Soups Archives - Debra's Natural Gourmet

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January 1, 2023

(a traditional Turkish red lentil soup)

When I was 19, I spent seven weeks traveling around Turkey on $10 a day. On that budget, we ate a lot of soup! The ubiquitous red lentil soup was a staple, and I never grew tired of it.

I’m revisiting that memory now, first of all because it’s January. Time for something warm. Time for a dietary reset, after all the excesses (caloric and budgetary) of the holiday season.

Also, the store finally got Turkish urfa chili flakes in the bulk spice section, and they’re a revelation. Sun-dried and aged. Dark purple, verging on black. Malty, umami, like a deep red wine. A pleasant medium heat. We add a little to the pot, but the real flavor comes through in the chili-oil swirl.

1 yellow onion, chopped	1 heaping tsp cumin powder
2 medium carrots, chopped	½ tsp coriander powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped	3 Tbsp urfa chili flakes, divided
1 white potato, cubed	1 C red lentils
6 Tbsp EVOO, divided	7 C water or broth
2 Tbsp tomato paste	1 Tbsp lemon juice, plus lemon wedges to serve

In a Dutch oven or similar heavy-bottom pot, soften the onion, carrots, and garlic in 2 Tbsp olive oil for a few minutes.

Add the tomato paste, potato, cumin, coriander, 1 Tbsp urfa flakes, lentils, water, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until everything is soft, about 25 minutes.

Remove from heat, and blenderize until it’s smooth but not quite silky. Taste for salt and lemon.

Meanwhile, make the chili oil. In your smallest pot or saucepan, heat the urfa chili flakes in the remaining 4 Tbsp olive oil. Let it bubble around without burning for 2-3 minutes. Spoon over the soup, and give a quick swirl before serving.

Serve with lemon wedges. Some bread, salty white cheese, and olives on the table would also be nice. Cube some cucumbers and dress with olive oil. You have a meal.

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S3: Simplest Squash Soup

October 1, 2022

My wife makes a pot of this probably 3-4 times a month all during the cold seasons. It is simple, dependable, and nourishing. And, if you use frozen or pre-cubed squash, the whole thing is about 5 minutes of prep. We tend to use butternut, but you can use any winter squash, really – including the pumpkin “guts” leftover from carving your jack o’ lantern.

This soup has enough flavor to stand on its own. You can add some texture and protein with a sprinkle of crunchy roast pumpkin seeds, or mix in some cubed tofu or a cup of frozen peas. More flavor? It accommodates warming spices nicely. My wife and I both like Moroccan Berbere powder, but any good yellow/red curry will be fine.

What else to add? A few stalks of celery? Some parsnip? Sure, why not. Soups are by nature imprecise – and very forgiving.

Makes about 2 quarts

Ingredients

1 medium-large butternut squash, equivalent to:
- ~3-4 cups already cubed + peeled
- ~2 pounds already cubed + peeled
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled + chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
¼ C peanut butter
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 C water or stock
Optional: 1 tsp – 1 Tbsp Berbere spice

Directions

Sautee garlic in the oil until soft and fragrant
Add cubed and peeled squash, and soften slightly over medium heat, stirring so it doesn’t stick.
Add canned beans, optional Berbere, and enough liquid to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the squash is fork-tender.
Add peanut butter, and then blend with an immersion blender or a regular blender.
Test for salt. Serve

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Ribolitta: Your New Favorite Soup

February 1, 2021

Once again, our intrepid author / cook / photographer forgot to take a picture AFTER the recipe was completed. So… here’s a little montage of it being cooked. Imagine, though, if you will, crusty-soft-golden-brown crispy brothy chunks of bread beneath golden sizzles of parmesan, atop a dense vegetable soup, heady with garlic and rosemary. That’s the picture we should have taken!

Ribollita is the epitome of Italian peasant food. Simple. Flavorful. Nourishing. Balanced. Made from what’s lying around. And, when executed with artistry, absolutely sublime. A rich broth, heady with garlic and redolent of herbs. A sprinkle of parmesan. Even a crust (sort of). Peasant food, perhaps, but peasant food fit for a queen.

The name Ribollita means “reboiled.” Traditionally, servants and peasants would make it from leftover bean-and-vegetable soup, thickened with some chunks of day-old bread, and then reheated with a few handfuls of greens. If you had some rosemary, great! Sometimes, you’d scrounge up a parmesan rind to infuse some flavor.

If you actually have some nice garlicky minestrone around, you can skip right to step four. But I’m assuming you don’t, so we’re going to make this soup from scratch (well, except the canned beans…). And instead of just adding the bread, we’re going spread it on top, and bake it in the oven so the bread gets soft and brothy and crispy all at once. Like stuffing floating on soup.

