Khoresh-e-Fesenjan

2 large onions, diced

1 tbsp flour

600g walnuts, finely ground in food processor

8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs

salt and pepper

5 cups cold water

3 tbsp sugar

2 cups pomegranate molasses

seeds from 1 pomegranate, to serve

 

Fry onions in oil.

In another pan, toast flour until beige, add ground walnuts and cook through.

Once the onions are browned, season chicken with salt and pepper, increase the heat on the onion pan, and add the chicken to it and sear both sides.

Add water to the walnut pan, stir, cover, and simmer for 1 hour over low-medium heat.

Add sugar and pomegranate molasses to the walnuts, stir 1 minute, then add the chicken and onions to the walnut-pomegranate mixture, cover, and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serve with pomegranate seeds.

 

Source: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour

Khoresh-e-Gheymeh

Dried lime, lamb, and split pea stew

 

3 tbsp olive oil

3 small or 2 large onions, roughly diced

1kg boneless lamb neck fillets, sliced into 1" pieces (or lamb stew meat

2 tsp turmeric

2 pinches saffron threads

1 tsp cinnamon

150g tomato paste

salt and pepper

8 Persian dried limes (aka black limes) or preserved lemons

1 cup/200g yellow split peas

 

Cook onions on medium until translucent. Increase to high, fry lamb about 5 minutes. Stir in turmeric, saffron, and cinnamon to coat the meat, then add tomato paste, salt, and pepper, cook 1 minute.

Prick limes with a fork, add them, add just enough cold water to cover the pan, then slow cook for 1.5 hours.

Add split peas, cook 1 hour more.

Serve with basmati rice.

 

Source: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour

Ash-e Anar

Pomegranate soup with meatballs

 

Olive oil

3 large onions, 2 roughly diced and 1 ground in a food processor

4 fat garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

3/4 cup dried yellow split peas

2 liters water

1 tsp sea salt flakes

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp turmeric

1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped

1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

1 bunch mint, roughly chopped

3 small bunches chives, roughly chopped

1 lb ground lamb or beef

3/4 cup basmati rice

400ml pomegranate juice (or reconstitute from 80-100ml pomegranate molasses + water)

3 tbsp pomegranate molasses

1/4 cup sugar, or less 

Make meatballs: combine meat with ground onion, season with salt and pepper, roll into 1.5" meatballs, set aside.

Saute the roughly diced onions, add garlic. Add split peas, water, boil, simmer 30 min.

Add salt, pepper, turmeric, herbs, saute 20 min.

Add meatballs and rice, simmer 30 min.

Add pomegranate juice, molasses, and sugar, simmer 30 min.

Source: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour

Ash Reshteh

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions yellow or Vidalia, large, thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic grated
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons dried mint
1 1/2 cup dried beans (chickpeas, kidney, and navy) soaked overnight, or 2 cans beans
6 cups water or lamb/beef stock, adjust as needed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt adjust as needed
1/2 cup green lentils
2 cups spinach chopped
1 1/2 cups cilantro chopped
1 1/2 cups parsley chopped
1 cup green onions or leeks, chopped
1/2 cup fenugreek leaves chopped or 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves
1/2 cup dill chopped
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
90 grams reshteh or linguini noodles
1 cup kashk sour cream, crème fraiche or 1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice adjust as needed

Saute onions and then garlic until golden brown. Turn off heat, stir in turmeric. Set aside 1/3 of this; add the dried mint and save it for a garnish.
If using dried beans, add beans, water, salt and pepper, boil, simmer 45-60 minutes. (if using canned beans, skip this step)
Add lentils, cook 15 minutes.
Add herbs and greens, simmer 30-45 minutes. (If using canned beans, add them after 15-30)
Mix a little soup with flour in a small bowl, then add to the soup to thicken.
Add the reshteh or linguini noodles and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until the noodles are all but done (al dente). Stir lemon juice into the soup as per taste.
Adjust the consistency, salt, lemon juice and other seasonings to taste. Stir some of the kashk or sour cream and the caramelized onion-mint oil mixture into the soup, saving most of it for garnish.
Ladle the Persian noodle soup into bowls and top with dollops of kashk or sour cream and the onion-mint oil mixture.
You may serve some additional lemon slices/vinegar/kashk or sour cream on the side.

