Green Chile Gazpacho

I've been gone a very long time!  Life...

 I've been avoiding this blog because I've wanted to change the format, and I seriously don't know how.  I kept thinking that my abilities would someday mysteriously improve and I could fix the things that need "fixin".  Alas, I am no closer, no brighter, no more "techie" then I was before. Therefore, the only thing left to do, is keep moving forward until I can pay someone to help me out.

I have a new Gazpacho recipe.   The lovely thing about this recipe is it uses produce items that many of us find each weekend at our markets: Zucchini, Cucumber, Onion, Garlic, Green Tomatoes, Fresh herbs and in some areas, Roasted Green Chiles.  It's unique and refreshing, and it does not use chicken stock or dairy.

The recipe provide is just a suggestion (as always).  I want you to play with this a little. Add more of things you enjoy and less of those you don't.  Also, the soup will taste different after it has chilled for about 4 hours, so taste it again before serving it.  I will offer serving suggestions, and extra flavor profile ideas, at the end of the post.  IF you are new to my blog, this recipe, as with all food, needs a balance of : Salt, Piquancy (pepper) and Acid (ex: lime juice, vinegar, yogurt, buttermilk, etc).

                    Green Chile Gazpacho

1 large Zucchini, chopped (the more zucchini you use, the creamier it becomes)

1 medium cucumber, chopped

4 Roasted Green Chiles, cleaned, chopped

1 light green bell pepper, seeded, chopped

1 large GREEN tomato, cored, chopped

1/4 white or yellow onion, chopped

1/2 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup cilantro

2 Tablespoons mint (personally, I like 3 times this amount)

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

3-4 Tablespoons White balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

1 Cup cold water (maybe more if needed)

1 teaspoon honey

Salt

Pepper

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend for 3-4 minutes ( or more) until absolutely smooth. Taste, and adjust seasoning. Chill for at least 4 hours. Serve with a little chopped cucumber, and zucchini, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Note:

*IF the Gazpacho is too thick, add more water. If it’s too thin add more zucchini or cucumber or both.

*Feel free to add a little avocado, or even1/2 cup of buttermilk if you want a creamy Gazpacho.

*This is a smooth soup (because I LOVE smooth soups!) but you can make this a chunky soup, by adding an additional,  1/4 cup (chopped) of each vegetable in the recipe, right before serving. Please adjust seasonings: salt, Pepper, olive oil, and vinegar (you'll need it).

**IF for any reason, you find your soup, bitter ( the skins on Cukes can be bitter), a little honey will mellow it out. 

 I hope you try this soup!  Or at least add it to your recipe file, it's nice to have when everyone is bombarded with a million pounds of Zucchini

Best, 

Chef Deb 

 Follow me on Twitter @ChefDebTraylor

Vegetable Soup w/Tarragon Pistou

Cold weather is on it's way!  It's time for soups, stews and all things that bring comfort ( and calories)!  While I am looking forward to a lazy day (or just few hours) of cooking hearty stews  along with big hefty loaves of warm bread, I don't welcome the extra calories that go along with those favorites.

Somehow, I never lost my winter pelt from last season. Sadly, I have to face the fact that I can no longer rely on my super-charged-hyper-activity to keep my weight in check as I maintain a butter and cream supply that would make Ms. Paula Dean envious.  I have to make some changes, and I am not really doing so gracefully.  Change is good, I know, but life with less butter just seams scary.

So, in the spirit of making a few healthy tweaks in my recipes, I thought I'd offer a very basic vegetable soup recipe with an-over-the-top punch of flavor from one of my favorite herbs.  Tarragon.  Luckily, it grows rather well in our climate, and when made into a Pistou ( a cold french sauce made of herbs, garlic and olive oil),  it delivers a high concentration of extraordinary flavor.




