sprouted kitchen, cookbook

sara forte, of the sprouted kitchen blog, is now sharing her foodie talent in paper and ink, with her new cookbook, the sprouted kitchen: a tastier take on whole foods, due out september 2012. (pre-order here from amazon).  sara's blog captures some of her delicious and healthy recipes, with visually appealing photographs by her husband, hugh (of hugh forte photography).  when i was going through one of my 'veggie kicks,' i made a lot of her dishes, all which were full of flavor.  so, since i am in the mood to cook this afternoon, i was looking for something with warmth (it's a little chilly today in san diego) and decided on her black bean and butternut soup.  in the spirit of the lovely valentine's holiday, it may be worth picking out a recipe for dinner as well.  as the proverb says, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.  although dining out can be pretty enjoyable too, and there aren't dishes to clean up!

images sprouted kitchen

BLACK BEAN + BUTTERNUT SOUP // Serves 4-6

Some of my measurements are pretty vague, but in a stew-like soup, perfection is not necessary. Taste as you go, add more spice if necessary but beware that both chipotle and cayenne are SPICY, so start small. You can cook your beans from scratch or used canned for the sake of time. 

1 Tbsp. coconut or extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 a small head of cabbage, chopped (heaping 2 cups)
3 cups cubed butternut squash (sweet potato would be good too)
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cocoa powder
pinch of chipotle powder or cayenne pepper
2 cups cooked, black beans (about one can, rinsed and drained)
salt to taste

avocado, for garnish
cilantro, for garnish

// tortilla crispies //
3 corn tortillas
scant 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt


In a heavy bottomed pot, warm the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and saute until just beginning to brown, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic, cabbage, squash and broth. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, cover the pot and cook for about 15-20 minutes for the vegetables to cook.
Add the spices and the beans and stir. Let everything continue to cook another ten minutes for the flavors to blend. Salt to taste. At this point, I did a few pulses with my immersion blender through the soup, because I wanted to thicken up the broth a bit. This is optional, but makes it seem a bit thicker. You could alternatively, run just a bit of the soup through a blender or food processor, and add it back in to the pot. OR a sprinkle of cornmeal will help thicken it as well.

For the tortilla crispies, preheat the oven to 375'. Stack them and slice into thin matchsticks. Spread on a baking sheet, dirzzle with the oil, sprinkle the salt and toss gently to coat. Spread them in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for about 10-15 minutes until they are light brown and crispy, giving the pan a shake halfway through.

Garnish each both with some diced avocado, a handful of chopped cilantro and some of the tortilla crispies! A sprinkle of goat cheese would be quite nice as well.