Soup, Salad, and . . . Latkes?

So Adam and I have made some very yummy dishes the last two days. We made two different kinds of soup and a yummy salad all from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine. They were just so good I want to share them with the world!

Winter Vegetable Soup

from http://www.marthastewart.com/336693/winter-vegetable-soup

This yummy vegetarian soup is much better than I expected. The squash is the key ingredient. Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 bunch kale ( 3/4 pound), ribs cut away and discarded, leaves torn
• 5 1/2 cups (43.5 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (14 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed
• 3 sprigs thyme
• Grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Cook onion and garlic until fragrant, 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add squash and kale and cook until kale is wilted, about 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add broth, beans, and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash and kale are tender, about 12 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper and serve with Parmesan, if desired.

Chicken and Chickpea Soup

from http://www.marthastewart.com/318142/chicken-and-chickpea-soup

Cinnamon, coriander, and cilantro make this soup taste really yummy, and it has a sort of Moroccan flavor. Serves 6.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained (I used garbanzo beans, which are almost the same thing)

• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook, skin side down, until skin is browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Flip chicken and cook until browned, 6 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.
2. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons garlic and spices; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in carrots and return chicken to pot. Stir in broth.
3. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a medium simmer, partially cover, and cook until chicken is falling off the bone, 50 minutes.
4. Remove chicken from soup. When cool enough to handle, tear chicken into large pieces, discarding skin and bones. Return meat to pot. Add chickpeas and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. In a small bowl, stir together 1 teaspoon garlic, lemon zest, and cilantro; sprinkle over soup before serving.

Escarole Salad with Apples

from http://www.marthastewart.com/312496/wilted-escarole-with-apples

This salad is so good, and really easy. You basically only need lettuce, apples, and an onion.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, diced small (1/4 onion works too)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 bunch (about 1 pound) escarole (I just used green leaf lettuce)

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high. Add shallot and season with coarse salt and ground pepper; cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add apples and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cider vinegar. In a large bowl, toss escarole, roughly chopped, with apple mixture; season with salt and pepper.

Latkes

Latkes are potato pancakes served traditionally at Hannukah. I am not Jewish, but I have never made them before and it sounded fun. :) I just peeled and grated 3 Russet potatoes, and seasoned them with salt and pepper (generously). I also added a good amount of dried minced onion because I thought it would make them more interesting (it definitely did!). Let it sit for a while (at least 10 minutes) and mix the juices in so they will stick together. Then heat a few teaspoons of oil in a large pan and place spoonfuls of potato in the pan, flattening with a spatula. Cook on both sides until they are done.

I think they are usually served with sour cream, but we didn't have any, so we ate them with cottage cheese. It turned out great. I hope you like them too!