Sour Cream-Maple Bread

October 25, 2012

Holy smokes.  How did the near-end of October already get here?  I’ll tell you how the past few weeks went for me:  work conference in Chicago (check), 32nd (and totally best ever) birthday (check), quick 4 day trip to Mexico with my mom and two sisters (sorry Dad and Ben-check), celebrated passing my final round (well, at least for the next several years) of board certifications (happy happy joy joy), and now I have a few moments to post a recipe I made over a month ago but still want to share with you in the hopes that it still qualifies as an autumn-ish dish.

It’s delicious.  You can tweak this and make it healthier by substituting in some Greek yogurt if you want.   I thought about trying to use some applesauce in lieu of the butter here, but I didn’t end up doing it (because I forgot to pick some applesauce up at the store), so if anyone out there has measuring equivalents or has tried it, please let me know.  I stuck to the original recipe from Williams-Sonoma instead-which was so addicting that I had to slice the bread in portions, cover it, and then literally hide it in the microwave so that I wouldn’t see it and binge. It’s really good with coffee or tea, FYI.

Speaking of coffee, check the blog in the next couple of days.  I’m going to be hosting an incredible giveaway, sponsored by Millstone Coffee. Like, I tried to take a picture of the box they sent me and couldn’t fit all the goodies in the frame-it’s that good, friends.

Sour Cream-Maple Bread

Servings: 1 loaf

 

Ingredients

1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (you could try subbing in some whole wheat flour here, too)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup sour cream

1 egg

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Lightly spray a loaf pan (or tube pan) with cooking spray.

3. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

5. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the maple syrup, mixing until thoroughly incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

6. Add the sour cream and the egg, mixing well, again, scraping down the bowl as necessary.

7. Add the walnuts.

8. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until just combined.

9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Let cool.

 

Source:  Barely adapted from Williams-Sonoma.

 

Filed in:Breads/Muffins/Etc. | Breakfast
comment
October 25, 2012 - 7:36 am

Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar - This sounds so delicious!

October 25, 2012 - 8:38 am

Erin@theLawStudentsWife - This looks like maple heaven! I love maple flavoring this time of year, especially in breads.
Also, WHERE did Oct go??? I say, let the fab fall recipes live on until Oct. This bread looks far too delicious to keep to one season.

October 25, 2012 - 11:17 am

Kelsey - Maple definitely qualifies as fall food. In fact, I’ve got a maple recipe today, too. This breads looks wonderful.

November 3, 2012 - 2:03 pm

Lynn Cote - Happy late B-Day shannon!!! I hope you kicked up your heels!! I was thinking about your cupcakes the other day! A friend made the tied dyed ones. I had to laugh as I remembered the look on Rox’s face when she ate hers!! No one makes us any cupcakes!! The lost loves are loosers! Their loss of a wonderful person!!!! Keep up the good work!! Good luck with that PX90 thing!!! Love and miss you Lynn

November 3, 2012 - 2:13 pm

srlacy - I love you, Lynn. You are so awesome. I miss you. I am hoping to come back for the Christmas party, but no one knows the exact date. 🙁 Regardless, hopefully I can come back soon. Say hello to everyone!

August 12, 2013 - 2:48 pm

Mrs. D - May I know the exact size of the bundt pan?
Thanks.

August 12, 2013 - 3:16 pm

srlacy - Hi Mrs. D-

I believe I used a 9 and 1/2-inch bundt pan.

August 12, 2014 - 10:02 am

Top 10 Sour Cream Recipes - […] via thecurvycarrot.com  […]

White Bean and Kale Soup

October 17, 2012

 

This soup, well, it’s my soul food.  It’s my favorite soup to make on a rainy night.  Or snowy afternoon.  Or really, just about any time.  There are freezer bags of it in my freezer.  I usually make it in bulk.  And each time I have made it, I have changed the ingredients around and tried to make it healthier each time.  It’s a pretty forgiving soup: you can put whatever you want in it, and I still think it’s incredible.

Originally, I had tried to recreate the infamous soup at Olive Garden: the Zuppa Toscana.  (a little hard to do without sausage and all that jazz). I cooked some veggie sausage and popped it in once-it was all right, but even better without it (at least I thought so).  I used a ton of cream and made it really heavy that time.  Ever since, I have been steadily decreasing the amount of heavy cream I add in, gradually decreasing it to only 1/4 cup for the whole batch.  (To keep this vegan-friendly, just omit the cream. I love it both ways, but I admit I like the added richness to the soup with the cream.)

