Before we get to this incredible soup, there are a couple things I need to get off my chest.
1) Eric and I have lots of nicknames for each other. Two of our favourites are: ‘Pinky’ and ‘The Brain’.
Remember that show?
Depending on the day, we fight over who is Pinky and who is The Brain.
2) When we are trying to decide what to do at night or on the weekends you can often hear us say to one another,
‘Gee Brain, what do you want to do tonight?’
‘The same thing we do every night Pinky, try to take over the world! muhuauha’
3) We also have a special voice just for Sketchie. You may have heard it at the very end of the video on Sunday.
Eric said (in Sketchie’s squeaky voice), ‘Not impressed’.
We are totally normal.
Last night, Eric said I could be ‘The Brain’ because I whipped up this amazing soup.
I turned Eric, a former non-soup lover, into a soup lover in just over 10 years.
Never say never… ;)
Holiday Soup For The Soul
This is hands down one of my all time favourite soups! Not only does it look festive just in time for the holidays, but it tastes incredible and warms the soul. It packs a wide array of seasonings and spices from cinnamon, nutmeg, and vegetable bouillon, to the saffron and curry. Somehow it just all works together magically!
Inspired by Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.
Ingredients:
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup red quinoa, uncooked
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube (not low sodium)
- 6 cups water, boiled
- One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1.5-2 cups cooked black beans (about one 15oz can)
- 1 tsp good-quality curry powder
- Pinch or two of cinnamon
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves, well rinsed and roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Pinch of saffron threads (optional, but tasted amazing)
Directions: Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the chopped sweet onion and sauté over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the chopped carrots, chopped zucchini, and minced garlic, and continue to sauté for about 5-7 minutes.
Place your bouillon cube into a medium sized bowl. Boil 6 cups of water and pour over the bouillon cube. Stir well to dissolve. Add bouillon mixture, tomatoes, red quinoa, black beans, and spices + seasonings. Bring to a boil and then simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the roughly chopped spinach, stir well, and cover. Simmer on low for about 15-35 minutes. The longer you cook it the more the flavours will develop. Taste test and adjust seasonings if necessary. I also have a feeling this soup will be even better the next day! Garnish with nuts of choice if preferred.
Makes about 8-10 cups.
Gather up the troops!
This recipe requires a bit of leg work, but the outcome is so worth it!
It took me about 30-40 minutes to prepare (plus cooking time) and that was including my photography, so perhaps a bit less time for you. ;)
These ingredients will keep any seasonal cold at bay!
I really enjoyed the zucchini in this soup. You can add in any veggies you want though.
Chop the onions, carrots, and zucchini…
Caramelize the sweet onion in the olive oil.
Add veggies.
Add everything else…diced tomato, spices, bouillon mixture, quinoa, etc.
I also decided to add a pinch of saffron threads!
I was so glad I did because the saffron tastes amazing in this soup. It is optional though, so not to worry if you don’t have any.
Simmer for about 20-30 minutes or so.
Garnish with toasted nuts if desired.
Serve in a huge bowl.
Eric said, ‘This is the best soup I have ever tasted!’
This soup is not only festive looking, but it is packed with nutrients, extremely flavourful, and perfect for cold and flu season.
I must go now. A chilly outdoor run followed by hot holiday soup awaits me… :)
Ok spill the beans. Do you have any nicknames for your significant other or is there a nickname that your friends or family call you?
We also call each other ‘Snoops’ and ‘Babe’, among other things. ;) I also used to call Eric ‘Snitzlefritz’ and he HATED it, so now I only call him that when I want to annoy him. So about 6 times a day.
Please tell me we are not alone. I will sleep better at night.
I love those little glimpses into the more personal side of you. Your relationship sounds like my husband’s and mine. It’s fun to have a goofy sense of humor others likely don’t get. :D
I love saffron! This soup sounds delish and a way that I can actually eat veggies without gagging.
My dad has always called me “angel cake.” Me and my husband have a few nicknames for each other, but I’ll never tell. ;)
That soup looks delicious!
We don’t have nicknames for each other, but we do have about a million nicknames for the dog! Her name is Meg, so it’s anything from Megatron to Megalomaniac, and just about any dish with egg in the title (Megs Benedict, etc). She also has her own voice, of course!
We do the same thing. Roz is The Rozinator, Ellie is Elles Bells, and Boomer is The Boom Boom. I give a voice to Roz which my husband can’t stand. It’s pretty funny :0)
I have bookmarked this soup to make for a crowd! It sounds yummy!
