Vegetable Lentil Soup

This recipe is extremely simple and everyone who’s eaten it has loved it. This recipe came from Lincoln Stevens who was the catering chef for the Woodruff Arts Center and served this recipe at the High Café. Adjust the herbs to suit your household’s preference. I’m not a big fan of rosemary, so I’d have more parsley. The leeks, shallots and garlic are all ways of adding onion flavor to the soup. You could substitute a white or yellow onion for the leeks and shallots and the soup would still be delicious. Leave out the butter, obviously, if you need a vegan dish. We’re running this recipe next month in the AJC.

Roasted Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup from Serious Eats

Here’s the idea: Grab some produce, seasoning, and perhaps some protein, throw it on a sheet tray and roast until golden and tender, then mash it up into a rustic, warming soup. Roasting adds a depth of flavor that simmering will never provide, and it also makes for a low-fuss dinner that tastes like it took a lot more effort than it did.

In this recipe, chicken thighs are tucked in amongst chopped onion and cubed squash (peeling and preparing the squash is the hardest part of this whole thing), then shredded into the soup. Ground cumin and coriander add a little punch to help cut the sweetness, and a crucial squeeze of lemon adds acidity to keep it all in balance.

Flamingo Pink Borscht

Finally, Marcia, intrepid MB photographer, helped me remember that I’ve been neglecting the beets. I tend to just roast them whole and unpeeled whenever I have the oven going, and then keep the roasted beets in the refrigerator to add to whatever appeals. But she mentioned beet soup, and that reminded me how much I like borscht.

I’m also a huge fan of Jane and Michael Stern. Do you know them? This couple from New Haven, Connecticut travels the United States eating in the most interesting places and they’ve been doing it for decades. Way before that Guy guy was torturing diners, drive-ins and dives, the Sterns were sitting down at booths in the most out-of-the way spots eating the local specialties. They really celebrated the cuisine of America and wrote a number of books. You can find them on the web at roadfood.com.

Anyway, this recipe is from their 1986 book, “Real American Food” and comes from the tradition of New York dairy restaurants. (You do know what a dairy restaurant is, don’t you?)

Arugula Vichyssoise

If you’re wondering what to do with your arugula besides use it in a salad on or a sandwich, how about making soup? Again, not sure where the recipe came from, but this is just a variation on the classic vichyssoise. Now vichyssoise is usually served cold, but there’s no reason you can’t serve it piping hot. No leek? Onions or shallots will do in a pinch.