It’s that time of year again, when we our test kitchen flows with autumnal ingredients, our sink overflows with pots and baking pans, and our oven produces all kinds of goodies. All courtesy, of course, of the IJN’s High Holiday Foods supplement, which is published today.
We had a lot to choose from in this year’s supplement, which takes its inspiration from the “three divas” of kosher cuisine: Susie Fishbein, Jamie Geller and Helen Nash. We decided to try a recipe each from the three divas, plus one from Jayne Cohen, who puts exotic twists on Jewish classics, like her Bombay Pineapple Noodle Kugel, which we’ll be testing in a few days.
After last year’s supplement, which had a decidedly sweet theme, we figured we had desserts covered, so we decided to focus this year on the savory stuff: a soup, pasta, veggie side and kugel – although the latter item wouldn’t be out of place on a dessert buffet.
So why not start with a starter? Our first tested recipe is a carrot-ginger soup from Helen Nash’s latest cookbook, New Jewish Cuisine. Nash is one of the originals behind introducing simple but flavorful cooking to the Jewish table – and palate. You won’t find traditional, heavy Ashkenazic fare in her books, but instead ingredient-driven recipes that are incredibly easy to prepare and even better, healthy. This soup is a perfect starter for an evening Rosh Hashana meal, combining the sweetness of carrots and apples, both traditional New Year ingredients, with the tang of fresh ginger.
Carrot-Ginger Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, quartered
- 1 3/4 lb. 800 g carrots, peeled and sliced, plus 1 extra carrot for garnish
- 1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled and sliced
- 1- inch 2.5 cm piece ginger, peeled and sliced
- 5 1/2 cups 1.38 liters vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, apple, and ginger and sauté for 10 minutes.
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Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and cook, covered, about 30 minutes, until the carrots are tender.
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Cool a little. Purée the soup in a blender, in batches, until smooth. Return it to the saucepan. (Alternatively use a hand blender.) Season to taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Recipe Notes
The other Nash recipes featured in the IJN are Black Cod with Honey & Soy Sauce and Glazed Chicken with Glazed Mushrooms.
Check back on Sunday, when we’ll be posting Susie Fishbein’s recipe for Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe. Later in the week, along with the Bombay Kugel, we’ll also be posting a leek and spinach side, inspired by the Jewish custom of eating “simanim”, or symbolic foods, on New Year’s.
For the full High Holiday Foods section, contact Carol at (303) 861-2234 or [email protected].
Sounds like a perfect fall soup! Like the idea of adding apple, wouldn’t have thought of it myself.