Roasted Kombucha Squash & White Bean Soup

Domestic Divas Blog Roasted Kombucha Squash & White Bean Soup

Right, so I got up early and got really inspired this AM.

I had leftover roasted Kombucha squash lurking in my fridge. I picked up the winter squash at the farmers market and let it live on my kitchen table for a few weeks. I finally sliced it up, doused it with extra virgin olive oil, fresh thyme, salt and pepper. I roasted it at 425 degrees in the oven for about 20 minutes until it was tender and served it with dinner.

One squash = a lot.

So I had plenty of leftovers.

Domestic Divas Blog Roasted Kombucha Squash & White Bean Soup

That means soup time!

I learned how to make awesome pureed soups from Charlie Trotter's amazing cookbooks and continue to use a few of his tricks. The other key is my Vitamix, though a normal blender would work. I put this in my Vitamix—the meat from the roasted squash, one can of organic white beans (strained and rinsed), a finger of fresh ginger, two garlic cloves, dash of red pepper flakes, chicken broth and EVOO (this makes it creamy). I pureed it smooth then simmered over the stovetop.

I popped in a few cubes of frozen basil (optional).

The result ... insanely good soup.

Like how can this have no dairy?

And be so creamy?

Domestic Divas Blog Roasted Kombucha Squash & White Bean Soup

Don't ever let your leftover squash languish again in the fridge purgatory.

Like all of my recipes, the specific ingredients can be subbed based on what you have on hand. Pumpkin would work instead of squash. Sweet potato would be amazing. Use your imagination.

Domestic Divas Blog Roasted Kombucha Squash & White Bean Soup

Roasted Kombucha Squash & White Bean Soup
Serves 6 to 8 people
Cooking time: 10 minutes (for real)
Gluten free; dairy free

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups roasted Kombucha squash meat
1 can Cannellini beans, strained and rinsed
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 garlic cloves (peeled)
1 inch piece fresh ginger
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper
fresh or frozen basil (optional)

Directions
1. Place the squash, beans, broth, garlic, ginger, olive oil, and chili flakes into Vitamix or other blender. Puree until very smooth using highest setting.

2. Transfer the soup to the stovetop and simmer over low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with basil if desired. Serve with drizzle of good olive oil. Enjoy!

Chicken Soup for the Soul (or the Mild Cold)

Jen's Special Bone Broth Chicken Soup

Divas, I'm back!

Sort of ...

I've had a whirlwind year with my two books publishing—The 13th Continuum & Return of the Continuums. I won my first book award (pinch me!). Did tons of readings and signings. Started teaching creative writing class for The Writing Pad. Needless to say, that's taken a lot of time and energy away from my cooking pursuits.

Slowly, but surely, I've been coming back to food. How can I stay away? I love it too much. I hope to start posting my recipes again, maybe once a month. I'll see how it all goes!

I made this chicken soup at the height of cold and flu season (doing lots of public events = lots of germs). I got requests for the recipe, so here you go! Keep in mind that you can throw in whatever veggies you happen to have on hand. You can also add beans (I love putting white beans in soups). You could add quinoa or rice. Really, it's whatever floats your boat.

For this iteration, I did use my homemade chicken bone broth that I make in the slow cooker overnight. First, I make a whole chicken, one of my fave slow cooker recipes. Then I save the meat we don't eat for soup and return the carcass to the slow cooker, cover it with filtered water and a tablespoon or two of raw apple cider vinegar and cook it on low overnight. The next day, I strain it and BOOM—amazing homemade bone broth. My recipe has some fancier things you can throw in with the chicken bones, but it's fine with the extras.

Okay, so the next day I have 1) chicken meat and 2) chicken bone broth. Now we make soup! Yes, you can use store bought broth BUT it won't taste nearly as good. I buy my chickens primarily from a vendor at my farmers market that specializes in grassfed/pastured meat. I'll buy three or four at a time and keep them in my freezer. Yes, they're more expensive. But you can actually taste the difference.

Of course, store bought will work. Trader Joe's sells organic whole chickens at a very reasonable price point. A whole chicken can stretch to two or more meals easily.

