Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Soup's On!



Winter has me all bundled up and leaning into the comfort foods — diving into roasts and things baking in the oven, filling the house with all the comforting aromas of winter.   It's also got me wanting to dive into the world of soups and learn a few things about what it takes to make these scrumptious winter suppers!




For this post I wanted to explore three different soups, each a different comfort on a cold winter's day!







Leek, Potato + Celery Root Soup


Ingredients:

— 1 Celery Root, Peeled and Medium Diced
— 2 Golden Potatoes, Peeled and Medium Diced
— 2 1/2 Cups Whole Milk
— 2 Leeks, Thinly Sliced
— Salt + Pepper
— 1/4 tsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg
— Unsalted Butter


Step 1:  Combine potatoes and celery root in a stock pot; pour in the Whole Milk and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 20-25 minutes until vegetables are tender and you can easily pierce them with a fork.  Keep an eye on this mixture as milk can boil up quickly.

Step 2:  While your potato mixture simmers, melt 2 tbsp of unsalted butter in a fry pan.  Add your leeks and sauté until bright green and beginning to brown, about 5-7 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Step 3:  Combine potato mixture and leeks in a blender in batches, creating a pureed soup.  Reserve some of your leeks for garnish.  Return to the pot and heat until just simmering; add your nutmeg and then salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4:  Pour into soup bowls and garnish each with a pile of sautéed leeks and a twist of freshly ground pepper.  Enjoy!










French Onion Soup


*This recipe comes from my husband, who combined a few recipes from Alton Brown and Matty Matheson to make this winter winner!


Ingredients:

— 5 Sweet Onions (about 4lbs)
— 3 tbsp Butter
— 1 tsp salt
— 2 Cups White Wine
— 10oz Canned Beef Consume
— 10 oz Chicken Broth
— 10oz Apple Cider
— 1 Bunch of Thyme Sprigs
— 1 Loaf of Country Style Bread
— Kosher Salt
— Ground Black Pepper
— 1 Cup Fontina or Gruyere Cheese, Grated



Step 1: Trim the ends off each onion, then halve lengthwise.  Peel and finely slice the onions.  In a skillet, melt the butter and then add a layer of onions and sprinkle with a little salt.  Repeat layering onions and salt until all the onions are in the skillet.   Do not stir the onions until they have sweated down for 15 - 20 minutes.  After that, stir occasionally until onions are dark mahogany and reduced to approximately 2 cups.  This should take 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Do not worry about burning. 


Step 2:  Add enough wine to cover the onions and turn heat to high, reducing the wine to a syrup consistency.  Add consume, chicken broth, apple cider, and thyme sprigs.  Reduce heat and simmer 15 - 20 minutes. 


Step 3:  Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven and heat broiler.   Cut bread into rounds large enough to fit the mouth of oven safe soup crocks.  Place the slices on a baking sheet and place under broiler for 1 minute.


Step 4:  Season soup mixture with salt and pepper.  Remove thyme sprigs and ladle soup into crocks leaving 1 inch to the lip.  Place bread round, toasted side down, on top of soup and top with grated cheese.  Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, 1-2 minutes.  Remove your soup from the oven and let cool to a safe temperature for eating.  Enjoy!











Butternut Squash and Sage Soup


*Recipe adapted from Food52


Ingredients:

— Unsalted Butter
— 1 bunch of Sage Leaves
— 1 3-4 lb Butternut Squash, Peeled and Medium Diced
— 1/2 tsp each Salt + Pepper
— 1/4 tsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg
— 1 Cup Whole Milk
— 2 tbsp Heavy Cream
— 3tbsp Sherry
— 2 Cups Chicken Stock



Step 1:  Melt 2 tbsp of unsalted butter in a stock pot.  Add your sage leaves and sauté until beginning to brown, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove sage leaves from heat and let drain on a paper towel.

Step 2: Add the squash, nutmeg, salt and pepper to your pot of sage butter, and cook 5 minutes more, stirring frequently.

Step 3: Add Sherry and cook for a couple minutes to reduce, then add the chicken stock to the pot.  Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes or until squash is tender.

Step 4:  Blend the soup with the milk in batches in a blender, and then return to the pot and heat until simmering.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then stir in another splash of sherry and the cream.

Step 5:  Pour into soup bowls and garnish each with a few crispy sage leaves and a drizzle of cream.  Enjoy!













Until Next Time, 



— The Lovely Red Fox

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