Cabbage, White Bean, Leek Soup

Cabbage White Bean Leek Soup

The Walrus and the Carpenter

By Lewis Carroll

The time has come,’ the Walrus said,

      To talk of many things:

Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax —

      Of cabbages — and kings —

And why the sea is boiling hot —

      And whether pigs have wings.’

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Nothing beats a warm and warming bowl of soup to chase away those chilly damp days of fall and winter. Cabbage White Bean Leek Soup is as delicious and comforting as they come.

Ahhhhh, the humble, ubiquitous cabbage. This cruciferous vegetable is present in almost every cuisine, in one variety or another. Cabbage can be fermented, baked into pastry, stuffed with meat or vegetables simmered in a sauce and eaten raw in slaw. Readily available and inexpensive, cruciferous vegetables are nutrient rich powerhouses. However, none of that would matter if they didn’t also taste wonderful when properly prepared.

Unfortunately, too many people have memories of smelly, over-cooked cabbage permeating school cafeterias and hesitate using it. But if you are one of those people, please give cabbage another chance. The shredded cabbage and leeks soften and just melt into the broth, resulting in a flavorful bowl of comfort and yumminess. The leeks and cabbage take on a sweetness when cooked this way, so adding a grated hard cheese with some saltiness to it like a pecorino or asiago is the perfect accompaniment. I know that vegan cheese options have come a long way in recent years, so if making this as a vegan option, I would strongly encourage adding a vegan cheese when serving.

We eat soup all year long. Hot soup in the spring, fall and winter and cold in the summer. Sometimes as a starter to a larger meal and more often as a meal in itself. My Cabbage White Bean Leek Soup recipe should be viewed as a starting place. Made exactly as written, the end product will be wonderful. But, if you don’t have leeks, use onions or shallots. Not into cooking your own beans, use canned. More carrots? Sure, why not? No farro? No problem. Use potato, peeled and cubed or wheat berries or leave it out. Going vegan with the recipe? Use all oil or a vegan “butter” substitute, add two to three rounded tablespoons of nutritional yeast and leave out the parmesan rind.

In other words – don’t get bogged down in exactness. And don’t get too precious with the soup. While I eat with my eyes as well as my taste buds, this soup will still be delicious even without the large handful of fresh herbs that I have added at the end. Instead, just add a drizzle of a good, flavored olive oil when serving up this delicious soup.

So when you are ready, give Cabbage White Bean Leek Soup a go. You won’t be disappointed.

Recipe

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

Cabbage White Bean Leek Soup

2 pound green or white cabbage, trimmed and cut into shreds

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 large leeks, washed, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

2 large carrots, trimmed and sliced into thinnish rounds

1 good hunk of parmesan rind with some cheese attached (optional but recommended) OR 2 rounded Tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast

2 bay leaves

6 whole cloves

3 cups cooked white beans of choice (cannellini are my personal favorite)

8 to 10 cups (2 to 2.5 quarts) of veggie or chicken stock, preferably unsalted (or bean cooking liquid plus stock)

kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

3/4 cup uncooked farro, potatoes, wheat berries or barley

a large handful of fresh herbs (I used dill, parsley and thyme, but almost any will do) for serving

Cabbage White Bean Leek Soup

Directions

In a large stockpot, sauté leeks in the butter/oil on medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until softened.

Cabbage White Bean Leek Soup

Add in the sliced carrots, garlic and one teaspoon of salt. and sauté for 3 more minutes. Next in is the shredded cabbage. Sauté to soften, adding in about 1 cup of the liquid to help move things along.

Finally, add in the cooked beans, bay leaves, cloves and parmesan rinds, if using. Stir everything through and pour the stock and/or the bean liquid, if using, over all of the ingredients in the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Then cover the pot, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 to 40 minutes.

Cabbage White Bean Leek Soup

Uncover the pot, add in the farro and give a good stir to everything. Bring the mixture back to a boil, recover the pot and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes more or until the farro or potato is tender and cooked. Taste the liquid and adjust your seasonings adding in the black pepper at this time.

When you are ready to serve, ladle soup into a bowl and top with lots of fresh, chopped herbs and a drizzle of a good olive oil. I love the Sciabica Mediterranean Medley. But any good olive oil that you like will do. Warm up a nice, crusty bread and dig in!

Libyan-Style Fish (Chraimeh)

Libyan-Style Fish

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Libyan-Style Fish (Chraimeh) is to Libyan Jews – and many Israelis – what gefilte fish is to Eastern European Jews. And while my family origins are strictly the Pale of Settlement, I am a bigger fan of chraimeh than gefilte fish. This sweet and savory (sometimes fiery) dish is bound to become a tradition in your house too.

Normally made with a firm-fleshed non-oily white fish such as sea bass or amberjack, salmon steaks are more readily available where I live and also more affordable. You can also make this with thicker fillets of a white fish with the skin still on. I have even eaten made from catfish.

There are as many recipes for Libyan-Style Fish as there are people who originated from Libya. And each family prides itself on its version. While comparing recipes (and I must have looked at at least 6) it seems that all have in common: garlic; paprika, caraway seeds, cumin and chiles. The recipe I finally landed on comes from Jerusalem a Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. But, of course, with a few tweaks by me.

Whether you choose to use this recipe or some other, just be sure to have plenty of good bread on hand for dipping into the sauce. The sauce is what this dish is all about! While normally served as a starter to the Shabbat or holiday meal, my husband and I ate it as our main course on Shabbat.