Chicken Soup for the Soul (or Mild Cold)
Serves 4 to 8 people
Cooking time: about 25 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups chicken meat (cooked & pulled into pieces for soup)
2 cups red potatoes, halved or quartered
1 cup frozen peas
3 cups raw spinach
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
about 4 to 6 cups of chicken stock
fresh herbs: thyme, rosemary & chopped Italian parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
optional garnish: ground turmeric

Directions
1) In a large heavy-bottomed stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute until beginning to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the potatoes and cover with the chicken stock (about 4 to 6 cups depending on how much broth you like in your soup). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

2) Add the frozen peas, spinach, chicken pieces and herbs and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, recover, and cook for another 5 minutes or until the greens are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3) Serve with a dash of ground turmeric and chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Curried Heirloom Carrot Soup

Still winter... though you wouldn't know it based on the SoCal weather!

Even so, I've been in winter comfort food mode. One of my favorite things to make this time of year is root vegetable dishes. I always keep carrots stored away. They're such handy ingredients in so many different dishes. Check out these beautiful organic heirloom carrots.

I whipped them up for lunch, turning them into a lovely little soup. This soup is vegan—instead of cream, I add a few peeled potatoes to give it a creaminess. Though I did serve it with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt (totally optional). Curry powder gives the soup an unexpected twist.

Did I mention this recipe is easy peasy?

And it's hearty enough to be the centerpiece to a meal. Keeps great in the fridge, and it's even better the next day, if I so say so myself. What else is there to say?

Curried Heirloom Carrot Soup
Serves 4 to 6 people
Cooking time: about 25 minutes
Vegan; gluten-free

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
4 cups low sodium vegetable stock (plus more for desired thickness)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
about 1 tablespoon maple syrup (possibly more to taste depending on the sweetness of the carrots)
salt and freshly ground pepper
good olive oil for drizzling
creme fraiche or plain Greek yogurt for garnishing (optional)

Directions
1. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened (about five minutes). Add the garlic and curry powder and saute for another minute, or until fragrant. Add the carrots, potatoes, and stock. Bring to a boil and then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about twenty minutes.

2. Remove from heat and puree the soup until smooth using an immersion blender, or transfer to a regular blender and puree in batches. Season to taste with maple syrup (for extra sweetness), salt, and pepper. Note: more stock may be added to achieve desired consistency.

3. To serve ladle the soup into bowels and drizzle with good olive oil. Top with a dollop of creme fraiche or plain Greek yogurt if desired. Enjoy!

Tuscan-Style White Bean, Quinoa & Kale Soup

Happy December!

So... I first made this recipe in Iowa with ingredients from my mother-in-law's cupboard. I was craving something warm and toasty to combat the snow piling up outside. It worked.

Now that I'm back in LA, I decided to make it again, this time with my slow-cooker. That worked beautifully. This soup is rich enough and hearty enough to be the centerpiece to a meal. It's also great leftover. Homemade chicken stock is an added bonus if you've got it. I always keep some in my freezer. Here's my easy stock recipe using a slow-cooker.

I used a combo of cannellini and garbanzo beans. I like to make it thick, almost like a stew. But you can add more or less beans depending on your preference. Usually, this sort of soup would have a glutenous pasta component, but I made it with quinoa—gluten free! And still delicious.

I also pop a parmesan rind into the broth for added richness. It's not required, but it sure is amazing tasting. I'll write this recipe up with chicken broth, but it's super easy to make vegan. Just use vegetable stock instead.

This is the perfect mid-winter recipe. Enjoy!

To make in a slow-cooker, just add all the ingredients and simmer on high for 4-6 hours. 

Tuscan-Style White Bean, Quinoa & Kale Soup
Serves 6-8 people
Cooking time: about 40 minutes
Vegetarian; gluten-free

Ingredients
4 cups low sodium chicken stock (preferably homemade)
28 ounce can cannillini beans
14 ounce can garbanzo beans
14 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
pinch of chili flakes
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup quinoa
2 cups kale, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 parmesan rind (optional)
parmesan reggiano, for grating (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and saute until beginning to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and chili flakes and saute for one more minute.

2. Add the tomatoes, stock, beants, quinoa, thyme, bay leaf, parmesan rind. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about twenty minutes. 

