Direction Connection

I started with this recipe, which I found while searching for a recipe for apple soup — I remember that once my dad made soup that had apples in it, and I thought that was pretty cool. The recipe worked well as a starting point, but the soup still seemed bland when I got to the end of the recipe, so I made some additions. Below is what I wish I had done, and will do next time — this time around, I ended up adding a lot of the spices at the end.

Note: peeling and cutting the squash takes a while! Don’t think that you can do it while the pancetta is frying, because the pancetta requires a bit of attention. For this recipe, I think it’s best to prep everything before you start cooking any of it. Roasting or par boiling the squash first makes it easier to peel.

• olive oil
• 8 oz. pancetta (substitute smoked bacon if you can’t get pancetta)
• 6 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into chunks
• 3 medium onions, thinly sliced
• garlic chopped, to taste
• fresh thyme (lots — at least 4 T; use half as much dried thyme if you can’t get it fresh)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 to 4 T coriander
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 1/4 t ground cloves
• 1/2 t turmeric
• lots of salt (3-4 tablespoons to start, more later probably)
• 4 apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 4 cup water
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil (about 1/4 cup) over moderate heat. Add the pancetta and cook about 4 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
2. Add a little more oil to the oil still in the pot. Add the onions, garlic, salt and other spices, and cook 8 to 10 minutes over moderate heat until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the squash and a little more salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
4. Add the apples, broth, bouillon, water, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, 20 to 30 minutes at least, until squash and apples are tender. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
5. Working in batches, puree the soup until smooth in a blender or food processor (it’s good to have a helper for this). Alternatively, use a handheld immersion blender to puree. Add the mixture back to the pot and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Add the pancetta to the soup.
6. Serve hot with pancetta garnish.

I stole this recipe from a former roommate, but I’ve changed it so much now that I think i can claim it as my own! If your crockpot is the same size as ours, you probably won’t be able to fit all of the frozen vegetables in it along with everything else, so plan to leave some out.

• 2 large baking potatoes, cut in 1″ pieces
• 2 cans fresh-cut diced tomatoes (preferably garlic and onion)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 16-oz can of tomato sauce
• 1 16-oz package frozen vegetables
• 1 10-oz package cut green beans
• 2 lbs. lean steak (sirloin) cut into pieces

Cook and season steak in frying pan until cooked through. Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook for 4+ hours. Serve with barbecue bread.

From Anna Olivier

This recipe makes a lot, for sharing or saving for later.

• olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• garlic to taste (3+ cloves), chopped
• 2 big cans of black beans, partially drained
• 1-1/2 c boullion or broth
• sundried tomatoes (a handful, re-hydrated and chopped — you can rehydrate them in the boullion/broth before you add it to the soup, if you want)
• 1/2 c salsa
• salt, coriander, cumin, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
• plain yogurt
• cilantro

Sautee the garlic and onions in olive oil. Add the black beans and the broth/boullion and stir, then add the tomatoes, salsa and spices and stir some more. Cook for a little while on medium-low heat, then put 2/3 of the soup into a blender and blend til there aren’t any big chunks left. Add the blended soup back to the rest of the soup and cook until it’s the consistency that you want.

Serve with plain yogurt and cilantro garnish.

I just made this and it was yummy. I added some extra black beans because it seemed more watery than it should be.

From The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen cookbook, by Donna Klein.

• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium fennel bulb (12 oz), trimmed, cored and chopped; 2 T feathery leaves reserved
• 4 medium shallots, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot (2 oz), finely chopped
• 1 (28 oz) can whole plum tomatoes
• 1/2 c vegetable broth
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium stockpot, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add the fennel, shallots, and carrot; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft but not browned, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes with juice and the broth; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and pureed. Serve hot, garnished with the reserved fennel leaves.