Warming Soups on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Yesterday on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with guest host Laurie Hoogstraten, I presented the following two warming, rich and healthy soups for winter.  The first, Dhal, is a traditional lentil soup that you can make thick or thin, according to taste.  The second, made with my Ras el Hanout spice blend, is also up to your tastes.

Soup is something from which you should demand great flavours.  It is so easy to prepare stocks or broths from what you have on hand already in most kitchens and then you control the salt and fat.  Both of these soups freeze well to have on hand or for lunches (regarding some New Year's Resolutions to bring your own healthy lunches to work).  Depending on the quantities and ingredients, each lunch can cost between $0.10 - $0.50.  Compare to buying lunch every day ($10 - $20!)

Dhal

2 cups red lentils
1 medium onion, diced
1 inch ginger, grated
3-4 cloves garlic, grated
2 tbs curry spice blend
2-3 tbs olive or vegetable oil
2-3 tomatoes, diced
1 cup spinach leaves
~ 4-6 cups water
~ 1 cup yoghurt
salt, to taste
optional, 1 tbs brown sugar to round out taste and cut acid

In a larger pot, bring lentils and water to a boil. In a separate pan, heat oil and sauté onion until translucent. Add spice blend and cook until softened. Add ginger and garlic and be careful not to burn. When the water in the lentil pot is boiling, add hot onions and spices to the pot and stir. Simmer and add vegetables. Bring to a gentle boil. Stir in yoghurt and test for salt.

Enjoy!

Kitchen offerings soup (aka, what do you have on hand?)

 I made a vegan soup with my Moroccan spice blend, Ras el Hanout.  It is spicy and has red cabbage, parsnips, tomatoes, carrots, porcini mushrooms, and squash.

1-2 onions, sliced

1-2 tbs olive oil

2-4 tbs Ras el Hanout

1 Kabocha squash, in large dice (depending on the squash, you can leave the skin on!)

3 parsnips, in coin slice

1/2 red cabbage, cored and fine slice (use green if you don't wish a dark red colour of soup)

3-4 carrots, in coin slice

a few cauliflower flowerets, rough chop

small amount dried porcinis, crumbled

stock or water, to cover for a thick broth

salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté onions in olive oil in large stock pot.  When translucent or caramelized, add ras el hanout and cook until soft over medium heat.  Add vegetables and stir to incorporate.  Add stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are soft.  Season to taste.

Enjoy!