Seasonal Ontario Food: Soup

Showing posts with label Soup. Show all posts

Monday, 21 March 2022

Bulgarian Lentil Soup

This is as simple a little lentil soup as one could make; but very tasty nonetheless. Summer savory and paprika are typical seasonings in Bulgarian cuisine. When I first discovered this, I exclaimed "I'm a Bulgarian cook and didn't even know it!"

Well, not quite. But I have gotten more interested in Bulgarian cuisine this winter, as you may have noticed. This is not quite the original Bulgarian soup as I found it, but close enough. The original did not have the vinegar added as it cooked, but vinegar was mixed with garlic and salt and swirled though the finished soup. I prefer to add it to the soup in good time to allow it to mingle and mellow, and to use a more Turkish finish of garlic yogurt. Since the Bulgarians also use garlic and yogurt in quantity, I'm sure I am not the first to do so. If you don't want it you don't have to; but we thought it a very good addition.

I'm saying 15 minutes prep time, but you can't wander away for the hour of cooking - it does want stirring every so often.

2 to 4 servings

1 hour 15 minutes - 15 minutes prep time

Mix the Seasonings:

2 teaspoons summer savory

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl; set them aside.

Make the Soup:

1 large onion

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

1 medium carrot

2 tablespoons sunflower OR olive oil

1 cup green or brown lentils

6 to 7 cups of water

3 to 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar OR white wine vinegar

Peel and chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Peel and dice the carrot finely.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Cook the onion and carrot gently over medium heat, for 5 to 10 minutes, until softened and very lightly browned. Mix in the garlic, give it another minute, then add the lentils and 4 cups water.

Simmer gently for about 45 minutes, stirring regularly, until the lentils are tender. Add more water as it cooks down to keep a thick but soupy consistency. When the lentils seem to be done, add the seasonings and the vinegar. Simmer for a further 15 minutes or so, again stirring regularly and maintaining the consistency.

Serve plain, or with a dollop of Garlic-Yogurt.

Garlic Yogurt:

3/4 cup yogurt

1 clove of garlic

a pinch of salt

When you mix the seasonings, line a strainer with a coffee filter and put in the yogurt. Strain while the soup cooks, then mix with the garlic, peeled and mashed with the salt.

Lasts year at this time I made Buckwheat & Flax Meal Tortilla Wraps.

Wednesday, 16 February 2022

Curried Rutabaga Soup

Here's a quick and simple soup to make, and it can be eaten at once or it will keep well for a couple of days in the fridge - in that case you might not want to add the cream until you are re-heating it. I'm calling fairly softly for both the curry powder and chile-garlic sauce; taste it and add more if you like, but I'm mindful that it's far easier to add more than to fix it once you've added too much, and both of those are subject to a high degree of personal taste modifications.

I didn't put any in, but it occurs to me that a tablespoon or 2 of maple syrup would be very good in this.

4 servings

1 hour - 20 minutes prep time

450 grams (1 pound) rutabaga

2 bay leaves

3 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons Madras curry powder

1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup 10% cream

Peel the rutabaga and cut it into dice. Put it into a heavy-bottomed 2 litre (quart) pot with water to cover it by an inch. Add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, and boil steadily for 40 to 45 minutes until tender. There should be about a cup of cooking water left once they are done, but check the pot several times during the cooking period to ensure it does not run dry - add a little more water if necessary.

Remove and discard the bay leaves. Purée the rutabaga with the cooking water, then leave it in the blender while you melt the butter in the cooking pot. Add the curry powder and let it sizzle in it for a minute or so. Add the puréed rutabaga. Swish out the blender with some of the stock, then add it to the pot as well. Taste, and season with chile-garlic sauce and salt to taste; adjust the amount of curry powder now too if you think it needs a little more.

Bring the soup up to a simmer, then add the cream. Continue heating the soup until it is on the edge of simmering again, then serve at once. As always with cream soups, don't let it boil again for fear of curdling.

Last year at this time I made Pickled Onion & Lentil Salad with Beet, Feta, Nuts, & Cabbage.

Monday, 7 February 2022

Potage Albert

I found this simple little soup in an old Canadian cook book. Most of them contain recipes which now fall somewhere between thoroughly obsolete and utterly boring, so it's always a bit of an exciting moment when I find something that looks serviceable. However, a little while later I found the same recipe in a just slightly older cook book called French Household Cooking, put out by Country Life in 1908. Tsk, tsk.

The first recipe was much simplified in transition, and it changed again in my hands. I thought it needed some goosing up in the way of seasonings and some acid to sharpen it. The original made use of late summer produce, and I'm sure it's delicious fresh from the garden, but it makes a quick, easy and tasty winter soup with frozen beans and canned tomatoes.

4 to 8 servings

30 minutes prep time NOT including cooking the beans

Potage Albert with white beans, green beans, potatoes and tomatoes

3/4 cup of white beans, cooked

(about 2 cups cooked white beans)

2 cups bean cooking water OR chicken stock

2 cups diced potatoes

2 cups diced canned tomatoes

2 cups diced frozen green beans

1 medium onion

3 or 4 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons bacon fat OR butter

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed basil

2 tablespoons vinegar OR lemon juice

The beans need to be cooked in advance; or you can use a tin. Save the bean cooking water for the soup, unless you are using chicken stock.

