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Potato Leek Soup
Simple goodness in a soup bowl – what could be more comforting in any season? I love this velvety potato leek soup for lunch, but it’s also the perfect starter for your evening meal. Rich, buttery Yukon Golds lend exceptional flavor and cook up rather quickly. Once tender, there are a couple of options for turning them into your desired level of smoothness. Fresh herbs and edible flower petals along with a drizzle of heavy cream turns this soup into a classic spring dish. During fall and winter, consider topping with frizzled shallots or deeply roasted mushrooms. Whenever you make this potato leek soup recipe, let your garnishes reflect the…
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Roasted Tomato Soup
With all the recent snow, it’s time for a clean comfort food recipe that’s satisfying and relies on pantry staples you can stock up on before the next storm. Since whole peeled tomatoes are packed at the point of peak flavor, they are reliable throughout the year and preferable during the months when garden grown ones are still months away. Roasting them increases their sweetness. Just make sure to reserve their juice as this will be added to the soup as well. For a vegan version, substitute vegetable stock and use olive oil instead of the tiny amount of butter. Pure tomato goodness is the best way to describe the…
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Roasted Carrot Soup
When carrots are roasted, their natural flavor intensifies and carries a savory soup in a way I love even more than butternut squash. Try this recipe if you enjoy roasted vegetables, hearty soups, or are looking for a plant-based dish for lunch or dinner. Traditional or vegan grilled cheese croutons or sandwiches served on the side make this the coziest meal. Even though the heat stayed with us well into September, there were breaks when cool days called me to make a pot of soup, dream of crispness in the air, and even think a bit ahead to the Thanksgiving holiday. Fortunately carrots develop more sweetness as we head toward…
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Pumpkin Tomato Soup in a Whole Pumpkin
A roasted pumpkin serves as the bowl and a key ingredient for this creamy soup. Instead of carving a jack-o’-lantern, try carving a soup bowl this autumn for a dinner that makes an irresistibly seasonal presentation. Fire-roasted tomatoes keep the soup bright, and while I add cream, it can be omitted or substituted with a non-dairy alternative toward the end of cooking. Everything is cooking directly in the whole pumpkin before being blended smooth, and Gruyère-topped croutons take it over the top. Recently my mother gifted me a beautiful plate with wintry oranges reminiscent of the clove-studded ones she would make each holiday season. She continually has gifted me a…
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Cantaloupe Gazpacho
This cold summer soup balances savory and sweet with ripe, juicy cantaloupe and tomatoes as the base. Although gazpacho is a traditional Spanish soup, here the addition of cantaloupe and a garnish of prosciutto or jamón serrano makes it more broadly Mediterranean and, for me, taste like Italy. A staple appetizer on the Italian side of my family was prosciutto-wrapped melon. As a child, I would wrap the juicy slices and marvel at how my mother invented such a delicious pairing. I thought she had invented so many of the classics in the way we naturally ascribe inventor status to those we love. Topping the cantaloupe gazpacho with a bit…
