Soup Season

by Jean Marie Moffa
October 25, 2008

Fall is here. The abandon of summer has moved into the routines and demands of another school year. And despite my steadfast efforts to reduce the extra-curricular activities in our family, the heavens have aligned themselves in such a way as to have our girls find renewed joy in not one, but two sports, soccer and competitive jump rope, and ultimately (to shorten a very long story) we couldn't deny them. Of course, I haven't succumbed to their pleas to stop piano lessons, either....

Ah, never say never. How resolute I was that we would never submit to the craziness of driving from one after school activity to another. How naïve I was, really, about the nature of children's activities these days, and how they have changed from what I remember as a kid. It's not really recreation, anymore. It's more like unending spring training. Boot camp, for short people. An 8-year old girl, in today's day and age, must declare her athletic interests as serious pursuits, for fear that she'll miss the training she needs to play in high school. (Yes, you read that right-8 year olds have to plan for high school.) Because any hope of playing sports in high school means that she must be among the best in middle school, and to get there, there's no messing around with 'recreational' leagues, or, God forbid, with fun.

We drill spelling words in the car, en route to sporting practices. The car is packed with healthy snacks, changes of clothes, you name it.... And somehow, when all the pieces fall together, we make it to dinner - that perfectly special time in our family each night, when we all sit together, take pause from the hectic pace of our life, talk about the ups and downs of our days, solve a few problems, and even practice table manners and common courtesies (or so my husband and I hope....)

Sadly, it's true, dinners this fall have taken new and disappointedly abbreviated forms, a couple nights a week. It's a grab-some-soup-and-don't-forget-your-shin-guards sort of event (forget about the manners and courtesies....) But don't worry--if you didn't get enough soup on the way out, there will be a warm bowl waiting, when you get back, before bed.

Yes, it's soup season at our house, alright. Kind of a survival thing, but you know, my family really loves soup. Year 'round. It's just that at this time of year, we need it. Bad. There's nothing like calming down from the craziness, over a simple, hot, steaming bowl. One that tastes really good.

So, from my family to yours, please enjoy these exceptional soups. I hope you try them this fall, and that they bring you the comfort and balance they do for us, when our crazy schedules pull us in a few too many directions. Coming home to a bowl of soup is a good thing, indeed. Grab a spoon, and enjoy. You'll be glad you did.

Portuguese Kale Soup

Adapted from The Complete Idiots' Guide to Slow Cooker Cooking, by Ellen Brown

This soup has become almost legendary in our house. Who would have thought that my girls would not bat an eye at kale, the mother of all nutritious (and tough) greens? They LOVE this soup, and get so excited when I make it that I wonder why I don't make it weekly. This is a recipe that impresses guests and children alike. I've never known anyone to turn up a nose at it, even the kale neophytes--so if you don't usually eat many greens, here's a great way to start.

2 T. olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 lb. hot (spicy) sausage, cut into 1/2 inch dice-experiment with Italian, Cajun, pork, chicken, you name it
1 1/2 lb. potatoes, peeled and diced
5-6 c. chicken stock
1/2-3/4 lb. kale
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot and add sausage. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until sausage is cooked through. Leaving drippings in pan, remove sausage and set aside. Add onion and garlic to pan and cook for 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add potatoes and stock to pan and simmer on medium-low, until potatoes are tender.

While the soup is cooking, prepare the kale by rinsing it and discarding stems and centers of ribs. Cut the leaves crosswise into thin slices.

Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, puree the soup until smooth. Add sausage and greens to pot. Cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or long enough to wilt and soften the kale.

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

From The New York Times

This soup is fantastic. It has a complexity of flavor that defies its humble ingredients. Like the previous soup, this one has done nothing but win over - enthusiastically - every person who's tried it in our home. You must try it, too. And don't skip the lemon and cilantro.

3 T. olive oil, more for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. tomato paste
1 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. kosher salt, more to taste
2/4 t. ground black pepper
Pinch of ground chili powder or cayenne, more to taste
1 qt. chicken or vegetable broth
1 c. red lentils
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
3 T. chopped fresh cilantro

In a large pot, heat 3 T. oil over high heat until hot and simmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.

Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.

Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, puree half the soup; it should be somewhat chunky. Reheat soup if necessary; then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve so up drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder, if desired. Serves 4.