There’s a South American proverb that “A good broth will resurrect the dead.” While that may not be literally the case, bone broth is one of the best things to give someone who is sick or recovering, since it helps boost the immune system to fight sickness, is rich in minerals, and has the building blocks needed for our body to repair its own gut lining (and 80% of the immune system is in the gut). I recently made this soup for a family friend who was recovering from surgery. When I was asked to make a meal for her, the first thing that popped into my head was a soup with a gut-healing, mineral-rich bone broth as the base.
Recipe: Ukrainian Aspic (Kholodets, Холодец)
Kholodets is one of those recipes that sounds really weird, but it’s actually not too weird when you think about it: it is simply bone broth poured over shredded meat, but allowed to cool so it’s gelatinous. Then, you spoon it out and eat it with mustard or horseradish mayonnaise. Meat Jello? Yes, okay, meat jello. That sounds weird, BUT there was a time when it was quite normal to eat this gut-healing, nutrient-rich dish here in the US of A! Have you heard of aspic? Kholodets is basically the Ukrainian version of that.
Recipe: Creamy Asparagus-Tarragon Soup
I invented a new soup! I had wanted to make The Domestic Man’s asparagus with bearnaise sauce, but it occurred to me that bearnaise wouldn’t keep very well for leftovers and perhaps it would be a recipe better left for when I have guests (if anyone wants to come over… you know, so I have an excuse to make this recipe!) I still liked the idea of cream + tarragon + asparagus, and I still had some of a bag of orange tarragon spice from World Spice Merchants, my favorite spice store ever (with the exception of the The Spice Lady at our local market in Ukraine, whose spice blends and all-around loveliness go unmatched), so I threw together a bunch of veggies I had in my fridge and prayed to the cooking gods for good fortune. Luckily, it worked! So I thought I’d share this soup with you guys. I’m trying to go easy on the sugar in preparation for my sister’s wedding, but a splash or three of dry white wine would probably kick this soup up a notch, as well.
Homemade Roast Butternut Squash Soup
This is a spiced butternut squash soup that is creamy, sweet and super comforting! Roasting the vegetables brings out their sweetness and gives the soup a fantastic flavor. This soup is another one of the household staples that we have had at least once a week this autumn. It’s hearty and delicious and one of my all-time favorites. It’s especially yummy served with a roast meat such as pork or beef.
Recipe: Comforting Homemade Chicken Soup
Alisa from Paleo in PDX had an amazing chicken soup recipe recently, and it inspired me to post my chicken soup recipe that The Ukrainian taught me. This soup is a staple meal in our household, and is loved by two out of three family members*. It’s especially good this time of year when the days are short and grey and nothing sounds better than curling up on the couch with a good book and a fuzzy blanket. And if you’ve got a sickie in the house, make this for them and I’m sure they will perk up soon!