Serve Libyan-Style Fish (Chraimeh) warm or at room temperature. I did tone down the heat a bit to suit our tastes. This can get pretty fiery in some versions. But the beauty of making these foods at home is that you are the boss. YOU control the heat. Because the spices make the dish, I encourage you to only use the freshest dried spices. Better yet – grind your own. And the end product should be a perfect balance of sweet and savory.

Libyan-Style Fish (Chraimeh) is a great make-ahead dish and can easily be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd. Fish cooked in a sweet or savory tomato-based sauce is ubiquitous across the Mediterranean and North Africa. The Moroccan version is a bit more subtle in its flavorings but not terribly dissimilar. While served year-round, it is a perfect summer make-ahead meal. Add some rice or couscous and you have dinner!

For another great Shabbat and holiday fish starter, try my Egyptian Ground Fish Balls in a tomato-based sauce. My family loves these for Passover. And if you truly cannot live without gefilte fish (And who says you have to choose?!) try my Gefilte Fish Loaf.

Recipe

Yield: 3 to 4 servings as dinner. About 6 servings as a starter

Ingredients

Libyan-Style Fish

About 5 Tablespoons of neutral oil (I use canola)

2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped OR 1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes

3 to 4 salmon steaks (about 1.5 to 2 pounds), rinsed and patted dry

6 large cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 Tablespoon of caraway seeds, dry toasted in a pan and then ground

rounded 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1.5 teaspoons of ground cumin

rounded 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (preferably Ceylon cinnamon)

1 green chile, coarsely chopped with or without seeds depending on the level of heat you are looking for

About 2/3 cup of water

3 Tablespoons of tomato paste

2 teaspoons of granulated sugar (I actually used Demerara)

1/3 cup diced roasted peppers ( I had homemade, but jarred are fine)

Juice of 1/2 of a lemon plus 1 lemon cut into 4 wedges

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leafed parsley

kosher salt and Aleppo pepper (or freshly cracked black pepper) to taste

Directions

Place the garlic, spices, 2 Tablespoons of oil and chile in a blender or food processor (Mortar and pestle would also work) and blitz to a thick paste. I needed to add another Tablespoon of oil to get the right consistency.

Libyan-Style Fish

In a large, heavy, flat-bottomed pan with a cover, add remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil and heat to shimmering. Add in the garlic spice mixture and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Garlic Spice Mixture

Immediately add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, roasted peppers, fresh lemon juice, water and sugar and stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook partially covered for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened and the sauce has thickened some. Taste and add more salt as needed and Aleppo or black pepper.

In the meantime, rinse and dry your fish. Liberally salt and pepper both sides of the fish and set aside.

When the sauce has melded, add the fish steaks, pushing them gently into the sauce. The sauce will not cover them. My salmon steaks were quite thick, so I simmered them for 9 minutes on the first side, spooning sauce over them occasionally and then turned them over to cook for another 8 to 9 minutes. Depending on the thickness of your fish you may not need to turn the pieces over. You want to cook the fish to the flake stage. Spoon sauce over the fish.

Allow the fish and sauce to cool down to warm before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs. Libyan-Style Fish can be served warm or at room temperature. Serve over rice or with LOTS of delicious bread like fresh challah. Left-overs can be refrigerated and gently reheated.

Chickpea Sandwich Smush

Chickpea Sandwich Smush

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Every week I bake a wonderful sandwich bread. In fact, my husband and I eat bread of one kind or another daily and we both enjoy making different kinds. Bread isn’t the enemy, guys! The flour I use is grown and milled locally with all of the whole grain goodness intact. I use a blend of different flours, some of which are heirloom varieties. You can taste the difference. So doesn’t this deserve a great filling? Just try my Chickpea Sandwich Smush. You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy it.

Not all of the breads we make are on my blog, but many wonderful options are here and can be found using the search function. But you don’t have to bake your own bread to enjoy this wonderful sandwich filling. Pack it on your next picnic or just for a great weekday lunch. With plenty of plant protein to keep you going all afternoon and with nothing to weigh you down. No mid-afternoon slump here.

Normally, my husband uses cold cuts in his sandwiches, but he has been trying to wean himself from this. So after doing some Googling, I came across “No-Tuna” salads. Most of the recipes were pretty similar, utilizing the delicious and nutritious chickpea in place of the tuna. Personally, I am not calling my version “No-Tuna.” Tuna is tuna and this isn’t it. I think that people are often turned off by vegan recipes that purport to taste “just like meat/fish/chicken.”

Let’s just enjoy these dishes for themselves. And while it is true that there are increasingly great meat substitutes available, sometimes a veggie burger is just a great veggie burger. This recipe is a great Chickpea Sandwich Smush. It is, of course, adaptable to your personal tastes and ingredients on hand, but below is one perfect version. Works great on whole grain sandwich bread, in a wrap or just as a salad and will hold up for 4 to 5 days in the fridge.

This sandwich filling has everything going for it. Great texture, brininess, umami, satisfying and riffable. Each element that I include adds brightness, texture and flavor. Generally I like to cook up my own chickpeas, but for this to work, they need to be very smushable so may cook a bit longer than usual. Canned work well here, but find a brand that you like, preferably one without lots of the skins left on the chickpeas.

Chickpea Sandwich Smush

Recipe

Servings: Enough for 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

1 15 oz. can of chickpeas (preferably organic), rinsed, drained and with the excess skin shells removed

3 Tablespoons tahini (Use a really good quality brand like Soom or Seed and Mill, both of which are readily available in the US and online)

1 rounded Tablespoon of plain yogurt – plant-based or dairy

2 teaspoons of Dijon or spicy brown mustard

1 Tablespoon of Agave nectar or maple syrup

Juice of half of a lemon (About 2 Tablespoons)

1/4 cup finely diced red onion or shallot

1/4 cup diced celery

1/4 cup garlic dilled pickle, although sweet gherkins could also be good.

