In the cold, dark days of winter, soups bring a comforting warmth and nourish not only the soul but the body. They can pack a hefty nutritional punch, especially if peas, beans and lentils are used. These recipes are excellent sources of iron, protein and other nutrients and dietary fibre.
Roasted Garlic and Shallot Potato Soup with Croutons
This soup does not freeze well so plan to make an amount that will be used within a couple of days. Wine can be substituted with chicken stock.
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- 3 whole garlic heads, unpeeled
- 3 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, divided 50 mL
- 1 1/4 tsp. salt, divided 7 mL
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided 5 mL
- 8 shallots, unpeeled
- 2 c. coarsely chopped onion 500 mL
- 1 c. dry white wine 250 mL
- 3 c. fat-free, low-sodium chicken stock 750 mL
- 2 c. (1/2 inch) cubed peeled potato 500 mL/2 cm
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme 5 mL
- 1 c. 2 percent milk 250 mL
- 16 3 cm thick slices
- French bread baguette
- cooking spray
- 3/4 c. crumbled blue cheese 185 mL
- 2 tbsp. grated fresh Parmesan cheese 30 mL
Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C).
Bake at 400 F (205 C) for 20 minutes. Add shallots to pan. Drizzle with one tablespoon (15 mL) oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt (1 mL) and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (1 mL).
Cover and bake for 25 minutes or until tender and browned. Cool. Squeeze garlic to extract pulp. Peel shallots and discard skins. Set garlic pulp and shallots aside.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons (20 mL) oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic pulp, peeled shallots and wine. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, five minutes.
Return pureed mixture to pan. Stir in milk, 3/4 teaspoon (4 mL) salt, and 1/2 teaspoon (3 mL) pepper. Cook over medium heat five minutes or until thoroughly heated.
To prepare croutons, place bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Lightly coat tops of bread with cooking spray.
Bake at 400 F (205 C) for eight minutes or until lightly browned. Turn once and then sprinkle cheeses evenly over bread. Bake three minutes or until cheese melts. Serve warm with soup. Serves four. – Adapted from Cooking Light.
Beer and Cheddar Soup with Kielbasa Sausage
Don’t skip the beer. Just find another recipe if you don’t want to use it. The flavours are complex and delicious.
- 2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. 40 mL
- vegetable oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic cloves, chopped
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter 90 mL
- 1/3 c. all-purpose flour 80 mL
- 3 c. low-sodium chicken broth 750 mL
- 12 oz. lager beer 350 mL
- 1/2 c. heavy cream 125 mL
- 8 oz. mild yellow cheddar, grated 225 g
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb. kielbasa sausage, cut 450 g into 6–8 pieces
- 1 apple, cored, sliced
Heat two tablespoons (30 mL) oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, eight to 10 minutes.
Add butter and stir until melted. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until beginning to turn golden brown, about four minutes.
Whisk in broth, beer and cream. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 10–15 minutes. Reduce heat to low and whisk in cheese a handful at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Remove from heat.
Cover and let sit for 10 minutes to ensure cheese is melted. Working in batches if needed, transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth or use an immersion blender in the pot. Season with salt and pepper.
Using a paring knife, score sausage, spacing cuts one half inch (1 cm) apart. Heat one teaspoon (5 mL) oil in a large grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausages, turning occasionally, until browned and crisp in spots, eight to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Toss apple in remaining one teaspoon (5 mL) oil in a small bowl. Cook in same grill pan until softened and slightly charred on both sides, about two minutes per side.
Divide soup among bowls. Top with sausage and apple. Serves four. – Adapted from Bon Appetit.
Squash and Fire-Roasted Tomato Soup with Quinoa
This soup is packed with nutrition and flavour. This soup is vegan if oil is used instead of butter. The bonus is that it freezes well.
- 1 small squash, any variety
- 1 onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 tbsp. olive oil 15 mL
- 1 tbsp. butter 15 mL
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped 15 mL
- 1 14 oz. fire roasted diced tomatoes, can 398 mL
- 1/2 tsp. coriander, crushed 2 mL
- 1 tsp. turmeric 5 mL
- 1/4 tsp. crushed chilies 2 mL
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 2 mL
- 1 1/2 tbsp. peanut butter 20 mL
- 1 tsp. honey 5 mL
- 1 c. mushroom or vegetable stock 250 mL
- 1 c. cooked chickpeas 250 mL
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 c. cooked quinoa 250 mL
- parsley for garnish
Oven roast squash until tender. Cool and remove seeds and skin. Puree pulp with a little added water.
Saute onion in olive oil and butter until translucent. Add garlic and ginger, then saute for another minute. Add coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, dried chilies and saute until aromatic.
Add canned tomatoes and pureed squash, heat to bubbling and keep at a simmer. Add peanut butter, honey, stock and chickpeas. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer for five minutes and remove from heat.
Serve immediately and top with a generous scoop of quinoa. Garnish with parsley. Serves six.
Sarah Galvin is a home economist, teacher and farmers’ market vendor at Swift Current, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. She writes a blog at allourfingersinthepie.blogspot.ca. Contact: team@producer.com.
