Friday soup spectacular!

Today, I bring you not one soup recipe but TWO!! The first comes from the new cookbook that Renee bought me for Christmas called fresh: New vegetarian and vegan recipes from fresh restaurants. I made this soup at about 9pm one night last week when I was bored and it is delicious.

Creole Red Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 tbsp canola oil

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped carrot

½ cup chopped celery

1 clove garlic, minced

¾ tsp allspice

¾ tsp dried thyme or 1 ½ tsp fresh

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 green pepper, chopped

2 cups canned tomatoes

1 can (19oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

4 cups vegetable stock

½ tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp molasses

Serves 4-6

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook until softened.
3. Stir in allspice, thyme, and cayenne. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes
4. Stir in green pepper and cook until softened.
5. Add tomatoes, beans, and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for at least 10 and up to 30 minutes.
6. In a small bowl, mix the mustard and molasses with 1 or 2 tbsp of the broth from the soup. Add to the soup and stir well.

This second recipe came from my mother and I have no idea where she got it originally. You will note as you read the ingredients that she made a slight modification for me. It’s a thick soup so very filling for those cold winter nights.

Beef and barley stew/soup

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup onion

1 Tbsp. butter

4 cups beef broth

4 cups water

2 cups chopped beef (I used what was left over from a pot roast so it was already cooked)

1 can (750 ml) diced tomatoes

1 cup barley

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 cup peas

1. Saute carrots, celery and onions in butter.

2. Add broth, water, beef, tomatoes and spices. Bring to a boil.

3. Add barley. Reduce heat and simmer until barley is cooked  (about 45 minutes).

4. Add peas and simmer another 5 minutes.

My mother’s comments: Since I like soups to be more hearty and less watery, I added at least double the amount of barley.  I also added about a 1/2 cup of frozen corn with the peas.  (I took yours out before I added the peas). (The Shuffler’s comment: I hate peas.)