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This was to have been a column full of ideas for your Thanksgiving menu. But then, during a recent family dinner, when our son-in-law Tim invited everyone to put in a request for what they wanted to eat for Turkey Day, it became clear that tradition is important. Thanksgiving is such a traditional meal that – at least in our family – the menu should include family favorites and not “new culinary experiences/experiments.”
Today I’ll share with you these recipes for some hearty soups to keep you warm during the cooler days as autumn winds down into winter. Spicer and I thoroughly enjoyed the Pumpkin Black Bean Soup that I made recently and the Tomato Lentil Soup when we were cruising on the Columbia River in Oregon.
The third soup recipe comes highly recommended by Jackie Koniencki and Bev Bresnahan who enjoyed it recently at The Mount Vernon Inn in Mount Vernon, Va. They (and their spouses) recently visited George and Martha Washington’s Mount Vernon and came home marveling by the recent upgrades to this historic site. Thanks to Jackie for also coming home with a copy of the recipe for Mount Vernon Colonial Peanut Butter and Chestnut Soup.
Pumpkin Black Bean Soup
(from www.allrecipes.com)
3 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (32-ounce) container low-sodium beef broth
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar*
1/2 pound cubed cooked ham (if desired)
Pour 2 cans of the rinsed and drained black beans into a food processor or blender, along with the can of tomatoes. Puree until smooth. Set aside. Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic (if using) and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the onion is softened. Stir in the pureed beans, remaining can of rinsed and drained beans, beef broth, pumpkin puree and sherry vinegar. Whisk together until well blended and simmer for 25 minutes or until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Stir in the ham and heat through before serving. Serves 6 to 8.
* Sherry vinegar is expensive so if you prefer, just add 3 tablespoons of dry sherry and a splash of cider vinegar.
Tomato Lentil Soup
(from our Road Scholar/National Geographic cruise)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups minced onion
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (1 pound 12-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1/2 cup petite French green lentils, picked over and rinsed*
This was to have been a column full of ideas for your Thanksgiving menu. But then, during a recent family dinner, when our son-in-law Tim invited everyone to put in a request for what they wanted to eat for Turkey Day, it became clear that tradition is important. Thanksgiving is such a traditional meal that – at least in our family – the menu should include family favorites and not “new culinary experiences/experiments.”
Today I’ll share with you these recipes for some hearty soups to keep you warm during the cooler days as autumn winds down into winter. Spicer and I thoroughly enjoyed the Pumpkin Black Bean Soup that I made recently and the Tomato Lentil Soup when we were cruising on the Columbia River in Oregon.
The third soup recipe comes highly recommended by Jackie Koniencki and Bev Bresnahan who enjoyed it recently at The Mount Vernon Inn in Mount Vernon, Va. They (and their spouses) recently visited George and Martha Washington’s Mount Vernon and came home marveling by the recent upgrades to this historic site. Thanks to Jackie for also coming home with a copy of the recipe for Mount Vernon Colonial Peanut Butter and Chestnut Soup.
Pumpkin Black Bean Soup
(from www.allrecipes.com)
3 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (32-ounce) container low-sodium beef broth
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar*
1/2 pound cubed cooked ham (if desired)
Pour 2 cans of the rinsed and drained black beans into a food processor or blender, along with the can of tomatoes. Puree until smooth. Set aside. Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic (if using) and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the onion is softened. Stir in the pureed beans, remaining can of rinsed and drained beans, beef broth, pumpkin puree and sherry vinegar. Whisk together until well blended and simmer for 25 minutes or until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Stir in the ham and heat through before serving. Serves 6 to 8.
* Sherry vinegar is expensive so if you prefer, just add 3 tablespoons of dry sherry and a splash of cider vinegar.
Tomato Lentil Soup
(from our Road Scholar/National Geographic cruise)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups minced onion
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (1 pound 12-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1/2 cup petite French green lentils, picked over and rinsed*
Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil a soup pot until soft. Add tomatoes, water and lentils. Simmer until lentils are tender – about 30 minutes. Season as desired with salt and ground black pepper. Serves 4. Note: other recipes call for adding basil, oregano and/or a bay leaf as well as chopped celery and chopped carrots with the onions.
*I found these lentils at Good News Natural Foods on South Governors Avenue. It is a good idea to store lentils in an air-tight container in the refrigerator or freezers.
Mount Vernon Colonial Peanut and Chestnut Soup
(from Mount Vernon Inn, Mount Vernon, Virginia)
1/4 cup margarine
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart (32-ounces) chicken broth
1 quart (32-ounces) water
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
1/2 cup water chestnuts, chopped and drained
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Melt margarine in a large saucepan. Stir in flour to make a roux. Cook on medium heat while frequently stirring until roux is light tan in color. Once the roux is ready, add chicken broth and water; bring to a boil. Then whisk in the peanut butter and Worcestershire sauce and stir. “Hold” on stove at low heat until ready to serve. The longer it heats, the thicker it gets. Garnish with chopped peanuts and water chestnuts.
