Roasted Vegetable Soup

Roasted Vegetable Soup
Print Recipe
    Servings Prep Time
    8 cups 30 minutes
    Cook Time Passive Time
    80 minutes 15 minutes
    Servings Prep Time
    8 cups 30 minutes
    Cook Time Passive Time
    80 minutes 15 minutes
    Roasted Vegetable Soup
    Print Recipe
      Servings Prep Time
      8 cups 30 minutes
      Cook Time Passive Time
      80 minutes 15 minutes
      Servings Prep Time
      8 cups 30 minutes
      Cook Time Passive Time
      80 minutes 15 minutes
      Ingredients
      Servings: cups
      Instructions
      1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
      2. Toss parsnips, carrots, apple and garlic with 1 tbsp oil. Spread out on a large baking tray in a single layer. Roast for 40 minutes flipping once after 20 minutes.
      3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tbsp of oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion and saute until starting to soften, about 5-7 minutes (don't brown).
      4. To the pot add the roasted vegetables, chicken broth, beans, curry paste, and salt. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook on low for 30-40 minutes until everything is good and soft.
      5. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly 10-15 minutes. Puree mixture in a blender until smooth and silky. Return to pot and warm on low if needed. Stir in cream and white pepper. Adjust consistency to your liking with additional broth and season to taste with salt.
      Recipe Notes

      -letting the soup cool slightly before blending is not necessary, however, I find it a little safer than blending the scalding hot soup.

      -the amount of salt needed will be dependent on the saltiness of your broth.

      -makes about 8 cups of soup depending on your desired consistency.

      Slow Cooker Lentil and Ham Soup


      Slow Cooker Lentil and Ham Soup
      Print Recipe
        Servings Prep Time
        10 cups 30 minutes
        Cook Time
        7 hours
        Servings Prep Time
        10 cups 30 minutes
        Cook Time
        7 hours
        Slow Cooker Lentil and Ham Soup
        Print Recipe
          Servings Prep Time
          10 cups 30 minutes
          Cook Time
          7 hours
          Servings Prep Time
          10 cups 30 minutes
          Cook Time
          7 hours
          Ingredients
          Servings: cups
          Instructions
          1. Rinse and drain lentils. Add lentils along with onion, celery, carrots, cabbage, garlic, parsley, bay leaf, thyme to your slow cooker.
          2. Cut excess ham away from bone and save for later.
          3. Add ham bone and 7 cups of broth to slow cooker. Stir to combine, cover and cook on low for about 7 hours, stirring once or twice.
          4. While soup is cooking, coursely chop or shred ham. Cover and refrigerate until soup is ready.
          5. Remove ham bone and bay leaf from soup. Adjust consistency with the additional cup of broth. Stir in chopped ham and white vinegar. Cover and allow to cook for 5-10 more minutes to warm ham. Add a generous sprinkle of fresh dill and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and more fresh dill.
          Recipe Notes
          • a smoked pork hock will work in place of a meaty ham bone.
          • for a vegetarian/vegan option, use vegetable broth and omit the ham and sour cream.

          Kale and Sausage Pastry Roll


          Kale and Sausage Pastry Roll
          Print Recipe
            Servings Prep Time
            5-6 people 15 minutes
            Cook Time
            55-60 minutes
            Servings Prep Time
            5-6 people 15 minutes
            Cook Time
            55-60 minutes
            Kale and Sausage Pastry Roll
            Print Recipe
              Servings Prep Time
              5-6 people 15 minutes
              Cook Time
              55-60 minutes
              Servings Prep Time
              5-6 people 15 minutes
              Cook Time
              55-60 minutes
              Ingredients
              Servings: people
              Instructions
              1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet. Cook sausage until no longer pink and starting to brown. Remove sausage to a paper towel lined plate. In same skillet over medium heat, add remaining tbsp oil and sauté onion for 3-4 minutes, add garlic and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Stir in kale, broth, Italian seasoning, pepper and chili flakes. Allow to simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until liquid is absorbed and kale is tender, about 15 minutes. There should be no visible liquid left. Remove to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.
              2. Preheat oven to 375℉. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll dough and separate each triangle. On the prepared pan, place 4 triangles in a horizontal line, lining up the corners of the shorter side. Place remaining 4 triangles parallel to the first 4, joining the bottoms of each triangle. 4 triangle tips will be pointing toward you while the other 4 away from you. See blog post for photo. Press dough together along the seam and press out slightly with your fingers, creating an approximate 3" dough surface for the filling.
              3. To the kale mixture, stir in sausage meat, gruyere cheese, and 2 tbsp of parmesan. Scoop out filling onto prepared dough bed in a straight horizontal line, keeping filling on the dough seam and leaving a 1" border at the ends. Slice tomato into 1/4" thick slices and lay slices in a flat row along the top of the filling row. Sprinkle tomatoes with remaining 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese. Lift and bring triangle tips over and across filling, alternating tips. Cut excess dough from triangle tip and tuck end under. Use any excess dough to stretch and cover any filling spots that get missed in the first pass. Tuck and pinch ends together. The roll should be approximately 14" long.
              4. Whisk egg with a 1 tbsp of water and brush over roll. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove and cut into 2-3" slices and serve immediately.
              Recipe Notes

