Curried Lentil Soup Recipe

We love lentils.  I've always wanted to come up with a good lentil soup recipe, and this one is my favorite.  The curry powder is the perfect compliment to the lentils, and the ratio of soup broth to lentils is spot-on.  This is a hearty soup that will be sure to warm you up on cold days.

Curried Lentil Soup Recipe

2 carrots
Olive oil
1-1/2 cups dry lentils
6 cups of water
3 tsp Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base
2 tsp curry powder

First, peel and dice the carrots.  Add a drizzle of olive oil to a large pot and add the carrots.  Use a wooden spoon to saute the carrots until they are lightly browned.  Rinse 1-1/2 cups of dry lentils, then add them to the pot with 6 cups of water, the Better Than Bouillon, and the curry powder.  Give it a good stir and wait for it to come to a boil.  When it starts to boil, cover it, turn the heat down to Low, and simmer it for one hour.  Serves 4+ people as a main course.  Side note:  Adding leftover cooked chicken to this soup is an excellent addition!

Homemade Chicken Pho Recipe

We love Vietnamese noodle soup (pho).  We used to go out to eat it quite regularly, so I decided to save some money and come up with a pho recipe of my own.  This recipe is fantastic.  I usually make it after I roast a whole chicken (Roasted Whole Chicken Recipe).  My house smells amazing when I make the pho broth!  It's so easy to make, too.  This soup can be made from mostly pantry and fridge items, with only a few fresh ingredients needed for the garnish.  The spice combination is so fragrant, and we think this pho tastes better than some of the chicken pho we've had at restaurants.

Homemade Chicken Pho Recipe

For the soup:

8 cups water
All of the leftover chicken bones and skin from a roasted whole chicken
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp + 1 tsp white sugar
2 tsp salt
10 whole cloves
5 whole star anise pods
1 cinnamon stick

6 oz package of rice noodles
1 cooked chicken breast
Handful of cilantro

For the garnish:

Lime
Several fresh basil stalks
Crisp chili oil or Sriracha
Hoisin sauce

In a large pot over High heat, add the leftover chicken carcass, skin, and bones, the water, fish sauce, sugar, salt, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon stick.  Bring it to a boil, then cover it and turn the heat down to Low.  Simmer it for at least 2 hours, preferably 4 hours.  When the time is up, let it cool, then strain the broth with a fine mesh strainer.   This recipe yeilds about 7 cups of pho broth.  3-1/2 cups of broth will make small bowls of pho for up to 4 people, or large bowls of pho for 2 people, and you can freeze the other half for later.

Before putting the soup together, soak the rice noodles in hot water for about 15 minutes.  I found the best way to do this is to put the noodles in a large pot, covered with cold water, then turn the heat up to High and set the timer for 15 minutes.  While the noodles are soaking, slice the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, chop a handful of cilantro leaves, halve and quarter a lime, and wash and dry the basil stalks.  Put the basil and lime slices on a plate for garnishing the soup.  Set out the crisp chili oil or Sriracha and hoisin sauce.  Reheat the broth to boiling.

When the 15 minutes are up for the rice noodles, I turn off the heat, drain the water from the noodles, then put equal amounts of noodles in the bowls, topped with a generous helping of sliced cooked chicken.  I next fill the bowls with hot pho broth (being sure to cover the noodles and chicken), add a small amount of cilantro leaves, and serve it with the basil, lime, chili oil or Sriracha, and hoisin sauce on the side.  Bean sprouts, jalapeno pepper slices, and sliced white onion are also common garnish for pho soup.  Enjoy!

Hearty Beef Stew Recipe

I love a good beef stew - and I'm proud to say that my beef stew recipe is one of the best I've had.  Now that Sam has braces, I'm making lots of "soft" meals these days, and this recipe couldn't be better.  This beef stew is a very hearty meal, complete with carrots, parsnips and turnips. The spice blend I put together really compliments the beef and my house smells amazing when I make this.  Also, the beef is so tender it just melts in your mouth.  This is a great dish to make with Homemade Broth if you happen to have it on hand, if not, your favorite beef broth will work great (I use Safeway Kitchens Beef Broth) or even chicken broth.   We love this stew with grilled flat bread on the side.

Hearty Beef Stew Recipe

Olive oil
2 lbs Beef Bottom Round Roast or other beef stew meat (Boneless Beef Chuck Cross Rib Roast is especially excellent!)
3-6 carrots
2 medium parsnips
2 medium turnips
1 cup fresh chopped parsley leaves (this will go in the stew last)

1 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
4 bay leaves

4 cups beef broth (one 32 oz. container)
Salt to taste after tasting added beef broth

3 heaping tbsp unbleached flour whisked with 1/3 cup water for slurry

Sour cream for garnish

To start with, cut the beef into 1" or so bite-size squares and set aside.  Peel the carrots, parsnips, and turnips (for the carrots and parsnips I use a potato peeler, for the turnips, I use my knife).  Chop the carrots, parsnips and turnips into 1" or bite-size pieces and set aside.  Rough chop a handful of fresh parsley leaves to get 1 cup worth and set aside.  Mix all of the spices together in a small mixing bowl and set aside. 

