Red Lentil Coconut Milk Soup

Dear Blog,

I know I've neglected you...like REALLY neglected you and I'm sorry. 2015 was a chaotic year, full of a lot of ups and downs and I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and needed a break. It was me, not you. But this year I'm determined to have a great year and one of my resolutions is to get back into cooking and blogging. So be ready! ☺

First thing on my To Do List is: getting over this frickin' cold/sinus infection. It's hard to be awesome when you're all stuffed up and your head feels like it wants to explode.  Not to mention, I sound like a cross between Darth Vader and Girl 6 with my heavy breathing and raspy voice. It seems like everyone is down with this creeping crud...and this stuff apparently likes to lingers. I've already missed two days of work because of it and I'm pretty sure my office is one step away from going all Outbreak. There's a lot of people out with a cold, flu, or bronchitis.

I've been doing all the things I'm supposed to: hydrating, staying in bed, sleeping a ton, Purelling the sh*t out of everything, and using Puffs Plus Lotion (trust me, these are the holy grail of tissues). Peppy loves having me home and has been sleeping as much as I have. This weather has been pretty conducive for it. We even watched a great movie the other night, "Love and Mercy".  

I've also been eating a LOT of soup. A friend of mine made me a delicious Lemon Orzo with Chicken soup that I'm going to have to get the recipe for so I can make more. It felt insanely good on my sore throat.  In the meantime, this is one of my current favs to make when I'm feeling under the weather:

Red Lentil Coconut Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups red lentils, uncooked
• 1 white onion,chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped, including seeds
• 1 tablespoon fresh peeled and minced ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder 
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ⅓ cup tomato paste
• 7 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can unsweetened light coconut milk
• 1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish (optional)
• lime wedges for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeno and saute until the vegetables have softened and the onion takes on a translucent color.

2. Add the ginger, garlic, curry, cinnamon, smoked paprika, salt and tomato paste. Stir. Cook for 3-4 more minutes.

3. Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, lentils, and garbanzo beans. Stir. Bring the the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 20-30 minutes.  

4.  Add the lime juice at the end. Stir.  Season with additional salt, if needed.

5. (Optional) Serve with cilantro and lime wedges.

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Mushroom-Barley Soup

Have you guys started your spring gardens yet? I just planted most of mine Sunday. This year Mr.S and I are being a bit more selective regarding what we stick in our dirt box. Last year we went all empire and planted tons of tomatoes and loads of peppers...they came in like gangbusters but we're not huge fans of either and ended up feeling overwhelmed. I made some of the tomatoes into sauce but ended up giving most of them away. This year we're doing ONE tomato plant (Roma), some Japanese eggplant, two different kinds of beets, chard, purple tomatillos, Parisian carrots, leeks and garlic. I'll probably add another veggie or two once this week of rain is over. And of course, we'll have a herb garden again- rosemary, thyme, oregano, dill, mint and a few different kinds of basil. I go through fresh herbs like crazy in the summer.

  

In the meantime, I'm enjoying this belated rainy weather. It's the perfect opportunity to eat some hearty soups, like this rich Mushroom-Barley Soup that I made for a recent soup swap:

 

Mushroom-Barley Soup

(adapted from Saveur's Mushroom Barley Soup, Sept 2012)

 

Ingredients

 

1 oz. dried assorted mushrooms (I used porcinis, shiitakes, morels and oyster mushrooms)

1/4 cup olive oil

8-10 cloves of garlic, minced

2 large carrots, diced

2 ribs of celery, diced

1 large yellow onion, diced
a handful of sliced greens like chard or beet greens (optional)

1 lb. crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/4 cup sherry

8 cups beef broth

1/2 cup pearl barley

1 Parmesan rind

2 teaspoons thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon ground celery seed

2 teaspoons Maggi seasoning

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons of Kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

 

(Note: Worcestershire sauce is not vegetarian- Worcestershire sauce has anchovy in it.)

 

Instructions

 

1. Placed dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with 1 cup of boiling water. Let it sit, covered with a plate for about a half hour. Then using a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms. Pour the liquid through a fine strainer into another bowl, leaving the last tidbit with the sediment in the bowl. Set the strained liquid aside.

