Pesto Cream of Vegetable Soup

After making the Vegetable Pesto Lasagne, I was left with a lot of cooked zucchini and broccoli, so I decided to make a creamy vegetable soup. The result may have been one of the best plated soups I have ever served.

 

Ingredients:

minced broccoli

shredded zucchini

1 medium yellow onion

pesto

chicken broth

half & half

flour

dried thyme

extra virgin olive oil

salt & Pepper to taste

fresh thyme

nasturtium petals

 

After dicing the onion, it was sauteed in the olive oil with about a teaspoon of dried thyme leaves. The leftover broccoli and zucchini were added and stirred into the onion. if I made this without leftover vegetables that were already laced with pesto, I would have to add about 2 tablespoons of pesto into the soup at this point.

 

Chicken broth was then added to the sauteed vegetables before they were stirred together. Since the vegetables were already partially cooked, the pot was left on a low flame to simmer.

When making “creamed” soups, I often mix two tablespoons of flour with enough milk or cream to make a light batter, in order to enrich the taste and thicken the soup.

 

After the flour mixture is stirred into the soup and has simmered long enough to keep the flour from tasting raw, the emersion blender does the rest of the work and the soup is ready to plate.

  

Instead of using a commercial basil oil to finish the soup, I thawed a pesto that I had made earlier and froze, then added it to extra virgin olive oil, mixed it together and drizzled it over the plated soup.

Nasturtium petals that I had picked for a salad were the perfect way to brighten the color on this dish. I also added fresh thyme leaves for an extra layer of flavor.

Vegetable Pesto Lasagne

For years I've been thinking about trying to make a green vegetarian lasagne and this  Easter I finally gave it a go. I wasn't certain whether either the broccoli or zucchini would be flavorful enough on their own, so I used  both of them and for even more flavor I added pesto to the mix. This was then layered with béchamel, because a tomato based sauce would certainly overpower the already delicate flavors.

Ingredients:
1 box flat lasagna sheets
2 small heads of broccoli
3 medium zucchini
2C chicken broth (or sub vegetable)
2T olive oil
3T butter
4T pesto
salt & pepper to taste
2C freshly grated parmigiano
2C coarsely grated Pesto Gouda
1C ricotta
1 egg
1T minced parsley
3C béchamel sauce
     4T butter
     4T flour
     3C whole milk
     grated nutmeg to taste


  

After putting the raw broccoli into the food processor, I blanched it in the chicken broth so the color would stay bright green. After draining the blanched vegetable I added 2T of thawed pesto that I had made ahead of time and frozen. Both salt and pepper were added to boost the flavor.

 

Since the zucchini was more delicate in  both texture and flavor, it was shredded and sautéed in butter, with a little olive oil to keep it from smoking, while I did a quick sauté. Pesto was again added after draining.

Next came the ricotta mixed with the egg and parsley. In truth, I think skipping this layer would actually improve the dish, so I plan on eliminating it next time I try this lasagne. However, it has inspired the idea to try a ricotta pesto lasagne with a tomato based sauce.

A large pasta pot was being filled with water and brought to a boil. Before the béchamel was started, 4 pasta sheets were added and boiled until tender. If I have noticed anything about Italian cooking in Italy, it is that lasagne  is never served al dente like other pasta. The sheets were taken from the pot with tongs, so they could drain and be placed on a cotton dish cloth. When waiting for the pasta to cook, you can grate the cheese.

Next came the béchamel. Butter was added to a pan and melted at a low heat. After adding the flour and whisking the two ingredients together, the heat was raised to medium temperature, while the raw flour was being cooked for a few minutes, just short of turning color. The milk was then slowly whisked into the mixture and the whisking continued until the béchamel thickened to a more than heavy cream stage. Freshly grated nutmeg was added when the heat was turned off and the pot was covered to prevent a skin forming on the sauce.

