November 23, 2021 - A Book & A Recipe

Hello again book and food lovers! For November 2021, we are featuring out Dinner & a Recipe idea: West Ravenel's Favorite Puree of Spring Vegetable Soup. We pulled this from the lovely period romance Devil's Daughter by Lisa Kleypas.

Good news is that is may be fall but these Spring veggies should be available, unlike in the Ravenel's time, at your local store for a wonderful, warming Fall soup day! Per Kleypas, you can substitute with pretty much any vegetables you like or have handy.

Here we go...

Ingredients:

1 large (or two small) zucchinis

1 large yellow summer squash

2 regular carrots (or baby carrots equal)

1 red or yellow bell pepper

2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1 chopped yellow onion

1 quart of chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup of tomato paste

1 14-oz can of white beans, rinsed and drained

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of black pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 cup of heavy cream or half and half

Directions:

1. Chop veggies into half-inch pieces for blending.
2. Melt the butter in a large pot on med. high heat.
3. Add garlic, onion, and other chopped veggies to pot and saute to 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Add broth, tomato paste, beans, and seasonings and herbs. Bring to boil and then turn down to simmer.
5. Cook for at least 30 minutes or until everything is super tender.
6. Either blend with hand blender or a regular stand blender. For stand blender, do batches so you do not overfill.
7. Add the cream at the end and more seasoning for flavor if desired. 

Serve with buttered croutons or a grilled cheese sandwich for a hearty meal!

Check out the ebook available from WV Reads!

Devil's Daughter - West Virginia Reads - OverDrive