pumpkin + black bean soup

Loving all things pumpkin lately.

Last week my roommate and I had the idea to take food over to two of our friends and their baby who are having a tough time lately. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to make this soup.

The recipe is one my sister Sarah sent me years ago. I remember making it in my studio apartment, back when I first lived alone and considered heating up ramen a well thought-out meal. It would make me so happy, eating the soup on my floor, watching my tv/vcr combo. I hope it gave my friends a similar feeling. Good soup kind of does that, you know? Makes everything seem a little better.

A few notes on the recipe- I used whole milk instead of cream, because that's what I had on hand. Given the choice, I wouldn't do it again because it definitely lacked some richness to sort of balance everything. Also, I didn't use chives because my produce market doesn't sell them.

Pumpkin & Black Bean Soup
via Rachel Ray

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cups vegetable stock
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
2 cans (15 ounces) pumpkin puree 
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper,
Coarse salt
chives for garnish

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add onion. Saute onions 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, black beans and pumpkin puree. Stir to combine ingredients and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in cream, curry, cumin, cayenne and salt, to taste. Simmer 5 minutes, adjust seasonings and serve garnished with chopped chives.

There are some really nice things about being single. One of them is that your free time is all your own. As someone who seems to enjoy alone time more than most, I'm trying to take full advantage of this while I can.

For example, I've fallen into a wonderful Sunday routine. I wake up, eat some oatmeal, then pack a bag full of books and magazines and take a long walk to a coffee shop a couple of neighborhoods over. I get a big cup of coffee, a seat on a deep couch, and read for hours. Then around 4:30 or 5 I pack up and head north about a mile to go see a $4 movie at the cheap theater. This usually involves a dinner of Junior Mints or Raisinettes, but not last week. At some point during my walk I developed a huge craving for broccoli soup. I feel that when you get such a specific craving like that, especially when it's a healthy one, you should probably honor it. So after an embarrassing 86 minutes of Beastly I went to my produce store to get soup fixins.

And here is the result. Simple, yummy broccoli soup. I will definitely be making it again, but this time I will make sure and have some Junior Mints on hand for dessert.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

From Gourmet  | December 1993

Ingredients

3/4 cup chopped onion
1 carrot, sliced thin

1 clove of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 pound broccoli, chopped coarse (about 3 1/2 cups)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/4 cup sour cream

Preparation  

In a heavy saucepan cook the onion, the carrot, the mustard seeds, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste in the butter over moderate heat, stirring, until the onion is soft, add the broccoli, the broth, and the water, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the broccoli is very tender. In a blender purée the soup in batches until it is smooth, transferring it as it is puréed to another heavy saucepan. Whisk in the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste, heat the soup over moderately low heat, and whisk in the sour cream (do not let the soup boil).

lentil stew with kale and potatoes

Right. So here I am. I have been busy with many things: settling in to my new apartment and roommates, getting my wisdom teeth out, Christmas gift making and travels. Cooking, and taking pictures of what little I do cook, has been smack dab at the bottom of my to-do list.

But the upcoming new year, the self-reflection that goes with it, as well as the incredible gorging I accomplished over Christmas (seriously, I deserve a medal) has made me crave meals made from things that have never seen a box. And so I give you this recipe. It called for spinach, but I used kale in an effort to shove more vitamins into me. Also, my new market didn't have mint so I left it out and that was fine. What they DID have was crazy cheap feta at the deli counter. I got 0.8 lb for something like $2.38. Take that, Jewel-Osco.


lentil stew with kale and potatoes
adapted from this recipe from Bon Appetit

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth (I ended up adding more at the end)
1 cup lentils, rinsed, picked over
8 ounces red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1-2 medium carrots, chopped
1 lemon
6 ounces torn fresh kale leaves (about 8 cups)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
Crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Heat olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and stir until become translucent (about 5 minutes), add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add vegetable broth and lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add potatoes; cook uncovered until potatoes and lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. 

Meanwhile, grate 1/2 teaspoon peel from lemon; squeeze enough juice from lemon to measure 2 tablespoons. Add lemon peel, lemon juice, kale and cayenne to stew. Cover and simmer stew until kale wilts and is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Mix in mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over low heat before serving.) 

Spoon stew into large soup bowls. Sprinkle feta cheese over, if desired.

