Sweet Potato Soup with Swiss Chard

Happy New Year!

It's a cold January day, so what better way to warm up than with a nice hot bowl of soup. I've taken to making a big pot each weekend, ready for lunch or dinner anytime throughout the week, especially good when time is in short supply. This is the ultimate in kitchen improv, most soups being a mish mash of whatever is on hand, each one different and delicious in its own way.

And so this is what came to be in my kitchen yesterday:

Sweet Potato Soup with Swiss Chard

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 large zucchini, diced
3 leeks (the top dark green part, sliced thinly) * I'd made some Potato & Leek soup last weekend, and had saved the tops for another time
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium red potatoes, cubed
1 large sweet potato, cubed
2 chicken bouillon cubes
8 cups water
1 bunch Swiss chard, sliced into strips

In a large stock pot heat the olive oil and add the onion, zucchini and leeks.

Cook until softened and slightly browned. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the water, the bouillon, the potato and the sweet potato.

Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and puree the mixture slightly with an immersion blender. (I like to puree just enough to give the broth a smooth creamy texture but leaving some of the veggies intact)

Add the Swiss chard.

Stir, put the lid back on the pot and let sit for about 10 minutes to allow the chard to wilt. (If you like, puree a second time if you want the Swiss chard to be in smaller pieces)

Cream of Cauliflower Soup with Saffron

What to do with a whole cauliflower? I like it steamed, baked, or grilled - it's so mild and adaptable. But it's an awful lot of one vegetable for two people. So, into a soup it goes...reduced to a couple of spoonfuls by the time I'm done. Hmm...where did it all go?

I searched online for an interesting flavour to compliment cauliflower in a soup. Cheese and curry seemed to be the most popular choices. But I wanted something a little different. I found this recipe at Epicurious and modified it for a low fat version. I doubled the saffron, but it was still lovely and subtle - a great appetizer or first course.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup with Saffron

Serves 2

2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
1 whole cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1/4 teaspoon coarsely crumbled saffron threads
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped onions
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 cup skim milk
salt and pepper
fresh chives

Combine 2 cups water and 2 cups chicken broth in medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a simmer. Add cauliflower then cover and cook until almost soft. Remove from heat. Add saffron threads. Cover and steep 20 minutes.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy medium pot over medium-low heat. Add chopped onions and sauteé until very tender but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add flour and stir to coat onions. Cook one more minute. Add milk and stir constantly on medium-low heat until mixture is thickened. Add saffron broth and incorporate well. Use an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Bring to simmer over high heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir well and serve with fresh chives. 

(Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Yes - that little purple bud in the soup is a chive flower! Good eye!

What do you do to make cauliflower more interesting?

Two Fall Soups

Oh, my poor neglected blog. The days are shorter, the nights are colder, and I still haven't posted recipes and photos of those soups I made back in late September...

Soup has always been a favorite of mine. It's the easiest, healthiest way to cook whatever you've got in the fridge or pantry. It fills me up and keeps me warm. I think I can be quoted as saying "whoever invented soup was a genius." Not my greatest moment of high intellectual thought, but you get the idea. I'm a fan.

Mr. PL on the other hand, used to look as me with a puzzled expression when I would suggest soup as a meal. He was fond of saying, "Soup is not food!" Meaning, "But if I eat soup, I'm still going to be hungry."

I took it as a challenge to come up with or find some really delicious and filling soup recipes. Here are a couple of hearty ones for fall. Stay warm!

Split Pea with Barley Soup
Serves 4

1 cup of dry green split peas
2 cups of chicken stock
4 cups of water
1/2 cup of uncooked pot barley
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1/3 cup of diced turkey kielbasa
2 Tablespoons of dry herbs or 1/4 cup of chopped fresh herbs such as oregano, thyme, marjoram, chives
1 bay leaf
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Put everything in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a medium simmer and cover for about 30-40 minutes, or until barley and split peas are cooked. Take soup off the heat and discard bay leaf. Using a hand mixer (carefully...you don't want to splash yourself with hot soup...) roughly puree the soup with a couple of pulses - keeping the chunky texture, but blending the ingredients slightly. Return to heat just before serving.

Leek, Potato and Tarragon Soup
Serves 4

This is a recipe I used from one of my favorite sites, Epicurious.
But I chose to omit the cream and to puree the soup, for a smooth low fat version.

3 tablespoons butter
2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), sliced (about 2 cups)
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons water
1/2 pound yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks, onion, garlic, and 2 tablespoons water. Cook until leeks are just golden, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let soup cool slightly. Stir in yogurt. Using a hand blender, puree until smooth. Mix in tarragon and slowly reheat for serving. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Yes, it's true. Soup does not photograph very well. Neither do most things in my semi-dark kitchen, which is why it sometimes looks like I do all my cooking outside on the deck.

And, I'm not as clever as Ana, from imadeitso, who created a very funny post out of a mushy bowl of soup.