Summer Soup's Siren Call

sometimes only a stew will do

Lately I’ve really been missing soup but summer in Southern California isn’t exactly soup weather. Like most of us, I always want to eat the most impractical thing for the season. Juicy tomatoes in the dead of winter, perfect strawberries in Fall, that sorta thing. I usually fight these feelings off because eating with the seasons is the best way to ensure delicious produce but sometimes, the intrusive cravings win out. I’ll make slaw in December to fight my spring salad cravings and now is the time for soup. When a tropical storm decided to come to LA and bring an extremely rare warm summer rain I knew it was my time to strike. These unprecedented weather events mean unprecedented recipes must be made. Luckily there was minimal flooding in my area so I could savor the balmy night and days that followed. If summer soup is calling your name too, you’re in luck.

@spunbambooThat could happen only in LA #memes #nicolascagememe #pedropascalmeme #hurricanehilary #earthquake #hurricaine

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This stew is a borderline chili BUT somehow stew still feels more accurate. Its thick with beans, hominy, and other hearty veggies while the lime keeps the whole dish bright and summery. If you can’t find hominy where you are, just replace it with more beans or corn. If you want the soup extra creamy, add ¼ cup of your favorite nondairy sour cream to the broth otherwise just serve each bowl with a dollop on top or some sliced avocado. The creamy fat mixed with the citrusy broth is perfection. I like this with a scoop of white rice but you could serve it with tortillas or even cornbread and it would be just as delicious. Whatever you do, just make this stew. It’s the one pot summer stew that you’ve been dreaming about.

White Bean and Green Chili Stew

Serves 4-6 people

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sweet yellow onion, chopped

2 poblano peppers, chopped

1 yellow squash or zucchini, chopped

1 cup of corn kernels, 1 cob’s worth or frozen is fine

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons garlic granules

1 teaspoon ground coriander or more cumin

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup diced roasted green chilis, two 4-ounce cans

1 tablespoon Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

3 cups of your favorite cooked white beans like navy, cannellini, or butter beans or two 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed

2 ½ cups cooked hominy or one 25 ounce can, drained and rinsed

6 cups vegetable broth

¼ cup nutritional yeast

Zest from 1 lime

¼ lime juice, about 3 limes

½ cup chopped cilantro, plus more for serving

Your favorite nondairy sour cream or 1 ripe avocado

Salt and pepper to taste

Grab a large soup pot and place it over a medium high heat. Add the olive oil and toss in the onions with a pinch of salt once it’s warm. Sauté the onions for 5 minutes, until they start to brown in a spot or two. Add the poblano peppers and cook for another 2 minutes so that the peppers start to soften up. Toss in the squash and corn and cook for another couple minutes so that everything starts to cook together. Sprinkle over the cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, garlic granules, and coriander then stir so that all the veggies get coated in that flavor. Cook for a minute to let those spices wake up from their nap in your spice drawer. Your place should smell delicious right now and it’s only gonna get better.

Add the fresh garlic, green chilis, and Bragg’s and toss so that they’re all combined and coating the veggies. Fold in the beans and hominy then pour over the broth. Let this come to a simmer, then turn the heat down to medium low. Stir in the nutritional yeast, lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro. Let this cook together for 5 more minutes then taste, adding more salt, pepper, or spices as needed. If you want the soup creamy, add an immersion blender to the pot and blend together about 1/3 of the soup. You still want plenty of chunks, just a thicker broth. Want the stew even creamier? Stir in a ¼ cup of nondairy sour cream to broth.

Once you have the soup how you like it, serve it right away over some rice, with a side of corn tortillas, corn bread, or just as is topped with a dollop of sour cream or some slices of avocado and more fresh cilantro.

Thanks for joining us here in The Broiler Room. What off-season foods do you guys crave the most? Let us know in the comments!