So many soups/stews this week. And if you haven’t made the veggie bouillon base I’ve written about here before this would be a good week to make a batch since you’re getting celery root, carrots, leeks and parsley–key components of this super useful, fresh vegetable stock alternative. It’s that time of year. Happy cooking!
Delicata Squash and Chickpea Curry
Celery Root and Leeks Vinaigrette with Parsley
Black Bean and Chorizo Soup with Carrot and Corn Relish
Celery Root Soup
Corn Chowder with Parsley Sauce
Kale, Winter Squash and Toasted Pumpkin Seed Salad
Mustard Roasted Carrots with Parsley
Delicata Squash and Chickpea Curry
This is similar to one of my favorite standby curries, one with red lentils and usually a butternut or sweat meat kind of squash. This one, with delicata, comes together quickly if you have already cooked (or canned) chickpeas. The lemongrass in the dish was inspired by the inimitable Nigel Slater. This makes a lot and keeps/reheats well. By all means halve the recipe if you’d like.
Serves 6+
2 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and tough outer layers removed, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
2 fresh or dried hot chilies such as serrano (if using fresh), minced or ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander (or toast 1 teaspoon whole seeds if you have them in a dry skillet for a couple of minutes and then coarsely smash in a mortar)
2 delicata squash, washed, halved lengthwise, seeds and strings removed, each half halved again lengthwise and sliced in ½-inch quarter slices/chunks
3 cups cooked chickpeas
11/2 cups chickpea cooking liquid or 11/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock or water if using canned chickpeas
1 can coconut milk (preferably full fat)
Salt to taste
Cilantro, for garnish
Cooked rice (white, brown, short, grain, long grain), for serving
Heat a large soup pot over medium heat with the oil. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile process the garlic, ginger, and lemongrass in a small food processor (or chop finely by hand) until well broken down—it will not be smooth. Add this mixture to the onions and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the spices and hot peppers and saute for another minute or two.
Add the squash, chickpeas, and cooking liquid, stock or water and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for about 20 minutes until the squash is tender. Stir in the coconut milk and return to a simmer for a 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you used water it will definitely need a bit of salt.
Serve hot with cilantro over rice, if you’d like.
Celery Root and Leeks Vinaigrette with Parsley
This is a twist on classic Leeks Vinaigrette with the addition of celery root and some aromatics. You can, however, skip the aromatics and just cook the celery root and leeks in lightly salted water and it will still be delicious. This dish keeps well so don’t worry about having too much for one sitting.
While I haven’t tried it I think some chopped toasted hazelnuts and/or some thinly sliced crunchy apple would make nice additions.
Serves 4-6
3 medium to large leeks, trimmed and washed
1 small celery root or ½ of a large one, trimmed and peeled
1 medium shallot 2 tablespoons onion minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 ½-3 cups water
Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3-4 tablespoons good olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 hardboiled egg, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
Bring a saute pan with 2 ½ – 3 cups water to a simmer. Add the bay leaf, coriander, sugar, salt and olive.
Cut the cleaned leeks in half crosswise so they’ll fit in your pan. Cut the celery root into bite-sized pieces. Add both to the simmering water. The water should just cover the vegetables. Add a bit more water if it doesn’t. Simmer gently, covered for about 10 minutes, uncover and cook for another 5-10 until both vegetables are tender but still keep their shape. Drain well and discard aromatics. Put the vegetables on a platter and when the leeks are cool enough to handle, cut them in 2-3-inch lengths.
Mix the shallot or onion and vinegar in a small bowl and let sit for a few minutes. Add the lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper and oil and mix well. Drizzle the dressing over the leeks, covering them as best you can. Sprinkle with hardboiled egg and parsley. Serve at room temperature.
Celery Root Soup
–adapted from Davidlebovitz.com
David Lebovitz is one of my favorite bloggers/chefs. His writing is witty and transporting and I trust his recipes implicitly and only tinkered a bit with this one. This is delicious, elegant and easy to make. If your celery root is smaller or you want to make a smaller batch just adjust everything accordingly.
8-10 Servings
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced (or 2 leeks, cleaned and chopped)
Sea salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
One large celery root (about 3-pounds), peeled and cubed
3 cups chicken or veggie stock
or veggie bouillon broth
3 cups water
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
, more to taste
Scant 1/8 teaspoon chile powder
Croutons and good olive oil for serving
In a large pot, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the onion (or leeks) and cook for about five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic cloves and season with salt, and continue to cook until the onions and garlic are soft and translucent.
Add the celery root and stock or broth. (Or use all water.) Bring to a boil, then reduce to a lively simmer. Cook, partially covered, until the celery root pieces are soft about 40 minutes–the time will depend on the size of your celery root chunks.
Add pepper and chile powder, then purée using an immersion blender or transfer to a blender or food processor and do in batches. Be really careful with the hot liquid if you’re using a blender or processor. Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. If the soup is too thick, it can be thinned with water or stock or even a little cream but I like the purity of the soup without.
I like the soup served with good, crusty croutons and a little good olive oil and more black pepper. You can vary the soup by adding some pieces of crisp bacon as a garnish or a dollop of sour cream. Chives or parsley would be a nice garnish.
Black Bean and Chorizo Soup with Carrot and Corn Relish
–adapted from Food Matters by Mark Bittman
This version doesn’t include the corn in the relish but either way it’s delicious.
