Jazz up the holidays with basil Christmas tree croutons.

Nothing escapes the red and greening of the holidays in my house … including soup!

And roasted red pepper soup with Christmas tree-shaped pesto croutons is about as festive as you can get in the soup world. While soup may not be on your typical holiday menu, this velvety red potage from the Food Network is perfect for a cozy meal after a hard day of shopping at the mall or even better after an afternoon of shoveling the snow.

Best of all, it can be as easy or difficult as you want to make it. The recipe itself calls for roasting the red peppers, but I actually made it with jarred peppers to speed up the process. (No time for roasting when there are presents to be wrapped!)

Instead of roasting the peppers, simply add three fire roasted peppers from the jar, which is about two 12-ounce jars, give or take. I’m partial to the Trader Joe’s brand, but use what you like.

The killer app here, of course, is the Christmas tree croutons, which, surprisingly, is the easiest part of the entire endeavor. All you need is a tree-shaped cookie cutter, slices of bread and some pesto — either homemade or store bought. You toast the “trees” in the oven and when you are ready to serve the soup, spread the pesto on them and float them in the soup.

While the croutons are certainly decorative, they also add a nice note of complexity to the soup, which has a very strong peppery flavor. This particular pesto is made with broccoli, a great way to sneak vegetables into your children. But if you prefer to use your standard pesto with basil, pine nuts, parmesan and garlic, it would work just fine.

If you really want to take the easy way out, pull out the boxed (or canned) version of red pepper or even tomato soup and add the Christmas tree croutons with pre-made pesto — and voila! — everyone is instantly cheered and impressed!

Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Broccoli Pesto Croutons

¼ cup blanched almonds

Kosher salt

1½ cups small broccoli florets

1 cup packed fresh basil

2 cloves garlic, smashed

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Soup

2 jars (12 ounces each) roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 rib celery, diced

1 medium carrot, diced

1 large leek (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 quart low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 small russet potato, peeled and diced

8 slices white bread

Make the pesto: Toast the almonds in a skillet over medium heat, tossing, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor.

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the broccoli to the boiling water and cook until bright green, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to the ice water to cool, then drain and pat dry. Add the broccoli to the food processor with the almonds; add the basil, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt and pulse to make a chunky paste. With the motor running, gradually add the olive oil. Add the parmesan and pulse to combine. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface; set aside until ready to use.

Make the soup: Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, leek and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 7 minutes. Stir in the thyme and roasted red peppers. Push the vegetables to one side of the pot; add the tomato paste to the other side and cook, stirring, 2 minutes, then stir into the vegetables. Increase the heat to high; add the broth and 2 cups water and bring to a simmer. Add the potato and simmer until soft, about 30 minutes. Purée with an immersion blender or in a regular blender in batches; keep warm.

Toast the bread until golden and with a cookie cutter or knife, cut into tree shapes. Ladle the soup into bowls. Spread the pesto on the toast and float in the soup. Serve immediately.

Serves six.

Cook’s note: To roast your own peppers, put them on a baking sheet and broil, turning, until charred, 7-10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside 5 minutes. Peel the peppers with your fingers under running water; discard the stems and seeds.

Adapted from Food Network Magazine

Last week, I was invited to speak at the Vernon Hills Library on soup-making. I offered to bring samples, figuring there might be 20 people there. To my surprise (and delight), 90 people had signed up and there was a waiting list. (People love soup, what can I say?)

In any case, I decided to go with a pot of split pea and a pot of tomato — both would be easy to make and relatively inexpensive, considering the quantity. Off I went to the grocery store to buy canned fire roasted tomatoes, the killer ingredient for homemade tomato soup.

I bought 16 cans and came home and started opening them up. I diced the carrots and onions and got the pot a-boiling. When it came time for a taste, I almost screamed out loud. What the heck? This soup was so spicy it would tear the roof off of your mouth. I certainly could not serve something this hot to a room full of complete strangers.

What was the problem, you ask? I had accidentally bought 16 cans of fire roasted salsa. Who ever heard of salsa in a can in the tomato section of the grocery store? I buy my salsa in the salsa department in a jar! When did this development occur?

