Did someone say "Soup"? I have been called the Empress of Garlic, the
Doyenne of Beanery, not to mention the Opionated Chef, but my #1 favorite
thing to cook is soup. There is something so extremely satisfying about a
good soup. In fact, I am being badgered by someone I served Tomato Basil
Lentil Soup to to write a soup cookbook. And I do mean badgered.
Anyway soups which can be served chilled for summer....and darned nice
served hot in the winter. These are as far as I know original to me
Potato Cauliflower Soup
4 or 5 onions, or to taste
1 T dried dill weed
2 t dried thyme
1 med head cauliflower, chopped (see note below for variation)
6 C veggie stock or water. can use chicken stock or part white wine
about 4 medium potates (if I can get them organically grown I don't peel
them, otherwise, it's your choice whether to peel or not)
4 bay leaves
pepper to taste
1 T tamari
fresh minced parsley
Optional:
1 non fat milk or whatever you may choose to substitute, such as non fat
evaporated milk
4 T flour
Dump all ingredients except bay leaves, pepper and tamari into soup pot and
cook till everything is tender, about 30 minutes. Puree half the soup in a
blender or whatever and dump back into pot, adding the bay leaves, pepper
and tamari and cook a few more minutes. Add parsley and serve.
Optional step: mix milk with flour and smooth out any lumps. Turn off the
heat and and add to soup along with the parsley. Check seasonings. Thin
with water, milk if you want.
Variations:
#1: something I often do to substitute for cream or milk in soup is to
double or triple the amount of veggies I am going to puree and use that.
It adds flavor but may need to thin it out with your choice of liquid. For
this soup, I would steam an extra head of cauliflower, puree it and add it
instead of the cream.
#2: I have heard of people using pureed soft tofu as a substitute for cream
in a soup
#3: I am extremely fond of using nonfat plain yoghurt instead of cream or
milk, particularly to serve cold on a hot summer day. It is important not
to dump cold yoghurt into hot soup. Must gently warm the yoghurt. I have
it at room temp and then I mix about 1 C of soup gradually into the
yoghurt, then I dump it in.
Potato Mushroom Soup:
Same as above but I use about 5 cups sliced mushrooms and 1 1/2 C celery
instead of the cauliflower. I add the mushrooms after I have finished the
puree step. I like the look of bits of mushrooms in the soup.
To substitute for cream or milk in this soup, extra potatoes is how I've
done it.
Potato Leek Soup
Instead of onions & cauliflower, 3 large leeks (WASH very carefully and
don't use the tough bit at the top). and 1 cup or so of chopped celery.
any sort of potato soup is delicious chilled. And almost any combo of
veggies work.
Tomato- Corn Soup
3 or 4 onions or to taste
2 t oregano, dried
1 t thyme, dried
about 15 medium fresh tomatoes (or (1) 28 oz can crushed tomatoes and 3
fresh ones, as a garnish, chopped and added after any pureeing you might
fancy)
4 C water, veggie stock, chicken stock, white wine for part of it
2 C corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1/4 C minced parsley
white pepper
chop what must be chopped and dump into your soup pot. I prefer to puree
the tomatoes before I add them. But you can do it when you prefer. I
would recommend that you do it before you add the corn however.
Variations:
Tomato and Corn "Chowder": terrific on a hot day with plain non fat
yoghurt. Of course, you may use milk or cream if you desire
Tomato Cabbage Soup
(sometimes people have gifted me with the over production of their gardens
and something has to been done with it. Necessity being the mother of
invention....)
2 onions
1 t tarragon, dried
1 t dill weed dried
1 t dill seed
about 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (I use the cusinart)
1 c chopped kale
1 C water, or stock
20 or 25 whole tomatoes, chopped roughly ( I use the pulse option on the
cusinart) (to recreate in the winter or if you don;t have an overabundance
of fresh tomatoes that you are desparate to do something with, (2) 28 oz
cans of tomatoes)
1/4 C fresh minced parsley
pepper
dump everything in and cook
Asparagus Vegetable Soup
(ordinarily I would only eat my asparagus lightly steame with garlic, but
sometimes I have so much on hand..)
5 C water or stock
1/4 C uncooked brown rice
2 potatoes, sliced, peepled ot not as you prefer
1 carrot, sliced
2 leeks, washed very very carefully
1 stalk celery
1 t thyme dried
1 t dried dill weed
10 stalks of asparagus, sliced. use as much of it as you can
2 C chpped spinach, preferably fresh
white pepper
boil water, add rice, potatoes and carrots cook til potatoes are tender
(not cooked through but tender). Add everything except the asparagus tips.
Simmer til rice and ptoatoes are cooked through. Add the asparagus tips
and wilt them.