1.5 teaspoons capers, drained and coarsely chopped

2 Tablespoons chopped, fresh cilantro or flat-leafed parsley

1 Tablespoon finely chopped preserved lemon rind that has been lightly rinsed of excess salt

1/4 teaspoon ground sumac

1 Tablespoon pan-roasted unsalted sunflower seeds

kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Chickpea Sandwich Smush

Directions

Place the drained, rinsed chickpeas, with skins removed in a mixing bowl. Using a potato masher or fork, smush most but not all chickpeas. (You want some texture, but you also want to be able to spread this on bread.)

Add all of the remaining ingredients and mix through. Then spread it on bread and add your favorite toppings. We like it with baby spinach or other greens and some beet chips, lightly crunched on top. Let me know how you like to eat this in the comments below!

Potato and Green Pea Curry

Potato and Green Pea Curry

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Potato and Green Pea Curry is nutritious, vegan deliciousness in one pot. This easily adaptable curry is enhanced by the fluffy and flavorful Garlic Herbed Naan shown here. All of this can be made ahead and warmed when you are ready to eat. It’s another wonderful Meatless Monday – or any day – option.

Garlic Herbed Naan

As those who follow me know, my husband and I have moved to eating vegetarian and vegan meals about 5 days a week. So I am always on the lookout for something that suits our tastes, is nutritious and deeply satisfying. These days, it is easier and easier to follow a vegan diet. While I admit that I am not sold on plant-based yogurt or certain meat look-alike substitutes, they are readily available. And for those who want them, their taste and costs are improving every day.

As with any meal plan you follow, it is important to put together a meal that is appealing and nutritious. After all, just being “good for you or the planet” isn’t much solace if the food doesn’t taste great. Mediterranean and South Asian cuisines lend themselves to vegan or vegetarian preparations. A place for encouragement and great recipes is Pick Up Limes, which is where these recipes originated. This vlogger is a registered nutritionist and a walking advertisement for veganism in a totally non-judgmental package.

While I made Potato and Green Curry as written, it is easily adaptable to using other veg. But because I want as much nutritious bang for my efforts, I know that this recipe covers all of the bases. I also liked that it all came together in under an hour and that I could prep it ahead. Being retired doesn’t mean that I necessarily want to spend hours in the kitchen. My husband and I love to take long walks. When we arrive home happily tired, I want a delicious dinner that comes together quickly and easily. This fits the bill.

Naan is pretty available where we live, but my husband and I enjoy baking most of our own bread. The naan shown here also comes together quickly and the seasonings can be changed to suit your tastes. While the original recipe called for plant-based yogurt and non-dairy milk, mine was made with Bulgarian natural yogurt and 2% milk. We do use soy milk as well in our house, but this is what I went with. I also deviated by using ajwain or carom seed and fresh vs. dried parsley. If you don’t have or don’t like ajwain, commonly used in Indian cuisine, you can leave it out or substitute cumin seed.

When my husband gives me an enthusiastic response to a vegan dish, I know that it is worth sharing. He was brought up in a very meat-eating family. These dishes are not look-alike substitutes for meat. Nor are they trying to fool you into thinking that you are eating meat when you aren’t. They are, however, delicious meals in their own right and can be enjoyed whether you have adopted a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle or are simply looking for new dinner ideas.

As with many South Asian and Middle Eastern/Mediterranean meals, this recipe appears to have a LOT of ingredients. Most are spices that any home who eats these foods would readily have on hand. So don’t be scared off. And the fresher your spices, the more flavorful your food!

Recipe

Potato and Green Pea Curry

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon neutral vegetable oil

2 teaspoons each: whole cumin, coriander and brown mustard seeds

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

1 Tablespoon, grated or minced fresh ginger

1 vegetable bouillon cube

1 Tablespoon garam masala

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I did NOT use this and didn’t miss it)

3 to 4 medium potatoes (I used Yukon Gold, but a red potato or even Russet would work) peeled and cut into small cubes

1.5 cups of water

1 cup frozen, thawed green peas

1 can (about 15 oz.) or 1.5 cups cooked, drained chickpeas

1 can (about 399 ml. or 13 oz.) full-fat coconut milk

About 2 generous cups fresh baby spinach, torn

For serving:

Potato and Green Pea Curry

Basmati or other rice

fresh cilantro

lime wedges

naan

Directions

I find if I prep everything first then the actual cooking is a snap. It may mean a couple of extra bowls, but it really is so much faster and easier in the end. And nothing ever gets missed that way. Neither am I sent scrambling to suddenly mince or grate something.

In a 3.5 quart or bigger pot, add the oil and heat on medium high. When the oil is hot, add the whole seeds and toast for 30 to 60 seconds. This will “bloom” the spices.

Add the chopped onion next and cook until translucent – about 3 to 5 minutes. If it appears that the spices are getting too dry, you can splash in a Tablespoon of water.

Next add the garlic and ginger and cook for two more minutes or until fragrant.

The bouillon cube, garam masala and turmeric go in next. If you are using cayenne pepper, add it here as well. Stir for 30 to 60 seconds.

Potatoes and water are added now. Partially cover the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender – about 15 minutes.

Now add the peas, chickpeas and coconut milk. Stir through well and cook until warmed. This can be done ahead up to this point. When you are ready to serve, add the spinach and cook through until wilted. This should only take a few minutes. Serve hot.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup

Cabbage often gets a bad rap, but this luscious soup just might change your mind. And best of all is that it keeps getting better, so go on and make it ahead for the week! The mercury is down and the winds have picked up here in Chicago. So what is more delicious on these cold darker days than a nourishing bowl of soup and some good bread. And the smell of this cabbage will lure you in – not have you heading for the hills.

