Navy Bean Soup with Kale and Happy 2019!

Happy New Year, everyone! It's hard to believe it's 2019 already. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like just yesterday I was preparing our Thanksgiving feast.  The time between November 1st and January 1st flew by with the holidays. Now we can all relax, get cozy, fika and hygge together, and slowly enjoy our soup months with candles and fires.

I first posted this recipe for Navy Bean Soup in April of 2009 as a way to use leftover Easter Ham.  It's been my most popular soup recipe ever with over 57,000 views to date!  I know many of you have leftover Christmas ham in your freezer so this would be a great way to use it.

This time, I added some chopped, fresh kale to the soup and it was a delicious and healthy addition. Surprise!...even my husband enjoyed the kale.  You can leave this out or try it with spinach - totally optional.  The soup is delicious without it too. I also decided to give it a few pulses with an immersion blender to give it just a little creaminess. As you can see, I love several nice grinds of pepper on my soup.

With all the veggies, and a little crusty bread, this makes a perfect, lazy day meal.  I prefer to start out with cooking my own dried navy beans because I think they just make the soup even more delicious, but if you don't have time, use canned navy beans, by all means! Just shorten the cooking time to about an hour or two, to get the flavor from the ham bone into the soup.

What else have I been doing on this first day of 2019?  For one thing, I couldn't wait to start a few seeds!  I love adding sprouts to soups and salads and have enjoyed buying radish sprouts from a local grower, but it's so easy to do yourself and a fun project.  Watching something green grow at this time of year (especially if you live in the Midwest as we do) always lifts the spirits :)  I'll keep you posted on the sprouts' progress!

The other thing I'm going to do this month is get this afghan finished that I started in the fall.  If you have followed me, you know how much I love black and white accents around the house.

If you look closely at the chair, you can see a purple pipe cleaner twister around one of the spokes on the back of the chair.  A reminder that our oldest grandson loves to decorate our home ♥ I didn't even notice it was there until I started editing these photos :)

I found the afghan pattern at Churchmouse Yarns' website but you also can find it on Ravelry here. You may have to become a member to gain access to Ravelry, which is free.  The pattern itself is only $5.00 US.  I absolutely love the pattern, even though it took several starts to get the size I was looking for as it's meant to be a baby blanket. 

One of the many sweet moments of Christmas was getting this note from our 6-year-old grandson ♥

Navy Bean Soup

Printable Recipe

Composed of several different recipes and tweaked over the years, this is a family favorite!

1 pound navy beans
1 meaty ham bone, or you could use a smoked pork shank or hock
1/2 pound diced ham from the deli or your ham bone
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 medium carrots, diced
2-3 stalks of celery, diced
1 large clove minced garlic
2-3 sprigs of thyme
Approximately 3 quarts Water, Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Salt and Pepper

Optional: Fresh kale, washed and thick veins removed.  Cut into strips and then slice thinly.  The heat of the soup will soften the kale or mix it into the hot soup for a minute or two before serving.

If you are a well-planned soup maker, you can soak the beans overnight. If you’re like me, at least get started in the morning! Pick out any unsavory-looking beans and rinse in a colander. Place the beans into a soup pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, remove from heat and let them rest for 30 minutes. Pour beans back into the colander and rinse again.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Put the beans back into the soup pot along with the ham bone and cover with water or, as I do, add chicken or vegetable stock to cover the beans by at least 2 inches. Add the sautéed vegetables and thyme sprigs and simmer the soup on low heat for 4-5 hours until the beans are tender.

Remove ham bone, and thyme sprigs.  Dice the ham.

Update:  Before returning the diced ham to the soup, I now like to use an immersion blender and partially puree the beans to give the soup a more creamy texture.  Just a few pulses is all.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with freshly ground pepper, parsley or freshly chopped kale. Cheddar bread sticks are a perfect compliment.

Cucumber and Avocado Gazpacho

Have you missed me? LOL.  Sorry to be so MIA this summer.  I wish I could say I've been reading books, sleeping in a hammock and sipping iced tea.  Gosh that sounds good but no complaints :)  Like today, I've been spending half of my time working on our fixer-upper, and spending the rest of the time with our family and having our grandsons over for sleepovers and day camp dates. There's also my weekly golf dates with my hubby.  There's so much to enjoy during our brief summers!