 We made this soup last week at one of my cooking demonstrations and it was a huge hit. The big flavor comes from a combination of fresh tarragon, parsley, garlic and olive oil. It's a refreshing departure from the usual basil pesto, and it does not contain any extra calories from nuts or parmesan cheese.  As with many of the recipes you will find on this blog, the recipe is merely a suggestion.  Personally, I feel the Pistou could, and should be used the way you would use salt, or any condiment.  It's a flavor enhancer. Think of making a cilantro-parsley mix for been soups, a parsley-sage mix for turkey noodle soup, a cilantro-mint-basil for asian soups, ....I can keep going, but you get the idea.. The star really is the Pistou, as it can take a humble vegetable soup and elevate it to "I could lick the bowl" status.   I hope you will give this one a try!

           French Vegetable Soup w/Tarragon Pistou

2 Tablespoons Olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 stalks Celery, diced

2 carrots, peeled & diced

2 parsnips, peeled & diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large red skinned potatoes, scrubbed & diced

1 bouquet garni (2 bay leaves, 6 peppercorns, 6 stems of parsley, 4 stems thyme)

1 quart Vegetable stock

1 quart water

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup fresh green beans, chopped

1 can garbonzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups kale, stems & spine removed, chopped.

Salt & pepper to taste.

Heat a 5-quart pot over medium heat, then add olive oil, onion, celery, carrots, garlic and parsnips and sweat vegetables for 10 minutes.  You want them to gently release their liquid, and not to have any discernible coloring ( no browning). Next, add potatoes, herbs, veg stock, water and tomatoes to pot and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Once potatoes are tender add beans, green beans and kale, then simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes. Remove bay leaves, parsley & thyme stems and season with salt and pepper.  

To serve: Ladle soup into warm bowls and top with 1Tablespoon Pistou and serve with crusty french bread.

Tarragon Pistou

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 tarragon leaves, no stem

3/4 cup parsley leaves

1/2 extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all ingredients into a small food processor and process for 3 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides.  Taste Pistou, and adjust the salt, and add more tarragon for a stronger flavor, or more parsley for a milder flavor.  Store any unused Pistou in a covered container, topped with a thin layer of olive oil.  It will last a week in the refrigerator, or 1 month in the freezer. 

Take a look at these great soups from previous posts: 

**  Savory Butternut Squash Soup w/smoked paprika seeds

**Three Potato Chowder

** Colorado Onion Sage Soup - ( my last class voted this the BEST french onion soup they'd ever    had..it's all about slowly, slowly, slowly caramelizing your onions.. perfect for a cold fall day)!

Enjoy!

Chef Deb Traylor

I also have info on upcoming cooking classes and demo's at Mountain High Appliance in Louisville,

We are doing "FOODIE HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS"

Includes: Salted Caramel Sauce, Homemade Cellos (lemon and others),  fruit compotes, etc..

Cost:  $20 per class
Advance registration required by contacting Barbara at

303-951-0524 or Barbara@mountainhighappliance.com

Savory Butternut Squash Soup

I love butternut squash soup.

But honestly, I am not a fan of sweet squash soups.

I know, I know, you have a recipe that will change my mind, right? Oh, I will say this as sweetly as I possibly can...uhm, (big smile)..no, you won't (STILL smiling, if that helps soften the blow).

I'll admit, apple and butternut squash IS a classic fall pairing, and everyone loves and makes this soup every season. It's just, well, this is my food blog, and I love, love, love savory squash soups!

Today's recipe is more of a suggestion. It is not important to follow a strict set of measurements in this dish, so feel free to tweak, adjust, delete, or modify this soup in anyway that suits your palate.

Savory Butternut Squash Soup w/Smoked Paprika Seeds

and Creme Fraiche

2-3 lbs Butternut Squash

1 med. yellow or white onion, cut into chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil, or unsalted butter

2-3 Cloves Garlic chopped

1 bay leaf

4 stems Fresh Thyme (Leaves and stems) or 1 teaspoon dried

4-5 leaves fresh Sage or 1 teaspoon dried

Water or veggie stock to cover (I use water)

1-2 tablespoon fresh lemon

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut butternut (or any winter squash) in half, remove seed and save for later use. Place squash, cut side down on sheet pan and cook for 30-40 minutes or until a sharp knife pierces the flesh easily. Once cooked, remove squash from oven and cool, then scoop out flesh.