Drizzle a good amount of olive oil into a large pot, then over High heat, add the beef.  Wait a minute, then use a wooden spoon to move the beef around the pot and brown it.  While the beef is cooking, it will release a lot of liquid into the pot.  Cook the beef through, then add the spices and bay leaves and give everything a good stir with the wooden spoon.  Next, add the carrots, parsnips and turnips and the beef broth and stir it again to mix it all together.  Taste the beef broth before adding any salt to the stew.  Salt to taste.  Wait for it to come to a boil, then cover the pot, turn the heat to Low, and let it simmer for at least 2 hours (preferably 3 hours or longer).

When the 2+ hours are up, add the flour and water to a small bowl and use a small whisk to whisk the flour with the water to make a slurry to thicken the stew.  Whisk it until it is smooth with no lumps  Remove the pot lid and pour the slurry in, using the wooden spoon to gently stir the stew as the slurry mixes with it.  Turn the heat back up to High and stir it for a couple of minutes to thicken it a bit.  Turn it back to Low and add the chopped parsley leaves to the stew, stirring it again.  Remove the bay leaves at this point.  Leave it on Low without the lid until you're ready to serve the stew.  Serve it in large bowls and put a dollop of sour cream on it.   Serves 4-6 people as a main course. 

We like our beef stew with grilled flat bread on the side.  To make grilled flat bread, drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle a little salt on one side of the flat bread and add it to a hot grill pan, oil/salt side down, for 3 minutes.  Sprinkle a little more olive oil (no salt this time) on the remaining side, flip it and grill it for 2 minutes.  Remove the flat bread and cut it into triangles.  It's great dipped in the stew!

Split Pea with Ham Soup Recipe

I love split pea soup.  When I was a kid, it was really the only way my mother could get me to willingly eat peas.  This is one of my favorite soups, especially for lunch with a grilled sandwich on a cold winter day.  This is also a great use for left-over ham after the holidays.

Split Pea with Ham Soup Recipe

Olive oil
2 cups of cooked, cubed ham
4 cups water
2 tsp Better Than Bouillon (Kosher or Organic) Chicken Base
1-1/2 cups split peas

Drizzle some olive oil in a large pot over Med High heat and add the cubed ham.  Use a wooden spoon to saute and brown the ham.  Add the water, Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base and split peas.  Give it a good stir and scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the pot into the soup, then bring it to a boil.  When boiling, cover the pot, and lower the heat to Low.  Simmer the soup for 1 hour, covered, over Low heat.  Serves 4 people.

Homemade Broth Recipe

I've been making stock from meat and poultry bones for years.  Recently, I've come up with the right recipe for making broth.  The great thing about broth is that it is ready to go, already salted and seasoned.  You can make veggie or meat or poultry broth with this recipe.  I divide it and freeze it into two three-cup packages and I'm good to go when I want homemade soup for my family.  Pictured above is pork broth I made with the leftover shoulder bone and fat from the Crock-Pot Shredded Pork for Tacos I made recently.

Beef, Pork, Chicken, or Turkey Broth Recipe

Bones and fat left-over from roasted beef, pork, or poultry
8 cups water
1-1/2 to 2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
4 bay leaves

In a large pot add all of the bones and fat left-over from your roasted beef, pork or poultry. Add 8 cups of water, the salt, pepper, sugar and bay leaves and turn the heat up to High. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and lower the heat to Low. Simmer it for at least four hours, covered, on Low heat. Let cool, then strain the broth with a fine mesh strainer. Divide the broth into freezer bags if you plan to freeze it. Makes 6 to 7 cups of broth, depending on how long you simmer it.

Veggie Broth Recipe

You can use any veggies you want in your broth like carrots, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, cabbage, onions, etc.  Here is what I usually do:

4 carrots
8-10 mushrooms
Some left-over Roasted Yams
Olive oil
8 cups water
1-1/2 to 2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
4 bay leaves

Peel the carrots and cut them into 2 inch pieces.  Wipe the mushrooms clean and quarter them.  Drizzle some olive oil into a large pot over High heat and add the carrots and mushrooms.  Use a wooden spoon and saute the carrots and mushrooms until browned.  Add the left-over yams, water, salt, pepper, sugar and bay leaves.  Use the wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot and give it a good stir.  Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and lower the heat to Low.  Simmer the veggies for at least four hours, covered, on Low heat.  Let cool, then strain the broth with a fine mesh strainer.  Divide the broth into freezer bags if you plan to freeze it.  Makes 6 to 7 cups of broth, depending on how long you simmer it.  The following is a picture of veggie broth.

