Soupruary 7th: Butternut Squash

Tonight's soupnanigans were a good base for a long night of dancing. Choose love or choose dance? I choose soup.


Location:
My apartment, Cincinnati, Ohio

Attendees:
Adam, Shiv (who brought me two bowls and some storage containers! Aww!), Stacey, Taylor, Me

Menu:
Butternut squash soup with parmesan croutons
Mixed greens
Tortilla de papas
Lemon bars

Entertainment:
Rooftop chatting
Daniel Martin Moore's Valentine's Day crooning
Stacey telling a story about accidentally lighting her rear on fire, just as "I'm On Fire" started playing on iTunes

The Soup:

I was nervous about this soup. The closest I’ve come to cooking with squash is carving a pumpkin, so I didn’t know what to expect. The verdict: Yum. This makes a whole lot of soup; either plan to feed about 8 people or plan to eat it the rest of the week. Because Jamie Oliver has never failed me, this is the first soup of Soupruary that I made straight from the recipe with no alterations. Added bonus of this soup: Between the sage and the rosemary, my apartment smelled simply delectable.

"Superb Squash Soup with the Best Parmesan Croutons," from Jamie Oliver

Olive oil

16 fresh sage leaves

2 red onions, peeled and chopped

2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked

1/2 fresh red chile, to taste, seeded and finely chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 1/4 lbs butternut squash, halved, deseeded and cut into chunks (leave the skin on)

2 qts good-quality vegetable stock

For the croutons:
Extra-virgin olive oil
16 thin slices ciabatta bread
1 chunk Parmesan, for grating

Place your soup pot over medium heat and add a few good splashes of olive oil. Add the sage leaves and fry for about 30 seconods intil dark green and crisp. Remove them with a slotted spoon to a bowl lined with paper towels. To your olive oil (now sage-flavored!) add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, roesmary leaves, chile, and some salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, then add squash and stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for around 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make your croutons. Lay out your ciabatta slices and drizzle with olive oil. Press some grated Parmesan on to each side. Fry them in a non-stick pan with no oil until golden on both sides.

When the squash is soft, puree the soup using an immersion blender. Top each bowl with a few of the fried sage leaves and two croutons to serve.

Soupruary 6th: Orzo Egg Drop

Get home from work, make soup, eat dinner, change for a party and leave the apartment by 6:15? You can call me Trixie—Go, Speed Soupruary, go!

Location:
My apartment, Cincinnati, Ohio

Attendees:
Adam, me

Menu:
Orzo egg drop soup
Lovely croissants from the Coffee Emporium

Entertainment:
Me, running around like a headless chicken. Not so entertaining.

The Soup:
You probably have everything you need for this utilitarian soup in your pantry. It ain’t fancy, but it was definitely better than a can of Chicken & Stars. I said it looked like a party; Adam said it tasted like a party. It gave Adam the sniffles—it has a pleasant little kick to it. I had to get out the door to celebrate this beautiful girl’s birthday:

As a ridiculously quick meal, this was more than satisfactory. The leftovers soaked up all the broth so it was basically a pilaf—kind of like two dishes in one. And: super recession-friendly.

Adapted from 101cookbooks.com

4 c vegetable broth
¾ c orzo
1 c chopped kale
3 egg whites
1 T olive oil
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cloves garlic
1 t crushed red pepper flakes
¼ t dried basil
¼ t dried parsley
grated parmesan

Boil the broth in a saucepan and add the orzo and chopped kale; cook for about 10 minutes or until orzo is tender.

In a separate saucepan, heat the olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, basil and parsley. Add the diced tomatoes and heat through, stirring occasionally.

Just before serving, slowly pour the egg whites into the broth while whisking quickly. The egg whites should look like rags in your broth.

Ladle the soup into bowls, then place a nice spoonful of the tomatoes on top of each. Drizzle with the flavored olive oil from the tomatoes, and sprinkle with parmesan.

Soupruary 5th: Thai Green Curry

A soup so easy it felt like cheating!

