Experimenting with more Asian ingredients is something I’m relishing now that I’m back in California. There are so many wonderful Asian stores out here like HMart (they have them in Chicago, too), 99 Ranch, Marukai, Tokyo Central & Main, and Mitsuwa Marketplace.
It’s there that I see the most variety of mushrooms as well as lots of other things, but to me particularly fascinating are the enoki mushrooms, large oyster mushrooms, shiitake and so much more. Of course you can go to the local farmers market for the delicate ones like chanterelles, when they’re in season, but these are the type you can typically find all year round.
In preparation for my interview with Eugenia Bone of The Fantastic Fungi Community Cookbook, which you can watch here, I wanted to prepare a soup that was from the cookbook to showcase how lovely yet simple some of these recipes are.
I chose the Enoki Mushroom Soup recipe because there are simple and easy to find ingredients called for in this recipe, AND I wanted to discuss miso in terms of the Halal perspective on it.
Miso is a fermented soybean paste very popular in Japanese cooking. It’s umami taste is what gives a certain depth of flavor to dishes with just a small amount that is whisked into a liquid such as a soup broth. The problem from the Halal perspective is that it often contains alcohol, however, nowadays in Japan and other countries like Malaysia where Japanese food is also popular, there are certain brands of miso that are certified Halal and hence alcohol-free. Here in the States, I had to sift through each and every container of Miso at the 99-ranch store and find the ONE that was free of any alcohol. I even double-checked with someone working at the store to make sure I was reading the label correctly and he assured me this particular brand and container of Yamabuki Milder Miso was in fact, alcohol-free. Yay, I was on my way.
Recipe by Dipa Chauhan adapted from the Fantastic Fungi Community Cookbook.
ENOKI MUSHROOM SOUP
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon grape seed oil (the original recipe calls for avocado oil, but I didn’t have it so I decided to use another neutral-tasting oil. Just heat either one very gently).
5 ounces enoki mushrooms, chopped into 1-to-2-inch pieces (if you cannot find enoki mushrooms, you can use others such as small shiitake or cremini mushrooms, but they may take longer to cook because they are thicker)
8 ounces extra-firm organic tofu, diced
One to two 10-inch fresh scallions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 cups mushroom broth, water or chicken stock
3 tablespoons alcohol-free mild miso (usually without soy sauce)
2 ounces rice noodles (fine or medium)
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Sea salt, to taste
Chili oil for finishing
DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil gently over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, tofu, scallions and garlic. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the enoki mushrooms are soft.
Add the broth or water and the miso paste. Turn the heat up to high and stir to dissolve the miso. When the miso has dissolved and the soup is boiling, add the rice noodles. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for 3-5 more minutes, until the noodles are tender.
Divide the soup equally into four bowls and garnish each bowl with a pinch of the cilantro, salt and a dash of chili oil, if you like.
To get a copy of the Fantastic Fungi Cookbook, click here.
To watch my interview with Eugenia Bone, click here.
Nothing is better than a bowl of hot soup on a cold winter day, would you agree? You’d be amazed what you can put together with what you’ve already got in your fridge and pantry, so why waste food by going out to get any extra special ingredients for something a little more complicated or time-consuming? This type of soup is so quick and easy, too.
Let me tell you how it’s made: use what you’ve already got.
In my case, in the fridge, I had one carrot, a bit of spinach, and a couple cherry tomatoes that would have been on their way out if I waited another day to consume them. Just that alone, however, didn’t feel filling enough, so I looked in my pantry for something to bulk it up, like small pasta noodles or rice and that’s what I had. I actually had a very small amount of rice left and didn’t even use it all – remember, it expands quite a bit in water (and in your belly), so I added about 3 tablespoons- that’s it! Spices are up to you, but I’ll list the ones I used in the recipe instructions below.
I love how the recipe is very #zerowaste, a common hashtag circling around these days, but it’s true- why waste food? Are we addicted to grocery store shopping? Are we so busy we can’t go to the grocery store more than once a week? I chalk these things up to boredom and lack of priorities, and believe me I have definitely been there. I would go to the grocery store just to have something to do. To look for novel things. That I didn’t need. I probably went more than the average person because I write about food, but nevertheless, I should have prioritized freshness of food and not wasting it, more than I did.
Here in Turkey, things don’t operate the same way. I go to the market two times per week to buy fresh produce, but it also goes bad rather quickly, so I don’t buy too much of it. That’s a good thing, hopefully indicating fewer or no pesticides, but also that I am way more careful about using up all the leafy greens and fresh fruits and vegetables I’ve bought in between market days; and if I don’t, then I don’t buy more of it at the next market day.
