Fall in my Soup

Okay, call me crazy.  When the temperature drops below 20C, I am in my glory!  Time for Autumn harvest and it's finally cool enough to cook!  It's a drizzly, windy day and we  are in the mood for some hot, creamy soup.

This golden, yummy soup is inspired by a Moosewood Restaurant staple.  Golden winter squash, sweet apple and the warmth of cinnamon are brought together in one yummy bowl!  Add some crusty bread and (voila! ), you have a very satisfying fall meal.


Ingredients:

Vegetable oil or broth for sauteeing
2 organic yellow onions, chopped
1/2 dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
4 organic carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks organic celery, chopped
3 cups organic vegetable stock, homemade or prepared
2 cups winter squash puree, I used roasted butternut squash
1 cup tomato puree
1 cup orange juice
1 cup apple juice
Salt and pepper to taste

In a stock pot, saute onions in oil (or broth) for a few minutes.  Add herbs and spices a to onions and until the onions become translucent.  Add carrots, celery and broth.  Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, until the veggies become tender.  Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.  Puree the cooked vegetables, stock, juices and squash together in batches.  Reheat gently and serve.  It is wonderful topped with a balsamic vinegar reduction or some vegan sour cream.  Recipe yields 8 generous servings.

Best Cream of Mushroom Soup

This soup is so rich and satisfying, it's a meal in itself.

Ingredients:
2T non-dairy butter (I use Earth Balance)
2T extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot , finely chopped
3 stalks celery , finely chopped
2 large oyster mushrooms , finely chopped
1 lb white mushrooms, coarsely chopped or quartered if small
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried thyme

1 1/2C dry white wine

Ground black pepper

4-6 C vegetable stock
1 C raw walnuts
Hot water
Salt to taste


In a heavy-bottomed stock pot, heat oil and non-dairy butter together over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add celery and carrots and cook for 5 minutes more. Lower heat and add mushrooms, parsley and thyme. Cook for 5 minutes. Add wine and increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil and cook until you can no longer smell alcohol, stirring often. Add stock and stir. Reduce heat to low and cover.

In a blender, cover walnuts with hot water and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Add about 2C soup from pot to blender and mix thoroughly.

Stir walnut mixture into soup and heat through. Add salt to taste. Serve with crusty bread and a great salad! Enjoy.

This soup is great reheated as well.

Stinky Soup and Beer Bread

Yum!  Garlic, onions, leeks. . . stinky AND tasty!  I made a batch of Beer Bread using a mix from the Invisible Chef.

Sooo good.  Warm and crunchy, it was a real complement to the soup.

Stinky Soup Ingredients:

    2 cups cooked white kidney beans 
    1 bulb garlic, roasted
    EVOO

    1 cooking onion, thinly sliced
    1 large leek, thinly sliced

    1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

    1 tsp dried thyme

    1 tsp dried basil

    2 tsp dried parsley

    salt & black pepper to taste

    1 cup dry white wine

    2 cups miso broth
 
Directions:

To roast the garlic bulb, peel away excess skin and slice off the top of the bulb so that the tips of the cloves are cut off. Drizzle some olive oil over the top of the bulb and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Roast in a preheated 400F oven for 25-30 minutes. The cloves should be browned and soft and you can squeeze the roasted garlic out from the peel easily.

In a large saucepot, heat about 1 tbsp EVOO.  Add onions and saute until they have become very soft. Add the leeks, scallions and roasted garlic (I let mine cool and put it through a garlic press) and saute for 5 minutes.  Add seaonings and saute another minute.  Add wine and cook until you can no longer smell any alcohol.  Add the miso broth and stir. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit. Puree half the soup in a blender, or with an immersion blender. Add to leftover soup. Add additional broth or water if the soup becomes too thick. Reheat slightly and serve, preferably with a slice of warm bread.

Makes: 4-6 servings

Indian Vegetable Soup

This soup is so tasty!  Hearty and healthy and only 5 points per cup for Weight Watchers followers!

Ingredients:

4 tbsp olive oil

2 medium onion(s), diced

6 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced

1 cup(s) celery, finely diced

1 cup(s) carrot(s), peeled and finely diced 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tbsp ground coriander 1 tbsp curry powder 1 tbsp homemade chili sauce (bottled is fine) 1 cup beluga lentils (parboiled) 1/4 cup tomato paste  1/4 cup arrowroot flour 1 large can of diced tomatoes 6 cups vegetable broth 2 cups green beans, sliced to about 3/4 inch pinch sea salt Instructions: 1. Heat oil in pot over medium heat. 2. Stir in onions, garlic, celery and carrots. Cook for 1 minute to coat vegetables in oil. 3. Stir in cinnamon, coriander and curry. Cook for 1 minute. 4. Add lentils, tomato paste and flour. Stir for a few minutes to cook the flour. 5. Add diced tomatoes, then vegetable broth, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. 6. Cook for 15 minutes; when lentils are soft and nearly cooked, add the green beans. Cook for another 15 minutes or until beans are tender. Add salt to taste. 7. Remove from heat and serve.