After a particularly delicious bowl of potato leek soup Alex #2 suggested we try a month of only eating soups when we cook at home (which is 5 or 6 nights a week). I'm a fan of soup and with fall settling in it's the perfect time to get cozy with a bowl and some home baked bread. I've wanted a bread machine for a while now and the month of soup is finally the right time to get one. Unfortunately last Thursday when we were near a Bed, Bath and Beyond with our 20% off coupon we ran out of time due to dinner with friends and knit night, so tonights bread will be baked in the oven. The bread machine will be acquired tomorrow on our way to a game day with friends.
On the menu tonight is Pigeon Pea Soup and Coconut Bread. Pigeon pea soup is a Spanish/Portuguese soup that is full of peppers, sweet and hot, as well as cilantro, butternut squash, and plantains. Because I'm a vegetarian I've substituted the meat and broth with veggie friendly alternatives. I don't buy stock in cans, but instead use my favorite type of vegetable bouillon- Knorr.
It took a little bit of time to chop all of the veggies for the soup, especially chopping up the butternut squash. It's a bit of a pain taking the skin off of it, but I'd prefer that to buying it already chopped up at Wegmans- we have enough of a disconnect with our food sources for squash to come wrapped in plastic. I also had to let the beans soak to soften them up before cooking.
The bread was easy enough to mix together. I did run into a snag though, in that my boyfriend doesn't own a loaf pan and all of my kitchen stuff is in storage. I baked the bread in the pyrex pan i use for cornbread, so it may bake differently.
RESULTS
The flavors meld well together, with the cilantro and "sausage" being the predominant flavors. There's a hint of spiciness from the jalapeno. Alex #2 really liked that the dried beans weren't mushy like canned ones can sometimes be and I really liked that the soup tasted fresh and full of vegetables. The sweetness of the coconut bread went really well with the spiciness of the soup, and not having a loaf pan wasn't a problem when baking it. I'd definitely make this soup again, but won't have to for a while because I made enough to freeze (another benefit of an all soup diet).
On the menu tonight is Pigeon Pea Soup and Coconut Bread. Pigeon pea soup is a Spanish/Portuguese soup that is full of peppers, sweet and hot, as well as cilantro, butternut squash, and plantains. Because I'm a vegetarian I've substituted the meat and broth with veggie friendly alternatives. I don't buy stock in cans, but instead use my favorite type of vegetable bouillon- Knorr.
It took a little bit of time to chop all of the veggies for the soup, especially chopping up the butternut squash. It's a bit of a pain taking the skin off of it, but I'd prefer that to buying it already chopped up at Wegmans- we have enough of a disconnect with our food sources for squash to come wrapped in plastic. I also had to let the beans soak to soften them up before cooking.
The bread was easy enough to mix together. I did run into a snag though, in that my boyfriend doesn't own a loaf pan and all of my kitchen stuff is in storage. I baked the bread in the pyrex pan i use for cornbread, so it may bake differently.
RESULTS
The flavors meld well together, with the cilantro and "sausage" being the predominant flavors. There's a hint of spiciness from the jalapeno. Alex #2 really liked that the dried beans weren't mushy like canned ones can sometimes be and I really liked that the soup tasted fresh and full of vegetables. The sweetness of the coconut bread went really well with the spiciness of the soup, and not having a loaf pan wasn't a problem when baking it. I'd definitely make this soup again, but won't have to for a while because I made enough to freeze (another benefit of an all soup diet).
It looks delicious. Was it filling?
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