We eat a LOT of soup here.  It's on the menu at least once a week and we can do that year round because by the time it's 6pm night has fallen and the air is generally around 60 degrees.  With two under two in the house now, soup is also super helpful.  Most soups can be built in parts throughout the day when you have a few minutes here and there and then come together in time for dinner and baths before 7pm bedtimes!

 

Canaan adores zucchini and Nate and I adore almost any creamy soup so this one was a hit with everyone.  Yum!  I'm giving you the same loose recipe I found and letting you run with it and make it your own one of those cold, winter nights in the US.

 

 

 

 

Roasted Zucchini Soup with Stilton

Taken from sixcoursedinner

 

I referenced this soup in my Christmas Eve post.  It's a recipe without measurements, one of those recipes where you cut and toss and roast and pull it all together when it tastes right to you.  I'm a big fan of texture (why I really don't care for pudding) and so I love the way the kale and chickpeas crunch in your mouth against the silken texture of the soup base.

 

I make a lot of butternut squash soup here because the squash comes already peeled and cut and it's really inexpensive.  Sans the decadence of chorizo in this version of it, it's a really healthy lunch option.  I'll make a pot of it and have lunch for the work week.  But add in these extras and I feel like I'm eating something brand new and worthy of dinner fare.

 

 

Butternut Squash Soup with Chickpeas, Chorizo and Kale

 

Butternut Squash, peeled and diced

White onion, cut into wedges

 

Spread these two ingredients on a large baking sheet.  Toss with olive oil and roast at 400 for about 40 minutes (time will depend on the size of your pieces) or until tender and caramelized.  Stir at least once in the middle.

 

In a dutch oven or large pot, place a Tbs of olive oil and add minced garlic.  Cook for just one minute.  Then add chicken stock, and roasted squash and onions.  Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and curry powder to taste.  Bring to a boil and let simmer 15 minutes.  Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth (or put in a blender if you don't have the immersion version and then back into the pot to reheat).  

 

Meanwhile, in a saucepan on high, add a Tbs. of olive oil and then add chickpeas.  Let fry slightly.  Then add chorizo and cook both together for about 5-7 minutes.  Finally add chopped kale to the skillet.  When the kale is wilted, remove it from the heat.  

 

Ladle soup into bowls and serve each with a garnish of the chickpeas, chorizo and kale.

I realize we're at odds right now.  You're experiencing a summer's bounty of berries, peaches, tomatoes and other brightly-jeweled fruits and vegetables.  Meanwhile I'm experiencing the exact same 5 fruits that are available year round.  (Okay, there are a lot more than 5 but there aren't many recipes out there for taxo or guayaba and honestly, I've never been a fan of many tropical fruits anyway.)  So while you're making 20-minute, don't-turn-on-the-oven delectable dinners full of fresh flavors I'm making stew!  In July.

 

 

 

 

My only redemption from my fruit-flavored tears is that this is quite tasty, tasty stew and I don't have to wait til October rolls around next year should I decide to make it again.  The mushrooms are meaty and rich in the salty gravy, allowing the bursts of sugary cranberry to surprise the palette when they are found.

 

So I guess print this recipe out now.  Tuck it away for a day when you've had it with 98 degree weather and 100% humidity and dream of a fall winter night filled with space heaters, blankets, russian tea, slipper socks, and stew.

 

Portobello Beef Stew with Cranberry-Rice Pilaf

Originally from Taste of Home magazine

Yield: 6 servings

• STEW:
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 1 pound beef stew meat
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 pound sliced baby portobello mushrooms
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 
  PILAF:
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth

 

When we first arrived in Quito, after the babe and I were showered and clean of five rounds of his puke and after he was safely tucked into his new bed, and after I took a minute to freak out about the place we would be staying our first two weeks I opened the fridge.  And in the fridge was a bowl with a post-it note on it.  A note that said, "Lentil Soup."  And my heart sank possibly just one note lower because lentil soup?  Lentils are what my mom used to have to eat all alone because the rest of us turned up our nose and refused.  I sighed, closed the door and decided to call it a night, a rather bad night.

 

 

 

For a few days we avoided the lentil soup, by indulging in the pasta dish also in the fridge and eating in other people's homes.  But eventually that soup came due.  But a funny thing happened.  As Nate was heating it, I started to like the way the house was smelling and by the time the bowl was tucked into my fingers I was feeling quite warm and cozy all over.  And ten minutes later when I had scraped my bowl clean I realized that by golly, I like lentil soup!

 

And then of course I had lentils on the brain because this is an item I've completely overlooked for the past 20+ years and that must be rectified and fast.  And then this recipe appeared before me like magic and it was like lentils?  With mushrooms ... something else it took me over 20 years to realize I love?  Oh and a gouda biscuit.  Well, okay!  I could think of no better way to enter my own love affair with lentils.