I think things are changing in the U.S. for the better, as well. There are more outdoor markets in the Spring or Summer and in the winter there are indoor markets that can be utilized to buy a lot of greenhouse-grown produce. Check your Local Harvest website for markets near you.
The complete recipe instructions and ingredients are below, and some of the ingredients you may want to get for this recipe are also listed here. Enjoy!
Recipe: Zero Waste Winter Vegetable Soup
The point of this recipe is to use what you have so if you have anything similar to these ingredients, use them. If you have less or more of the ingredients, use those. The amount of water or broth added to the ingredients is totally dependent upon the amount of other ingredients you have, so adjust accordingly and always remember that the rice/pasta/tarhana expands when boiled.
Sauté half of a small onion in olive oil, heated very gently. Next add the carrots and cook until the carrots are softened, mixing often so as not to burn the onions. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft.
Add the water and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for about 10-15 minutes. Add the rice or pasta or tarhana and continue to cook until the grains are soft. The time will vary depending upon which type of grains are used.
Remove from heat and serve with grated Parmesan or a sprinkle of Turkish oregano or crushed red pepper, if desired.
If you’re a soup lover like me, a big pot of soup on a chilly Fall day is one of the best things you can do for yourself. I really love a good, hearty soup that I can have for at least two days or even just one and freeze the rest. Something with meat always feels like a main meal, too. If it has pasta or rice or bulgur, I see no need to have bread on the side, but that’s just me; it’s filling enough with one of those types of carbs.
One of my heartiest soup recipes I love to make in Fall & Winter is our traditional Italian Wedding Soup. I grew up on it. First, my Sicilian grandmother made it occasionally for the family Sunday dinner of 30+ people and then my mom started making it at home for us and I think she tweaked the recipe perfectly to our tastebuds, adding more cheese, meat and parsley to the meatball mixture. That soup takes more work, however, because it also has chicken in it, so this Meatball & Mini Ravioli Soup is like my shortcut version- similar taste in much less time.
In this recipe, I use small cheese-filled ravioli, which I found at Trader Joe’s. They take about 16-18 minutes to cook, so they are the last ingredient I add. The big ravioli just don’t make sense to me in this dish, but if you like that by all means use those instead. You could even skip the meatballs and get meat-filled ravioli (which I just thought of as I write this), but I really love the meatballs.
The very first step is to prepare those delicious meatballs. I was craving turkey protein for some odd reason (must be the Fall weather and thoughts of the upcoming Thanksgiving), but if you want to make the meatballs out of beef, chicken or even lamb, you can certainly do that.
I add a few special ingredients: Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, minced garlic, dried parsley and homemade breadcrumbs. My breadcrumbs are darker than what you might see in stores because I made them from whole wheat bread slices. You can definitely use the store-bought ones, of course, not adding extra work for yourself like me in this case…
Some people skip this next step of baking the meatballs in the oven and they instead cook the meatballs directly into the pot. You can do that, too, but I like the flavor they get when baked first. If I’m in a real hurry, I’ll skip this step and simply sauté them in the pot directly. If baking, do so in the oven at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove and set aside.
The next thing I do is start the base for the soup: Sauté onions, tomatoes, garlic in olive oil. Add dried herbs like parsley, thyme, oregano, if you like. Watch the salt because you’ll be adding the meatballs which already have salt in them.
You can skip this next step if your meatballs have browned nicely in the oven: Sauté to brown them for added flavor directly in the pot, just for a few minutes then remove and set aside. *If you didnot bake them in the oven- please do this step.
Add as much water to fill the pot. In my Dutch oven, I add about 8 cups of water, gently pouring on top of the meatballs so as not to break them.
Once the liquid comes to a boil, allow the soup to cook for about 30 minutes over medium-high heat, covered. This makes the meatballs really moist.
When you’re about 20 minutes to finish time (or less, depending on the cooking time of the ravioli), it’s time to add these, too.
In my case, these needed to cook for 16-18 minutes. As I said, just follow your ravioli package’s directions. If you’re making homemade ravioli (you’ve just become my hero), they’ll cook for way less time, like under five minutes.
Taste and adjust for salt, pepper and any other spices and herbs. Reduce heat to a simmer, so as not to overcook the ravioli or burst them apart, which sometimes happens on too high of a heat/flame.
Once the ravioli is cooked, you’re ready to serve. Gently ladle into bowls with about 3 meatballs per person (that works in my house, but more or less depending on your own preference). Add some Parmesan cheese on top and serve. That’s an absolute must for me…
What’s your favorite hearty soup dish to cook in the Fall and/or Winter?
