This Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup (made with a bag of dried navy beans!) is full of creamy beans, smoky flavor, and comforting vibes. It’s a meatless riff on classic navy bean soup, which traditionally uses ham – but I’ve replaced that smoky flavor in a couple of ways for a fully vegetarian, fully delicious navy bean soup recipe. And I’m pretty much in love!

The Story Behind the Recipe

Growing up, my Mom often made navy bean soup with a big ol’ ham hock. It was smoky and nourishing and delicious! But I’ve been a vegetarian for over 20 years now, so that soup just hasn’t been on my radar in adulthood.

But as I’ve been moving toward trying to curtail our grocery bill (grocery bills, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhghhhhh, am I right?), navy bean soup popped into my head. And I decided I needed to recreate this nostalgic childhood fave, but I wanted a navy bean soup without ham.

I’ve been developing vegetarian recipes for awhile now, so I have a few secrets up my sleeve for replicating the smoky, umami flavors that ham, bacon, and the like can bring to a recipe. So I whipped out my tricks and went to work, eventually creating a smoky, satisfying navy bean soup that, in my humble opinion, rivals my Mom’s. I love this soup so much!

Why You’ll Love This Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup Recipe

There really is just something super satisfying about transforming a full bag of beans into a nourishing soup. This Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup definitely proves the point!

This navy bean soup recipe is:

• Very freezer friendly. We regularly keep a batch of this vegetarian navy bean soup in our freezer for quick and easy weeknight meals.
• Easy to prep. Yes – the cooking time is long! But the actual prep is super easy.
• Hearty and satiating – And the comfort food vibes are off the charts!
• Super frugal! Bags of dried beans are one of the lowest-price food items around. (Keep scrolling for the price breakdown!)

How Much Does this Navy Bean Soup Cost?

If you’re anything like me, grocery store prices hurt these days. So I love that I can make a huge pot of nourishing soup for only $6. I live in a high cost of living area of the U.S., and this is what I pay for my ingredients for this white bean soup:

• Bag of beans: $1.89
• Olive oil: .10
• Onion: $1
• Carrots: .75
• Celery: .30
• Garlic: .25
• Spices: .25
• Parmesan rind: $1
• Parsley: .50
• Total: $6.04. Not too shabby!
• This soup recipe serves about 8 people, so that works out to around 75 cents per serving. Love it.

Ingredient Details

• Navy beans – You’ll want one pound (one bag, or about two cups) of dried navy beans, soaked.
• Olive oil – For sautéing the aromatic veggies & spices.
• Onion, carrots, and celery – That magical mirepoix, the flavor base of so many delicious soups (for a reason!)
• Garlic – Four cloves!
• Cumin, dried thyme, and smoked paprika – This combo of seasonings adds smoky, earthy, and herbal notes that lend so much flavor to this navy bean soup. Smoked paprika, especially, helps to replace the smoky flavors that ham usually brings to the traditional version of this soup.
• Water – I love that this bean soup doesn’t need vegetable broth; instead, you just need plain old water. The long cooking time + inclusion of typical broth ingredients like carrots, celery, and onion basically ensures that this soup makes its own broth as it simmers, so I’ve found it’s really not needed. Not having to use broth or stock makes this an extra budget-friendly meal.
• Parmesan rind – Simmering a Parmesan rind with soup adds so much salty, umami flavor. However, if you prefer to make a fully vegan version of this navy bean soup, you can leave the Parm rind out. I’ve tested it both ways, and while I do prefer the deep flavor of the soup with the Parmesan rind, the vegan version without the rind is excellent, too.
• Salt & pepper
• Parsley – I like to finish this soup with some fresh parsley to add a bright herbal note (plus it just looks pretty!)
• Garnish – I like to top my vegetarian navy bean soup with a drizzle of olive oil, shredded Parm, a bit of fresh parsley, and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes.

Adaptations/Variations

• Vegan/dairy-free navy bean soup: Simply omit the Parmesan rind. I’ve tested this soup without it, and it’s still delicious!
• Meat option: If the carnivores in your house are craving some meat, you can add some diced, shredded chicken or chopped ham to their portions. Topping with some smoky diced bacon would be nice, too.

Tips for Success

• Don’t skip the soak. There are conflicting reports about how necessary it really is to soak your beans, but for this recipe, it’s important if only because the beans will cook faster.
• Don’t rush the cooking time. The long simmer makes a thick and hearty soup with tender, creamy beans.

I hope you find this Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup to be as hearty and satisfying as we do! I love how frugal it is, how easy it is to make, and it tastes even better the next day!

More Hearty Bean Soup Recipes

• Creamy White Bean Soup
• Bean Without Bacon Soup
• Jalapeño Black Bean & White Bean Soup
• Black Bean & Butternut Squash Soup
• Ribollita
• Pasta e Fagioli

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Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup Recipe

Transform a bag of white navy beans into a delicious and nourishing smoky + creamy soup – no ham necessary! I love to make this soup on Sunday when I have plenty of time to simmer a giant pot of soup on the stove. Then it feeds us all week long!

Keyword navy bean soup, vegrtarian navy bean soup

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 300kcal

Author Kare

Equipment

• 1 large Dutch oven or soup pot 6 quarts or larger

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried navy beans 2 cups
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 2 carrots diced [1 cup]
• 1 celery stalk diced [1/2 cup]
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 10-12 cups water
• 1 Parmesan rind
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley minced

For serving

• olive oil drizzled over the top
• parsley
• crushed red pepper flakes
• shredded Parmesan

Instructions

Soak the beans

• Place the beans in a large bowl and add water. Let soak overnight. You can also quick-soak the beans by bringing them to a boil, letting boil for 2 minutes, then removing from the heat, covering, and letting sit for at least 1 hour.

Prepare the soup

• Set a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion, celery, and carrots. Saute until tender, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, thyme, and smoked paprika. Saute for an additional minute.
• Drain the pre-soaked beans and add those to the pot along with 10 cups water and the Parmesan rind. Stir to combine. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce to a simmer.
• Simmer uncovered 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the navy beans are fully tender and starting to fall apart and you have a nice, thick soup. Add 1 or 2 more cups water if the soup starts to dry out toward the end of cooking.
• Stir in the parsley, salt and pepper. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

Serve

• Ladle into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil, shredded Parmesan, additional parsley, and crushed red pepper flakes if desired.

Notes

* Prep time does not include soaking time for the beans. 

Storage notes

• Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave, splashing in a bit of water or veggie broth if needed to thin it out.
• This soup also freezes well. Place in a freezer bag or freezer-safe lidded storage container and freeze for up to 3 months. Transfer to the fridge overnight to thaw then reheat on the stove or in the microwave. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 820mg | Potassium: 1035mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3792IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 5mg

The post Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup Recipe (with Dried Beans) appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

This creamy sun-dried tomato gnocchi is made with 10 ingredients and only takes about 15 minutes to whip up. Not only is it a weeknight savior, seriously delicious, and easy, but the combination of flavors will have your loved one exclaiming “marry me!” after one bite. Or so the story goes.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love Marry-Me Gnocchi
• Ingredients
• Adaptation/Variation
• How to Make Marry-Me Gnocchi
• Tip for Success
• More Gnocchi & Pasta Recipes You’ll Love

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

I’ve been eyeing the “marry me” trend for awhile now. It started with marry-me chicken then quickly moved on to many variations with pasta, chickpeas, tofu, and more. So much more.

While I’m not sure about the stability of a relationship that gets its start from a recipe, I do agree that the combination of flavors is inspirational, if not freaking delicious!

I decided I wanted to make my first marry-me recipe with gnocchi – because not a whole lot is better than gnocchi in a creamy sauce! Plus, I love how easy and fast it is to transform a package of store-bought gnocchi into a knockout of a dish within minutes. And this marry-me gnocchi is no exception!