My boyfriend calls me “Lady” (pretty ridiculous since I’m very un-ladylike most of the time) and I call him “Schmoops” which is short for “Schmoopy”…if you’ve watched Seinfeld you know where this is from. :)
I’m adding this soup recipe to my to-make list for this winter!
“No you’re schmoopy”…”No you’re schmoopy”. We tease a guy at work because he’s always on the phone with his girlfriend and we can’t figure out what it is that they talk about, so that must be it!
since everyone else is coming clean, I will admit after that Seinfeld episode, my husband’s and my nicknames for each other were born. Shmoopie/Shmoops/Shmooperooni, etc. Well, you get the idea
My husband and dog are affectionately known as “Dingle-nuts” and “Mush-brains”…so far I’m just “cutie” or “miss smoothie”
OMG we totally have voices for our 2 dogs and 3 cats (all different of course). So glad I’m not normal either!
You just got the “Pinky and the Brain” song stuck in my head… I used to love that show! ;)
My husband calls me “Scuzzie!” (long story, short– I used that word to describe something, and he thought it was the funniest thing I’ve ever said) It was a nickname that took me a while to get used to… but it’s very endearing now. I call him “Teaguey” (Teague is his middle name).
We have a voice for our dog, too!! (I have to be careful not to use it too much when we have company over– I don’t want to be a crazy “dog lady!”) LOL
I love your Project Foodblog video so much, mostly because of how goofy you and Eric were at the end!! I think I replayed it two or three times haha. I love when couples have a weird sense of humor that no one else will ever get, and more importantly a sense of humor that doesn’t involve hurting the other person’s feelings. You’re an amazing woman Angela! Can’t wait to see you do next.
Haha, cute nicknames. I must go back and watch the video to hear the Sketchie voice, I’m so curious now. My Fiance calls me everything under the sun, Poptart, Patch-po, Snickerdoodle, Pupmkin Spice (yes, he calls me Pumpkin Spice). That’s endearing right?
The soup is beautiful! I love the deep red color it has. Oh yum. And the best thing about soup is that the next day, heated up, it tastes even better!
Pumpkin spice is good! Who doesn’t love pumpkin spice lol
When we’re not referred to as “Steak” and “Legs” on our blog, we call each other “Bean.” This is short for “Bean Bunny” from the Muppets. http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Bean_Bunny :D
My husband and I have voices for our dog and cat, and we use them all the time! I try not to speak with “their” voices outside the home, though….
OMG. That soup looks unbelievable! Literally mouth-watering….perhaps I should find myself some lunch. haha
we have a voice for Basil also !! Jason does it SO good, and it makes me crack up every time… I love it. :) Fun stuff, really. Like, the best stuff. <3
Eric does Sketchie’s voice the best too. Well all sound effects really! lol.
Boys are better at sound effects. Period. I think it I’d genetic.
Agreed
This soup looks so hearty and delicious :)
My sisters and parents call me odd things — Hi, Hi Yintno, Holls Dude, Feek, Foo, Brudder, Bruddie, Koo Gehl
It would take me waaaay too long to explain what they all mean. But we would get looks from strangers when they heard us call each other “Koo Gehl” or “Foo” — it was funny to us though!
I love soup. I can eat only soup all winter long and be a happy camper! Thanks for another great recipe.
Angela,
Do you think this soup would work in the crock pot, or would the veggies become too mushy? Thanks!
Hmmm good question! I wondered this myself. I think the veggies might get a bit soft in a crock pot/slow cooker, but I am not sure to what extent. It would be worth a shot. I would probably try it on the lowest heat setting.
This looks great. I could so go for a bowl of it right about now.
oh boy the nicknames go on and on! most of them i will not share lol. my family calls me Allypoo, that name i’m pretty sure will never die, but i kind of like it.
I definitely need to make some homemade soups this winter season, i’m such a procrastinator!
Soup looks delish!
My boyfriend and I call eachother Toodle. We are both Toodle. Sometimes it changes to Toodler, or Tood, or “you are such a Toodle, I can’t even believe it”. It developed when we were backpacking through Europe and spent every minute of every day together – which made us delirious.
SO funny — my boyfriend calls me Doodle (short for Doodlebug) and I call him Noodle (because it rhymed, I think). As a result, we also use every way of saying it, too! Doodler, Dood, Doodle-butt, Noodler, Nood…. so silly.
I also answer to Babykins, Nut, Nutburger, Geekus Maleekus and Bug (short for LoveBug). He only answers to Bug, or Bug Breath, or Roo (As a toddler, he thought his name was RooRoo, rather than Andrew. He was SO MAD when his family let that one slip last Thanksgiving!). I am SO RELIEVED to see so many other ridiculous, well-adjusted couples out there!
this made me crack up!