Mark and Jared at the Chopping Block
Last Christmas, Natalie gifted our oldest son, Jared and me with a cooking class at The Chopping Block which is a wonderful cooking school and gourmet shop at Lincoln Square in Chicago. (See the link at the left) This was my second class there, and the first for Jared — hopefully there will be many more.
One of the recipes that we prepared was this soup, and it is to die for. It uses fall and winter vegetables, is very healthy, and is hearty enough to be a complete meal. The combination of spices creates a rich, unique and complex flavor palette. Jared and I couldn’t wait to try this at home, which we both did the week after the class. It is certainly going to be a fall and winter favorite. Many thanks to The Chopping Block for this wonderful recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 leek, well-cleaned and tender green and white parts cut into medium dice
- 1 parsnip, scrubbed well and cut into medium dice (about 1/4 X 1/4 inch)
- 1 carrot, scrubbed well and cut into medium dice
- 1 Tbsp. of fresh ginger, grated or finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 - 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (to taste)
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp. curry powder
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 4-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/4 tsp. saffron
- 1 medium sweet potato peeled and cut into medium dice
- 1 bunch kale, tough stems removed and torn or cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 15 oz. can of chickpeas (Garabanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- Fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste (about 1/2 lemon)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley rough chopped.
Instructions
- Heat a deep heavy pot over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Gently saute the leek, carrot and parsnip until lightly carmelized, about 7-8 minutes. Be careful not to burn the vegetables.
- Add the ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, cinnamon, and curry powder, and cook an additional minute or so until the spices are toasted.
- Add the tomato paste and cook an additional minute.
- Stir in the stock, saffron and sweet potato, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered until the sweet potatoes are almost done.
- Mix in the kale and continue to cook until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas and cook until just warmed through.
- Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste, stir in the parsley and serve.