Scrub and trim the potatoes, and peel them if necessary. Cut them into large dice and put them in a heavy-bottomed soup pot with 2 cups bean cooking water or chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, until tender. Mash coarsely right in the broth.

Add the white beans, the tomatoes, and the green beans chopped into short lengths. Set the soup to simmer. Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion finely. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat the fat or butter in a skillet and cook the onion over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes until softened and reduced in volume. Add the garlic and basil, and cook for another minute or so. Add these to the soup, and deglaze the pan with a little of the broth, adding it back in when you are done.

Season the soup with salt and pepper as needed, and add the vinegar or lemon juice. Let it simmer for a few minutes until the raw scent of the vinegar (if that's what you used) is gone. Serve hot.

Last year at this time I made Lentil, Buckwheat & Walnut Loaf.

Wednesday, 29 December 2021

Parsnip & Brussels Sprouts Soup

This is a simple and straightforward soup, but I really thought it was delicious, and can't wait to make it again. Be sure to purée it really well, because a silky texture is definitely part of the charm. I'd say the other trick for perfection here is to be sure the parsnips get a little browned in the butter before you add the broth.

You could use leftover Brussels sprouts (or kale, or broccoli), just heat it thoroughly but briefly before adding it. You could also omit any green vegetable entirely, and just have parsnip soup, especially if you want to serve it as a starter.

4 servings

45 minutes prep time

450 grams (1 pound) parsnips

3 large shallots OR 1 medium leek

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 or 2 bay leaves

3 cups chicken OR vegetable broth

1/2 cup 10% cream

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

freshly grated nutmeg to taste

250 grams Brussels sprouts

Peel and chop the parsnips. Peel and finely chop the shallots (or leek) and the garlic.

Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat until melted and bubbling, then add the parsnips. Stir well, then cover and let them cook gently for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Stir and check them occasionally. Add the shallots, garlic, and bay leaves and cook for another few minutes until they are softened. Add the broth and simmer, covered, for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Purée the soup in a blender until very smooth. Swish it out with the cream - or if you prefer a lighter soup you could use a bit more broth instead - and add it to the soup. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Wash and trim the Brussels sprouts, and shred them. Boil or steam them until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and add 3/4 of them to the soup. Heat the soup through, but do not allow it to boil. Serve with the last of the Brussels sprouts sprinkled over the top.

Wheeeee! Last year at this time I made Cheeseburger Wellingtons with Burger Topping Salad. That was fun...

Wednesday, 1 December 2021

Leek & Pear Soup

This was a lovely soup; fragrant with spices and just a little sweet. It's got some substance, but it is still light enough to serve at the start of a meal, or have it with a sandwich to round it out.

We got a good leek crop this year - they are improving in size by the end of autumn very nicely.

4 servings

40 minutes prep time

Mix the Spices:

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon anise seeds

1/4 teaspoon allspice berries

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

a good grating of nutmeg

2 tablespoons barley or wheat flour

Grind the spices together, other than the nutmeg, then put them in a small bowl. Grate the nutmeg over them and mix in the flour.

Make the Soup:

2 medium leeks (2 cups chopped)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 or 4 medium Bosc pears (1 1/2 cups diced)

2 cups unsalted chicken OR vegetable stock

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons sherry

1/3 cup 10% cream

Wash and trim the leeks. Cut them in half lengthwise, and give them a good rinse again; drain well. Chop finely.

Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and reduce the heat to just barely sizzling. Cook the leeks for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Don't let them brown. While they cook, peel, core, and finely chop the pears.

Sprinkle the flour and spices over the leeks and mix in well. After a minute, add the pears and continue cooking for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Slowly mix in the chicken stock, then add the vinegar and sherry. Simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add the cream and bring the soup back up to steaming hot. Do not let it simmer, and serve as soon as it is hot through.

Last year at this time I made Baked Sweet Potato Samosas and Sauce Soubise - not to go together; I really don't see that!

Friday, 12 November 2021

Cheesy Brussels Sprout Soup

This is very like the ever-popular Broccoli & Cheddar Soup, only with Brussels sprouts instead of broccoli. It's just as good, and if you are a sprouts lover, maybe even better! It's pretty rich and filling, so a little bread and butter will round it out and make it a complete meal.

Leftovers will be fine the next day, heated gently, but like a lot of green vegetable soups it doesn't keep as well as some other soups; so do not make it too far in advance. Fortunately it's a pretty quick and simple soup to make.

4 servings

45 minutes - 30 minutes prep time

Prepare the Vegetables:

2 large shallots

1 medium carrot

1 stalk celery

5 to 6 cups chopped Brussels sprouts

Peel and mince the shallots. Peel and grate the carrot. Wash, trim, and finely chop the celery. Set them aside together.

Wash, trim, and chop the Brussels sprouts. Set them aside on their own.

Prepare the Seasonings:

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons barley (or wheat) flour

Peel and mince the garlic, and put it in a small bowl. Grind the rosemary leaves and peppercorns with the salt, and add them to the garlic. Add the flour.

