Another winter comfort soup to warm you on a rainy day. This one I started last night in my crock pot anticipating we might not have power and that was the case. We had just started the Mahakaruna chanting when everything went dead. I don’t think the others lost power, but the temple was out until around 9:00 am. I am glad that my brunch was not affected. I made the full recipe, but will freeze most of it for future meals. I didn’t have any limes, but our lemon tree is full of tiny not-quite-ripe lemons that worked out very well. There weren’t enough carrots, to give the base the bright orange color I wanted, but it was still very tasty. I would not use the green part of the leeks like the recipe requires and that would give it a better color. I harvested a large turnip for the greens from my hydroponic garden along with some fresh dill. I am amazed how fast the veggies grow. The turnip greens are almost as prickly as nettles. I suspect as warm as it is now and with all the rain, we should see nettles soon. They are my favorite greens for this kind of soup. We also have a vigorous crop of mushrooms developing in the back yard. I think they are sprouting over what used to be our leach field.
INGREDIENTS: Soup Base
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted butter
- 6 Medium carrots, cubed
- 2 medium leeks, white part only, chopped
- 1/2 cup white or brown rice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 6-8 Cups Water:
DIRECTIONS: Place all the above ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low overnight or until carrots are tender. They may also be cooked on a stove until vegetables are tender. Next, puree soup either in a blender or use an immersion blender and blend in pot. This gives you your soup base. The following is for making one serving, but you can multiply the quanities to make as many servings as you want. I will freeze what I don’t use of this soup base for other meals.
ONE SERVING: Slice and fry 4-5 mushrooms in a little oil or butter until browned. Add 2 cups of the soup base and several cups of chopped greens (kale, spinach, nettles, turnip or mustard greens, collards, etc) and cook until tender greens are just wilted and heavier greens like collards are tender. You may also use a variety of greens. This base would work for using other vegetables or even a poached or fried egg. This is a great way to clean out your fridge and use up leftovers. Mix 2 teaspoons or more miso with a little water or soup to liquidfy the miso and add to the soup. It is best not to boil the miso so as to keep all of its nutrients. Use as much miso as you want. Remember it is very salty. Garnish soup with zest and juice of a small lime or lemon. Adjust seasonings. I also add sesame seeds and hemp hearts, but you can add whatever condiments you like.
NOTE: I recommend finishing the soup in a Japanese or Korean ceramic casserole clay pot with lid that can be cooked on the stove like the one shown above. These are excellent for winter stews like this one as they are hot and keep the soup warm and eliminate the need for extra dishes and pots.
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