January 29th: Roasted Vegetable

Here again is the Roasted Vegetable. A smooth puree of butternut & acorn squash, new potatoes, onions, carrots, parsnips and sweet potatoes, all oven-roasted to bring out their sweetness. Finished with cracked pepper, sea salt and a touch of nutmeg.

Next week will be my take on Italian Wedding Soup. This will contain sausage chunks instead of meatballs, as well as little pasta, celery, carrots and chopped escarole in a broth enhanced with the traditional Parmesan-egg mixture. Please confirm your orders by the end of the day Thursday.

The following week (2/12) will be a White Chicken Chili. Also known as chili verde, the ingredients include: chicken, onions, green chili peppers, white beans and the classic chili seasonings (garlic, cumin & coriander). It's a lighter & healthier option than red beef chili.

For the rest of the month I am planning the following:
February 19th: Pasta Fagioli
February 26th: probably Turkey & Wild Rice

Soups still on the back burner include Vegetable (it's really tough to find a great recipe!) and the meatless Tex-Mex soup that I keep alluding to. I was hoping to make Gumbo again in time for Mardi Gras, but the shrimp prices have made this prohibitive. When repeating soups, I am trying to select those that were top-sellers in their previous appearance. But if you really loved something, do let me know and I'll be sure to get it on the schedule again!

January 22nd: Cheddar Corn Chowder

Sweet yellow onions help to bring out the flavors of yellow corn and red potatoes. The soup is finished with organic chicken broth, half-and-half and shredded cheddar cheese.

Thanks to the wonders of flash-frozen vegetables, we can enjoy soups like this all year round. The soup is nearly as good as when the corn is just out of the field, and it's always a satisfying hearty meal in a bowl.

Enjoy!

January 15th: Thai Chicken with Rice & Ginger

This is a distinctive soup, with matchsticks of carrot and ginger and the flavors of lemongrass, kaffir lime, sriracha chili and coriander permeating the chicken and rice. With or without coconut milk, I hope it reminds you of your favorite Thai restaurant.

The rice does have a tendency to absorb the broth, so add a little plain chicken broth if you need to.

Next week (1/22) will be Cheddar Corn Chowder, followed by Roasted Root Vegetable.

January 8th: Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper

The tomatoes, peppers and onions are oven-roasted to bring out their deepest flavors, then pureed with a combination of chicken stock and the juice from the tomatoes.

While we all know that the classic accompaniment to tomato soup is a grilled cheese sandwich, think about taking it up a notch with a grilled ham & brie, or maybe a little fontina cheese on a baguette and toasted under the broiler!

Next week will be Thai Ginger & Chicken soup two ways. You can order it with or without coconut milk. I'm using a light coconut milk, but the change in both body and calories is significant. The original recipe link (including nutrition info) appears at left.

When you email, let me know how many quarts you would like, and whether you want them with just broth, or with coconut milk. You can, of course, split your order.

Please confirm all orders no later than Thursday 1/10!

January 2, 2008: Pumpkin & Black Bean

Making its second appearance of the season is the Pumpkin & Black Bean.

Next week will be Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper. Please confirm your orders by Friday 1/4.

Soups in development for the future include:

• Thai Ginger & Chicken (needs tweaking)
• Chicken Chili (this will not be tomato-based)
• Tex-Mex Red Bean

Several of you have requested Italian Wedding, which I can do if you would not mind if I substitute chunks of sausage for the meatballs. Sorry, but making 200+ little meatballs is not going to happen! I'm also looking for a really good vegetable soup recipe, so if you have any ideas, let me know!

I'll let you know via email when the new soups will be appearing on the roster.