I have made this soup for decades, but never actually wrote down the recipe before. So this blog is giving me the opportunity to not only save it for myself, but to pass it on. The origins of the soup are Eastern European, where my family came from. Since they were poor and living in a shtetl, it is doubtful that there would have been much meat in this soup. Therefore, it was not the star, but rather a flavoring. And it is likely that water was used instead of stock. I look on my version as a salute to my grandparents, but not a slavish rendition.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup

This is not one of my vegan recipes. But the meat could be left out and vegetable stock could sub for beef stock. It won’t be quite the same, but because of the many layers of flavors built in, a vegan version would still be delicious. While I rarely eat meat these days, small amounts are welcome occasionally in these colder months along with a little extra fat – in my food, not on me! I have not tried making Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup with one of the newer meat substitutes available, but if someone out there would like to try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup

Below is my recipe, but it should be seen as a guide rather than as an absolute. Measurements in these things are a suggestion and can be adjusted to suit individual tastes. You will notice that rather than using a roux or other thickeners, I use ginger snaps. The snappier the better! Not only do they thicken the soup as they dissolve but they also add that warmth and spiciness that cuts through the richness of the beef, if used, and makes this soup interesting. So when looking for ginger snaps, please don’t go for really sweet cookies.

Some recipes use apple cider vinegar or sour salt (citric acid) to achieve the sour part of the taste profile. I tried the apple cider vinegar but found that I needed fresh lemon juice to gain the punch and proper balance to suit my palate. I have also successfully used sour salt.

This soup of humble origins will warm your soul – guaranteed. And the intoxicating aroma will make your house smell like fall. Thoughts of cuddling on a couch or in front of a fire won’t be far behind.

If I am feeling especially ambitious, I will bake a pumpkin, apple or pecan pie for dessert. But a lovely fruit crumble, Brown Betty or baked apple with zabaglione also would raise this to another level as a special dinner. And don’t forget the bread!

Recipe

Yield: About 10 servings

Ingredients

1 medium head of green cabbage – about 2.5 pounds that has been quartered, cored and thinly sliced

4 to 5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into medium chunks or thick circles

2 Tablespoons neutral oil like canola or sunflower

About 2 pounds of short ribs of beef, chuck roast or beef shank, if using

1 large onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 large bay leaf or 2 smaller

About 10 whole cloves plus optional additional ground cloves

kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

1.5 teaspoons ground allspice

1 to 1.5 cups of raisins

3 Tablespoons of dark or light brown sugar

Juice of 1 to 3 juicy lemons or a mixture of apple cider vinegar and lemon juice

About 12 cups of stock/water/bouillon or some mixture thereof. (I used 4 cups of unsalted beef stock, 2 bouillon cubes and the remaining 8 cups were water.)

12 to 20 ginger snaps – 2-inch diameter, depending on how thick you like your soup

Directions

If you are using meat and are making this ahead: generously salt and pepper the meat and place in a glass or stainless container or a heavy duty plastic bag. Allow to sit in the fridge ideally overnight but for at least 4 hours. Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes to an hour before cooking. (Okay, so that is the ideal and I did do it this time, but plenty of times I have made this and simply took my meat out about 30 minutes before cooking, salted it and then cooked. You will have delicious soup either way, but the meat that is salted overnight remains moister and more tender when cooked.)

In a large stockpot, add the 2 Tablespoons of oil and heat to a shimmer. If using meat, add it now. Do not move the meat around, but allow it to sear and brown well on each side. The first side takes about 5 minutes. Then using tongs, turn the pieces of meat over. The subsequent sides will take about 2 to 3 minutes each. When the meat is crusty and well-browned, remove the meat to a plate or bowl. If there is a lot of excess fat in the pan, drain it off, leaving the brown bits and about 1 Tablespoon of the oil.

Now add in the onions and 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow the onions to soften and begin to lightly brown. This should take about 8 minutes.

You will now add the bay leaf, whole cloves and 1 teaspoon of ground allspice and tomato paste. Stir through the onions.

Add in the sliced cabbage and carrots and the canned tomatoes. It will look like a huge amount but the cabbage cooks down. As well as you can (tongs probably are easiest for this task), mix everything through with the spices, onions, tomatoes and tomato paste. You can add the stock to make it a bit easier to mix things. Layer in the meat if using and the remaining water with bouillon or additional stock.

Bring to a boil with the pot uncovered. Give a good stir, cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 2 hours or until the meat, if using, is starting to fall off of the bone.

Open the pot and give it a stir. Now add in your raisins and ginger snaps and mix through. Re-cover the pot and cook for another 15 minutes.

You are ready to add in the brown sugar and lemon juice to achieve that perfect sweet and sour balance. Start slowly. You can always add more but you cannot take it away once added. Taste and adjust your seasonings to your personal palate, adding more salt, pepper and allspice as required. Because I add raisins and ginger snaps, which do have some sugar, my brown sugar to lemon juice ratio is less than other recipes which tend to do 1 to 1. You decide for yourself how sweet or sour to make it.

Now enjoy!

This soup keeps well for several days and only gets richer with gentle reheating. It should also freeze well.

SD* Chickpea Burger

SD* Chickpea Burger

SD* Chickpea Burger works. The SD* stands for “simply delicious.” I love a good vegan burger. It’s not as a substitute for a meat burger. But as a delicious canvas for toppings, enjoyed in its own right. This SD* Chickpea Burger delivers. Unlike many bean burgers, this one gets beautifully crispy on the outside and does not fall apart with a mushy center when you bite into it. There are just four ingredients to the burger and they are pantry staples. What you do about the toppings is between you – and you!