Meatball & Mini Ravioli Soup
A hearty, delicious one-pot soup meal that will warm and fill you up on a chilly Fall or Winter day.
Serves 8
For the Meatballs 1 pound ground turkey or beef 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon dried parsley 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 1 egg, slightly beatenFor the Soup 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup diced onion 1 tomato, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 8 cups water 1 pound dried mini raviolis Fresh Parmesan cheese, optional Fresh flat leaf parsley to top the soup, optional
Preparation
Optional step to prepare the meatballs if you will be baking them: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. To prepare the meatball mixture: In a medium size bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs. Roll into small to medium size balls and place on a parchment-lined oven tray. Bake for 30 minutes then remove from oven and set aside. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, tomato and garlic. Saut until soft and translucent. Add the baked or raw meatballs, then the water. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Cover and let cook for about 30 minutes- double the time if you’re adding raw meatballs instead of baked. Add the ravioli or pasta and cook according to the instructions on its packaging, over medium heat. Serve in individual bowls with 2-3 meatballs per bowl. Add fresh Parmesan and freshly chopped parsley, if you have it.
Winter days are quite the challenge here in Chicago, so I’m always trying to find ways to warm up with food. I haven’t had a cold salad in months, as I just really believe in eating as many hot meals as possible, and I never have cold drinks in the winter. Even the sandwiches I make are on toasted bread with melted cheese- am I the only one who does this in the winter months?
That said I’m always experimenting with my favorite type of meal: soups. And my favorite type of soups are the Italian-inspired ones because I love anything with lots of tomatoes and lots of garlic. Now add some greens and a really rich broth and we’re in business…
That’s why I’ve made this Tuscan Kale and Chickpea Soup. It’s “Tuscan” because the kale is of the Tuscan seed variety, and it’s one I feel I can digest better than the other varieties, for some reason. It’s a long, thin variety and the stems aren’t so thick that I feel like I need to chop them like crazy before throwing them into the soup.
If you make pasta dishes often, you probably have most of the ingredients necessary to make this; and if you know how important a good broth is, you can make your own or use the convenient, halal option of Saffron Road’s Classic Culinary Vegetable Broth. In Chicago, I find my stash at Jewel grocery stores in their organic foods section. They can also sometimes be found in The Fresh Market stores, Whole Foods Markets and I’ve also seen their simmer sauces in World Market! That’s some amazing presence in the retail food world.
I like to start my soup with, of course, chopped onion and garlic (because that gives everything the base of flavor most dishes need), but also some of the very best tomato sauce or crushed/diced tomatoes you can find.
The broth will add a lot of flavor and color, too. You can use chicken broth if you like, but it will obviously change the flavor. Saffron Road carries two types of halal broths that might interest you, which you can see more about here.
Add the chickpeas and kale.
Once the soup is done, I like to keep it in mason jars in the fridge or freezer. Last time I made so much that I had to freeze some and when I defrosted it, it was absolutely perfect.
I simply simmer it in a pan and serve.
You can, however, add some type of pasta noodle to this soup, but I don’t recommend doing this if you think you may end up freezing it, as the noodles end up broken and makes the soup starchy and frankly, look a bit messy. We do eat with our eyes first, after all…
If you want to add noodles, I suggest small ones like ditalini or pennette (small penne) because there is already a lot going on in the soup and those smaller noodles are a similar size to the chickpeas so they just go together nicely in your mouth. That’s important, too.
I love, love, love this soup for lunch. In fact, I’ve been having it for days. I especially love it with freshly grated Pecorino cheese on top, after it’s warmed up and just before eating.
Because it’s pretty filling, you may or may not want to have a sandwich with it. If I make it with pasta, I don’t eat any bread with it because of the carbs, but maybe you want a piece of rustic bread to sop up all the tasty liquids at the bottom of your bowl. Who knows, just make it, warm yourself up and treat yourself to a wholesome, delicious bowl of goodness, day or night. Once you make it yourself, I believe you will really taste the difference between making your own and going out for a soup and sandwich. You tell me, once you’ve tried this recipe for yourself!
*This post was sponsored by Saffron Road. All opinions and recipe creations and photos and opinions are of my own design.
