Picture perfect roasted Brussels sprouts packed with flavor. That’s these miso citrus glazed Brussels sprouts. Seasonal sides need not be predictable or dry. This is how you get everyone to eat their vegetables.

We eat a healthy serving of vegetables every night for dinner. These roasted Brussels sprouts will be a forever favorite–and for good reason.

My not-so-favorite part of a vegetable side? When it’s served dry and just lifeless. I simply can’t abide a sauceless vegetable. Not no way. Not no how.

As the resident saucier of the house, I set out to deliver a new and lighter (yet saucier) Brussel sprouts dish (this time no cheese). Going for something fresher in flavor, memorable, interesting.

And the perfect backdrop for our sauce? Little crisp, dry pockets of perfectly roasted Brussels sprouts.

Tip #1: Roast Brussels Sprouts at 400F, Tossing Every 5 Minutes

Steaming has ruined so many people on Brussels sprouts. If you want just crispy and caramelized-not-mushy sprouts?

1. Spread them out: crowding = steaming = gross
2. season with salt and pepper: and I mean generously
3. lightly toss with avocado oil: your go-to high heat oil
4. stir them every 5-minutes until they look really caramelized, are tender, have crisp edges, but not mushy: this is how you guarantee success regardless of the size of your Brussels sprouts

Gluten-Free, Dairy Free, Vegan POW Sauce

To sum, this sauce says “pow.” It hits your entire tongue in an instant with some seriously savory, floral notes. It’s definitely an unexpected experience. It’s different but in that way that you are craving.

Ingredients Explained:

How to Roast Brussels Sprouts

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ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH CITRUS MISO GLAZE

DAIRY FREE, GLUTEN-FREE, VEGAN

I'm firmly in the camp that we underestimate the value of bitter greens. Take these Brussels sprouts. On their own, they're bitter and slightly spicy. When roasted? These become caramelized, less bitter, and pair spectacularly with this citrus-based sauce. You get umami, floral, and mustard flavors from this dish that leaves your taste buds wanting more.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword Brussels sprouts

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 138kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

Brussels Sprouts:

• 1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts halved, stems removed
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil high-heat, neutral oil
• ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt or use truffle salt
• Fresh ground black pepper 15 turns

Citrus Miso Glaze:

• 1 ½ teaspoons tamari
• 1 ½ teaspoons miso paste such as white, chickpea, or yellow
• 1 ½ teaspoons fresh citrus juice ideally yuzu or a combination of lemon and grapefruit
• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tiny pinch evaporated cane sugar
• ¼ teaspoon truffle oil*
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil neutral oil

Instructions

• Roast. Preheat oven 400F. Toss Brussels sprouts, oil, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl and lay out on a sheet tray, making sure not to crowd. Roast until golden brown and tender, stirring every 4 minutes.
• Toss Brussels sprouts with the glaze. In a medium prep bowl, combine tamari, miso, yuzu, nutritional yeast, and sugar. Whisk while adding oil one drop at a time until emulsified. Toss roasted Brussels sprouts with the glaze and use tongs to serve.

Video

Notes

Truffle oil: You may replace the salt in this recipe with truffle salt (that’s salt sold with pieces of truffle in it) and omit the truffle oil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1half cup portion | Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 459mg | Potassium: 455mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 856IU | Vitamin C: 97mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg

Photography by Adam Rahman

Artichokes are such a delicacy but because they contain so many inedible parts, they can be downright daunting. If you love the taste and want to learn how to cut, cook, and eat them with ease, welcome! Today is the day you master the artichoke.

Let me start by saying that I am especially glad you are here. My favorite recipes involve some sort of challenge and the ability to be creative beyond cooking101. I KNOW that if you are reading this, you likely are a frayed apron cook in your own right. I see you!

I covet an artichoke. We never had them growing up.

This weekend, my sense of accomplishment came from teaching my son how to eat his first artichoke. He loved it! Even my husband, who is never excited about artichokes, raved “these are the best!” His apathy for them comes from thinking of them as steamed and lifeless.

