Creamy Celery Soup

Celery is one of those ubiquitous vegetables that is the understudy in a meal. Celery builds a base for dishes but it doesn't often take center stage. This soup takes advantage of the profusion of celery at the market. Cream isn't necessary to give this soup a smooth texture.

Creamy Celery Soup

3 tablespoons butter (45 mL)
6 cups thinly sliced celery (1.5 L)
1 cup minced onions (250 mL)
1&1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (8 mL)

Celery leaves
2 cups sliced potatoes, peeled (500 mL)
3 garlic cloves, peeled
6 cups GF chicken broth (1.5 L)

Salt and pepper.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, onions and fennel seed. Cover and cook until very tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Stir in celery leaves, potatoes, and garlic. Add broth; cover and simmer until all vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Puree in blender in batches. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

* Optional: Add cream to thicken or add more broth to thin if necessary. Serve with a dollop of heavy cream, sour cream or croutons on top.

This recipe can be made 1 day ahead.

Cover and chill.

Spicy Tomato Soup

Even though Autumn has not yet arrived, I've already been hit with my first snivelling croaky cold. I'm not good at reclining on a sick bed - I'm generally whiny and self absorbed when faced with a runny nose.

Yeah, my universe shrinks to me.

Since I can't even stand myself, I search for the fastest route to health. This soup is my family's answer to a cold. Maybe it doesn't really work; but it helps me focus on something else. One box of tissues later and a batch of this spicy soup, I'm in the clear.

Spicy Tomato Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil, 15 mL
2 cups GF chicken broth, 500 mL
1 large onion, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
1 tsp sugar, 5 mL
2 tablespoons minced hot pepper or a generous pinch of hot pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves, minced
28 oz can diced plum tomatoes with juice, 1L

½ tsp ground cumin, 2.5 mL
½ tsp black pepper, 2.5 mL

Italian parsley (optional)

Salt to taste

Heat oil. Stir in onion, red pepper and hot pepper and cook until onion is translucent. Add garlic and heat until fragrant but not brown. Stir in tomatoes, juice, broth, sugar, cumin and pepper.

Stir in Italian parsley just before serving. You can serve it with a mix of sour cream and cilantro for a fresh clean taste.

Roasted Eggplant Soup

Eggplant is a favourite vegetable of mine but it's not easy to cook. Sometimes it can be bitter and if the skin is left intact - well, it can remind you of moose lips. Epicurious has a fabulous recipe for a roasted eggplant soup. It was flavourful, smooth and deep. The addition of Landini brand white truffle oil elevated the soup to new heights. (No, no one pays me to say that but they are welcome to send some!)

Roasted Eggplant Soup

3 medium roma tomatoes, halved
1 large eggplant or two small ones (about 1 1/2 pounds - 650 gr), halved lengthwise
1 small onion, halved
6 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 30 mL
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, 15 mL or 1 teaspoon dried, 5 mL
4 cups (or more) chicken stock, 1 L
1 cup heavy cream, 250 mL

Salt and pepper to taste
Truffle oil for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F. Put all the vegetables in a plastic bag and pour in the olive oil. Squish it around so everything is coated then put all the vegetables on a large baking sheet. There should be no vegetables overlapping each other.

Roast until the vegetables are tender and brown in spots, about 45 minutes. Check the vegetables about every 15 minutes to turn them or remove if they are too cooked. There will be a lovely roasted smell from the tomatoes, eggplant and garlic when they are ready.

Remove from oven. Scoop eggplant from skin into heavy large saucepan; discard skin. Squeeze the garlic out of it's peel. Remove the the skins from the tomatoes and discard. If the onion has burned a bit, cut off or remove the burnt layers. Burnt onion or garlic will give a bitter taste to your soup.

Add the roasted vegetables and thyme to same saucepan. Add 4 cups chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until the onion is very tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan. Stir in cream. Bring to simmer, thinning with more stock if desired. Season soup with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with a dash of truffle oil and sprig of fresh thyme.

Serves 4.

The epicurious version of Roasted Eggplant Soup can be found here.