a fall soup duo

Finally, after weeks of inexplicably sweltering October nights, there's a chill in the air and the nights are drawing in.  Perfect weather for soup.  Soups are such a great fall and winter dish because they're hearty and bellywarming yet  most are fairly healthy, plus they don't take much effort.  Add some bread and cheese and a nice salad and you've got dinner.

Soups are also a fun food to make because they are easy to experiment with and fairly easy to correct if by any chance your experiment doesn't turn out perfectly on the first try.  My personal soup formula is sauteed aromatics+featured vegetable+enough chicken broth or water to cover.  Simmer for 30 minutes, add seasonings, and puree.  Add extra water if needed, taste, and correct seasonings.  Serve with a sprinkling of minced fresh herbs or a drizzle of olive oil or if you have it, white truffle oil.  And there you have it.  Here are two of my recent masterpieces following this formula.  The cauliflower soup is similar to the classic French soup, Potage Parmentier, except with cauliflower substituted for the potatoes.  It's just as satisfying as the original, in my opinion though.  The slow cooked cauliflower has a unique, earthy flavor that pairs perfectly with the fresh flavor of the leeks.  The squash soup is just absolutely heavenly  The rich taste of roasted squash, combined with the caramelized onions is delicious, and the touch of earthy white truffle aroma is what takes this soup from yummy to divine.

Cauliflower Leek Soup
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
2 leeks, thoroughly washed and rinsed to remove grit, and sliced into 1/4 inch slices.
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
3 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon minced chives or parsley
1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions:
Melt butter over medium heat until foaming has subsided.  Add leeks and cook until soft, stirring occasionally.  Add cauliflower and chicken broth, plus up to 4 cups more of water to cover vegetables.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, simmering for about 30 minutes.  Puree, either using an immersion stick blender or in batches in a conventional blender, until very smooth.   If needed, add more water  until the soup reaches your desired consistency.  Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper as needed.  Ladle into bowls and top each with a sprinkling of minced chives and/or parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 6

Truffled Winter Squash Soup
Ingredients:
1 large winter squash - butternut, kambocha, pumpkin,or kuri squash.
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing squash
1 onion, diced
8 sage leaves, finely chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoons lemon zest (1 lemon's worth)
1 teaspoon white truffle oil

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the squash in half and scoop out seeds.  Brush squash halves with olive oil and place, cut side down, on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Place baking sheet in oven.  Roast for about 50 minutes or until very tender.  Remove squash from oven and allow to cool.  Peel skin from the cooked squash and discard.

Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large stock pot and add diced onions.  Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until very tender and starting to caramelize. 

Add the sage leaves and cooked squash to the onions.

Add 4 cups chicken broth and stir to blend.  Add 2 cups of water.  Turn heat to high to bring soup to a boil and then reduce heat to simmering.  Cook for 20 minutes, then add lemon zest.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup or else blend in a stand blender in batches, then return to pot.

If needed, add more water until soup is the consistency you prefer, and heat until simmering.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

To serve, ladle soup into bowls and drizzle with white truffle oil.

Serves 6