Escarole and White Bean Soup

This soul enriching soup is an Italian classic that I customized by using some lamb loin chops as the meat and bones as the flavoring for the stock.  This easy to make comfort food takes about 1.5 hours total time, feeds 8 and costs about $20.

Lamb, Escarole and Cannelloni Bean Soup

3 lamb loin chops

1 lb cannelloni beans

6 cups of water

1 quart organic vegetable stock

1 cup carrots, large rounds

1 white onion, large dice

1/2 red bell pepper, large dice

3 cloves garlic, rough chop

A few sprigs of marjoram and thyme

1 large head of organic Escarole, sliced into ribbons

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

Soak the beans in warm water for and hour.  In a large pot cook the beans with the water and vegetable stock.  Bring the beans to a boil and then cover and simmer for 1 hour or until tender.

Remove the meat  from the bone of the lamb loin chops and dice, reserve the bones and large pieces of fat.  In a large skillet brown the bones and fat over medium heat until browned well.  Add fat pieces and bones to the beans.  Using the same large skillet, saute the carrots, onions, red peppers and garlic until lightly golden.  Add the vegetables to the beans and season with salt and pepper.  Let cook about 20 minutes to bring all of the flavors together.  Add the escarole to the soup and remove from the heat.  Let stand 10 minutes and then serve.  Top with inner escarole leaves and grated Parmesan cheese.  I also made some olive oil croutons to enjoy the soup even more.  Buon Apetito!

Curried Carrot Soup

I had accidentally bought a new bag a of carrots last time I went to the grocery store when I already had a bunch so I had to do something with them. Carrot soup was what I decided on. I have a lot of spices so I made my own curry style seasoning mix. This easy recipe cost $10, makes 10-12 servings and takes 45 minutes or less.

Organic Curried Carrot Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 organic leek, rough chopped
1 organic white onion, rough chopped
2 lb organic baby carrots
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup water
-Curry Seasoning Mix-
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Start a large (5-8qt) sauce pot on medium and add oil. Add onions and leeks and let cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add curry seasoning mix and toss. Add carrots and toss with onions and leeks. Add broth, cream and water and turn to medium low (3.5 of 10). Let cook about 25 minutes or until the carrots are fork tender. Add to a blender in batches and puree until smooth. Add puree mixture back to the sauce pot. Add water to get desired texture and let cook for 10 minutes. Add some yogurt or heavy cream for garnish. I also threw in some fresh thyme leaves from my garden to add freshness.

This can be done with store bought curry powder or you can skip the curry all together. It turned out very tasty and not too "carroty" tasting with a little heat on the end. Enjoy!

Pumpkin and Squash Soup

I always go through different phases when cooking. I will find something I like and then make a few different versions. I think it improves my abilities to work with new ingredients and helps me refine my palate. Here is my second version of a winter gourd soup, this time it is certainly not vegan, but could be made that way by following the substitutions listed in the ingredient list. This recipe makes about 12 servings.

Pumpkin-Squash Soup
You want equal parts for all three squash, or thereabout.
1 small pie pumpkin, halved and seeded
1 golden acorn squash, halved and seeded
1/2 of a small Calabaza squash, seeded (they tend to be bigger so I used 1/2)
2 teaspoons of pancetta, fine diced (optional)
2 oz vegetable oil
1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
1 cup of carrots, chopped
5 scallions, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalepeno, seeded and chopped
1/2 stick of butter
1 banana, chopped
1 pear, skinned and chopped
1 apple, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons of black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram
4 cups of chicken stock (use veg stock for vegan)
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

Garnish: Toasted bread croûtons, chopped scallions and plain yogurt

Halve and remove the seeds from the squash. Place face down on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees, or until they are soft to the touch. Use a large spoon to scoop the flesh from the skins and set it aside in a large bowl. Start a large sauce pot on low and add the diced pancetta and let that melt for about ten minutes. Once the fat is rendered out, remove the cooked pieces and reserve them for later. Now add the oil and onions, carrots, scallions, garlic and jalapeño. Let that cook for ten minutes or until the vegetables become soft. Turn the heat to medium and add the butter. Once the butter melts add the banana, pear and apple and let that cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the pear and apple start to soften. Now add the reserved squash, pancetta, seasonings, chicken stock, apple juice and heavy cream. Stir that well and let that come to a boil. Quickly turn the heat to simmer and let it all cook together for about 15 minutes. Puree the soup in batches in a blender and return it to the sauce pot when finished. taste and adjust the seasonings. Garnish and serve.

The jalapeño adds a good spice to the soup, so if you don't like spicy go with a 1/4 of a jalapeño or omit it completely. This one was not as sweet as the butternut squash soup I made previously but was still very delicious. Soup making is really not that difficult and you can follow this format with any ingredients to make your own soup to your liking.

Butternut and Acorn Squash Soup (Vegan)

This was the first course for our dinner party last night. This soup had savory, sweet, rich, spicy and earthy flavors. Omit the Chantilly cream garnish for full on vegan, but it really does help bring it all together. I was at the grocery store and they had this huge display of gourds and squash. I have never worked with golden acorn squash but I figured now was a better time then any other. This recipe feeds 8 and takes 1.5 hours.

Butternut and Golden Acorn Squash Soup
1 medium butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 medium golden acorn (or regular acorn) squash, halved and seeded
1 ripe banana
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 Bartlet pear, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 a medium white onion, diced
1/2 a orange bell pepper, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
5 colves of garlic, smashed and chopped
3 oz olive oil
1/2 a jalepeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
4 cups of vegetable stock (or water)
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350. Cut the two gourds lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Place them cut side on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour or until soft. Use a spoon to scoop the flesh from the skin and set aside. Start and large pot on low heat (2 of 10), add the olive oil and the onions, garlic, bell pepper, jalepeno and carrots and let them cook for 10 minutes. Now add the apple, pear and banana and let cook for 10 minutes. Add the seasonings and then add the vegetable stock along with the reserved roasted squash. Bring that up to a boil then reduce to a simmer and let cook 10 minutes. Now puree the soup. I used my kitchen blender and pureed it in 2 batches, don't over crowd the blender. You could also use a food processor or stick blender. Once the soup is smooth add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Marjoram Chantilly

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoon fresh marjoram, finely chopped

Whip the cream with a hand blender and fold in marjoram.

I crushed up some roasted pumpkin seeds and put a dollop of cream on top. This was the first time I have made this soup which was a mash up of many different recipes and soups i have seen. However this is defiantly not the last time as it was one of the best soups I have ever eaten and certainly the best and most unique I have ever made. The whole dinner party of 8 cleaned their bowls so I will take that as confirmation of success.