Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• Garnish: crème fraiche and sweet chili sauce

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400F. Toss squash, onion and garlic with olive oil and spread in a roasting pan or baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, add diced apple, and continue roasting another 10-20 minutes.

Place squash mixture into blender with about half the chicken stock; puree. Add remaining chicken stock, cream, coconut milk and herbs; pulse until smooth. Alternatively use an immersion blender.

Return to saucepan and reheat. Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche and garnish with sweet chili.

Edible Nashville

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
• 1 teaspoon each cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 tablespoon each black pepper and Himalayan pink sea salt
• 32 ounces vegetable broth
• 1 cup red lentils
• 4 kale or turnip green leaves, ribs removed and chopped

Preparation

In a dutch oven or soup pot, heat olive oil on medium/ high. Add onions and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until transparent. Add garlic and cubed sweet potatoes. Stir until ingredients are incorporated and cook for 5 minutes. Add seasonings and stir well. Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir and reduce to simmer. Add lentils. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and add in kale. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until kale has wilted a bit but not lost its vibrant color. Remove from heat and serve warm.

Edible Nashville

Ingredients

• 1 small (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 onions, peeled and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 pound dry black beans (do not soak)
• 2 quarts mild vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Red wine vinegar, to taste
• Pickled onions, cilantro, sour cream, avocados (optional, for garnish)

Preparation

Empty the can of chiles into a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth, scrape into a container, and set aside. Put on a teakettle of water to boil, and keep hot.

In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add carrots, onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes.

Pour in wine and let simmer until pan is almost dry and vegetables are coated. Add jalapeños and cook, stirring, just until softened, 2 minutes. Push the vegetables out to the edges of the pot and dollop 2 teaspoons of chipotle purée in the center. Let fry for a minute and then stir together with the vegetables.

Add beans, stock, oregano and bay leaves. Stir, bring to a boil, and let boil 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partly covered, stirring occasionally and adding hot water as needed to keep the soup liquid and runny, not sludgy. Continue cooking until beans are just softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 hours. Add salt and pepper and keep cooking until beans are soft.

Meanwhile, make the pickled onions, if using: In a bowl, combine sliced onions, lime juice and a sprinkling of salt. Let soften at room temperature until crunchy and tart, about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry in paper towels and refrigerate until ready to serve. If desired, chop coarsely before serving.

Adjust the texture of the soup: The goal is to combine whole beans, soft chunks and a velvety broth. Some beans release enough starch while cooking to produce a thick broth without puréeing. If soup seems thin, use an immersion blender or blender to purée a small amount of the beans until smooth, then stir back in. Continue until desired texture is reached, keeping in mind that the soup will continue to thicken as it sits.

Heat the soup through, taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, drops of red wine vinegar and dabs of chipotle purée.

Julia Moskin, New York Times

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, or fat of choice
• 3 medium leeks, white parts only, cleaned and trimmed and roughly chopped
• 2 medium shallots, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon Indian curry powder
• Kosher salt
• 1½ pounds broccoli, chopped into uniform florets
• ¼ cup peeled and diced apple (I like Fuji)
• 4 cups bone broth or chicken stock
• Freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
• Leftover pork, crisped in a pan (optional)
• Chives (optional garnish)

Preparation

Chop broccoli (including stems) and leeks. Turn on sautee function of the Instant Pot, and add fat, leeks, shallots, curry, and salt. Cook until leeks are soft (5 minutes) and curry is fragrant. Add broccoli and apple. Stir to mix, and add broth, plus water to make sure veggies are mostly submerged if needed. Switch off sautee mode, seal the pot, and set it for five minutes at high pressure (Manual, minus to 5 minutes, adjust to high pressure.) Release pressure manually when done. Blenderize with an immersion blender, add coconut milk, adjust seasoning, and serve.

