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Food, Health, and Happiness
115 On-Point Recipes for Great Meals and a Better Life
By Oprah Winfrey, Lisa Kogan Flatiron Books
Copyright © 2017 Oprah Winfrey
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-250-12654-2
CHAPTER 1
SOUP IS LOVE
IT'S SUNDAY NIGHT AT 7:00 SHARP, AND I'M SIX YEARS OLD.
Or maybe I'm eight. I could even be nine. No matter — whatever my age, I can tell you exactly what I was doing at 7 p.m. on just about every single Sunday of my childhood. I was sitting in front of the Magnavox riveted to what was, at the time, the greatest show on earth: Lassie. For 30 minutes — well, 22 once you subtracted the commercials — everything else melted away; it was just me and the Martin family and the most devoted dog ever.
Let's just say that Timmy Martin was not an easy child. That boy was constantly dangling from cliffs, getting trapped in abandoned mine shafts, falling into rivers — I think he even managed to sink into quicksand once or twice. But that was OK because whatever happened to Timmy, you knew Lassie had his back. Now, you might think that seeing the most brilliant collie on earth rescue her master from certain death in a pit of quicksand would be the high point of an episode — but not for me. My favorite part always came at the very end, when Timmy's mother would tousle his hair, give him a gentle lecture about how he should really make more of an effort to avoid falling into badger holes, and serve him a piping hot bowl of Campbell's soup, which was by all accounts mmm mmm good!
It was particularly mmm mmm good for Campbell's — which, I would later learn, sponsored Lassie for 19 years. But back then, in Milwaukee, product placement was the furthest thing from my mind. All I knew for sure in those days was that my world would be perfect and we'd all live happily ever after as the credits rolled if my mom would ladle up a great big bowl of Campbell's soup just for me.
My mother was a maid. After spending all day cleaning other people's houses, tousling my braids and serving me soup with a smile was out of the question. Even wishing such a thing was absurd. My mom did the best she could do, but to this day I have clear memories of putting grape Kool-Aid on my cereal because we were too broke to buy milk. The truth is, I remember times when we couldn't afford any food.
I wanted a different life. I wanted to feel safe. I wanted to feel understood. I wanted a world of possibility and unconditional love. Do you see what I'm getting at? I wanted soup.
As children, we don't get to pick the ways in which we're loved. But then we grow up, and if we're smart and prepared and very determined, every once in a while we actually do get the life we wanted. In my case, that life has included more possibilities than I ever could have imagined while sitting in front of that old Magnavox watching Lassie.
And guess what? Almost every day for lunch I now eat soup!
Starting a cookbook with 19 soup recipes might seem a little odd, but every one of these soups gives me a deep and instant sense of well-being. I hope they'll do the same for you. How much do I believe in the power of soup? Well, consider that the very best food advice I have to share comes down to this: If you want to feel warm and well-nourished — body and soul — find someone who looks like they could use a shot of goodness, and offer them a seat at your table, some easy conversation, and a simple bowl of soup. Because whoever you are, wherever you're from, there's no denying it: Soup is love.
SPICY BEAN AND COLLARD GREENS SOUP
My grandmother used to grow collard greens like weeds, which meant we either had collards or turnips at almost every meal. Adding collard greens to a plain bean soup takes it to a whole other dimension. Those greens spice everything up!
PREP TIME 20 MINUTES | COOK TIME 65 MINUTES | SERVES 6 | SmartPoints 7 PER SERVING | CALORIES 289 PER SERVING
INGREDIENTS:
Beans
1½ cups dried cannellini or other small white beans, soaked overnight in water to
cover by a few inches
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
For an easy and quick method use two 15-ounce cans of organic cannellini or other small white beans.
Soup
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 dried arbol chile
Salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
4 cups Great Chicken Stock (here)
½ cup canned crushed tomatoes
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground white pepper
4 large leaves collard greens, stems removed, chopped
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
¼ cup finely grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
To cook the beans: Drain the beans. Combine the beans, onion, garlic, and bay leaves in a large saucepan and add cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat, add the salt, and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the beans are soft but not mushy, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the beans cool in their cooking liquid, then discard the bay leaves and drain.
