Broccoli Soup
Warming Winter Foods is the title of a class I am teaching at Gilda’s Club in White Plains today. This class is based on the third pillar of my House of Health philosophy: seasonality.
In the winter, we eat and live differently than we do in spring, summer and fall. Life is at a slower pace. If we don’t pay attention to Mother Nature’s advice to slow down, we can get sick or be involved in a fender bender on the road. When it comes to food, warming is best this time of year. Soups and stews instead of salads and smoothies.
I discovered this simple sweet recipe for Broccoli Soup on the Bon Appetit website and will be making this one in class.
Broccoli Soup with Leeks and Thyme
- PREP: 30 minutes
- TOTAL: 30 minutes
Recipe by the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 3 large)
- 6 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
- 1 1/4 pounds broccoli crowns, chopped (about 8 generous cups)
- 4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
Preparation
-
Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and 4 teaspoons thyme; sauté until leeks are almost soft, reducing heat if needed to prevent rapid browning, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup leeks to small bowl; reserve. Add broccoli and 4 cups broth to pot; bring to boil. Cover; boil until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
-
Puree soup in blender until smooth. Thin soup with more broth, if desired. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons chopped thyme and reserved leeks.
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie |
| Description |
| Traditional shepherd’s pie is usually made with ground meat and white potatoes. This one has sweet potatoes mixed in. The curried lentil filling is sandwiched between two layers of creamy potato filling that are sitting on a crouton crust which is baked on top of sweet zucchini. Serve this as an entree with a simple chopped tomato salad. |
| Ingredients |
| 2 medium or large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 6 medium or large white potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 tablespoon exra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning CURRIED LENTIL FILLING: GARNISH: 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions or green onion |
| Instructions |
| 1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the cubed sweet and white potatoes into the water and simmer for 45 minutes. They should be easily pierced with a fork. 3. Strain the potatoes, reserving 2 cups of the water. Pour 1 cup of the water back into the pot and mash the potatoes using a potato masher or a large fork. 4. Add the olive oil, Italian seasoning and Cajun seasoning and mash again until seasonings are completely blended into the potatoes. 5. Meanwhile, cook the lentils: Bring 3 cups of the water to a boil. Add the bay leaf, lentils and Cajun seasoning and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from heat when completely cooked and let cool briefly. Drain off any liquid. 6. Sauté the onions, garlic, mushrooms, broccoli and bell peppers in the olive oil in a large saucepan until the onions are transparent and limp, about 4 minutes. 7. Add the reserved cup of potato water, nutritional yeast, salt and curry powder and stir until everything is blended in. Add to the cooked lentils. 8. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining 1/4 cup water and stir it into the lentil and vegetable mixture. Continue to cook for 3 more minutes, until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat. 9. Line the bottom of a casserole dish with the zucchini rounds. Sprinkle half of the bread crumbs or croutons on top of the zucchini. 10. Spoon out 4 cups of the mashed potatoes and spread across the zucchini rounds. 11. Spoon out 2 cups of the curried lentils and spread on top of the potatoes. 12. Spoon the remainder of the mashed potatoes and smooth them out on top. Sprinkle the rest of the bread crumbs and the scallions or green onion on top. 13. Bake for 50 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Tip from Rosie’s Kitchen: |