The method used here is the same one used to make great falafel. Chickpeas are given a long soak, generally overnight (12 to 24 hours) and then they are ground up in a food processor. Now while this burger only uses a couple of flavorful ingredients, you could up the spice level easily enough if you choose.

I came across this burger recipe on YouTube and decided to give it a try. The only changes I made were to use both black and ivory chickpeas and to slightly simplify the method. My version uses one less bowl that I didn’t need to wash. Black chickpeas were a novelty for me and since I had them I decided to try it here. They are smaller than the more familiar ivory chickpeas, and perhaps have a slightly different flavor. Frankly, just using regular (ivory) dried chickpeas is fine.

The marinated artichokes are already seasoned and the oil-soaked sun-dried tomatoes add umami and great texture.

While you might be able to make this without a food processor, it would be pretty difficult to get the correct texture. Now this recipe makes 6 burgers. My 6’3″ husband ate two with corn on the cob as a side. I only needed one to be satisfied. We served the burgers on a toasted onion kaiser roll with beefsteak tomatoes from the farmers’ market, caramelized onions, radish sprouts, avocado and pickle. On the second burger my husband put some Sriracha Aioli on the bun. It was all delicious and I know that the next time I eat it, I’ll likely use other toppings like fast pickled onions and arugula.

SD* Chickpea Burger

Like falafel, the chickpeas you are using are only soaked – not cooked ahead of time. And no, canned chickpeas will not work here. In order to ensure that the chickpeas are fully cooked, do not make fewer but larger burgers. The SD* Chickpea Burgers will need time to cook through. I have not tried making them in the oven, which should work, but would likely produce a less crispy burger than one cooked in oil in a cast iron skillet. And in order to get that color and crispiness you might end up drying out the burger.

Because it is just the two of us, I plan on using the leftover burgers as my lunch during the week. They will last in the fridge for a week and in the freezer for much longer.

Brass tax: is this SD* Chickpea Burger likely to convert die-hard beef burger lovers? No. But is it a really good vegan burger enjoyed in its own particular glory? Absolutely yes. So if you are looking to add more plant-based meals to your diet, give this a try. Simply Delicious!

Recipe

Servings: 6 burgers

Ingredients

SD* Chickpea Burgers

1 cup dried chickpeas (Use organic!)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

12 to 14 ounces jar or can of marinated artichokes, drained (You can use the liquid as a base for salad dressing)

1/2 cup, drained sun-dried tomatoes in EVOO

Neutral oil for pan-frying (I used Canola)

SD* Chickpea Burgers

Directions

Soak the chickpeas 3 cups of water for 12 to 24 hours

Drain the soaked chickpeas. Then add them to a food processor with the salt. Pulse, scraping down the sides until the beans are finely minced and easily hold together when squeezed in your hand.

Add the artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes to the chickpeas and process until everything is ground up and evenly distributed.

Using your hands, form 6 burgers. Place them on a plate or in a container that will fit in your fridge, covered. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 1 week. This will help them hold together in the pan when cooking.

When you are ready to cook them, heat a heavy or cast iron skillet with enough oil to cover the bottom well. When the oil is shimmering, carefully add the burgers in one layer without touching each other. Do this in batches if your pan won’t hold them all. Cook for 4 minutes per side. DO NOT MOVE THEM AROUND OR SMUSH THEM DOWN! Carefully flip the burgers over and cook for another 4 minutes.

Garnish and enjoy!

Parsnip, Cherry Walnut Cake with Sweet Hawaij Glaze

Parsnip Cherry Walnut Cake

Parsnip, Cherry Walnut Cake with Sweet Hawaij Glaze is a knock-out. I know, I know – parsnip?! But hear me out. We eat carrot cake and zucchini bread without giving it a second thought. So why not the under-rated cousin of carrot? Parsnips are one of those root vegetables that is a harbinger of autumn for me. This sweet, unassuming vegetable is wonderful in soups, stews and root vegetable mash. But cake?

We Jews have just begun the Festival of Booths (Sukkot) which is the middle holiday in the panoply of High Holidays celebrated by Jews all over the world. This ancient harvest festival “commemorates the wanderings of the Israelites in the desert after the revelation at Mount Sinai. The huts represent the temporary shelters that the Israelites lived in during those 40 years.”

And parsnips are the perfect early harvested vegetables to begin the autumn and the Jewish New Year. I came across this recipe through a website called Nosher on my Jewish Learning. It intrigued me enough to try it. While perhaps not the most impressive-looking of cakes, it is packed with flavor. I did change the original glaze to one of my own making, however. It seemed that the amounts and types of spices would overwhelm the cake.

Included below is a recipe for Sweet Hawaij from the cookbook Shuk by Einat Admony and Janna Gur. This Yemeni spice blend is magical. I often use it to replace anywhere you might use pumpkin or baharat spices. It will take coffee and roasted vegetables to the next level. Try it in pumpkin pie. You might just be converted. I make up my own but it is also available online and at spice stores.

Despite the leavening used in the recipe, the cake does not rise very much in. If you would prefer a higher cake, you could use a smaller bundt pan, but it would likely increase the baking time. While dense, the cake is not at all heavy. Every day the flavors melded and became even moister and richer. I would definitely suggest making this at least a day ahead of when you plan on eating it. Mine was stored in a glass-domed cake plate and has held up beautifully.

