Gimme A Beet

The dumb thing about this soup is that I don't really think anyone ate it on Christmas. The other dumb thing is that in this picture it looks like marinara sauce.

There are a couple awesome things though, too:
1. This soup is endlessly versatile and cheap to make
2. It's very healthy and great for cold weather...or actually if you have a cold
3. It's pretty and festive
4. You get to use your immersion blender


Carrot-Beet Soup with Ginger - serves about 6 people as a starter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
4 medium carrots, peeled
1 large peeled chopped apple
2 cans of small beets
5 cups vegetable stock
Handful fresh chopped parsley
2 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange (or clementine) juice
2 tsp orange zest
2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Plain yogurt to finish

Directions:
Saute chopped onion in olive oil over medium heat. When onions are soft add 1 1/2 cups stock to the pot and allow some of the liquid to absorb. Add carrots, apple, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper and cover with 3 more cups of stock. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes. Check to be sure vegetables are all fork tender and blend this mix using a food processor or immersion blender.

At this point you'll have a puree but some liquid will separate from it as it sits. Simmer for another ten minutes as you add ginger, orange juice, vinegar, and orange zest. Add any remaining stock as you do another round of blending.

For a richer soup, garnish with plain yogurt or blend plain yogurt in during the second round.

For an extra smooth soup, run the twice-processed mixture through a fine sieve.

Barefoot Blogging, Kinda

As I write this I can't even keep the edge of my laptop stabilized on my stomach because I am way way way too full and might barf if any more pressure is applied to that area. But I was inspired by my Facebook quiz result for "Which Food Network Personality Are You?" and decided I wanted to make something that Ina would give her stamp of approval. It's a little out of season but tonight I went for...

Italian Wedding Soup - serves probably 8 people

For the meatballs:
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 lb mild Italian sausage (chicken, turkey, or pork)
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tsp minced garlic
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
generous pinch nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper

For the soup:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 whole chopped yellow or white onion
3 chopped carrots
2 stalks chopped celery
About 6 cups chicken stock
About 1 cup small shaped pasta or rice (I used orzo)
Few springs fresh thyme
Several leaves of fresh basil
1 small bunch fresh spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

To make the meatballs, mix all ingredients until incorporated. Dip your hands in cold water and make a million bite sized meatballs. Brown the meatballs over medium heat but don't completely cook through since the meatballs will finish cooking in the boiling broth in the fashion of a dumpling.

Meanwhile chop onion, carrots, and celery and cook in olive oil until soft. Season with salt and pepper and then pour in three cups of broth and bring to a boil. Then add uncooked pasta or rice and all the meatballs. Cover with the remaining three cups of broth and add herbs and roughly chopped spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted and finish with a big squeeze of lemon or splash of white wine.