All of this is to say, clean your chokes, stuff and roast them and people will think of you as an artichoke angel. Definitely plan on at least an entire artichoke per person. It’s hard to share that prized heart!

Gather Your Ingredients:

Today, we will be steaming, then stuffing and roasting whole artichokes with the usual players: breadcrumbs, olive oil, and garlic but also some pairings that you might not expect: capers, roasted bell peppers, and a citrusy vinaigrette.

When you sink into this artichoke, you will get earthy and briny tastes amplified by acidity (so not quite as rich as a dairy-based recipe). This is a pretty refreshing spring dish with lots of whole foods ingredients.

Would you look at that?

These are so gosh darn pretty. They make for a lovely appetizer for a family brunch. Honestly, I think they’d make a fabulous vegetarian centerpiece. Regardless of how you serve them, you can’t go wrong with an artichoke.

You can even make these gluten-free if you use gluten-free breadcrumbs, making this recipe:

Visual Tutorial on How to Prepare Fresh Artichokes 

Ingredient Tip: Did you know that cut artichokes oxidize and turn black? To prevent them from turning colors, you simply place them in a bowl of acidulated water (water with lemon juice usually) or just rub your halved lemon directly on the artichoke where you cut it open.

How to Cut

It’s probably safest to use a serrated knife to trim the top portion of the artichoke but I almost always use a really sharp chef’s knife.

Other nice things to have are a pair of kitchen shears for removing the pointy end of petals (about ¼ of the way down allows the petals to sit flat). While you can remove the fuzz while the artichoke is raw. It’s quite a bit simpler to do this step after the artichokes have been steamed.

Steam (Don’t Boil)

A steamer basket is key and will enable you to keep the artichokes above the boiling water. Steaming with a spritz or two of fresh lemon juice maintains the color and flavor of the artichokes as they cook.

Cooking Tip: If your steamer basket sits very low, you may need to add additional water halfway through as you really don’t want the artichokes submerged. Boiling will zap your artichokes of their flavor.

After the artichokes have cooled, you can remove the inedible center (so, just remove the fuzzy portion) with a spoon. This will vastly improve the eating experience.

Why Bother Roasting?

While you can eat freshly steamed artichokes, we are using a breadcrumb-based stuffing and we want to get the breadcrumbs slightly golden brown and crispy. Roasting also intensifies the flavor of each ingredient and allows everything to come together.

How to Cook Stuffed Artichokes

Really fill the heck out of your artichokes then roast them until you see the breadcrumbs brown in spots. This could take 15 minutes or longer.

How to Eat

You pull the leaves off one-by-one and bite down pulling and scraping the remove “the meat.” You can use a fork to enjoy little bites of the breadcrumb center, too.

Truly, I was surprised how quickly my 2-year-old figured out how to scrape the leaves with his teeth. He really seemed to get a kick out of this one.

Sometimes a photo (or video) is worth a thousand words. If at any point you’re not understanding an instruction, please check out the images or drop me a comment. I always try to get back to people as quickly as I can.

To reiterate, I love connecting with people who are well on their way through their cooking journey. It means I get to share even more creative recipes (like this one!). Oh, I DO hope you’ll come back:)

Your Curated Recipe Playlist:

• Homemade Pasta
• Rotisserie Chicken How-To with Seasonal Vegetable
• Creamy Rhubarb Lime Sorbet
• Extra Fudgy Gluten-Free Brownies (Dairy Free)

The Frayed Apron is committed to several rounds of testing so that our recipes always work! Here’s the feedback we received from our recipe tester:

Stuffed artichokes – No notes really, instructions were straightforward, it was pretty yummy. My family jokes that artichokes are the only food in the world I don’t like but I think you’ve converted me!

