This is a truly ugly time of year with hard mounds of dirt crusted ice and snow, patches of brown flattened grass and muddy puddles of water. Getting a cold is very easy and what do you do when you are a vegetarian and chicken soup is the cure all when you’re sick?
I was laid low this past two weeks by an extremely nasty virus which inflicted a fever, sore throat, stuffy nose and raging headache. Between being ill, two children under 9 and 5 animals (not including the children) wrecking my house, a fulltime job and the chilly weather I wanted comfort food that was easy and delicious. So, I turned to soup, but not chicken soup obviously!. Soup is my favorite food to make and eat. I never measure ingredients; a handful, pinches, bunches and sometimes bushels are my methods of creation. However, for these recipes (my own favorites) I will endeavor to write down quantities! Feel free to adjust ingredients to reflect your own tastes and substitute where applicable.
Cream of Mushroom Soup
(This recipe only works if you eat dairy!)
- 1/4 cup onion , chopped
- 8 ounces mushrooms (feel free to substitute wild mushrooms)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1/4 cup red wine or marsala
Sauté the onion and mushrooms in the butter over medium heat until liquid given off has evaporated and the vegetables are soft.
Stir in the flour, salt, pepper and thyme.
Whisk in stock, then milk.
Cook until the soup thickens slightly, but do not allow it to boil.
Stir in the marsala and the lemon juice.
Purée half of the soup(including half of the mushrooms)and then stir it back into the remaining soup. Season to taste.
Serves 6
Potato Soup
You can eliminate the dairy in this soup if you want to!
- 8 potatoes, peeled and cut in bite size pieces
- 3 leeks cut in bite size pieces and washed thoroughly
- 2 onions, roughly diced
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 8 cups of vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup whipping cream
- Shredded cheddar cheese
Sauté onions, leeks and celery until soft in butter.
Add potato, stock, salt and pepper.
Cook on medium heat until simmering and then simmer until potato is soft.
Puree soup, season to taste and top with cheddar.
Serves 8
Butternut Squash Soup
- 1 large butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1" cubes
- 3 potatoes , peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 medium onion , rough dice
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup whipping cream, optional!
- brown sugar to taste
Cook onion in butter until tender. Stir in broth, squash, potato, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Heat to boiling; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer until squash is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Puree soup until smooth and stir in whipping cream. Sweeten with brown sugar if desired.
6 servings
Pumpkin Soup
8 servings
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 4 cups pumpkin cubes 1/2" cubes
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 tsp garlic
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup whipping cream or plain yogurt (optional)
Sauté onions in 1 Tablespoon butter. Add all remaining ingredients except whipping cream.
Heat to boiling.
Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30-40 minutes.
Puree the pumpkin mixture in blender or food processor; return pureed mixture to pot.
Repeat with remaining pumpkin mixture. Add whipping cream and adjust seasoning.
6 servings
Split Pea Soup
- 4 cups split peas
- 8 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 1/2 cups carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- salt and pepper
Wash and sort peas; add stock.
Bring to boiling; simmer 1 hour.
Add vegetables, bay leaf and thyme simmer covered, 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until peas are soft.
Season with salt and pepper.
8 servings
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