February 27, 2007

Kale Soup

I made this soup last night, and I thought it was tasty and satisfying. I can imagine people who aren’t used to kale, quinoa, and tahini might need some easing into this one, but here you are nevertheless. Here’s the version I made:

Creamy Kale Soup
Serves 2-3 dinner sized portions

1/2 Cup Green Lentils
1/2 Cup Quinoa (I like to use half-and-half)
1/2 Medium Onion, finely chopped
4 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Small Bunch Kale
5 cups water

Spices
1 tsp Cumin, heaping
1/2 tsp Curry Powder
1 Veg Bullion Cbbe
3 Tbs Tahini
2-3 Tbs Tamari or Soy Sauce

Wash and de-stem kale (I use kitchen scissors to cut along the sides of the stems), tear the leaves into smallish pieces. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, and add quinoa and lentils. Sautee for a few minutes, add spices and kale. Mix well. Add water and bullion cube and bring to a boil. Cover and turn down heat to low. Simmer for 35-40 minutes.

Carefully blend the hot soup in a food processor or blender and return to pot. You can skip this step or blend only half of the soup if you want some texture, but I think it’s nicest smooth. Add tahini and tamari to taste.

To garnish, mix 1-2 Tbs of tahini with a small amount of water until it becomes smooth and bright. Drizzle on top of the soup and serve.

February 10, 2007

Kabocha Soup

This is my first experience with Kabocha squash, a japanese winter pumpkin. I saw them at the co-op and couldn’t resist their cute size – I immediately wanted to make little soup bowls out of their rinds. Besides being cute, they’re also tasty and good for you, rich in beta carotene, with a decent amount of vitamin C and iron to boot.

When I cut them open I was so surprised by their color. The flesh near the rind was avocado green, giving way to a bright yellow-orange. I roasted them before I scooped out the flesh for the soup, but only one of my squash rind soup bowls survived the roasting process. The second came out of the oven with large cracks in it. Since I’ve never worked with this squash before I’m not sure if I was extremely lucky to have one survive, or unlucky to have one break.

This soup is really simple, complicated only by creating the decorative bowl for it. The rich yellow color makes the soup look for all the world like it was spiked with tumeric. It’s very rich so a small serving alongside some hearty steamed kale was just the thing I needed for a cold February night.

Kabocha Squash Soup
Serves Two

2 Small-Medium Kabocha Squashes, of similar size
1 Cup Soymilk
1/2 Can of Coconut Milk (about 7 oz)
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1 Vegetable Bullion Cube (package should state that 1 cube makes 2 cups of broth)
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
Black Pepper to taste
Smoked Paprika
Parsley

If not making bowls from the rinds, halve squashes, scoop out the seeds and coat with olive oil. Sprinke with salt and place in a 400Âº F oven for 30 minutes, or until flesh is tender enough to spoon from the rinds.

Scoop out flesh into a soup pot, it will look sort of dry. Add remaining ingredients, less paprika and parsey. Whisk to break down lumps while simmering. Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

The thickness of the soup will depend on how much squash you scraped out of the rinds, so feel free to add liquid (more coconut milk, soymilk, or even water) at this point to reach a consistancy you like. Reheat on the stove if necessary. Serve, garnished with paprika and parsley.