Soup Season!
As I was sitting at the computer, tap-tap-tapping, with my frigid fingers, I realized what would make this first gray, autumn day a bit better-a spontaneous pot of soup! I foraged through my fridge and freezer and came up with enough bits and pieces to pull together a decent pot of soup. Some carrots, a sad-looking zucchini, some frozen beans bought with good intentions, many months ago, fresh herbs left over from a previous meal, a few cloves of (organic, of course!) garlic, and four, beautiful tomatoes.
Voila. A happy home smells like soup. No, I correct myself. Soup AND bread. I whipped up some spelt biscuits for a perfect meal. Maybe I'll take an extra few minutes and make some garlic- dill butter to spread on the biscuits when they are warm, out-of-the oven yumminess.
Want to make an easy dinner? Make your own spontaneous soup and score major points with your husband/kids/roommates. Here's an idea to get you started. Feel free to improvise and substitute with whatever is hanging around in your fridge.
Spontaneous Soup Recipe:
Chop and saute some garlic and onions, add some chopped celery, tomatoes with the skin removed, cubed zucchini and carrots, a little tomato paste, fresh parsley, some salt, pepper, and turmeric, and whatever legumes you've got. You can even add some quinoa or barley if you want it to be a heartier soup- just make sure to compensate by adding some extra water. Add filtered water, bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour or two.
Make it a meal with this easy Spelt Biscuit Recipe:
1 tbsp yeast
.5 cups warm water and 1 tsp sugar (to proof the yeast, mix these with the yeast and wait till it gets a bit bubbly)
3 tbls coconut oil or olive oil
2.75 cups of whole spelt flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
.5 cups warm water
Mix the ingredients all together and knead until smooth. Spelt dough can be a little sticky when working with it. You can add a bit more to get the desired texture, but even if it is a bit sticky it rises well.
Cover and let rise for one hour
Shape into small rolls and place on a baking sheet. Dust with rosemary or sea salt for some added flavor.
Bake at 200 degrees Celsius or 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-18 minutes.
B'tay avon!