Adam Rahman, recipe tester and food photographer

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STUFFED ARTICHOKES

DAIRY FREE, GLUTEN-FREE, NUT FREE, SOY FREE, VEGAN

Freshly prepared artichokes are a must try. Serve these stuffed chokes as a gourmet vegetarian appetizer or a main course.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword artichoke

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people (1 artichoke each)

Calories 543kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Equipment

• steamer pot with steamer basket
• Kitchen shears
• Chef’s knife

Ingredients

• 2 approximately 1-pound artichokes, washed and dried
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove minced
• Black pepper
• 2 tablespoons capers drained
• ½ cup roasted red pepper from 1 roasted pepper or from the jar, minced
• 1/2 cup packed baby spinach minced
• 1 cup breadcrumbs such as store bought or homemade (gluten free is ok)

Instructions

• Prepare the artichokes. Use a chef’s knife or serrated knife to cut straight through the top 2-inches of each artichoke and enough off the base to allow the artichoke to sit flatly. Use kitchen scissors or a chef’s knife to discard any tough outer leaves (usually toward the bottom of the artichoke stem-end). Use scissors to cut sharp tips of leaves.
• Steam the artichokes. Fill a pot with a couple inches of water and place a steam rack on top. Set the artichokes, stem-end up on the rack. Drizzle with about ¼ teaspoon acid (lemon juice or red wine vinegar) per artichoke then cover. Simmer over medium low heat until tender, about 40 minutes (more or less time, depending on the size of your artichokes*).
• Make the stuffing. Whisk together the orange juice, red wine vinegar, mustard, olive oil, garlic, and black pepper. Mix in the capers, roasted red pepper, spinach, and breadcrumbs.
• Stuff the artichokes then roast. After steaming, use a pair of tongs to remove the artichokes to cool on a plate. Gently remove just enough of the leaves from the center to reveal the “hairs” or fuzz. Use a spoon to gently scrape away and discard the fuzz to reveal a clean “heart.” Place the artichokes in a baking dish (or casserole dish) heart-side up so that they fit snugly. Use a spoon to pack the center of each choke with plenty of stuffing. Next, drizzle filling between the leaves; tip: using your fingers to spread the leaves will help you get more stuffing in there. Season each artichoke with salt then roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until the breadcrumb stuffing appears golden. Serve and savor each and every bite.

Video

Notes

Timing artichokes and cook time:

It’s actually pretty difficult to offer a universal cook time for artichokes because they cook at different rates depending on the size and other factors.

If you can pierce them through easily with a skewer, they may be removed from the steamer. You will be roasting further so it’s ok if the artichoke doesn’t just fall right off the skewer (this visual is the one you would look for if you were only steaming and not following with a roast).

Nutrition

Serving: 1stuffed artichoke | Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Sodium: 1252mg | Potassium: 753mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 977IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 189mg | Iron: 5mg

Recipe Photography by Adam Rahman

You only need 5 ingredients and hot skillet to get these sautéed snow peas on the dinner table in a flash.

After a long winter, I eagerly await fresh spring offerings, especially snow peas. When I can grow them, I’m usually one to simply eat them right off the vine but then I feel guilty because I know I really should share with the rest of the family.

So here’s a proper recipe and a reason for us all to gather and enjoy together.

Now, snow peas are such a fun raw snack so I wouldn’t dream of distracting from their subtle virtues: their crispness, their mild sweetness, their lovely color.

This is one simple recipe but don’t let that fool you. It packs a punch (especially if you can sneak in some minced mint or tarragon right at the end).

Snow Peas vs Snap Peas – What’s the Difference?

Snow peas have a flat pod with tiny, premature peas inside whereas sugar snap peas are more rounded with larger peas. Since their flavors are quite similar, you can easily use them interchangeably in this recipe.

5 Basic Ingredients for Sautéed Snow Peas

There’s just salt, freshly ground black pepper, olive oil (or butter) and a squirt of lemon juice right at the end. And don’t forget the zest.

Cooking Tips for Snow Peas

Definitely get your pan nice and hot from the start. You don’t want the food to steam too much. Just a quick toss with some fat will bring out the color a bit and will intensify the flavor while preserving the crunch.

After only a couple of minutes of tossing the snow peas in the skillet, you finish the snow peas off with a small amount of acid from the lemon to really make the green color deepen.