Amply serves four

1 can good chopped tomatoes (see #2 below for note about size)	¾ pound rustic bread, old but not rock-hard. I use the Dan’s Brick Oven Bread.
2 bunches Tuscan kale	2-3 medium carrots
2-3 celery stalks	1 large purple onion
1 small wedge parmesan or 1 cup grated.	8 fat garlic cloves
1/3 C extra virgin olive oil + more to drizzle	15-oz cooked white beans. I used the Jack’s brand butter beans.
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional	two sprigs fresh rosemary, optional
6 cups water	salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425. Chop the carrots, celery, onion and garlic into soup-size chunks. Sautee in olive oil over medium heat, in a Dutch oven. Stir occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes, but save the juices. (To be clear, you want chopped tomatoes in thin juice, not crushed or ground tomatoes in thick sauce. The Cadia brand does nicely). I’ve been told a 15-oz can is more in line with tradition. But if you like tomatoes like I like tomatoes, go for a 29-oz can. Add to the pot and continue to cook and stir until they caramelize a bit, another 8-10 minutes. (This is why you leave the juices out: they caramelize better when they’re not too wet).

3. Add the reserved tomato juice, rosemary and pepper, beans, parmesan rind or 2 Tbsp grated parmesan (there are vegan options!), about 6 cups water, and 2 tsp salt; and simmer 8-10 more minutes. Remove the rosemary.

4. Meanwhile, remove kale leaves from stems, and tear into chunks. Save the stems for stock some other meal. You won’t be able to fit all the kale in the pot until it starts to wilt, so add about a third… wait till it wilts… add more, etc. Finally, fish out the parmesan rind if you used it.

5. Tear the bread into rough chunks around the size of golf balls, give or take. Mix a third of the chunks in the soup to thicken, and nestle the rest on top. Sprinkle with some more parm, drizzle with some more oil.

6. Bake at 425 about 10 minutes. Serve with more oil and parm if you want.

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Raw/Chilled Avocado Cucumber Soup

August 1, 2020

I’m always looking for summer recipes that don’t involve turning on the oven. This fits the bill perfectly. There is nothing original about this recipe, and you can find it all over the internet. I love it. Serve cold. While this does keep in the fridge for a few days, I think it tastes best the day it’s made.

Serve 2. Can double or triple the recipe very easily.

1 Haas Avocado	1 large or 2 medium cucumbers
2 Tbsp lemon juice, more to taste	2 C Water
2 cloves garlic	¼ C fresh parsley
1 tsp dry dill weed, or a few Tbsp fresh	1 tsp good salt
1 tsp ground black pepper	garnish(es) of choice: see below

Cut the cucumber into rough chunks (skin on). Peel and pit the avocado. Put everything but the garnishes in your blender, and blend until creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning so you love it.

Chill soup in the refrigerator. Dish out a big bowl for yourself or share with a friend.

Serve garnished with anything you like. Some of my favorite garnishes are chopped heirloom tomatoes, minced red onion, more dill, and fresh corn. Maybe some pomegranate seeds in season, or a spoon or two of mango chopped mango, or mango salsa. You can also drizzle or spiral a really good olive oil or pumpkinseed oil on top. All of these give color and texture to the soup. Personally, I like a slice of hearty bread with something as accompaniment. My something might be different than your something. Lately I’m fixated on Niman Ranch corned beef!

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Rich Coconut Milk Ceviche (Tofu or Fish!)

July 9, 2020

Takes about five minutes of prep! And a few hours of waiting and marinating. Serves 2-4.

¾ C unsweetened coconut milk	1 lb tofu, pumfu, or frozen fish
1 C diced orange pepper	½ C thinly sliced red onion
1 Tbsp sliced chile peppers, hot or not	4 tsp grated ginger
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)	¼ C raw coconut vinegar
¼ C lemon or lime juice	1 Tbsp minced cilantro (stem & leaf)
1 tsp good salt like Himalayan	¼ tsp black pepper
Lime wedges for serving

Before we get into the recipe itself, let’s talk about the choice of protein. Tofu or Pumfu (a richer version of tofu made from pumpkin seeds) are easy to work with, and require no prep. If, on the other hand, you use fish, use a high quality fish from someone you trust. And start frozen. For the average-thickness fillet, you want to take it out of the freezer about 10 minutes ahead of time. Fish that has just started to thaw is the easiest to cut.

Dice your protein into hearty bite-sized chunks. In a bowl, add all the ingredients except the lime wedges. Gently toss. Cover and refrigerate a couple of hours (overnight is perfect, too). Before serving in bowls or over rice, taste, adjust seasoning. Garnish with more cilantro leaves and serve with lime wedges.

