A New Tradition for Christmas Eve Soup

Sometime in the '90's, we established the Christmas Eve tradition of crockpot clam chowder, cornbread, salad, and cookies for dinner. It worked as something that was easy to prep during the day, finish after (or between) the Christmas Eve church service(s). Outside of out usual diet, so it felt special.

John's mom also makes clam chowder on Christmas Eve, at least some of the time, so it seemed like a reasonable idea to keep that tradition going as we establish the next generation of traditions.

Except I didn't really want to make a meat focused tradition? Even seafood! While no one in our household is vegetarian at the moment, it is not a stretch to imagine hosting friends or family who are. (Even though right now, our local friends are pescatarians. Though we do have some fish allergies in the social circle...)

Tonight we tested a French Onion Soup, and I think it might just work. If we could manage it on a day with morning and evening services, with a toddler who is off his normal sleep schedule, and a quick visit from a friend between church and dinner, it gives me hope that it will be possible to continue in years where we're running around to other Christmas Eve commitments and visits. 

Like the clam chowder, it's a dish that feels out of our usual routine. Despite being a straightforward recipe, I think it's likely to stay that way; it's not the filling meal of a soup that we usually turn to. If I order French Onion Soup at a restaurant, it's likely to be a starter or a side. Tonight's salad was heavy on chickpeas, and incorporating that level of protein elsewhere in the meal makes sense. It's a lighter meal that leaves plenty of space for chocolate cakes or cookies or other desserts. Which seems fitting for the occasion.

Tonight's recipe does not need to be the definitive tradition! But writing it down now gives us a place to keep notes on what has been done.

Vegetarian French Onion Soup for the Slow Cooker

Adapted mostly from Southern Living, Food 52, and Simply Recipes.

• 2 to 3 pounds of Sweet Onions, thinly sliced
  
• 1.5 teaspoons sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 0.5 teaspoons black pepper
• 0.25 cup melted butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 quart vegetable scrap stock 
• Bit of white wine
• 1 Tablespoon molasses
• 1 smashed garlic clove
  
• 10 shakes of dried thyme
• Stale sourdough for gluten eaters. Toasted gluten free bread for those with allergies.
• Gruyere cheese
  

Last night, I sliced the onions and put them in the crock with the sugar, salt, and black pepper. Left them in the refrigerator overnight (it was strongly scented when I opened it this morning). This morning I pulled them out, put the insert in the electric pot itself, and stirred in the melted butter, tossed in the bay leaf. Turned the whole contraption on high and went about the day. The onions released their juices and changed color over the course of the day. I stirred them around lunch time and again before we left for the afternoon Mass.*

When we got home in the evening, I microwaved the stock.** While the stock was warming, I drizzled in a bit of white wine (we don't have sherry vinegar, and do have a bottle in the fridge that gets cooked with). Once that was incorporated (and had a bit of time to cook off the alcohol), I added a spoonful of molasses and the smashed garlic clove. When the stock was warmed, I poured it into the pot and added in 10 shakes of the dried thyme.

Ideally this would all reach a simmer and the flavors would meld over the course of, checks the reference recipes, a half hour or so. Realistically, I preheated the oven, grated the cheese, and pulled together a salad and then rushed to get food to the very hungry toddler.

Ladled soup into ramekins on a cookie tray. Topped with the appropriate breads (different colors of ramekin for the different types of bread). Added a generous amount of cheese to each. Set the broiler to low and slid the whole thing into the oven. A few minutes later, pulled it out, and served.

* One possible change to consider is doing the onions on low overnight instead of high during the day. I'm curious if that would get them to a deeper caramelization than they reached today. Could also let the lid be ajar a bit more frequently during the day.

** Two notes on the stock. First, most recipes call for more than what I used, but it was what we had on hand. Second, if the week before has an inkling of cooking with dried mushrooms, I would totally upgrade to mushroom stock.

"Tex-Mex"

I've never moved in winter before.
  
Haven't really moved without a job lined up either.

And this is the first time that moving coincided with a shift in diet. (Reduced gluten because of allergies in the household. Heart healthy because of reminders about genetics.)

All to say, this is a good time to explore recipes. What better place than a freshly passed down Sunday School cookbook? A new lentil soup recipe seems like the thing for cold weather.

I'm not sure what makes this Tex-Mex.  My best guess is that it's the vinegar.

You could just as easily call it Cajun. You'd be wrong. But then, well, maybe not any more wrong than the working title?

Whatever the title, it's a kicky lentil soup. Compared to Ms. Cutler, I use less bacon (you can leave it out all together), vegetable stock, and forget the tomatoes. (I legit forgot the tomatoes the first time I made the soup. Remembered them the second time, and while it added another serving worth of soup it wasn't nearly as kicky.) My roux was made with glutinous rice flour per Serious Eats gluten-free suggestion, but if you don't have a gluten concern sticking with the white flour should be fine.

