I have been absent, busy making rehearsal supper to take to my son’s wedding, trying to prepare a healthy, inexpensive meal that is a crowd-pleaser. What better time of year than a fall wedding to serve hearty and healthy soups! I must add that the crowd I served contained a few special dietary needs. One was vegan, one gluten free, and one allergic to any kind of peppers. Not wanting to single out anyone, I devised a buffet of soups, all without gluten, that would allow all to have at least one hearty bowlful. Dried beans and peas are also an inexpensive way to make healthy, filling soups. I made sure that the items I purchased were not processed in plants that included gluten.
To be fair, I did find a couple of the recipes online, but I always make my own adjustments to the recipes.
White Turkey Chili
½ lb. dry great northern beans, soaked overnight in water and drained
3 cups turkey or chicken stock (I made my own using a turkey carcass, carrots, onion, celery, and seasonings to avoid gluten)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped and divided into two equal portions
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 serrano pepper, stem and most seeds removed, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
Pinch of ground cloves
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 (4-oz.) cans chopped green chilies
2 cups diced cooked turkey
Salt to taste
Combine beans, turkey stock, and half the onions in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are very soft, 1-3 hours or more. You may add some water if necessary as the beans expand and soften.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chopped pepper and remaining onions in oil until tender. Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute. Add green chilies and seasonings, mixing thoroughly.
Add seasoning mixture, salt, and turkey to the stock and bean mixture and simmer for 10 minutes or more, until the beans are thoroughly soft and the stew has thickened. Serve with optional garnishes of cilantro leaves, lime, or avocado slices.
Vegan Lentil Fiesta Soup
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. oregano
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes and the juices
2 (4-oz.) cans diced green chiles
2 cups lentils, rinsed and sorted
8 cups vegan vegetable broth
1/2 tsp salt
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add vegetables and saute until beginning to soften. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and oregano and saute until mixed in well. Add tomatoes, chiles, lentils, broth, and salt. Simmer, covered, until lentils are tender. Garnish with fresh cilantro, chopped avocado, and a few dashes of hot sauce, if desired.
The other soup was a family favorite, and I know it is sometimes difficult to find the whole dried peas. In our area, it is a traditional ingredient for the Dutch, so we find them. My kids in other parts of the country have made the soup even with frozen peas!
Pea Soup
1 lb. bag whole dried peas
1 Ham shoulder bone, meat partially cut off, or 2 ham hocks
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup dried split peas
Salt to taste
Soak whole peas in water overnight. Drain. Cook whole peas and ham bone, covered in water, for about 2 hours. Remove bones and cut off remaining meat, adding it back into the soup. Add potato, onion, split peas, and salt. Simmer until peas are soft, another 1-2 hours.