We, like many of you, enjoy Black-eyed peas or beans, collard greens cooked with ham, and golden cornbread on New Year’s Day. These are after-all good luck foods and lord knows we need all the luck we can get these days.

When I peered into my refrigerator this morning, various bins & containers stared back at me, as if to say “pick me, pick me.” This is a classic eat out of the fridge/pantry recipe. It’s intended to be adapted to ingredients already on hand.

Soup Ingredients & Variations

• Veggies & aromatics – as with most of my soups, I began with diced onion, carrot and garlic. If I had celery I would have added that as well.
• Greens – next came leftover collard greens from New Year’s Day. I also included fresh spinach. Kale or cabbage would have been great additions as well.
• Beans – I chose a can of white beans, but black eyed peas, pintos or your favorite bean works!
• Ham (optional) – our collards had small chunks of ham. You could use ham or bacon or omit for a vegetarian version.
• Broth – I had homemade veggie stock in the freezer. You could use vegetable or chicken broth.
• Seasoning – a little soy sauce (or coconut aminos for GF version) and apple cider vinegar gave this broth a nice umami finish.
• Rustic croutons – I had a nice hunk of Fire Roasted Cheddar Golden Cornbread begging to be included, so I cubed it up and toasted in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Building the Soup

• If serving with rustic cornbread croutons, lay cornbread cubes on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F. for 10 minutes, turning over midway through cooking.
• In a heavy pot or dutch oven, sauté diced onion and carrots in a little olive oil until just tender.
• Stir in a clove or two of garlic and cook an additional minute.
• Add in chopped collard greens (or kale or cabbage), cubed ham (if using), and veggie broth.
• Simmer until collards are tender.
• Add beans and heat through.
• Season with apple cider vinegar and soy sauce (or coconut aminos).
• Finish with a couple handfuls of fresh spinach.
• Serve in big bowls topped with cornbread croutons

Beneficial Heart Healthy Ingredients

• This soup is packed with heart healthy leafy greens which provide our bodies with minerals and vitamins. They’re also high in nitrates which are shown to open blood vessels, encouraging healthy blood flow.
• Beans are also a heart healthy choice, as studies show they can help to reduce cholesterol. If using canned beans look for low sodium or at minimum rinse before adding to your soups.
• Lastly, when making soup from scratch you are able to control the amount of sodium. Homemade Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth are not only economical, but they are a great alternative to boxed or canned broths which tend to have high sodium levels and often contain msg.

As for this incredibly flavorful and satisfying Rustic White Bean & Greens Heart Healthy Soup, I’m serving up big bowls full for lunch! But it also makes a delicious Meatless Monday Meal (omit ham).

And for January, also known as National Soup Month – I hope delicious soups grace your tables all month long. Wishing you heart health and happiness in the New Year!

Looking for soup recipe inspiration? Check out our 50+ Homemade Soup Recipes Roundup!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

Print

Rustic White Bean & Greens Heart Healthy Soup

As for this incredibly flavorful and satisfying Rustic White Bean & Greens Heart Healthy Soup, I'm serving up big bowls full for lunch!

Course Soup

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the White Bean & Greens Soup

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 carrots diced
• 1 small onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 cups collard greens, kale and/or cabbage chopped
• 1/2 cup cooked ham (optional) diced
• 1 can white beans, pinto beans, black eyed peas, or favorite beans rinsed and drained
• 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 Tablespoon coconut aminos (or soy sauce) or to taste
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar or to taste
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves optional

For the Cornbread Croutons

• 1 cup cubed cornbread

Instructions

For the Soup

• In a 2 or 3 quart heavy pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced carrot and onion and sauté until just tender, about 7-10 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
• Add collard greens (or kale or cabbage) and saute another 10 minutes or until just tender. Add ham (if using), rinsed beans and broth. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add coconut aminos (or soy) and apple cider vinegar, adjust to taste. Finish by adding fresh spinach just before serving.
• Serve in big bowls topped with cornbread croutons (optional).

