Smoky Minestrone with Tortellini and Parsley or Basil Pesto

 I chopped all the veggies for this soup on a Sunday and made it the next day. Once you have all the prep done, this soup is super easy to make. I thought the pesto was a nice addition, but Nick said he could take it or leave it. As long as you have time, I recommend making it. The sweetness of the balsamic vinegar is also a nice touch. Plus, leftovers are great for lunches.











Ingredients 

Soup

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 slices preservative-free, all-natural bacon, chopped into small pieces (I used pancetta)
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 leek, trimmed and sliced thinly
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 ribs of celery, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 potato, peeled and chopped
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 15 oz. can of cooked chickpeas, preferably organic
• 1 28 oz. can of peeled San Marzano tomatoes, with juice
• Salt
• 1 cup kale, chopped fine
• 1 9-ounce package of high quality, all-natural cheese tortellini
• Aged balsamic vinegar, for drizzling- optional
• Grated parmesan cheese for garnish- optional

Parsley or Basil Pesto

• 1 cup loosely packed basil or parsley
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

 For the soup:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook for a couple of minutes, until they start to brown.
2. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil along with the chopped onion, garlic and leek. Continue to cook, strirring occasionally, over medium heat until softened.
3. Add the chopped carrot, celery, zucchini, potato and stir around for a minute or two.
4. Add the stock, the chickpeas, and then the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you go. Add a few generous pinches of salt (be judicious if your stock is salted already). Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender.
5. Add the kale and the tortellini, and continue to cook over a simmer until both are tender and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve garnished with a spoonful of the pesto, a few drops of the aged balsamic, and a generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

For the pesto: 

1. Chop, chop, and chop the basil or parsley some more by hand until it's very fine...when you do this, you'll reduce it down to about 1/4 cup.
2. As you chop the basil, start to incorporate the other ingredients and chop them fine, too, until you have a lovely, finely chopped pesto.
3. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the olive oil. Use as a garnish for the minestrone.

Source: http://food52.com/recipes/4661_smoky_minestrone_with_tortellini_and_parsley_or_basil_pesto

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked
• 1 cup white hominy
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
• crushed tortilla chips
• sliced avocado
• shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• chopped green onions

Directions

1. In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, and chopped green onion.

Butternut Squash Soup with Poppy Seeds and Chickpea Curry Cakes with Citrus Mint Vinaigrette

My mom gave me the Skinny Bitch cookbook for Christmas so I decided to choose some recipes for dinner tonight. Butternut squash is one of my favorite soups so I decided to try this variation with agave nectar and some spices. The chickpea cakes looked to good to pass up and were fantastic with the citrus dressing. A great start to a new year of recipes!

The soup:

1 large butternut squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 quart vegetable stock

1 cup water

1 large red apple, chopped

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/4 cup poppy seeds (for garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees celsius.

2. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise, creating two equal halves. Scoop out seeds and place squash, cut-side up, on the baking sheet. Drizzle each half with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Put 1 garlic clove in each cavity and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes, or until squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Put aside the garlic cloves.

3. In a large pot, heat the grapeseed oil on medium heat. Add the onion and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the butternut

squash, apple, and garlic cloves. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and pour half of the soup into a food processor or blender. Let cool for 10 minutes. Puree the soup until

smooth. Add the remaining soup and blend together until creamy. Pour the soup back into the pot and add the ginger, agave nectar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sage. Season with additional salt and pepper, and garnish with poppy seeds.

The cakes:

15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup sliced green onions (white and green parts)

1/3 cup light coconut milk

2 teaspoons cane sugar

2/3 cup breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon curry

powder

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2/3 cup brown rice, cooked

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup grapeseed oil for pan searing

1. In a blender, combine the chickpeas and green onions. Pulse until combined, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the c

oconut milk, sugar, breadcrumbs, curry powder, nutmeg, and cumin. Stir until well combined. Add brown rice and salt. Mold into 10 mini patties.

2. In a large saute pan, heat the oil to medium heat. Add the cak

es to the pan in batches and saute until there's a nice golden sear on the bottom. Flip and sea the other side as well. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

The dressing:

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 lime, zested and juiced

1 orange, zested and juiced

2 tablespoon agave nectar

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed

1/2 cup cilantro, loosely packed

1/2 cup olive oil

salt to taste

1. Place the juice and zests of the lime, lemon, and orange, the agave nectar, mint leaves, and cilantro in a blender and pulse to combine.

2. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream. Continue until the mixture is creamy.

3. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Recipes from Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook

Tilapia Corn Chowder

The hardest thin about making this soup is chopping everything up. Once you got that down, throw everything in the pot and viola- a wonderful soup! I ate it with some naan and a green salad. What a great summer meal.

Ingredients

• 3 slices bacon
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 leek, white part only, halved lengthwise, rinsed and thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
• 3 ears of corn
• 1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, (optional)

Directions

1. Chop bacon and cook in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
2. Add oil to the pan. Add celery, leek, salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables just begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and corn. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the potatoes are just tender and the corn is cooked through, about 8 minutes
3. Stir in tilapia and thyme; return to a gentle simmer. Cook until the tilapia is cooked through, about 4 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
4. Stir in half-and-half, lemon juice and the reserved bacon. Garnish with chives, if using.

Source: eatingwell.com

Whole-Grain Pasta Soup with Greens and Parmesan

After getting home at 10:00 at night, I really didn't feel like making anything for dinner but was starving. This recipe did the trick. It was super quick, easy, and yummy. The cheese was a bit of a splurge (about $5.50 for 5 oz. of Parmesan-reggiano), but all the other ingredients were so cheap, it made the cheese worth it. For such a simple recipe, it had a lot of taste. The recipe also says that the soup is meant to be made just before serving; after a few hours in the broth, the pasta will turn soft and gummy.

• 10 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or homemade chicken stock)
• 3 cups very thinly sliced kale leaves (stems removed)
• 8 ounces whole-grain angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti, broken into small pieces
• 6 ounces parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• Red chile flakes (optional)

1. In a large pot over high heat, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add kale, reduce heat to medium-high, and cook 2 minutes. Add pasta and cook until tender but not soft, 4 to 7 minutes or according to package instructions. While pasta is cooking, use a vegetable peeler to shave cheese into strips about 3 in. long and 1/2 in. wide (strips do not need to be exact).
2. Just before serving, stir in lemon juice, then divide soup among 6 bowls. Top each bowl with cheese and a sprinkling of chile flakes, if you like.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Source: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1575586