Winter Minestrone with Rosemary Kale Pesto
Adapted from Sara Karnasiewicz
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium celery root, peeled and cubed (about 1½ cups)
1 large parsnip, peeled and cubed (about 1½ cups)
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 15-oz can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 ¼ cup French lentils
3 cups shredded cabbage
1 small apple, peeled and cubed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ pound dried spaghetti, broken into
small pieces
For the pesto:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic 1 cup kale
½ cup toasted pecans, chopped
¼ cup rosemary sprigs
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once oil is warm, add onions and minced garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent and just beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.
2. Stir in celery root and parsnips, cooking until fragrant, another 5 minutes.
3. Add stock, bay leaves, beans, lentils, cabbage and apples. Stir to combine.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot and simmer gently until celery root and turnips soften, 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make the rosemary pesto. In a food processor, purée all the pesto ingredients and a pinch of salt until mixture forms a paste.
6. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in pasta and continue simmering until al dente, 10 minutes more. Remove from heat.
7. To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Stir one teaspoon rosemary pesto into each bowl. Season with salt, pepper and additional pesto to taste
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. olive or coconut oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced
1 bay leaf
1 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
dash of ground black pepper
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 large head of cauliflower, roughly
chopped to the same size
1 cup canned coconut milk
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (optional)
fresh dill (for garnish – optional)
Instructions:
In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-low. Add the onion and the spices, except for the garlic. Saute, stirring occasionally until the onions become translucent, about 10 minutes. Then, add the garlic and saute another few minutes.
Add the vegetable broth and cauliflower and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for about 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.
Remove from heat and transfer carefully to your Vitamix. Blend on high (allowing steam to vent) for a few minutes, until silky and smooth.
Transfer back to the soup pot and stir in the coconut milk and vinegar. Bring back to heat over low, ensuring it doesn’t boil.
Serve hot and topped with fresh dill and ground black pepper, if you like.