Snowy Day Soup

As you may have guessed, it's been rather cold and snowy here (or rather... more cold and snowy) these past few weeks. I love to look at the snow, of course, (from the safety of my window), especially when it's floating down soft and unbelievably silent, though I will admit that it's not very fun to shovel, track all over the house, and scrape off the car. These days I prefer to be safely tucked indoors, preferably swathed in at least 2 pairs of socks, 3 sweaters, and 17 blankets, with a good book and a steaming hot cup of hot chocolate. Or at least, that's how I spend my days in my imagination.

In reality, I've been spending my days safely tucked indoors, swathed in 1 pair of socks, 2 sweaters, and 17 blankets, cooking up as many dinners of the consistency of baby food as I can manage. Will got his wisdom teeth removed this month, and during the week after, smoothies, yogurt, pudding, and pureed soups were the order of the day. It was more challenging than I thought to find soup recipes that were smooth enough for Will to eat and also had a little variety, so I thought I'd share two of our favorites. Besides being easy on the aching jaw, they're just the thing for a cozy supper on a snowy evening.

Creamy Potato Soup
Adapted from Foodess and Eat, Love, Run
This soup is very filling and satisfying. The chicken broth, Cajun spices, and cream cheese make this a very flavorful, warm-tasting potato soup – not bland at all! Serves 6.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 large potatoes (I actually used 6 small potatoes – 2 reds and 4 russets), peeled and cubed
• 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning (I used a few pinches of paprika, cayenne, red pepper flakes, oregano, and garlic powder)
• 3-5 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 cup whole milk + 2 oz cream cheese (you could also just use 1 cup of cream)
• 1 tsp. salt
• pinch of black pepper

Method:
1. Heat butter in a 5-qt Dutch oven over medium heat. (If you haven’t noticed, I like to use my Dutch oven for everything, but a large saucepan will also work in a pinch). Add the onion and cook until tender (but not browned) – about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add the potatoes and Cajun seasonings and toss well.

2. Add enough chicken broth to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender.

3. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the 1/4 cup of milk and 2 tbsp. of flour until completely combined. Slowly pour into the simmering soup while stirring. As the soup continues to simmer, it should thicken slightly.

4. Add the 1 cup of whole milk and 2 oz of cream cheese (or 1 cup cream) and stir into the soup until the cream cheese has melted and mostly disappeared into the soup. Carefully transfer soup to blender and process in batches until smooth (remember to vent the lid!).* Return the soup to your Dutch oven, add additional broth or cream according to preference, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

*Note: You can also just mash up the potatoes with a wooden spoon or potato masher if you want the texture to be heartier.


Peanut Butter Pumpkin Soup
Adapted from The New Basics Cookbook and Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make at Home
This soup sounded a little weird to me at first, but it’s delicious – warm, nutty, and autumnal. It cools off fast, so make sure it’s hot when you serve it. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1-2 small yellow onions, chopped
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and roughly cubed
• 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 3 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 cup half-and half

Method:

1. In a 5-qt Dutch oven, heat butter and oil on medium-low heat. Add the chopped onions and cook 10 minutes, or until translucent, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the sweet potato, pumpkin, chicken stock, salt, and pepper; heat to boiling on medium-high heat. Cover and simmer on medium-low for 20-30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally. When the sweet potatoes are very soft, add 1/2 cup of peanut butter and stir until incorporated.

3. Process the soup until smooth by putting it through a blender in batches (remember to vent the lid of the blender!); you could also use a food mill or even a hand blender. Once smooth, return the soup to your Dutch oven and add the half-and half. Heat slowly, stirring occasionally, until the soup is again hot and steaming. Serve and enjoy!