Winter Squash Soup with Ginger, Lime & Coconut

Got winter squash? Run, don’t walk, and MAKE THIS SOUP.

This recipe is super straightforward, uses all easy-to-source pantry ingredients, and is packed with flavor thanks to warming fall spices, zesty ginger, bright lime juice, and cooling coconut milk. I used butternut squash most recently, but use whatever local winter squash you have access to – whether it’s pumpkin, acorn, kabocha, or funkier squash varieties like koginut.

Roasted Winter Squash Soup with Ginger, Lime + Coconut

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Author: Michelle Aronson, Farmbelly

ingredients:

• 3 lbs unpeeled winter squash (such as butternut, acorn, kabocha, etc)
• Olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch roasted red chili flakes
• 4 cups vegetable stock or water
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Juice of 1 lime (~3 tablespoons)
• 1 14-oz can coconut milk
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, plus more to garnish

instructions:

How to cook Roasted Winter Squash Soup with Ginger, Lime + Coconut

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Peel the butternut squash and dice the flesh into ½” pieces. Toss the diced squash on a rimmed baking sheet with a few tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
3. Roast for 30-35 minutes, until the squash is soft and beginning to caramelize. Set aside.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in saucepot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, a pinch of salt and cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
5. Add ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and chili flakes, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Add the cooked butternut squash, along with the vegetable stock or water, salt and pepper.
7. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
8. Stir in the lime juice and coconut milk, and simmer for another 2 minutes. Take the soup off the heat and add the fresh basil.
9. Use blender to carefully puree soup in 2 or more batches, until smooth.
10. Return soup to pot over low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning to balance the salty, pungent and citrus notes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with creme fraiche, toasted squash seeds, fresh herbs or anything else that inspires you. Enjoy!

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Spring Greens Soup with Roasted Fennel & Cauliflower

As we – ever so slowly, but surely – emerge from the depths of winter, I’m craving anything + everything GREEN. Which is why I recently went searching for a Spring Greens soup recipe that actually tasted good (i.e., not like celery juice). After lots of trials and tweaking, I’m excited to share a recipe that’s lightly adapted from the blog Kale & Caramel. The original version of this soup features roasted fennel, which I love, so I’ve gone a step further and added roasted cauliflower for extra body and sweet, caramelized goodness.

So while this 100% plant-based soup definitely falls into the “healthy” category – it’s seriously bursting with flavor thanks to all the sweet roasted veggies, bright acidity from lemon juice + zest, zippy greens and vibrant herbs. It may seem like a lot of ingredients, but I’ll bet they are things you already have on hand – and if not, everything can be easily sourced.

Yield: 4-6Author: Michelle Aronson of FarmbellyPrint Recipe

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Spring Greens Soup with Roasted Fennel & Cauliflower

A colorful and comforting spring soup featuring vibrant greens and sweet roasted fennel + cauliflower. Adapted from the blog Kale & Caramel.

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients

Roasted Fennel & Cauliflower

• 4 cups sliced fennel bulb, green fronds reserved
• 4 cups coarsely chopped cauliflower
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
• fresh ground pepper, to taste

For the Soup

• Roasted fennel and cauliflower, from above
• 2 cups diced yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 6 cups spinach
• 1 cup arugula
• 1 cup fennel fronds
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped chives
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped mint
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

Toppings (optional)

• Thinly sliced radishes
• Carrot top gremolata (see recipe here)
• Fennel fronds
• Drizzle of olive oil

instructions

Roasted Fennel & Cauliflower

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. Lay the sliced fennel and chopped cauliflower on the baking sheet in an even layer, and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fennel seeds (if using). Toss gently to coat the mixture evenly. Roast for 30-35 minutes until tender and beginning to brown. Flip the vegetables halfway through roasting to ensure even browning. 

For the Soup

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, salt and pepper and sauté until golden brown, stirring occasionally. 
2. Add the garlic and stir another minute. Add the vegetable broth, lemon zest + lemon juice, as well as the roasted fennel + cauliflower and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the pot from heat, add the spinach, arugula, fennel fronds, chives and mint. Stir to submerge in the soup, cover, and let the greens to wilt in the heat of the broth for a few minutes.
4. Transfer the whole pot of ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth (you'll likely need to do this in batches). Return to the pot, taste, and add more salt and pepper as needed. 
5. Garnish with an assortment of sliced radishes, a drizzle of olive oil, fennel fronds, etc. A topping of crunchy pistachio + carrot top gremolata is especially lovely. 

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Spiced Carrot Soup with Orange & Ginger

This soup is a burst of sunshine that brightens up dreary winter days. The natural sweetness of the carrots is balanced by warming spices and ginger, and fresh orange juice lends just the right amount of acidity. This soup comes together in a flash and the vibrant orange color is seriously stunning, especially when garnished with a dollop of yogurt and jewel-toned pomegranates (and even a few carrot top fronds, as I’ve done here, if you’re feeling extra).