For the Cornbread Croutons

• Preheat oven to 400° F. Cut cornbread into 1-inch cubes. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time.

The post Rustic White Bean & Greens Heart Healthy Soup appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

When I looked into the eyes of my beautiful new fridge I saw shelves and drawers overflowing with ingredients that begged for a chance to play nicely together.

The result of nonstop cooking for a week straight.

Have you seen our March Meatball Madness posts??!

When I studied the contents it became blatantly obvious that my fridge and my well-being needed a big pot of soup!

I’m going to make this a relatively wordless Wednesday post. After all we are just making soup! Even if this Spring Thyme Green Minestrone soup is extra special in my humble opinion. The recipe below is more of a guide, there is plenty of room for making this your own between the fresh veggie choices, the type of herbs and seasonings, the beans and pasta, even what you swirl into your bowl.

Fresh Basil Pesto and/or grated parmesan cheese swirled into this veggie packed soup is delicious and boosts the green factor.

This Spring Thyme Green Minestrone soup is packed with nutrients making this a healthy choice for any meal. It also makes a giant batch so it’s the perfect way to Share the Love with your friends and neighbors.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

Print

Spring Thyme Green Minestrone

This Spring Thyme Minestrone Soup is packed with nutrients making this a healthy choice for any meal. It also makes a giant batch so it's the perfect way to Share the Love with your friends and neighbors.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

Veggies

• 8-10 cups fresh veggies, diced or sliced such as: carrot, onion, celery, leek, fennel, shallot, jalapeno, spinach, kale, asparagus, zucchini, cabbage, broccoli
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cans white beans, drained & rinsed such as: butter beans, great nothern beans, cannellini beans
• 1/2 cup fresh herbs, fine chopped such as: parsley, rosemary, thyme, basil, cilantro
• 2 Tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound ditalini pasta cooked al dente and reserved
• 1/2 cup basil pesto optional, to swirl in soup for serving
• freshly grated parmesan cheese optional, to grate onto soup for serving

Instructions

• In a large stock pot or dutch oven, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in your 'hard' vegetables, like carrots, onion, celery, garlic, fennel, leeks, shallot, jalapeno. Saute until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Then add in your 'soft' vegetables, like spinach, kale, asparagus, zucchini, cabbage, broccoli. Continue to saute for another 5-7 minutes.
• Add vegetable broth, beans, and fresh herbs. Bring to a light simmer then add the ginger, lemon juice and seasonings. Adjust to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.
• Meanwhile prepare ditalini (or other favorite small pasta) al dente. Reserve.
• To serve. Place some cooked pasta in bowls. Ladle in hot soup. Swirl with basil pesto and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy! Don't forget to Share the Love!

The post Spring Thyme Green Minestrone appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

But that’s just the beginning of this flavor journey.

Fire roasted tomatoes, fresh lime juice, chili powder, cumin and oregano elevate the creamy black beans, making this hearty chili a super flavorful vegetarian meal.

When serving this chili, don’t skimp on the toppings. Sour cream, sliced avocado, radish and jalapeño, fresh cilantro and lime all bring nice bright flavors.

Vegetarian Black Bean Chili is a delicious and satisfying meal. It’s perfect for when the weather starts to turn towards fall and the leaves remind us that Winter is coming.

I love all kinds of soups, stews and chilis. I rounded them up HERE for your viewing pleasure. Are you a black bean fan? Our Black Bean Puree is amazing, if I might say so myself!

Have you got a favorite cool weather go-to comfort food? I’d love for you to comment below.

