Tag: winter greens

White Bean Soup with Leeks and Greens

February 24, 2017 / Jenny / 14 Comments

Nourishing and wonderfully fragrant, this white bean soup with leeks and greens will chase away any chills in the air. Sauteed onions, leeks, and garlic, plus white beans, dark leafy greens and a splash of lemon juice make up this very simple, healthy, and flavorful soup.

In the winter, I love a good soup full of greens to fill me up with powerful vitamins and minerals. There are a lot of germs flying around this area right now (including in my own house!) and I want to make our immune systems as strong as possible. This soup is a delicious step in that direction. The purifying properties of dark leafy greens make me feel like I am taking good care of my body. This delicious soup is also a light soup, so it is perfect if you want a lighter meal, yet still want lots of protein and iron. It goes well with a nice piece of rustic bread too.

The onions, leeks, and garlic are gently sauteed till they are nice and soft and fragrant, and then the broth, beans, greens and lemon juice come in. The soup only takes about forty minutes to make, so it makes a great weeknight meal or a warm, cozy lunch, and it tastes even better the next day. For me, the lemon juice is what really makes this soup. The bright citrus flavor balances the earthy flavors of the other ingredients.

The weather has been unseasonably warm here the past few days, and all the sunshine has gotten me longing for the green of spring. That is probably another reason I had a craving to make a soup with lots of greens in it. We are a long way from spring here in Michigan, and it is actually supposed to snow here tomorrow, but this recent warm-up has been refreshing and energizing. It’s amazing what a few days of sunshine will do for a person!

Getting outdoors has been so pleasant this past week. It’s too early to start working in the garden (though my husband did churn up the soil last weekend), so we did lots of walking/biking on trails along a river near us. Being around water is so soothing and inspiring to me. The river water level is really high right now because of all the rain we got earlier in the winter, so the water is moving quickly, making lots of currents and carrying sticks and leaves along with it. As I was watching the water flow so smoothly and naturally, I felt like I should try to be more like the river. Flowing naturally toward my destination. Not fighting my own inner nature, but going with it. Navigating the rocks and bends in the earth with such natural grace.

This white bean soup with leeks and greens is in that same vein, in that it is natural and pure and nourishing. I hope you all have a great weekend! I will be sharing this recipe over at Angie’s Fiesta Friday, co-hosted this week by Anugya @ Indian Curry Shack and Margy @ La Petite Casserole.

White Bean Soup With Leeks And Greens

Servings: 4
Time: about 40 minutes
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Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion (or about 1/2 cup), finely diced
2 leeks, washed thoroughly and finely chopped (I used just the white bulb parts, not the leafy parts)
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (or to taste)
4 cups of your favorite vegetable broth
1 can (14 ounces) of cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed
a couple of big handfuls of dark leafy greens, such as spinach or Swiss chard, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped
1-2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, to taste
black pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, leeks, bay leaf, and salt and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until very soft. About a minute before the onions and leeks are soft, add the minced garlic.

Then add the vegetable broth and beans to the pot. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, until everything is soft and the flavors are all nice and blended. Discard the bay leaf. With a wooden spoon, carefully smash some of the beans against the side of the pot to give the soup a thicker texture. Add the greens and the lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until the greens are just wilted, about 3 minutes. Add some black pepper if desired and adjust the salt and lemon juice, if desired. If it is too salty, add some water. Serve warm with some rustic bread, if desired. Enjoy!

Jewel-Toned Winter Salad

January 6, 2016 / Jenny / 16 Comments

Deep, rich greens are balanced by bright and lively oranges, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds, topped with a subtly sweet-and-sour homemade vinaigrette. This salad is simple, yet so very flavorful.

Perhaps you are like me right now, craving clean and healthy foods after over-indulging during the holidays. I don’t regret any of the holiday over-indulgences, because they were part of spending time with family and friends, but January is a time for fresh starts and new beginnings. A refreshing salad is a great way to recharge and energize.

I keep reading about winter greens at this time of year. Hardy greens can survive the winter in milder regions, or in more extreme regions like mine, can grow during the winter in a greenhouse or another similar gardening apparatus. Apparently, cold weather brings out the flavor of these hardy greens, such as kale, collards, chards, spinach, and others, and locally-grown varieties are available at markets or even in some grocery stores all winter long. I’m really glad about this, because I have been craving greens for the last couple of weeks. Recently, my daughter and I have been enjoying a gently fried egg on top of a bed of sautéed greens, and I have been making lots of salads.

This salad is a lunch favorite for me. Not only does it use the deeply nutritious winter greens, but also vitamin-C-packed oranges. We often get oranges as Christmas presents, and they are also wonderful this time of year. The sweetness of the oranges balances the earthy, slight bitterness of the greens, making a really flavorful combination. The vinaigrette goes great with this salad too, and since we have a lot of oranges right now, I used fresh-squeezed orange juice in the dressing. Delicious! And I love the jewel tones in this salad–the emerald, topaz, ruby and pearl colors.

The days are now getting a little bit lighter and brighter, and I can sense a subtle shift in the light outside. Everything looks a little brighter, and I am inspired to exercise more and de-clutter the house. (A really big, never-ending job!) After a relatively mild December, we are now having some very cold days and nights–just in time to put the kids’ new flannel sheets on their beds. We went up north after Christmas, and were able to go sledding and skiing, and the kids made s’mores with their cousins around an outdoor fire. Ever since my sister-in-law introduced me to the word “hygge”, a Danish word and concept embodying a special type of coziness and togetherness in the cold and darkness, we have been trying to embrace winter and cultivate an appreciation for the aspects that make wintertime unique. Food is often at the center of this coziness, so I am looking forward to getting back to my blogging space and also checking out what fellow bloggers have been doing.

I hope you all have a very happy new year!

Jewel-Toned Winter Salad

Servings: 2
Time: 10-15 minutes
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Ingredients:

For the salad:

a mixed bunch of hardy greens, such as spinach, kale, or chard
2 small oranges, one for juicing and one for slicing
a handful of slivered almonds
a handful of dried cranberries (or dried cherries)
optional: Feta cheese, crumbled

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons of orange juice (fresh-squeezed is best, but prepared is fine too)
1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon of honey
1/3 cup of good quality extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Select a handful of greens–enough for 2 people. Wash the greens and tear them into bite-sized pieces. Peel the oranges. Set one aside for the salad dressing. Separate the other orange into sections, and cut each section into bite-sized pieces. Place on top of the greens. Sprinkle on the desired amount of slivered almonds and dried cranberries.

For the dressing, juice the remaining orange. In a glass jar with a screw top, add the orange juice, white wine vinegar, mustard, honey, and olive oil. Shake well. Add salt and pepper to taste and shake again. Pour the desired amount over the salad, and refrigerate the rest. Sprinkle with Feta cheese, if desired. Serve as a side dish or with bread or crackers for a light, refreshing lunch. Enjoy!