To make the soup: In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, arbol chile, and a large pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are slightly softened and colored. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and smoked paprika and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until aromatic. Stir in the beans, chicken stock, tomatoes, thyme, and a pinch of white pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove the arbol chile.
Transfer 2 cups of the soup, including solids, to a blender and blend until smooth. Return the puree to the pan, add the collard greens, 1 teaspoon salt, and a little pepper, return to a simmer, and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the collards are softened. Stir in the vinegar. Taste and add more salt if needed. Spoon into bowls and serve with the grated cheese on top.
MUSHROOM SOUP
We use a variety of different mushrooms, so it's chewy — really substantial without being heavy. Actually, for me this is every bit as filling as having a bowl of beef stew, but I don't feel so stuffed that I need a nap afterwards.
PREP TIME 10 MINUTES | COOK TIME 30 MINUTES | SERVES 4 | SmartPoints 6 PER SERVING | CALORIES 210 PER SERVING
INGREDIENTS:
Extra virgin olive oil spray
4 ounces (about 2 cups) whole oyster mushrooms, cut in half if large
Salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 bay leaf
3 cups Great Chicken Stock (here)
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS:
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Add the oyster mushrooms and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Heat the oil over medium-low heat, add the onion, and cook until softened but not colored, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the button mushrooms, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are softened. Add the chicken stock and white pepper, cover again, raise the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Add the cream and cook for a minute or so, until heated through. Remove the bay leaf.
Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Season with more salt if needed. Pour the soup into bowls and divide the oyster mushrooms among the bowls. Garnish with the cheese, cracked black pepper, and parsley, and serve.
HAWAIIAN BEAN AND VEGETABLE (OW RANCH) SOUP
The soup equivalent of wrapping yourself in a warm blanket — cozy, sensual, and perfect as a full meal.
A few years ago in Maui, we came across some huge lima beans that one of the farmers had harvested, dried, and stored in mason jars. Perfect for a soup! Originally, we used an oxtail base, something hearty enough to stand up to a big bean. But when I started on Weight Watchers, I realized that oxtail takes nearly a day's worth of points. So we developed a thick, rich, meatless base that's much lighter.
PREP TIME 20 MINUTES | COOK TIME 1 HOUR | SERVES 6 | SmartPoints 8 PER SERVING | CALORIES 323 PER SERVING
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups dried Christmas lima beans or cranberry beans (or substitute 6 cups canned
lima beans, drained)
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
½red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
3 medium ribs celery, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
6 cups Great Chicken Stock (here)
1 strip orange peel, preferably dried, or 2 teaspoons orange zest
1 star anise
2-inch piece fresh ginger, very thinly sliced
¼cup smooth unsweetened peanut butter
2 cups chopped mustard greens
Garnishes
Bean sprouts
Chopped fresh cilantro
Splash of lime juice
Sliced serrano chiles
Freshly grated ginger
Orange zest
Splash of sherry wine
DIRECTIONS:
If using dried beans, soak the beans in water to cover by a few inches for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain the beans, then put them in a large saucepan along with 1 bay leaf. Add water to cover by a few inches and season lightly with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and cook until softened, about 1 hour. Drain and remove the bay leaf. Transfer one-third of the cooked beans to a food processor or blender and puree them.
Rinse out and dry the pan, then add the oil and heat over medium-low heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, carrots, and two teaspoons of salt and cook until the vegetables are softened but not colored, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the whole beans and bean puree, the chicken stock, orange peel, star anise, ginger, peanut butter, and the remaining bay leaf. Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the bean puree and peanut butter, then reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes. Add the mustard greens and cook for about 2 minutes, until wilted. Remove the orange peel, bay leaf, and star anise. Add the garnishes to individual soup bowls and pour the soup around them. Finish with a splash of sherry wine. Serve with small bowls of jasmine rice on the side.
MINESTRA VERDE
This is The Garden of Earthly Delights in a soup bowl. It's every vegetable your mama told you to eat, but in this broth they're warm and delicious and soothing and spicy — all at the same time.
