Broccoli Soup with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

I have another soup here for you. You know, just in case you need a little warming from the inside out. Or just in case you need some convincing to eat more vegetables...a New Year's resolution, perhaps? If eating more vegetables was on your to-do list, I am hoping to make that goal a bit easier and even delicious.

This is no ordinary broccoli soup. I grew up eating a rendition of broccoli soup that, despite being totally scrumptious, negated any potential nutritious benefits I could have gotten from eating broccoli in the first place. Cream certainly has its place here and there, but when your soup starts to match the eggshell-hued ceramic diner cup it is served in, you should think about switching up your order now and again. While my ten-year-old self devoured every last drop of that soup...with a tag-along grilled cheese because that is what ten-year-olds do, I think my adult self would call it quits a few spoonfuls in. For my arteries' sake, of course.

This soup certainly retains a beautiful earthy green color with just little specks of red sprinkled here and there from the pesto. There is a smidgen of dairy in my grown-up broccoli soup compared to most versions, but it is still rich in flavor. I rely on chickpeas to help thicken, and a quick sun-dried tomato and basil pesto to bring it some punch. The meatiness of the tomatoes and toasted walnuts lend a real savoriness to the pesto that, when swirled into the soup, elevates it a notch or two...or maybe even three. For textural contrast, I reserve some broccoli florets that I cut into bite-size pieces and steam just until bright green and tender, tossing them into the pureed portion just before serving. Sprinkle with some Parmigiano-reggiano or whatever nice sharp, salty cheese you are craving that day, and dig in.

Broccoli Soup with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of red chili flakes
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, stems trimmed, peeled, and chopped, and crowns cut into bite-size pieces (reserve 2 cups florets)
1 cup drained chickpeas
3 cups water
1/2 recipe Sun-dried Tomato Pesto, recipe below (about 1/4 cup)
salt and pepper, to taste
Parmigiano-reggiano or other sharp cheese, for serving, optional

Heat olive oil in pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute 5-7 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add garlic and chili flakes and saute 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add broccoli stems and all but 2 cups of florets. Toss in chickpeas. Add 3 cups water, a generous pinch of salt, and heat until boiling. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook 10-12 minutes or until broccoli stems and florets are soft and easily mashed with a fork. Puree mixture in blender or using an immersion blender right in the pot. Return to pot and swirl in pesto. 

Meanwhile, steam remaining florets in pot fitted with steamer basket or in shallow water for about 5 minutes or until bright green and tender. Remove from heat, and toss florets into soup. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with any desired cheese, if using. Enjoy! Makes 4 servings.

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
1/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-reggiano or Parmesan cheese
zest and juice of 1/4 lemon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon water
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle for a coarser texture. Season to taste. Makes about 1/2 cup.
 

Spicy Udon Noodles

I am sure you have all heard that carrots are good for your eyes. Or at least that is what your mother told you to get you to eat your carrot sticks. But it is true! They contain vitamin A and beta carotene which help with the maintenance of the retina. But do you know what else are good for your eye health? It turns out, a lot of things. It is undeniable that nutrition affects not only how your body feels, how your body appears, but more importantly, how your body functions. As we age, it becomes crucial to support and maintain some of those body parts and systems that start to fade with our diet. Eating consciously can help slow some of those natural processes.

One such natural process of aging is vision loss. For example, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss for those aged 55 and older in the United States and affects more than 10 million Americans. AMD results from the breakdown of the macula of the retina which then causes loss of central vision. You probably know someone who has experienced this incurable disease. The only cure is prevention and prevention comes in the form of a diet rich in particular nutrients.

May is Healthy Vision Month and as a daughter and sister to two ophthalmologists who see how this disease debilitates so many patients, I feel compelled to share preventative measures you can take in the kitchen to help prevent eye diseases such as macular degeneration. The American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF) recently released a book entitled Eat Right for Your Sight, and it is an invaluable resource to those wanting to use their diet to reduce their risk of vision loss or slow the process if it is already occurring. It not only offers an easy-to-understand explanation of the disease and lists what nutrients and how much of those nutrients are vital to healthy eyes, but it also offers original recipes with ingredients that contain those nutrients. Some recipes are contributed by famous chefs such as Alice Waters, Ina Garten, and Andrew Weil, and all are easy to read (and I mean literally- the font is large!) with readily available ingredients. I always love a cookbook with good pictures, and this one has some great ones.