Make the Soup:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

3 cups water OR vegetable broth

1/2 cup 10% cream

1 1/3 cups grated old Cheddar

2/3 cup grated old Cheddar to garnish

Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, carrot, and celery, and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly reduced. Add the Brussels sprouts and raise the heat slightly. Cook for another 6 to 7 minutes, until the Brussels sprouts are well wilted down and lightly browned in spots. Add the bowl of seasonings, mix in well and cook for another minute or so until no white flour can be seen.

Add the water or broth and mix well. Reduce the heat to low, and let the soup simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the cream and the cheese. Stir in until the cheese is melted, and the soup is steaming hot. Serve at once, with the remaining cheese sprinkled on top of the bowls.

Last year at this time I made Quinoa Salad with Hazelnuts, Red Cabbage, & Parsley.

Wednesday, 27 October 2021

Spinach & Pistachio Soup

I made this a couple of times, but the first time I didn't purée it. The result was that we enjoyed it, but it wasn't as exciting as spinach and pistachio soup should be. The next time I made it exactly the same way, but I did purée it, and suddenly everyone was so much more thrilled with it.

I'm calling for almond butter, but if you could get or make pistachio butter, I think that would be ideal. As usual with spinach, about 20 minutes of the prep time is set aside just for washing and picking it over. If you used frozen spinach, you would cut off quite a lot of time. This is otherwise really a fast and simple soup to make. It's rich and not inexpensive, though, so ideal for entertaining - or maybe just treating yourself.

4 servings

1 hour prep time

10 ounces cooked spinach (about 8 cups fresh)

1 large shallot

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup finely chopped shelled pistachios

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons almond butter

3 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup 10% cream

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped shelled pistachios

Wash and pick over the spinach, discarding any damaged leaves or tough stems. Wash and drain well again, then wilt them down in the soup pot, with a cover. Turn them into a strainer and rinse in cold water, then drain them, squeeze to remove as much water as possible, and chop finely.

Peel and mince the shallot.

Heat the butter in the bottom a large heavy-bottomed soup pot - there was one around here just a minute ago - and add the shallot. Cook gently over medium heat for about 5 minutes, sizzling gently. Add the chopped pistachios and continue for anther few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

While they cook, measure the almond butter out into a smallish bowl, and slowly mix in enough of the broth to make it quite loose and lump free.

Add the prepared spinach to the pot, and cook for another few minutes.

Add the almond butter mixture and the rest of the stock to the pan, and mix well. Puree the soup until very smooth, then return it to the pot and simmer for about 5 minutes. Mix in the cream, bring the soup back up to steaming hot, and serve at once, garnished with some coarsely chopped pistachios.

Last year at this time I made Mincemeat Pudding with Custard.

Monday, 18 October 2021

Fennel, Leek, & Potato Soup

This was a simple and tasty soup. I will note that I put the fronds on as a garnish, but I think they actually added a lot to the flavour - so don't do as I did and leave them in big chunks, but chop them finely and sprinkle them over the soup generously.

4 servings

45 minutes to 1 hour - 30 minutes prep time

2 cups diced (1 medium) fennel bulb

2 cups diced (2 medium) leeks

2 tablespoons butter OR chicken fat

3 cups diced (4 medium) potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes

1 teaspoon fennel seed

2 tablespoons barley or wheat flour

4 cups chicken OR vegetable stock

1/4 cup chopped fresh green fennel fronds

Wash, trim, and dice the fennel, discarding the tough stalks and root plate. Save a frond or two to garnish. Wash, trim, and dice the leeks.

Heat the butter or chicken fat in a large heavy, bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the fennel and leeks and cook gently stirring regularly, for 10 to 15 minutes until softened and reduced but not browned. Meanwhile, dice the potatoes. Add them when there is about 5 minutes more for the vegetables to cook. Add the seasonings and flour, and mix in until no dry flour can be seen.

Add the chicken stock and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. You may wish to mash them a bit before serving, or not. Serve each bowl garnished with a tablespoon of the finely chopped fennel fronds.

Last year at this time I made Graham Muffins.

Friday, 17 September 2021

Cheesy Poblano Soup

This is a very traditional soup, in poblano growing areas. Ontario is not a traditional poblano growing area, but things change. They certainly can be grown here, and every so often you luck out and find some at the grocery. Or else you grow them yourself, which is what we did. They are a really delicious chile, with a distinctive flavour and ideally just a flicker of heat to make them even more interesting.

I have to say we have run into some difficulties growing them. The first attempt involved seeds purchased from OSC, and the strain they sold had plainly been selected for blandness. We were very disappointed in them. This years variety, for which we sourced seeds in the USA, went to the other extreme - the peppers are surprisingly hot. I didn't mind and enjoyed the soup a lot anyway, but Mr. Ferdzy and my mother would have liked them to be a little more as they should have been.

You should probably taste your chiles once they have been roasted. If you think they are not hot enough, add a little pickled Jalapeño brine to the soup. If they seem too hot, I suspect the best plan is to replace some of them with some other, milder, green pepper - maybe some Cubanelles.

