Rainbow Soup Month: Roasted Red Pepper, Cucumber and Avocado Soup

Roasted Red Pepper, Cucumber and Avocado Soup - Seriously Soupy

I love this time of year when all of a sudden it is beautiful out and there is an abundance of colorful fruits and vegetables. For this month on Soupy, I am going to be waking up my winter palate and  featuring color-themed soup recipes every week in Rainbow Soup month. For the first installation, I started with the color red by using red peppers that were roasted with olive oil, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. To enhance the flavors a bit, I also added in a light mix of avocado and cucumber and various fresh herbs. As a simple semi-warm soup for the spring, the ingredients were blended together and topped with some cucumbers. I hope you enjoy this one and join me next week when I create an orange-based soup. Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper, Cucumber and Avocado Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups of water
2 red peppers, de-seeded and cut up
1 cucumber, cut up (I used the skins)
2 ripe avocados, de-pitted and quartered
drizzle of olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
bunch of basil - about 3-5 sprigs
bunch of thyme - about 3-5 sprigs
bunch of rosemary - about 3-5 sprigs
salt and pepper

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut up the red pepper and place it in some aluminum foil. Drizzle it with some olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add some basil on top and cover it with aluminum foil. While the peppers are baking (about 20 minutes), add the water to a pot and let boil. Cut up the avocados and cucumber. Mash them together with the garlic and fresh herbs (basil, thyme, and rosemary). Add them to the pot and let cook on a low flame (about 10 minutes). Turn off the oven and add the red peppers to the pot. Cook for another 5 minutes or so. Turn off the flame and mash the ingredients together using a hand blender. Top with some cucumbers and enjoy!

What red soups will you make this spring?

Seriously Soupy Serena

Lettuce Soup

Lettuce Soup - Seriously Soupy

With the temperatures almost reaching 80 degrees today I was really excited to try out a lighter soup recipe - that was both easy to prepare and quick. Not quite ready for chilled soups, I decided to make a crisp Lettuce Soup after reading various recipes on Epicurious.com, The Nourishing Gourmet, and in this months issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. For my variation, I used a simple combination of onions, garlic, leeks, celery, peas, rosemary, thyme, lemon, and of course a thick head of lettuce to complete this earthy soup. A soup I never tried before, I was pleasantly surprised by its interesting flavors that I found really worked with the subtle use of thyme and rosemary and tart from the lemon. This soup can also easily be varied to include various types of lettuce leaves and herbs as well as the addition of cream or potatoes - depending on your preferences. For With the warmer days ahead, I am definitely inspired to test out and enjoy more soups like this!

Lettuce Soup

Ingredients:
3 cups vegetable stock
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced and chopped
1/2 cup of frozen peas
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, chopped - white part only
1/2 head of lettuce, cut into slices
Bunch of fresh rosemary - about 2-3 sprigs
Bunch of fresh thyme - about 2-3 sprigs
3 cups vegetable stock
1/2 lemon, squeezed into the soup
salt and pepper 

Directions:
Drizzle the olive oil into a medium-sized pot. Cut up the leeks, garlic, and onion and let saute. Add the vegetable stock (or water) and let boil. Add the peas, celery, rosemary and thyme and cover. Let cook for 15 minutes. Break apart the lettuce leaves and add them to the pot. Let cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and blend. Drizzle with some lemon juice and top with some lettuce leaves for a garnish. Enjoy!

How do you make your lettuce soup?
Seriously Soupy Serena

Coconut Curry Lentil Soup

Coconut Curry Lentil Soup - Seriously Soupy

Lentil soup is one of my all-time favorite soup recipes. Despite the thousands of soups I want to create (and hopefully will) sometimes only this classic and comforting bowl of soup will do. After a frigid day at the zoo with my family, I decided to make lentil soup but wanted to vary the recipe a bit. I decided to add coconut milk and some curry for a slight nutty taste. I also added some mint, lime, and ginger to balance out the flavors. Since Mr. Soupy aka My Income Lab is my official taste-tester, he gave me some critic to the recipe. He didn't think the mint was needed since it overpowered the other flavors - so keep that in mind if you choose to use that herb. Overall, this is a very easy soup recipe (for a bean-based soup can) that can be whipped up in less than two hours. Enjoy!

