I'm starting back to this blogging thing slowly. It seemed like everybody included fancy photos, and I'm not a photographer, but I do know food, so that's what I'm sticking with. Before I've always cooked fennel the same way: roasted with garlic & topped with parmesan. But I'm on this soup kick lately, so fennel soup it is. I wanted to balance the licorice-ishness with some sweet and savory.
Carrot and Fennel Soup
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
1 potato, diced
1 fennel bulb, with greens, diced
6 cups vegetable broth
Over medium low heat, melt butter, then add onions. Cook until very tender. Turn the heat to medium, add garlic and rest of the veggies. Sautee, stirring occasionally, until the veggies begin to brown. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until vegetables are cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6.
Showing posts with label soup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soup. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Saturday, January 3, 2009
I Like Parsnips
Yes, the statement "I like parsnips" is worth of a post title all of it's own. I've never actually tried them before, because they just seemed gross, right up there with turnips and brussel sprouts. I'm still not a huge turnip fan (but I'm always open to more ideas!) and haven't brought myself to try brussel sprouts yet. It's tough being a reformed picky eater.
But anyways, I could no longer avoid parsnips, as I've gotten several in recent weeks from my C.S.A. and I hate to waste food. Lately, I've been wanting to make some lentil soup, and since I mentally associate lentils with root vegetables, I thought it might be a good way to mask any undesirable flavors. When I pulled out the parsnips, I was going to discard the greens, then realized that I do like turnip greens, and well, greens never hurt lentil soup, so might as well throw them all in too.
Turns out, the title is a lie. I love parsnips. They're firm, slightly sweet and just so nice tasting. I actually wish I had more to cook with! And that's a dangerous statement to make. Last time I wished for more produce, with my beloved pomegranates, I ended up with over a dozen. But hey, I can eat parsnip and lentil soup all year long. That's what freezers are for after all.
I'd like to point out that with most of my soups, particularly those that start with onion, garlic and carrots, normal people throw in celery. However, it's not one of my favorite flavors, it doesn't come in my C.S.A. box so I'd have to buy it special, so I don't add it. If you like celery, have it on hand or want to bulk up the veggies in the soup, please feel free to add it.
Lentil and Root Vegetable Soup
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, peeled and minced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 parsnips, peeled and diced, greens reserved
1 cup lentils
4 cups vegetable broth or bouillon
greens from 2 parsnips, chopped
Heat oil in the bottom of a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add onions, garlic and ginger, and sautee for 2-3 minutes until very fragrant. Add carrots and parsnips, cook for another 5 min until onions are soft. Stir in lentils, coating thoroughly, and heat for another 2 minutes. Add broth, and simmer covered for 20 minutes, until lentil are soft. Stir in the greens, cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes until tender.
Serves 4-6.
But anyways, I could no longer avoid parsnips, as I've gotten several in recent weeks from my C.S.A. and I hate to waste food. Lately, I've been wanting to make some lentil soup, and since I mentally associate lentils with root vegetables, I thought it might be a good way to mask any undesirable flavors. When I pulled out the parsnips, I was going to discard the greens, then realized that I do like turnip greens, and well, greens never hurt lentil soup, so might as well throw them all in too.
Turns out, the title is a lie. I love parsnips. They're firm, slightly sweet and just so nice tasting. I actually wish I had more to cook with! And that's a dangerous statement to make. Last time I wished for more produce, with my beloved pomegranates, I ended up with over a dozen. But hey, I can eat parsnip and lentil soup all year long. That's what freezers are for after all.
I'd like to point out that with most of my soups, particularly those that start with onion, garlic and carrots, normal people throw in celery. However, it's not one of my favorite flavors, it doesn't come in my C.S.A. box so I'd have to buy it special, so I don't add it. If you like celery, have it on hand or want to bulk up the veggies in the soup, please feel free to add it.
Lentil and Root Vegetable Soup
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, peeled and minced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 parsnips, peeled and diced, greens reserved
1 cup lentils
4 cups vegetable broth or bouillon
greens from 2 parsnips, chopped
Heat oil in the bottom of a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add onions, garlic and ginger, and sautee for 2-3 minutes until very fragrant. Add carrots and parsnips, cook for another 5 min until onions are soft. Stir in lentils, coating thoroughly, and heat for another 2 minutes. Add broth, and simmer covered for 20 minutes, until lentil are soft. Stir in the greens, cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes until tender.