The major eye-healthy nutrients highlighted throughout the recipes are:

• Beta-Carotene (carrots, winter squash, spinach, cantaloupe)
• Lutein/ Zeaxanthin (aka carotenoids)  (greens such as kale, spinach, broccoli, and eggs, and tomatoes)
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids (salmon, walnuts, flaxseeds, sardines)
• Vitamin A (sweet potatoes, carrots, beef liver, dried apricots, butternut squash)
• Vitamin C (oranges, kiwi, strawberries, red bell peppers)
• Vitamin D (salmon, mushrooms, beef liver, eggs, fortified milk)
• Vitamin E (almonds, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, avocados, wheat germ)
• Zinc (shellfish, cocoa powder, peanuts, fortified breakfast cereal, beef)

One particular note that I appreciated in this cookbook was the page highlighting "Good Food Combos." For example, Vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron from plant-based sources so they recommend serving citrus or strawberries with spinach. Vitamin D enhances calcium absorption. Furthermore, healthy fats are essential to optimum nutrient absorption of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K.  They suggest pairing avocado with grapefruit, olive oil with carrots, dressing with greens, or broccoli rabe with pine nuts, as I do in my Broccoli Rabe and Chickpeas with Toasted Garlic Breadcrumbs and Pine Nuts.

You can find a link to some of the recipes featured in the book here, and a link to more information about AMD and the American Macular Degeneration Foundation here.

I strongly recommend this cookbook as a gift to anyone who has an older family member or friend. Or if you are of that age, it is worth the investment. It is a wonderful resource to anyone looking to understand their health and to take charge of reducing the risk of vision loss that can come with aging.

After reading through the book and making a note of way too many recipes I wanted to try, I settled on the Spicy Udon Noodles because I had been craving something with exotic flavors. Other recipes that I dog-eared for later were the:

• Carrot-Cumin Soup
• White Bean Soup with Kale
• Celery, Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad
• Crunchy Cabbage Salad
• Mango Pico de Gallo
• Rice Paper Salmon with Satay Drizzle
• Broccoli with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Pine Nuts
• Blueberry Smoothie
• Jody's Peach Soup

These noodles are addicting. They are a little sweet, a little spicy, veggie-packed, and delicious. It recommends you choose six cups of mixed vegetables, and I chose zucchini, broccoli, bok choy, and carrots. The addition of red bell peppers would have increased the Vitamin C in the dish, but I completely forgot to pick them up from the store. The sauce comes together in a pinch and you sprinkle everything with aromatic basil, mint, cilantro, and roasted peanuts. I made a few modifications to the recipe based on what I had on hand, and you can see my changes in the parentheses. I also modified the cooking procedure just a little as it suggested to add all of the vegetables at once, but I felt certain vegetables (namely the broccoli and carrots) would need a little more time than the zucchini and bok choy. This is reflected in the instructions you see below. I added chopped scallions at the end to garnish with the fresh herbs although it recommends adding them in with the other vegetables to saute. Give this recipe a whirl- either the original version or mine. Your tastebuds will thank you, as will your eyes.

Spicy Udon Noodles

Zest and juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (I used peanut butter)
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce (I used low-sodium tamari)
1 tablespoon Asian chili paste (I used Sriracha)
11/2 tablespoons sugar (I used 1 1/2 large pitted dates)
11/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon canola oil (I used coconut oil, melted)
11/2 tablespoons minced garlic
11/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
6 cups mixed cut raw stir-fry vegetables (broccoli, bok choy, zucchini, onion, scallion, red bell peppers, carrots) (I used broccoli, carrots, zucchini, and bok choy)
3 cups cooked udon noodles (9 ounces dry)*
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly chopped mint leaves
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts, for garnish

Make the sauce. Combine the orange zest and juice, hoisin sauce (or peanut butter), soy sauce, chili paste, sugar (or dates), and vinegar in a bowl; set it aside. If you are using peanut butter and dates like I did, I found it easier to puree everything in a mini food processor.