Ingredients

• Olive oil – For sautéing the garlic and Italian seasoning. You can also use the oil from the jar of your sun-dried tomatoes for a boost of tomato flavor.
• Vegetable broth – For simmering the gnocchi and infusing some flavor.
• Gnocchi – The standard shelf-stable potato gnocchi you find in the pasta section at the grocery store.
• Sun-dried tomatoes – You’ll want about 1/2 cup of drained, chopped sun-dried tomatoes. I use the ones packed in oil.
• Crushed red pepper flakes – Just a bit for a smidge of heat.
• Salt & pepper
• Parmesan cheese – Make sure you grab a vegetarian Parm if that matters to you.
• Heavy whipping cream – For that gloriously rich and creamy sauce.
• Spinach – I like to use packaged baby spinach. It’s so convenient! I tend to pile the leaves on my cutting board and give them a few chops so that the wilted leaves aren’t quite so large when served.
• Basil – Fresh basil added at the end lends so much flavor! I like to leave a few extra for garnish.

Adaptation/Variation

• To make this a vegan marry-me gnocchi recipe, you can sub in full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream for the whipped cream and use vegan Parmesan cheese.

How to Make Marry-Me Gnocchi

1. First, you’ll add the olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning to a large skillet and give it a quick sauté.
2. Then, you’ll add the broth, gnocchi, sun-dried tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cover it up and let it simmer for just a few minutes, until the gnocchi is cooked through.
3. Third, stir in the spinach until wilted.
4. Now it’s time to transform your marry-me gnocchi into the most glorious creamy gnocchi dish ever. Pour in your heavy whipping cream, then add the Parmesan and fresh basil. Stir until blended and warmed through.
5. Yum! Serve topped with additional basil, more Parm, and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes if you like.

Jump to the full, printable recipe

Tip for Success

• Be sure and cover the gnocchi while it simmers in the broth. This will help retain the liquid for a nice and saucy result.

I hope this Marry-Me Gnocchi brings you everything you want this Valentine’s Day and beyond! Whether it’s a marriage proposal or just self-love because you’ve just made the most AMAZING dish all on your own, I hope you find yourself just as in love with Marry Me Gnocchi as we are.

More Gnocchi & Pasta Recipes You’ll Love

• Sheet Pan Gnocchi & Veggies
• Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
• The Best Vegetarian Lasagna Ever
• The Best Macaroni & Cheese Recipe Ever
• Baked Boursin Pasta

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Marry Me Gnocchi Recipe

Tender gnocchi in a rich and creamy sun-dried tomato sauce! What's not to love?

Keyword marry me gnocchi, marry me pasta, sun dried tomato gnocchi, tuscan gnocchi

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 17 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 528kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 16 ounces gnocchi
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes drained and chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups baby spinach roughly chopped
• 5-6 fresh basil leaves chiffonaded [rolled and cut into ribbons], plus more for garnish

Top with

• basil leaves
• shredded Parmesan cheese
• crushed red pepper flakes if you'd like additional heat

Instructions

• Place a large saute pan over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the garlic and Italian seasoning. Sauté for one minute, until tender and fragrant.
• Stream in the vegetable broth while stirring to pick up any stuck bits, then add the gnocchi, sun-dried tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 5 minutes until the gnocchi is tender. Remove the lid and stir in the spinach. Cook for about a minute, until wilted, then stir in the Parmesan cheese, heavy whipping cream, and fresh basil. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
• Serve topped with additional Parmesan cheese and basil.

Notes

Storage notes:

Place leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Store for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or gently over the stovetop with a splash of broth or water. 

Vegan/Dairy-Free Option:

Swap in unsweetened cashew creamer (try this cashew creamer recipe w/o sweetener or vanilla) or full-fat coconut milk for the heavy whipping cream. Swap in vegan/dairy free Parm instead of the dairy Parmesan. Make sure the gnocchi does not container dairy and/or egg. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 1296mg | Potassium: 639mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2468IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 274mg | Iron: 9mg

The post Marry Me Gnocchi Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

We’ve got broccoli, zucchini, red bell peppers, snap peas, and spinach along with Thai green curry paste, coconut milk, and a generous squeeze of lime. You can enjoy this one as-is, or add your protein of choice. I’ll often add tofu or chickpeas to my protein and shredded cooked chicken to the resident carnivore’s bowl.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love These Thai Green Curry Vegetables
• Ingredients
• Adaptation Idea
• How to Make Thai Green Curry
• Tip for Success
• More Curry Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

This is another recipe I’ve had in the hopper for years! Every summer, we head up to the Southern Gulf Islands in British Columbia, and nearly every restaurant has a Thai green curry dish, each one better than the last.

My favorite is loaded up with veggies along with wedges of grilled tofu, then topped with chopped almonds and shredded carrots. It’s incredible!

So a few years ago, I decided to work on recreating the dish at home. It seemed like the perfect One Dish Two Ways recipe – a “fork in the road” recipe where it starts out vegan or vegetarian, then you divide it in half and add meat to one half for the carnivores.

I’ve made this one many times with chicken for my guy and leaving it vegetarian for me. It’s super flexible that way!

I decided that for publishing this Thai green curry recipe, I’d leave it to veggies only, then you can give it the “pick your protein” treatment if you like. Add tofu, chickpeas, white beans, seitan, or chicken – or just enjoy the veggies just as they are! No matter how you serve it up, it’s SO tasty.

Why You’ll Love These Thai Green Curry Vegetables

• SO full of flavor. Garlic, ginger, Thai green curry paste, coconut milk … it’s just the best combo.
• Super flexible. Subtract or add veggies and make it yours. Add a protein if you like. Serve it over cauliflower rice for a lower-carb version or quinoa for a bit more protein.
• Easy! SO easy!
• Simple to prep ahead. Chop up the veggies, garlic and ginger beforehand, then keep the veggies in one container and the garlic and ginger in another in the fridge for up to 2 days. Perfect for when you want a healthy weeknight dinner but are short on time.

Ingredients

• Oil – Any neutral cooking oil like vegetable oil or avocado oil will work well.
• Thai green curry paste – I prefer Thai Kitchen Brand, but use whichever one you like. Note that Thai Kitchen green curry paste is pretty mild, so you might grab another if you want a spicier Thai green curry. I also add crushed red pepper flakes as garnish to add a bit of heat.
• Salt, garlic, & ginger – Helps enhance/add to the flavors of the Thai green curry paste.
• Veggies – Broccoli, zucchini, red bell pepper, sugar snap peas, and baby spinach
• Coconut milk – I like to use full-fat canned coconut milk for the richest curry.
• Brown sugar – Just that touch of sweetness really helps to round out the flavor.
• Cornstarch – This is to help thicken the sauce to give it a more velvety texture. You can totally leave it out if you prefer!
• Lime – Lime zest lends flavor (traditionally you might find kaffir lime leaves in Thai green curry, but that’s an ingredient that’s really hard for me to find in my area, so I use lime zest + serve lime wedges to squeeze over the top of the curry.
• Thai basil – Fresh Thai basil can be found in the produce section of most grocery stores.
• For serving – Rice, chopped almonds, more Thai basil, lime wedges, crushed red pepper flakes, shredded carrots

Adaptation Idea

• Add chickpeas, white beans, edamame, tofu, or chicken for some additional protein.

How to Make Thai Green Curry

You’re gonna LOVE how easy it is to make vegetable Thai green curry!

You’ll want to chop your veggies in advance, because once you start cooking, the process goes pretty quickly. And make sure you have some rice ready to go.

First, saute the green curry paste, garlic, and ginger in the oil for just a bit to help liven up the flavors. Next, add water and all of the veggies except for the spinach.

Cover and let that simmer until the veggies are tender, then stir in the coconut milk. Stir the cornstarch with a little water and pour that in too.

Simmer gently until thickened, then stir in the lime zest, spinach, and Thai basil.

Taste and add more salt if desired. That’s it!

Serve over rice and garnish how you like.

Tip for Success

• Once you’ve added the coconut milk, do not boil the mixture. This can cause the coconut milk to split or curdle. If that does happen, it will still taste okay, don’t worry! It just doesn’t look as appetizing or have quite the lovely silky texture.

I hope you love this Thai green curry vegetables recipe as much as we do! It’s such a delicious way to enjoy veggies, and super flexible too. I love this as a one-dish-two-ways recipe – it’s so easy to just add your protein of choice!

