White bean spinach soup

This is the fastest, easiest soup, and it is SO DELICIOUS.  I had it tonight.  It was finished in less than 30 minutes.  If you have fresh spinach and a few cans of white beans, you have a meal.  I had it with blueberry muffins on the side.  Without the sprinkling of cheese on the top, it is completely vegan!  The creaminess of the soup comes from pureeing some of the white beans and adding them back into the soup.

Italian white bean soup with spinach  (adapted from "Good Housekeeping Vegetarian Meals")

1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cans cannelini beans or other white beans
2 cups of vegetable broth
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/8 tsp dried thyme
2 cups of water
10 oz baby spinach (if you use normal spinach, just chop it first)
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional, but so so good!)

In large saucepan, heal oil over medium heat.  Add onion and celery and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic and cook another minute.  Add beans, broth, pepper, thyme, and water.  Heat to boiling and then reduce heat so that the soup simmers, uncovered for 15 minutes.  With slotted spoon, remove two cups of the bean/vegetable mixture into a separate bowl.  Puree the remaining soup in the saucepan with either an immersion blender or by blending it in parts in a blender or food processor.  Return soup and reserved bean mixture back into the saucepan and heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted (about another minute or two).  Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat.  Serve with Parmesan cheese if you choose.

Coconut dal

This meal is better than it looks.  Please don't judge these lentils from the poor lighting or amateur status of the photographer.  I take all my photos with my iphone.  You are lucky I even took a photo at all.  Most of the time I remember halfway through the meal and then my plate doesn't look appetizing at all.  Also, I used the "wrong" kind of lentils.  I just used plain old greenish brown lentils.  When you use yellow or red lentils the dish looks like sunshine on a plate. This coconut lentil dish is superb and simple and hearty and inexpensive-- all the things you can ask for in a meal.  And its also easy and doesn't require finesse or weird ingredients-- bonus!

Coconut dal (adapted from Yummy Supper)

1 1/2 cups of dried lentils (yellow lentils look prettiest, but if you don't mind the color, just use brown)

4 1/2 cups veggie stock or water

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp salt

2 TBS olive or vegetable oil

2 cups diced onions

1 garlic clove minced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne, or a 1 small fresh chili, minced

1 cup coconut milk1

Cook lentil is water or stock with salt and 1 tsp turmeric.  When the lentils are tender, drain, but keep some of the cooking liquid.  In a separate pan, saute the onions with vegetable oil, garlic, cumin, 1 tsp of turmeric, and chilis or red pepper until the onions are golden, stirring constantly.  Add a little bit of the coconut milk to the onion mixture to get all the good bits off the bottom of the pan. 

Mix onions with cooked lentil and reheat slowly.  Then add the rest of the coconut milk.  continue heating a few minutes more.  You may add more coconut milk or some of the reserved liquid if the dal is too dry or thick.