January is National Soup Month, so I wanted to share two delicious, quick recipes from Maria Zoitas, the creator of Maria's Homemade, a line of prepared food sold at Westside Market in New York City. Maria has reinvented her family minestrone recipe and asparagus soup with leek for her Maria's Homemade line; they are sure to enhance winter meals and soothe January colds.
Great taste is second nature to Maria, having been born and raised on the island of Lefkada where her mother shared the secrets of traditional Greek cooking, teaching her how to work with healthful ingredients like grains and legumes. Bon appétit!
Asparagus Soup with Leek
1 1/2 lbs. fresh asparagus, trimmed (reserve trimmings) and cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces
1 leek, well rinsed to remove sand and sliced with greens and whites separate
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons long-grain white rice
Salt to taste
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, optional
In a pot, bring 6 cups water, asparagus trimmings and leek greens to a simmer while preparing the rest of the ingredients. In a skillet pan, heat the oil and butter. Add the leek whites, onion and rice and cook until the onion begins to color. Using a ladle, add 1 cup of warm asparagus-leek stock to vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Strain the asparagus-leek stock and return to pot. Add vegetables and uncooked asparagus to stock. Simmer, partially covered, for 10 to 12 minutes. When soup has cooled, transfer to food processor and puree. Strain back into the stockpot. Season and add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Drop the asparagus tips into boiling salted water and cook until tender. Garnish soup with asparagus tips.
6-8 servings
Minestrone Soup
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 19-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 14½- ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 quart chicken broth
½ cup medium pasta shells, cooked according to package
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Heat olive oil in heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and parsley. Sauté 3 to 5 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, and stock. Bring to boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer. Let cook 30 minutes. Add pasta during last 5 minutes. Correct seasoning and stir in parsley before serving.
See my bio for links to all my healthy recipes and relationtionship, organizing, travel and mind/body posts as well as to my blog with the same title as my memoir Confessions of a Worrywart: Husbands, Lovers, Mothers, and Others.
See also:
*Men and Affairs: Cheating Spouses
*Great Ideas for Preserving Your Family History
*A Woman Talks About Sex From Her 20˛s To Her 60˛s (fascinating and relatable)
*Baby Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding an Adopted Baby
*Parenting a Parent as He or She Ages
*Are You Having Less Sex Than You Think You Should? One Woman's Story
*Can Working Women Have It All?
*Hipster Dog Names and Quirky Dog Photos