Source: https://www.thedeliciouscrescent.com/persian-noodle-soup-with-beans-and-herbs/

Wild Mushroom and Leek Soup

2 leeks, white and pale green parts, chopped

2 tbsp butter, room temperature

600g wild mushrooms, roughly chopped

5c vegetable stock

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp flour

3 tbsp milk

1 tbsp dill, chopped

1 tbsp mint, chopped

 

Saute leek in 1 tbsp butter for 10 minutes. Add mushrooms, cook 5 min. Add stock and garlic, boil, simmer, 20 min. Blend until smooth, return to heat. Blend 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp flour into a paste, add slowly to soup. Add milk, herbs, salt and pepper, simmer 10 min.

 

Source: Serbian Culinary Art by Jasmina Masala

Tomato-apple soup with poured noodles

Pomidorówka z lanymi kluskami

2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp dried marjoram
1 15oz can crushed tomatoes
1 medium gala apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp sour cream
salt and pepper

For noodles:
2 large eggs
2 tbsp sour cream
salt
6-8 tbsp flour

Heat butter, add garlic and marjoram, cook 1 minute. Add everything else but the sour cream, cook 10-15 minutes until apple softens, puree with immersion blender.
Combine 1/4 cup hot soup with sour cream, then add back to pot.
Make the noodles: whisk together eggs, sour cream, and salt, then whisk in the flour a little at a time.
Boil water, add a spoonful of batter to the water, then pull it out with a slotted spoon when it rises to the top of the water. Repeat until you use all the batter.

Source: Fresh from Poland by Michał Korkosz

Dill pickle soup

Ogórkowa

3-4 russet potatoes (300g), peeled and chopped
1/4 cup butter
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 bay leaves
8oz kosher dill pickles
4 cups vegetable broth
3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1/3 cup heavy cream (optional)

Boil potatoes in salted water with 2 tbsp butter. Cook 20 min or until softened. Drain, saving 1 cup of cooking water.
Heat 2 tbsp butter, cook garlic and bay leaves 30 seconds, add pickles and cook 15 minutes or until they soften. Add broth, potatoes, potato water, and dill. Simmer, season with pepper, add cream if desired.

Source: Fresh from Poland by Michał Korkosz

Chilled Beet Soup

Chłodnik Litewski

1 1/2 lb beets with greens
1 tsp sugar
3 medium Kirby cucumbers (or 6 little ones)
5 radishes, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups buttermilk or kefir
1 1/4 cups sour cream
3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
3 tbsp chopped fresh chives
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 medium-boiled eggs, halved (optional)
5 medium yukon gold potatoes, cooked and chopped (optional)

Chop beet greens, set aside. Peel beets and cut into 1/4 inch chunks.
Boil water with sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook beets 20 minutes or until tender. Add greens and stems for the last 5 minutes to lightly wilt, then drain, saving 1 cup.
Combine the beets, greens, and stems with half the cucumbers and radishes, buttermilk, sour cream, 2 tbsp dill, 2 tbsp chives, garlic, and reserved cooking water. Season with salt and a lot of pepper. Chill at least 2 hours.
Top with all the remaining ingredients, serve with eggs and potatoes.

Source: Fresh from Poland by Michał Korkosz

Pasulj

Pasulj - white bean soup

1 lb dried white beans (cannellini/great northern/white kidney ideally) (I wrote down 28oz, but that is a lot of dried beans! I think I've made it with 1lb and it's been plenty.)