Creamy Yam Soup with Mini Meatballs Recipe

I love creamy, dairy-based, squash and potato soups I get every now and then at restaurants. I can't make these kinds of soups at home, so I decided to come up with a way I could make a creamy-type soup we can eat at home without using milk or cream. I had some left-over Roasted Yams and Carrots in my fridge and realized the roasted yams would be really good pureed in my blender with some chicken broth and put into a soup. The Egg-Free Mini Meatballs are a fantastic addition in place of pasta. This soup is so creamy and full of flavor, it is perfect as a main dish for lunch or dinner.

Creamy Yam Soup with Mini Meatballs Recipe

Make Roasted Yams and Carrots using this recipe. It will take 1 hour to roast the vegetables for this soup. You will need to let the roasted vegetables cool off before putting the yams in the blender to make the soup.

Make Egg-Free Mini Meatballs using this recipe. It will take about 30 minutes to make the meatballs. You can make them ahead of time and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to make the soup.

For the soup:

4 cups water, divided
2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base(Kosher if you can find it), divided
Shredded parmesan cheese (fresh) (optional)

When the yams and carrots are cooled, remove the carrots and slice them in uniform slices. Put the sliced carrots aside.

Next, put half of the cooled, roasted yams in a blender. Add 2 cups of water mixed with 1 tsp of Better than Bouillon and "Liquify" the mixture. Pour the yam soup into a large soup pan over Medium-High heat. Put the second half of the roasted yams in the blender with 2 cups of water mixed with 1 tsp of Better than Bouillon and "Liquify" the mixture again. Pour it into the soup pot as well. Add the sliced carrots to the soup pot, along with the mini meatballs.

Gently stir all of the ingredients together in the soup pot. Let the soup come to an initial boil, then reduce the heat to Medium-Low and let it simmer for 30 minutes before serving. Shredded parmesan cheese (fresh) is a great topping for this soup. Serves 4 as a main dish.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies Recipe

I love homemade chicken soup and I love pie crust, so I came up with a chicken pot pie recipe for my family. I created a simple chicken soup recipe that when thickened, makes a great filling for the pie. Years ago I found this Flaky Pie Crust recipe on Vegan Pantry's website and I use it exclusively for all of my pot pies and fruit pies. This recipe takes about 2 hours from beginning to end (1 hour prep, 1 hour baking), but believe me, it's worth it. We absolutely love chicken pot pie night at our house.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies Recipe

1 large carrot or 2 medium carrots
1/4 head of a small green cabbage

2 tbsp olive oil
Pepper
3-1/2 cups water
3 bay leaves
2 tsp of Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base(Kosher if you can find it)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup frozen peas (optional)
2 heaping tbsp unbleached flour whisked with 1/3 cup water for slurry

1/2 recipe of Flaky Pie Crust (I use 1 cup of just unbleached flour for it, not both types of flour)

4 Pyrex Original 10-oz. Custard Cups

To prepare the vegetables and the chicken breasts:

Wash and dry all of the vegetables. Peel and slice or dice the carrots. Slice the small chunk of cabbage into strips and chop it into small 1 inch pieces. Cut the chicken breasts in half so they fit in your pot easier.

To make the pot pie filling:

In a large pot over High heat, add the olive oil, cabbage and carrots. Pepper to taste. Saute the vegetables for about 10 minutes to get them slightly browned. Add the water, Better than Bouillon, and bay leaves. When boiling, add the chicken breasts. Get the soup back to a boil, turn the heat down to Low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer the chicken breasts for 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pot and cut the cooked chicken into bite-sized cubes. Return the cubed chicken to the pot. (Add the frozen peas [optional].) In a small bowl combine the flour and water to make a slurry, using a small whisk to get all of the lumps out, and mix it in the soup. Raise the heat to Medium High and let the soup simmer for a few more minutes to thicken up, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat when done and remove the bay leaves.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

For the pie crust:

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Lightly flour your work-space. Roll each piece into a ball and then use a rolling pin to roll the crust into a circle large enough to overlap the tops of the custard cups and cover the pies.

To make the pot pies:

Spray the custard cups with non-stick cooking spray. Fill each with pot pie filling to within 1/2 inch from the top. Lay the pie crust round on top of the filling, flip over the edges, and press the dough to the sides of the custard cup to seal the crust. Cut a small slit in the top of each pie. Place the pies on a cookie sheet and bake them in the oven for 1 hour. Makes 4 individual chicken pot pies with left-over filling.

With the left-over filling, you can eat it by itself as a soup another time, or just re-heat it and serve it with the pot pies on the side for those who want more filling while they're eating their pies. When I make pot pies, I make 3 pot pies, and serve the left-over filling on the side.