It’s cheap to make.  It’s über healthy.  It has healthy dose of fiber from all those white beans.  And this incredible, buttery, almost velvety texture that is just as good after freezing.  And it’s absolutely perfect for a cozy fall afternoon.

White Bean and Kale Soup

Servings: about 8

 

Ingredients

1-2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 cup carrots, chopped (about 1-2 medium carrots)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups water

4 cups vegetable broth

5-6 red potatoes, chopped (I leave the skins on!)

Two 15-ounce cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans), or 5 cups fresh cooked beans

One large bunch kale (any type-I’ve used all kinds, but I like lacinato for this), deveined and torn into pieces

1/4 cup heavy cream, optional

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a sauté pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering.

2. Add the celery, carrots, and onion, and cook, until the onions are softened, about 4-5 minutes or so.

3. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for another minute or so.  Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Meanwhile, in a large saucepot over medium-high heat, bring the water and the vegetable broth to a boil.

5. Add the cooked vegetables and the potatoes to the boiling water/broth mixture.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes (or until the potatoes are cooked through).

6. Add the beans, kale, and the cream (if using) and cook, stirring frequently, until completely heated through and the kale is wilted, about 10-15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Source:  A Curvy Carrot original.

 

Filed in:Beans | Curvy Carrot Original | Entrees | Soups | Vegan
comment
October 17, 2012 - 8:38 am

Jillian {Her Split Ends} - Sounds DELICIOUS!! and so easy to put together! {which is super important!!}

Cheers
~ Jillian
http://www.hersplitends.com

October 17, 2012 - 11:18 am

Erin@LawStudentsWife - I have a deep, childhood-into-adulthood love that Olive Garden soup. What a yummy, healthy variation that I bet warms from the inside out. Kale + white beans is such a tasty combo too. Thanks!

October 18, 2012 - 1:45 pm

Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes - This looks so good! I love kale in soups

October 18, 2012 - 8:03 pm

Colleen ~ - yes!! can’t wait to try it as the weather is starting to get “chilly” (70’s) in texas!! 🙂

October 19, 2012 - 12:15 am

Angie@Angie's Recipes - A comforting and healthy bean soup. Love soups with veggies.

October 20, 2012 - 12:58 pm

Jo - Your white bean/kale soup sounded so great to me, I had to try it. I had a couple of Italian sausages that I cut up and browned, and added some canned chopped tomato,too. I am retired and I live alone, so I serve it up in a big coffee cup, adding about a tablespoon of half and half. I don’t use the 1/4 cup of cream! Absolutely yummy. I don’t always require meat, but I always use what I have on hand in soup, its so very forgiving!

I will be watching your blog for further interesting things. Zuppa is my favorite wintertime meal!

Jo in MN

October 29, 2012 - 3:30 pm

Kale and white bean soup | life is like a dumpling - […] by the Curvy Carrot Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. This entry was tagged food, […]

November 5, 2012 - 12:36 pm

Amanda - I tried this the other day and it was delicious! I had never made soup before but this was easy. My husband said it tasted even better the next day.

November 9, 2012 - 2:44 pm

Amy - Hi ! Just made the soup last night, the store was out of kale, so I used spinach as a substitute! Delish

November 16, 2012 - 10:50 am

Amy N. - I made this soup yesterday, and everyone loved it (even my 17 year old- and you know what kind of endorsement that is!). I did add 1/4 cup of almond milk in place of the cream, but as noted in the recipe, I don’t think it was necessary. I also didn’t have the carrots on hand, so I subbed with sweet potato.
This soup was rich and flavorful- I’m sure we will have it as a staple this winter. Thanks for the recipe!!

November 22, 2012 - 8:08 pm

Hilary M. - I didn’t use the cream, added a jar of chunky tomatoes and seasoned with sprigs of thyme, oregano and marjoram. I served it with a generous sprinkling of shaved Parmesan and a good shake of cayenne. Yummy!

December 9, 2012 - 8:09 pm

Dawn - I made this soup a few weeks ago and wanted to say that it was absolutely delicious. Definitely something I will make again!

Best,

Dawn

December 21, 2012 - 9:01 pm

Terry - Just made this today, turned out yummy! http://instagram.com/p/ThNQ89CEx2/

January 6, 2013 - 4:01 pm

Paula - Made this today, and am on my second bowl. It is delicious!

January 10, 2013 - 11:06 pm

Jasmine K - Made this for the second time this week! My family loves it!

January 14, 2013 - 9:24 pm

Laurel Irwin - Made it tonight for my husband and I love it! I don’t think the cream is really necessary. I pureed half of it in my Vitamix then added it back in to the soup for a really creamy variation. It turns it green, though, beware 😉 Then just added cracked pepper, sea salt, and cayenne for some kick. Awesome!