Adding corn to the lightly pickled carrot garnish/relish adds more texture and flavor and you can really top the soup with a lot of it and have and have your “salad” and soup all in one.
Serves 4-6
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces fresh or smoked chorizo, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 sweet pepper (optional), diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dried black beans (soaked for 6-8 hours) or 3 cups already cooked or canned black beans
3 carrots, grated
1-2 ears corn, kernels cut off the cob with a sharp knife
Salt
1 Serrano or Jalapeno, minced (with seeds for flavor and spice)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of 2 limes
½ cup long or short grain brown rice (or white if you’re in a hurry and have already cooked beans)
black pepper
Fresh cilantro, chopped (or parsley)
Put oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo, onion, pepper, if using, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until the chorizo is browned and the vegetables begin to soften, 5-10 minutes.
If you’re using already cooked beans, add both the beans and the rice at this time along with 5 cups of liquid: water, bean cooking liquid, or veggie bouillon broth (or a combination). Cook for 30-40 minutes until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
If you’re using soaked, dried beans that aren’t yet cooked, add the beans and 7 cups of bouillon or water and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes and then add the rice, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and cook for another 30-40, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, put the carrots in a colander. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss well and let sit for 20 minutes if you have the time. Shake out any liquid and then put the carrots in a bowl, add corn and toss with the lime juice, minced chilies and cumin.
When the rice and beans are tender, adjust seasoning, add freshly ground pepper, mix the chopped cilantro in with the carrots and corn and top each bowl with the relish.
Corn Chowder with Parsley Sauce
Last time for this kind of a chowder this year I would imagine. The parsley is a lovely compliment to the rich chowder.
Serves 4-6
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced or 1/2 and onion and 1 leek, cleaned, trimmed and thinly sliced
1-2 leeks, trimmed (though I use a fair amount of the green parts) washed well, halved lengthwise and cut into ½-inch half rounds (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 slices bacon, diced (optional) or 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (pimenton)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or dried thyme (optional but very good)
1 – 2 sweet peppers (optional), seeds and membranes removed and diced
1 small jalapeño or serrano, minced
Kernels from 4 ears of corn (or more if you have it), sliced off the cob
2 cups (or more) potatoes, well scrubbed but not peeled and cut into 1/2 –inch dice
2 1/2 cups whole milk (or part milk, part cream)
3 cups homemade veggie bouillon broth or stock or broth of your choice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
Juice of half a lemon
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium high heat. Add the onions and bacon (if using) and thyme (if using) and sauté for about 5 minutes. If you’re not using bacon and have smoked Spanish paprika (pimenton) add a teaspoon of it at this stage. Add the garlic and the peppers and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and all the milk (or milk and cream) and stock or broth. Add salt if your stock is not very salty. Bring to a boil and let simmer briskly for about 8 minutes. Add the corn, and cook for another 10 – 15 minutes until everything is tender. The potatoes should be falling apart and will help thicken the chowder. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Mix the parsley, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl. Top the soup with a spoonful of the parsley sauce.
Kale, Winter Squash and Toasted Pumpkin Seed Salad
The sweet roasted squash, the sturdy kale, the avocado that turns the dressing creamy and the pop of the lime juice and pumpkin seeds is a lively combination this time of year. It also keeps well too.
And toss in some black or pinto beans for additional heft, if you’d like. This salad, like many, is begging for adaptations so be creative–use different seeds or nuts, add herbs, different roasted vegetables, etc.
Serves 4-6
1 small bunch kale, well washed and dried, stems removed if tough and very thinly sliced
1 small ripe avocado
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lime (start with a little less and then add to taste)
1 small/medium delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into ¼-inch half rounds or 3 cups worth of diced butternut or other kind of winter squash (see head note)
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds (toast in a dry skillet over medium to med-high heat, stirring often, until popping and starting to brown—about 8 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake the squash slices or chunks in a single layer on a baking sheet with just a drizzle of oil and sprinkling of salt. Bake, turning once, for about 15 minutes or until tender and just starting to brown.
Put the kale in a large salad bowl. Add the diced avocado and squash (warm is fine).
Mince or press or mash the garlic until very fine and put in a small bowl. Stir in the lime juice, about 3-4 tablespoons of good olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. Stir well and dress the salad and work it in well. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lime juice and/or salt and pepper. Stir in the pumpkin seeds.
Mustard Roasted Carrots with Parsley
This is a nice variation to plain roasted vegetables. One of my favorite things to do with these, once roasted and a bit cooled is to toss them with lots of parsley. Then add a bit more lemon juice and olive oil and make a big salad out of it. Quantities are approximations. Use however many vegetables you want in whatever ratio you want.
You could also serve these on top of a bed of sautéed kale.
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced in ½-inch thick half-rounds
3-4 potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled and cut into wedges
4 cups carrots, scrubbed and cut into ¾-inch slices on the bias
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
¾ cup parsley leaves
Put the vegetables in a big bowl. Mix the other ingredients, except the parsley, in a small bowl and then toss the mustard mixture with the vegetables mixing very well. I use my hands to get it thoroughly mixed—messy but effective.
Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet with sides—try not to crowd and use two sheets if you have too much for one. Roast for 20 minutes then stir and keep roasting until all vegetables are tender and beginning to brown around the edges.
When slightly cooled toss with parsley, adjust seasoning and serve warm or at room temperature.