Potato Cheddar Soup with Fresh Dill

POTATO CHEDDAR SOUP WITH FRESH DILL

Aromatic Cream of Root Vegetable & Lentil Soup

Aromatic Cream of Root Vegetable & Lentil Soup

This weekend has blessed us with warm, sunny days - a rare pleasure for early November. I somehow managed to keep myself inside long enough to develop this incredible soup - modified from a recipe from the Holiday 2008 issue of Food & Drink - and I must say, it is absolutely fabulous.

I'll admit that I'm not a fan of parsnips, so was a little unsure of how they'd taste in this recipe. Mom used to cook parsnips to accompany roasts, but I never ate them as I didn't find their strong aroma very appealing. However, the sweetness of the sweet potato and cinnamon in this soup seem to welcome the sharpness of the parsnip, resulting in a wonderful balance. The addition of the lentils adds a dense creaminess and a hearty dose of protein.

Aromatic Cream of Root Vegetable & Lentil Soup

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
2 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. chili pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
2 c. sweet potato, peeled & chopped
2 c. Yukon Gold or red potato, peeled & chopped
1 1/2 c. parsnip, peeled & chopped
1 c. split red lentils
7-8 c. chicken or vegetable broth
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

In a large pot, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes; add garlic and spices (except bay leaf), stirring to toast for a minute.

Add sweet potato, potato and parsnip; stir. Add broth, lentils and bay leaf, stirring well. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cover. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft.

Discard bay leaf. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Add more broth to loosen, if necessary. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

Reheat gently; do not boil. Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy.

African Peanut Soup

*Note: Recipe revised Nov. 21/09 to include 1/2 c split red lentils - a wonderful texture improvement plus added protein and nutrients.

Tomato soup has always been comfort food to me. When I was little, Mom used to make me tomato soup when I came home from school for lunch. She'd also give me a few crackers to crumble into the soup, and I can still feel the crunch of them as my fingers mushed them into my palms, their dusty bits adding a salty crunch to every mouthful of the tangy, sweet liquid. The very thought of it takes me right back to loving, happy memories of sitting with Mom on our couch, my feet dangling off the edge, eating from a TV tray and watching The Flintstones.

I was inspired to learn how to make this soup after ordering Moroccan Tomato soup a number of times at a local lunch spot. Their version was quite rich, so I looked at a variety of recipes and, after making some adaptations, I came up with a version that is healthy and hearty. You can add chunks of chicken breast to this soup, but be sure to remove them before pureeing. For vegetarians, the lentils and peanut butter provide good sources of protein.

This recipe is truly an homage to childhood lunch times with Mom. Imagine tomato soup and peanut butter all in the same mouthful...what better tribute to childhood could one ask for?

African Peanut Soup

2 medium onions, chopped
2 large red peppers, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, mashed
1-2 tbsp. vegetable oil
28 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
8 c. vegetable broth (or a mixture of vegetable and chicken broths)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or more if you like it hot)
1/2 c. uncooked basmati rice
1/2 c. red split lentils
2/3 c. crunchy peanut butter
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
Cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

In a large soup pot, saute onions, peppers and garlic in oil, salt & pepper until onions become translucent, stirring frequently.

Add the tomatoes and juice, broth, peppers and red pepper flakes, and rice. Simmer, partially covered, over low heat for 30 minutes. Add half the peanut butter, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat and bring to room temperature.

Puree half the soup in a blender or food processor. Add the pureed mixture to the rest of the soup and mix well. Reheat soup and add remainder of peanut butter, whisking until smooth. Adjust flavour with salt and pepper, if necessary.

To Serve:

Ladle soup into bowls and top with chopped cilantro.

Rutabaga Soup

Rutabaga

What a wonderful time of year to celebrate the harvest by making great soups.

After enjoying a fabulous hike along the Bruce Trail this past weekend, we picked up some wonderful local vegetables and headed to the kitchen to turn them into soups - Rutabaga, African Peanut, and Lentil (recipes for the latter two to be posted in coming days). Our freezer is now happily packed with healthy and delicious treats to last us a while.

This recipe came from my brother, and I have to confess, at first I didn't think I'd really enjoy soup made from rutabaga. How pleasantly surprised I was to savour this interesting flavour combination, made perfectly complete by a drizzle of maple syrup on the top of each serving! Everyone who tries this soup says they are surprised that it's actually delicious.

While this recipe calls for 1 cup of whipping cream, I don't use it because I find that it gets creamy and smooth enough by being pureed. However, it certainly is delicious with cream, if you don't mind the extra calories. I've also reduced the fat and added part olive oil, as the original recipe calls for 1/4 cup butter. You can easily omit the butter and use only olive oil, but the butter adds a nice flavour that we like.

Also, a word on sodium counts in prepared broth. I recommend checking the amount of sodium, and if available, try the low-sodium option and simply adjust the salt yourself. I was shocked by the sodium counts in the various vegetable broths, and was especially disappointed that the organic brands contained 38% of the recommended daily maximum amount of sodium per serving. If you have time and are so inclined, it's definitely worth making your own; otherwise, just choose the prepared options cautiously.

Rutabaga Soup

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 c. leeks, sliced and well cleaned
3 c. rutabaga, chopped (about 1 medium)
4 c. low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 c. whipping cream (optional)
2 tbsp. maple syrup
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Saute leeks in olive oil and butter until slightly translucent. Do not brown. Add stock and rutabaga. Bring to boil. Reduce and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until the rutabaga is tender. Bring to room temperature and puree in blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve:

Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle with maple syrup. Savour slowly...

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Hike from Southern Head to Hay's Point, Grand Manan, NB

What an incredible hike today from the lighthouse at Southern Head northwest to Hay's Point, considered "one of the jewels of the island", according to the trails guide. The trail took us close to the cliff tops and provided several breathtaking lookouts over steep cliffs plummeting to the rocky sea below.

Moving slightly inland at times, we were overwhelmed with the deep, sweet scent of woodsy balsam and pine. The guide recommends that the descent to Hay's Point (where you'll find a picnic table perched on the edge of a cliff) is definitely worth it, and they weren't kidding. We stopped there for a thermos of hot soup (recipe below), which we enjoyed while watching a chubby, slippery seal diving off a huge rock in search of food. The trip back up the steep slope was quite a challenge, and we were glad for the brisk breeze to cool us off when we reached the top.

This recipe is from my brother, Mike's, collection. It is a staple in our home, and I make large batches of it in the fall when squash is plentiful. It freezes very well. Today, I made a vegetarian version with good quality vegetable stock, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was just as tasty as the version made with chicken stock.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

1 medium butternut squash
1 c. leeks, cleaned well and sliced (you can also use yellow or vidalia onions)
1/2 c. sliced carrots
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
6 c. vegetable or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
salt
freshly ground pepper

To roast the squash: Preheat oven to 400F. Wash the squash well and cut in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds. Rub cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Place cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Remove from oven and allow to come to room temperature.

To prepare the soup: In a large pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add leeks and carrots, and saute until leeks are translucent. Don't allow to brown. Add stock, bay leaf and good amount of ground pepper to taste. Bring to boil. Scoop baked squash out of skin and add to soup. Discard skins. Cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and bring to room temperature.

Remove bay leaf. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Add more stock if too thick. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

To Serve:

Heat gently over low-medium heat. Do not boil. Serve in bowls or mugs.