PREP TIME 20 MINUTES | COOK TIME 45 MINUTES | SERVES 6 | SmartPoints 5 PER SERVING | CALORIES 249 PER SERVING
INGREDIENTS:
8 sprigs fresh basil
4 sprigs fresh oregano
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large leek, white and green parts, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large yellow or orange carrots, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 large ribs celery, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 medium fennel bulb, cored and cut into ½-inch cubes
3 large green heirloom tomatoes
4 cups Great Chicken Stock (here) or Vegetable Stock (here)
2 bay leaves
2 cups cooked cannellini beans (or one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
4 cups loosely packed fresh spinach
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or to taste
1 cup chopped green beans, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup chopped asparagus, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 small zucchini, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen English peas
DIRECTIONS:
Tie the basil, oregano, and thyme together with kitchen string to make an herb bundle.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and leek and cook until softened but not colored, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, until aromatic. Season with salt and pepper. Add the carrots, celery, fennel, tomatoes, chicken or vegetable stock, herb bundle, and bay leaves. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add the beans, return to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove 2 cups of the broth from the soup, pour it into a blender, add the spinach, and blend until smooth. Add the blended soup back to the pot and add the vinegar. Return to a simmer, add the green beans and asparagus, and cook for about 3 minutes, until they are starting to soften. Add the zucchini and cook for 1 minute, then add the peas and cook for 1 final minute, or until all the vegetables are tender. Taste and add more vinegar, salt, and/or pepper if needed. Remove the herb bundle and bay leaves, spoon into bowls, and serve.
ARTICHOKE SOUP
Did you know that artichokes have zero, as in nada, points?!
We grow our own artichokes. It's a great big bushy plant, so you have to dig through a lot of green just to get that one artichoke. It's a big job, and knowing that really makes you appreciate what you're eating. The problem is, a person can only consume so many steamed artichokes in a lifetime. So one day I said, "Let's try them in a soup." The good news is the soup is delicious and artichokes have no fat at all I mean, you can't get a much cleaner vegetable than the artichoke. The not-so-good news is that we can never have artichokes in the house without Stedman making the "Careful, you might choke!" joke. One of these days he'll forget to say it, and I'll have to check him for fever.
PREP TIME 25 MINUTES | COOK TIME 30 MINUTES | SERVES 6 | SmartPoints 6 PER SERVING | CALORIES 283 PER SERVING
INGREDIENTS:
5 large artichokes
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
Salt
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups Great Chicken Stock (here)
Freshly ground white pepper
4 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Remove the hearts and bottoms from the artichokes and thinly slice them.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and artichokes, season lightly with salt, and cook until starting to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the potatoes and stock, increase the heat to medium-high, cover the pot, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the potatoes are very tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer half of the soup along with half of the spinach to a blender and blend until smooth. Repeat with the remaining vegetables, stock, and spinach, returning both to the pan and reheating if needed. Stir in the lemon juice, taste, and add more lemon juice, salt, and/or pepper if needed.
RED PEPPER, SAUSAGE, AND FENNEL SOUP
This soup is layered with flavors. And then the fennel just gives it a slight licorice kick. Add a crunchy green salad and you'll feel souper satisfied!
PREP TIME 25 MINUTES | COOK TIME 40 MINUTES | SERVES 4 | SmartPoints 7 PER SERVING | CALORIES 339 PER SERVING
INGREDIENTS:
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 medium bulb fennel, cored and finely chopped
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 large rib celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
4 cups Great Chicken Stock (here), plus more if needed
1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
2 spicy Italian chicken sausages, meat removed from the casing
Leaves of ½ bunch Swiss chard, mustard greens, or kale, chopped
½teaspoon red pepper flakes
Optional garnishes
Chile olive oil
Grated Parmesan cheese
Cracked black pepper
Fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
In a medium bowl, combine the tomato and fennel, stir in 1 teaspoon of the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place on a small baking sheet (a pie plate works well), place in the oven, and roast for 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and bay leaf and cook for 1 minute, or until aromatic. Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are completely softened. Remove the bay leaf. Add the soup and roasted peppers to a blender and blend until smooth (do this in batches if necessary). Wipe out the saucepan and pour the soup back into it. Season with salt and pepper.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Food, Health, and Happiness by Oprah Winfrey, Lisa Kogan. Copyright © 2017 Oprah Winfrey. Excerpted by permission of Flatiron Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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