3-4 onions, chopped

1 head garlic

4oz/5 strips bacon

2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp paprika, salt, pepper

Soak beans with salt overnight or in boiling water for an hour, drain. Add beans, 1 onion, garlic, and bacon to the pot. Boil then simmer for 1.5 hrs.

Cook the rest of the onions in plenty of olive oil, add salt pepper and flour, stir quickly so it doesn't get chunky. Add paprika, mix well, add to big pot, stir. Deglaze pan with a little water and add to big pot. Simmer 5-10 min.

Source: Gordana Vlahovic

Broiled Vegetable Soup

3 eggplants

2 red bell peppers

3 medium tomatoes.

2 red onions, finely diced

olive oil

3/4 cup basil leaves, torn

4 oregano sprigs, leaves picked

10 garlic cloves, peeled

1 quart vegetable stock

4 cups freshly cooked or canned lima beans

Prick eggplants with a knife, broil 30 minutes.

Put bell peppers in another pan, turn eggplants over, broil 15 min more.

Put tomatoes in a third pan, broil all for 15 min, remove. Cover peppers with foil, let them all cool.

Saute onions about 20 minutes until soft and golden.

Get the flesh out of the eggplants, chop. Peel the peppers, I guess.

Add everything except the beans and half the basil, simmer 15 minutes, then puree with an immersion or regular blender. Add beans and the other half of the basil.

Serve with lemon slices or Greek yogurt.

 

Source: Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

Tuscan bean and kale soup

Olive oil

Optional: 2oz pancetta or bacon, diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

3 carrots, diced

2 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 cups crushed canned or fresh tomatoes

3 cups cook beans, from about 1 cup raw (or canned)

1 oz grated parmesan

parmesan rind

3-4 cups stock or water

2 bunches kale, thinly sliced

1/2 small head green or savoy cabbage, core removed, thinly sliced

Heat oil and pancetta until starts to brown. Add onion, celery, carrots, bay leaves, salt, pepper. Cook 15 min. Add a little more olive oil in the center and garlic, then tomatoes, cook about 8 min. Add beans, parmesan and rind, and stock or water to cover. Add about 1/4 cup olive oil, simmer. Add cabbage and kale, simmer again. Cook about 20 min.

Source: Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat

Squash and eggplant sambhar

1 1/4 cups lentils

4 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp fenugreek

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

3/4 tsp mustard seeds

12-15 curry leaves

4 big shallots, thinly sliced

1/2 butternut squash, chopped into 1 inch cubes

1 medium eggplant, chopped into 1 inch cubes

4 ripe tomatoes, chopped, or 1 can diced tomatoes

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp sugar

2 tsp tamarind paste

1 1/2 tsp red chile

1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut to 1-2 inch lengths

Wash lentils and simmer with 3x the amount of water for ~25 minutes.

Toast fenugreek, coriander, and cumin in 1 tbsp oil, then grind with mortar and pestle.

In a big pot, heat oil. Fry mustard seeds and curry leaves, then shallots. Cook about 10 minutes or until golden.

Add squash and a little water, cover, cook 5 minutes.

Add eggplant and a little water, cook 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes; the toasted and ground fenugreek, coriander, and cumin; salt, sugar, tamarind, red chile; cover, cook 5 minutes, until tomatoes have broken down and squash is tender.

Add lentils, then green beans and water to the texture you want, cook 5 minutes. Adjust salt, sugar, and tamarind to taste.