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Warming Red Lentil Chowder

March 2, 2019

This soup isn’t a traditional chowder. But we’re going to call it a chowder anyways, because it’s creamy and chunky at the same time. Red lentils (masoor dal) cook quickly and melt into the base of rich coconut milk, bright tomatoes, and gentle spices. Shiitake mushrooms give you something to chew on, and you can add more than just shiitakes if you’d like: use this soup as a base for seafood, chicken, tofu, or even more veggies.

Don’t be afraid of coconut, because it contains a good saturated fats called medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which provide easy-burning energy, protect the heart, and increase nutrient absorption. MCTs don’t raise blood triglycerides like other vegetable fats. Shiitake mushrooms strengthen our immunity. Ginger is warming and promotes digestion and circulation. And cilantro has its own health benefits — and even if you normally don’t like it, you will here, as it doesn’t overpower the dish.

Serves 4

2 C crushed or diced tomatoes	2½ C unsweetened coconut milk*
¾ C red lentils	1 med onion, finely chopped
1 C sliced shiitake or other mushrooms	1 C chopped cilantro
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped	2-3-inch piece ginger, grated
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil	1 Tbsp yellow curry powder
¼ tsp red pepper flakes	½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp good salt, more to taste	3 C water

Gently warm olive oil in the soup kettle. Add onions and sauté until soft, 5-8 min. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add lentils, stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes, ½ C chopped cilantro, salt and pepper and 2½ C water. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and add 1 C coconut milk. Cover pot. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 20 minutes. Taste and season. Stir in remaining coconut milk and top with remaining ½ C cilantro. Enjoy every spoonful! This soup keeps for some days, but it will thicken in the frig. You’ll have to thin it, and how you do that is up to you. More water, more coconut milk? A little of both?

*Make sure to use a full fat coconut milk without gums or fillers. A lot of companies add guar gum to keep the cream from floating to the top. That’s fine. It’s not bad for you. But it really takes something away from the soup…

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Hot Potato/Cold Beet Borscht with Miscellaneous Toppings

September 1, 2018

Beets have a lot going for them, and it’s a relief they’re plentiful (and good keepers, too) when tomatoes, cucumbers and the summer vegetables are winding down.

An study published in the Journal, Nitric Oxide: Biology and Chemistry, said consuming beets helps keep brains healthy. The study wrote that drinking 2 C beet juice at breakfast for just four days increased blood flow to the brain’s frontal lobes, which may help prevent cognitive impairment. Not saying that you’re going to drink 2 C beet juice each morning, although we sell it, but you can eat more beets (or use beet powder, which we have in our supplement area). Beets also enrich the blood, detox the liver and help with constipation. Did you know the Romans lauded beets as an aphrodisiac? Well, now you do, and here’s a simple beet soup which my mother served us many Sundays for lunch.

Serves 8 (leftovers are great – this keeps for a good week in the frig without the garnishes)

4-6 medium beets, about 2#	½ C honey (or agave)
1 med zucchini or summer squash, about 1#	8 C water
1 large onion, peeled and quartered	¼ C lemon juice
1 Tbsp good salt	some black pepper

optional toppings

fresh dill for garnish (may also use chives, parsley, etc.)	sour cream, creme fraiche, or full-fat yogurt (can use Coconut Cult coconut yogurt)
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, quartered	1-2 pounds potatoes
2 oz good caviar	grilled asparagus (3 spears, cut into thirds, per bowl)
A drizzle of virgin avocado oil	1 Tbsp hempseeds
fresh sage leaves sauteed crisp in butter	a light dusting of golden local bee pollen

Wash all the vegetables. Trim the ends of beets and zucchini. Using a food processor, grate unpeeled beets and squash, and onion. Place beets, squash and onion in soup kettle. Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Turn off heat. Let pot sit covered 10 minutes. Stir in lemon and honey (lemon will return color to beets).

Cool, then refrigerate until cold, 3 hours, or overnight. Taste, adjust seasoning.

Serve as is, or with a generous dollop of sour cream and sprinkling of dill. That’s the traditional way. The potato and hard-boiled eggs are also traditional. Try to add the potatoes at the very end, so they stay warm on the top.

Or go ahead and be exotic. Elegant and simple, or pile those toppings on! Drizzle the avocado oil on in a spiral over your grilled asparagus and sour cream, dotted with caviar, dusted with bee pollen and fried sage leaves. Do we sell caviar at Debra’s? No. But we’ve got everything else you need. Do you have to use all the garnishes? Of course not. It’s up to you.

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Raw Cucumber Soup with Berry Salsa

August 1, 2018

I love cucumbers, but I always plant too many, and I’m lazy to make pickles. So my race is on: how many things can I make with cukes; how many can I give away?!? (One thing I do is blend cukes, make ice cubes, put those that go into plastic bags in my freezer for use in smoothies.) But back to this recipe.

