carmelized heaven, or the (almost) classic french onion soup

I bought a bag of yellow onions at the grocery store the other day. They were on sale, and i adore onions! Their scent, particularly when caramelizing, reminds me of my mom's kitchen because onions make their way into so many Polish dishes.  But seeing this particular bag at the grocery store didn't make me think of Polish food. Instead, all I saw, was a big bowl of French Onion Soup.  

French Onion Soup! Yum! I love French Onion Soup, but never order it out because the classic recipe utilizes beef stock, and I am vegetarian.  And I have not made it for years. In fact, come to think of it, I don't think I ever made French onion soup at home.  I have had it at people's homes, and I have had it if I was lucky enough to find it at a vegetarian restaurant.  But can't actually remember ever making it myself. So with thoughts of my first, home-made, veggie caramelized soup heaven, I snatched the big bag of onions and biked home. 

That evening, I quickly scanned some recipes on line - from Julia Child's to Martha Stewart's. It seems that every chef has one, all slightly different and all "classic".  Unsure of which to pick, I took a cue from Chef Michael Smith, who said that French onion soup is best when personalized - any chef and every home cook will and should put their own spin on it.  So, I did.  I took bits and pieces, from here and there and threw together a soup that was absolutely delicious!  And so very filling, WOW!  Now, I know that the classic French onion soup is rich and filling - all that beef broth and cheese will most certainly do that! But my soup was pretty "healthified" and edited.  I didn't douse it with cheese, I merely used some fresh grated Parmesan for flavour, and my broth was a light, herb broth. But the soup was still pretty satisfying! How does half a bag of onions, some broth, a few herbs and a sprinkling of Parmesan translate into a rich dinner? Well, this is how...

The "Not-So-Cheesy" French Onion Soup

5-6 medium to large yellow onions, thinly sliced

1/3 cup white wine (red will work too, if that's what you have on hand)

4-5 cups veggie/herb stock (i often use hot water and 1 cube of vegan herb bullion)

1T thyme, or 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 bay leafs 

sea salt

black pepper, coarsely ground

1T miso

2-3 slices sourdough bread

1/3 cup shaved Parmesan

fresh thyme to garnish

In a large pot, heat some olive oil.  Saute thinly sliced onions, with a sprinkling of salt, over medium heat, for 20 minutes, until caramelized.  Add the red wine to deglaze the pan, add the stock, thyme, bay leafs and some pepper.  Bring to a low boil, turn down the heat and simmer, under cover, for another 15 minutes.  Turn off the heat.  In a small cup, stir the miso with a ladle full of broth.  Add the mixture to the soup.  Taste and season accordingly to preference.

Pour the soup into an oven proof, deep glass or ceramic dish.  Arrange the toasted sourdough on top and top with the shaved Parmesan.  Bake in the oven, uncovered, at 400F for about 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted, bubbled and turned golden. "Cut" the toast/cheese "lid" and serve, taking care to include some broth, onions and the soaked/cheesy toast.  

liquid gold

 Halloween crept up so fast this year.  I didn't even see it coming, and POOF, it was already gone.  But I still have its lingering reminder in my refrigerator.  A pot of  pumpkin sage soup; creamy and satisfying, as only winter squash soup can be.  And golden, as liquid gold!

But before the pumpkin soup in my fridge, there was a party.

My current home is neatly tucked away in a rather lush corner of Oak Bay, a suburb of Victoria that is really its own municipality.  As the name suggests, Oak Bay is overgrown with Oak trees.  Gerry Oaks, to be precise, with their gnarly, twisted branches, that are covered with moss and lichen because the moist air and proximate ocean tend to make everything here green-tinged and mossy.  All these twisted Oak trees against the incredible Victoria sky, make for a dramatic landscape.  Particularly at dusk, or on those dewy mornings when the raising sun illuminates the fog and all is enveloped in soft pink mist.

Another thing about my lovely hidden corner of Oak Bay is that it is rather dark.  There are no streetlights at my end of the road and I often stumble home in the dark, my pace quick but careful, expecting the unexpected.  No, its not entirely pleasant and can be a little spooky, so coming home one night it occurred to me that my home would be the perfect site for a Halloween party - I won't even need to decorate!, I thought.  So I sent out some invites, and asked my guests for carved pumpkins as the ticket in. "Let's illuminate this dark Oak Bay corner," I called.  The vision of Jack-o-Lanterns strewn all over the lawn was too good to pass.  And I certainly didn't have time to carve all those pumpkins myself.

