White Bean Soup with Butternut Squash

This is a variation of the the following recipe from Twelve Months of Monastery Soups by Br. Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourette, 1996,  Triumph Books, Liguori, Missouri, page 163.

1 pound dry white beans
12 cups water
2 onions
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut in small cubes.
2 leeks
1 celery stalk
a few leaves of garden greens (spinach, chard, etc)
4 garlic cloves
6 tablespoon olive oil
2 vegetable bouillon cubes (or to taste)
finely minced thyme leaves

Soak the dry beans in cold water for at least 10 hours.  Rinse them well and put them into a large soup pot with water.

Cut the onions, leeks, and celery into thin pieces.  Cut greens into wide strips.  Mince garlic.  Add to soup with chopped squash, along with oil and bouillon cubes.

Cook soup, covered, over medium heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Let the soup sit for about 10 minutes with the lid on. 

Add salt, pepper, and thyme.  Reheat for another 5 minutes and serve hot.

Butternut Squash Soup Portuguese Style

This recipe is from Twelve Months of Monastery Soups by Br. Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourette, 1996,  Triumph Books, Liguori, Missouri, page 51.

6 servings (we usually make this about 3-4 times.)

6 TBS olive oil
3 onions, chopped
5 garlic gloves, minced
2 butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut in chunks
1 potato, peeled and cubed
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
7 cups vegetable stock (we usually use 1 vegetable bouillon cube for a large pot of soup)
salt and peper to taste
1/3 cup freshly minced parsley
fresh thyme leaves as garnish

Pour the olive oil into a large soup pot and sauté onions and garlic over low heat for 3 -5 minutes. Turn off heat, covert the pot and let the onion-garlic mixture steam for 15 minutes.

Add squash, potato, and carrot and stir the mixtue well.  Pour the stock andbring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and let simmer for 45 minutes.

Add the seasonings and parsley, stir well, cover the pot and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Blend soup with a hand blender or in a food processor or blender.  Serve garnished with fresh thyme leaves.

Macaroni and Cheese

Cook 2 cups of elbow macaroni in boiling salted water till tender; drain.  In saucepan, melt 3 TBS butter; blend in 2 TBS all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and dash pepper.

Add 2 cups milk; cook and still till thick and bubbly.  Add 1/4 cup finely chopped onion and 8 ounces cheddar cheese or mixed cheeses, cubed.  (This is the secret... we use only really good flavorful cheeses). Stir till melted.

Mix cheese sauce with macaroni. Turn into 1 1/2 quart casserole.  Sprinkle 1 sliced tomato with salt; arrange on top.  Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through.  Makes 4 servings.

We triple this recipe and put in a long baking dish.  You can spice this up if you wish with red pepper and more onions.)

Green Goddess Salad Dressing

Put all the following ingredients in a blender:

1/3 cup mayo
2/3 cups plain yogurt
2 TBS Olive Oil
1 TBS Lemon Juice with a splash of cider vinegar
1 smashed or cut clove of garlic
1 medium handful of chives or green onions (about 3 medium size with the white bulb)
1 handful of fresh basil leaves
1 handful parsley without the stems
1/2 tsp salt

Blend on medium - taste and adjust herbs and seasoning.

Chard Rice Casserole

Adapted from "Spinach Rice Casserole" in Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook,  1977, published by Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA


This casserole takes about 1 1/4 hour to prepare and serves 6 +.

Prepare ahead of time:  2 cups raw brown rice cooked in 4 cups of water

2 pounds raw, chopped chard
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 or more cloves of garlic.  (We always use more)
3 TBS butter
4 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 TBS tamari
1/2 tsp salt (more to taste)
a few dashes each - nutmeg, cayenne
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (optional)
paprika

Sauté onions and garlic with salt in butter.  When onions are soft, add chard.  Cook 2 minutes.

Combine with all ingredients except sunflower seeds and paprika.  Spread into buttered casserole and sprinkle with sunflower seeds and paprika

Bake covered 35 minutes at 350°F.

(At the monastery we double or triple this recipe and cook in a long baking dish.  Our notes read "bake uncovered 55 minutes at 325°F.)

White Bean Soup

This recipe is from Twelve Months of Monastery Soups by Br. Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourette, 1996,  Triumph Books, Liguori, Missouri.

Served at Redwoods for Supper at Guest House Opening evening and several guests asked for the recipe.  Enjoy!

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients
1 pound dry white beans
12 cups water
2 onions
2 carrots
2 leeks
1 celery stalk
some garden greens (spinach, chard)
4 cloves garlic
6 TBS olive oil
2 bouillon cubes (we use vegetable bouillon)
salt and pepper to taste
finely chopped and minced thyme leaves

1.  Soak the dry beans in cold water for at least 10 hours.  Rinse then well and put them into a large soup pot with water.

2.  Cut the onions, carrots, leeks, celery, and garden greens into thin pieces.  Mince the garlic well.  Add then all to the soup, along with the oil and the bouillon cubes.

3.  Cook the soup, covered, over medium heat for about 60 minutes, stirring from time to time.

4.  Add salt, pepper, and thyme.  Reheat for another 5 minutes and serve hot.