White Bean and Endive Soup

You could also make this soup with rainbow chard or radicchio.

-Trim the end off of 1 endive and separate the leaves and wash them well in cool water, especially the center of the leaves where soil collects.  

-Stack the leaves and cut them crosswise into 1-inch strips.

-Dice up 4 carrots.  

-Chop up 5 cloves of garlic and 3 small zucchini.    

-Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-low heat.

-Add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes.  

-Add the zucchini and the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.

-Add the endive and cook for another 3-5 minutes more.  

-Then add the following:

4 cups of broth

Two 15-ounce cans of cannellini or Great Northern beans

One 14-16 ounce can of diced tomatoes  

-Cover and simmer 20 minutes until endive is soft, season with salt and pepper. 

-Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Curried Kabocha Soup

-Mince up 3 cloves of garlic and 3 TBS fresh ginger.

-Cut 1 kabocha squash in half, then peel and de-seed it.

-Cut it into 1 inch chunks.

-Heat 3 TBS butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.

-Add the chopped garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.

-Add 4 bay leaves and ½ TBS crushed red pepper flakes; continue cooking for 1 minute more.

-Stir in the squash along with 1 tsp curry powder and ½ tsp sea salt, cook for 10 minutes.

-Raise the heat to medium-high, and add 2 cups low-salt chicken stock.

-Cover and bring to a boil. Immediately lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring and mashing every 5 minutes.

-Add a 1-inch chunk of palm sugar or a TBS of honey and cook for 5 minutes.

-Add 1 fifteen-ounce can coconut milk and continue cooking for 10 minutes.

-Remove bay leaves from soup.

-Using an immersion blender or in batches using a blender, puree until smooth.

Sausage, White Bean and Cabbage Soup

-Cut 4 fully cooked chicken-apple sausages in half the long way and then cut into ½ inch slices.

-Heat 2 TBS butter or ghee in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat then add the sausages and sauté until brown around the edges, about 5 minutes.

-Cut 1 cabbage in half through the core. Cut each half in half again, then thinly slice it, discarding the core.

-Add it to the sausage and sauté 3 minutes.

-Transfer the cabbage to a bowl.

-Peel and then chop ½ bunch of carrots into thin rounds. 

-Add 3 TBS butter to the pot, add the carrots and cook for about 5 minutes stirring often.

-Add the following:

1 skinned and chopped tomato

3-5 cloves chopped garlic

½ bunch chopped parsley, cilantro or chives

-Let cook for 1 minute more.

-Add the cabbage to the pot, along with the following:

8 cups chicken broth

1-15 ounce can of drained cannellini beans.

-Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.

-Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

-Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Roasted Tomatillo Chicken Soup

-Preheat your oven to 375°F.

-Take the skins off and wash 1 pound of tomatillos, leave them whole.

-Put the tomatillos on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes.

-Let cool for a few minutes, then place in a food processor with ½ bunch chopped cilantro and puree. Set aside.

-Chop up 1 onion into small dice.

-Heat 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan and cook the onion, until softened.

-Add 1 clove minced garlic and season lightly with sea salt.

-Add the following:

4 cups chicken stock

1 tsp ground cumin

1 chicken breast chicken

-Bring the pot to a very low boil and let it cook about 20 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked.

-Remove the chicken and shred. Set aside.

-Working in batches, put half of the tomatillo puree into the food processor and process till smooth.

-Repeat for the second batch.

-Return to the soup pot, bring to a boil and simmer.

-Adjust seasoning as necessary and put the chicken back into the pot and heat through.

-Serve hot with a dollop of crème fraîche and additional cilantro for garnish.