Tasty spring soups for Shabbat and everyday

Soups are perfect starters for any meal, holiday or otherwise. Some can even be a complete meal for a hurried spring evening when people are rushing to get to sports events, meetings, and more. And while we all think of chicken soup to start a festive or Shabbat meal, there are countless other soups out there to whet the appetite and start a celebration.

I am a soup lover. From chicken to cold blueberry to split pea and multi beans, I love soups. Soups warm and nourish the whole body and soothe the soul.

When we were sitting shiva for my dad many years ago, people brought more cakes and pastries than I could eat in a lifetime, but three friends brought soup. Three different kinds. I didn’t know it those first few days, but those soups got me through one of the most difficult times of my life. I couldn’t eat the deli platters or the Shabbat dinner or the bagels, but I could sip warm soup. I was so grateful for those soups. Slowly, I felt stronger and healthier. It is a gift I have emulated through the years.

Soup can also be a quick dinner. My kids often had spring sports right after school, making dinner later and rushed. I often made soup and a quick sandwich for a fast dinner with minimal clean up. It filled tummies but did not overfill them and the leftovers were a great snack. My kids loved the soups I made all year round.

Soups are so often associated with cold New England and northeast winters, but spring soups and cold summer soups are delicious and can be a light meal on a summer’s day when it is absolutely too hot to cook.

Holiday meals traditionally begin with soup, chicken soup in particular, but in the spring, try starting with a soup that incorporates delicious spring veggies like asparagus and spring onions, broccoli and more. Chag sameach for all the lovely spring holidays and incorporate some delicious soup as you celebrate.

Barley Mushroom Soup with Zucchini (Pareve)

1 cup dried porcini mushrooms

3 Tbsp. olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

2 leeks, white part only, chopped

2 to 3 carrots, chopped

2 to 4 large cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

3 cups white mushrooms, sliced

3/4 cup pearl barley

6 to 10 cups vegetable broth, (bought or homemade)

1 or 2 zucchini, sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the porcini mushrooms in a small, deep bowl. Cover with hot water about an inch higher than the top of the mushrooms. Let soak for 30 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft. Add more boiling water as needed to keep the mushrooms covered.

Heat the olive oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and leeks. Sauté until translucent and add the garlic, ginger and parsley. Sauté for another few minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft, 6 to 10 minutes total time.

Drain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Add them and the white mushrooms to the onion mixture and sauté until the mushrooms begin to give off their juices.

Add the porcini liquid, the vegetable broth, carrots, and the barley. Stir, cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes until the barley is soft.  Add the zucchini rounds and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6 to 8

Cold Tomato Soup with Avocado and Chives (Pareve or Dairy)

This is great as a first course for either fish or chicken. You can substitute chopped cucumbers or sliced celery for the avocado.

2 lbs. ripe tomatoes

1 to 2 garlic clove, minced

1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth

juice of 1 small lemon

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce (or more if you like)

1/2 avocado, diced

1/2 cup cucumber, seeded and diced

thin lemon slices

OPTIONAL: sour cream when using veggie broth

2 tsp. minced fresh chives

Fill a large pot with salted water. Bring to a boil. Make a cross cut in the tomato skins on each side of the tomato and place three or four in the water at a time. Let boil for 20 to 30 seconds and then plunge the tomatoes into a bowl of ice water. Repeat with the rest of the tomatoes. When all done, discard the boiling water and rinse the pot.

Peel the tomatoes and gently squeeze to remove the seeds. Chop coarsely.

Place the tomatoes, garlic, broth, and lemon juice in the pot and stir to blend. Add the Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Place small batches of the mixture in a blender and puree until very smooth. Place the soup in a large glass or metal bowl and place the bowl in the freezer or over a larger bowl filled with ice. Stir every 5 minutes, chilling for about 20 minutes or until very cold. Taste to adjust seasonings.

Divide the diced avocado or cucumber into bowls and pour the soup into each bowl. Garnish with chopped chives and thin lemon slices. Serves 4 to 6.

NOTE: Top with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle the chives over the sour cream.

Leek Zucchini Soup (Pareve)

This is one of the easiest soups I have ever made. It is delicious and creamy yet has nothing fattening in it. Dieter’s Dream. It is also very forgiving and you can use more or less of any of the ingredients.

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 to 8 long leeks white/light green part should be about 6 to 10 inches long

6 to 8 zucchinis about 7 to 8 inches long

3 large carrots

2 stalks celery

2 to 3 qt. boxes Vegetable broth

1 to 2 Tbsp. vegetable bouillon (I use a kosher vegetarian bouillon paste that I like)

Cut off the dark green part of the leeks. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, discard the first layer, and wash thoroughly. Wash the leek running water through the length of the leek. Cut the leeks into thin slices. So you have half-round pieces.

Heat a large soup pot over medium-low heat and add the oil. Add the leeks and cover.

Cut the celery and carrots into slices and add to the pot. Wash the zucchini and trim the ends. Cut into slices and add to the pot. Stir together and cover. Simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes to let the veggies begin to steam. Add the vegetable broth and cover. Simmer for 45 to 60 minutes until all veggies are mushy. Turn off heat and let cool for about 15 minutes.

Use an immersion blender and emulsify the soup until smooth. Soup will be thick. Add a spoonful of the bouillon paste and mix with the immersion blended. Add more to taste. Heat a bit and serve. Serves 10+.

