this is an old recipe of mine that I’ve played around with and it makes a perfect side dish anytime of the year. not too difficult to make , takes a little playing around but pretty easy . I used Manischewitz egg noodles in a toasted barley shape this time. you can use pearl barley which is available in almost every supermarket out there. i have to say this product worked very well. Not exactly Mushroom and Barley?? but barley shape egg noodles
Great for Rosh Hashana and actually any other time for dinner as well. It’s delicious!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 3/4 cup Pearl Barley or any kind you can find ( I used Manischewitz egg noodles in a toasted barley shape) it doesn’t have to be toasted it can just be regular barley shape noodles. I love to use this product , it’s usually found in kosher section.
1 lb. fresh mushrooms sliced
1/2 spanish onion chopped
2 – 3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Directions:
I use a very little bit of vegetable oil ( maybe 1 tablespoon) and saute onions, then mushrooms till cooked down. I salt and pepper generously here. I remove the mushroom/onion mixture from saute pan, wipe the pan clean with a paper towel . melt butter or margarine in pan, brown the barley/noodles for about 4 – 5 minutes, move it around as you brown it. in the meantime transfer mushroom/ onion mixture to a 9 x 13 baking dish (spray with pam) when barley/noodles is browned place in dish with mushrooms and onions and mix well. add 2 cups of chicken broth. cover with aluminum foil, and bake in oven covered at 350 degrees for app. 45 minutes. remove from oven, and add a little broth, depending on how dry it is, i would say i added about 1/2 cup , you may need to add more, add the 1/2 cup and mix well and see if you need more, not too watery, keep it dryer. cover, and i put it back in oven for 10 to 15 minutes. taste for salt and pepper. and there it is. very delicious.
I had purchased the most beautiful yellow tomatoes and figured I would make gazpacho. Gazpacho is by far one of my most favorite summer time soups. This one is fairly smooth. Before serving I added avocado and served with tortilla chips for a wonderful most satisfying meal. This is also super easy and you’ll look like a pro if you just follow these easy directions. You’ll need a decent blender and a few easy to obtain ingredients and you have a wonderful additional to any meal or a nice light lunch. This time I used beautiful yellow tomatoes, you can use any color you’d like and you can use any kind of tomato from the small grape or cherry tomatoes to the larger ones. The yellow tomatoes with the flecks of jalapeno made a strikingly beautiful soup.I have another recipe titled “Farm to Table Gazpacho” it’s more of a traditional gazpacho! I am going to re-post it as well.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. yellow tomatoes, I used regular sized tomatoes. You can use yellow or orange cherry tomatoes and get the same effect. I washed and dried tomatoes and cut into quarters or halves for easier blending. Heirlooms are amazingly delicious when in season which they are right now! My sister makes this recipe by parboiling the tomatoes, removing the skin and cutting core out of tomatoes. This is an other option. I opted for the easier method but both are delicious and work well.
1 garlic clove (average sized)–you can use 2 cloves if you like a bit more bite of garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced ( be careful handling jalapenos always, I use rubber gloves and be very careful not to get seeds on my hands) wash carefully after cutting up jalapenos, seriously. If you like more kick keep a few seeds from jalapenos. You can use Serrano Chiles also but I still think Jalapenos have the most bang for the buck.
app. 1 tsp. kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste , you may need to add salt and pepper at the end
Diced avocado and tortilla chips for serving.
Directions:
In a blender, puree the halved tomatoes and garlic with 1/4 cup of water. While the machine is on I gradually add the olive oil until fully incorporated. Transfer to a bowl then stir in the jalapeno and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until chilled, at least an hour or so, better overnight.
When you’re ready to serve ladle the gazpacho into bowls and top with diced avocado. Serve with tortilla chips. If you leftover shrimp it is also delicious to add and makes it more of a meal!
I always make my own chicken soup. It is delicious broth. I usually make a few batches and freeze them because it’s a great thing to have frozen in quart containers as stock and will last for up to six months frozen. When the holidays come—whether Rosh Hashanah or Passover—I always make my chicken soup with matzo balls. I make the soup a day ahead and skim whatever fat is on there before adding my matzo balls. Keep reading for my “secret matzo ball recipe”.
