Wintery Red Split Lentils and Turnip Soup

Another cold day, another warm soup! I realize that I posted a soup recipe last week already but to be perfectly honest with you, soups constitute about 50% of my diet as soon as the temperature drops. The other half is noodles, and even then I usually find a way to combine the two into noodle soup.

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Carrot and Parsnip Soup with Sweet Hungarian Paprika

“I said Brrrr, it’s cold in here!”…

…is all I can think about as soon as I step outside of my house. It is very cold here in Philly, and as always when winter comes around, I get sick and I get pale. Now when it’s cold or if I’m sick, my favorite thing to eat is homemade soup, and when I’m pale I stock up on carrots to soak up all that beta-carotene and (hopefully) get a nice halo. So without further due, please welcome: carrot soup! aka. my favorite kind of “cure”!

Winter Grain Bowl with a Poached Egg

I can barely wait for Thanksgiving break! Only two days of classes left until I get to leave for NY and enjoy some well deserved time off with my roommate and her family. Over the past three years, this has become one of my favorite traditions of the fall semester, and one that I look forward to from the very beginning of the school year.

Easy Tomato Soup

When it comes to cooking, a simple recipe can come a long way. I don’t think that I can stress that enough. Most people tend to be discouraged when they think about things they’d like to cook because they picture recipes as a succession of incredibly complicated steps involving ingredients that no one can pronounce. Well here’s a myth breaker: cooking is not rocket science. Anyone can cook! I’m committed to making healthy and easy recipes that everyone can make in a relatively short amount of time. You’ll come to realize that everything just tastes so much better homemade. Though this recipe is almost as easy as opening a can of Campbell’s, it’s incredibly more delicious and tasty. I promise it’ll take you about 25 minutes, with minimal effort for great results. Bon appétit!

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Prep time: 25 minutes

Ingredients: This recipe will make you soup for 3 meals. You can freeze it and keep it for later!

• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups vegetable broth (or hot water)
• 1/2 yellow onion (chopped)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• a pinch of chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup dried rice (white, brown, mixed…)

Directions:

1. Put salted water to a boil in a small pot. Cook the rice for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the type.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the diced onion with a good pinch of salt and sauté for about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir frequently so that the onion doesn’t burn. When it becomes translucent, add all the spices and stir for an extra minute.
3. Add in the diced tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups of vegetable broth (or water) to the pot, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
4. Puree with an immersion blender and adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve hot, over a portion of the cooked rice, and add the toppings of your choice. Enjoy!

TIP: some toppings possible: roasted sunflower seeds, pine nuts, croutons, heavy cream, coconut milk drizzle, roasted chickpeas… I chose roasted almonds and a hint of Sriracha. Yum!

Chickpea Curry with Coconut Rice

Let me talk about my dad for a second. I feel like it’s important, because he’s the one who’s taught me how to cook/love to cook, and has been a major source of inspiration for many of my recipes. Not only are his dishes always really good, but they’re also extremely diverse. He’s the type of chef who’ll try recipes from around the world on a regular weeknight. Just because. Just so that cooking doesn’t get boring. Being in college, I’m always tempted to open a box of pasta, heat up some marinara, and call it a night (or most likely go back to the library). But as I’ve told you before, every now and then I want to try something new. Sometimes I cook with a new ingredient (like an acorn squash), or else I try a recipe that I’ve never done before. In that case, I just pick something from Pinterest and tweak it with whatever ingredients I have on hand. Tonight, I chose chickpea curry with coconut rice! And I discovered two things: 1) coconut rice tastes AMAZING! It’s “creamy”, flavorful, easy, and basically perfect. 2) You don’t miss the meat in chickpea curry. And I was really skeptical about a curry without a tender piece of lamb…
Finally, this dish leaves you full and packed with energy, as chickpeas are an excellent source of protein (and fiber!). Don’t be intimidated by the long list of spices, I found them all at the grocery store down my street. Bon appétit!

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Cook Time: 35 min

Ingredients for the coconut rice: Note that this recipe serves 2

• 1/2 cup dried jasmine rice
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water

Ingredients for the chickpea curry:

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (rinsed and drained if canned)
• 1/2 small yellow onion (chopped)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Start by cooking the coconut rice. In a small pot (or a rice cooker), put the dried rice with the coconut milk and the water. Give it a good stir, and let the rice cook until it has absorbed all the liquid. This should take between 10-15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, sauté the chopped onion in olive oil, over high heat. When it becomes brown, add a splash or water, turn the heat to medium, and stir until the liquid evaporates. This should take about 5 minutes.
3. Next, add the cooked chickpeas and all the spices. Give it another stir for about 1 minute.
4. Add the coconut milk, water, tomato paste, salt (to taste), and stir until everything is combined. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let it cook for about 20-30 minutes, or until the curry thickens and reaches your desired consistency (add water if it gets too thick, or let it cook for longer if it’s too liquid). Adjust the seasoning.
5. To serve, put the coconut rice in a bowl and top it with the chickpea curry and a good amount of sauce.

TIP: You can use a mix of chickpeas and cauliflower for added flavors and texture.