Minestrone Soup in a Sourdough Breadbowl

Who doesn't like soup? I believe that someday I will publish a book just on the soup creations I come up with. They are soul-warming and an all-in-one meal. They are filling, hearty, chock full of delicious ingredients, and most of the time very low in fat. Soups can be made on a Sunday and last through a Thursday. I love soup.

Most of the time my soups end up velvety and thick because of my immersion-blender obsession. However, this time I decided to finally try and concede to the request for a brothy minestrone soup.

I began with a package of 16-bean soup (Goya, I think), boiled the beans in water for 5 min and allowed them to sit for 1 hour. I rinsed the beans, added around 7-8 C water, and brought that to a boil with about 3 t Italian seasoning, 1 t garlic powder, 1 t finely ground black pepper, 1/4 t cayenne pepper, 3 bay leaves, 1 can of diced tomatoes, and 1 sliced medium-large yellow onion.

Once the beans were tender, I added about 5 T of my favorite better-than-bouillon chicken stock (you could use veggie if you want it to be completely vegetarian/vegan!) and some salt to taste. I also added 1 stalk celery sliced into crescents, and 1 diced green bell pepper. I boiled a pound of Barilla Piccolini Mini Wheels in a separate pot and added the whole pound of pasta to the soup.

I was feeling ambitious, and then decided to try my hand at breadmaking, seeing as I keep this sourdough starter alive in my fridge by feeding it flour every week...until, of course, I forget about it and it explodes all over the place.

Anyway, what a better way to serve soup, than in its very own breadbowl?

I'm not quite sure if I followed a recipe, but here goes:

1 - 1 1/2 C sourdough starter (these recipes are all over the internet)

1 package dry yeast (follow packet directions for activating)

1/4 t salt

I basically let the sourdough starter and yeast come to room temp and activate, respectively. I put this in a stand mixer, added some warm water (about 1/2 C) and then added flour 1/2 C at a time until the dough pulled away from the bowl and seemed like a good consistency. Have I mentioned how much I hate baking because you have to measure...?

I put the dough in a giant olive oil coated bread rising bowl, covered it with a clean, moist kitchen towel, and stuck it in the oven (pre-warmed of course) and let it sit overnight. In the morning, I punched down the dough, kneaded it briefly on a floured surface and divided it into two boule shapes. I don't have a fancy pizza stone, though you can go to Home Depot, buy the bases to any clay flower pot and use that as a pizza stone (they cost about $1-2!!!). I used my regular old Silpat-lined baking sheet, popped the boules in the oven for about 20 min at 400F, brushed the tops with olive oil at the end and quickly broiled them for a top-brown:

The plan is to cut the tops, pull some insides out, and use them as a delicious vessel for the minestrone soup:

Spaetzle, Take Two

In the Oktoberfest post, although not pictured, I tried my hand at Spaetzle making. For those of you not familiar with this delectable-al dente-eggy-not quite pasta-not quite dumpling-treat, it can be made either the old fashioned way by hand (as seen in this YouTube video) or by using a rather convenient and simple kitchen gadget:

Either way, the dough is so easy, there is no excuse not to try making it:

2 eggs

2 C flour

1/4 t salt

dash nutmeg (optional)

Mix all of the above with a fork (don't overmix), add 3/4 C milk slowly and incorporate until dough resembles thick drop biscuit consistency. Note: All 3/4 C milk might not be necessary.

The kitchen gadget method definitely goes much faster and ensures a wonderful chewy texture and uniform size:

I paired the delicious little Spaetzle with wonderfully seasoned roasted chicken thighs; a hearty and rich mushroom-onion gravy; and a mash of Rutabega, Broccoli, and Parmesan.

I highly encourage you all to try your hand at Spaetzle making - the accessory is rather affordable, and the product is well worthwhile!

OKTOBERFEST

Oktoberfest, not in September, home-brewed Oktoberfest Ale, and a menu of deliciousness!