These are so pretty, you can’t NOT want to pop them in your mouth.

Serving Ideas

If you’re looking for a few sides to throw together. You can make a great meal with a protein side:

• Broiled Salmon with Honey Mustard Glaze
• How to Make Crispy, Juicy Chicken Thighs
• Pan Seared Steak with Blistered Shishito Peppers

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5-Minute Snow Peas Recipe

Snow peas are a cold weather crop so they are harvested in Spring and Fall. Since the seeds aren't fully mature, they have a mild, sweet delicate flavor.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword snow peas

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 79kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• 16 ounces 1 bag snow peas
• olive oil or butter
• sea salt
• lemon zest and juice
• freshly ground black pepper or red chile flakes optional

Instructions

• Prep the snow peas. Grab any hard stems and pull to remove any thick fibers that might be unpleasant to eat.
• Sauté, season, and serve. Heat a skillet over medium heat and coat with a glug of olive oil (about 1 tablespoon). Add the snow peas and stir occasionally cooking just a few minutes. Season with salt (pepper, too, if you’d like) and shave some lemon zest over top (a quick squirt of lemon will brighten the green color even more). Serve as a bright, crisp side to salmon or enjoy as-is!

Nutrition

Serving: 11/2 cup serving | Calories: 79kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 227mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1233IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg

Photography by Adam Rahman

With thin strips of cucumber as the wrapper, these nibbles prove that you don’t need to go to a sushi restaurant when the craving strikes. Fresh tuna is such a splurge and yet always leaves me proclaiming, “I could eat this way every week!”

You can’t go wrong with cucumber, tuna, and avocado. This combination is so fresh and the textures work in harmony. A spritz of lime and a thin slice of jalapeno round out all the flavors for one glorious bite.

This simple spring dish is a blast.

There’s a creaminess from the avocado and some crunch from microgreens, jalapeno, and cucumber. And the tuna! Let’s not forget about the luxurious tuna–so smooth and melt in your mouth.

Plus, you can make this recipe in about 15-minutes in one pan! So, there’s really no downside.

While these seem like an appetizer, I habitually make this dish a full meal by adding rice and miso soup to the table. If you have day-old rice, even better, I have this ahi tuna recipe that will walk you through how to make crispy golden rice in the same pan as the seared tuna.

Watch How to Make Cucumber Tuna Avocado Rolls (Video)

You can watch how to prepare the cucumber and layer the ingredients to make rolling easy.

Ingredients/Tips/Substitutions

• Tuna steaks (6 to 7 ounces/180-200g each) (boneless, skinless): Fresh tuna with vibrant color and marbling will have the best flavor and texture. Use purchased fish within 2 days.
• Olive oil: A high heat oil for searing the tuna. Avocado oil is a great alternative.
• Salt: sea salt or Kosher salt ensure maximum flavor
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Seedless English cucumbers: This forms the wrap and can be prepared easily with an open faced vegetable peeler or a mandolin set to the thinnest setting
• Avocados: you can ripen avocados quickly by placing in a brown paper bag someplace high (with a banana if possible)
• Microgreens: any delicate microgreen works; I like anything with a spicy bite, like radish or mustard greens (you can even grow microgreens yourself). Chopped cilantro is a good substitute.
• Jalapeno: Just a thin slice per bite gives the right amount of heat to accentuate the other flavors.
• Lime: Balances the savory flavors by adding a fresh, acid component.

Equipment Tip: a mandolin or vegetable peeler is key for peeling extra thin slices of cucumber for rolling. If you don’t own one, you can deconstruct the whole dish and serve it salad style in a bowl.

Step-by-Step Instructions and Cooking Tips

Step 1 – Cook Tuna.

Be sure to season the tuna well with salt and pepper. Rub with a thin coat of olive oil.

In a really hot pan, sear the tuna until you see a nice, even gold crust form. Repeat on the other side. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Step 2 – Prepare the Vegetables.

There are several ways to get thin strips of cucumber. You can use a vegetable peeler easily enough or a mandolin. If you don’t have either, you could thinly slice the cucumber and serve everything salad-style in a bowl.