 

2. Finely chop the rehydrated mushrooms and set the aside.

 

3. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add your garlic, carrots, celery and onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes. (You can throw in some greens at this point if you wish.) Add the chopped rehydrated mushrooms and sliced crimini mushrooms - cook, stirring frequently for about 15 minutes.

 

4. Add sherry and cook until it evaporates (about 2 minutes). Mix in your reserved mushroom liquid, beef stock, pearl barley, Parmesan rind, thyme, ground celery seed, Maggi seasoning and Worcestershire sauce.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender. About 30-40 minutes. Remove Parmesan rind remains (it's edible so don't toss it), add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

 

5. This soup freezes well.

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Potage Parmentier (Potato Leek Soup)

George Sterling, an American poet, once described San Francisco as, "[t]he city of cool grey love." I love that description and I've always been enamored with San Francisco- its rolling fog, Painted Ladies, and its effortless intermingling of bohemian vibrance and tech industry sterility. The city has an amazing soul that you can't help but let permeate you when you visit. I feel like I never run out of places to see...and the restaurants...the sheer number of cuisines available! Burmese, Senegalese, French, Egyptian, Portuguese, etc....not to mention some of the best dim sum and burritos I've ever had. The City by the Bay also has a phenomenal performing arts scene. I don't get into the city to see plays or musicals often but when I do, I'm usually impressed. Last week, I had the opportunity to take BART in and see The Book of Mormon at the Orpheum. BOM is probably one of the most hilarious musicals I've ever seen. From start to finish, the production had the audience in stitches. If you get the chance to catch it somewhere, do so. You'll love it! (And you'll never look at missionaries the same way again.)

That little trek into SF made me yearn a bit for some chilly, foggy weather. (It's been a pretty warm winter here in Sacramento.) Usually this time of the year, I'm snuggled up with warm blankets, drinking some hot tea and reading a good book or watching a movie; and of course, cooking hearty pots of liquid comfort (aka soup). Anyhow, I wasn't going to give up my soup season; so this weekend, I decided to make a big pot of potato-leek soup. It was the perfect way to pay homage to the winter produce at the local farmers' market. Now since I'm trying to lose a few lbs., I did omit the heavy cream and sub in milk instead. It still came out great. The result was a velvety, humble potage that was deeply satisfying. So what if it was almost 70 degrees outside? It still hit the spot.

Potage Parmentier  (Potato Leek Soup)
 
Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large leeks (white and green part only)
1 small yellow onion, quartered then sliced into strips
5-6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into a 1/2 inch dice
4 cups chicken stock
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 cup whole milk
Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper


Instructions

1. First you want to slice and clean your leeks. They're sandy little suckers so you want to make sure you get all the grit out. If you've never worked with leeks before, here's an easy tutorial:

 

First, cut off the dark green part. We're not using it. You can keep it to make stock with or just chuck it- your call.  Then slice your leeks (the white and light green parts) lengthwise.

Next, slice the leeks into little half-moons.

Throw the sliced leeks into a colander or better yet the basket of your salad spinner. Place the basket in the bowl. Fill it with water. Give it a couple of good swirls with your hand. The leeks will float to the top and the grit will fall to the bottom. Pull the basket out. Dispose of the water and grit. Use the spinner to get rid of any excess water.

 

 

2. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or a Dutch oven, heat your butter over med-high heat. Add your onions and garlic. Let them cook a bit, about 3-4 minutes. Then add your leeks. Sprinkle a little salt. Gently sauté the onion, garlic and leek mixture for about 5-8 minutes until the mixture gets soft and slightly translucent.

 

3. Add your potatoes and chicken broth.

 

4. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer.

 

5. Add your bay leaves, marjoram, white pepper and thyme. Cover and let it cook for about 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

 

6. Remove the bay leaves. Use your immersion (hand) blender to blend. For a chunkier soup, just blend about 1/2 of the soup. For a creamier version, blend the whole pot.

 

7. Add in your milk and season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Stir well. Taste, make adjustments if needed.

