SIMPLE SOUP AND A SALAD-- HEALTHFUL AND DELICIOUS

Since I've been limping around  with what appears to be "water-on-the-knee" I haven't exactly been cooking up a storm.  It's getting better, but I'm nervous about "2 steps forward, 1 step back", so I'm being careful.

I made two simple dishes on Monday, to have on hand for lunches and snacks.  The soup is an old favorite, which I'm going to reproduce below, but the salad was a new one.  I had purchased some frozen green garbanzo beans from Costco-- something new to me-- and decided to devise a nice hearty grain and veggie salad utilizing them. ( I had previously used them in place of frozen lima beans in my lowfat guacamole recipes and they worked well in that.)  The salad  was delicious and I'll definitely be making it again.

Costco carries this brand:

Whole Foods carries this brand:

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Printable Copy

BRYANNA' S FARRO AND GREEN GARBANZO (OR EDAMAME)  SALAD WITH SPICY VINAIGRETTE
Servings: 8
This easy and tasty salad makes a full meal for a light lunch or supper.

Salad Ingredients:   
1 cup farro (or use spelt or wheat kernels, which need to be soaked overnight and cooked for about an hour)-- read about farro here   
2 cups frozen green garbanzo beans (OR shelled edamame/green soybeans) (see above)      
2 cups fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels    
2 cups halved red grape tomatoes or diced fresh red tomatoes       
1 cup chopped red onions      
1 cup sliced celery     
1 cup dry-roasted (unsalted) peanuts (you could substitute roasted pumpkin seeds)      
Spicy Vinaigrette:    
2/3 cup aquafaba or Oil Substitute for Salad Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil        
1/3 cup red wine vinegar       
1 tablespoon fresh (or bottled organic) lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar  
1/2 teaspoon salt        
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano   
1/2 teaspoon (or more to taste) Sriracha hot sauce  
Garnish:       
crisp lettuce leaves, olives and chopped fresh parsley or cilantro   

To cook the farro, place in a medium pot with 3 cups of water and a few pinches of salt. Bring to a boil and quickly turn down to low heat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until done to your taste, but not mushy. Immediately drain thoroughly and then spread on a baking sheet and place in the freezer or refrigerator to cool it off while you prepare the other ingredients.

Make the Spicy Vinaigrette by combining all the ingredients well and setting aside.

Combine all of the salad ingredients, including the cooked, drained and cooled-down farro. Shake or whisk the dressing again and pour over the salad. Mix well and chill until ready to serve. (This can be served at room temperature or cold.)

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 292.3 calories; 47% calories from fat; 19.1g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 169.7mg sodium; 348.8mg potassium; 40.1g carbohydrates; 7.7g fiber; 4.0g sugar; 32.4g net carbs; 8.6g protein.

Printable Copy

BRYANNA'S VERSION OF LEBANESE LENTIL-NOODLE SOUP WITH GREENS
Servings: 6

1 cup dried brown/green lentils        
8 cups tasty vegan broth (I like Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken Vegan Broth Base)   
1 large onion, thinly sliced    
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon crushed garlic  
1 teaspoon dried oregano      
1 teaspoon ground dried coriander   
2 cups broken egg-free flat noodles, such as tagliatelle, fettuccine or linguine     
4 cups chopped greens, such as spinach, chard or kale (I was out of these this time and used chopped broccolette instead) 
salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste           
lemon wedges to squeeze into the soup

Bring the lentils and broth to a boil together in a large pot, turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, sauté the onions in the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium- high heat until they soften, adding squirts of water as needed to keep from sticking. (Alternatively, you can cook the onions in the olive oil in a microwave-safe bowl or casserole, covered for about 5 minutes on 100% power.) Add the garlic and sauté a minute more (or microwave for 30 seconds). Add to the pot (you don't have to wait until the 30 minutes are over) with the basil and coriander.

After the 30 minutes are up, add the noodles and simmer for another 10 minutes or so, or until the noodles are cooked. Add the greens and cook briefly, just until they are cooked to your taste. Taste for salt and pepper.

Serve with lemon wedges and squeeze a little lemon juice into each serving before eating.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 248.9 calories; 10% calories from fat; 3.1g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 977.3mg sodium; 462.8mg potassium; 44.3g carbohydrates; 11.1g fiber; 4.2g sugar; 33.2g net carbs; 14.7g protein.

Enjoy!