With New Year’s Day less than a week away, I’ve found myself not wanting to wait until the traditional January 1st to promise myself that I’ll turn over a new leaf here and there in my life — or perhaps nine.  Do I hear 25?  After all the cookies and cooking, left-over food,  and dishes to be washed, I’m ready for uncomplicated recipes, less sugar, and more vegetables.  While I’m on the subject, a personal chef would be great, too, but since that isn’t going to happen any time soon, I’ll settle for a soup that’s healthy and easy to prepare.  It’s elegant enough for a formal dinner, but is fabulous heated up for lunch when you want something flavorful and light.

This recipe for asparagus soup is different from a delicious Cream of Asparagus Soup I made recently in that it doesn’t contain milk products to achieve its creaminess.  Instead, a potato is cooked and blended with the other ingredients to thicken the soup.  Should you want a richer soup, a liberal drizzling of a good quality fruity extra virgin olive oil is enjoyable, but not necessary.

If you are one who appreciates a bit of cheese in soup, crumbled feta, goat’s cheese, or a curl of Parmesan are especially nice swirled into a hot bowl of this.

“Creamy” Asparagus Soup

2 lbs. asparagus, peeled, woody stems removed

3 T extra virgin olive oil plus 1/4 c. additional (optional)

1 lg. brown onion, peeled and sliced thinly

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lg. russet potato, peeled and diced

8 c. hot vegetable broth, low sodium

1 T fresh oregano, fresh

salt & cracked pepper to taste

feta, goat’s cheese, Parmesan to finish (optional)

Prepare an ice bath and set aside.  Drop the asparagus into salted, boiling water and cook about 3 minutes or until it turns bright green.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drop into the ice bath to stop the cooking.  After it’s completely cooled, remove the tips and set aside.  Chop the asparagus stems and reserve.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 T of olive oil.  Add the onion and saute until it’s very soft and nearly translucent, about 15 minutes.  Add the garlic and stir, cooking 1 minute longer.  Add the potato dice and stir, cooking for 2-3 minutes before pouring in the hot vegetable broth and oregano.  Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat and cook until the potato is fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Add the asparagus stem pieces and remove the skillet from the burner.

In batches, ladle the mixture into a blender and puree well.  If you’re going to add the olive oil, do so now.  If desired, once completely blended, pour the soup through a chinois for a more velvety soup.

Garnish with the reserved asparagus tips, cheese, or if you chose not to add the olive oil to the soup during blending, then drizzle over each serving now.

Notes:

• When we go to Las Vegas, we enjoy Todd English’s Olives restaurant at Belagio.  This recipe is an adaptation of his Asparagus Soup with Oregano and Feta Cheese available here.
• Don’t skip the step where you have to peel the asparagus stems and remove the woody stems.  I learned that years ago, ending up with a stringy soup with chunks of tough asparagus.
• Talk about messing up my kitchen — I normally use my immersion blender for soup like this, but it wasn’t doing a great job, so I poured it all into my Cuisinart.  Suffice it to say that that was a liquidy mess, so the blender was the best choice.  Pureed the soup efficiently, and allowed for easier pouring into the chinois.
• The original recipe called for the asparagus tips to be sauteed briefly with the feta.  Although the flavor was good, they weren’t exactly beautiful, so I’d recommend adding the cheese separately.  We had cheese-covered tips left over and that was quite sad.
• This soup is easy to make ahead:  cool completely at room temp, store in a well-sealed container and refrigerate.  Reheat the soup as needed.

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It’s only a matter of time once the hint of Fall teases me with cool afternoons that I start thinking of soup.  I’m not partial to any kind of soup in particular as long as it’s warm and satisfying.  Sometimes I long for a clear broth and others something silky and smooth.  This time, I was in the mood for something chunky with a bit of richness — like clam chowder — except I didn’t have clams.  Seafood chowder sounded excellent too, but I wasn’t sure the tilapia I had in the freezer would be the right kind of fish for that.  No, I’d have to settle for the plump pieces of shrimp I had and the sweet corn and potatoes that needed to be used instead.  I just needed to find  a recipe that wouldn’t take up an  afternoon to prepare.