 

* (If you want your soup on the super thin side, you can always add a little more milk.)

 

8. Serve in bowls, hot. Garnish with croutons or fresh chopped chervil. Goes great with a loaf of crusty bread.

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Marx Foods Challenge : Mushroom, Lamb & Farro Soup

If you follow my blog or have gone out to eat with me, you know I'm a die hard mushroom lover. I could eat them every day. Not only do mushrooms taste phenomenal, but they're low in calories, help lower cholesterol and are fat-free. Additionally, they are full of nutrients such as- B vitamins (riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid), minerals (selenium, copper and potassium), and beta-glucans. Mushrooms are also an excellent source of Vitamin D. So when Marx Foods asked if I would like to participate in their "Shrooms for Soup Recipe Challenge," I just knew I had to enter. The premise of the challenge was simple. Marx Foods, a popular gourmet food purveyor, sends each contestant 3 kinds of dried mushrooms (matsutake, porcini and black trumpet). Each contestant needs to use at least one of the mushrooms in an original recipe. Then there will be a public poll...easy-peasy. (I'll let you know when it's up, so you can check it out.)

(dried shrooms clockwise, from top left: porcini, black trumpet, matsutake)

 

For my soup recipe, I opted to utilize the dried black trumpet and the dried porcini mushrooms. Black trumpets (also called the Trumpet of Death and the Horn of Plenty) have a bit of a ghoulish grey-black appearance, in fact they look like they could belong in an Edward Gorey illustration; however, they have a rich, buttery taste that makes them perfect for soups and risotto. The porcinis on the other hand offer up a meaty texture, an intense woodsy flavor and a wonderful earthy aroma. I thought these two mushrooms would compliment each other nicely and pair great with some chewy farro and freshly ground lamb. I've been trying to watch my weight lately so I decided to stay away from using cream or milk and instead I used a nice hearty homemade beef broth as a base and tucked in some shio-koji for added umami.

(Edward Gorey's Gashlycrumb Tinies)

I know the list of ingredients seems a bit lengthy but most of the items are probably already in your cupboard and fridge. There's minimal prep work involved in this recipe...most of the "labor" is just letting the ingredients simmer.  Your end result? An exquisite, savory soup packed with robust flavor. The perfect meal for a chilly, autumn (or winter) evening.

Mushroom, Lamb and Farro Soup

Ingredients

1/2 oz. dried black trumpet mushrooms

1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms

1.5 tablespoons of olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 lb. ground lamb

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 yellow onion, diced

1 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced

3 tablespoons very dry sherry

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons herbes de Provence

6 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons shio-koji

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup quick cook farro (I used Trader Joe's 10 Minute farro)

sea salt and fresh ground pepper


Instructions

1. In a medium sized bowl, place the dried mushrooms. Cover with 2.5 cups of hot water. Then cover the bowl with a plate and let soak for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms, rinse the mushrooms under running water, dice them up and then place in a small bowl.  Use a coffee filter or fine mesh strainer to strain the remaining mushroom liquid of any grit. Set aside 2 cups of the liquid for later use.

2. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed stockpot or large dutch oven over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until garlic becomes fragrant. Add ground lamb. Sauté until meat is almost cooked through.

3. Add carrots, onions and crimini mushrooms.  Cook for 7-10 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

4. Add the dried mushrooms and the 2 cups of reserved mushroom broth. Add the sherry, red wine vinegar and herbes de Provence. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Allow to cook for 10 minutes.

5. Add stock, shio-koji and bay leaf. Allow soup to simmer for another 20 minutes.

6. Add farro, simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper.

7. Serve hot. Garnish with a pinch of chopped Italian parsley (optional).

* Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post other than receiving the dried mushrooms from Marx Foods. All opinions are completely my own.

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Hearty Home-style Minestrone

"There is nothing like soup. It is nature eccentric: no two are ever alike, unless of course you get your soup from a can."  ~Laurie Colwin

Sorry, I haven't been blogging much lately. Fall is my favorite time to be out and about and I've been dining out with friends a lot. I did make a big batch of minestrone last week though! I gave a few jars to friends and then the kidlets and I scarfed down the rest over at Mr.S.'s casa.

