While waiting impatiently for spring shoots, we have to continue to enjoy our roots. This is the time of year that I start getting bored with the usual winter suspects and turn to the less common (and less appreciated) roots.

Parsnips, for example, are terribly underrated. They’re shaped like carrots and they’re sweet like carrots, but they have an herbaceous, almost wild flavor. This recipe would make a nice Sunday dinner accompaniment to serve with roasted chicken, fish or lamb. Or add a salad or some braised greens along with a whole grain and you have a comforting and satisfying vegetarian winter meal.

Last of Winter Parsnip, Mushroom and Leek Gratin

Serves 6-8

1 1 /2 pound parsnips
1 tablespoon butter plus more for buttering dish
2 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 ounces mixed fresh mushrooms (king trumpets, oysters or whatever is fresh and local), cleaned and sliced
3 leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned and sliced lengthwise
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Peel parsnips and slice about 1/4 inch thick on an extreme angle so as to get the largest slices possible. Butter a 12 x 8 inch baking dish and preheat the oven to 400 ° F.

In a medium skillet, over medium high heat, warm the butter and olive oil. Add mushrooms and leeks along with a pinch of salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they release all of their liquid and begin to brown. Add thyme and white wine and cook, stirring, until wine evaporates. Set aside.

Begin to layer the ingredients into the dish beginning with a single layer of parsnip slices, followed by salt and pepper, followed by half of the leek/mushroom mixture and half the Parmesan. Repeat with parsnips, more salt and pepper, the remaining leek/mushroom mixture, and most of the remaining Parmesan, reserving a little for the top.

The final layer should consist of the remaining parsnips. Pour the cream over and push down with the back of a spoon to submerge everything as much as possible. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and check for tenderness, and continue to bake if necessary. When the parsnips are nearly tender, uncover and continue to bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes or until the top begins to brown and all the cream has been absorbed. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving to allow the cream to thicken.

Recipe Copyright Vanessa Barrington 2010

Note: Use local and organic ingredients whenever possible. As shown with Alaskan halibut.

Image: Danielle Scott

The gray of winter calls for warm and hearty soups, but what about ones that aren’t made with animal stock? We’ve rounded up some of the best vegetarian soup recipes on the web, full of delicious flavors and packed with great ingredients that are good for your body. They’re sure to warm up your kitchen with wonderful aromas and keep you feeling healthy and full of energy. If you’re feeling extra creative, we even added in some tips on concocting your own veggie soup recipes at the bottom. Bon appetit!

1. Black Bean Soup with Quinoa

If you haven’t discovered the glorious grain that is quinoa, kick off with this soup. Hearty, healthy and full of protein! Adapted from Whole Grain Gourmet.

Ingredients:

2 cups black beans, soaked overnight
2 quarts vegetable broth
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onion
3 tsp minced garlic
1 cup diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 tsp chopped cilantro
4 tsp sour cream

Spice blend:

1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground new mexico chili pepper (if available)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
salt to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preparation:

1. Prepare basic quinoa.
2. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add the soaked beans, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until tender. Check water level and add more if necessary. (About 1 hour)
3. Strain the beans and reserve 2 cups of the water.
4. In the same pot, with beans removed, sauté onion, garlic, celery, and carrots in olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add the spice blend and sauté for 1 minute.
5. Pour the reserved cooking water, chicken broth, and tomatoes into the pot. Add the beans and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.
6. Using a hand held blender, puree the soup in the pan until mostly liquid allowing some texture to remain.
7. Serve soup in a bowl over a scoop of quinoa or brown rice. Garnish with 1/2 tsp of cilantro and 1 tsp sour cream.

Serves 4

2. Apple and Butternut Squash Soup

Orangette has been one of my favorite food blogs for a long time, and author Molly Wizenberg has a great collection of soups. Here’s one that’s perfect for winter ingredients.

¼ cup olive oil
1 2-lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2 flavorful apples, preferably Gala, peeled, cored, and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
¾ tsp curry powder
¾ tsp ground mace
½ tsp ground cardamom
1 cup good-quality apple cider
1 quart vegetable stock
½ tsp salt
¼ freshly ground pepper, preferably white

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the squash, apples, and onion, and stir to coat with oil.

