Be Bowled

Soups, Salads & Stews Perfect for Winter

By Becky Dumais

There’s no easier or more satisfying way to eat delicious, healthy food during the winter than in the convenience of a bowl. 

Hearty concoctions of fresh vegetables, broth, and proteins come together in stick-to-your-ribs soups and stews, or wintry in-season vegetables that are tossed together as a bold feast for your eyes and nourish you from within. They’re amazingly fulfilling meals, especially when accompanied, perhaps, by a sandwich or slice of crusty bread with butter. 

No matter if you’re a noisy slurper, sip daintily or eat your salads one vegetable at a time, everyone can appreciate curling their hands around a robust meal in a bowl when it’s cold outside. Try one of the following recipes from local chefs and restaurants.

Butternut Squash & Lemongrass Coconut Noodle Soup

Ingredients 

• 1 small butternut squash

• 4 tbsp coconut oil

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• ½ tsp fresh ground pepper

• 2 stalks lemongrass with green stems finely sliced

• 1 tbsp minced ginger, unpeeled

• 1 tbsp minced garlic

• 1 tbsp Thai red chilli paste

• 400 mL coconut milk

• 200 g spinach rice noodles or your favourite noodles, cooked as per package directions

Garnish

• 2  green onions, thinly sliced (reserve green stems)

• ¼ cup cilantro leaves (stems roughly chopped and reserved)

• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves

• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves (stems roughly chopped and reserved)

• TT red & green Thai chillies, thinly sliced

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.

• Wash and dry squash. Trim each end of squash and cut it in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and place on baking sheet cut side up. Leave skin on. Rub squash with 2 tbsp of coconut oil and season with salt and pepper.

• Roast in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until squash is fork tender. Place in a high-speed blender.

• In a large pot, heat remaining 2 tbsp of coconut oil over medium heat. Add lemongrass, green stems from onions, cilantro and basil stems, ginger, and garlic, and sauté for 1 minute.

• Add chilli paste and sauté for an additional minute. Stir in coconut milk with 1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Add liquid in blender with squash and purée until creamy.

• Divide cooked noodles into bowls and top with soup. Garnish with green onions, fresh herb leaves and chillies.

Recipe & Photo from Irene Matys  |  IG: @Irene_Matys

Sausage & Rosemary Split Pea Soup with Grana Padano

Ingredients

• 2 L water

• 1 lb sausage, poached and diced

• ¼ cup oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 carrot, peeled and diced

• 2 ribs celery, washed and diced

• 1 tbsp garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp rosemary, chopped

• 2 ½ cups green split peas, washed and rinsed

• TT grated Parmesan for garnish

Directions

• Add sausages to 10 litres of water and bring to a simmer; once sausages are cooked remove from stock and set aside to cool. Once cooled down, dice sausages, and reserve stock.

• Heat oil in a pot over medium heat until hot.

• Add onions, celery and carrots and cook until soft.

• Add rosemary and garlic; reduce heat and cook until aromatic.

• Add sausage stock and split peas, turn up heat, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Continue cooking until split peas are soft, about 45 to 55 minutes.

• Add cooked diced sausages and heat through.

• Remove from heat and adjust seasonings with chicken base and salt and pepper.

• Adjust to desired consistency with more water.

• To serve, ladle into bowls and top with grated cheese.

Recipe & Photo from The Burnt Tongue  |  TheBurntTongue.com

Winter Persimmon Salad

Maple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing

• ¼ cup olive oil

• ¼ cup maple syrup

• 1/8 cup rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• TT salt and pepper

In a blender or mixing bowl add everything except for the oil. Mix well then slowly pour in oil and emulsify. If oil begins to pool on the top or side, slow down or stop until incorporated, then continue to add. Finish with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Feta + Goat Cheese Blend  

• ¼ cup 35% cream 

• ½ cup feta 

• ½ cup goat cheese TT salt 

• 1 tbsp lemon juice and zest 

Add everything to a food processor and blend until smooth.

