It's January and we are starting the year off with eating a lot of soup and salads. Here are a few of my favorites right now. I have a Kale & Apple Salad with a Maple Dijon Vinaigrette and then I've added the recipe for my Tomato Basil Soup. Enjoy!
Kale and Apple Salad with a Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
Ingredients: For the roasted sweet potato- 1 large sweet potato 1 tablespoon oil 1 tsp cinnamon
For the roasted chickpeas- 1 can garbanzo beans, drained (aka chickpeas)
1 tablespoon oil 1 tsp Michigan Cherrywood Smoked Seasoning
1 tsp Candied Ginger Cinnamon Spice
For the dressing- 3 tablespoons dijon mustard 3 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons maple syrup 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tsp smoked sea salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup oil 1 teaspoon sriracha (optional)
4 cups chopped kale 1 cup chopped radicchio
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced cucumbers
1 sliced honeycrisp apple
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400oF.
Add the sweet potato to a foil lined baking sheet. Season with oil and seasonings, then roast for 45 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from oven and set aside. When sweet potato is cooled, remove the skin and cut into bite size cubes.
After draining the liquid from the garbanzo beans (chickpeas), place the beans on some paper towel to remove all the excess liquid. The drier the chickpeas, the crispier they will become. Add the chickpeas to a foil line baking sheet. Roast for 40-50 minutes, make sure to rotate the pan halfway through. (I check them at 30 minutes and then every 10 minutes from there. The longer you leave them in, the crispier they will become.)
In a small bowl, mix together all dressing ingredients. Set aside until ready to assemble.
Add 2 tablespoons of dressing to kale and massage well to soften the kale.
To assemble, add the kale to a large salad dish. Next add the radicchio, followed by the tomatoes and cucumbers. Next add the roasted chicken peas and sweet potato. Drizzle on the remaining dressing and serve.
TOMATO BASIL SOUP
3 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup chopped sweet onions 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped carrots 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup chicken stock 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons fresh basil, plus extra for garnish
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons house seasoning 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
GARNISH House-Seasoned Croutons
MAKE SOUP
Add the oil, onions, celery and carrots to a large saucepan or Dutch oven and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 30 more seconds, continually stirring. Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, basil, oregano, House Seasoning and red pepper flakes. Stir together and cook for 18 to 20 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, blend soup together until desired consistency. Simmer on low until ready to serve. (Note: If using a blender, add soup in small batches and blend together. Don’t overfill or soup will spill over the sides.)
ASSEMBLE
Add soup to bowls and garnish with croutons or grilled cheese bites and fresh basil.
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