Soups On!

We are finally getting a few coolish days here and there.
That means Soup's On!

This is a recipe a friend of mine posted on FaceBook.
She posted it several different times
and each time said she loved it.
Mouth-watering good and habit forming!
Not to mention easy.
Sounded perfect to me.
Nice and light before the heavy eating on Thanksgiving day! 

Simple ingredients

I finished a bowl full before I knew what hit me!

I think the coconut milk gives it a rich taste.

*

Golden Cauliflower Soup

(This is the original recipe as posted by Mel Joulwan's at Well Fed.)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large head cauliflower (about 3 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 large carrots, diced (about 2 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
  
  

OPTIONAL GARNISHES:

• extra-virgin olive oil + ground nutmeg
• minced parsley + chopped walnuts
• toasted, slivered almonds + ghee
• minced dried dates + chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

        1   Wash and core the cauliflower, then coarsely chop. Set aside.

2

Heat a large, deep pot over medium-high heat, then add the coconut oil. When the oil is melted, add onions, carrots, and garlic. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook until they’re soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped cauliflower and cook until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

3

Add the broth and water, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, covered, until the vegetables are very tender, about 45 minutes.

4

Working in batches, carefully transfer the cauliflower and some of the broth to a blender or food processor. Cover the top with a dish towel to protect yourself from splatters, and purée the cauliflower until smooth, adding more broth as necessary.

5

Pour the purée back into the soup pot, then add the salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Stir to combine and cook over medium until heated through. Serve immediately with garnishes, or store covered in the refrigerator. To reheat, warm the soup gently over medium-low heat until bubbly.

NOTE: (From Mel)
I tried adding herbs and spices during cooking, but got the best results when I kept the soup plain and added seasonings at the end as garnishes as recommended above. I also experimented with chicken broth, beef broth, water, and different combos of all three for the base of this soup; the hands-down winner was beef broth. The versions made with chicken broth (and celery) ended up tasting too much like gravy. (If you’re looking for a healthy gravy you can ladle over chicken or turkey, cut this recipe in half, add a stalk of celery with the carrot/onion and use all chicken broth for the liquid.)

*

My notes: 

I'm thinking about adding a little green chile

(my New Mexico background)!
It needs a little "kick" to go with the "rich". 

Adding bacon would make it more like a chowder. 

I used my "motor boat" (immersion blender).

Easy enough to make this vegan by using vegetable broth.



Wishing YOU well, much joy and some yummy soup!

On The Menu

There is rain in the forecast ... lots of it.

So I thought it would be a good time for some soup.

I just happened to have a bag of baby spinach that I needed to use.
There was tortelinni in the freezer. 
 A can of tomatoes from the pantry.
And, I was lucky, 32oz of vegetable broth.
That's all I needed.

I found this recipe in Fine Cooking years ago and it remains one of my
favorite quick and easy recipes.
You can find my original post here.
And, it's pretty too.

I chopped a small onion and let it cook in some olive oil.
Added 32 oz of vegetable broth.
The canned tomatoes.
A bag of baby spinach.
Letting that cook until the spinach was wilted.
Then I added the tortellini.
Let all of that come to a boil and the tortellini fully cook.
Done!

Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese and serve.

Quick and easy.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Where's the Chowder?!

I love corn chowder and just had to share this recipe from

Mary Engelbreit's

TIS THE SEASON HOLIDAY COOKBOOK

for Southwestern Corn Chowder.

It's a good one!

 

Yum!

That's what is On The Menu this Monday and

on Dear Emmeline's Menu.

Wishing you well and much joy.

On The Menu: 'Tis The Season!

I found this seasonal cookbook at Half-Price books.

It was on the Clearance shelf for $2.00. 

What a deal!

I love Mary Engelbreit's illustrations.

The photographs in this cookbook were taken by Alison Miksch.

 

I love soups, butternut squash and butternut squash soup.

I'm always on the lookout for a new recipe and

this one was delicious.

That's what's On The Menu this Monday!

Wishing YOU well and much joy.

I hope your week is off to a great start.

Pumpkin-Bean Soup

I found this quick and easy soup recipe on the Better Homes and Gardens web site. 
The color is perfect for fall.

Now that I'm just cooking for one, I'm always on the lookout for quick and easy meals.