In any case, what to do with the hot soup? I threw a couple of cans of beans in and another can of tomatoes to try and settle it down. It was still too hot to serve so I figured I would give it to my 26-year-old son, who will eat anything, as long as its vegan — and the hotter the better for him.

So I remade the tomato soup and brought it to the talk. I also brought some of the Mistake Soup, just as a lesson about improvising and experimenting in the kitchen.

Lo and behold, they loved the Mistake Soup and even asked for the recipe. So here you go. Basically, it’s my tomato soup made with salsa and some beans thrown in. Add ground beef or another protein, if you like.

You can’t go wrong. It’s Mistake Soup!

This soup is really a salad dressing that never made it to the greens!

I don’t know if you’ve ever made something you liked so much, you started eating it right out of the mixing bowl, even before you finished preparing it.

That’s what happened when I made this tomatillo avocado salsa salad dressing. Yes, I know, this is a soup blog. However, I think this dressing is so healthy and scrumptious that it makes a great chilled summer soup.

In other words, it never made the journey from the food processor bowl to the salad greens!

The secret is the tomatillos. A distant relative of the tomato and often referred to as tomate verde or green tomato, they are a staple in Mexican cuisine. I had never really used them before because the paper-like husks intimidated me for some reason.

However, a class at Flavour Cooking School in Forest Park showed me peeling a tomatillo couldn’t be easier. Simply remove the top, papery layer and chop the fruit into quarters before adding it to the food processor. The tomatillos are slightly sticky to the touch, and the flavor is sort of lemony, herbal and tangy all at the same time. Paired with the avocados, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice, the result is sort of cross between gazpacho and guacamole.

Not that it needs embellishment, but you could crumble a little queso fresco, a firm-textured white cheese also used in Mexican recipes, and/or tortilla chips on top, as garnish.

Of course, you can always use this recipe as it was intended – as a salad dressing. With no added oil other than the avocado, this is off-the-charts in terms of healthy.  Any kind of lettuce and vegetable combination will work. The one we made in the cooking class included frisee, baby arugula, cherry tomatoes and julienned roasted red pepper.

Soup or salad? It’s all a matter of how much willpower you have.

 Tomatillo Avocado Salsa Soup (and salad dressing)

¼ to ½- jalapeno pepper, seeded

1 clove garlic

1/3 cup cilantro leaves

3 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 pound tomatillos, husked and quartered (approximately 6-8 tomatillos)

3 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed

2 avocados, flesh removed

½ small white onion, peeled

¼ teaspoon cumin

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Turn food processor on. Drop jalapeno, garlic, cilantro and scallions through feed tube of food processor while machine is running. Process ingredients until minced. Add tomatillos and lime juice. Process until mixture is liquid. Add avocado, onion, cumin and salt and pepper. Let stand 30 to 60 minutes to blend flavors. Taste and adjust.

Serves 4-6 as soup or use as salad dressing.

 From Flavour Cooking School, Forest Park, Illinois

Is is worth it to add that little something extra in your recipes?

Soupalooza’s most recent column in the Daily Herald focused on sprinkles on the cupcake. No, not real cupcake sprinkles! We are talking about the little extra something that can be found in some soup recipes.

You know, the ingredient you have to run to the store to buy and might be a tad on the expensive side.

One of the soups we focused on was an Apple, Onion, Cheddar Soup that called for calvados, an apple brandy from the Normandy region of France. A small bottle was $24 at the local liquor store. We tried the recipe with the calvados and we tried it without.

In this case, we are not sure it was worth the expense … but we are very curious what you think. Do you sometimes skip that little something extra? Or do you always go that extra mile no matter what you make?

 Apple, Onion and Cheddar Soup

 3 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 large Spanish onions, peeled and thinly sliced

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced

6 cups vegetable or chicken stock

2 cups apple cider

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons Calvados (apple brandy)

Salt and pepper to taste

 In a stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions. Saute for 25 minutes or until the onions are soft and golden. Add the sliced apples and sauté an additional five minutes. Add the stock, apple cider, caraway seeds, and thyme. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the pot from the stove. Add the cream, cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is completely melted. Add the Calvados and season with salt and pepper. Return to the stove and simmer an additional three minutes.

