Gondi - Persian matzoh ball soup with chickpeas and chicken
(modified from Epicurious)

Gondi is a bawdy Persian expression for a certain part of the male anatomy
and a favorite food in many Iranian Jewish homes.

Prep time: 15 min for balls, 30 min for everything else
Cook time: 60 min
Yield: 8 servings (50 balls)

Ingredients:
Balls
  2 yellow onions
  1 egg
  3 cloves garlic, minced
  2 t ground cardamom
  1 t ground turmeric
  2 T grapeseed oil
  2 C chickpea flour
  1 lb ground chicken or turkey
  12 C chicken or vegetable stock
Broth
  8 C chicken or vegetable stock (Note: this can be reduced by using broth
      that the balls are cooked in, which will yield about 1/3 its original
      volume.)
  1 large carrot, thinly sliced
  2 C cooked chickpeas (one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
  4 dried limes, soaked in hot water & covered for 15 minutes
  2 C loosely packed coarsely chopped fresh dill, flat-leaf parsley, or
      cilantro
  1/4 C freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
Puree the onions in a food processor, then transfer to a large bowl
Whisk in egg, garlic, cardamom, turmeric, oil, 2 t salt, & several grinds
  pepper
Now use a fork to mix in the meat and chickpea flour to form a thick paste
Cover & store in fridge for at least 4 hours (up to 24 hours) to firm up
Use 2 spoons or wet hands with cold water and break off walnut-size pieces
  of the dough & roll them into smooth balls (gondi)

In large stockpot, bring 12 C stock and 2 t salt to a rapid boil
Carefully drop in gondi
Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for 50 minutes without opening the pot
When ready, the gondi will be firm in the center
Remove with a slotted spoon
Cooking stock can be strained and used for the soup broth

In another stockpot, pour 4 to 8 C stock (4 if gondi broth will eventually
  be used & 8 if not)
Add carrot and chickpeas and bring to a boil
Pierce limes several times with a fork and add them to the stock along with
  their soaking water
Simmer covered for 15 minutes
Add herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper
Stir in the lemon juice just before serving
Divide the gondi among soup bowls, ladle the broth over the top, and serve.

Baked Potato Soup

Lovely warming soup based on a recipe from Smitten Kitchen. As per her recommendation, I pureed some of the potatoes and left some in chunks which resulted in a great texture while still giving it a bit of a mashed potato feel.

1 head garlic
3 tablespoons butter
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise, washed, and chopped small
5 to 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
Salt
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup sour cream or yogurt
Ground black pepper

Rinse the head of garlic to remove any outside grit or dirt. Cut the top third off the head and peel any loose papery skins off the bottom two-thirds. Pop out the garlic clove tips from the top third and mince them.

In a large, heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add leeks and cook them until soft (but not brown), about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute. Add the larger part of the garlic head (whole, not chopped), 5 cups broth, bay leaves and 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add potatoes and continue to simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Discard bay leaves. Remove garlic heads. If you’d like an extra garlic boost to the soup, using tongs or paper towels, squeeze garlic head at root end until cloves slip out of their skins. Using a fork, mash the garlic cloves to smooth paste and add it back to the soup.

Add sour cream or yogurt to soup and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper to taste. Using immersion blender, process soup until chunky-creamy, leaving lots of potato texture intact. Add up to 1 cup more broth for a thinner soup. Serve with oven-warmed crusty bread.

Serves 4-6

Pumkin Lemongrass Soup with Corn

1 fresh lemongrass stalk, root end trimmed and 1 or 2 outer layers discarded
1 large onion, chopped
butter or oil
1 1/2- 2lbs (4 C) butternut or other sweet squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
5 cups water

Slice bottom 5 inches of lemongrass into chunks. Melt a bit of butter or oil in a pot and combine lemongrass, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until onion is softened, about 10 minutes. Add squash, corn, water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and discard lemongrass (if you can find it).

Purée soup and then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. Season with salt and pepper.

Sweet Potato Soup

Here's an easy and yummy soup I made this past week using sweet potatoes from Wilson Farm in Lexington.

