It's finally, but just barely, cold enough for soup.
I'm ready for thick, root vegetable, serious soups -- soups perfect for sopping up the dredges with a piece of bread.
This is why I'd rather not eat soup in a restaurant. In a restaurant, I can't tip my bowl to eat every last bite or slide my bread across the bottom.
So it looks like I'll be making soup at home.
Here's a recipe from Mollie Katzen's book "Soups," that I can't wait to make.
Potato and Chilie Soup
4 medium potatoes
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced bell pepper
1 1/2 cups diced green chilies
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
Fresh black pepper, to taste
1 cup milk
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup grated jack cheese
2 scallions, finely minced
1. Scrub the potatoes, cut them into small chunks and cook in the water, partially covered, until tender (about 20 minutes). Set aside, water and all, and cool to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, begin sauteeing the onion in olive oil in a soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. After several minutes, add bell pepper, chilies, salt, cumin, basil, garlic and black pepper. Continue to saute over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Puree the potatoes in their cooking water, using a blender or a food processor. Add the puree to the potful of sauteed vegetables, and stir in the milk and sour cream. Whisk until well blended.
4. Heat the soup very slowly. When it is hot, stir in the cheese and scallions.