The party came and went.  It was wonderful, though the vision of my illuminated lawn didn't quite materialize because pumpkins sold out in Victoria.  Yes! Pumpkins. Sold. Out. On Halloween. I, the host, didn't even have a pumpkin to carve! That's what I get for waiting to the last minute, I suppose.  Luckily, Marc Oliver exudes positivity and even though he was not so keen on carving pumpkins and dressing up to begin with (Halloween is not a tradition in Germany), the sight of my disappointed face stirred some serious creativity and he was running around, decorating with other means and with all his might.  Also, some of my friends were more organized and there were a few carved pumpkins to reminds us of the fact that this was indeed a Halloween Party.  Not to mention the fantastic costumes that those with a great sense of Halloween-spirit came clad in.  Those, of course, were the other reminder.

After the party, I was left with some Jack-o-Lanterns to compost but also with a rather large pumpkin that was uncarved.  The next day, still very full of the yummy snacks and the apricot brandy cocktails from the night before, soup was all I dreamed of. So, pumpkin soup it was.  And this one was delicious! 

I topped it off with some roasted pumpkin seeds and spelt bread-olive oil croutons.  To make it even more velvety, I added some chilled thickened coconut milk (in lieu of cream). Try it! If there are no pumpkins left in your neighbourhood store, try it with any other squash. I think butternut would be best.  Or wait til next year, but don't wait too long, the pumpkins may just sell out again!

Cream of Roasted Pumpkin and Sage Soup

1 medium size pumpkin
1 white onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of white wine
2-3 cups herb or veggie stock
1T dried sage, or 2-3T fresh sage
1t dried thyme
coarse sea salt
bay leaf or 2
ground black pepper
olive oil, about 1/3 cup
1/2 cup coconut milk

seed (reserve the seeds) and chop the pumpkin into large pieces, leave the skin on. place on oiled baking sheet - you'll probably need two, or just do it in two batches.
brush some olive oil on the pumpkin pieces and sprinkle some coarse salt.
roast in the oven, at high heat for about 20-25 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft and edges blackened.

   peel the skin - it should come of easily now.  chop into smaller pieces and set aside in a bowl.

in a large pot, heat some olive oil and saute the onions and garlic.  when onions become translucent and garlic fragrant and golden,  splash some of the wine, to deglaze the pot and release the flavours.   add some herbs and add the pumpkin. add the remaining wine, the stock, the bay leaf.

simmer on low to medium heat for about 20minutes. 

 

while the soup is simmering, rinse the pumpkin seeds.  tap dry with a tea towel, toss with some olive oil, smoked or regular paprika and some sea salt.  place on the baking sheet and bake for 20minutes or so.  set aside and use as garnish (or just enjoy as a snack).

set aside to cool a little.  after 10 minutes or so, transfer the pumpkin, some broth and coconut milk into a food processor, or using a hand blender, blend until smooth and creamy.

taste and adjust flavouring. you may add more salt and black pepper, but it is important to do this after the soup is blended, as blending all that pumpkin will change the flavour of the broth.  pumpkin itself is not all that flavourful and it is a bit on a sweet side.  this is a savory soup, so season it accordingly once the blending is done.  but don't over do it, it should still taste like pumpkin!

serve garnished with chunky croutons, roasted pumpkin seeds, a dollop of coconut cream and some fresh sage leaves.  it is also delicious with a generous squeeze of balsamic cream (or your own home made balsamic reduction).

living and dying in the pursuit of feeding people

my granny Stasia made this potato soup with sausage chunks that was scented with marjoram and bay leafs. she would cook a huge pot of it, big enough to feed her voluminous extended family. all the grand children, and there were many of us, knew that there was always something warm and filling on her wood fired stove; just in case we dropped by after school.  and drop by we did, so very often.

the way to babcia Stasia's home on the other side of a wooded hill - an old park that had long overgrown - was so familiar to all of us.  we knew every twist of the path, each gnarly root under our little feet.  we ran, our schoolbags filled with books and our heads full of dreams.  and as we ran down that hill, past the old locomotive, through the secret spot that would burst with wild violets each summer, and crossed the last stretch of the sidewalk that led to her street, we would always be greeted by her silhouette, waiting for us, at her open window.  babcia Stasia was not the sort of a grandmother that would gently stroke our hair and tell us lovely old tales. on the contrary, there was a toughness about her; and to a complete stranger she may have even appeared abrasive and rough. she was not a stranger to profanity, she smoked unfiltered cigarettes, and drank coffee as dark as the night.  she had a difficult life, was pulled out of the school much too early because of the War's beginning and these events had left a mark on her.  but to us, she was all love and warmth... except that hers came in the form of a steaming pot of soup with a thick piece of rye bread.  and this way, she not only filled our hungry bellies, she filled our hearts with love, and our minds with so much appreciation.

