesan, as desired.

Pizza with Apples, Leeks and Lemon Zest Labneh

From Love and Lemons Everyday Cookbook

I had lots of leeks from Chitra's farm and was searching for recipes.  I'd love to make this as intended, but tonight I didn't have any crust, so I just made the topping with leeks, purslane (which I used to pull up as weeds - turns out it's quite tasty!), and apple, and herbs from her farm, including sage, rosemary and thyme.  It was very good.  I bet a cauliflower crust with the rest of the ingredients would be very good! 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups diced leeks, white an light green parts (1-2 leeks)

2 tsps EVOO, plus more for drizzling and brushing

1 Gala apple, finely diced

1 Homemade Pizza Dough (p. 291) or fresh store-bought

1.5 c white cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves

Lemon Zest Labneh (p. 295 or below, made 1 day ahead to drain)

1/4 cup micro greens or 1/2 cup arugula

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

LABNEH: 

1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt

3 tsp lemon zest

Heaping 1/4 tsp salt

Mix ingredients, scoop onto cheesecloth -> bring edges together, tie around a wooden spoon and place the spoon across the top of a medium bowl so the labneh hangs in the center but doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl.  Chill overnight.  Unwrap -> should be soft yet cohesive ball, where edges can pull away from the cheesecloth.  

Use as a cheese spread or dollop onto salads, pizza or flatbread. 

DIRECTIONS:

1) Rinse the diced leeks and set on a towel to dry.

2) In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the leeks and a few pinches of salt and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add the apple, reduce the heat to medium low and stir until softened, about 3 minutes more.  Remove from heat and set aside.

3) Preheat oven to 500 degres F.  Roll out the pizza dough to fit a 14" round pizza pan and preface the dough for 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven and top with the cheese and sautéed leeks and apples.  Drizzle lightly with OO and brush the edges of the crust with a bit of oil.  Bake for 12 minutes or until the toppings and edges of the crust are golden brown.

4) Remove from oven a top with the fresh thyme, dollops of the labneh, drizzle of OO and the micro greens.  Season to taste and serve.