I’m pretty pleased with myself this week – I’ve landed on two recipes I’ve never made before that I absolutely adore. This is one of the many things I love about being part of the Root Radical CSA – it makes me creative and more adventurous in my cooking, and I get to discover wonderful new flavours and dishes. You may be thinking ‘uh, the recipes this week are soup and pasta, big deal’ – but this is not just any soup or pasta. The flavours! The colours! The texture! Curious? Check out the recipes below, and in less than 30 minutes you’ll have yourself a vibrant, simple-but-complex pasta, or an umami-filled and comforting-but-light soup. Or you can do as I did, make them both, and have bountiful leftovers.
More Magnificent Meal Musings:
- Swiss Chard, Leek, Mushroom, and Goat Cheese Flatbread
- Swiss Chard Ravioli
- Steamed Dumplings with Carrot, Spinach, and Mushroom
- Leek and Potato Soup (so many recipes out there – here’s one)
- Last Hurrah Tomato Salad with Arugula, Feta, and Toasted Seeds (so many salad dressings to choose from!)
- Carrot Cake (!!)
Leek, Mushroom, and Almond Linguine
I present to you another fabulous recipe from bon appétit. The instructions below are literally copied and pasted from Rick Martinez because there was nothing I could improve upon. I adapted the ingredients ever so slightly to suit what items I had on hand (the original recipe calls for orecchiette instead of linguine and shiitake mushrooms). I cannot wait to make this pasta again – it's complexity of flavours is stunning, especially from a dish with so few ingredients, and that comes together in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ½ cup raw almonds coarsely chopped
- ½ cup parsley leaves with tender stems chopped
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons plus ⅓ cup grated Parmesan divided
- Kosher salt freshly ground pepper
- 1 pound mushrooms, stemmed, caps torn into pieces (white, cremini, shiitake all work)
- 2 large leeks, pale-green and white parts only, halved, sliced into ¾-inch pieces (I used 3 smallish ones)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ¾ cup vegetable stock
- Linguine or pasta of choice
Instructions
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Heat ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook almonds, tossing frequently, until lightly golden, 1–2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer almonds to a medium bowl, leaving that almondy-oil goodness in the skillet.
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Let almonds cool 10 minutes. Toss with parsley, lemon zest, and 2 Tbsp. Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
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Add remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil to almond oil in skillet. Heat over medium-high and cook mushrooms, undisturbed, no matter how much you may wish to give them a toss, until browned on 1 side, about 2 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, undisturbed, until browned on underside, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until mushrooms are tender but still retain their shape and have some bite, about 2 minutes more.
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Add leeks and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until leeks are bright green and just getting tender, 4–5 minutes. Add stock and bring to a simmer.
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Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 8–10 minutes. Drain and transfer to skillet with mushroom mixture. Add remaining ⅓ cup Parmesan and cook, tossing, until sauce is nice and silky and creamy and lightly coats pasta, 2–3 minutes.
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Serve pasta topped with reserved almond mixture.
Chard and White Bean Soup
A simple, light, and robustly-flavoured soup (thank you, parmesan), this recipe makes for an excellent dinner or lunch paired with crusty bread and a glass of wine. Swiss chard is my hardy leafy green of choice, but kale could easily be used in its place. I made this soup in 30 minutes, and froze the leftovers for future lunches. Makes approximately 5-6 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 bunch swiss chard, stemmed and roughly chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes, diced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4-6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 parmesan rind (optional, but adds incredible depth of flavour)
- 1 can cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Heat olive oil in a heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add onions, and cook until translucent about 5 minutes. Add carrots and garlic, and cook an additional 5 minutes.
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Add in the stock, tomatoes, and parmesan rind (if using). Bring to a simmer and let cook for at least 10 minutes, and up to 20 minutes.
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Stir in beans and Swiss chard and cook for a few more minutes, until the chard leaves are cooked but still vibrant. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
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Serve topped with parmesan.