YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Roasted Tomato Soup

Do you know that feeling when you have a dozen gorgeous tomatoes on the counter and you go grocery shopping, and you forget, and you come home with another eight gorgeous tomatoes? Yes, of course you do. 

This week, I decided to make fresh tomato soup, which I had never made before. I have loved tomato soup since I was a kid. I especially loved my friend Mendy’s tomato soup when we were in graduate school, which was half a lifetime ago. I added white beans to this recipe, but no one will know unless you tell them.

I was really delighted by how this recipe turned out, which means that it will definitely be appearing in the regular soup rotation. Just a word of caution: even though I am not traditionally an apron wearer, I do recommend wearing one for this recipe, especially for the immersion blender part. Luckily that occurred to me before I trashed my favorite pale gray sweater.

12 medium-sized tomatoes (on the vine), rinsed and sliced in half
2 Tbsp. olive oil + 2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, peeled and diced
1 tsp. coriander
1 heaping tsp. organic brown coconut sugar (I used Big Tree Farms brand)
1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 tsp. ground pepper
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
3 cups vegetable stock
1 can (15 oz.) small-medium white beans, rinsed well
1 avocado, diced into small cubes for garnish (optional)

  1. Select a cookie sheet with raised sides, line it with foil, and spread it with the tomatoes, cut sides up. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, and 1 tsp. each salt and pepper. Roast at 450F for 30-40 minutes, Begin to check at 30 minutes, and remove from oven once the edges of half the tomatoes have begun to turn dark brown. Set aside.
  2. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in soup pot on medium-high heat until fragrant. Add onion and stir to prevent burning. Add coconut sugar, coriander, and remaining pepper. Continue to stir (2-3 min.) until onion is softening and beginning to brown. 
  3. Slide the roasted tomatoes along with their juices into the soup pot, and stir everything together. Add the vegetable stock, white beans, garlic powder, and remaining salt.
  4. With immersion blender, blend together the ingredients in the soup pot for approx 1 minute until the texture is becoming smoother. Then let the soup sit at room temperature for an hour to allow the flavors to blend.
  5. Warm for 10-15 minutes on low if desired. Then serve with a teaspoon of avocado cubes on top, or a drizzle of olive oil if desired.

The Esselstyns & Plant-Based Eating

Going on ten years ago now, I had the pleasure of seeing Dr. Caldwell and Anne Esselstyn present on plant-based eating. The plant-based diet, which they began many decades ago, means eating only those items that belong to the category of “intact” carbohydrates, i.e., carbs with an intact fiber matrix. The plant-based diet is similar to the vegan diet, with several exceptions as enumerated below. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Spicy Stuffed Peppers

You may have noticed that I am working on providing you with a few recipes that warm you up through these winter months. I love heat, so this is a perfect recipe for me. But if your tastes tend more toward the gentle landing, I recommend skipping the jalapeño and reducing the red pepper flakes to 1/2 teaspoon. Or you can just forget both of them altogether. That’s because the chili powder will still provide some spicy excitement. For me though, I’m all in, which means that if my batch of jalapeños isn’t particularly hot, then I’ll happily add an extra one. So if you’re game, I’m going to recommend that you try letting this gorgeous fireworks of color land on your tongue all at once, because if you can tolerate the concert, your tastebuds will sing! Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Vegan Cholent (Crockpot Stew)

A happy reprise of my seasonal fall cholent recipe, from when my dad was still here to enjoy it with us:

This past week, I made a version of this recipe for the first night of Sukkot, the fall harvest festival, and we ate it inside our beautiful sukkah that my husband built last week. It warmed us from the inside out in the chilly weather. And then it was gone, I mean really GONE, just a few hours later. Even my father, who said “I don’t like cholent,” ate a huge bowlful and said he changed his mind. Please make a note of that. Continue reading



The Menu from Bookclub Earlier this Week

This week we had bookclub at my house. I’ve written about bookclub before, and about the incredibly delicious dishes that people bring to share with one other. There’s never a plan, never been a plan, so once in a great while we have ended up with a couple bottles of Prosecco, salad, and two desserts. On the other hand, you are often likely to find grilled salmon, white bean salad, guacamole, green salad, grapefruit, and roasted olives with lemon rind. Everybody shares something. You just never know.  Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Curried Lentil, Tomato, and Coconut Soup

If you are not familiar with the celebrity chef, Yotam Ottolenghi, now would be a good time to get acquainted.

Everything Yotam touches turns to gold. I am sure that his kitchen must have more than three dimensions. He mixes ingredients better than I mix metaphors.

If you don’t already have one of his cookbooks [Ottolenghi (2008), Plenty (2010), Jerusalem (2012)] in your home, prepare yourself. YO takes flavor to the next level. Look at this list of ingredients – I’ve used all of them, but never to such glorious effect. And it’s not just flavor. He takes texture to the next level, and color. You could make this and turn an ordinary dinner into a celebration, or share it with a deserving friend, or make a memorable contribution to a workplace potluck. This recipe falls into the category of “contributions from the heart.” You have to try it to believe it. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Vegan Cassoulet

Last week we were expecting a whole crowd of people to gather for dinner on Friday night. My husband had been away all week, and we were all looking forward to enjoying good food, good company, and a glass of good wine. 

I was looking for a main course that would serve as a dramatic centerpiece for our meal, a symbol of sorts, and so I decided to try making a vegan version of a cassoulet. Traditionally, the cassoulet, a staple of French cuisine, is made with meats and poultry like mutton, pork, sausage, and duck confit, and different regions of France are known for their own distinctive versions. But I had my heart set on making a new kind of cassoulet that, while plant-based, was still intensely flavorful.  Continue reading