I have also been planning and testing recipes our seasonal gourmet event which will be next weekend!  One of the 'keepers' to our menu is this delicious Cucumber and Avocado Gazpacho soup which I made from my very own garden cucumbers and basil.  I've even titled our dinner party "Garden to Table Gourmet".

This creamy gazpacho is so full of flavor, not only from the freshest ingredients but also the delightful hint of corn flavor the from homemade corn stock.  It's summer in a bowl! 

Speaking of summer harvests, not only am I picking cucumbers, but my tomatoes and zukes and finally rewarding me with some gorgeous produce. 

And all that planting in the spring, watering and weeding in the summer is also giving me some wonderful bouquets to enjoy!  

And these handsome, young weeds keep growing too :)  We just love having them here at Nana and Papa's house to love and spoil ♥  We even had our oldest 'baby' home for almost the entire weekend last week while her boyfriend was in Canada fishing with his father.  Our youngest 'baby', the mother of those handsome young boys, joined us one of those evenings. Our hearts are full!  

I'll have more recipes from our upcoming dinner party to share soon.  

Cucumber and Avocado Gazpacho

Printable Recipe

2 ripe avocados, halved, seeded, peeled, and cut up 

1 large or several small cucumbers , unpeeled, seeded and cut up (12 ounces net weight)

1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves 

1 clove garlic, peeled 

2 green onions, trimmed and cut up 

Zest and juice of 1 lime 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 

2 cups Corn Stock – recipe below 

Garnish: finely chopped cucumber and sautéed corn kernels 

To make corn stock, slice kernels from 2 or 3 fresh ears corn (reserve some corn kernels for garnish and use or freeze the rest). In a large saucepan, bring the cobs and 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Let cool, then discard cobs. Strain and chill, covered, 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. 

For the gazpacho, puree all ingredients (except garnish and corn stock) in a blender or in a large bowl with an immersion blender. Add corn stock to desired consistency. Adjust seasonings as necessary 

Transfer to a bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent browning. Chill for 2 to 24 hours; stir before serving. 

When serving, garnish with chopped cucumber, corn kernels or basil sprigs.

Adapted from Midwest Living 

Southwestern Chicken and Red Rice Soup

Since it's chilly at night,  I recently made this delightful soup recipe, adapted from a good friend's version of soup she had ordered at a local cafe.  Full of piquant peppers and onions, hearty red rice, corn and chicken, this soup was one of the best I've tasted in a long while.

Red rice you ask?  It was the first time I had used it, as I normally use brown rice.  I've since learned that red rice is even more nutritious than brown rice! Red rice gets it's color from an antioxidant called anthrocyanins, which are found in dark purple and red fruits and vegetables.  Anthrocyanins are believed to have properties that reduce inflammation and can prevent the risk of cancer.  The manganese found in both red and brown rice helps to strengthen metabolism, lower blood pressure as well as lower heart attack risk.  And, there is Magnesium in it that can strengthen bones and teeth (if taken along with calcium).  Red rice has a delightful nutty flavor.

With a side of tortilla chips, either crumbled or used as a 'spoon' for dipping into your soup, it will be hard to not go back for seconds.  Believe me, I did :)   The flavors in this soup are bright and flavorful enough to serve all year long and is only moderately spicy, not hot.

Garden and yard clean up is taking up a lot of time now that the snow has finally melted.  It's wonderful to see things sprouting and growing again!

We also had a all-family gathering recently where we celebrated three family birthdays.  It was a delicious event hosted by my daughter and son-in-law.  I'd love to share with you the new 'gallery' of artwork my daughter recently installed, all of which were created by my 6-year-old grandson, Dane. It makes me smile knowing that we may have a budding artist in the family :)

Southwestern Chicken and Red Rice Soup

Printable Recipe

1-2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil, such as canola or grapeseed
1 large yellow onion, diced
4-5 large stalks of fresh celery, diced (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 scant tablespoon of garlic, minced
1 large or two small Poblano peppers, seeded and diced
1 28-oz can petite diced tomatoes in juice
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced (or use rotisserie chicken breast), about 2 cups
1 12-oz bag frozen white corn (use all or as much as you like)
1 cup uncooked red rice (Whole Foods), brown rice can be subbed if you can't find red rice
4 cups chicken stock (I like Costco's Organic Chicken Stock or Kitchen Basic Unsalted Chicken Stock)
2 cups water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Tortilla chips and chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish

In a soup or stock pot, saute the onions and celery in oil over medium heat until transparent.