More Curry Recipes

• Chickpea & Tomato Curry
• Chana Masala
• Slow Cooker Red Lentil & Chickpea Pumpkin Curry
• Slow Cooker Red Lentil & Chickpea Curry with Potatoes & Peas
• Thai Green Curry Soup
• Thai Red Curry

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Thai Green Curry Vegetables Recipe

I love this full-of-flavor curry dish as-is, or give it the "pick your protein" treatment. I'll often dish this up with chickpeas or diced tofu stirred into my portion and shredded chicken stirred into the carnivore's bowl.

Keyword thai green curry, thai green curry vegetables

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 176kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

For the Thai Green Curry:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or another neutral cooking oil
• 3 tablespoons Thai green curry paste I like Thai Kitchen brand
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
• 1 medium clove garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger about a pinky-sized piece, peeled
• 3/4 cup water can substitute low-sodium veg broth for a bit more flavor
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 medium zucchini cut into half-moons
• 1 red bell pepper cut into strips
• 1/2 cup sugar snap peas or snow peas
• 1 cup coconut milk from the can
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 2 teaspoons lime zest from one medium lime
• 10 leaves Thai basil roughly chopped

Serve with:

• cooked brown rice or quinoa
• Thai basil leaves
• lime wedges for squeezing over the top
• chopped almonds
• crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

• Set a large saute pan over medium-low heat and add the oil. When hot, add the green curry paste, 1/4 teaspoon salt, garlic and ginger. Stir frequently for a minute, then stir in the 3/4 cup water and add the broccoli, zucchini, red bell pepper, and sugar snap peas (or snow peas). Cover and simmer until the veggies are bright and just becoming tender, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the coconut milk and brown sugar. In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch with 1 tablespoons cold water and add that to the pan. Increase heat to medium high and bring just to a light boil then immediately turn the heat to low, simmering until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Be sure you don't cook this at a high/rolling boil, or the coconut milk might break/curdle.
• Stir in the spinach, lime zest, and fresh Thai basil until and stir until wilted, about a minute. Remove from heat. Taste and add more salt until it's perfect for you (I usually add about 1/4 teaspoon more).
• To serve, spoon over cooked quinoa or rice and garnish with more Thai basil, chopped almonds, crushed red pepper if you want some heat, and lime wedges for squeezing over the top.

Notes

Servings: 3 large or 4 medium servings

Nutrition info does not include rice

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 194mg | Potassium: 622mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5394IU | Vitamin C: 103mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Thai Green Curry Vegetables Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

My version of Ribollita Toscana is made with lots of veggies, white beans, sometimes chickpeas (which are not traditional but a nice addition), broth, tomatoes, and kale. Lots of Tuscan kale. The soup simmers with a parmesan rind, which adds so much flavor, then, it’s all thickened up with toasty sourdough cubes and topped with a bunch more.

Get your spoons ready. You’re going to want to dig in to a bowl of this vegetarian ribollita immediately!

Table of Contents

• What Is Ribollita?
• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Ribollita
• Tip for Success
• More Hearty Italian Soup Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

What Is Ribollita?

Ribollita, also known as Ribollita Toscana (or Tuscan Ribollita) is a thick and rustic Italian soup made with beans and veggies, and thickened with leftover bread. It’s cozy, highly flavored, and hearty. And, if you hadn’t guessed, I’m a huge fan.

The word “ribollita,” pronounced “REE-boh-LEE-tah,” literally translates to “reboiled.” Traditionally, it’s made with leftover soup (like minestrone), boiled together with day-old bread to transform it into a new, hearty, nourishing dish. (source)

Tuscan Ribollita is so delicious that in the U.S., it’s often created as the star dish, not an afterthought of leftovers. And that’s what we have here! Whenever I have a half a loaf of sourdough sitting on the counter, on the verge of being neglected, I turn to this ribollita recipe.

The Story Behind the Recipe

I’ve been working on this particular ribollita recipe for years! It’s not that it was overly complicated (quite the contrary), it was just that I would never quite get around to finishing the recipe and photographing it.

Every few months, I’d pull out the draft recipe, dust it off, make a batch, enjoy multiple bowls of coziness, and take notes. And every few months, I’d fall more and more in love with this Tuscan treasure.

The last time I made this Ribollita Toscana recipe, I decided it was finally time already to get this wonderful rustic soup out there into the world.

Ingredients

• Sourdough bread – Any rustic bread will work, but I’m partial to sourdough. You’ll want about half a loaf, around 8 cups of bread cubes.
• Olive oil – For toasting the bread cubes, sautéing the veggies, and I also like to drizzle it over the top, too.
• Onion, carrots, and celery – The classic mirepoix base is the first building block for the backbone of flavor in this Ribollita Toscana.
• Garlic – A must!
• Thyme & rosemary – You can use fresh or dried herbs. This time of year, in the heart of winter, I used dried.
• Vegetable broth – I prefer low-sodium vegetable broth. Make your own homemade vegetable broth using your slow cooker (it’s so easy!) or grab a box from the store.
• Tomatoes – One can crushed tomatoes.
• Beans – For this recipe, I suggest one can of cannellini beans and one can of chickpeas. If you want a more traditional ribollita, leave out the chickpeas and use two cans of cannellinis.
• Kale – Traditionally, Tuscan kale is the type of kale you’ll find in ribollita. This deep blue-green kale is also known as dinosaur kale or lacinato kale. It’s totally fine to swap in another type of kale if you want, though.
• Parmesan cheese – Just as in my minestrone recipe, I like to simmer the soup with a Parmesan rind for max flavor. For a vegan version, you can leave out the Parmesan and the soup still has plenty of flavor without it (or stir in a bit of nutritional yeast to get that lovely added bit of umami flavor!)
• Salt & pepper – Adjust as needed.
• Crushed red pepper flakes – Just a pinch adds a welcome touch of heat.
• Red wine vinegar – I like to finish my ribollita with a splash of red wine vinegar which really brightens and brings out the varied flavors. If you don’t have vinegar or don’t want to use it, it’s okay – the soup will still be great!

Adaptations/Variations

• Vegan option: The only non-vegan ingredient in this Ribollita is Parmesan. Just leave it out or use a dairy-free parm substitute.
• Sub in spinach instead of kale: If you don’t love kale or just don’t have any on hand, spinach makes a nice substitute. It’s not as traditional as Tuscan kale, but just as lovely!

How to Make Ribollita

First, you’ll want to toast your bread. Add the bread to a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to distribute the oil, then sprinkle the salt over the top. Bake until golden and crisp.

While the bread bakes, assemble your soup. You’ll start with sauteeing your onion, carrots, and celery, then you’ll add the garlic and herbs.

Stir in the broth, tomatoes, beans, chickpeas, Parmesan rind, some salt and pepper, and the crushed red pepper, then simmer for about 20 minutes to allow the flavors to develop and mingle together gloriously.

After it has simmered, dig out the parmesan rind and discard it; it’s done its job! Stir in the kale just until wilted, then remove the ribollita from the heat.

Stir in the red wine vinegar and a couple of cups of the bread, then let the soup sit for a few minutes, stirring every once in awhile. This helps the bread soften and become one with the soup! Taste your ribollita soup – does it need more salt and pepper? Now’s the time to add it!

Now, it’s time to serve! Scoop ribollita into bowls and top generously with more breadcrumbs. I like to add lots of Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil, and sometimes a bit of parsley for added color.

Tip for Success

• Let the soup “rest” – I find the off-heat time, when you allow it to cool a bit and let the bread hunks soften in the soup, really helps develop the flavors. Plus, the soup isn’t so piping hot when you serve it that you forget to taste it!

I hope Ribollita Toscana becomes a new vegetarian staple for you and your family! We absolutely love ribollita – it’s so cozy, nourishing, and hearty on a cold winter’s night.

More Hearty Italian Soup Recipes

• Vegetarian Minestrone
• Creamy White Bean Soup
• Hearty Tuscan White Bean Stew
• Pasta e Fagiole

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Tuscan Ribollita

Ribollita is a hearty, rustic Tuscan vegetarian soup traditionally made with leftover soup added to a big pot and thickened with leftover bread. This version is elevated from leftover status, made from the start with veggies, kale, lots of beans, and sourdough bread for a thick, full-of-flavor soup that is rib(ollita)-stickingly good! (Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients – it's actually quite simple and easy to make!)

