Thai Coconut Soup Rice

Many moons ago, I went to my local supermarket and perused the Amy's soups section, as I normally do. I picked up my usual favorites: No Chicken Noodle, Minestrone, and Vegetable Barley. Then my eyes stopped on the soup to end all soups, Thai Coconut. I had to have it. I love Thai flavors, I love coconut, I knew this was going to be a party in my mouth.

I bought 4 cans, and made one for dinner that night. I sadly wasn't SOUPer blown away by this (badum chh). I liked the Thai flavors, but it was sadly lacking. This soup watery was full of broth, and not too much else. I like soups that are hardy, and while I loved the Thai basil, bits of tofu, and veggies, it just wasn't enough.

I actually had photos from the first time I tried this soup saved in a folder on my computer for a future blog post for ages. But the more i thought about it, the more I didn't wan't to share a food that I wasn't pleased with. After all, this blog is about food I like to eat.

Even though I wasn't a fan, I didn't want the soup to go to waste, so I slowly made my way through the stock I had picked up on the first day I got it. One day, all the parts of my brain decided to work together. A number of times Ben and I have used soup broth to make rice, in addition to water. Thai Coconut Soup Rice was born!



What you need:



1 can of Amy's Thai Coconut Soup
1.5 cup of rice, dry

What do to:
Measure out the rice, and pour it into a medium pot.
Pour the soup into a measuring cup.
Using a fork, fish out the solid pieces in the soup, and scoop them into a small bowl, leaving the soup broth in the measuring cup.



There should be about a cup of broth left.



Pour the 1 cup of soup broth in with the rice, then pour in an additional 2 cups of water.
Stir the rice, broth, and water together, cover the pot, then bring to a boil.
Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to low, and let simmer for 16 minutes.
DO NOT remove the lit until the end of the 15 minutes.
Once the rice is fully cooked, stir in the reserved soup veggies. Serve hot.









The perfection of this rice is that all the ingredients are already in the soup, so you don't need to add anything else! I loved the light, coconut flavor, the sweet and tasty veggies, and, of course, the Thai basil. The rice was nice and creamy, and had a built-in protein: the tofu from the soup! This would be great as a side, or a meal on its own. Oh, and its vegan too!

What other soups should I try to make rice? Will you try this Thai Coconut Soup Rice?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Easy Miso Soup

I have loved miso soup ever since I first tried it, and I remember that first.  When I was in high school my mom found a brand of vegetarian instant soups in the supermarket, and I lived on those.  They made all different flavors, and one was miso. I remember how much I loved it, and how happy I was that it was vegetarian.

I started ordering miso soup from Sushi restaurants left and right. They all seemed to taste a little different, so I decided to see what really went into miso. From what I gathered, miso itself is made from fermented soy beans. When miso soup is made it can be made with just miso and water, or it can also have fish stock.  That must have been the culprit of the unusual taste in the different soups.

That meant I sad had to cut miso soup from my diet, since you never know how restaurants make it. I figured that was that. Then Ben found a really easy miso soup recipe. It was completely vegan and looked easy to make. We pick up some miso paste and Ben made his soup...and it was SO GOOD! After stealing a ton of spoonfuls, I knew I had to make it myself.



What you need:



4 tablespoons of miso paste
1 lb of tofu, diced
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
dried seaweed, crumbled
6 cups of water

What to do:
Heat the water in a medium pot, until boiling.
Once water is boiling remove from heat.
Add the onions, crumbled seaweed, and tofu to the boiling water.



Scoop out a tablespoon of miso, and put the spoonful in the water. While the spoon is in the water, using a fork or chopstick, slowly dissolve the miso into the water.
Repeat 3 more times.
Serve with a few dashes of soy sauce.











This miso soup was amazing! It was so authentic with the perfect Asian flavors. The tofu was nice and soft, and added an element of protein. The onions were crunchy, and added depth to the flavor or the soup. The flavor of the seaweed gave this soup that fishy element that in other soups comes from the fish stock. A splash of soy sauce was the perfect finishing touch. It added that last bit of saltiness that was needed to complete the soup.

Do you love miso soup too? Will you try making your own easy miso soup?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Veggie Packed Minestrone

I have tried a number of canned soups, which are always warm, healthy, and comforting in the winter (or any time of year). Every time I review a canned soup, someone always tells me to try cooking it myself. I recently made corn and potato chowder, and was super happy with the result. One of my favorite soups is minestrone. While I love Amy's soups, I knew it was time to try my own!