Add the diced peppers and saute a few minutes more. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the petite diced tomatoes, including juice and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for about 45 minutes.

Add the wild rice, bring to a boil and simmer on low for about 40 minutes until the rice is tender but not soft. It should be 'al dente'.

Add the cooked chicken and corn and simmer until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste (I like lots of pepper) and serve.

Note: Red rice may be slightly more difficult to find than other kinds of rice.  You should be able to find it at Whole Foods or a very well-stocked grocery store. Lundberg is a very good brand and grown in California. If you are lucky enough to find it locally, I highly recommend it. 

You can find Lundberg red rice on Amazon by clicking here.  

Savoring Time in the Kitchen is a member of the Amazon Affiliate Program. If you purchase a product by following a link that we provide, the price you pay as a consumer does not change, but if you do make a purchase through one of these links, we earn a very small commission for providing that link.  Thank you for your support of Savoring Time in the Kitchen!

Soup's On!

It was a very chilly week here in SE Wisconsin last week! From what I've heard, much of the U.S. had below normal temperatures with ice and snow.  

Since there is nothing like a hot bowl of soup to warm you on a cold, winter evening, I thought it would be fun to look back at my most viewed soup recipes. Perhaps you might find one or two that you'd like to try!

Chicken Vegetable Soup with Caraway Gnocchi was #10 with 3,090 views.

Tomato Soup with Cheesy Polenta Garnish (think of your childhood tomato soup and grilled cheese) is #9 with 3,208 views. 

Provençal Vegetable Soup, garnished with a dollop of pesto, is 8th with 3,391 page views. 

In 7th spot, this Cauliflower Soup with Parmesan Croutons has received 3,608 looks.  

6th place goes to Minestrone Soup with ditalini pasta.  This post has had 4,181 looks so far.

  

In 5th position is this very healthy Green "Love" Soup made from a delicious variety of greens and spices,  It has 4,798 page views.

In 4th place is one of my personal favorites, Spinach Pasta e Fagioli Soup.  This great recipe, given to us by friends, years ago, has had 4,894 page views.  

My 3rd most viewed recipe is for the hearty Lentil Soup with Ham and Kale. with 6,633 views. I don't know about you, but I love lentil soups, especially with smoky meat like ham.  However, you could make this a great vegetarian meal and leave out the meat too.  The kale adds beautiful color and added nutrition.

My second, all time most viewed soup recipe is Wonton Soup with Noodles and Baby Bok Choy.  12,924 views!  Not only nutritious and delicious but so pretty too.  One of those soups that you eye with your eyes first but there won't be a drop left in the bowl.  

And then in first place....

With a whopping 55,305 page views, my #1 viewed soup recipe is this Navy Bean Soup made with Leftover Ham.  There is nothing like a hearty ham and bean soup to warm you when the temperatures dip! 

The other thing that helps us get through winter is seeing a new movie now and then.  I just wanted to give 2 thumbs up to La La Land! My husband and I just saw it last night. The music is wonderful! Thankfully, my husband is a music 'geek' and was in the orchestra pit with his string bass for many high school musicals :) The composer, Justin Hurwitz, is a native of Milwaukee and went to high school here!  Great job, Justin! We loved it. 

Bean and Fresh Herb Soup with Cheddar-Thyme Popovers

Are you anxious for spring? So am I! Here is a light soup that is easy to make and very satisfying if you're still in the mood for soup.  Last week, we had a new blanket of snow on the ground so we were in the mood. 

I whipped up some easy 'blender' popovers to serve with the soup which are so easy to prepare that you can have them on the table in less than an hour.

Adding a few crumbles of crisp bacon on top is optional but oh, so delicious. 

What a difference a week makes!  The photo above on the left with our two oldest grandsons is from just last Sunday when they were here for an overnight and the two photos on the right were taken yesterday when it was 70F!  March always has it's ups and downs, Lions and Lambs. Spring is coming!  

Bean Soup with Fresh Herbs

Printable Recipe

 

Note:  Remember to soak dried beans overnight according to package directions.  

