A Soup Kind of Night
Happy sort of Monday again! We got ice again yesterday and school was closed. So, now Tuesday feels like Monday again. Friday leaving school it was FREEZING outside. At least freezing for me. I thawed out salmon for dinner that night, but all I could think of was soup. Thankfully there's a grocery store right next to the school and I had to go anyway to pick up some more beer ingredients for Brad.
Now came to what kind of soup do I want to make?
I still had to make the salmon so what soup goes with salmon? Several months ago an awesome coworker gave me a jar of this amazing soup she made she always makes to fight off getting sick. It was so good and didn't have a lot of ingredients. I was certain I could at least get close to it. Everything in this soup is so good for you!
Kale is an amazing dark leafy green I'm sure you've heard of before. If you haven't, you have to try it. We eat it all the time. Dark leafy greens are very high in fiber and antioxidants. They are a natural anti-inflammatory which for someone who has lived off of ibuprofen her whole life it's a godsend. Many nutritionists call it a "superfood". Not sure there's really anything such as a superfood, but it's nice to think you're doing something good for yourself with something that tastes so good. Kale can be cooked in anyway you can possible think of: boiled, steamed, baked, raw, etc. Just remove the stems and wash well to remove any dirt of sand
Turmeric is also an amazing ingredient, very common in Asian and Indian cuisine. One of the main ingredients in curry powder, it gives its yellowish color. It's a beautiful herbaceous plant that flowers. The edible spice you see are dried and processed rhizomes that have been ground. It's used as a natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. Many studies even show this one ingredient can reduce your susceptibility to certain cancers.
Here is how I made the soup:
Vegan Kale and Broccoli Soup
Ingredients:
-Vegetable broth or stock
-Kale (stems removed, washed, and torn into bite sized pieces)
-Broccoli (stems removed and cut into bite sized pieces)
-Turmeric
-Ginger powder
-Minced garlic
-Sliced onions
-Salt
-Crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:
1. Mince about 3 cloves of garlic, slice one small onion, cut about three cups of broccoli into bite sized pieces, and destem, wash, and tear 1 bunch of kale into bite sized pieces.
2. Add box of vegetable stock and about 1 cup of water to a large pot (trust me, get a big pot). Brad always makes fun of me for never grabbing a bowl or pot big enough.
3. Add broccoli, garlic, onion, about 1 Tbsp of salt, pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, 2 palm fulls of turmeric, and a pinch of ginger powder to the vegetable stock.
4. Bring to a low boil and cover for about 1 hour. This is my favorite soup pot, use it all the time. Don't worry, it was a gift--I can't actually afford Le Creuset. If you can afford it, I highly recommend it because it's amazing.
5. Taste broth and adjust seasonings to your preference. I prefer under seasoning from the beginning and then adjusting after I see how the flavors have developed.
6. Add kale, cover, and let sit for about 15 minutes.
7. Stir kale into the broth and let cook for another 30 minutes to get the kale nice and tender.
As I was finishing up the soup I noticed it was missing something. Cheese! Thankfully I had some parmesan cheese in the fridge so I made parmesan crisps to add to my soup which are super easy too.
1. Pile up your shredded parmesan cheese into small piles onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. Put cheese into a preheated 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes. Edges should turn a little brown and they're ready. I may have sent a video to my sister of the cheese bubbling. It was so pretty I couldn't help myself. Don't judge me.
The salmon was just as easy too. I seasoned mine with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. I put it in a hot skillet top down for 1 minute, flipped it, poured honey over the top, covered, and let cook on medium heat for another 5 minutes. Salmon is allowed to be a little undercooked and it's oh so yummy that way.
Now that everything is done, it's time to build my bowl and serve.
First add your soup, then top it with your beautiful salmon, and lastly your mouth watering parmesan crisps. Super easy and it was probably the most beautiful bowl of soup I have ever made. I stunned even myself with this one. The soup is not too filling which made it even better. If you want it to be truly vegan you can skip the salmon and cheese, but salmon is very high in omega 3s and 6s which are so good for you.
Trust me, you have to try this soup. You will awe everyone and they'll never know how easy it was to make. What is your favorite go to soup? Anything you've wanted to make, but have been too afraid to use?