(Vegetarian) Soup's on!

Somehow I didn't get around to posting yesterday. It's a shame, too, because I feel like the weekly picture helps to keep this blog from getting too heavy. Oh well.

I'm once again trying to get our grocery budget under control, so today I bring you two simple vegetarian soup recipes that I made up myself that turned out great. It was sort of a revelation to me that I could throw some stuff in a pot without a recipe and have it turn out well. And better yet, these are cheap because I worked with what I had and they don't use meat (which I don't have any of at the moment). Fancy these up to your own taste, and if you come up with a great variation, post it in the comments for the rest of us to enjoy!




Curried vegetable and lentil soup

2 c cauliflower florets
1 c chopped carrots
1/3 c onions (I used shallots; if you use regular onions you might want to brown them first)
4-5 c liquid--I used water and chicken bouillon, but you could use vegetable stock instead
1 TBSP curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 c red lentils (could use brown ones instead)

Cook about 40 minutes. Add more liquid if it's too thick. The amounts are general guidelines; I'm guessing at what I did because I didn't measure anything. I overcooked this a little bit and the lentils just sort of dissolved and thickened up the soup. My bean-hating daughter appreciated that.


Broccoli-cheese soup

2 pkgs. frozen broccoli florets
1 c chopped carrots
1/3 c onions (I used shallots; if you use regular onions you might want to brown them first)
5 c liquid (I used water and chicken bouillon, you could use vegetable stock; a bit of white wine or beer would be great as well)
1/2 c milk
2 c cheddar cheese

Cook the first 4 ingredients until vegetables are tender. Mash or blend the broccoli a bit if the pieces are too big. Stir in milk and cheese and cook until cheese is melted.