Posts Tagged soups

Celery Root Soup with Caramelized Apples

I find that whenever I purchase celery root at the local grocery store, the clerks always give me a funny look.

“What is this?,” they ask, with incredulous looks on their faces. I explain to them at it’s a celery root – you know, the root of the celery plant – and they still don’t quite get it. “Celery root…” they repeat back to me as they frantically flip through their binder to find the appropriate produce code, “what on earth do you DO with it?!“

I’m not kidding you, I have this conversation 9 times out of 10 when I buy celery root.

It seems that celery root isn’t nearly as popular as the crunchy green stalks that grow from it. It would seem that I am in the minority, because I much prefer celery root. Here’s how I think of it: if celery stalks and potatoes got married and had a superchild, it would be celery root. It has all the starchy wonderfulness of a potato, with just a kick of crisp green celery flavor. It’s darn near perfect.

This soup shows off all the wonders of the celery root: it’s smooth, creamy, and comforting. And then when you add the caramelized apples on top, the whole thing just tastes like Thanksgiving. And that, my friends, is never a bad thing.

Celery Root Soup with Caramelized Apples

Serving Size: Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 small celery roots, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
8 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 leeks, washed and sliced into thin rings (white and light green parts only)
1-2 stalks of celery, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter (1 for the soup, 1 for the caramelized apples)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup cream
2 granny smith apples, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Instructions

In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add in the leeks and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add in the garlic and celery and stir, and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
Add in the cubed celery root and stir to coat. Add a bit more butter if necessary and cook for 2 minutes. Next, pour in the chicken (or vegetable) stock. Add in the bay leaves, thyme, and a dash of salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer until celery root is tender (about 30 minutes).
Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender (or a food processor), purée the soup until smooth and creamy. Return the pot to the stove and stir in the cream. Bring the mixture to a boil. (If you would like to thin out the soup at this point, you can add in more half and half or a bit more stock). Taste, and adjust seasonings if needed.
To caramelize the apples, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a skillet over med-high heat until it foams. Add the apples and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the apples with brown sugar and stir to combine. Cook for 3 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to brown and caramelize. Remove from heat and set aside until use. (Optional: I added some freshly ground black pepper to my caramelized apples and it was great.)
When you’re ready to eat the soup, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with caramelized apples. Enjoy!

Notes

Adapted from Letite’s Culinaria

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Thai Coconut Butternut Squash Soup: Here’s to a Happy and Healthy 2013!

I’m not gonna lie, this year was a doozy.

There were a lot of ups and downs, but I got through it. It wasn’t easy, but it was good.

I am happy, I am healthy, and I can honestly say that I am welcoming the new year with a spirit of excitement and anticipation. I know there are a lot of good things ahead.

I don’t really do New Year’s resolutions, they just aren’t my thing. However, I view the new year as an opportunity to reflect and to refocus. It’s a time to be thankful, and a time to move forward.

And, as silly as it might sound, it’s a time to get back to eating healthy, to eating the food that makes me feel good. (While I love all the treats and goodies that come with the holidays, they make me feel downright miserable!) It’s time to eat more fruits and vegetables. And it’s time to eat less grains, sugar, and processed foods.

I am ready for the new year, and whatever changes it may bring.

I’m ready to start things off on the right foot.

All that to say, here’s to a happy and healthy 2013.

{The following is a list of recipes that I’ve been inspired by recently.}

Butternut Squash with Farro and Honey Harissa Dressing from Happy Yolks
Garlicky Kale with Bacon and a Poached Egg from Pearl & Pine
Scallops with Carrot Cream and Marjoram from Food Republic
Braised Coconut Spinach with Chickpeas and Lemon (over a Sweet Potato) from The Kitchn
Raw Kale, Cabbage, and Carrot Salad with Maple Vinaigrette from Gourmande in the Kitchen
Vegan Pho from Green Tea Broth from The Cozy Herbivore
Wintery Spring Rolls from 101 Cookbooks

{And here are a few of my own recipes that are healthy and seasonal.}

Pumpkin and Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing
Quinoa Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Roasted Red Pepper Cream
Potato and Kale Soup with Tomatoes and Rosemary
Roasted Carrot Tacos with Carrot Green Chimichurri
Roasted Broccoli with Honey, Sriracha, and Soy Sauce
Chickpea Pancakes with Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