Enjoy!!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

Print

Black Bean Chili

Black Bean Chili begins like many of our soup and chili recipes….with a medley of carrots, onions and celery. But that's just the beginning of this flavor journey.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Chili

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 carrots peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground oregano
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 3 15-ounce cans black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 15-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• juice of 1 lime
• salt & pepper to taste

For Serving

• 1 lime cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 avocado diced
• 1 handful fresh cilantro
• radish & jalapenos sliced

Instructions

For the Chili

• In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the diced carrots, celery and onion and saute until just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 1 minutes then add the spices and stir to coat vegetables. Add the broth, black beans and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove 3 cups of soup mixture to a blender and puree, then return to soup pot. Season with salt, pepper and lime juice to taste.

For Serving

• Serve in bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, sliced radish and jalapeno and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

The post Vegetarian Black Bean Chili appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I enjoyed a lovely lunch date with Shelby and her roommate Clare.  It was a post-birthday (for Shelby), pre-move in to a new cool place (for Shelby & Clare)…kind of celebration.  Shelby chose a VERY popular restaurant called Buttermilk Kitchen.  However, our hunger level and their wait time didn’t mesh so well.  So we bailed and opted for Noodles.

This recipe post is a recreation of the fresh & delicious Steamed Veggie Ramen Broth Bowl {with Fried Egg} I ordered.

We’ve been to Genki Noodles & Sushi before.  Fun place, expansive menu with so many build-your-own options.  While we chatted the menu out loud, we ordered a sushi starter, a spicy tuna roll.  Always a favorite.  Yum!

Build-a-Bowl Basics

Choose your Style
Don-Style (over white or brown rice)
Yaki-Style (over stir-fried noodles)
Broth-Style (over noodles served with broth)

Choose your Noodles
Ramen, glass, soba, Udon

Choose your Protein (and how you’d like it prepared)
Beef, Chicken, Pork, Tuna, Salmon, Shrimp, Tofu, Veggies
Grilled, blackened, stir-fried or steamed

Add an Egg

Shelby and Clare were both craving beef and ordered variations of the same dish.  Stir-fried noodles with beef and veggies.  Tasty.  But a bit oily.  I had a last minute change of heart and went with the Steamed Veggie Ramen Broth Bowl and added an egg.  Because eggs.

My Healthy Choices option may have been the star of the day.  Big flavor with fresh low-fat veggie pop.  Worth recreating at home for our Lunch Bowls series.

Which is precisely what I did today.  It was so simple.  Slice and dice your favorite veggies.  Place them in a steamer basket over simmering water and steam until just tender, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, enter a pack of ramen noodles.  Ramen is affordable and versatile.  You could easily prepare with package ingredients….but I’ll offer a tasty miso-broth option.  Two cups of organic low-sodium vegetable broth with a TBl. of miso paste, tsp. of sesame oil and lower sodium soy sauce. Boil ramen in broth only, then turn off heat and whisk in miso paste, sesame oil and soy sauce.

Recipe note:  Miso paste can be found in the refrigerated section of Asian Markets.  When cooking, never boil miso, it changes the texture.  If making a larger batch of miso broth, temper by whisking a 1/2 cup of hot broth with the miso paste before returning to the soup.

Pour noodles and broth into a bowl and top with steamed veggies and a fried egg if you like.  Delicious, quick & easy.

Did I claim to have ordered the star of the day?  That was before they delivered this plate to the table.  When we’re in celebration mode, a treat is in order.  Yep, my friends, these are Tempura Oreo Cookies. <3

I don’t even know where to begin.  A must try, if only one bite.  Good gawd were the words I chose to describe this.

Print

Steamed Veggie Ramen Broth Bowl {with Fried Egg}

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

Per bowl…

• 1 cup sliced veggies such as carrot, zucchini, cabbage, broccoli
• 1 small handful fresh spinach leaves
• 2 cups organic reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 pkg. ramen noodles
• 1 Tbl. miso paste
• 1/2 – 1 tsp. lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 – 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 egg

Instructions

• Place sliced veggies in a steamer basket over simmering water. Cover and steam until just tender, about 5 minutes
• Meanwhile, boil ramen noodles in vegetable broth, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in miso paste, soy sauce and sesame oil. Pour into a bowl. Top with steamed veggies and fresh spinach.
• Prepare fried egg to desired doneness and place on top.

