Soup And Solitude

Throughout the New England winter, I return to this soup time and time again. I wash away the world and rush back to sweet solitude. A cold walk on a clear beach and a hot bowl of soup restores my peace. Maybe it's because I work part-time in a crisis center or because I'm an introvert or because I was a bit of a wild-child in my youth; whatever the reason, I need to be alone for long stretches of time. My mom used to call it my hibernation-mode.

Solitude is not something you hope for in the future, rather it's a deepening of the present. Unless you look for solitude in the present, you'll never find it. ~ Thomas Merton.

In my twenties, I worked at a hospital with a stable and sweet psychiatric nurse who gave me a birthday card that read, "Happiness is one way of being wise." She sensed I needed to know that. Years later, I read that the true revenge of our enemies, and our darkest demons, is to be deeply happy. As a twenty-something, I lived in Philadelphia. I would go out clubbing all night. Do people even do that anymore? I loved to dance. But it wasn't a particularly happy or mellow time. I was restless and roaming. I was searching for something more meaningful. I'm grateful for those early experiences and the many mistakes I made. I still love cities and urban music. But my life has evolved into something less chaotic and more fulfilling. I used to seek happiness in people, in possessions and in the wrong places. Now I know better. Now those old messages about happiness make sense to me.

Moroccan Roasted Vegetables With Toasted Sesame & Herbed Couscous Pilaf

It's a quiet time to reflect on God and spirituality. We stand still, exhaling into splendid solitude. I don't typically shout about religion from the rooftops like I do my cross stitch patterns or recipes. Vanity, my potty-mouth and an unparalleled addiction to red lipstick have followed me to operating rooms and they'll chase me to my grave. In my spiritual life, I've chosen a single path: a Good Guidebook. 

Curried Butternut Squash And Sweet Potato Soup

Once in awhile, I get jazz-hands-excited about a culinary creation. This soup is the bomb diggity. Who am I if not confident in at least one area of my life? You understand. 

This beautiful butternut squash soup with sweet potatoes, apples, mild curry and swirls of creamy coconut milk is our delicious lunch today. I highly recommend coming home to it after a long walk (preferable with a beagle) in the autumn air.  

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup with Coconut Cream & Sriracha

Nothing says comfort to me more than soup. I come close to slurping it 365 days a year. This luscious sweet potato soup is a gift to yourself or people you love. It's rich and velvety like a bisque. It's satisfying, but not heavy. Cinnamon and coconut lend their warm notes. Perky lime and sriracha sauce counter the sweetness of the potatoes and wake up the taste buds. It hits all the right flavors and textures: creamy, spicy, tangy, sweet.

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup With Sweet Potatoes

There's five feet of snow on my balcony here in New England and it just keeps on coming. This spicy, restorative soup is a necessary escape from the Arctic-like weather. A big bowl of hot soup makes my heart happy. There are many simple soup recipes here. If you're interested, check the Recipe Index to view all of them.

My Thai chicken coconut soup is brimming with colorful veggies. The right amount of heat makes it warm and inviting. Sweet potato counters the spice and gives it substance. It's filling, but not at all heavy. The delicious broth is spiked with creamy coconut milk, red curry paste and a squeeze of fresh lime. Steamed Jasmine or sushi rice is the perfect add-on. Think fluffy rice and luscious soup and you'll get the picture. This soup is better and much more nutritious than my favorite Thai restaurant version. The taste is authentic and pure. It's is ready in under 30 minutes. Best of all, it's easy to cook. Even if you've never made Thai food before, you can do this. You'll be happy and proud that you did.

North African Stew with Sweet & Spicy Couscous

Before the cold New England winter appears, my husband and I like to visit to Boston Common and the Lagoon to see the swan boats. In the heart of this elegant city, an emerald-green park appears. Weeping willows, a rose garden and pretty swan boats make up the vintage scene. For more than one hundred years, the boats have been gracefully gliding on the pond. We cross the little pedestrian bridge before heading over to Newbury Street to window shop.