Source: Fresh India by Meera Sodha

Vegetarian chili from J Kenji Lopez-Alt

3 whole sweet dried chilies like Costeño, New Mexico, or Choricero, stems and seeds removed
2 small hot dried chilies like Arbol or Cascabel, stems and seeds removed (optional)
3 whole rich fruity dried chilies like Ancho, Mulatto, Negro, or Pasilla, stems and seeds removed
1 quart water
2 whole chipotle chilies in adobo sauce with 2 tablespoons sauce from can
2 (14-ounce) cans chickpeas
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes packed in juice, mashed up with your hands. Or diced tomatoes.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane grater
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon marmite or vegemite
2 (14-ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, drained, liquid reserved separately
2 tablespoons vodka or bourbon
Kosher salt
2 to 3 tablespoons masa

1. Toast the dried chiles in a big pot, until slightly darkened, 2-5 minutes but not smoking. Add the chipotles and 1 qt water, blend until smooth.
2. Drain chickpeas (save water), pulse in a blender a little bit.
3. Add tomatoes to chickpea water.
4. Saute onions until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, cook 30 seconds. Add pureed chilies, soy sauce, marmite, cook 30 seconds. Add chickpea water and tomatoes, chickpeas and kidney beans, stir.
5. Simmer 1 1/2 hours. Add kidney bean liquid as necessary to keep it from drying out.
6. Add vodka or bourbon, salt to taste, and whisk in the masa in a steady stream. Cool, serve with cilantro, onions, scallions, avocados, lime, tortillas, whatever.

Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/01/best-vegetarian-bean-chili.html (there is plenty more info there.)

Tom Yum 2

2 cups water or so

2 kaffir lime leaves

2 slices galangal

2 half-inch pieces of lemongrass

chopped carrot, onion, tomato, fried/boiled tofu, and vegetables

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp green onions and/or cilantro

1 tsp lime juice

1 tsp Tom Yum paste

1 tbsp coconut milk

chili, garlic, and basil (optional)

Boil water.  Add kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and lemongrass.  Add all the vegetables and tofu.  Wait 4 minutes, then add soy sauce and brown sugar.  Simmer until vegetables are tender, but before all water is gone.  Add everything else.

To make Tom Kha instead, reduce the water and add more coconut milk.

Source: May Kaidee's Thai vegetarian and vegan restaurant and cooking school, May 2010

Tom Yum

Tom yum

75 g. prawn, chicken, seafood, or oyster mushroom
30 g. straw mushroom or oyster mushroom
2 c. water
3 chilies
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 tomato, sliced
3 kaffir lime leaves
1 lemongrass, sliced diagonally
2 sliced galangal
3 tbsp. lime juice
3 tbsp. fish sauce or soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. roasted Tom Yum chili paste
1 coriander
1 sliced green onion

Heat water with kaffir lime, galangal, lemongrass.  Add chicken, boil until cooked.  Add mushroom, onion, tomato, and add everything else.

Source: Baan Thai cookery school, Chiang Mai, May 2010

Miso soup

Miso-shiru

3 1/3 c. dashi or sardine stock
1/2 c. nameko or shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cake tofu
4 tbsp. red miso
4 stalks trefoil
ground sansho pepper

Soften the miso in a bowl with 2 tbsp tepid stock, whisk. Ladle the miso into the stock, simmering over medium heat. Add the solid ingredients. Do not boil. You can really use all sorts of ingredients instead of these, this is just a starter.

Source: Japanese Cooking, a Simple Art, by Shizuo Tsuji, p. 156-157

Chicken Soup

3 bone-in chicken breasts
a bunch of stock- 2qts? If you don't have any, make some, just boil the odds and ends from the celery, carrots, and onion in water for a while, then remove.
1 big onion, peeled, uncut
4 sprigs celery
6 carrots, or to taste, sliced
parsley, to taste
ginger (optional), about 1tbsp fresh grated
noodles (Polish Kluski or whatever you like)

Get a large pot. I don't know how big yours is, but mine is 8 qts. Fill up to less than 2 inches from the top, with stock/water. Boil chicken, skim off the junk that floats to the top until most of it has stopped rising.
Keep simmering and add the onion and celery (to be removed later).
Simmer for 3 hours with lid on, but slightly ajar.
During the final 1/2 hour add carrots, parsley, ginger, salt and pepper to taste. Add noodles whenever so that they'll be done when they're done.
After 3 hours turn off heat, remove celery, onion and discard. Remove chicken and hopefully all the bones. When cool enough remove the chicken from the bones and put back into the broth.