The post Steamed Veggie Ramen Broth Bowl {with Fried Egg} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

For our Thanksgiving Dinner yesterday I served Parmesan Herb Roasted Veggies.  It was my secret weapon to help keep me on my Healthy Choices plan.  I knew no matter what else tempted me I could find comfort in that dish.  Today as a fridge full of leftovers called to me…the first thing I did was make this soup.

We make Roasted Veggies year-round.  Whatever fresh vegetables catch my eye are sliced and diced, tossed with fresh herbs, olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt & pepper before heading to the oven to feel the caramelized love.

Recipe note:  Dice your veggies to size based on cooking time.  For instance, zucchini and summer squash are softer and will cook more quickly so something less than a 1/2-inch thick slice works well.  Onions, if cut too small will brown quickly, so give them a nice 1/2-inch wedge cut (see photo below).  Sweet potato on the other hand is more dense, taking it a bit longer to become tender; go with a smaller dice for those.  We don’t worry too much about Brussels sprouts.  If they come out of the oven with a crispy outer layer, remove it and have yourself a snack. Welcome Brussels Chips.

When the veggies are tender and just beginning to brown on the edges, remove from the oven, discard large herb stems then transfer into your favorite soup pot.  I added a can of diced tomatoes (preferably no-salt added) and a quart of vegetable broth.  Season to taste with dried herbs and spices like basil, oregano, a pinch of cayenne. Depending on the volume of soup you wish to achieve you can add more or less broth and/or tomatoes.

Roasting vegetables enhances their flavor (same can be said for soup bones).  This one step can take a ho-hum soup and make it oh-yum whoop whoop.  Haha.  Forgive me.  Don’t be afraid to season-up with dried herbs.  They give a wonderful flavor pop that can make an almost fat-free soup feel like a bowl of comfort food love.

Print

Parmesan & Herb Roasted Vegetable Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For roasted veggies…

• 2 small zucchini sliced
• 2 small yellow squash sliced
• 1 small white onion diced
• 1 small red onion diced
• 1 small sweet potato peeled and diced
• 1/2 – 1 lb. Brussels sprouts trimmed and halved
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 8-10 fresh sage leaves
• 1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning
• salt & pepper
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

For the soup…

• 1 can diced tomatoes preferably no-salt added
• 1 quart vegetable broth or favorite
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 tsp. ground oregano
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

For the roasted veggies…

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Slice and dice veggies. Larger pieces for soft veggies (like squash and zucchini), smaller pieces for dense veggies (like sweet potatoes). Toss with fresh herbs, olive oil, parmesan cheese, and seasonings. Spread in a single layer on baking sheets. Roast for 30 – 40 minutes until tender and edges just begin to brown.

For the soup…

• When the veggies are tender, remove from the oven, discard large herb stems then transfer into your favorite soup pot.
• Add diced tomatoes (preferably no-salt added) and broth, bring to a gentle simmer. Season to taste with dried herbs. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

The post Parmesan & Herb Roasted Vegetable Soup appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Someday I think I’d like to do an entire recipe series on ‘How to make this from that.’  In other words, how to enjoy dinner on day one, then turn the leftovers into a completely new meal (or two) the following days.  Our Roasted Veggie Pot Pie {with Herbed Biscuit Crust} is simply Roasted Veggie & White Bean Chowder with a heavenly layer of comfort baked on top.

We enjoyed the chowder so much and even commented on how it had a pot pie feel about it.

Did someone say pot pie?  He gave me the look.  I knew that leftover chowder was soon to become Roasted Veggie Pot Pie.

Because we were in the middle of an Eat Out of the Fridge/Pantry Week and there was no sign of pie crust in the house….I turned to a biscuit topping (yes, I took the easy way out).  We’ll call this our Herbed Biscuit Crust.

