Thursday, November 04, 2010

'DELICIOUS' AUTUMN ~ AUTUMN VEGETABLE SOUP / HERBED CHEESE BREAD

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."
~ George Eliot

AUTUMN VEGETABLE SOUP

~ Delicious, healthy, heartwarming soup, loaded with gorgeous autumn veggies. Slightly adapted from Ellie Krieger at Fine Cooking

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2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

3 medium diced carrots

1 medium diced large yellow onion

2 minced garlic cloves

2 cups (1/2 in. cubed) peeled butternut squash

1 tsp. Lawry's seasoned pepper

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

pinch cayenne pepper or more to taste

1 quart organic chicken stock/broth

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or more to taste

2 cups coarsely chopped kale

1 cup chickpeas

  • Heat oil in large stockpot over medium-high heat.
  • Add carrots and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add squash, seasoned pepper, salt & pepper and cayenne to taste.
  • Add stock/broth, tomatoes with juice, and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Add kale and chickpeas and cook uncovered until squash is tender and kale has wilted, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste and serve with crusty Herbed Cheese Bread. (4 servings ... easy doubled for large stockpot). Note: If not serving cheese bread, delicious topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

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HERBED CHEESE BREAD

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1-2 minced garlic cloves

1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (1 1/2 tsp. dried)

1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano ( 1/4 tsp. dried)

1/4 tsp. fresh chopped marjoram (generous pinch dried)

freshly ground pepper to taste

1 large loaf, split in half lengthwise, French or Italian bread

3 oz. shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

  • Combine butter, garlic, herbs, and pepper in small saucepan and heat until butter is melted. Pour over cut sides of bread and sprinkle with cheeses.
  • Wrap in foil and heat in 375-degree oven about 20 minutes or until bread is hot and crusty. Slice diagonally and serve. (6-8 servings)

Dwarf Fothergilla 'Witchalder' (Fothergilla gardenii), pansies, Norway Maple leaves, squash

33 comments:

  1. You just gave me a great idea for a weekend bread! Thanks for always having great recipes and inspiring garden photos, Joey!

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  2. YUm..wonderful joey! I love the soup and love chickpeas..and your photos are gorgeous as always! thanks for your loevly visit!
    Kiki~

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  3. Love your seasonal montages today. I had to stop reading the recipes because my mouth was watering.

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  4. Delicious autumn, indeed! I am soooo loving this 'second summer' of warm weather we've had the last few days. I mailed these recipes to a friend of mine -- with high hopes she'll do all the hard work and invite me over for dinner. :)

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  5. Thank you, dear Rosey. You are always inspiring also!

    Hi Kiki. Thanks ... do try this simple soup. Trust me, it's good!

    Thanks Scott. Simple November gold :)

    Happy for you, Kate, for it's not too warm here, a typical November day. Fingers crossed not only for the dinner invite but that ... it's good!

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  6. The mosiacs are wonderful and that bread is to die for! I am not a great soup lover, I think because I grew up on Campbells!

    Eileen

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  7. Beautiful collages Joey! I love your sweet pansies. The Veggie soup seems divinely delicious! ;>)

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  8. Thank Eileen. The bread is so simply good and the soup, though hats off to Campbells Tomato (a 'comfort' must with grilled cheese) even better :)

    Hello, Carol, and thank you. I love soup, still eating from the huge stockpot, and loving it! Do you like autumn pansies too? In both spring and fall, a favorite/must for me, though choosing fall colors in autumn.

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  9. Your collages are so beautiful that i already ignore the recipes. They already feed my soul.

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  10. Joey, now I know what I'll do with that butternut squash I bought this week. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  11. Soup, bread and gorgeous collages. Who could ask for more? :)

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  12. Ah, the last vestiges of fall - wonderfully captured, and still colourful !

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  13. Lovely shades of gold, Joey. Vegetable soup is already on the menu for tonight--there's a definite chill in the air today, perfect for a bowl of hot soup!

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  14. How sweet, Andrea. Thank you.

    Enjoy Linda! I adore butternut squash, actually any squash, especially winter, but butternut seems the best in soups.

    Agree Kala, soup and bread, a perfect combo. Thanks :)

    Thank you though going fast, Rick!

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  15. For sure, Rose. We're at the lake (torn up kitchen mini-makeover) with wind chill of 18, happy to savor this hearty soup while watching the churning lake ... it truly looks/feels like winter!

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  16. Hi Joey,
    I think winter is on it's way for sure!!

    The soup sounds great. Last fall/winter I tried to do a "soup of the week", I'll add this one to the list.

    Hope all is well with you. How is your book coming?

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  17. I love the Ellie Krieger cook books and use them frequently. She has a really good turkey meatloaf recipe in the first book that is so yummy!

    Beautiful collages - I especially love the bare tree branches against the cloudy sky - very nice.

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  18. Hi Ann! Delighted to hear from you :) Soup of the week, exactly what I do. Hope all is well with you also. Thanks for asking ... still editing :)

    Thank you, Whimsical, I'm a huge fan too. Happy November :)

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  19. Hermosos colores otoƱales, imagenes con mucho encanto!
    Besos

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  20. Mmmm...yum! The soup and herbed bread sound perfect. Besides, what's not to love about butternut this time of year!?

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  21. Thank you, Tugui. Autumn is a bittersweet time of year.

    Thanks Clare. Yes, I'm with you and butternut squash. So many ways to prepare this autumn gift ... and I love them all!

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  22. Tx for following the FB page for the blog. Does your Village Voice have a FB page?

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  23. i must be related at least in spirit to george elliot. i feel the exact same way. this is such a special time of the year. love your scenery.
    happiness in autumn.

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  24. Mega yum.

    I am a self confessed cheese freak, it's my 'desert island' food.

    Please post me a slice of that bread forthwith

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  25. Beautiful tastes and colours for the Autumn.

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  26. Lovely collage! I didn't get any pansies this fall and these photographs make me wish I had!!

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  27. Beautiful collages...and how I love that cheese bread...I have such weak knees when it comes to everything cheese...just love it! Autumn is just spectacular and this year in France it has been truly exceptional...
    Bisous
    Ronelle

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  28. Fothergillas are one of my favorite shrubs for fall color, and favorite shrubs full stop. Mmmmmm, herb cheese bread! Nom nom nom.

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  29. It truly is a beautiful time of year, Marmee. For many reasons, I love golden November.

    On the way, Rob! And I'll take a sampling of your awesome French cheeses ... simple Boursin, Brie, Bleu or Camembert would be fine :)

    Thank you, iMac. Exactly as I had hoped :)

    Thank you, jewel. I adore pansies, a must in spring and fall. Unfortunately, the hoards of chipmunks in the neighborhood fancy them too!

    Big hugs, Ronelle, and thank you. Like you and Rob, I'm a cheese (aw, add wine) fanatic too :) A dream to visit France, the home of ancestors, anytime ... and autumn looks amazing!

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  30. In both spring and fall, dwarf fothergilla are a favorite of mine too, Monica. And herb cheese bread ... whenever!

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  31. Whoops EE! Catching up after wireless router issues (other half still on phone almost 2 hours synching printers to new router). No Village Voice page on FB, only personal (should and still might separate).

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  32. Mmmm. . . sounds really delicious Joey! There's still lots of kale in our garden, and I'll definitely be giving this recipe a try. I love winter squash, and the bread sounds fantastic too - what a great November supper!

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  33. Enjoy, perfect for your kale harvest ... hope you like it, Linda :)

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