Put a 5 quart soup pot on medium heat, add oil and wait for one minute then add onion, garlic, bay leaf, sage and thyme. Gently cook or sweat (sweat: means to cook without caramelization.. no color) onions until translucent. Now add butternut squash and enough water or veggie stock* to cover contents and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove bay leaf and thyme stems and puree soup in small batches. Be very careful with this hot soup in a blender! Season with butter, salt, pepper and lemon juice (lemon juice brightens the soup and creates more dimension, trust me) . Taste and adjust seasonings.

Toasted Seeds: Remove seeds from squash (leaving some of the string on the seeds is fine), toss seeds with a teaspoon or two of olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and 1/2 teaspoon smoked spanish paprika. Spread seeds onto a sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until the seeds begin to smell fragrant and are toasty. Remove from oven, and pour onto a plate to cool. Reserve for garnish.

*Note: I don't care to use chicken stock as it "muddles" the flavor of the soup. I prefer pure clean flavors, so I use water or veg. stocks.

To plate: Ladle soup into hot bowls, garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds. I used house made creme fraiche, but sour cream or yogurt also works nicely.

Enjoy!

One more week at the LFM..

Chef Deb

Radish Greens Soup w/Salted Radish Butter Crostini

Longmont Farmer's Market Begins May 2, 2009

Rain or shine, we will be there!

Update 5-03-2009:  It DID rain, and it was c-o-l-d! Thanks to all the die hard Longmont Market shoppers/groupies who showed up anyway!! A very humble thanks to Susan and Chris for volunteering this week. I would not have been able to keep up without your help.  I promise to feed you better next week...you are coming back next week...right? 

For quite some time, I have been contemplating my first two recipes of the season. Should I make:

*Braised beef (or pork, although not technically at our market this year..Long Family Farms IS still local)

*Soft scrambled eggs w/herbs and goat cheese

*Braised beans w/spring greens

*Parsnip puree w/ green garlic

*Arugula pesto w/ local pasta

*Hazel Dell mushrooms: 2 ways.. Sauteed w/ garlic, butter and sherry & a cold mushroom relish

However, in the event of rain, I always turn to soup. This Saturday, I will offer something a little different using: Spring Radishes.  The radish is a humble item often ignored on most Crudité platters. But I want to introduce you to a bright and vibrant, radish greens soup paired with the gorgeous blush of fresh radish butter and salt on toasted baguettes. I love these recipes for their flavor, color and most importantly because it is inexpensive and so unexpected. It's going to be a hard sell this time, but I am up for the challenge! 

This WAS a hard sell, but as soon as I convinced ONE brave soul to taste it, (and the Guinea pig did not die or make faces), I was on my way.  We actually sold out of Radishes this week! 

I hope you will give one or both of these recipes a try. Better yet, stop by the Longmont Farmer's Market this Saturday and I will make it for you!  Please note...I generally do not arrive at the Market until 8:30 ish.   I am not as punctual as our farmers.  

Market Radish Green Soup w/ Radish butter Crostini

2 Tbl. Olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 medium potatoes, diced
4 cups raw radish greens (about 2-3 bunches)
6 cups water, vegetable or chicken broth
1/3-cup heavy cream (it's still good without it)
5 radishes, grated
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice (optional)
DIRECTIONS: Heat olive oil in a 4-quart soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and sautÈ for 4-5 minutes. Next, add potatoes, water/stock and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add Radish greens and cook for 5 more minutes,
Allow the soup mixture to cool slightly, and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the saucepan over low heat. Stir in the heavy cream, season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

 
Serve with grated radish or Radish Butter & Salt Crostini!


Radish Butter & Salt Crostini 

6-8 Radishes, chopped
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, chopped
1 tsp. Fluer de Sel (or Kosher salt)

Fresh ground pepper

Combine: radish and butter with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
To serve: Spread radish butter over toasted baguette slices and sprinkle with additional salt
**Or for vibrant pink color combine radish, butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor and mix briefly. **

Enjoy.  See you at the Market!

