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Friday October 20, 2006

When autumn leaves start to fall warm up with a bowl of soup

by louise fiszer

It’s as predictable as falling leaves — with the first crisp days of autumn my mind turns to heartier and more sustaining menus. After a month of holiday meals, busy schedules replace the Jewish holiday routines. What could be more nourishing and delicious than a bowl of soup?

If you are intimidated by the idea that soup-making is an all-day project, consider the following soups, all of which take under an hour to make.

The rich bounty of autumn vegetables gives robust taste, color and fragrance to these creative combinations. Because none of these recipes call for large cuts of meat or cooking dried beans, they are as convenient as they are fresh-tasting. The leek and potato soup laced with mushrooms is perfect for Sunday evening supper with friends. Add some crusty bread, a salad and a good bottle of wine, and your meal is complete.

The mellow white bean and pungent arugula soup has an interesting mix of tastes and textures. It can be made in 15 minutes and is a tasty starter for a sit-down dinner party. The hearty chowder of corn, squash and turkey sausage reflects the season in flavor and color and is a crowd pleaser.

Potato-Leek Soup with Mushrooms | Serves 8

2 Tbs. butter or oil
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
4 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups vegetable stock
3 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper
Heat butter in a large pot. Cook mushrooms until brown and crisp around edges. Remove with slotted spoon and reserve. In same pot cook leeks and garlic until soft. Add stock, bring to a boil and stir in potatoes. Simmer, partially covered, 40 minutes. Puree about 2 cups of soup mixture in food processor or blender and stir back into soup with cream. Add parsley and reserved mushrooms. Salt and pepper to taste. Reheat if necessary and serve.

Arugula and White Bean Soup | Serves 6

3 Tbs. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
5 cups vegetable stock or water
3/4 lb. arugula (spinach or watercress may be substituted)
1 16 oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper
grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in a medium pot. Cook garlic and pepper flakes until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add stock, arugula and beans. Simmer 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Autumn Chowder | Serves 12

3 Tbs. oil
2 lbs. turkey or chicken sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
10 cups chicken stock
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
2 zucchini, diced
8 oz. brussel sprouts, trimmed and coarsely chopped
4 cups corn kernels
salt and pepper
Heat oil in a large pot. Brown sausage. Remove and reserve. In same pot cook onions, celery and pepper until soft, about 6 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and thyme and cook until bubbly. Add stock bring to a boil and add sweet potato and butternut squash. Simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes. Add zucchini, brussel sprouts and corn and simmer another 8 minutes. Return sausage to soup, salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Louise Fiszer is a Palo Alto cooking teacher, author and the co-author of “Jewish Holiday Cooking.” Her columns alternate with those of Rebecca Ets-Hokin. Questions and recipe ideas can be sent to j. or to loufiszer@aol.com.

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