"Greek" Stew for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sunday

This is not the soup I intended to post this week. That one is mostly done and sitting in the fridge waiting to be finished and  then photographed. I got busy this week and then yesterday, I woke up feeling horrible with a sore throat and ear ache and a fever and was firmly convinced I had swine flu (can you say hypochondriac!?). Anyway, after a visit to the doctor, some swabs to rule out the flu and strep throat and some antibiotics for the raging sinus infection it appears I do have, I slept most of the day away. So when it came down to either finishing the soup up, making it look pretty and trying to take nice picture this morning, or going with a back-up soup I had, I went with the back up. This "Greek" Stew, named that because of the flavor profile, is one I made at one of the vegetarian classes I have been taking. I like the fact that the potatoes are roasted separately with lemon and dill and then added in at the end as it adds a nice texture and flavor to the dish. 

"Greek" Stew

Chef Alyssa Moreau

(Serves 4)

For Potatoes:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups of Yukon gold  or red new potatoes, cut into wedges

1/2 tsp dill

juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup onion, large chop

1/2 cup red or green pepper, cut into large chunks

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup zucchini, sliced

1 cup Japanese eggplant sliced

1/2 cup green beans, cut into 1" pieces

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 cup tomato cut into wedges

1/2 cup of vegetable broth diluted with 1/2 cup of water

1 bay leaf

1 (15 oz can) cannellini or garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained)

2 Tbsp fresh basil, julienned + more for garnish

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste if canned beans are salted)

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped

For potatoes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss potatoes with 1 Tbsp olive oil, lemon juice. dill, salt and pepper. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet or pan and cook for approximately 30 minutes or until you can pierce easily with a knife.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan; add the onion and bell pepper and saute about 5 minutes, until the onion starts to soften and turn translucent. Add in the garlic, zucchini and cook 2 minutes more until the garlic starts to brown. Add the oregano and thyme and heat through to release the flavor. Add in the eggplant, green beans, tomato, broth mixture and bay leaf. Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until the egg plant and green beans are tender. Add in the drained beans, 2 Tbsp basil and stir well. Just before serving, add in the roasted potatoes, salt and pepper and garnish with additional bail and fresh dill. If desired, squeeze some additional lemon over the stew.

Notes/Results: This is a great, hearty, yet not too heavy vegetarian dish. The flavors are good and fresh with the lemon, basil and dill. You can adjust the veggies to include your favorites but don't leave out the roasted potatoes--they make the dish. Serve with crunchy bread and a Greek salad. A keeper recipe. 

It looks like we have a little something for everyone in the Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sunday Kitchen this week:

Starting with the soups:

Recovering from some surgery, Lissaloo from One Step at a Time felt good enough to make some soup to share this week. She put together this quick and easy Tortellini Soup to use up some spinach. This simple soup looks hearty and yummy and should be just the thing to get Lissaloo fully recovered and feeling great! 

Graziana from Erbe in Cucina is back with a delicious looking Asparagus Soup with Marjoram, a creamy soup that makes the most of a few simple ingredients. Graziana says it is harvest time for marjoram in Italy, the perfect time to dry it and store it for winter. Meanwhile, she uses it fresh with cheese for pasta and for hot spring soups like this one!

Feeling under the weather and in need of some restorative "soup for the soul", Reeni from Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice, whipped up this gorgeous Ginger & Shrimp Noodle Bowl. Flavoring her chicken broth with ginger, carrot, onion and garlic and adding some leftover cabbage, along with frozen shrimp and bean thread noodles. "Like magic", Reeni felt immediately better after eating a bowl--the power of soup!

Ulrike, from Küchenlatein, took a request for a potato soup from one of her sons and made this slow cooker Potato-Leek Soup for him. She pureed just part of the soup, leaving plenty of chunks for a hearty texture, making it perfect to serve with good French bread. You can tell by his artful arrangement of the garnish, that Ulrike's son approved of and liked his soup!

Please join me in welcoming a new face to Souper Sundays, Jennifer from Savor The Thyme, and hailing from New England. Jennifer's daughter discovered a love for mushroom soup at pre-school (sounds like a little foodie in the making!) and now they have their own version with this Earthy Mushroom Soup. Jennifer says they 'leave it chunky, yet thin" and it's healthy too, with brown rice and non-fat milk. Welcome Jennifer!

The salads:

L.K. at Healthy. Delicious. takes salads to a new level with her Crispy Smoked Duck with Lentil Salad and Beets. She is on a quest to eat more lentils and this dish seems like a delectable way to do it. A small fire made the duck skin extra crispy and luckily didn't burn the deck, and L.K. says the combination "was SO GOOD. Like, you might have to look around and make sure you’re in your dining room and not in a restaurant good". Sign me up!

Chrystal and Amir from The Duo Dishes, are more like The Trio Dishes this week, with a guest, their friend Michelle in their "Test Kitchen" this week. Michelle is a healthy cook and whipped up this colorful Mediterranean Pasta Salad to share this week. Chock full of veggies with whole wheat rotini, feta and olives, the Duo says it is a "fresh, fast and flavorful way to enjoy and get the vegetables you need."

A sammie too!

Heather from girlichef asked me if her "lazy Sunday post" qualified for Souper Sundays.  One glance at the picture of her scrumptious-looking BLT, and I say it definitely qualifies. (I can't stop drooling and wishing I had bacon in the house!)  A simple classic, it is easy to see why the BLT is one of the most popular sandwiches in America. Sheer perfection!

And a combo order:

Natashya at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies went with a healthy and delicious combo this week, drawing on two different Moosewood Cookbooks for her Red Lentil Soup and open-faced sammies of pumpernickel bread topped with White Bean and Red Pepper Spread and slices of avocado. Natashya says that together they made for an "uber healthy meal to end the week, without sacrificing flavour."  Sounds perfect to me!

A great turn out this week, fun to see each category represented! Thanks to everyone who participated. If you have a soup, salad , sammie or combination that you want to share, you can get all the details by clicking on the Souper Sunday logo on the side bar.

Have a great week and don't forget to enter my Giveaway #3 for a little taste of Hawaii prize package. You can get all the details here.