babcia Stasia lived her life in a pursuit of feeding all her children and grandchildren. the day she died, from a heart attack that took her from us too soon, she did so making a big pot of food to feed us all.

this soup is not exactly like hers, but i made it with her on my mind. when i was done, the scent really reminded me of that which so often filled her kitchen. and the flavour of marjoram and bay leafs, that flavour always reminds me of babcia Stasia.

herbed potato soup with mustard greens, "sausage," and spelt croutons 

for the soup
1 onion, diced
1 potato, diced
1 zucchini, diced
3 carrots, diced
1-2 cups mustard greens (or kale), chopped
1 can white kidney beans
1 herb bouillon cube
4 cups of water 
1t marjoram
a pinch of sage and rosemary (each)
4-5 allspice balls
1-2 bay leafs
1t miso
1t coarse sea salt
coarse black pepper
1 1/2-2 Tofurky Polish-style veggie kielbasas (sausages), sliced into rounds
3T olive oil

for the croutons
2 thick slices of spelt bread
1t mixed herbs (Provencal)
1T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced

in a large pot, heat some olive oil, saute the onions with a pinch of sea salt.  when onions almost translucent, add the marjoram, rosemary, sage. saute another minute.  add the potatoes, carrots and zucchini, saute for another minute or 2.  while onions and veggies sauteing, boil some water in a kettle.  when boiled, add to the veggies with a bouillon cube.  add the bay leafs and allspice.  simmer at low to medium heat for about 15 minutes.  drain the beans, reserving some of the liquid.  add both to the soup, add the mustard greens and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the veggies are soft.
heat a little olive oil in a small pan, add the sliced "sausage" rounds.  fry until both sides are a little crispy and slightly blackened.  add the "sausage" to the soup and cook for another 5 minutes at low heat.  turn off the heat, add 1T of miso and mix to incorporate. season with salt and black pepper.

in the same pan that you used for the veg sausage, heat a little olive oil.  cut the spelt bread into 1/2 inch cubes and toast in the pan with some herbs and a clove of garlic until toasted and crouton like.

serve the soup topped with croutons.

soup weather

it is a rainy vancouver afternoon; the heavy clouds heralding the end of summer and the coming of the  gray, dewy season.  but today, i don't mind it so much, because the light in my home is soft and cozy, and there is a steaming pot of soup on the stove and a couple of good friends coming over for lunch. i know that we'll share some food and a conversation, and that is enough to warm my spirit and part the clouds.

here is a nice fall soup that doesn't require many ingredients, and the ones it calls for are often staples in many kitchens, particularly vegetarian ones.  the soup is rustic and simple, but it has an earthy, deep flavour that will satisfy the gourmands as well.  you can pair it with some crusty, toasted bread and a dash of olive oil.  the soup is vegan, but you could also add a dollop of natural yogurt or sour cream if you eat dairy. 

provencal lentil, potato, porcini soup

3 medium potatoes (diced)
1 yellow zucchini squash (diced)
1 onion (diced)
1 cup french lentils (or green lentils)
1/4 bulb of fennel (optional) (diced)
5-6 dried porcini mushrooms
1T miso (optional)
1-1 1/2T provencal herbs (or mixed thyme, rosemary, lavender)
1t coarse salt
black pepper
2T olive oil
green parsley 

heat the olive oil, saute the onions with the salt until translucent
add the provencal herbs, the potatoes, the zucchini squash and the fennel - saute for about 3-5mins
add the lentils, mix and pour in 4 cups of water or veggie broth (optional); or enough to cover all the veggies with about an inch of water covering them.  add the porcini mushrooms.
bring to boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 30mins or until the potatoes and lentils are soft.  add the miso (miso is my secret ingredient in this soup - its optional, but i love the dimension of flavour that it adds - particularly when you use mushrooms and potatoes in a recipe.  i mix the miso with a little soup stock in a separate bowl and then add it into the rest of the soup).
take of the heat, and let sit for 10 mins.  taste and add more salt, black pepper to taste. 
garnish with fresh, chopped parsley.

