Friday, October 28, 2005

Cooking with soy meats- Portugese Kale soup




I am an occasional chickenitarian in an otherwise vegetarian family. My husband got converted into a lacto-ovo vegetarianism more than ten years ago. But the soy meats that have flooded the market are a boon for families that have members who are mainly vegetarian. Also, eating lentils and beans as a source of protein can sometimes be boring. I like to use soy chicken, pepperoni and bacon and love their texture and smoky flavor they give to dishes. Even though I have not tasted real pepperoni, I love the soy pepperoni on pizzas. The soy chicken has a sort of meaty flavor and texture. I use it Indian chicken curries.

Recently, I saw a soy chorizo at Super Walmart and instantly, remembered about Rachel Ray's kale-chorizo soup that has been much raved about at the forums. Kale is a green that has so much nutrition but it is very underused in our household since it is rather tough and bitter.

The soup was delicious with a smoky flavor. I used white beans and vegetable broth instead of garbanzo beans and chicken broth. Kale does not become too soft like other greens and it has a bite to it without any bitterness. It is a filling and comforting meal by itself.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the tip Shakthi. I think kale is best eaten in a soup. Now I have to try collard greens.

    ReplyDelete