Location:
The penthouse, Northside, Cincinnati, Ohio

Attendees:
Brent, Britni, Charlie, Joshua, Laura, Matthew, Me

Menu:
Thai Green Curry Soup
Cilantro slaw of carrot, green apple, Asian pear and cucumber
Dessert pizza with Nutella and bananas

Entertainment:
More video production for Saturday's big American dance party
Corrie + Laura private dance party to the Christian Bale freakout dance remix

The Soup:
This soup has a lot of flavor for such minimal effort, and was done about 15 minutes after I started cooking. Throw in any vegetables you like or have on hand, and it’ll probably taste good. Laura was admittedly skeptical of this soup, but she ended up saying it was awesome and that she felt really healthy after eating it. It tasted capital F Fresh, and I got to use some more of that beautiful asparagus that’s making me happy at 99¢ a pound right now. I made enough to serve at least 8 people, so cut everything in half if you’re not having a dinner party.

The best thing I can say about this soup is that as soon as it was served, everyone ate in silence. Maybe they were just hungry, but I’d at least a fraction of the silence was due to the sheer soupiness of it all.

Inspired by 101cookbooks.com

2 T green curry paste
2 cans light coconut milk
1 t kosher salt
1 c onions, chopped
2 c vegetable broth
2 c water
14 oz. extra firm tofu, chopped into ½ inch cubes
2 carrots, sliced crosswise
1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 lb green asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 c green peas
1 package medium width rice noodles
1 lime
½ c chopped basil
½ c chopped cilantro

Heat some water until it’s not quite boiling and pour it over your rice noodles to cover—these need to soak for about 15 minutes.

In your soup pot over medium heat, whisk the curry paste, salt and ¼ cup of coconut milk into a smooth mixture, then add the onions and sauté for about a minute. Add the rest of the coconut milk, the broth, and the water, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Taste the broth and add more curry paste or salt if you’re not happy with the flavor. Add the tofu, and let that simmer for about 2 minutes. Add all vegetables and simmer for another 2 minutes. Just before serving, squeeze the lime into the soup and add the basil and cilantro.

To serve, place a small pile of rice noodles in each bowl, and ladle the soup over the noodles. Garnish with a few bean sprouts.

***

Yesterday afternoon I found out some bloggers decided that February 5th was World Nutella Day. How could I pass that up? So, continuing on my cheating theme, I made the easiest dessert ever. Rolled some sugar cookie dough out on a pizza pan, baked it, and added Nutella and bananas.

Everyone approved. Some people approved twice.

Soupruary 4th: French Lentil

A cold night and an awesome television show made this quick, minimal effort soup the perfect mid-week choice. It was so easy that it brings to mind the ol' Showtime Rotisserie: "Set it, and forget it, and then soup!" (That soup part was totally there, you just missed it.) It was quite filling, but not so filling that I'd feel like dying during the laughing fits to which my friends inevitably subject me.

Location:
The penthouse, Northside, Cincinnati, Ohio

Attendees:
Ashley, Josh, Me (and Brent but he'd already eaten so he doesn't count)


Menu:
French Lentil Soup with Thyme-Infused Greek Yogurt
Sourdough
That’s it!


Entertainment:
Lost, complete with a multitude of exclamations of “WHAT?!?!?”
Brent & Josh Video Fun Time (here's a tiny taste, a video amuse-bouche if you will (you probably won't, because that's ridiculous))



The Soup:
Per Josh: “That soup was soup-er tasty, yo.”

I followed the recipe pretty exactly, just upping the garlic a bit, because it seemed like such a beautifully simple and classic dish. The balsamic vinegar splashed in at the end takes this soup on the one-way express from boringtown to awesomeville, and it’s fun to add a bit at a time till you hit exactly the right tang for your palate (and hope everyone else eating it has similar taste buds).

My big experiment on this soup is the Greek yogurt with thyme—I wasn’t sure how it turned out but it was a great flavor match for the soup and looked quite pretty, which is always a plus in my book. Because I made it up on a whim, I wasn’t paying close attention to proportions, but I’ll try to approximate it below.

This may not be a soup that will get you salivating just from reading about it, but on a fuh-reezing night like last night, this soup felt fully Goldilocks (i.e. just right).