yam and kale soup with smokey chipotles

yes, i know its summer, but a northwest coast summer has its fair share of breezy days and cool nights.  for those, the soup is on!

kale has been one of my local farmers' market favourites this summer.  it comes in so many varieties, but my favourite, especially for soup, has been black kale.  this simple soup is a more colourful take on a potato kale soup... it is summer after all, so bright colours and vibrant flavours are still a must! yams give this soup creaminess and velvety texture, kale is all about nutrients, lime and cilantro provide all the fresh, summer flavour you'll need. finishing it off with a little smoked chipotle sauce, adds just the right amount of heat and earthiness all at the same time.

you'll need:

3 medium size yams, diced
1 bunch black kale (or any kale will do), chopped
1 white onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2T olive oil
1T cumin
1t coarse salt
1t coriander seeds
3 cups water or veggie broth
juice of 1 lime
handful of cilantro
smoky chipotle sauce

in a heavy pot heat olive oil, saute the garlic, onions, coriander, cumin - until onions are translucent (but take care not to burn the spices),
add the diced yams, saute for 3 mins until coated in spices,
add the water or stock,
bring to boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 30mins or until the yams are soft.
add most of the chopped kale (reserve a handful) salt and the lime, cook for another 5 mins.
with a hand blender, or in a food processor, process the soup until blended but some chunks still remain, add the remaining kale, cilantro and simmer for another 5 mins until the kale softens but is still vibrant green.
serve in bowls with some smoky chipotle sauce and extra cilantro as garnish.

the new polish

 

farmers market bounty has brought the Pole in me.  well, at lest the young cabbages, beet greens and locally grown oyster mushrooms have.  cabbage, wild mushrooms and beets are key in Polish cuisine and are served up in a variety of ways: fresh, braised, boiled, pickled, preserved etc.

with the exception of the quintessential pierogi, barszcz (or borsch) and cabbage rolls are probably two Polish dishes most familiar in North America.  the first, is a classic Polish soup that is also eaten in Ukraine and Russia (and throughout the region), and can be prepared in a variety of ways depending on the season. when beets are fresh and young, barszcz can be prepared by using the whole plant - roots and leaves - which makes this soup particularly nutritious.  with an addition of some potatoes, carrots and white kidney beans, and seasoned with dill, lemon, bay leaf and garlic, this type of barszcz is delicious as a light meal, particularly when served with crusty rye bread on the side.  classically, it is also served with sour cream, which i prefer to skip.  however, when i do feel like adding some richness to this soup, i use some finely ground almonds/almond meal which does an amazing job of changing the colour and adding creaminess to this soup.  another option is to make a little "cream" by blending silken tofu with a little lemon and salt.

as for cabbage rolls, well, they too are delicious and can be made with a variety of fillings and using different types of cabbage.  while the most popular cabbage rolls are filled with rice and ground meat, depending on the region they are also made with mushrooms and buckwheat, potatoes and carrots, or rice and veggies.  they can also be filled with quinoa, millet, and other grains, although these would most certainly depart from the tradition.  i made mine with brown rice, oyster mushrooms, carrots onions and a little fennel, and seasoned them with mixed herbs such as oregano, marjoram, tarragon and rosemary.  i served them with a simple tomato sauce with a dash of smoked paprika... just to give it a slightly different spin... because putting the spin on tradition is what i like most!
 

"Ukrainian-style" Polish Barszcz 

4-5 beets, peeled and diced (or just thoroughly washed and diced)

beet greens and stems (optional, if you have them), chopped 

1 leak or white onion, diced

2 potatoes, diced

a handful of long green beans, cut into 1/4 inch pieces 

1 carrot, diced

1/2 can of white or red kidney beans

2-3 cloves of garlic

4 cups of veggie broth (i use the herb Harvest Sun bouillon cubes, which are both vegan and organic), or more (depending on how thick or thin you like your soup).