Coconut Curry Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
Serves 4
4-6 cups of water
2 cups of dry lentils
1 yellow onion, cut up 
1 teaspoon of ginger, minced and shredded
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 zucchini, cut up
1 rib of celery, cut up
2-3 carrots, cut up 
3-5 bay leaves
Bunch of fresh mint
1/2 lime, cut up
salt
pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 cup of coconut milk


Directions:
Add water to a pot and let boil on a medium heat. As the water starts to boil, cut up the ginger, onions, and garlic and place them into the pot, along with the bay leaves. mint and rosemary. Cover and lower flame. Let cook for 10 minutes. Add the lentils and let cook for about an hour. Cut up the celery, carrots, zucchini, and add them to the pot, along with the curry powder, salt, pepper, lime and coconut milk. Cover and let cook for another 10-15 minutes. Taste and drizzle with some lime - you may need to add more salt and pepper. 


What is your favorite recipe for lentil soup?


Seriously Soupy Serena

Soup Swap Part 1: Fava Bean Pesto Soup with Prosciutto Wrapped Croutons

Swappers enjoying soup, bread, cheese and treats at the Brooklyn Soup Swap

This past weekend I hosted the First Annual Brooklyn Soup Swap at Rachael Mamane's loft (this is also the location of her Bonhomie Supper Club) where over 20 supers came out to enjoy a delicious afternoon of drinking wine, eating cheese, bread, crackers, cheddar jalapeno biscuits, fig treats, and devouring the main attraction: the soups. There were 7 very different soups including a chilled melon soup with a blue cheese cookie, a mushroom and barley with greens soup, a cauliflower soup with fried beetroot and chive oil, a roasted cauliflower soup with spinach and fried shallots, a vegetable coconut soup, a creamy potato and bacon soup, and a fava bean and pesto soup that I brought. By then end of the swap we were all stuffed and took home cartons of each others soup to enjoy at home. Since there are so many amazing soups, I'll be posting more pictures and the recipes from the swappers on Wednesday and Friday and my own recipe in this post.

Bread and olive oil

Delicious cheese, crackers and olives

Soup bowls for the swap

Warming up the soups

Cartons to take home the soups

A delicious soup, this one took quite a long time to prepare and cook (the fava beans took over four hours to soften) that also involved making homemade pesto and croutons then wrapping them prosciutto. Having never cooked fava beans, I found that the beans need something and that by adding pesto enhanced the flavors and really gave the soup a nice a hearty feel. The croutons themselves were  a simple cheese, basil, and olive oil mixture that was then wrapped in prosciutto (can be omitted). I hope you enjoy this one and I can't wait to share the rest of the soups from the swap. I am currently planning the next one for the end of March and thinking a soup and sandwich swap - please email at seriouslysoupy@gmail.com to be included on the list.

Fava Bean Pesto Soup with Prosciutto Wrapped Croutons

Ingredients: 
Soup:
6-8 cups of water
1 package of dry fava beans, soaked
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
6 white potatoes, 
2 chives, chopped up
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 leeks, chopped - white part only
2 celery ribs, chopped up
bunch of fresh basil
tablespoon of rosemary 
tablespoon of dill 
2-3 bay leaves 
salt 
pepper

Mashing up the homemade pesto

Homemade Pesto:
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 package of fresh basil
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
drizzle of olive oil


Prosciutto Wrapped Croutons:
1 loaf of crusty bread
drizzle of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced and peeled 
1 tablespoon of dried basil 
1/2 package of prosciutto


Directions:
Soak fava beans (overnight, if possible) or until soft. Pour water into a pot and put on a medium flame. Chop up the onions and garlic and place into the pot. When the water comes to a boil add the fava beans, chives, basil, dill, bay leaves, rosemary, salt and pepper. Cover and let cook for two hours - checking on it periodically. Cut up the leeks, potatoes and celery and place them into the pot. Cover and prepare the pesto.

Prepare the pesto: Start by pouring the pine nuts into a bowl, along with some parmesan cheese. Chop up the garlic and basil and drizzle some olive oil - coating the nuts and basil. Place in a food processor or blender until the mixture becomes a paste. Add the pesto to the soup and stir. Cover and let cook for another hour. 


Prepare the croutons: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut up the crusty bread into small squares on a baking tray. In a small bowl mix the olive oil, basil, garlic powder and cheese. Using a cooking brush, coat the pieces of bread. Place in the oven and cook for five minutes (or until golden brown) on each side. Turn off oven and let cool. Cut the prosciutto into small stripes and wrap around the croutons until finished. Set aside.

Check on the soup. Taste (you may need some more salt and pepper) and serve with a prosciutto wrapped crouton.

Seriously Soupy Serena

Vietnamese Noodle Soup with Miracle Noodle

Vietnamese Noodle Soup with Miracle Noodle - Seriously Soupy

As I mentioned in the Creamless Leek and Asparagus Soup with Celeriac Root and Kefir post, I recently attended the Cooking Experience, a culinary mash-up where participants learned about various products and brands such as Lifeway, LG, Welch's, SoyJoy, Nature's Path and Miracle Noodle, a all-natural Japanese noodle made from the root of the Konnyaku Imo plant. Since this isn't your typical grain-based pasta, Miracle Noodle contains only water and soluble fiber - making it gluten-free, soy-free and remarkably calorie-free. Not only touted to help with weight loss, Miracle Noodle actually tasted like, well noodles, and after I received a sample I was excited to try this product in a Vietnamese Noodle Soup that I read about on their website. Using everything except the cilantro (didn't have any), this quick soup (miracle noodle only takes about a minute to cook!) had a slight kick from the chili sauce that was also slightly sweet thanks to the ginger and lime. The unique combination of flavors and the hearty noodles also made for a filing soup that you would never realize wasn't the "real" thing. To learn more about Miracle Noodles, please visit: http://www.miraclenoodle.com.

Vietnamese Noodle Soup
Recipe from Miracle Noodle
Ingredients:
3 cups organic reduced sodium chicken stock

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp minced ginger

1/4 tsp cardamom

1- 7oz bag of Miracle Noodle Angel Hair Noodles

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast sliced crosswise into 1/8 slices

1 cup bean sprouts

2 scallions, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

1 tsp chili sauce (optional)

1/2 lime, cut in half

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/3 cup of mushrooms-any variety (optional)
 - I used dried porcini mushrooms
1 thinly slice chili pepper with seeds removed (optional)

 
Method:
    1.    In a 3 quart saucepan, bring chicken stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger and cardamom and let simmer for 10 minutes.
    2.    In a colander rinse noodles with warm water for a couple of minutes, pat dry with a small hand towel or paper towel to remove excess water. Divide noodles into two bowls.
    3.    Add chicken to stock and let cook for 5 minutes(until completely cooked)
    4.    Pour soup into bowls over the noodles. Divide bean sprouts between 2 soup bowls then top each serving with half the scallions and chili sauce. Garnish bowls with a slice of lime and pieces of cilantro.
 
