• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

1 carrot, grated (about 1 cup)

2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

2 tablespoons peeled and

minced fresh ginger

¼ teaspoon celery seeds

½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

½ cup minced fresh Italian parsley

¼ cup soy sauce

¾ cup cashews

1. In a medium-size pot over medium heat, combine the water, kale, and onion, and start boiling as you continue to add the remaining ingredients. After everything is in the pot and the mixture comes to a boil, cover, and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, or until everything is tender.

2. Carefully blend, in a few batches. The hot liquid will expand in the blender so only fill it a little over half way, make sure the lid is on tight, and start blending on a low speed if your blender has that option. We like to put a dishcloth over the top for extra protection. Return the blended soup to the pot and reheat if necessary. Serve immediately, or allow it to cool before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.

Variations

• Substitute curly kale for the dinosaur kale. Or try a combination of 2 cups of kale, 2 cups of collard greens. Swiss chard also works well but doesn’t have as strong a flavor.

• If you have leftover rice on hand, you can substitute it for the cashews.

• You may also substitute a medium-size russet potato for the cashews; simply dice it and add it in the beginning with the kale. Depending on how fast a chopper you are, this may push you over the thirty-minute mark.

MEXICAN TORTILLA SOUP

This Mexican specialty is best enjoyed with a more traditional style of tortilla chip—the kind that are a little thicker than your average chip and supercrunchy. They look more like fried corn tortillas than the more common variety you find in stores, which will get soggy faster in the soup. We offer a recipe to make your own tortilla chips, if you have a little more time and ambition.

SERVES 4 TO 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup yellow onion, chopped into medium dice

1 Anaheim chile, seeded and sliced thinly

4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted

1 (15-ounce) can black or pinto beans, drained, or 1½ cups cooked beans

2 teaspoons chile powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 cups water or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons soy sauce

½ medium-size avocado, cubed

¼ cup minced fresh cilantro

2 handfuls of tortilla chips

1. In a medium-size pot, sauté the olive oil, onion, Anaheim pepper, and garlic over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

2. Add the tomatoes, beans, chile powder, cumin, water, and soy sauce. Cover and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes or so while you prepare the avocado and cilantro.

3. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a handful of tortillas and a sprinkling of avocado and cilantro.

Variations

• Substitute 1½ cups chopped fresh tomatoes for canned tomatoes.

• Play around with your favorite beans, such as kidney beans, or different varieties of chile peppers such as chipotle, jalapeño, or Serrano.

HOMEMADE TORTILLA STRIPS

Traditionally, the tortillas in this soup are cut in strips rather than triangles. Making the tortillas yourself is worth the effort when you have a little extra time. And you earn some bragging rights. This recipe makes more than you need for the soup because many of them seem to disappear before they hit the table. Although they would traditionally be deep-fried, we prefer the healthier method of simply baking them.

MAKES ENOUGH FOR ONE TORTILLA SOUP RECIPE

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 corn tortillas (usually ½ package)

½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Use a pastry brush to spread a thin coating of the olive oil over both sides of each tortilla. Stack the tortillas and cut them in half, then cut two more parallel lines into each half so that each tortilla is cut into six strips.

2. Oil a baking tray lightly with the olive oil. Lay the tortilla strips on the sheet in a single layer and sprinkle with your desired quantity of salt. Bake