Combine the sesame oil and canola oil (or melted coconut oil) in a small bowl.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil mixture in a skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until they begin to color, about 1 minute. Add the remaining oil mixture to the pan, and add the mixed vegetables and stir-fry until crisp-tender, 1 to 3 minutes. Stir constantly. I added the carrots and broccoli first and cooked for 1 minute. I then added the zucchini and bok choy and cooked for another 1-2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add the noodles and reserved sauce. Cook for 1 minute more, tossing to combine. Add the basil, mint, and cilantro; toss to mix. Serve hot; garnish with the peanuts and scallions, if using. Serves 4.

* To cook the udon noodles: Bring water to a boil in a medium-large pot, and add a generous pinch of salt. Add the noodles and cook for 6-8 minutes, checking for doneness around 6 minutes. You want them al dente or with just a bit of bite. Remember there will be a little residual cooking as they rest and they will be heated again in the sauce. Immediately drain and set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.

Recipe from Eat Right For Your Sight: Simple Tasty Recipes That Help Reduce the Risk of Vision Loss from Macular Degeneration, By Jennifer Trainer Thompson and Johanna M. Seddon, copyright © American Macular Degeneration Foundation, 2014. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. 

Disclaimer: I was contacted by the publishers of Eat Right for Your Sight to review their cookbook, but all opinions are my own.

Three Greens Soup with Crisped Chickpeas

This soup is very green and the very thing my body has been craving in this cold weather. It's vibrancy and nutritional density wake my body back up, even fooling it into thinking we're much closer to spring than we really are. It takes no time at all to make and relies mostly on frozen vegetables, which are wonderful to keep on hand when you think you may be snowed in. I chose to thicken the soup and tone down the vegetal flavor with cashews that simmer gently right along with the rest of the vegetables before everything gets blitzed smooth. A squeeze of lemon juice brightens it all up at the end. And to top it all off, we've got some crisped chickpeas. Lemon zest and some dried spices perk up some cooked garbanzos and a little time in a skillet makes them addictingly crunchy.

Three Greens Soup with Crisped Chickpeas

Soup:
2 T. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
4 1/2 c. (16 oz.) frozen broccoli, no need to thaw
2 c. (8 oz.) frozen green peas, no need to thaw
1 1/2 c. (6 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, no need to thaw
2 T. miso paste (I used yellow, but any type will do)
2/3 c. raw cashews
2 1/2 c. water
1 t. salt
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste

Chickpeas:
1 T. olive oil
scant 2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 15.5oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. dry mustard
1/4 t. paprika
1/4 t. garlic powder
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 t. salt

Begin with the soup. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions and garlic, reduce heat to medium and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the onions soften and start to turn a little golden along the edges. Add the frozen vegetables, miso paste, cashews, water, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, prepare the chickpeas. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Dry the chickpeas thoroughly with a kitchen towel or paper towels. This is really important so that the chickpeas can really crisp up as oppose to steam. Toss the chickpeas in a bowl with the cumin, dry mustard, paprika, and garlic powder. Add to the skillet, and stir to coat the chickpeas with the oil. Allow chickpeas to crisp and brown in spots, tossing occasionally. After about 20 minutes, remove the skillet from the heat, toss the chickpeas with the zest of 1 lemon and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Set aside.

After the vegetables have softened, puree the mixture in a blender, food processor, or using an immersion blender. I find that the blender gives the best results, but I usually have to do it in batches. Return the soup to the pot. When your desired smoothness is reached, add the juice of 1 lemon to the pot, stir to combine, and taste to adjust for salt and pepper. Top the soup with crisped chickpeas and enjoy! Serves 4-6 people.