{And here is a brand new recipe for a spicy butternut squash soup!}

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thai Coconut Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
6-7 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock
1 can coconut milk
2 cloves of garlic, peeled & minced
1 small yellow or white onion, peeled & diced
1 stalk of lemongrass (or 1 tablespoon frozen lemongrass, which can be found in most Asian grocery stores)
2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lime juice, plus 2 large strips of lime zest
2 teaspoons fish sauce (omit if vegetarian)
1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Salt & pepper, to taste
Coconut or olive oil
Optional garnishes:
Cilantro
Sriracha hot sauce

Instructions

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil (coconut or olive oil) over medium heat. Add in the minced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add in the curry paste, coriander and cumin, and stir to coat.
Next, add in the squash cubes, stock, coconut milk, lemongrass, fish sauce, and lime juice and zest. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the soup to simmer for 30 minutes (or more), until the squash is cooked through and tender. Remove lime zest strips and lemon grass stalk.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it reaches a smooth consistency. Taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary. (If you feel the soup is too thick, feel free to add in more stock or a bit of water to thin it out.)
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with Sriracha and fresh cilantro.

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Potato and Kale Soup with Rosemary and Tomatoes

And just like that, it happened: summer turned into fall. The days are dreary and cold, and all I want to do is snuggle on the couch with fuzzy blankets and drink coffee and read books, etc. I want to hibernate.

In celebration of the season, I made a giant pot of potato and kale soup this week. I don’t generally eat soup during the summer months (it’s a weird rule I have), so I was really excited to make soup for the first time this season. I wasn’t disappointed. This soup is simple and rustic, the perfect soup to ring in the changing of seasons.

It’s been a strangely busy week, so I’m going to keep it short and sweet.

POTATO & KALE SOUP WITH ROSEMARY AND TOMATOES
Adapted from Nicole Franzen

Ingredients:
5-6 small red potatoes, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 bunch of kale, roughly chopped
1 small fennel bulb, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 carrots, diced
1 container chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup red wine
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
Salt & pepper

Optional ingredients:
Parmesan, for garnish
Croutons, for garnish

Method:

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add in the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in the garlic, fennel, and carrots. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Deglaze the pan with some of the red wine (about 1/4 cup) and add in rosemary and thyme sprigs. Allow the vegetables to cook in the red wine until the liquid has reduced. Add in the rest of the wine, all of the stock, potatoes, and the fire roasted tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and red chili flakes.

Allow the soup to come to a boil, and then reduce to a gentle simmer. Let the soup simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, at least 30 minutes. The longer you allow the soup to cook, the better it will taste! (Note: you may need to add in a bit of water, as the potatoes will soak up a lot of the liquid.)

Shortly before you’re ready to eat the soup (10-15 minutes), remove the rosemary and thyme sprigs and add in the chopped kale. (I like the kale to retain some of it’s flavor and vibrancy, so I like to add it in at the end. It cooks very quickly.)

Once the kale is cooked (10 minutes, give or take), remove the soup from the heat. Serve while warm, and garnish with croutons and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Rainy Day Remedy: Duck Pho

Pho: (Pronounced: Fuh) A Vietnamese noodle soup, typically made with beef broth and thin rice noodles, usually garnished with basil, bean sprouts, and lime.

I was dithering back and forth about posting this recipe, as I was worried that it might sound fancy, complicated or inaccessible. And while I like to cook fancy food from time to time, ultimately I want my recipes to be accessible. I want to post things that you want to cook.

The thing I want to stress about this recipe is that it only sounds complicated. It really isn’t! The whole idea to make duck pho came about when I saw a recipe for Turkey Pho (made with Thanksgiving leftovers! Genius!). As I mentioned in my last post, since I didn’t roast a turkey this year, I decided to roast a duck. In all actuality, my wonderful husband roasted the duck while I was at the gym. Let me tell you, coming home to roast duck (prepared by the person you love) is a really great thing.

So, we ate the roast duck (and holy smokes, it was good) and when we were finished, we had a whole duck carcass on our hands. We had no choice but to make duck stock! And since we made duck stock, making duck pho seemed to be the next logical step. So that’s just what we did.