4 servings

30 minutes to prep the chiles

45 minutes to make the soup

500 grams (1 pound) fresh poblano chiles

1 medium onion

1 stalk of celery

3 to 4 cloves of garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin seed

1 teaspoon rubbed oregano

2 tablespoons barley or other flour

OR 1/4 cup cooked rice

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

3 cups unsalted chicken OR vegetable stock

the juice of 1 small lime

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/2 cup diced or grated Monterey Jack or similar cheese

Turn the broiler on to preheat for a few minutes while you wash the peppers. Broil them until the skin blisters and darkens, then turn them until they are evenly broiled all over. Allow them to cool enough to handle, then peel off the skins and discard them. Remove and discard the stems and seeds as well. Chop the peppers roughly.

This can be done up to a day ahead, in which case keep them in the fridge in a covered container.

Peel and dice the onion. Wash, trim, and chop the celery. Peel and mince the garlic.

Grind the cumin seed with the salt and mix with the minced garlic, oregano and flour or rice; set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery, and cook for about 10 minutes, until softened and reduced, and lightly browned in spots. A couple minutes before they are done, add the garlic and seasonings and mix in well.

Mix in the prepared chiles, and cook for another few minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly.

Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor. Add the lime juice and cilantro, and blend until smooth.

Return the soup to the pot and add most of the grated cheese. Gently heat the soup until the cheese is melted and the soup is steaming hot, but do not let it boil. Serve at once, garnished with the last of the cheese and a little more chopped cilantro if you like.

Last year at this time I made Chick Peas with Ham & Spinach.

Wednesday, 7 July 2021

Maraş Sour Soup with Purslane

At this time of July the peas are slowing down, and the beans and zucchini have not really gotten going yet, at least in my garden. However, there's lots of purslane. Lots and lots of purslane. Following my new policy of actually eating some quantity of it, it has gone from being an annoying weed to, well, being an annoying weed that I can eat.

Once this soup came to my attention as a result of searching for purslane recipes, I found quite a number of (fairly similar) versions out there. If you don't have purslane, for instance, Swiss chard seems to be a pretty common substitute. All the recipes I saw want you to cook the chick peas, lentils, and wheat separately to which I said, not bloody likely. The chick peas do need to be cooked on their own, but that can easily be resolved by using a tin of them. People do use different tomato products, or none, in this. I used some of my own tomato sauce and thought it was a good addition.

I should note that I used and am calling for bulgur, but most recipes call for ashura wheat, which appears to me to be a kind of soft wheat berry. As ever, since there were no wheat berries in the cupboard, but I did have bulgur, I used bulgur. Wheat berries might need a little longer cooking.

Maraş is a city in southeastern Turkey, north of Aleppo and Gaziantep. It is now known as Kahramanmaraş, but people don't seem to have transferred that name to the soup. In Turkey this is a winter soup, not surprisingly, but here you are not going to get purslane or Swiss chard in the winter. It mostly seems to be served without any yogurt, but perhaps because we are eating it in the summer, we found it an excellent addition. Ours was plain, but if you feel deprived of garlic (ha!) you could add a minced clove and a bit of salt to about 1 cup of yogurt. Speaking of which, 1 head of garlic is not a typo - 5 to 7 cloves is what you want.

4 to 6 servings

40 minutes - 20 minutes prep time

PLUS time to cook the chick peas and soak the bulgur and lentils

Advance Preparation:

2 cups (1 540 ml tin) cooked chick peas

1/4 cup bulgur

1/4 cup red lentils

3 cups water

You can cook the chick peas yourself, or use a large tin.

Put the bulgur and lentils in heavy-bottomed soup pot, and add the water. Bring it up to a boil, then cover and let them soak overnight.

The next day, add the chick peas with cooking liquid to cover them, and simmer until the lentils disintegrate (probably not much more than half an hour).

Prepare the Seasonings:

1 head garlic

3 or 4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon (more or less) Aleppo pepper

2 tablespoons sumac

Peel and mince the garlic. Wash and pick over the mint, and chop it finely. Set both aside.

Mix the other spices in a small bowl and set them aside.

Finish the Soup:

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons tomato paste OR 1/3 cup tomato sauce

2 cups picked over purslane leaves

OR finely chopped Swiss chard leaves and stems

the juice of 1/2 large lemon

yogurt to garnish (optional)

Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the tomato sauce and let it simmer until thick, then add the spices and cook into the oil for a minute or so. Add the garlic and mint and cook for another minute or so, stirring constantly, until the garlic no longer smells raw. Remove from the heat at once and add to the soup.

If you use tomato paste rather than sauce, add it immediately after the spices go in rather than before as it does not need to cook down.

The soup can be finished now, or held until closer to serving time.

At some point by now, you should have washed and chopped the purslane or chard very finely. Add it to the soup and cook it in until done to your liking; about 5 to 8 minutes for me. Add the lemon juice. Add a bit more water if the soup seems too thin, and a little more salt if needed. It will depend on how much was used in cooking the chick peas.

Serve, if you like, with a dollop of thick yogurt. Add a minced clove of garlic and a little salt to the yogurt or not, as you like.

Last year at this time I made Eggs with Peas Chinese Style.

Wednesday, 26 May 2021

Potage Argenteuil - Asparagus Soup

Asparagus has been bursting out of the earth at an amazing rate, what with how warm it has been lately. We are actually struggling to eat it all. I suspect this means it will be over early; ho-hum. (In fact it is slowing down already, although I expect another wave, at least.)

