|
Classic Onion Soup 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine 2 Tbsp. oil 4 large Spanish or yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced 2 cups water 1 quart vegetable stock (try to get the onion-flavoured cubes) 1 bay leaf 1 tsp. fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried 1/4 cup sherry 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper 1-inch thick slice French bread per serving, lightly toasted 1 Tbsp. crumbled goat cheese per serving Fresh thyme for garnish (optional) Heat oil and butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; saute until tender and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add water and stock, followed by the bay leaf, thyme, sherry, salt and pepper; simmer 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Pour soup into ovenproof serving bowls. Place a bread slice in each, and sprinkle the goat cheese on top. Bake until cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with thyme if desired, and serve. Makes about 6 servings. Also good with a pile of grated Swiss cheese instead of goat cheese. Black Bean Soup 1 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) dried black beans 6 cups water 4-6 cups vegetable stock 1/4 cup oil 1 large onon 2-4 large cloves of garlic, pressed 1 1/2 tsp. each of ground cumin and oregano leaves 2 tsp. salt 1 cup cooked brown rice 2 to 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar sour cream or yogurt thinly sliced green onions Rinse beans and sort through, drain well. place beans and water in a 4 to 5 quart pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 to 45 minutes until most of water is absorbed. Add stock and continue simmering until beans are tender (about 1 more hour). Meanwhile, heat oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, until onion is soft. Set aside. In a blender, puree about two cups of the beans with some of the liquid until smooth. Return to pot, and stir in salt, onion mixture, rice, and vinegar. Stir over medium heat until soup is steaming. Adjust seasoning to taste and thin with water if necessary. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with sour cream or yogurt and green onion slices. Serves about 8. Freezes well. Fresh Corn Chowder 2 Tbsp. butter 1 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup finely diced zucchini 1 sweet red pepper, finely diced 4 cups fresh sweet corn (scraped from 4-5 cobs) 2 potatoes, peeled and diced 1/2 tsp. salt, and freshly ground pepper 1/4 tsp. thyme 1/2 tsp. dried basil 2 cups vegetable stock or water 1 cup milk
In a medium saucepan begin cooking the onions and potatoes in the butter over medium-low heat, stirring. After 5 minutes add
the zucchini, red pepper and corn. |