Salad

• Fuyu persimmon

• Baby kale

• Radicchio

• Pomegranate seeds

• Feta pieces

• Pistachios, roasted & crushed

Cut ripe persimmons into wedges. Spread cheese blend onto the bottom of a plate or bowl. Mix kale and radicchio with dressing and salt. Mix in persimmons and pomegranate seeds, place on top of cheese blend and sprinkle over crushed, roasted pistachios.

Recipe from radius® Executive Chef Dan Burcher  |  Radius.ca
Photo By Amare Studios

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Dried Fruit Gastrique

Gastrique Ingredients

• ½ cup sultana raisins 

• ½ cup dried cranberries

• ¼ cup sugar

• ¼ cup white wine vinegar

• ¼ tsp crushed chilli flakes

• 2 cups water 

Soup Ingredients

• 8 cups peeled and diced butternut squash

• 4 cups medium diced white onion

• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 4 tbsp butter

• 7 cups chicken or veg broth 

• 2 cups 35% cream

• TT salt and pepper

Gastrique Directions

• Bring water, sugar, vinegar, salt, and chilli flakes to a boil on stove. 

• Pour over cranberries and raisins, let soak for 1 hour.

• Strain liquid from dried fruit and reduce a little more than half or until it becomes thick.

• Once liquid looks thick, pour it back over fruit. Let cool before using.

Soup Directions

• Toss cubed squash in olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 375°F until golden in colour and tender.

• Place butter, onion, and garlic in a soup pot on medium-low heat and sweat, no colour, until onion is translucent.

• When squash is done add to soup pot and cover ingredients with broth. Bring to a simmer and simmer on low heat for 45 mins.

• Add cream and blend soup using a stick blender until smooth.

• Season with salt and pepper.

• Garnish with dried fruit gastrique.

Recipe & Photo from Bardō Bread Bar  |  BreadBar.ca

Fish Stew

Ingredients 

• 2-3 lbs assorted firm fish (such as halibut, cod, monkfish, salmon, tilapia), cleaned and cut into 2-inch pieces

• 1 lb shrimp (peeled, deveined)

• 1 lb squid (cleaned, sliced into 1/4-inch rings)

• 1 lb mussels (washed and scrubbed)

• 1 onion, chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly

• ½ bulb fennel, cleaned and thinly sliced (fronds reserved)

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup dry white wine

• 2 cups fish stock

• 1 ½ cups plum tomatoes with their juices (crushed by hand or chopped)

• 3 thyme sprigs

• 1 bay leaf

• ½ tsp chilli flakes (or to taste)

• ½ cup chopped Italian parsley

• Zest from 1 lemon

• TT salt & pepper

• Serve with: Thick slices of crusty grilled bread

Directions

• In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, over medium heat, combine 3 tbsp of olive oil, chopped onion and fennel. Cook slowly, stirring once in a while, until soft and lightly golden in colour (5 mins). When done, add sliced garlic and chilli flakes. Stir for a few seconds (do not let garlic burn), then add white wine and let it simmer until alcohol evaporates (about a minute).

• Add tomatoes, fish stock, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper, then turn down to a steady simmer and cook for around 10 to 15 minutes, partially covered.

• When ready, start adding fish to the pot. Cook until fish turns opaque and firms up a bit (2 to 3 minutes), then tuck shrimp, squid and mussels into the liquid. Reduce heat to low and cover the pan. Cook until mussels open and shrimp are pink (about 3 to 4 mins). If you need to stir the sauce, do it carefully so as not to break up the fish, or try shaking the pot gently instead.

• Take the pot off the heat and top with chopped parsley, fennel fronds and lemon zest.

• Serve straight away by carefully ladling the soup into bowls, accompanied by slices of grilled crusty bread.

Recipe & Photo from Helena Bratina  |  IG: @Brat_H_