After all that fun my body decided it was payback time, so I spent most of this week sick with some sort of flu- stomach cramps, body aches, a chest rash (?!). Soup was in order. But not just any soup- it had to be Halloween themed. I may be sick, but I still have my holiday dignity. After some searching I found this recipe. It called to me because I only had to buy yogurt and a lemon for it, two things I knew I could carry home without having to take a whimper break. I wish I'd read the comments on Epicurious first. Many of them suggest adding pumpkin to it, which sounds great. So if anyone does that, please let me know how it turns out.

I like this soup because it wasn't too carrot-y; it had a surprising balance of flavors for how little time and work it took. I highly recommend it. Also, I just used bought ground cumin and it tasted great so feel free to skip that step if you want.

Moroccan Carrot Soup 

Bon Appétit  | April 2010 

2 tablespoons butter 

1 cup chopped white onion

1 pound large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 2/3 cups)
2 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup plain yogurt, stirred to loosen

 Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes. Mix in carrots. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir cumin seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes; cool. Finely grind in spice mill.

Remove soup from heat. Puree in batches in blender until smooth. Return to same pan. Whisk in honey, lemon juice, and allspice. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle yogurt over; sprinkle generously with cumin.

cucumber + avocado soup with tomato + basil salad

I was on something of a vacation detox diet last week. All I wanted was fruits and vegetables and fresh tasting meals after my (absolutely wonderful) all-you-can-eat Virginia tour. So I found this recipe from Bon Appetit, and it fit the bill- super fresh, no cooking required, not to mention it pairs two of my favorite things in the world, cucumber and avocado. The thing was made for me. How could I not make it?

Cucumber and Avocado Soup with Tomato and Basil Salad 
adapted from Bon Appétit  | August 2000 

1 large English hothouse cucumber,  peeled, diced (about 2 1/2 cups)

2 1/2 cups low-fat (1%) buttermilk
2 avocados, quartered, pitted,      peeled
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 large seeded chopped tomato
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt

Combine cucumber and buttermilk in blender. Chop 1/2 of one avocado; set aside for salad. Cut remaining avocado into chunks. Add avocado to blender; then add 2 tablespoons red onion and 1 tablespoon basil. Blend until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover; refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
Mix reserved avocado, remaining 2 tablespoons onion and 1 tablespoon basil, tomato and lime juice in small bowl. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover soup and tomato salad separately and refrigerate.) Ladle cucumber soup into 4 bowls. Dollop each with 1 tablespoon yogurt; top with tomato salad and serve.

other people's food

What is it about food made by other people that makes it taste so tasty?

I went home for Easter this past weekend and raked it in. A freezer full of delicious homemade bread, bagels, and buns from my sister Sarah; multiple jars of soup from my mom; a Le Creuset (!!!) dutch oven and small frying pan that had been a wedding gift to my parents; a gorgeous quilt made of old suit fabric; old, hand tatted pillowcases made by long-ago relatives. Seriously. Is it fall? Because I did some heavy RAKING!

So yeah, here is a picture of me eating some Mom curried pumpkin soup, heated up in my new dutch oven (just because I wanted to use it), and served with some Sarah bread for dipping.

44-clove garlic soup

This is one of those recipes I don't think I would ever have tried if someone didn't recommend it first. I mean, I love garlic. LOVE it.  But 44 cloves? That just sounded excessive. However, after receiving a voicemail from my sister Sarah last week saying I needed to make this, I decided to give it a shot. Sarah is not one to let you down, and this was no exception. This soup is delicious. Not overwhelming at all, just a wonderful, smooth, flavor. I made it on Saturday night with Matt, and it was so good I had to make it again so I could take pictures of it and post. Because, you know, Captain Eater does not believe in leftovers.

I ended up only needing about two and a half bulbs of garlic for the 44 cloves.

44-Clove Garlic Soup with Parmesan Cheese
From Smitten Kitchen/Adapted from Bon Appetit, February 1999
 Serves 4


26 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 1/4 cups sliced onions
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
18 garlic cloves, peeled
3 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
4 lemon wedges 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 26 garlic cloves in small glass baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake until garlic is golden brown and tender, about 45 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic between fingertips to release cloves. Transfer cloves to small bowl.

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and thyme and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add roasted garlic and 18 raw garlic cloves and cook 3 minutes. Add chicken stock; cover and simmer until garlic is very tender, about 20 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan; add cream and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. 

