1 1/4 pounds carrots
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cups or more of vegetable stock or water
juice of 1/2 lemon
sea salt, to taste

Lop the tops off the carrots and give them a good scrub. Cut into 1″ segments. Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions. Saute for a few minutes, until onions are translucent. Add the stock and carrots and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20- 30 minutes – until the carrots are tender. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.

Puree to desired consistency, then stir in  lemon juice. Salt to taste.  Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Serves about 4.

1/2 cup cheese, Parmesan or Gruyère would work well

Warm the olive oil in a large thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Toss in the potatoes with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook until they are a bit tender and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Go ahead and give a few stirs during that time. Add the garlic and onions. Cook for a few minutes. Pour in the stock and beans. Bring to a simmer. Stir in the cabbage, cooking for a few more minutes.

Here is where you adjust the seasoning. Add more salt if needed, a crack of pepper, whatever tastes right for you.  Take off the heat and ladle into bowls. Drizzle with some good quality olive oil and a generous sprinkling of cheese.

Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Heat olive oil in  a large, thick-bottomed soup pot over medium high heat. Add vegetables with a few pinches of salt. Sauté about 10 minutes or until the onions and celery soften. Stir in the garlic and add the stock. Bring to a simmer and let cook for another 10 minutes or until the celery, carrot and potatoes are just cooked through. Stir in the rice a few minutes, just enough to reheat.

Remove soup from heat and ladle into bowls. Top each with a generous dusting of cheese.

2 T olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 T ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 T chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 chipolte pepper (from can or rehydrated), minced
1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
10 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (canned is fine)
2 1/4 cupc black, brown, and/or green lentils, rinsed and picked over
2/3 cup pearled barley or pearled farro
2/3 cup bulgar wheat
1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

Optional toppings: crumbled feta, dollop of yogurt, drizzle olive oil, chopped onion and cilantro

In a large stockpot over medium heat add the olive oil, onion, and shallots. When the onions soften up and get a bit translucent, add the garlic, ginger, chili powder and cumin. Stir well, cooking for a minute or so, until everything gets quite fragrant.

Stir in the serrano pepper, chipotle pepper, tomatoes and 8 cups of broth. Now add the chickpeas, lentils, barley/farro adn bulgur – stirring between each addition. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer. Take a taste of the broth a few minutes into the simmer, this is the moment to adjust the salt.

Simmer away for about 35-45 mintues or until the lentils and grains are cooked through. You will likely need to add the rest of the water or broth, a cup at a time, if the chili thickens up too much. Before serving, make any flavor adjustments – add more chipolte, salt, whatever you think it needs.  Enjoy!

Serves 12 or more.

3 ounces dried soba noodles
2-4 tablespoons miso paste (to taste)
2-3 ounces firm tofu, chopped into 1/3-inch cubes
2 green onions, tops removed thinly sliced
a handful of spinach, stems trimmed
a small handful of cilantro
a pinch of red pepper flakes                                           

Cook soba noodles in salted water, drain, run cold water over the noodles to stop them from cooking, shake off any excess water and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan bring 4 cups of water to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and remove from heat. Pour a bit of the hot water into a small bowl and whisk in the miso paste – so it thins out a bit (this step is to avoid clumping). Stir this back into the pot. Taste, and then add more (the same way) a bit at a time until it is to your liking.

Also, some miso pastes are less-salty than others so you may need to add a bit of salt here. Add the tofu, remove from heat, and let sit for just a minute or so.

Split the noodles between two (or three) bowls, pour the miso broth and tofu over them. Add some spinach, green onions, cilantro, and red pepper flakes to each bowl.  Enjoy!

Serves 2-3

   1 pound cranberry beans*
   8 cups water
   15 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and trimmed
   2 large shallots
   2-3 dried smoked chiles (like serrano or chipolte)
   2 teaspoons fine sea salt
   a drizzle of olive oil
   a small handful fo cilantro, chopped
   a couple of handfuls of a grated, hard salty cheese

  Soak the beans overnight. Before soaking, give them a good rinse.  Look carefully for any pepples or dirt clumps. Cover with a few extra inches of water. When you are ready to use the beans, drain them and rinse again.  Set aside.

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the rack near the bottom of the oven.

  Put the beans, water, garlic, shallots, and chiles in an oven-proof pot or casserole dish -preferably one with an oven-proof lid. Place the pot on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven for two hours, or until beans are nice and tender.

  After the first hour check every twenty minutes are so. When the beans are done, pull the pot out of the oven and season generously with salt. Stir and taste. The beans need some time to take in the saltier broth, so once you have the broth seasoned just right let the soup sit there on the top of the stove, covered, for another ten minutes or so.

Taste and adjust for seasoning one more time and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. To serve, first ladle a generous scoop of beans into each bowl.  Follow with the broth to cover. Sprinkle with cilantro and cheese.

Serves 4 to 6

*I like Rancho Gordo’s Barlotti beans because they are fresh crop dried beans. They can be ordered on-line. At the same time, any beans from the cranberry family will do nicely.

Chickpeas and bulgur wheat work well to complete the protein chain.  You can find bulgur wheat in the bins of most natural food stores.  Leftovers are going to thicken up overnight – thin with a bit of water or stock while reheating.

olive oil for drizzling
red onion, chopped for garnish

In a large pot over medium-high heat, saute the onion in the olive oil along with the salt, until the onion begins to soften. Stir in the bulgur, followed by the chickpeas and stock. Bring the ingredients to a simmer.  Cook a few minutes longer, until it starts to thicken. Taste-test bulgur for doneness.  If so, add the orange juice.  If not, simmer a few minutes longer before adding the oj.

Stir in the cauliflower and kale.  Simmer a few more minutes, until the cauliflower is tender. If the stew is on the thick side, add a bit of water or stock.  Taste and adjust with salt.  Serve garnished with a drizzle of olive oil and red onions.

Serves 4-6.