3. Add the kale, cover, and cook for ten more minutes, or until the kale is tender. Then pick out the bay leaf and parmesan rind. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

4. To serve, ladle a generous portion of soup into a big bowl. Top with grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, freshly ground pepper, and a healthy drizzle of good olive oil. Enjoy!

Vegan Curried Broccoli Soup

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend. I've had some excellent meals—Park's BBQ (my fave Korean BBQ joint), Hungry Cat (killer fresh seafood), and last night we dined at Night + Market (super spicy amazing Thai). It wouldn't be a holiday without excellent eating, right?

After I returned from Italy, I made this soup as part of my post-trip detox. I shared photos on FaceBook and received many recipe requests. 

So... here it is!

My Vegan Curried Broccoli Soup. It's a nice variation on traditional broccoli soup, which is usually loaded with cream and often topped with cheese. This healthier version gets its creaminess from potatoes (a very traditional Indian ingredient). The Indian spices and flavors like ginger make sure this soup packs a big bunch.

Did you know that many of the spices in curry are super good for you? In fact, I might have a turmeric addiction. I eat it every single day, adding it to scrambled eggs for breakfast and other dishes throughout the day. 

So without further ado... here you go!

Vegan Curried Broccoli Soup

Serves 4 to 6 people

Cooking time: about 30 minutes

Vegan; gluten-free

Ingredients

2 bunches of broccoli

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

4 cups vegetable stock
1 russet potato, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons curry powder

salt and freshly ground pepper

pinch of chili flakes (optional)

chopped cilantro for garnishing (optional)

Directions1. Remove the tough lower stalks from the broccoli. Roughly chop the florets and stalks. 

2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until beginning to soften, about five minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chili flakes (optional), and curry powder. Stir to combine and cook for another two minutes.

3. Add the stock and potato and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover, and cook for about fifteen to twenty minutes, or until the potato and broccoli are tender. Puree in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. 

4. To serve, drizzle with good olive oil and top with cilantro. Enjoy!

Potato & Bell Pepper Soup (Vegan Puree)

Only a week until we leave for Xmas...

Can't believe how fast the holidays have snuck up?

Well, you're not alone. It's going to be 80 degrees in LA today (don't hate us!). But we did have a record cold snap last week. And when the weather turns colder, I turn to making soups. They're the ultimate comfort food.

This soup is a modified potato soup. It's a vegan puree, yet still wonderfully creamy thanks to the potatoes and olive oil. The twist is that I add bell peppers to the mix. They bring great flavor and lots of health benefits, too.

Enjoy... and when next I write I'll be in Floyd, Virginia cooking away...

Potato & Bell Pepper Soup (Vegan Puree)
Serves 4-6 people
Vegan; gluten-free

Ingredients
6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3 yellow, orange, or red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
bundle of two or three fresh rosemary sprigs tied with string
4 cups low sodium vegetable (to make it vegan) or chicken stock
salt and freshly ground pepper
more rosemary sprigs for garnishing (optional)

Directions
1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent and beginning to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Then add the potatoes, bell peppers, chicken stock, and rosemary bundle. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the soup for about 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

2. Remove the soup from the heat and pull out the rosemary sprigs. Puree the soup in batches until smooth, or use an immersion blender to puree it in the pot. Note: more stock may be added to achieve desired consistency. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

3. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish the soup with fresh rosemary sprigs, drizzle with good olive oil, and finish with freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!

Quick Curried Carrot Soup (Vegan)

I've been in a soup-making mode...

I love it for lunch. I love it for dinner. Leftover the next day?

Even better as the flavors soak together. I've been into vegan purees lately using my immersion blender. I swear there's nothing easier to have in your cooking repertoire than vegan purees. They're so tasty—so seemingly fancy—yet so simple that they impress at dinner parties.

Feeling a little under the weather?

Soups are healing for the throat and the winter-weary soul.

Another great tip?

Serve them with a quick cast iron skillet cornbread. I make mine gluten-free and with fresh blackberries (frozen would work great too). Soup and cornbread are a hearty, healthy complete meal.