Variations: again terrific on a hot day with plain nonfat yoghurt. can use
milk or cream
Zucchini-Potaot-Garlic Soup
4 cups water or stock
4 potaotes, cliced and/orpeeled
1 carrot
10 large cloves garlic, minced
1 t basil, dried
2 medium zucchini
1/4 C minced fresh parsley
2 T minced fresh dill weed, if available
pepper
dump water, potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic and basil into soup pot and
cook til potates are just about done. dump in the zukes and heat through.
Puress 1/2 or all of it or not, as desired.
Variation: cook extra zucchinis and potatoes to puree and add to soup to
make it creamy without using cream, milk or yoghurt
Avocado and Cucumber Soup (No Cooking Required)
2 medium cuccumbers. seed if the seeds are large. peel if waxed or not
grown organically. chop, reserve 1 C
2 nice and ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
5 cloves of garlic
1/2 C packed fresh parsley don't bother to mince, just wash
2 C plain non fat yoghurt
1 C water (or 1 C ice cubes)
3 chopped scallions
white pepper
In a bowl, combine all but 1 C of the cuccumber, avocadoes, garlic,
parsley, yoghurt, water or ice cubes, pepper. In a blender puree this
mixture in batches until smooth, transfering it to a bowl or pitcher..
When everything is blended, add in the reserved cup of cukes and the
scallions. Mix and chill at least 1 hour.
Variation: I don't recommend this, but I did see someone put vodka into
his bowl of soup once. He said that if we can mix vodka with tomato juice,
why not with avocado and cuccumbers....
Spicy Tomato and Avocado Soup (again no cooking)
5 cloves garlic
1 little can of chopped mild jalapeno pepper (you can use whatever
temperature of peppers you want of course. I actually use the medium)
1 1/2 avocado pitted and peeled
4 C tomato juice ( like to use fresh pureed tomatoes when I can get them
garden grown)
1/4 finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 C finely diced red onion
1 med onion coarsely chopped if using canned tomato juice or even if using
fresh tomatoes if you want
1 T fresh lemon juice
In blender, puree the garlic, pepper and the 1 1/2 avocado with 2 C tomato
juice Pur into a pitcher or bowl and add rest of the tomato juice,
cilantro, red onion, tomato (if using), lemon juice and the remaining 1/2
avocado, chopped. Mix and chill at least 1 hour.
Variation: I am sure it will come as no surprise to you that my friend put
vodka into this also.
Came up with these one day when i had entirely too much fruit that was just
getting to be too ripe and too much juice ( I am a sucker for fresh fruit
and fruit juice in the hot summer days)
Chilled fruit soup
1 ripe cantaloupe, about 2 cups melon balls or bite sized chunks
1 ripe bananam peeled
4 large ripe peaches , pitted
4 C orange juice
2 C fresh blueberries
1/4 t fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 t cinnamom
1 C ice cubes
1 C pineapple juice
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 t vanilla extract (use the real stuff!!!)
put 2 C of the melon in a blender. Put the rest in a pitcher or a bowl.
add banana & peaches to blenderwith 2 C oj. Puree till smooth. Pour into
pitcher or bowl. Puree 1 C berries with spices, ice cubes, pineapple
juice. lemon juice and rest of the oj til smoot. Pour into pitcher or
bowl, along with the remaining berries. chill at least 1 hour.
Variations: use all oj or all pineapple juice or 4 C oj and 1 C pineappke
cocanut juice
use honeydew
strawberries.
use whatever combo of fruit or berries you desire.
Watermelon Strawberry Soup
4 C seed watermelon (the watermelon HAD to get used and who could face
another slice??)
2 ripe banansa, peeled
1 C apple cider or juice
1 C plain non fat yoghurt
1/2 t cinnamon
2 ice cubes
2 C sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 C cold mint tea
fresh mint sprigs
In blender, puree melon, bananas, cider, yoghurt, cinnamon and ice cubes
til smooth. Pour into a pitcher or a bowl, add sliced berries and mint tea.
Chill 1 hour. serve with mint sprigs.
Cream of Peach soup
12 med sized peaches
6 C boiling water
1 1/2 C cold water
1 T honey
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 C plain nonfat yoghurt
1/2 t cinnamon
1 t fresh grated nutmeg
1 t real vanilla extract
Put peaches , 3 or 4 at a ttime into the boiling water. cook for about 2-3
minutes, remove and set into bowl of cold water. This will allow the peels
to come off easily and loosen the pit. Do this with all of the peaches,
chop.
In blender combine 1 1/2 C peaches with 3/4 cold water, honey, lemon juice,
1/2 C yoghurt. Puree till smooth and pour into pitcher or bowl. Puree 1
1/2 C more peaches with 3/4C more water. 1/2C yoghurt, the spices and the
vanilla. Mix the purees together, add remaining 1 C chopped peaches.
Chill at least 2 hours
Gloriamarie gma@xxxxxxxx
In La Mesa, CA, 1 town east of San Diego where, hallelujah, it is cloudy
and humid, and a lovely breeze and not so darned hot!!
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