Vegetarian Black Bean Chili

We are forever on a quest to find the best chili. I'm pretty sure that every time we've had chili over the past 3 years, Joel and I have tried a different recipe; meaty chilis, bean-filled chilis, vegetable chilis, extra thick chilis, watery chilis, and chilis made with the help of a powdered mix or store-bought sauces, and still, nothing has really hit the spot. While we still have yet to find "the best", this black bean chili is delicious. The best part is that it only takes about a half an hour from the time it starts until the time it is in a bowl on the table. That has to win some points for quick, winter, weeknight meal!

1/4 cup Olive Oil (I used a little less)
2 cups Onion, chopped
2 Red Bell Peppers, chopped
6 Garlic Cloves, minced 
2 tablespoons Chili Powder (I only used 1 tablespoon)
2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Cumin
3 (15-ounce) cans Black Beans
1 (16-ounce) can Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup Water (I swished it around the tomato sauce can to get every last drop) 

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers, and garlic and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the chili powder, oregano, cayenne, and cumin and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the black beans, sauce, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the flavors meld, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Ladle chili into bowls and garnish with sour cream, cilantro, and shredded cheese. 

SOURCE: Bon Appetit, September 2004 via epicurious

Cheddar Ale Soup

Living in an area that is prone to freezing temperatures, a piping hot bowl of soup seems to make winter more bearable. Because of that, we are always looking for a new soup recipe to try. Homemade tomato soup with a side of grilled cheese usually reigns supreme in our house, with broth-based vegetable soup and a crusty loaf of bread being a close second. However, every once in a great while, we crave something more rich and filling. Tonight, I made the ultimate rich and creamy soup. This cheddar ale soup was incredibly rich and delicious. How could it not be? It is basically vegetables cooked in bacon fat, then doused in melted cheese and beer! Healthy? Not so much. But I would be alright with making this a once a year "regular" in our house. Rather than pairing this soup with a crusty bread, we decided to bake up a batch of jalapeño-cheddar scones…truly a match made in heaven!

4 slices Thick-Cut Bacon, cut into 3 inch strips
2 tablespoons Butter
1 Onion, diced
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
2 Celery Stalks, diced
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/3 cup Flour
1 cup Pale Ale (we used Smuttynose)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 cups Milk
2 cups Vegetable Broth
1 1/4 pounds Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1 Scallion, sliced (for garnish)

In a 4 quart dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the pan with the bacon fat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. Add the beer and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add the Worcestershire, milk, and broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Once smooth, return the pot to medium-low heat and add the cheese, stirring constantly. Do not allow the soup to boil. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with bacon and scallions.

SOURCE: Barely adapted from Williams-Sonoma

Cheesy Spinach Soup

When I first saw this recipe, my original intention was to make it for dinner on Halloween (I'm sure it had nothing to do with the alternative name of Witches' Brew Soup…). However, because of my procrastination, I had to make soufflé instead, which was delicious, but not exactly festive. Instead, this soup got pushed back a few days. While I was intrigued enough to try this recipe, I had some hesitations. With such a short ingredient list, I figured that this soup could either be incredibly delicious or incredibly bland. Lucky for us, it was delicious! We served it with some baked brie sandwiches (our "fancier" version of grilled cheese). This is the perfect weeknight soup for a chilly night. I foresee it becoming a staple in our house as the weather gets colder!

2 tablespoons Butter
1 medium Onion, chopped
2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 medium Russet Potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups Vegetable Broth
Salt and Pepper
8 ounces Baby Spinach Leaves, washed and dried
4 ounces Gruyere Cheese, shredded

In a dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and potato and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook for about 15 minutes, or until the potato chunks are fork-tender. Stir in the spinach leaves, cover once more, and let cook until the leaves are wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Using an immersion blender (or food processor or blender), puree the soup to a smooth consistency. Stir in the shredded cheese until completely melted. Serve warm.

