Parsnip and Apple Soup

Another winter night? Another warm soup.  Although this has been a mild winter so far, there have been plenty of nights we crave a warm hearty soup.  However, this is not your typical root vegetable soup that is so common in winter.

By pairing the sweetness of apples and parsnips with the acidity of apple cider vinegar this soup is both creamy and light.  In fact, we were surprised by how creamy it was even without adding any dairy.  As an added bonus, the entire soup (if you use an immersion blender) is a one pot meal and can be prepared well ahead of time.  It also freezes well, so make extra for your next quick meal.

Serve this soup with a crusty bread or homemade croutons (diced bread sauteed in garlic and olive oil until crispy).  Enjoy and let this meal warm you up.

Peanut Tofu Soup

In Charlottesville there is a great soup and sandwich place and we are addicted to their Senegalese peanut tofu soup - its warmth and spiciness always perfect for cold winter nights.  Last week Matt was sick and we knew this soup would be comforting and healing.  Instead of buying the soup, we decided to attempt our own version - making sure it was healthy and flavorful.  After one taste of the final product we were amazed with the results and knew we had to share the recipe.

This dish is easy to make (it's a one pot meal) and can serve as a hearty main dish or a starter to an Asian-inspired meal.  The tofu and brown rice add texture to the silky soup while the peanut butter adds flavor and creaminess.  Even if you, or those you are cooking for, don't like tofu, add it for the texture and protein (you can also puree it with the rest of the soup to hide it).  Next time you are in the mood for something warm and easy, give this soup a try and see why it is one of our favorites.

On a side note, this was a perfect recipe to use our newly acquired immersion blender.   While a traditional blender works fine for soups like this, we have found the immersion blender to be much easier, safer, and more consistent.  If you make soup often, go buy one.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

This summer received we a great vegetarian cookbook called Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi, a famous British chef who owns a number of food shops in London.  While not a vegetarian himself, Ottolenghi is well known for creative vegetarian dishes thanks to his restaurants and his column The New Vegetarian in the Guardian.  We have just started to explore the recipes in this book and this week came across one that we had to share.

Roasted butternut squash with sweet spices lime, and green chiles is an incredibly flavorful and refreshing side dish and a great way to get a burst of bright flavors in the winter.  When you taste this dish you realize that each ingredient adds a unique and wonderful taste to the dish so be sure to not take any shortcuts with this one! The butternut squash is sweet and tender while the spices provide mouthwatering aromatics.  The raw lime, cilantro, and chile add a great acidity and contrast with the squash while the sauce brings it all together.

We have made this dish twice in the past week and found that each aspect of the recipe can be prepared ahead.  The squash can be roasted and left at room temperature and the sauce and garnish can be made and refrigerated.  We hope you enjoy this light and flavorful meal in the midst of winter and will make you wish butternut squash was available all year long!