Category: Gluten-Free Recipes

Coconut Red Lentil Soup (Esalen Ayurvedic Dal)

A vibrant red lentil soup (or stew) that is always hugely popular. A friend turned me onto this Ayurvedic dal recipe from the Esalen Cookbook years ago. Red lentil based, curry-spiced coconut broth with back notes of ginger and tomato, with slivered green onions, and a finish of cilantro or kale.

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Let’s talk through the story of my favorite red lentil soup. Years ago, two of my neighbors hosted a soup party. It was an inspiring affair – big pots of simmering soups and stews, house full of chatty, friendly people. Part of what I liked was the simple premise. The hosts (David & Holly) made a number of soups, guests were asked to arrive with their drink of choice and one thing to share – salad, appetizer, or something sweet.
Coconut Red Lentil Soup in a Bowl

The Inspiration:

One of the vegetarian soups that night was a beautiful shade of yellow-orange. It was a light-bodied, curry-spiced coconut broth thickened with cooked red lentils and structured with yellow split peas. It appeared to be a beautiful take on lentil soup. When I asked Holly to tell me about it, she mentioned it was based on an Ayurvedic dal recipe in the Esalen Cookbook, a favorite of hers. I suspect that recipe might have been inspired by the Bengali-style cholar dal where you see chana dal punctuated with raisins in many preparations.
Ingredients for Soup on a Marble Counter

Holly happened to have an extra copy of the Esalen book, and sent me home with my belly full, a new cookbook tucked under my arm, and a few suggestions related to the soup. I still make this soup regularly, love it (so much!), and thought it might be fun to revisit it today in video form – enjoy! I’ve also included some notes related to adapting this soup to the Instant Pot.

 

What Makes this so Special?

The method used to bring this soup together caught my attention. While your lentils are boiling, you saute lots of scallions in butter (or ghee, coconut oil, or olive oil) in another pan. Add to those scallions a fat dollop of thick tomato paste along with plenty of toasted spices and you’re on your way. This flavor bomb is what you stir into the lentil base. Golden raisins plump up with curry broth. There are beautiful back notes of ginger, and depth from that tomato paste. It all comes together in one amazing bowl of restorative, lentil soup goodness. To be honest, I consider the raisins optional and make this often without – or sometimes I swap in some chopped dates.
Red Lentil Soup

Topping Ideas:

I’ve cooked this soup countless times over the years and tend to finish it with what I have on hand. The original recipe has you go big on cilantro. But you can see in these photos I sometimes pile it high with extra scallions and freshly-baked kale chips. Other ideas:

  • finish with a few big handfuls of finely shredded green cabbage
  • stir in a few big handfuls of chopped kale
  • fry 30-40 fresh curry leaves in a few tablespoons of oil adding some chile flakes (or torn chiles), mustard seeds and cumin seeds in the last 15 seconds or so. Pour generously over each bowl
  • finish with deeply roasted tomatoes and omit the raisins

Coconut Red Lentil Soup in a Bowl

A Variation

There was one variation that I noted after cooking this because it stuck out to me as particularly delicious. I was out of scallions and ginger but still wanted to make something along these lines. Instead I used a strong paste made of chopped garlic and serrano peppers – probably a 50/50 blend. I added a few tablespoons of the mixture in place of the scallions in the recipe. The end result was feisty, strong and really wonderful.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we have over the last decade or so! Here’s where you can find all the soup recipes, if you want to explore more. And there are lots of lentil recipes in the archives as well.

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Cottage Cheese Muffins

Golden, puffy cottage cheese muffins are high in protein, filling, and endlessly adaptable. If you love a savory baked situation, these are for you.

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I’m always on the lookout for cookbooks by Rose Elliot. They aren’t always easy to find, particularly if you are like me, living in the United States. For those of you who haven’t heard of her, Rose is an accomplished UK-based cookbook author who focuses on vegetarian recipes – three million copies of her books are in print (and probably many more now!). I loved the idea behind her golden, puffy, sun-dried tomato muffins which I came across in Vegetarian Supercook (2006). Not only does the cottage cheese and ground almond base make them a smart way to start the day, but you can adapt the accent flavorings based on whatever you fancy. 
Cottage Cheese Muffins in a Muffin Tin

Rose highlights the combination of tomatoes, cheese, and basil in her version of cottage cheese muffins. The ingredients come together to make your kitchen smell like a cozy pizzeria. In the years since I first highlighted this recipe I’ve baked a good number of variations beyond the original. You can see an herb-flecked version here. It’s loaded with fresh thyme, fresh oregano and lots of chives. I’ll include some other variation ideas down below.