1/2 pound thick-sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely diced
2 celery ribs, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
Several sprigs of fresh thyme

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (reserved)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 pound Great Northern beans, soaked overnight and drained
10 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large soup pot, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until browned and crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place on paper toweling to drain.  Leave about 1 tablespoon or so of bacon fat in the pot.

Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, 2-3 sprigs of thyme and chopped rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the drained beans and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer the soup over moderately low heat until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs, then stir in the remaining chopped thyme and rosemary. Ladle into bowls and garnish the soup with the bacon and serve.

Make Ahead: The soup and bacon can be refrigerated separately for up to 3 days. Recrisp the bacon before serving.

Note:  The bacon can be omitted altogether and you may use olive oil instead of bacon fat to saute the vegetables in the pot.  To make the soup totally vegetarian you may substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock. 

Inspired by Food and Wine

Easy Blender Popovers

Printable Recipe

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon canola oil 3 tablespoons grated sharp cheddar cheese (Optional)
2 teaspoons dried thyme (Optional)

Preheat oven to 475F

Brush popover pan or muffin cups with melted butter or spray with non-stick baking spray such as Bakers Joy. Be sure to brush or spray around the rims also.

Combine eggs, milk, flour and salt in a blender. Blend for 1 minute. Add the oil and blend for 30 seconds. Add optional ingredients and pulse once or twice.

Fill popover or muffin cups half full and bake for 12 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F and bake for 30 minutes longer. Prick popovers with a toothpick or fork to let steam escape and bake for 5 more minutes.

This recipe yields approximately 6 popovers.

Recipe may be doubled. Try using other cheeses and herbs of your choice!

 

Inspired by Be Our Guest

Winter Soup with Enoki Mushrooms and Pea Shoots

Along with some some dear friends, we escaped the Midwest winter to the California desert for a very brief while to golf and relax. While we're glad to be back home, the weather there was so beautiful with unseasonably warm temperatures and abundant sunshine that it seems SE Wisconsin feels even colder now after being in California.

The first thing I wanted to make after we returned home was a hearty soup to make our tummies feel they were filled with sunshine.  

I made a basic beef stock with lots of veggies and had hoped to use the meat from the beef shanks used in making the beef broth, but they weren't as tender as I'd hoped and had too much gristle.  I made a quick trip back to the store to buy a very small chuck roast which I seared and roasted in the oven until it was falling-apart tender.  It was a great idea and one I'll continue to use when I make this soup in the future! A fortunate find of some fresh pea shoots and Enoki Mushrooms sounded like they would 'brighten' the soup beautifully, so those went into my cart also.

The flavorful crunch of the Enoki Mushrooms and the spring-time fresh taste of the pea shoots really took the soup from ordinary to extraordinary!

One of the inspirations for making this soup was a copy of Brodo - a Broth Bone Cookbook that I had recently ordered.  I found some some great ideas in it, one of which was to garnish soup with roasted garlic paste made from whole roasted garlic bulbs.  It was perfect on this hearty beef broth soup adding a wonderful depth of flavor.

 
I also made some simple cheese, garlic and herb puff pastry breadsticks using this recipe that I've shared before. This time, I added some granulated garlic along with a little dried basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and sea salt to the breadsticks.

We could still get plenty of snow here in March, but here's hoping the last three weeks of winter are kind to us all!