Inspired by All Recipes.

What you need:



4 small (or 2 medium) potatoes, pealed and chopped
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced
5 cups of veggie broth
1 can of green beans
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 can of chick peas
about a 1/2 lb of carrots, pealed and chopped
oil for cooking
your favorite Italian spices to taste (I used basil and oregano)
pepper and celery salt to taste

What to do:
Heat oil over medium head in a large pot.
Saute onion, pepper, celery salt, and Italian seasonings for about 5 minutes.
Stir in canned tomatoes (with juice), chick peas, green beans, carrots and garlic.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft, about 30 minutes.











I was really excited when I had noticed, again, that I made a completely vegan dish...until I added a side of cheesy garlic toast.



I was so pleased with this perfect blend of Italian flavors and tomato. I loved the bite of protein that the chickpeas added, it was almost meaty. The green beans and carrots gave this soup a great veggie packed flavor. The potatoes were nice and soft, and filled with the flavor of the soup. All the veggies made this soup so colorful and beautiful. This soup was so comforting. I'd call it Italian with a twist!

What is your favorite soup? Will your try out this minestrone?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Crock Pot Corn and Potato Chowder

There is nothing better than a bowl of warm and creamy soup after a long day at work, and a cold winter day. Of course you could heat up a can of soup, and while I do that on most occasions, I wanted to try my hand at cooking soup myself. Lots of you lovely followers have commented on how easy it is to make a lot of soup at once, and of course it is more affordable (also, potatoes and onions were buy one-get one at the supermarket this week!). I knew I had to work all day on Sunday, so how else could I have a hot bowl of soup waiting for me than making my boyfriend cook it it in my crock pot! I love that with a crock pot you can just put all the ingredients in and it does all the cooking for you. No-fuss hot bowl of soup after a longer winter day - here I come!



Inspired by All Recipes.

What You Need:



5 medium russet potatoes, cubed
2 yellow onions, diced
1 can of corn
2 tablespoons butter
1 12-oz can of evaporated milk
4 cups of vegetable broth (I used 2 cubes of bouillon and 4 cups of water)
celery salt and pepper to taste

What To Do:
Put all of the ingredients, except for the milk, into the crock pot.



Cook on the low setting for 5-6 hours, or until potatoes can split easily with a fork.
Pour in the evaporated milk, and cook for 30 more minutes. Serve hot.









I ate my soup with a side salad and a small panini.



This soup was so flavorful with just a bit of creaminess. I might have overdone it just a tad with a pepper, but it really gave this chowder a nice kick of spice! There was some added sweetness and crunch from the corn. The onions were nice and soft while the potatoes turned this soup into a hardy dish.  It was great coming home to this comfort food waiting for me!

Do you like making soup in the crock pot? What is your favorite kind to make?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

Hello hello! I hope you are all doing well. I am actually in Ocean City this weekend to see my dad sing in his chorus. I love seeing my dad, but its always bittersweet having to say bye.

It has been really nice getting back to writing. I have to say, that little break I took was quite refreshing. I feel so much more connected to my blog, and really enjoying writing again. I sadly don't have much free time lately, but I am going to do my best to keep on blogging!

Today I have the ultimate in classic comfort food. Its not mac and cheese, not meat loaf, and definitely not stew: its grilled cheese and tomato soup!




There is something so special and grilled cheese and tomato soup. Dipping the sandwich into the warm tomatoey goodness just makes you feel like a kid again. Its warm and tasty with those classic comfort flavors.

On the soup side of the plate, I opted for Amy's Chunky Tomato Bisque. It was actually the first time trying this flavor.



This soup had such a fresh, tomatoey taste. I could actually taste a difference between this soup, and the non-organic ones that I sometimes eat. I especially loved the chunks of tomato and the hint of cheesiness. It was definitely a grown up version of the basic tomato soup.







Next, I bring you the grilled cheese part of this dynamic duo.



While for the cheese, I used the classic, individually wrapped, American cheese slices, I decided to add a little something special.  Recently, while visiting a friend, she let me pick a couple jalapenos off her plant! I thought they would be the perfect compliment to a grilled cheese, so I diced them up, put it in the sandwich, and cooked it in my panini press.



YUM! I love that you can see the jalapeno pieces. This sandwich had two of my favorite qualities, meltiness and cheesiness. I couldn't get over how cheesy it was. The jalapeno bits gave it the perfect amount of spice. It really brought this classic sandwich to a whole new, grown up, level.

