Roasted Vegetable Soup

I'm a big fan of recipes with variable ingredients. This roasted vegetable soup will work with whatever vegetables you happen to have around your house, in your garden or available at the farmer's market. Put chunks of raw vegetables into a Dutch oven, or any covered casserole dish or enamel baking dish. Slow roast the vegetables along with wine, olive oil, and salt.

When the vegetables are soft and somewhat caramelized (3 - 4  hours in a 325 oven), remove the covered dish from the oven, add the broth and any herbs that you like. Return the dish to the oven for another hour.

As your final step, allow the roasted vegetables to cool a bit, and then puree them with a hand blender. You could add some sour cream or creme fraiche, if you like. And you might want to add more herbs or salt to bring it into the perfection zone!

Any combination of these will work in your soup:

Onions - peeled and quartered

Whole peeled garlic cloves

Tomatoes - remove stems and cut in halves or quarters

Sweet potatoes - peel and cut into chunks

Broccoli

Cauliflower

White or red potatoes - peel and cut in halves or quarters
Leeks - clean and cut off green tops
Shallots - peel and put in whole

Chili Peppers, Ortega, Pasilla, jalapeno - remove stems and seeds and cut in half

Winter Squash - any kind - peel, remove seeds and cut into chunks

**Winter squash can be hard to cut and peel, so I put the whole squash into the oven for 30 to 40 minutes before I attempt to cut and peel it. Works like a charm!**

Other ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil 

1/2 cup red or white wine - add at the beginning

2 - 3 cups broth - add after vegetables are roasted

Herbs - basil, dill, parsley, thyme, rosemary, turmeric, ground caraway,

Basil, dill, and parsley can be used in large quantities. Thyme, rosemary and oregano are too strong for more than a pinch. (See note below.)

Salt - add initially and at the final step, if needed

1/3 - 1/2 cup sour cream or creme fraiche - add at the end

Cooked rice, barley or corn - add after the soup is pureed

Cooked, chopped vegetables, such as green beans or asparagus - add after the soup is pureed

Sauteed mushrooms - add after soup is pureed

If you like to use your imagination, this is a terrific way to make a hearty winter soup with fabulous flavor.

Note: One way to add a strong spice like rosemary to a broth is to put it in a tea strainer or a gauze drawstring pouch and let it steep in the hot broth for a bit. You will get some of the flavor and the aroma, but without the woody bits.

Cauliflower Potato Soup

1 head of Cauliflower

4 medium sized potatoes

1 medium onion

1 red bell pepper

10 – 12 mushrooms

1 head broccoli

Salt

Pepper

Anchovy paste

Soy sauce or tamari

2 cups broth – chicken or vegetable

2 cups milk – Nut or dairy

Dill

Parsley

Curry powder

1. Cut 1 cauliflower and 6 medium peeled potatoes into large chunks - approximately 2 x 3 inches

2. Dice one medium onion.

3. Roast the onion, cauliflower and potatoes in a glass pan with salt and pepper and a generous drizzling of olive oil at 375 for about an hour. Cover the dish with foil for the first half hour, then remove.

4. Chop the red pepper, broccoli and mushrooms into small bits and sauté in olive oil. We eat with our eyes first and the tiny color morsels will jazz up this cream colored soup. Set these aside until the soup is pureed.

5. When the potatoes, cauliflower and onion are cooked thoroughly, transfer them to a soup kettle and add 1 ½ cups of milk and 1 ½ cups of chicken or vegetable broth. Coconut, almond, cashew or dairy milk will all work equally well.

6. Puree the roasted vegetables, a teaspoon of anchovy paste, milk and broth with an immersion blender.

7. Add more broth if the soup is too thick.

8. Spice with dill, parsley, curry powder, salt and a tablespoon of soy sauce or tamari.

9. When you have the consistency and flavor you like, add the red pepper/mushroom/broccoli mix.

 “Once you’ve roasted cauliflower in the oven, you can never go back.” Nigella Lawson

Oxtail Soup

This is an oldie but goodie that a few folks will recognize from their childhood. The bone broth is what gives this soup it's rich flavor.

4 or 5 oxtail bones in 3 - 4 quarts water
Herb blend  (There are several that might work. One called Garlic and Herb Sensation by Spice Hunter seems to work well.)
Salt and pepper
 
Simmer for several hours until meat has fallen off bones Scoop out bones with a slotted spoon.
Refrigerate overnight and remove most, but not all, of the fat layer that has risen to the top.
Return to simmer. This is what the bones will look like when the meat has fallen off. There may also be a few smaller pieces to fish out.

Add some more herb mix and salt and pepper and 3/4 cup red wine. A Cabernet or Merlot, among many others, would be fine.

After the soup is reduced about 1/2 inch, add 3/4 cup pearl barley.
While barley is cooking, chop and saute the following vegetables in olive oil:
1 cup each of
Carrots
Leeks
Onion
Celery
Parsnips
Peeled tomatoes with seeds removed

Add 1 cup chopped mushrooms and 4 - 6 cloves minced garlic to the saute mix just before finishing.

Do not let the vegetables get soft. Add herbs and salt to the saute mix.

Add vegetables to the soup about 45 min before serving.

Serve with crackers or slices of avocado.

Note: The soup is actually made with beef tail bones. No oxen are needed.

Learn something new everyday or you're cheating yourself. Emeril Lagasse

Best Tomato Soup Ever

This tomato soup recipe is based on the traditional Italian vodka sauce recipe, but without the 

vodka. Carrots are what give the vodka sauce it's sweetness, so they are included here to 

balance the acidity of the fresh tomatoes.

4 medium size carrots - peeled and diced 

12 medium tomatoes - peeled

4 cloves garlic

1 medium onion - cut into chunks 

4 cups chicken or turkey broth 

Tarragon, salt, pepper, basil 

Creme fraiche (Substitute whole fat coconut milk for a dairy free option)

1/2 cup hand grated Parmesan cheese (Leave out for dairy free)

1/3 cup red wine 
2 cups chopped, cooked turkey 

1/2 cup cooked rice (brown, white or wild)

1. Chop the garlic, onion and carrots; put in slow cooker on high  

2. Blanch* and peel the tomatoes. Chop these and remove some of the seeds, 

but don't worry too much about seeds. add them to the cooker. 

3. Add broth and let this simmer slowly for 2-3 hours until the carrots and onions 

are very soft. Cook your rice while the vegetables are simmering and set it aside.

4. Remove from heat. Let cool. If you want to do this over two days, 

you can refrigerate the soup at this point. 

5. Use a hand blender to puree the tomato carrot mix. You can do this 
while the soup is warm, but avoid blending while hot for all kinds of obvious 
reasons. 

6. Return to slow cooker on high setting and add red wine, rice, cooked turkey 

and spices. 

7. Stir in the creme fraiche and the Parmesan cheese. If you're going dairy free, 

simply add some full fat coconut milk instead.

8. Taste and add more seasoning if necessary. 

9. Enjoy! 

*To blanch the tomatoes, immerse them in boiling water for about a 

minute and a half. Cool and peel. The skins should slip off easily. 

Setbacks are inevitable; misery is a choice.

WB Yeats  

White Bean Chili

There isn't any particular reason to use white beans for this chili except that it has a good look. The contrast makes for an appetizing, almost festive looking chili.

1 medium minced onion

4 cloves minced garlic

1 chopped Poblano pepper

1 cup white beans

1 ½ cups cooked chopped chicken

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

2 chopped tomatoes

2 cups mild enchilada sauce

½ cup wild rice or barley

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Soak beans and drain water. You can soak them overnight or for a couple of hours in a warm slow cooker.

2. Put the soaked, drained beans and two cups water in the slow cooker on high.

3. Sauté the onion, garlic, and Poblano pepper on low in either olive or coconut oil.

4. When the beans begin to soften, (about 1 1/2 - 2 hours) add all of the remaining ingredients and let simmer for another hour or more.

5. If the chili becomes too thick, add some water.

Serve with sliced avocado on top.

You only live once; but if you do it right, once is enough.      Mae West

Hearty Greens and Leek Soup

It would be hard to describe how good this soup tastes. Something about the combination of leeks and fresh greens is total deliciousness with every bite. I am always looking for ways to cook those all important greens, and this does the trick very well.

Large pan of chopped greens - spinach, beet greens, kale, bok choy, Swiss chard

These should cook down to approximately 1 1/2 - 2 cups of cooked greens.

Olive oil

2 leeks

3 cups almond coconut milk

1/3 cup butter

Curry powder

Salt

Small pieces of asparagus or broccoli to add while soup simmers

1. Remove large stems from greens and cut into 1/2 inch strips.

2. Saute greens in a large skillet with olive oil and salt.

3. Saute leeks in a separate pan with a little olive oil and butter.*

4. After leeks are soft and greens are cooked down, let both cool for about half an hour.

5. Put greens and leeks in a soup kettle with 2 cups of almond coconut milk and purée them with an immersion blender. 

6. Add 1 more cup of almond coconut milk, remaining butter, curry powder and vegetable pieces.

7. Simmer on low for 10 - 15 minutes. Add salt or more curry powder if needed.

8. Serve with avocado slices or rice crackers or both:)

*Leave out butter if you want a vegan or dairy free option.

You cannot find peace by avoiding life.
Virginia Woolf

Beef Stew with Orzo or Stroganoff Stew

2 cups cut up beef – could be chuck steak or stew meat

1 cup flour

Salt

Pepper

Beef bouillon

Carrots

Parsnips

1 Onion

3 cloves garlic

¼ cup safflower or olive oil

1 cup sour cream

Thyme

Parsley

½ cup orzo

Step 1 - Put 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons pepper and 1 cup flour into a flat baking dish and mix until the salt and pepper are evenly distributed. Pour in cubed beef and coat the cubes with the flour mixture; then put them in a skillet with about 3 tablespoons of oil. (Save the remaining flour in a glass container.) Sauté until the beef cubes are slightly golden on the outside. They do not have to be cooked through.

Step 2 – Put the sautéed beef cubes into cooking pot with about 3 quarts of water and the beef bouillon. Bring to a boil; then simmer for 2 – 3 hours or until the beef is tender and flaky.

Step 3 - While the beef is simmering, sauté the onion and garlic and add them to the beef.

Cut up the potatoes, parsnips, and carrots into approximately half inch cubes.

Add a cup of water and 1 cup sour cream to the remaining flour and mix together. This can sit in the refrigerator until needed.

Step 4 – When the beef is thoroughly cooked, add the cut up vegetables and continue to simmer for about ½ hour. Add seasonings: parsley, thyme, salt, pepper. Add water if neeeded. 

Step 5 – Add the orzo and continue to simmer slowly until the orzo is soft.

Step 6 – Add the flour and sour cream mixture, and stir until the stew is an even consistency.

Add more spices if necessary. If the stew is too pale for you, add some browning liquid, such as Kitchen Bouquet to get it back to a brown color. You may also need to add more water, depending on how thick you want your stew.

Serve with bread and salad for dinner or all by itself for a hearty lunch. Worry about calories some other day!

The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.   Blaise Pascal