Nutritional Info:
2 Servings
Calories 180

Total Fat 3.6g

Saturated Fat 1.0g

Cholesterol 73mg

Total Carbohydrates 6.2g

Dietary Fiber 1.7g

Protein 31.1g

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potato Soup

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potato Soup - Seriously Soupy

Brussels sprouts are a hit or miss food - as mentioned when I made the soup - Mushroom Barley with Roasted Brussels Sprouts. The beauty of soups is that they can enhance and give 'boring' foods a new life with the addition of spices and the pairing of other vegetables. I recently made a bowl of roasted brussel sprout and sweet potato soup and instantly loved the earthy/sweet taste of this quick and healthy soup. Using homemade vegetable stock, rosemary, thyme, curry and an onion, this soup made it very easy to eat my brussels sprouts.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potato Soup 

Ingredients:
4 cups of vegetable broth
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
Stalk of brussels sprouts, chopped 
2 sweet potatoes, cut up
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
3 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon of salt and pepper
2 tablespoons curry powder
drizzle of olive oil

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut up the brussels sprouts and place them on a baking pan or a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and let cook for 40 minutes. Chop up the onions, garlic and ginger and place them in a pot, along with the vegetable stock. Bring to a slight boil and add the sweet potatoes, rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, cinnamon, curry, salt and pepper. Check on the brussels sprouts and add them to the pot (when soft). Cover and let cook for another 30-40 minutes. Taste and add salt or pepper (if needed). Blend the soup together in a blender or with a immersion blender. Enjoy!

Seriously Soupy Serena

Roasted Root Vegetable and Turkey Soup and Prospect Farm Soup Cook-Off

Roasted Root Vegetable and Turkey Soup - Seriously Soupy

Roasted Root Vegetable and Turkey Soup topped with Sage - Seriously Soupy

People's choice winner. Check out that squash!

This weekend I had the honor to participate in Prospect Farm's Soup Cook-Off - a communal cooking event/fundraiser for a new volunteer-run farm in Windsor Terrace. Once an open plot of land, the area has been transformed into a fully-functional compost deposit station where locals can drop-off their non-cooked waste to be turned into soil. Since there is a high-lead concentration in the soil, organizers are starting slow with the growing process where a small plot of land is used to grow carrots, romaine lettuce, kale, and beets. There are also several squashes that no one has planted but continue to thrive at the farm, including four to six different shapes of squash.

For the cook-off, I entered a roasted root vegetable and turkey soup/stew that I also made for the soup party a few weeks ago. One rule of the event was that all of the soups had to have at least one ingredient that came from a local source. Most of my soups use ingredients that come from my local farmers market, so that part was pretty easy in addition I used organic turkey and fresh herbs. A two-part recipe (some marinating is involved), this is a great soup/stew that is filing and has various flavors (sweet and savory) that is a healthy variation to a standard meat chili. I ended up winning the people's choice (see my squash trophy) that was tied with a cauliflower and chorizo soup with kale chips. I hope to have some of the recipes from the cook-off on here real soon!
 

Growing vegetables at the Prospect Farm

A massive squash at the Prospect Farm

Soup Tasting!

First Place: Barley Soup with Local Greens, Dill, and Feta
Second Place (tie): Jerusalem Artichoke Soup and Blue Cheese and Roasted Cauliflower Soup
People's Choice (tie): Roasted Root Vegetable and Turkey Soup and Cauliflower and Chorizo Soup with Kale Chips

For additional information about Prospect Farm, please visit www.ProspectFarm.org or fan them on facebook by visiting www.Facebook.com/ProspectFarmBK. You can also reach them via email them at ProspectFarmBK@gmail.com.

The Judges - Joe Brancaccio of Brancaccio's Food Shop and Brandon Maya 

One of Each Soup and Homemade Croutons

One of Each Soup Topped with Fresh Chives and Homemade Croutons by Joann Pan and Amanda Boyd

Guest Bloggers: Joann Pan and Amanda Boyd

Greetings, soup lovers of the world - and congratulations to Seriously Soupy for turning one! Guest blogging best friends Joann Pan and Amanda Boyd here ready to introduce you to a fun soup that is easy and takes under an hour to prepare and eat. We woke up Saturday morning and were craving something warm and hearty for cold, fall nights, as well as for our usually empty lunch boxes for work. We found it when we were scouring binders off of prized soup recipes—One of Each Soup. It’s one of the easiest soups you can make any day of the week when you are short on time—and only takes a short grocery list. The One of Each Soup calls for one of almost every ingredient. Once everything is collected and you’re ready to chop and measure, heat the vegetable broth (or broth of your choice) to a steady simmer. 

If you’re feeling apprehensive about the banana, make sure it isn’t too ripe or just use half instead. While Amanda thought the banana added a little something special to the soup, Joann thought it could have done with a little less banana. Taste as you go, and you'll find the right balance for your very own One of Each Soup.

Ingredients for One of Each Soup

Soup Party Preview: Ribollita (Bread Soup)

Ribollita (Bread Soup) - Seriously Soupy

It's finally here; the soup party! For the past couple of days, I have been thinking about nothing other than soup (not that this is any different of any other day), but mainly because people would actually be tasting my soup and not reading about my recipes or me stating how delicious, good and hearty they are. Tonight's event will include four soups (one of which is from a Russian cabbage and beef soup recipe by Rachel Mamane of Brooklyn Bouillon who won the fall soup contest) and this hearty (can't resist the term) ribollita. Similar to a minestrone soup (minus the red beans and the pasta), this bread soup includes kale, bread, and white beans and savory herbs like rosemary and basil. Another quick and simple fall soup, I can't wait to take some recipes out of my small kitchen and finally have people (other than Mr. Soupy) try them. If you can't attend, I hope you enjoy this comforting bowl of soup and perhaps you can join us for the next soup party...

Soup notes - the tasting part is the most exciting

Oyster Stew

Oyster Stew by Deja Vu Cook

Guest Blogger: Kathleen of Deja Vu Cook 

When it is time for fish and shellfish stew and chowder I think of many places in New England and all the fabulous meals shared.  I grew up in Connecticut with all the relatives in Boston and many summers on Cape Cod, so those recipes share a special place in my heart and home.  “Oyster Stew” is always on the menu during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years holidays for me.  This tradition started for me in Goshen, Connecticut in the mid-70s.  A couple friends of mine bought a 200-year-old salt-box in the Town of Goshen, Connecticut and I spent many happy holiday times with them through the years.  Oyster Stew was part of their tradition and immediately was adopted by me.  Oh, that was easy, I love oysters!   But it is also one of the first soups I make when the weather changes here in Florida.  Today is the third day I have my windows open so all the soup recipes are coming out of the cupboards.  

Oyster Stew
Ingredients:
16 0z. shucked oysters and their liquid
1/2 C. onion (diced)
1/2 C. celery (peeled and diced)
6 T. unsalted butter
1/2 t. worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 C – 2 C.  heavy cream
Freshly ground pepper (season to taste)
1-2 oz. dry sherry (optional)
Chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Pick through the oysters carefully removing any bits of shell
2. Place in a sauce pan with their liquid and 2 C. of water and heat til the oysters begin to curl
3. Remove and set aside, strain the liquid and set aside
4. Simmer the onion and celery in butter in a soup pot until tender (approx. 6 minutes)
5. Add the oyster liquid and heavy cream and heat “almost” to the boiling point, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes
6. Stir in the Worcestershire
7. Add the oysters and season to taste with pepper
8. Pour into warmed bowls and add (1 t. sherry to each bowl-Optional) 
9. Garnish with chopped parsley

(Serves 4)
(Compliments of John Totino, Architect)
Adapted from the book “Jasper White’s Cooking from New England” by Jasper White

To read more recipes by Kathleen, be sure to check out her blog, "Deja Vu" Cook.

Do you have a soup that you would like to contribute to Seriously Soupy? Email me at seriouslysoupy@gmail.com for more details!

