Soup

This vegan soup has

1 lb dry lentils (brown or green)

2 medium onions, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the lentils according to package directions, then put in slow cooker. Saute onions until almost translucent, then add tomatoes, garlic and jalapeno. Saute just a few minutes more. Add sauteed veggies to lentils, cover with 6-8 cups of water and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low for about 10hours. The end result should be a deep brown, thick soup, with the onions, tomatoes and jalapenos barely noticeable.

2 cups kale, finely chopped

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 large cloves garlic

3 cups cooked cannelloni beans

2 1/2 cups stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

4 fresh sage leaves

1 teaspoon sea salt

black pepper, freshly ground

1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

pecorino cheese, freshly grated

Wash kale, remove stems from leaves. Roll up leaves and cut in thin ribbons. Set aside. In a soup pot, heat olive oil and briefly sauté garlic. Add about half the cooked beans and part of the stock. Purée remainder of beans and stock in blender, along with tomato paste and sage. Stir puréed beans into soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix kale into soup and simmer until kale has wilted (10 to 15 minutes). Add lemon juice and enough water to give soup the desired consistency. Season to taste. Serve topped with grated pecorino cheese.

Preparation: 30 minutes

Makes 3-4 servings

Note: 3 cups canned or previously cooked beans can be used instead. This will cut total preparation time to 30 minutes.

I make

4 cups (about 2 cans) organic chicken broth or vegetable broth

1/2 cup orange juice

1 pound carrots, chopped (I use a one pound bag of organic baby carrots--no chopping or peeling!)

1 russet potato, peeled and chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (don't leave this out--it makes the flavor and ginger is good for your mood and metabolism)

1 teaspoon grated orange peel (I grate the peel, then slice the orange to eat with my lunch)

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a large saucepan, combine the broth, o.j., carrots, potato, onion, ginger, and orange peel. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to lowish, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes or so.

Working in batches (I usually do 2 batches), puree the soup in a blender or food processor. I use a blender for about 1 minute each batch on high. Return to your saucepan.

Stir in:
buttermilk
honey
salt
nutmeg

Heat through for about 3 minutes. This makes six servings, 103 calories per serving. It is delicious with a spoonful of plain yogurt on top.