              Makes a great brunch item or appetizer.

              Couscous with Peas and Peanuts


              Couscous with Peas and Peanuts
              Print Recipe
                Servings Prep Time
                6-8 people 10 minutes
                Cook Time Passive Time
                10 minutes 5 minutes
                Servings Prep Time
                6-8 people 10 minutes
                Cook Time Passive Time
                10 minutes 5 minutes
                Couscous with Peas and Peanuts
                Print Recipe
                  Servings Prep Time
                  6-8 people 10 minutes
                  Cook Time Passive Time
                  10 minutes 5 minutes
                  Servings Prep Time
                  6-8 people 10 minutes
                  Cook Time Passive Time
                  10 minutes 5 minutes
                  Ingredients
                  Servings: people
                  Instructions
                  1. In a medium pot sauté onions in butter over medium heat until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add fresh peas, cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Stir in curry powder, salt, pepper, couscous and peanuts. Cover and remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in cilantro. Serve immediately.
                  Recipe Notes

                  If using frozen peas, add peas once broth is boiling, but do not continue to cook.  Allow broth to return to a boil and continue with recipe.

                  Makes approximately 6 cups.

                  Roasted Tomato Pumpkin Soup

                  Roasted Tomato Pumpkin Soup
                  Print Recipe
                  Thick, luscious and a little spicy with roasted flavour. Delicious swirled with sour cream and topped with crispy leeks.
                    Servings
                    6 people
                    Servings
                    6 people
                    Roasted Tomato Pumpkin Soup
                    Print Recipe
                    Thick, luscious and a little spicy with roasted flavour. Delicious swirled with sour cream and topped with crispy leeks.
                      Servings
                      6 people
                      Servings
                      6 people
                      Ingredients
                      Roasted Tomato Pumpkin Soup
                      Crispy Leeks
                      Servings: people
                      Instructions
                      Roasted Tomato Pumpkin Soup
                      1. Preheat oven to 300℉. Peel pumpkin using a vegetable peeler and cut off stem. Cut in half vertically and scoop out seeds (reserve seeds for roasting if desired). Cut into approximate 1 1/2" chunks and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Remove stem from tomatoes and cut into quarters. Spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle the pumpkin and tomatoes with 2 tbsp olive oil and roast in preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Add garlic cloves to the tray during the last 1/2 hour.
                      2. Peel and chop onion into 1/2" chunks. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add onion and sauté until starting to soften, approximately 5 minutes. To the pot add roasted vegetables and all remaining ingredients, reserving 1 cup chicken broth to adjust consistency later. Cover and simmer for a minimum 30 minutes. Remove from heat and blend with a hand held emersion blender until smooth. Adjust constituency using reserved chicken broth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into serving bowls and swirl in 1 1/2 tbsp of sour cream and top with crispy leeks.
                      Crispy Leeks
                      1. Combine flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Trim ends from leek and rinse well, making sure to rinse under any loose leaves. Cut leek into 1/4" slices and separate rings. Toss leek slices in flour mixture to gently coat. Add oil to a shallow pot or skillet and heat until the oil sizzles when a sprinkle of flour is added. Scoop out half of the leek slices shaking off any excess flour and add to oil. Fry for 4-5 minutes until golden, turning once. Using a slotted scoop remove leeks from oil and allow to drain on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat the frying process with remaining leeks. Keep uncovered at room temperature until ready to use.
                      Recipe Notes

                      In this recipe, two baking sheets were used to demonstrate the roasting of the pumpkin and tomatoes, however roast all on one baking sheet if desired. A stand blender can also be used to puree the soup.  Makes approximately 10 cups.