Souptacular!

Last Sunday, the first annual Souptacular was launched with great fanfare. Each of us made a soup-- or two. I made French onion soup and vegetarian tortilla soup, A. made north African cauliflower soup, and S. made curried carrot soup with roasted pistachios. Recipes were gathered from several sources, and I've included them below.

The grrl waiting to tuck in. (Check out A.'s adorable apron, which was inherited from her grandma.)

Curried carrot soup topped with roasted pistachios

Caramelized Onion and Savoy Cabbage Chowder with Thyme

Turkey bacon is cooking, and the green sun tea is brewing.

This past week, I made a wonderful soup. It's a bastardized, healthier version of the old-school French onion soup. Caramelizing the onions lends depth without using beef broth, the apple cider vinegar and soy sauce give it an underlying pungent kick, and the thyme infuses it with a tinge of earthiness. Plus, you get a flavorful soup without loading it with Gruyere and bread. Instead, I topped it with some Parmesan shards and a few croutons. (I cheated on the croutons by using storebought salt and pepper ones.) I also used regular old green cabbage instead of savoy cabbage, and I didn't have apple cider, so I omitted it and added more soy sauce and apple cider vinegar. I am a rebel.

Caramelized Onion and Savoy Cabbage Chowder with Thyme
1/2 c. apple cider
1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
12 oz. savoy cabbage (6-7 c.)
3 large onions, cut into large dice (1 1/2 lbs.)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp.)
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme

1. Combine apple cider, soy sauce, and vinegar.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, and season with salt, if desired. Cook 5-7 mins., stirring occasionally. Transfer to shallow bowl.
3. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil and 1 Tbsp. butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, and season with salt, if desired. Cover, and cook 8-10 mins., or until onions are softened, stirring occasionally. Uncover, and cook 16-18 mins., or until onions are golden brown. Add garlic, 1 1/2 Tbsp. thyme, and apple cider mixture, stirring to scrape up brown bits on pan bottom. Bring to a simmer, and cook 1 min. Add cabbage and 5 c. water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and cook 15 mins. Serve topped with croutons and remaining 1 1/2 tsp. thyme.

In praise of ramen

It's the last night of the three-day weekend, and I'm settling in to enjoy Letterman with a steaming bowl of picante chicken ramen* (doctored up with several handfuls of spinach) and some crusty, multigrain bread. Some people think only college students eat ramen. But it has always been a favorite of mine, and it contradicts those who claim that I am a food snob. :)

I promise to present something a bit more exciting on the culinary front in the near future. The potatoes in the kitchen have been clamoring to be used before they are irreparably spoiled, so I'm thinking potato-leek soup is on the horizon. Also, I saw Julia and Jacques cooking French onion soup and a Mediterranean fish stew with rouille, and I'd like to attempt those, too.

*This post generously sponsored by a donation from the Nondorf Foundation.