January 17, 2013 - 1:36 am

Jeannette - I made this soup for dinner. It was awesome! I added some ground flax seed, cayenne pepper and sun dried tomatoes and a bit more broth. Definitely will make it again. And I used 1/4 light half & half instead of heavy cream. Thanks for sharing!

February 5, 2013 - 10:38 pm

Denise - I like the suggestion to puree some in the vita mix. Everyone is devouring it now so I can’t get near the pot. I had a small fennel bulb I sauteed with the onion. Yummy. I skipped the cream part but love the sweet potato idea. So many possibilities. Tuscan sea salt from Whole Foods (if you have one) is a great seasoning. Thank you so much from California

February 11, 2013 - 6:53 pm

Anna - I made this yesterday and i’m making it again next weekend! I’ve been on the lookout for ways to add more iron into my diet and this soup is out of this world!
Prep was really easy- used the cuisinart to make quick work of the chopping and even the potatoes (so that everything was equally sized).
I cheated and used about a cup and a half of chicken stock with the water, and did not add any additional salt to the recipe when I was done.
I also omitted the heavy cream, but will experiment with adding some turkey italian sausage when I make this again.
Thanks for the great recipe!

February 19, 2013 - 1:38 pm

Tina - I just made this for the first time. I’ve never made any other soup except Vegetable Beef. I loved this. So hearty & healthy. I didn’t have carrot so I added mushrooms and I used chicken broth instead of veg. broth. Very Good!

March 2, 2013 - 11:08 am

Amy N. - I can’t tell you how much I love this recipe! It has become a staple in our house ever since I stumbled upon it last fall.
I am vegan, and appreciate a hearty recipe that even my teenage stepson gives the thumbs-up to.
I add one extra can of beans to the soup, and use my hand held mixer to mix a portion of the soup into a creamy base, then add it back in. I also typically add about 1/4 cup of organice cornstarch mixture in near the end for an even thicker base.
Thanks much for sharing your great recipes!

March 24, 2013 - 4:20 pm

Wendy - Can you do this in the crockpot?

March 24, 2013 - 5:00 pm

srlacy - Hi Wendy-

Sure-I don’t see why not. Let me know how it goes if you try it. I would still add the kale later on because you don’t want it to overcook.

March 25, 2013 - 9:11 am

Wendy - Thanks so much for responding! I’m going to try it tomorrow and I’ll post back to let you know.

March 28, 2013 - 1:43 pm

Jody - I just made this last night. Big hit, even the kids loved it. Only difference is I had some leftover ham, so I diced it and added it in. Later in the evening I realized I completely forgot to add the cream….It was rich and wonderful without it. Guess I’ll have to make again, with the cream and compare. YUM!

April 16, 2013 - 4:00 am

Broke Girls Guide: 11 Tips & Tricks to Slash Your Grocery Bill in Half | My Website - […] can use these basics in a wide variety of recipes, from Overnight Oats to Tuna Salad Bruschetta to White Bean and Kale Soup. Just use your favorite online recipe search tool for a little […]

April 19, 2013 - 5:03 pm

This and That: Links Worth Sharing | Paperseed - […] […]

May 1, 2013 - 2:22 pm

White Bean and Kale Soup - […] For recipe visit:  thecurvycarrot.com […]

May 6, 2013 - 10:15 am

Spring Soups | Farm Flavor - […] White Bean and Kale Soup from The Curvy Carrot […]

July 8, 2013 - 7:27 am

Amy - I have to tell you that this is one of my top five favorite soups! It’s fresh, not heavy, and just delicious.
I’m vegan, so I of course don’t add in the cream, but I usually add in one extra can of beans and then pulse the soup with a hand blender a few times before adding in the kale. It makes a nice creamy base without the dairy.
xoxo!

July 8, 2013 - 8:40 am

srlacy - Amy-
I’m so glad to hear that-yes, this is one of my absolute favorites!

July 30, 2013 - 12:34 am

Stephanie - Made this soup for dinner tonight for the family and it was a hit! so delicious! so glad i found this recipe.. but i added mushrooms in it as well and adored it!

September 10, 2013 - 12:53 am

White Bean and Kale Soup | Kacy's Recipes - […] adapted from The Curvy Carrot […]

September 27, 2013 - 7:29 pm

Cindy Sullivan - Made this soup tonight and it was very bland. Followed the recipe exactly but next time I would add tomatoes, more garlic, use Italian spices and put less potatoe.

