Hello friends of the Hive realm. It has been a while. I feel stifled on my days off, so doing a post takes quite a bit out of me. This day I mustered up the energy to share an epic pot of soup.
I call it Canadian winter soup. You may think there is some traditional Canadian soup with this name, but there are few foods that may be considered traditionally Canadian.
The reason for the name, is that I am using mostly ingredients that can grow in this country. However all of these items are imported, most likely from the US or south of there.
One of the items that I am happy to include, is the Kabocha squash. This is also known as a Japanese pumpkin. Squash in general, are grown by many here in Canada.
I don't use it enough because of how much I struggle to cut it. I have cheap knives.
When I finally crack it open I can move on to further prepare it.
Taking out the seeds is easy. Removing the skin is another struggle. It can be cooked first to make it easier but I wanted to cube it before cooking.
I cubed it quite small, blanched in boiling water for a couple of minutes, then set aside.
Along with the squash are vegetables, romano beans, and barley.
The beans were from dry beans that I had soaked overnight. I cooked them until tender with a couple of bay leaves. The water was set aside.
The following recipe can be adjusted because of the powdered broth and liquid. Powdered broths differ in salt levels and added seasoning. If you use liquid broth it will need different amounts of seasoning to suit your taste.
Canadian winter soup
500g cooked Kabocha squash
100g kale
4 cups cooked beans
1 cup uncooked barley (cook in 3 cups water)
200g carrots
70g celery
220g mushrooms (I used cremini)
160g onion
30g garlic
400g tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup vegetable broth powder plus 1 litre water
1 litre of cooking liquid from beans and squash
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dry sage
1 tsp dry thyme
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste
Oil for saute
I start with chopped onion, adding them to an oiled pot to cook until translucent.
After adding the carrots and celery.
Following this I added garlic and tomatoes.
I decided to add 1/4 cup of tomato paste after I took the photo of the items for the soup. I wanted even more richness from the soup.
At this point I added the vegetable soup broth powder. I almost always use homemade broth but in this case, I didn't bother since there were so many ingredients in the soup.
I added the mushrooms which I think is a good combination with barley.
I added a cup of chopped parsley leaving around a cup for garnish. I always prefer flat leaf parsley rather the curly.
The beans were added to the mixture.
I cook the beans very well ahead of time, knowing that they would be slightly mushy which would add to the thickness of the soup.
The barley was pre cooked. I had a lower ratio of barley. I find that it really gets thick and if you use too much in can overpower the soup.
Canada is a big grower of barley. In fact I have run through fields of barley as a child, visiting my relatives in another province. Many beers are made from barley. My late uncle used to tell me he was going to the pub for a barley sandwich, when he was going for a pint.
I added precooked barley which was cooked in 3 cups of water.
I added the squash towards the end. It was not super cooked but softened from the blanching.
At this point I still have not added the liquid.
At the end I added the chopped kale and the liquid from the cooking of the squash and beans.
I added an additional litre of water and seasoned to suit my taste.
Wait!!! Should I do it? Should I?
I had recently walked into the little hot sauce shop around the corner. There were so many bottles and jars. I asked the guy for a really hot sauce. He pointed to two shelves. One was what he referred to as the "challenger" level. The shelf next to it was a step down. I picked one from there.
It cost over twenty dollars and I cringed a bit for spending that much. When I got home I had a small drop of it. My tongue was on fire for half an hour. I realized at this point that it would last for quite awhile.
Yes! I added a couple of drops to the whole pot. Surely, I thought, it would not even be noticeable. I'm glad I was careful with it. It was spicy enough.
I finished it off with some croutons and fresh parsley.
This is the kind of soup that can serve as a full meal. I froze a portion of it for an after work dinner. My partner and I work evenings at a restaurant and it's too tiring to cook when we get home.
If you have leftovers of this, you will have to add extra broth or water and seasoning. The barley keeps thickening which is why I don't add a large amount.
The squash adds a little sweetness to the soup and is a good contrast to the tomato.
A side salad with a toasted walnuts is a perfect accompaniment.
Thanks for dropping by. I wish you a lovely day.
design by: @KidSisters
Photos taken with a Nikon D7500