Well hello there!

Long time no talk.

Are you down for some minestrone soup today?

Minestrone Soup with Collard Greens + Black Eyed Peas | edibleperspective.com

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday and enjoyed at least one day off from the normal work routine. I’ve pretty much ignored my inbox and social media for the past week and it’s been glorious. A reboot of sorts. But that doesn’t mean I’ve been sitting around on the couch for a week. It means I’ve been tending to the things I’ve been ignoring for the better part of the year.

However, there’s also been ample couch time, a break from working out, and non-stop cooking eating. I don’t make cookies often because I cannot control myself.

Anywho.

Minestrone Soup with Collard Greens + Black Eyed Peas | edibleperspective.com

I thought today would be a great day—as I sit here freezing in my office (coldest room in the house) while it’s snowing and 8° outside—to tell you about this soup recipe.

Minestrone soup has been on my “to make” list for at least a year now. I have no idea why I haven’t tackled it yet. It’s definitely one of the easiest soups ever. And on a recent post polling what you’d like to see more of here in 2015, many of you said, more SOUP!

So I figured I would close out 2014 with this huge batch of soup. Soul warming, flavorful and absolutely perfect with grilled cheese or avocado toast.

Minestrone Soup with Collard Greens + Black Eyed Peas | edibleperspective.com

I’ve given traditional minestrone soup a little New Year’s twist by adding collard greens and black eyed peas. You know, for good luck in the New Year! I have no idea where that tradition came from, but I absolutely love collards and will use any excuse I can to cook with them. They’re a hearty green that tenderize perfectly in this simple, tomato-broth. And speaking of the broth, I like mine extra tomato-ey. It’s kind of a cross between minestrone and tomato soup.

Minestrone Soup with Collard Greens + Black Eyed Peas | edibleperspective.com

Print Recipe!

adapted from here + here

Minestrone Soup with Collard Greens + Black Eyed Peas

gluten-free, vegan // yields ~14 cups, 6-8 servings

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 cup carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 celery stick, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
5 cups no/low-sodium vegetable broth
1, 28oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, (or regular)
1, 15oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes, (or regular)
2 cups ribbon-cut collard greens, (de-stemmed)
1, 15oz can black eyed peas, (sub chickpeas if desired)
1 1/4 cup gluten-free macaroni noodles
salt + pepper to taste
fresh parsley and parmesan cheese, (to top)

Heat a large pot (at least 5qt) over medium with the oil. Once hot, add in the onion with a big pinch of salt. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes and then add in the carrots and celery. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until starting to soften. Stir frequently. Add in the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds then stir in the basil and oregano.

Slowly pour in the broth and tomatoes. Stir in about 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper (Total amount you need to add will vary on sodium levels in your broth. If using full sodium wait until the end to add more salt.). Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Taste and add more salt and pepper to your liking.

Stir in the collards, beans, and noodles. Cook until noodles are slightly al dente, as they’ll continue to cook once taken off the heat. Taste and add more salt + pepper if desired. Serve with fresh parsley and freshly grated parmesan if desired. (Thenoodles soak up quite a bit of liquid. Add more broth if needed.)

Let soup cool before storing in the fridge for 5-6 days.

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Notes: If you can’t find or don’t want to use collards, lacinato (dino) kale would be a great replacement, or any other sturdy green. I don’t recommend spinach. If using gluten-free noodles, they will expand in the soup after refrigeration. They tend to fall apart after the initial cook as well.

Minestrone Soup with Collard Greens + Black Eyed Peas | edibleperspective.com

You might want to check back here on Dec 31 for the perfect New Year’s Day appetizer. Just a suggestion.

But in the meantime…

Looking for a few fun NYE recipes? You probably want to start off with these Cheesy Polenta Breadsticks and then check the list below for other ideas.

Ashley

Cheesy Polenta Breadsticks | edibleperspective.com

Let’s get right down to business today. I know you most likely don’t have a ton of time to be reading blogs this week, and I definitely do not blame you!

You’re most likely…

on winter break
at work with a million things to finish up
cuddling with your kiddos
trying to finish shopping
taking an internet break

But I just HAD TO share these cookies. I haven’t stopped thinking about them (or eating them) since last Friday. I promise they are the best gluten-free chocolate chip cookies you have ever tasted.

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes | edibleperspective.com

They’re a riff from last year’s chocolate chip cookies with pistachios and orange zest. I forgot how incredible the base chocolate chip cookie is. You will never, ever, ever (promise!) guess these are gluten-free. They are my dream cookie texture.

They’re thick, chewy, and super nutty from my favorite flour combination, oat flour and almond meal. And then to make things a little more exciting they’re studded with THREE different mix-ins.

One of which you may have seen me post about on instagram last week.

It starts with coconut butter.

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes | edibleperspective.com

The coconut butter is mixed with just a few ingredients to create COCONUT BUTTER CHIPS. This was one of my most exciting discoveries in the kitchen in quite some time.

I wasn’t sure if they’d hold up in the cookies or not but they did and way better than expected. I thickened them up with some cashew butter + homemade powdered sugar.

