Savoy Cabbage Bean Soup
Savoy cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable named after the Savoy region in France, where it’s believed to have originated. It’s a versatile cabbage that even though it isn’t as crunchy as the green cabbage, it keeps its texture when cooked. It has a full flavor and can be enjoyed raw, cooked, pickled and roasted as […]
CHILLED BEET-TOMATO BORSCHT
BEETROOT NUTRITION: Beets – both the greens and the bulbs – are an important part of the Ikaria diet and an important ingredient in the Greek and Mediterranean diets. The greens are nutritionally comparable to iron-rich spinach but the bulbs are also very healthy, although they contain natural sugars and carbs. Overall, beets are a […]
Zucchini Veloute
ABOUT VEGETABLE SOUPS: One of my favorite ways to cook vegetables is in soups, and the variations and versatility are endless. You can make almost any vegetable into a simple but elegant soup and the beauty is in the garnishing. Drizzle thin threads of olive oil over the soup; stream a little balsamic or honey […]
Watermelon Gaspacho
In the Greek diet, we love watermelon! Watermelon is one of the summer fruits that provide great hydration and a light delicious way to enjoy a Mediterranean diet snack and or an unusual Mediterranean diet recipe! While gazpacho obviously isn’t a traditional Greek recipe, but rather a classic Spanish one, I make this all the […]
Yogurt Cucumber Soup With Walnuts
About Yogurt Soups Throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, yogurt is a basic ingredient, the use of which dates back thousands of years. Fermented dairy has always been an important source of nourishment in this part of the world. Some of these soups, such as the Armenian Spas, contain cooked wheatberries and are served hot. Others, like […]
Zucchini “Cream” Soup
WHY LEMON ZEST? Lemon zest is one of my secret go-to ingredients when I want to perk up the flavor of otherwise mild or subtle dishes. Can you think of another vegetable as mild as zucchini?! Lemon is, in fact, as crucial a flavor enhancer as salt and works pretty much the same way on […]
Herby Bulgur Vegetable Soup
USEFUL TIP: This is an all-weather soup and is just as delicious hot as it is chilled.
Beetroot Soup With Spicy Seeds And Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is definitely not a native Mediterranean ingredient and this soup was first developed as a way to avoid using heavy cream. Coconut milk is the liquid naturally found inside of mature coconuts. Coconut cream is essentially full-fat coconut milk, culled from the white, hard coconut “meat.” Sometimes coconut cream and coconut water are […]
Creamy Grilled Portobello Mushroom Soup with Garlic
MUSHROOMS VS MEAT: Mushrooms have “umami,” which is sometimes called the fifth taste (along with sweet, salt, sour and bitter). We have specific receptors for this taste, which is why mushrooms are such a great meat-replacement. But beyond that, mushrooms are better for us than meat in so many ways. They are packed full of […]
Simple Trahana Soup with Spiced Red Pepper Puree, Greek Feta and Olive Oil
The best Mediterranean diet recipes are the oldest, most traditional and easiest ones, and this Greek recipe for trahana is a perfect example. What is trahana, for those of you who may not be familiar with the world’s oldest slow fast food? It’s a fermented grain product made by cooking wheat or flour with milk, […]
HOT OR COLD YOGURT SOUP WITH SPICY GRILLED EGGPLANT, MINT AND POMEGRANATE MOLASSES
YOGURT KNOW-HOW: Warm and cold yogurt soups abound all over the Eastern Mediterranean. From the Syrian lamb-yogurt soup called shakrya to Turkish yogurt soups, the variety is impressive and spiciness is almost always part of the flavor palette, counterbalancing the cool, refreshing qualities of really good yogurt. Yogurt and Yogurt Substitutes: If you’re using real […]
Greek Salad Gazpacho With Kalamata Olive Croutons
FUN FACT: The Mediterranean diet is many things, but more than anything it’s a road map for how not to waste food! Turning stale, leftover bread into delicious recipes is an age-old tradition that spans the region’s many different cuisines. Crostini, bruschetta, Greek bread-based dips like skordalia and more are all ways in which poor […]