I love minestrone, it's warm and filling but doesn't weigh you down... a perfect source of sustenance for a chilly autumn or winter night. Not to mention, it's a super easy way to get the kidlets to eat an entire bowl of veggies with no fuss! Now I'm a die hard fan of the minestrone recipe from Nick's an Italian café in McMinnville, Oregon  (my mom and Nick are friends, from back in her Japan days)- it's a fantastic recipe and I made it for ages, but these days I make a version that's nice and hearty and chock full of my favorite veggies. I like using a beef broth as my base and adding a handful of ditalini pasta to the mix...oh, and don't forget to throw in a Parmesan rind! That's what infuses your soup with flavor and there's nothing better than eating that ooey-gooey rind at the end.


Hearty Home-style Minestrone

Ingredients

4 oz. salt pork, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 small onions, peeled and chopped

1 leek: white and light green parts only (split in half, rinsed well and sliced thinly)

2 ribs of celery, chopped

1/2 green pepper: cored, seeded, chopped

6-7 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 large carrots: peeled, trimmed and chopped

2 white potatoes, cut into chunks

1/4 cup chopped parsley

6 oz. sliced crimini mushrooms

1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons of concentrated tomato paste

5 cups of beef broth

1 Parmesan rind

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons chopped, fresh basil

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 can (15 oz.) of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (you can sub in Great Northern beans if you wish)

1 cup cooked ditalini

garlic salt and fresh ground pepper

grated Parmesan (optional)


Instructions

1. In a large dutch oven, cook the salt pork for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add in your onion, leek, celery, green pepper and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until onions become translucent. Add in carrots, potatoes, parsley and mushrooms. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Add crushed tomatoes and concentrated tomato paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add beef broth and Parmesan rind and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to med-low. Add oregano, bay leaves and basil. Cover and let it gently simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

3. Add 1 cup of peas, 1 can of cannellini beans and 1 cup of cooked ditalini. Season to taste with garlic salt and fresh ground pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Remove bay leaves before serving.

5. Serve with grated Parmesan and a few slices of crusty peasant bread.


* Tip if you plan to freeze the soup, leave the pasta out (it gets soggy). Just boil some up and add it when you're ready to eat the soup.

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Refreshing Pineapple Gazpacho

 

Eleven years ago, I got married to my (now ex) husband. The marriage didn't last but we had a wonderful wedding in Hawaii at the Hale Koa Hotel. Now mind you, this was back before destination weddings became über trendy and everybody and their brother started having them there. Anyhow, if you haven't been to the Hale Koa and get the opportunity to check it out, do so. It's a lovely 70+ acre oasis nestled in the western corner of Waikiki. We had the wedding in a lush, tropical garden that backed up to a shimmering sandy beach. I couldn't have asked for a better backdrop for our nuptials. If it's so fantastic, why isn't everyone having their wedding at this particular venue, you ask? Well, the catch with the Hale Koa is that it's a hotel and resort owned by the Department of Defense and only for active duty or retired military and their families. Luckily, my dad's retired military so we were able to hold our wedding at this fab location for much less than all the other swanky places on the island.

One hurdle we encountered though during planning was that the hotel had a strict policy that only they could cater events held on their grounds so we had to let them do the food. What a bummer! Most of it was what you'd expect from a hotel's catering department except two courses which really stood out to me: our passion-guava wedding cake and the pineapple gazpacho (neither of which I think they offer anymore). Now, normally I'm not a fan of gazpacho (mostly because I detest tomatoes) but this chilled soup was so refreshing- an exquisitely balanced medley of sweet and tart with just a slight hint of spiciness...and no tomatoes! It was the perfect opening dish for an island wedding. I loved it! It was fun, it was light, it was tasty! Every summer since, I've always meant to try and replicate that soup but never got around to it. Finally during our recent mini heat wave, I decided to try and recreate it. I made several different recipes I found online and in various cookbooks and then took the ingredients and tastes I liked best to create my own version.

