Tag: Soup

Heirloom Gazpacho

This post is sponsored by Door-to-Door Organics. All opinions are my own. #MyFarm2Table

 

I was sent some beautiful Local Organic Heirloom Tomatoes from Door-to-Door Organics for my Farm-to-Table post. I love the colors of heirloom tomatoes, especially the lighter ones, so I wanted to use them in a way that highlighted their coloring. What better way to make heirloom tomatoes the star but in an Heirloom Gazpacho recipe?

 

Now, the one typical setback of making gazpacho is going through the whole process of peeling and seeding tomatoes. So, for this recipe, I just eliminated it. I have a pretty awesome blender (a Blendtec) which blended the tomatoes well enough to basically eliminate the skins and seeds, so yours may come out a bit more chunky. But removing the skin of a tomato is just such a pain!

 

I served my silky smooth gazpacho topped with finely chopped cherry tomatoes and a Wild Flour Bakery Hearth Baked Mini Baguette that was also in my box from Door-to-Door Organics. The recipe also includes a green bell pepper and a jalapeno which were also a part of my box.

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups heirloom tomatoes, chopped (I used some yellow and red)
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 peeled cucumber, chopped
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • cherry tomatoes, chopped, optional

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Slow Cooker Beef Ramen

So I’ve been feeling pretty crummy for the past few days. And I’ve been craving soups like crazy. One of my favorite options when I want a comforting meal is ramen, specifically Shio-style from Nom Nom Ramen in center city Philadelphia.

When I saw Betsy Life did a version of Ramen in her slow cooker, I knew I wanted to try to make my own Slow Cooker Beef Ramen as well!

Ramen is typically made with pork belly, but I couldn’t find any in my supermarket so I went with beef. So this Slow Cooker Beef Ramen is definitely not a traditional style ramen.

This recipe is adapted from BetsyLife.com

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs beef chunk roast
  • 32 oz container low sodium beef broth, plus 1/4 cup, divided
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce — if not it will be too salty
  • ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste
  • The juice of 1 lime
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used 1 cup shiitake caps and 1 cup baby bella)
  • 1 pack Chinese-style noodles (Chuka Soba)
  • Cilantro, sliced green onions, jalapeños, lime wedges, nori (seaweed), etc. for garnish

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Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Last weekend, I made a ridiculous number of recipes.

 

On Sunday, a friend and I got together to make a bunch of recipes that freeze well to stock our freezers for busy week days.

 

On Saturday, I borrowed my mom’s slow cooker for the weekend so that we would have two on hand. But I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make two slow cooker recipes at the same time on Saturday as well! I made this yummy Cooking Light recipe for Slow Cooker Beef Stew as well as a favorite recipe of mine — Chicken Cacciatore.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds boneless chuck roast, cubed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 3 medium yellow onions, roughly  chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1 (12-ounce) nut brown ale (I used Samuel Smith’s)
  • 1 1/4 cups unsalted beef stock, divided
  • 1 1/2 pounds baby Dutch potatoes, halved
  • 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
  • 4 thyme sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

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Vietnamese Noodle Soup (Pho)

I had a hankering for pho this week so I figured I would try to make it! This at-home recipe has a bit of a darker broth but boy does it taste good!

I found this recipe on Food Network and was surprised at how simple it really was to make. The hardest part was slicing the beef super thin so that it can finish cooking in the broth. If you are worried that your slices are too thick to cook fully, just add the sliced beef to the broth and simmer for about 1 minute before assembling.

 

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces rice noodles
  • 12 ounces lean beef sirloin, fat trimmed
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 large onion, sliced (or 2 small onions)
  • 1 4 -inch piece ginger, unpeeled, halved
  • 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 5 star anise pods
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 scallions
  • 1 jalapeno pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 cup fresh bean sprouts

Continue reading Vietnamese Noodle Soup (Pho)

Gazpacho with Grilled Pickapeppa Shrimp

Cooking Light’s August issue had a recipe for Pickapeppa Chicken and Mango Kebabs (that I plan on making soon) that required me to buy a bottle of Pickapeppa sauce. I had never heard of this sauce before and I was intrigued. It’s a Caribbean condiment referred to as “Jamaican ketchup” that is basically a sweeter A1 sauce, made with tomatoes, onions, mangoes, peppers, and other spices.

I thought this sauce sounded like it would be great on shrimp, so I decided to incorporate it into another Cooking Light recipe from the same issue: Gazpacho with Shrimp.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (10-ounce) container grape tomatoes, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced English cucumber, divided
  • 1 cup diced red bell pepper, divided  (about 2 peppers)
  • 3/4 cup diced Vidalia or other sweet onion, divided
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • 5/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes, drained
  • The juice of one lemon
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ¼ cup pickapeppa sauce
  • 20 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 8 ounces)

Continue reading Gazpacho with Grilled Pickapeppa Shrimp

Matzo Ball Soup

One of my favorite parts of learning to cook is having the chance to learn about cultures through different foods. I love paging through cookbooks that contain recipes I’ve never tried and learning something about the history and tradition behind these recipes. In preparation for Passover, I was sent a copy of The New Jewish Table, written by Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray of Washington D.C.’s Equinox Restaurant. The cookbook takes traditional Jewish recipes and turns them into beautiful modern dishes.

The cookbook is filled with a ton of re-imagined comfort foods, and is broken into seasons to make the most of seasonally available product. The last few pages of the book also has suggested menus for Jewish holidays. I hope to cook through the Passover menu over the coming days because it all sounds so delicious (besides the gefilte fish, sorry haha.)

 

The Grays’ have filled the cookbook with personal stories and notes throughout that give a family feel and a background to their traditions which is a really nice touch. Each recipe is also labeled by type of recipe to make it easy to keep kosher: dairy, meat, parve, or mixed. Todd Gray’s childhood traditions are also present throughout the cookbook and include a few nods to traditional Pennsylvania Dutch recipes. (I particularly liked these recipes because, well, what is more comforting that food from the Pennsylvania Dutch?)

 

This cookbook almost reads like a memory book and is filled with wonderful stories, photographs, and obviously recipes. The New Jewish Table would be great for someone who is interested in learning about Jewish traditions through food and those who have grown up with these traditions and are looking for a fresh update to their family favorites.

 

I decided to make the recipe on the cover, called “Not Exactly Aunt Lil’s Matzo Ball Soup.” The recipe is a more polished version of Ellen Kassoff Gray’s Great Aunt’s soup. It has noodles in it, but to make it for Passover, this version below has omitted them. Todd Gray’s spin on this traditional recipe turns a comforting dish into a truly beautiful dish. I altered the dish very slightly, but my version is below. To see the original recipe, be sure to pick up a copy of this cookbook.

This recipe falls into the “meat” category. It is also appropriate for Passover.

 

Ingredients:

Caramelized Shallots:

  • 2 cups chopped shallots
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

Matzo Balls:

  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons margarine, melted
  • 1/4 cup club soda
  • 1 cup matzo meal
  • 1/2 cup chopped Caramelized Onions (above)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

  • One 3-pound whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (ask your butcher to do this for you)
  • 1 large yellow onion, quarterd
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 2 small carrots, chopped
  • 1 medium turnip, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 bunch parsley, washed and blotted dry
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 12 black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon salt

Garnish:

  • 2 cups finely diced carrots
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup finely diced turnips
  • 1/2 cup sliced scallions, both green and white parts

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Cream of Tomato Soup

“The secret of good cooking is, first, having a love of it. … If you’re convinced that cooking is drudgery, you’re never going to be good at it, and you might as well warm up something frozen.”
– James Beard
James Beard is basically the father of American cooking as we know it today. He, along with the beloved Julia Child, is basically the “foodie” community’s version of The Beatles. As Julia Child put it, “in the beginning, there was James Beard.” So when I was offered to review a new compilation of some of his best recipes, I couldn’t wait to dig in. The cookbook, The Essential James Beard Cookbook: 450 Recipes That Shaped the Tradition of American Cooking is in stores beginning today.
The cookbook is filled with what we think of today as quintessential recipes: coleslaw, potato salad, pot roast, chicken pot pie. But James Beard’s travels through France as well as inspiration from the Chinese cooks who worked at the hotel his mother owned. Each page is filled with both new and different recipes as well as classic approaches to everyday food (ex. roasting a chicken). The editors did a great job of going through and adding notes to help enhance the recipes as well, including insight into what an ingredient is and what can be substituted.
I really had a tough time choosing a recipe to do this post. It’s really tough to pinpoint what James Beard is known for, because, well, he’s known for everything! I finally settled on his Cream of Tomato Soup recipe.
This recipe, passed down from his mother, is a classic comfort food choice. I loved the idea of making a family recipe and was intrigued by the process. (The onset of Hurricane Sandy may also have had some input into my decision.)
Ingredients:
  • 2 28-oz cans of Italian plum tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 cup Beef Stock
  • 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 whole cloves, smashed
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoon all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • Chopped fresh basil or fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
This recipe is adapted from James Beard’s The Essential James Beard Cookbook
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Potato and Wild Mushroom Soup

This past weekend was one of my favorite September events: the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival. That’s right, an entire festival dedicated to fungi. And it’s amazing. Kennett Square’s main street (State Street) shuts down to accommodate blocks of vendors, there are cooking demonstrations, soup contests, and mushroom eating contests. There is even pumpkin mushroom ice cream. All in celebration of the mushroom. (Fun fact: Kennett Square is considered the Mushroom Capital of the world).
Naturally, I picked up a bunch of mushrooms which I will now be using to cook all week. mmm. Because today was the first “fall” feeling day, I decided to use some of the mushrooms to make a soup. I wanted to stay away from a creamy soup so I used potatoes to thicken it up. I found the inspiration for this soup in The Flavor Thesaurus by Niki Segnit (one of my favorite books for food pairings).
Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 lb wild mushrooms, chopped
  • 3 cups vegetable stock (or chicken or beef stock)
  • 1-2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon rosemary
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

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Chilled Creamy Cucumber Soup

Cucumbers are everywhere right now, and as much as I love just eating them raw, I thought it might be a nice change to try to use them cooked. Cucumber soup, chilled, sounds oh so refreshing doesn’t it? I found this recipe for Chilled Creamy Cucumber Soup from Eating Well.  It uses an avocado and some plain yogurt, making a really creamy delicious soup. Plus, it only takes 35 minutes to make (it is additional time to chill).
Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 4 cups peeled, seeded and thinly sliced cucumbers, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
  • 1/2 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt

Begin by prepping all your ingredients. Mince the garlic, dice the onion, peel, seed, and slice the cucumber, and dice your avocado. (I added a squeeze of lemon juice over the avocado to keep it from browning).
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add your onion and garlic to the pot, stirring occasionally. Cook for 4 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and cook for another minute. Add the cucumber, broth, salt, pepper, and cayenne (optional) and bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the cucumbers are soft.

Add thesoupto a blender (be careful), removing the center of the top of the blender. Add the avocado and parsley.

Place a paper towel over the open hole before blending.  Blend on low until smooth. (I just do all of this in the pot using an immersion blender, I find it less hazardous hehe).

If you want to eat the soup hot, pour into a serving bowl and stir in the yogurt. Top with cucumber slices and garnish with parsley. If chilling the soup, refrigerate for at least one hour, then stir in the yogurt and garnish before serving.

The soup is smooth, a little tangy from the Greek yogurt, and ends with a slight hint of spice. I like mixing in the parsley and chopped cucumbers into the soup to give it some texture.

I love what I call “after work recipes.” I can make this when I get home and can eat before 8 pm. For an even more refreshing soup, try substituting mint or dill for the parsley.

Vichyssoise (Cold Leek & Potato Soup)

I figured it was about time I posted another Julia Child recipe. I have to admit, the past two weeks recipes intimidated me quite a bit, so I didn’t even make them. Although I have to say, Coq au Vin is not even close to being a weeknight friendly meal. Vichyssoise, or cold leek and potato soup, is more my speed. I’m pretty “skilled” at throwing things into a pot and letting time do the work. This isn’t a meal you can make and eat within one night, unless you have the luxury of beginning your meal much earlier in the day. I cooked this one night, chilled it overnight, and served it for dinner the next night. The original recipe is quite simple. I added crumbled bacon on top because, well, what isn’t better with bacon?
Ingredients: (I didn’t want a ton of soup sitting around so I scaled the recipe down. This makes about 2 hearty bowls)
  • 4 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian)
  • 2 cups of sliced leeks, white part only
  • 2 cups of peeled and chopped potatoes
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 piece of cooked bacon, crumbled
  • Chives, for garnish
Excerpted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. Copyright © 1961 by Alfred A. Knopf. Reprinted with permission from the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.

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Black Bean Soup with Orange Jalapeno Salsa

Every food blogger dreams of walking out of their day job and never looking back to pursue a full-time career in food. Most keep this as a fun little pipe dream to think about while sipping on their morning coffee. Michael Natkin, however, did the unthinkable. He took a sabbatical from his job as a software engineer and spent 6 months immersed in food, experiencing Italy and Israel through food with his family and interning in the kitchen at Cafe Flora. He dove into the world of food full time this year.
His blog, Herbivoracious, has been going strong since 2007. If you’ve never seen it, go there. Now. I’ll wait…. Fantastic, right?!

Michael’s cookbook based off his super popular blog, Herbivoracious: A Flavor Revolution with 150 Vibrant and Original Vegetarian Recipes, was released on May 9. Michael has been touring America to promote his book and recently came through Philadelphia. He hosted a food blogger event at the fantastic R2L, where local bloggers (like yours truly) were treated to bites from the kitchen and the opportunity to chat with Michael himself.

So, the cookbook is vegetarian. It honestly doesn’t even need to be mentioned though because the recipes inside the pages of this book are not wimpy, skimpy meals. As his blog states “You Don’t Have To Be A Vegetarian To Love This Cookbook!” and he is so right. The recipes are really inventive and sound so appetizing that you won’t even wonder where the meat is. Michael kindly allowed me to pick any recipe I wanted from the book to use for this post and boy did I have a problem. I am not exaggerating when I tell you I tagged over 50 recipes as possibilities.
see?
I finally decided on this recipe for Black Bean Soup with Orange Jalapeno Salsa when I mentioned it to my boyfriend and his eyes lit up. I altered the recipe ever so slightly, so check out the original at the link. You should check it out anyways because Michael gives some really great tips prior to the recipe.
Ingredients:
  • 6 cans black beans
  • Vegetable broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle
  • 6 mandarin oranges (or fewer, larger oranges)
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
  • 1jalapeno pepper, finely diced
  • 1 handful cilantro leaves
  • salt to taste
  • Sour cream
Each recipe in the cookbook mentions any dietary restrictions that are satisfied within the recipe. This soup is vegetarian, vegan if the sour cream is omitted, and is gluten-free. This recipe serves 6. 
Continue reading Black Bean Soup with Orange Jalapeno Salsa

Creamy Fresh Tomato Soup

Naturally, the day after I made my Grilled Tomato Orzo Salad in a Tomato Bowl pretending it was summer, the weather decided to do a 180 and veer into rainy cold sadness. Sigh. So what better way to use some of my Lipman Tomatoes than to make Creamy Tomato Soup? I found this recipe on Food Network and I had most of the ingredients already, win! I changed the recipe slightly for my tastes.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 carrot, unpeeled and chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
12 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
Croutons, for garnish

Heat a large pot or a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil. Chop the onion and carrot.
Saute for 10 minutes.
While waiting for the onion and carrot to soften, mince the garlic and set it aside. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Chop the basil.
Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt and pepper to the pot.
Stir well and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
If you have an immersion blender, at this stage, use to puree the soup. If you don’t, remove half the mixture and add it to a blender. Blend until smooth; be sure to keep the center of the top off of the blender and cover with a paper towel. Repeat with remaining mixture. Return to the pot over medium-low heat.
The soup is honestly good to go at this point. Feel free to just stop here.
To make a creamy soup, add the cream to the soup and mix.
Serve with basil and croutons.

Oh my goodness. Not only is this super easy, but it is absolutely delicious.

Because the soup is made with so many fresh tomatoes, it’s important to use tomatoes at their peak.

This is a wonderfully thick soup so it’s a meal in itself, but rainy, cold days always make me want a favorite childhood staple:

Note: The original recipe used a food mill but I don’t have one. And I was not willing to peel the tomatoes so I blended them, and it worked out great. The soup ended up completely creamy.

Winter Lentil Soup

Philadelphia is about to have a full week of weather in the 70s. I think there’s even an 80 degree day thrown in In March! I’m so excited, but I feel a bit stressed because I didn’t get to make all of my winter soups and stews. But who says you need to eat these in freezing weather? So I decided to make this Winter Lentil Soup for lunches in my office when they crank up the AC and I feel like it’s winter.
Ingredients:

4 leeks, white and light green parts only
1 bunch kale (mine was huge, so I ended up using half)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained
6 cups water
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut
1/2 cup brown lentils
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

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Tomato Basil Soup

Grilled Cheese and tomato soup is the perfect combination of comfort foods. Rainy, snowy, or just plain crummy days are instantly better after a warm bowl with cheesy bread for dipping. Cooking Light had a quick recipe for Tomato Basil soup in their March issue that sounded so easy I had to try it. (It helped that I had most of the ingredients on hand as well!) The soup is served with toasted bread topped with melted Asiago cheese.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I just used the whole bag shown in the photo)
2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (half a container)
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices French bread
Cooking spray
1 garlic clove, halved
1 ounce shredded Asiago cheese

Preheat your broiler to high. In a large pot, add the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the cans of tomatoes and chopped basil.
Stir and bring to a boil.
Add the cream cheese.
Stir until melted.
If you do not have an immersion blender, pour the mixture into a normal blender and remove the plastic center from the top. Place a paper towel over the opening and blend until smooth. Be very careful not to burn yourself, the liquid is really hot! Pour back into pot over medium high heat.
I received an immersion blender for Christmas so I was so excited to use it for this recipe. This is my first try with it and it was awesome! So much simpler than pouring into a blender and pouring back into the pot. If using an immersion blender, blend until desired consistency (I wanted a few chunky pieces left in mine).
Stir in milk and season with salt and pepper.
Cook for 2 minutes over medium high heat.
To make the bread, arrange bread on a cookie sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Broil for 1 minute.
Remove from the oven and rub garlic over the bread pieces. Turn bread over, top with cheese and broil for an additional minute.
Serve with the soup.
The soup managed to taste light and creamy at the same time, very impressive!
The basil flavor shown through which was a really nice enhancement to a normal tomato soup.
I loved the crispy bread topped with cheese. This would be a great appetizer at a party (using the tomato soup as a warm “dip” for the toast).
The entire meal ended up taking about 30-40 minutes so it is definitely an option for a weeknight.

Healthy Butternut Squash Soup

My goodness, this week turned out to be so much more busy than I was expecting! I have really been slacking on posting. Luckily, Blog Content Guild contacted me about posting a delicious sounding Butternut Squash Soup, so I actually have something to share with you. Check out their recipe below!
Healthy Grocery List: Healthy Butternut Squash Soup
Ah, the holidays. A time for gift-wrapping, tree-decorating, and overindulgence. Instead of packing on the pounds this season, why not enjoy a healthy, seasonal meal instead? A seasonal ingredient like butternut squash is chock full of fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants and can be used to make a deliciously creamy soup (without the cream!). So, write down these ingredients on your healthy grocery list and brace yourself for a delectably guiltless holiday meal.
Ingredients
1 onion, peeled and quartered through the stem
1 3/4 butternut squash, halved and seeded
2 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps wiped clean
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 cup olive oil
Course salt and freshly ground pepper
5 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium vegetable stock
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Step one
Preheat oven to 400-450 degrees. Cut butternut squash into about 2 inch pieces. Throw the squash, mushrooms, garlic, and onion on a baking sheet, adding oil and 2 teaspoons of salt. Coat veggies in oil, spread on a single layer, and roast until pumpkin is nice and tender (about 30 minutes). Toss veggies after about 15 minutes and pop them back in the oven until they’re cooked. Don’t forget to remove the skins after the veggies are cooled.
Step two
Transfer into a medium saucepan, heated over medium. Pour in 2 cups of stock and puree with immersion blender until smooth. Continue running the blender, adding remaining stock. The soup should have a smooth texture by the time you’re done pureeing. If you don’t have an immersion blender, try using a blender in batches, and then adding pureed veggies into saucepan. Bring soup to a simmer, remove from heat. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. You can even add some chives, if you like.
This high-density soup will leave you feeling full and fulfilled, without the guilt. Just try to steer clear of pecan pie for dessert!
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