Keyword ribollita, ribollita toscana, tuscan ribollita

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 298kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

For the bread chunks:

• 7-8 cups sourdough bread chunks about 1/2 loaf, cut or torn into approx. 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the ribollita:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion diced, about 1 cup
• 2 medium carrots peeled and diced, about 1/2 cup
• 1 stalk celery diced, 1/4 cup
• 3 medium cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 teaspoon fresh
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 15 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 15 ounces cannellini beans 1 can; 1 1/2 cups; drained and rinsed
• 15 ounces chickpeas 1 can; 1/2 cups; drained and rinsed [or substitute another can of cannellini beans]
• 1 Parmesan rind
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 bunch Tuscan kale ribs removed, torn or cut into 1-2 inch pieces, 3-4 cups packed
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

For serving:

• drizzle of olive oil
• grated parmesan
• minced parsley

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (not required, but makes for easy clean-up). Add the bread in a single layer. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss with your hands to help distribute. Sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Place in oven and bake until bread just begins to crisp and turn golden, 20-25 minutes.
• While the bread chunks bake, make the soup. Place a medium dutch oven or soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil. When hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and cook, stirring frequently, for one minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, beans, chickpeas, Parmesan rind, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low to simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and the flavors have had a chance to develop, about 20 minutes.
• Remove the parmesan rind and stir in the kale. Cook until wilted, 1-2 minutes.
• Remove the soup from heat and stir in the red wine vinegar and 2 cups of the bread chunks. Let the soup sit for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to help the bread distribute and thicken the soup. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
• Top individual servings with more bread hunks, lots of grated Parmesan, minced parsley if desired, and a generous drizzle of good olive oil.

Notes

Storage notes:

Keep leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the bread cubes in an airtight container at room temp. Warm individual servings on the stovetop or in the microwave, then top with bread cubes, cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil. The leftovers are even tastier!

Vegan option:

The only non-vegan ingredient in this Ribollita is Parmesan. Just leave it out or use a dairy-free parm substitute.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 298kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 558mg | Potassium: 505mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3591IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 5mg

The post Tuscan Ribollita Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love Veggie Lasagna Soup
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Veggie Lasagna Soup
• Tip for Success
• More Veggie-Packed Soup Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

Many, many years ago, I developed a vegetarian lasagna soup recipe for another website, and over the years, I’ve made lasagna soup a LOT!

I’ve refined and perfected the recipe, adding more veggies and simplifying where I can, until I’ve landed on a veggie lasagna soup recipe that I adore even more. So I thought it was time to share!

This soup is made with a tomato-broth base, broken-up lasagna pasta, carrots, spinach, zucchini, and white beans, for a hearty soup that’s sort of like a veggie minestrone – but with lasagna noodles! And a big dollop of ricotta-mozzarella blend on top! 😋

Why You’ll Love Veggie Lasagna Soup

If you love veggie lasagna, I think you’ll love this vegetarian lasagna soup! It’s full of flavor + veggies and the beans and cheese add a bit of protein, making it a nice, hearty, satiating affair.

Serve with a nice kale salad and some garlic bread for the full meal deal!

Ingredients

For the lasagna soup:

• Olive oil – For sautéing the first base layer of flavor.
• Onion – Standard yellow onion, diced
• Carrots – Adds nutrition and, together with the onions, a nice backbone of flavor.
• Italian seasoning – The mix of Italian spices can be found in your local grocery store, or you can make your own homemade Italian seasoning (highly recommended!)
• Garlic
• Vegetable broth – Grab a box of low-sodium veggie broth at the store or make your own vegetable broth from scraps in the Crock Pot – it’s super satisfying (and tastes amazing!)
• Crushed tomatoes – Grab your favorite brand from the store. Diced tomatoes will work here, too, if you prefer something a bit chunkier.
• Navy beans – I prefer to use small white navy beans in this soup because they sort of retreat to the background (the pasta and cheese are the star of the show!) but still add heartiness. But I have used cannellini beans and chickpeas often, too – both options work well!
• Salt & pepper
• Zucchini
• Lasagna pasta – You’ll want to break up the pasta, or you can opt for a different pasta if you prefer. Rotini is great!
• Sugar – A weird ingredient for soup, I know, but the sugar helps to balance out the acidity from the tomatoes. I’ve included it as an optional ingredient because sometimes it’s not necessary.
• Spinach – I like to give baby spinach a rough chop before adding it to soup so that the pieces aren’t too big.
• Parsley

For the cheesy goodness:

• Ricotta cheese
• Mozzarella
• Parmesan
• Salt & pepper

Adaptations/Variations

• Vegan/dairy-free lasagna soup: The soup itself is already dairy-free and vegan – it’s just the cheesy topping you’ll need to address. Mix almond ricotta (you can find it in stores) with vegan mozzarella shreds and a couple of teaspoons of nutritional yeast.
• Gluten-free veggie lasagna soup: Swap the pasta for your favorite GF pasta. It doesn’t have to be lasagna noodles; any medium shape will be great (rotini is excellent in this soup!)
• Meat option: If you have a meat-eater in the house, you can mix some cooked and drained ground beef or ground crumbled sausage to the carnivorous portions.

How to Make Veggie Lasagna Soup

Classic one-pot prep is one of the things that makes soup amazing! Grab a soup pot/Dutch oven and saute your aromatics – carrots, onion, Italian seasoning, and garlic. I like to saute the Italian seasoning right up front to really help “wake up” the flavors.

Next, add the tomatoes, beans, and broth. Once that comes to a boil, break in your pasta and add the zucchini.

And then simmer until your pasta is tender! Stir in the parsley and spinach, and then give it a taste. Is it tasting a bit acidic? If so, add the sugar. (Some canned tomatoes can lend an acidic taste, so I like to include the option of a touch of sugar in this recipe to help tame the acid.)

Then, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, parm, salt, and pepper.

Scoop out your glorious lasagna soup into individual bowls …

… and top each bowl with a generous dollop of the cheesy ricotta goodness.

And then dig in!

Tip for Success

• Break your lasagna into smaller-than-you-think pieces. We’re talking one-inch pieces. It swells up way more than you think it will!

I hope this veggie lasagna soup becomes a staple for your family like it has mine! It’s such a fun spin on soup – it satisfies that lasagna craving while staying relatively light and nutrient-filled.

More Veggie-Packed Soup Recipes

• Vegetable Barley Soup
• Rustic Winter Vegetable Chowder
• Vegetarian Minestrone
• Squash-Lover’s Minestrone

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Veggie Lasagna Soup Recipe

Light yet hearty, this vegetable lasagna soup is full of garden vegetables along with white beans and lasagna noodles, all topped with a glorious dollop of cheesy goodness. Bonus: It comes together quickly, in just over 30 minutes!

Keyword garden vegetable lasagna soup, lasagna soup, vegetarian lasagna soup, veggie lasagna soup

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 390kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

For the soup:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion diced, about 1 cup
• 2 medium carrots diced, about 1 cup
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 3 medium garlic cloves minced
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 15 ounces crushed tomatoes 1 can
• 15 ounces small white beans aka navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
• 1 small zucchini diced, about 1 cup
• 4 ounces lasagna pasta about a quarter of a box, broken into approx. 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon sugar optional, to cut acidity
• 2 cups baby spinach lightly chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped + more for garnish

For the cheese topping:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Set a large pot over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion, carrots, and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and carrots are tender but not browned, about 8 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for another minute.
• Add the vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, beans, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, and add the zucchini and pasta. Reduce to a simmer. Stir and continue to simmer until the pasta is cooked through, 15-20 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally to help keep the pasta from sticking together.
• While the soup simmers, make the cheese topping. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
• Add the spinach and parsley to the soup, then taste it and, if it's too acidic for your tastes, add the sugar. I almost always add sugar (or honey) personally to mellow out any acidity from the tomatoes, but I wanted to make this ingredient optional in case you don't want to use the added sugar or your particular canned tomatoes are not too acidic.
• Taste again and add more salt and pepper if desired.
• Scoop lasagna soup into bowls and top with a generous spoonful of the cheese topping. Sprinkle with more parsley if desired, and serve.

Notes

Vegan/dairy-free option:

The soup itself is already dairy-free and vegan – it’s just the cheesy topping you’ll need to address. Mix almond ricotta (you can find it in stores, or even make your own vegan ricotta) with vegan mozzarella shreds and a couple of teaspoons of nutritional yeast.

