15-Minute All-Greens Soup

Serves: 4

¼ cup olive oil plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
3 zucchini, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup snow peas, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
½ bunch loosely-packed kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 cup loosely-packed fresh parsley or basil
About 2 cups vegetable broth, chicken broth or water (NOTE: Add more or less liquid to reach your desired consistency.)
Salt and pepper

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Prepare a large bowl with ice water. In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the zucchini, celery and snow peas until fork-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Dunk into the prepared ice water bowl; drain and pat dry. Blanch the kale, spinach and parsley until bright green, about 45 seconds; drain and pat dry, then squeeze out any extra liquid. Place the onion mixture and half of the blanched vegetables and parsley in a blender; process until smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in the remaining ¼ cup olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Return to the pot, stir in the broth, remaining vegetables and season to taste with salt and pepper; cook over medium heat until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Author's comments:
When I make this soup, I use whatever green vegetables and herbs I have in my fridge’s vegetable drawer. I’ve used kale, asparagus, green beans, sugar snap peas, snow peas, spinach, zucchini, celery, basil, parsley, cilantro. The list goes on and on, really. Please improvise with this recipe. The only ingredient you’ll need to adjust is the broth. Just add enough liquid until you reach your desired consistency. If I have any leftovers and I’m feeling decadent, I’ll melt in some shredded cheddar in the last few minutes of cooking.

But the beauty of blanching goes beyond the superficial. Blanching only takes a few minutes at most and will actually save you time in the long run. After blanching, all you need to do is blend the vegetables with a few more ingredients  and cook the soup on the stovetop just until heated through.
So what is blanching exactly? All it means is that you’re going to bring a large pot of water to a boil, add vegetables and cook until bright green and fork-tender, then you’ll dunk them into a big bowl of ice water and drain.
from Silvana's Kitchen 
http://www.silvanaskitchen.com/gluten-free-dairy-free-greens-soup/ 

Fried Beets ‘n’ Carrots

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 medium beets, quartered, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 medium carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Tamari sauce
Beet tops, fresh spinach, or Swiss chard

Heat olive oil in skillet. Add cumin; cook about 1 minute. Add beets and carrots; fry until tender. Remove from heat, sprinkle on a little tamari, and serve.

Variation: If using young beets, save the tops. When the beets and carrots are tender, add chopped greens, cover, and cook until soft. Toss mixture, sprinkle with tamari, and serve.

From Asparagus to Zucchini

Whole Beet Skillet

Serves 2 - 4

4-6 medium beets with fresh greens
2 Tbsp butter
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp ginger root (peeled and minced)
1-2 Tbsp honey

Cut greens off beets, leaving about 1” of greens on them. Place beets in large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beets are tender when pricked with fork, 15-30 minutes, depending on size. While beets are cooking, remove stem from beet greens. Chop stems in 1” pieces. Chop greens separately. Drain the cooked beets and rinse with cold water. When beets have cooled enough to handle, slip peels off with fingers. Cut beets in slices. In saucepan sauté stems in 1-2 tablespoons butter until tender. Add greens and sauté until bright green and just tender. Add sliced beets and heat through. Stir in lemon juice, ginger and honey and serve immediately.

From Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert

Turnip Greens

Serves 4

1/2 lb fresh turnip greens (or other braising greens)
4 cups water
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 small yellow onion, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

In a 3-quart saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the greens and boil for 5 minutes. Drain, squeeze out excess water, and set aside. Put the bacon and onion in a large skillet. Stirring constantly, cook over medium-low heat until the onion turns translucent and the bacon is slightly crisp, about 6 minutes. Add the greens. Still stirring, cook for about 5 minutes more or until tender and wilted. Salt and pepper to taste.

From One United Harvest

Cannellini Beans & Wilted Greens

Serves 6 to 8

2 cups dried cannellini beans
Bouquet garni: celery, thyme, parsley, bay leaf
1 onion
1 carrot
6 cups water or chicken stock
Salt and pepper
1 large bunch turnip greens, mustard greens, chard or kale
6 cloves garlic
5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
Extra virgin olive oil

Soak the beans overnight. The next day drain them and put them into a heavy-bottomed pot with the bouquet garni. Add the onion and carrot, peeled. Cover with water or stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface. Cook the beans until very tender, from 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the age of the beans and how long they were soaked. Salt the beans generously once they start to soften. When fully cooked, remove from the heat.

While the beans are cooking, trim and chop the greens.

Finely chop the garlic cloves and gently sauté them in the olive oil with the rosemary, about 1 minute. Add the beans and about 1 cup of their cooking liquid, and simmer about 5 minutes, until some of the beans have crumbled apart. Add the greens to the beans, and stew together, uncovered, until the greens are wilted and tender. Add more of the bean liquid, if needed, to keep the vegetables moist and a little soupy. Taste for seasoning and grind in some pepper. Serve with extra-virgin olive oil drizzled over the surface.

This makes an excellent side dish with roasted or grilled poultry.
It is also a fine sauce for a sturdy pasta, like penne. When the beans are tender, roughly mash about half of them, to thicken the sauce, and then stir in the cooked pasta. Add a little more bean liquid if the mixture is too thick.

From Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters

Garlic Potatoes with Greens

Makes 6 servings

4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into eighths
2 tsp salt
1 large bunch collard greens, kale, or turnip greens, stems removed, rinsed and coarsely chopped
6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan or stockpot, and just cover with water. Add the salt, stir, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and boil the potatoes gently, partially covered, until they are nearly tender but still firm in the center, about 12 minutes. Add the greens, cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have cooked down and turned dark green, about 15 minutes. The potatoes will be thoroughly cooked and a bit soft at the edges.

While the potatoes and greens are cooking, place the oil and the garlic in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, and cook until the garlic turns a very pale gold, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the hot pepper flakes, and set aside.

When the potatoes and greens are cooked, transfer them to a warmed serving bowl, with any remaining cooking liquid, and either pour the garlic mixture over all, or serve it on the side.

From The Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis

Garlicky Greens

(with Collard Greens or Kale)

1 1/2 to 2 pounds collard greens (or other greens) steamed until tender
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 to 3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 4 large cloves)
salt and black pepper, to taste
hot pepper sauce

Drain greens well. In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook garlic in the oil until it just begins to brown. Add the drained greens. Season to taste with salt and pepper then add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.

Carolina Kale

submitted by Margery Prazar; from the Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites
Serves 4 to 6

1 ½ lbs. kale, collards, chard, beet greens, or mustard greens
2 cups chopped canned tomatoes and their juice
1 cup minced onions
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 tsp. Tabasco
1/2 tsp. salt
ground black pepper to taste

Wash the greens. Remove the large stems and any discolored leaves. Stack the leaves and slice them crosswise in 1/8 inch strips.

Combine the tomatoes, onions, cumin, garlic, tabasco, and salt in a saucepan, cover, and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the greens, cover, and gently simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the greens are tender. Add pepper to taste and serve.

Serve separately as a side dish, or put over brown rice.

Sauteed Greens

3 Tbl oil
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 leek sliced thin (or 2 scallions)
6-8 c bulky greens, chopped (kale, chard, beet greens, collards...)
1/4 c dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
1 Tbl vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 tsp honey (optional)
2 Tbl tamari

Heat oil. Add garlic, ginger and leek. Sauté briefly. Add greens to coat with oil. Add sherry or wine, vinegar or lemon juice, honey (optional), and a few drops of water. Continue sautéing greens until tender. Add tamari just before serving. Remember that fresh greens shrink in cooking!

Notes: We do not use honey in cooking, as Ayurvedic knowledge says this alters the honey in an undesirable way. However, it is fine to stir the honey in at the *end* of cooking if you want that sweetness.

Variation: Sliced radishes are good to add in too!

Patti Andrews

Greens & Tofu

1-1/4 c firm silken tofu, cut into 1" cubes
oil (as needed)
dark leafy greens, such as chard, kale or beet greens, or spinach torn into bite-sized pieces
2 tsp sesame salt (gomasio) or toasted sesame seeds
2 Tbl tamari
3 c cooked brown rice

Oil a large frying pan or wok. Sauté tofu cubes about 5 min. Push the cubes to the center of pan and spread torn greens around edges. Sprinkle the tofu with sesame salt of seeds and 1 Tbl of the tamari. Cover pan to steam the greens until it is just wilted. Be careful not to overcook
it. Remove from heat and drain excess liquid. Sprinkle the remaining Tbl of tamari over greens and serve with rice.

Patti’s Notes:
This is a very fast recipe, and can be done and ready to serve in the time it takes to cook the rice, plain sesame seeds work fine, varying quantities work fine. If the greens are large or a bit tough, it helps to be sure they are chopped into small pieces and that they are sautéed until tender. We just put the sesame seeds in without bothering to roast -- and we've always used kale (I am only noticing now that we could use just about any green or even broccoli and it will still be yummy.)

submitted by Patti Andrews From: Ecological Cooking by Joanne Stepaniak & Kathy Hecker

10 Minute Light Vegetable Soup for Two

Just double this recipe for 4

Place 1 Tbl ghee (clarified butter), or olive or sunflower oil in good-sized stir fry pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 or more sliced garlic cloves for a couple of minutes to soften and release
the flavor. Add progressively to the stir fry pan, stirring each to coat with oil and soften:

2 good-sized scallions (or 4-5 tiny ones), chopped fine, including the green parts;
1 smaller broccoli stalk, with all the stem parts sliced into dime-sized pieces and the remaining flower tops cut small as well.
1 smaller zucchini or yellow squash and cut into quarter-sized pieces.
1 handful of beet greens (or other greens such as chard or kale) also cut into small pieces.

Once everything has softened and the aroma of the food is filling the air, add:
1 quart of boiling water
1 vegetable bouillon cube (Marigold Organic Swiss is excellent, or a homemade one to control ingredients)

Stir to mix thoroughly, turn off heat and serve with a hearty bread and summer salad.

Notes: This cooks up in 5 - 10 minutes max, as long as one is set up to wash and chop vegetables quickly into finer-sized bites. We really like these flavors together, though other vegetables might appeal. We sometimes use a homemade broth by saving the cooking waters of other vegetables, popping each in the freezer in small quantities, and then heating these "vegetable broth pucks" up while preparing the rest of the stir fry. We also sometimes begin with some Indian spices in the olive oil and grated ginger instead of garlic or vegetable bouillon.

submitted by Patti Andrews