Sauté uncovered, stirring occasionally, for ten to fifteen minutes, or until onion is transparent.

Stir in the mace, curry, and cardamom, and continue cooking until the onion begins to brown.

Add the cider. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook for three minutes. Add the stock, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer the mixture, partially covered, for another 35 minutes, or until squash is tender.

Working in batches, blend mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth (be careful to not overfill, as hot liquid could expand when machine is switched on, making a huge, burning-hot mess). Return soup to the stockpot. Reduce the soup, uncovered, over medium-low heat, to about one-fourth. Stir occasionally. Stir in salt and pepper, and serve hot.

Serves 4-5

3. Celeriac and Sweet Potato Soup with Ginger

For a taste of French flair there’s no better blog than Chocolate and Zucchini. Although the blog isn’t entirely vegetarian it does have some great recipes, like this easy and zesty one that’s sure to spice up a dreary afternoon.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
One small head celeriac, about 2 pounds, peeled, quartered and sliced
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
Salt, pepper
a knob of ginger, about the size of your thumb (that’s 2 inches), peeled, and grated or thinly minced
1/3 cup milk

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot or cocotte. Add in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly, until fragrant. Add in the vegetables, season with salt and a generous amount of pepper, and cook for ten minutes, until they start to get golden. Pour in hot water (or stock) to just cover the vegetables, add in the grated ginger, stir, and bring to a simmer.

Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 35 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through and very soft, stirring from time to time to make sure the vegetables don’t stick to the bottom. Stir in the milk (and a bit more water if the mixture is too thick), puree the soup to the desired smoothness (I like it chunky), and serve immediately, optionally topped with a fresh grind of pepper.

Serves 6

4.Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

101 Cookbooks is the go-to blog for a lot of foodies, and the soup section is huge. I’m a personal fan of the Vegetarian Tortilla Soup; spicy, full-bodied and packed full of flavor. Note: seasoning is very important in this soup, and if it’s not correctly seasoned with salt it will taste flat.

Ingredients:

6-8 corn tortillas, cut in half and then into matchstick-thin strips
a big splash of extra virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt

20 small yellow or red cherry tomatoes

another splash of extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large white onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne or other spicy red chili powder
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
6 cups vegetable broth (or water)

a few sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup of goat cheese, crumbled

Preparation:

Gently toss the tortilla strips with a glug of olive oil and salt. Turn them out onto a baking sheet, arrange them across the pan and bake in a 350F degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden and crispy. Set aside.

Halve (or quarter) the tomatoes lengthwise and put them in a small roasting pan, oven proof dish, or rimmed baking sheet. Toss with a bit of olive oil and a pinch or two of salt. Bake in a 350F degree oven for 40-45 minutes (less time if you use smaller cherry tomatoes), or until the tomatoes are shrunken and golden around the edges. The tomatoes keep nicely in a jar for days (refrigerated), so you can do this part in advance if you like. Set aside.

In a big pot over medium-high heat cook the garlic and onions in a splash of olive oil along with a couple pinches of salt for just a minute or so. Stir in the spices and then the tomatoes. Cook down for about five minutes or so, it should thicken a bit. Remove from heat, add one cup of the broth and puree with a hand blender (or puree in a traditional blender). Add the remaining 5 cups of broth and puree until smooth. Bring the soup back up to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve the individual bowls topped with plenty of tortilla strips, the roasted and sun-dried tomatoes, and some crumbled goat cheese. Alternately, as I mention up above, you can finish with sliced avocado, cilantro, white onions, and a squeeze of lime. If you like a creamier soup base add a splash of half and half, or stir in some extra goat cheese.

Serves 6

5. Creamy Carrot Soup with Coconut

The coconut milk gives this quick and easy vegan soup a creamy consistency as well as an exotic taste.

Ingredients:

2-3 large carrots, chopped small
1 onion, chopped small
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 3/4 cup vegetable broth
1 14 ounce can coconut milk
sea salt, to taste

Preparation:

Simmer the carrots, onions, ginger and curry powder in vegetable broth for 20-25 minutes, until carrots are soft.

