A wonderful autumn meal to make at home
As the evenings grow cooler, making soup at home is one of the best ways I know to get a little early-autumn comfort. This spicy vegetable soup is easy to prepare, delicious to eat, and keeps well, too!
To put it together, start by sautéing whatever good vegetables you have on hand. I like celery, carrots, fennel, and peppers. Onions and garlic are also good additions, of course, and the fall crop of turnips is terrific. Really, whatever you have around would work well! Cut all the vegetables to about the same size—roughly half an inch—so they fit onto a soup spoon, and salt them while they’re cooking with a fine-quality sea salt.
As the vegetables cook, heat up some broth. I use the Deli’s housemade chicken stock—the super tasty Amish chicken we use so much of in the ZCoB turns this broth into a world-class convenience food.
When the vegetables are tender, combine them with the broth in a large soup pot. You can also add some fresh leafy greens—I used spinach the other evening, but chard or mustard greens work well, too. You’ll want to simmer for about 15 minutes to meld the flavors.
If you, as I do, love the Mahjoub family’s organic, hand-rolled, sun-dried couscous from Tunisia, add a bit to the pot when you mix the vegetables and broth. Rice, noodles, or really good beans would be excellent, too. Simmer until the grains are tender.
When the broth is “done,” turn off the heat, and then add a few spoonfuls of the Mahjoubs’ artisan harissa. It’s made on their farm, about 45 minutes west of Tunis, with three different organic peppers, all sun-dried; organic tomatoes from the farm, also sun-dried; organic extra virgin olive oil; and some spices. It’s beyond amazing—umami and spicy in a wonderfully mouth-warming way. Adjust the amount you add to the soup to match your preferred spice level.
Serve with a green salad and some Bakehouse bread!