Gluten-free option:

Swap the pasta for your favorite GF pasta. It doesn’t have to be lasagna noodles; any medium shape will be great (rotini is excellent in this soup!

Meat option:

If you have a meat-eater in the house, you can mix some cooked and drained ground beef or ground crumbled sausage to the carnivorous portions.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 580mg | Potassium: 849mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 5272IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 294mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Veggie Lasagna Soup Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

This vegetarian cornbread stuffing is so easy to make, with a simple list of ingredients and not too much effort. It’s one of those easy cornbread stuffing recipes that you’ll want on the Thanksgiving table every year!

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love This Cornbread Stuffing
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Cornbread Stuffing
• Tips for Success
• Make-Ahead Tips
• More Stuffing Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

I’ve been obsessed with the idea of cornbread stuffing for awhile, but I’d actually never tried it. How can that be?! I guess if no one around me was going to make it (woe is me), I was going to have to take care of business myself. Incoming cornbread stuffing situation!

It took me a few tries to make cornbread stuffing well. I wanted a vegetarian cornbread stuffing that accommodated multiple diets at the holiday table, something simple and classic yet still special and delicious.

My biggest problem was sogginess. It turns out that it is really easy to make a soggy cornbread stuffing, and less difficult to make one that is crisp on the top and still cornbread-y when you get to the bottom.

But! I cracked the code on cornbread dressing! I found that you absolutely have to do the following three things for perfect homemade stuffing with cornbread:

1. Dry your cornbread cubes in the oven beforehand.
2. Make a fairly thin layer of stuffing – no more than three cubes deep or so. It might be called “stuffing,” but don’t try to stuff it into a smaller pan!
3. The exact right amount of broth. You do NOT want bunch of broth in your cornbread stuffing situation. Too much broth = soggy.

Why You’ll Love This Cornbread Stuffing

This homemade stuffing with cornbread is vegetarian and easily vegan, yet pleases the carnivores, too. It’s a great flexible side dish that so many at the table can enjoy.

It’s herby, savory, goodness! This cornbread stuffing has a simple list of ingredients, but it’s so good!

And lastly, it’s really easy to make, with a short list of ingredients.

Ingredients

• Cornbread – I have yet to come up with the perfect classic cornbread recipe, so until that happens, I go with a store-bought mix. Note that if you’re a vegetarian and you make your cornbread from a box mix, you’ll want to check the list of ingredients. Some cornbreads (like Jiffy) are made with lard. I like to make a chili like my vegetarian three-bean chili a couple of days before it’s cornbread stuffing time, and I can cut out a couple of squares of cornbread to serve with my chili and use the rest for stuffing. Win!
• Butter – For sauteeing the veggies. If you’re vegan or dairy-free, feel free to use a vegan brand of butter or olive oil.
• Onion, celery, & garlic – Just two simple veggies and aromatic garlic add classic stuffing flavor to this cornbread dressing.
• Rosemary & sage – I love an herb stuffing situation, and fresh rosemary and sage bring those amazing stuffing flavors to the table.
• Vegetable broth – Grab a low-sodium broth at the store or make your own homemade vegetable broth.

Adaptations/Variations

• Dairy-free/vegan cornbread stuffing – This cornbread dressing is almost there already … all you need to do is make sure you have a vegan cornbread (this recipe looks great if you’re looking for homemade) – and swap out the butter for dairy-free butter or olive oil.
• Add more veggies – Sauté mushrooms or carrots and add them to the stuffing equation. Some roasted butternut squash would be amazing, too.

How to Make Cornbread Stuffing

First, you’ll dry out your cornbread cubes. You can leave them out on the counter for a few days, but I find the most reliable and fastest method is to spread them on a large baking sheet and bake them at a low temp for 30-40 minutes.

Next, you’ll sauté your veggies and garlic in the butter. Add a bit of the veggie broth to deglaze.

Place the cornbread cubes in a bowl along with the veggie mix, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper.

Mix it together gently, then add the broth about 1/2 cup at a time JUST until the cornbread has soaked it up but there’s not a large pool of broth on the bottom of the bowl. A little is okay, a lot will give you soggy cornbread.

Spread it in your baking dish and bake until golden brown on top and heated through.

Beautiful!

Tips for Success

• Dry your cornbread well – You want the cornbread cubes to be borderline crunchy.
• Use the larger pan – You want a thin layer of cornbread stuffing or you risk the bottom of the stuffing turning soggy. So don’t do what I did and think, “oh, an 8×8 pan will totally work!” Because nope! It doesn’t.
• Don’t use too much broth – That results in soggy cornbread.

I hope you love this cornbread stuffing recipe as much as we do! This is going to be a staple for us for this Thanksgiving and all the others, until the end of time.

Make-Ahead Tips

I still need to test freezing this recipe, and I’ll update this post as soon as I do. You can likely make this cornbread stuffing up to the point of baking it, seal it well and freeze, then thaw overnight in the fridge before baking it. However, I don’t want to say it is a for-sure homerun because I’m not sure if that extended time sitting before baking will make your cornbread dressing soggy.

What I *do* know will work well is to dry the cornbread cubes up to 5 days before making the stuffing. Sauté the veggies and herbs and place that mix in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days in advance. Then, when you’re ready to make your stuffing, mix it all together in a bowl, place it in your baking dish, and bake. It’ll be fast and easy.

More Stuffing Recipes

• Vegan Buttery Herb Stuffing
• Wild Rice & Quinoa Gluten-Free Stuffing
• Crock Pot Sourdough Herb Stuffing
• Chanterelle & Caramelized Onion Mushroom Stuffing

Print

Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

A simple and easy recipe for vegetarian cornbread stuffing that will be universally loved! Customize however you like and make it your own.

Keyword cornbread dressing, cornbread stuffing, homemade stuffing with cornbread, vegetarian cornbread dressing, vegetarian cornbread stuffing

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 537kcal

Author Kare

Equipment

• 1 9"x13" baking dish or pan

Ingredients

• 8 cups cornbread cubes approx. 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 medium yellow onion diced; 1 cup
• 2 cups celery diced; about 5 medium stalks
• 3 garlic cloves medium in size; minced
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon fresh sage leaves chopped fine; can sub 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped fine; can sub 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• First, dry your cornbread cubes. Spread them in a single layer on a large baking sheet (or separate between two baking sheets if you have smaller ones). Place them in a 275°F oven for 30-40 minutes until dry and crisp around the edges. Remove from the oven and place the cubes in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 9×13 baking dish or spray it with nonstick spray. Set aside.
• Place a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Melt the butter. Add the onion and celery and sauté until translucent, 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for one more minute. Pour in 1/2 cup vegetable broth and stir to loosen up any bits stuck to the pan.
• Pour the veggie and broth mixture over the cornbread cubes. Add 1 more cup of broth then stir gently to distribute the broth. Drizzle in the remaining broth a couple of tablespoons or so at a time, stirring in between, just until a pool of broth begins to form on the bottom of the bowl. Don't add any more broth once that happens or you'll end up with soggy cornbread dressing!
• Pour the cornbread and veggie mix into your baking dish and spread evenly without pushing it down. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes uncovered then about 10 minutes uncovered, until the cornbread hunks on top are light golden-brown on the edges.
• Add fresh herbs for garnish, if desired, and serve.

Notes

Cooking time includes time to dry out the cornbread cubes in the oven. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 537kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 1104mg | Potassium: 265mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 367IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 224mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Cornbread Stuffing Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Fluffy baked sweet potatoes are cut in half and topped with your taco filling of choice and some cheese, then baked for a bit until bubbly and melty. Then, just top with your taco favorite fixings like lettuce, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, guacamole, salsa … you name it!

These taco sweet potatoes make an easy and filling lunch or dinner, and they’re perfect for mixed-diet households. I love lentil walnut taco filling or vegan chorizo on mine while my guy is partial to taco-seasoned ground beef. Perfect for one-dish-two-ways life!

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Tips for Success
• What to Serve with Taco Sweet Potatoes
• More Sweet Potato Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Reviews & Comments

The Story Behind the Recipe

I’ve been making these Mexican stuffed sweet potatoes for quite awhile now, and I thought it was high time I shared them! I love that they’re super hearty and full of protein, plus, sweet potatoes bring some added nutrition over standard baked potatoes.