Ingredient Tip: Look for “English cucumber” because the seeds are very delicate and English cucumbers tend to be long, making them perfect for strips (see above picture).

Step 3 – Assemble. Roll. Serve.

You can cut the tuna into thin ¼-inch thick squares (about 1-inch x 1-inch). Make sure the tuna has cooled completely or it will tear when you cut into it.

To assemble: Place the cucumber strip in front of you (note: you may need to stack 2 pieces of cucumber on top of each other).

Add a single layer of tuna starting from one end and leaving at least half the length bare (over-stuffed cucumber will be difficult to roll). Repeat with the avocado slices, a thin layer of microgreens, adding a single slice of jalapeno per roll.

Starting at the end with the tuna, begin to roll to form a single bite-sized roll. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Serve with lime juice.

FAQs

What temperature for cooking tuna steak?

Rare: A final temperature of about 90 degrees for that beautiful red color and luxurious texture that tuna is known for. You can cook it to medium-rare (130 degrees when measured at the thickest point) but any further and it will become dry.

How do you ripen avocado?

Place the unripe avocado in a paper bag with a banana and place on a shelf up high. This method will ripen an avocado within about 8 hours, so it’s great to do this the night before.

How many calories in a spicy tuna roll?

Approximately 460 calories in the total recipe, so divide the number of rolls you get by 460 and that’s the number of calories per roll.

How to store:

While you could make this dish ahead, I’d recommend omitting the salt because it will draw too much moisture out of the cucumber. You could assemble the rolls and store in a container in the refrigerator for a couple of days. The lime will prevent the avocado from oxidizing somewhat, but the ingredients will be at their best texture when fresh.

Now that you have the basic technique, it’s time to test the waters. You’ll soon get the hang of how to stack and roll everything. It’s also fun to lay everything out and let people stack and roll at the table together. It’s interactive and fun!

More Fresh Seafood Recipes For You:

• Halibut Foil Pack with White Wine Sauce
• Beer Braised Mussels with Spicy Salami and Sun-Dried Tomato
• Lemon Orzo Shrimp Salad
• Baked Scallops with Citrus Ginger Sauce

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CUCUMBER TUNA AVOCADO SALAD ROLLS

One Pot, Fast

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free

Fresh tuna served rare is paired with everything it needs: salt, fat, heat, and acid.

These fresh little bites can be served a number of ways as an appetizer or light lunch: as sushi rolls, in a salad bowl, on top of cucumber coins (thickly sliced cucumber), or stuffed inside of cucumber. The sky is the limit and what really matters is the ingredients coming together into one harmonious bite not so much the exact presentation.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword avocado, cucumber, rolls, salad, tuna

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 122kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• 2 tuna steaks (6 to 7 ounces/180-200g each) (boneless, skinless)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 seedless English cucumbers outer peel removed and thinly peeled lengthwise into wide strips
• 2 ripe avocados cut in half, seed and skins removed
• Microgreens
• 1 jalapeno sliced very thinly
• 1 lime cut in half

Instructions

• Cook tuna. Drizzle half the oil over the tuna. Smear over one side then sprinkle with half the salt and pepper, flip and repeat. Heat skillet over high heat until smoking hot. Place tuna steak in the skillet and cook on all sides for 45 seconds. You just want to sear the outside but keep the center rare (118F in the middle). Move to a plate and allow to cool completely before slicing.
• Prepare the vegetables. Use either a vegetable peeler or mandolin to slice the cucumber lengthwise into long thin strips. Set on a paper towel and sprinkle lightly with salt to remove excess water. With the avocado (rounded side face-up) cut into very thin ¼-inch thick slices lengthwise.
• Assemble the tuna salad rolls, slice, and serve. Once the tune is completely cool, cut it into thin ¼-inch thick squares (about 1-inch x 1-inch). To assemble: Place the cucumber strip in front of you (note: you may need to stack 2 pieces of cucumber on top of eachother). Add a single layer of tuna starting from one end and leaving at least half the length bare (over-stuffed cucumber will be difficult to roll). Repeat with the avocado slices, a thin layer of microgreens, adding a single slice of jalapeno per roll. Starting at the end with the tuna, begin to roll to form a single bite-sized roll. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve with lime juice.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (Total rolls made/4) | Calories: 122kcal | Protein: 20g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 214mg | Vitamin A: 1856IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

Photography by Adam Rahman

Craving something creamy and comforting but still want to keep it light? Try this simple and delicious garlic cauliflower mash! All you need is five ingredients and 20 minutes to enjoy this guilt free meal.