October 21, 2013 - 12:50 pm

Brandi - I love, love, love this soup!!! Even my über picky six year old loves this soup. I’m excited to make this winter staple again. Thanks for sharing!

October 30, 2013 - 2:21 am

Recipe. A. Day. | Sandalwood - […] Recipe White Bean and Kale Soup […]

October 30, 2013 - 11:14 am

Justeen - This soup is deeeelicious!! Perfect comfort food for a chilly fall night. I froze half of the pot for future quick dinners. Great recipe!

November 12, 2013 - 8:15 am

Plant Based on a Budget Challenge - […] White Bean, Kale, and Sweet Potato Soup (omit heavy cream, use 1/2 sweet […]

December 17, 2013 - 12:07 am

Barbara - Love this soup! It’s so easy to make and tasty. Sans the cream but added some crimini mushrooms this time around which gave it a whole new depth of flavor – topped with some Pecorini Romano cheese – yum!!

January 15, 2014 - 12:46 pm

5 Superfoods And How To Eat Them - […] White Bean and Kale Soup / The Curvy Carrot […]

January 18, 2014 - 12:21 am

Jackie Howes - This soup was loved by all in our household. I did add a a dash of cayenne pepper, two dashes of red pepper flakes, oregano and some parsley. I also added three teaspoons of Better than Boullion to the water since we didn’t have vegetable soup. Can’t wait to have this again soon!

January 24, 2014 - 10:24 pm

Dawn Stockwell - Made this for dinner and thank you for sharing this great recipe. I chose to use 2 mild Italian sausages and stuck in a chunk of parmesan, a sprig of Rosemary and a pinch of oregano & 1/2 bag of Trader Joes Organic Tuscan Kale which comes precut & 2 tsp salt. Otherwise I used everything else exactly and it was delish. love the addition of the cream although I did use a potato smasher to kinda break up some beans & potatoes for a creamier soup.

February 11, 2014 - 1:39 pm

Meal Plan Monday. (2of4) | Sandalwood - […] White Bean and Kale Soup (from the fabulous Curvy Carrot! Yum!) […]

February 27, 2014 - 5:56 pm

Recipe: Bean and Kale Soup - […] via Pinterest, from The Curvy Carrot I’m a huge fan of soups, stews, or anything else where most of the work is chopping ish […]

February 27, 2014 - 9:21 pm

mjf - i make a similar soup but add in cayenne and i use evaporated milk instead of cream, which cuts down on the fat.

March 6, 2014 - 1:27 pm

Kale, Kale, Kale + More Kale | Living with Grace - […] White Bean and Kale Soup […]

May 15, 2014 - 3:14 pm

Zuppa Toscana Soup Olive Garden Copycat Recipe (lightened) | Unconventional Kitchen::Unconventional Kitchen:: - […] My little boy doesn’t love soup but really likes this one, which makes it a winner in my book. It looks like a bunch of ingredients, but it is basically chopping up some veggies, throwing them in a pot with chicken stock and letting it cook — easy, peasy.  This recipe has been adapted from The Curvy Carrot. […]

July 14, 2014 - 7:01 pm

Camping with small kids…vegetarian and dairy free | Sandalwood - […] Lunch was next was pre-made and canned soup.  Not real canning mind you – just enough to seal the jars so they could sit at the bottom of our waterlogged cooler and not get diluted.  This type of canning lasts long enough for camping and is a healthy and economic way to eat.  Soo good.  I used a family recipe favourite. […]

September 17, 2014 - 11:31 pm

Pain. | Sandalwood - […] White Bean and Kale Soup.  I know I know, I keep posting this.  But honestly it is only because I KEEP making it.  And the husband kinda sorta likes this one (as much as a soup hater could ever love soup.)  It is very easy, and hard to mess up.  Oh an freezes so well!  Yeah for leftovers!  This also uses up the GIGANTIC kale in my garden.  My kale “tree” is over a year old and now a tiny bit taller than my four year old.  Makes for a lot of great soups, smoothies and juicing. […]

October 15, 2014 - 2:11 pm

50 Kale Recipes, Including Salads, Chips, Smoothies, Soups, and More | One Medical Group - […] White Bean and Kale Soup […]

October 21, 2014 - 5:58 pm

Andrea - Do you rinse the beans?

October 21, 2014 - 6:30 pm

srlacy - Hi Andrea-
I would recommend rinsing the beans if you are using canned ones.

December 20, 2014 - 12:46 am

Betsy harman - I added some red pepper flakes to spice it up a bit and it was yummy.