1 T olive oil

2-3 bay leaves 

juice of 1 lemon

allspice, 4-5 whole

1/2t salt, or more to taste

handful green dill, chopped finely    

in a large pot, heat olive oil. saute the onions/leaks and two minced cloves of garlic with a pinch of salt, until translucent.  add the potatoes, carrots, beans and saute for a minute. add the beets (but not the greens), the broth, the bay leaves, salt allspice and squeeze in the lemon juice.  bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, covered, for 20minutes.  add the beet greens and the kidney beans.  also add the remaining clove of garlic.  let simmer for another 10-15 minutes or until the veggies are soft.  add the dill, and some black pepper to taste.  let sit for a 10 minutes before eating. 

you can serve this soup with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, and with some fresh dill on top.  sometimes this soup is blended, but the traditional way of eating this Ukrainian-style Barszcz is with all the chunkiness that it comes with.  another version which often is blended, skips the beans, and, in the summer, can be eaten cold.  its sort of a Polish-style gazpacho, and is called chlodnik.

mending the body and the soul, one spoonful at a time

this soup will make it all better! well, maybe i can't really make that promise, but i can assure you that it will take your attention off all your worldly troubles for at least a few minutes; it is that delicious!

roasted asparagus and cauliflower mingle well with green peas, thyme, flat leaf parsley and lemon. roasting the veggies really deepens their flavour, but if you want to skip that step, sauteing them with some olive oil would work as well. a little sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and some cumin is all you need to season it. the result is a velvety soup that is lovely to look at, very flavorful and filling without being heavy.

ladies' night

i had some ladies over for dinner tonight and given how beautiful the day was i wanted to make something relatively light ... a "one foot in winter, one foot in the spring" type of meal. i made some soup - acorn squash adzuki with shitake garnish soup from veganomicon (see vegan with a vengeance link for some great recipes), and two nice salads - a belgian endive-pear-date salad with crumbled goats cheese and toasted almonds and an arugula, roasted red pepper and caramelized onion salad. for dessert, we had some chocolate dipped strawberries. it was a fine meal!

the soup:

as usual, i changed the recipe a little to conform to what i did or did not have in my fridge and pantry. instead of all acorn squash, i used one acorn and one small butternut. i also switched the chinese-five spice for some curry powder. it was still delicious. here is what you will need:

1 butternut squash (small), diced

1 acorn squash (small), diced

1 bartlett pear, sliced thinly

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 red onion or cooking onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 inches fresh ginger root, chopped

1T curry powder

1t salt

4 cups water

1 veggie-herb bullion cube

4-5 shitakes

1t sesame oil

1T tamari

in a heated pot, saute the onion and pepper for 5mins, add ginger, garlic and spices - cook for another 1 min. add squash and pear, mix and saute for a further 5 mins mixing frequently. add the stock (from 4 cups boiling water and 1 bullion cube). bring to simmer, lower the heat and cook covered for 20-25 mins. take half of the veggies out and blend in a food processor, blender or with a hand blender, add to the remaining "chunky" part. stir around and cook for another 10 mins. garnish with sauteed shitakes and pea shoots: saute the mushrooms in 1t oil for 5mins, add tamari and let absorb.

the salads:

the names explains the ingredients, so no need for the list here. i separated the belgian endive leaves and sprinkled the remaining ingredients over it - the leaves then served as little vessels for all the goodness on top. i drizzled a simple vinaigrette over - lemon, olive oil, a little sesame oil, dijon and maple syrup. since i had some vinaigrette left over, i decided to use it as a base for the dressing on my arugula salad. but to shake things up and change the flavours slightly, i added a little tamari. a little change but a completely different flavour - and it worked!

all about peas

my friend glenn and i have these weekly dinners together - we are both far from home and like to share food with other people. last night was a combined effort: glenn made a great salad and my contribution consisted of soup - a fresh cookbook-inspired split pea. i'm sure it would have been absolutely delicious as it was, but i couldn't resist some modifications (a little coconut milk and some fresh green peas for brilliant colour and texture). and as soups usually are, it was even better tonight!

1 cooking onion

1-2 inches grated ginger

4-6 cloves of garlic

curry powder, cumin and chili powder (to taste)

10 cups of water (w/2 cubes of herb bullion) or vegetable stock

1 sweet potato (diced)

1 cup of yellow split peas

2-3 T thick coconut milk

1/2 cup cilantro or parsley

1/2 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)

sunflower sprouts (optional)

saute the onion, ginger and garlic in 1T of cooking oil until onions transparent; add the spices; add the potato, split peas, stock/water - bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hr (you may have to add some more water as the split peas thicken); add the coconut milk, green peas and half of the parsley/cilantro

let sit for about 10 minutes; garnish with 1t of coconut milk (it needs to be the thick kind), cilantro and some sunflower sprouts. enjoy!