Tag Archives: vegetarian soups

Cauliflower, Leek and White Bean Soup

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While I don’t practice “Dry January”, I am a big proponent of “Gentle January”. I do not rush boldly into the new year, filled with resolutions and plans. I prefer to ease in 2024 slowly. I struggle with transitions and I like to take my time adjusting to a new year.

This soup is the perfect way to ease into 2024. It’s a lighter twist on a classic Leek and Potato Soup (vichyssoise). I have replaced the potato with cauliflower.

But you won’t miss the richness of the original soup because I have added white beans for body and protein. I like to roast the cauliflower to get that caramelized flavour. Cauliflower is a blank, bland canvas, so it can really take some bold seasoning. I went with Aleppo pepper (a fruitier, more gentle heat than red pepper flakes), and some earthy cumin. Since this is a pureed soup, save a few of the prettier roasted florets to garnish the top of the soup after roasting.

Leeks add a mild, delicate flavour to the soup, much less intense than regular onions. I love the flavour.

Cleaning leeks can be a bit tricky if you have never done it before. They are usually quite sandy, as they grow below ground. I find it’s easier to slice the leeks into thin slices and then submerge the slices in cold water to remove the sand. Check out how I do it in the video.

I garnished the soup with some roasted cauliflower, toasted pumpkin seeds and some chive oil. I have included the recipe for making your own. It’s such a pretty colour and really finishes off the soup. If you don’t feel like making it, a drizzle of some good quality extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of fresh chives would also be delicious. Not optional is the final mix in of a tablespoon of sherry or red wine vinegar. It really wakes up the soup.

Click here to print recipe for Cauliflower, Leek and White Bean Soup.

Mushroom Farro Soup

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The last time I made this soup, William and Kate were wed, Kim Kardashian divorced after a 72 day marriage, Oprah’s final episode aired and Charlie Sheen had an epic meltdown. The year was 2011. Here’s a photo from that blog post.

Both my photos and the recipe were in need of a makeover! I replaced the beef stock with a roasted vegetable stock and I think it’s even better. Taking the time to roast the vegetables for the stock add a depth of flavour that most boxed vegetable stocks are missing. But if you’re pressed for time, Swanson and Imagine brands both make a pretty decent boxed organic low sodium veggie stock.

The other change I made was to swap out the barley for farro. Farro, is a nutty wheat grain that stays a bit chewier than barley. Both are quite high in fibre and protein. The soup uses both fresh and dried mushrooms. The flavour of dried mushrooms is concentrated and intense, which makes them spectacular for adding depth and richness to soups and sauces.

Finish the soup with 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar. It brightens the soup and adds a welcome hit of acidity to this rich broth. A generous sprinkling of dill and parsley make a pretty and tasty garnish.

Click here to print recipe for Mushroom-Farro-soupDownload
Click here to print recipe for Roasted-Vegetable-StockDownload

White Bean and Kale Soup

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Does anyone else suffer from “soup fatigue”? I’m talking about that feeling of losing interest after a few spoonfuls. I get bored by the flavour of every mouthful being exactly the same as the last. Not so with this soup. It’s got it all going on in terms of both flavour and texture.

I’ll warn you right now that this is not one of those soups you can throw together in 30 minutes. It calls for dried white kidney beans, so you will need to soak them for about 8 hours before proceeding with making the soup. Once the beans are soaked, they are cooked with onions, carrots and celery, which infuses the beans with great flavour. Plus, as a bonus, you use that flavourful bean cooking liquid in the soup. If you’re pressed for time, you could use canned beans, but you won’t get the same depth of flavour that cooking the beans yourself develops.

To add even more flavour to the soup I added a rind of parmesan cheese to the simmering pot. I keep the rinds in the freezer in a ziploc bag. They infuse the soup with a big boost of umami. Both regular and sweet potatoes are added along with a big handful of deep green kale.

While the soup is simmering, make a batch of coarse seasoned bread crumbs as a garnish. They add a welcome crunch to the creamy soup.

Click here to print recipe for White Bean and Kale Soup

Grilled Gazpacho with Cheese Crisps

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I’m not ready to wear socks yet. It’s technically still summer, and I plan to squeeze out every bit of joy from the last moments of the season. The markets are still overflowing with corn, peppers and tomatoes, so I’m going to ignore the pumpkins for just a bit longer.