Author: Michelle Aronson of FarmbellyPrint Recipe

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Spiced Carrot Soup with Orange & Ginger

prep time: 15 minscook time: 30 minstotal time: 45 mins

ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1/2” fresh ginger, minced* (about 2 teaspoons)

2 cloves garlic, minced*

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 lb carrots (4-6 carrots), chopped into 1/2” rounds

1 medium-size sweet potato, peeled and chopped into bite-sized cubes

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

3/4 cup orange juice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup yogurt, to garnish

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds, to garnish

instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent and beginning to brown.
2. Stir in the minced ginger, garlic, cumin and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
3. Add the carrots, sweet potato, broth, orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grinds of pepper to the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 25 to 30 minutes – until carrots and sweet potatoes are very tender. Allow to cool slightly.
4. Puree the soup in batches in a blender/food processor, or use a stick immersion blender, until smooth.
5. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add a bit more broth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed – I usually add a bit more salt and an extra splash of orange juice.
6. Divide soup into bowls and top with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds.

NOTES:

* PRO TIP: Use a microplane to quickly and easily mince ginger and garlic.

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Roasted Butternut Squash, Leek & Apple Soup

Every year when the weather cools down, I crank up my oven and make this soup on repeat. By roasting the butternut squash, leeks + apples to bring out their natural sweetness and blending the sweet veggies and fruit with warming fall spices (plus a touch of apple cider vinegar), the end result is a luscious (and super simple) soup I highly recommend enjoying while cozied up in your PJ’s. Keep scrolling for the full recipe, which was inspired by and adapted from Sara Britton and her blog My New Roots.

Author: Michelle Aronson, FarmbellyPrint Recipe

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Roasted Butternut Squash, Leek & Apple Soup

prep time: 20 minscook time: 40 minstotal time: 60 mins

ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 leeks, sliced into thin rounds and rinsed

1 large yellow onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

1 large butternut squash (2-3lbs), peeled and diced

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced

4 – 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Apple cider vinegar, to taste (start with 2 tsp up to 2 Tbsp)

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Prepare the vegetables into a large bowl: slice and rinse the leeks, dice the onion, peel garlic (but leave it whole), peel the butternut squash and dice into 1/2-inch cubes, peel and dice the apple. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt to the vegetables in the bowl and toss gently to coat.
3. Pour the prepared vegetables out evenly onto two rimmed baking sheets. Set the trays in the oven to roast for 30-40  minutes until tender and beginning to brown, stirring halfway through and making sure the leeks don’t burn.
4. While the veggies are roasting, pour 4-6 cups of vegetable or chicken broth into a saucepan along with the salt, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar. Cover and bring to a low simmer.
5. When the vegetables are roasted, blend the soup in batches by transferring a few cups of roasted vegetables into a standing blender, along with a few cups of the warmed broth, blending on high until completely smooth. As you work in batches, transfer the blended soup into a stockpot. Alternatively, you can combine the vegetable and broth in a stockpot and blend with an immersion blender.
6. Once all the soup has been blended, taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add additional stock if you prefer a thinner soup. This soup is delicious topped with toasted nuts or seeds, creme fraiche, and caramelized onions or leeks.

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Zucchini Vichyssoise

Traditionally, vichyssoise soup (pronounced vee-shee-swahz) is a comforting, classic french soup made with pureed leeks, onions, potatoes, and a generous amount of cream. I have absolutely nothing against cream (you should see how much I put in my coffee..), but I love this version of vichyssoise from Flagstone Pantry, which omits the cream and instead features succulent, softly simmered zucchini. Enjoy this soup hot or chilled, it tastes fabulous either way!

ZUCCHINI VICHYSSOISE

PREP + COOK TIME: 10 minutes to prep, 30 minutes active cooking time

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cups chopped leeks (white and light green parts)
• 2 cups peeled russet potatoes, chopped in 1” dice
• 2 cups zucchini, chopped in 1” dice
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup milk
• Fresh chopped chives, for garnish
Instructions:
1. Heat the butter in your stockpot, then add the leeks, and saute over medium-low heat until very soft - 8-10 minutes.
2. Add the potatoes, zucchini, chicken or vegetable stock, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil; then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Once the vegetables are nice and soft, blend until very smooth with an immersion blender or in batches with a standing blender.
4. Add the lemon juice and milk and season to taste - you will likely need to add more salt. If the soup is thicker than you'd like, simply add a bit more water or milk. Serve either cold or hot, garnished with the chopped chives.

Gazpacho with Tomato Basil Oil

The saying goes that you gotta make hay when the sun shines. Well, I'd like to add my own version: You gotta make gazpacho soup when the days are hot and the tomatoes are ripe! Gazpacho is a traditional chilled soup made by blending the delicious fruits of summer - tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc. There are approximately a million different recipes for gazpacho soup, so get creative and use whatever fruits and veggies you have available (my friend and badass chef + lady boss Kristen Desmond makes a fabulous Watermelon Gazpacho for her gourmet-to-go spot in Santa Barbara, Flagstone Pantry).

