Five Bowls of Chilis I Still Think About for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

It's still in the mid 80s (Fahrenheit) here mostly, but today is a bit cooler and rainy, and it puts me in mind of a big bowl of chili. So here's a roundup of some great chilis I have enjoyed from out I Heart Cooking Clubs featured chefs. 

First up is the Espresso Black Bean Chili that I adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. Rich and well-balanced, the coffee flavor comes through but doesn't overpower. 

Another on the non-traditional but delicious side is Pierce Street Vegetarian Chili by Heidi Swanson. Lentils. chickpeas, bulguer, and barley make it hearty and satisfying. 

Not a bean fan? Giada's Vegetarian Chili Verde is full of veggies and flavor and perfect for Fall. 

An easy and more traditional chili is Mark Bittman's Simple Chili from Scratch. I jazzed it up a bit and used plant-based crumbles to make it meat-free.

Another more traditional chili that I made meat-free was Rick Bayless' "The World's Greatest Chili" adapted from Rick & Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures. While "World's Best" is maybe a bit strong, it was very good. 

For other great chili recipes just look at the tag on my sidebar. 

I'm linking up this post up at I Heart Cooking Clubs where this week's theme is Warming Soups and Stews. 

Now let's take a look into the Souper Sundays kitchen: 

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor tried a soup from Tieghan Gerard, saying, "The theme this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs is warming soups and stews. There were a few on my menu planning such as gumbo and a chicken gnocchi soup but I decided on the Broccoli Cheddar with Seasoned Pretzels. ... After making this I know I will, more than likely, return to a different broccoli cheddar soup recipe as this one didn’t turn out as I hoped."

Kim of Stirring the Pot said, "I've been wanting to make Tieghan's Healthier Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Soup for ages. A creamy soup with cheesy tortellini that is loaded with veggies and still somewhat healthy? Yes, please! It just ticks all the boxes for me! ... This is my FAVORITE Half-Baked Harvest recipe yet and will most likely be one of my favorite recipes of the year! If you're in need of comfort or warming up, you seriously need to make this! "

Melynda of Scratch Made Food shared two recipes this week. First up, a tasty soup, She says, "Terrific Turkey Soup with Lima Beans and Barley is our favorite after Thanksgiving soup! It is chock full of all the good things one needs on a cold winter's day. Rich bone broth, lots of veggies, and of course chunks of that delicious turkey from the day before..."

Next is a salad. Melynda says, "Kale Apple and Carrot Slaw, is the perfect salad to introduce a raw kale to the family! Plus this salad is so good, you don't need to be worried about anyone NOT liking it! Kale Apple and Carrot Slaw, is not too sweet, and everyone I know loves it...my guess is, so will you."

Thank you Tina Kim and Melynda for joining me this week! 

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
 

If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.
• Although we are pretty wide on what defines a soup, sandwich or salad, entries that are clearly not in the same family (ie: desserts, meats, random main or side dishes that aren't salads, etc.) are meant for another round up and will be deleted. 

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!

6 Favorite Corn Chowders to Hold on to Summer for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

The end of summer is approaching, if not seen through the weather, at least seen on the calendar pages. Chowder, especially corn chowder is a great way to hold on to summer, while welcoming the fall. 

Here are 6 great corn chowders to enjoy. I have countless chowders and corn chowders on the blog so I whittled down the list by choosing ones by our I Heart Cooking Clubs featured chefs and keeping them vegetarian. 

I added hominy to Mark Bittman's Basic Corn Chowder and it was a great addition to the texture of this simple classic: 

Yotam Ottolenghi's Sweet Corn Chowder with Spiced Butter is elevated with the sexy spiced butter:

Rick Bayless's Emerald Corn Chowder with Roasted Tomatillos and Poblano is full of flavor:

Another great Mark Bittman recipe is this hearty Corn-and-Cheddar Chowder:

Jacques Pépin's Corn and Hominy Chowder is quick, colorful and tasty:

Finally Donna Hay's Cauliflower and Corn Chowder is unique and delicious:

All of these corn chowders were simple and delicious and will help you extend that summer vibe so I am linking this post up at IHCC's Holding On To Summer post.

Now let's check into the Souper Sundays kitchen and see who is here. 

Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog shared this pretty and refreshing Fresh Corn and Blueberry Salad. She says, "Got corn on the cob? Talk about an unusual yet tasty salad! Sweet corn and sweet blueberries mix beautifully in this colorful summer salad. ... It is simple to make, gluten-free, oil-free, parve, and vegan."

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor brings a Hummus Sandwich this week saying, "I am a big fan of hummus so I thought, why not make a sandwich with it.  This is a spinach artichoke and sun dried tomato blend. ... Spread this on toast with sliced tomatoes. A fast and healthy lunch alternative."