Source: the Danseys

Cheddar Cheese Chowder

Serves 8-10?

3 cups broth
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed into bite sized pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup sliced carrots, or more to taste
1/2 cup diced green pepper

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
3 1/2 cups milk
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp hot sauce, optional

Simmer vegetables in broth until tender. Turn heat off.
Make a roux by heating butter and flour on low. Cook 1-2 minutes. Gradually add milk and cheese, stirring until smooth & melted.
Pour cheese sauce into veggie soup mixture. Serve immediately. Do not boil.

Source: Sally Dansey

Summer Vegetable Cianfotta

Summer Vegetable Cianfotta Recipe

Fiorelli are the flower buds that eventually grow into squash blossoms - if you can't find them don't let it stump you, just leave them out or use squash blossoms which are more readily available. Shelley recommends pairing this stew with Frappato/Nero d'Avola Blend (Sicily). The also include instruction for making this stew with a prosciutto broth, but I opted for the vegetarian version.

1 globe eggplant, trimmed and diced (about 4 cups)
4 summer zucchini or squashes, trimmed and diced (about 4 cups)
Kosher salt
1 fennel bulb
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife
4 sprigs (fresh) marjoram
1 bay leaf
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed (about 2 cups)
2 cups water
1 cup fiorelli or thinly sliced squash blossoms
1 cup cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved
Block of aged pecorino for shaving

Preheat the oven to 300˚F.

Evenly distribute the eggplant and zucchini on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut off the stalks and feathery tops (reserve for another use) from the fennel bulb, halve lengthwise, and then cut away the core. Cut the halves lengthwise into 1⁄4-inch-thick slices. You should have about 2 cups.

In a 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed pot, combine the olive oil, garlic, marjoram, and bay leaf over medium heat and sweat, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until the garlic begins to soften. Stir in the fennel and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook gently for about 2 minutes, or until the fennel begins to soften. Stir in the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes more.

Pat the zucchini and eggplant pieces dry and add them to the pot. Stir the vegetables to ensure they are coated evenly and generously with the oil. Cover the pot, place in the oven, and cook, stirring gently every 10 to 15 minutes, for about 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender but not falling apart.

Remove from the oven and drain off most of the olive oil from the vegetables (you can reserve the oil in the refrigerator for a future batch of cianfotta). Add the water to the vegetables, place over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the fiorelli and tomatoes and simmer for a minute or two more. Check for seasoning and season.

Divide the soup among warmed bowls. Using a vegetable peeler, shave a few pecorino curls over the top of each serving. Serve immediately.

Serves 8 as a first course, or 4 to 6 as a main course.

Reprinted with permission from A16: Food + Wine by Nate Appleman and Shelley Lindgren, copyright © 2008. Published by Ten Speed Press.
Source: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/summer-vegetable-cianfotta-recipe.html

Orzo soup

Orzo Soup Recipe

For some added flavor, or to take this soup in another direction, toss the tomatoes with somewhere between a teaspoon + of adobo sauce (from can of chipotles)....more or less depending on how spicy you like your food.

7 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups whole wheat orzo (or other small pasta i.e. pastina)
2 cups chard or spinach, chopped
1 14-ounce can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, well drained
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
good quality extra virgin olive oil
3 egg whites
fine grain sea salt

some grated Parmesan cheese (to finish)

Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until just tender - about ten minutes. Stir in the chopped spinach.

In the meantime, heat the tomatoes, red pepper flakes and a splash of extra virgin olive oil in a separate saucepan. Taste, and salt a bit if needed.

Just before serving, Slowly pour the egg whites into the soup, stirring quickly with a whisk. The whites should take on a raggy appearance. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve the soup in individual bowls, with each serving topped with a generous spoonful of tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, and dusting of cheese.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Source: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/orzo-soup-recipe.html