Month: November 2014

Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Soup

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This is a quintessential fall soup, perfect for Thanksgiving or lunch the next day when you crave something “lighter” and more nutrient dense than the traditional Thanksgiving dinner we all love and enjoy.  Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year.  It’s a time when we can relax and enjoy visiting with family without the extra pressure of Christmas presents and parties and things that tend to take us away from the real meaning of the season.  And there are still little gems of local cold weather produce available until most of our markets close this week.  In this recipe, I used pumpkin that I roasted, pureed and froze. You can also cook fresh pumpkin or winter squash in the soup or use canned pumpkin puree.  I love to top off this soup with plain greek yogurt for a little tangly flavor, or use sour cream or drizzle some cream.  You can make this soup ahead, it gets better as the flavors combine.

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves or garlic, minced

2 cups of sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup of pumpkin puree or cubed fresh pumpkin

1 apple, cored, peeled and cubed

4 cups of chicken stock

2 tablespoons of fresh sage, rough chopped

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

pinch of ground cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

plain greek yogurt, sour cream or cream (optional)

pumpkin soup 1

In a dutch oven or soup pot, saute the onions in olive oil for a few minutes with salt and pepper then add the garlic until tender.  Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the cheese and yogurt) and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.  Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender.  Simmer the soup a few minutes.  Remove from heat and add in the Parmesan cheese.  Serve with plain greek yogurt, sour cream or a drizzle of cream.  Enjoy!

pumpkin soup 3

Crockpot White Bean Chicken Chili

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I am really into soups right now.  With a polar vortex coming our way, I only see more in our future!  I made this last weekend and have been enjoying it for lunches all week.  I can’t tell you how much I love the crock pot and I can’t tell you how easy this recipe is.  I got everything ready and we were able to enjoy the last of these beautiful fall days.  To my kids dismay, I can’t get enough hiking in this time of year.  I want to enjoy every last minute until we are forced inside with the cold weather.  But here’s how to get this soup going!

Ingredients:

1-1.5 lbs of boneless chicken breasts

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

4 cups of chicken stock

1 small can of green chilies

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tablespoon of dried cilantro, or fresh if you have it

1 jalapeno (optional)

3 cans of white beans, drained and rinced

salt and peper

Plain Greek yogurt (optional)

fresh lime (optional)

Place all of the ingredients in the slow cooker, except the beans.  Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  Put in the white beans for the last hour. Serve with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and a squeeze of fresh lime.  I love to add fresh lime to soups and dishes, it really freshens it up.  And put some in your water too. It makes it feel like you are eating something special 🙂 Enjoy!

white chicken chili 2

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Sausage, White Bean and Swiss Chard Stew

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This soup is so hearty and warming on these brisk fall days.  We are getting down to the last of the fall harvest vegetables, the roadside farm markets are closing soon and the CSA is finished.  I have some kale and swiss chard still in the garden, but that’s it.  I dried some herbs and hoping some others will withstand the colder temps for a while longer.  I morn a little each time the window for the fresh, local produce closes.  But now is the season for slow cooked, warm and nourishing dishes.  This is a great basic soup to switch up the ingredients for what you have on hand.  Use kidney beans and spinach or add veggies like peas or broccoli or omit the sausage and make a meatless soup. You can also eat this over a bed of whole wheat noodles or pasta. If you don’t have the fresh herbs, just use more dried.  It’s a small batch, so feel free to increase the amounts to have leftovers or some to freeze.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Italian turkey sausage, loose sausage or remove from casings

olive oil for browning

2 cloves or garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 carrots, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 can of white beans, rinsed and drained

1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes

4 cups of swiss chard, roughly chopped

4 cups of chicken stock

1/4 c fresh basil

2 tbsp fresh parsley

Parmesan cheese rind (optional)

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

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Brown the sausage in olive oil in a dutch oven or soup pot.  Set the browned sausage aside. Leaving the browned bits and fat in the bottom of the pan, saute the onion a few minutes then add the garlic and then add the carrots and celery. Add salt while sauteing and cook until tender.  Add the canned tomatoes with juice, beans (drained), chicken stock, sausage, swiss chard and herbs, red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese rind salt and pepper and simmer for 20-30 min.  Take out the Parmesan cheese rind and serve with some fresh grated Parmesan cheese.  If you don’t have a Parmesan cheese rind, just add a 1-2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese to the simmer or omit.  This soup is great as leftovers too!

sausage soup 3