Light and Delicious Roasted Cauliflower Soup (Pareve)

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets

5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

2 large onions, diced

2 leeks, diced, white part only

1 to 3 cloves garlic

2 stalks celery

1 carrot

2 qts. veggie stock

2 to 4 tsp. good quality vegetarian bouillon. I use a kosher vegetrin paste version that’s not too salty

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Fresh chives for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Set aside.

Spray the foil with non-stick spray or line with a piece of parchment paper. Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Place in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Pour out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread evenly. Drizzle with about 1/4 cup of water, cove lightly with foil and place in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Uncover and roast an additional 15 minutes or until golden in many places and very tender.

Meanwhile, place the remaining olive oil in a large, heated skillet. Add the onion, leeks, and garlic and sauté until evenly light golden, 10 to 13 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and sauté until softened, 6 to 10 minutes.

Remove the cauliflower and place all but a few small florets in a large soup pot. Add the sautéed veggies and mix. Add the veggie stock and heat over medium heat until simmering. Simmer for 15 to 25 minutes, until the veggies are very soft.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Add 2 teaspoons of the vegetable bouillon. Use the immersion blender to mix in the bouillon. Adjust seasonings, adding more bouillon if needed. Add some salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Serves 8+.

NOTE: Garnish with the reserved florets, chives, parsley, sour cream for a dairy meal, croutons, and my kids love it with a few red pepper flakes for some spice.

Tomato (Juice) Soup

I had this at a very elegant Bridal shower. It was served in beautiful crystal mugs with a tiny wedge of lime on each glass. The caterer generously shared the recipe with me and I have served it often to rave reviews. It can easily be doubled. It’s OK to keep the simplicity a secret!

6 cups tomato juice

1/2 small can tomato paste

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

grated peel of 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp. Curry powder (or to taste)

1/2 tsp. Salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp. Pepper (or to taste)

1/3 cup scallions, minced

3/4 to 1 cup sour cream (low fat or fat-free is Ok but the taste is a little different.)

Blend all ingredients except sour cream in a blender. Season to taste. Chill completely. Just before serving, whisk in sour cream. Garnish with a few pieces of chopped scallion or basil and a dollop of sour cream. Serve with a great, crusty bread (or, as in my house, bagels and cream cheese) and perhaps cold pasta salad. It also makes a great first course for a company dairy meal.

Note: This really does not work as well with yogurt.

Almost Minestrone Soup with Quinoa (Pareve)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 to 2 large onions, diced

2 to 3 leeks, white and light green part only, thinly sliced

4 to 8 stalks celery, sliced

1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced

1/2 lb. Butternut squash or sweet potatoes, diced

1 green pepper, seeded and diced

1 red pepper, seeded and diced

3 to 6 cloves garlic, minced (as many as you like)

1/2 head cabbage, shredded

1 cup corn kernels, frozen is best, but canned, drained and rinsed works

2 bay leaves

2 qts., vegetable or no-chicken or chicken stock

1 to 2 large (28 ounces) cans crushed or diced tomatoes with liquid

OPTIONAL: 1 can chickpeans, drained and rinsed

Several fresh basil leaves, minced or 1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 to 1 cup quinoa, thoroughly rinsed

Heat a large soup pot. Add the olive oil, the onions and leeks. Sauté until translucent, about 4 to 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and squash, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the peppers and mix for about 1 minute. Add the garlic and mix for 1 minute. Add the cabbage and mix for 1 minute. Add the corn and bay leaves. Cover and reduce heat to low. Let veggies soften for 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the stock and tomatoes and mix well. Let simmer gently, partially covered, for 25 to 35 minutes. Add the chick peas, oregano and basil and mix. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Add the quinoa and simmer for an additional 30 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently so the quinoa does not stick. Taste, add salt and pepper and adjust seasonings. Serves 10+.

Cold Blueberry Borscht (Dairy)

Make this the day before. Serve for a light dinner or a first course.

6 cups fresh blueberries (reserve 2 cups of the largest and best)

3-1/2 cups water

1/2 to 1 cup pomegranate or pomegranate blueberry juice

1/2 cup sugar

2 to 3 Tbsp. maple syrup

1/3 tsp. ground ginger

2 cups plain yogurt, Greek is extra creamy

1 cup sour cream

1 to 2 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Place 4 cups of blueberries, water, juice, sugar and maple syrup in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 2 to 4 minutes, until some of the berries begin to pop. Remove from heat. Let cool 10 minutes. Add the yogurt and process in a food processor or blender until smooth. Place in a covered container and refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving, mix the sour cream, sugar and vanilla together.

Serve the soup, add some fresh berries and add a dollop of the sour cream. Serves 4 to 6.

Cantaloupe Soup with Mint and Citrus (Pareve)

2 to 3 large cantaloupes, very ripe

1 large bunch fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime, lemon or orange juice, more or less, to taste

superfine sugar, to taste

Sliced lemon, lime or orange for garnish

Peel the melon, discard the seeds and cut into small pieces. Place in a food processor with the lime juice and about 6 to 10 small mint leaves. Puree until smooth. Add sugar to taste.

Cut the rest of the mint leaves into thin strips by piling them up, rolling them into a cigar shape, and cutting into thin strips.

Serve the soup in bowls or cups and garnish with the strips of mint and fruit slices. You can also garnish this with some sour cream or crème fraiche, sliced strawberries, or even a drizzle of liquid cream. Serves 4 to 6.

Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com