From Jaime:
From the New York Times
Recipe: Red Lentil Soup With Lemon
Time: 45 minutes
3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of ground chili powder or cayenne, more to taste
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro.
1. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
3. Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
4. Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.
5. Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.
Yield: 4 servings.
From Jackie:
Butternut-Squash and Sweet-Potato Soup
rich flavor & color…and only 15 minutes of bubbling
8 servings
1 1/4 pound peeled & cubed butternut squash
12 oz sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ chunks
28 1/2 oz vegatable broth
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp mace or nutmeg
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/3 c. buttermilk
1. in a large saucepan, combine squash, sweet potatoes, broth, cinnamon, mace, salt, pepper, & 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. working in batches, puree soup in a food processor until smooth.
3. to serve, pour soup into bowls and drizzle each with ~ 2 tsp buttermilk. Drag tip of a knife through buttermilk to swirl.
From Kathryn:
Pumpkin Coconut Soup – Cottage Living Nov/Dec 2004.
Makes: 8 cups
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 20 minutes (not entirely accurate, given the standing time….)
1 Tablespoon Canola oil
1 onion chopped (1 cup)
2 carrots, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14 oz cans vegetable broth (divided) – or chicken if you do the non-veggie version of this recipe
2 15 oz cans of unsweetened pumpkin
1 14 oz can of coconut milk (I have used the regular coconut milk for this recipe – which is pretty calorie rich – I have tried it with the “lite” version of coconut milk, but it wasn’t as coconutty. Take your pick though!)
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
Garnishes: drizzle with whipping cream or crème fraiche, toasted coconut, lime zest curls
1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onion and carrot, and cook, stiring frequently, 5 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add 1 can of broth, bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes.
2. Transfer mixture to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree until smooth. Return mixture to Dutch oven and add pumpking, coconut milk and remaining can of broth, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; stir in lime juice and next 3 ingredients. Garnish if desired.
You may want to add some additional red pepper as I did not make this batch very spicy (given my delicate constitution). You can also add more broth or water when you reheat if you like a thinner consistency.
Thanksgiving dinner will never be the same!
From Jen:
Golden Winter Soup from Cooking Light
5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled russet potato (about 12 ounces)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups sliced leek (about 2 medium)
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
12 ounces baguette, cut into 16 slices
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
3 tablespoons chopped chives
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Preparation
Preheat broiler.Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash, potato, salt, and pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add leek; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Place half of potato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining potato mixture. Stir in half-and-half. Cover and keep warm.
Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Broil bread slices 2 minutes or until golden. Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with about 1 teaspoon chives. Serve 2 bread slices with each serving. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, if desired.
Wine note: This is one vegetable soup that can easily handle a lighter red wine. Stick with the French theme and look for bargains from Burgundy, like Louis Jadot Pinot Noir 2005 ($20). This wine has pretty red berry fruit, great balance, and gentle tannins that make it ideal for lower-fat dishes. The underlying earthy, leathery flavors bring out the rustic nuances of the potatoes and squash. —Jeffery Lindenmuth
Yield
8 servings
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