Cook With Us #27: Soup! {Roasted Pepper & Onion Soup w/ Arugula Pesto}

in #cookwithus5 years ago

Happy Friday everyone! This week I've been a little stingy on the food side of my usual posting themes, so why not end out the week with a delicious bowl of soup?

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The @cookwithus crew has tasked us with another fantastic theme this week. I imagine @chefsteve, @pandamama and @offoodandart picked well knowing that not only do most people love soup, but pretty much every culture has some traditional combinations when it comes to cooking up a bowl of warm (or possibly cool--gazpacho anyone?) goodness. I feel like it is a familiar dish just about anywhere you go, even if you may not always recognize all of the ingredients.

Yesterday evening @pennsif put together a nice little show with some of the resident Steemit foodies from all across the globe. I only got to pop in for a little while, but it really is such a reminder how food can bring us all together and inspire us. I will definitely go back to listen to the second part that I missed as it brought to my attention some folks I hadn't discovered just yet. Being surrounded by other people who are passionate about food is a really wonderful thing. Though we may not think sharing a bowl of soup on our blogs has a big impact, I think it helps bring us together in a way that perhaps only food can do! Like @pennsif said, it's a great way to get the conversation going and bring people together to see what greater good we can put out on not only Steemit but also out into the world!

Back to the soup. 😉 Though the crew put out the idea of sharing your favorite soup or a traditional family recipe, I have come to find that soup is something I really enjoy in a different way each time. I don't think I am alone in that it is rare that I make a soup the same way twice. When I don't know what else to make with my farmers market haul, soup is one of the top dishes I know I can throw together.

This particular incarnation I am sharing with you today was one such meal. I was in a class all day this previous Saturday, so my dear @dksart braved the crowds at a busy Marietta Square to grab some goodies from the market for me. We had missed the previous week while we were up in the mountains, and it just broke my heart to think I would miss out again. I'm trying to take advantage of my local produce as long as the season allows!

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Though I had a little bit of a list to give him an idea of what to grab, he still had to make a few adjustments based on what was left at the stalls when he got there. One stall had lots of bell peppers left, so he grabbed 6 of them for me. The hydroponic guys were down to the end of their leafy greens, so at that one they gave him a few extra bags of arugula since that was about all that was left. After taking stock of what else he brought and what I had already stocked in my pantry and refrigerator, a roasted pepper soup with arugula pesto seemed like the perfect way to use those yummy local veggies. Often I would just cook up the peppers and onion in the pot before tossing in the rest of the ingredients, but I do really enjoy the sweetness that roasting those vegetables brings out. It takes a little extra time, but definitely worth it for that extra layer of flavor.

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This may have actually worked well for the budget theme, too, as the bulk of the other ingredients I already had on hand. A jalapeno pepper was left starting to get sad from a few weeks ago, so in it went to the oven to roast with the bell peppers and onion. Tomato paste leftover from another recipe? Perfect for a little umami and depth of flavor in the soup broth. I am due for a bulk trip to restore my dried beans and lentil horde, but I had just enough red lentils to use, as well. To finish it out I had about a half a cup left of quick-cooking farro that just sounded perfect to thicken it up and give it that extra texture. Done!

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Roasted Pepper & Onion Soup

  • 6 small bell peppers (any color), seeded & chopped
  • 1 massive sweet onion (or 2 small), peeled & chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & chopped
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
  • 1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed & drained
  • 3 tablespoons no-salt added tomato paste
  • 7 cups water or low-sodium veggie broth
  • 1/2 cup quick-cooking farro*

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place your chopped peppers and onion on a lined sheet pan and sprinkle with the Italian seasoning. Roast in the oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until the veggies are cooked through and starting to brown at the edges. Stir a few times to keep from sticking.

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Once the veggies are roasted, place in a large stockpot with the remaining ingredients except the farro. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover partially and cook for 30 minutes. In the last 10 minutes of cooking time, stir in the farro. Remove from heat and let sit while you make your pesto.

*If you use another grain, make sure to add it with the appropriate time needed for cooking. The farro I had cooked in 10 minutes, thus I waited until the end to add it so it didn't lose its texture and get overcooked.

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Arugula Pesto

  • 2/3 cup raw walnuts
  • 2 large bunches of arugula, trimmed & roughly chopped
  • 1 lemon, juice & zest
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Place everything in a food processor and blend until combined. Taste and adjust to your liking. You want a robust flavor to add to the soup.

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Serve a warm bowl of the soup with a dollop of pesto to mix in. Don't skip the pesto. It really adds flavor and brightness to the soup. You can use different herbs if you like, but definitely add that green stuff to make the meal pop. 😋

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!



Banners by @woman-onthe-wing, @dksart and @bearone for @steemusa

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I'm like you Katie, I just simply can't make the SAME soup twice.

What a great idea to roast the veggies for the soup. I can imagine that the taste is much more intense. How silly that I have never thought about it before.

I'm not such a big fan of arugula to be honest. How does it taste in a pesto? Is it still so strong? I find it too bitter when it's raw.

Also, combination of a soup with pesto? I love your ideas!

You are so creative Katie!

Have a lovely weekend!

Hey Martina! Hope you are feeling well!

I have found that the arugula from the hydroponic farm is so much more tender and less bitter than what I often find in the store. It still has that peppery bite, but I really enjoy it. You could always start out a mixture of arugula and another herb or milder leafy green to see if you like the flavor. The soup itself was pretty mild (even with the jalapeno), so the bold flavor of the pesto helped brighten it all up without being overpowering.

I got lots of goodies from the market this morning, so can't wait to share more with you all next week! Enjoy your weekend, as well!

I'm feeling better, thank you Katie :)

I will have to look around farms and see if they have it. I would love to find arugula that is less bitter than the one I can find in stores.

Which herb would you suggest to combine it with? From the leafy green I can imagine it with spinach?

I haven't been to a market for such a long time! I'll have to finally do it this week :)

Spinach or kale is always a good substitute. I am also a huge fan of dill, and I think it would also pair well with the other ingredients in the soup. :)

I didn't think about kale.. it sounds like a great idea! Dill and arugula? Could be interesting! Thank you for the tips Katie!

I hope you find a combo that works for you! Definitely let me know what you come up with and how it turns out. :)

howdy there plantstoplanks! wow this here is some HEARTY soup, none of that runny stuff, this would fill me up! And the flavor must be amazing, especially with that jalapeno that was starting to get sad! lol.

This is an amazing post and soup, great job. And I'm sure you post alot of recipes which are vegan?

I've seen you around, I think mostly on Miss Lena's posts I think.

Hello there @janton! I think I have seen you commenting on the lovely Lena's posts, as well! I do very much enjoy joining in on her weekly contest, and yes sharing my vegan recipes. :)

I am a big fan of a hearty soup, as well, so I'm glad this one looks good to you! The jalapeno was definitely sad no more once it got mixed in with all these other goodies.

Thanks so much for stopping in and commenting!

My pleasure plantstoplanks. I'll see you on Lena's posts!

Oo yum.. this looks like a very heartening soup @plantstoplanks. And healthy too! I have never thought of using bell peppers as an ingredient for soup. Thank you for the idea :)

Bell peppers tend to be pretty abundant around here, so I use them in just about everything. ;) They are especially delicious roasted!

hello @plantstoplanks very beautiful the blog with several recipes of "Arugula Pesto" and "Soup Onion And Roasted Pepper" as I like to have new recipes for the house and not get bored of the same thing I get excited because you put a little spicy to the recipe I am very fond of jalapeño pepper is something new for me and I am very excited @neymarth10

Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my post! I hope it gives you some inspiration to make a yummy healthy meal of your own!

Hi plantstoplanks,

This post has been upvoted by the Curie community curation project and associated vote trail as exceptional content (human curated and reviewed). Have a great day :)

Visit curiesteem.com or join the Curie Discord community to learn more.

Thanks so much for the vote!!

Oh yum @plantstoplanks, this looks so delicious, I just looove soup and pesto as well!
Congrats on the @curie upvote, very well done :)

Thanks @lizelle! Always a nice surprise to get the @curie support! This has been another great week with all the yummy soups abounding. I woke up to a very chilly morning in my part of the world, so it warms me up to look back through the entries. :)

That looks like a deliciously hearty soup, I love the pesto!

Thanks @dalipops! I still have just a little bit of pesto left that I need to use up because I don't want to let that delicious flavor go to waste! :)

Was great hearing you on radio - Wish I'd been able to chat to a few folks but my sound died after I heard a few intro's .
Great that you got a curie vote for this post - well deserved.
My daughter and I are on a soup diet so this is definitely one that inspired me. Will definitely give it a try

I enjoyed hearing you, as well! Now I can read all your comments and have a better idea of what you sound like. :) I could only pop in for a short while, so I need to go back and listen to what I missed. It has finally turned pretty cool here in Atlanta, so soup is almost always on the weekly menu for the remainder of the season!

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