Also, they taste really, really good.

Why You’ll Love Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

I think the best thing about these taco sweet potatoes, other than the fact that they’re easy and delicious, is that they’re super customizable. They’re already gluten-free, so yay! They’re easily made meaty, vegetarian, or vegan, and everyone can grab their favorite toppings.

Taco Sweet Potato bar, anyone?! I’m immediately adding that one to my game-day list!

Ingredients

• Baked sweet potatoes – I like to use medium-to-large sweet potatoes for these Mexican stuffed sweet potatoes. That way, one half tends to be just right for one generous serving. I make baked sweet potatoes just for these taco-stuffed sweet potatoes, or sometimes I’ll make them for another meal and throw in a couple extra sweet potatoes for this meal later on.
• Taco meat – Whether you choose ground beef with taco seasoning, vegetarian crumbles or chorizo, lentil taco filling, or simply some black beans or pinto beans, you’ll want about 1/2 cup per sweet potato half.
• Cheese – I use medium cheddar, but you can use Jack or even pepper Jack for a bit of a spicy kick. Or sub in a vegan cheese, or you can even skip the cheese altogether if you prefer. These taco stuffed sweet potatoes are still good without it!
• Lettuce – I like to use curly lettuce or romaine lettuce, sliced into shreds. Any crisp, mildly flavored lettuce will do.
• Cherry tomatoes – I like the juicy burst of flavor and color that they add. Diced larger tomatoes work, too.
• Salsa – For drizzling over the top. Use your favorite kind and heat-level.
• Sour cream – Adds a creamy, tangy touch that’s so good with everything else! If you’re eating vegan or dairy-free, try this vegan sour cream recipe.
• Toppings – Add any other taco-y toppings you’d like! Sliced or pickled jalapeños, fresh onions or scallions, pickled red onions, sliced black olives, micro-greens, cilantro, pico de gallo – sky’s the limit!

Adaptations/Variations

• Vegan Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes: Use a vegetarian taco meat or beans, vegan cheese, and vegan sour cream.
• Taco-Stuffed Potatoes: If you’re craving a fluffy white potato instead of a sweet potato, just bake up some Russet potatoes and use those instead.

How to Make Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

First, bake your sweet potatoes. For fluffy interiors and crispy interiors, I rub cleaned and dried potatoes with olive oil and add a sprinkle of salt for good measure, then prick them with a fork and bake them at 400°F for about 40 minutes until they pierce easily with a fork.

While your potatoes are baking, prepare your taco filling. I tend to make my lentil walnut taco filling ahead of time and have it in the fridge, while my guy often has frozen leftover taco-seasoned ground beef that we can use. Easy!

Slice the baked potatoes in half lengthwise, and fluff them a bit with a fork, moving the potato over to the sides a bit while leaving some room in the center for filling.

Then add the filling to the sweet potato and top with cheese.

Bake until the filling is warmed through and the cheese has melted.

From there, it’s just a matter of topping them with all your goodies like lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and more, and serve ’em up!

Tips for Success

• Prep ahead: Bake the sweet potatoes, chop up your toppings, shred your cheese, and prep your taco filling ahead of time. Store them separately in the fridge in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Then, when you’re ready to eat, it’s just a few minutes prep time and you’re ready to go!
• If you’re short on time, you don’t strictly have to bake the filling and cheese in the sweet potatoes. This just helps to melt the cheese and really warm the filling, but these taco sweet potatoes are still plenty yummy if you skip that second baking step.

What to Serve with Taco Sweet Potatoes

Because these Mexican stuffed sweet potatoes have protein, fiber, carbs, and veggies, I often consider them a meal-in-one. But sometimes it’s nice to round out the meal with a bit more. I also love to make homemade toppings. Here are a few ideas.

• Sliced avocado or guacamole
• Black beans or vegetarian refried beans
• Brown rice or Mexican rice
• Salsa, salsa verde, or pico de gallo
• Steamed, sautéed, or roasted vegetables like these roasted Brussels sprouts or sautéed green beans

More Sweet Potato Recipes

• Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
• Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili
• Whipped Sweet Potatoes
• Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

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Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Sweet potato halves stuffed with taco filling and cheese, plus an assortment of fresh toppings. These Mexican stuffed sweet potatoes are so versatile and easy, this is more of a method than a recipe! Perfect for mixed-diet families.

Keyword mexican stuffed sweet potatoes, taco stuffed sweet potatoes, taco sweet potatoes

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 504kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 2 baked sweet potatoes halved
• 2 cups taco meat options include: black beans, taco-seasoned lentils, chorizo, vegan chorizo, vegetarian crumbles, or taco-seasoned ground beef; 1/2 cup per sweet potato
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups shredded lettuce I like romaine or curly
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup Sour cream or vegan sour cream

Topping ideas

• guacamole
• sliced jalapeños
• avocado
• corn
• sliced black olives
• scallions
• pickled red onions
• pico de gallo

Instructions

• Bake sweet potatoes and set them aside to cool for a bit. To bake them, scrub and dry sweet potatoes and prick them with a fork. Rub them all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, then place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake at 400°F until easily pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes.
• Cut the sweet potatoes in half and use a fork to fluff up the insides a bit, moving some of the sweet potato to the edges so that there is an indent for fillings in the center.
• Lower the temperature of the oven to 350°F. Top each half with 1/2 cup of the taco filling of choice. Divide the cheese between the four halves. Bake for about 15 minutes until warmed through and the cheese is melted.
• Remove from oven. Transfer to a plate and divide the lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, and sour cream between the four halves. Add any other toppings as desired. Serve.

Notes

Recipe time includes time to bake the sweet potatoes. If you have already-baked sweet potatoes, the prep and cooking time should be more like 25 minutes. 

Nutrition information assumes ground beef, green leaf lettuce, salsa, and sour cream, but does not include any other suggested toppings. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 329mg | Potassium: 782mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 17738IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 262mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

These 3-Seed Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies are extraordinary, and I am SO excited to be sharing this cookie recipe with you today!

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Developing This Recipe for Tahini Seed Breakfast Cookies
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Tahini Seed Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies
• Tips for Success
• How to Store
• Can I Freeze Tahini Breakfast Cookies?

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

Every August for the past 10 years, our family has headed up to Salt Spring Island in British Columbia for a week of relaxation and fun. It’s the most gorgeous place, tightly packed with tall evergreens along narrow winding roads that open up to blue water vistas.

My kid is there for pretty much solely for a week in the lake at the center of the island, and to catch up with friends who return to the same place every year, too. But for me, one of the best things about Salt Spring is that it’s a straight-up foodie paradise.

One of the reasons for that is that there are farm stands along the sides of the roads everywhere, and in August, these stands are usually overflowing with the locals’ garden abundance.

While some farm stands are what you’d expect – a cart and a roof with maybe some eggs in an ice chest, flowers, a few squash and other vegetables – some are a full-on experience.

Last year, we discovered a huge covered farm stand tucked up a hill on the side of the road. Once we’d parked, climbed up, and picked out homemade cupcakes, we turned around and were greeted by the stunning blue of the bay below us. A long, rustic slab of wood served as a bar facing the view, with stools lined up underneath. We sat down, enjoyed our cupcakes, sipped coffee, and enjoyed the quiet and the scenery.

This past August, I decided to head out by myself late one morning to see what types of squash and other goodies I could find at the local farm stands. After a few stops, I entered the gate of Stowel Lake Farm, crunched up the gravel drive, and parked, then wandered up the flagstone path surrounded by flowers that are always buzzing with butterflies and bees. As usual, this farm stand had gorgeous plants, lots of produce, and a few baked goods.

And it was here that their Tahini Seed Cookies stopped me in my tracks.

There was one left. It was huge, glorious-looking, and mine. Forgetting about everything else, I tucked my four dollars into the honor slot, grabbed the cookie, and carried it back to my car. I quickly decided I was going to wait to find the perfect oat milk latte before I ate it, so I ventured down the road and, as luck would have it, found a coffee stand pretty quickly. They made me the most excellent latte, and I sat down at one of their umbrella-covered tables and dug into the latte and the cookie.

