No Croutons Required - The Winner of the Hearty Soup Challenge

As usual, there was some tough competition, but the votes are in and Ashley of Method is the winner of the Hearty Vegetarian Soup challenge with her inspired Pumpkin Chili. This thick veggie and bean soup is a perfect autumn creation. Congratulations Ashley!

Holler will be hosting November's Edition of No Croutons Required. This month we are asking for hearty soups or salads containing pasta.

Somehow or other, I've had more kitchen disasters in the last few weeks than I have had in the past two years. First, there was a cornmeal shortbread that tempted me, and although the dough was delicious, it didn't hold together and into the trash can it went. After that, there were the little discs of goat cheese that I tried to fry up to serve with sautéed portabello mushrooms. It was all good until it was time to flip them over. I ended up with a glob of cheese, but I spread it over some toast and topped it with the mushrooms, and so managed to salvage dinner. Finally, we come to this recipe for savory cheese crackers.

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A shortage of munitions in the kitchen with a corresponding failure to consider the solution the night before, combined with a desire to produce something for dinner without resorting to pizza delivery or dining out, resulted in a focus on staples.

Pancakes were an obvious choice, especially when you can salvage the last few peppers from the vine along with some vibrant green parsley. A comforting treat any time of day, these dosas are delightfully soft and quite flavorful. Satisfying for breakfast, lunch or dinner, serve with some chutney such as this fresh tomato chutney, or as a flatbread alongside an Indian meal as a substitute for naan.

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Inspired by a recipe I found in Vegetarian Times for Jamaican tempeh patties, I reworked the filling and came up with this bean and veggie version that I served to my Dad this past weekend. I never can resist trying out new creations for my esteemed dinner guests.

The result was a spicy mixture of plump kidney beans filled out with shredded carrot and mashed sweet potato enclosed in a spicy pastry. I meant to add peas to the filling and forgot, but I am including them in the recipe because I think they would provide a pleasing contrast and accompaniment to the mixture.

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