 Makes 12 servings

 From the New EnglandSoup Factory Cookbook by Marjorie Druker and Clara Silverstein

Snap peas make a delightful summer soup, especially when you add Marmite.

My soup and yoga mentor, Catriona, gave the split pea soup a try and here’s what she had to say:

I was so enthused by the green pea soup, I made a batch of it this afternoon!  The caraway seeds make such a difference.  I also put in 3 bay leaves and, because I know they would be the first words Bob’s would ask,  I chopped up a couple of slices of ham.  Exceedingly yummy.

 She’s my best recipe critic so you know this one is a keeper. Thanks, Catriona! Here’s her recipe for something called  Mangetout Soup, which uses sugar snap peas. (Actually mange tout  is French for eat all, but it’s also an expression for sugar snap peas). Can’t wait to try it.

Mangetout Soup courtesy of Crank’s Restaurant, London, via Catriona

1 medium sized onion
8 ounces sugar peas
1 small potato
1 ounce butter
2 1/2 cups veg stock
1 1/4 cups milk
seasoning to taste
1+ teaspoon Marmite

Top and tail the sugar peas.  Roughly chop all the veggies.  Saute the onions in the butter.  Add the peas, potato and stock.  Bring to boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in the milk.  Blend, adjust seasoning and return to heat. Serves six.
This soup can also be served chilled.  Chill before adding the milk.

Pea soup doesn't need a hambone to have full flavor and richness.

Soupalooza published its second column in the Daily Herald  … this time we focused on split pea soup, admittedly a love-it-or-hate-it proposition. As a matter of fact, Daily Herald Editor John Lampinen wrote on his facebook page:

There are two phenomena I never will understand: 1) People who can smoke one cigarette every couple of months. And 2) people who will eat split pea soup without a gun pointed at their heads…. But if somehow you’re part of the latter phenomenon, our soup columnist has a creative suggestion for you.

 

Obviously, Soupalooza thinks pea soup is just fine, but we appreciated John’s mention of the column and we would hope that he might give peas a chance!

Split Pea Soup with Caraway

 2 cups dried split peas

7 cups of vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

3 teaspoons caraway seeds

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

1 large onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, diced

2 carrots, sliced

2 to 3 small potatoes, scrubbed and diced

2 to 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

 In a large soup pot, combine the split peas, stock, bay leaf, caraway seeds and jalapeno. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low and simmer, covered for 30 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except the salt and pepper, and continue to simmer until the peas and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Serves six.

 From “Dairy Hollow House Soup and Bread” by Crescent Dragonwagon

If you are new to beets, borscht is a good place to start.

I am a latecomer to the whole beet thing. It’s not that I didn’t like them. I just didn’t know them.

Turns out I am not alone. According to The Salt, National Public Radio’s food blog, 2011 was a pretty good year for beta vulgaris.

 Daniel Zwerdling writes:

 Some farmers markets say beet sales have surged since January, and they’ve doubled over the past few years. And it seems like every restaurant across the country serves beets these days — especially the ubiquitous beet salad.

Does all this constitute a beet renaissance? Irwin Goldman says, absolutely, yes. He breeds beets at theUniversity ofWisconsin, where he’s a professor of horticulture. He has been waiting for this renaissance for years.

“I think it’s just wonderful to see because it’s just an incredibly fabulous vegetable that I think is totally underappreciated,” he says.

Soupalooza couldn’t agree more and, to that end, we decided to make … why, borscht, of course!

We found an easy recipe in “The Big Book of Soups and Stews” by Maryana Vollstedt and we made it even easier by using pre-shredded coleslaw cabbage. The hardest part of the whole recipe is cutting up the canned beets without making a mess of epic proportions in your kitchen.

Beets, after all, do stain things, especially clothing so don’t wear your anything you care about when preparing them. If you do manage to stain something, ehow.com has a good article on how to remove the stain, using bread of all things!

In any event, give this soup a try. It is good both hot or cold, but definitely needs a dollop of sour cream when serving either way.