For the record, this recipe could easily be made with chicken or turkey. I happened to roast a duck, hence why I made this pho with duck. I don’t often roast ducks (read: this was the first time), but I do roast chickens relatively frequently, so I see a lot of chicken pho in my future. I’ve always thought of chicken pho as a better version of chicken noodle soup. In fact, whenever I’m not feeling well, all I really want to eat is pho. I’m not sure why I’ve never attempted to make it until now, I think I always assumed it was really complicated. All it requires is a bit of time to make the stock (which can simmer away while you do other things, like decorate your Christmas tree! Which is exactly what I did.), and a few key Asian pantry ingredients.

Making pho a great way to use up leftovers (whether it be duck, turkey, chicken, etc), and it’s the perfect rainy day meal. I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but we get a lot of rainy days in Portland. ;) But pho is the perfect remedy for rain: it fills the belly, warms the insides, and clears your head.

Duck Pho
(Adapted from Serious Eats)

Leftovers from 1 roast duck (i.e., 1 duck carcass, wings and legs included)
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
6 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
3 star anise pods
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
6 sprigs fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 dried shittake mushrooms
Salt, to taste
Thin rice noodles

Garnishes:
Bean sprouts
Sriracha
Hoisin sauce
Lime wedges
Green onion, sliced thinly
1-2 jalapenos, sliced thinly (seeds included)
Cilantro (and/or Thai basil)

Remove any leftover meat from the duck, set aside for use in the pho.

To make duck stock (pho soup base): Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large stock pot. Cook the onion, until starting to brown, 5 minutes or so. Add in duck bones, and fill the pot with cold water. Add in star anise, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, cilantro sprigs, garlic, and shitaake. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and allow the stock to simmer for 1-2 hours.

Strain the stock into another pot. Add in fish sauce, salt, and ground pepper to taste. Start with the addition of fish sauce, and add salt afterwards if needed (fish sauce is very salty). If serving pho immediately after making stock, allow stock to simmer over low heat on the stove. Add in duck meat and sliced green onions, and allow to cook in the broth for a few minutes before serving.

To assemble pho: Cook rice noodles according to the package directions. Drain, and place an equal amount of rice noodles in each bowl (I made 4 servings) and pour the hot broth (with duck meat and green onions) over the noodles. Garnish with bean sprouts, lime wedges, jalapeno slices, cilantro, Thai basil, and a hefty dose of Sriracha.

Note: I had about a quart of duck stock leftover after 4 large servings of pho were consumed.

Curried Carrot Soup with Orange and Lemongrass

I’m going off the grid for a few days.

However, I’m not actually going anywhere. I’m staying put for the holidays. My holiday plans include a lot of eating, enjoying a few glasses of good Oregon wine (namely, my favorite Oregon wine: Remy), sleeping in, spending time with family, watching ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ (it’s tradition!), and working on crafty Christmas things.

Oh, and I’m also going to roast a duck.

Why? Because I bought a duck. I bought a duck because I was depressed about the fact that I wasn’t going to have any turkey leftovers (my mom is cooking the turkey this year). But then I saw fresh, whole ducks at the Montavilla Farmer’s Market and they were beautiful and surprisingly affordable. And then it dawned on me: duck leftovers > turkey leftovers. Duck breast and cranberry sandwiches? Yes, please.

Needless to say, I’m pretty excited about four days off.

But, this week can’t be all turkey (or duck!) and cranberries and mashed potatoes. In fact, after days of eating such things I usually feel pretty gross. And when I feel gross, I want to eat something healthy. Something that isn’t heavy, something that is bright and refreshing. This soup is all of that and more.

I must admit, however, that this is not a new post. In fact, Curried Carrot Soup was one of my very first posts. I posted this recipe back in the dark ages of my blog, when I didn’t know how to take a good food photograph to save my life. I’ve grown a bit as a writer and photographer since those early days, and thought this soup deserved a second chance. I make this recipe often, and since I don’t have every recipe committed to memory (shocking, I know!), I have to refer to my own recipe whenever I make this soup. And every time I pull up the recipe, I get annoyed at the photo and how it doesn’t do this soup any justice. So, I decided to take new photos. And I decided to re-post the recipe. It’s an oldie but a goodie, and I highly recommend it.

To the two people who actually remembered that I’ve already posted this recipe, I apologize for the repeat. :)

Curried Carrot Soup with Lemongrass
Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 red Thai chili, deseeded and chopped in half
1 tablespoon curry powder (or more!)
8-10 organic carrots, trimmed and sliced
2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed and bashed* (*Bashing the stalks brings out the most flavor. Lemongrass can be hard to find in the grocery store, but you can find frozen lemongrass in most Asian food stores.)
2 large strips of orange zest
1 can coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock
A few dashes of soy sauce
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Add in onion, garlic, ginger, and red chili. Cook for 3-5 minutes over medium heat (until soft). If the grated ginger is sticking to the pan too much, add more oil and turn the heat down. Add in curry powder, making sure all ingredients are coated with it. Add in carrots, lemongrass (or lemon zest), orange zest and sautée for a couple minutes.