If you're sick of salads, this soup is a nice alternative during the dog days of summer; not to mention, that pineapple has a lot of anti-inflammatory qualities. Gazpacho is a great dish to whip up for parties, you could serve it in shot glasses for cocktail hour or if you want to fancy it up for a sit-down dinner, place it in chilled martini glasses. The best thing though is--it's simple to make and there's no hot stove or oven required.

Refreshing Pineapple Gazpacho

Ingredients

1 pound of pineapple, cut into chunks

1/2 of a large English cucumber, peeled and sliced

1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored and chopped

1/3 cup diced red onion

1-2 scallions (mostly white), thinly sliced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 1/2 cups of DOLE pineapple-orange juice

3 tablespoons Italian dressing

1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

sea salt and pepper, to taste (optional)


Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender. Cover, blend until relatively smooth.

2. If you would like the soup to have a smoother texture/be thinner, you can put the soup through a chinois or sieve. If you would like it to be thicker, take a slice of crusty peasant bread, soak it in water, squeeze the water out, add it to the gazpacho and blend again.

3. Taste. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

4. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours so that the flavors have a chance to meld. Serve chilled.

5. Garnish with diced cucumber and bell pepper...or for some crunch, sprinkle with chopped macadamia nuts and some cilantro.

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"Doesn't Taste Like Celery, My Lily-White Ass": Celery Root & Apple Soup

I was really excited about cooking with celery root (aka celeriac). A cross between an albino turnip and an overweight parsnip; it's always been one of those "What the heck is THAT fugly thing?!" vegetables I would pass by time and time again in the grocery store. Everywhere I read said that celery root wouldn't have that sharp green taste that ordinary celery stalks have...well baloney! Celery root has a STRONG celery smell and taste as I found out last night. As someone who abhors the taste, texture and smell of celery; I was not quite pleased with last night's dinner. I had decided to attempt The Kitchen Sink's Celery Root and Apple Soup and the result was a bowl of soup with a VERY celery-centric taste. Maybe throwing in another apple would have helped sweeten it up more; but regardless, this recipe will not be repeated again in our household. Mr. S. who DOES like celery wasn't too jazzed with it either and I found myself munching on a box of Pocky as opposed to finishing my dinner.

[Note: I didn't have chicken broth on hand so I used vegetable broth. I also omitted the chives.]


Celery Root and Apple Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled celery root (from one 1 1/4-pound celery root)

3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled cored Granny Smith apples (from about 2 medium)

1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)

1/4 cup white wine

4 cups low-salt chicken broth

4 sprigs of thyme

1/4 cup buttermilk

fine-grain sea salt and fresh-cracked black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup snipped chives, for garnish

extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Instructions

- Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat.

- Add celery root, apples, and onion. Cook until apples and some of celery root are translucent (do not brown), stirring often, about 15 minutes.

- Add wine, broth and thyme. Cover and bring to simmer.

- Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer covered until celery root and apples are soft, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

- Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth.

- Return soup to pot and stir in the buttermilk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

- Garnish with snipped chives and a drizzle of olive oil.

("Celery is useless" by NatalieDee.com)

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'Shrooming : Mushroom Soup

According to whomever decides this crap, September has been deemed National Mushroom Month.  Since I didn't want to have the mushroom mafia after me  for not paying proper homage to the almighty fungi, I decided to whip up a batch of pipin' hot mushroom soup.

[Note: If you are looking for a healthy, light soup...this is not the soup for you. It's heavy, decadent and a true "comfort food" dish.]

Mushroom Soup
(* adapted from a recipe in "Comfort Me With Apples" by Ruth Reichl)

Ingredients

1 lb. portobello mushrooms, destemmed & sliced
1 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 small yellow onions, diced
4 cups beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
2 cups heavy cream (or half and half)
1 cup whole milk
8 T flour
1 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t thyme
2 bay leaves
1 stick of unsalted butter
salt
pepper

Instructions

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a heavy saucepan.
2. When foam subsides, add onion and saute until golden.
3. Add mushrooms and saute until brown.
4. Stir in flour and then slowly whisk in broth.
5. Add seasonings.
6. Heat cream/milk on the stove or in the microwave and slowly add to pot. Whisk again to ensure that everything is incorporated.
7. Add wine. Whisk yet again. (Is your arm getting tired yet?)
8. Simmer on low for ten minutes (do not boil).
9. Taste. Modify seasonings as needed.

