Tag: stew

Garlic Breath

Be it a delicate broth or thick stew, nothing completes a steaming bowlful like a hearty slice of bread. Crackling crust giving way to a spongy matrix of soft crumbs, each bite melts into submission when dipped into the soup of the day. Sometimes the soup is merely a thinly veiled excuse to reach for another helping of bread, so compellingly that fresh loaf does beckon.

Garlic Bread Soup: Quick Comfort In A Bowl

Let’s just cut to the chase here and turn the bread into the soup itself, with a powerful blast of fresh garlic to up the ante. Save yourself the hassle of peeling the cloves by grabbing a bag of prepped garlic in advance, or going straight for a jar of minced, but don’t cut back on the full measure. Garlic bread lives or dies on the pungency of that stinking rose, and once lightly caramelized in peppery olive oil, all the harsh edges will soften.

Perhaps it’s not fodder for a first date, but this velvety smooth base is just the beginning to a whole different sort of love affair.

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In The Limelight

Mummified fruit is usually the last thing you want to see when you open up your pantry, but dried limes challenge those notions of common food storage. Hard as walnut shells, sometimes black as ink and other times a dusty grey, these oversized marbles conceal a world of flavor inside that forbidding exterior.

What Are Dried Limes?

Dried limes, sometimes called “dried lemons,” are better known as limu amani or noomi basra due to their Iranian and Iraqi origins. An essential ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking, somehow they’ve failed to make the leap overseas to widespread popularity. A positive buzz is growing in large part thanks to one Yotam Ottolenghi ceaseless singing their praises, which means they’re slowly infiltrating specialty markets and boutique grocery stores abroad. Thankfully, we have the internet to fill the gaps, where you can readily purchase both whole and powdered dried limes.

Simply sun-dried until bereft of any moisture, they’re effectively preserved like any other whole spices. To use them, simply toss them into soups or stews whole, then fish them out like spent bay leaves when you’re done cooking. Powdered, they can be blended into other spice mixtures, such as Baharat.

What Do Dried Limes Taste Like?

Everyone knows what a fresh lime tastes like; tart, tangy, fruit, and sightly floral, with just a slight hint of sweetness. Now, take that and remove the sweetness, substituting a more earthy, funky, sometimes smoky flavor, along with a stronger acidic bite like sour candies, and you’ll understand the essence of dried limes. The longer they’re stewed, the more intense and bitter the flavor becomes.

Cooking With Dried Limes

Ghormeh Sabzi and Fesenjan are two top dishes that call for dried limes, though any slow-simmered dish is well suited for a dried lime infusion. They can be added to the water when cooking rice or brines for making pickles. Dried lime tea is also excellent for settling the stomach, though that often involves the leaves, too.

The easiest way to get started with dried limes, in my opinion, is to stick with soup. Chicken soup with rice is a beloved savory staple the world over, so it’s easy to enjoy a new twist on the classic. Persian Chicken and Rice Soup adds a handful of chickpeas and of course, dried limes for some extra sour power. It’s the kind of flavor combination that will take off the chill, beat any cold, and generally comfort the hungry in any condition.

My version uses soy curls instead of poultry, of course, which also rehydrate in a snap. You can pretty much make this meal entirely from pantry staples on the fly, even when the fridge is otherwise bare.

Those who crave the bracing acidic bite of fresh citrus but sometimes neglect to stock their produce bin would be wise to invest in a surplus of these dried diamonds. Just like salt and pepper, you’ll find that they go with everything, and no dish is quite complete without that subtle seasoning. Trust me, you can expect to see a whole lot more instances of dried limes in my recipes from here on out.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)3 Comments

Soup Season

“Soup season” is both deeply appealing and bothersome as a concept. As the chill of autumn descends and winter’s frosty breath blows in, there’s nothing quite like the warm embrace of a hearty bowl of piping hot soup. This is the “soup season” that captivates the imagination of hungry comfort-seekers everywhere, and yet, there are so many other days when soup is exactly what the moment calls for. What about those balmy spring days that call for light, fresh veggie blends? What about hot summer evenings when a crisp, chilled gazpacho is the only thing that can truly take the edge off?

Fortunately, I’m not alone in my love of soups all year round. Nava Atlas, a seasoned master of plant-based cuisine, has crafted a timeless tome to all things broth-based in her latest masterpiece, Vegan Soups and Stews for All Seasons.

As a long-time fan, friend, and co-conspirator, my expectations are always high and still always exceeded. Having photographed the bulk of the book, I can say with complete confidence that there’s not a dud to be found in these pages, featuring over 120 recipes.

Spanish Vegetable Stew (Menestra de Verduras)

From the vibrant freshness of spring to the comforting warmth of winter, each section of the book is a celebration of nature’s bounty. Atlas effortlessly guides readers through a bounty of bold flavors, ensuring that every soup and stew is a reflection of the season’s best assets. Lemony Spinach Orzo Soup is a fresh tribute to nature’s renewal come spring, while robust Curried Red Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Greens warms the soul while snow piles up outside. The recipes are not just a collection of instructions but rather a narrative that tells the story of each season through a bowl of vibrant, homemade soup.

