Appetite for Reduction (37 page)

Baked tortilla chips provide the best nutrition profile, but regular ones will work, too; it’s not like there are a ton of them in here. A poblano gives more authentic flavor, but a plain old green pepper is just fine. This recipe is one that you shouldn’t need to read again once you’ve made it once or twice, because you don’t need to measure much; even the vegetable broth is measured out in the can of tomatoes that you use.

Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions, jalapeños, and poblano pepper in the oil until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Use a little nonstick cooking spray or broth if needed. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt, and saute for another minute.

Break up the tomatoes with your fingers and add them to the pot, including the juice. Fill the tomato can with the vegetable broth and add that to the pot. Mix in the cumin. Crush 2 ounces of the chips into crumbs (some bigger pieces are okay) and add to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer, add the beans, corn, and cilantro, and let simmer for 5 more minutes.

Add the lime juice and taste for salt and seasoning. Ladle the soup into bowls, crumble the remaining tortilla chips over the top, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 10 MINUTES • TOTALTIME: ABOUT 25 MINUTES

I
nspired by a big old bowl of pesto, this soup gets you there without all the fatty nuts and oily oils. Basil and cauliflower are pureed, and garnished with a little more basil and some toasted pine nuts. Its simple flavors are more reminiscent of something you’d order in a trattoria in Venice than of a big sloppy cup of soup in downtown Manhattan, so light some candles, unfold your finest linen tablecloth, and sip away like the refined individual you are. Oh, and although it might be tempting to eat all those pine nuts in one big bite, resist the urge and try to savor them throughout the soup. If you’d prefer something with less fat, you can omit the nuts, though. Serve with some bread or nice big entrée salad.

1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 head cauliflower (about pound), leaves removed,
cut into florets
4 cups broth
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, plus a little extra
for garnish
6 teaspoons toasted pine nuts (optional)

Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Sauté the garlic in the olive oil for about a minute, being careful not to let it burn. Add the cauliflower, 3 cups of the broth (alert! only three! you’ll be adding the last cup in a bit), salt, and several pinches of pepper. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Let cook, stirring every now and again, for about 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.

Vigorously mix together the final cup of broth and the arrowroot until dissolved. Lower heat a bit so that the soup is at a slow boil. Mix in the
arrowroot mixture and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the basil leaves and remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Taste for salt.

If you don’t have a immersion blender (get one!), then use a blender or a food processor to puree it in batches, being careful to lift the lid once in a while so that the steam doesn’t build up and explode.

Serve the soup garnished with chopped fresh basil and a teaspoon of pine nuts. To garnish, carefully place a little pile of basil on the soup, and then rest the pine nuts on the basil. If it sinks, oh well! It will taste just as yummy.

SERVES 6 • ACTIVE TIME: 20 MINUTES • TOTALTIME: 45 MINUTES

E
very country seems to have a version of potatoes and greens-caldo verde is Portugal’s offering. Although it’s traditionally flavored with sausage, we’re using some braised tempeh tossed in at the end and fennel seed for that sausage-y flavor. I love this recipe because it’s got everything you need to make a complete dinner, it’s the “meat and potatoes” of soups, only with a healthy dose of green thrown in. If you’re just easing into the world of leafy greens, then this is a delicious and easy way to do it. I used green chard (because, you know, verde means “green”), but you can use lacinato kale, regular kale, or even cabbage.

PREPARE THE SOUP:

Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion in the olive oil for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Use nonstick cooking spray if needed. Add the garlic, fennel, thyme, red pepper flakes, a few pinches of black pepper, and the salt, and cook for a minute more. Pour in the vegetable broth and add the potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and let simmer (still covered) for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. In the meantime, make the tempeh (directions to follow).

Use an immersion blender to blend about three-quarters of the soup; it should be creamy with some whole chunks of potatoes. If you don’t have a immersion blender, then transfer about three-quarters of the soup to a blender and puree, lifting the lid after a moment to let the steam escape, then add it back to the soup.

Mix in the chard. Let the soup simmer for about 5 minutes, until the chard is soft. Mix in the tempeh, taste for salt, and serve.

 

PREPARE THE TEMPEH:

In a sauté pan, crumble the tempeh and add enough water to almost cover it. Cover the pan and, over high heat, steam the tempeh until most of the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Drain the remaining water and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside until ready to add to the soup.

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 15 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 40 MINUTES

B
oston and New York will catfight over almost anything—not just baseball but soup, too. Manhattan clam chowder is tomato based, rather than cream based as they do in New England. I grew up slurping bowlfuls of this soup whenever it was on the diner menu, not out of NYC patriotism but because it was irresistibly delicious. I was never a big fan of seafood, but the mellow ocean flavor of nori is just right and not at all overpowering. In Glam Chowder the clams are left alone and a few shiitake mushrooms stand in, giving the soup that expected occasional chewiness. Garnish with a crumbled saltine-type cracker for authenticity.