Vegetarian Cabbage Roll Soup

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This vegetarian cabbage roll soup is filled with protein-rich lentils and all of the delicious flavors you love from traditional cabbage rolls. Naturally gluten-free and vegetarian/vegan.

I have yet to meet a cabbage soup I don’t love. But this one has turned into an especially delicious and nostalgic favorite for our family over the past few years. ♡

It’s inspired by the Ukrainian cabbage rolls that we learned to make a few summers ago while hosting a mother and daughter who had to flee their country after the war broke out. The language barrier when they arrived meant that the majority of our conversations around the house usually progressed quite slowly, communicating back and forth using Google Translate along with plenty of hand motions and laughter. But we quickly found that one of our favorite ways to connect was simply by cooking in the kitchen together, taking turns introducing one another to some of the traditional dishes we grew up with and loved best. I think they would report that my chocolate chip cookies won the award as their favorite American recipe, haha, but Elena’s homemade cabbage rolls definitely ended up being a new favorite for us.

Her classic combination of cabbage, rice, and veggies rolled up and cooked in a savory tomato sauce always felt like such delicious comfort food. And while Elena loved to make a big batch of traditional pork cabbage rolls for the majority of us around the table, she always lovingly made sure to prepare an extra vegetarian option just for my husband (either with Beyond meat or some sort of legumes), that I honestly ended up enjoying just as much. Steaming the cabbage and assembling each of those individual rolls can be a time-consuming labor of love, though, so we also came to enjoy “soupifying” her recipe. And now, over a year and a transatlantic move later, simmering a big batch of cabbage roll soup has become one of our family’s favorite ways to remember our time together.

We love swapping in protein-rich lentils here in place of meat and seasoning the cozy tomato broth with a hint of smoked paprika and bay leaf. But there are all sorts of creative ways that you can season this soup with various herbs and spices, so feel free to get creative if you’d like! I also like to take the shortcut of steaming up some store-bought frozen brown rice to add to the soup, but you’re welcome to add in your favorite kind of rice, farro, orzo, or whatever grains you prefer. Just don’t forget to finish the soup with a generous squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of fresh herbs to brighten things up. Delicious!!

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Matcha Latte

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This classic matcha latte recipe is easy to make and customize to your liking and always so delicious.

The older I get, the more I’m convinced that one of life’s simplest pleasures is looking forward to the next morning’s warm and cozy drink. And this winter in particular, I’ve found myself often trading in my usual coffee for a vibrant matcha latte to start the day. ♡

I’ve always loved the ritual of making a matcha latte just as much as the drink itself — sifting the gorgeous green powder into a bowl, whisking it rhythmically into a paste, swirling it together with frothy steamed milk, and savoring that deliciously warm and earthy first sip. It always feels like such a simple yet sacred process, and it’s one that I’ve come to really enjoy making at home over the last few years. And the resulting nutrient-rich drink with its layers of comforting flavors is always such a treat.

The joy of making your own homemade matcha latte, of course, is that you get to customize the type and amount of sweetener that you use, if you choose to sweeten your drink at all. (I personally find the Starbucks matcha latte a bit too sweet for my taste.) You can also use your favorite type of milk, and tweak the specific milk to matcha ratio that you prefer. And of course, a homemade matcha latte is almost always significantly cheaper than the coffee shop version.

If you’re new to making matcha lattes, there’s a tiny learning curve that comes with the process, so I recommend reading through the notes and watching the video below for a visual. Then in no time, you too can be starting the day with your own cozy homemade matcha latte too. Cheers, friends!

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Roasted Sweet Potato and Chickpea Bowls

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These zesty roasted sweet potato and chickpea bowls are layered with sautéed spinach and brown rice and tossed with my favorite 4-ingredient chipotle tahini dressing. Naturally gluten-free and vegan too.

Hands-down my favorite easy dinner recipe that I’ve made so far this year. ♡

The elements to build these bowls are quite simple — a big pan of roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas tossed with zesty seasoning, a quick batch of garlicky sautéed spinach, creamy slices of avocado, a bed of brown rice and your choice of toppings. But when layered together and tossed with my favorite 4-ingredient chipotle tahini dressing (which some of you might remember from this salad recipe that I shared last year), I’m telling you, these bowls are beyond delicious!

They’re perfectly balanced with a mix of zesty, smoky, tangy, creamy and fresh flavors. They happen to be naturally gluten-free and vegan, and made with nutrient-rich ingredients that are filling without weighing you down. They are easy to customize with whatever extra veggies you might have on hand, or even serve for breakfast with an egg on top. And that dressing — oh, that magical dressing — is certain to win a spot on your regular recipe rotation if it’s not there already.

We’re already such big fans of this recipe here in our home, so I hope you’ll give it a try soon too!

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Lightened-Up Broccoli Cheese Soup

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This veggie-loaded broccoli cheese soup recipe is perfectly velvety and creamy without using heavy cream. Instant Pot, Crock-Pot and stovetop options all included.

It’s officially -2°F outside right now and we’re on what feels like our zillionth snow day here in Kansas City and I am…over it, lol. Missing those mild Barcelona winters something fierce right about now. But we’ve been doing our best to get back into the Midwestern groove by keeping our new fireplace running, stocking up on cozy blankets and new hot teas, and making soups, soups, soups galore.

One of our recent favorites? This creamy veggie-loaded broccoli cheese soup. ♡

I have to admit the recipe came about purely as an effort to get more veggies into our toddler, who is pretty hit and miss on anything green lately. But once pureed into a velvety, creamy, vibrant green soup and loaded up with crunchy croutons on top, this broccoli cheese soup turned out to be a total win! I added in a generous amount of veggies and took a tip from my friend, Kathryne, to blend a starchy potato into the soup to make it thick and creamy (instead of using extra heavy cream). And the end result was full of fresh broccoli flavor, deliciously creamy and cheesy, and the perfect way to warm up on a far-below-freezing day.

I’ve included options for how to make this recipe in either the Instant Pot, Crock-Pot or on the stovetop. And as I’ve noted below, there are all sorts of fun ways that you can customize this soup with extra veggies or different seasonings if you’d like. I’m just going to insist that you buy a good block of sharp cheddar to shred and blend in here, as its flavor can really make all the different in a good broccoli cheese soup.

For all of you who are also braving the arctic blasts out there, stay warm this week. And let’s make some delicious soup together!

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Winter Farro Salad

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This winter farro salad recipe is made with the most delicious blend of seasonal fruit, greens, nuts, crumbled cheese and tossed with a vibrant orange ginger vinaigrette.

Ideal winter salad situation right here. ♡♡♡

I could seriously live on this one for easy breakfasts, lunches or dinners this time of year. It’s loaded up with sweet and juicy pears (or apples, clementines, grapes…whatever fruit is most ripe that week), lots of chewy nutty farro, peppery chopped arugula, tangy crumbled goat cheese or feta, sweet chopped dates, crunchy toasted pecans and paper-thin sliced shallots. Then everything is tossed together in a vibrant orange ginger vinaigrette. So fresh, so filling, and seriously SO so delicious.

It’s a great salad to prep ahead of time for office lunches or easy weeknight dinners. And while we find this salad to be plenty hearty and flavorful served as a vegetarian entrée, it would also be delicious served with grilled chicken, steak, salmon, or just about any other protein of your choice. I’ve included lots of options below for how to play around with the recipe and customize various components to your liking. So please feel free to have fun with this one and make it your own. I know you’re going to love it!

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