Ohmygosh. This cookie.

It was a vanilla-and-sea-salt-laced cookie PACKED full of seeds, a hint of cardamom and tahini, and a glorious chocolate chunk now and then.

I immediately knew I wanted to recreate these cookies at home, but there is no recipe like that out there – all I had to go on was the list of ingredients on the side of the cookie jar. Stowel Farm’s website mentions their popular cookies, but no recipe.

Soooooo … I set out to recreate this incredible seed cookie that I just had to have in my life year-round. And that’s how these Tahini Seed Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies came to be!

I have to note that it took me awhile to realize that these tahini cookies are actually what’s considered to be a breakfast cookie. Which makes perfect sense because I have found myself grabbing one or two for breakfast – and felt great about it because of all of those glorious fiber-and-protein-and-omega-packed seeds. They’re excellent for a satiating snack, too!

Developing This Recipe for Tahini Seed Breakfast Cookies

I knew straight away that this was not going to be a normal cookie recipe. For one, these cookies clearly didn’t have any flour (and were labeled at the farm stand as gluten-free, too). But thankfully, the cookie jar at the farm stand listed the ingredients in the cookies (just not the quantities), so I had somewhere to start.

I stirred together some rolled oats with a bunch of seeds (sunflower seeds, pepitas [pumpkin seeds], and sunflower seeds), along with some dark chocolate chunks, vanilla, salt, and cardamom. Then I added what seemed like a good amount of tahini along with some honey.

The “dough” was not dough-like at all, but I persevered, scooping balls onto my baking sheet, then pressing them gently flat.

I shrugged and baked them, figuring it was going to be an epic fail.

I pulled them out of the oven, and they had actually puffed up a little and held together! From there, I let them cool all of the way on the cookie sheet.

Then I lifted one up, and it miraculously held together! I knew that the tahini and honey would act as a binder, but I was still floored that it actually worked. Better yet, the cookie was delicious!

I went through many iterations of this cookie before I settled on the recipe I’m sharing here today. This, in my opinion, has the perfect amount of vanilla and cardamom, holds together well, and tastes amazing!

The inspiration cookies had coconut, by the way, but when I tried adding coconut, the cookies suddenly had a moist quality that had them falling apart by day two. I didn’t feel like it added much to the flavor, so I continued developing the recipe without coconut. I have a hunch that toasted coconut flakes might work, though, I just haven’t tried it yet.

Ingredients

Okay, so what do we have in these little gems?

• Tahini – You want a runny, creamy tahini that you can stir together well so that it is nice and homogenous when you add it to your cookies.
• Honey – Any honey will work, use your fave.
• Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract is what I use. I want to try these breakfast cookies with vanilla bean paste or fresh vanilla bean but haven’t yet.
• Cardamom – Ground cardamom goes perfectly with the sesame taste of tahini and the mellow sweetness of the vanilla.
• Kosher salt & flaky sea salt – Kosher salt for in the cookies, flaky sea salt like Maldon for sprinkling over the top.
• Oats – I like to use thick rolled oats which I think stand up to the seeds well and add to the hearty quality of these breakfast cookies.
• Pepitas – Also known as pumpkin seeds, these green seeds are so good for you and just so good! I use raw, unsalted pepitas.
• Sunflower seeds – At the time I was testing this recipe, I had the hardest time finding raw sunflower seeds! So I used roasted, salted sunflower seeds. I’m sure raw sunflower seeds will work just as well.
• Sesame seeds – You’ll want raw sesame seeds. They’re found in the spice section of most grocery stores.
• Chocolate chunks – I like dark chocolate chunks for these tahini cookies, but you can use whatever chocolate chips or chunks you like.

Adaptations/Variations

• I plan to test this recipe with other nut butters and seeds/nuts, but haven’t yet. I suspect cashew butter/cashews will be lovely.
• Make ’em vegan: Honey is not vegan, but you can swap in pure maple syrup for a fully vegan version of these breakfast cookies.

How to Make Tahini Seed Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies

I think you’re going to LOVE how easy these breakfast cookies are to make.

Preheat your oven, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and grab a medium-sized bowl. Add the tahini, honey, vanilla, cardamom, and kosher salt to the bowl and mix it together until well combined.

Now, pile in all the seeds and the chocolate chunks. Stir until completely combined. The mix will be somewhat loose and will require a bit of muscle to get everything combined.

From there, scoop balls onto your baking sheet. I like to use a two-tablespoon cookie scoop.

Space them about two inches apart, and flatten them gently with your fingers. They’ll be a little fragile, just press the sides back in as you go.

I like to add a couple of extra chocolate chunks to the top of each cookie for presentation, but that’s totally optional.

Then, bake them until the edges are golden. Pull them out of the oven, sprinkle with flaky sea salt if you like, and let them sit until completely cool on the cookie sheet. They’ll adhere together as they cool.

Tips for Success

• Mix the wet ingredients together first. This helps to make sure all of the flavors of the vanilla, salt, and cardamom are evenly distributed.
• Let them cool completely on the baking sheet! This is where the magic happens – they bind together the rest of the way while cooling off.

How to Store

Store your tahini seed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can I Freeze Tahini Breakfast Cookies?

Yes! Not only can you freeze these tahini seed cookies, they’re absolutely delicious straight out of the freezer. Just keep them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to one month.

I hope you love this unique cookie recipe as much as we do! It’s been so fun to discover a new way to make delicious cookies that are so chockfull of good stuff that we feel good about eating them. AND after talking about them, I’m off to my freezer to snatch one up and eat it with my coconut creamer coffee! 🍪✌️

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Tahini Seed Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies Recipe

Densely packed with seeds, dotted with chocolate, held together with tahini and honey and flavored with vanilla and cardamom. I LOVE these slightly sweet, full of flavor, seedy-in-the-best-way, healthy cookies!

Keyword breakfast cookies, flourless seed cookies, seed cookies, sunflower seed cookies, tahini cookies

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 14 minutes minutes

Servings 15

Calories 146kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup tahini mixed well
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup raw unsalted pepitas
• 1/2 cup roasted salted sunflower seeds raw will work too
• 2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup chocolate chunks or chocolate chips; plus a few more for topping if desired
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes for sprinkling on top; optional

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add the tahini, honey, vanilla, cardamom, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to a medium bowl. Stir together until completely combined.
• Add the dry ingredients except for the flaky sea salt, which you'll sprinkle on after they bake. Mix with a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula until thoroughly combined.
• Scoop rounds of the cookies onto your baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. I like to use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, and as I'm scooping, I really try to push the cookie dough together to help it stick together.
• With your fingers, gently press the edges of the cookie together while pressing down to flatten it. You might have a few errant seeds fall out; this is okay and normal! Just do your best to push it back into the side of the cookie.
• If desired, top each cookie with two or three more chocolate chunks.
• Bake for 10-13 minutes, until ever so slightly puffed and the edges of the cookie are turning golden.
• IMPORTANT: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet until completely hardened and cool, about one hour. They harden and stick together as they cool.
• Remove the cookies from the parchment and serve. Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 5 days.

Notes

Total time does not include one hour cooling time. 

Storage & freezing notes

Store your tahini seed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Not only can you freeze these tahini seed cookies, they’re absolutely delicious straight out of the freezer. Just keep them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to one month.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 0.2mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Tahini Seed Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

This fresh and easy Greek pasta salad brings orzo pasta, veggies, olives, and feta together with a Greek vinaigrette, and it’s absolutely divine. One of my fave pasta salad recipes yet!

I love this fresh and easy pasta salad so much. It’s packed with fresh veggies – crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and crunchy red bell peppers. Fresh mint and parsley add bright flavor. Then there’s the full-of-flavor, Greek-salad inspired vinaigrette with oregano and Dijon mustard.

Oh, and can’t forget the Kalamata olives and salty feta. And tender orzo. Basically this salad is a conglomeration of everything I love. Except the word “conglomeration” is not the tastiest-sounding word, but I’m sure you catch my drift. It’s DELISH.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love Greek Orzo Salad
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
• Tips for Success
• More Pasta Salad Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

I’m a huge fan of pasta salad, and especially orzo pasta salad. There’s just something about that rice-sized pasta that works so well in a pasta salad, soaking up the flavors around it, adding amazing texture, yet letting the veggies shine.

