Spring Green Soup

During the transition from winter to spring, I always get a little confused by the weather. One day it’s beautiful and warm and I think it’s time to break my sandals out of hibernation, but the next day it’s foggy and freezing again. Last weekend, I had high hopes of wearing pastels and florals on Easter, but I just checked the weather and it’s supposed to rain!

While the climate is unpredictable, there is one thing that’s certain right now: the produce of spring has sprung. A big pot of soup, made with green vegetables, is comforting and cleansing.

Since I served this as a first course at my brainstorming luncheon, I wanted it to be luxurious in texture, so I added heavy cream. If you prefer to make a healthy and vegetarian version, omit the cream and use vegetable broth as the liquid base. To save time, chop the onion, garlic, and potato quickly in a food processor.

Spring Green Soup

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
5 small red potatoes, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs asparagus, rough root edge trimmed and discarded, stalks sliced into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup white wine
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
Half a bag of fresh spinach (about 5 ounces)
1 large handful fresh parsley
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 lemon, juiced

1. Heat the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and fragrant, 8 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, 8 minutes. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Add the asparagus and cook until it turns green, about 5 minutes.
4. Pour the white wine into the pot and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook for 4-6 minutes to let most of the alcohol burn off.
5. Pour the vegetable or chicken stock into the pot, raise the heat, and bring the entire mixture to a boil.
6. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
7. Add the spinach and parsley to the soup and stir to combine. Remove the pot from the heat.
8. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until everything is blended and the mixture is a brilliant green color and the texture is somewhat liquidy.
9. Place the pot back on the stove and rewarm over medium low heat. Add the heavy cream and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, and lemon juice if necessary. Serve immediately or let cool. Once cool, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Warm over medium heat, stirring often.

Serves 10-12.

Vegetarian Minestrone

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m trying to cook more vegetarian cuisine. Since soups are perfect for this time of year, I’m experimenting with different kinds of vegetable soup. Minestrone is a family favorite, but normally there’s some sort of pork (sausage, pancetta, bacon, etc.) involved. However, this recipe is meat free, hearty, and absolutely delicious. It’s a great way to use up leftover vegetables. Just throw everything you have into the pot; spinach can be used instead of kale, shallots instead of onions, and Brussels sprouts instead of broccoli. This soup only gets better with time: I like to make a big batch and enjoy it all week. If you have a parmesan rind lying around, add it to the soup with the broth. It will provide an immense richness to the dish.

Vegetarian Minestrone

1/4 cup olive oil
1 half of a large onion, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
1 carrot, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bell pepper, minced
1 zucchini, minced
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped button mushrooms
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup red wine
5-6 stalks kale, stems removed, rinsed and dried, coarsely chopped
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes and their juice
8 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (14 oz) can white cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup small pasta (I used mini shells)
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Freshly grated parmesan cheese, optional for serving

1. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. When it’s hot, add the onion, celery, and carrots. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring the vegetables occasionally, so that they don’t burn, for 7 minutes.
2. Add the bell pepper, zucchini, and broccoli. Stir to combine everything. Cook until the broccoli turns a vibrant green, 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms and garlic. Season the vegetables again with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue to cook the vegetables, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes. The vegetables will start to break down and caramelize.
4. Increase the heat to high and add the wine. Stir, scrapping up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Boil until all of the wine has just about evaporated.
5. Add the kale and stir into the vegetables, wilting for 2 minutes.
6. Add the tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 12 minutes.
7. Raise the heat to medium high. When the soup is almost at a boil, add 2/3 of the beans to the pot. Squeeze the other 1/3 of the beans in your hands to mash before adding to the soup. Add the pasta and cook according to the manufacture’s directions, 8-10 minutes.
8. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings to your liking, adding more salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with parsley, and freshly grated parmesan cheese, if using, and enjoy immediately.

Serves 4-6.

Asparagus Soup

Last week I went to the store to pick up spring ingredients to get me in the mood for the new season. Although you can get asparagus all year round, in my mind, it screams spring and it was on the top of my grocery list. I had grand plans to make a vegetarian sandwich with roasted asparagus and goat cheese — however, I woke up the following morning with a horrible head cold and craved nothing but a comforting bowl of soup. That’s how this recipe was born. I made asparagus soup and served it alongside a simple grilled cheese sandwich.

The soup is rich, but light with a wonderful spring color, velvety texture, and fresh, grassy asparagus flavor. It pairs perfectly with a goat cheese grilled cheese sandwich. I’m not sure how asparagus and goat cheese came to be a flavor combination, but the two go together like peanut butter and jelly, which is to say, quite well. For the sandwich, I used goat cheese and a little bit of finely grated parmesan cheese. I spread the outside of the bread in butter before cooking it in a skillet on the stove.

Asparagus Soup

1 tablespoon canola oil
2 large shallots, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 bunch of fat asparagus spears, root ends trimmed and discarded, sliced into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup fresh spinach
2 heaping teaspoons mascarpone cheese, optional

1. In a large stockpot, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until fragrant and soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and sauté 3 minutes more. Add the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring to combine everything for 3 minutes.
3. Add the stock or water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-18 minutes. The asparagus should be very tender.
4. Add the spinach and season generously with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
5. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until everything is well blended and combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
6. Return the to the stove and reheat, if necessary, over low heat. Stir in the mascarpone, if using. Ladle into bowls and enjoy. Serve with goat cheese grilled cheese sandwiches for dipping.

Serves 4.

Butternut Squash Soup

During the Winter, I love to make soup. I’ll put it together on Sunday evening and enjoy it for lunch or dinner all week long. Sometimes I’ll end up bringing dinner to a friend’s house and the occasions where I have a pot of soup in my fridge have been wonderful. A tupperware of soup is easy to transport and quick to reheat on the stove. This is a pretty basic butternut squash soup recipe with the addition of pimenton, smoked Spanish paprika, providing a delicate smokiness. I’m obsessed with croutons, so I topped the soup with a couple bites of toasted bread, but it’s equally delicious on its own.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup shallots, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups butternut squash, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1 quart chicken stock
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon pimenton (smoked Spanish paprika)
1/2 cup milk
Croutons, for serving, optional

1. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the squash and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the wine and simmer until the wine is reduced, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the chicken stock, rosemary sprig, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered for 12 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
5. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it’s completely smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and puree in batches; return the smooth soup to the pot.
6. Add the pimenton and milk and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings adding more salt, pepper, or pimenton. Ladle into bowls, top with croutons, if using, and enjoy immediately.

Serves 6.