Tangy Cold Potato Spinach Soup

What sets Nava’s work apart is her ability to create dishes that are accessible yet elevated, using simple techniques that accentuate basic staples. Novice cooks will appreciate the detailed instructions and ingredient explanations, while seasoned chefs will revel in the opportunity to experiment with unique flavor profiles. Herbs and spices draw inspiration from global influence, while using whole foods to create dishes that are both health-conscious and indulgent.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup

Vegan Soups and Stews for All Seasons is more than just a compilation of assorted recipes; it’s a perennial companion to weather any cravings. Nava Atlas has once again proven that plant-based cooking is not just a trend but a timeless celebration of flavors. Whether you’re a deep-rooted vegan or a curious omnivore, this cookbook deserves a spot on your shelf for its creativity, accessibility, and the sheer joy it brings to the art of soup-making.

Hearty Winter Root Vegetable Stew

Naturally, soup is best when shared, so I’m very happy to give away two copies of the book, personalized and signed by Nava herself! To enter, leave me a comment below about your favorite soup right now. Is it something you make, enjoy at a restaurant, buy from the store? There’s no soup shame here! Don’t forget to come back and fill out the entry form below to log your submission, and unlock a number of additional methods to rack up extra entries. Good luck!

Vegan Soups and Stews for All Seasons by Nava Atlas

Hannah (BitterSweet)21 Comments

Hatch A Plan For Green Chiles

Forget Christmas; hatch chile season is really the most wonderful time of the year.

Throughout the month of August, the air across Texas and New Mexico will be thick with smoke, streaming out from roasters cranking at full bore all hours of the day. As chiles tumble over the flames, their skin blistering and crackling like fireworks, they quickly char to a matte black finish. Intoxicating aromas assault the senses, so intense that you can practically taste it from a mile away.

You’ll mark you calendar by it too, once you get a bite of those freshly roasted beauties; earthy, smoky, and with a subtle, smoldering spice.

What’s So Special About Hatch Chiles?

The relatively short growing window gives them an air of exclusivity, drawing in crowds clamoring to get their fill. What sets them apart from other peppers is their delicate balance of flavor and heat. Not so spicy that they’ll send you running for dairy-free milk, it’s more of a subtle, smoldering burn that gradually builds over time. According to the Scoville scale, they typically clock in between 1,500 and 2,500 units, which is roughly comparable to poblano or Anaheim peppers.

While you can eat them raw, it’s not recommended; roasting them completely removes the initially harsh, bitter notes by caramelizing the natural sugars, transforming the flesh into a silky, smoky treat.

How Can You Cook With Hatch Chiles?

Given the opportunity, load up your freezer with a few pounds of freshly roasted chiles to enjoy their unique flavor all year round. People go wild for the green fruits, indulging their cravings from breakfast to dessert. A glance through HEB turns up gems like:

More traditional recipes incorporate them into cornbread, salsa verde, chili, and most importantly of all, hatch chile stew.

What Is New Mexico-Style Hatch Green Chile Stew?

The first written recipe for green chile stew dates back to the 1940s, published by renowned New Mexican cook and author Fabiola Cabeza de Baca. A humble, homey affair, the recipe included pork, potatoes, and roasted green chile peppers, which has since become the blueprint to an indispensable staple of New Mexican cuisine.

Unsurprisingly, my version takes a few liberties for the sake of ease, nutrition, and plant-based adaptations, but overall stays true to the spirit of the dish. Tender chunks of meatless protein simmered slowly in a rich broth, infused with the smoky, earthy flavor of those alluring chiles take on greater depth alongside potatoes, onions, garlic, and seasonings like cumin and oregano. The result is a hearty, comforting dish that warms you from the inside out, and makes you feel like you’re right at home in the Southwest.

Whether enjoyed on a hot summer afternoon, crisp fall day, or as a cure for a chilly winter evening, hatch green chile stew is a dish that will leave you wanting more.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)4 Comments

Quick and Easy Soup for Slow and Difficult People

Soup fills many needs, effortlessly crossing international and linguistic boundaries: comfort, love, adventure, education, and healing. Soup Peddler in Austin, Texas knows this well, inspired by a single man’s desire to translate his love for community and travel, two seemingly disparate concepts, into one pursuit. Cooking is the ultimate answer to bridging this divide.

Who’s the Soup Peddler?

Over twenty years ago, Soup Peddler founder David Ansel really was hitting the streets with bicycle-based deliveries of his favorite soups and stews. The business has grown to include a half dozen brick-and-mortar locations that offer cool fruit smoothies to combat the summer heat, but the sentiment remains the same. Whether it’s through a straw or on a spoon, there’s love in this formula. A dish like this satisfies an appetite beyond hunger.

Luckily for us, and for anyone outside of city limits, it’s not a secret formula in the least. The Soup Peddler’s Slow and Difficult Soups was published in 2005, shedding a light on David’s winning recipes. Don’t let the sardonic title scare you off; it strikes me as quite the opposite in practice. Case in point, the ever-popular mulligatawny soup that remains a perennial favorite on the menu.

What’s mulligatawny soup?

Thick with tender vegetables and lentils, a warm but mildly spiced undercurrent of curry runs through the soulful, deceptively simple base. To fit the rough translation of “pepper water,” I like to spike mine with fresh jalapeños, not included in the original version. What’s more, I’ve made some light modifications to streamline the cooking process. I’m already difficult enough without my soup following suit, after all.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)7 Comments