Winter Vegetable Soup and Popovers

This hearty and unique soup is bursting with flavor. There all kinds of wonderful vegetables inside, including butternut squash, that make it deliciously perfect on a cold winter (or autumn) night. My husband and little 3 year old both love it. (my little guy really likes the "boats" aka popovers!) This is an adapted recipe of Martha Stewart's. Serve with some popovers fresh out of the oven and enjoy!

Hearty Winter Vegetable Soup

submitted by Brittany at www.thesisterscafe.com

printable recipe here

2 Tb olive oil

1 1/2 onions, chopped

3 celery stalks, cut on bias

3 carrots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 pinches of red pepper flakes

coarse salt and pepper - to taste

7 cups chicken broth

1 small butternut squash (1-1.5 lbs) , peeled and cut into cubes

2 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into cubes

1/2 head Chinese cabbage OR 2 cups spinach, sliced

1 15oz can garbanzo beans, drained

2 Tb fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp dried mint

1 tsp dried dill weed

Heat oil in large stock pot over med-high heat. Cook onions, celery, carrots, garlic and 1 tsp salt, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add squash and potatoes; reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cabbage/spinach and garbanzo beans and return to boil. Stir in lemon juice and herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Popovers

makes 1 dozen

2 1/2 cups whole milk

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

6 large eggs

butter, softened for pans

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together milk, flour and salt. Whisk in eggs. (Mixture will be lumpy.) Heat two 6-cup popover pans* in oven for 5 minutes, then quickly brush with softened butter. Fill each cup a little more than half way with batter. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes then turn out popovers. Serve warm.

*you can use Texas style muffin pans instead OR use 2 regular muffin pans - which will make 2 dozen then. If you are using regular muffin pans make sure you cut down the bake time by 5-10 minutes.