Menu:

Warm cheesy scallion and beer dip

Sourdough soft pretzels

Wild mushroom and spinach Streudel

Sage, lemon and brown butter Spaetzle

Red cabbage sauerkraut

Beer soaked Brats with caramelized onions

Braised gin-pickled beef with Dill Sauerbraten Cream

Black Forest Cupcakes

Sesame Ginger Brisket, Kimchi, and Ginger Rice

Cream of Celery Root Soup and Truffle Oil Celery Seed Crostini

Cream of Celery Root Soup

1 large celery root (3/4 lb), cubed

1 large onion

3 large cloves garlic

6 stalks celery, strings removed, reserve leafy tops

2 tsp ground black pepper

3 C chicken (or veggie) stock (3 T concentrated stock + 3 C water)

1/3 C dry sherry

3 C whole milk

3 T flour

Extra Virgin Olive oil (EVOO)

Immersion blender

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F

2. Dice large onion

3. Roughly mince garlic

4. Remove strings from celery, roughly dice

5. To clean celery root, cut the leafy top and root-like rough bottom off so

that the celery bulb root has a flat top and bottom that is stable on the cutting board surface. With a sharp chef’s knife, follow the contour of the root, and trim the brown outer surface off of the root so that the white inner part of the root is exposed, rotating the root until all of the brown outer surface is removed. Trim off any remaining brown outer surface.

6. Dice the celery root into small ¼ inch cubes.

7. Add about 3-4 T EVOO to coat bottom of thick bottom soup pot (dutch oven)

8. Add half of the diced celery root cubes, onion, garlic, and celery to the

pot and sauté on med-low, about 15-20 min until the onions are translucent and celery root cubes have softened.

9. Add about 1 tsp ground black pepper to the sautéing vegetables.

10. Toss the reserved half of celery root cubes to coat in EVOO, salt, and pepper. Roast the cubes on a foil lined cookie sheet at 400 F for about 15 min, turning mid-way through, or until cubes are golden brown on all sides. Set aside.

11. To the sautéed vegetables, add the dry sherry and allow the alcohol to boil off for about 1 min.

12. To this, add the 3 C of soup stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 min.

13. To ¼ C cold water, add the 3 T flour and mix thoroughly to break up any lumps.

14. Add the flour-water mixture to the 3 C of whole milk.

15. Turn off heat to soup. With the immersion blender, puree soup until smooth, slowly adding the 3 C of whole milk and flour mixture.

16. Return the soup to very low (warm) heat, and stir. The soup should have a smooth and velvety consistency.

17. Add the roasted celery root cubes to the soup at this time.

18. Serve drizzled with EVOO, garnish with reserved celery stalk leaves, and serve with truffle oil celery seed crostini.

Truffle oil Celery Seed Crostini:

1 loaf crusty French bread

2 T freshly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsely

1 clove garlic finely minced

½ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp Kosher salt

¼ tsp celery seed

¼ C Parmesan (or Romano) cheese

Truffle oil (white or black)

EVOO

Wire cooling rack

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 F (Oven should be pre-heated from the roasted celery root)

2. Line a cookie sheet with foil

3. Place a wire cooling rack on the lined cookie sheet

4. Slice the French bread on a bias

5. Finely mince the parsely and garlic

6. Place the slices of bread in a large bowl

7. Toss bread to coat with EVOO, parsley, salt, pepper, celery seed, garlic, and cheese. Lightly coat with truffle oil. Note: Some of the garlic, parsley and cheese may remain on the bottom of the bowl—lightly rub some of the bread slices on the bottom of the bowl if this is the case.

8. Place coated bread slices on the wire cooling rack on the lined cookie sheet. Drizzle each of the crostini with truffle oil. Sprinkle lightly again with celery seed.

9. Bake crostini for about 10 min or until tops are golden brown, turn drizzle again with truffle oil, and continue to bake until the other sides are golden brown.