Serves 4

SOUP INGREDIENTS	SALSA INGREDIENTS
1 large English cuke or 6-8 small pickling ones (about 4 C)	1 C raw corn kernels
1 ripe Haas avocado, halved, pitted, peeled	1 C diced ripe tomato
1 bunch scallions, coarse chopped	1 bunch scallions, sliced thinly
2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice	another 1 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 seeded jalapeno, option	1 C of the freshest berries
1 tsp good salt

Put 1½ C water in your blender. Add the ingredients from the SOUP column, and blend until smooth. Combine the SALSA ingredients in a small bowl (save a couple of berries for garnish). Taste and adjust seasoning in both soup and salsa. Spoon soup into four deep bowls (there’s lots of salsa). Top each bowl with ¼ of the salsa. Sit down to a taste of summer.

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Moroccan Lentil Vegetable Soup

January 2, 2009

Ready in 15 minutes, this is fast food the natural way! Lentils are eaten around the world, at least twice a day in “any self-respecting Indian household,” says Kavita Mehta, founder of Web-based Indian Foods Co. Eaten everyday in Morocco, too, but especially during Ramadan, they not only taste great, but give us protein, cholesterol-lowering fiber and more nutrition for their size than almost any other food. Do they contain iron and B vitamins? Yes! These cute little pulses come in all colors and are easy on the pocketbook too. A handful feeds many. This soup helps whittle down your waist too.

Makes enough to feed 6

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)	24-oz can or bottle strained tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped	4 C water or vegetable broth
1 Tbsp ground cumin	¼ C lentils of any kind
1 Tbsp ground ginger	1 bunch chard, coarsely chopped
1 tsp paprika	2 zucchini, about 4 cups, halved and sliced
¼ tsp cayenne pepper	1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper	1 C cilantro leaves, slightly chopped, optional
6 cloves garlic, chopped	2 Tbsp lemon juice

In a soup kettle or pot, gently warm olive oil. Add onion and stir to coat. Add spices and garlic and stir for a couple of minutes. Add strained tomatoes and water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Rinse lentils in a colander in cold water and add to soup pot. Stir and turn heat to low, cover pot, and allow soup to simmer while you prepare vegetables (five minutes, if that).

Add cut vegetables to soup and cover pot again. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir in salt, cilantro leaves, lemon juice and taste. Serve right away. Lap it up!

If you want this soup thicker, add another ¼ C lentils. A nice combo is ¼ C brown lentils and ¼ C red lentils. Or use blue lentils. If you want more veggies, that’s fine too. Add chopped carrots, parsnips, or whatever you have in your frig. Mushrooms are wonderful. Soup too thick? Add more water or vegetable broth. Soup even better the second day.

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Moroccan Stew with Rice and Millet

February 1, 2008

A satisfying, simple vegetarian stew served over whole grains. Of course you can add tempeh, tofu, shrimp, chicken, lamb, beef or chickpeas. Millet is one of those under-utilized grains that is alkalizing, easy on the digestive system, somewhat foreign to us, but “friendly” when combined with something we already know and love like rice. Too many ingredients? Not really. Lots of spices, but the veggies and grains are “ordinary” and I bet you have all these ingredients in your kitchen as a matter of course. Yes, I do use organic veggies, and if you can, you are getting higher nutrient values.

Serves 4 (or more if you’re adding any of the other ingredients above)

STEW	GRAIN
¼ c EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)	2 tbsp EVOO
2 c chopped onions	1 c diced carrot (don’t peel)
6 cloves garlic, minced	1 c chopped onion
2 tsp paprika	1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp EACH sea salt & black pepper, cumin, turmeric, ginger, chili pepper flakes	½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp coriander	4 c water
2 c diced tomatoes with juice (canned or fresh)	1 ½ c raw brown rice
3 c diced carrots (don’t peel)	½ c raw millet
3 c halved and sliced zucchini	1 c chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp lemon juice	lemon wedges
	salt and pepper to taste

Grain: In a pot with a tight-fitting lid, gently warm olive oil. Sauté carrot and onion together with salt and turmeric (onion will soften and become translucent). Add water and grain. Bring to a boil, turn flame to lowest, cover pot and simmer until grain has absorbed all the liquid, about 45 minutes.

Stew: While the grain is cooking, in a large saucepan, gently warm olive oil and sauté onion until soft, about five minutes. Add garlic, and stir another minute. Mix in spices, diced tomatoes, carrots and zucchini. Bring to a boil. Turn flame to lowest, cover pot and simmer 20 minutes. Add lemon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon grain onto serving platter, or onto individual plates. Form well in center of grain. Spoon stew into well. Sprinkle with cilantro. Garnish each plate with a lemon wedge. Voila!

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Serves 4

SOUP INGREDIENTS

SALSA INGREDIENTS

STEW

GRAIN

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