My passion for soup intensifies every time I come up with a new way to blend different veggies. Since I’m usually always stirring in some kind of dairy into my soups- whether it’s milk, heavy cream or creme fraiche, this recipe is one I’m especially happy to show you because there is a secret ingredient in it that removes any need for dairy- perfect for vegans or those who are lactose-intolerant. Would you believe that the secret ingredient – cauliflower – is what makes it so creamy and milky? Without telling anyone there isn’t any cream in the dish, you might easily fool even your foodiest of foodie friends. Seriously. But there is another secret ingredient that is my go-to whenever I’m making soup and need a quick and convenient broth to add flavor and depth to all of my soups: the Saffron Roadhalalbroths, whether it’s the vegetable, chicken or lamb broths. So you can start this dish with riced cauliflower OR fresh or frozen cauliflower florets. These are sautéed with chopped zucchini, some onion and garlic, too. Once the broth is added, the liquid should come to a boil. It should cook for about 20 minutes to soften all of the ingredients, then removed from heat and pureed with an immersion blender, one of my favorite kitchen gadgets to use when making my soups. I then add in some fresh or dried herbs- always the fresh variety if and when you have those: parsley, dill, basil, cilantro- any or all of them. I like to serve this soup nice and thick with a drizzle of olive oil on top, but you could add more liquid- more broth or some water added to the broth. On the side, I love to serve this soup with Saffron Road’s Sea Salt Lentil Crackers, which are totally wheat free and a true gift to those who are avoiding wheat in their diets. For that, I’m so thankful. Great halal products like Saffron Road’s broth and lentil crackers (which are also gluten free) that pay attention to the special diet needs so many people have today.If you haven’t tried these products yet, check out my Instagram account on 11/30/17 where I’ll be giving away a week’s worth of Saffron Road coupons to one randomly-selected winner so there is no excuse not to give these fabulous products a try with your family.
Why is it that sweet potatoes only get love during Thanksgiving around here? They’re such a healthy food to incorporate into one’s diet and you can make so much more with them than just candied sweet potatoes as a side dish.
Those who know me know how much I love a good bowl of soup- and that I like to turn a lot of great vegetables into purees in order to eat them as a soup. It’s no different than with sweet potatoes. Yes, it takes time to peel the skin off of their non-uniform surfaces, but so what? A little peeling can be seen as kitchen therapy, if you take it that way. That could be considered a practice in mindful eating, for real.
To make this soup, it’s super easy. Just follow the directions below and if you want to freeze it, be aware that because it has dairy in it, you may want to be sure to consume it in under three months time. If you’re vegan you could try a coconut creamer instead of the milk- and coconut and sweet potatoes go very well together in taste so that should be nice, too.
To get some of the best flavor from the broth while you’re also in a hurry, use the high quality and super convenient Classic Culinary Vegetable Broth by Saffron Road in this recipe. It can be found in many grocery stores in the organic food section, but also online. Check out their store locator for more details on a store near you who carries it.
I add a few special ingredients: 
Add the chickpeas and kale.
You can, however, add some type of pasta noodle to this soup, but I don’t recommend doing this if you think you may end up freezing it, as the noodles end up broken and makes the soup starchy and frankly, look a bit messy. We do eat with our eyes first, after all…
I love, love, love this soup for lunch. In fact, I’ve been having it for days. I especially love it with freshly grated Pecorino cheese on top, after it’s warmed up and just before eating. 
Because it’s pretty filling, you may or may not want to have a sandwich with it. If I make it with pasta, I don’t eat any bread with it because of the carbs, but maybe you want a piece of rustic bread to sop up all the tasty liquids at the bottom of your bowl. Who knows, just make it, warm yourself up and treat yourself to a wholesome, delicious bowl of goodness, day or night. Once you make it yourself, I believe you will really taste the difference between making your own and going out for a soup and sandwich. You tell me, once you’ve tried this recipe for yourself!
Would you believe that the secret ingredient – cauliflower – is what makes it so creamy and milky? Without telling anyone there isn’t any cream in the dish, you might easily fool even your foodiest of foodie friends. Seriously. 
But there is another secret ingredient that is my go-to whenever I’m making soup and need a quick and convenient broth to add flavor and depth to all of my soups: the
So you can start this dish with riced cauliflower OR fresh or frozen cauliflower florets. These are sautéed with chopped zucchini, some onion and garlic, too. Once the broth is added, the liquid should come to a boil. 
It should cook for about 20 minutes to soften all of the ingredients, then removed from heat and pureed with an 
I then add in some fresh or dried herbs- always the fresh variety if and when you have those: parsley, dill, basil, cilantro- any or all of them. 
I like to serve this soup nice and thick with a drizzle of 
For that, I’m so thankful. Great halal products like 
If you haven’t tried these products yet, check out 