Nom Nom Paleo

Ingredients

• ½ pound ground pork, not too lean
• ½ pound fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined and roughly chopped in 1/4-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon sweet rice wine, such as Shaoxing rice wine (or use sherry)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon spicy Chinese bean paste, also called chili bean sauce (or use chile paste)
• 2 serrano chiles, finely chopped
• 1 ½ cups chopped Chinese garlic chives (or use 3/4 cup chopped scallions, green and white parts)
• 36 wonton skins, about 3 by 3 inches, available at Asian markets and many grocery stores
• 1 small egg, beaten
• Cornstarch for dusting
• 8 ounces baby spinach leaves
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 8 cups good chicken broth, hot, salted to taste
• Red pepper oil (optional)

Preparation

Put pork and shrimp in a chilled mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix briefly with chopsticks, wet hands or wooden spoons. Add rice wine, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, bean paste, serrano chiles and garlic chives. Mix well to incorporate. Pan-fry a small flat patty in a small amount of oil to check seasoning; taste and adjust. Transfer mixture to a small container, cover and chill at least 30 minutes, or longer if you have time, up to 24 hours.

To prepare wontons, remove a few wonton skins from package and lay them on dry work surface. Put 1 teaspoon filling in the center of each square skin. Paint edges of square lightly with egg. Gently fold one side over the other, pinching edges together. You should a have a folded rectangle. Now pull the lower corners in toward each other and pinch together to make the traditional curved wonton shape. Place wontons 1 inch apart on a baking sheet or platter. Dust lightly with cornstarch and refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to cook.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, put a small handful of spinach leaves and about 2 tablespoons cilantro in each person’s deep wide soup bowl. When water is boiling, drop about 10 wontons into pot and cook for 2 minutes. Remove with wire bamboo spider (or a large fine-meshed sieve with a handle) and divide among bowls. Repeat with remaining wontons. Pour about 1 1/2 cups hot broth over each serving. Drizzle with red pepper oil if desired.

New York Times

Ingredients

• 2 meaty ham hocks, or 1/2 lb meaty salt pork (rinsed)
• 16 cups water
• 2 lb onions, finely chopped (divided)
• 2 large carrots
• 1 medium leek, white and green parts only, chopped and rinsed
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 lb dried split peas, picked over and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 tsp. dried savory, crumbled

Preparation

1. Combine ham hocks, 16 cups water, and half of the onions in a large soup pot, uncovered, until meat is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Transfer ham hocks to a cutting board and measure broth: If it measures more than 12 cups, continue boiling until reduced; if less, add enough water to total 12 cups.
2. When hocks are cool enough to handle, discard skin and cut meat into 1/4-inch pieces (reserve bones).
3. Chop carrots, the remaining onions, leek, and celery in 2 tbsp. of butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring until softened, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the vegetables to the soup, along with salt, pepper, chives, and savory, and continue to simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until peas are falling apart and soup is slightly thickened, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
5. Add ham meat back to soup, heat through, and serve, adjusting seasoning if needed.

Gourmet, combined from two recipes

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 pounds vegetables
• Aromatics, such as onion, garlic, or leeks
• Olive oil or unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper
• 4 to 6 cups stock

Preparation

Choose and weigh 1 to 2 pounds of vegetables. Cut up the vegetables and aromatics, and heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or butter, ghee, or the fat from rendering some bacon, chicken, etc.) in a Dutch oven over medium heat. (Also, you could add ginger or chili peppers right here.)

Sautee the aromatics until fragrant and soft (five minutes), brown the vegetables, and season them with salt, pepper, and spices (dried herbs like mint, sage, or oregano, curry powder, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and smoked or truffled salt).

Add 4 to 6 cups of broth and bring to a simmer. Add a sprig of fresh herbs now if desired. Turn the heat down to low and cover the pot. Let cook for about 30 minutes, then check the soup. Are the vegetables as soft as you would like? If you want to leave the vegetables intact, take the soup off the heat now. If you want the vegetables very soft for pureeing, keep cooking until they are falling apart.