 

 

And this soup was lentil-delicious.  Hearty, totally about comfort.  Approved for my pot-pie qualifications which include non-soggy biscuits and non-runny filling.  My only change to this recipe would be a cheese swap.  Not because I don't love gouda but because the gouda is out-shined in this recipe and that should never happen to gouda.  A simple mozzarella or even cheddar will work just as well and then you can save the gouda for something truly sinful.

 

Mushroom and Lentil Pot Pies with Gouda Biscuit Topping

Taken from Pink Parsley Catering, who adapted it from Bon Appetit, November 2010

Serves 4   (I made 1.5x the recipe and it served 8.  I guess it depends on the size of your bowls.)

 

 

Filling

1/2 cup french green lentils
1/4 tsp salt
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 Tbs olive oil, divided
6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
1 1/2 tsp ground sage
1 tsp fresh thyme
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
4 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbs tomato paste

Topping

1 cup plus 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
6 Tbs yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbs chilled unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup shredded Gouda Cheese

 

 

 

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Combine 3 cups cold water, lentils, and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, 25-30 minutes.  Drain and set aside.
Pour 3 cups of boiling water over the dried mushrooms in a medium bowl.  Soak 25 minutes.  Remove the mushrooms from the soaking liquid, and squeeze dry. Chop coarsely and reserve soaking liquid.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the fresh mushrooms and saute 3-4 minutes.  Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, the onion, carrot, sage, and thyme.  Cook 4minutes, then add the garlic.  Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Reduce heat to medium-low and mix the flour into the vegetables.  Cook 1 minute, then add the porcini soaking liquid.  Mix in the chopped porcinis, potatoes, soy sauce, and tomato paste.  Cover; simmer until the potatoes are tender, 13 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.  Add the lentils and season the filling with salt and pepper.  Divide among 4 ovenproof bowls and transfer to a baking sheet.
To make the topping, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Blend 5 seconds.  Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add the buttermilk and pulse until the dough forms moist clumps.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly to form a cohesive ball.  Divide into 4 portions and shape each one into a 2/3-inch thick disk.  Set rounds atop filling, sprinkle with cheese, and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake until a tester inserted into the biscuit comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes.

Sometimes trying new things comes in waves.  Like, I decided to try out having a kid and then two weeks later decided it was time to try out my hand at my first chilled soup recipe.  Okay, so maybe there isn't a parallel there but I do have a kid who wakes every 45 minutes or so and so recipes that can be done really, really quickly ... or in steps done over several hours or days ... are about all we can handle these days.  And this chilled soup was perfect for that.  I charred and chopped the poblano chile a day before I needed it.  The rest of the soup came together in about ten minutes.

 

 

The flavor of this soup was nicely tart from the lime and cilantro.  The consistency was very smooth, but not overly decadent, due to the plain yogurt.  The pepitas made this work by added a juxtaposing textural element that kept the palate from being bored with all of the smoothness.  (I really don't like yogurt because of the lack of textural inspiration).  However, this soup tastes RICH.  I served it for a simple lunch and found myself "done" with the soup before I was done with the lunch.  This soup, in my opinion, would work best as a very small starter to a nice, Mexican dinner.  In fact, I have the menu in mind but no way to execute it until my newborn starts sleeping longer hours.  So try this soup, but don't plan on filling yourself with it or you might end up with a little too much of a good thing.

 

Cold Avocado Soup with Chile-Lime Pepitas

From Fine Cooking 103, p. 50

Serves 6

 

On a gas stove, turn a burner to high and set the poblano directly over the flame, turning it with tongs, until completely charred, 5 to 8 minutes. Alternatively, on an electric stove, heat the broiler on high and char the poblano on all sides on a baking sheet placed directly under the broiler. Put the poblano in a bowl, cover, and set aside to steam and loosen the skin. When cool enough to handle, peel, seed, and cut the poblano into 1/4 -inch dice.

 

Heat an 11- to 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add the onion and cook, turning a few times, until soft and browned in places, about 5 minutes.

 

In a blender, purée until smooth all but 1 Tbs. of the poblano, the onion, broth, avocado, cilantro, parsley, marjoram or oregano (if using), 2 Tbs. of the lime juice, cumin, coriander, and 1 tsp. salt. Blend in the yogurt. Season to taste with more salt. Chill well.

 

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the pepitas and cook until they begin to pop and color a bit, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 Tbs. lime juice, the chile powder, and 1/8 tsp. salt and stir until the juice has evaporated, leaving a film on the pan.

 

Season the soup to taste with salt and thin with broth if necessary. Divide among 6 cups or small bowls and garnish with the pepitas, the remaining poblano, and a few pinches of chile powder.