Serves 4-6.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Wednesday Strikes Again
I swear, I don't mean to keep stealing Luisa's ideas, but I guess great minds think alike. And hers is just a few steps ahead of mine.
Apparently pomegranates around here are like zucchini back in North Carolina, mention you like them, and suddenly you have a lifetime supply. Thanks to my generous C.S.A. and coworker donations left in my locker, I found myself with almost a dozen pomegranates arranged decoratively on my kitchen table. Fortunately, just when I was beginning to feel overwhelmed, I was invited to spend Thanksgiving with a distant cousin (we share great-great grandparents, if I remember correctly) who advertised himself as an "experimental" cook. Fancy food, a trip to San Francisco, eclectic dinner guests? Sign me up, and of course I'd be happy to bring the soup.
I did some hunting to find this lovely Amy Scattergood carrot pomegranate soup. Except, then the internet showed me Luisa already tried this recipe (but to great success!) Oh well. I did take it a step further and prepare my own pomegranate molasses. If you don't have a dozen pomegranates on hand, or aren't tempted by the idea of making your own molasses, this should be available at gourmet or Middle Eastern food shops, or even online. First things first, how to make pomegranate molasses.
Pomegranate Molasses
6-8 large pomegranates
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
Remove the seeds from the pomegranates by slicing fruit in half, then removing seeds in a bowl of water. The seeds will sink, the white membranes will float.
Drain the seeds (set aside a few for the garnish, if you're making the soup!), then run through food processor for a few seconds, until very liquidy.
Place colander lined with cheese cloth, or a fine-meshed strainer in a large bowl, and pour seeds + juice mix through. Press pulp with a spatula to get rid of most of the juice through. If necessary, squeeze cheesecloth to get as much juice as possible out.
Pour juice into a measuring cup, hopefully it should be about 4 cups. If not, adjust the sugar and lemon juice accordingly.
Combine all ingredients in the bottom of a 2 quart saucepan. Simmer over low heat until the sugar is dissolved, then continue to simmer uncovered for 70 min until the liquid has reduced to 1 cup and is very thick.
Pour into a glass jar, allow to cool, then store covered in a refrigerator for 6 months, if you can make it last that long.
This stuff is AMAZING: I found myself licking the pot clean. Now I dip the tip of a spoon in it, then scoop up some plain yogurt. Apparently if you're into meat, it's excellent in Middle Eastern rubs. Then there's the soup, where it adds a punch of tart sweetness, if that makes sense.
Carrot Pomegranate Soup
4 tbsp olive oil
4 cups peeled & chopped
2 cups onion, chopped
1 tsp cumin (I prefer whole)
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
4 cups broth
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
additional pomegranate molasses (optional)
Heat oil in the bottom of a large pot. Add carrots, onion, cumin & molasses. Sautee for 15 min, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
Add 3 cups of the broth and simmer, covered, until carrots are very tender, about an hour.
When it's finished, it will look very brothy, and not particularly attractive. Allow to cool, then puree, in batches if necessary (if you're lucky enough to have an immersion blender, no need to cool.) Return to the pot, add the last cup of broth, season to taste, if necessary, and warm back up.
Serve garnished with pomegranate seeds and more molasses.
Serves 6 to 8.
Apparently pomegranates around here are like zucchini back in North Carolina, mention you like them, and suddenly you have a lifetime supply. Thanks to my generous C.S.A. and coworker donations left in my locker, I found myself with almost a dozen pomegranates arranged decoratively on my kitchen table. Fortunately, just when I was beginning to feel overwhelmed, I was invited to spend Thanksgiving with a distant cousin (we share great-great grandparents, if I remember correctly) who advertised himself as an "experimental" cook. Fancy food, a trip to San Francisco, eclectic dinner guests? Sign me up, and of course I'd be happy to bring the soup.
I did some hunting to find this lovely Amy Scattergood carrot pomegranate soup. Except, then the internet showed me Luisa already tried this recipe (but to great success!) Oh well. I did take it a step further and prepare my own pomegranate molasses. If you don't have a dozen pomegranates on hand, or aren't tempted by the idea of making your own molasses, this should be available at gourmet or Middle Eastern food shops, or even online. First things first, how to make pomegranate molasses.