Bisquick baking mix, buttermilk, shredded Parmesan cheese, minced fresh herbs, and Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning came together to make our drop biscuits.  Spooned over hot soup and baked until golden and yummy.

I posed this question to our Facebook fans last week.

Now that Fall is here what kind of recipes do you look forward to seeing in your newsfeed?
1. Soups, Stews & Chilis
2. Slow Cooker Recipes
3. Pumpkin & Winter Squash Dishes
4. Casseroles & Comfort Food
5. Other ________________

The results revealed how much we LOVE our Soups, Stews & Chilis AND our Casseroles & Comfort Food.  This Roasted Veggie Pot Pie {with Herbed Biscuit Crust} fell nicely into both categories.

Print

Roasted Veggie Pot Pie {with Herbed Biscuit Crust}

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For pot pie…

• 1 onion diced
• 3-4 carrots diced
• 2-3 celery ribs sliced
• 1 tsp. Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 Tbl. olive oil divided
• 2 zucchini sliced & diced
• 2 summer squash sliced & diced
• 1 large or 2 small yellow or red tomatoes, diced
• 1 15-ounce can white beans
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• pinch cayenne pepper
• salt & pepper to taste

For herbed biscuits…

• 1 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 2-3 Tbl. minced fresh herbs we used parsley, thyme & chives
• 1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Heat 1 Tbl. olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, celery, thyme sprigs and Mrs. Dash; sauté until tender.
• Meanwhile, put a single layer of zucchini, squash and tomato onto an olive oil coated shallow baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then stir and bake for 10 additional minutes; discard thyme sprig and add to Dutch oven.
• Meanwhile, combine half of the beans with 2 cups of broth in blender and puree. Add to Dutch oven with remaining broth. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season with cayenne, salt & pepper.
• Combine biscuit ingredients. Ladle soup into oven proof crocks and top each with several spoonfuls of biscuit dough. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

The post Roasted Veggie Pot Pie {with Herbed Biscuit Crust} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Sweet Pea & Parmesan Soup {with Parmesan Crisps}

As I sit down at my computer to write about this very fine and very tasty soup, the word that’s swirling around in my mind is Green.

Green, perhaps the freshest color in the box and certainly symbolic of Spring.  This soup is fresh with bright green flavors.  The sweet peas bring a familiar taste that is awakened by fresh thyme.  And the Parmesan imparts a nutty saltiness.  A drizzle of Greek yogurt, a few drops of Paprika Oil, and a side of Parmesan Crisps are the perfect finishing touches.  The simplest of ingredients have come together so very nicely in this Sweet Pea & Parmesan Soup {with Parmesan Crisps}.

I am reminded of a poem that hung in my mom’s apartment.  It was placed in just the right spot…I know she read it daily, as did I on every visit.  The poem spoke of green, the color, the smell, the season of green.  My niece Jen wrote this poem and my mom treasured it.  Hoping for a copy of it someday, as I have just the right place to hang it.

Print

Sweet Pea & Parmesan Soup {with Parmesan Crisps}

Course Soup

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Real Simple, April 2013

Ingredients

• 1 3- inch piece Parmesan rind
• 2 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• sea salt & freshly cracked pepper
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 cups frozen peas about 2 10-ounce bags
• 1/4 cup ff Greek yogurt
• 8 Parmesan Crisp see recipe link in post
• 2 tsp. paprika oil see recipe link in post

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, add onion and 1/4 tsp. of salt and pepper and cook 5-7 minutes, stirring often.
• Add broth, thyme, and Parmesan rind and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally until the liquid is slightly reduced and the rind is very soft, 10-12 minutes. Add the peas and continue cooking 3 minutes.
• Remove the thyme sprigs and Parmesan rind. Puree the mixture in a blender in batches until very smooth. Serve drizzled with yogurt and paprika oil, and top with Parmesan crisps.

Parmesan Crisps

Paprika Oil

The post Sweet Pea & Parmesan Soup {with Parmesan Crisps} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.