Sweet Potato & Corn Soup
The Soup Sisters Cookbook, 2012
by Sharon Hapton

​1 onion, diced
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small hot red chili pepper, seeded and diced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
8 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste
1 lime, cut into wedges

​1. In a large pot over medium heat, saute the onion and red pepper in the oil, until the onion is softened.

2. Stir in the garlic, chile and cumin.  Stir in the corn and sweet potato.

3. Add the stock.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low.

4. Simmer, uncovered, until the sweet potatoes and corn are tender, about 25 minutes.

5. Puree half the soup until smooth.  Return the pureed soup to the pot.  Reheat over medium heat and add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Ladle up a steamy, chunky bowl of sweet soup, and squeeze over a fresh and zesty lime wedge.

Outpost Foods Co-op is one of my favorite places.  I always stop in on a trip back home to Milwaukee.  The deli and bakery area is my favorite.  I love to discover what they come up with, and grab a magazine of course to see what beautiful foods they are showcasing and recipes they are sharing.  This recipe comes from their old school newsletter. 
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The Green Tomato sauce recipe mentioned is my favorite way to use up green tomatoes.  I make a batch of it every year.  Ten years after reading about it I finally tried the soup recipe that uses the sauce.  It is a winner!  A great change of pace.  I didn't have any yogurt to add and it's fine without it.  I have for lunch, adding whatever roasted veggies I have leftover in the fridge.

Outpost Foods Curried Green Tomato Soup
September 2010 newsletter

​2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 large carrots, peeled and medium diced
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 quart green tomato sauce
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon red curry paste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
whole milk yogurt, for garnish

​1. Heat oil in a small, hot stockpot.

2. Saute carrots, onions and celery until slightly soft, about five minutes.

3. Add green tomato sauce and 1 cup vegetable stock and cook until vegetables are completely soft, about 10 minutes.

4. Puree in a blender or food processor.

5. Add additional stock if desired.

6. Add the curry paste and additional seasoning as needed.

7. Serve with yogurt garnish.

I'll admit I'm not a huge soup fan but I love finding a veggie soup that is filling with added protein.  This one does it with the addition of red lentils.  It comes from the Penzey's catalog.

Red, Red Soup
Penzey's

1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 head garlic, chopped
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 cup red lentils
4 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaf
2 lemons
1/2 teaspoon cumin
cayenne pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
fresh parsley, for garnish

​​1. Heat a large stockpot over medium heat.  Add the onions; wait till you can smell them, then add the oil.  Cook for about 5 minutes, or until soft.  Stir in the celery, carrots, half the garlic and the potato.  Cook for a few minutes until the begin to get soft.  Add the lentils and stock to the pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the potato and lentils are tender.  

2. While waiting, cut the lemons in half, but don't juice them.  Add the bay leaves, the rest of the garlic and 2 lemon halves, and cook for 10 more minutes. Use tongs to squeeze the juice from the cooked lemon halves, and then remove.  Squeeze the juice from the remaining fresh lemons and stir into the soup.

3. Grab your immersion blender and go to town, or use your blender to get the soup smoothie smooth.  Stir in the cumin, cayenne and salt to taste.  Garnish with parsley and an extra dash of cayenne.

Tomato soups are one of our favorites.  We've got a few in our rotation and this one is one of my favorites with the sweetness of carrots and the touch of garlic and of course chili peppers!  Right now my garden has a plenty chili peppers so it's the perfect use.  It's just as good with dried chilis.  I've used any milk I have on hand and it's all been good.  It's that combination of roasting the tomatoes and those chilis that make this so good!  I found this years ago in I don't know which magazine and it still holds up..

Spicy Tomato Soup
Serve this soup with garlic bread and vegetables for a simple, healthy dinner.
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14 ounces can diced tomatoes in juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small fresh or dried red chili pepper, seeds removed for less heat
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups plain soy milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
coarse salt and ground pepper to taste
parsley leaves for garnish

​​1. Heat broider with rack in middle position of oven.  Strain tomatoes, reserving juices.  Spread tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and broil until lightly browned about 8 minutes.

2. In a food processor, combine browned tomatoes, garlic, chili pepper, carrot, soy milk, reserved tomato juice, and lemon juice, puree until smooth.

3. Transfer to a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce to a simmer; cook 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Garnish with parsley leaves before serving.

I will confess I'm not a huge fan of soup...  usually lots of effort for so so effect.  J. Kenji Lopez-Alt completely changed my mind after I made his tomato soup from his comprehensive book, The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.  I hear him on my favorite podcast, Cooking Issues and finally checked out his book.  It's a great read, with lots of basic tips on upgrading the usual favorites.  My first one I tackled is the tomato soup and it has made it into the weekly rotation.  So much I have the Muir Glen's on my amazon subscribe and save!

​I started making this in winter when I didn't have fresh herbs so I topped with homemade basil oil which complimented this perfectly.

15 Minute Pantry Tomato Soup
​The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

​​5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups onion, finely diced
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cans 28 ounce whole tomatoes , with juice
1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream
kosher salt
black pepper, freshly ground
2 tablespoons whiskey, vodka, or brandy
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs - parsley, basil or chives

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes.  Add the pepper flakes and oregano and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.  Add the tomatoes, with their juice, and stir, scraping the flour up off the bottom of the pan.  Add the milk or cream and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with the spoon, until the whole thing comes to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
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2. Remove the soup from the heat and puree using an immersion blender.  Or transfer to a standing blender, in batches if necessary, and puree, staring on low speed and gradually increasing to high, then return to the pan.  Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in the whisky, if using, and bring to a simmer.  Serve immediately topping each serving with a generous drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of herbs, and if you like a crack or two of freshly ground pepper, with grilled cheese sandwiches alongside.

Finishing up this challenge with a fun "Clean out the Fridge" Vegetable Soup! Another thing I don't do often enough. Lesson learned with the reminder of me not being a fan of frozen veggies so I went with the fresh ones in my produce drawer, sauteed in olive oil before adding the fire roasted tomatoes. I found some cauliflower, zucchini, carrots and added some onion. From the previous challenge days I used up chickpeas. I skipped the tortilla chips and topped with Daiya Jalapeno Havarti. So good and easy!

Apple-Cheddar Soup Better Homes & Gardens

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon butter

2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cups apple cider

1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed

dash cayenne pepper

1 medium cooking apple, peeled, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)

fresh apple slices

green peppercorns

1.  In large saucepan cook onion in hot butter over medium heat until tender. Stir in potatoes, cider, thyme, salt, and cayenne pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Add chopped apple; simmer, covered, 5 minutes or until potatoes are tender. In small bowl combine milk and flour; stir into soup. Cook and stir until bubbly. Slowly add cheese, whisking until cheese is melted. 

2. Divide soup among serving dishes; top with apple slices and peppercorns. Makes 4 to 6 side-dish servings.