Winter Soup with Enoki Mushrooms and Pea Shoots

Printable Recipe Note: This broth if best if made a day ahead and refrigerated overnight so that any fat solids can be removed after chilling. You have several options for using the broth... 1. Drink it alone as a warm and rejuvenating cup of broth. 2. Add roasted beef and additional reserved vegetables the next day as stated in the recipe below. You may reuse the vegetables used in making the broth but they will be very soft. 3. Add cooked noodles of your choice to your bowl before ladling in the broth and top it with a soft-cooked egg and sliced scallions. Ingredients for making the broth: 3 pounds of meaty beef bones, such as beef shanks or shin 1 large onion, peeled and cut into large dice 3 celery stalks, washed and cut into large dice 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large dice 1/2 bunch parsley, washed 3-4 sprigs of thyme, washed 1 Bay leaf (optional) 3-4 inner stalks (hearts) of celery with leaves 1 tablespoon ground pepper 1 tablespoon fine sea salt Cheesecloth for straining broth Additional optional ingredients to make your broth into vegetable and beef broth bowls as I did: 1 large onion, peeled and cut into large dice 3 celery stalks, washed and cut into large dice 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large dice 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large dice 1/2 small green cabbage, washed, core removed and cut into 1" pieces 2 pounds of beef chuck roast, roasted and chilled overnight (see below) Optional Garnishes: 1-2 whole garlic bulbs, roasted and mashed into a paste with a fork (see below) Enoki mushrooms and pea shoots for garnish (optional) Additional chopped fresh parsley for garnish Directions With kitchen twine, tie together the parsley, thyme and celery heart stalks and optional bay leaf into a bunch (the Bouquet Garni). Heat a large stock or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and and add the bones to pot. Sear until browned on all sides, about 20 minutes. Remove bones from pot and pour off excess oil. Return the bones to the pot and add water to cover bones by about 2-3 inches. Bring to a boil, skimming the foam off the top every 10 minutes. Boil for about 45 minutes. Add additional water if necessary to keep bones covered. Add the diced onions, celery, carrots and Bouquet Garni. Add salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered for about 4 hours. Add more water to the pot, if necessary to keep bones under water. After the broth has simmered for 4 hours, allow to cool for 15 minutes. Place a colander over a very large bowl or another pot and strain the bones and vegetables from the broth. I like to strain the broth a second time over a finer-mesh strainer lined with a layer of cheesecloth. Any solids which remain in the cheesecloth, skim off with a large spoon and discard. You will need to do this in stages. Discard the bones, bouquet garni and vegetables. Chill the broth overnight and skim off the fat solids the next day. I like to strain the broth again the next day over a strainer lined with cheesecloth to get rid of any additional fat solids or residue. At this point you will have a wonderful beef broth to enjoy any way you choose. To make vegetable beef soup using the broth follow these directions: The day you make the broth with the bones and vegetables, while it is simmering for the 4 hours, preheat the oven to 325F. Heat an oven-proof, covered pan or enamel cast-iron dutch oven with lid over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sear chuck roast until very browned on both sides, seasoning with salt and pepper on both sides when turning. When well-browned, add 1/3 cup of water to the pot, cover and place in the preheated oven for 2 hours. Chill and reserve for the broth bowls the next day. Your may use the liquid from the roasted beef in your beef broth also. At the same time you are roasting the meat, you may also roast the bulbs of garlic. Remove any loose skin from the garlic. Slice off the tops of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves. Rub with olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the bulb/bulbs in aluminum foil, and roast until tender, about 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic cloves from their skin onto a cutting board. Mash them with a fork into a paste. Place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until the next day. The day after you make the broth and have removed the fat solids and strained it, place the broth back in the pot and bring to a low boil. Add the additional optional vegetables and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes to an hour. Meanwhile, remove roasted chuck roast from refrigerator and slice into 1/4-1/2 inch thick julienne slices, removing any fat as you cut. Place as many slices of beef you desire into a soup bowl and then ladle the hot broth and vegetables on top. Garnish with a teaspoon of mashed roasted garlic, Enoki mushrooms, pea shoots and chopped parsley. Enjoy! Inspired by Brodo, A Broth Bone Cookbook

Chili Blanco Especial

Chilly and blustery the past two days but the forecast for this Sunday is sunny and 61F again! What an amazing fall it has been but I know the weather will soon return to more seasonal temperatures.

I saved the breast of a rotisserie chicken to make this white chicken chili.  You can top the chili simply with diced avocado, or make it really 'especial' and sprinkle some Cheddar-Jack cheese on top with some freshly chopped parsley or cilantro for color (my parsley is still going strong outdoors).  A squeeze of lime juice, sour cream, chopped black olives, salsa, etc., etc., etc.,  You get the idea!

Don't forget the tortillas! The original recipe calls for lining the soup bowl with a tortilla and adding the hot chili over the top.  I prefer scooping a spoonful of chili onto the tortilla for a delicious bite.  Of course this is totally optional but so delicious. I also added some kale for color.

Chili Blanco Especial

Adapted from Creme de Colorado Cookbook

Printable Recipe

Note:  Beans need to be soaked overnight before preparing recipe. Or, use canned beans.

