Notes:

• Makes six servings.
• Freezes well.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 3-4 leeks (white and light green parts cut into 1/2 inch half-moons - more info here)
• 6 cups (total) of water and/or vegetable broth
• 1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 2 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1-2 cups chopped kale.  Tutorial here.
• 1/2 cup brown or green lentils (these are not precooked)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

1. Heat 1/4 cup of broth and leeks in a dutch oven over medium heat (#6 on my electric stove top), stirring occasionally until the leeks begin to soften, 5-7 minutes.
2. Add the 6 cups of water/vegetable broth, sweet potatoes, kale, lentils, thyme, salt and pepper.  Mix well.
3. Bring to a boil and lower to simmer (#3) for 45 minutes.
4. Spoon into bowls and pass the crusty bread.

Notes:

• Makes ten servings.
• Freezes well.
• No leeks?  Substitute 1 medium yellow onion, chopped coarse. Tutorial here.

Ingredients

• 3-4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
• 1 medium turnip, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 large leeks, white part only, sliced (about 2 cups)
• 3 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can white kidney beans (Cannellini), rinsed and drained
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preparation

1. Heat the carrots, potatoes, turnip, leeks, celery, and 2 cups of broth in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
3. Stir in the remaining broth, beans, bay leaf, and red pepper in the sauce pot and heat to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
4. Remove the bay leaf and serve with crusty bread or cornbread.

Notes:

• Adapted from Dr. John McDougall.
• Serves 10-12.
• 1 cup of cooked grains needed.  For example, barley or quinoa, (pronounced “keen-wa”).
• Freezes well.
• Some of the vegetables can be omitted and/or other vegetables added.
• Recipe can be halved.

Ingredients

• 4 medium onions, chopped coarse.  Tutorial here.
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper chopped
• 1 cup filtered water
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) chili powder
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes and a 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce (for a little added interest use Ro-tel brand tomato sauce)
• 4 cups filtered water
• 3 medium potatoes, scrubbed and chunked (no need to peel if you scrub)
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup fresh green beans or a 14.5-ounce can of green beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 cup cooked whole grains
• 1 can of beans (pinto, kidney, garbanzo, white, or a mixture of these), drained and rinsed.
• 2 cups chopped kale.  Tutorial here.

Preparation

1. In a large soup pot, saute the onions, garlic, and peppers in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes on medium heat (#5 on electric cooktop).
2. Add the spices and cook for a few more minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and the 4-cups of water.
4. Cover and cook over medium heat (#5) about 15 minutes.
5. Add potatoes and carrots, cook for 30 minutes.
6. Add green beans (if fresh) and corn and cook for 15 minutes.
7. Add cooked grains, beans, green beans (if canned), and leafy greens and cook for 15 minutes.

Notes:

• Makes 10-12 2-cup servings.
• Freezes well.
• Recipe adapted from Dr. John McDougall.
• Use a 1-cup measuring cup and a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon to do all of your measuring.  No need to dirty up a lot of dishes… just estimate.  And speaking of estimating – don’t worry too much about the amount of the celery and carrots – cut them up and place them in the pot.  If it looks like too little, add more.
• Note:  canned green beans or canned corn can be substituted for the frozen green beans or frozen corn.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped coarse.  Tutorial here.
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 1 15-ounce can fire-roasted chopped tomatoes
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 14 - 20 ounces potatoes, peeled and cubed in bite-sized pieces
• 1 16-ounce can fat free refried beans
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons parsley flakes
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper (one-third of a tablespoon)
• 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
• 3/4 cup frozen whole green beans, broken (or cut) into bite sized pieces
• 1 handful of uncooked, whole wheat pasta (penne, bowtie, elbows) Note:  pasta expands when cooked
• 1-2 cups chopped kale.  Tutorial here.
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preparation

1. Place the onions, garlic, celery, and carrots in a large pot with 1 cup of broth.
2. Cook on medium-high (#7 on electric stovetop) stirring frequently for about 5 minutes, until onions are softened.
3. Add the remaining broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, potatoes, refried beans (don’t worry about trying to get the beans to break down, cut it into chunks with your spatula and by the time it’s cooked for the first 25 minutes, you’ll be able to just stir it to combine), bay leaf, parsley, basil, oregano, and black pepper.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low (#3), cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the kidney beans, corn, green beans, and whole wheat pasta.
6. Reduce heat a little more (#2) and continue to cook for 20 minutes.
7. Stir in the kale and balsamic vinegar and continue to cook (#2) an additional 10 minutes until kale is softened.
8. Remove bay leaf before serving.