Roasted Cauliflower Bisque

I’m back from another brief hiatus. In what feels like a blink of an eye, winter has snuck up on us here in the east coast. The sun goes down so early which means it is a gloomy drive back home. There is nothing better than a warm and creamy bisque that hits the soul satisfying spot! The natural creaminess of cauliflower  is the perfect base. Roasting it adds great nuttiness which is an ideal combination with garlic and thyme.

1 large head of cauliflower
1 large white onion, roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 tbsps butter, unsalted
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 cup light cream
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
2 tbsp fresh chives, snip using scissors into 1/4 inch pieces
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Cut the cauliflower into flowerets (1-inch pieces) . In a large non-stick baking sheet spread out the cauliflower, garlic, and onions evenly.  Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil, coat and toss gently. Roast for 35-45 minutes, until golden. Check once at the 30 minute mark and then add additional 5-10 minutes according to doneness.

In a soup pot, melt butter and add the bay leaf.  Mix in the roasted cauliflower mixture along with the salt and toss together gently.

Add the vegetable stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes over medium heat. The mixture will be thick, so add in the cup of water and mix well. Discard bay leaf and puree the mixture using a hand blender until smooth.

Stir in cream, cracked black pepper and thyme. Heat soup over moderate heat for 5 minutes until re-heated through. Serve warm with chives and a dash of cayenne pepper. The cayenne is optional, adjust according to your heat preference.

Spinach and Lentil Soup

Here is a simple yet delicious soup that highlights the classic spinach and lentil combination. Instead of using plain vegetable broth, I made my own version infusing it with a combination of indian spices that gives this dish an exciting complexity.

2 bags baby spinach (8 cups)
8 cups vegetable broth
1 cup moong aka mung dal (green gram dal), washed until there is almost no muddled water that washes out
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 dried bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
3 tbsp coriander seeds
3/4 tsp red chilli powder (this gives a slight undertone of heat at the back of your throat. This is optional)
zest from one lemon
juice from one lemon
1/2 tsp + 1 1/2 tsp salt

Heat 8 cups of vegetable broth over medium heat in a dutch oven. Add cumin and coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf. Let the broth come to a boil and drop the heat to medium and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and pour the spiced broth back into the dutch oven.

In the meanwhile, in a heavy bottomed pan add the cup of washed/soaked moong dal along with 2 cups of water, turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring this to a boil over high heat. Then drop the heat to low and cook covered with a lid for 25 minutes. Keep checking on it every 5-10 minutes to make sure the water doesn’t overflow and the dal is cooking in a simmering boil. If the water is boiling over through the covered lid, then leave the lid very slightly open to let some of the steam escape. Adjust heat accordingly and complete cooking the dal completely.

Using a blender, puree the spinach in batches. You may need a few tablespoons of liquid to make a smooth puree. Use the spiced broth rather than plain water, it will add a lot of flavor. Pour the pureed spinach back in along with the spiced broth. Add the remaining salt and chilli powder. Mix evenly and bring this to a boil over medium heat.

Simmer the soup for 15 minutes until the spinach is cooked and goes from a bright green to a darker color. Now add the cooked lentils into the soup, mix well and let simmer for 15 more minutes. Add 1 tbsp of lemon zest, lemon juice and chopped cilantro. Let it simmer for 10 more minutes and turn off the heat.

Check if you need more seasoning. Serve with crispy croutons. It’s easy to make your own croutons – just cut the edges of any bread you have, spray it with butter spray and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Spread on a baking sheet and toast in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes, flip over and toast 5-6 more minutes on the other side. Carefully watch the bread, it can easily burn.

Spiced Lentil and Bean Stew

Inspired by the classic Ethiopian dish, and with my inclination towards indian spices came about this hearty and ‘warm your belly’ lentil stew. If you love earthy, warm spices, this will hit the right spot. Just the perfect bowl of dinner for the winter.

You will need:

3 cups lentils (regular brown or puy)
2 cans dark red kidney beans (pre-cooked)
1 bay leaf (fresh or dried)
1 large onion, finely chopped (yellow or white)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2″ piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp butter
2 large tomatoes, chopped ( for plum tomatoes, use 4)
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 cups vegetable stock (you can substitute with water)
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1 sprig, fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp lemon juice

For the Spice mixture:
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 tsp cardamom (i use whole ones)
4 cloves
1/2 stick cinnamon
2 tbsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp salt

In a dry skillet, add all the above spice mixture  ingredients. Toast over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Keep tossing making sure the spices don’t burn. Powder these ingredients in a blender along with the chopped ginger with no liquid. It has to be a dry powder. Frying whole spices and freshly grinding them adds immense flavor to the stew. If you don’t have access to fresh whole spices, as a substitute, you could use the pre-powdered version of all the above spices and just mix them together in a bowl.

In a large pot, add 6 cups of water along with the lentils and bay leaf. Boil the lentils for about 45 minutes. Around the 30 minute mark, check to see the doneness and adjust amount of water and cooking time accordingly. The lentils after 45 minutes, should be cooked but not mushy. It should be firm and al dente since it is going to cook a bit more while putting together the stew.

Drain the lentils, also drain the can of kidney beans and set aside.

In a large pot, add the butter and vegetable oil. Once the butter is golden brown, add the onions and garlic. Sauteé for 10 minutes until the onions soften.

Add the ground spice mixture and cook for 7-8 more minutes making sure the spice powder is mixed evenly.

Add the chopped tomatoes and salt , cook 5 more minutes.

Add tomato paste, mix well and then add the vegetable stock.

Simmer over medium heat for 25-30 minutes.

Now add the cooked lentils and beans, simmer 20 more minutes.

Check for salt, top with the chopped cilantro, mint, lemon juice and turn off the heat.

I prefer this stew just on it’s own with a little extra squeeze of lemon, but you could also serve it with your favorite bread.

Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Green Lentil Soup

This is a soup recipe adapted from BHG. The original recipe called for pumpkin, red lentils and chickpeas, but with sweet potatoes, green lentils (french puy lentils) and chickpeas in my pantry, I decided to improvise. The sweet potatoes and green lentils turned out to be a great substitute for the pumpkin and red lentils.

I also had sage in stock. Since I am a sucker for sage with sweet potatoes, I decided to fry the sage in butter first and then start the soup with the sage infused butter. The crispy butter fried sage also makes a great garnish.

I was quite pleased that I could make enough and share with friends at work. It turned out to be a great lunch perfect for that rainy day!

4 medium sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and cubed
1 32 oz can chickpeas
3 cups green lentils, dried ( I prefer using dried and cooking it in stock, rather than using pre cooked lentils)
1″ piece ginger, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
3 large tomatoes, chopped
6-8 fresh sage leaves
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 dried bay leaf (optional)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
3/4 tsp cumin powder
4 tbsp butter
12 cups vegetable stock
2 tsp salt ( split into four 1/2 tsp quantities to be added in layers)
juice from 1 lemon

Melt butter over medium heat until it turns golden brown. Add sage leaves which will start becoming crispy after some spluttering. Remove sage and set aside.

In the sage infused butter left behind in the pan, add garlic, ginger and onions. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the onions are cooked translucent.

Add chopped carrots, 1/2 tsp salt and sauté for 5 minutes until the carrots just start getting tender. Add cubed sweet potatoes, chickpeas, 1 tsp salt, turmeric, cumin and coriander powders. Cook for 10 minutes until the sweet potatoes just start cooking.

Add chopped tomatoes, remaining 1/2 tsp salt and the sage leaves. Cook for 2 minutes and add the lentils, bay leaf and measured vegetable stock. Cover and let cook over medium heat for 40-45 minutes.

Uncover and check for doneness. The lentils should be perfectly tender (but not mushy), the sweet potato, chickpeas and carrots should also be tender yet hold their shape but will melt in your mouth into an explosion of flavors. Add chopped cilantro and lemon juice, turn off the heat and serve hot with any fresh baked bread of your choice.

I served the soup with pumpernickel bread and loved the combination of the smoky earthy soup with the deep and intense pumpernickel bread. The combination was perfect.

Carrot and Ginger Soup

8 medium sized carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
2″ ginger piece,chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 bay leaf
1/2 tspoon red chilli powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
3/4 tsp salt
4 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp cilantro (garnish optional)

Melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the ginger, onions and coriander powder and stir utnil the onions soften. Add red chilli powder and carrots let cook a minute.

Add salt, bay leaf, pour in the vegetable stock and bring this to a boil. Cover the soup pot and simmer over medium heat for 25 minutes until the carrots are cooked and tender. Uncover, remove the bayleaf carefully and blend the entire soup using a hand blender.

Serve warm garnished with cilantro.

This dish goes to Food In Color event hosted by Tongue Ticklers.

White Bean Soup

Although I love Michael Chiarello’s creations, I have always thought that they are time consuming. This  “Super-Tuscan” white bean soup however beats the norm. The basil topping completely sold me this dish and it is versatile enough to use on many types of soups and salads. I have tried to simplify and de-meatify it (yes I said de-meatify) for an easy weeknight meal. I also added a slight zing of spice to the soup itself and another layer of texture with asparagus tips that give a crisp bite to the creamy white bean soup.

1 13 oz can cannellini (Italian White) beans
1 yellow onion, quartered lengthwise
1/2 cup asparagus tips (Snip off the tips, around 1″-2″ from 1 bunch of fresh asparagus and save the rest for a pasta or salad later)
3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 bay leaf
4 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil|

Basil topping:

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried red chilli flakes
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp salt

To make the topping :

Heat the 1/3 cup olive oil In a small pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn golden brown. Add the red chilli flakes and cook for a few seconds, then add the basil. Cook until basil wilts , stir in the salt and set aside.

Heat the 3 tbsp olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic and red chilli powder. Cook until the onions turn translucent and soft, around 4-5 minutes.

Add the bay leaf, salt and beans mix well and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in the stock, cover and cook for 20 minutes over low heat.

Uncover, carefully remove the bay leaf and blend this mixture until smooth using a hand blender. Add the asparagus tips to the soup, cook for an additional 5 minutes and remove from heat. Ladle into a soup bowl, top with a tsp of the basil topping and serve with parmesan crisps.

This dish goes to Food In Color event hosted by Tongue Ticklers.

Fettucini with Caramelized Onions and Green Peppers

Thanks to the torrential down pour with 50 mph winds, I get to eat this for dinner!  What’s better on a cold rainy day than hot creamy pasta. This version is sweet from the caramelized onions and spicy(ofcourse!) from the serrano, creamy and hearty thanks to the béchamel.

3 tbsp butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 serrano peppers, minced
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, sliced thin lengthwise
1 cup peas (i use frozen peas)
2 green bell peppers, seeds removed and sliced lengthwise
1 tsp salt
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
2-3 cups béchamel sauce
1 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp cilantro, washed and finely chopped
1 pound fettucini

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettucini and cook until al dente according to package instructions (Around 8-9 minutes). Drain and set aside.

Melt butter in a large pan and add garlic and serrano peppers. After a few seconds add the onions and bay leaf. Cook on high heat until the onions are caramelized. Add the green peppers, peas, salt, cumin and coriander powder. Mix well and cook for 5-6 minutes until the peppers just start softening.

Lower the heat to medium-low and add the béchamel sauce. I used 2 cups, you can use 3 cups if you like your pasta with a lot of sauce. Add the basil, cilantro and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the pasta into this sauce, mix well together so all the pasta is coated with the creamy sauce and serve with your favorite bread.

I am sending this recipe to Culinarty’s Original Recipes.

Potato and Roasted Garlic Soup

This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, Practical Cooking series featuring Potatoes. Although a lot of the recipes are not vegetarian, I enjoy adapting the concepts to my life and my palette. In this case, roasting the garlic gives the soup a sweet and deep flavor. Combined with soft creamy potatoes this is a great meal served along with any salad and bread you like.

1 large bulb of garlic for roasting (make sure cloves are big and there are at least 12 cloves in the bulb)
1 additional garlic clove, minced
1 large onion, chopped
4 large potatoes, diced into 1/4 inch cubes
4 cups vegetable broth (I used low sodium)
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup light cream (you can substitute with half and half)
2 tsp canola oil
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red chilli powder or cayenne pepper (this is optional, you can substitute with ground black pepper)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (this is optional)
1/3 cup scallions, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely shredded

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Brush the entire bulb of garlic (skin on) with canola oil. Place it in a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes until golden. Remove and let cool. When completely cooled, gently squeeze the soft roasted garlic from the skin and set aside.

Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the bay leaf and onions and stir until the onions begin to soften. Add the potatoes, salt, red chilli powder and stir for 2 minutes. Add in the minced raw garlic and the roasted garlic, mix well with potatoes and pour in the vegetable broth. Bring this to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf, reduce the heat to low or warm, let cool slightly then puree the soup until smooth using a hand blender. (If you don’t have a hand blender, transfer to a regular blender, puree the mixture and transfer back to the cooking pot)

Stir in the cream, scallions and cilantro and heat through over medium heat. Remove from heat stir in lemon juice if you wish and serve warm with croutons or any bread of your choice.

I am entering this dish to the “Winter Treat” Event hosted by Recipe Center