It’s really cold outside. Frigid, actually. When you are on the go, working all day, taking care of a screaming baby, scraping ice off your car, etc., you will want supper to be as warm, delicious and easy as possible. That is where soup comes in. It can be made in advance, heated up, and ready to rock. When I met my husband, he said the only type of soup he likes is a pureed soup. I got two immersion blenders at my bridal shower and I was thrilled. The problem was, they were both the same color red. I made a big F on one for fleishing and keep it in my meat drawer. The other one I keep in my dairy section. They were great gifts to receive, as I use both of them constantly.
The amazing thing about a pureed soup is that it is pretty hard to mess up. I always take whatever leftover veggies I have in the fridge or freezer, sauté them with garlic and onion, add stock, and “zuhzhuz” it up (that’s the sound an immersion blender makes – hence the term, “zuhzuher”). It works like a charm every time. I have done this same recipe using butternut squash, parsnips, potato and celery, etc. The thing about soup is that it always needs a crunch. I find pureed soups to be delicious, but always the same flat texture. Adding a crunch takes the dish to a whole new level. Adding anything from fried crunchy onions to croutons to saltines will give you that added change of texture.
For this soup, I made my own soup croutons. They are so easy to make, and half the calories of those fried or store-bought ones. They can be made from any leftover bread lying around the house. The ones you see in the picture below happen to be made out of leftover slider buns. You can use pita, flatbreads, wraps, even bagels. Just dice it up fine, toss with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika, and put onto a baking sheet in the oven at 400°F. Leave in there for about 12-15 minutes, until toasted and golden brown. #Crunchtime
Winter Soup with Homemade Croutons
Ingredients:
2 onions
Head of garlic
1 leek
2 yukon gold potatoes
1 bag of frozen cauliflower
Box of chicken stock
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Add olive oil to a big pot.
Dice up the onions and about 5 cloves of garlic into small pieces. Add to the pot and sauté until golden brown.
Meanwhile, clean the leek well by rinsing it in cold water and checking for bugs. Dice it into small bits and add to the pot.
Peel both potatoes, cube, and add to the pot along with the bag of cauliflower.
Keep sautéing everything in the pot for about 10 minutes, until golden.
Slowly add your box of chicken stock, which will just cover the veggies. Add salt and pepper to your taste.
Lower the flame and cook for around 35-45 minutes.
Take off the fire, whip out your immersion blender, and puree.
If the soup is too thick, add some more stock to thin it out.
Make some homemade croutons for an added crunch. Enjoy!