Adapted from Bon Apetit, December 2006

3 T extra–virgin olive oil
2 c chopped onions
1 c chopped celery stalks plus chopped celery leaves for garnish
1 c chopped carrots
4 chopped garlic cloves
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/4 cups lentils, rinsed and drained
1 14 1/2–ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
Balsamic vinegar

In your soup pot over medium-high heat, sauté the onions, celery, carrots and garlic in the olive oil for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to brown. Season lightly with salt and pepper as you sauté. Add the broth, lentils and tomatoes with juice and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 35 minutes.

If you have an immersion blender, stick it in the pot and blend about 2 cups worth of soup, then incorporate the puree with the rest of the soup with your spoon. Otherwise, remove 2 cups of soup (getting just a little bit of the liquid) and blend it, then return it to the pot and stir it in. Season with salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste. Serve garnished with celery leaves (yum! Always my favorite as a kid).

***

Add a dollop of this creamy delight to your bowl of lentil soup for extra tastiness:

Greek Yogurt with Thyme

Adapted from my brain

1 T fresh thyme leaves

2 t boiling water

3/4 c 2% Greek yogurt

Place the fresh thyme leaves in a tiny cup and add the boiling water (just enough to cover the leaves; mine was about 2 teaspoons). Steep the leaves in the water for about 10 minutes—the water should be fragrant (like thyme tea!). Add the water and leaves to the yogurt and mix until fully incorporated. Done!

Soupruary 3rd: Zucchini Basil

In honor of today's Surprise! Storm!, let's call this one "Summer in the Snow." This is about as far from seasonal as you can get, but what use is this global marketplace of ours if I can't have zucchini in February?


Location:
Evey's house, Covington, Kentucky

Attendees:
Adam, Evangeline, me (an understandably small group, as we did have "blizzard-like conditions" this evening according to the local newsfolk)


Menu:
Zucchini basil soup
Roasted new potatoes and yams
Mixed greens with blood oranges (leftover from The Tartastrophe (copyright Matt L.))

Entertainment:
Soupruary invaded Evey and Adam's traditional Nip/Tuck night, therefore: pre-op consultations with Dr.s E + A, including surgery lines on faces

The Soup:

Reactions from the couch included "wholesome," "hearty while totally vegetarian," "comforting," and "creamy but with no cream." Oh yeah, and "tasty." It was a pain to julienne the peels as a poor girl with no mandoline and a severe lack of knife skills, but I'm so glad I did. They not only look pretty, but they also act almost like noodles in the soup, adding some textural interest. I sprinkled a bit of pecorino romano at the end, but I think next time (yes, there will be a next time) I'll finish up with a bit of sheep's milk feta. This had markedly more exciting flavors than last night's equally green soup, and suitable for a main course that's both light and satisfying. It's also vegan if you don't add the cheese, so it's a good go-to vegan recipe to tuck away.

Adapted from Gourmet, July 2008

2 pounds zucchini
1 c chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3 T olive oil
2 to 3 c vegetable broth
1/2 c basil leaves, packed
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Julienne the skin from half of the zucchini and place it in a colander with 1/2 t salt to wilt. Coarsely chop remaining zucchini.

Put the oil in your soup pot and add the onions and garlic, cooking them over medium low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and season well with salt and pepper, cooking the mixture over medium low heat for another 5 minutes. Add your basil and your broth--I used a little more than 2 cups--to cover the vegetable mixture. If you want your soup thinner, you can always add a little more broth after you puree.

Partially cover the pot and simmer for 15 or 20 minutes, then puree with an immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender).

Serve the soup in shallow bowls and pile a little nest of the julienned skin on top. Garnish with a few small basil leaves.

Nom away.

Soupruary 2nd: Cream of Asparagus

...and already a substitution. The calendar read Tofu & Herb Noodle, but the gorgeous asparagus at the grocery had another idea. It was screaming "use me!" and I couldn't ignore it. A quick visit to Epicurious.com and the rotors were rotorin'.

