With winter storms raging across the country, few things sound more comforting than a proper cup of soup or a warm bowl of stew. Regardless of what you have a taste for—or even what version of winter you’re seeing in your state—these two healthy recipes are sure to provide some great dish inspiration for your next dinner.
Vegetarian Moroccan Stew
This dish is as healthy as it is beautiful. Recipe and photo courtesy of Marci Symington of Texaz Taste, www.texaztaste.com
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. harissa
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground ginger
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 12 oz. bag chopped butternut squash
2 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch rounds
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
2 cups cauliflower, chopped
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes, or unitl softened. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Stir in the tomato paste, harissa, cinnamon, ginger, and ½ cup of the low sodium vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Add the butternut squash, zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, and remaining vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Add the cilantro and chickpeas (garbanzo beans), and season with salt and pepper. Serve atop a bed of couscous.
Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Parsley Oil
Recipe and photo courtesy of Patricia Conte with Grab A Plate, www.azgrabaplate.com
Ingredients for the Parsley Oil:
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup parsley (leave stems on)
Ingredients for the Soup:
1 large head cauliflower, leaves and stem trimmed, cut into florets
½ medium onion, cut into a few wedges
1 large carrot, diced large
1 large celery stalk, diced
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
3 ½ cups vegetable broth
½ cup water
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. coriander
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. flour
2 oz. heavy cream
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions the Parsley Oil:
Blanch the parsley (add to boiling water for about 30 seconds, until bright green). Remove the parsley and run it under very cold water for a minute or so. Dry the parsley. Add the oil and the parsley to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the mixture to a jar and refrigerate overnight (or several hours). Remove from the refrigerator and allow it to sit until the oil has softened back to a liquid form. Strain the mixture using a cheesecloth. Squeeze the mixture to release as much oil as possible. Discard the remaining solid pieces. Drizzle over the soup just before serving.
Directions for the Soup:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add all the vegetables to a baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with the cumin, coriander, salt, and black pepper. Toss with your hands. Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes, checking at about the 20 min. point. The cauliflower will be ready when it has softened and caramelized. You’ll likely need to remove the carrot, celery, and garlic if it seems to be roasting faster than the cauliflower and onion. Remove the remaining vegetables from the oven and transfer all of them to a blender along with 2 cups of the broth (or whatever the max capacity is for your blender). Carefully blend until smooth. Set aside. Add the butter to a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. When melted, add the flour and whisk for a minute or so. Transfer the contents from the blender to the Dutch oven, along with the remaining broth and ½ cup water. Heat through for a few minutes. Add the cheese and stir.
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