It was so fun getting to regress to childhood for a meal, but still feeling like just a little bit of an adult.

What is your favorite kid food?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Greek Potato and Olive Stew

I hope you are ready for another cool weather comfort food, and I hope you are storing up these recipes for fall, just like a squirrel collects nuts. Something happened the other day which really sealed the deal that fall is around the corner: I heard in a commercial that pumpkin flavor was back at Dunkin Donuts. You better believe I will be getting my pumpkin fix all fall and winter long! So while I am dreaming of falling leaves, pumpkin things, and Halloween, I am going to be eating this amazing Greek stew!



What you need:

5 Pounds of potatoes, pealed and cubed
1/2 cup olive oil
3 teaspoon dried oregano
1 jar of pitted Kalamata olives
10 gloves of garlic, chopped
40 oz can of pealed tomatoes
salt and pepper

What to do:
In a large pot heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic, potatoes, olives, and stir it all up together to make sure everything is coated in oil.



Add the canned tomatoes and the oregano, and stir again.
Bring the mixture to a boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer.
Make sure to stir occasionally.
Keep checking your potatoes until they are tender, about 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes.
Add salt and pepper to taste.









This stew was so incredibly flavorful. I actually didn't add any salt, it was perfect on its own, and I only added a touch of pepper. The oregano gave it an Italian flavor, while the olives make this stew unquestionably Greek.  While the oregano was cooking, it made my kitchen so fragrant. The garlic, tomatoes, and oregano almost made this stew taste like a tomato soup or sauce. I might even use this recipe to make my own tomato sauce. This was so warm and comforting, and the potatoes made it very hearty and filling. This actually reminded me of something my Greek grandma would make with all the Greek flavors, and the amazing homey feeling it gave me.

Adapted from Potato and Kalamata Olive Stew.

Will you be adding this stew to your fall and winter meal line up? What is your favorite stew?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Plats Du Chef French Onion Soup

Its almost the end of August, which means the end of summer, and fall is quickly sneaking up on us. That means its time for soup, soup, and more soup! Ehh, what am I saying, I could eat soup any time of year. Its always so wonderful and flavorful and filled with anything you could imagine. From veggies, to cheeses, or even pasta, rice or tofu.

I have known about french onion soup for ages, and knew that it had beef broth in it right from the beginning. I just pushed it into the back of my mind as a food I'd never eat and didn't give it a second thought. But one day going food shopping with my vegetarian brother, he pointed out a vegetarian french onion soup. I knew it was time to try it.

Each box has two frozen soups. They look kind of weird right out of the package. Each soup is layered with cheese and croutons on top.



Excuse the ugly photo. As the soup heats up in the microwave, you need to stir it up, so instead of that pretty melted cheese all on top, everything gets mixed together. It doesn't make it any less delicious though!



This soup is definitely oniony, but not overpowering. Its salty, and the cheese is mild and chewy. I love the melted cheese, there is so much in each bite. The croutons get soft and absorb the soup, and when you bite down they explode with flavor. I have never had real french onion soup, so its hard for me to compare them, but I know that this is one delicious, comforting vegetarian soup.

Have you tried this vegetarian french onion soup?

Bye from the veggie side!

Tomato Soup Mac & Cheese

Its so nice that Fall is here already!
....

Wait...what?  I don't know about your area, but here in Northern Virginia, it really feels like fall out! The weather has been really cool, especially being that its the middle of August and you expect to go outside and it be in the 90s.  Its not hot, there's a nice breeze, and its not raining like in pesky Spring.  All this cool weather has been making me crave fall even more. And fall foods. Like some nice warm comfort foods. So, why deny it any longer, I decided to make the ultimate comfort food: Tomato soup mac and cheese.



Here's what you need:



1 box of pasta
2 cups of cheddar cheese
10 oz ricotta cheese
2 1/2 cups of milk
20 oz cans of condensed tomato soup

Here's what to do:
Cook your pasta as you normally would, but for about half the time, until the pasta is less than el dente.
Drain the pasta and mix it with the ricotta.



Stir in the cheddar cheese, tomato soup, and milk and mix it all together.
Pour the mixture into a baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes.







I was hoping that this pasta would be more cheesy, like mac and cheese, but it reminded me more of tomato soup with cheese and pasta, or pasta with a tomato cream sauce. Either way, it was still very tasty, and definitely filled me with that warm, comfort food feeling.

What is your favorite comfort food? Are you going to try this pasta for yourself?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Inspired from A Local Choice.