INGREDIENTS: CHICKEN STOCK:
1 5lb. organic roasting chicken (I throw away the insides)
1 package of chicken wings (this was suggested to me a long time ago by my BFF Karyn and she was oh so right. It adds some fat, which translates into a lot of flavor and you will skim off the fat the next day. Thanks, Karyn…yes, I remembered!)
1 large, yellow Spanish onion; unpeeled and quartered
A big bunch of dill
4 celery stalks with leaves, cut into thirds
4 carrots, unpeeled and halved
Bunch of flat-leaf parsley (Use this only if you want. This time, I didn’t have it so I used only the dill.)
A bunch of thyme (if you wish)
1 head of garlic, cut in half cross-wise (skin and all)
2 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
DIRECTIONS FOR SOUP:
I place the chicken, chicken wings, onion, carrots, celery, whatever herbs I’m using, garlic, salt and pepper in as large a pot as I can find (usually about a 16-20 qt. stockpot.) Add cold water to cover chicken by at least 2 inches above the chicken but not to the top of the pot because it will boil over (very messy). Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, for about 3 hours. I skim the soup skum (sounds lovely) off for the first half hour or so—after that, you shouldn’t have much more. I remove the chicken from the broth after an hour or so, because it is cooked and it will taste like a rubber chicken if you plan on eating it. Sometimes, I like to shred it and return it to the soup. If you are not using the chicken (what a waste of good chicken), just leave it in. It will fall apart in there. I leave the wings and discard them at the end of the 3 hours. Next, I strain all of the soup, discard all remnants, fill my containers and put in the fridge. The next day (or the day of the holiday), I usually skim off the fat that has risen to the top and make my matzo balls (recipe below).
MATZO BALLS:
This has always been my secret, but now it’s out. Okay, I own it. After years of making matzo balls from scratch, my mother (yes, my mother, the cook) turned me on to Manischewitz boxed matzo ball mix! It just wasn’t worth it. My balls weren’t as consistent as I would have liked, whereas these are always perfection! Light and fluffy and everyone always loves them. No sinkers here!
I follow the directions on the box carefully. They sell just the mix box. You will need vegetable oil and 2 eggs per box. I do add a little piece of dill inside each ball, but that’s it! Now my secret is out. Sometimes this is really the only way to go. It saves time and ingredients and is really good. No MSG or trans-fats either! So make the soup, cheat with the balls, and enjoy. There is no substitute for homemade chicken soup, though.
*You can also add thin soup noodles to this recipe, if you like. (obviously not on Passover)
One of our most favorite soups is Tomato Soup. I love the creaminess in this soup and the texture and tang of the tomatoes. I added parmesan crisps to the top which only add another layer of “deliciousness” to the soup. I did add 1/2 cup of heavy cream mostly because I had it in the house but also because over the whole recipe it’s just a little bit of richness that goes a very long way. I suppose you can omit it but I wouldn’t. We loved it just the way it was and I have 2 large containers that went into the freezer for another night’s meal. The parmesan crisps are super easy and all you’ll need is some grated parmesan. Croutons would work well as well. One of our most fav meals for lunch or dinner is a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup.
*you’ll need an immersion blender and a Dutch Oven type of pot with a tight fitting lid.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1 whole onion, finely diced
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 minced garlic clove
3 whole Large Carrots, Peeled and finely diced
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste–the tubes make life so nice and easy
3 Cans Whole Tomatoes — 28 oz. each–Italian whole plum tomatoes with their juices
32 ounces , Vegetable or Chicken Broth
1 cup water
1/2 cups Heavy Cream
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil ( approximate amount) you can eyeball and you can use more for garnish if you’d like
Grated Parmesan if you want to make the Parmesan Crisps (recipe to follow soup recipe)
Directions:
In a large Dutch Oven kind of pot ( Le Creuset) , heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat, then add onion, garlic and carrots. Stir and cook till vegetables soften but be careful not to burn the garlic and onions. This will take app. 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste and incorporate it into the vegetables with a wooden spoon. Cook for another 3 minutes or so.
Add canned tomatoes with their juice, broth and water. Stir together and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for at least 30 minutes. I had time so I allowed it to simmer for about an hour. The longer the better.