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Carrot-Ginger Soup with Chile Butter & Roasted Peanuts

"Large, naked, raw carrots are acceptable as food only to those who live in hutches eagerly awaiting Easter."  ~Fran Lebowitz

On a whim a few months back, Mr. S. and I decided to play hookey. We opted to start our day with a patio lunch at Tuli Bistro. Lunch was good; the gyro pita was bit mundane but the shrimp po' boy had a nice kick from the chipotle remoulade. The best dish we shared though was a savory carrot-ginger soup. It was so good that it prompted me to look up carrot-ginger soup recipes when I got home. I perused the internet trying to find a recipe that sounded similar and didn't have much luck; but then the kitchen gods delivered me my May issue of Bon Appetit and a recipe for Carrot-Ginger Soup with Chile Butter and Roasted Peanuts. When I finally got around to making it, I realized that it wasn't exactly like the soup I had at Tuli's...it was BETTER!

* Note: Do not skip the chile butter and peanuts, they truly alter the flavor of the soup.

Ingredients (from Bon Appetit)

chile butter

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions (white and green parts only)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

soup

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 1 1/4 cups chopped onion
• 1 5-ounce white-skinned potato, peeled, chopped
• 2 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 5 cups (or more) vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 6 tablespoons unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped

Preparation

chile butter

• Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

soup

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, potato, and ginger; sprinkle with salt and sauté until vegetables are slightly softened but not brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add 5 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly, then puree in batches in blender until smooth. Return soup to same pot; if desired, add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin soup. Bring to simmer. Season with salt and black pepper.
•  Ladle soup into bowls. Top with small spoonful of chile butter; sprinkle with nuts.

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Crack Soup : Soupe de Courge à la Vanille (Butternut Squash - Vanilla Soup)

“Of all the items on the menu, soup is that which exacts the most delicate perfection and the strictest attention.” -Escoffier

I found one of my favorite recipes a few years ago by fluke. I was invited to a soup swap party to celebrate National Soup Swap Day. It was fun and there were only two rules for the Soup Swap:  Rule #1 You do not talk about SOUP SWAP,   Rule #2 You DO NOT talk about Soup Swap. No, just kiddding. The two rules were: Rule #1 Bring six 1 quart containers of your soup choice to swap, Rule #2  The soup must be vegetarian, no dairy and no potatoes (the latter two do not freeze too well). I scoured the internet for a soup that would work and settled on Chocolate & Zucchini's Butternut Squash Vanilla Soup (Soupe de Courge à la Vanille). The soup turned out to be easy to make...even easier if you buy the pre-cubed butternut squash at Trader Joe's...and a hit! Several of the swap participants contacted me afterwards to inquire about the recipe. Since that time, I've made that soup on several occasions and always to a favorable response (I only had it turn out less than stellar once and that was because I let someone else season it and she totally oversalted it. Ah well, you live and you learn). One friend even dubbed it "crack soup" because it was so addicting. Anyhow, I found the soup to pair well with Indian food of all things but it's just as tasty solo. Give it a try!

Soupe de Courge à la Vanille

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 onions, peeled and sliced
- 4 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeds scooped out and cut in chunks
- Salt, freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract/paste (preferably natural), or one pod dry vanilla, split open (I prefer the pod)

Serves 6.

Instructions:

- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot.
- Add in the onion and cook over medium-high heat for five minutes or until softened, stirring regularly.
- Add in the squash, season with salt and pepper, and cook for ten minutes, stirring from time to time.
- Pour in hot water or stock to cover the vegetables and bring to a simmer.
- Lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add in the vanilla extract, or scrape in the seeds from the vanilla pod and add in the pod itself as well.
- Cook for ten more minutes, or until the squash is tender.
- Fish out the vanilla pod if that's what you used (otherwise don't), and purée the soup in a food processor/blender/ or use an immersion blender.
- Adjust the seasoning and serve hot.

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