Hi Friends~
Hope you’re enjoying beautiful weather wherever you are, and trying like me not to think about darkness at 4pm!
Autumn leaves, crisp morning air, cozy sweaters, snuggling indoors…
Summer is still my favorite season, but I love soup any time of year. I often don’t follow a recipe, sometimes using leftovers and ingredients in the fridge, like gazpacho made with leftover salad and other veggies.
Soup with bread and cheese feels like the perfect meal – delicious, and packing lots of nutrition into one pot.
These recipes allow variations – one is quick, the other is in the slow cooker, and both are easy.
Let me know if you try them and tell me what you think!
Onward~
Polli
Lemony White Bean Soup With Turkey And Greens
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 bunch sturdy greens, such as kale, broccoli rabe, mustard greens or collard greens
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin, plus more to taste
- ⅛ red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- ½ ground turkey
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup chopped fresh, soft herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, basil, tarragon, chives or a combination
- Fresh lemon juice, to taste
Preparation
-
Step 1
Heat a large pot over medium-high for a minute or so to warm it up. Add the oil and heat until it thins out, about 30 seconds. Add onion and carrot, and sauté until very soft and brown at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes.
-
Step 2
Meanwhile, rinse the greens and pull the leaves off the stems. Tear or chop into bite-size pieces and set aside.
-
Step 3
When the onion is golden, add tomato paste, ¾ teaspoon cumin and ⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes to the pot, and sauté until paste darkens, about 1 minute. Add turkey, garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon salt, and sauté, breaking up the meat with your spoon, until turkey is browned in spots, 4 to 7 minutes.
-
Step 4
Add stock and beans, and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until the soup is thick and flavorful, adding more salt if needed, 15 to 25 minutes. If you like a thicker broth, you can smash some of the beans with the back of the spoon to release their starch. Or leave the beans whole for a brothier soup.
-
Step 5
Add the greens to the pot and simmer until they are very soft. This will take 5 to 10 minutes for most greens, but tough collard greens might take 15 minutes. (Add a little water if the broth gets too reduced.)
-
Step 6
Stir herbs and lemon juice into the pot, taste and add more salt, cumin and lemon until the broth is lively and bright-tasting. Serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil and more red-pepper flakes, if desired.
Slow Cooker Carrot Apple Soup with Za’atar Croutons
by LORI YATES Foxes Love Lemons
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 Michigan Gala apples, peeled, cored and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus additional as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
For the Za’atar Croutons:
- 2 cups cubed crusty bread (I used ciabatta bread, cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 2 teaspoons za’atar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
For Garnish:
- Plain yogurt
- Microgreens or chopped fresh parsley (optional)
- Plain yogurt
Preparation
- Make the Slow Cooker Carrot & Apple Soup: In slow cooker, stir together carrots, apples, garlic, bay leaf, onion, butter, cumin, salt, black pepper, turmeric and cayenne. Add stock and stir until well combined. Cover and cook on high 4 hours or on low 8 hours.
- Remove bay leaf and puree soup with an immersion blender until smooth (or, transfer soup to blender in batches and puree). Return soup to slow cooker bowl and stir in vinegar. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Just before the end of soup cooking time, make the Za’atar Crouons: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On rimmed baking pan, toss oil, bread cubes and za’atar until well combined. Transfer to oven and bake 15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, stirring once halfway through.
- Serve soup garnished with croutons, yogurt, and microgreens or parsley, if desired.