The lasagna dish was buttered and the first layer of pasta went on the bottom; a layer of vegetable, in this case zucchini, was added next, along with a light layer of the grated pesto cheese.

A layer of béchamel and a light layer of parmigiano were added.

More pasta, was added with a thin layer of the ricotta mixture and some of the shredded pesto gouda.

Layers of pasta and broccoli with the pesto gouda, along with béchamel and parmigiano  were alternated with the zucchini and ricotta layers, until the pan was filled. The last layer was merely béchamel and parmigiano.

The completed lasagne was placed into a 325 degree preheated oven for about an hour. The top layer browned nicely and let me know when to take it from the oven, although technically I just turned off the oven and left it inside, since other components of the meal were still in need of some attention.

Vegetable Pesto Lasagne Leftovers

While I might never make this dish on its own, it was good enough to serve to guests. After making the components of the vegetarian lasagne and assembling it, it was very clear that I had made much more than needed.

 

Since I had pasta left over it seemed a good idea to try and use the other leftover ingredients for a pasta dish, so I cut up the pasta sheets, folded in some of the broccoli and bechamel sauce, then some of the shredded pesto Gouda, and microwaved it until the cheese melted. A quick stir and a sprinkling of parmigiano sealed the deal!

Pesto Macaroni and Cheese

After making my first macaroni and cheese, it seemed like a good idea to expand on this theme and see what I could come up with.

Ingredients:

1 lb. macaroni 1/3 flour 1/3 cube butter 2C whole milk 12 oz. mixed Italian cheeses 2T pesto Panko crumbs basil flavored extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

 

Start the sauce by melting the butter in a large sauce pan over low heat and adding the flour. Your object is to cook the raw flour but not to brown it.  Add the milk and whisk briskly so no lumps form. Then you may add the cheese.

Cook the pasta in boiling water until it is tender, not al dente. I have never had a good baked pasta that was al dente, nor has it ever seemed overcooked. save a cup of the water while draining the pasta. you may need it to thin down the cheese sauce.

Slowly melt the cheese into the bechamel sauce, then add  some of the pasta water to thin it out. You want it to be able to cover the pasta evenly and to have enough liquid to cook it a bit more. Add one tablespoon of pesto. Taste, and if you want a stronger flavor add more. At this time, you could also add salt and pepper, if you felt it necessary.   

Mix the sauce into the pasta, place in a buttered baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  While the pasta is baking, take the bread crumbs and saute them in the basil flavored olive oil. You may like to add a small amount of salt, but I didn't bother to do that. If you do add a very small amount, taste, then adjust to your liking.

Caldo Verde by Accident

Halfway through this recipe utilizing what I had on hand, I realized that there was something familiar about it. It wasn’t until it was finished that I realized I had made a variation of Caldo Verde, the classic Portuguese kale and potato soup. Did this happen because of a genetic predisposition to do so, or universal consciousness? There is only one recipe from our Portuguese side of the family tree, but this wasn’t it. I had only tasted Caldo Verde once on my first trip to Portugal and it had been a buried memory until now.

Ingredients:

1 large bunch kale (6C perhaps) 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes 3T extra virgin olive oil 1 large yellow onion 3 mild Anahiem peppers 6 cloves garlic 2 porcini bouillon cubes 2oz. dried porcini mushrooms 12 qt water 3T polenta (optional)

Directions:
  

Finely dice the onion and saute it in the olive oil over medium heat, add the diced peppers and continue sauteeing until they have wilted. Add the water and raise the heat to high so the soup boils, then add chopped kale and stir until it wilts. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup.

Lower the heat to a simmer and add the dried porcini mushrooms and stir. Cover the pot and start peeling and dicing the potatoes. Add them to the soup along with the bouillon. Cook until the potatoes are no longer raw. If the soup is too thin, you may add the polenta to thicken it up.

Note: In soups I generally use Yukon gold potatoes because they hold up well and don’t fall apart like a Russet. A waxy potato is best. And I often use the polenta as a thickener.