Backing up a bit, one of the great things about Rose’s recipes (generally speaking) is that many of them strike a nice nutritional balance. They tend to combine proteins, complex carbohydrates, vegetables and good fats together in interesting (and delicious) ways. This is something that is actually harder to do than it sounds and I always appreciate her approach. You see that in a recipe like this one.Cottage Cheese Muffins on a Marble Counter

Cottage Cheese Muffins: The Ingredients

The ingredients called for here are fairly straight forward – eggs, cottage cheese, a bit of flour, some almond meal, etc. Plus whatever accent flavors you want to work in. I do have a couple preference I’ll share though.

  • Cottage Cheese: I tend to grab the low-fat option here. And, the larger the curd the better here. The large curds leave nice pockets of oozy cottage cheese throughout the crumb and I love it. The smaller curd cottage cheese works great as well, you’ll just be missing out on some of those magic spots.
  • Almond meal: You want to use a fine almond meal here. You can buy it, or grind your own in a blender. If purchasing, the skin-on almond meal option is fine, it’s just a bit darker and more rustic. I used the lighter almond meal for the muffins pictured here.

Muffin Batter in Tin Before Baking

Other Things To Know

I encourage you to give these muffins a try (they’re *really* good), but keep a few things in mind. The texture here isn’t attempting to emulate a traditional flour-based muffins. These are much moister, less bready, and more quiche-like.  Maybe a better way to think of them is like a souffle’s heartier, denser, more portable cousin. 
Muffins Cooling on a Counter After Baking
The muffins can be made gluten-free, use a GF flour or GF flour blend. If you make the muffins mini-sized they are perfect party fare, whether you go Rose’s sun-dried tomato route, the herb-fleck route (pictured) or I’m sure you can dream up countless other ways to flavor the cottage cheese and almond flour-based batter.
Side View of Muffin

Cottage Cheese Muffins: Variations

A few variations, and people have been mentioning other ideas in the comments.

  • chopped olives, lemon zest and chopped herbs
  • roasted, chopped mushrooms and fresh thyme
  • chopped chipotles and adobo sauce
  • roasted garlic, pesto and toasted pine nuts
  • sautéed chopped potatoes and rosemary
  • No nuts version: Amanda noted in the comments, “ I used half cup flax meal and half cup ground pumpkin seeds. They turned out great.”

Muffins Cooling after Baking

Let me know what you think of these, I really enjoyed them hot, as well as room temperature as a quick snack.
Here’s where you can browse more baking recipes.

 

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Saucy White Beans with Spinach

Saucy white beans with spinach is an easy and filling meal made with canned beans that you can throw together on a busy weeknight.

The post Saucy White Beans with Spinach appeared first on Budget Bytes.

When I need dinner quickly, I often turn to canned beans. They’re inexpensive (still, thankfully), shelf-stable so I can keep them on hand, and they can be easily transformed into a simple but delicious meal using ingredients in my pantry. These Saucy White Beans with Spinach are one of those quick canned bean concoctions that I made one night when I was hungry. They’re easy, cozy, filling, and inexpensive!

Overhead view of a skillet full of saucy white beans with garlic bread on the side.

What’s in Saucy White Beans?

This is a SUPER easy skillet meal made simply with some canned white beans, garlic, tomatoes, a few herbs, and fresh spinach. Boom. That’s it. Simple, delicious food, just the way I like it! That being said, you can always add more things if you want to make it a little fancier. ;)

What Else Can I Add?

