Sneaky Veggie & Beef Soup (paleo)
We all know that some kids are better at eating their vegetables than others. Well, If you happen to have a picky eater in your house, then this recipe is for you. Why do I call it Sneaky Veggie and Beef Soup? Because I sneak 3 stalks of celery, one whole red bell pepper, and 3 packed cups of hearty kale leaves in this dish, but all of the vegetables are blended into a purée before cooking, so nobody would ever know! With the fresh, familiar flavors of tangy lime, smokey cumin, and sweet red bell pepper, this sneaky soup sure pleased all three of my guys at dinner last night, and Nikhil (my fussy one) had no clue that he was eating green vegetables.
To make a meal out of it, I served our soup over jasmine rice that I spiced with a quarter teaspoon each of turmeric and cinnamon, and my two year old gobbled up his first serving and quickly went in for seconds. If you can tolerate dairy (lucky you!), I'd bet that a dollop of sour cream would be a divine accompaniment. And if you are eating Paleo or grain free as I am these days, you could enjoy this delicious soup alone, with slices of ripe avocado, or with some roasted squash or sweet potatoes. No matter how you decide to enjoy your Sneaky Soup, I hope you and your family loves it as much as mine!
INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pound grass fed ground beef*
1/4 cup dried onion or 1/2 cup fresh yellow or white onion, finely diced (I used dried onion because that's all that I had in the house. Be sure it's dried onion flakes, and not onion powder.)
1 large red bell pepper, seeds removed, roughly chopped
3 large stalks celery, roughly chopped
3 packed cups kale leaves
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups chicken broth**
1.5 tbsp ground cumin
1/2-1 tsp sea salt (depends on your preference and how salty your broth is)
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
* If you don't care for beef, ground turkey would be a great substitute.
**If you use reduced sodium broth, you'll most likely need to add extra salt at the end to achieve the right flavor.
DIRECTIONS:
Pour 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a large soup pot and heat over a medium setting. Add in the dried onion or fresh onion plus your ground beef, and begin to break the beef apart with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking the beef over medium-low heat, crumbling the meat as much as possible, and stirring everything to allow the onions to cook through until at least translucent, if you used fresh onions. If you used dried onions, they will do their thing and turn a little golden brown.
While the beef and onions are cooking, prepare your vegetables: Place the red bell pepper, celery, garlic, and chicken broth in your blender cup, and process until everything is blended into a smooth puree. Add in the kale leaves, and blend again until the kale is pureed (you could try adding all of the veggies on the first try, but kale is pretty bulky so it might not all fit). You'll have a somewhat frothy, watery, strange looking liquid, but don't worry- this will all cook down and turn into a beautiful soup.
Once the beef and onion have cooked through, add the pureed veggies and broth mixture, ground cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt to the pot. Give everything a good stir, and then bring it to a boil. Once you've reached a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and let it cook uncovered for about 20-30 minutes until the liquid has reduced and you're left with a rich, somewhat thick soup. The consistency of the soup will be almost as thick as chili, but definitely "soupier."
Once you've reached a consistency that you're happy with, turn off the heat and stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and fresh lime juice. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves. Enjoy!
Creamy Leek, Mushroom & Chicken Soup (paleo)
Yesterday afternoon I decided to make some homemade gluten free pizza crust so that the boys could have pizza night, which is Nikhil's favorite. While I was waiting for the dough to rise, I searched through the fridge to figure out what I was going to make for myself for dinner, because as much as I love pizza, the bread & cheese combo just doesn't agree with me. My internal clock must sense that it's officially fall now, as somehow I was craving soup again, even though it continues to be close to 90 degrees here! In the fridge I found a whole leek and a bunch of fresh dill leftover from the delicious Summertime Salmon Chowder that I made last week, as well as the remnants of a rotisserie chicken that I had picked up over the weekend. I also found a handful of crimini mushrooms in the fridge, which I thought would work well with the leeks and the dill. My findings were especially fortuitous because I love mushrooms and any type of onion, but Ben barely tolerates them (I think he's mildly allergic to onions), so I wouldn't normally make something like this for the family. I knew Ben would enjoy pizza night with the boys, so I got to work on my own dinner, and came up with this oh so yummy soup.
