Well, well, this is not new content.. woopsy. Pardon me, I'm in the middle of a crazy week from hell. Extra crazy work load + allergies of the apocalypse. But I made a simple vegetable soup today for lunch and thought it would be a good time to share (again) this favorite of mine.
Pumpkin season is not quite here yet, but it will be soon! In the meantime, this kind of soup is just as delicious with veggies you have at hand. Today, I used up a lot of veggies that were in my fridge for a while.. they are still good, but not as fresh as could be. Roasting, simmering and being blended into heavenly soup submission is fine for them though!
Here's the ingredients I used:
-3 big carrots
-2 onions
-3 small beets
-3 shallots
-2 apples
-1 cup of betta carde (swiss chard?)
-lots of fresh cilantro
-lots of fresh estragon
-dry mustard
The process and seasoning is pretty much the same then in the recipe down bellow. Except I did not use any chicken broth. It's simmering right now and it smells pretty gooooood.
Fall is ze ultimate best season. No argument. Every romantic will tell you. No doubt it is a great season to cook, and eat local. One of my all-time-for-ever favorite fall recipe is this pumpkin soup. I make it at least once a year in October. Most years, I make it more then once.
If you are making this soup for one or two people, the cut outs of your Halloween carved pumpkin will probably be enough. (and a great way not to waste!) If you are planning on making a bigger batch, to freeze some extra portions, or have people over, buy a whole pumpkin for the occasion. Small to medium size will be perfect. Here we go!!
Remove the top, empty all you can, scooping out with a spoon, and cut you pumpkin in halves. Get rid of the goo and seeds *.
Dice and peel your pumpkin flesh. Now would be a good time to sharpen your knives. And be extra careful with your fingers, all squashes are pretty hard to cut, if you ask me!
Cut a couple of onions and have them brown with olive oil and butter. Add your pumpkin cubes and toss.
Coat the whole thing with a couple of generous spoonfuls of powdered chicken broth. I use a low sodium / low fat kind...And that's pretty much the only recipe I use this for. (I prefer to make my own chicken broth.) But in this case, it is the perfect sh*(t.
ADD THE SECRET INGREDIENTS!!!
Cover everybody in water, add the lid and bring to a big-great-boil. Don't be shy with seasoning. Pumpkin is pretty mild, a lot of fresh pepper is really what makes the soup.
Let simmer for a gooood while, stir a couple times. Wait until the flavor are really mixed all together and strong, all the veggies should feel very tender. You can enjoy the soup as is, or have it as a smooth potage, blended with a hand mixer. Add a touch of cream, salt and pepper to taste. :)
* While you're at it, do roast your pumpkin seeds!! Mix in some tamari, coarse salt and pepper, and a touch of brown sugar. Spread them evenly on a cookie plate, with a sheet of parchment paper. 400 degrees, shake every 10 minutes, and cook until crunchy.
