Soup Season! Let's Make Mirepoix Y'all!

Hallelujah and yee-haw y'all, it's finally soup weather in Texas! We Texans have had enough of the blasted record-breaking heat this year and the arrival of Fall weather this week has us all dusting off our boots and sweaters, and loading our shopping carts with lots of yummy soup ingredients.

I personally have been longing for soup weather for months. Nothing is more comforting than soup. It's my go-to food when I need a little self nurturing. To make the souping process easier, do what I do and make your mirepoix in advance and store it in the freezer. Mirepoix is the flavor base for many soups, stocks, and sauces, so it's a good basic to have in your repertoire. It's easy enough to make but it's time-consuming with all the chopping and the slow cooking process. To save myself time I make a big batch and freeze it in 1 cup portions so I can pull out as much as I need for a particular recipe, saving myself at least 30 minutes each time I make soup, stock or pasta sauce.

The Barley Bean Soup recipe below is a family favorite. It's my own twist on a recipe from Whole Living Magazine. This soup is high in fiber, protein and iron, and thanks to the addition of the collard greens it's also rich in vitamins K, A and C. The garnishes of non fat Greek yogurt and basil pesto make the soup taste deceptively decadent without sacrificing healthfulness. I make this soup in two batches, one for my family as the recipe states and a second for myself using rice in place of the barley since I don't eat gluten. Both are delish.

Mirepoix ingredients ready to go

Mirepoix cooked and cooling

Basic Mirepoix Recipe

3 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
6 large carrots, peeled and sliced
6 celery ribs, sliced
salt and pepper

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, carrots and celery and stir to coat with the oil.
3. Add several cranks freshly ground salt and pepper (about 1 teaspoon each)
4. Cook, stirring every 6-7 minutes, until tender and caramelized. Don't brown the veggies but a little golden color is desirable and will add flavor. Veggies should be tender but not mushy.
5. Spread the finished mirepoix on a large plate or baking sheet to cool. Pack in one cup portions into zip lock freezer bags, squeezing out the air and flattening the bag to fit easily in your freezer.
6. Freeze for up to 2 months. To use, remove from freezer and place into your stock pot over med heat to thaw then continue with recipe as instructed.

TIPS:

• Technically speaking this recipe would be called a soffrito which is the Italian version of the French mirepoix because I'm using olive oil instead of butter, but the two have become virtually interchangeable, and mirepoix is the more commonly used name.
• This is the quantity you'll need for the soup recipe below but if you want to make extra for future recipes you can scale it up as many times as you can accommodate in your pot, or make multiple batches.
•  The exact measurements on the ingredients are not important, you can make any quantity that you want, just keep the proportions of the three ingredients more or less equal.
• You can oven-roast your mirepoix rather than cooking on the stove top. Place the veggies on a sheet pan drizzled with olive oil and roast in a hot oven (400-450 degrees) until tender and golden, about 20 minutes. Watch closely and shake the pan every now and then to cook evenly.

Bean and Barley Soup with Basil Pesto

Mirepoix, use recipe above (about 2 cups)
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup collard greens, washed and sliced in chiffonade (thin ribbons)
1 cup pearled barley (if you're gluten intolerant like me omit this ingredient, see note following recipe)
6 cups vegetable stock
1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans
1/4 cup non fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup basil pesto

1. Make your mirepoix or pull 2 cups frozen mirepoix from the freezer and place in stock pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 8 minutes or until the frozen mirepoix is warmed through and the garlic is tender.
2. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to boil and blanch the collard greens. Drop greens in boiling water for one minute then plunge into an ice bath immediately to stop the cooking. Set aside.
3. Add the pearled barley (see note below if you're gluten free) and 6 cups stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes or until barley is tender.
4. Add the beans and collards and cook for about 10 minutes or until the beans are warmed through.
5. Serve with a spoonful of non fat Greek yogurt and pesto.
6. This soup freezes well. Store in air tight containers for up to 2 months.