INGREDIENTS:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium leek, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced (2 cups)*
2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise then sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
5 crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 can full fat coconut milk
2 cups chicken stock**
1 1/2 tsp paprika
10 turns of the pepper mill
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, roughly chopped (I used a rotisserie chicken)
1/2 tsp sea salt, or less to taste
*A tip about cooking with leeks: I was taught to use the white and light green portion of the leek, and not the darker green, tougher part. Leeks grow in sandy soil, so you want to be sure to properly rinse your leeks in a colander after slicing them. You can also soak the sliced leeks in a large bowl of water to let the heavier soil sink to the bottom, and then rinse several times to ensure that all debris has been removed. You don't want gritty soup!
**If you use reduced sodium stock, you may need to add more salt at the end to achieve the right flavor.
DIRECTIONS:
In a large soup pot with a tight fitting lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks, celery, and mushrooms to the pot and saute your veggies until the leeks are tender, and have just started to brown a little bit, about 8 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken stock, paprika, black pepper, and dill, and bring to a low boil. Place the chicken in the pot, give everything a good stir, and then cover your pot. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and let it simmer for 10 minutes, until the celery is tender. Taste your soup, and if you require more seasoning you can add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. I added 1/2 teaspoon of salt to mine, and it tasted perfect. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with some dill fronds if you'd like. I devoured mine on it's own, but I think it would be delicious with some buttered gluten free toast, or a chunk of crusty sourdough bread. I recommend making a double batch of this soup so that you can freeze some to have on a chilly night when you just don't feel like cooking.
Enjoy, friends!
Summertime Salmon Chowder (paleo, aip-friendly)
Despite our humid, 88 degree weather here, I found myself craving salmon chowder of all things the other afternoon. I did an online search for a Paleo version, and thought that the ingredient list of Sarah Fragoso's Scrumptious Salmon Chowder looked appealing. I had most of what I needed at home except for carrots, bacon, and leeks, so the boys and I took a trip to our well air conditioned grocery to get some stuff. It was a great excuse to get out of the house and cool off. Although Sarah's recipe doesn't call for it, I picked up some crisp celery at the store to add to my soup because I wanted that extra savory flavor in there. I also opted to cook the bacon in whole strips, and then poured off the bacon fat and replaced it with virgin coconut oil before sauteing my veggies. I know it's common in Paleo cooking to use a fair amount of bacon fat, but I'm just not a fan. I made a few more changes to the recipe, but mostly stuck to Sarah's ingredient list and I have to say that the result truly was scrumptious! Both of my boys enjoyed the dish, and I ate two large bowls at dinner, plus a bowl for lunch the next day. I shared it with a friend of mine, and her response to her first bite was "yes!" So, even though this is not my original recipe, I wanted to share it with you because it's just that good. And if you feel like checking out the Everyday Paleo website, be sure to look for Sarah's Puerto Rican Beef and Chocolate Custard recipes. They are two of my faves.
Adapted from Everyday Paleo
INGREDIENTS:
12 oz nitrate and nitrite free bacon, cooked until crispy
1 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
1 ½ cups leeks, sliced into thin rounds- about one medium sized leek*
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick half moons
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cups chicken stock- not reduced sodium**
1 13.5 oz can full fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 lb of wild salmon fillets (skin and bones removed)
10 turns of the pepper mill (omit for AIP)
*A tip about cooking with leeks: I was taught to use the white and light green portion of the leek, and not the darker green, tougher part. Leeks grow in sandy soil, so you want to be sure to properly rinse your leeks in a colander after slicing them. You can also soak the sliced leeks in a large bowl of water to let the heavier soil sink to the bottom, and then rinse several times to ensure that all debris has been removed. You don't want gritty soup!
**If you use reduced sodium stock, you may need to add salt at the end to achieve the right flavor.
DIRECTIONS:
First, cook the bacon in a large skillet until it's crispy, then transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels (to absorb the excess oil), and pour the bacon fat from the skillet into a disposable receptacle. You may need to cook the bacon in two batches. Add the coconut oil to the skillet (or a soup pot if your skillet is too shallow), then add in your leeks, carrots, and celery. Saute the veggies until they are tender- I cooked mine for about 7 minutes over medium heat. While your veggies are cooking, chop the crisped bacon into small bite sized pieces. Now add your coconut milk, chicken stock, bacon, black pepper, and dill to the pot and bring to a low simmer. Add in the whole salmon fillets and gently simmer until the fish starts to flake apart, which should take 5 minutes or so. Once the salmon has cooked through (but not overcooked!), and the carrots are tender, your chowder is ready. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a few sprigs of fresh dill if you'd like.
Enjoy!