Mashed cauliflower can easily replace mashed potatoes in terms of flavor and function–as a side to some Thanksgiving turkey, for example. It’s simply cauliflower that has been boiled until tender and pureed with wholesome ingredients like garlic, butter or ghee, and cheese for creaminess.

Since it’s lighter than mashed potatoes, it works fabulously even in spring and summer.

Ok, I know what you’re thinking.

Q: How good can cauliflower really be?

A: You might want to double this recipe if you want leftovers. Just sayin.

Fact. My husband and I polished off an entire head of cauliflower when we were testing this recipe (and we weren’t exactly hungry at that point). That’s the thing with mashed cauliflower–it seems like a big portion, but it doesn’t fill your belly in the same way as mashed potatoes.

Cauliflower as Mashed Potatoes

If you are avoiding potatoes because of nutrition concerns, pureed cauliflower is a sensational substitute for mashed potatoes, especially when you serve it up with all the fix-ins. You could try:

• texture: toasted nuts or bits of crumbled up bacon add crunch
• spices: smoked paprika would add a little red color and a smoky flavor
• herbs: chopped chives, green onion, or rosemary for freshness

Technique Tip: While a ricer is a fabulous tool for perfect mashed potatoes, cauliflower contains too much fiber so you should opt to puree it instead. You will need a standard size food processor for this recipe to get the ultimate creamy dreamy texture and flavor.

How to Make Cauliflower Mash: Step-by-Step

Gather your ingredients: Garlic cloves, cauliflower head, butter (salted or unsalted), salt, pepper, chives, cream cheese, and grana Padano cheese (or parmesan).

Since we will be boiling the cauliflower for a good while and then pureeing, you can just roughly chop the cauliflower. If you want to practice your knife skills though, by all means check out my tutorial on how to break down a head of broccoli.

After you break it down into florets, I recommend boiling the cauliflower and garlic in a small amount of water until completely tender. For the best flavor though, I love to add salt and butter to the water because it gives the ingredient time to absorb more flavor.

Use a spoon to transfer the boiled cauliflower and garlic into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Puree until you reach a smooth or slightly chunky consistency, whichever you prefer. When you are ready to serve, simply reheat the puree and season with cheese and salt and pepper.

Serving Ideas for Mashed Cauliflower

• All Year: Any seafood! Try my Scallops or Shrimp, or Salmon with Parsley Garlic Crust
• In Spring: Roast Whole Chicken over Radishes or Garlicky Green Bean Salad
• In Fall: Prime Rib Roast or a Thanksgiving turkey and Collard Greens
• In Winter: Roasted root vegetables with Short ribs or Lemon roasted lamb ribs

I hope you love the taste and texture of this cauliflower puree. It’s easily one of my favorite side dishes on The Frayed Apron. I’m so proud to bring you this simplified, tested recipe. Enjoy!

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GARLIC CAULIFLOWER MASH

I wanted a mashed cauliflower side that could rival the comfort food experience of mashed potatoes. With excess water removed, this cauliflower mash is like a thick puree with rich flavor and creaminess from slightly tangy cream cheese.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cauliflower

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 176kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower roughly cut into florets (about 3 pounds)
• 6 garlic cloves smashed and peeled
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee
• ⅓ cup Grana Padano cheese or Parmesan finely shredded
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Freshly chopped chives for serving

Instructions

• Boil the cauliflower and garlic. Place the cauliflower and garlic cloves in a Dutch oven or large pot with ½ cup water, two pinches of salt, and butter (or ghee). Cover and poach over medium-high heat until very tender, about 15 minutes.
• Puree the cooked cauliflower. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade (or with a ricer), work in batches to “mash” the cooked cauliflower and garlic cloves to reach your desired texture (somewhat chunky or completely smooth).
• Season and serve. Discarding excess water, return the mashed cauliflower-garlic puree to the Dutch oven or pot to rewarm over low heat. Stir in the shredded cheese, cream cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with chives.