Kicky Lentil Soup

2 slices of bacon
1.25 cups brown lentils
6.5 cups vegetable stock
1 onion
1 carrot
1 bell pepper
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons glutinous rice flour (aka sweet rice flour)
1 tsp salt
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

Cook lentils in 5 cups of vegetable stock. (I set the pressure cooker for 9 minutes.)
Cook the bacon, if you're using it. (I put mine in the oven at 400º.)
Chop the onion and start it sautéing in a pan with some oil. Consider adding some mushroom, even though it's not in the ingredient list. Next, peel and cut up a carrot. Add it to the pan. Then, the bell pepper. And maybe whatever hot pepper that's in the vegetable drawer and needs to be consumed....
When the vegetables are softened and the lentils are cooked, add the vegetables to the lentils. Crumble in the bacon--it's done cooking by now.
Let the soup simmer for bit.
While that's happening make a roux in the skillet that is empty again. Melt your butter over medium-low heat. Add in the glutinous rice flour (or white flour). Cook, constantly stirring, for five minutes. Turn the roux into gravy by adding the remaining 1.5 cups of stock, teaspoon of salt, and 2 Tablespoons of cider vinegar.
Stir the gravy into the simmering soup. Let the flavors meld as it cooks a bit longer.
Serve with an array of hot sauces and decide which is your favorite pairing.

Seattle Snow Day Minestrone

Yesterday, predictions were for anywhere from 1 to 18 inches of snow. The one thing that was clear was that a snow day off from work was in the forecast.

Upon seeing a couple of inches of snow outside my window this morning, the first thought through my mind was "What do I want to do outside today?" and the second was "What should I cook?" Chilly winter days filled with snow make me crave warm, homemade, fresh from the oven/stove food, and today I was in the mood for minestrone.

First, I turned to Jane Brody's Good Food Book but found no such recipe.* Then, I checked More with Less, which offered two possibilities, neither of which was quite what I wanted. Time for the internet then. Foodgawker gave me plenty of good suggestions but none of them fit what was already in my kitchen. In that case, might as well experiment.

Minestrone ingredients and approximate quantities:

(Note: I made a lot of soup, so either invite over friends or be prepared to freeze a bunch of soup. Or halve the amounts, you know.)

2 1/2 cups dried pinto beans

1 large onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 cup shredded, frozen zucchini

a bunch of kale torn into bite size pieces

1 can (14.5 oz) Italian seasoned, diced tomatoes**

3/4 cup chopped carrots

1 bay leaf

Oregano, Thyme, Basil, Salt, and Pepper to taste

1.5 cup macaroni

1. Since you probably didn't realize you were making this the night before, quick soak the beans in a stock pot by bringing them to a boil, turning the heat off, cover and leave for 2 hours.

2. Simmer the beans for 2 hours. While they simmer, dice the onion, garlic, and celery. Saute the mixture in a tablespoon of oil until onions and celery are translucent.

3. Add the onion, garlic, celery, zucchini, kale, tomatoes, carrots and bay leaf to the beans. Add a bit more water if needed to cover beans and veggies. Season with oregano, thyme, and basil. Simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Add the macaroni and simmer for 20 more minutes.

5. Season with salt and pepper, and any more of the herbs if desired. Don't forget to remove the bay leaf.

6. Enjoy while gazing out at the falling snow! This soup is delicious with Parmesan on top (though then it is obviously not vegan). It is also great served with oatmeal rolls. Mix the dough just after turning the beans on to simmer. Then, let rise as you work with the veggies. It should be ready to go in the oven a bit before you add the macaroni noodles to the soup.

*The Vegetable-Bean Soup with Pistou is similar but not quite. I've never seen minestrone with potatoes before.

**The Italian seasoning was by accident, so just use plain diced tomatoes and up the oregano, thyme, and basil.

Kick out the cold

I woke up this morning feeling a cold coming on. It skipped the head and went straight to my chest. Suddenly the cheese-topped pizza I'd planned for dinner didn't sound so good.

Soup, however, sounded perfect. Even if it's not my normal choice to celebrate the coming spring, smooth warmth against my throat was what I needed.

I searched for a ginger lentil soup, found a recipe that I had enough of the ingredients for, and I was set.

 So my Cold-Kicking Carrot-Lentil Soup (adapted from Daily Unadventures in Cooking)

A drizzle of vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Big knob of ginger (I used maybe 3-4 inches worth), grated
3 finger peppers (I think that's what they were called. Little spice peppers), chopped
1/2 a pound of carrots (rest of my bag, 6 or so carrots), grated
1 cup red lentils
4 cups vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
Cayenne pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced
Yogurt (or sour cream)


1. Caramelize the onions in the oil. Add in the garlic, ginger, and peppers. Cook for another minute or so before...

2. Add in the stock, lentils, and carrots. Pinch in some salt. Grind a little bit of pepper. Sprinkle in some cayenne (I was running out of it, so I only had a teeny bit).

3. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes until lentils are soft.

4. Add in the lemon juice. Put in blender on low until smooth.

Serve. Top with yogurt (or sour cream) for friends who don't have a cold and need to tone down the heat.