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Squash and Carrot Soup

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This dish is easy to make yet tastes complex with layers of flavor and, even better, is also comforting on a cold day. I recommend roasting your vegetables—before puréeing them—for maximum flavor and enhanced natural sweetness.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 pounds squash, such as butternut, acorn, or Hubbard, halved, seeded, and cut into large pieces
  • 4 large carrots, scrubbed and quartered
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 1-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, preferably Vietnamese, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Yields 6 servings.

Directions

Heat your oven to 425°F. Coat a large baking sheet with the olive oil and add all the vegetables, with the squash pieces skin side up. Roast for 30 minutes, flip the vegetables with a spatula, and roast for another 20 minutes. Once the vegetables are cool enough to handle, scrape all the squash flesh from its skin and transfer to your food processor along with the carrots, onions, 1 cup of the broth, and the spices. Pulse a few times, adding more liquid as needed until it reaches a purée consistency. Taste and add more cinnamon and/or nutmeg as desired.

Sweet Potato Soup with Sage Pesto

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

A cornucopia of seasonal flavors comes together in this creamy vegetarian soup. It’s homey, yet you can serve it to the most sophisticated palates in your best china or rustic soup bowls. It gets a double hit of fresh-pressed olive oil, which is used in the vibrant, herbaceous pesto as well as the soup.

Ingredients

For the soup:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 4 cups vegetable broth, plus more if needed
  • 3 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes (3 or 4 potatoes)
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 pinch cayenne, or to taste
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • One 14-ounce can full fat unsweetened coconut milk
  • 8 ounces burrata cheese

For the pesto:

  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup chopped Tuscan kale
  • 1/4 cup shelled green pistachios, toasted
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and hot red
  • pepper flakes

Directions

Step 1

Make the pesto: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the sage and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant and crisp. Remove from the heat.

Step 2

In a food processor, pulse together the remaining 1/3 cup of olive oil, the kale, pistachios, and Parmesan until finely chopped. Add the sage and season to taste with salt and hot red pepper flakes. Pulse to combine.

Step 3

Make the soup: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shallots and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme and butter and cook another 30 seconds. Pour in the broth. Add the sweet potatoes, cayenne, nutmeg, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Step 4

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup directly in the pot until smooth. (Alternatively, use a blender to puree the soup in batches.) Stir in the coconut milk and 2 tablespoons of the sage pesto and cook another 5 minutes. If the soup is too thick, thin with additional broth.

Step 5

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Swirl each bowl of soup with a spoonful of the sage pesto. Break the burrata and spoon some over the top of the soup.

Serves 6 — Recipe from halfbakedharvest.com

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

The appeal of this autumnal soup lies in its simplicity. The sweetness of the butternut squash is enhanced by roasting and by the addition of a small amount of maple syrup.

Ingredients

  • 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), halved lengthwise, seeds removed
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1/2 cup chopped shallot (about 1 large shallot bulb)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup or brown sugar, or more to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 3 to 4 cups rich vegetable broth, as needed

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the butternut squash on the pan and drizzle each half with just enough olive oil to lightly coat the cut sides (about 1 tablespoon). Season with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Turn the squash cut sides down and roast until it is very tender and cooked through, 40 to 50 minutes (don’t worry if the skin or flesh browns—that’s good for flavor). Set the squash aside until it’s cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

Step 3

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped shallot and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the shallot has softened and is starting to turn golden on the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring frequently. Transfer the contents to your blender.

Step 4

Use a large spoon to scoop the butternut squash flesh into your blender. Discard the skin. Add the
maple syrup, nutmeg, and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper to the blender. Pour in 3 to 4 cups vegetable broth, being careful not to ll the container more than halfway. Work in batches unless you have a high-capacity blender.

Step 5

Securely fasten the lid and top with a folded dish towel. Hold down firmly. Blend on high, being careful to avoid hot steam escaping from the lid. Stop once your soup is ultra-creamy. Return to the saucepan and reheat, if necessary, over medium-low heat, stirring often.

Step 6

If you would like to thin your soup a bit, stir in the remaining cup of broth. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of
olive oil and blend well. Taste, and stir in more salt and pepper, if necessary. (Note: The soup can be
cooled, covered, and refrigerated at this point for up to 2 days.)

Step 7

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil before serving.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from cookieandkate.com

Tomato and Bread Soup (Pappa al Pomodoro)

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Fresh tomatoes usually get all the love, obscuring the fact that canned tomatoes, preserved at their peak in their own juices, are wonderful, too! This soup, though made of humble ingredients, is transformed when drizzled with exquisitely fresh olive oil. 

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 medium onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
  • One 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, crushed by hand, with juices
  • 2 sprigs fresh basil, plus torn leaves for serving
  • 1/3 pound (about 6 ounces) fresh or stale rustic bread, crusts removed, torn or cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 cups warm vegetable or chicken stock, plus more as needed
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Directions

Step 1

In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic just begins to turn golden. Add the onion and cook, stirring, just until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and their juices, along with the basil sprigs, and bring to a simmer. 

Step 2

Stir in the bread. Ladle the stock on top, stirring to combine. Simmer the soup, adding more stock as needed, until the bread is completely softened and custardy and soup has thickened to a porridge-like consistency, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard the basil sprigs. 

Step 3

Divide the soup between four bowls, generously drizzle the soup with olive oil, and grind black pepper on top. Garnish with torn basil leaves and serve. 

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from seriouseats.com