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Tasty soups provide nutritious, hearty meal in a bowl
BY LOUISE FISZER
This year there wasn't even one day to push the plate away between the two feasting holidays of Thanksgiving and Chanukah. And it seems like just yesterday I was cooking and eating brisket for the High Holy Days. As I was nibbling on cold turkey, leftover cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes with one hand, I was grating potatoes and heating oil with the other. Now it's all over but the weigh-in and the scale has just told me to downsize in every way. I hate the words "diet," "low-fat," "low-cal," "lite," etc. They are very threatening to cooks because we know in most cases the tastes and flavors of our favorite recipes will be compromised. The soup solution to the rescue. I don't mean one of those soup diets that are in vogue now but really delicious, nutritious, comforting soups that that contain a good balance of vegetables, proteins and carbs to make a whole and hearty meal in a bowl. The following soups get their appeal from alluring spices, inviting textures and aromatic and colorful legumes and vegetables. Add just a few pieces of fish, meat or poultry and lighten up for dinner. CATCH OF THE DAY MINESTRONE Serves 8 to 10 2 Tbs. olive oil 1 leek, white part only, thoroughly washed and thinly sliced 1 onion, chopped 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced 1 large carrot, sliced 1 celery stalk, sliced 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced 1/2 head Savoy cabbage, cored and coarsely shredded 1 zucchini, sliced 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 1 cup coarsely chopped tomatoes 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 cups vegetable stock 4 cups water 1 cup small pasta shells 1-1/2 pounds of any fresh, white fish, cut into 1-inch cubes salt and pepper In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the vegetables until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the oregano and thyme and cook another minute. Add tomatoes and wine and cook until bubbly, about 3 minutes. Add stock and water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add fish and simmer about 3 minutes. Do not boil. Taste for salt and pepper. Top with Gremolata (below). GREMOLATA (PARSLEY-LEMON PASTE) 1 bunch fresh parsley, leaves only zest of 1 small lemon 3 cloves garlic 2 oz. (2/3 cup) grated Parmesan cheese Process ingredients in food processor until they become a paste. Sprinkle each bowl of soup with about 2 Tbs. of Gremolata. LENTIL-CHARD SOUP WITH CHICKEN DUMPLINGS Serves 8 Dumplings: 1/2 lbs. boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut up 2 Tbs. oil 1/2 small onion 1/2 cup fresh (not dried) breadcrumbs 1 egg plus 1 egg white 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. cayenne 1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg Soup: 2 Tbs. oil 1 large onion, thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 lbs. chard 1-1/2 cups lentils 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock salt and pepper To make dumplings, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until puréed. Chill mixture about 1 hour. With wet hands, form into balls, using about 1 Tbs. of mixture for each. Drop into a large pot of boiling salted water. Reduce heat and simmer until dumplings float to surface, about 12 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. To make soup, in a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Separate stems from leaves of chard and cut stems into 2-inch pieces. Add to onion and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in lentils and stock and bring to a boil. Simmer until lentils are tender, about 25 minutes. Cut chard leaves into thin strips and add to soup. Simmer 5 minutes. Purée about 1 cup of soup mixture and stir into remaining soup. Taste for salt and pepper. Place 4 or 5 dumplings in each soup plate and ladle soup over them and serve. CURRIED CHICKEN- COUSCOUS SOUP Serves 8 4 Tbs. vegetable oil 2 onions, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced 2 tsp. curry powder 1 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. turmeric 1 cup coarsely chopped tomatoes 2 carrots, sliced 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 parsnip, peeled and sliced 2 zucchini, sliced 1 cinnamon stick 10 cups chicken stock 2 lbs. boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into strips salt and pepper 4 cups freshly cooked couscous 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves In a large heavy pot heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onions, garlic, and pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry, cumin and turmeric and cook another minute. Add tomatoes and cook until bubbly. Stir in vegetables and cinnamon stick. Cook about 2 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. Simmer, partly covered, 15 minutes. Add chicken and simmer another 8 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick from soup and taste for salt and pepper. Ladle over couscous, sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
The writer 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 the Bulletin or to loufiszer@aol.com
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