Cumin-Scented Sesame Flatbread

This is a great, easy little recipe for Cumin-Scented Sesame Flatbread from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson and it doesn't use yeast so it doesn't have the scare factor of normal bread for me. I thought it would pair well with the Carrot Bisque I made for Souper Sundays.

Robertson says: "Simple flatbreads are made throughout the world--some with yeast, others without. This version uses no yeast and can, therefore, be prepared quickly. The cumin in this bread makes it especially complementary to Mexican or Indian foods."

Cumin-Scented Sesame Flatbread

Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

(Makes 6 Flatbreads)

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup water, or as needed

olive oil for brushing

2 Tbsp sesame seeds

3/4 tsp ground cumin

In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add enough water for the dough to hold together. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Wrap in plastic and set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes. 

Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Lightly flour your hands and work surface, then shape the dough into balls and flatten them. Roll out into circles about 6 inches in diameter. Brush lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with the sesame seeds and cumin, pressing lightly so the seeds adhere to the dough. 

Lightly oil a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Place a dough circle in the skillet and cook, turning once, until brown spots begin to appear, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and cover with aluminum foil or a clean towel to keep warm while you cook the rest. Serve at once.

Notes/Results: Nice and chewy with a nice cumin flavor. (I did increase the amount of the cumin of course). I also used 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour and 1/2 cup of whole grain pastry flour which seemed to work well. They went together quickly and easily, especially using my tortilla press to flatten them out instead of rolling. The cumin went well with the spices in the soup. I would make these again, maybe substituting a bit more whole grain flour in to experiment. 

Carrot Bisque for Super Sunday

I have been trying to work my way through a 5 lb bag of organic baby carrots the last week or so and this Carrot Bisque seemed like a great way to use up a bunch. It's from Vegan With A Vengance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, which I bought used the other day because I like her other book, Veganomicon so much. This recipe stood out because it is simple, relatively quick and the combination of sweet and spice sounded like the perfect way to brighten the rainy, windy, gloomy days we have been faced with lately.

Isa Chandra Moskowitz says: "I've never been crazy about carrot soups, they always seemed a little too skimpy and health-foody for me. But this slightly sweet, incredibly creamy and hearty carrot soup changed all that. Its easy to make to boot."

Carrot Bisque

Vegan With A Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

(Serves 8)

3 lbs carrots, peeled and diced into a little smaller than 1/2" pieces

1 large onion, chopped

2 Tbsp peanut oil (vegetable oil will do)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp curry powder

1/2 tsp salt

a few dashes fresh black pepper

3 cups vegetable broth, or 1 bullion cube dissolved in 3 cups water

1 (13 oz) can coconut milk

1 Tbsp maple syrup

In a stockpot over low-medium heat, cook the carrots and onions in the peanut oil for 7-10 minutes; cover and stir occasionally. You want the onions to brown but not to burn, although if they burn a little bit it's not the end of the world. Add the garlic, curry, salt, and pepper; saute for 1 more minute. Add the 3 cups of broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. 

Add the coconut milk and bring to a low boil. Turn the heat off. Use a handheld blender to puree half of the soup; if you don't have one, then puree half the soup in a blender and add it back to the soup pot (see Punk Point). Add the maple syrup and stir. Serve hot.

Punk Point: If you are using a blender to puree the soup, let the soup cool a bit so that the steam doesn't cause the blender lid to pop off and hot soup to splatter everywhere. Once the soup has cooled, give it a few pulses in the blender, lift the lid to let steam escape, and repeat. 

Notes/Results:  Slightly spicy, a bit sweet, very rich and creamy, this is a a good and filling bowl of soup. I didn't have peanut oil so I used walnut oil instead and used my usual "lite" coconut milk which worked just find. Garnished with some curry leaves and served with bread, it was a good hearty lunch. It also reheats well, (good because it makes a lot!), and it paired nicely with some homemade cumin-sesame flatbread, that I will post about later on. A good, healthy choice for a somewhat rainy Souper Sunday.

Let's see what other "souper" creations we have this week:

In an effort to embrace part of her heritage and stay warm in the cold, bitter wind, Tara, the Diva of Beach Eats, cracked open the Hungarian cookbook sitting on her shelf, that she purchased sometime in the 1980's. Her mission?  Make the only recipe she has ever cooked from the book; Goulash Soup (or "Gulyas Leves" in Hungarian). Rich, spicy and filling, and filled with homemade "csipetke" (pinched noodles), it proved to be a delicious choice. 

Also getting spicy this week was Ulrike from Küchenlatein who made a zesty, hot Spicy Pasta Soup. Although flowers are starting to bloom in Germany, it is still the kind of weather for warming soups. The red chili she used proved to be a bit too hot for one of her sons and his guest. Her other son didn't find it to be hot at all and for Ulrike it was just right, especially when served with coconut-almond naan to mop up some of that heat.  

Searching for a hint of spring in her neck of the woods, Amanda from Joie de Vivre found it in this lovely, lemony Potage of Lentils. Amanda learned that this soup is sometimes called "Esau's Soup" from a biblical story, where his birthright is traded by Esau to his brother for a bowl of delicious smelling soup. Although she is not sure it is worthy of giving up one's birthright, Amanda says it is filling and "down-right yummy" and even better reheated the next day.

A crazy schedule full of multiple work projects and deadlines had Kim at Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet, needing a healthy, hearty bowl of goodness. Her recipe for Kale Soup with Beans, fits the bill nicely. Full of nourishing vegetables, greens and beans, the smell of this soup simmering filled the the whole house with a delicious aroma. Although it is a vegetarian recipe, Kim says this one is hearty enough for the meat lovers out there too. 

I'm glad I am not the only one with a "massive" folder of recipes to try! Heather of girlichef, had a recipe of an unknown origin for Tuscan Bread Soup that she has been wanting to try as she is dreaming of Tuscany lately. Using the recipe jotted on a scrap of paper as a base, she adapted it into a delicious, creamy dish, filled with onion, garlic, and thyme. A topping of toasted bread, drizzles of olive oil and Parmesan, make this soup a mini-vacation to the Italian countryside.

Also channeling Italy with her soup this week is, Donna from My Tasty Treasures. She tried the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for a homey Lentil Vegetable Soup and she calls it "just wonderful", (does Ina Garten have any recipes that are not wonderful?!). Ina has this one full of veggies, herbs, spices and lots of hearty lentils and Donna says it "makes loads and freezes well". She served it with the perfect accompaniment of Focaccia with Olives and Rosemary.

On a campaign to promote the oft-maligned lima bean is Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies who tried a delicious Baby Lima Soup with Chipotle Broth courtesy of blogger Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Kitchen cookbook. Natashya feels, (and I heartily agree with her!), that lima beans have been given a bad rap and when cooked properly, like in this spicy, flavorful soup, they taste great and give a good "meatiness" to any vegetarian meal.  

Christine from Kit's Chow has the perfect soup for Lent Fridays or any day of the week; her Cilantro Soup with Seafood. A refrigerator soup, created by using up leftovers, Christine says this easy soup is even worth just buying the ingredients to make. Chock full of seafood, onions and cilantro, along with other yummy tidbits from her fridge, this delicious concoction is garnished with some flavorful ginger-scallion sauce. Christine has some great recipes for those observing Lent or those who just want to eat well, on her site.

A last minute entry and a new face for Souper Sundays, please help me welcome Debby from A Feast for the Eyes, who comes to us from Monterey Bay, California. A self-described "soupaholic", (you are not alone out there Debby!), she has two soups to share with us this week.  The first is the epitome of Mexican comfort food, Chicken & Tortilla Soup. Utilzing crock pot cooked chicken and broth, veggies and spices, and topped with tortilla strips, avocado and other goodies, it was the perfect headache cure. 

Her second recipe is "Not Your Campbell's" Bean & Bacon Soup. It's made easy in her beloved pressure cooker with a "secret ingredient" of cloves and this thick, hearty soup was a winner at her house. Debby had hoped to have the leftovers for lunch but her son found them and polished it off. (There was small comfort in him calling it one of her best soups).

Another week of delicious soups!  Thanks to everyone for participating! Please take some time and check out all their blogs for more pictures, details and fabulous recipes. If you have a soup or soup-like creation that you would like to share, click on the Souper Sunday logo on the side bar for all the details.

Have a wonderful week!

"Spa-Style" Orange Chocolate Mousse with a Secret Ingredient

When I was in Portland, my sister told me that I scare her sometimes with the things I make on my Blog. An interesting comment that I was not quite sure how to take. Upon further explanation, it turns out that it is some of the strange ingredients I use that scare her, and she did clarify that she thought the end results always look like they tasted good. So, I am sure she will love this next recipe for Orange Chocolate Mousse with a special healthy ingredient, pureed, roasted carrots! (I figured that if I could enjoy brownies with beets in them, I would like chocolate mousse with carrots). I got this recipe from the Culinary Center page on the Rancho La Puerta website. Rancho La Puerta is a destination resort and spa that I fantasize about going to someday. I like to look at resort and spa web sites as they often have recipes for food that looks and tastes really good and indulgent, but is generally pretty healthy. Most people going to spas want to feel pampered while eating better, not deprived, so the food they serve usually reflects that. Since I am a sucker for anything chocolate, this seemed like a good way to get my chocolate and some veggies too--making me feel less guilty for indulging. 

Orange Chocolate Mousse
Rancho La Puerta
Hands-On Cooking Class, with Creative Chef Jesús González

1 cup carrots (6-8 baby carrots)
1/4 cup milk
8 ounces dark semisweet chocolate (75%)
1/2 cup (4 ounces) low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur (optional)
Mint sprigs
Fresh raspberries

Wash carrots, then remove the tops and tips. Do not remove carrot skins. Place the prepared carrots in a medium metal sauté pan or on a baking sheet. In a 375-degree oven, roast the carrots for 45 minutes. Let cool. Then puree the carrots in a food processor and set aside.

Place the chocolate in a small metal bowl and add the milk. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but leave the bowl over the hot water.

In the bowl of a food processor, puree the melted chocolate and milk, pureed carrots, cream cheese, agave nectar, vanilla and Grand Marnier, until perfectly smooth, scraping the sides down several times.

Place the smooth chocolate mousse in a large pastry bag with a large rosette tip OR merely use a serving spoon to serve the mousse. Place 5-6 raspberries (or other fruit) in the base of 6 glass coupes and then top the berries with the mousse. Top the mousse with a raspberry (or other fruit) and a sprig of mint.

Recipe Created by Chef Jesús Gonzalez of La Cocina Que Canta Culinary Center at Rancho La

Puerta Fitness Resort & Spa • Tecate, Baja CA, Mexico - www.rancholapuerta.com 

Notes/Results:  Chocolaty, rich, decadent and good, with no discernible carrot taste. The texture was a bit fudgier than the lighter texture I normally associate with mousse, but that is not a bad thing. Rather than add the orange liquor, I used a bit of orange zest and juice for the orange flavor. To get the right texture, puree the carrots really well before adding in the other ingredients, and then take your time in pureeing everything together, until it is very smooth, (which took several minutes and lots of scraping down the sides of the processor). I took the lazy way out and spooned it into four little tea cups and garnished them with mint, but if you have the fresh berries, piping the mousse into glasses as suggested would be nice. A fun recipe and a good way to sneak a bit of vitamin A into your diet while enjoying dessert.

Borlotti Beans with Woody Herbs for Tyler Florence Fridays

Tyler Florence knows beans, (or at least how to make them taste really good), but I do have a bone to pick with him. I have had this recipe for Borlotti Beans with Woody Herbs (from Tyler's Ultimate page 196), tagged to make for ages. I think mostly because of the name and the fact that while I love my beans, I was not at all familiar with borlotti beans. The trouble became finding this elusive Italian bean, I searched and searched, in Hawaii, in Portland and no one seemed to have them or know what they were. Finally in the gourmet off-shoot of a local grocery store here, after searching the shelves to no avail, I asked if the clerk had heard of them and if they ever carried them and she led me over to some small cans marked "brown beans", turning them around to reveal in Italian "Fagioli Borlotti" on the opposite side.


They were not cheap, so I bought two small cans and carried my treasure home to make a half recipe of the beans. They were outstanding, (details below), but with the cost of the imported borlotti beans I knew it would not be a dish I would be making in mass quantities.


Cut to yesterday and a trip to Whole Foods, where I was perusing the bean aisle, and saw a big bag of Bob's Red Mill Cranberry Beans. I picked them up, thinking they would be fun to cook with and read the label which states: "Much sweeter and more delicate in taste than common pintos or kidney beans, these beautiful Cranberry Beans are popular in Italian cuisine and often known as "borlotti" beans." Tyler!!!!! Could you maybe have mentioned that borlotti beans and cranberry beans are the same thing??!!! I mean I would expect this kind of thing from Mario Batali, but you, Tyler, are supposed to be a man of the people, an All-American guy and you couldn't add one sentence about the aliases that borlotti beans use and save me months of looking for them?!  In fact, after doing a bit of research on the net, it even seems that a good portion of the "borlotti" beans eaten in Italy, are now imported from the United States and are cranberry beans!  Tyler is darn lucky that I really liked this recipe! 

What Tyler does say about the beans: "Tuscan-style borlotti beans are nothing more than peasant food, refined for high art. This simple dish can be taken in so many different directions: served with chunks of fresh sausage as a hearty soup, as a side dish with steak or roasted chicken, or thinned with a couple of cups of vegetable stock for a hearty vegetarian soup. The Old World process takes a few hours but I have cut the time by fortifying canned beans with carrot, celery, onion and sage."

Borlotti Beans with Woody Herbs

Tyler's Ultimate, Tyler Florence

(Serves 4-6)

1 onion, quartered

1 carrot, cut into large chunks

1 celery stock

3 garlic cloves

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 fresh thyme sprigs

2 fresh sage sprigs

1 small fresh rosemary sprig

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 cans (28 ounces each) borlotti beans

2 bay leaves

2 cups chicken broth

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Put the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a food processor and pulse to chop fine.  Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the herbs and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the finely chopped vegetables and red pepper flakes and saute until the vegetables are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the beans, bay leaves, broth, and remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes, or until the beans are flavorful. Taste for salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaves before serving the beans.

Notes/Results: Delicious! I loved these beans, they are so flavorful, homey and filling. I used some olive oil for sauteing the herbs and veggies (about 2 Tbsp), but didn't add the extra 1/2 cup the recipe called for, I just added a bit more broth to cut some of the calories. I also found that my celery wasn't good, so I added extra carrots, (why my beans appear more "yellow" than the ones in Tyler's picture I think), and both stores I tried were out of fresh thyme, so I used some dried I had on hand, but otherwise I made this recipe as written. I crisped some herbs in a pan with a bit of olive oil to garnish the top, which was a nice touch. I served my beans with some green salad and sliced flank steak, but I found myself ignoring the steak and getting another helping of the beans, they were so good. Pureeing the vegetables and cooking them with the beans makes the canned beans taste like they have been simmering on the stove for hours. I will definitely make this recipe again, both with my new-found borlotti / cranberry beans and also trying it with other types of beans. This is a new favorite and a keeper recipe for me.

You can check what recipes our other TFF participants made and what they thought of them at the TFF site here.

Chocolates in Paradise--Sweet Paradise Chocolatier

I blame this post on Kat from Our Adventures in Japan because I must blame it and the chocolate I consumed on someone. Kat always finds the most amazing chocolates and posts about them and I constantly leave her blog both drooling and green with envy about her access to the "good stuff".  Although Hawaii is the only US state that can grow chocolate successfully, there is a lack of true artisan chocolatiers and chocolate stores here. When I heard that Sweet Paradise Chocolatier had opened in Kailua in November, I was excited, but it took me awhile to actually make the 30 minute drive out there to try the chocolates. 

The owner and "Maitre Chocolatier" Melanie Boudar, taught the class where Michelle and I made this gorgeous tart, and that was another reason I wanted to try her chocolates. 


Since Melanie's background is in diamond buying and jewelry design, it is no wonder her chocolates are little works of art. Creating an upscale bed & breakfast on The Big Island, she decided to set herself apart by making chocolates for her guests, inspired by the many chocolate shops she had visited on her travels from her career in jewelry. Studying the art of chocolate in Canada and also at the CIA in New York, she perfected her chocolate art. Her chocolates feature many local ingredients such as Hawaiian fruits, nuts, and cacao nibs and they plan to come out with a sugar-free chocolate line this year . 

It took me a couple of turns around the block to find the little shop, tucked away on a Kailua backstreet, but soon enough I was parked and in front of a couple of cases of beautiful little chocolates, shining like little gem stones. It was difficult to choose among the many chocolates on display, but I settled on eight, which were nicely wrapped up in a cute little striped box with ribbons. I savored these little gems over a few days and my impressions of the ones I tasted are below.

On the first level (starting at top left): 

• Blood Orange: a nice light orange flavor that complements the creamy dark chocolate without overpowering it. Liked the soft, candied orange peel on top.

• Passion Fruit Heart: nicely fruity and sweet, I would have liked a bit more of a tang to this one as I like that sweet-tangy flavor in my passion fruit, but the overall flavor is excellent.

• POG: (named after the Passion-Orange-Guava juice popular here in Hawaii), subtle fruit flavors, pleasing taste and mouth feel, with the slight crispness of the chocolate outside and creamy filling within.

• Dreamy Caramel: this could be a serious addiction, as creamy and dreamy as the name says, the buttery caramel just oozes out of the chocolate. 

The second level (starting at top left):

• Macadamia Nut: Chocolate around the mac nut half in the center, subtle but nice.

• Madagascar Vanilla: very potent, deep vanilla, almost like having a liquor, creamy texture, very rich and delicious. 

• Key Lime: Nice lime flavor but a bit more sweet than tart, I like more "pucker" with my key lime.

• Strawberry Guava: similar to the POG, a nice light fruity flavor in creamy dark filling.

These are quality chocolates and you pay for the quality. My box of 8 was around $20 with tax but the experience of biting into and savoring a beautiful, delicious artisan chocolate make them a worthwhile indulgence. The fact that I am supporting a local business who sources ingredients from other local Hawaii businesses makes them all the better.

I focused a lot on the local flavors with this round, but will be back soon to try some of the other flavors. My favorites?  The Dreamy Caramel won my heart, but the Madagascar Vanilla and Passion Fruit Heart were also quite good. The shop carries other chocolate products and bars and has a website here.  Definitely worth the drive if you are visiting Hawaii!

Sweet Paradise Chocolatier

20-A Kainehe Street,

Kailua, HI 96734

808-230-8228

Hours: 

Tues: 2-6 PM

Wed-Sat: 11 AM to 6 PM

Quinoa-Buffalo Meatloaf & Cabbage with Turkey Bacon

For the past couple of years I have been making this recipe for Quinoa-Turkey Meatloaf, ever since I found it while surfing for quinoa recipes. Although I usually make it with the ground turkey breast, sometimes I do want some red meat, so I make it with some lean ground buffalo. The quinoa keeps it nice and moist and you can adjust the spices however you like. With the quinoa you get lots of protein, manganese, magnesium and iron; in addition to the protein, iron, calcium and potassium you get from buffalo. Plus, like most meatloaf, it tastes much better than it photographs and looks!

Since there was a head of Napa cabbage in my CSA box this week, I decided to try this Savoy Cabbage and Bacon recipe I had marked in Nigel Slater's Real Fast Food, subbing in the Napa cabbage for the savoy. I had some turkey bacon that I had cooked up previously so I threw in that and a little bit of olive oil to replace the bacon and bacon fat that Nigel uses. Not quit as decadent, but still very tasty and much healthier. You get plenty of vitamin K & C from the cabbage and vitamin A from the carrots.

Savoy (or Nappa) Cabbage with (Turkey) Bacon

Real Fast Food, Nigel Slater

(Serves 1 as a main dish, 2 as an accompaniment)

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 medium carrots, scrubbed

4 ounces smoked bacon, thick slices or slab

1 pound Savoy cabbage leaves, washed

1 tsp caraway seeds

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Slice the garlic finely, and cut the carrots into matchstick-size strips. Cut the bacon into dice about 1/2-inch square. Shred the cabbage leaves finely with a large knife. Cook the bacon in a large frying pan until it starts to brown. Add the garlic, carrots, and cabbage to the bacon and toss the vegetables in the bacon fat over a medium heat. Cook until the carrots are tender but still have some crunch to them, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle over a few caraway seeds, about a teaspoonful, then season with salt and pepper.  

A healthy, homey and delicious dinner.

A Healthier "Zuppa Toscana" for Souper Sunday

My trip to Portland last month gave me some good bonding time with my sister, niece and Mom as we drove down to Eugene to take my niece back to college. She picked the lunch spot; The Olive Garden, and the unending soup, salad and bread sticks they are known for. It would not really have been my top choice, our green salad was more white than green (yikes!), but I do have to say I love their "Zuppa Toscana"; a soup full of spicy sausage, potatoes and greens in a creamy broth. My sister, who has more will-power, was eating her healthier bowl of Pasta E Fagioli, eyeballing my soup and said that I should "healthify it" and post it for Souper Sundays. A great idea!  My Mom found a clipping from the paper with a recipe for the company's version so I copied it down and made some healthier changes (in red below), and ended up with a hearty, yummy soup. So Linda, this Healthier "Zuppa Toscana" is for you. Hopefully your kitchen remodel will be finished soon, otherwise I am sure Mom will make it for you. 

Healthier "Zuppa Toscana"

Adapted from the Olive Garden

3/4 lb spicy Italian link sausage  (about 3 links)  (used spicy organic chicken sausage)

1 slice bacon, diced  (used organic turkey bacon)

3/4 cup diced onion

1 1/4 tsp minced garlic  (used about 2 Tbsp)

2 medium potatoes, peeled  (used 3 large potatoes)

2 Tbsp chicken broth  (see below)

4 cups water  (used 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth)

2 cups cavolo greens or kale  (used 3 cups kale)

1/3 cup whipping cream  (used 2 Tbsp soy creamer)

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Put sausages on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until juices run clear when pricked with a fork. Let cool, cut in half lengthwise and then at an angle into 1/2 inch slices. (About 1 1/2 cups yield). Set aside. 

In a 4 quart pot over medium heat, saute bacon until limp. Add the onion and continue cooking until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and slice into 1/4-inch slices. Add the potatoes to the onions along with the chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. (Remove 2 ladles of potatoes from soup and place in blender. food processor or bowl with immersion blender and puree until smooth. Add back to soup. If soup is not thick enough for your liking, puree more potatoes until it is the consistency you want). 

Cut the cavolo greens or kale in half and remove any tough stems. Slice into very thin strips. Add greens and sausage to the soup ans simmer 5 minutes more. Stir in cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Notes/Results: Hearty, delicious and just as good, if not better than the original. The pureed potatoes give the soup a great texture and a couple of tablespoons of the soy creamer, although not completely necessary, does give it a certain silkiness. I increased the amount of potatoes in order to have enough to blend to thicken the base and still have plenty of chunks and cut both the sausage and potatoes in smaller pieces than the recipe stated, (more per bite that way!). The package of chicken sausage I bought had 4 links and was slightly over 3/4 pound. I also upped the amount of garlic and used low sodium chicken stock for the base instead of water for the extra flavor. Even better reheated the next day, this filling soup is a definite keeper.

Time to check out who is in the Souper Sunday Kitchen today and find out what delicious creations they have come up with.

First up is Kristen from Sogkonnite Living who mustered her inner warrior to make Rachel Ray's Samurai Soup with her kids. A little nervous about cooking with her children especially making the wontons, Kirsten was happy about how easy the soup was to make and how much fun her children had. The result was a delicious soup that made enough for everyone for dinner and still gave her a nice lunch the next day. 

One of two new faces at Souper Sunday is Amy from Calm In The Kitchen, hailing from Kansas. The weather there has been crazy lately, alternating from warm to cold and Amy knows that nothing is better on a cold day than a nice hot bowl of soup. Her gorgeous Creamy Roasted Mushroom and Garlic Soup is a perfect way to warm up. Roasting the garlic and mushrooms, made this soup a flavorful, creamy, well-balanced dish that Amy calls "simple and satisfying".

I always love to meet fellow soup fans so I was excited to hear from Heather at Girlichef from Indiana, our other new face this week. Heather loves soup so much, she posted two this week. The first is a classic Tortilla Soup, adapted from the master of Mexican cooking, Rick Bayless; simple, delicious and flavorful.  

Heather's second soup is the perfect "medicine" for colds and flu, her Restorative Broth, with plenty of ginger and garlic, plus a plethora or veggies and herbs (see the photo below). A big mug of this flavorful broth will cure whatever ails you.

Having a "Sandwich Day" featuring both grilled cheese and turkey cheese Hawaiian Panini, made Kim at Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet realize that you can't have a sandwich without some tasty soup to dunk it into. She whipped up a batch of her favorite sandwich dip; classic Homemade Tomato Soup. Give Kim a good sandwich, a bowl of this soup and an old movie and she is in Heaven. Congrats to Kim for blogging everyday for the month of February and winning another NaBloPoMo badge! I am impressed with her dedication!

Ulrike from Küchenlatein is getting a few hints of spring in the air and made a Spiced Citrus Bean Soup to capture the feeling. This soup contains a colorful variety of Italian "pulses", (red, white and green beans, lentils, chickpeas, green and yellow split peas & broad beans), plus spices and orange juice, and is topped with a scattering of coriander and parsley. It is the perfect soup to fill up on, and get ready to welcome Spring.  

Leftover homemade pasta and a need for some soothing soup this weekend, prompted Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies to create this Green Curry Noodle Soup with Spicy Shrimp. Full of crisp veggies, tender noodles, green curry paste, and coconut milk and topped with some spicy shrimp, it is a feast for the senses. Natashya says it is a good, fast soup and very tasty!

Looks like some fantastic soups to kick off March with! Welcome to our new faces this week and thanks to everyone for sharing their soups. Check out their blogs for the recipes, more pictures and the details on their dishes. If you want to share your soup or soup-like creation, just click on the Souper Sunday logo on the side bar and you'll find all the details.

Have a great week!