Parsnip Cherry Walnut Cake

So if you are looking to add more veggies into your diet, there is no sweeter way than this Parsnip, Cherry Walnut Cake with a Sweet Hawaij Glaze. The tart cherries perfectly complement the sweet parsnip and the walnuts add some depth and texture. But don’t wait for a holiday to make this yummy cake.

Recipe

Yield: About 10 servings

Ingredients

Parsnip Cherry Walnut Cake

For the cake

2 cups (260 g) unbleached, all-purpose flour

1.5 teaspoons (7.2 g) baking powder

1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda

1/2 teaspoon (2.6 g) kosher salt

3 large eggs at room temperature

1 cup (206 g) packed light brown sugar or jaggery

1 cup (240 g) sour cream at room temperature

2 teaspoons (10 g) vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons or 113 g) unsalted butter, browned slightly cooled

About 4 parsnips (340 g after peeling and trimming ends), finely grated and packed into a 2 cup measuring cup

1/2 cup (60 g) dried pitted cherries or barberries

1/2 cup (57 g) walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped

For the glaze

1.25 cups (155 g) confectioners or icing sugar

1 generous teaspoon Sweet Hawaij (see recipe)

pinch of kosher salt

About 1/3 cup milk (79 ml)

Sweet Hawaij

Yield: About 1/2 cup

1 Tablespoon ground cloves

2 Tablespoons freshly grated nutmeg

2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 Tablespoons ground ginger

1 Tablespoon ground cardamom

This will last in a cool, dark place kept in a small glass air-tight jar for up to a year. Mine gets used up waaaaaay before that!

Directions

For the cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Spray well a 12-cup Bundt pan with a non-stick vegetable spray and set aside. Place a cooling rack over parchment, newspaper or a baking pan and set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add the salt and set aside.

Using a stand or hand-held mixer (or by hand), combine the eggs, sugar, sour cream, vanilla paste and browned butter. Mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix just until barely combined. A few small streaks or lumps of flour are okay. (Over-mixing leads to a gummy cake!)

Add the finely grated parsnips, cherries and walnuts and mix just until combined. pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool on a rack for 10 minutes and then turn it out. Allow it to cool completely. If you are feeling lazy, you can simply dust the cooled cake with confectioners sugar and call it a day. The cake alone is delicious. But if you want AMAZING, make the glaze.

For the glaze

In a medium bowl, combine the confectioner’s sugar, salt and Sweet Hawaij or pumpkin spice blend. Slowly add in the milk until you get a consistency that is fairly thick but still pourable. If you go too far, just add a bit more sugar. When the cake has cooled completely, pour or drizzle the glaze over the top and allow it to run down the sides.

Moroccan Chickpea Soup (Harira)

Moroccan Chickpea Soup (Harira)


Moroccan Chickpea Soup (Harira) is hearty and fragrant – a soul-satisfying one-dish meal. There are many versions of this soup – some with meat and others like this one, which is vegan. In some families it is traditional to serve this as the “break-the-fast” meal following Yom Kippur. But it could and should be enjoyed throughout the fall and winter. This is a make-ahead meal that only improves with a bit of age.

To show how vastly different our family traditions can be, my family’s break-the-fast meal was always bagels, lox and smoked fish. We came from New York via Russia Poland. But the truth is that I actually don’t like lox and smoked fish in the Midwest just doesn’t cut it for me. So, as I have with much of our diet during the rest of the year, I have adopted a more Middle Eastern/Mediterranean/South Asian food culture. And a heavily plant-based diet.

I came across a version of this soup on the Jewish Food Society website. It’s a wonderful site that has made it its mission to collect stories and recipes of the myriad Jewish communities across the globe. These are recipes that have been passed down through the generations, but which might have so easily been lost. Because so many of these families were forced from their homes under terrible conditions, it was easy for these unwritten treasures to have fallen by the wayside. While I have found that the recipes on the site are not always easy to follow, especially if you are a novice cook, the family histories alone make the website worth a visit.

While we Jews lived among the local communities, we also remained outside of them, keeping to our own traditions. Local cuisine was adapted to meet the laws of kashrut. Harira, Moroccan Chickpea Soup is a perfect example. Moroccan Muslims would eat harira to break the fast on Ramadan. Whereas many Jews ate it to break the fast on Yom Kippur.

The original recipe for this harira uses fine egg noodles and since I am not a vegan, I did as well. However, there is no reason why an angel hair pasta or spaghettini couldn’t be used instead. That is the only change required to make this wonderful soup vegan.

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Moroccan Chickpea Soup (Harira)

If you choose to cook your own soaked chickpeas as I have done, you need to start the process the night before. If you prefer to use canned chickpeas, you can still make a delicious and hearty soup. I happen to enjoy cooking my own beans and use the liquid from the cooking process to replace most of the water called for in the recipe. It adds an extra level of nourishment and flavor and helps to further thicken the soup. Unless you are using organic canned beans, however, I would not recommend using the liquid. You could use water, as called for, adding a vegetable bouillon cube or you could use a vegetable stock.

After I had decided to make the recipe I found from the Jewish Food Society, I came across another version from My Jewish Learning, The Nosher. So I ended up doing what I usually do and took the elements that I liked best from both and then tweaked it!

My sister-in-law is from Morocco and I asked what her family’s tradition was for breaking the fast. She told me that their tradition was to eat an egg-drop soup before the fast and cake to break the fast, followed by a full meal. So whatever tradition your family follows – or if you are starting a tradition of your own, I definitely encourage you to fit this wonderful and incredibly soul-satisfying soup in there somehow.