This soup is actually a good way to stretch a smaller amount of asparagus, although you could probably double the amount with nothing but good results. On the other hand, the sorrel is finishing up and I'll be pulling a lot of spinach this week to make way for peppers. It's going to bolt soon, anyway; such are the ways of spinach. You could leave either or both out, and have a more asparagus-y asparagus soup, in which case I would definitely suggest using a pound of it.

4 servings

30 minutes prep time

250 grams (1/2 pound) asparagus

a handful or sorrel OR spinach leaves

2 to 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh chives

3 tablespoons barley flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons 10% cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Wash the asparagus and break off the tough stems. Chop them roughly, setting aside the tips. Wash and finely shred the sorrel or spinach. Wash and mince the chives.

Put 3 cups of water on to boil in a heavy-bottomed 2 quart or litre pot. When it boils add all the asparagus but the tips, and cook for 6 to 9 minutes, until very tender.

Measure the barley flour into a small bowl and season it with the salt and pepper.

When the asparagus is done, pour it with all of the cooking water into a blender or food processor and blend until very smooth. If it does not seem completely smooth, you may need to strain it and discard any tough stringy bits (but if you have good, tender asparagus and a decent blender this won't be a problem).

Heat the first quantity of butter in the now dry pot the asparagus was cooked in. When it is melted and sizzling add the sorrel or spinach and chives, and cook for about a minute. Add the seasoned flour and work it in until no dry flour remains; cook for another minute. Begin to add the puréed asparagus a little at a time, mixing well between each addition, to keep it smooth and lump-free. Once it is all in, add the chopped asparagus tips and simmer them for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender.

Mix in the cream and the remaining butter, and bring the soup back up to steaming hot, but do not let it boil. Serve at once.

Last year at this time I made Asparagus, Egg & Wild Rice Salad.

Wednesday, 12 May 2021

Sorrel Soup

What an odd spring this has been - amazingly, I was able to scrounge a little sorrel and spinach in the second week of April! But since that early warm spell, it's been cool and things have come along quite slowly. Still, both those things will be much further along and available around now, with the usual proviso that about the only way sorrel is available is to grow it yourself. Highly recommended!

This is a pretty simple and light soup, best as an introductory course to a larger meal, or served with a sandwich or some such thing. It won't be a meal in itself, and the servings indicated are fairly small ones.

4 servings

45 minutes prep time

2 cups loosely packed fresh sorrel leaves

2 cups loosely packed fresh spinach

1 small carrot and/or 1 small parsnip

1 tablespoon chicken fat or unsalted butter

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon allspice berries

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon barley or other flour

2 tablespoons finely minced fresh chives

1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley

1 cup finely minced raw spinach

4 cups unsalted chicken OR vegetable stock

1/2 cup light cream OR yogurt, optional

Wash the sorrel leaves - it's a good idea to soak them in cold salted water for a while to draw out any critters. Remove and discard any tough stems and damaged or discoloured leaves. Do the same with the spinach. Put them in a strainer and pour boiling water over them until they are well wilted. Let them cool, squeeze the water from them, and chop them finely.

Peel and dice or grate the carrots and/or parsnip. Heat the butter in the soup pot and add them, along with the bay leaf. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, covered, but stirring regularly until softened.

Meanwhile, grind the allspice, pepper, and salt together finely. When the vegetables are ready, add them, along with the barley flour and the minced herbs. Mix in well, and after a minute or so to wilt the herbs, add the stock and the chopped, drained sorrel and spinach. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, then mix in the cream or yogurt, if using. Heat to the edge of simmering, but do not let the soup boil, and serve at once. It can also be served plain and a dollop of yogurt - or sour cream, if you can get any - can be added. Or not; it's fine as-is.

Friday, 2 April 2021

Celeriac & Mushroom Soup

Feeling a little more wintery with this recipe; but that's spring for you - up and down it goes like a yo-yo. Also, this one wins popularity more through its delicious personality than through good looks, it has to be admitted.

There's a certain amount of peeling, grating, and chopping but once that's done this is a quick and simple soup.

4 to 6 servings

1 hour - 30 minutes prep time

1 medium (450 grams; 1 pound) celeriac

1 medium carrot

450 grams (1 pound) button mushrooms

2 large shallots

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed thyme OR savory

a good grating of nutmeg

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons barley or other flour

3 cups unsalted chicken OR vegetable stock

1/2 cup cream

1 tablespoon sherry

Wash, peel, and grate the celeriac. Peel and grate the carrot. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Peel and mince the shallots and garlic.

Heat the butter over medium-low heat in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the celeriac, carrot, mushrooms, and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until well cooked down and softened. Add the seasonings, the garlic, and the flour, and cook for another few minutes.

Add the chicken stock and mix it in well. Simmer very gently for another 20 to 30 minutes.

Allow the soup to cool enough to work with, then run it through a food processor or blender until it has a relatively smooth texture. Return it to the pot, and add the cream and sherry. Heat through, but do not allow it to simmer. Serve at once.

Last year at this time I made Clapshot Roasties.