Allow to cool slightly, and then puree in blender, working in batches if needed.

Return to heat and stir in coconut milk until well combined.

Season generously with sea salt, to taste.

Serve hot, or, chill until cold and serve as a gourmet vegetarian and vegan appetizer soup. This carrot soup will thicken as it cools, so if serving this vegan carrot soup cold, you may want to add a bit extra liquid.

6. Thai Red Curry Soup

On the vegan train of thought, this is another exotic inspired soup from over at Show Me Vegan, sure to add some flavor to your dinner table. If you like you can switch out the setain for tofu.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
6 ounces portobella caps, chopped
8 ounces seitan, chopped
2 Tablespoons vegan red curry paste
1 heaping cup peeled and diced russet potatoes
4 ounces green beans
3 cups unsweetened coconut milk
3 cups vegetable broth
1 Tablespoon tamari
salt and pepper, to taste
heaping 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Sriracha sauce, optional condiment

Preparation:

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Saute bell pepper and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Add seitan and red curry paste. Stir to distribute curry paste, about 2 minutes. Add potatoes and green beans and saute about 1 minute more. Add coconut milk, broth, and tamari. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are done. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in fresh basil before serving.

Serves 4-6

7. Lentil Soup with Chipotle Yogurt

Lentils are a vegetarian’s best friend, and the absolutely beautiful blog Sprouted Kitchen has this amazing recipe that combines the legume with other vegetarian favorites like kale and brown rice. Add a dollop of chipotle yogurt and you’ve got a killer combination!

Ingredients:

2 Cups Lentils (French or Black Beluga)
1 Yellow Onion, Diced
1 Fennel Bulb, Diced
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Cup Brown Rice, Cooked (any whole grain will work)
6 Cups Organic, Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
1 tsp. Cumin
1 Large Bunch of Kale, Chard or Combo of Leafy Greens
Salt/ Pepper
1 Lemon

Chipotle Yogurt
1 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Chipotle Chile in Adobo, Chopped (no more than 2 tsp.)

Preparation:

1. Cook your rice or desired grain and set aside. Boil about four cups water, and boil the lentils for 20 minutes until cooked. Add water as needed. Drain.
2. In a large soup pot, saute the yellow onion and the fennel in the olive oil for about 8 minutes, or until just starting to turn light brown. Add the stock and cumin. Bring the heat back up to a gentle boil, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the lentils and the brown rice and simmer about 10 minutes. While you are waiting, stem your greens and slice them into thin strips. Taste the soup for salt and pepper, add seasoning as desired.
4. Turn off the heat and add in the greens, stir. The greens will wilt in the hot soup, and avoid overcooking this way. Stir in the juice of half the lemon, add more to taste.
5. Mix the greek yogurt with the chipotle chile and stir. Serve the soup with the dollop of the chipotle yogurt. Warning, chipotles are pretty spicy, so start with a small amount of sauce and you can add if you like it hot. If too spicy, add more yogurt.

Serves 6

8. Soupe de Potimarron, au beurre noisette à la sauge – Chestnut pumpkin soup with sage brown butter

We couldn’t complete this list without a soup with a French name, and this one from Chez Pim is just perfect. The chestnut flavor of the Potimarron gives a surprisingly complex flavor, and just like with any other squash soup, the consistency is certainly smooth.

Ingredients:

1 2-3 pounds Potimarron, or Kuri pumpkin, or, you get the picture
1/2 small onion, cut into cubes
3 cups of milk
3 tbsp of crème fraîche, (you can also use yogurt or sour cream)
1 tbsp butter, soft
salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish:
1 cup of croutons (trim and cut stale bread into small cubes and sauté with a little butter until brown)
4 tbsp butter
3 sage leafs

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Cut the Potimarron into quarters, scoop out the seeds, and rub 1/2 tablespoon of the butter all over the exposed surface. Bake the Potimarron quarters in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

While the Potimarron is baking, cook the cubed onion in a sauté pan with the rest of the butter and a pinch of salt over a very low heat. Let the onion cooked, while stirring every so often, until uniformly brown and caramelized but not burn, for about 20-25 mins.