For a version of harira with lamb: Harira – Moroccan Chickpea and Lamb Soup

Recipe

Yield: 6 servings

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Moroccan Chickpea Soup (Harira)

Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained OR one 15 oz. can of drained chickpeas

4 Tablespoons olive or a neutral oil like Canola

3 medium carrots (or 2 large), peeled and cut into small dice or rounds

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 large onion, diced

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoon Harissa paste, or to taste (I used 2 Tablespoons of a milder Harissa and added a few crushed red chili flakes)

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup brown lentils OR 1/2 cup red lentils and 1/2 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed

4 large or 6 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped (If making this in the winter, use canned tomatoes, about 28 oz. can)

3 cups fine egg noodles OR angel hair pasta broken into thirds (About 4 to 5 oz. depending on the kind of noodle that you use)

8 cups of vegetable stock, OR water with a couple of bouillon cubes OR the cooking liquid from the chickpeas plus additional water

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

A large handful of cilantro and/or parsley, stems and leaves roughly chopped

Directions

If you are cooking your own soaked chickpeas, place the drained chickpeas in a pot with 1 teaspoon of salt and 4.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and skim off any white foam. Cover and cook for 50 minutes at a simmer.

In a large pot, add 4 Tablespoons olive or Canola oil. Add the chopped onion, carrot and celery and cook for about 6 minutes on medium high heat or until softened. I like to add 1 teaspoon of salt here. I will probably add more later since it is a big pot of soup. However, if you are using broth or bouillon and depending on your Harissa, you might not need much more salt. You can always add it but you cannot easily remove it!

Once the veggies are softened, add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes.

Now add the Harissa, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper and stir through to coat everything well. Cook for 1 minute and then add the tomato paste to the bottom of the pot. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes.

If you are using your own chickpeas you can add them to the pot. I find that when I cook chickpeas myself, they retain their shape and bite even when cooked longer. If you are using canned chickpeas, you will add them in later. Your lentils are also added now. Give everything a good stir to coat with the spices and tomato paste.

Next add the tomatoes, broth, water or liquid from the chickpeas, the chopped stems of the parsley and/or cilantro. Don’t worry if there are some leaves in there as well. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally for 1 hour. This can be done ahead.

When you are ready to eat, return the heat to a boil and add the noodles and canned chickpeas, if using. Simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and check your seasonings. The soup should be very thick, almost stew like. If you want it thinner then add more liquid. Add the juice of 1/2 of a lemon. Garnish with the chopped parsley/cilantro leaves.

Enjoy!



Chickpea Quinoa Burgers

Chickpea Quinoa Burger

Chickpea Quinoa Burgers are a delicious, satisfying and healthy riff on falafel. No frying necessary. For those of you who are meat-eaters, this will not replace a beef burger. Anyone who tells you differently is lying. But here’s the thing – it doesn’t have to. It’s wonderful in its own right.

This is an amazingly delicious veggie burger that is easy to prepare and jam-packed with flavor. And while I made it with more or less falafel seasonings, you can endlessly riff on that. The quinoa not only acts as a binder, making an egg unnecessary, but it makes for a complete protein with the chickpeas.

I like to buy organic dried chickpeas in bulk and cook them as needed. Along with grinding many of my own spices, I’ve been cooking up my own beans over the past year or so. The flavors and textures are so within my control and they are just so much more intense. However, do feel free to use canned chickpeas here if you want. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, where legumes are such an essential part of your diet, make sure that the beans you buy are organic.

Okay, thus ends my preaching for the day!

So with all of the veggie burgers out there, why should you make this Chickpea Quinoa Burger? Well let me count the ways: 1) it’s really delicious; 2) it’s easy to make; 3) the mixture can be made ahead and refrigerated for as much as a couple of days before cooking; 4) it’s healthy; 5) it’s inexpensive; 6) there are almost endless riffs on the spices that you could do to tailor it to your tastes and 7) did I say that it’s REALLY delicious?

My husband and I are not vegetarian, but I have never been a huge meat eater. Now while Andrew was, he has learned to love and appreciate a more veg-forward diet. Growing up, we were more limited on fresh vegetable options and only those which were in season. While there is something to be said for eating fruits and veg in season, in this global economy and with modern farming methods, we are able to have an incredibly varied diet all year.

One of the many things I love about this recipe is that no special equipment or techniques are necessary for making successful Chickpea Quinoa Burgers. It is helpful to have a food processor which makes putting the mixture together a snap. But you could mash the chickpeas by hand and finely chop everything else if you didn’t have one. More tedious and time-consuming for sure, but doable.

These burgers can be pan-fried or baked in the oven. Unlike some veggie burgers I have tried, these hold together well when cooking. How you garnish your burgers is entirely up to you and your imagination. If you want to keep things vegan, I would suggest a simple tahini sauce to go on your buns or directly on the burger if you are foregoing the bread. If you are willing to use dairy, I would suggest a yogurt sauce with fresh coriander (cilantro) and mint, some ground cumin, garlic and lemon or lime juice. A sriracha mayo would also be delicious.

Crown the burgers with slices of onion, pickles and lettuce. Sides could be as simple as chips or for more variety, try some oven-roasted sweet potato tossed with a little maple syrup, salt, hot pepper flakes and a little cinnamon, nutmeg, hawaij or baharat. I served mine with oven-roasted kabocha squash tonight. You can keep things really simple and basic or get your crazy on. But whatever you do, makes these burgers soon.

Recipe

Yield: 4 large burgers or 6 medium burgers

Ingredients

Chickpeas and Quinoa

1.5 cups of cooked chickpeas (If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them)

1/2 cup of dried quinoa, rinsed and cooked in 1 cup of water

1/2 cup of sundried-tomatoes

Sun-dried Tomatoes

1.5 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon black or white sesame seeds

1 teaspoon nigella seeds

Scant 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or cracked black pepper

1.25 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried mint or 1 teaspoon fresh mint

1 teaspoon paprika (sweet, hot or smoked)

1 clove crushed garlic

Juice of one lemon or lime

2 to 3 Tablespoons finely chopped red or yellow onion (if using a food processor, let it do the work!)