SOURCE: Annie's Eats 

Lentil Stew with Lemon & Sausage

It's Secret Recipe Club reveal time again! This month, I was assigned to the lovely blog Kudos Kitchen By Renee. Renee is a creative, artistic, and crafty woman who not only makes delicious food, but also hand paints tiles and glasses, and makes other various crafts, too! I enjoyed looking through all of her portfolios at the beautiful artwork that she creates! In addition to the paintings, I also looked through all of her recipes and came across many that I was interested in trying. Since the temperature has gotten a bit cooler, and since it is now officially fall, I thought a soup would be appropriate. There were a few that I originally bookmarked, but I kept coming back to this lentil stew, and I'm so glad I did. This stew was unlike anything I've made before. The spicy sausage gave the soup a nice kick, while the lemon juice and parsley kept it tasting fresh. It was so hearty, which was perfect for a cool fall weekend! Thank you for such a delicious recipe, Renee!

1 pound Italian Sausage (I used the meat from 4 links, which was closer to about 1.5 pounds)
2 Onions, chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Ground Corriander
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
2 quarts Chicken Stock
2 cups Lentils (I only had 1 cup left, so that is all I used)
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
1 Red Pepper, diced (I added this because I have a ton from my garden)
Juice from 1 Lemon (I only used half a lemon)
1/3 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped

Add the sausage to a large pot over medium heat (if using sausage links, squeeze the sausage out of the casings). Cook the sausage, breaking it apart, until it crumbles and becomes brown. Halfway through the cooking process, add the onions, garlic, carrots, and red pepper, and continue cooking for about 10 minutes. At this point, drain off any excess grease from the sausage mixture. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and the lentils. Bring to a simmer and cook until the lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Right before serving, squeeze in the lemon juice and stir to combine all of the flavors. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

SOURCE: Kudos Kitchen By Renee

Indian Spiced Cream of Tomato Soup with Couscous

After a few unseasonably warm days, we had a bit of a cold spell. What is better than soup for dinner on a cold day? We love tomato soup, and we've made several different varieties in the past, so adding yet another variety to our repertoire was right up our alley. I came across this one from An Edible Mosaic. Something about the blend of spices that was used in the recipe made it stand out. I had never cooked with garam masala before, but I knew that it would add a spectacular flavor to the soup. This soup tasted excellent, and like many other things, it seemed to taste even better the next day for lunch, after the flavors had time to meld together. The beans and couscous made this soup more substantial than other soups, and one bowl was just enough to make us pleasantly full. Now that the weather is supposed to be getting warmer, I don't foresee us making this soup any time soon, but as soon as the cold weather hits us again, I know that this will be a recipe we keep coming back to!

3/4 cup Whole Wheat Israeli Couscous (I used plain white)
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 medium Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 medium Onion, diced
3 Garlic Cloves
1-inch piece Fresh Ginger, grated on a microplane
1 (14 ounce) can Petit Diced Tomatoes, with juices
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
3 cups Vegetable Stock
1 Bay Leaf
2 Dried Red Chili Peppers, optional (I just put in a pinch of red pepper flakes)
2 teaspoons Garam Masala
1 1/2 teaspoons Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 (16 ounce) can Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
3 tablespoons Coconut Milk or Heavy Cream
Fresh Cilantro or Parsley, for garnish--optional

 Fill a medium pot 2/3 of the way full with water and bring to a boil. Add the couscous and a pinch of salt and cook until the couscous is al dente, about 7-9 minutes. Drain and set aside. In another medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook until softened, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, bay leaf, chili peppers, garam masala, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil, then cover the pot, turn the heat down to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat off, cool slightly, and remove and discard the bay leaf and chili peppers. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth (alternately, you can place the soup in a blender and puree it). Add the chickpeas and lemon juice to the pot of pureed soup. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then turn off the heat and stir in the couscous and coconut milk. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice, as desired. Serve garnished with cilantro or parsley, if desired.