Friday, 19 March 2021

Carrot & Sauerkraut Soup

Some lively spicing makes this otherwise very simple soup seem more complex than it is, and the main ingredients have a good sweet and sour balance too them. Like a lot of mostly-vegetable soups, it's quick to make and can be eaten at once, although leftovers will keep in the fridge for a day or two and reheat nicely.

We ate it with Rye & Spelt Naan, and thought it was a terrific combination. (Never mind the soup. The soup is tasty, but I'm absolutely in love with that bread. I can't make it too often because I will eat it. It may just be that it's bread, though.)

4 to 6 servings

45 minutes - 30 minutes prep time

Carrot & Sauerkraut Soup with Rye-Spelt Naan

250 grams (1/2 pound; 2 or 3 large) carrots

1 large onion

2 to 4 cloves of garlic

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon sweet or smoked Hungarian paprika

6 allspice berries

2 tablespoons barley or other flour

2 tablespoons chicken fat, bacon fat, OR vegetable oil

3 cups chicken OR vegetable stock

1/3 cup sauerkraut OR dill pickle brine

2 cups fine, chopped sauerkraut

1 to 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Peel and grate the carrots. Peel and finely chop the onion. Put them aside together.

Peel and mince the garlic. Put them in a small bowl with the bay leaves, salt, pepper, paprika, allspice berries, and flour.

Heat the fat of your choice in a heavy-bottomed soup pot, over medium heat. Add the carrots and onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. They should cook down well; if they get a little brown towards the end that's okay, but keep them from browning too early.

Add the little bowl of garlic and spices, and mix in well. Cook for another minute or two, until no raw flour can be seen and the garlic is fragrant. Add the stock and the brine and mix in well. Let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Keep covered.

Stir in the sauerkraut and mix in well. Let it heat through. Mix in the mustard and serve at once.

Last year at this time I made Mustardy Curried Green Beans.

Friday, 26 February 2021

Tomato, Macaroni, & Cheese Soup

This is too simple and homely a dish to justify taking 2 pots to make, but there it is. It does. I have to rate it as worth it, because it's the fabulous marriage of 2 popular comfort foods.

As usual, we ate it all. It's soup, but it's really also the main event. All it needs is a bit of salad on the side to be a complete meal.

2 to 4 servings

20 minutes prep time

In Pot #1:

2 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 by leaf

1 cup small soup-sized pasta (e.g. macaroni)

Put everything but the pasta into a medium-sized saucepan and bring them to a boil. Add the pasta, stir well, and boil for 2 minutes short of the recommended cooking time. Stir occasionally.

Meanwhile...

In Pot #2:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon mixed Italian herbs OR

1/2 teaspoon rubbed basil AND

1/4 teaspoon rubbed oregano AND

1/8 teaspoon rubbed rosemary leaves

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups milk

125 grams (1/4 pound) old Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

In a heavy-bottomed 2 litre (qt) soup pot, melt the butter with the flour and seasoning. Mix well and cook to a pale paste. Stir in the milk, a little at a time, to form a smooth sauce, adding larger amounts each time until it is all in. Whisk until thickened; it should take just a few minutes.

Dice or grate the Cheddar and add it to the white sauce you have just made. Stir until completely melted. At about this time, the pasta in the crushed tomatoes should be cooked. Stir it all slowly into the cheese sauce. Do not let it simmer or boil again, but it should be hot through and the pasta should be tender. Serve at once, sprinkled with a little Parmesan.

Last year at this time I made Barley Mujadara.

Monday, 9 November 2020

Acorn Squash Soup

This is as simple a little soup as can be made; but serving it in the squash shell makes it look much fancier. I am ridiculously attracted to twee little presentation tricks, but have long since realized that while most of them look good in a photograph, they tend to interfere annoyingly with the actual eating. I'm happy to report that this is an exception. They must be handled carefully while being put in individual bowls, but even if the bowl does not fit the squash super snugly, they don't move around as I was afraid they might while they are eaten. Still, if you have a fairly snug fitting bowl, it will be better. When you are slicing the squash, be sure you are doing it at an angle which will allow the pieces to sit well and be stable.

It is important to use a good quality, home-made stock for this soup, given how simple it is, and there is no reason not to add more seasoning than I did. My home-made stock had enough good flavours in it that I didn't want to add more, but you must assess your situation. In spite of the smallish quantities involved you will likely have a little more soup than will fit in the squash shells; but leftover soup is not exactly bad news.

2 servings

1 hour 30 minutes - 20 minutes prep time

1 450 gram (1 pound; medium) acorn squash

1 small stalk celery

1 small carrot

1 shallot

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

2 cups chicken OR other stock

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out and discard the seeds and loose pulp. Rub the cut edges with a little oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until tender but not mushy.

Meanwhile, wash, trim, and finely chop the celery and carrot. Peel and chop the shallot. Peel and mince the garlic.

When the squash has about 30 minutes left to cook, heat the oil in heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Cook the celery, carrot, and shallot for 5 to 10 minutes in it, stirring regularly, until softened and reduced in volume but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then add the stock. Simmer gently until the squash is cooked.

