Mushroom Lentil Barley Soup

Miso just gives everything a wonderful flavor. I made this up one day when I was craving mushroom barley soup, but wanted something more substantial.

Serves 6

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp miso paste
1 tsp thyme

2/3 cup lentils, rinsed

2/3 cup pearl barley
2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms (or whatever mushroom you prefer)

6 cups water
½ tbsp chicken bouillon
¼ cup cooking wine (optional)

Sauté onion in oil over medium heat about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic and stir for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add miso paste and stir until well-blended. Add lentils, barley, chopped mushrooms, thyme and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer about 1 hr.

Spicy Sausage Lentil Stew

Red curry paste compliments the meaty flavor of lentils and sausage quite well. No, it doesn't taste like curry. It's just enough to give it some kick. If you don't have red curry paste I'd recommend a tsp or two of smoked paprika (which would be great with chorizo, if you can find real spanish chorizo) or a Tbsp of tapatio. Add a potato, and maybe a carrot if you're so inclined.

Makes four servings

1-2 tbsp oil
1 med. onion, chopped crudely
1 large bell pepper, chopped crudely
8 oz smoked sausage
1 heaping Tbsp red curry paste or Tapatio
4 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced

Rinse and soak lentils in warm water while preparing other ingredients. Sauté onion and bell pepper in olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat for 3 minutes. Chop up sausage and add to pot along with red curry paste and sauté an additional 2 minutes. Drain lentils that are soaking and add to pot with 4 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil, add minced garlic, and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer 45 min-1 hour.

Linda's Frijoles Borrachos

This is a simple yet delicious bean soup. The name means "drunken beans", since half a beer is added towards the end for flavor and to soften the beans. They are also called frijoles charros in some areas of Mexico.

Ingredients:

1 pound of pinto beans

1 large pot of water

1 onion, coarsely chopped

1/2lb - 1 lb of bacon, coarsely chopped

2 bunches of fresh cilantro

1-3 chiles serranos or jalapeños

1/2 can or bottle of a smooth Mexican beer (feel free to drink the other half if your religious and/or dietary restrictions permit)

4-5 cloves of garlic (optional)

pinch of salt

1. Bring the pot of water to a rolling boil while...
2. Rinsing the beans, picking out any rocks or other rubbish. (Consider soaking them for several hours or overnight, rinsing again before boiling)
3. Add the beans, onions, and bacon, and reduce heat to medium.
4. Cook for several hours until the liquid begins to turn thick and brown from the ruptured beans, stirring occasionally and adding a few cilantro leaves throughout the cooking time. Add more water if needed. (Note that the beans in the picture are nowhere close to being done).
5. Add the chilies toward the end because they will lose their kick if cooked for too long.
6. About 20 minutes before finishing, add the beer. Avoid any beers with strong or bitter flavors. I used a whole bottle of Pilsner Urquell once with disappointing results.

Clam Chowder

This was delicious but a little thinner than clam chowder I had in New Hampshire. I added 2 Tbsp cornstarch to thicken, but other options would be to double the potatoes, or drain two of the cans of minced clams, or add 1/4 cup flour to the onion and bacon mixture when it is done cooking. You can use 4 cups fresh shucked clams instead of the canned.




1 (8 oz.) bottle clam juice
2 med. baker's potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 thick strips bacon, chopped finely
1 med. onion, diced
4 cans minced clams
1 cup half and half cream

In a medium saucepan, bring clam juice and potatoes to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, in a pot, cook bacon on medium heat then add onions and cook until tender. Add canned clams and potato mixture and heat to boiling, then simmer.

In a small saucepan, warm half and half (you could do this in the microwave too) then add to pot, stirring slowly. Heat through but do not boil or this will cause the cream to separate.

Makes about 4 servings.

Basic Miso Soup

Many grocery stores carry miso paste nowadays, but you may have to venture to Cost Plus or your nearest asian grocery to find dashi granules. I used Hon-Dashi.



4 cups water
1-2 tsp dashi granules (start on the low side and go up as you like)
2-3 Tbsp miso paste (I used mellow white, but the brown kind is ideal)
1 block tofu (10-12 oz.), in small 1/2 inch cubes
A couple handfuls of fresh spinach (optional)
2 green onions, chopped (optional)

Bring water to a boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium. Add dashi granules, tofu, spinach, and green onions. Cook until spinach is soft and bright green. Remove from heat. Add miso paste and stir until blended.

Makes 2-4 servings

Note: You don't want to boil the miso as many people believes this kills off the good bacteria in the miso.