I latched onto the idea of a soup night some time in July when the days were still hot and popsicles and slurpee runs were my best friend.  Still I was obsessed with the idea of a soup night some cozy Fall day when the winds were blowing and the daylight ended quickly.  I liked the idea of pots sitting on the stove simmering slightly, people coming and going on their schedule, and grabbing a bowl or three at some point in the night. This weekend I finally got to fulfill my idea with a houseful of friends and three types of soup: Italian Sausage and Vegetable Soup, Meatball and Ravioli Soup, and Velvety Pumpkin Soup.  Never mind that Fall suddenly turned into summer and the day was a balmy 70 and sunny.  By the time night fell warm soup was still in order.  It was a nice, relaxing evening and I am really grateful for the fun and interesting people I have in my life.  I decided at the end of Fall Soup Night that even when I no longer live in a climate that rotates between four seasons I'm going to keep this tradition alive once a year and bring a little bit of Fall with me wherever I am. (Of course Nate & I were both too relaxed to remember to pop out the camera once during the evening.)

Chowder.  A perfect signal that Fall is indeed here.  A perfect antidote to days that got far too cold far too quickly.

 

 

I love this chowder for it’s ease and versatility.  I also love the big bundle of saffron-flavored rice in the middle of it.  It’s the only packaged rice/pasta product you’ll see me buy.  But this recipe has endless possibilities and is perfect to substitute and change based on your convenience and palate.  This last time I made it, I had very small amounts of both shredded pork and chicken so I threw both in.  I’ve also been meaning to try this with shrimp instead because I think it would go perfectly and be perfectly Spanish as well.  This time I was out of peas and red peppers so I gave it a bit of a Latin American twist with a slice of avocado on top and ditched the almonds.

 

See what I mean?  You can throw almost anything in and you’ll come away with a warm, full belly.

 

Catalan Chicken Chowder

Originally from Sara Moulton

Serves 4

 

1 (5 oz.) pkg. of saffron-flavored yellow rice mix

8 oz. (1/2 lb.) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp. Olive oil

1 (14-1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 (14-1/2 oz.) can reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 of a 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered (about 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup frozen baby sweet peas

1/2 of a 7. 25 oz. jar roasted red sweet peppers, drained and cut into strips

2 Tbsp. slivered almonds, toasted

 

Prepare rice according to package directions; set aside and keep warm.

 

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan cook chicken, onion, and garlic in hot oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, and artichoke hearts; bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add peas and red pepper strips. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through.

 

To serve, divide soup among individual serving bowls. Spoon a mound of cooked rice in center of each bowl. Sprinkle with almonds.

What do you do when it’s mid-June and you want to enjoy all those great summer dishes … but the temperature hasn’t passed 65 yet?  A summer soup is the perfect solution (though it didn’t sound like one to my sister who was panting in the 100 degree Oklahoma weather).  This soup combines many of the great flavors of summer, with corn, cilantro, and avocado.  The roasted corn comes out somehow both crunchy and chewy, which I found very interesting texturally.   But let’s be honest, I’m never one to turn down guacamole and if you want to put a generous-sized plop of it in the middle of my soup you won’t hear a single complaint out of me.

 

 

This would make a great starter course for a meal.  In fact, we talked about this at dinner time primarily because I kept exclaiming over how this recipe ever thought it would feed 4-6.  I made the whole thing for the two of us and the soup pot was scooped clean within 30 minutes.

 

Fresh Corn Soup Topped with Roasted Corn Guacamole

Originally from Epicurious.com, May 2009

Yield: 4-6 servings

 

Roasted Corn Guacamole

Kernels from 3 ears fresh corn, or 2 cups frozen corn, defrosted

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 lime, finely grated zest and juice

1 jalapeño, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped

1 avocado, pitted and chopped

Soup

Kernels from 5 ears fresh corn, or 3 cups frozen corn, defrosted

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 jalapeño, stemmed and chopped

Salt and black pepper

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Cilantro sprigs, to garnish

 

Roast the Corn for the Guacamole

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

 

Put the corn kernels on the baking sheet and toss with the oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste. Spread the corn out evenly on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, until the corn turns a golden brown. It may seem that you have left the corn in the oven for too long, but you want the corn to caramelize and get a little crunchy. Remove the corn from the oven and set aside.

 

Prepare the Corn for the Soup

Put the kernels (fresh or frozen and defrosted) in a blender.

 

Combine the oil and the garlic in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until the vegetables are soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to the blender and puree until smooth. (You may need to pulse or stir the corn mixture in order to achieve a smooth consistency, but do not add any more liquid.)

 

Simmer the Soup

Pour the corn puree into the soup pot and place over medium heat. Stir constantly for a few minutes, until the soup begins to thicken. Slowly whisk or stir in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

 

Finish the Roasted Corn Guacamole

In a bowl, combine the roasted corn, red onion, cilantro, lime zest and juice, and jalapeño. Gently stir in the avocado. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Serve and Garnish

Ladle the soup into soup bowls. Place a generous spoonful of the guacamole in the center of each bowl. Garnish with a small sprig of cilantro placed in the center of each.  (The soup can be made a day in advance, cooled, and stored in the refrigerator. However, it is best to make the corn guacamole a few hours before you are going to eat it.)