Not quite repenting for our wanton, glutinous ways, William and I enjoyed a beautiful vegetarian dinner to ring in the Lenton season on Ash Wednesday. The inspiration for our meal was a big bright bag of zucchini flowers I picked up at the farmers’ market. I didn’t want to bother frying or stuffing the yellow-orange blossoms, so the farmer suggested I chop and saute them with onions and tomatoes—”the way Mexicans eat them,” she said. She also recommended eating the vegetables with tortillas and refried beans.

I followed her advice to the T. For the vegetables, I sauteed four scallions, five heaping handfuls of zucchini flowers, and a few tablespoons of chopped culantro from the CSA box (my first time cooking with the powerful, cilantro-like herb). After taking the vegetables off the heat, I added two diced heirloom tomatoes and salt and pepper.

I also made a homemade batch of refried beans, cooking a pound of pinto beans in the slow cooker and mashing them with one sauteed onion, cumin seeds, chili powder, smoked paprika and a good 3/4 cup bean liquid. I sprinkled a handful of cheddar over the bean mush and popped it into the oven for a few minutes, until the cheese was melted and oozing.

We ate piles of the vegetables and beans over warm flour tortillas with simple satisfaction. The zucchini flours had a mild squash flavor that was delicate but distinct, and the vegetable combination served as a light foil to the heavy, cheese-topped beans. I don’t know how much longer zucchini flowers will bloom this season, but for future harvests, I’ll eat mine the Mexican way.

To help clear the nasty cold our niece Camille gave us for Christmas, I made a big pot of Mexican tortilla soup based on a recipe my Mom has made for years … with one snag. I ran out of the pasilla chiles I usually use for the recipe. Publix was out as well, so William picked up dried chipotle chiles to try instead. Although initially dismayed by the thought of the substitution, I was a quick convert after one slurp. The chipotles lent the soup their signature smokey flavor and imparted about the same (nominal) level of heat as the pasillas, which kept William happy.

The soup may have lacked sinus-clearing heat, but it packed an intense amount of flavor for a simple concoction of vegetables and broth. And the decadent toppings—avocado, queso fresco, sour cream and fried tortilla strips—filled and satisfied our fatty desires.

Mom, I’m pretty sure you’re reading this. As soon as you can get some decent tomatoes, give your chiles the boot and try some chipotle in your tortilla soup.

Tortilla Soup with Chipotle Chiles
1 1/2 to 2 cups canola oil
3 dried chipotle chiles, seeded and chopped into 1/2-inch hunks
3 medium tomatoes, quartered
1 large onion, sliced
1 jalapeno, halved
6 cloves garlic
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/2 cup olive oil
3 quarts chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade
Salt to taste

Garnish
Corn tortilla strips, fried until crisp
Diced avocado
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro
Crumbled queso fresco

Instructions
Heat canola oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Fry chipotle chiles for 1 to 2 minutes, until softened. Reserve oil to fry tortilla strips for garnish.

Combine chipotle chiles, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro in a blender, and puree until smooth. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pot. Pour vegetable puree into the olive oil, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is a deep brick color. Add stock to the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes more. Season to taste with salt (salt quantities will vary greatly, depending on the stock you use).

Pour soup into bowls, top with desired garnish, and serve.

Serves 8 to 10

I searched and searched last week for a vegetarian garbanzo bean soup to peak my interest. I didn’t feel like Italian or anything with winter greens, which are long gone here in Miami. I finally  located this Mexican recipe on MexConnect, which I adapted to suit my pantry and taste. I used dried pasilla chiles, which are sweet and have little to no heat, so I compensated with cayenne. If I had a spicier chile on hand I would have used it. 

The recipe is unintentionally healthy and full of distinct chile flavor. I topped my bowl with diced avocado and fried corn tortillas—crumbled queso fresco also would make a nice addition.

Garbanzo Bean Soup with Chiles and Saffron
2 cups dried garbanzo beans*
1 carrot, cut into large hunks
1 large onion, cut in half
2 bay leaves
4 thyme sprigs
water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 large pinch ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 chiles pasilla, soaked to soften
3 Roma tomatoes, quartered
Salt and pepper

Instructions
In a large bowl, soak beans overnight, covered by 3 inches of water. Drain and rinse beans. Transfer beans to a stock pot, along with the carrot, 1/2 onion (reserving the other half), 2 bay leaves, thyme springs, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil, and stir in 1 teaspoon salt. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until beans are tender—1 1/2 to 2 hours. (I cheated and used the slow cooker while I was at work. The beans were a tad too tender, but the convenience was worth the sacrifice.) Turn off heat, and set aside.

Heat olive oil over medium in a large stock pot. Dice the remaining half onion, and saute for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant. Add sweet potato, saffron, cumin, cloves, and cayenne,  and cook 3 to 4 minutes more. 

Meanwhile, blend chiles and tomatoes with 1/4 cup bean cooking liquid. Add to pot with onion mixture, simmering gently.

Next, puree half of the cooked garbanzo beans. Add puree, whole beans, and remaining cooking liquid to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes to 1 hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 6

*You can substitute 6 cups canned garbanzo beans that have been drained and rinsed. If you do, I recommend using vegetable or chicken stock to help add flavor to the soup.