I then turned heat off and allowed to cool for a few minutes before using immersion blender. Be careful because hot soup can burn. I gave it a quick few minutes with the immersion blender , the tomatoes completely broke down because they had cooked so long. You can leave some texture in the tomatoes if you like chunkier pieces.
Add the cream, salt and pepper to taste, I used about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and about 12 grinds on the pepper mill. You should taste for salt to your own particular taste. Add the basil and simmer for another 5 minutes or so. I then topped with parmesan crisps and they just kind of melted in to the soup which was just divine.
Parmesan Crisps:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1 heaping Tablespoon of Grated Parmesan onto a silicone or parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Pat each teaspoon down a little, leave about 1/2″ apart. Cook for 3- 5 minutes till edges turn brown and crisps are golden. Allow to cool for a few minutes and lift off cookie sheet.
This vegetable soup is a delicious blend of different vegetables brought together in a delightful tomato broth. Very easy to make and you can freeze a few containers and have wonderful soup whenever you’d like it. Of course you can change any of the vegetables for veggies you may have in the house and want to use. If you don’t have a russet potato use a different one. You can add beans such as kidney, chickpea or my personal favorite cannellini beans — just rinse a can of beans and dump it in. Or add some pasta , 1/2 cup would be fine just make sure there is enough broth at the end of cooking bring to a boil add the pasta and cook for about 15 more minutes or till pasta is done, you may have to add water/broth before or after you add the pasta. You can add some spinach, kale, Swiss chard or escarole as well. Many many different variations. I make the basic soup and when I defrost I usually add something new like beans or pasta or kale. It’s a very delicious soup and very hearty and very healthy.
*Slow Cooker Directions:
If you’d like you can also make this in the slow cooker. I would saute the onions, carrots and celery in olive oil first though. Then place in the slow cooker along with garlic, salt, pepper, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, vegetable broth and potatoes. Low heat for 4 hours. Then add the corn and green beans cook for about 10 more minutes and serve. At the end check for liquid before adding the corn and green beans you may need to add some water or broth.
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 cup finely diced onion– yellow or white onion
3 carrots , peeled , halved lengthwise and sliced
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced and then cut in about 3 inch pieces
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Kosher Salt and Coarsely Ground Black Pepper to taste
20 oz. can of diced tomatoes– Do Not Drain
8 oz. can Tomato Sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
6 cups Vegetable Broth — and you may need more or add water if too thick at the end — I added about 1/2 cup of water
1 large Russet Potato peeled and cut into 1/2 ” cubes
3/4 cup frozen corn
3/4 cup cut up frozen green beans or fresh
*extra liquid — you can use water or broth if you still have on hand
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion , carrots and celery to the pot.
Cook for about 5 minutes till veggies are softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute or so. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, broth and potato to the pot and bring to a simmer.
Cook for about 1/2 hour at a low simmer or until potatoes are tender. Taste and add salt and pepper . Soup will probably be ready in 1/2 hour but I let it simmer for a full hour. I added some liquid as a lot of the liquid evaporates and gets absorbed the longer it cooks.
Stir in the corn and green beans and cook for another 10 minutes or so. If you’re adding any other ingredients this would be a good time. i.e. beans, kale, pasta etc. See notes above for *slow cooker directions.
Perfect for freezing — just will have to add some liquid as you heat it up. Broth or water is just fine.
This soup recipe was inspired by Melissa Clark’s Lemony White Bean Soup with Turkey and Greens. I changed the recipe around to suit my taste by all means check hers out as well @nytimes.com/recipes .
I like my soups thicker so I pureed 1 can of beans with a little broth and this had the desired effect. Don’t skimp on the squeeze of lemon it brightens up the flavor perfectly.
I really enjoyed this soup and it was excellent as lunch the next day . I just added a little water or broth if you still have some on hand and heated it up and it was perfection in a bowl.
You can freeze up to 3 months and when you defrost you’ll just add a little water or broth to bring it back to the perfect consistency.
I served alongside a lovely crusty bread with some Manchego cheese and a green salad. ( just a suggestion)
This is what I did.
