Week Fourteen: Roasted Asparagus Soup with Chevre

The temperatures have been more like summer already here in Arkansas, but alas, it's springtime once again. That calls for celebrating with a springtime soup like this one, Roasted Asparagus with Chevre. In the cookbook description, the author states that "Roasting the asparagus concentrates its flavor and lightly caramelizes its peel, make the most of its delicate taste." And right she is.


I was worried this pureed soup would be as bland as the carrot soup I made earlier, but it isn't. And the garnishes are very tasty. I considered a substitute for the Chevre, but unless you just cannot stand it, I'd say go for it...you need only a few crumbles on top and it really adds to the taste.


This recipe comes from a fairly new cookbook in my kitchen called For The Love of Soup written by Jeanelle Mitchell.  She also authors another cookbook that will surely find its way to my kitchen called For The Love of Salad. In the introduction, she notes a passion for serving healthy and nutritious food, and touts the wonders of soup as a great way to do that.  Until just this very moment, I didn't see that this cookbook is dedicated to family and friends who supported its writing, including and especially her severely handicapped nephew, Yves.  Her book proceeds will go to serve him in his need for support and therapy following an auto accident several years ago. I hope you'll be inspired to purchase a copy for yourself!

Roasted Asparagus Soup with Chevre

Roasted Asparagus Soup with Chevre
Ingredients
3 lb. asparagus
1 t. olive oil
1 T. unsalted butter
2 leeks, white and light parts only, cut in half lengthwise, and sliced thinly
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups water
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 c. crumbled chevre

1. Preheat oven to 400.  
2. Trim off woody ends of asparagus. Wash well to remove grit.
3. Spread on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally until tender.  Remove from oven. Cut off tips and reserve for garnish. Chop remaining asparagus.
4. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add leeks, onion, celery, and saute for 6 minutes.
5. Add stock and water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for10 minutes. Add chopped asparagus to soup, remove from heat, and let cool slightly.
6. Puree soup in the saucepan using a an immersion blender, or transfer in batches to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, then return soup to the saucepan.  Simmer until heated and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with asparagus tips and crumbled chevre.

Week Thirteen: St. Michael's Alley White Chili

Okay, folks, sorry, but this is a repeat!
See Week Seven for the recipe. 

Week Twelve: Full Moon Tortilla Soup

This recipe came by way of my friend, Cheerful Cheryl, who got it from her cousin, Lori.  No telling where Lori got it :) but isn't that just the way of recipes and food. They are powerful connections.

This makes a large batch of soup, yielding 16 8 ounce servings, so beware, but you'll have no trouble with leftovers-it is delicious! It reminds me of a cheesy, cream of chicken soup with a kick, and was really easy to make.  

Here you go:

1/2 gallon chicken stock ( 4 cans Swanson Broth plus water to make 1/2 gallon)

1/2 t. white pepper

Combine these ingredients and bring to a boil to thicken. Make a roux with 1 c. butter and 1 1/2 c. flour, cooked over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened.  Stir into chicken stock.

Add 1 c. Monterey Jack cheese and stir until melted.

Then add these ingredients and heat.

1 pint Half&Half

2 t. diced jalapenos

1 can Rotel

1 c. cooked, diced chicken

Sprinkle servings with strips of flour tortillas and dollop of guacamole.

Yum! Enjoy!

Week Eleven: Spicy Chicken Sausage and Lentil Soup

Just barely getting this post published before the week is up, though I made this soup a couple of days ago.  The recipe was sent to me by Merry Melanie, also a lover of soup, when she commented the first week about this particular recipe.  She got it from a really good food blog called Joy the Baker, and not only does Joy bake, she can make a lot of good food! Her blog has a great recipe index which includes gluten-free and vegan recipes.  And her writing is fun,fun!!  Her first cookbook came out earlier this year.

Lentils

To further inspire me, I got these lentils in the mail from my sister, Carolyn, who lives in Bend, Oregon.  If you've never had lentils before, they belong to the legume family, and are very nutritious. Because of their high protein content, this makes them a popular and inexpensive choice for vegetarians and people who cannot afford meat. They're also high in fiber, and cook in just 30-40 minutes.  Yay for lentils!


So this soup was a hit with everyone I've served it to!  It is really easy, and makes a large amount so you'll have plenty to share.  Enjoy!
Print the recipe here

Week Ten: Carrot-Ginger Soup

There has been evidence of spring here in Arkansas since mid-February--daffodils, pear tree blossoms, and forsythia.  Spring makes me think of bunnies and Easter, and bunnies and Easter make me think of carrots. And although I've eyed a soup recipe like this for awhile, I was moved to try it with the signs of spring all around me.

Well, let's just say it wasn't all I hoped it would be. I was reminded that making soup, like life itself, doesn't always deliver :)  But also, like life itself, the gifts are in the process, and in the experimenting, and in the new adventures found along the way.  (Those of you who know me well, know I CANNOT resist the symbolism and analogies to be found here.  Those of you who do not know me like that, please bear with me.)