When the Potimarron is cooked through, take them out of the oven and let cool for a little bit.

While the Potimarron is cooling down, make the sage brown butter. In the smallest pot you own, preferably a small butter warmer, cook the 4 tbsp butter with the sage leafs until completely melted over low heat. The butter will foam up as it cooks, when the foam subsides, let it continue to cook until you can see the bits of milk solids at the bottom of the pot turning brown. Take the pot off the heat immediately and let cool. If you’ve overcook the butter and the brown bits are getting a bit too brown, then strain the butter into a cool bowl immediately. If not, you can leave the butter and sage leafs to macerate in the warm pot until ready to use.

When the Potimarron quarters are cool enough to handle, scoop out the meat with a spoon. The cooked flesh should separate readily from the skin. You should have about 3-3.5 cups of cooked Potimarron.

Add the Potimarron flesh in a medium pot with the three cups of milk, the caramelized onion, a generous handful of salt, and a few turns of the pepper grinder. Let cook on low heat until it comes to a gentle boil. Turn the heat off, then blend the content of the pot into a smooth puree, either with a hand blender or in a stand blender.

If using a stand blender, pour the blended soup back into the pot and let cook gently over low heat. Add the three tablespoons of crème fraîche (or yogurt of sour cream). Keep stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot or it will burn. Add more salt if needed. When the soup comes back to a gentle boil, turn the heat off and serve.

Serve in a warm bowl with a small handful of croutons and a teaspoon -or two, or three, as you wish- of the sage brown butter.

9. Red Lentil and Saffron Soup

Red lentils paired with the distinct flavor of saffron make this a hearty soup with an exotic flair; plus the saffron flower used is much more inexpensive than saffron threads so it’s a gourmet soup that’s gentle on the pocketbook. From the Chubby Vegetarian.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups dried red lentils (rinsed)
1 red pepper (seeded and cored)
1 medium red tomato (cored)
1/2 white onion
1 bouillon cube
1 palmful of dried saffron flower (much cheaper and milder than just the saffron threads)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon beet powder (optional)

Preparation:

Over medium heat, melt butter in a medium-sized pot. Place the onion, tomato, & pepper into the food processor, and turn it on. Let the vegetables get chopped very fine until nearly smooth. Add the vegetables to the butter and cook until most of the moisture is absorbed.

Add the lentils, the bouillon, the saffron flower, and enough water to cover by about 1/2 an inch. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. The red lentils cook that fast. Blend or leave the lentils whole.

10. Winter Vegetable Soup

Everyone has their soup staple, and this one from Martha Stewart is quick and easy.

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 bunch kale ( 3/4 pound), ribs cut away and discarded, leaves torn
5 1/2 cups (43.5 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed
3 sprigs thyme
Grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)

Preparation:

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Cook onion and garlic until fragrant, 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add squash and kale and cook until kale is wilted, about 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add broth, beans, and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash and kale are tender, about 12 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper and serve with Parmesan, if desired.

Serves 4

Make Your Own!

After a morning walk through your local farmers market, your basket is certainly filled with plenty of inspiring vegetable waiting to be put to good use. There are no limits to your food creativity, but if you’re attempting to make your own vegetable soup there are some important things to keep in mind, the most crucial being building layers of taste. Here are a couple of excellent tips to make you a vegetable soup maven from Not Derby Pie.

1. Roast or saute vegetables before adding liquid
2. Toasting spices can elevate the flavor of your soup
3. When replacing meat or poultry broth, use a mix of good vegetable stock, water, and, sparingly, wine or juice

Happy soup making!

Photo Credits: gezellig-girl.com, land camera land camera, Chocolate & Zucchini, 101 Cookbooks, norwichnuts, Whole Grain Gourmet, Sprouted Kitchen, Chez Pim, The Chubby Vegetarian, Martha Stewart

Though I’m an omnivore, I eat vegetarian (or even vegan) most of the time, so that I can afford to buy the most sustainable, delicious, pasture raised meat and poultry from local family farms. For protein, I rely on legumes and eggs.