December 30, 2014 - 6:27 pm

3 Healthy Winter Soups - […] {Curvy Carrot’s White Bean and Kale Soup} […]

January 5, 2015 - 12:40 am

katie - Thank you for the recipe. I prepared the soup and then blended it all into a thick, rich, vegan soup. Deliciously hearty and no cream required!!!

January 5, 2015 - 12:35 pm

What’s Cooking? January is here! | Start Gluten Free - […] Tuesday – Kale and White Bean Soup […]

January 19, 2015 - 9:51 pm

Shannon - What’s the best way to store in the freezer per serving? I’d love to be able to take it to work with me.

Heirloom Cherry Tomato Pizza Margherita

October 13, 2012

You’ll have to forgive me, please.

While everyone else is posting their umpteenth pumpkin recipe and relishing the cool, crisp days of fall, I realized I simply forgot to post this one from the last few days of summer.  Somewhere, someone has to have little cherry tomatoes that can be used for this pizza.  And, if not, bookmark this one for when these little guys are back in season and/or you are craving a little dose of sunny summer days.

Meet some heirloom cherry tomatoes from the market.  Aren’t they purdy?

They are even prettier on this pizza.

 

Let’s start with the dough. You can use a pre-made dough here, or this one.

Get a sauté pan super hot with oil. Throw in the cherry tomatoes.  Hear them hiss and crackle and burst open after a few minutes (this is also the moment where you may or may not feel like a bona fide chef in your own kitchen). Mix them with some spices, put some cheese on the dough, spread the sauce over it, and bake.  Voilá!  Dinner is served.  (It’s a pretty fantastic dinner, especially on a weeknight with a good Real Housewives on 😉 ).

Heirloom Cherry Tomato Pizza Margherita

Servings: 1 pizza

Ingredients

1 pound pizza dough (ready-made or homemade)

1 pint (2 cups) heirloom cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salt/pepper, to taste

2-3 garlic cloves (to taste), minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more, if desired)

One 8-ounce ball fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

Fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Heat a sauté pan over high heat for about 2 minutes.

3. Add the olive oil, then carefully add the tomatoes.  Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper, if desired.

4. Sauté the tomatoes until slightly charred, stirring occasionally and gently breaking them open.  This will take about 5 minutes or so.

5. Remove the pan from the heat and place the tomatoes in a large bowl.

6. Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes, mixing well and crushing any remaining intact tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.

7. Roll the dough out (if using homemade) to about 1/2-inch thickness and place on a rimmed baking sheet (or pizza stone).

8. Evenly spread the mozzarella out on top of the dough.

9. Carefully spoon out the tomato mixture over the cheese (no need to spread it out, unless you want to).

10. Bake the pizza until lightly golden and slightly crisped, about 25-30 minutes.

11. Once baked, garnish with fresh basil.

 

Source: Slightly adapted from Bon Appétit, via Epicurious.

Filed in:Entrees | Pizza
comment
October 13, 2012 - 7:42 am

Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar - This pizza looks super tasty! Love this idea!

October 13, 2012 - 8:45 am

Christine (Cook the Story) - Those tomatoes are GORGEOUS! So is the resulting pizza. It’s 8:45am but I am totally considering pizza for breakfast today 🙂

October 13, 2012 - 12:03 pm

The Curvy Carrot » Heirloom Cherry Tomato Pizza Margherita | ClubEvoo - […] See the article here: The Curvy Carrot » Heirloom Cherry Tomato Pizza Margherita […]

October 14, 2012 - 10:33 pm

Erin@theLawStudentsWife - Cherry tomatoes–such a gift of summer! And they are purdy indeed. Yum! Has me craving a slice of Italia. I’m just going to struggle not to gobble them all up before they make it to the crust…

October 16, 2012 - 12:22 pm

neus - Looks amazing, I love to prepare the pizza’s doug, it¡s easier than looks and the result is extremely nice.

http://neuscoca.blogspot.nl/2011/04/pizza-casera-de-berenjena-bacon-y.html

October 17, 2012 - 2:18 am

Deborah@delicioushappens.com - Definitely making this!!

February 5, 2013 - 12:56 pm

Rick - Excited to give this recipe a try, but in the end it’s all about the crust!!! Sure, you can have all the best toppings and it will taste good, but the crust is what makes transcendant pizza.

August 14, 2013 - 9:43 pm

Black Cherry Tomato Pizza by The Redhead Baker - […] Adapted from The Curvy Carrot […]

January 5, 2014 - 4:30 am

Herloom Cherry Tomato Pizza | Quest for Fiver - […] What I really like about this, is the fact that the sauce is so simple and lovely! It is a really nice change from a regular pizza sauce. Check out the original recipe here. […]