This recipe is less of a recipe, and more of a formula. It's a great way to clean out your fridge and use up lots of veggies at the end of the week, and our SECRET INGREDIENT is the thing that brings all the flavors together. This soup is something that we recently served at our Fermentation Celebration - it was very simple to prepare for a very large crowd and so tasty and nourishing to eat on a rainy fall day. 

This big delicious vegetable soup can really be a mix of whatever you have on hand you, but we recommend adding some basic elements- beans, greens, starchy and non-starchy vegetables. Below you'll find one version of this soup that I made with what I had stocked in my house, but really you can use whatever you'd like. 

The Soup Formula:

1 part aromatic vegetables (onions, garlic, carrots, peppers, fennel)
3 part non starchy veggies (green beans, zucchini, cabbage, tomatoes) 
​1 parts starchy veggies (potatoes, winter squash)  
4 parts liquid (crushed tomatoes/bone broth/stock) 
3 parts cooked beans  
4 parts greens 
seasoning  // optional protein

​Okay...it's time to shine a spotlight on the SECRET INGREDIENT. Our Root 5 Farm Herbes Salées. This herb salt adds a ton of savory flavor and really bumps up any soup that it's added too. Herbes salées is a traditional Quebecois preservation method that makes it easy to put up large amounts of herbs for use all winter. This is more than just salted herbs- it's super versatile. Beyond just adding to soups and stews, mix into salad dressings and tomato sauce, mix with cream cheese, yogurt or cottage cheese for dips, spreads and snacks.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bulb fennel, minced
2 carrots, diced
1 cup sweet bell pepper, diced
1 cup zucchini
1 cup green beans
3 cups of cooked navy beans (2 cans or 1 cup dried)
3 cups winter squash, peeled and cubed
2 cups cabbage, chopped
2 cups spinach (I had some frozen from earlier in the season!)
4 cups crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp R5F Herbes Salées

Method of Preparation

1. Chop all the veggies and heat the biggest pot you own on medium heat. First, cook your aromatic veggies like onion, carrot and bell pepper for 5 or so minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic.

2. Cook for a few minutes more, and then add squash (or whatever starchy vegetable you're using). Add the quicker cooking veggies (chopped zucchini, green beans, or cabbage). Toss everything together and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring every so often.

3. Add the crushed tomatoes and the drained cooked beans. Cook for at least 20 minutes, or longer to really let the flavors all come together. You may need to add some water or more cooking liquid depending on what vegetables you end up using in your mix. 

4. In the last few minutes of cooking, add the chopped spinach and a big spoonful of Herbes Salées. Add salt and pepper to taste. We recommend serving it with some crusty bread or a biscuit!

This year we've been blessed with a nice, cool spring. The greens are abundant and just begging to be turned into a comforting meal. As the weather starts to warm up I wanted to include one more cozy recipe before leaning on low or no cook dishes that will keep our kitchens cool.

A classic pot of greens and beans doesn't need to be complicated or serious. Choose your favorite greens, choose your favorite beans... you're basically done. You can bump up the flavor and nutrition on this recipe cooking with bone broth or adding protein that suits you. Enjoy it as a main dish, or as a side. Flexibility is the name of the game with this one. 

Ingredients

1 bunch of greens (kale, collards, swiss chard etc)
1 can drained or 2 cups of cooked beans (cannellini, navy, great northern, etc)
1/4 cup vegetable stock or bone broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar (sherry, apple cidar, etc)
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
salt & pepper
optional: red pepper flakes/parmesan cheese

Method of Preparation: 

1. Rinse the greens and remove the stems. Tear leaves into bite sized pieces and chop the stems if using something tender like swiss chard. 

2. Add olive oil to a deep pan and heat on medium before adding the sliced garlic. Cook until fragrant and then remove once browned slightly. If using tender stems, add to the same pan and cook for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften.

3. Add the torn leaves and cook down until wilted. Add the remaining ingredients- vinegar, stock, cooked beans, and red pepper flakes if you like some heat. 

​4. Turn down the burner and simmer on low until the liquid is absorbed. Add back the cooked garlic if you'd like and top with optional parmesan cheese.

I was lucky enough to spend my childhood years in Nice, France where local produce is abundant and fresh vegetables make up a big part of the diet. The classic salad Nicoise always features fresh tomatoes, briney olives, hard boiled eggs + tuna or anchovies dressed in vinaigrette. More modern versions add additional ingredients like cooked potatoes, green beans, capers or radishes...so this really can be a choose your own adventure style salad. I especially like to make this when summers start to heat up- only about 15 minutes of active cooking time, and you only need one pot of water to get it done. 

A mixture of cooked and raw vegetables plus multiple protein sources really make this salad a complete meal. By cooking the vegetables and eggs ahead of time, and keeping them in the refrigerator, this meal comes together in just minutes whenever you need something fresh and filling. If you can find Nicoise olives, definitely use those- but most of the time I will make this with whatever I have access to. This recipe will make 2 large meal-sized salads or 4 smaller salads.

Ingredients

1/2 bag of salad greens or arugula
4 eggs, hard or soft boiled
1 lb yellow or purple potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup kalamata or green olives 
1-2 cans of tuna packed in olive oil
1/2 cup of your favorite vinaigrette

Method of Preparation

1. Start by cooking the potatoes and blanching the green beans- usually I do this in the same pot. Starting with cold water I cook the potatoes for 10 minutes, then add the green beans and cook for 2-3 more minutes. You can also cook your hard (or soft) boiled eggs at this point too! 

2. Remove the green beans with a slotted spoon and put into an ice bath to stop the cooking and keep them crunchy and green. Drain the potatoes and chill in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the salad. 

3. To assemble: toss potatoes and green beans with half of the vinaigrette, and the salad greens with the remaining. Add the greens to your plate, topped with the beans and potatoes. Pile on the remaining ingredients - tuna, tomatoes, olives, and sliced hardboiled eggs + any additional fresh vegetables that are in season. 

These are amazing served hot or cold! They are a fun accompaniment on a cheese board or served as a side with dinner.

I love this as a breakfast dish with a side of eggs or tofu! It will give you loads of energy and
allow you to start your day on the right note!

Ingredients
1 bunch rainbow chard, washed and chopped (add 2 cups spinachor kale when in season)
1 onion chopped
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 can organic chili beans drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp tamari
Salt/pepper to taste
1 bunch fresh chives for garnish

​Method
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large cast iron pan. Add onion/garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Add the greens saute 5­-10 minutes (until the greens have cooked down completely). Add the beans, tamari, and vinegar and mix well. Cover and cook 5 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the chives.