The Soup That Wasn’t…
It’s delicious, filling, and low on calories. I started getting the ingredients together to accompany the onions that were now being sauteed in the skillet. I started thinking about the cool temperatures we were experiencing and my excitement in the realization that fall was just around the corner could not be contained. Somehow the meal I was planning to prepare didn’t seem appealing anymore.
Winter is my favorite season followed closely by fall with this in mind I quickly pulled out a stock pot and added more olive oil into the skillet. I quickly scraped the onions into the stockpot. “I’m making a soup!” I thought excitedly. I need to make something thick, creamy, and screaming eat me!
In my mind I was fast forwarding to cooler weather, thinking of memories when Aiyana and I would sit outside at night watching the sunset. We end most of our evenings sitting on the hill overlooking our woods, gazing at the stars, and chatting about whatever is on our mind. It’s a fabulous time to reconnect with my lovely daughter. In the cooler months we usually have our hands cupped around a warm mug filled with something delicious. It’s a great place to warm chilly hands you know. Sometimes the mug contains soup.
I remember making West African Peanut Soup for a local event last fall. I received a lot of compliments for that dish. It also exposed many to cuisines they had never tried (African & Vegan.) I decided that I wanted to make something similar, but different I made Creamy Black Bean Peanut Soup. It was a hit with Aiyana, and she ate two bowls.
I consider soups such as the one I prepared yesterday my base. I usually make them in large batches. I freeze the leftovers. I store them in my Pyrex glass storage containers. I don’t do plastic.
I usually don’t add vegetables while I’m preparing the dish. I do that once the soup is finished. I like eating my vegetables and fruit raw or lightly steamed you can lose a lot of nutrients during the cooking process.
This was one of my longer meals. My meals are usually made in less than ten minutes. This meal took close to an hour to prepare, but the satisfaction I felt hearing my daughter tell me after eating two bowls that she would be eating more today was fabulous.
Eating this fragrantly rich, creamy, and deliciously flavorful soup and savoring every bite was an added bonus.
Whenever I’m in the kitchen preparing a meal I often don’t know what I’ll end up preparing. It’s a chance for me to be creative and often the dishes I thought I would prepare turn into something completely different. This was the soup that wasn’t supposed to be prepared yesterday, but I’m glad I made it.
Question: What are some of your favorite mealtime memories?
[tags]vegan, food, vegan cuisine, Creamy Black Bean Peanut Soup, family, bonding, memories[/tags]
on August 21st, 2007 at 10:00 am
Hey there! I’m not a fan of winter but I love soups. I had some yesterday and another is in store for today! I made an West African Pineapple Peanut Stew last year - it was fab!!! One of my favorite attempts…it was a little spicy but I like it hot! ;)
on August 21st, 2007 at 11:06 am
I’m sorry. I could get past the part where you said you like winter. :shock:
on August 21st, 2007 at 11:08 am
‘I could get past’ should be ‘I couldn’t get past’ and the comment edit didn’t work.
on August 21st, 2007 at 11:14 am
You two are spoil sports! LOL :lol:
It’s my favorite season. Don’t make me start doing my snow dances early! I will I tell you.
Harmonia,
That sounds delicious. I hope you share the recipe.
Macbros,
Thanks, I’ve deactivated it until I can see what’s up with it. We’re having another cool day here in Maryland! Woohoo! :razz:
on August 21st, 2007 at 12:01 pm
Oh Opal, send some of that cool weather down to Alabama please. It’s been so hot with temps over 100. I like fall, but not winter. Though we don’t have the types of winter you guys have.
on August 21st, 2007 at 1:59 pm
I’d love a recipe for that West African Peanut Soup. ;) I bookmarked the one you linked to here.
Snoskred
http://www.snoskred.org/
on August 21st, 2007 at 2:07 pm
The Recipe was one I got out of one of the Moosewood Cookbooks, actually.
I beg you…PLEASE don’t start doing snow dances, please!!!!??!!!!
on August 21st, 2007 at 4:38 pm
As a lazy chef, I love soup, its great as its easy to heat up when you get home from work.
Anyway, my soup tip: it always tastes better on the 2nd day so I udually make it a day or so before I plan to have it.
Nice site opal, keep up the good work!
on August 21st, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Soup, soup, soup - where have you been all my life? I just recently fell in love with soup at a late age. I never used to really like it but my hubby always has. But since I changed my diet last year and have been eating mostly vegetarian, I realized it is a great way to get more servings of veggies into my system without even realizing it. I can even get my hubby to eat some veggies in soup that he would never eat any other way. And then I realized how easy and versatile soup was to make and it’s been one of my faves ever since! But Opal, it should be illegal for you to describe the soup so mouth-watering-ly unless you plan on providing a recipe! No fair! LOL. ;)
on August 21st, 2007 at 9:48 pm
I meant a recipe for the West African Peanut Soup. I see the one for the black bean now. I’m a little slow. [disgusted with herself] :roll:
on August 22nd, 2007 at 8:48 am
Sassy,
I would but it’s all gone. I’ll virtually send some when I make the West African Peanut Soup this coming weekend, ok. :grin:
Snokesred,
You’ve got it! I’ll post it and email it to you within the next few days.
Harmonia,
I’m familiar with the cookbook. I’ll have to check it out.
Iain,
You’re correct it taste divine two days after it’s made. It’s a shame it didn’t last that long. I blame my daughter.
teeni,
Yes soup is a great way to sneak in those veggies. Well it was very mouthwatering so I could not help myself.
I showed restraint because I could have said more then I’m sure some people might have though, “Opal you need to get out more! It’s just soup!
In regards to the soup I did ramble so that was easy to overlook that I included it.
on August 23rd, 2007 at 12:06 am
Yes, please, send some cooler weather down here, as well. I was recently in Little Rock for a project and it was in the 100s the 2 weeks I was there.
I too love winter.. and love soup.
Love the new look for your websites, by the way!
on September 1st, 2007 at 8:33 am
[...] get around to making the West African Bean Soup last Saturday. You can read about that in my post The Soup That Wasn’t. Currently I have my beans soaking I’ll be making it later this afternoon. Upcoming Sponsored [...]
on December 6th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Hey there,
Love to read your blog esp about cooking, My kids love any kind of soup but I don’t really know how to prepare it.Is there any recipe I could find here??
http://marimarimakan.blogspot.com/
on December 6th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
Yatie,
Hi thanks for stopping by. Yes you can find recipes on my whole food recipes website I started it this past summer occasionally I’ll just post a picture but for the most part you will find recipes on that website.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
on April 6th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
great..i like soup so much..especially when the whether is cold.its tempting to have a bowl of soup!
on May 30th, 2008 at 6:12 am
[...] a version of the Creamy Black Bean Peanut Soup that I had written about last year in my post titled The Soup That Wasn’t. Oh my, it was delicious. In fact, we ate the remaining bit this morning. Normally, I don’t [...]