Recipes by Susan Saint James: Soybean Soup; Susan's Salad

Susan Saint James' Soybean Soup

1 cup dried soybeans
3 cups distilled water
2 scant cups liquid (leftover cooking liquid from vegetables or pulp from carrots)
2 tbsps. unfiltered black strap molasses
1 tsp. sea salt (use 1/2 amount if using crystals)
1 1/2 tsps. dry mustard
2 small onions, peeled and chopped

Soak soybeans overnight and then put them in freezer in liquid in which they have been soaked. Thaw slightly; put into stock pot with liquid (vegetable juice or pulp), molasses, sea salt and mustard. Cook slowly about 1 1/2 hours, stir often to prevent sticking. Add onion, cook 30 minutes longer (or until soup is cooked to thin gravy consistency). Taste to correct seasonings. Add more mustard as desired. Serves 6-8.

Thoughts: The secret of Susan's soup is in the seasoning of the delicately flavored soybean. Added vegetables (grated carrot, celery or turnips) will thicken stock, giving soup a stew-like texture. For flavor variations, omit molasses and mustard, substitute tomato juice for liquid, add herbs (parsley, basil) or toasted nuts (almonds, pine nuts or walnuts) or seeds (sesame or sunflower).

Susan Saint James' - Susan's Salad

Your choice of salad greens: Bibb lettuce, spinach, romaine, cabbage, watercress or parsley, washed and refrigerated to crispen greens.
1/4 bell pepper, cut in rings
2 tbsps. sunflower seeds, toasted
2 tbsps. sesame seeds, toasted
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained (reserve juice for dressing)
1 large carrot, grated
2 small beets, grated
6 olives (ripe or pimento-stuffed)
1 small avocado
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix greens, pepper, seeds, artichoke hearts, carrot, beet and whole olives in salad bowl. Toss lightly with sea salt and ground pepper to taste. Cut avocado into small slivers to garnish salad. Serve with juice from artichokes to make its own dressing with a squeeze of lemon or serve with creamy avocado dressing made with: 1/2 pureed avocado, 1/3 cup plain yogurt, 1/2 tsp. sea salt, a pinch of snipped fresh chervil (or parsley), a few drops onion juice, fresh lemon juice to taste, and crushed hot pepper to taste. Mix and chill well. Makes about one scant cup.

Thoughts: For added protein, add cooked soybeans, hard-cooked eggs or cheese.