This recipe is from my Soups Stews & Chilis cookbook published by America's Test Kitchen.  I rely heavily on their foundation of objective technique in trying to become a better cook.  They do this very well, but in the end, we must acknowledge that objective information and knowledge about "how to" do something (that is,  the right way to saute, the best way to produce perfectly beaten egg whites, etc.) doesn't mean it will taste good to us. We cannot remove our subjective, personal and unique idea about whether it "works" for us. 

I was very glad to have tried this soup.  My curiosity was satisfied.  So don't be discouraged from trying it, especially if you are a fan of ginger, (which I am), because your taste buds may love this soup.  But more than that, remember that creating is in the process just as much as the outcome.

I served this soup to Jeffy, who dutifully ate most of it, but agreed with me that it was much better with the sliced green onion garnish, which I used instead of the chives called for in the recipe.  So again. Don't skip the garnish! My friend, Lover of Vegetables Laura, who is toting "little tiny", suprised me in that she just plain didn't like it after one taste. I gave a jar of it away to another friend, Cheerful Cheryl, who hasn't reported back yet.  

Another nice touch is to serve with the Butter Croutons suggested, but in favor of lower calorie consumption, I left these off.  Be sure to let me hear from you if you try this one, especially if you liked it!  

Carrot-Ginger Soup

serves 4-6

2 T. vegetable oil

1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped medium

1 medium onion, chopped medium

4 t. minced or grated fresh ginger (do not use ground)

4 c. low sodium chicken broth, plus extra if needed

3/4 c. whole milk

1/4 c. orange juice

salt and ground black pepper

1 T. minced chives

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the carrots and onion and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 7-10 minutes.  Stir in the ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until carrots are tender, 20-30 minutes.

Working in batches, puree the soup until smooth, 1-2 minutes.  Return the soup to a clean pot.  

Stir in the milk, orange juice, and additional broth as needed, enough to adjust the soup's consistency.  Heat the soup gently over low heat until hot (do not boil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve sprinkling with individual portions of chives.

Butter Croutons

6 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 T. unsalted butter,melted

salt and pepper

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350.  Toss the bread cubes and butter together in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Spread the croutons onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes, tossing them halfway through baking.  Let cool and serve.  The croutons may be stored for 3 days in an airtight container.

Week Nine: Black Bean Soup from South Beach Diet

One of the reasons I LOVE Black Bean Soup is that it is a very healthy one, and after several weeks of high-fat, high calorie soups, it was time.  I think Panera Bread Company's Black Bean Soup is one of the best around, but this version from the South Beach Diet is pretty tasty, and very easy!  


One of the things I've learned from cooking soup a lot is that pureeing is often a method used to deliver a smooth, velvety texture to soups, mostly cream soups, but also in some cases, such as in this recipe, it tends to give the soup body.  Pureeing can be done in a food processor, with an immersion blender or in a stand blender.  America's Test Kitchen favors the stand blender, which in my kitchen is the mighty Vitamix.  It is one of my favorite kitchen appliances. When pureeing hot soups, be sure to fill your blender only 1/2 to 2/3 full to prevent leakage! 


Next to homemade stock (that's a blog post for another day), America's Test Kitchen recommends   Swanson's Chicken Broth which is what I typically use. However, I picked up a new product the other day called Knorr Homestyle Stock which I used in this recipe.  I think it worked very well, but haven't heard the word from ATK yet:)  


This soup is low fat, vegetarian, and filling. As usual, I favor the garnishes for adding a punch to the soup: fresh lime juice, cilantro, sliced green onions, and low fat sour cream, if desired.  Kind of like icing on the cake if you ask me:)  Add a salad and some cornbread, and you've got a meal!  Enjoy!


Click here to view and print the recipe!
Black Bean Soup from South Beach Diet

Week Eight: Cream of Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup with Roasted Sweet Corn and Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream

Also known as Loca Luna's Red Bell Pepper Soup!  I thoroughly enjoyed making this soup--not sure if I was just in the mood, or if it was that I've looked forward to trying a red pepper soup for so long, or that I just enjoyed the process...whatever, it was a delightful recipe to make!  


This one came from the Idea Alley cookbook--50 years of recipes in a spiral bound book which is published by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.  My mom loved the recipes printed in the paper every week, and must have clipped every one ever published.  This is a brilliant collection of them spanning the decades.  (I purchased mine at The Crown Shop in Little Rock.)  


Published on February 8, 2006, the story behind the recipe is interesting in that the food editor made several requests for the recipe to Mark Abernathy, the owner/chef of the local restaurant Loca Luna. Each time the request got lost in the shuffle of daily business.  But Mr. Abernathy finally came through, and so did Food Network, after Rachel Ray filmed a segment for her television show, Tasty Travels, at Loca Luna because "the soup sounded so good".

I can attest. It is good.  It's not inexpensive (8 bell peppers @ $1.79 each), and it's not low calorie ( 2 cups heavy cream). But it's satisfying to make, as well as to eat.  Don't be tempted to skip the garnish-it really, really adds a great finishing touch.  Click the link below to print the recipe from Food Network's website.  Enjoy!
Cream of Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup with Roasted Sweet Corn and Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream