Four Fall Soups with Karina Davidson

I was lucky enough to assist Karina Davidson in the kitchen again.  I had assisted her last month for her September in Paris cooking class in the Community Food CoOp Healthy Connections classes, http://good4ugastronomy.blogspot.com/2013/09/cooking-with-karina-davidson.html

This month she taught Autumn Soups for the Body and Soul to a sold-out class.

Karina chopped and sauteed and created four soups:


Lemony Lentil and Greens Soup
Thai Chicken Soup
Southwestern Vegetable Soup
Salmon and Tomato Chowder

Starting with fresh, as local as possible and organic when she can find it ingredients:

Yellow onions chopped and 

sauteed in a soup pot

jalapeno peppers, chopped

red pepper, ginger, lemon grass

sweet potatoes in addition to yukon golds give the soup a gentle sweetness

what is more fun than teaching people how to cook?

and chop

and pick stones out of Le Puy Lentils (French Green Lentils)

and poach a salmon fillet right on top of simmering soup

and peel off salmon skin (my dog loved cooked salmon skin - make sure it's cooked though, I think my cat liked it too)

prep Swiss Chard which is, by the way, not part of the Brassica family, it is instead closely related to beets and part of the Chenopodiaceae family, a Chenopod, and subfamily to Amaranthaceae.  This question was posed during the class and I pulled out my handy dandy smarty pants phone to find out.

Chard close up, I was taken with the bright yellow stem. 

Chop, chop, chop

and chop some more

Karina's tip: zest your citrus right over the pot (or bowl if you're making dough) so that you capture the flavor volatiles that are immediately released. That's a great tip and makes so much sense to me. 

Thai Chicken Soup

Native Forest unsweetened organic coconut milk

I took this pic for the class so that we could all remember this new brand of coconut milk. 

It pours into soup as a lovely cream and not separated like some coconut milks. 

Salmon and Tomato Chowder

Salmon and Tomato Chowder

Lemony Lentil and Greens Soup

Southwestern Vegatable Soup

Optional: add lime juice to taste

Southwestern Vegetable Soup

Karina's Soup Recipes:

Southwestern Vegetable Soup

2 large yellow onions, chopped

1 large red pepper, chopped

2 Tb. extra-virgin olive oil

1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes (preferably organic)

8 cups water (or vegie broth)

3 Rapunzel Vegetable Cubes (omit if using broth)

1 heaping Tb. each: oregano leaves, chili powder, ground cumin

1 large yam, cut into ½ inch pieces

3-4 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1” pieces

1 bunch chard or kale

4-5 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed

freshly ground pepper

sea salt to taste

1 bag of frozen corn (or fresh if in season)

½ cup chopped cilantro

lime juice to taste (optional)

Saute onion and red pepper in olive oil until slightly caramelized.  Add tomatoes, broth and herbs.  Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer.  Cook for 20 minutes.  Add yam.  Simmer 10 more minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare chard or kale.  If using kale, cut out stalks and discard.  Chop leaves.  If using chard, chop stalks and add to soup.  Chop leaves.

Add zucchini and chard or kale leaves to soup and simmer 10 more minutes. Add garlic and corn and cook another 5 minutes.  Add cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.  Feel free to add a bit more of any herbs if you wish.  Serve with wedges of lime if you would like.

Note:  You could add potato, carrot or anything goes really.

Freezes well.
6-8 servings.

Lemony Lentil and Greens Soup

2 medium yellow onions

2 Tb. extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb. lentils (preferably French Green Lentils)

6-8 cups water (or vegetable broth)

3 Rapunzel vegie cubes (omit if you use broth)

1 bunch rainbow chard

1 Tb. oregano leaves

freshly ground pepper

4 cloves of garlic, chopped or pressed

juice of 1-2 lemons (depending on your taste)

½ cup chopped cilantro (optional)

sea salt as needed

Chop onions and sauté in olive oil over med-high heat.  When onions are beginning to caramelize slightly, add water and cubes or broth.  Rinse lentils and add to soup pot.  Add oregano and 4-5 grinds of pepper.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.  Meanwhile, wash chard. Chop stems of chard and add to pot after soup had simmered for 30 minutes.  Simmer for 20 more minutes Chop chard leaves and add to pot.  Continue cooking for 10 more minutes.  Add garlic and cilantro (if using) and simmer 5 more minutes.  Add lemon juice to taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. 

Note:  You could add ham or shank or sausage.
This soup freezes well.
Approximately 8 servings

Salmon and Tomato Chowder

2 medium yellow onions

2 Tb. butter

3-4 yukon gold potatoes

2 medium yams

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (preferably organic)

1 cup white vermouth or dry white wine

1 bottle clam juice

1 cup water

freshly ground black pepper

1 and ¼ lbs salmon fillet

1 cup cream

sea salt

1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley (or basil)

Saute onions in butter until slightly translucent.  Add tomatoes, vermouth, clam juice and water.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Add potatoes, yams and a few twists of pepper. Simmer 20 minutes or till veggies are almost tender.  Ly filet on top of simmering soup and cover.  Cook 10-12 minutes.  Remove filet to plate. Let cool for a few minutes and cut or flake salmon into bite size pieces.  Add salmon to pot.  Add parsley and cream.  Taste and  adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Does not freeze well.
Note:  You could add black kale, carrot, 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
6-8 servings

Inspired by Tyler Florence's Thai Chicken Soup

Karina's is a bit different, check out her inspiration too:  http://www.tylerflorence.com/?p=1166

4 cups chicken broth

2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

zest of 1 lime

1 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into 4 chunks

1 stalk of lemon grass—white part only.  Crack open with flat side of a knife

1 and ½ lb. chicken breast, thinly sliced

1/3 lb. crimini mushrooms, thinly

one can coconut milk

2 Tb. fish sauce (or substitute soy sauce)

1 and ½ tsp. sugar

juice of 4 limes

sea salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup chopped cilamtro

Bring broth to boil and add peppers, garlic, lime zest, ginger and lemon grass. Turn down to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.

Add the chicken, mushrooms, coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar and lime juice.   Simmer gently until chicken is just cooked through—about 10 minutes.  Add cilantro and serve.
Note:  You could use prawns.

Serves 4-6.

Enjoy!