Chef Deb 

*Longmont Farmer's Market Tours and Dinner*  May 30 @ 1:30 to 4:30 $45 

*Boulder Farmer's Market Tours and Dinner * coming soon!

Longmont Farmer's Market: Green Garlic and Mizuna Soup

Market Groupie.....a not so subtle obsession, and ....

Green Garlic and Mizuna Soup


Mention The Farmer's Market, any Farmer's Market, and my pulse quickens and my adrenaline goes into overdrive! I am sure, in the right situation, I would even jump up and down and cry tears of joy ( I won't, I have teenage daughter's and that would be too embarrassing!). 

I am completely enamored with our local farmers.. ..and I am willing to bet it can be a bit annoying to have someone like me show up each week, fawning over every fruit, vegetable and product, the way I do. 

Yes, I am an unabashed, unapologetic, over-the-top, Market Groupie! The funny thing is, I am like this every time I visit a farm, farm stand or the markets on Saturday. I am patiently waiting for the "Farm Network" shows (it could happen..)...I'd be willing to cast aside celebrity chefs for rock star farmers any day!

I genuinely hope, as my life in food continues, that the simple act of buying local fresh produce never becomes pedestrian. My friends, we may not be in sunny California, but this little part of the world has some honest to goodness, drop-to-your-knees-and-be-thankful, amazing locally grown produce! 

*********

Saturday, April 11th, was my first official visit to the Boulder Farmers Market. As soon as I arrived, I was fortunate enough to speak with BFM Executive Director, Mark Menagh who, within 60 seconds of our meeting, gave me the best bit of "Insider information", if you will. While I wanted to spend time strolling through the market, I was given a quick rundown of the days special selections and the vendors offering them with the added, 'you'd better hurry, their running out". 

My eyes widen at the thought... Gasp! No! 

I MUST  h-h-u-u-r-r-r-r-r-y-y!

I crawled, jumped, weaved and purposely plowed my way through large masses of Saturday strolling/coffee drinking/dog walking/ "Hey! How's your life been? and do give me the War & Peace version" of Market shoppers!

"COME ON!" I was saying, not so quietly. "Don't you REALIZE, they are running out??!!"

 Running out!!

 IF I had been John Elway trying to force my way to a touchdown, I am sure fans would still be talking about my moves. Instead, everyone was just fairly annoyed.

But I didn't care.

They WERE running out.   

No one gets between a Market Groupie and the last handful of seasonally limited and quickly dwindling green garlic and sunchokes.  

No one.  

ahem....Please, accept my apologies if ran over your visiting aunt or grandma last Saturday. I know, I should be ashamed...but, they WERE running out.  

Green Garlic and Mizuna Soup

1-2 bunches green garlic, washed very well, trimmed and chopped, use all

1 small white onion, chopped

2 Tablespoons butter, or olive oil

6 cups water, or vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

2 stems thyme

3-4 cups Mizuna (spinach, arugula, etc.)

1 lemon zest and juice (optional), or 2 Tbl sherry

1/2 cup cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a 4 quart soup pot over medium-low heat, add butter/olive oil, green garlic and onion and gently sweat (cooking with out coloring or caramelizing) until the onions are soft and translucent. Next bring heat up to medium-high,  add water, bay leaf and thyme; simmer for 10 minutes. Add Mizuna, cook for 2-minutes. Remove from heat and take out bay leaf and thyme stems.

Puree soup in small batches. Be careful, soup is still hot!

Return soup to pot on low heat, stir in cream, salt, pepper and heat through.  

To adjust seasonings: add sherry or a few drops of lemon juice and a bit of zest and more salt. 

Enjoy!

See you at the Market!  (LFM Begins May 2!!)