I tried making the coconut butter chips twice. The second time I added unsweetened shredded coconut for more coconut flavor, but they ended up slightly crumbly. They still cut into chunks but flaked more easily. Both batches were great but the original had less crumbs, so that is the recipe I’ll give you below. If you’d like to add shredded coconut, simply mix in 1/4 cup. They’re both excellent!

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes | edibleperspective.com

Print Recipe!

Coconut Butter Chips

gluten free, dairy free

1/2 cup melted coconut butter
2 tablespoons melted unrefined coconut oil
2 tablespoons creamy cashew butter
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Line an 8x4 pan with parchment or wax paper. Stir all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Pour into the pan, smooth out, and freeze for about 15-20 minutes, or until solid. Pull out from the pan and place on a cutting board. Chop into chunks (typical chocolate chunk size or slightly larger). Store in a sealed jar in the fridge.

Notes:

Can be baked into cookies, eaten alone, or topped on things like oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, etc.

There are no subs for coconut butter. Click link above for a detailed how-to.

You can make your own sugar easily with pure cane sugar (or white sugar). Place 1 cup in a blender with 1 tablespoon of arrowroot starch and blend until soft. Store in a sealed container. I typically like to use coconut sugar or sucanat to make powdered sugar but wanted to keep the white color for the chips.

You can use creamy (not overly oily) almond butter. I used cashew butter to keep the chips lighter in color.

Add in 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut if desired. They will be slightly crumblier when chopped.

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes | edibleperspective.com

And then there’s the crushed candy cane. I buy hippy-dip, natural candy canes (that I love!) and thought they’d be a fun, holiday mix-in. You can definitely incorporate these into the dough, but I pressed a few pieces on top of each cookie before baking.

I don’t think I mentioned the brown butter yet…

So, yeah. Brown butter. It adds an extra layer of richness that you definitely don’t want to miss out on.

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes | edibleperspective.com

I must admit I’m fully obsessed with the coconut butter chips. I have a jar leftover in the fridge that I constantly snack on throughout the day.

I’ve also plunked a few on top of my morning oatmeal and watched them slowly melt into a puddle of coconut deliciousness. Highly recommend.

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes | edibleperspective.com

Sea salt on top, of course. It’s the perfect contrast to the sweet chocolate chips + candy cane pieces.

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes | edibleperspective.com

Is it weird if I beg you to make these?

MAKE THESE!!!

And then snap a photo and instagram them with the #edibleperspective !

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes | edibleperspective.com

Print Recipe!

adapted from my: gluten-free chocolate chip cookies with pistachios

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chips Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes

gluten-free // yields appx. 30-40 cookies

for the cookies:

1 1/2 cups gluten-free oat flour
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons brown butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup packed muscovado sugar, or brown sugar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons natural creamy cashew butter, or almond butter
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup coconut butter chips, refer to beginning of post
crushed candy cane pieces
large flaked sea salt

In a large bowl, stir together the oat flour, almond meal, oats, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, pour the melted (and mostly cooled) butter and whisk together with the sugar, maple syrup, and cashew butter until well combined. Whisk in the egg and vanilla until fully incorporated. Pour the dry ingredients over the wet and stir with a fork and/or your hands until fully combined and stiff. Mix in the chocolate chips and coconut butter chips (if using). The dough will be tacky and thick. Cover with plastic-wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight (don’t skip).

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Spoon some of the dough into your hand and pack/roll into about a 1 1/2-inch ball (does not need to be smooth). Place on a nonstick baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough leaving 2-inches between each cookie. Lightly press some of the crushed candy cane pieces into the top of each cookie (do not flatten). Alternatively, you can mix in 1/2 – 3/4 cup crushed candy cane pieces into the dough. Sprinkle with large flaked sea salt (optional, but recommended.)

Bake cookies for 9-12 minutes depending on desired doneness. Let cookies cool for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before eating. Cookies firm as they cool. Once fully cooled store in a sealed bag or container on the counter.

Notes:

If you don’t want to make brown butter, simply sub 6 tablespoons melted butter.
If you want to keep these standard chocolate chip cookies up the chocolate chips to 1 cup and leave out the coconut butter chips and candy canes.
I’m not sure if melted coconut oil will work with these or not. They may need an extra tablespoon or so of oat flour if they seem too sticky.
Avoid cashew or almond butter that is overly oily. If oily, be sure to fully incorporate before using.
How to make Brown Butter: Heat a light colored saucepan [so you can see when it browns] over medium/medium-low heat with 1 stick of butter cut into tablespoon sized pieces. Let melt then start whisking constantly. While you whisk the butter will start to foam, then simmer, then turn clear, and then foam a bit more and eventually little brown bits will start to show up after a few minutes. When brown bits start to form remove the pan from the heat and continue to whisk for another 30 seconds. Pour into a jar, let cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate or use in its liquid form. You’ll definitely be able to see and smell [very rich and nutty] when the butter starts to brown. Do not try and speed the process with a higher temperature or it will burn. You want golden brown liquid, not at all blackened.