Category Archives: Soups

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: October Soup

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I was looking back through old posts, and discovered this one from 2011, eleven years and almost 1000 posts ago. Though I do not remember who gave me this recipe, I do know that it came from someone I was working with at the time.*

I arrived home from work one particular evening to find my daughter frying onions, and I asked her what’s for dinner. “I don’t know,” she said, “this is as far as I’ve gotten.” Her amusing reply put me in mind of a guy named Jeff whom I had met many years prior. He became famous in our family, and remains there to this day, because of something he used to say: “First I fry the onions and garlic, and then I decide what to make for dinner.” And that is what my daughter was doing. Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Red Lentil Soup for Rosh Hashanah

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Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins tonight at sundown. High Holiday foods tend toward the sweet and the circular: sweet to represent our wishes for a sweet new year, and circular to symbolize the seasons that run one into the next, round and round, year after year.

So it is traditional to eat many different kinds of fruits, especially apples, prunes, pomegranates, dates and apricots; and sweet vegetables such as beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, and leeks (sliced into rounds, of course), as well as black-eyed peas and lentils. And lots of honey, especially for dipping bread and apples. Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Channah’s Whitefish Soup from Jerusalem

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I am back! Inboxes, circadian rhythms, unpacking, and laundry are all emptied, adjusted, and done! It was nothing less than thrilling to meet our new grandson, and to feel the joy of seeing our son and daughter-in-law become parents to their beautiful new baby boy. Our daughter-in-law is a great cook, and I brought home a special recipe of hers. She emphasized that this recipe works with any whitefish available, and you should not feel the need to purchase anything too expensive or special. These are her instructions below, and I’ve underlined the ingredients to make it easier to get organized: Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Simple Pea Soup

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Two of my kids live thousands of miles away, seven time zones to be precise, in Jerusalem. We talk by phone a lot, and we do our very best to visit whenever we can, pandemic notwithstanding. But it’s far for sure, and one way I keep connected is to allow their cooking to inspire my own. We often touch base on Friday mornings and I love when they tell me what’s on the stove. My daughter-in-law is a fabulous cook, as is my son, and they regularly make magic happen in their kitchen. Last week, with popcorn popping in the background all the way from Jerusalem, I got to hear about the happy reception my son’s very special chocolate-drizzled popcorn had received from friends the previous week. And the split pea soup bubbling on the stove got a quick honorable mention. But that was enough to pique my interest, so I went “shopping” in my own cabinets to see if I had any peas. And I did! I used the crockpot because I love being able to set it and leave, but you can also make this on the stove if you like. It took about 2 minutes to collect all the ingredients and 10 minutes to prep the vegetables, and that’s it. It’s hard to imagine a bigger payoff for such a small investment. Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Red Lentil Soup for the New Year

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This coming Monday evening, as the sun slips below the horizon, we will begin our celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah dishes traditionally tend toward the sweet and the circular: sweet for a sweet new year, and circular to represent the seasons that run one into the next, year after year, around and around. Instead of the usual braid, even challah is twisted into rounds at this time of year.  Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Gazpacho!

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If your counter looks anything like mine, it’s probably that time of year when you gather up your haul of tomatoes and turn them into soup. Tomatoes are best stored and eaten warm, so you’ll probably be starting with tomatoes at room temperature. Plan on making this recipe early enough in the day that it has time to cool thoroughly. It will be worth it, especially on these hot, humid, late summer days. Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Watermelon Gazpacho

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Beautiful color, beautiful flavor, beautiful summer food. Something different and delicious…

8 cups watermelon (peeled from rind, seeded, and chopped)
3 pickling cucumbers (approx 6 inches long), diced
1 red bell pepper (cored, seeded, and diced)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. green onions, chopped
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt

Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl.

Measure two cups of the ingredients into a blender or food processor, and pulse until chunky (not smooth). Collect the blended ingredients in a pitcher.

Continue to blend one small batch at a time until just 1/2 cup of the unblended mixture remains. Add this to the pitcher without processing, and stir. Refrigerate for at least 2 hrs, and serve chilled. Garnish as desired with more basil or parsley. 

Yield: 6+ cups

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: The Very Best Gazpacho Recipe

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It’s August, and I’m posting a gazpacho recipe every week for the entire month! Gazpacho is soup and salad, both at the same time. This one is made with golden tomatoes, and it looks as good as it tastes.

Chief Cook-and-Bottle-Washer brought home a tray of golden, acid-free tomatoes one Friday, and I had my eye on them from the minute they entered the house. We ate a few on Friday night, and more on Saturday. Then I couldn’t resist, and I swooped in on Sunday morning to pulverize the rest! Chief C&BW said it was okay, he would go buy more. Thank you, Chief. Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Cucumber Gazpacho

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This is the time of year for gazpacho, so get ready! I’m going to post some of my favorite traditional tomato gazpacho recipes in the coming weeks, but we’re starting with something a little different — cucumber gazpacho. Salad in a soup. I made a slightly different version of this gazpacho last night, and the avocado gave it a super creamy texture. Such a great way to get your veggies, to start your day with leftover gazpacho for a slightly unorthodox breakfast, and to fill your waiting belly with a pile of phytonutrients! Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Canned Soup

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Let’s say you have no get-up-and-go. Let’s say you did, but you used it all up dealing with your boss, your kids, your spouse, your self, your neighbor, your coworker, or your pandemic. Then let’s say that it’s dinnertime and you wish you had it in you to throw together something more nourishing than breakfast cereal or potato chips, but you don’t. What follows is a great recipe for when that day comes. Continue reading →