Dottie Vassalo
Soup is Good for the Soul
Soup is a lot like family…each ingredient enhances the other; each batch has its own characteristics; and it takes time to simmer to reach its flavor!
And one day Jacob was cooking some soup when Easu came in from the fields in great need of food…
Genesis 25:29
White Bean and Kale Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup onion finely chopped
- 3/4 cup celery diced
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 2 cups butternut squash finely diced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
- 1 (19 ounces) can white cannellini beans drained, and rinsed
- 1 cup kale stems removed and roughly chopped
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Chop onion and kale, dice celery and mince garlic. Peel and dice butternut squash into half inch cubes and set everything to the side.
- In a large pot over high heat, add olive oil. When the oil is hot, turn the heat down to medium and add ground beef. Use a wood spoon and break up the ground beef while it cooks.
- When the ground beef is no longer pink, add onions, celery and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Then, add butternut squash and mix all together. Add chicken broth, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Stir well, cover with a lid, and bring ingredients to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 15 mins.
- Finally, add cannellini beans and kale. Stir well and cook for about 5 mins or until kale is soft.
- Taste and add any extra seasonings, if necessary. Then, before serving, top each soup bowl with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Carrot Soup
- 1 lb. carrots
- 1 onion
- 2 ribs celery
- 1/3 c. uncooked rice
- 5 c. chicken broth, divided
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3/4 c. light cream
- Dill (optional)
- Peel and slice carrots. Chop onion and celery.
- Place vegetables, 4 c. broth, and rice in saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Cook until tender 20-25 minutes.
- Puree a little at a time until the soup is a smooth as you like it.
- Add remaining broth if soup is too thick.
- Season to taste.
- Add cream and reheat to just below boiling.
- Serve with dill as garnish.
Stone Soup: An Old Tale
Share a wonderful book with the children in your life about community and sharing. Stone Soup: An Old Tale is a 1947 picture book written and illustrated by Marcia Brown and published by Charles Scribner’s Sons. It is a retelling of the Stone Soup folk tale. Three soldiers make a soup using water and stones. Each villager contributes an ingredient to the soup, creating a feast. The book was a recipient of a 1948 Caldecott Honor for its illustrations.