2 to 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander) or parsley

Garnishes

Quickly pickled onion or slices of onion

Lettuce of choice

Tahini sauce, Sriracha mayonnaise or Herbed Yogurt

Sliced tomato (I didn’t have any large tomatoes)

Fresh Coriander and Spices

Directions

Place the quinoa and water in a small pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until all of the water is just absorbed. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until just combined. You do not want a paste.

Chickpea Quinoa Burger Mix

The mixture can be refrigerated at this point until you are ready to cook the burgers. I like to refrigerate the mixture for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld and for everything to firm up a bit, but these can also be made right away.

When you are ready to cook, use moistened hands (with cold water or a tiny bit of a neutral oil like Canola) to form the patties.

If you are pan-frying the patties, heat a skillet with about 2 Tablespoons of oil. Place the patties in the skillet and cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side. Do not press down on the patties while cooking. Cook until they are evenly brown and crisp on both sides. Depending on the size of your patty, you may need to adjust your time. Since these are vegan, there is no health risk if they are under-cooked. You do want to develop a bit of a crust. Remove from the pan and serve.

If you are making these in the oven, line a baking pan with parchment or foil and lightly grease the pan. Bake at 375 degrees F. for about 15 to 20 minutes per side, depending on the size of your patty. You want the burgers to develop a crust on the outside and to turn a darkish brown. Because my oven is really awful, I ended up turning on the broil for a few minutes just to develop a nice crust.

Smokey Chickpea Chorizo Soup

Smokey Chickpea Chorizo Soup is a hearty one-pot meal perfect for damp, chilly fall or winter days. This will warm your hearts and your stomachs and needs nothing more than some good bread. Add a salad and you have a veritable feast.

The texture of the soup is creamy but it comes from pureeing the veggies with an immersion blender. So the rich flavor and texture is actually healthy. And while the soup can be a bit spicy, the level of heat is all within your control. And did I mention that there is also kale?

The most difficult part of this recipe is remembering to soak your chickpeas the night before. In the winter, my husband and I love to spend Sundays snuggled at home with our beautiful, sweet cat. It’s the perfect day for making a big pot of soup or stew that will last all week for lazy lunches or dinners. While the soup slowly simmers, we will work on a crossword puzzle or two or just listen to some good music while we read. Somehow it’s even better if we can have some snow or rain while we are toasty and comfy with each other inside. And, of course, a fire crackling completes the picture.

The Magic of Sundays

The Smokey Chickpea Chorizo Soup only requires a minimum of prep and then you are pretty free to spend those 2.5 hours while it gently bubbles away in any pursuit that you choose. If you are feeling particularly virtuous maybe a workout is in order. Then again, Sundays are great days for watching a game. Buy a crusty country bread or make Socca.

This recipe makes a large quantity. And while I am happy to have it for lunch all week, you can also freeze the soup if it is more than you want. Better yet, invite some friends over to share this. You can thank me later.

The original recipe stemmed from a Bon Appetit October 2019 post by Carla Lalli Music. After reading the reviews and the recipe, I decided to make a number of changes.

Recipe

Yield: About 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

1 pound dried chickpeas, soaked to cover for 8 hours or overnight

4 quarts of water

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

1 Tablespoon bouillon (I like Better than Bouillon chicken or vegetable)

2 very large carrots, coarsely sliced

1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 head of garlic, with cloves separated and peeled

1 smoked turkey leg or wings or a smoked ham hock (I prefer turkey)

1/4 cup EVOO

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 rounded teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

Freshly cracked black pepper

A good chunk of Parmesan rind (Optional)

1 large bunch of curly kale, leaves torn from the stems

7 to 8 ounces of Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced (I prefer “original” style, but you can also buy “picante” which is spicier. I did not need to go any further than my local grocery store to find this.)

Directions

Drain your chickpeas after they have soaked. Place them in a large stockpot (9 quarts, if possible) with the 4 quarts of tap water. Season with 1 Tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, skimming any foam that rises to the surface for about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer.

While you are waiting for the water to boil, prepare your veggies. Once the liquid has been skimmed of foam, add in all of the veggies EXCEPT for the kale. Add in the seasonings, bouillon, Parmesan rind, if using and smoked turkey. When the liquid has returned to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for 2.5 hours.

Turn off the heat and using tongs, remove the turkey or ham hock to a cutting board. Fish out the Parmesan rind, if using. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out about two+ cups of the chickpeas and set aside. Don’t worry if a few veggies fall in. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture left in the pot until smooth. (If you don’t own an immersion blender, BUY ONE! Mine was a gift from my son and daughter-in-law and it is now a cherished and essential piece of kitchen equipment. I don’t know how I managed without one. Fortunately, they are easy to come by and inexpensive. They also don’t take up much room, which is good because I have a small kitchen.)

By now the turkey should be cool enough to handle. Using your clean hands, strip the meat from the bones, cartilage and skin. If you use a turkey leg, there will be a fair amount of meat, but there will only be a small amount with the wings or ham hock. Add the meat back to the pot along with the whole chickpeas that you had set aside. You can make the soup ahead up to this point.

When you are ready to serve the soup, add the chorizo (which is fully cooked and only requires heating) and the kale. Return the soup to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes more. Honestly, it’s difficult to over-cook this as long as it is on a low heat. The soup just gets better each day.