29.04.2010 Juliette Brioche is annoying me

Yes, I’ve been in a totally non-posting mode and the only reason I am kicking my grouchy butt into submission is because I cannot stand to see Juliette Brioche on the front end of this site anymore. Issues, much?

While we’re on the subject of my (many) neuroses, let’s see a show of hands for how many people favor soup when the temperature goes up a bit? I have the best timing ever!

But it’s good and worth it. (And it’s not Brioche.)

Roasting the veggies in separate smaller dishes is convenient, rather than placing them all in one single large dish, since they all have different baking times. The smaller dishes should fit together in a standard oven, keeping total baking time to a minimum.
Hey, you might be one of the few lovely souls who like to eat soup even though it’s getting warmer outside, but it doesn’t mean you want to have your oven on for any longer than absolutely necessary.

Consider doubling the chickpea croûtons recipe, because they’re that good with the soup. (If you are to make the chickpeas to enjoy without the soup, lower the amount of garlic! Unless you’re trying to keep a particularly annoying co-worker at bay. And don’t forget to chop it [the garlic, not the co-worker] when it’s cool enough to be handled. The reason why I leave the cloves whole is so that they don’t burn in minced form while baking. )

Roasted Broccotato Soup with Chickpea Croûtons:

For the roasted vegetables:
1 shallot, peeled, left whole
1 pound (454 g) potatoes, peeling up to you, halved
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste, divided
2 tablespoons (30 ml) peanut oil, divided
12 ounces (340 g) broccoli florets

For the chickpea croûtons:
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons liquid smoke (depends on preference)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon chipotle mustard (or any mustard with 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
6 cloves garlic, peeled, left whole
1 can (15 ounces, or 425 g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

For the soup:
4 cups (940 ml) reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened nondairy creamer

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6).

To make the roasted vegetables: Place shallot and potato halves in a 9-inch (23-cm) square baking pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Rub with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil, using your hands. Place potato dish in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes.

You now have 10 minutes to prepare the broccoli florets by placing them in another 9-inch (23-cm) square baking pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Rub with remaining oil, using your hands.

To make the chickpea croûtons: Combine all ingredients in an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking pan.

Once the 10 minutes have passed, place broccoli and chickpea dishes in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure nothing burns. Stir well, flip potatoes onto the other side. Bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven once most of the liquid is gone from the chickpeas, and that the broccoli and potatoes are tender to the fork. Using a fork to grab them so as not to burn your fingers, chop up the whole garlic cloves from the chickpea dish.

Place broccoli, potatoes and only half of the chickpeas into a large soup pot. Add broth, bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes uncovered. Blend to desired consistency. Stir in creamer, cook for another 2 minutes until heated through.
Serve sprinkled with remaining chickpeas.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings