White Bean Soup

This is an all time favorite of mine. It's a standard in my home no matter the season. Why? Honestly, as a child I hated beans! Absolutely hated them. I once sat at the table past midnight because I was told I couldn't get up till I ate the damn things. That was the first time the parents discovered I might have a wee bit of a stubborn streak. My godmother finally convinced me to try this soup and I was won over. Hey, even then, if I was wrong I admitted it.

1.5 cups small white beans that have soaked over night in water.

6 cups vegetable stock, room temperature

1 chopped medium onion

1 chopped med. to large carrot

1 chopped celery stalk

2 bay leaves

pinch of dried thyme

salt, pepper

Drain the beans from their soaking water. Add to a stockpot along with the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a boil over a medium to high heat, then lower to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally (yes, I use a timer to remind me to stir) until the beans are very soft. Minimum time-1 hour. Add liquid as needed so soup doesn't thicken up too much (you can use water if needed.)

When the beans are very tender, season with salt and pepper. Use an immersion blender and puree the soup till smooth. Or you can pour it into a blender to puree. The immersion blender is much easier.

Serve up with a hearty bread on the side, or stuff in the fridge for a couple of days.

 

from the iPad

Lentil Soup

1 cup dried lentils, washed and sorted

1 bay leaf

few pinches of dried thyme

1 diced small carrot

1 diced celery stalk

6 cups vegetable stock-room temperature

salt, pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 chopped onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

 

Put lentils, bay leaf, thyme, carrot, celery and stock in a stockpot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cook over a low heat till lentils are tender. (about 30 min)

While that is cooking, add the olive oil to a small skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and stir, cooking till tender. Add the garlic and stir, cooking for about a minute till it's mixed well with the onion. Remove from heat.

When lentils are tender, remove bay leaf. (trust me, you do NOT want that bad boy ending up in your bowl, unless you're from Louisian where it is common and you fish it out at the table.) Add the thyme and the onion mixture and stir well.

Serve now, or you can toss in the fridge for up to 2 days. If tossing in the fridge, reheat it over a low to medium heat, adding stock if it thickened up too much.

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Tomato Soup

Nothing tastes as good as a nice hot bowl of tomato soup in the deep dark days of winter. Well, I kind of like it on the hot sunny days of summer, but that's just me. Up until a few years ago, the only tomato soup I had came from a red and white can. Then I discovered an Italian bistro that made the best from scratch tomato soup. I have been hooked since.

1 cup sun dried tomatoes, loosely packed

1 can of whole peeled tomatoes (28 oz)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tablespoon thyme (I can never find the fresh..if you can, adjust up to 1 tablespoon)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 medium finely diced carrot

1/2 thinly sliced red onion

salt, pepper

2 tablespoons honey

1 quart vegetable stock

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Put the sundried tomatos in a bowl and cover with 2 cups of boiling water.

Drain the canned tomoatoes (reserving the liquid). Put half of them in a shallow baking pan and drizzing 2 tablespoons of olive oil over them. Add the thyme. Roast turning over once or twice, until the tomatoes are dried and slightly browned. -roughly 30 minutes

When all the tomatoes are done, drain the dried tomoatoes and pour their soaking liquid in the baking pan. Scrap up all the browned bits from the pan, breaking up the roasted tomatoes. Roughly chop the dried tomatoes and add to the baking pan.

Add the remaining olive oil into a stockpot and heat over medium heat. When hot, add the garlic and cook till it begins to color. Add the carrot and onion and cook till they start to liquify. Season to taste, add honey and stir till it dissolves in.

Add the reserved liquid from the canned tomatoes and continue stirring till the liquid evaporates. Stir in the stock along with the bits from the roasting pan. Turn up to high heat and bring soup to a boil, then lower till you have a slow boil going. Cover and cook till vegetables are tender. roughly 30 minutes

Garnish with parsely.

 

from the iPad

Potato and Leek Soup

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes

3 leeks, white and light green parts only, (wash well and slice)

salt/pepper

1 quart vegetable stock, warmed at least to room temperature

 

Add oil to a stock pan, heat over medium heat till hot. When hot, add the vegetables, salt and pepper. Cook while stirring for roughly 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the stock and cook until the vegetables are tender. (about 30 minutes).

Serve

This can be chilled in the fridge for up to 2 days. It's also a good soup for hot summer days as it is yummy served chilled.

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Cauliflower Soup

Makes roughtly 4 normal size servings (two in my household) and can be done up in under an hour.

1 chopped onion

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

1 medium head of cauliflower, florets only

salt and fresh ground pepper

1 quart vegetable stock

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Croutons for a garnish

 

Heat 1/2 of the oil in a stockpot over a medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally til the onions start to brown. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, caulitflower, salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring till the cauliflower starts to soften a bit. (about 5 minutes).

Add the stock and stir. Bring to a boil over high heat, the adjust to a simmer. Cook till the cauliflower is tender (about 15 minutes).

Stir in the remaining oil, taste for seasoning and serve with croutons.

Goes well with a hearty salad and whole wheat croutons.

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One Hour Vegetable Stock

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 carrots, sliced

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

5 to 10 white mushrooms, sliced

10 wo 20 parsley stems with leaves

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Salt and fresh ground pepper

 

Put the oil in a deep skillet and heat over medium heat till hot. Add carrots, onion, potato, celery, garlic and mushrooms. Let them sit over medium heat 2 or 3 minutes then stir them till they are nicely browned. (More flavor this way)

Transfer to a stock pot, add 6 cups of water, soy sauce, parsley and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then adjust to a gentle simmer. Cook till vegetables are tender - about 30 to 40 minutes. (Here, longer is better if you can.)

Strain, taste and add seasoning if needed. You can use now or store for future use in the freezer. (I actually reuse empty yogurt containers, the quart size. Yes, I know they say don't reuse plastic containers, but I'm a recycle nut. They are excellent for storing soups and broths in the freezer)

from the iPad

Vegetable Stock

2 carrots, cut into chunks
1 onion, quartered
1 potato cut into chunks
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
10 or 20 parsley stems
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine everything in a stockpot with 6 cups of water. Toss in a pinch of salt a bit of pepper - this is strictly to your taste. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat down so the soup simmers steadily. Cook for a minimum of 30 minutes. (The longer you cook this the better, but 30 minutes will get you a quick stock). Strain and then taste. Add seasoning if needed.

Use now or store in the freezer.

from the iPad