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 large onion , diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
app. 1/2 bag baby spinach or regular spinach
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 lb. ground turkey
3 minced garlic cloves
1 Tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 Teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 quart chicken stock– I used a little more to puree beans or just puree beans without broth — it will be fine. I happen to have some extra broth on hand.
2 15 oz. cans white beans, drained and rinsed — Cannellini or small white bean or Navy Beans
1/2 Lemon — squeezed
Directions:
Heat a large soup pot ( Le Creuset) over medium-high heat for a minute or so and add the 3 tablespoons olive oil, heat for another minute or so. Add diced onion and carrot, saute until very soft and onions are translucent , app. 10 minutes. ( don’t burn)
When the onion is golden, add tomato paste, cumin and red-pepper flakes to the pot, saute until paste darkens, a few minutes more.
Add turkey, garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon kosher salt, saute and break up the meat, until turkey is well incorporated , app. 7 – 10 minutes.
While this was cooking , I took 1 can of beans , ( rinsed and drained) and pureed along with a little broth in the food processor.
Keep the other can of beans whole after you rinse and drain.
Then add the stock and the whole beans and pureed beans and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until soup starts to thicken, tasting for salt as you go. I do this for at least an hour. I prefer a thicker broth and the pureed beans gave me this. You can always add more stock , a little water or even a splash of white wine to thin out the broth.
I like my soup to sit for a while and I kept it on a low simmer . Right before serving I added app. 1/2 bag of baby spinach. ( any greens will do but I prefer spinach because it’s soft and and takes no time. If you use Kale or a tougher green like collard greens it will take longer to soften up — maybe another 15 minutes or so.
I then squeezed 1/2 lemon into the soup pot, tasted for salt and it was done.
I served with a little grated parmesan cheese and next time I make this I think I will cook up some small pasta ( ditalini type ) and add to the soup bowl for a very filling meal.
It is most definitely soup season again. the chill in the air makes it the most perfect time of year to start making soup for dinner again. even if you live in a warmer climate this is a most wonderful meal. Paired with a salad and some crusty bread you have a very heartwarming meal.
Italian Wedding Soup with Chicken Balls
This is one of my absolute favorite recipes. It is a soup , which is also a full meal. It is hearty and pretty healthy. It is one of my staples from September through April. It freezes well and you can just take it out of the freezer the night before, and you’ll have a wonderful meal the next evening. When you defrost it you will probably want to add broth/water to it. add a little at a time till you get the consisitency you like. Enjoy:)
Ingredients: chicken meatballs
1 lb. ground chicken–I prefer chicken to turkey but you can use turkey as well!
1/2 lb chicken sausage, casings removed–if you can’t find chicken sausage use pork sausage it’s delicious!
3 slices whole wheat bread for bread crumbs ( I put into food proccesor with steel blade for crumbs) I remove crusts it should be app. 1 cup of bread crumbs or if you’re feeling lazy try Panko
2 teaspoons minced garlic ( 2 – 3 cloves)
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano ( fresh is best) but whatever you have will do
1/4 cup grated Parmesan ( again nothing beats fresh) but whatever you have will do here as well
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Soup Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small -medium yellow onion minced
1 cup diced carrots ( 3 )
1 cup diced celery (2 stalks)
10 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine( use whatever you have open)
1 cup small pasta tubetini, ditalini, stars, elbows etc.
5 ounces fresh spinach, washed and trimmed
*fresh dill ( I love the flavor) add at your own discretion about 1/4 cup minced fresh dill.
Directions:
preheat the oven to 350 degrees put parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
for the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage,bread crumbs, garlic, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, salt and pepper all in a bowl and mix well with a fork. I use a teaspoon, and make 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls and drop onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet. you should have about 30 to 40 small balls. bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. set them aside. (I made about 30 balls, they were a little larger this time out)
For the Soup:
heat the olive oil over medium – low heat in a large heavy bottomed soup pot ( Le Creuset type pot) Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, about 10 minutes, don’t brown. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil, at this point I let soup cook a while to soften the vegetables, app. 1 hour. ( a low simmer) if you’re in a hurry you can probably do the whole soup in 1/2 hour , veggies will be soft enough to eat. if some of the liquid evaporates you can always add a little more broth.
chicken balls out of the ovenItalian Wedding Soup cooking
Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook another 6 – 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Sometimes I just cook the pasta up in a separate little pot and pour the soup over the pasta when I plate it up, this helps with the freezing just the soup and meatballs and the pasta stays al dente. Add the meatballs and simmer for another minute or so. taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for another minute or so, the spinach will just wilt. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
It’s Fall and that means it’s soup season and time to cook up some heart-warming soups! Pumpkin Lentil Soup is a delicious, hearty soup that you and your family will love. This is a lovely soup to lead with for Thanksgiving.