I just happened to have all the ingredients at home with a few minor modifications.

Pumpkin-Bean Soup

Ingredients

1     15 oz can pumpkin

1     14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk (I used *lite*)

1     15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (I used Navy beans.)

1     14 oz can vegetable broth (I used chicken.)

1     tsp. dried leaf sage, crushed

Salt and ground black pepper (I didn't salt. Figured with all the canned products, I didn't need anymore salt!)

Cracked black peppercorns, optional (I didn't use)

Fresh lime slices, optional (I didn't use)    

Directions   

1. In medium saucepan combine pumpkin, unsweetened coconut milk, beans, broth and sage. Heat through.

2. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with black peppercorns. Drizzle with lime.

Makes 4 servings. 

I thought the soup was very good. Certainly fast and easy. I love bean soups and would add a second can of beans. I'm going to make it again ... for our next cool spell ... (November???!!!).

Wishing YOU well and a tasty bowl of soup!

Spoonsful of Goodness

Doesn't this look good?
It's from the Relish magazine that comes in our little community newspaper.

Here's the recipe:

Vegetable Bean Soup

6 ounces bacon, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 small carrots, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
1 (14 0unce) can chopped tomatoes, undrained
2 (15 ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
6 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1. Place bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes or until almost crisp. Add onion, celery and carrot; cook 5 minutes. Add zucchini and garlic; cook 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in spinach. Ladle into soup bowls and top with grated cheese. Makes 10 cups. Serves 6.

I have to admit - I haven't made this soup yet. But it looks so good, has ingredients I love and is easy! Here's a recipe I have made and I can tell you it is delicious. A friend knew I was looking for easy, nutritious soup recipes and this is one she found at the Food Network.

Rosemary White Bean Soup

1 pound dried white cannellini beans
4 cups sliced yellow onions (3 onions)
1/4 cp good olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large branch fresh rosemary (6 to 7 inches)
2 quarts chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, cover the beans with wateer by at least 1-inch and leave them in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. Drain.

In a large stockpot over low to medium heat, saute the onions with the olive oil until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook over low heat for 3 more minutes. Add the drained white beans, rosemayr, chicken stock, and bay leaf. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the beans are very soft. Remove the rosemary branch and the bay leaf. Pass the soup through the coarsest blade of a food mill, or place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until coarsely pureed. Return the soup to the pot to reheat and add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve hot.

Soup Time!

I've been trying to make lots of different soups for Mr. Dragon. I'll try to remember to post the recipes for you -- only if they are good! We are trying to stick to mostly vegetarian eating while we wait for surgery. Build him up! Here's the lentil soup recipe I used, with my notes. You know I never make anything exactly as the recipe is written! I hope you enjoy.


Lentil Soup

1 package (16 ounces) dry lentils (do not soak lentils in water)
1 ham bone with meat
2 medium onions chopped
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 large clove garlic, minced (we like garlic so I added more)
1/4 cup tomato paste (I used one small can. We like spicy and I added one can of Rotel tomatoes and green chile.)
2 tablespoons wine vinegar (I didn’t have wine vinegar. I suppose you could add a 1/4 cup of wine!)
1 bay leaf
7 cups water (I used 3 cups of vegetable stock that I had leftover and 4 cups of water.)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Cook onions, celery, carrots and garlic in large 5-quart Dutch oven in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.

2. Add lentils, water, and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer until done. Remove ham bone and let cool. Remove meat and add to soup. Discard bay leaf before serving.

This makes a huge amount. Lots of delicious leftovers. Watch the liquid. You may have to add more depending upon how soupy you like your soup! Also, I don’t salt or pepper. The ham bone usually adds enough seasoning.

Enjoy!

I Promised

I promised, a few posts back, to share my recipe for split pea soup and I'm going to do that. First, I'm going to share a link to one of my favorite blogs. I've mentioned Geninne's Art blog before. I love her birds. Her watercolors make me smile. She has done several videos showing her process and this is the last one where she adds the white ink. Talk about a steady hand. Check it out!