Scoop out the flesh from the cooked squash, leaving about 1/4" left on the shells, and being careful to keep the shells whole. Dice the flesh and add it to the soup. Let is simmer for just a minute or two, then ladle the soup into the shells and serve. If not serving the soup right away, return the squash shell to the oven to keep warm.

Last year at this time I made Braised Pork Ribs & Squash.

Monday, 21 September 2020

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

An extremely classic soup, but things become classics for a reason. This is a lovely way to have cauliflower. And we seem to be well into soup weather these days, I have to say.

As an excellent variation, omit the cheese and add 1 to 2 teaspoons very good quality sweet Hungarian paprika with the rest of the seasonings. Use sour cream instead of the 10% cream.

We had this for lunch with my favourite Oatmeal Farls. Don't forget, if you want to make them too, that they need to be started the night before.

4 servings
45 minutes prep time

1 small carrot
1 stalk of celery
3 or 4 shallots
2 tablespoons finely minced chives
4 cups (1/2 medium head) finely broken up cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon rubbed thyme OR savory
3 cups unsalted chicken OR vegetable stock
2 tablespoons arrowroot or potato starch
1 cup 10% cream
1/2 cup grated old Cheddar cheese (optional)
a few sprigs of parsley or more chopped chives to garnish

Peel and grate or finely dice the carrot. Wash, trim, and finely chop the celery. Peel and finely chop the shallots. Wash, trim, and mince the chives. Break up the cauliflower into small florets; slice any stems.

Heat the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, shallots, and chives, and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until well softened and reduced a little. Add all the seasonings. Stir in the cauliflower until all the butter has been absorbed by the cauliflower florets and other vegetables.

Add the chicken stock and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes until the cauliflower is quite soft. Mash it a little with a potato masher.

Meanwhile, have the cream ready with the starch stirred well into it (lump free). Mix it in and allow the soup to almost but not quite simmer for a few more minutes until it has thickened. Stir occasionally.

Serve the soup with a couple tablespoons of grated cheese sprinkled over each bowl, and a little finely minced parsley or chives for colour.

Last year at this time I made Blackberry Walnut Salad with Herbs.

Monday, 24 August 2020

Hungarian Bean Soup

I'm calling this Hungarian - the ingredients are basically correct, but I must admit my technique leans a little to the Canadian. Like Cajuns, Hungarians generally use a thick, dark roux in their soups, and between my open plan kitchen which wafts all cooking odours thoughout the house, and my laziness, I can't be bothered. I like my soups just fine without it.

The beans need not be a mixture; use whichever you can get, although if you can get a mix it adds to the visual appeal. Yellow beans are particularly popular in Hungary, apparently.

I had ham stock which needed no more salt added - au contraire, I'm going to throw another couple of potatoes into the leftovers to tone it down a bit - so I am not quite sure how much salt should be added if you start with unsalted stock. I'd add 1/2 teaspoon and take it from there. Right after the veg go back into the pot is the time to test.

This is pretty quick to make, for soup. Which is good as it is still summer in spite of this weeks somewhat cooler temperatures. I'm thinking it will be just as good in the winter, made with some of our frozen beans. In spite of the slight tendency towards saltiness, we really enjoyed this - it hit a nice balance between being light and refreshing and yet fairly filling. The yogurt gives it a nice tang.

4 to 6 servings
40 minutes prep time

225 grams (1/2 pound) new potatoes
450 grams (1 pound) mixed green and yellow beans
3 to 4 shallots
3 to 4 cloves of garlic
salt as needed - 1/2 teaspoon?
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon rubbed summer savory
2 tablespoons barley flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups unsalted chicken or other stock
3/4 cup thick yogurt
1 tablespoon barley flour

Wash and trim the potatoes, and cut them into dice. Put them in a heavy-bottomed soup pot and cover generously with water (the beans are about to join them) and bring them to a boil. Cook for 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, wash and trim the beans, and cut them into dice as well. Add them to the potatoes when the time is up and cook for another 6 minutes. Drain well and keep them standing by as you cook the shallots.

While the beans cook, peel and finely chop the shallots and the garlic. Put the garlic in a small bowl with the salt, pepper, paprika, savory, and the first 2 tablespoons of barley flour.

Put the butter into the drained pot once the vegetables are in the colander, and when the butter is melted and sizzling add the shallots. Cook for 5 minutes or so, until softened and reduced in volume but not browned. Add the bowl of garlic and seasonings and mix in well. Once everything is well amalgamated into the butter and the garlic fragrant, start slowly mixing in the stock to make a smooth paste. Add the rest, mix well, and return the drained vegetables to the soup.

Simmer for another 10 minutes or so, until the soup has thickened slightly. Mix the remaining barley flour into the yogurt, and slowly whisk it into the soup. Barely simmer another few minutes until hot through and thickened that little bit more, but don't let it boil. Serve it up; it's soup.

Last year at this time I made Watermelon Lime-Ginger Slushies.

Monday, 10 August 2020

Fish & Summer Vegetable Chowder

Well, this was excellent. I thought it would last for 2 meals but we ate it all at once. It's pretty light, being mostly fish and vegetables so that was quite possible. With some good crusty bread and butter on the side, it might stretch to 3 or 4 servings, and if it was served as a first course to a larger meal it should be enough for 6 people.