I almost always have bags of baby carrots in my fridge. They're a great snack, especially with hummus. But they're also great roasted (check out my recipe for Honey Rosemary Baby Carrots) or pureed into a quick soup. Of course, you can use normal-sized carrots too. It's just a bit more prep work peeling and chopping them. The only other big ingredient is a bit of curry powder. The spicy, gingery flavor gives this soup and little bit of added flare. It also comes out of the pantry.

I make this soup all the time. It's basically one of my pantry staples. So I thought I'd finally photograph and write it up for you lovely readers.

You can also swap out carrots for butternut squash in this recipe for a different sort of soup. A great tip—Trader Joe's sells peeled and cubed butternut squash that takes the work out of the prep.

Serve with Gluten Free Blackberry Cornbread

Quick Curried Carrot Soup (Vegan)
Serves 4 to 6 people
Cooking time: about 25 minutes
Vegan; gluten-free

Ingredients
1 pound baby carrots
4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon curry powder (or more to taste)
1 bunch fresh thyme tied together with kitchen twine or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper
good olive oil for drizzling

Directions
1. Place the carrots, garlic cloves, stock, and thyme into a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.

2. Remove from heat and fish out the bunch of thyme if using fresh thyme. Stir in the curry powder and maple syrup. Puree the soup until smooth using an immersion blender, or transfer to a regular blender and puree in batches. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Note: more stock or water may be added to achieve desired consistency.

3. To serve ladle the soup into bowels and drizzle with good olive oil. If desired garnish with fresh thyme sprigs. Enjoy!

Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup (Vegan)

When it's time to beat the summer heat, I love cold soups. Recently, my mother—the Original Diva—harvested a basket of heirloom cucumbers and tomatoes from her garden in Virginia.

While chatting on the phone about what to do with them, I suggested a vegan chilled cucumber soup. After some googling, I came across a fabulous-looking recipe on the popular food blog, Pickles & Honey for Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup. I emailed it over to my mother.

The next day, my mom whipped it up, and the results as reported back to me were fabulous. The avocado gives this vegan soup a creamy texture. It's the perfect dish for summer. I plan to make it myself this week.

Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup 
Vegan; gluten-free
Adapted from Pickles & Honey
Serves 4 people
Prep time: 1 hour 5 minutes (includes chilling the soup)

Ingredients
1 pound organic cucumbers, roughly chopped
2 small avocados, peele and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon seas salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
chopped tomato & cilantro (for garnishing/optional)

Directions
1. Place the cucumbers, avocados, lime juice, water, sea salt, and pepper into a blender. Process until smooth. Taste and add more salt/pepper if needed.

2. Transfer to a large bowl or tupperware and chill in the fridge for at least an hour prior to serving.

3. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the tomatoes and cilantro. Enjoy!

Summer Gazpacho with Feta (Gluten Free)

Summer is in full swing... and tomatoes are coming on strong.

(So is corn by the way... check out my corn on the cob recipe in Parade Magazine)

I just celebrated my birthday over the weekend (the big 34) with a low key celebration. My hubby got me some fantastic gifts. Caught the horror film The Conjuring (I'm a sucker for a scary movie) and dinner at a little place called Rascal (I'm obsessed with their curry flavored tater tots). I can't believe it's already August—this year has flown by!

When the temperatures soars, I love to make chilled gazpacho. Traditionally prepared with bread, this recipe forgoes that glutenous ingredient. I just blend fresh vegetables with a little balsamic vinegar and serve it with extra virgin olive oil and feta cheese for the perfect summer treat.

Summer Gazpacho with Feta (Gluten Free)
Serves 4 people
Prep time: 10 minutes (plus about one hour chilling time)
Vegetarian; gluten-free

Ingredients
4 cups tomatoes, quartered
1 cup cucumbers, roughly chopped
2 bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
1 medium red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled

1 jalapeño, halved and seeded (optional)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

for garnishing:
extra virgin olive oil
feta cheese (I prefer goat's milk feta)
fresh cracked pepper

Directions
1. Place the tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, jalapeño, red onion, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil in a blender and puree until combined but still a little chunky. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

2. Chill the soup for at least an hour in the refrigerator (may be made a day in advance and kept in the fridge).

3. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Crumble some feta cheese on top and drizzle with olive oil. Finish with a little fresh cracked pepper. Enjoy!