After a week on the road, coming home to a relatively empty refrigerator and pantry can be a discouraging event.
No meals emerging from packages with the flick of the wrist or twist of a can opener, and certainly no energy to get creative.
At least that’s what I thought when first setting foot in the kitchen. But after culling a respectable pile of weary-looking vegetables from the produce bin, including a bag of miniature carrots that were a day away from that great salad bowl in the sky, I became hopeful. It appeared that my culinary instincts were leading me toward a big ol’ pot of soup.
In no time at all, the mouthwatering aroma filling the house was a savory potpourri of leeks, celery, potatoes, chicken broth, dry sherry, freshly ground white peppercorns, tomatoes and black beans.
While the soup simmered its way toward perfection, I poured the cook a glass of Pinot and headed to another part of the house to unpack.
Outside, the weather continued its ferocious tirade, which bolstered my satisfaction regarding the choice of meal. You see, in my estimation, this is soup season. And because homemade soups are as much a nourishment for the soul as the body, they’re worth the effort.
If a great deal of effort is required, that is. In so many cases, as I proved with that pot of Desperation Chowder, you can still throw together a powerful pot of soul soup with only a few cooperative ingredients, and in very little time.
You can also control the nutritional aspects of a homemade soup. Less sodium and fat, more vegetables and flavor. And while following a formal recipe right down to the garnish can yield one specifically fabulous result, who’s to say another approach won’t produce an equally amazing concoction?
These are all aspects of soup cookery I’m primed to explore through the rest of the chilly season: trimming the calories and fat to sustain this month’s resolution to eat as well and as pure as I do in the summer, while keeping the meals interesting and lively.
My husband’s take on the situation?
“You know,” he said between slurps, “I think some of your best meals occur when there’s no food in the house.”
LEEK LORE
At a time of year when most vegetables are but a twinkle in the farmer’s eye, or nestled cozily in greenhouses waiting for the spring thaw, the leek is toughing out the chilly season in not-so-cozy fields.
Autumn-into-winter leeks were planted the previous May, and can be harvested by September. But if left in the field, they’ll continue to grow into November.
Once they’ve reached maturity, leeks will not get any bigger, and they store nicely right where they are — in the ground. Growers continue to harvest the crop as needed, until the plants go to seed the following May.
Nippy weather is one thing, but one would think that surviving the freezing temperatures generally associated with winter might be beyond even the heartiest leek. However, these plucky bulbs are rarely affected by a big freeze. The upper leaves may be burned, but the plants won’t die.
CHUNKY LEEK AND LENTIL SOUP
1-1/2cups lentils
2cups peeled and diced potato
2cups chopped leeks (white and pale green portions)
1cup chopped celery
1/2cup chopped carrot
1/2teaspoon dried thyme
7or 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth (preferably homemade)
3cloves garlic, peeled, crushed and finely chopped
3/4teaspoon salt, about
1/2teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, about
1/4teaspoon Tabasco
Sort through the lentils, discarding any damaged lentils or pebbles. Wash the lentils in a sieve held under cold running water.
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the lentils with the potatoes, leeks, celery, carrots, thyme and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then stir well, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for about 50 minutes.
Toward the end of the cooking, add the garlic, salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Continue cooking until the lentils and potatoes are very tender. Adjust seasonings before serving.
Makes about 6 servings.
It’s the creamed corn that contributes so greatly to this soup’s velvety texture.
CREAMY CORN AND LEEK SOUP
1tablespoon olive oil
2medium leeks (white and pale green portions), thinly sliced to measure about 3 cups
1/2cup chopped yellow onion
1quart milk
4cups homemade or canned chicken broth
1teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3cups frozen corn (when in season, substitute kernels from the cobs of 4 ears of sweet corn)
116-1/2 ounce can creamed corn
Garnishes: sour cream, corn chips, chopped avocado
In a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil and saute the leeks and onion for about 3 minutes. Add the milk, half and half, chicken broth, salt, and pepper and bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the leeks and onions are very tender, about 15 minutes. Add the corn, cover, and continue cooking for about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve, along with the recommended garnishes.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Clams give this soup a flavor similar to Manhattan clam chowder. If you eliminate the clams, this is a hearty vegetable stew.
VEGETABLE AND CLAM CHOWDER (WITH LEEKS!)
1pound chopped clams (either freshly steamed or canned)
1small eggplant (about 8 ounces), unpeeled but trimmed and cut into 1-inch dice to measure 3 cups
3cups chopped Chinese cabbage
3cups peeled and diced canned tomatoes
2cups coarsely chopped zucchini
1cup peeled and coarsely chopped potato
1cup seeded and diced red bell pepper
1cup chopped yellow onion
1cup chopped celery
1/2cup coarsely chopped carrot
1/2cup trimmed and sliced leek (white and pale green portion)
1teaspoon dried thyme
5cups water
1/2teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4cloves garlic, peeled, crushed and finely chopped
1/2teaspoon salt
Place the clams (with their juice), eggplant, cabbage, tomato, zucchini, potatoes, red peppers, onions, celery, carrots, leeks, thyme, water and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper in a pot.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and gently simmer for about 1 hour.
Insert a hand blender into the pot and blend the mixture for 8 to 10 seconds to create a partial puree (or puree about 1/4 of the soup in a blender or food processor and return it to the pot).
Add the garlic and salt, stir to blend, and then after the soup has reheated slightly, serve.
Makes 6 generous servings.
Recipe adapted from “Jacques Pepin’s Simple and Healthy Cooking,” by Jacques Pepin.
POTATO, PARSNIP, AND LEEK CHOWDER
8slices bacon
1pound parsnips
1pound (about 3 medium) baking potatoes
1tablespoon reserved bacon fat
1cup chopped leeks (white and pale green portions
3cups homemade or canned chicken broth
1teaspoon salt
2cups half and half
1/4teaspoon white pepper
2tablespoons butter (optional)
Blanch the bacon in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain and dice. Peel the parsnips and potatoes and dice into 1/2-inch pieces. Place the diced potatoes in cold water to keep them from discoloring. Brown the bacon bits in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. When crisp, remove from the pan and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan and then saute the leeks in the remaining bacon fat until softened and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Add the parsnips and potatoes to the pan and pour in enough of the chicken broth to cover the vegetables. Add the salt, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
Add the light cream and heat through (do not allow the cream to actually boil or it might curdle). Add the pepper and more salt to taste; stir in the butter if desired, just before serving and garnish with the crumbled pieces of bacon.
Makes 6 servings
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her at janrd@proaxis.com, or obtain additional recipes and food tips on her blog at www.janrd.com.
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