Near or far, my mom and I will always find a way to cook together. So, in our first attempt to cook long-distance, we opted to make something warm, comforting, and a little exciting – some cold weather soups!
If you’re wondering how we could possibly prepare something together from two different parts of the world…two words: cooking virtually! We were missing our nightly recipe sessions so much that we had to come up with a new plan, and for anyone out there looking for a way to connect and cook from afar, this option worked like a charm for us!
…and we got two different soups out of it…so that’s a bonus!
With our new cooking-agenda all planned and ready to go, we made a point to pick a day and run with it. So, at 5:00pm this past Tuesday, we Facetimed one another, popped on our aprons, and got to work!
Weirdly (or maybe not so weirdly) – although we were hundreds of miles away – it felt like nothing had changed. We were laughing, relaxing, and enjoying the process like we always had at home.
To say we were both over the moon about the night would be a major understatement!
Kim’s Kitchen 
Tess’ Kitchen 
Tess’s Kitchen
On to the recipes…
Tonight we’re bringing you two incredibly delicious, yet both very unique, creations from our newly-acquired Maman Cookbook. Introducing: Potato, Leek, and Sunchoke Soup with Rosemary Oil & Sweet Corn Soup!
Rosemary is the real star of the show in both soups, and for good reason. It adds a freshness to these otherwise hearty dishes, creating something warm and cozy, yet light and simple.
If you’re a soup-lover, these should really be no-brainers (and honestly, even with it being our first time making them, they were super straightforward and easy. we highly recommend them for a weeknight!).
Plus, if it’s as blustery and wet outside where you live as it is where we both are…there’s no doubt it’s the perfect night for some cold weather soups, no matter which recipe you choose!
Let us know if you try either of these in the comments below, and keep an eye out for our future digital cooking sessions! Who knows, one might be coming around sooner than you think 😉
Happy souping!
Potato, Leek, and Sunchoke Soup with Rosemary Oil
Ingredients
For the Rosemary Oil
- 2 cups extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup packed fresh rosemary needles
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
For the Soup
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 large leeks, dark green tops reserved, white and light green parts sliced into rings and well washed
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 1/2 lbs sunchokes, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 large fresh rosemary sprig
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup whole milk
Instructions
Make the Rosemary Oil
- In a blender, combine the olive oil, rosemary, and salt and blend on high until the rosemary is very finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth set over an airtight container; discard the rosemary.
Make the Soup
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion and sliced leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and leeks are softened and completely translucent, about 15 minutes.
- Add the sunchokes, potatoes, and broth and stir to get the onions off the bottom of the pot. Add the lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, dark green leek tops, 2 tablespoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes and sun chokes are easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then discard the rosemary sprig and leek tops.
- Set aside about 2 cups of the soup. Working in batches, transfer the rest of the soup to a blender and blend until very smooth. Return the pureed soup, along with the reserved soup, to the pot. Whisk in the milk, season to taste with salt, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with the rosemary oil, and serve.
Sweet Corn Soup
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 lbs fresh corn kernels from 6-8 ears corn (or 4 1/2 cups drained canned corn)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 2 large, fresh rosemary sprigs
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- toasted salted corn nuts, fresh lime juice, and fresh basil, cilantro, or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot combine the corn, onion, garlic, rosemary, and broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Remove the pot from the heat, let the soup cool for 10 minutes, and discard the rosemary.
- Transfer the soup to a blender. With the blender running on medium-high, gradually add the olive oil and blend for about 30 seconds to fully incorporate the oil. Leave the soup a bit chunky or continue blending to give it a smoother consistency, if you prefer.
- Return the soup to the pot and warm over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with more corn kernels, along with corn nuts, lime juice, and fresh herbs, and serve.