3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped leek, washed well and drained
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3 large carrots, sliced thin (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds (about 3 large) sweet potatoes
a 1/2-pound russet (baking) potato
5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

1/4 t ginger
Salt and pepper to taste

In a kettle cook the onion, the leek, the garlic, and the carrots with the bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste in the butter over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened. Add the sweet potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin, the russet potato, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin, the 5 cups broth, the wine, and the water, simmer the mixture, covered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender, and discard the bay leaf. In a blender (or with an immersion blender) puree the mixture in batches until it is very smooth, transferring it as it is pureed to a large saucepan. Stir in the maple syrup and the spices. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more maple syrup, spices, or salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm with fresh bread!

Cauliflower Soup with Parmesan Crisps

Very nice taste, simple, fast, crisps were good but didn’t really crisp

Soup ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 quart chicken stock(I use home-made, of course)
  
• 1/2 cup shredded or grated Parmesan
• Salt and black pepper

Crisps ingredient:

• 1 cup shredded Parmesan

Directions for soup

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic.

Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes.

Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower, coarsely chop.

Add cauliflower and stock to pot and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and, using a hand held immersion blender, puree the soup (or puree in small batches in a blender).

Add the Parmesan and stir until smooth. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

Directions for parmesan crisps:

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Spread the shredded cheese over the foil in 1 even thin layer.

Bake about 10 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.

Break sheet of crisp cheese into large pieces and garnish each soup bowl with a couple shards.

Roasted Carrot and Fennel Soup

So I don't like fennel but I LOVE this soup. There's something about roasting the fennel and cooking it with carrots that gives it a sweet and complex depth to this soup. You're probably thinking this soup sounds kind of weird, but trust me, you have to try it. It's really easy and I promise that you'll love it.

Adapted from this recipe from Sweet Amandine and this recipe from Orangette.

1 fennel bulb
1 ½ pound carrots
2 T. olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion
1 clove garlic
2 T. tomato paste
5 c. vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Trim the fennel bulb (discard the stalks, but reserve and set aside the fronds), cut in half lengthwise, and then into ½-inch-thick wedges. Peel and slice the carrots into ¼-inch rounds. Toss the carrots and fennel with 1 T. olive oil, and several grinds of sea salt and black pepper. Spread the carrots and fennel evenly on a lined or lightly-oiled baking sheet, and slide into the oven for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender.

While the carrots and fennel are roasting: Coarsely chop the onion. In a large heavy pot, heat the remaining 1 T. of oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic , and cook until the onion is soft and translucent. Turn the heat to low, add the tomato paste, and stir to incorporate.

Add the roasted carrots and fennel to the pot, add 4 c. of vegetable broth, and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat, and use a standing blender or an immersion blender to purée the soup. Add the additional 1 c. of broth, in part or in full, until you have achieved the thickness that you desire. Season to taste with salt and pepper. I like to serve this with cheese toasts (whole wheat bread topped with gruyere cheese and baked in the oven for 5 minutes after the veggies come out).

Yield: Serves 4-6

Sudanese Red Lentil Soup

This recipe is adapted from a soup mix made by the First Congregational Church in Williamstown, MA. They sell the mix to raise money to support elementary schools and other programs for internally displaced persons in Sudan (through the ecumenical Williamstown Sudan Relief Task Force). The soup is very easy and will warm you up on a cold day.

2 cups red lentils
1 1/2 t ground coriander
1 1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t salt
1 t dried mint (optional - I don't use it)
4 1/2 cups veggie broth, chicken broth, or water (I use veggie broth)
1 onion, chopped
1 T butter
2 T olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz feta cheese
1 lime

1. Soak lentils in cold water. Stir. Remove anything that floats up. Drain. Repeat. Discard water.
2. Put lentils in a large heavy pot. Add spices, 3 1/2 cups broth or water, onion, and 1 T each of butter and olive oil. Be sure the mixture is well covered with liquid. Bring to a gentle boil and stir often so the bottom doesn't burn. After 10 minutes, add one more cup of broth or water. Boil gently, stirring often, for 30 minutes. Soup will become yellow, creamy and thick.
3. In a separate pan, saute 1 T garlic in 1 T olive oil until fragrant. Add to the soup. Cut the feta into chuncks and add to the soup. Gently boil for 5-8 minutes, stirring to break up the feta.
4. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings. Squeeze the lime in and stir its juice into the soup. Serve!