In the past, I’ve created an orzo chickpea olive salad, an orzo chickpea cherry tomato salad, and an orzo pasta salad with hazelnuts and cherries.

But I’ve been on a massive Greek salad kick this year, so it was time to combine the classic elements of Greek salad with pasta salad, and here we are: Greek Orzo Pasta Salad.

Why You’ll Love Greek Orzo Salad

Well, for one, this salad tastes amazing! It’s so fresh and lively.

It’s also super meal-prep friendly: It’s one of those refrigerator-friendly salads that you can make ahead of time and enjoy all week long as a side dish or easy lunch salad.

It’s also the perfect potluck or BBQ salad. Be prepared for recipe requests!

Ingredients

• Orzo pasta: You’ll want about half a box, or 8 ounces, of orzo.
• Cherry tomatoes: Grape tomatoes will work, too. Cut them in half, or, if they’re large, go ahead and quarter them.
• English cucumber: I love English cucumbers because you don’t have to peel them and they’re always crisp and full of flavor. If you use a standard cuke, you’ll want to peel it first. Persian cucumbers are great in this, too!
• Red bell pepper: Feel free to substitute orange or yellow if you like. Bonus: An even MORE colorful Greek pasta salad!
• Feta: I love the salty and creamy notes feta adds to the mix. It also doesn’t get more Greek than that!
• Kalamata olives: Grab the already-pitted ones to make it easier on yourself.
• Parsley & mint: Fresh herbs add so much flavor and pretty color.

For the dressing:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Red wine vinegar: White wine vinegar or champagne vinegar will also work.
• Dijon mustard: Adds flavor and emulsifies the dressing.
• Garlic: Finely mince it, or use a Microplane zester to get it extra fine.
• Oregano, salt, & pepper

Adaptations/Variations

• Add 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (shown in the ingredients photo but not strictly necessary) for a bonus boost of flavor.
• Swap the orzo for a straight-up Greek pasta salad: You don’t have to use orzo if you can’t find it or don’t want to! Any small or medium pasta shape will do. Small shells or rotini are especially good.
• Vegan option: Omit the feta cheese. This salad is still delicious without it! You might want to add a pinch or two extra of salt, or some extra olives, to compensate for it. 
• Gluten-free option: Use gluten-free orzo pasta. 

How to Make Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

First, you’ll want to cook the orzo so that it has time to cool.

Next, mix together the vinaigrette. I love the shortcut of mixing the vinaigrette right in the bottom of the salad bowl. Less dishes!

Then, add the veggies, feta, olives, and herbs to the bowl along with the cooled orzo.

From there, toss everything together. You’re done!

Tips for Success

• For the flavors to really meld, place your Greek orzo pasta salad in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.
• You can make this salad up to 4 days ahead of time. Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge and give it a quick stir to freshen it up before serving. I might sprinkle a few extra fresh herbs on top right before serving too, just to make it look extra pretty.

More Pasta Salad Recipes

• Classic Creamy Macaroni Salad
• Chickpea Orzo Salad with Olives & Capers
• Cherry Tomato Chickpea Orzo Salad
• Pea Pesto Pasta Salad
• Cherry Hazelnut Orzo Salad

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Greek Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe

The perfect combo of pasta salad + Greek salad! Fresh, crisp veggies pair up with tender pasta, fresh herbs, salty Kalamata olives, and creamy feta plus a full-of-flavor Greek vinaigrette.

Keyword greek orzo salad, greek pasta salad

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 207kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 8 ounces orzo pasta about 1 1/3 cups
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• 1/2 English cucumber chopped; about 1 cup
• 1/2 red bell pepper diced; about 1 cup
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup Kalamata olives sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint minced

For the Greek vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 small garlic clove minced or finely grated
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Cook the orzo pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and let cool. If you're in a hurry, you can rinse it with cold water to cool it, but I prefer not to rinse if it I can avoid it.
• Make the Greek vinaigrette right in your salad bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a large bowl until emulsified.
• Add the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, feta, olives, parsley, and mint to the bowl.
• Add the cooled orzo to the bowl.
• Stir gently but thoroughly, coating all of the ingredients with the vinaigrette.
• Serve immediately, or, for best flavor, chill for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to melt together.

Notes

Vegan option: 

Omit the feta cheese. This salad is still delicious without it! You might want to add a pinch or two extra of salt, or some extra olives, to compensate for it. 

Gluten-free option:

Use gluten-free orzo pasta. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 331mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 540IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Greek Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Plus, it only takes 3 ingredients, and you can use fresh-picked blueberries in the height of summer, or frozen blueberries any time of year.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love This Blueberry Milkshake Recipe
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Blueberry Milkshakes
• Tips for Success
• Can I Save Leftovers?
• More Blueberry Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

We are lucky to have the most amazing blueberry farm in the fertile farm valley just a few minutes away from where we live. Most summers, we try to get down there and enjoy an afternoon of blueberry picking.

The problem is, it’s really, REALLY hard to stop. There is something so satisfying about pulling handfuls of perfectly ripe blueberries off of fluffy green bushes.

So we end up with GOBS of blueberries, and an hour later, I’m back in my kitchen with a huge box overflowing with blueberries and I’m like, welp, my life is blueberries now.

But it’s summer, and I’m hot. Why not take a breather and cool down with a frosty, creamy, decadent drink while I’m at it? Blueberry milkshakes to the rescue!

Why You’ll Love This Blueberry Milkshake Recipe

I mean, it’s blueberries and vanilla ice cream. What’s not to love?!

But truly, this blueberry milkshake is super easy to make, with only three ingredients and a bit of time in the blender.

Ingredients

• Blueberries – Fresh or frozen, either will do.
• Vanilla ice cream – Use your fave.
• Milk
• Optional toppings – Whipped cream, fresh mint sprigs, and a few more blueberries

Adaptations/Variations

• Make this blueberry milkshake vegan and dairy-free by swapping in a vegan ice cream and plant-based milk (I’m partial to oat milk in milkshakes because it’s thick and rich).

How to Make Blueberry Milkshakes

Simply place all of the ingredients in your blender, and blend blend blend! Start slowly to get the ingredients moving, then gradually increase the speed. Blend for about 1 minute on high speed until gorgeous, purple, and positively drinkable.

Tips for Success

• For the easiest blending, add the milk first, then the blueberries, then the ice cream. Having the liquid closest to the blades helps get everything moving.
• If the milkshake seems too thick for your blender, here are a few tips to get it moving:
  1. If your blender came with a tamper, then use the tamper to help the mixture blend. If it didn’t, then unplug your blender, use a spatula to scrape the sides, add more milk as close to the base as you can, then try blending again.
  2. Or, you can simply let the mixture melt a little bit and then try blending again. If you don’t have a high speed blender, start with 1 ½ cups frozen, or fresh, blueberries, and then add more as needed.

Can I Save Leftovers?

Milkshakes don’t make great leftovers, because the consistency will change whether you are to put it in the fridge (it’ll melt), or the freezer (it’ll freeze and won’t thaw with the same consistency as before).

More Blueberry Recipes

• Blueberry Lemonade
• Blueberry Smoothie
• Frozen Mini Blueberry Key Lime Pies
• Blueberry Sauce

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Blueberry Milkshake Recipe

Pretty, purple, and positively delicious! Juicy blueberries team up with creamy cool vanilla ice cream for a simple milkshake recipe that is as tasty as it is pretty. Recipe makes two large milkshakes or three medium.

Keyword berry milkshake, blueberry milkshake, blueberry milkshake recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 641kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 3 cups vanilla ice cream
• 2 cups blueberries frozen or fresh
• 2 cups milk
• whipped cream optional

Instructions

• Add the ice cream, milk, and blueberries to your blender. Blend on low to get everything moving, then increase to high speed. Mix for about 1 minute, until the milkshake is very well blended. Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream, a couple of additional blueberries, and a sprig of mint if desired.

Notes

Nutrition information does not include whipped cream.

Dairy Free & Vegan Option

Substitute vegan vanilla ice cream and a rich plant-based milk like oat milk. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 641kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 874mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 68g | Vitamin A: 1309IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 562mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Blueberry Milkshake Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.