Five Onion Soup

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Peel and destem the shallots and place them in a heavy saucepan fitted with a lid.

Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and shake to coat the shallots well.

Cover and place the pan in the oven and roast for about 25 minutes, turning the shallots over once.

Remove the shallots to a bowl and set aside.

Slice the white or yellow onions in half, remove the stem, and peel.

Place the onions, cut side down, in a saucepan with 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Place the pan in the oven, and roast, covered, for about 1 hour, turning the onions over every 15 minutes.

While the onions are cooking, place a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and the white part of the leeks.

Saute for about 7 minutes, stirring frequently, or until limp.

Place the cooked leeks in the bowl with the shallots and set aside.

Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the pan and add the red onion.

Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until they are lightly softened and caramelized.

Place the cooked red onions in the bowl with the leeks and shallots and set aside.

Place 1 teaspoon olive oil in the skillet and add the green part of the leeks.

Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

Place the cooked green part of the leeks in the bowl with the white part of the leeks, red onion, and shallots.

Deglaze the pan used to cook the shallots, leeks, and red onion with 1 cup of vegetable stock, then add that liquid to the bowl with the leeks, shallots, and red onion. Set aside.

When the white onions are roasted, add 3 cups of vegetable stock to the roasting pan, and using a stick blender or blender, puree the white onions and stock together until smooth.

Add the cooked shallots, leeks, red onions, and the liquid to the saucepan with the pureed onion mixture.

Place the mixture on the stove over low heat and add the goat cheese and milk.

Cook, stirring very gently, until the goat cheese melts.

Serve.

White Bean Chili

Place the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onion and cook slowly for 5-10 minutes or until the onions are soft.

Add the parsnips, potatoes, vegetable stock, beans, cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, and salt, stir, and reduce heat to low.

Simmer the soup for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the milk and the cheese and stir until the cheese melts.

Add the cilantro, stir, and serve immediately.

Vegetable Soup with Black Eyed Peas

Place a large sauce pan over medium high heat.

Add the olive oil, and when the oil is hot, add the green part of the leek.

Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the white part of the leek.

Cook for another one minute. Stir frequently.

Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir frequently.

Add the celery and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir frequently.

Add the carrots, vegetable stock, bay leaves, marjoram, thyme, honey, and salt.

Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add the corn and simmer on low for about 15 minutes.

Add the black eyed peas and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Serve.

Tuscan Bean Soup

Place the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat.

Add the garlic and fennel and cook for one minute.  Stir frequently.

Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes.  Stir frequently.

Add the celery and cook for 3 minutes.  Stir frequently

Add the beans, water, basil, oregano, marjoram, tomato paste, mustard, salt and pepper.

Stir well.

Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

Uncover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

Serve.

Traditional French Onion Soup

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently.

Let the onions brown thoroughly.

As they cook and caramelize, stir well and frequently to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan or burning. Caramelization will take up to 45 minutes.

While the onions are cooking, cut the bread into 1 inch squares.

Place the bread squares on a cookie sheet and place in the preheated oven.

Let them cook for about 5 – 10 minutes until slightly toasted. Remove from the oven.

When the onions are soft and well browned, add the chicken stock, salt and pepper.

Stir well, scraping all the brown from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low.

Use two medium size high sided soup bowls and put about 1/4 of the cooked onions in the bottom of each bowl.

Divide the toasted bread between the bowls.

Divide the remaining onions and soup between the two bowls.

Top the soup with the Swiss cheese.

Place the bowls in the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and very slightly browned.

Tomato Basil Soup with White Beans

Place the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add the onion and cook for another three minutes. Stir frequently.

Add the celery and cook for another three minutes. Stir frequently.

Add the tomatoes, water, salt, pepper, basil and oregano.

Add 1 cup of the white beans.

Stir and reduce heat to medium-low.

Cover and simmer for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Allow to cool slightly, then using an immersion blender, puree the soup until almost smooth.

Return to low heat.

Add the remaining white beans and the goat cheese.

Stir until the cheese is melted. Serve.

Tomato Basil Soup

Place the olive oil in a large saucepan fitted with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for two minutes. Do not let the garlic brown.

Add the onion and cook for another three minutes, then add the celery and cook for another three minutes.

Add the tomatoes, water, salt, pepper and oregano. Stir and reduce heat to medium-low.

Cover and simmer for thirty minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat, add the basil, stir and allow to cool slightly, then using an immersion blender, puree the soup until almost smooth.

Serve topped with the grated parmesan.

Tomato and White Bean Soup

Place the olive oil in a medium stock pot or 4 quart sauce pan over medium heat.

Add the onion and celery and cook for about 7 to 8 minutes. Stir frequently.

Add the tomatoes, beans (with liquid), water, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Bring the soup to a simmer and reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Remove the soup from the heat, stir and let cool for about 5 minutes. Add the goat cheese and stir until melted.

Serve.

Thai Sweet Potato Soup

Place olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium high heat.

Add the onion and cook for about 4 minutes. Stir frequently.

Add the garlic and cook for about one minute. Stir frequently.

Add the yams, curry paste, stock, lime juice, and ginger.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Using a stick blender or blender, puree until smooth.

Add the coconut milk, stir, and bring back to temperature gently.

Serve.

Sun-Dried Tomato Soup

Place the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir frequently.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes, canned tomatoes, salt, water, and vegetable stock.

Stir, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes.

Remove from the heat, let cool slightly and puree using a blender or stick blender.

Add the goat cheese and blend until the cheese is melted and the soup is smooth. Serve.