This soup can wind up on my Thanksgiving Table if I don’t make my Butternut Squash Soup. It’s hard to get canned pumpkin any other time of year, so I take advantage of it now and pick up a few extra cans and try to make it throughout the winter. Warm, hearty and pretty healthy. And what’s a little butter between friends? You can freeze this ahead of time and take it out for Thanksgiving. For the holiday, it’s always between this and Butternut Squash Soup, and I like that they can both be vegetarian.
*this can be doubled but no need to double the butter (just add a little bit more) I like to use a little butter and a little Olive Oil
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (unsalted)– or you can use 1/4 cup unsalted butter and 1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 large onions (spanish) chopped
1/2 cup lentils (if you can find red lentils, buy them because they look beautiful for Thanksgiving and give the soup a lovely orangey color)
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (make sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling)
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon marjoram
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Melt butter in large stockpot (Le Creuset). Saute the onions until translucent and golden, then stir in the lentils and the stock. Add pumpkin and herbs and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower it and let it simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.
I use an immersion stick blender to puree it. It becomes rich and creamy. Of course you can leave soup as is without pureeing it at all. And another is to not puree it all the way. If soup is too thick use the broth as needed adding a little bit at a time to reach a good consistency. If you’ve run out of broth you can always add water just always check seasonings after adding liquid.
*soup freezes just fine but you’ll need to add broth/water after you defrost and heat up
It is most definitely soup season again. the chill in the air makes it the most perfect time of year to start making soup for dinner again. even if you live in a warmer climate this is a most wonderful meal. Paired with a salad and some crusty bread you have a very heartwarming meal.
Italian Wedding Soup with Chicken Balls
This is one of my absolute favorite recipes. It is a soup , which is also a full meal. It is hearty and pretty healthy. It is one of my staples from September through April. It freezes well and you can just take it out of the freezer the night before, and you’ll have a wonderful meal the next evening. When you defrost it you will probably want to add broth/water to it. add a little at a time till you get the consisitency you like. Enjoy:) and these meatballs are delicious on their own with pasta/sauce or just on their own.
Ingredients: chicken meatballs
1 lb. ground chicken–I prefer chicken to turkey but you can use turkey as well!
1/2 lb chicken sausage, casings removed–if you can’t find chicken sausage use pork sausage it’s delicious!
3 slices whole wheat bread for bread crumbs ( I put into food proccesor with steel blade for crumbs) I remove crusts it should be app. 1 cup of bread crumbs or if you’re feeling lazy try Panko or regular plain bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic ( 2 – 3 cloves)
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano ( fresh is best) but whatever you have will do
1/4 cup grated Parmesan ( again nothing beats fresh) but whatever you have will do here as well
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Soup Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small -medium yellow onion minced
1 cup diced carrots ( 3 )
1 cup diced celery (2 stalks)
10 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine( use whatever you have open)
1 cup small pasta tubetini, ditalini, stars, elbows etc.
5 ounces fresh spinach, washed and trimmed
*fresh dill ( I love the flavor) add at your own discretion about 1/4 cup minced fresh dill.
