Recipe Roulette: Broccoli Soup And Three Bean Salad

Jenn at Peas And Crayons has suggested a “green”  theme for What I Ate Wednesday posts this March, and I have two new recipes to share that fit the bill.

As many of you know, I have given up meat for Lent, and that has me trying new recipes. This broccoli soup recipe was not as good as I hoped, but the three bean salad recipe definitely is a keeper.

Broccoli Soup**
1 10 oz. box frozen broccoli florets (thawed)
1 15 oz. can vegetarian broth
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp peper
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Blend all ingredients except lemon peel and lemon juice until smooth.
Pour into a pot, add lemon peel and lemon juice, and cook over medium heat until hot.

**The original recipe is from the March 2013 isue of Good Housekeeping magazine, and called for chicken broth instead of vegetarian broth.

I think I expected too much from a recipe that is this simple. It tasted fine, but it didn’t taste like much more than pureed broccoli soup–although I love the flavor from the curry powder. Also, my soup didn’t look very green, but I blame the Veggie Stock that I used. I love the short ingredient list on this product, but it has a very dark brown color–probably form the roasted onions. If I make it again, I might try blending the ingredients in my Cuisine Art (instead of using my immersion blender as I did here) to see if that makes a more uniform puree.

 Three Bean Salad**
Dressing
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper

Beans
1 14.5 oz can green beans (rinsed and drained)
1 15 oz. can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
1.5 cups frozen shelled edamame (thawed and drained)

Mix the dressing ingredients in a small saucepan and
heat over low heat until sugar is dissolved and it starts to boil.
Cool before using.

Combine beans, 1/2 cup of dressing, and 1 tsp Italian seasoning in a bowl.
Cover and let marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

**The original recipe is from the Cooking Light 5 Ingredient 15 Minute Cookbook and called for lima beans instead of edamame.
When I make it again, I will use a bit less sugar in the dressing. 

I really loved the color and flavors of this salad. I served it as a side dish with quiche and over a bed of mixed greens for a heartier salad.

What is your favorite potluck side dish?