I’m going to share one of my favorite dishes, mujaddara, with you. This popular Middle Eastern dish basically consists of three ingredients that you can find anywhere (lentils, rice, and onions).

It’s simple, quick, healthy, super green, tasty, versatile and here’s maybe the best thing about it: It’s really, really cheap. I priced it out once and the tab came to 40 cents a serving. I like to serve this as a one-dish meal with sautéed greens on the side.

This recipe will make 4 to 6 servings. Leftovers formed into rough cakes and fried with an egg are very enjoyable. Enhance with chopped parsley or cilantro and your favorite hot sauce or harissa, if you like.

There are many versions of this dish, with the rice and lentils cooked in varying proportions. For best flavor, make sure you salt a little at different stages. Here’s how I make it.

Mujaddara

2 large yellow onions, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup regular brown lentils
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
Salt

Dice one-half of one of the onions and slice the remaining onions very thinly.

In a medium saucepan with a tight fitting lid, over medium high heat, warm one tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Stir while cooking until it begins to brown. Add the lentils and rice, along with 3 cups of water and a healthy pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are brown and very caramelized. You truly want them on the verge of burnt. This is what gives the dish flavor. This will take about the same amount of time as the lentils and rice take to cook.

When the rice and lentils are tender, turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes to steam. Serve with the caramelized onions on top and a dollop of yogurt if you like.

Buy organic whenever possible!

Recipe Copyright 2009 Vanessa Barrington

It’s soup weather again. High protein, tasty lentils make an eco-friendly and satisfying meatless meal. Plenty of vegetables make this soup balanced. And lentils don’t take long to cook, so this can even work as a weeknight dinner. The lemon and spinach give this soup a bit of a Mediterranean flair. If you like, it’s nice garnished with a sprinkle of feta or other Greek cheese.

This recipe makes a pretty large batch of soup so you can take the leftovers to work the following day. If you like the lentils to remain intact without breaking down, use French green lentils. If you don’t mind a less defined lentil, brown lentils are more common and more economical. Both make a great soup.

Lentil Soup with Spinach and Lemon

Serves 6

8 cups water, chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups green or brown lentils, picked through and rinsed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 pinch dried oregano
1 bunch spinach, washed and stemmed
3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the water or broth and lentils in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until mostly tender, but still whole, about 20 minutes. Salt to taste.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil until warm. Add the onion, celery, carrot and pepper, along with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one to two minutes. Add the herbs and some freshly ground pepper and stir. Remove from heat, and add to the soup pot with the lentils and broth. Bring to a simmer and add the spinach. Simmer for 15 minutes to blend flavors. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Use organic ingredients and organic and local vegetables whenever possible.

Recipe Copyright 2009 Vanessa Barrington

Image: Maggie Hoffman

It’s already blustery and rainy in Northern California so it’s time to break out the cold weather recipes. Here’s a healthy, easy, customizable vegetarian or vegan minestrone that allows you to use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Beans make it a stick-to-your-ribs and healthy winter meal.

The beans can cook unattended, leaving you free for other tasks. You can cook the beans ahead and refrigerate them in their cooking liquid for up to 4 days. The soup can be finished quickly and easily on the day you plan to serve it. You can also make extra beans. (Cook a whole pound!) and use them throughout the week in salads and other dishes. To assure the “freshest” dry beans buy them from a farmer at your farmers’ market or from the bulk bins in a busy grocery store.

Serves 4

For the Beans:
1 cup dried Cannellini Beans, soaked overnight or for several hours (time allowing)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
1 to 2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped (optional)
Salt

Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onion, garlic, and celery (if using). Sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Drain the beans of their soaking water and add them to the pot. Cover the beans with cold, filtered water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to a bare simmer, cover partially and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, from 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cooking time can vary wildly depending on the age of the beans.

Add salt to taste when the beans are nearly soft.