Fat Free Souper Simply Lentil Soup

1/2 Teaspoon of Crushed Red Pepper

2 Onion, finely diced

1 Carrot, peeled and finely diced

1 Stalk of Celery, finely diced

5 Cloves of Garlic, finely minced

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

3 Bay Leaves

1 Pound of Lentils

2 Quarts of Broth

1 Cup of White Wine

3 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce

3 Healthy Dashes of Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar

Saute everything up to the bay leaves till soft and translucent (doing this in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil adds a nice richness). Add the rest of the ingredients and cook till done. Pick out the bay leaves and done!

Fat Free Souper Quick Butternut Squash Soup

5-6 Pounds of Butternut Squash (1-2 Squash)

1 Quart of Veggie or Chicken Stock

1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

2 Yellow Onions

3 Cloves of Garlic

1 Teaspoon of Salt

1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce

2 Tablespoons of Dry Sherry

Water

Garnish:

Flaked Sea Salt

Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Dried Rosemary

Molasses

Use a vegetable peeler to peel the squash (not only the waxy skin, but also the thin white layer). Remove stem and seeds from inside. Cut into 3/4 in cubes (doesn't need to be exact). Put in microwave safe bowl with enough of the stock to come halfway up the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until it can very easily be mashed with a fork (8 minutes or so). While it is cooking small dice the onion and mince the garlic. Toast the chili in the pan until it is fragrant (add a couple of table spoons of olive oil before this step to add richness to the soup). Add the onion, garlic and salt (to bring out the moisture of the onions). Once soft, add the brown sugar and allow it to dissolve in the onions. Add the cooked squash, soy sauce, sherry, and both the broth it was cooked in and the reserved broth. Mash with a potato mashed until smooth. For an extra luxuriously-smooth soup, blend with a stick blender or in a food processor or blender. (also you can strain it if you really really care). Add enough water to achieve desired consistency.

Serve warm and top with course flaked sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, dried rosemary, and a drizzle of Molasses (grate any aged/sharp/hard cheese and drizzle with more olive oil if more richness and deliciousness is desired)

Escarole Soup with White Beans and Sausage

This is an easy and tasty slow-cooker recipe I made to use up some of the greens from my CSA share.

12.oz chicken sausage (any flavor), cut in 1/4" rounds
2 15oz. can cannellini beans,drained and rinsed
1 15oz. can garbanzo beans,drained and rinsed
1 28oz. can tomatoes, chopped, with juices
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
1 small head escarole, chopped
1/4 c coarse ground parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

1. Combine sausage, beans, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, and thyme in slow cooker and cook on low for 4-8 hours.
2. Stir in escarole and cook an additional 8-10 mins,until just wilted. Stir in the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Peach Soup

This is a surprisingly delicious soup that Nikki, from upstairs, made for a recent potluck. I think it will be especially good when peaches are actually in season. The recipe I believe is from Crook's Corner.

2 1/2 lbs peaches
1/4 c. sugar
1 c. med. sweet white wine or cream sherry
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp black peppercorns

2 bay leaves
1 c half & half
fresh mint for garnish

Peel the peaches, slice them & toss them in the sugar. Let stand for 30 min.
Place them in a shallow pan w/wine & seasonings (put the peppercorns in a tea ball & let it sit in the pan)
Bring it to a simmer until the peaches are just heated through (if you are heating too much the peaches will start to turn brown)
Remove the bay leaves & peppercorns, put mixture in blender & puree.
Add the half & half, then mix & chill

Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Soup

A staple in our Somerville apartment, 2007-2008.

1/4 c olive oil
1 large onion, medium diced
6-8 cloves garlic, pressed
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground cumin
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1 t sweet paprika
1 (14.5-oz) can chopped tomatoes
3 (15-oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 quart vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 t sugar
salt & pepper
1 (5-oz) package pre-washed baby spinach

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until the onions begin to turn translucent; lower heat if browning starts to occur. Add spices and saute a minute or so.
2. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, broth, and sugar. Season with a couple pinches of salt and 10 grinds fresh pepper. Stir well. Chickpeas should be just covered with liquid. If level is shy, add some water so the chickpeas are just covered.
3. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low and gently simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Use a potato masher to mash up some of the chickpeas right in the pot. Stir in the spinach and let heat through until wilted, just a couple minutes. Season again, to taste with salt and pepper. Ellie likes to add raisins at this point, but I'm not really a big raisin person - your call.

