Happy Monday my friends! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. It has been perfectly gorgeous here in Atlanta these last few days, so I've been spending plenty of time outside when I can. Though after the boyfriend picking up my market goodies Saturday morning while I was at work, I did have to buckle down and stay indoors for my Sunday cooking spree. It is blasphemy to let any of this goodness go to waste!
I know I say it every season, but I really do love what comes around this time of year. This week I got the first of the fennel for the season, along with some of the last of the bell peppers. Fresh celery is one I love finding at the market, as well, since it is another one that has so much more flavor than what you find at the grocery store. I also got plenty of leafy greens, more of my beloved kohlrabi, radishes and a number of other goodies. With all of my bounty ready to go in the refrigerator when I got home I opted for a soup to put much of it to use in one nourishing bowl.
I make soup all the time, and like a lot of cooks, it is slightly different just about every time. I probably have something similar I've posted before, but it is always fun to note each variation because someone may really like one versus another. Plus I do enjoy marking my foodie journey and looking back year to year to see what I gravitate to making each season. Fennel is an item I never used to use until we started trying to sub out something for onions when cooking for my allium-sensitive sister. Now it is common for me to make dishes with no garlic or onions, even though I love them both, as I know plenty of others who can't tolerate them and need flavorful substitutions.
I often get my fennel from my farmer Lynn (Straight from the Backyard Farm). Hers has the most luscious fronds! If I can't use all of the fronds and stalks right away, I have started keeping them to add flavor to my homemade vegetable stock. I just roughly chop up what I can't use and toss it in a bag in the freezer until it is time to make the stock. I'm all out of homemade stock at the moment, so it is time to check to see if I have enough scraps in the freezer to make some. It is prime soup season ahead, after all.
I also used my Wonderbag again for this meal as I do so enjoy the simplicity of it for slow cooking a one-pot dish. It is so easy to start the soup on the stove top then transfer it over to the insulated bag and just let it get happy for the rest of the day. I am happy to keep doing my part to promote such a wonderful company, as well! The more recipes out there for them, the more likely people are to buy them. That also means more bags go to women who really need them. Of course you can also easily make this completely on the stove top, just bring down to a simmer and cook until the rice is done and the vegetables are tender.
Slow Cooked Vegetable & Tofu Soup
Makes about 8 servings
- 1 fennel bulb & stalks, chopped with fronds (herb-y part attached to the stalks) reserved for serving
- 2-3 large celery stalks (I added the greens right along with the stalks), chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3-4 small colorful bell peppers or 2 large, seeded & chopped
- 1 small hot pepper, seeded & minced (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground celery seed
- 1 (15-ounce) package firm tofu, drained & cubed
- 1/2 cup brown rice (or sub other whole grain of choice)
- 10 cups water or low-sodium vegetable stock
- 1 bunch fresh arugula, roughly chopped
- Juice of one lemon, plus more for serving
- Salt to taste
Heat a large stock pot over medium heat on the stove top. Add in the fennel and celery. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, then add the bell and hot peppers. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the vegetables start to soften. Add in a tablespoon or two of water as needed to prevent sticking.
Add in the fresh ginger and ground spices. Cook for a minute to bloom the spices, then add in the tofu, rice and liquid. Increase the heat to bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for at least 5 minutes to ensure the contents are heated through. Remove from heat and place in the Wonderbag. Close tightly and let sit for at least 4 hours, or up to 6-8 hours to let all of the ingredients cook through and the flavors to meld together. (For more of my Wonderbag tips check out my latest Chili Recipe)
Remove from the bag and mix in the arugula (or other leafy green of choice), lemon juice, salt and the reserved fennel fronds. Taste and adjust seasoning as you like. A fresh squeeze of lemon on leftovers brings the flavor right back out!
Another simple meal, yet loaded with so many nourishing ingredients to help keep up your immunity as we go into the cold and flu season ahead. Especially with the "C" word still looming, taking care of our health through proper nutrition is even more important now than ever. Loading up with all the seasonal fruits and vegetables you can, along with the immunity-boosting duo of ginger and turmeric never hurts. Plus it tastes oh so good "eating your medicine". ;)
Also, congrats to the team at the newly rebranded 
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