Chef Deb

Three Potato Chowder

This is the perfect cold weather comfort soup. Please feel free to adjust this recipe to suit your diet.
*Bacon can be omitted and crispy shallots may be substituted to add depth of flavor.
*A Vegan version can be made by omitting milk and substituting unsweetened soy, rice, or almond milk.
*For thicker dairy free soup, puree half.
*Add 2 cups chopped kale for a heartier soup.

Three Potato Chowder

8 Strips Bacon (turkey bacon, or Smart Bacon), chopped
2 small Colorado sweet onions, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 small jalapeno, or roasted green chile
7 medium Colorado Gold potatoes
7 medium Colorado Red skin Potatoes
1 large sweet potato or yam
1 Bouquet Garni (BG)= 1 bay leaf, 6 stems parsley, 4 stems thyme, 6 whole peppercorns
2 quarts milk (2% is okay)
Kosher or sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Garnish: Chopped chives, grated local cheese,

In a large stockpot over medium heat, sauté bacon (or turkey bacon, smart bacon) until crisp. Remove bacon and all but a few tablespoons of fat. Chop bacon and set aside.

Sauté onions, celery, and jalapeno until the vegetables are translucent. Add all the potatoes, BG and milk. Bring soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes (You may need to skim the foam off the top, this is normal).

Once potatoes are tender, add 2 teaspoons salt, fresh ground pepper then taste and adjust seasonings. Remove the BG.

To Plate: Ladle soup into warm bowls, top with chopped bacon/smart bacon, cheese, and chives. Season with fresh pepper and serve with crusty bread.

Colorado Onion Sage Soup

Colorado Onion Sage Soup

Serves 8: if you’re sharing

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, or extra olive oil
5-6 sprigs fresh sage, 30-35 leaves, save 16 for garnish
5 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
8 Large Colorado sweet onions, peeled, and thinly sliced, pole to pole (slice root to stem, and not along the equator, which will give you half circles and we don’t want those).
1 cup Sauvignon Blanc*
* (Or omit this step and add a squeeze of lemon or balsamic vinegar at the end)
1 bay leave
6 whole peppercorns
2 quarts good quality beef, chicken or vegetable stock
Kosher of Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black pepper
8 thick slices of stale bread, toasted
5-6 ounces firm Colorado cheese (Windsor, Haystack, or Mouco)

Over medium heat, add butter or olive oil to a 5 quart, heavy bottom stockpot (it should have a lid for later use). When butter begins to bubble, add 30 or more sage leaves to the pot and stir gently and fry sage for at least 2 minutes. Remove 16 sage leaves and drain them on a paper towel, reserve for garnish.

Next add minced garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, add all of your onions, about 2 teaspoons of kosher salt (if you HAVE to use regular salt, decrease to 1 teaspoon) and several good grinds of fresh pepper. Give the whole thing a good stir, making sure all the onions are coated with butter/oil.

Turn the heat to LOW and cover the pot with a lid. These onions will need to caramelize very slowly, and it should take about 45-60 minutes. Stir the onions every 10-15 minutes. Once the onions begin to release liquid, take off the lid and turn the heat up to medium, and wait for the liquid to evaporate. This step takes a while. If you caramelize your onions any faster, you are not going to have the depth of flavor we need. The term “low and slow” means LOW AND SLOW… If you find the bottom of pan starts to “color”, this is a good sign, just keep stirring, You may add a few tablespoons of water if you are worried.

When your onions become a deep rich color (think cigar), turn your heat to medium, add your wine and reduce the wine volume by one half (or cook until you no longer smell the alcohol). Next, add your stock, peppercorns, and bay leaf and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste, add additional salt and pepper, and the squeeze of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar if you did not use the wine.

To Serve: Preheat oven boiler**. Using oven safe bowls or mugs; ladle soup into mugs, top with toasted slice bread and a few tablespoons of your favorite cheese. Place soup under broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from broiler and top with each bowl with two fried sage leaves, notice how mild they taste once they are fried.

** Skip putting bowls under the broiler, by simply placing toast topped w/cheese, on a sheet pan, in a hot oven or broiler. Melt cheese and place toast over soup, garnish as directed.
***Soup freezes well.