I enjoy my recipe searches because in the process I compare and contrast general quantities of ingredients, consider the variety of spices used and admire an unusual spin here and there.  It’s always nice to find a version that is healthy without taking away the satisfying aspect of the dish, too.   Every once in a while, I find a recipe that stuns me.  In my search for Shrimp and Corn Chowder, I found a recipe that seems to be making its rounds, finding it posted at several different sites.  Serving six, it calls for one quart of half-and-half, one quart of heavy cream, and one-half cup of margerine. Seriously.  I just about fell out of my chair wondering why on Earth it was necessary to put that much fat into a recipe that could easily do with much lighter ingredients and avoid classifying it as diet food.

Thankfully, I found a great recipe at Nook & Pantry, and although I didn’t follow it exactly as written, my version is not too far off.  Shrimp & Corn Chowder anyone?

Shrimp & Corn Chowder

4 ears sweet corn, kernels removed

6 oz. bacon

1 lg. shallot, chopped

3 lg. cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

2 celery ribs, trimmed and diced

3 T flour

1/4 tsp.  hot paprika

2 dashes cayenne

4 c. good vegetable stock

2 c. milk, 2%

1 lb. fingerlings, cubed, peelings on

1 lb. lg. shrimp, shells & tails removed

Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry in the bottom of a medium soup pot until brown, but not yet crispy.  Remove the bacon to some paper towels to drain and pour off all but 1 T of the bacon fat.  Add all the vegetables, stirring over medium heat, cooking until softened but not browned, about 8 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute stirring occasionally.

Stir in the flour and paprika, coating the vegetables with it and allowing it to cook for a minute or two.

Add the vegetable broth, stirring any flour bits from the bottom of the pot as you pour.  Add the milk, corn, and potatoes and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 25 minutes.  Add the shrimp and cook just until they turn pink and are cooked through.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Notes:

• This is a hearty chowder with bits and chunks of vegetables or shrimp in every bite.
• The hot paprika is such a wonderful addition to this.  A little bit goes a long way, but if you’re someone who isn’t fond of heat don’t worry.  You’ll have just the slightest hint of warmth at the back of your throat and its quite pleasant.  The pimenton picante or hot paprika I use is made by Chiquilin and is a product of Spain.  If you can’t find it at your market, La Tienda is a great source for Spanish products like paprika and they sell quite a few varieties.
• This recipe makes enough for six good servings and since there are only three of us, we enjoyed it left over even though I worried about the texture of the shrimp with reheating.  Reheat low and slow and the shrimp manages just fine.
• In case you’re wondering about the recipe I mentioned at the beginning of this post, just the heavy cream and half-and-half alone in that recipe racks up almost 6,000 calories of saturated fat.  I’m still amazed!
• I’m thinking I’d like to put a southwest spin on this next time adding a few roasted poblanos and a bit of cilantro.

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I love beans.  I always have.  Although you might catch me sampling the piquant flavors of a great baked beans recipe at a barbeque, I’m more of a straight bean sampler.  Someone who enjoys the texture and taste of a big pot of beans without too many other flavors interfering with that of the bean — not all beans, but most, and I’ve sampled quite a few.

I’m always on the look out for ingredients I’ve read about or wanted to try, and when I spot one in the market, it does go in the basket.  There are no particular plans for its use, but I know there will be at some point in time.  This does cause problems in my pantry at times, but at others, it comes in quite handy.

Like now.

Beans are one of those thrifty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meals that is also very good for you.  And since everyone seems to be thinking about health after the sweet laden holidays, and perhaps trying to recover from the sticker shock as well, beans are perfect.

I swear my shopping cart left skid marks on the floor when I saw the package of heirloom scarlet runner beans.  They were enormous and mottled in color, and until that point in time, I’d only imagined them in full summery scarlet bloom growing chaotically on a picket fence — like sweet peas without the varied pastel colors.  I swear I didn’t know the plant actually produced beans that could be eaten, but I’ve never been much of a vegetable gardener, unfortunately.

The package didn’t appear to hold that many beans, so I didn’t hesitate to prepare the entire bag for the three of us.  Meatless Monday has turned into meatless Tuesday and Wednesday lunch, and yes, there is still enough to share.

Definitely cost effective, but also full of nutrients, like vitamin B-17 which is believed to be a cancer-fighter.  They’re low in saturated fat, and can help reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels.  It really is true that they’re good for your heart just like that ditty goes.

