Soup's On!

I know it's been a little unseasonably warm the past few days, but apparently it's supposed to cool off in the next couple of days. That should be a relief for anyone waiting for more fall-like weather. And what's better for cooler weather than soup? I still have good memories of my mom serving up homemade soup out of a huge soup tureen on cool nights.

That said, here are six yummy soup recipes to try your hand - and spoon - at. Enjoy!

EASY PEA SOUP

This comes from Nigella Lawson in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Nigella wrote, “One of my regular near-instant meals is pea soup, which I make by tossing sliced scallions in a little garlic-infused oil (or using regular olive oil and mincing a clove of garlic into it) and then by adding peas from the freezer.” Yield: 2 to 4 servings; Time: 15 minutes.

This was featured in “AT MY TABLE; In January, Comfort Comes On the Stove or in a Bowl and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon garlic-infused oil

2 scallions, finely sliced

4 cups (two 10-ounce packages) frozen peas

Chicken or vegetable stock concentrate (powder, paste or cube)

2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Place a saucepan over medium-low heat, and add oil and scallions. Stir until heated, then add frozen peas. Stir well with a wooden spoon.

Add 3 cups boiling water and stock concentrate to taste. Cover, and cook at a lively simmer until peas are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool until no longer steaming.

Transfer soup to a blender. Add cheese, and purée until mixture is very smooth. Serve immediately or, if desired, reheat to taste.

HERBED CARROT SOUP



From the December 2005 issue of Runner's World; reprinted from HerbWise: Growing, Cooking, WellBeing, by Bruce Burnett



2 pounds of carrots, chopped

1 large onion, diced

6 sprigs of fresh parsley, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 6 six black peppercorns, bundled together so that they can be easily removed after cooking

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 Tbs of butter

6 C of vegetable stock

Freshly grated mace or nutmeg

Salt & pepper to taste

Lightly sauté the onion & garlic in the butter. Add the stock & carrots & simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the bundle of herbs & continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the herbs, allow the soup to cool, & put it through the blender in batches. Reheat the soup over low heat while adding the mace or nutmeg & salt & pepper to taste. Serve with some fresh, homemade bread & garnish with some fresh parsley & a little chopped fresh thyme.

Note: The original recipe called for vegetable or chicken stock.

ROASTED PUMPKIN AND LEEK SOUP

This comes from Jen Hoy, About.com’s Whole Foods Cooking expert. Jen wrote, “This roasted pumpkin and leek soup brings the quintessential flavors of fall to the table. It's an easy recipe and can be made with Cinderella pumpkin (pictured), the small, richly flavored sugar pumpkin, or from Hokkaido squash, Red Kuri, Kabocha, or any other deep orange, dense squash. Orange squash and pumpkin are marvelously rich in nutrients, especially beta-carotene, and very nourishing to the spleen and stomach. Roasting the vegetables creates a rich and more complex flavor, and actually makes for an easy soup: all you do is add water to the roasted veggies. You can add a dab of Romesco Sauce when serving to give a bit of extra richness to the soup, but we like it as is!” Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 70 minutes; Yield: Serves 4 - 6.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 pounds pumpkin or deep orange squash, peeled and cut into 1” chunks* (See note below)

1 large onion, cut into 1” chunks

2 carrots, scrubbed and chopped

2 leeks, washed well and cut into chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 cups water, Vegetable Broth, or Chicken Broth

1 branch of fresh thyme

2 teaspoons ground cumin, curry or other spice as desired

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.

*Note: If you don’t want to peel the squash ahead of time, cut it into larger (3-inch or so) pieces and remove the skin before adding it to the soup pot. Unlike raw, cooked squash is very easy to peel. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil in a roasting pan and spread them out corner to corner. Roast the vegetables in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes, or until they are beginning to soften and take a bit of golden color.

Remove the tray from the oven. (If you need to peel the squash, let the vegetables sit until the pumpkin is cool enough to handle).

Place the veggies in a soup pot with water or broth to cover and add the thyme and desired spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft. Puree the soup with an immersion or standard blender, season to taste and serve.

APPLE RUTABAGA SOUP

This came from Brett Moore, About.com’s Gourmet Food expert. He wrote, “Here's a beautiful comfort soup from Chef Patrick O'Connell (The Inn at Little Washington). Delicious and complex flavors with a velvety texture. Perfect for those cold winter days.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/4 pound) butter

1 cup onion, roughly chopped

1 cup Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped

1 cup rutabaga, peeled and roughly chopped

1 cup butternut squash, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped

1 cup carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 cup sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped

1 quart good chicken stock

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup maple syrup

Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, apple, rutabaga, squash, carrots and sweet potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until all of the vegetables are cooked through and tender.

Puree the vegetables in a blender or food processor. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into the same pot you used to cook the vegetables. Add the cream, maple syrup, salt and cayenne pepper.

Return the pot to the stove, bring the soup to a simmer, and serve.

PUMPKIN SOUP

Yield: 5 servings (1 cup each)

Source: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes

Print Version: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/409.shtml

Ingredients

2 teaspoons margarine

3/4 cup chopped onion

One 16-ounce can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 cups Homemade Chicken Broth OR canned reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves or ground nutmeg

1 cup fat-free milk

Directions

Melt the margarine in a medium saucepan. Saute the onion until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the pumpkin, broth, sugar, salt, and cloves; stir to mix well. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Puree until smooth in a blender or food processor. Return to the saucepan. Add the milk; heat thoroughly but do not boil. Serve at once.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 89; Protein: 4 g; Sodium: 318 mg; Cholesterol: 1 mg; Fat: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 15 g; Exchanges: 1 Starch

OCTOBER BISQUE

Prep Time: 20 Minutes - Cost: $

Servings: 8 - Difficulty Level: 2

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/173.shtml

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped

4 tbsp butter

4 cups vegetable broth

1 (28oz) can whole tomatoes, undrained

1 tbsp sugar

2 (16oz) cans pumpkin, or 4 cups pureed pumpkin

2 tbsp chopped, fresh parsley

2 tbsp chopped, fresh chives

Directions

Sauté onion in butter until tender. Add broth and simmer 15 minutes.

Process tomatoes in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add tomato and remaining ingredients to broth. Heat to serve.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 154; Protein: 4 g; Fat: 7.5 g; Sodium: 764 mg; Cholesterol: 16 mg; Carbohydrates: 19 g; Exchanges: 1 Starch/Bread; 1-1/2 Vegetable; 1-1/4 Fat