Pomegranate Molasses
6-8 large pomegranates
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
Remove the seeds from the pomegranates by slicing fruit in half, then removing seeds in a bowl of water. The seeds will sink, the white membranes will float.
Drain the seeds (set aside a few for the garnish, if you're making the soup!), then run through food processor for a few seconds, until very liquidy.
Place colander lined with cheese cloth, or a fine-meshed strainer in a large bowl, and pour seeds + juice mix through. Press pulp with a spatula to get rid of most of the juice through. If necessary, squeeze cheesecloth to get as much juice as possible out.
Pour juice into a measuring cup, hopefully it should be about 4 cups. If not, adjust the sugar and lemon juice accordingly.
Combine all ingredients in the bottom of a 2 quart saucepan. Simmer over low heat until the sugar is dissolved, then continue to simmer uncovered for 70 min until the liquid has reduced to 1 cup and is very thick.
Pour into a glass jar, allow to cool, then store covered in a refrigerator for 6 months, if you can make it last that long.
This stuff is AMAZING: I found myself licking the pot clean. Now I dip the tip of a spoon in it, then scoop up some plain yogurt. Apparently if you're into meat, it's excellent in Middle Eastern rubs. Then there's the soup, where it adds a punch of tart sweetness, if that makes sense.
Carrot Pomegranate Soup
4 tbsp olive oil
4 cups peeled & chopped
2 cups onion, chopped
1 tsp cumin (I prefer whole)
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
4 cups broth
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
additional pomegranate molasses (optional)
Heat oil in the bottom of a large pot. Add carrots, onion, cumin & molasses. Sautee for 15 min, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
Add 3 cups of the broth and simmer, covered, until carrots are very tender, about an hour.
When it's finished, it will look very brothy, and not particularly attractive. Allow to cool, then puree, in batches if necessary (if you're lucky enough to have an immersion blender, no need to cool.) Return to the pot, add the last cup of broth, season to taste, if necessary, and warm back up.
Serve garnished with pomegranate seeds and more molasses.
Serves 6 to 8.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Comfort in a Bowl
I've always thought about soup as comfort in a bowl. It just feels warming and healing. Plus it's so easy to make. You can throw just about anything in, walk away for 30 min and come back to a tasty new creation. Tonight was less about experimenting, and more about a childhood favorite, updated. Growing up, going out to eat was a special treat, and I loved to order French Onion Soup: it sounded so exotic. Then, while studying in Spain, I learned the trick of making my own croutons (or migas) and that soup suddenly became so simple and accessible.
Adding a leek tonight brought a splash a color and a different texture. I imagine if you don't want to make your own croutons, but you're welcome to buy them from the grocery store, but I promise, they're very easy to make, and definitely worth it. My soup, of course, is made with vegetable broth, but I suppose beef broth is more authentic.
As for working with the leek, I admit I was confused by the amount of dirt the first time I cooked one, but they're actually simple to clean. Rinse off the outside to get rid of outer dirt, then slice in half lengthwise. If there's visible dirt, rinse it out. Peel off outer layer, and slice into half moons.
French Leek Soup
2 tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, cut in half, and sliced thinly
1 leek, cleaned and sliced into half moons
3 cups vegetable broth
croutons (recipe below)
swiss cheese, grated
Melt butter in the bottom of a medium pot. Add garlic, onion, and leek, and sautee over medium low for at least 10 min, or until onions are caramelized. Make sure to stir often. Add broth, bring to a boil, then allow to simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 min.
Serve topped with cheese and croutons.
Serves 2, 4 as a side dish.
Stovetop Croutons
2-3 slices bread (stale is fine)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper
Tear or cut bread into 1/2 in pieces. Put in a bowl, and toss with olive oil and seasonings until evenly coated. Taste a piece to see if it's sufficiently salted. Err on the side of salting lightly, then add more as needed.
Heat a dry skillet over medium/medium high heat, until toasted on one side, then flip so other side gets lightly golden.
These will keep for a few days in an airtight container, but I love them best still warm in soups or salads.
Adding a leek tonight brought a splash a color and a different texture. I imagine if you don't want to make your own croutons, but you're welcome to buy them from the grocery store, but I promise, they're very easy to make, and definitely worth it. My soup, of course, is made with vegetable broth, but I suppose beef broth is more authentic.