For the Soup:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 to 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 to 6 cups bean broth, vegetable broth, water or combination
1 bay leaf
2 to 3 cups diced or chopped vegetables (can include carrots, fennel, green beans, zucchini, greens like kale or spinach, potatoes, etc.)
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
Parsley pesto for serving (recipe below)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic. Sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain the previously cooked beans, reserving the broth. Measure the bean broth and add water or vegetable broth to come up to 4 to 6 cups total (depending on how many cups of vegetables you are adding and how thick you like your soup). You can always start with 4 cups of liquid and add more if you like. Add the liquid to the pot with the cooked vegetables and then add the bay leaf and a little salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower to a steady simmer.

Add the cut up vegetables, starting with the firmest ones first like carrots, potatoes, and fennel. Cook these until nearly soft, then add green beans, zucchini or other medium-firm vegetables. When those are nearly soft add the greens and tomatoes, or other short-cooking vegetables, along with the reserved beans. Cook until all the vegetables are tender and the flavors are blended, adding more liquid if you want, for a total cooking time of around 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the pounded parsley pesto. You’ll need a mortar and pestle, or if you prefer, you may use a food processor.

1 garlic clove
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
Olive oil to taste

Put the garlic clove in the mortar and add a pinch of salt. Pound it to a smooth paste and add the parsley little by little, pounding it down until it is finely chopped. Add the olive oil to your desired consistency. Alternatively, grind the garlic in the bowl of a food processor and add the salt and parsley. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl with a spatula. Drizzle in the olive oil while running until you have a smooth paste.

Check the soup for seasoning and serve in warmed bowls topped with a drizzle of parsley pesto and freshly grated Parmesan cheese (if desired)

Recipe Copyright 2009 Vanessa Barrington

Buy local and organic ingredients whenever possible.

Image: foodistablog

Fall is in the air and my cooking thoughts always turn to simmered meats and vegetables, with lots of warm, spicy layers of flavor. It’s also the time of year to carve our pumpkins in preparation for the ghouls and goblins. Don’t waste your pumpkin seeds! Dry them in the sun and then use them for this authentic Mexican green molé sauce. Of course you can buy them, too.

Toasting the ingredients in a dry skillet is essential for coaxing out the complex flavors of the vegetables, spices and seeds. If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can use any sturdy, good quality skillet that isn’t non-stick. This sauce is vegetarian and as such, makes a versatile sauce for simmering anything from tofu to winter squash, poultry, pork or seafood. Or even for making tamales.

Pumpkin Seed Molé Sauce

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

1 whole, dried red chile such as New Mexican or Ancho
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 Roma tomatoes
2 -3/4 inch thick slices of white onion
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 green onions cut into thirds
2 Serrano chiles
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 small handful cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Cut the dried chile open lengthwise and remove the seeds. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Toast the chile on both sides until fragrant but not smoking. Remove to a small bowl. When the water boils, pour it over the chile and let the chile sit for 10 to 15 minutes. You will need about 1 cup of this water later.

Meanwhile, in the same hot skillet, toast the cumin seeds for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan often until the seeds are brown and fragrant but not smoking. Transfer them to a small bowl and let cool.

Put the pumpkin seeds in the same hot, dry skillet and toast the pumpkin seeds until brown and fragrant, shaking the pan often, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a small bowl to cool.

In the same hot, dry skillet, place the tomatoes, garlic cloves, green onions and Serrano chiles. Toast the items together, turning often with tongs, until brown and soft. Take them out as they are done. The green onions will take the least time, the garlic and tomatoes the most.

Grind the cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle or in an electric spice grinder. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, peel it. Remove the seeds and stems from the Serrano chiles and discard. If you want the sauce really hot, leave some or all of the seeds.

Place the red chile (reserving the soaking water), ground cumin, pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, green and white onions, garlic, Serrano chiles, oregano, cilantro, and about 1 cup of chile soaking water into a blender. (If the dish you are making is not vegetarian, you may choose to use chicken broth). Blend until smooth, adding more water or broth if necessary. Add salt a little at a time, tasting to adjust. Transfer the sauce to a small saucepan and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend flavors. The sauce is ready to use.

Use local, organic ingredients whenever possible and natural, humanely raised meats.

Recipe Copyright Vanessa Barrington 2009

Image: D3 San Francisco