Next, add in the vegetable stock and coconut milk – ensuring all vegetables are covered in liquid – and cook over high heat until it comes to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer until the carrots are soft all the way through.

Remove the zest pieces and lemongrass stalks (dont forget this part!) and then use an immersion blender or food processor to blend until the soup is smooth. Once blended, stir in soy sauce and/or salt to taste. Depending on your preferences, you can add more coconut milk or vegetable stock if you find that the soup is too thick.

Garden Gazpacho

Oh, Oregon. You silly little state, you. Here we are, well into the month of September and it is positively roasting outside. July and August were nice, but it wasn’t until now that it actually got hot. Our summer arrived two months late. Oh well, better late than never, right?

So, while the rest of the country is gearing up for Fall and drinking pumpkin spice lattes, I’m wearing sundresses and drinking iced coffee. My garden is spewing forth tomatoes at lightning speed, and yet I simply can’t bring myself to cook them. It is far too hot to cook.

So what do I do when it’s too hot to cook? Honestly, I usually go to my favorite taco truck. But, a girl can’t live on tacos alone (Lord knows I’ve tried!). So, this weekend I decided to put my taco cravings aside and instead put all my garden tomatoes to good use. I made a big batch of fresh tomato gazpacho.

I’ll admit, I’m a little embarrassed that I’m posting this so soon after my Fresh Heirloom Tomato Bloody Mary recipe. Gazpacho is, after all, not too different than a bloody mary. They are both liquid recipes with a tomato base. They both contain a ton of vegetables and have a hint of spice. But, of course, my gazpacho recipe doesn’t contain vodka. And my bloody mary recipe doesn’t call for stale bread. Really, truly, the two taste completely different. The gazpacho is surprisingly rich, complex, and smoky. The addition of bread crumbs gives the gazpacho a lovely thick texture, and the dollop of avocado on top adds just the right amount of richness. This soup was everything I wanted (and more) on a hot September day.

So, I do hope you’ll forgive me if I continue to post tomato recipes in the coming weeks. As the rest of the country transitions into Fall, the sun is still shining brightly in Portland. So I’m going to celebrate the flavors of summer for as long as I can. I’m going to wear sundresses and eat gazpacho, damn it.

In the wise words of Pedro the Lion: “God bless the Indian summer.” God bless it, indeed.

Garden Gazpacho
Makes 4 servings

Note: This recipe could be changed, morphed, & adapted in a million ways. I chose to roast the roma tomatoes as I wanted some of the richness of flavor that comes with roasting the tomatoes. The heirloom tomatoes were just so lovely that I didn’t have the heart to roast them, and I thought a balance of fresh and roasted tomatoes would be nice. If you don’t have the time or energy to roast your own tomatoes or red bell peppers, you can buy either of these items at the store. I highly recommend Muir Glen Organic fire roasted tomatoes.

3 large heirloom tomatoes, skinned & peeled
7-8 small red (Roma) tomatoes
1 piece stale bread
1 red bell pepper
1 jalapeno
1 mild pepper (such as Anaheim, poblano, etc)
1 cucumber
1-2 cloves of garlic
2 small carrots
1/2 of a red onion
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Optional: splash of tomato juice

Avocado, for garnish
Olive oil, for finishing

Prep the vegetables: Peel & seed the cucumber and large heirloom tomatoes. Halve the roma tomatoes and remove as many seeds as possible. Place halved roma tomatoes in a shallow baking dish and place under the broiler until their skins have blackened (5-7 minutes). Once the tomatoes have broiled, the skins should have loosened. Discard skins. (I left a couple of the skins on as I like having the blackened bits in my gazpacho). Using either your broiler or flame (if you have a gas stove), roast your red pepper. Place red pepper over flame (or under broiler), rotating until all sides are blackened. Once skin is blackened, place red pepper in a bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to set in bowl and steam for 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, peel off outer layer of blackened skin.

Gently toast stale bread (in the oven or toaster) until firm & crunchy. Remove crusts and pulse in a food processor, until the bread becomes coarse crumbs.

