Gingered Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut oil (or neutral oil);

5 cups chopped carrots (about 2lb);

1 medium onion, chopped;

2 tablespoons diced ginger;

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced;

1 clove garlic, minced;

1 teaspoon cumin;

5 cups vegetable broth or bouillon;

2 limes, zest and juice;

cayenne pepper to taste;

handful of cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish;

1 cup Greek yogurt, plus extra for garnish.

Preparation:

Put a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add oil. When hot, add onions and carrots. Saute until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, jalapeno, and cumin. Saute 1 more minute.

Pour in broth (or bouillon dissolved in water). Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, and cook uncovered until carrots are tender, about 25-30 minutes.

Remove soup from heat. Stir in lime juice. Let cool a bit, add cilantro, and puree in batches in a blender, or use an immersion blender right in the pot. Add cayenne pepper to taste. 

Let soup cool to about room temperature. (An ice water bath in your sink is a good idea here – soup sitting warm for too long can spoil.) Stir in yogurt. Cover soup and refrigerate, at least four hours but preferably overnight.

When serving, garnish soup with a dollop of yogurt, a sprinkle of lime zest, and a few cilantro leaves. Pretty and delicious.

Black Bean and Chipotle Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil;

1 medium onion;

2 medium celery stalks;

1 small carrot;

1 tablespoon cumin;

1 teaspoon salt;

3 garlic cloves, minced;

1½ cup dried black beans;

8 cups cold water;

1/2 to 1 cup raw cashews;

1 cup boiling water;

1 to 2 chipotle in adobo sauce, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons adobo sauce;

1 tablespoon tomato paste;

juice of ½ lime;

¼ cup chopped cilantro.

Preparation:

In a pressure cooker, combine the oil, onion, celery, carrot, cumin and salt and cook, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat until the vegetables soften, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

Add the black beans and cold water and lock the lid shut. Bring to high pressure over high heat, and then, once high pressure is achieved, reduce your heat to medium, as low as you can while still maintaining a steady hiss from the pressure-release valve. Cook under pressure for 30 minutes. Use the quick-release button or allow the pressure to come down naturally. 

Meanwhile, cover the cashews with the boiling water and allow to stand while the bean soup cooks. In a blender, combine the cashews in their soaking water, the chipotles and adobo sauce, the tomato paste and 1 ladle full of cooked beans from the pressure cooker. Blend on high until a smooth puree has formed, about 1 minute. Whisk this puree back into the soup.

Stir in the lime and cilantro and season with additional salt if necessary. Serve immediately, or freeze for up to three months.

Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil;

1 medium onion, chopped;

Salt and pepper;

2 teaspoons ground cumin;

2 garlic cloves, minced;

4 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds total), peeled and cut into 1” chunks;

1 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce;

7 cups low-sodium chicken broth;

Sour cream, for serving.

Preparation:

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion to pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook onion, stirring as needed, until softened and golden brown at the edges, about 7 minutes. Add cumin and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

Stir in sweet potatoes, 6 cups chicken broth, chipotle chile, and adobo sauce. Bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer until sweet potatoes are very tender, about 25 minutes. 

Allow soup to cool slightly. Transfer soup to your blender in batches, being cautious not to fill blender to the top, and holding lid on tightly, and puree until smooth. Return pureed soup to Dutch oven. (Alternatively, puree using an immersion blender.) If the soup is too thick, add last 1 cup chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. At medium-low temperature, heat soup until it is warmed through. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Eggplant and White Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, sliced in half lengthwise;

1 tablespoon olive oil;

1/2 large onion, chopped;

1 can cannelini or small white beans, drained and rinsed;

3/4 cup chicken broth, plus another 3/4 cup set aside;

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper;

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.

Preparation:

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with Pam. Place eggplant cut-side down on foil and bake 25-30 minutes, until eggplant is tender and a little browned on the exposed flesh. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add beans and 3/4 cup chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. 

Scrape insides of eggplant halves into bean mixture. Heat for 1 or 2 minutes. Using a hand blender or a regular blender, puree into desired consistency. (Be very careful if using a regular blender that it doesn’t splash.) Add more chicken broth if you’d like it soupier. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in lemon juice and serve.

Green Pea Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil;

1 medium leek, root trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced;

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed;

2 1/2 cups homemade vegetable broth or 1 cup low-sodium store-bought vegetable broth mixed with 1 1/2 cups water;

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed;

3 cups shelled fresh peas (from about 2 1/2 pounds of peas in their pods) or 16 ounces frozen peas, thawed;

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves;

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed;

crème fraîche, optional .

Preparation:

Heat olive oil or butter in heavy bottomed sauce pan. Saute leek in oil with pinch of salt. Add broth and bring to boil. Add green peas, remaining salt, and black pepper. Return to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in mint (or parsley), and allow flavors to meld for 10 minutes or so. Transfer soup to a blender and puree in batches until smooth. Add lemon juice to tasted. Serve hot or cold with a dollop of crème fraîche or a sprinkle of finely chopped mint or parsley.

Split Pea and Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium onion;

3 stalks celery;

2 medium carrots;

3 cloves garlic;

1/2 tsp black pepper;

2-3 bay leaves; crumbled;

2 tsp paprika; ground;

2 cups dry split peas;

2 medium potatoes; peeled and diced;

2 cups water.

Preparation:

In a sauce pan, brown onions, 5 min. Add celery, carrots and garlic, and continue to saute, 5 minutes. Add a touch of water as necessary.

Then add split peas, potatoes, water and spices, stir and bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cover 1 and 1/2 hours.

Allow to partially cool, and with stick blender partially blend together, leaving a few peas and potato chunks for texture.

Salt to taste and garnish with fresh parsley.

Red Pepper Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

6 large red bell peppers;

4 shallots; peeled and chopped;

1 tbs olive oil;

1 tsp salt;

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper;

1 quart chicken broth; fat-skimmed;

1 head cauliflower; cut into florets;

1 tsp sugar;

freshly ground pepper;

extra-virgin olive oil; (optional);

chopped fresh chives; (optional);

lemon wedges; (optional).

Preparation:

Preheat broiler to high. Arrange bell peppers skin side up on baking sheet. Broil, watching carefully, until skins are blackened, about 10 minutes. Remove peppers from oven and let cool. Peel over a bowl to collect juices; set peppers and juices aside.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add shallots, salt, and cayenne and cook, stirring until soft, 3 minutes. Add broth and cauliflower. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cover and cook 20 minutes. Add peppers with juices and cook, covered, until cauliflower is tender, 10 minutes. Purée in batches in a blender and add sugar. Add pepper to taste.

Serve hot or cold, garnished with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, some chives, and a squeeze of lemon juice if you like.

Pumpkin soup

Ingredients:

3 tblspoons butter;

5 cups chicken broth;

1 medium onion; finely chopped;

1 teaspoon salt;

black pepper; freshly ground;

1 16-oz can pumpkin;

1/2 cup heavy cream;

parmesan cheese.

Preparation:

Melt butter in heavy saucepan and cook onion over med. heat until soft. Add broth, salt, pepper and bring to a boil. Add pumpkin, and combine it thoroughly. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for 45 min. Add cream and heat through w/o boiling. Serve hot with parmesan cheese.