Easy Borscht

½ head (about 1 ½  pounds) cabbage, core removed shredded (I used two packages of coleslaw mix)

1 carrot, chopped

½ cup chopped yellow onion

1 ½ cups vegetable broth

1 can (15 ounces) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes with juice, slightly pureed

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 can (14 ½ ounces) pickled beets, coarsely chopped, with juice

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Sour cream for topping

In a large soup pot over medium heat, combine all ingredients except sour cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Add more stock if soup is too thick. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

 From “The Big Book of Soups and Stews” by Maryana Vollstedt

Use canned roasted tomatoes for a soup that is mmm-mmm good.

This is a big day for soupalooza. The Daily Herald is running our column once a month on soup. We decided to start with a favorite …. cream of tomato soup. We showcase a great recipe from our guru Mark Bittman of the New York Times (you can never go wrong with Mark).

Soupalooza tinkered with Mark’s recipe a tad by using canned roasted tomatoes and it is awesome …. even better than the kind in the red and white can. Really!  Hard to imagine, but it is almost as easy and twice as yummy. Check out the column in the Daily Herald. We are so excited!

OK, so every time I make this soup, it turns out differently. But it is delicious each and every time.

Here’s my question for you, fellow soup savants:  Why is it when you  remake a tried and true soup recipe, the end results can turn out so differently?

I know. I know. We soup lovers like to make soup because, well, because it’s a little more free flowing than, say, baking puff pastry.  Add a little here. Adjust. Toss in some more water. A splash of lemon , a pinch more salt …

The art of making soup is just that. It’s an art, not a science. Still, it’s amazing how different one batch can be from the next — even when you actually follow the recipe.

Case in point:  The following Lentil Swiss Chard Soup that I found on food.com.

Any gardener knows that the only thing more pernicious than zucchini is  swiss chard . It just keeps on keepin’ on. And the only thing to be done with large batches of it is to  soupify it. (Hey, if Rachel Ray can make up words, so can I.)

In any event, I like this recipe a lot … it’s got a lot of spicing in it and is more like a very healthy chili.  It may vary from one batch to the next, but it’s always good.

Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup (courtesy of food.com)

1 cup dried lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 bunch swiss chard, rinsed and roughly torn, stems removed
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 red potatoes, washed, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 white onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, scrubbed, sliced
3 garlic cloves, pressed
5 -6 cups chicken broth or 5 -6 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon seasoning salt  (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Place all ingredients in a 5 to 6 quart crockpot, stir, and cook for 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low. Lentils and other vegetables should be cooked but not overly soft. Remove bay leaves, stir and serve with fresh baked cornbread and jalapeno pepper sauce on the side.

Picasso's "Le Soupe" is currently part of "The Steins Collect" exhibit.

Once I started thinking about soup, I started seeing soup everywhere.

Even in an art museum.

On a recent trip, I decided to take in “The Steins Collect,”  an exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It’s an amazing landmark collection of the holdings of Gertrude Stein and her two brothers.  The Steins were great patrons of the Parisian Avant-Garde and collected Picasso, Matisse and Cezanne, to name just a few.

(Unfortunately or fortunately, the San Francisco run is over now. You will have to travel to Paris, alas, or New York to see the exhibit. (Check here for dates.)

One of the paintings is called “Le Soupe,” painted by Pablo Picasso during his Blue Period.  Picasso said he started painting in monochromatic shades of blue and blue green after his friend Carlos Casagemas killed himself. You can see the painting has a melancholy air to it.

On a bright note, seeing  “Le Soupe” led me to a wonderful blog written by a Sydney based art historian named Megan Fizell  called Feasting on Art , who combines art and food and photography. Lovely!

Here’s Fizell’s recipe for Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soup, in honor of Picasso’s Blue Period (with conversions to American Standard measuring)

Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soup

1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon butter
2 small potatoes
1 large head of broccoli
1 quart vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
salt + ground pepper
1/2 cup of blue cheese
olive oil + fresh herbs for garnish

Finely chop the onion and garlic. Add to a large pot over medium high heat. Add the melted butter and saute until the onions become soft, around 5 minutes. Cube the potatoes and the stalk of the broccoli and add to the pot with the vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 15-20 mintues.

Chop the flower portion of the head of broccoli and add to the pot. After 2-3 minutes, add the nutmeg, salt + pepper and blue cheese. Stir well and use a hand blender to puree the mixture. Once smooth, spoon into bowls, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with fresh herbs.