Divide grated cheese among 4 bowls and ladle soup over. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon wedge into each bowl and serve.

barley and lentil soup with swiss chard

Eating nothing but chocolate chip banana pancakes and donuts (bought to eat while cooking the pancakes, naturally) for an entire day can make a person feel a little gross. Do not get me wrong! I have no regrets! But however pleased my past child self was with my awesome use of adulthood privileges, my rapidly aging, dare I say crotchety, stomach was anything but thrilled by Monday morning. So yesterday was a little bit of a sugar detox... well, right after eating that giant rice crispy bar left at my house... and that leftover donut.

But you get my point- my body was craving vegetables and lots of them. So I went for a long walk (also needed) to the library to return Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters (RIP Salinger) and then over to  Stanley's Fruits & Vegetables. There I picked up a large load of fruits and veggies and trudged them back home to make a hearty stew to sooth my bitchy sensitive stomach.

Barley and Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard  

Bon Appétit | February 2005

 

Yield: Makes 10 first-course or 6 main-course servings

 

ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled carrots
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
10 cups (or more) low-salt chicken or vegetable broth
2/3 cup pearl barley
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
2/3 cup dried lentils

4 cups (packed) coarsely chopped Swiss chard (about 1/2 large bunch)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

preparation

Heat oil in heavy large nonreactive pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots; sauté until onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Mix in cumin; stir 30 seconds. Add 10 cups broth and barley; bring to boil. Reduce heat; partially cover and simmer 25 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice and lentils; cover and simmer until barley and lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
Add chard to soup; cover and simmer until chard is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in dill. Season soup with salt and pepper. Thin with more broth, if desired.

souper bread

Woah. Woah woah woah. Just because I haven't been posting doesn't mean I haven't been cooking. Let me tell you a thing or two about a thing or two.

First of all- I got a freaking bread maker. And I made me some damn good french loaves today. I'm too excited to write more about it right now. Just know that you should probably be jealous of me.

Second- the soup. Creamless creamy tomoto soup. Super easy and sooooo yummy. And not too bad for you either.

Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup (via Cooks Illustrated)

Ingredients

1/4	cup extra virgin olive oil
1	medium onion, chopped medium (about 1 cup)
3	medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
	Pinch hot red pepper flakes
1	bay leaf
2	(28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice
1	tablespoon brown sugar
3	large slices sandwich bread , crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
2	cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4	cup chopped fresh chives

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using), and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Using potato masher, mash until no pieces bigger than 2 inches remain. Stir in sugar and bread; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.

2. Transfer half of soup to blender. Add 1 tablespoon oil and process until soup is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and repeat with remaining soup and oil. Rinse out Dutch oven and return soup to pot. Stir in chicken broth and brandy (if using). Return soup to boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve soup in individual bowls. Sprinkle each portion with pepper and chives and drizzle with olive oil.

mushroom & leek soup with thyme cream

I finally made it to the farmer's market last weekend and bought some leeks and mushrooms, among other things. It being one of the few really hot days of the summer I decided to make this earthy soup. Nothing like sweating while you eat. I will definitely be making it again this fall.

Mushroom and Leek Soup with Thyme Cream
via Epicurious

1/2 cup heavy cream
3 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 pounds crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (10 1/2 cups)
3 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 1/2 cups)
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Using electric mixer, beat cream just until soft peaks form. Fold in 2 teaspoons thyme. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours to blend flavors. (Thyme cream can be made up to 1 day ahead. If cream separates, whisk until soft peaks re-form. ) Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before serving to come to room temperature.

In 4-quart stock pot over moderately high heat, heat 2 tablespoons butter until hot but not smoking. Working in 2 batches (add 2 more tablespoons butter before second batch), cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to large bowl.

In same stock pot over moderate heat, heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in leeks, cover, and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add cooked mushrooms, sprinkle with flour, and stir until flour is evenly distributed. Stir in stock, then salt, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon thyme. Bring to boil, stirring often, then reduce heat to low, set lid ajar, and simmer 20 minutes. (Soup can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, covered. Reheat before serving.)

Divide soup among 8 bowls and top each portion with dollop of thyme cream. Serve immediately.

gee, thanks mom

What is it about food cooked by other people that makes it taste so much better? I went to Des Moines this weekend and got to take home some genuine Mom-made soup. Delicious!

i like cars.

One of the great things about renting a car for a week over Christmas was that I got to go to Trader Joe's and stock up. Two of my favorites: butternut squash soup and curried rice. Being able to put it in a special bowl makes it twice as nice.