Rustic Spinach And Cornmeal Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Crumble sausage into a Dutch oven; add onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil., Add tortellini; return to a boil. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until almost tender, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; add the spinach, basil, pepper and pepper flakes. Cook 2-3 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted and tortellini are tender. Serve with cheese if desired.Freeze option: Place individual portions of cooled soup in freezer containers and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add broth if necessary.

Steps:

• Bring 6 cups broth to simmer in large saucepan; cover to keep warm. Whisk polenta and flour in heavy large pot. Add 1 cup hot broth; whisk over medium-high heat until smooth. Stir in butter and garlic; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Gradually add 5 cups hot broth by cupfuls. Boil gently over medium heat until polenta is tender and soup is creamy and thickened, whisking frequently and adding more broth to thin, if desired, about 25 minutes. Stir in spinach by handfuls; simmer until wilted, stirring often, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Season with more coarse salt and black pepper.
• Ladle soup into 6 bowls and serve.

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large lidded saucepan, add the onion and garlic and fry gently for 5-6 minutes until softening. Stir in the potato and continue to cook gently for 1 minute. Pour in the stock and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the potato starts to cook. Pour in the milk and bring up to a simmer, then stir in half the spinach and the lemon zest. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the spinach has completely wilted down. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
• Pour the soup into a blender (preferably) or food processor, add the remaining spinach (this will keep the soup bright green and fresh tasting) and process until silky smooth - you may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your machine. (The soup may now be frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost in the microwave or overnight in the fridge. The soup may lose some of its vibrancy on freezing, but the flavour won't be impaired.) Return to the pan and reheat. Taste and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. You may like to dilute the soup with a little extra stock if too thick. Ladle the soup into bowls and swirl in the cream

Steps:

• Make the dumplings:
• Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and sugar together in a bowl. Add the butter and milk and mix well to make a batter that is moist but not sticky. If the dough is too moist, knead in a little more flour. Divide the dough into 1-inch balls, flatten, and shape into small triangles, spheres, or another shape.
• Pour the chicken stock or water into a small pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Decrease the heat to a simmer and drop in the dumplings (you may need to do this in batches). Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender and cooked all the way through. Remove the dumplings from the stock and set aside.
• Make the soup:
• Heat 2 cups of the water and the azafrán in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until the liquid has reduced by half, about 7 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve, discard the azafrán, and return the liquid to the saucepan. Add the salt, pepper, stock (if using), and the remaining water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the squash, decrease the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the corn kernels and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the dumplings and spinach, cook for 2 minutes, and serve immediately.
• Variation:
• This dish can be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken stock and just using water.
• Cooks' Note
• Azafrán, also called Native American saffron, is an herb that is actually the fine threads from the stigma of the safflower plant. Despite the name, azafrán is not the same as saffron, which is usually more expensive and derived from the crocus plant in the iris family. (Saffron can be substituted for azafrán, though: use one pinch of saffron for 2 tablespoons of azafrán. Stored in a dark, cool place, azafrán will last several months in a sealed plastic or glass container.