And then there were those rutabagas…

Heirloom Scarlet Runner Bean & Vegetable Soup

12 oz. dried scarlet runner beans
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
1 lg. brown onion, peeled and chopped

2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
a few sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. salt
1 leek, white & light green parts only, sliced and rinsed well
3 rutabagas, peeled and cubed
1/2 heat cabbage, sliced
1 c. cooked white rice optional

The night before, soak the beans in water making sure they’re covered by 1-2 inches.  The next day about 4 hours before serving, drain the soaking water, then refill the pot to cover the beans, again by at least 2 inches.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a very low simmer and cook until beans are tender, about 3 hours.  If necessary, add more water during cooking time to keep beans covered by one inch.

Taste test the beans to make sure they’re tender before removing them from the heat, and draining them.  Reserve the bean broth and place beans in a bowl to set aside.

In the same pot the beans cooked in, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and stir occasionally until soft and just beginning to brown.  Add the garlic, herbs, and salt, mixing well, and continue cooking for and additional 2-3 minutes.

Add 4 c. of hot water, stirring to scrape any bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil.  Add the rutabagas and leek to the mix and continue to cook at a low simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Taste to correct seasoning and add salt if necessary.

Return the beans to the mixture and 2 c. of the reserved bean broth.  Place the sliced cabbage over the mixture and put a lid on the pot to allow the cabbage to cook, about 10 minutes.  Stir the cabbage into the mixture when it’s softened, and if necessary, add more bean broth to achieve the consistency you desire.

Serve really hot with some shaved parmesan or a sprinkle of feta.  On the second night, add a salad.  For lunch the next day, sprinkle on some habanero sauce.  Mmmm….

Notes:

• This recipe was adapted from Alice Water’s “Winter Minestrone” which she adapted from a recipe in The Art of Simple Food. Her recipe uses cannellini beans and potatoes with turnips.
• These are some seriously tough beans!  Even after the over night soak, they needed to cook forever!  Definitely a candidate for a pressure cooker if you have one.
• When I soak beans overnight I do so in cold water.  If I want to speed things up a bit, I bring the beans to a boil, and then let them soak.  I think these beans needed the heat and boil and then an overnight soak.
• When the beans were cooking, I had to add quite a bit of water during the day.  I don’t have an exact quantity, but would estimate about 4-5 cups of water or more.  I was surprised.
• The bean broth is very dark but flavorful.  Make sure it’s seasoned properly or you’ll be treated to something fairly bland.
• My husband liked it, but my 16-year-old wasn’t thrilled.  He had a bowl two nights in a row, though, so he gets credit for that.  He said the texture of the beans wasn’t great, but I think it’s because they still may not have been completely done.
• I’m curious about scarlet runner beans now and am looking for different recipes.  I’m thinking tomatoes would be excellent, and chard.  Let me know if you have a good one, and don’t forget to eat your beans!  Your body will thank you years from now, and your wallet will thank you now.
• This is a pleasant soup that many flavors can be tasted in.  The rutabagas provide a bit of sweetness which is delicious.
• Toward the end of the cooking time, I included a cup of cooked rice I had in the fridge.  My son likes rice, and although it didn’t do anything to take away from the dish, it didn’t especially add anything, either.  Talk about taking thrifty over the edge.
• Plan for the future:  Cook the beans until tender, reduce the quantity for the soup and freeze the rest for future use and experimentation.

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After that last recipe filled with butter, I felt I needed to post something much, much lighter.  Now I understand that the idea of vegetable soup may not send you into a food swoon, but it is something we enjoy, and this particular recipe is easy, quick, and can be easily adapted to include any vegetable you’d prefer instead of those listed in the ingredients.  Actually, it’s quite nice with the addition of chicken, or beef, or beans as well.  If you’d prefer pasta or rice, that can be added also.

And the weather is right for a nice bowl of soup that isn’t loaded with calories, and can be whipped up when you need it.

Does my 15-year-old love it?  Probably not, but he eats it or else.  Actually he’d prefer that it has meat in it, or at least some pasta, but if I serve it with a salad he enjoys and garlic bread, it will keep him interested.

"Mediterranean Vegetable Soup" is from Rosie Schwartz’ Whole Foods Guide, a fabulous book that contains more than just recipes.  It’s a source of information about phyto foods or phytochemicals and their positive effect on our bodies in fighting cancer and other illnesses.  No, I don’t work for the publisher, and I don’t know Ms. Schwartz.  I’m not trying to sell anything and don’t get perks from mentioning this particular book.  I’m just someone who enjoys sharing something I find worthwhile and know that as much as I enjoy it, I hope others will as well.