If you had some corn and corn cooking water left from another meal, that would speed up the making of this soup. This is not a difficult soup to make, but getting the timing for cooking the corn and fish lined up with the cooking of the other vegetables in the butter requires a little attention. The main point, I think, is to not overcook the fish so it should not go into the pot until the vegetables are well under way.

If you do have leftovers, refrigerate them promptly and eat them the next day. I do not believe this soup will keep well for long.

2 to 6 servings
45 minutes prep time

Mix the Seasonings:
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons wheat OR barley flour
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Grind the fennel seed with the salt, then mix all the spices and flour in a small bowl. Set aside

Make the Soup:

1 medium onion

1 medium carrot

1 medium zucchini

1 small stalk of celery

300 grams (10 ounces) white fish fillet

4 cups water

2 medium-small cobs of corn

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup rich milk OR light cream

a sprig of basil OR a few sprigs of parsley

Trim, peel, and dice the onion, carrot, and zucchini. Wash and trim the celery, and dice.
Put the water in a heavy-bottomed soup pot and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, husk the corn. Boil the corn for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer it to a bowl or the sink, and run cold water over it until it is cool enough to handle. KEEP the pot of water in which the corn was boiled; it is the base for your soup. Leave it on the back of the stove until ready to resume.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook gently, stirring regularly.

Cut the corn from the cobs while this cooks, and return the scraped cobs to the pot of water. Simmer them while the vegetables in the skillet continue to cook. Add the fillet of fish to the corn cob pot, being sure that it is without any skin or bones, and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. It should break up into pieces as you cook the soup and stir.

When the vegetables in the skillet have cooked for 5 minutes, add the zucchini and mix in well; let it cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally, then mix in the corn. Continue cooking and stirring regularly for another 5 minutes or so.

Sprinkle the little bowl of seasonings over the vegetables after a few minutes and mix it in well. Once it is well absorbed and no dry white specks can be seen, slowly mix in the milk or cream. Cook gently until thickened, continuing to stir.

Remove the corn cobs from the pot of soup, and discard them. Break the cooked fish into large flakes with a spoon. Mix the skillet of vegetables and cream into the soup. Let the soup sit and steam on the edge of simmering for another 5 minutes or so, but do not let it boil. Sprinkle with the basil or parsley and serve.

Last year at this time I made Green Bean & Cauliflower Salad in Gremolata-Tahini Dressing.

Monday, 8 June 2020

Rhubarb Soup

I found this recipe in Great Grandmother's Recipe Book, (page 26) published in England in 1900. The implication is that it is a considerably older recipe. Oddly enough, this is probably the only rhubarb soup recipe I've ever seen in an old cookbook. It caught my eye because we have a big thriving patch of rhubarb and I wanted to use some without having to add sugar.

The soup was really quite tasty, I thought. It's definitely sour! I'm not sure I would have been able to identify it as rhubarb if I hadn't known that it was, even though the soup turned out to be a pretty shade of rhubarb pink. I used the reddest stalks I could find, most of which were red right through. If they are green in the centre I'm sure the colour will not turn out so well.

The recipe called for a small piece of ham. Old recipes seem quite convinced that all soup must taste of meat. I didn't have any, and I was serving this with pork chops, so ham seemed redundant anyway. You could try putting in a little if you liked, but it was fine without it. More unusually for an old recipe, it called for seasoning with Cayenne. I decided to just use a generous amount of black pepper, but I think Cayenne might have balanced out the sourness of the soup better. As usual, I changed the recipe a fair bit, but I think it still gives the feeling of the original. They did serve it with croutons, and if you had some I think they could be quite nice. This is a starter soup though, best in quite small portions to introduce another course. I wouldn't try to serve it as the basis of a meal

4 to 6 servings
30 minutes prep time

3 cups finely diced red rhubarb stems
1 small onion, preferably red
1 small carrot
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper OR ground Cayenne chile to taste
3 cups unsalted chicken OR vegetable stock
2 teaspoons arrowroot or corn starch

Wash, trim, and dice the rhubarb. Peel and dice the onion. Peel and finely dice or grate the carrot.

Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the rhubarb, onion, and carrot and cook, cover on, for about 10 minutes, until very soft. Stir occasionally. Season with the salt and pepper.

Add 2 cups of the stock - holding back 1 cup - and simmer for a few minutes, then transfer it all to a blender or food processor and blend until very smooth. Return it to the soup pot. Mix the starch into the remaining cold stock, and use it to swish out the blender before pouring it into the soup. Simmer until the soup thickens; just a few minutes. Serve at once.

Monday, 21 March 2022

Wednesday, 16 February 2022

Monday, 7 February 2022

Wednesday, 29 December 2021

Wednesday, 1 December 2021

Friday, 12 November 2021

Wednesday, 27 October 2021

Monday, 18 October 2021

Friday, 17 September 2021

Wednesday, 7 July 2021

Wednesday, 26 May 2021

Wednesday, 12 May 2021

Friday, 2 April 2021

Friday, 19 March 2021

Friday, 26 February 2021

Monday, 9 November 2020

Monday, 21 September 2020

Monday, 24 August 2020

Monday, 10 August 2020

Monday, 8 June 2020

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