Week 35 -- Red Lentil Curry Stew

This is the last soup I cooked in my apartment.  My next soup will have to be made in my temporary home at my parents' house while I wait to finish paperwork and such for the house I'm buying. 

Because this was at the height of packing, I had limited cooking equipment and I was trying to use things up from my pantry.  However, I had a picnic to attend and I needed a dish to pass.  I made this stew nice and thick so it works well for picnics and potlucks and can be eaten off plates, not bowls.

This is not the world's healthiest stew.  Coconut milk, even light coconut milk, is really high in saturated fat.  This is definitely a special occasion stew, and it is good for picnics or parties where everyone will just be eating a portion, not one person eating the whole batch.  With that said, it's very crowd friendly.  It's flavorful without being too spicy.  If you love spice, feel free to add more curry powder.

Speaking of curry powder, I use a homemade blend from my mom that doesn't have cloves in it.  You can use whatever curry powder you like, but if you have corn or gluten sensitivities make sure to read the ingredients and watch for fillers.  The big benefit of curry powder is that it includes both turmeric and black pepper.  Turmeric is great for you, but your body can absorb even more of the great curcumin if you eat it with black pepper.

There's my stew, ready to be packed in my thermal bag for the picnic.

Red Lentil Curry Stew

1 lb dry red lentils
4 cups water
1 red onion, diced
2 cups diced apples
1 can lite coconut milk
1 Tbsp curry powder (more if desired)

1. Cook red lentils in the water.  Watch carefully to see if it needs more water.  You want the cooked lentils to be not too watery, but you don't want your lentils to burn either.  They cook fast in about 15 minutes.
2. Add the onion, apple, coconut milk, and curry powder.  Let simmer about 30-45 minutes.  Apples and onions should be very tender.
Makes about 6 large servings.

Week 34 -- Zucchini Stew

This soup is an old family favorite.  It's a great way to use the abundance of zucchini that people in many parts of the US have from their gardens this time of year.  When I was growing up, my mom sometimes added sliced leftover hot dogs from picnics.  We don't eat hot dogs anymore, so I like to add a can of beans for that same chewy heartiness.  We also used to eat this soup with a nice fluffy bread, so if you have a bread you like this is a great time to indulge in a slice or two.

Full disclosure: I made this soup with mostly leftovers.  I'm moving soon, and I had a small going away party.  I used some leftover veggies from the veggie trays to make this soup come together quickly.  I made it in a crock pot and let it cook all day while I was outside with a yard sale (trying to sell off things I don't want to pack).

Zucchini Stew

1 red onion, sliced
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced in half-moons
1 yellow squash, sliced in half-moons
2 bell peppers (I used one red and one green), sliced
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can beans, any kind
Water to cover (about 1 1/2 cups)

1.  Put all ingredients in a slow cooker.  Let cook on low for about 8 hours.

Makes about 8 servings.

Week 33 -- Black Bean Soup Powder

This is the last in the trilogy of soup powders.  Of course, you can make lighter soups, but for a filling travel meal I wanted really hearty bean-centered soups.

Usually I like black bean soups very chunky.  However, if I'm rehydrating soup with just hot water and I don't want to have to let it sit forever, I want powders that will turn back into soup quickly and without a lot of effort.  That's why this soup is pureed before dehydrating, like the split pea soup last week.

Because this soup contains already cooked ingredients (except the oranges), you can make it right in a blender, no need to use a pot.

Black Bean Soup Powder

3 cups cooked black beans (two cans)
2 oranges, peeled and tough membranes removed
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp carob powder
water (add just enough to make a smooth blend)

1.  Put all ingredients in a blender.  Add enough water to make it blend smoothly (this will differ with different brands of blender).
2.  Spread soup on line dehydrator trays.  Dehydrate until moisture is completely removed.
3.  Blend dried soup into powder.

Makes about 4 servings.

Week 32 -- Split Pea Soup Powder

Another week of powdered soup!  I did post a split pea soup a few months ago.  This one is a little different with more of a cheesy flavor.

As with the powdered broccoli soup, to make this a powder, you spread the soup out in a thin layer on lined dehydrator trays, dehydrate, and then blend the flakes/chunks into powder.

I've learned from past experience that you do need to puree this soup before dehydrating.  The split peas, no matter how soft they are after cooking, are very hard after dehydrating so they are difficult to blend into powder.  The dehydrated flakes/chunks are yummy to snack on even without rehydrating, but if you don't blend the soup first, the split peas will be too crunchy to snack on.

If you have a silicone spillover lid, this is a time to use it.  If you don't have one, it's worth the investment.  I paid about $8 for mine online, and it is priceless.  The foam from the cooking peas bubbles up through, but it stays on the lid instead of going all over your stove top.

Split Pea Soup Powder

1/4 red onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb dried split peas, rinsed
water to generously cover
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp miso
1 Tbsp lemon juice

1. Saute onion in a little water until soft.
2. Add garlic, split peas, and water.  Cover (with silicone spillover lid, if available) and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until split peas are mushy (about 45 minutes).  Check occasionally to make sure the water doesn't all boil out.
3.  Turn off heat and let soup cool a little.  Add nutritional yeast, miso, and lemon juice.  Blend with immersion blender (or transfer to regular blender -- you may need to add more water this way).
4.  Spread on lined dehydrator trays.  Dehydrate until completely dry.  Blend into powder.

Makes about 6 servings.