Geetha's Kitchen

We love all things lentil and this Spanish-style lentil soup is a  favorite!  Lentil soup can serve as a main dish, light meal or as a starter.  The soup begins with preparing a flavorful base called sofrito, common to most soups, an aromatic combination of onion, celery, and  carrots (love to add lots of carrots which add color, texture, and sweetness) plus garlic, tomato and smoky roasted peppers. The soup is finished with a nutty picada, a thick pesto-like sauce made of toasted bread, almonds, garlic, parsley, and a bit of olive oil. Typically the bread is fried in oil; but in order to keep the oil to a minimum, I opted to toast it instead. The soup is delicious just as it is, but the picada takes it to the next level. Picada is usually added towards the end of cooking. Leftovers are fabulous for about a week or maybe frozen for up to 3 months. Or, turn the delicious leftovers  into a yummy casserole:   stir the soup into cooked...

Luscious, beautiful sunset colored Roasted Red Bell Hummus is delicious in so many ways: with veggies, with pita wedges, chips, and as a spread for sandwiches and wraps . We love to spread warm corn tortillas with this good and good for you hummus topped with slices of avocado for a lovely treat anytime. Hummus is great on salads when thinned out with a little water and a squeeze of lemon. I stock this or another type of hummus in the fridge for those times of snack attacks so that it is easy to reach for something healthy. We often make it a main meal with lots of fresh veggies and a bit of warm breads for a very satisfying and nutrient rich repast. If you have home-cooked chickpeas/garbanzos and roasted peppers, it takes just a few minutes to whiz a bowl of hummus. It is handy to cook a big batch of the chickpeas and allot portions for the various dishes including putting aside a portion or two in the freezer. You can roast a few peppers while making roasted veggies for other ...

A delicious dish to serve at breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner! Wonderful served with/over spinach or arugula salad, cooked greens, or grains. The colorful mini peppers may be used instead of  bell pepper; any type of sweet or regular potatoes may be used. Drain the tofu well and wrap in paper towels to remove as much of the water as possible for best results. Adjust the spices according to your taste. Smoky Sweet Potato Hash With Tofu 6 Servings Ingredients: 1 block Tofu drained well and diced in 1/2" cubes 1 pinch crushed Red Pepper 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp  Oil, divided 3 Large Sweet Potatoes, cut in 1/2" cubes (about 5 cups) 1 large Red Onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 large Red Bell Pepper, diced (about 1 1/2 cups) 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Smoked Paprika 5 Sprigs fresh Thyme Salt and freshly ground Pepper to taste 1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground Red Pepper (cayenne) - optional 4 Tbsp Parsley. Cilantro, and/or Green Onions, finely chopped ...

Tortilla Soup is a wonderfully warming soup - the addition of beans makes it healthy, hearty, and tasty!  This soup has everything you need to make it a one-pot meal: protein from the beans, tortillas providing the carbs, and the abundant veggies and herbs providing everything else :-). The toppings make it extra-special - we love the hot soup with the various soft, cool, and crunchy toppings! Have an easy Tortilla soup Party - simply set out the soup surrounded with all the toppings suggested below (plus other ones you like). Let everyone help themselves for a no stress, no fuss, fun event! Ole!! This soup may be made a couple of days ahead and any extra may be frozen.  8 - 10 Servings Ingredients: 2 cup dry Pinto beans, cooked (see Beans for cooking info) 2 Tbsp Olive Oil 1 large Red Onion, diced 2 ribs Celery, thinly sliced 1 medium Carrot, cut into small dice 2 cloves fresh Garlic 1 - 2 green Jalapeno or Serrano Chiles, minced 2 tsp Sea Salt 4 med...

Mess of Greens Soup "Mess of greens" conjures a large pot of luscious leafy veggies cooked to perfection Southern style - Yum :D. I had a large bag of "Southern Greens" (a mix of collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, kale, spinach, etc) and wanted to make soup for a chilly day. The greens cooked up luxuriously succulent and we had a hearty and delicious Mess of Greens Soup! Oh, to add to the southern-ness, I added smoked paprika for its er, smokiness :) and a couple of sweet potatoes too; the sweetness of the potatoes perfectly complemented the strong greens without making it sweet. I also put in some freshly cooked red kidney beans. The result was really a nice balance between the greens and sweet potatoes with the beans adding to the heartiness . Mess of Greens Soup is a meal in a bowl - with all the veggies :) and protein-rich beans, you really don't need anything else. You can use a pound of any greens in any combination you like. And a word abo...