Soup, Please!
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR: CAROL GALL
When my husband and I were newly married, I made my first homemade soup for dinner and he gobbled it up. He adored soup, said he could eat it every day of the week. Forty years later, winter and summer, it’s a constant in our weekly meals because I love it too. What better way to elevate the bounty of the garden, the gifts of the sea, that bone-broth squirreled away in the freezer or odds and ends in the pantry and fridge.
It feels good to eat soup, as if the nutrients are slipping into our bodies on a warm wave of liquid. Add a chunk of fresh-baked bread or a favourite cracker and life is good.
Soup can be hearty and substantial, a near stew; smooth on the tongue creamy; a gentle seasoned broth with a few choice morsels, or something for when you’re under the weather (chicken soup anyone?). Several delicious soup recipes are star attractions in A Taste of Life on Quadra Island: a delectable fish chowder, several wild mushroom soups, cabbage chorizo, and even a Quadra-style Pho.
Here are a couple of other good ones, both with a ginger theme, that just could not be squeezed into the limited number of pages in the book.
GINGERY ROASTED BEET AND SWEET POTATO SOUP
YIELD 4 to 6 SERVINGS CONTRUBUTOR CAROL YOLE
This spicy soup takes on the warm tones of beets and yams, giving it a richly satisfying colour and a hearty and delicious taste.
INGREDIENTS
3 medium red beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large sweet potato cut into 1-inch chunks
Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper (optional)
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
Juice of 1 lime, more to taste
⅓ cup cilantro chopped
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or pepper flakes
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 (15 oz) can light coconut milk
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
METHOD
Oven to 375°F.
Wash and peel the beets and sweet potato, cut into 1-inch chunks. Place beets and potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a knife.
Place a large pot on medium high heat. Add oil, onions, and celery and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until lightly browned and softened. Transfer the roasted vegetables to the pot. Add the broth, lime juice, ginger, cilantro, and cayenne. Stir and cook for 10 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before puréeing.
Working in batches, add soup and coconut milk to a blender and puree until smooth.
Garnish with cilantro or parsley, sour cream or parmesan cheese as desired.
GINGERED CARROT AND ORANGE SOUP
YIELD 4 SERVINGS CONTRIBUTOR MARCIE WOLTER
This soup, with its blend of unusual flavours, can be made ahead of time and re-heated, adding the cream before serving.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
3 leeks, cleaned and sliced
5 large carrots, sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger root
4 cups chicken stock
Grated peel and juice of 1 orange
1 cup light cream
Salt & pepper
Snipped chives or chopped onion to garnish
METHOD
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook until soft but not brown. Add carrots and ginger and sauté for 1 minute. Add chicken stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the carrots are tender (20 to 30 minutes).
Remove from heat, stir in orange peel and juice. Purée mixture. Return to saucepan and add cream. Heat but do not boil.
Garnish each bowl of soup with chives or onions.
