It is fall - time for soup - comfort soup

This recipe is adapted from what Sonia gave to Matt after she had a fabulous soup she loved in Portugal. Knowing Matt's love off all things potato....


sautee in olive oil:
chopped onion, celery and carrots (it matters not how much, I recommend more onion than celery)
salt and pepper

when softened, cover with water (or chicken broth/stock)
and add peeled, chopped potato (2-3 potatoes per onion)

bring all to simmer and take off the heat when the potatoes are tender.

then blend/puree (using handblender is easier, but you could stick this in a blender)

put back on heat and add water/ broth to your desired consistency
then add veg of your choice:
chopped celery and carrots
chopped kale or other milder green - spinach, collards

season with salt, pepper and fresh chopped basil.

Serve with bread, cheese, wine, beer...yummy

Split pea soup with fresh peas and potatoes

A great use of leftover Easter ham...for a very cold April!

This recipie is from Mothering magazine. It has become a family favorite for 3 out of 4 of us.

This makes 4 servings, but I double or tripple it to freeze for later.

1 Cup green rinsed split green peas (you can soak them 4-6 hours but I never do)
1T. butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1-2 t. sea salt
1 stalk celery chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 small red potatoes, cubed
1 t. cumin powder
black pepper, freshly ground (1-2 turns)
4 C. water or vegetable stock or chicken stock
1 large bay leaf
1 small ham bone
2 teaspoons apple-cider vinegar
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1-2 t. fresh dill or 1/2 t. dried

Soak split peas 4-6 hours in 4 C of water or stock. (I don't do this as I usually decide at the last minute what to make for dinner...it turns out just as good as soaking them)

Heat fat in a pressure cooker or soup pot. Add onions and salt and saute until onions begin to soften. Add celery, carrot, potatoes, cumin, and pepper; saute an additional 5-7 minutes. Add split peas, water or stock, and bay leaf. Add ham bone and vinegar. If pressure-cooking: bring up to pressure on high heat, then lower heat and cook 40 minutes. If using soup pot: bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer 60-90 minutes. Once split peas have softened and the soup has become creamy, remove ham bone. Cut off any mean, discard skin and bone, dice meat into small pieces, and add to soup with fresh or frozen peas and dill. Check seasonings; add more salt and pepper if needed. Continue cooking a few minutes until peas are tender. Soup is ready to serve.

I serve with a few peas on top and a sprinkle of dried dill

Prep time: 50 minutes (pressure cooker) 1 3/4 hours (soup pot)

Share the Love Crock Pot Campaign- chapter one Leek and Potato Soup

Serves 6 (ish)
ingredients: olive oil, 4 medium leeks, I large onion, 3 -4 cloves garlic, 4-5 medium to large potatoes, 5-6 cups chicken broth (can substitute water or vegetable broth if needed), salt, white pepper, chives, 2 T butter, whole milk or heavy cream

Wash, peel and chop potatoes and to slow cooker and cover with broth. Cover and put on low 5-7hours
As soon as they are in, wash, chop, rinse and saute leeks in a little olive oil along with chopped onion and garlic. Add to potatoes and leave it all alone til much later!

When potatoes are tender, puree with hand blender (or transfer to food processor/blender). Return to crock, add salt, pepper, butter and a splash of heavy cream (til it looks creamy and tastes amazing).

Serve chopped chives on top and french bread on the side!

My Notes: to my mind taking a little time to saute is worth extra time, however you could skip this process and entirely and add it all at the same time - this is what the recipe I base this on does, but since I've never met a recipe that I haven't tweaked, I decided to see what would happen if I went for extra flavor, hence the onion and garlic as well. Last time I cooked this I deglazed my saute pan with some white wine, that was awesome. Also, I chopped up and sauteed and extra leek and left some of the greens on - these I tossed into the pureed soup giving it a rustic look.

Notes from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker: -
one hour before ending time add - a bunch of watercress and 12oz frozen peas, or 2 cups spinach (and 1 cup heavy cream after puree stage)

Enjoy!

Spicy Lentil Pot

Heather here. This recipe is a favorite of ours for fall and winter. We got it from my friend Mandy. It comes from the recipe book Extending the Table which I should probably own. It's super easy to make!

Spicy Lentil Pot Serves 4-6
Chop in Large Chunks:
2 Carrots
1 Green Pepper
1 Onion
2-3 Tomatoes or 1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce

Put vegetables into a large soup pot and add:
5-8 cloves of peeled garlic (left whole)
1 and 1/2 cups red lentils (rinsed and drained)
4-5 cups of water
1 chicken boullion cube

Cover, bring to a boil. Turn down heat and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes without stirring.
Skim foam from lentils as desired. Cool slightly then puree.

Return to pot and add:
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1 teaspoon ground red pepper (or to taste)

Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Optional: in separate pan fry 1/2 cup of chopped onion in 1 T. of oil until toasty brown. Float onions on top of soup. Serve with wedges of lemon to bring out flavor.

Notes: I don't add the onions, but the lemon can be nice. Also, I have made it without the boullion and it's still been great.