Directions:
preheat the oven to 350 degrees put parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
for the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage,bread crumbs, garlic, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, salt and pepper all in a bowl and mix well with a fork. I use a teaspoon, and make 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls and drop onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet. you should have about 30 to 40 small balls. bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. set them aside. (I made about 30 balls, they were a little larger this time out)
For the Soup:
heat the olive oil over medium – low heat in a large heavy bottomed soup pot ( Le Creuset type pot) Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, about 10 minutes, don’t brown. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil, at this point I let soup cook a while to soften the vegetables, app. 1 hour. ( a low simmer) if you’re in a hurry you can probably do the whole soup in 1/2 hour , veggies will be soft enough to eat. if some of the liquid evaporates you can always add a little more broth.
chicken balls out of the ovenItalian Wedding Soup cooking
Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook another 6 – 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Sometimes I just cook the pasta up in a separate little pot and pour the soup over the pasta when I plate it up, this helps with the freezing just the soup and meatballs and the pasta stays al dente. Add the meatballs and simmer for another minute or so. taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for another minute or so, the spinach will just wilt. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
This is by far one of my most favorite recipes ever! Super Easy and Super Delicious ! If you’ve been following me since the early days you’ve probably made this recipe by now. It’s perfection in a bowl . I’ve simplified the recipe along the way so that now it is just the way Joel and I like it. it’s pretty easy as long as you buy the squash pre – cut (available in every supermarket, and corner produce store). I just made my first batch of the season, and the squash is sweet and delicious. It tastes so creamy you’ll swear there’s cream in it, but really, there is none. I love a little freshly grated nutmeg in it too, but you can certainly just sprinkle in a very little bit of already grated nutmeg. I hope your family and friends enjoy this as much as my family does! It’s always on my table for Thanksgiving. A delightful way to start a dinner, or a delicious main dish served alongside a beautiful salad and bread. This can easily be made vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for chicken broth which is how I make it on Thanksgiving for Kerri (our daughter) who is a vegetarian.
*This can be made without cream so easily–but if you want a touch of richness you can add a little heavy cream into soup and mix in before serving or a Tbsp. of unsalted butter and swirl it in. Totally not necessary but just saying.
And clearly this recipe can be cut in 1/2 for a smaller group– I usually use 2 packages of squash for 6 servings.
*feel free to put croutons on top or sprinkle some pepitas on top . It’s delicious just the way it is!! and wonderful for lunch the next day and will freeze beautifully and may just need a little broth or water upon heating up.
4 pkgs. (approx. 4 lbs.) butternut squash (it’s doesn’t have to be exact)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large spanish onion, chopped
8 – 10 cups chicken or vegetable broth
*1 -2 tablespoons unsalted butter (for this serving size, I use 2 but it’s totally optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
*use whole nutmeg – you just grate a little in for flavor. I always tend to use whole, but grated will do. It’s just a touch of it–if I had to guess, I’d say 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon depending on your taste
*if you really want to top it off with a touch of cream you can . Just add a little heavy cream to the soup and blend it right in at the end. Honestly it’s not necessary but it def adds a a layer of richness!
Directions:
In a heavy Le Creuset (or any other ample size large pot), I heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. When oil is heated, put in onion and about 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt. Sweat out the onions until they are translucent (approx. 5 – 8 minutes). If you’re using the butter, add it now too. I then add all of the butternut squash and mix the onions, oil and butter as best I can all over the squash. Next, add enough broth to cover the squash (I used approx. 10 cups of chicken broth to cover). I keep the remaining half a box of broth in case I need it later. Return to a low boil, then bring to a simmer. I let it cook a very long time–at least an hour until soft–and then I turn off the heat and let it sit for a while. I like to make it early and let it sit for as long as possible, because the squash gets very soft. Then right before I am about to serve, I use an immersion blender and blend it into a beautiful smooth soup. If you need more broth, add it as you blend. This is also your salt, pepper and nutmeg moment. Season to taste and blend just until smooth. I leave it in the pot until I need it and then gently warm it up. This soup will keep in the fridge for a few days. It can be frozen as well. Upon defrosting you may need to add more broth. Sometimes I serve this soup with beautiful croutons if I can find them in specialty stores, but it is delicious and beautiful on its own, and very good for you! My family loves it , and I hope yours does too.
this is an old recipe of mine that I’ve played around with and it makes a perfect side dish anytime of the year. not too difficult to make , takes a little playing around but pretty easy . I used Manischewitz egg noodles in a toasted barley shape this time. you can use pearl barley which is available in almost every supermarket out there. i have to say this product worked very well. Not exactly Mushroom and Barley?? but barley shape egg noodles
Cooking with Candi 