Recipes for the Week

Thinking ahead to Gommie's visit always entails thoughts of what to have for dinner. Gommie is pretty much on a "paleo-diet," or South Beach, or whatever you want to call no carbs, all meats and fats (no judgments--it works for her). But it's pretty much the opposite of what I eat, which is no meat, lots of beans and grains, fruits and vegetables (all but the last of which I eat are carbs). And the kids are somewhere in between, but pickier than either of us. Thankfully, Mama eats anything. But this trip, anyway, Gommie, who has recently joined the Pollan bandwagon and is focusing more on organic, local, unprocessed foods, has asked for me to cook what I generally eat, and so I'm looking at a few new recipes for soups (and there are dozens more here that I've wanted to try (much to Mama's dismay, since she thinks I should make recipes I already know). There is still going to be baked chicken with fixings and the kids' signature vegetable soup, plus meals out, but there might also be . . . .

Chickpea Soup a la Provencale

(which I actually made tonight but have saved in the fridge--different but tasty)

2 cups dried chickpeas (I used two cups cooked that I had in the freezer)

1/2 cup olive oil (1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, at the most)

4 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced

10 cups water (I used 8 because the chickpeas were cooked, probably could have used 6)

1/2 pound chopped spinach (frozen box)

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons herbs Provencal (1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence)

salt and pepper to taste (approximately 2 teaspoons salt)

1 teaspoon butter or margarine (nope)

fried croutons (nope)

Soak the chickpeas overnight. Rinse them in cold water.

Pour the oil into a soup pot, add the thinly sliced leeks, and saute gently over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the water, chickpeas, spinach, garlic, herbs, and seasonings.

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low-medium. Cover the pot and cook the soup slowly until the chickpeas are tender (50-60 minutes). Simmer for 15 minutes more. (I sauteed the leeks and garlic, added the other ingredients, and simmered for about an hour.)

When the soup is done, blend in a blender or food mill. Pour the soup back into the pot and reheat it. Serve the soup in hot bowls. Add butter and a few fried croutons to the top of each serving. (I served with crackers and grated cheese.)

Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette, Twelve Months of Monastery Soups

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White Bean and Garlic Soup with Greens

8 oz dried white beans, cannellini or Great Northerns

2-3 teaspoons dried sage or 10 fresh sage leaves

6-7 cloves garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 bunch young green chard or other greens

2-4 cups broth

freshly ground black pepper

fresh lemon juice

Rinse the beans and put them in a large soup pot with enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Do not add salt at this point, but add the sage leaves and the peeled whole garlic cloves. Bring the water to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Leave the beans to simmer gently, covered, for as long as it takes them to become tender; this will vary with the age and size of the beans, and can take anywhere from 2-4 hours. Add a bit more water if necessary to keep the beans well submerged. When they are almost tender, add salt to taste--at least 1 teaspoon, probably more--and keep simmering until the beans are soft. Ladle out about 1 1/2 cups of the beans and reserve.

Cook the chopped onion in a tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, stirring often, until it is golden brown and tender, 20-30 minutes. Wash the chard or other greens thoroughly, cut away any tough stems, and cut into 1" strips. If you have any tiny spinach leaves, you can leave them whole.

Combine the reserved beans with the caramelized onion and about 2 cups vegetable broth and puree in a blender, or with an immersion blender, until they are smooth and creamy. Add the puree to the beans and their broth in the pot, along with the cut-up greens. Add enough of the vegetable broth to give the soup a good, liquid consistency, so that it pours easily from the soup ladle. Simmer the soup until the greens are tender.

Taste and correct the seasoning with more salt and some black pepper to taste. Add a discreet squeeze of lemon juice--just enough to clarify the flavor of the soup, no so much that it becomes tart. Serve the soup very hot, with olive oil drizzled over the top. If you like, add a generous grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano or a few croutons.

Anna Thomas, Love Soup

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Red Lentil Soup with a Spicy Sizzle

6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 onions, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed (see Tip)

1/3 cups bulgur

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons

lemon juice

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoons cayenne pepper

• Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin; cook for 1 minute. Add broth, lentils, bulgur, tomato paste and bay leaf; bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook over low heat until the lentils and bulgur are very tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

Ladle about 4 cups of the soup into a food processor and puree. Return the pureed soup to the soup pot and heat through. Stir in lemon juice and season with pepper.

Just before serving, ladle the soup into bowls. Heat the remaining 4 teaspoons oil in a small skillet and stir in paprika and cayenne. Drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon of the sizzling spice mixture over each bowlful and serve immediately.

Tip: You can replace red lentils with brown lentils; add 1/2 cup water and simmer 40 to 45 minutes.

Eatingwell.com via delish.com

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Lentil and Bulgur Soup

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 shallot, thinly sliced

6 cups water

1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over

1/2 cup bulgur wheat

2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook carrot, celery, and shallot until tender, about 6 minutes. Add water and lentils, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir in bulgur, and cook, partially covered, until bulgur is tender but still slightly chewy, about 5 minutes.

Drizzle with vinegar to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil, and season with pepper.

Martha Stewart Living

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