Zuppa Toscana DF (Olive Garden Dupe)

Now that it’s coming close to Autumn it’s time for some soup! I love soups so much cuz it’s a one dish meal. I don’t have the time or energy to put a full meal on the table every day.
When I was at my parents house we had 4 people making dinner (3 1/2 with my gma who has Alzheimer’s) and we got a lot done! I made fried zucchini, my mom made fruit salad and fresh picked green beans, my dad made an awesome flank steak. And everything gluten free. Yea! I’ll have to get my dad’s marinade…olive oil and a bunch of fresh spices from their garden.
So now that I’m back home, there’s no one to help…I have to feed myself. Today was a bad fibromyalgia day too. Spent my Labor Day in a full flare up and a tension headache. If only I could have a (discrete) sumo wrestler walk on my back I’d feel soo much better!!
Somehow I managed to make this soup tonight. Glad I finally did it, purple kale was losing it’s purple!
I’ve had to throw out so much F&V this summer cuz I just have no energy to cook. Hopefully I can get back on track soon!
I need to get to bed so I’ll stop jabbering and give up the recipe.
This tastes JUST like (if not better) Olive Gardens Zuppa Toscana. It was one of my favs when I used to eat there. This version has a LOT of flavor.
Try it…you’ll like it! 😉

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled & diced
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
6 C. Chicken stock
3 cloves minced garlic
4 yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed, skins left on, cut into large chunks
1 can white beans (I used great northern), drained and rinsed
1 tsp. Worcestershire
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 slices bacon chopped
1 Hormel natural selects turkey sausage. Chopped
4 C. Purple kale
2 C. cashew cream (1 c. cashews, 1 1/2 C. water and 2 T. nutritional yeast blended til creamy in a power blender, if you don’t have a power blender, soak the cashews overnight and do this in a normal blender).
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in your soup pot, sauté bacon & sausage. Add the onion and sauté til translucent, about 2-5 minutes. Add celery and carrots and sauté for a few minutes more. Add potatoes and garlic and sauté for a minute more. Add the chicken stock, white beans, crushed red pepper flakes and Worcestershire. Bring to a boil, then cover pot with a lid and reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Add in cashew cream, kale and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Makes A Lot!

Blooper: I read too quick my own recipe and added 6 cloves of garlic. I feel sorry for whoever has to be around me tomorrow!! :-p

 

Spicy veggie chili!!

Today I opted to make chili because I had quite a bit of Roma tomatoes that were about to go bad if not used.
I am sooo picky when it comes to chili…or food in general, that I have to look over a bunch of recipes, and try to recreate something based on what’s in the kitchen.
I have had a can of chipotle peppers in my cupboard for a while now and can’t remember why I bought them…maybe hummus that I love so much?
So anyway…I rarely get canned beans because dried are so much cheaper! (Although I do get remarks at the checkout like “wow! You like beans!”) When you are poor you have to live the Dave Ramsey way – Beans & Rice & Rice & Beans. Although I really don’t like rice. (But I’m finding I love it with stir fry).
So enough chatter and on with the recipe!! I modified this from a version I found on All Recipes called “The Best Vegetarian Chili in the World”… Hard to pass up that title. 😉
I made mine crockpot style.

Ingredients:
1 Tbs olive oil
1 med onion chopped
5 small stalks celery diced
2 carrots diced (you can use 2 bell peppers, but I didn’t have any)
2 chipotle peppers (I started with 3 and its super hot! If your sensitive to heat use 1, or jalapaños)
5 garlic cloves chopped
9 Roma tomatoes
8 oz dry garbanzo beans (or 15 oz can rinsed & drained – same for all beans)
8 oz dry large red kidney beans
8 oz dry black beans
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 tsp salt (use 1/2 if using canned beans)
1 Tbs ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbs dried oregano
1/8 cup chili powder (I know you prob don’t have a measuring cup that small, eye ball it)
2 bay leaves
Water (depends how much your beans soak up or if you like thick or soupier chili).

Directions:
Soak all beans over night, or do quick method to get them started. I had pre cooked garbanzo beans in pressure cooker for 10 min because they take the longest and this makes them aldenté to start. I tried pre cooking my kidney beans in pressure cooker separate and that is epic failure! (Don’t blow up your kitchen like I tried to mine…)
Just pre soak over night red & black beans and they should be ok in crock pot…

disclaimer, I am not liable or held responsible for anyone who uses their pressure cooker wrong and obtains 3rd degree burns. Please read your instruction manual on how to operate pressure cooker.

In sauté pan heat olive oil and sauté onions, celery, carrots, & garlic until onion is translucent (whatever that means…)
In blender add 6 (quartered) tomatoes, chipotle peppers, and half amount of pre cooked garbanzo beans and blend until puréed.
In crock pot add the other half pre cooked garbanzo beans, tomato purée sauce, pre soaked & rinsed black & red kidney beans, sautéed veggies, spices, frozen corn, & bay leaves. Dice the remaining 3 tomatoes and add to crock pot. Add water to cover.
Cook in crock pot for 2-3 hours until beans are tender. Keep checking and stirring. Adding more water as needed.
Remove bay leaves at end and serve with (dairy free) sour cream & cheese on top. Or whatever suits your fancy.
I liked that this recipe was fairly easy to make and flavorful!
Makes a whole bunch! So be ready to serve 10-12 or freeze the remainder for lunches. 🙂
For the rest of chipotle peppers I put in freezer safe container and froze for another future use. Don’t waste those precious peppers!! 🙂
Enjoy!
Great for after ice skating parties too! 😉