In a food processor or blender, blend together all vegetables (except avocado) with the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, and paprika (and tomato juice, if using). Puree until smooth. Taste and season with salt (and pepper, if desired).

Chill for at least an hour (the longer, the better), to allow the flavors to meld. Prior to serving, stir in a small amount of olive oil. Garnish with cubes of avocado.

the latest and greatest.

Holy smokes! I’ve been a busy little bee.

Come to think of it, when am I not a busy little bee? Let’s be honest: for me, busy is normal. I thrive in the midst of the hustle and bustle. I wouldn’t have it any other way. So, when I say that I’m a “busy little bee” – I’m not complaining. Rather, I’m commenting on my own amazement at how full (and wonderful) my life is.

There’s just so much goodness happening, and so little time to share about it all! But I’ll do my best to tell you about some of it, especially as it pertains to this blog (i.e. the food related stuffs). As a person who loves to cook – and who cares about what type of food I eat, where my food is grown/raised, etc – I’m really excited to share about some of these things. So, then, here’s what I’ve been up to:

1. I joined the Food Buying Club through the Montavilla Food Co-Op. The club allows members to join in on bulk orders of local produce, grains, coconut oil, frozen berries, meat, butter, etc. For example, Chris from Lost Arts Kitchen did a bulk butter order from a local creamery earlier this month. She sent out an email to the food buying club: we then each ordered (& prepaid for) however much butter we wanted, and then picked up the butter at a specified drop point. Easy as cake. Since then I’ve also ordered local grassfed ground beef (for $3/lb) and free range corn-free eggs (for $3.50/doz). I absolutely love this system of buying food! It feels like so “old world”; like a long-forgotten way of doing business. I personally think it is a fantastic way to support local farms and businesses, while connecting with my community.

2. It’s finally garden time! Now that I live in a place with a quaint little yard, I can finally have a real garden. Nich and I have our own private side yard and share a big back yard with our next door neighbor, Rowan. Rowan is quite the gardener and has grandiose plans for our backyard (and I am going to soak up her knowledge!), and so this weekend we set about planting our spring garden. It is a bit early to plant warm weather crops (tomatoes, zucchini, etc) but in Oregon you can plant winter greens and peas around this time (“Peas in by President’s Day!”). I am just so excited about my garden, as I think that gardening is one of the most simple and cost effective ways to eat whole foods. I’ve not had the luxury of having much of a yard in the past, and so I am overjoyed at the prospect of having a real garden this year. This is a cook’s dream! (And here’s to hoping I don’t kill all my lovely plants!)

3. I am the proud godmother to 3 wonderful chickens: Jackie O., Amy Grant, and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (SCJRB). Godmother, you ask? Let me explain. A while back, my friend Beyth mentioned that she was considering getting chickens. I was envious, as we can’t have chickens at our place. But how I wished I could have chickens! Alas, Beyth and I hatched a plan for communally raising chickens. I would help pay for chicken feed and take care of the chickens whenever Beyth was out of town. In exchange, I would get paid in eggs. Beyth got the chicks this past August, and we were told that we could expect them to start laying eggs in late spring (of 2011). But, to our surprise, the little chicks grew up fast and they started laying in January! Each chicken is consistently laying one egg per day. Even though I get just a share of the eggs (as Beyth and her husband Joe really do all the work caring for the chickens), the chickens are laying a lot and I’m really quite pleased with how many eggs I’m getting! Having access to fresh eggs from chickens I know (and love) is the best feeling. Seriously. If you’re like me and you don’t have the ability to raise chickens of your own, I strongly encourage you to try out a system of communal chicken raising. So far, things are going splendidly! I owe a huge thanks to Beyth and Joe for allowing me to be part of their chicken’s lives. :)

Pictured below: Jackie O. (Photo by Joe Greenetz)

4. And, lastly, I have started volunteering for my local farmer’s market: The Montavilla Farmer’s Market. I really love this little market and am so thrilled to be part of their marketing and outreach team. I haven’t done much for them yet (as this is the quiet season for the market) but I did just write a new blog post for the market blog (which is called Seasonal Abundance). After shopping at the last winter stock up market, I was inspired to cook a Root Vegetable Soup. See below for a photo and a link to the recipe!

Pictured below: Winter Market Root Vegetable Soup. For full recipe, see my blog at the Montavilla Farmer’s Market site!