Sage Butternut and Apple Soup

Sage Butternut and Apple Soup by Sanura Weathers

Guest Blogger: Sanura Weathers of My Life Runs on Food

The beautiful thing about a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is that you never know what type of fruit or vegetable you will get. This week, the share included 10 pounds of three varieties of apples. The classic, green Granny Smith wasn't one of the options, and that's a favorite cooking apple. I have less passion for red apples. Noticing my disappointment, the organizer recommended the Macoun, being that it is both a tart and sweet apple. Can you imagine how it feels to carry 10 pounds of your least favorite apple home? Recipe ideas swirled around in my head. Like a fly swatter, most ideas were mentally rejected, because the recipes require green apples. However, my ignorance about red apples is now correct, for I'm eating humble pie (apples make a great pie). The Macoun apples are prized for their delicious taste in baking. The fresher the Macoun picked from the tree, the crisper the texture, which makes it a great baking apple. Since receiving the CSA share, almost every dish had apples, including soup.

In the same CSA share as the apples, was a welcoming medium-size butternut squash. There were initial thoughts of turning it into a fall soup incorporating apples as a natural sweetener. sage, a fresh herb grown abundantly in my urban garden, would contrast the sweetness of the soup. It's a difficult herb to use in the summer. Perhaps, the aroma is too strong and heavy. However, it pairs well with heavier ingredients, such as butternut squash. Using the typical fall spices, such as cinnamon and nutmeg, parsnips, and a drizzle of fig vinegar, an early fall soup was made. Like pie, this humble soup is savored and is the perfect soup for the cooler months ahead. Enjoy!

Sage Butternut and Apple Soup 
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove; minced
1 butternut squash; peeled, seeds removed, and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
3 cups Macoun apples; peeled, cored and chopped
2 to 4 parsnips; peeled and chopped (or use carrots)
1 quart chicken stock
1 tsp. honey or dark maple syrup
1/8 cup white wine
1 cup fresh sage; divided; plus more for garnish
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Salt and fresh black pepper; to taste
Crushed red pepper; to taste
(Optional) Fresh, organic cream
Fig or balsamic vinegar 

Directions:
1. Add onions to warm olive oil over medium heat in a pot. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper, and garlic. Stir for 30 seconds.
2. Add the butternut squash, apples, parsnips and 1/2 cup sage to the onion mixture
3. Add the chicken/vegetable stock, honey and wine. Bring the pot to a boil. Adjust seasoning.
4. Reduce temperature and cover pot with a lid. Soup should slowly simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
5. When the vegetables are soft, turn off the heat. Move pot to a cooler area on the stove or another area in the kitchen. Let soup cool for 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Add the second half of the fresh sage to the soup. Working in batches, place soup in a food processor and pure until smooth.
7. Return soup to the pot and reheat to a slow simmer. (Optional: Add cream and bring soup back to a simmer) Adjust seasoning.
8. Ladle soup into individual bowls. Drizzle with fig (balsamic) vinegar.

Note: Before returning the puree back to the pot, strain the soup if a smoother texture is preferred.


To read more recipes by Sanura Weathers, be sure to check out her healthy food blog: My Life Runs on Food.


Do you have a soup that you would like to contribute to Seriously Soupy? Email me at seriouslysoupy@gmail.com for more details!

Borscht Recipe

Borscht - Seriously Soupy

I have been meaning to try my hand at borscht for awhile on Soupy but for reason I haven't gotten around to it until this week. I didn't know that much about the soup - except that it was a Russian soup that included beets. When I read more about it, I learned that borscht (or bortsch, borstch, borsh, barszcz, and borshc) is a regional cuisine from Central and Eastern Europe, that depending on the country, can be served hot or cold and whose ingredients vary just as much as how the soup is pronounced. For example, hot borscht (generally from Poland) is made with beets, potatoes, celery, and even bacon while the cold borscht may have tomatoes, cucumbers, and cream. There are also borscht recipes that include meat and mushrooms and those that have cabbage and buttermilk. Since the temps are dropping, I decided to try a hot borscht and based my recipe on ideas and some ingredients from "The Soup Bible" and "Simply Recipes." Sort of a fusion of the two, my borscht was pureed but also had chucks of beets that resulted in a delicious and sweet soup. Since there are so many possibilities, I look forward to trying another type of borscht very soon, until then enjoy!

Beets - the base of borscht soup