Here's the recipe for Split Pea Soup. It comes from my favorite cookbook: Campbell’s Great American Cookbook: A Culinary treasury of more than 500 best-loved recipes from Colonial times to the present. (Copyright 1984) You would think, because it was published by Campbell's soup that it would be recipe after recipe opening a soup can. Nope! It was Campbell's attempt to define American cooking. It really is a wonderful book and if you can find it, get it. It is, if nothing else, fun reading. I'm not sure why the soup was so good last time, except (forgive me my vegan/vegetarian friends), I used smoked ham hocks. OH MY! We are now looking forward to the weekend when it is supposed to get cool again (highs in the 70's instead of 90's) and another pot of split pea soup will be in order! Straight from the cookbook:

Old Fashioned Pea Soup

American Indians knew how to grow and dry beans, but Europeans brought peas and lentils to this country.Colonial pea soup had meat and vegetables added to it daily, changing its character from day to day. The “Pease Porridge” really might have been served hot, cold or “in the pot, nine days old.”

Begin: Day Ahead Makes 6 Servings

1 package (16 ounces) dry green or yellow peas
1 ham bone with meat
2 medium onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Soak peas in 8 cups water overnight, drain.
2. About 2 hours before serving: in 5-quart Dutch oven over high heat, heat 6 cups water, peas and remaining ingredients to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 1 1/2 hours or until peas are tender.
3. Remove bone; cool until easy to handle. Cut meat from bone; discard bone. Cut meat into bite-sized pieces; return to soup. Heat. Yields 8 cups.

SPLIT PEA SOUP: Prepare as above but substitute 1 package (16 ounces) dry green or yellow split peas for whole peas and add 1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup sliced carrots, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1 bay leaf. Discard bay leaf before serving.

LENTIL SOUP: Prepare as above but substitute 1 package (16 ounces) dry lentil for peas, and do not soak lentils in water. Add 1 cup diced celery, 1 cup diced carrots; 1 large clove garlic, minced; 1/4 cup tomato paste, 2 tablespoons wine vinegar, 1 bay leaf and increase water to 7 cups. Discard bay leaf before serving.

TIP: Soak peas the quick way: Add peas to boiling water, allowing 4 cups water for each cup dry peas. Over high heat, heat to boiling, boil 2 minutes, Remove from heat. Cover, let stand 1 hour. Drain and prepare as above. (For some reason, I don't think my soup tastes as good when I take the shortcut. May just be my imagination!)

Soup's On!

I am pleased to report that we now have a fully functioning kitchen. We cleaned all weekend -- cabinets, counter tops, floors -- and have successfully fought the plaster dust and won -- at least in this one room. It is cooling down here. A high of 76 today. I know. For those of you in cooler northern climates you think I'm nuts to call 76 cool, but believe me -- it is! No humidity. We can open the windows and doors and think about making some soup.

I have canceled most of my magazine subscriptions (there's that clutter thing again). However, I continue to take my favorite cooking magazine: Fine Cooking published by the Taunton Press. They have special editions throughout the year and the recipe I want to share with you is from 101 Quick And Delicious Recipes published Fall 2003.


It is called Garlicky Tortellini, Spinach And Tomato Soup and is so quick, easy, pretty and tasty it's almost a sin! The recipe says it serves two to three although Mr. Dragon and I can get two good meals from this recipe with a little left over. If you have tortellini in your freezer, a hunk of Parmesan cheese, and a can of diced tomatoes on the shelf, all you'll need to do is pick up a bag of spinach and a bunch of basil (or raid your garden) on the way home for this terrific soup. It takes just minutes to pull it all together.

• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter (I use olive oil.)
  
• 6 to 8 cloves garlic, chopped (I also add onion - to your taste.)
• 4 cups (1 quart) homemade or low-salt chicken broth (I use vegetable broth.)
• 6 oz. fresh or frozen cheese tortellini (I am especially fond of Buitoni Portabello Mushroom & Cheese Tortellini.)
• 14 oz. canned diced tomatoes, with their liquid
• 10 oz. spinach, washed and stemmed; coarsely chopped if large
• 8 to 10 leaves basil, coarsely chopped (I don't use as much basil -- to your taste.)
• Grated Parmesan cheese, preferably parmigiano reggiano

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic (and onion) and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook halfway, about 5 minutes for frozen pasta, less if using fresh. Add the tomatoes and their liquid, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook just until the pasta is tender. Stir in the spinach and basil and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve sprinkled with the grated cheese. How about rosemary and olive bread and a small salad to make the meal complete?! Enjoy!