The real secret is just starting with the best + freshest ingredients possible and to balance your flavors - taste the soup constantly, adjusting the salt and vinegar as needed. The soup should taste seasoned but not salty, tangy but not sour. So here's hoping you have a glut of tomatoes in your garden or from the farmers' market, and you can whip up this soup without turning on the oven or stove in your hot summer kitchen. This recipe is lightly adapted from Samin Nosrat’s recipe in the NY Times.

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Linda Hirst

GAZPACHO SOUP WITH TOMATO BASIL OIL

Prep time: 45 minutes + time for chilling

Ingredients:

• 1 small red onion
• 3 Persian cucumbers, peeled
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, ribs removed
• 2 ½ pounds heirloom or cherry tomatoes (about 8 1/2 cups)
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
TOMATO BASIL OIL

• Handful fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• Kosher or flakey sea salt
Instructions:
1. Cut half the onion, 2 of the cucumbers, 3/4 of the bell pepper and the entire jalapeño into 1-inch pieces. Place in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Blend at high speed until completely smooth. (If necessary, blend in batches, then stir together.)
2. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl, and strain soup (discard the solids).
3. Finely dice remaining onion, cucumber and pepper, and add to soup (I recommend holding back a few of the diced vegetables, and using them as a garnish for the soup at the end). Stir in the red wine vinegar. If desired, add water 1 tablespoon at a time to thin out the soup. Taste, and adjust salt and vinegar as needed. Cover, and chill soup for 45 minutes. (Chill 6 soup bowls now too.)
4. Make the basil oil: Finely chop basil. Place in a small bowl, and cover with the olive oil. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and a generous pinch of salt. Toss to combine, then taste and adjust salt. Set aside.
5. To assemble, ladle soup into chilled bowls. Garnish with basil oil and additional diced vegetables. Serve immediately.

White Bean, Chicken & Vegetable Chili

It's officially soup season my friends! This recipe for White Bean, Chicken & Vegetable Chili always makes me think of my mom, who frequently made this soup to warm up our bones on cold and dreary winter nights. The recipe for this soup is below, but first I'm sharing a few quick tips for layering complex flavors into simple, nourishing soups.

The key to elevating a dish is knowing how to layer flavor throughout the cooking process - so here are three Farmbelly tips to use the next time you pull out your soup pot:

IT ALL BEGINS WITH AN ONION. Plain and simple – something magical happens when onions are softened lovingly in a good glug of butter and/or olive oil. When sautéing onions, make sure the butter or oil is hot and sizzling before you toss in the onions, and add a pinch of kosher salt to pull out some moisture. As the onions begin to turn translucent and begin to caramelize, use a flat wooden spoon to scrape up and spread out those slightly browned bits (that's where all the flavor lives)!

TOAST YOUR SPICES. Once your onions are softened and golden, that's the time to add your spices and dried herbs. Continually stir and toast the spices over medium heat before adding any additional liquid - you're building another key layer of flavor here!

ADD SOME FLAVOR BOOSTERS. The next time you have an extra rind of parmesan cheese hanging around, don't throw it away! I keep a ziplock bag in my freezer full of extra parmesan bits, because they are a dreamy addition to simmering soups. I throw in the rinds whenever I add the broth, as it adds creaminess and depth without overpowering the other flavors. Other go-to flavor enhancers for soups is a bit of acid - my favorites are lemon juice and apple cider vinegar, which add a little zip to an otherwise ho-hum soup.

FINISH WITH FRESH HERBS. This soup wouldn't be the same without a few handfuls of chopped parsley tossed in just before serving. If you're going to add fresh herbs, make sure to do it at the end of cooking, as fresh herbs have a more delicate flavor, which can get lost if added too early. Basil, cilantro, dill, and chives are some of my other favorite herb garnishes to kick a dish up a notch. 

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Author: Michelle Aronson, FarmbellyPrint Recipe

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White Bean, Chicken & Vegetable Chili

prep time: 20 minscook time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 hours and 20 mins

ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 yellow onions | diced

1 can (4-oz) diced mild green chiles

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

4 cloves garlic | minced

4 carrots | chopped in 1/2-inch rounds

1 lb small red potatoes, washed and quartered

3-4 lb cooked rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded

6 cups chicken broth (plus more if needed)

2 15-oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed

Handful freshly chopped parsley

Shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

Plain greek yogurt (optional)

instructions

1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a dutch oven or large saucepan. This recipe makes a lot of soup, so be sure to use a big pot/saucepan! Add the diced onions and a pinch of kosher salt and cook until translucent and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, 4-5 minutes.
2. Stir in the can of diced green chiles and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cumin, oregano, paprika, red pepper flakes, garlic and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Stir in the carrots and potatoes, coating them in the spices.
3. Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and gently simmer - partially covered and stirring occasionally - until the potatoes and carrots are tender, 15-20 minutes. Next, add the shredded chicken and white beans, heat for until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more kosher salt to taste, and thin with more broth (or water) if needed.
4. Turn off the heat and let the soup sit for 15-20 minutes to let the flavors meld together. Reheat if needed and serve topped with chopped parsley and shredded parmesan. This may sound weird, but I also love eating this with a dollop of tangy plain greek yogurt!

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