As for working with the leek, I admit I was confused by the amount of dirt the first time I cooked one, but they're actually simple to clean. Rinse off the outside to get rid of outer dirt, then slice in half lengthwise. If there's visible dirt, rinse it out. Peel off outer layer, and slice into half moons.
French Leek Soup
2 tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, cut in half, and sliced thinly
1 leek, cleaned and sliced into half moons
3 cups vegetable broth
croutons (recipe below)
swiss cheese, grated
Melt butter in the bottom of a medium pot. Add garlic, onion, and leek, and sautee over medium low for at least 10 min, or until onions are caramelized. Make sure to stir often. Add broth, bring to a boil, then allow to simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 min.
Serve topped with cheese and croutons.
Serves 2, 4 as a side dish.
Stovetop Croutons
2-3 slices bread (stale is fine)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper
Tear or cut bread into 1/2 in pieces. Put in a bowl, and toss with olive oil and seasonings until evenly coated. Taste a piece to see if it's sufficiently salted. Err on the side of salting lightly, then add more as needed.
Heat a dry skillet over medium/medium high heat, until toasted on one side, then flip so other side gets lightly golden.
These will keep for a few days in an airtight container, but I love them best still warm in soups or salads.
Monday, November 10, 2008
The BEST Tomato Soup
Lately, I've been seeing those Progresso commercials that call themselves the grown-up version of Campbell's. Well, this is the ultimate grown-up version of tomato soup, slightly altered from Bill Telepan. I personally can't go back to the canned variety after I made this for the first time. And no, it doesn't feature current fresh vegetables, but think of it again next summer when tomatoes are ripe.
Tomato Bread Soup
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes, OR 3 lbs plum tomatoes, quartered, and run through a food processor
2 cups sourdough bread, crusts removed & cubed
salt and pepper to taste
ricotta salata cheese, grated (optional, but it makes the soup)
fresh basil, chifonnaded (optional)
Heat oil in the bottom of a stockpot. Add onion and garlic, sautee until softened. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer covered for 30 minutes (45 if using fresh tomatoes). Stir in bread cubes, and simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes.
Garnish with cheese and basil.
Serves 4-6.
Tomato Bread Soup
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes, OR 3 lbs plum tomatoes, quartered, and run through a food processor
2 cups sourdough bread, crusts removed & cubed
salt and pepper to taste
ricotta salata cheese, grated (optional, but it makes the soup)
fresh basil, chifonnaded (optional)
Heat oil in the bottom of a stockpot. Add onion and garlic, sautee until softened. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer covered for 30 minutes (45 if using fresh tomatoes). Stir in bread cubes, and simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes.
Garnish with cheese and basil.
Serves 4-6.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Southern Harvest Soup
Last weekend for my birthday, the Cajun and I took BC on a hike to the Eno. It was a gorgeous day, with the leaves finally changing, just right for jeans and a long sleeve shirt, and one of the few upsides of the recent drought was no mud. We packed a picnic of sourdough whole wheat bread, a nice brie studded with mushrooms, a cucumber and a thermos of what I like to call Southern Harvest Soup. And if you promise not to tell on me, we even took the pup off the leash while we ate. Sshh. There's some leash-law aficionados lurking about. Who needs jewelry when a girl gets the perfect afternoon?
Southern Harvest Soup
2 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 lrg onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced or 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1 med butternut squash
1 lb sweet potato, diced
1 cup fresh or 1 can or 1/2 cup soaked overnight butterbeans
1 bunch collards, rinsed, de-stemmed and chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
To prep butternut squash, cut in half, scoop out seeds, place cut side down on plate with 1 in water, then wrap in plastic wrap, before microwaving on high for 15 min.
In a large stockpot, sautee onion and garlic in olive oil or butter. When translucent, add broth and bring to a simmer. Add in sweet potato, butterbeans and collards and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Stir in butternut squash, adjust seasonings to taste, then simmer uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.
Or, if you're lazy like I was, combine all ingredients except garlic in crockpot and cook for 8-9 hours on low, then add garlic powder in last 30 minutes of cooking.
Serves 6-8
P.S. Still working on the food photography.
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