Soup

Red Beans and Green Pumpkin Soup

October is a time of change…
 
Most noticeably, the trees change. What was green till yesterday starts turning into yellows and oranges and bright reds…
 
Temperature goes from warm to cool…
 
Sweaters and scarves begin to emerge from storage…
 
Dawn and dusk move towards each other making days shorter…
 
Early birds start on their migrations south; squirrels get real busy gathering the last of the nuts…
Winds pick up… trying to shake loose the leaves from the trees, getting them ready for the coming winter…
 
Beaches get deserted; movies and malls get crowded…
 
Thermostats go from Cool to Heat…
 
That reminds me of a funny story. Once I was travelling by train to Canada, in the middle of summer. Inside the train, it was freeeezing! Considering the season, all that I had packed were summer clothes. Not a single sweater or jacket in sight! Finally, I approach the conductor and request that the thermostat be turned up a bit. And she goes… “This train has only two settings; heat or cool. Now it is on Cool. And you know what will happen if I turn it to Heat. Do you want me to get beaten up by the other passengers?” Of course, with a smile. The question that came to the tip of my tongue was, “So you think I can’t beat you up?” but considering that I had to spend a few more hours on the train, I pushed that question right back down. And went back to my seat to look at the warm outside world passing by my window, shivering all the time… Did not made that mistake again; Canada always finds me arriving with a jacket, even at the height of summer!
 
But I digress… we were talking about changes…
 
Octoberfest and pumpkin ale reign supreme before making way for robust red wines…
 
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And the produce… oh boy, what an abundance of pumpkins and squashes… In all shapes and sizes and colours. The market is so full of them. And they make such wonderful displays. And so many ways of cooking them!
 
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Before the ripe, orange pumpkins in their varieties get to the market, there is a small window of time when, if you are lucky, you will come across the green ones, likely in a farmers’ market. They are nothing like their later selfs; these are more akin to potatoes in their mealy texture. Though you can cook pretty much anything with them, they excel in soups and stews.
 
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This soup is a quick and easy one. Starting with a base of Mirepoix, you build the soup by simply throwing things into the pot.
 
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I have used a banana pepper as well, just for the reason that it was sitting lonely in the refrigerator and I did not have any other use planned for it. That is precisely how my recipes grow most often. 🙂
 
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Among the spice mix, I’ve added a bit of chilli powder which is totally optional. Also, you can either soak dried red beans and boil them or get them out of a can. Tastes equally good either way.
 
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Once you have sautéed the chopped stuff, you will have to move it to a large pot, or start with a pot in which you can do the sautéing as well.
 
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A hunk of crusty bread is all you need to make a great meal!

~Ria

Red Beans and Green Pumpkin Soup
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Ingredients
  • 2 lb green unripe pumpkin, cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 2 cups cooked red beans
  • 2 red onions, chopped fine
  • 2 ribs celery, sliced thin
  • 1 carrot, slit lengthwise and sliced thinly
  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
  • 1 cup chopped tomato
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp chilli powder (optional)
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 small bunch cilantro (coriander leaves), minced
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
  1. In a large pot, heat the cooking oil and sauté the onion for 3 to 4 minutes.
  2. Add celery, garlic and carrot and continue sautéing for another 3 to 4 minutes.
  3. Add the red beans, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, cumin and chilli powder, if using. Stir together.
  4. Add 5 cups of water to the mix and bring to boil.
  5. Add the pumpkin pieces and chopped tomato.
  6. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
  8. Adjust seasoning and add the minced cilantro.
  9. Remove from heat and serve hot with crusty bread.

Onion Soup… the French Influence

The weather has turned quite chilly, all of a sudden. The mind seeks interesting books to read and warm sofas to curl up on; the tummy seeks comfort foods. I might be – no, I am – wrong in going for the ultimate in winter comfort foods, so early in the season… but I wanted onion soup! Bubbling over with cheesy goodness, the thick brown gravy smelling heavenly, the French concoction was calling my name!
 
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French cuisine is well known for its long and rich history and high level of sophistication. And many dishes of ancient origin have been adapted and modified to fit the French tradition. Onion soup is one such dish.
 
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Existing from the ancient Roman times (8th century BC to 5th century AD), it was considered poor man’s food as onions used to grow abundantly in Europe and was an easy to cultivate crop.
 
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The basic recipe was adapted to the current version in the French tradition around the 18th century.
 
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The main ingredients of an onion soup are onions (of course!), broth, vermouth, cheese, and crusty bread.
 
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Though the best onion soup I have ever tasted had chunks of beef in it, cooked to a melt-in-the-mouth perfection. This was at a historic tavern in the Gettysburg area, reputed to be in existence since 1776. It was one heck of a soup indeed!
 
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How many onions to a cup of broth? The opinions and recipes vary to a great extent on that. As far as Americans are considered, there is no one above Julia Child as an authority on French cuisine. And it is her recipe that I have taken and followed. Of course, with some minor changes. 🙂
 
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The one thing you need to make a good onion soup is time… lots of it. You can’t hurry the process, especially of caramelizing the onions.
 
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You have to let it slowly brown to perfection, without hurrying it. Even a slight burning of the onions will give the soup an unpleasant taste.
 
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So… enjoy the cool weather with a piping hot bowl of cheery onion soup!

~Ria

Onion Soup… the French Connection
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: French
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 4 onions, yellow or white
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 6-8 cups beef, chicken or vegetable stock
  • ½ cup dry white wine or vermouth
  • 2 cups gruyere or emmentaler cheese
  • 1 French baguette
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Slice the onions thinly, lengthwise.
  2. Grate the cheese using a medium grater.
  3. Slice the baguette into thick slices and toast them in a slow oven.
  4. In a large pan, heat the butter.
  5. Add the sliced onions and thyme.
  6. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally. If the heat is high, the onions will get burned and will not caramelize well.
  7. When the onions are caramelized into a darkish brown, add the wine or vermouth.
  8. Stir for two minutes to evaporate the alcohol in the wine.
  9. Add the stock along with enough sale and black pepper.
  10. Bring to a boil and continue cooking on low heat, for another 15 to 20 minutes.
  11. Heat the oven to 400 degree farenheit.
  12. To assemble the dish, you can either use a set of ramekins or an oven-proof gratin pan.
  13. Fill the ramekins three quarters full with the soup.
  14. Float a slice of toasted baguette on each ramekin.
  15. Sprinkle the top liberally with grated cheese.
  16. Place in the pre-heated oven and bake until the cheese is bubbly and browned (about 10-15 minutes).
  17. Serve hot as a starter or light meal. Yummy!