meatfree — Blog — The Grains Of Paradise

Aloha friends!

I made this yummy veggie soup for lunch yesterday! Honestly, I just wanted to use up the random leftover veggies I had before they went bad. Apparently, this turned out pretty well because I caught my husband standing in front of the fridge late last night just eating the leftovers cold. He just kept saying, “OMG this is so good. So so good…”

I swear, it’s even better heated up babe. LOL.

ENJOY!

Vegetable and Bean Soup

2 large white onions, diced
2 large carrots, sliced
2 stalks of celery sliced
2 cups waxy potatoes, skinned and cubed ( about 2, small/med size )
8 cloves garlic, minced
1, 14oz can organic diced tomatoes with juice
1, 14oz can of beans ( cannellini, chickpeas, kidney beans, pinto are all good ) rinsed and drained
1/3 cup sliced Kalamata olives
4 cups good vegetable broth
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes ( optional )
1/2 of a lemon, juiced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or any herbs you want honestly
1 Tb good olive oil
a handful of fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt ( if needed )
cracked black pepper

Toppings

olive oil or basil oil ( to finish, optional )
chopped chives
fresh parsley
vegan parmesan

*In a large stockpot over med-high heat, saute onions and garlic in a little water until soft and translucent ( about 5 minutes ). You can use olive oil to saute but I prefer water. Add some cracked pepper and a pinch of salt.

*Add remaining ingredients except for lemon juice, parsley, and thyme. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer ( covered for 40 minutes ).

*Right before serving, add olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs. Stir until incorporated. Taste and add more cracked pepper and 1/2 tsp sea salt if needed ( I usually don’t but this depends on how salty the vegetable broth is )

*To serve, ladle into soup bowls. Top with additional parsley and chopped chives

We love the Il Fornaio restaurants in California and we almost always end up at either their Carmel or Walnut Creek location when visiting my mother in the Bay Area. Unfortunately, so many of their delicious dishes are not vegan ( without alterations of course ) but I was surprised to find some exceptions this time. The Walnut Creek location was offering a large vegan couscous salad on their lunch menu. It was full of unique flavors, surprisingly filling and absolutely delicious so I knew I would have to try to recreate it once I got home.

So below, my version of Il Fornaio's “Insalata Regina”. This salad is sweet, tart, salty, and slightly bitter thanks to the abundance of arugula. Throw in some diced avocado for some extra healthy fat if you desire, but either way, it’s great!

I find this salad tastes best a room temperature so let the couscous cool a bit before tossing in the other ingredients. This makes roughly two large main course servings or four smaller side salads.

Insalata Regina - 2 to 4 servings

1 cup dried couscous
1 and ¼ cup of water
2 cups arugula
2 tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup red onions, finely diced
1/3 cup raisins ( dried currants could work too )
1 tbs capers, drained
Avocado, diced optional

Dressing

2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1.5 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp sea salt

Cook couscous according to the brand’s instructions. I usually go with 1 and ¼ cup of water to one cup of dried couscous. Boil the water and add dried couscous, stir, cover, and lower heat to a low setting. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let cool while prepping other ingredients.

Make the salad dressing - I usually place the dressing ingredients in a small mason jar, cover with a lid and shake until incorporated an aerolatte would work too. Store any leftover dressing in the fridge for later use if desired. (keeps about a week)

In a large bowl, toss cooled couscous with tomatoes, arugula, onions, raisins, capers (and diced avocado if using). I usually end up using 3/4 of the prepared dressing. Taste and then add remaining dressing if needed.