Showing posts with label Souper Sundays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Souper Sundays. Show all posts

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Finally getting to be soup weather!

I love the cooler weather. And I am looking forward to soup. Lots of soups. Hearty soups. So I went looking through past blog posts to see what's what. These are two I had forgotten about and I'm glad I went back to look. They will be on our table again very soon.




Minestrone with Tomatoes and Rice
Source: original recipe by Luca Marcato of Osteria al Doge, NYC

1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium Idaho potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice
1 small yellow squash, cut into 1-inch dice
1 Japanese eggplant or 1/2 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup arborio rice
one 28-ounce can Italian peeled tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 small stalk of broccoli — cut into 1-inch florets, stem peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 small head of cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
1 medium celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup frozen baby peas
6 cups water, vegetable or chicken broth

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large non-reactive soup pot. Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the carrot potato, zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Add the rice to a skillet on medium heat with a little bit of oil, about a tablespoon. Stir well to coat the grains with the oil and toast for about two minutes. Then add the rice to the soup pot with the vegetables. Add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the crushed red pepper and 6 cups of water and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, celery and peas and cook, stirring, until all the vegetables and the rice are tender, about 35 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

(MAKE AHEAD: The soup can be refrigerated for 1 day. Reheat before serving.) Ladle the soup into bowls and serve, passing the Parmesan cheese at the table.  If it's too thick next day, add some stock or water and season again!
 




Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup
 adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Source: Food Network, recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 sage leaf
2 (15-ounce) cans cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, cut in 1/2
1/2 cup cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices crusty bread, cut into chunks
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place a medium, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and beans and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the garlic and simmer until the garlic is softened, another 10-15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. It will be hot so be careful.

Once all the soup is blended add the cream. Salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm, covered, over very low heat.

Arrange the bread on a sheet pan in one layer. Drizzle the slices of bread with extra-virgin olive oil. Broil the bread until warm and golden, keeping an eye so they don't burn. Stir to toast all sides. Serve the soup in bowls with the croutons. 


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Thursday, July 26, 2012

Gazpacho


Hot weather calls for cold soup! Not really, I like soup any time, hot or cold. I've had gazpacho before but not like this one. I saw it in this month's Fine Cooking and it looked so good, so creamy, I had to try it.

I didn't notice that the recipe said a pinch or two of cumin, so I added about 2 teaspoons. Fresh cilantro isn't big around here so I added some ground coriander and threw in some ancho chili for good measure. Used more bread than was called for and didn't notice about trimming the crust for croutons. Didn't notice the croutons were burning until it was a tad too late. They were still good. Extra flavor :)

It turns out the family is not so keen on cold soup. My husband thought it tasted like a creamy salad dressing. The kids and their friends gave it an "okay" but I really loved it. Loved. And it's easy enough to make some just for myself.

The flavor was so good. I think my family just assumes that soup should be hot. I'm always in a rush when I serve so you'd think they'd be used to cold soup. Or maybe the fact that this was intentionally cold soup. They'd have been happier with the usual lukewarm. ah well, more for me. 

Today's lunch!

See how creamy it looks? But no cream at all.





Gazpacho

1-3/4 lb. ripe tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped (about 5 cups)
1/2 medium green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped (3/4 cup)
1/2 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup packed torn fresh bread, such as a soft baguette, Portuguese roll, or thick white sandwich bread, plus enough for 1/4 cup of 1/2-inch cubes for croutons. I used a soft Italian bread
9 tablespoons good-quality extra-virgin olive oil; plus more for croutons and drizzling
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
2 small cloves garlic
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1-2 teaspoons ground cumin (more or less to taste)
1-2 teaspoons ground coriander (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon ancho chili
optional garnish - chopped cucumbers, red peppers and onions

Put the tomatoes, bell peppers, bread, olive oil, the vinegar, garlic, about a teaspoon salt, pepper, chili, coriander and cumin in a blender. Pulse until coarsely puréed, then blend until very smooth, about 5-6 minutes or more if needed (it may be a bit frothy). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until very cold, at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, heat about 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the oil gets hot, add the bread cubes. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown all over, about  minute or two. Sprinkle with a little salt. Transfer the croutons to paper towels to drain and cool.

Taste the gazpacho just before serving and adjust the seasonings as needed. Serve cold,  drizzle with oil and garnished with the chopped red pepper, cucumber and the croutons.

Make Ahead: The gazpacho can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.



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Thursday, July 19, 2012

An old favorite...

My daughter had to bring in a recipe for her final grade in her High School cooking class this past year and didn't know what to make. She went through all the recipes on my blog and ended up making this recipe for Apple, Cherry and Walnut Salad with Maple Dressing and received an A+! It was one of the favorites of the class. And ours. 

She hasn't made a thing since!
but at least I know she can :)



Apple, Dried Cherry, and Walnut Salad with Maple Dressing
Source: Bon Appétit, September 2002 - original recipe by the Mountain Town Station Brewing Company and Steakhouse, Mount Pleasant, MI
Printable Recipe

For the Maple Dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or any white wine vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil

For Salad:
1 bag baby spinach (or any mixed greens)
2 Fuji apples, peeled, cored, cut into matchstick-size strips (use any apple you like)
1/2 cup dried cherries (tart or sweet)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (or not!)

Note:
Keep some apple, walnuts and cherries on the side to sprinkle over the top of the salad when you serve!

For dressing:
Whisk mayonnaise, maple syrup, and vinegar in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil until mixture thickens slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Or put all the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake it really, really well! (Dressing can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Shake jar or whisk again before using.)

For salad:
Toss spinach, apples, cherries, and walnuts in large bowl to combine. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Divide salad equally among plates. Sprinkle with remaining apples, walnuts, cherries and then serve.




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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Spicy Cold Soba Noodles

Hot days call for cool things. This is a repost of one of our favorite cold noodle dishes. It's hot spicy but served cold.
 



Spicy Cold Soba Noodles
Source: Jessy F
original recipe from City Cuisine by Mary Sue Miliken and Susan Feniger 

1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup chili oil (more or less to taste)
3 tablespoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
1/2 bunch thinly sliced scallions, white and green
1/2 lb soba noodles

large bowl filled with water and ice

Place soy sauce in a pan over high heat and reduce by half. Turn heat to low, stir in molasses, and warm briefly. Transfer to a serving bowl. Add brown sugar through scallions and whisk to combine.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add noodles; bring back to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they just begin to soften, about three minutes.

Have a large bowl of iced water ready. Drain noodles, plunge in ice water, and drain (I just rinse with cold water in the colander). Transfer noodles to the serving bowl that has the sauce, toss well and chill. Serve cold or room temp.


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and joining
Souper Sundays (soups, salads and sandwiches) @ Kahakai Kitchen

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and joining

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