With due apologies, I am taking a quick break from my series about the Luberon (unless you are all secretly tired of it in which case please let me know and I’ll put it to rest) because some serious celebrating is in order: yesterday was my first official sweater, jeans and boots day–hallelujah! I feel like I am sliding back into myself after being trapped in someone else’s wardrobe. Mais hélas, along with rapid temperature shifts comes what? A case of the sniffles. I have been fighting off a throatal frog for a while now, so it was time to take matters firmly in hand and whip up my first batch of autumn soup to shoo the sickness out of me.
Although I dearly love my Fog Soup (Oh, hello Yee Olde Ancient Bloggee post, how sweet you seem to me now and how much do I miss that kitchen and garden!), I didn’t want to be coddled, just the opposite, I wanted to heat things up a bit. When I visited Mali, I would be stunned by the locals liberal and I do mean dousing use of hot sauce until I was told “it keeps us healthy by burning out the bad stuff.” So, while this isn’t nearly as spicy as I would have liked it as I do have Remi’s French palate to appeal to, it is just the right touch when you need a little saving.
Soupe d’urgence or Emergency Soup
2 1/2 large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into medium sized chunks
5 carrots, sliced
1 big onion, diced
3 large garlic cloves, same
1/2 Tablespoon diced fresh ginger (or cuilière à soupe instead of T in France)
Spices:
cumin, cayenne powder, cinammon, ancho chile powder, cajun spices, heck I even put a pinch of Smokehouse Maple in there, to taste
1 Liter chicken broth (unless you are the gorgeous Jennifer of the ridiculously undervisited Gustia blog, in which case, go vegetarian!)
As I have written previously, I am convinced that my soups improved enormously by cooking with a Creuset pot, but hey, do what you can and just don’t let the veggies burn–we aren’t talking about that kind of heat here!
Sauté the onion in a swathering of olive oil (about 2-3 Tablespoons) until soft. Add the sweet potatoes and stir a bit to help break down the starch. Cook on medium-high for five minutes with the lid on, add the carrots, again stirring to coat with the oil and onions. Lower the heat to medium, add the garlic and cook with the lid a bit off to the side for twenty minutes or until thoroughly soft, stirring from time to time. Now, I prefer to add the spices here (I trust you to come up with your own amounts but I put a strong preference on the cumin) and continue to cook on super low for an hour but feel free to go ahead and add the chicken broth and simmer. Again, this soup is best if you let it simmer on low for a few hours and but I have done it in as little as twenty minutes in a pinch. Let it cool a bit before transferring into a blender (in batches if need be) and pulse gently. Transfer to serving bowls and top with one last kick of cayenne and voila! Note(s): You might be wondering how many people this serves. Good question. Are you as piggy as I am? Well, then not a lot. Definitely four as a starter or perhaps as a main depending on your portions. As you can see, I only had a tiny bit to have with lunch and so was forced to make myself a Bacon, Egg, and Tomato sandwich as a consolation prize (and yes, the eggs really are that yellow in France). Also, I know that you might be tempted to swirl some creme fraiche in here–and hey, whatever bakes your cake–but it doesn’t need it.
Bon App’ and stay healthy!
PS. Ben got all velvet-painting eyed when I told him of the collective interest in a calendar featuring his sweet face. As my British friends would say, he’s chuffed!
Hi Heather, The soup looks delicious and I can't wait to try it. With the soup and that yummy consolation prize sandwich helps, hope you'll soon be over those sniffles. Having so many admirers, yes, I can see why Ben is chuffed…:)
XO
Amelia
Why is this strange danger sign beside my name.?
Oh, All wonderful! Must make the soup immediately. And Ben
is too, too precious for words.
Thank you!
Hello Heather
Thank you for providing us with this recipe. It looks delicious. I make a lot of soups and this one is different.
Does this mean that Ben is going to need an agent? I can see him at Barnes & Noble giving paw prints!
Helenxx
Dear "Heather",
This most recent posting of your makes me….well?…just really kind of sad for you.
You talk about having colds and feeling cold and chilly and all sorts of other stuff.
What you DON'T talk about is how all of this is your OWN fault.
Lets' get things straight, Lady? Okay?????
If you're feeling "sick" or messed-up?… well, that's something you're doing to yourSELF, BY yourself, and TO yourself.
I bet, if we got you into one of our preliminary diagnostic clinics in LA, we'd find out (this will cost you only five thousand dollars, which is a DEAL…believe me and/or Will Smith and/or John Travolta)that your entire head-space is filled with damaging M-Grams from previous experiences on this planet during your current life-space/time.
these negative force-fields from your past are damaging your inborn ability to be a superstar, and to LET GO of Remi, that stupid dog, your TERRIBLE parents, your entire family, and anything that even minimally presents itself as an obstacle to your destiny as a SUPERSTAR (whether that be in cinema,the national politcal stage, television, reality-shows, "Dancing With The Stars", or any of our Great Country's many venues for super-stardom).
The fact Remains, Heather….you're "feeling" like you have a cold. That's complete bullshit….. that's just coming out of your undeveloped brain…sort of like when Brooke Shields kept going on about her "post-partum depression".
It's all just bullshit, fed to you by the liberal media….and you don't need a "special" soup to cure it.
We can HELP you HELP YOURSELF. Dont' listen to anything Minnie Driver, Nicole Kidman, or Katie Holmes says; they're all complete girlie-losers who weren't UP to THE CHALLENGE of completing themselves.
give me a call….I KNOW I can help you out with these problems of yours.
you just gotta BELIEVE. Go Top Gun! STRIVE for that position!
you know what I mean?
I think you do….
Quite sincerely,
Tom Cruise
(and I'm giving you a line to my #235th personal assistant; call ANYTIME you finally feel you're ready to accept the help I/we are offering). you NEED Diatonics.
that's just so….obvious.
CALL: 919.245.0087
Heather?…just pick up the phone and call. If you can't save your own life and achieve outstanding and award-winning financial/careeer success, who will do it for you?…..that's the BIG question…right?
Call that number——-Tom
The garlic and cayenne pepper is supposed to help immune function. I drink a freshly made juice with those ingredients plus ginger and orange. I usually have them heat it up a little. It's not bad and seems to clear things up. Thanks for sharing the soup recipe and hope you feel better soon.
I am jealous of your transition to sweater, jeans and boots. I am longing to wear mine but it is still a bit too warm 🙁 Hugs to Ben.
Glad you're better..I detest that throaty feel when something is about to get me. I'm definitely going to make your soup, it sounds divine and right up my alley since I've taken to spicy, hot food since doing a cooking class in Thailand, and Ben is soooooo sweet looking.
Heather, your soup looks very delicious!!! I am sniffling too!!!
Oh and Be, there is only one as him! He is ADORABLE !!
Hugs to you dear!!! And to Ben of course!!
xx
Greet
Oh yum Heather – sounds and looks scrumptious. The boys won't eat sweet potato, but I reckon I could do this sneaky recipe and they wouldn't notice. Anything with chili and cumin gets chomped down fast in our house. With you on le creuset. Saving for another pan. Can't believe how magic they are. Everything cooks better and tastes more mellow.
Sorry to hear of your sniffles. Hope this soup and Ben's adoring personality helped. Much love and hugs, VB x