Merry Two-Days-After-Christmas! I’m sorry I didn’t get to pop in again before the big day and share some last minute sweets – after 6 months of intense work, travel, and just generally keeping it together, my body finally called for a time out, and I was out cold with the flu from Friday afternoon until Wednesday morning. I’m still taking it pretty easy, but I’m on my feet again and actually grateful for all the time I’ve had to rest. Time to do a few little things I’ve been meaning to get around to forever, like order a new bed and organize my photos from this year. And more importantly, time to reflect, to think about all the accomplishments of this past year and to take stock of what I’d like for myself in the next one. Although having the flu isn’t the most ideal of circumstances for vacation, I’m glad I’ll start the new year refreshed and refocused.

I made this simple black bean soup the other night to eat while snuggled up in front of a movie. I’m thinking ahead to my annual winter cleanse and testing out new recipes to see if they’re worth including. This soup seems to fit the bill – meat and grain free, low fat, flavorful, quick and easy to put together from cupboard ingredients, and filling enough for dinner on a cold December night. The soup itself is not very complex in flavor, but all the add-ins – feta cheese, pumpkin seeds, and lime wedges – add good contrast and brightness to the smooth and spicy broth. Be warned, the poblanos are surpisingly hot! They look sort of non-intimidating, but they pack a punch.

Black Bean Soup with Roasted Poblanos

Adapted slightly from Bon Appetit. Serves 3-4.

• 2 fresh poblano chiles
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 large dried ancho chile
• One 14.5 oz can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 3 c. chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 c. cooked black beans (about two 14.5 oz cans, rinsed and drained)
• kosher salt to taste
• 4 TBS roasted, salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
• 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

1. Preheat the broiler. Place the poblanos on a foil-lined baking tray, and broil for 8-12 minutes, turning every few minutes with tongs, until the peppers are blackened all over. Remove the peppers from the oven, and place them in a bowl, covering the bowl immediately with plastic wrap. Let the peppers steam under the plastic wrap for 15 minutes, then peel off and discard their skins, remove and discard the seeds and stems, and finely dice the pepper flesh.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic cloves and saute until onion is golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the seeds and stem from the dried ancho chile and discard. Place the ancho chile in the pan with the garlic and onion and cook, stirring, until chile has softened and become pliable, about 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, ancho chile, and tomatoes to a blender and puree until smooth, then return the puree to the saucepan. Stir in the broth, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer until the soup is thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the beans and the diced poblanos and cook until heated through, about 3-5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
3. Divide the soup between 3 or 4 bowls, topping each with 1 TBS of pumpkin seeds, 2 TBS of crumbled feta cheese, and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve immediately.

The post Resting // Black Bean Soup with Roasted Poblanos appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Ever since getting back from Russia, I can’t seem to get enough soup. I’ve been daydreaming about it: creamy sweet potato bisques, homemade chicken noodle spiked with chili oil, my mom’s El Cid chili with cornbread (for Sunday afternoon football watching), tangy tomato soup thickened with bread, and hearty bowls of Portuguese-style kale and linguica soup. I’ll take them all. Thankfully, soup is an easy, healthy way to feed yourself, so I can do more than daydream – I can make soup as often as I please. I find that making soup is the most intrinsic, relaxing form of cooking. There’s a rhythm to it, the chopping of onions and garlic, the sauteeing, more chopping, more sauteeing, adding spices, broth, root vegetables, stirring, simmering, smelling, stirring. When people ask me how they can start to learn to cook, I always recommend starting with soup. It’s wonderfully forgiving, and it’s hard to make a bad one. This soup – an Ecuadorian chicken and rice stew spiced with achiote, smoked paprika, and cumin – is no exception.

I really enjoyed making this last Sunday. Trevor had tickets to the Pats game with his coworkers, so I had a long, chilly afternoon to myself. I went running, caught up on reading, swung by the grocery store, and made this stew, all without feeling rushed or stressed. After four frenetic months moving, traveling, and adjusting to a different pace of life, the fact that I’ll get to spend the entire month of November at home, cozying up with Trevor feels like an early Christmas present. Last Sunday afternoon was the first time in months that I really felt slowed-down, and filling my house up with the rich, spicy smell of this soup just cemented that feeling.

As far as taste goes, this stew is a winner. It’s quite hearty, made thick and creamy by the addition of rice and potatoes, and just a bit spicy from a combination of smoked Spanish paprika, achiote paste, and a dash of hot sauce. The recipe, which comes from Jose Garces’ The Latin Road Home (I reviewed it here last year, if you’re interested – it’s a great cookbook), said it serves four, but I think this recipe makes a huge batch, at least 8 filling servings. Which means, not only is it delicious, but also economical for feeding a family. Give this one a try this fall, I think you’ll like it.

Ecuadorian Chicken and Rice Stew

Recipe adapted slightly from The Latin Road Home. Serves 8-10.

• 3 lb. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 TBS whole cumin seeds
• 2 TBS achiote paste (I used a Latin spice mix with achiote in it that I found at Wholefoods)
• 1 tsp Spanish smoked hot paprika
• 2 TBS tomato paste
• 6 c. chicken stock
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1 1/2 lb. fresh tomatoes, preferably plum, cored and cubed
• 1 c. long-grain white rice
• 2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 lb. frozen peas
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 c. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 c. minced fresh cilantro
• hot sauce to taste

1. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, and sear the chicken pieces in batches. Cook thighs until skin is crispy and golden brown on both sides, flipping over once, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
2. Lower the heat to medium, and add the onion and red pepper to the pot. Cook until softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin seeds, achiote paste, and paprika to the pot and cook, stirring, until spices are toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, then return the chicken pieces to the pot. Add the chicken stock and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the rice, potatoes, and carrots, return soup to a simmer, then cover, and cook until chicken is falling off the bone and rice is fully cooked, about 40 minutes.
3. Uncover the soup and stir in the peas, oregano, parsley, and cilantro. Let peas heat through, then season to taste and serve with hot sauce.

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