This late summer soup comes together quickly. I grilled tomatoes, sweet red peppers, a jalapeno pepper, sweet onion and some corn. I dumped everything, except for the corn, into the blender and puréed until smooth.

The soup could be served heated or chilled, your choice. I like to serve it with some do-it-yourself garnishes. I filled some little bowls with diced cucumber, red pepper and charred corn.

If you’ve got a bit of extra time, make some lacy Parmesan crisps to crumble up into the soup for some crunch. They take about 8 minutes to bake in the oven.

Click here to print recipe for Grilled Gazpacho SoupDownload

Yellow Split Pea and Parsnip Soup

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If I’m being completely honest, I need to tell you that this soup was inspired by a bag of parsnip chips from Trader Joe’s!

As I crunched my way through the entire bag, it occurred to me that these salty and slightly sweet chips would be a welcome bit of crunch crumbled on top of a creamy parsnip soup. Luckily I had the foresight to buy two bags. I found a forgotten jar of yellow split peas in the cupboard and decided to use them as the soup base.

After shooting all day, the last thing I want to do it eat is whatever I have been photographing. I have usually plated it 3-4 different ways, transferred it from bowl to plate to mug to see what looks better and by the time I am finished, I never want to see that food again. Depending on what it is, I will either deliver it to a friend, send it off to my husband’s office or wrap it up and stick it in the freezer.

The recipe for this soup makes a big pot so it’s perfect for freezing, and pulling out on those nights when you just can’t face cooking.
Parsnips are an under-utilized vegetable. I love them roasted but they make a stellar soup ingredient. They have an mild spice flavour, reminiscent of nutmeg and cinnamon.

Start by sautéing the all-powerful culinary trio of onions, carrots and celery and add a heaping pile of diced parsnips.
Ground cumin and smoked paprika really complement the slightly earthy flavour of parsnips.

Packed with fibre and protein, yellow split peas will make a healthy counterbalance to the parsnip chip garnish!

Vegetable stock was my liquid of choice.

Click here to print recipe for Yellow Split Pea and Parsnip Soup.

 

 

Caramelized Leek and Potato Soup

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serving soupI have been transfering my liquid dish soap into beautiful glass bottles ever since I was inspired by this. That was in 1993, long before #hatemartha was trending. For the record, I am firmly in the #lovemartha camp. She is all about making everyday life aesthetically pleasing. She speaks my language.

While my husband doesn’t share this passion, he does tolerate it. However, I think I pushed him to the brink this week when I bought a charming new glass bottle for the liquid dish soap. soap bottleHe complained that the soap is very slow to come out. I turned the bottle upside down and counted. Yes, it takes a full 7 seconds for the soap to drip into the dirty dishes. I told him he was viewing it with the wrong lens. He simply needs exchange his impatience for anticipation. He just smiled and nodded, a trick that I taught him. My little secret for how to have a happy marriage. You’re welcome.

This is not a quick cook soup. It too, requires some patience. But while you are caramelizing the leeks, just anticipate how delicious it will taste. A traditional leek and potato soup (vichyssoise) is pureed smooth and served cold. The leeks are very briefly sautéed before the potatoes and stock are added. In this version, created by New York Times columnist Melissa Clark, the leeks are cooked until golden brown. If you haven’t already, you need to sign up for the New York Times Cooking Newsletter. Wonderful daily inspiration!

You can’t hurry caramelizing onions. They must be cooked over a low heat for a good 25-30 minutes. Turn up the heat and you will burn them, resulting in bitter onions.in white bowl 2 625 sqdicing leeksThe leeks are sautéed in a mixture of butter and olive oil. At first it seems like you have way too many leeks, but they eventually shrink down to a very small pile, of golden delicousness.raw leeks 1caramelized leeksFlavouring this soup is a supporting cast of fresh herbs. Sage, bay, thyme, parsley and celery leaves get tied up in a cheesecloth bundle to impart their goodness to the soup. I used a mixture of vegetable stock and water, but I think I would use all water next time, to really let the leek flavour shine through.bouquet garni Yukon golds are the potatoes of choice. I peeled, halved and thinly sliced them.slicing potatoesI very coarsely pureed the soup with a few bursts of power from my hand held immersion blender. I really like to leave the soup mostly chunky.soup pot

Click here to print recipe for Caramelized Leek and Potato Soup.in white bowl on wood and white marble server