Munson's Farm Stand: Pumpkin Bisque

You cannot mistake the signs of Autumn and if you happen to drive by 75Th and Valmont, in Boulder, Colorado, stop in and say hi to the Munsons. Their pumpkins are gorgeous! 

Pumpkins and winter squash are beginning to show up everywhere, and I am  already receiving several requests for fall pumpkin and squash ideas. I promise to keep everyone well stocked with recipes, as long as you do your part and head to the farmer's markets  and farm stands to stock up.

 Winter squash are hearty vegetables and according to Bob Munson, at Munson Sweet Corn,  if stored properly, we can have squash all thru April or May. Properly stored means; a  cool dry place, with no extreme temperatures.  A garage is not safe unless it is heated and refrigerators are not the best place either. Basements are a good choice if you have one, and the boxes need to be on a shelf, off the ground to keep from attracting unwanted furry guests.

Well, let's think about this for a moment. Winter squash all season with no running to the grocery store until mid spring? You bet! Stocking up now supports our local farmers, lowers our carbon foot print, and it's economical too. I see this as a culinary challenge and I am up for the experiment! I plan to buy enough winter squash to last until mid-April, and I will offer one new recipe each week using various varieties of squash.  

Three good things can happen. One, we will test the shelf life of squash and become experts on "squash sustainability". Two, we will be pushed to try creative and interesting ways to use what we have.  Three,  you will spend a little less time running to the supermarket to buy ingredients because you bought and stored your vegetables already this fall! Sounds Green to me.  I see this as a win-win community project. Anyone willing to try? Appetizers to dessert. All simple ingredients with exceptional flavor.

Recipe one: a good faith recipe.

I made this Pumpkin/Squash Bisque recipe for the Longmont Farmer's Market and it was a hit. Use your favorite variety of squash.  Please note, I do not add apples, ginger, sugar, or too many savory spices to this soup. Primarily for one reason, I want you to taste the simple beauty of squash/pumpkin. Too many times, exceptional produce is lost with all the "extra" flavorings of the moment.  It is time we relearn how to taste real food.  This is the perfect beginning. As always,

I will see you at the market.

Chef Deb T.

Pumpkin Bisque
Makes a pot

4 Lbs. pumpkin/squash, cut in half and seeded (save seeds for toasting, yes winter squash seeds work too!)
1 Tbl Olive oil
2 Tbl butter
1/2 onion chopped
2 gloves garlic
1 BG (Bouquet Garni= 1 Bay leaf, 4 stems thyme, 2 Stems of Parsley w/o leaves, & 6 peppercorns) Wrapped in cheesecloth, (I use a large tea strainer that closes) or throw it all in the pot and fish is out later.
4-5 cups veggie stock or water
Heavy Cream (optional, but adds richness) 1/2 cup is a good start
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Good Fruity Olive oil, or walnut oil (optional)

Toasted or grilled croutons

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place pumpkin/squash face down on a sheet pan (you can put down parchment or foil to make cleaning easier), add a 1/2-cup of water and bake until tender. Begin checking pumpkin after 20 minutes of baking. The pumpkin is ready when you can insert the tip of a paring knife and it slides in and removes easily. Remove sheet pan from oven and cool. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh and reserve for soup, this can be done several days before soup is made.

In a soup pot, add butter and sauté onions for 5 minutes, and then add garlic, BG, Stock (I use water when I want the pure taste of my squash to come through) and pumpkin. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove BG. Puree soup in batches in Blender/ Vitamix.

Return soup to pot, add more water if soup is too thick, and cream if desired, and add 2 tsp kosher salt. Taste. Adjust seasoning; most likely it will need a squeeze of lemon juice (a dash of dry sherry is nice) and more salt and pepper.
Keep warm until ready to serve.

To Serve: Ladle soup into warm bowls and garnish with a few toasted croutons or roasted pumpkins/squash seeds saved from these pumpkins! Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and with salt and pepper. Enjoy.

**This soup freezes well without the cream, which can be added as it is being reheated.