Serve 8

1 pound dry White Northern beans
5-1/4 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large white onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 7-ounce can diced green chilies (or 2 small 4 oz cans)
5 cups diced cooked chicken breast
1-3/4 cups chicken stock or broth (I use less for a thicker chili)

1 cup chopped kale (my addition - optional)

1 tablespoon diced jalapeño pepper (also optional)
8 flour tortillas

Place dried beans in a large bowl.  Add enough water to cover beans by at least two inches and soak overnight. 

The next day, in a large soup pot, combine beans, 5-1/4 cups chicken broth, garlic, onion, white pepper, salt, oregano, cumin and cloves. Simmer covered for about 5 hours, or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in green chilies, diced chicken and 1-3/4 cups chicken broth. Add chopped kale at this time, if using. For a spicier taste, add jalapeño. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. To serve, line each bowl with 1 flour tortilla or serve tortillas on the side. Add hot chili and serve with the suggested condiments for a very special chili.

Flavors are enhanced when this chili is made 1 day ahead.

Serve with any of the following condiments:

Diced Avocado
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Chopped black olives
Chunky salsa or diced tomato
Sour cream
Wedge of lime
Chopped cilantro or parsley

Butternut Squash, Apple, and Leek Soup

What a crazy week of weather it has been here!  Monday, it was 84F, by late Monday afternoon it dropped to 59F.  It warmed to 80 again on Thursday, cold and rainy on Friday and tonight we have a frost warning.  This is a soup weekend if there ever was one!

Last week, a fellow blogger, Bonnie, at From a Writer's Kitchen, wrote about a butternut squash soup made with apple that she found in the Chicago Tribute. You can click on the link above and see the recipe Bonnie made. It sounds wonderful and I love butternut squash.  Bonnie mentioned how flavorful the soup was with the hint of apple.

Then, a couple of days later, I happened to pick up the cookbook that I had won in a giveaway from Sam at My Carolina Kitchen, called Savoring the Hamptons, where I found a recipe for Butternut Squash, Apple and Leek Soup. I've made a couple of recipes from the book when we entertained this past summer but when I'm entertaining I rarely have time to take pictures.  So finally, Sam, I was able to make AND photograph a wonderful recipe from this cookbook! It was delicious and my husband loved it too.  Thank you so much for this wonderful cookbook, Sam!  I have many more recipes bookmarked to try.

The addition of the apple, leeks, onion, sage, a splash of freshly squeezed orange juice, along with parsley and sage really made this a top-notch recipe.  The recipe also mentions the optional garnish of plain croutons but I had to bring those up a notch also so I baked mine with a generous sprinkle of black pepper, garlic salt and some chopped fresh herbs.  They were perfect with the soup. 

Thank you again, Bonnie, for the idea, and to you, Sam, for the cookbook.

I mentioned in my last post that I would share a few more photos of our trip to Atlanta where we attended a wedding in September. The Atlanta Botanical Gardens were a highlight along with a visit to The Swan House that same day.  

Those of you who have seen the movie, The Hunger Games - Catching Fire, may recognize the opulent facade of the home with it's five-tiered waterfall in the center of the staircase.  This is what guests saw upon entering the driveway. The photo at the bottom of the above collage is the rear of the home where carriages or cars would pull around to enter the home.  

Above, you see the beautiful foyer and staircase, the dining, room, library and sitting room.  Another very highly recommended stop if you are ever in the Atlanta area.  It doesn't cost anything to do your own self-guided tour of the home where you can walk around freely and enjoy all of the rooms with original furnishings. To enter the museum on the property you do need to pay admission.  All of the above photos (except for the one from the movie) I took on our visit. 

Butternut Squash, Apple, and Leek Soup

Adapted from Savoring The Hamptons
Printable Recipe

Serves 6 to 8

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 butternut squash 2 to 2 1/2 pounds
2 leeks
1 onion
1 tart apple
6 cups chicken stock (low sodium if using store bought)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup finely chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley (plus a little more for croutons)
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves (plus a little more for croutons)
Black pepper, Garlic and Herb croutons (recipe follows)

Peel, seed and cut butternut squash into 1-inch pieces using a large chef's knife. Trim, wash and thinly slice leeks and onion. Peel, core and coarsely chop apple.

Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan or stock pot over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the butternut squash, leeks, onion and apple and saute for a minute or two. Then, place a piece of wax paper or parchment paper over the vegetables and cover the pan. "Sweat" the vegetables for about 7 minutes. Remove and discard the paper.

Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the orange juice and cook the soup over low to medium heat at a steady simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.

Puree the soup in the pan with an immersion blender, or, puree in several batches in a regular blender.

The soup can be prepared ahead up to this point and refrigerated, covered, until ready to serve. Bring back to a simmer, add the chopped parsley and sage and serve with croutons, if desired.

Black pepper, Garlic and Herb Croutons
Preheat oven to 350F.

Choose a good loaf of French bread, sliced. Prepare 1-2 slices for each person. Brush each side of bread with olive oil, then sprinkle generously with ground black pepper and garlic salt. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley or sage, if desired. Cut each slice of bread in 1" x 1" pieces (you do not need to remove crust) and scatter in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Toast in preheated oven for about 7-8 minutes until golden. Watch carefully toward the end so they do not burn.

Creamy Colcannon (Cabbage and Potato) Soup with Cheddar Straws

St. Patrick's Day is next week so time to start getting your Green on!  If you'd like to try an Irish dish that's easy to make and delicious while there is still a chill in the air, try Colcannon soup. Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish made from potatoes and cabbage or kale with milk, cream or butter added. It may also contain other ingredients such as scallions, leeks, onions and chives and often eaten with boiled ham or bacon.  I've made Colcannon soup before but without the creamy twist and cheddar straws.

This version, again from Full-On Irish by Kevin Dundon, is made with savoy cabbage, potatoes, leeks and onion, thickened with cream and served with cheddar straws on the side.  A delicious combination!  Don't the cheddar straws remind you of a rustic walking stick? 

Whether used in soup, slaw or egg rolls, I love cabbage!  It is thought that cabbage was domesticated in Europe somewhere around 1000 BC (!), although Savoy Cabbage was not developed until the 16th Century. 

As you prepare to take a mental stroll through the lush green meadows of The Emerald Isle, grab your cheddar walking stick and enjoy a bowl of hot Colcannon. It will warm the cockles of your heart.

Creamy Colcannon Soup with Cheese Straws

Adapted from Full-On Irish by Kevin Dundon

Printable Recipe

Serves: 4 - 6

FOR THE CHEESE STRAWS

They can be made up to three days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Crisp in a preheated oven at 200C/400F/Gas 6 for 2-3 minutes before serving.

175 g/6 oz sheet ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed if frozen
Plain flour, for dusting
50 g/2 oz Cheddar, finely grated
1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tsp water
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

To make the cheese straws, place the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle the Cheddar over half of the puff pastry in an even layer. Fold the portion without cheese over the cheese layer to enclose the cheese layer completely.   Roll out to its original size, using a little extra flour if necessary. Place on a baking sheet and brush with the beaten egg and place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.

Cut the chilled cheese pastry into 10 cm/4 in lengths, each 1 cm/1/2 in wide. Hold the ends of each strip between your fingers and twist the ends in opposite directions. Arrange the twisted strips on non-stick baking sheets and sprinkle a little salt over each one. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crisp and golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FOR THE SOUP

50 g/2 oz  bacon, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
225 g/8 oz russet potatoes, cut into small dice
1 leek, trimmed and white part only thinly sliced
150 g/5 oz Savoy cabbage, thick stalks removed, shredded
700 ml/1 1/4 pints vegetable stock or water (I used chicken stock)
150 ml/1/4 pint cream (I used fat free half and half)
25 g/1 oz room temperature butter, diced (I omitted)

Snipped fresh chives or scallion for garnish - optional

Heat a large stock pot and sauté the bacon over a medium heat for a couple minutes until the fat is rendered. Stir in the onion, potatoes, leek and cabbage, then cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 15-20 minutes until well softened but not browned, stirring occasionally.

Pour the vegetable stock or water into the cabbage mixture and bring to the boil, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the cream and simmer for a few minutes until the soup has a creamy texture.

To serve, remove the soup from the heat and whisk in the butter. It is important not to reboil the soup once the butter has been added or you’ll find it will curdle. Ladle the colcannon soup into cappuccino cups or warmed serving bowls and arrange a cheese straw to the side. Serve the remaining cheese straws in a separate dish at the table or use as a canape.