Location:
Adam's house, Covington?/Fort Mitchell?/Independence?, Kentucky

Attendees:
Adam, Kate, Nick, Me

Menu:

Crème d'asperges au parmesan (because it sounds fancier in French)

Pan-seared tilapia with a lemon chili composite butter

Mixed greens

Entertainment:

Chuck in 3D! Except not in 3D because we didn't have glasses. No Zachary Levi upclose and personal for us.

Nick's dog, Isabel. Dumb but almost cute. … Almost.

The Soup:

Reactions from the table included "silky," "yummy," "asparagus-y" (with the alternate version–"pee smelly-y"–generously offered by Adam), and "coma-inducing." It was smooth and rich, and definitely works better as a side or appetizer soup than as a main course. It was also very easy, which reminded me of the option of having soup as an appetizer even when it's not Soupruary and you're not at a restaurant (I'm not sure why this was such a revelation to me, but it was). Soup! It's what's for pre-dinner!

Adapted from Epicurious.com

2 pounds green asparagus (tough, woody ends snapped off)

1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Freshly-grated parmesan

Cut off the tips (about an 1.5 inches) of 12 spears and reserve for garnish. Break the rest of the asparagus into pieces of about 1.5 inches each.

In your soup pot over medium-low heat, saute the onion in the butter until soft. Add the asparagus and season with salt and pepper, then continue to saute for 5 minutes. Add your broth, cover your pot and let it simmer till the asparagus is tender, about 20 minutes.

In a separate pot of salted boiling water, boil your reserved asparagus tips for 3 minutes until just tender and drain.

Remove the soup from heat and puree using an immersion blender (or a regular blender in batches if you're brave enough to maybejustmaybe get asparagus all over your kitchen). Add the cream and lemon juice, taste for seasoning, and serve, throwing a few asparagus tips and some parmesan on each serving.

Soupruary Kickoff: Tomato Basil

Soupruary 1st finally arrived, and so did my friends. After wondering whether anyone would want to participate in my little soupsperiment, I ended up deciding to double my recipe to ensure everyone had enough. The mood was festive, the stomachs were full, and everyone left happy. Many thanks to Josh, Matt & Seb for their hospitality, their wide array of bowls and spoons, and for cleaning up.

Location:
The penthouse, Northside, Cincinnati

Attendees:

Aileen, John, Josh, Kate, Kevin, Lauren, Mandy, Matt, Sebastien, Yusef, Me

Menu:
Roasted tomato basil soup
Grilled cheese sandwiches (havarti, cave-aged gruyere or medium cheddar with Irish butter on sourdough or French)
White sangria with kiwis, green apples, and green grapes
Deep dark salted butter caramel sauce on vanilla ice cream
An epic fail of a blood orange tart (had to transport when it was only half-frozen and the dough became too wet. So sad. Also sad for the penthouse oven).

Entertainment:
The Super (Souper?) Bowl, including Bruce Springsteen’s camera collision
Sebastien & Kevin laughfest ’09

The Soup:

Everyone seemed quite happy with the results of this one—even me! The flavors were bold and recognizable—it tastes exactly as you’d imagine it would taste. It was great with some goat cheese crumbled on top to melt in little joy pockets. This may not seem like the most impressive menu, but it’s something everyone will enjoy and the simplicity gives quality ingredients a chance to rock your pants off.

Adapted from Ina Garten

3 lbs plum tomatoes, halved
¼ c plus 2 T olive oil
1 T kosher salt
1 ½ t freshly ground black pepper
2 c chopped yellow onions (I used one large onion for a double recipe)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 T unsalted butter
½ t crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-oz. can of plum tomatoes with their juice
4 c fresh basil leaves
1 t fresh thyme leaves
1 qt water

Toss the tomatoes with ¼ cup olive oil and the salt and pepper, then throw them in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.

In your soup pot over medium heat, sauté the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes in the butter and 2 T of olive oil until you get some color on your onions.

Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and water to the soup pot, then add your roasted tomatoes and all the liquid from the bottom of your roasting pan (there’s some good seasoning in there!). Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 40 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, blend your soup to the desired consistency- I like mine somewhere between slightly chunky and fairly smooth.

The soup is good on its own, but trust me: you’ll want to dip a grouchie sammich in there.