Tortilla Soup

This is a delicious recipe from my Texan friend, Laura Gilbert.

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups of chicken broth
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp lemon pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
1 lime
2 cans tomatoes with green chilies
Monterey jack cheese, grated
Tortilla chips
1 avocado

Cut raw chicken into bite-size pieces and cook on the stove. Set chicken aside, leaving grease in pan. Chop celery, carrots, onion, and garlic and saute in left-over chicken grease (mmm) and olive oil. Bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add chili powder, lemon pepper, cumin, lime juice, and tomatoes. Add chicken and veggies. Simmer all for 20 minutes.

To serve: Crush tortilla chips in bottom of bowl. Add soup and top with avocado slices and grated cheese.

Tom Yum Goong soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

1 qt chicken broth
1 qt water
2 stalks lemongrass (defrost by microwaving 45 sec per stalk), bottom 2" minced,
rest sliced on a bias in 4-inch pieces
1 cubic inch galangal ("kah", or substitute ginger) sliced (defrost in microwave
for 30 sec)
4 kaffir lime leaves
2.5 t roasted red chili paste (1.5 T for BJB taste)
1/2 c fish sauce
2 T tamarind sauce (2T tamarind paste chopped, 2t sugar, 4T soup stock, mix well)
8 oz can bamboo shoots, drained
16 oz can straw mushrooms, drained, halved and rinsed
1/2 lb (14) jumbo sized frozen uncooked shrimp, peeled with tail
2 limes, juiced
2 green onions, sliced
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 T salt

Bring the stock & water to boil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the lemongrass,
galangal, keffir leaves,chili paste, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. Cover, lower
heat, and simmer for 15 minutes to let the spices infuse the broth.

Uncover and add the fish sauce and tamarind sauce, simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove lemongrass, then toss in shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes or until shrimp
is cooked.

Remove from the heat and add the lime juice, green onions, salt & cilantro.

Taste, broth should have an equal balance of spicy, salty, and sour.

Thai Chicken Soup in Coconut Milk (Tom Kha Gai)

Yields: 2 (as a main), 4 (as a soup before a main)
Prep & cook time: 45 min

3 C water (can also use chicken stock for richer taste)
4 Thai chili pepper
1 lime
1 cubic inch galangal ("kah")
2 T fish sauce
1 can coconut milk
3 sprigs cilantro
8 oz chicken
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 stalk lemon grass

Put coconut milk, keffir leaves, & water into a 4 quart pot and set to boil
Slice galangal & toss in
Mince bottom 2" of lemon grass & toss in
Peel rest of lemon grass & toss in
When boiling, reduce heat to simmer and stir frequently
Slice chicken, parallel to grain, into 1/2" x 1/4" x 2" strips & toss in
When chicken is done, turn off heat
Add fish sauce, lime juice, and chopped chili pepper (for less heat don't crush
the peppers, just float them for decoration)
Taste to make sure there is proper balance of fish sauce, lime juice, and peppers
Garnish with cilantro

Roasted Pumpkin & Winter Squash Soup

Make a big pot of soup and freeze individual portions to eat throughout the winter! You can really use any type of winter squash - butternut is wonderful.

1 large or two small pumpkins or winter squash
1 T olive oil
3 c sliced onion (about 2)
2 t minced garlic
4 c water or veggie broth
3/4 t salt
1/4 t ground cumin
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
Dash of ground allspice
2 T maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400. Cut pumpkin or squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place cut-side down on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 45min - 1hr or until tender. Remove from oven and cool.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and onion; saute for 8 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Scoop out flesh of pumpkin/squash an place in pot with onion mixture. Add water or stock and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to puree soup until smooth but not too smooth - I like mine a little chunky. Serve warm with a big slice of homemade bread.

Yield: 6-8 servings