If you have the time and energy to make your meal a little more complex, here are a few things you can add to take your saucy white beans up a notch:

  • Bacon, salt pork, Italian sausage, or pancetta: sauté the bacon in the skillet first and use the rendered fat in place of the olive oil.
  • Burrata or ricotta: after the beans are finished cooking, dot on a few dollops of fresh cheese for a nice creamy contrast.
  • Fresh basil: if you’re lucky enough to have a basil plant, toss a few fresh leaves on top for some bold, fresh flavor!
  • Sun-dried tomatoes: if you don’t have access to fresh grape tomatoes, these beans would also be great with a few chopped sun dried tomatoes.
  • Toasted bread crumbs: Add a crunchy topping by mixing some melted butter with bread crumbs and briefly toasting them in a skillet or in a hot oven, then sprinkle them over the skillet.
  • A pinch or two of crushed red pepper will add a nice spicy kick!

How to Serve Saucy White Beans

My preferred way to enjoy these beans is with a side of garlic bread for dipping up that saucy goodness. But if you’re not into garlic bread, you can add some cooked pasta to the skillet and toss until everything is mixed together for a quick bowl of pasta. OR, spoon your saucy white beans over a bed of rice.

And I’m all about adding a quick and easy side salad to every meal just to add a dose of freshness!

Overhead view of a bowl of saucy white beans with garlic bread on the side.
Finished white beans in the skillet with garlic bread in the side.
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Saucy White Beans with Spinach

Saucy white beans with spinach is an easy and filling meal made with canned beans that you can throw together on busy weeknight.
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American
Total Cost $5.69 recipe / $1.42 serving
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 1 cup
Calories 361kcal
Author Beth – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced $0.32
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil $0.26
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved $2.29
  • 2 15oz. cans cannellini beans, drained $1.78
  • 1/2 cup water $0.00
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano $0.05
  • 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.02
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan $0.36
  • 2 cups fresh spinach $0.60
  • 1/8 tsp salt $0.01

Instructions

  • Mince the garlic and slice the tomatoes in half. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Add the garlic and sauté for about one minute, or just until the garlic becomes very fragrant.
  • Add the tomatoes to the skillet and stir to combine.
  • Add the drained canned white beans to the skillet (do not rinse the beans, the residual starchy liquid helps create the sauce), along with the water, oregano, and pepper. Stir to combine.
  • Allow the beans to come up to a simmer. Simmer the beans, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down and the liquid reduces to a light sauce (about 5 minutes).
  • Add the Parmesan cheese to the skillet and stir until it has melted into the sauce. If the sauce becomes too thick or dry, you can add a splash of water to loosen it up.
  • Add the fresh spinach to the skillet and stir to combine. Allow the spinach to wilt.
  • Taste the beans and adjust the salt, pepper, or other seasonings to your liking. Serve hot with crusty bread for dipping!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 10g | Sodium: 213mg | Fiber: 12g
Close up side view of saucy white beans in the skillet.

How to Make Saucy White Beans – Step by Step Photos

Garlic and oil in the skillet.

Mince four cloves of garlic. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about one minute, or just until the garlic becomes really fragrant.

Tomatoes added to the skillet.

Add one pint of grape tomatoes (sliced in half) to the skillet and stir to combine.

White beans being poured into the skillet.

Drain two 15oz. cans of white beans, then add them to the skillet. I do not rinse the beans because the little bit of residual starchy liquid (called aquafaba) helps create the sauce.

Herbs and water added to the skillet.

Also add ½ tsp dried oregano, ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper, and ½ cup water. Stir to combine, then allow the beans to come up to a simmer.

Simmered beans and tomatoes.

Simmer the beans, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down and the liquid has reduced into a light sauce.

Grated Parmesan being sprinkled into the skillet.

Add ¼ cup grated Parmesan to the skillet. Stir the Parmesan into the beans until it has melted in. If the sauce becomes too dry, you can add a little more water to loosen it up a bit.

Fresh spinach added to the skillet.

Add two big handfuls (about two cups, loosely packed) of fresh spinach to the skillet. Stir the spinach into the beans and allow the spinach to wilt.

Finished saucy white beans with spinach.

Once the spinach is wilted, give the beans a taste and add salt, pepper, or other seasonings to taste.

Finished white beans in the skillet with garlic bread in the side.

Serve immediately with garlic bread, pasta, or a bowl of rice to sop up all that delicious sauciness!

More Easy Bean Recipes

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