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

When wintertime drags on and on and the sun seems like a distant memory, I start cooking colorful foods. Moroccan cuisine has always lifted my spirits with its tangerine-tinted-tagines. Visions of amber, North African sunsets come to mind. My cabin-fever-blues are chased away.

Adapt it to your favorite vegetables like butternut squash and/or regular potatoes. Get creative and make it your own.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Cream & Thai Flavors

Need a feisty and fun sweet potato recipe for your holiday table that won't give you a sugar crash before the pumpkin pie is served? Then this recipe is for you. Don't get me wrong, I won't turn down a serving of marshmallow covered sweet potatoes. But this dish is a nice change from the often cloyingly sweet marshmallow dish. Thai-inspired whipped sweets will jazz up a holiday turkey dinner. It's light, creamy, spicy and sweet. The chili and lime energize the sweet potatoes with fresh flavor.            

Thai Sweet Potato Bisque with Coconut Milk

This special soup is suitable for holiday entertaining. It's a great choice for a first course on a Thanksgiving menu. It can be made a day or two before the meal. It's my husband’s favorite soup! He starts requesting this as soon as fall arrives. It also receives rave reviews from my trusty taste testers at the hospital where I work.

This bisque is a healthy recipe makeover and slight departure from the more traditional French ones made with heavy cream. But, you'd never know it by the taste and texture. Creamy coconut milk mellows the assertive flavors of chili and ginger. The heat wakes up the palate in a controlled, pleasurable way. Thai basil and fresh lime juice finish things off with pep. 

Thai Sweet Potato Bisque Recipe  

Serves 6

Some Notes

Vietnamese Cinnamon is the strongest, richest and sweetest cinnamon on the  planet. I love it in this soup. Regular cinnamon is just fine too.

Rapunzel No Salt Vegetable Bouillon Cubes are my go-to choice for all my vegetable soups. This bouillon creates a broth that has a pure clean, fresh taste. I buy it by the case from amazon. You can also find it select Whole Foods supermarkets.  But you can omit it and the water and replace them with 6 cups of your favorite stock or broth..  

A roasted red pepper grounds all the flavors and counters the sweetness of the potatoes. You could leave it out if you don’t feel like doing an extra step. But it’s worth it to include it because it’ll give the soup another layer of flavor.

Ingredients

• 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped. (They should weigh about one pound each totaling 3-3 1/2 pounds)
• 1 roasted red pepper, halved and seeded (optional)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tiny red or green Thai pepper or a jalapeno pepper, diced. You can remove the seeds and veins of the pepper to control the heat.
• 2 limes
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and grated 
• 6 vegetable bouillon cubes. I use Rapunzel No Salt Vegetable Bouillon.
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon plus more for sprinkling 
• 1/2 can of coconut milk
• Salt to taste
• Oil for cooking  
• To Serve: Thai basil or regular basil, cilantro, lime wedges, lime zest, ground cinnamon, flaky sea, toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), crusty bread

Instructions

To roast the pepper: Place the sliced pepper, cut side down, on an oven safe baking sheet lined with tinfoil and broil on high until the skins are charred and blackened. Remove from the oven, place the pepper in a covered bowl or wrap in tin foil to steam. Once cool enough to handle, peel the skin and discard. Chop and set aside.

In a large pot saute the onion and chili in some neutral tasting oil with a pinch of salt. Once the onion has softened, add the chopped sweet potatoes, roasted red pepper, grated ginger, 6 cups of water, 6 vegetable bouillon cubes and the cinnamon. Adjust the salt. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes have softened. Puree with an immersion blender or in a food processor. Stir in the coconut milk. Start with just a half a can and add more to your liking. Don't shake the can. Take the coconut cream that is usually at the top of the can. Finish the soup with a good dash of cinnamon, a little lime zest, lime juice and basil. Toasted pumpkin seeds are also nice sprinkled on top. Enjoy!