Whether you are leaving the vegetables intact or pureeing the soup, make sure to taste the soup as it finishes cooking. If it seems flat, add some vinegar or lemon juice. If it is too salty, thin out with some extra broth or dairy. You can also add leftover cooked pasta, a few crumbles of cooked ground turkey or beef, cooked strips of chicken breast on top of each bowl, 1/4 cup of rice, quinoa, or another grain (simmering until done), or a can of beans, chickpeas, or tomatoes, and simmer until warmed through.

Once the vegetables are very soft, you can puree the soup in a blender or with a stick blender if you like. Rewarm gently after blending. When pureeing the soup, you can add flavor and creaminess by adding beans, tofu, coconut milk, yogurt, or other dairy such as cream, mascarpone, or even cream cheese. Finish the soup with something acid like lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or fruit vinegar. Or drizzle on a little oil like chili oil, smoked olive oil, or something else a little special.

The Kitchn

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4-5 potatoes, cubed
• 5 1/2 c. fish stock
• 1 lb. fresh salmon fillet, cubed
• 2 c. whole milk
• 1 c. fresh dill, finely chopped
• 5 bay leaves
• dash sea salt
• dash pepper
• dash allspice

[CP: To test the next time I make this: juice of 1/4 to 1/2 of a lemon?]

Preparation

Place the potato cubes in water to keep them from discoloring. In a soup pot, simmer the chopped onions in the butter over medium heat until soft .Add peeled and diced potatoes and then enough water to just cover the potatoes. Turn up the heat to high, cover, bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until they are just soft, adjusting the heat down as necessary.

Add the cubed salmon to the pot and cook until it is mostly opaque (this will take about 5 minutes, if that). Do not stir the soup so as not to break up the salmon. If you want to keep the Salmon cubes looking like cubes, once the salmon is cooked, remove from the soup and set aside. Add the fish stock, milk, bay leaves, and spices. Cook for 5-10 minutes.

Take off the heat and stir in the fresh dill. If you removed the salmon cubes, transfer the cooked salmon into individual bowls and ladle the soup over them. Serve with rye bread and butter.

Alternative Finland

Ingredients

• 1 pint oysters (in oyster liquor)
• 4 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Prepration

Strain oysters over a bowl to remove grit and separate them from the oyster liquor; reserve liquor. Chop oysters, cover and refrigerate until needed. Measure oyster liquor and add enough chicken stock to make 4 cups; set aside. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Gradually whisk in flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until a blond roux is achieved. Add onions and green onions; cook, whisking constantly, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and artichoke hearts; cook an 2 additional minutes. Gradually whisk in reserved oyster liquor and chicken stock. Add Lea & Perrins, thyme and cayenne pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add chopped oysters and simmer until oysters are cooked through and edges curl, about 5 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Raised on a Roux

Ingredients

• 6 slices white bread, crusts removed
• 4 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups (8 3/4 ounces) plus 1/3 cup sliced blanched almonds
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• Kosher salt and pepper
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 6 ounces seedless green grapes, sliced thin (1 cup)

Preparation

Combine bread and water in bowl and let soak for 5 minutes. Process 2 1/2 cups almonds in blender until finely ground, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed.

Using your hands, remove bread from water, squeeze it lightly, and transfer to blender with almonds. Measure 3 cups soaking water and set aside; transfer remaining soaking water to blender.

Add garlic, vinegar, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and cayenne to blender and process until mixture has consistency of cake batter, 30 to 45 seconds. With blender running, add olive oil in thin, steady stream, about 30 seconds. Add reserved soaking water and process for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Strain soup through fine-mesh strainer set in bowl, pressing on solids to extract liquid. Discard solids.

Measure 1 tablespoon of soup into second bowl and stir in almond extract. Return 1 teaspoon of extract mixture to soup; discard remainder. Chill for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.

Heat vegetable oil in 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat until oil begins to shimmer. Add remaining 1/3 cup almonds and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately transfer to bowl and stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Ladle soup into shallow bowls. Mound an equal amount of grapes in center of each bowl. Sprinkle cooled almonds over soup and drizzle with extra olive oil. Serve immediately.

CI