And Kim of Stirring the Pot shared Curtis Stone's Favorite (& Healthy) Potato Salad saying, "When you pour the broth over the potatoes and stir, the potatoes become flavorful and creamy all on their own. This means it is only necessary to use a very small amount of mayo. I have to say, I was really impressed with this method and couldn't believe how creamy and "classic" this potato salad looked and tasted."

Thanks to Judee, Tina and Kim for joining me this week! 

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
 

If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.
• Although we are pretty wide on what defines a soup, sandwich or salad, entries that are clearly not in the same family (ie: desserts, meats, random main or side dishes that aren't salads, etc.) are meant for another round up and will be deleted. 

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!

 

Quick Pinto Bean Soup with Pickled Onions for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

I just can't seem to get back on my well-thought-out soup making groove lately. This was a challenging week for me for reasons not worth going into and Saturday I went to the store with no inspiration to shop with and no desire to be there. Sunday I was challenged with even getting started in the kitchen until after 3:00 PM so I needed something quick. I went to the pantry and looked at my cans of beans and settled on a Quick Pinto Bean Soup inspired by a Mark Bittman article.

Bean Soups can sometimes lack the zip of acidity, so I decided to use a red onion in my veggie drawer and make a lime-pickled onion recipe from Rick Bayless to top the soup. I first made it a couple of years ago to top his mushroom tacos and I make them often ever since.

Mixed Bean Soup or Stew 
Adapted from MarkBittman.com
(Makes 2-3 Servings)

In a couple tablespoons of olive oil, cook a diced onion, carrot, and celery stalk until the vegetables soften, then add about four cups of precooked or canned beans (navy beans, cannellini beans, black beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, or chickpeas) with some of their liquid, a couple cups of water or stock, two bay leaves, and a sprig of fresh thyme. Bring to a boil and cook until the flavors blend and the beans are warmed through; add more liquid to achieve the consistency you like. Season with salt and pepper, remove the bay leaves and thyme sprig, and serve.

What I did: cooked a diced onion until softened and added two cans of low-sodium pinto beans and their liquid, one can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes and their juices, one can of mild diced green chili and about 1/2 tsp each of cumin, coriander, celery seed, dried oregano, and Aleppo pepper, and two cups of vegetable stock. Brought soup to a boil and cooked it about 20 minutes until the flavors blended. I blended about two ladles of the soup in the blender and added it back to the pot, seasoning with salt, pepper and lime juice to taste. Served with Fritos.

-----

Pickled Red Onions
Recipe from From RickBayless.com
(Makes about 1 cup) 

1 small red onion, peeled and cut in half
1/2 cups fresh lime juice
salt

With a knife or food processor, thinly slice the onions. Scoop into a non-reactive bowl. 

Pour boiling water over them, count to 10, then immediately pour the onions into a strainer. Shake off all the water, pour the onions back into the bowl, pour on the lime juice and stir in the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. 

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The onions will last for a week or more in the refrigerator.

Notes/Results: Just simple and good, a basic bean soup but lots of flavor from he spices and lime juice. You could of course add other veggies, a protein, or anything else you like to the soup or the top of the soup--if my avocado was ripe it would go on top. Even stirring in some rice would be good. I would make it again.

I am sharing these recipe for Mark Bittman's bean soup and Rick Balyless's pickled onions at I Heart Cooking Clubs where it is Taco Night! this week. The onions are excellent on tacos!

Let's have a look in the Souper Sundays kitchen!

Shaheen from Allotment2Kitchen shared these sandwich-ish Pea, Feta and Mint Crescents, saying, "These Turkish pastries were made from scratch. The golden puffy pasty was made with some yogurt and filled with  pea, feta and mint combination. Taste of Summer indeed and it made for a lovely light lunch. I tried to find a link to the original recipe on the website to share with you, but it's not there."  

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor brought Broccoli and cheese Soup with Outback Croutons and said, "I made a broccoli and cheese soup for lunch this past week. My feeling is it's never too hot for soup. I don't want to eat it outside, on the patio in this weather, but a hearty bowl of veggie goodness is a great lunch anytime. ... There was a bit of Outback bread leftover from last week's baking and I thought it would make remarkable toasted croutons for the soup."

Debra of Eliot's Eats made tasty Grilled Banh Mi Sandwiches with Pickled Veggies, saying, "Every so often, The Hubs will put out a special request, do all the shopping and pitch in with the cooking. Most of these requests involve grilling. The most recent suggestion for dinner was a Banh Mi sandwich, but as mentioned above, he wanted to grill it.  I did some research and we came up with this recipe."

Thank you to everyone who joined in! 

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week and be well!

 

Emerald Corn Chowder with Roasted Tomatillos and Poblano from Rick Bayless for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

This week I was craving hominy and sweet corn and wanted a chowdery soup to enjoy in my cold office lunchroom. I ended up slightly adapting this Rick Bayless recipe for Emerald Corn Chowder with Roasted Tomatillos and Poblano by swapping out the chicken broth for veggie broth to make it vegan, adding canned hominy and cauliflower rice to make it more substantial. Because this soup uses jarred green salsa in it, it doesn't require a lot of effort in the kitchen making it great for a humid August Sunday.  
 

Rick Bayless says, "The roasty flavors of this zesty soup are wonderfully enriched with the sweet corniness of masa the dough that’s used for making corn tortillas. Whether you use the easily accessible dehydrated masa harinaor the fresh dough available from tortilla factories, you’ll love the complex flavors. (No masa at all? Thicken the soup with a little cornstarch dissolved in water.) Dress up your soup with grilled shrimp or scallops to start a very special meal—even drizzle on a little Mexican crema or crème fraiche right before serving. It’s based on a classic soup from Central and Eastern Mexico that’s called chileatole"

Emerald Corn Chowder with Roasted Tomatillos and Poblano
Slightly Adapted from Salsas That Cook via RickBayless.com

(Serves 4 to 6)

1 small white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 large fresh poblano chile, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped

1 Tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil

2 cups corn kernels, either freshly cut off the cobs or frozen, depending on the season (I used 4 cups)

2 cups Frontera Roasted tomatillo Salsa 

2 1/2 cups chicken broth (I subbed in 4 cups of veggie broth)
 (1 added one 29 oz can white honimy)

2 Tbsp freshly ground corn masa for tortillas or masa harina (corn flour) (I used cornmeal + cornstarch)
(I added one 10-oz package of frozen riced cauliflower)

salt, about 1/2 tsp to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
(I added diced avocado and toasted peptitas)

In a large saucepan or soup pot, cook the onion and poblano in the oil for 5 or 6 minutes until both are tender. Scrape into a blender or food processor and add half of the corn and all of the salsa. Process to a smooth puree and press through a medium-mesh strainer back into the pan or pot. Stir in the broth, partially cover and simmer over medium-low, stirring often, for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the fresh masa or masa harina with 1/4 cup water, making sure there are no lumps. Strain the mixture (you can use the same strainer) directly into the simmering pot, stirring all the while. Continue to stir until the soup thickens, then taste and season with salt. Add the remaining corn kernels, let return to a simmer, then ladle into warm bowls and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro before carrying to the table.

Notes/Results:  I like this chowder a lot--it has the great tang from the tomatillos and a kiss of heat at the end. The salsa I used it medium, you could get a spicier salsa or add some hot sauce if you like more a burn. I added extra corn (using about 4 cups total) in addition to the hominy and still found myself wanting a  bit more substance so I added a bag of riced cauliflower from my freezer. Perfect! I didn't have the masa on hand or want to drive to get some so I used cornmeal and a bit or cornstarch instead. Also, other than sieving the cornmeal mixture, I didn't want to bother with doing the same to the soup and I used my VitaMix blender and I don't think it needed to be put through a sieve first. I topped the soup toasted pepitas, diced avocado and the suggested cilantro. I would happily make this again. 

Linking up with I Heart Cooking Clubs for this weeks Monthly Cuisine Spotlight: Mexican.

Let's look into the Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays Kitchen 

Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog is here with Healthy Vegan Wraps and says, "Bright green collard greens stuffed with mixed colorful raw vegetables, a little avocado, and some flavorful hummus, make a satisfying vegan lunch and a delicious way to eat more greens! Transitioning to an all vegan diet is not easy for me. I'm not always sure what to make to eat but I'm discovering as I go! My newest idea are these healthy looking collard green wraps!"

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor enjoyed this Grilled Chicken and Black Bean Salad on a recent trip to Tampa, she says, "We ate well while being away. Next is a healthy salad of grilled chicken breast over salad greens, black beans and feta cheese. Refreshing and cool with a balsamic vinegar dressing."

Welcome back to Nancy of Colors 4 Health who shares some awesome reasons to eat celery with recipes attached. She shares a tasty Chickpea/Celery Salad on a Bed of Tossed Greens and says, "Try your hand at making a crisp, crunchy, fresh-tasting veggie salad with a rainbow of colors that's pleasing to the eye and palette. ... Top this salad with a vegan bean, garlic, and ginger salad dressing to enhance celery's subtle, but juicy flavor".
 

Here at Kahakai Kitchen I tried my hand at Welsh Rarebit this week for a book tour review. I adapted a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe to what I had on hand and ended up with a tasty, cheesy open-faced sandwich for an evening snack.

 
About Souper Sundays:

Souper Sundays (going since 2008) now has a format of a picture link each week where anyone interested can post their soups, salads, or sandwiches at any time during the week and I post a recap of the entries the following week.

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here. 
If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!