From the Kitchen

It has been a while since I posted anything about food.  Lately, I have been in the habit of making things that are easy and hearty. Most of my energy is being taken up with teaching and art making; food creativeness has slipped to a lower priority. On a rather trim (student) budget I am just focusing on packing as much nutrition as possible into our meals. On Saturday I made this Yellow Pea Soup for the fifth time and it still made me do a little dance of delight when I tasted it! I figured it was worth sharing, especially with all this cold weather we are having. Soup is always comforting and this one is especially nourishing.  

The recipe is taken from the book: Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen. I usually don't like to post many recipes directly from cookbooks. I think it is always a good idea to support hard working writers and buy their books. However, I find that I am more likely to buy a book if I have tried at least one recipe from it. So think of this as a little introduction to a cookbook that I absolutely love! It was a gift and one that I have used and enjoyed very much.

Yellow Pea and Coconut Milk Soup (with spinach, rice and spiced yogurt)

2 cups yellow peas, rinsed and soaked for at least 1 hour if possible

2 bay leaves

3 cloves

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

2 to 4 tbls of butter, light sesame oil or a mixture (I used butter)

1 lrg onion finely chopped

1/4 cup cilantro stems minced

1 1/2 teas ground turmeric

1 teas ground cardamon

1/2 teas ground cinnamon

pinch of hot red pepper flakes

1 15oz can coconut milk

juice of 1 large lime (I use two)

3 tbls shopped cilantro ( I used more)

 Cooked rice

1/2 teas EACH ground turmeric and paprika

1/4 teas EACH cumin seeds and fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup yogurt

large bunch of spinach washed

1. Drain peas (from soaking) and put in pot with 2 quarts of water. bay leaves, cloves and 1 1/2 teas salt. Bring to boil, lower and simmer. Cook partially covered while doing next steps. 

2. Melt butter in skillet over med heat. Add onions and cilantro stems. Cook until onion colors and softens (about 10 min). Add spices and cook for a few minutes. Add 1/2 cup water from the cooking peas. Cook until water has cooked away. 

3. Add onions and spices to the simmering peas and cook until both are very soft, about an hour. Remove bay leaves and cloves and puree. Return puree to stove and stir in coconut milk. Add lime juice and season salt and pepper by taste. Stir in chopped cilantro. 

4. Make rice. Combine spice with yogurt and set aside. Wilt Spinach. Spoon into each bowl some rice, some spinach, some soup, and then a spoonful of spiced yogurt. 

Yum! 

In Deborah Madison's book you will find no less than ten lentil and pea soups. She has a whole wonderful chapter on bean soups. Many other delights await you in these pages: Rutabaga and Leek Chowder; Silky Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup; Roasted Squash, Pear, and Ginger Soup. I could eat these soups every day! I hope you enjoy eating this one.

What is your favorite soup?