Occasionally, I will compare one of these recipes with something similar from another cookbook or magazine just to check on the fat content.  In this recipe, it’s not even a consideration.  But I’m always pleasantly surprised that these recipes hold up.  They’re tasty and good for us.  They help me get through all the other recipes I make which aren’t always as healthy as I’d like!

Mediterranean Vegetable Soup

1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 c. carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 med. zucchini, chopped
1 c. green beans, cut into bite sized pieces
1 28-oz. can plum tomatoes with juice, pureed
5 c. vegetable broth
2 T chopped fresh basil
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
2 c. chopped spinach or Swiss chard
salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a  large pot over med heat.  Add the onions and garlic, sauteeing until they are soft.  Add the carrots, celery, and zucchini and cook, stirring to make sure they are not becoming too brown — about 10 minutes.  Add the green beans, can of tomatoes, veggie broth, basil, parsley, and seasonings.  Bring to a slow boil, reduce heat and simmer covered about 30 minutes.

Stir in the spinach or chard and cook an additional 20 minutes.  Check seasoning and grate some fresh parmesan over each bowl before serving.

Notes:  Rosie says that this makes 6-8 servings and that each serving is less than 80 calories!  That’s amazing.  The soup is filling and flavorful.  I tried it with chard this time, but spinach is really great tasting. 

• If you’re really wanting more substance, add a 14-oz. can of drained, rinsed cannellini beans.  They’re really tasty in this! 
• And if you’d like to add pasta, it works best if the pasta is cooked al dente and added toward the end just to heat it up.  I add it when we have left over pasta. 
• If you want to spice it up a bit, shake over some dried red pepper flakes.  YUM.
• Shred left over chicken breast and add it at the end to heat it or saute one chicken breast when you’ve just begun the soup.  Let it cool, shred it into bite sized pieces and add them at the end.
• Ground sirloin even works.  Make sure it’s completely browned through and through and the juices are drained.  Add the meat at the end.

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I had a house full of people for much of this week, with relatives waiting to find whether they could return home after being evacuated from wild fires here in San Diego.  Since the air quality is unhealthy, all we were left to do is watch the information coming from the television, and well, eat, of course.

Although our guests are now safely back in their untouched home (their pool is covered with ash), I had begun to make some comfort food for everyone, planning that they may have to return.  And what better comfort food than chicken noodle soup?  I made enough for the army, and since they didn’t return, the three of us have enjoyed it two nights in a row.  Of course, the second night, the noodles had absorbed quite a bit of the broth, so "soup" wouldn’t be the best name for this lip-smacking scrumptious bowl of wonder on the second night.

It’s inexpensive, easy and fairly quick.  And each time I make it, it’s a bit different depending on what I have in the refrigerator. Nothing fancy — just tasty.  And if you want to make a meatless version, use some canned white beans that have been rinsed well.  Chop some chard and add that, too.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

1 T olive oil
9 chicken thighs (with skin & bones)
2 lg. garlic cloves, sliced
1 log. shallot, sliced
8 c. veggie bouillon
6 roma tomatoes, quartered and seeded
3 stalks celery, sliced
1-1/2 c. baby carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
1/4 c. chopped cilantro, loosely packed
4 chopped green onions
12 oz. sturdy pasta

Directions

Heat 8 c. water for the bouillon until very warm.  Add bouillon and stir to mix.  Set aside.

In a kettle, brown chicken in olive oil skin side down first, turning once, until golden in color.  Add shallots and garlic and stir.  Cook until softened but not browned.  Add veggie bouillon, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add all the veggies, stir and cover, cooking over medium heat until it begins to simmer.  Reduce heat, but maintain the simmer.  Keep covered and simmer for 30-40 minutes, making sure chicken thighs are cooked through.  Remove any fat from the surface of the pot and discard.

While soup is cooking, prepare noodles according to package directions, but remove from water while still a bit chewy.  Drain and set aside.

When chicken is cooked, add noodles to the pan and stir, cooking for about 10 minutes more.

Add the cilantro and stir in.  Serve.

Notes: I have made chicken noodle soup with boneless, skinless breasts as well, but browning the chicken with skin always improves the flavor.  I’ve also used frozen chopped veggies, depending on what’s on hand, and that works, too.  I use bouillon instead of prepared broth most often because I like the flavor, and the packages take up less space in my cupboard.  Silly, but true.  The broth was very good with this particular combination (I used Knorr cubes), but because I added so many noodles, the next night, it had been absorbed.  So I’d half the noodles to get it just right.  Of course, had the crowd still been around, the pot would have been licked clean.

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