TIPS:

• This soup is a great basic and tastes fab just as it is but you can change it up and make it your own. Swap out different beans or grains, use spinach instead of collards, add chicken sausage if you're a meat-eater, etc.
• Barley contains gluten, so if you're on a gluten-free diet like me you can use rice instead of the barley, or even quinoa. The rice will most closely resemble the original texture of the barley and the quinoa will give a more nutty texture.

Pan Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon and Capers

Since I started treating my Rheumatoid Arthritis with whole foods, I practically live on veggies. I'm always looking for new combinations of flavors so I don't get bored. Lemon and capers add a real "pop-zing!" to anything you add them to so they are an integral part of my cooking arsenal. Pan roasting is a favorite cooking method for veggies because the direct heat causes them to caramelize on their exterior while keeping the overall texture al dente. I could never, would never, eat a mushy vegetable, and you shouldn't either. Caramelization increases the flavor profile too, so say good bye to bland veggies!

This recipe is flexible. If you don't like cremini mushrooms then substitute shiitakes or just don't use them. If capers are not a favorite then pick another flavor-packed aromatic or toss in some red onion. If walnuts aren't your thing, try pine nuts instead. This recipe is equally delish with broccoli instead of cauliflower. But if you've only had cauliflower raw at the salad bar, or over-cooked and mushy, please give it another try cooked with this method, it's SO GOOD! Don't get locked into the recipe, use what you have on hand, use ingredients you love, but follow the basic method for pan roasting.

As far as quantities, you can scale up for a larger batch, just make sure you don't crowd the pan (see TIPS, below). I would eat this entire recipe myself for dinner, but it would serve 2 or more as a side dish. If you can eat sheep's milk cheese, Pecorino Romano is the perfect finishing touch, grated right over the top.

Pan Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon and Capers

2+     Tablespoons olive oil, separated
10     Cremini mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
6       Liconato Kale leaves, washed, stems removed and chopped
2       Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1       Tablespoon capers
3       Cups cauliflower florets, bite sized pieces
1/4    Cup walnuts, coarse chop
6       Cloves oven roasted garlic (substitute 3 cloves fresh garlic if oven roasted is not available)
         Salt & Pepper to taste
         Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano, if desired

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until browned, stirring every minute or so. Meanwhile, combine the kale, lemon juice, and capers in a small bowl and set aside while cooking your veggies. Heat the remaining olive oil in a second pan over medium heat and add the cauliflower (or do this after the mushrooms finish cooking, using the same pan). Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid to hold in the heat, shaking the pan to move around the cauliflower every couple of minutes. After five minutes remove the lid to make sure your cauliflower is starting to brown, adjust the heat if necessary. Add the garlic and continue cooking until cauliflower is nicely caramelized and fork tender but still al dente, about 15 minutes depending on your pan and burners. Toss in the nuts and allow to cook uncovered for about 2 minutes. Transfer cauliflower to serving bowl, add the kale mixture and the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, toss everything together, and grate some fresh Pecorino over top if desired. Enjoy!

TIPS:

1. The amount of olive oil specified is a guideline, use a bit more if you need it.
2. Your veggies will not brown and caramelize properly if you are constantly moving them around, so only shake or stir about every minute or so.
3. Keep the lid on to hold in the heat so you cook the veggies on the inside as well as browning them on the outside. 
4. Don't crowd the pan. A single layer of veggies that can move when you shake the pan is what you want for proper browning. Use two pans if necessary.
5. I use toasted nuts in EVERYTHING. To save myself time I will oven-toast a large batch and then store them in the freezer. This way I can toss them into the pan at the very last minute just to warm up. To toast: spread out on a sheet pan in a single layer, place in a 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes or until you start to smell them, shake the pan around half way through to toast evenly.
6. I use Liconato or "Dinosaur" Kale but you can substitute any kale you like. Kale tends to get pretty dirty so wash each leaf individually under running water just before using. Kale is a power food, it's loaded with good-for-you nutrients.
7. For a protein punch, add some beans (chickpeas are particularly good with cauliflower) or toss in some cooked quinoa. Of course, if you're not vegetarian you could always add some cubed, cooked chicken.