New Year Noodle Soup

I am a Foodie, that’s all there is to it.

I LOVE food!
I love to find new recipes and I love sharing what I find with you.
Hopefully, once in a while, what I post sounds good to you also!

This New Year Noodle Soup recipe caught my attention, and I'm thrilled it did. At its core it is a bean and noodle soup featuring thin egg noodles swimming in a fragrant broth spiced with turmeric, cumin, chiles, and black pepper. You use a medley of lentils, chickpeas, and Cannellini beans, making the soup hearty and filling without being heavy. You add spinach, dill, and cilantro. You add lime juice for a bit of sour at the end. And then you've got a number of toppings to add when you serve the soup - chopped walnuts, caramelized onions, and sour cream. It's a long ingredient list, but worth it. I think I'm going to double up on the next pot. It was delicious reheated for days, even with the noodles in there. You’ll find everything you need at Harter House and Harter House World Flavors.


















New Year Noodle Soup
If you don't have beans that have already been cooked you can use canned ones. Or you can soak them overnight, and add them after the broth comes to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes, then stir in the split peas/lentils. This way the beans/lentils should be done cooking around the same time. And, on the noodle front, you can actually use more/less noodles.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 long red chili OR green serrano, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 1/2 cups vegetable stock/broth
3.5 oz. yellow or green split peas or brown lentils
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed if using canned
2 cups cooked cannellini beans
fine grain sea salt
1 1/2 Cups thin egg noodles, fresh or dried
3 1/2 oz. fresh spinach leaves, finely shredded
1/2 cup finely shredded cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
juice of one lime

Toppings:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
½ Cup sour cream or creme fraiche
2 ounces of toasted, chopped walnuts

Directions
Heat the oil in a large, thick-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and the chile and cook until they soften, a few minutes. Add the spices and cook for another thirty seconds, just long enough for them to toast a bit, then stir in the stock. Bring to a boil and add the split peas/lentils to the pot. Cook until they are just tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in the cooked chickpeas and Cannellini beans. Once the beans have heated throughout, season with salt to taste.
In the meantime, you can prepare the toppings. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat along with a couple big pinches of salt. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until golden and caramelized, 8 - 10+ minutes. Set aside.

Just before you're ready to eat, add the noodles to the simmering soup and cook until al dente. Stir in the spinach, and cilantro and dill. Add a big squeeze of lime to the pot or serve wedges along with each bowl of soup. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Serve right away, each bowl topped with a big spoonful of caramelized onions, some creme fraiche (or Sour Cream), and a sprinkling of walnuts.
Serves about 4.


My hope is that each of you has a happy, healthy, and peaceful new year. I'd also like to add a heartfelt thank you for your ongoing insight and encouragement. ~ Michele

A Rustic Lentil Soup with Kale

I'm still thinking Healthy today!!!!

Here's the recipe for winter vegetables.
Get out the crusty bread or make your own biscuits to go with it because it's pure comfort food for a rainy winter day.

All greens are good with lentils, and I especially like to add them to a soup that's going to be a meal. That way you get all your good foods together in one bowl.

A Rustic Lentil Soup with Kale

1 cups brown lentils, rinsed and soaked if possible
1 to 1 1/2 cups shiitaki mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
1 carrot, grated or finely diced (use one of Nash's big carrots, if you're lucky enough to have them in your kitchen)
1 potato, diced (no need to peel)
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 bay leaf
6 cups water or vegetable stock
2 cups kale, middle rib removed, finely chopped Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Chopped parsley
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Red wine vinegar or apple cider to taste
Croutons for garnish


If you haven't already soaked the lentils, soak them while you prepare the rest of the soup.


Heat a skillet over medium heat and dry fry the mushrooms until they become soft--5 to 7 minutes. Roughly chop and set aside.


Heat a soup pot over medium head and add the oil, onion, and carrot. Stir and cook until onion softens, add drained and rinsed lentils, mushrooms, potato, garlic, tomato paste, prepared mustard, dry red wine and bay leaf. Stir to combine, then add water or stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until lentils are soft.


Add kale and salt and pepper to taste and continue to cook until kale softns--5 to 10 minutes. Add about a teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and add a dash of vinegar to each serving. Garnish with croutons, if desired.

Red Curry Salmon Chowder

How about something healthy today?

Red Curry Salmon Chowder.

Use presliced mushrooms to save time in this already speedy recipe.

For an added touch, sprinkle with chopped, toasted peanuts and serve over noodles, a side of rice, or a side of Naan Bread for mopping up the bowl.

Purchase fresh Salmon from Harter House Supermarkets.

Red Curry Salmon Chowder
serves 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 small red onion
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 small Hot Chili Pepper, sliced
1 (14 oz.) can light coconut milk
1-2 cups low-sodium vegetable or fish stock
2 teaspoons low-sodium fish sauce
2 teaspoons honey
1 pound skinless salmon fillet, cut into large chunks
2 small heads (1/2 pound each) bok choy, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and thin, tender stems
2 large limes, cut into wedges.

Directions
1. Heat coconut oil in a medium-large saucepan; cook onion and mushrooms for 3-5 minutes, until just softened. Stir in curry paste, ginger, garlic and chili pepper; cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Stir in coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, and honey; bring to a boil and add salmon and bok choy. Reduce heat to low and simmer, coovered, for 3-6 minutes 9depending on salmon thickness), until bokchoy is tender.

2. Divide amoung 4 bowls, sprinkle with basil and cilantro, and serve with lime wedge on the side.

All ethnic ingredients for this recipe are available at
Harter House World Flavors

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