Notes

Ingredients substitution: In place of cream cheese, you may use 3 tablespoons of sour cream or plain yogurt.
May serve with melted butter, ghee, or olive oil.

This entire recipe can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 4 days. Simply reheat, adding a tablespoon of water. Stir and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1scoop | Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 468mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 425IU | Vitamin C: 71mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 1mg

Photography by Adam Rahman

If you have an abundance of cherry tomatoes, they make an excellent topping for goat cheese grits, especially when roasted with a drizzle of olive oil. Tomato confit, if you will.

This dinner comes together in just under an hour and stands on its own merits as a wonderful vegetarian summer meal.

Speaking of tomato confit, I’m excited to share this technique today because I have a few tricks up my sleeve that should give you RESULTS. Let’s dive in!

A few things I’ve learned when working with cherry tomatoes:

• Spread them out. When roasting tomatoes, you’ll be tempted to fit them all on the tray, but if you can give them some space, they get less steamed and more delicious caramelization.
• Salt and sugar. Cherry tomatoes really benefit from a pinch of salt and sugar when roasting. The salt draws out moisture, concentrating flavors, and the sugar helps the natural sugars caramelize even more. I especially like using maple sugar or coconut sugar.
• Time, usually more is better. This is one of those situations where a recipe can give you a time, but you should ultimately use your eyes to determine doneness. Better yet, pop a tomato in your mouth and see if you’d like them to go a little longer. They should be savory and sweet and loaded with flavor when they’re close to done, not to mention a bit shriveled looking (see pictures).

One thing that I’d also like to draw your attention to is the use of acid, in this case, balsamic vinegar. Acid releases all the caramelized bits off the tray and gives you a really concentrated sauce. It’s a great vinegar to use with tomatoes, too, because the acidity and sweetness compliment each other (you’ll know this combination from the Caprese).

P.S. This One-Pan Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes and Torn Basil is another weeknight staple.

P.S.S. Also, wanted to share this roasted Roma tomato sauce in case you want to try it with cherry tomatoes.

How to Make Cherry Tomato Sauce with Creamy Grits

There are 3 straightforward steps involved in this simple recipe:

You (1) roast the cherry tomatoes on a sheet tray in the oven and while that’s happening, you (2) sauté the greens in a skillet and then (3) simmer the grits. I’ll show you each step below, but first, let’s gather the ingredients.

Ingredients:

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes:

• 3 cups cherry tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ tablespoon sea salt
• 4 sprigs thyme, destemmed
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Greens:

• 3 cups spinach (may substitute kale, collards, mustard greens, arugula or watercress)

Polenta aka “Corn Grits” are available next to the pasta or flour section of your grocery store or online here.

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup corn grits or polenta
• 4 ounces goat cheese (a great vegan substitute would be 1 tablespoon chickpea miso with 2 teaspoons umeboshi paste)
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Step 1: How to Perfectly Roast Cherry Tomatoes

Spread the tomatoes out so that no tomatoes are over-lapping. They need room to release steam. Add that special pinch of salt and sugar to really make these pop.

Let them roast as long as it takes to get them looking like this (see below). They should be shriveled and somewhat moist on the inside and have great flavor.

Add the balsamic vinegar and give everything a quick stir to release any sugars stuck to the pan/parchment paper.

Step 2: Basic Wilted Greens

For the greens, you just want to wilt them in a pan. You don’t need any water or oil to wilt greens. Just heat and the occasional stir.

Step 3: Cooking Polenta aka Corn Grits

For the polenta, you want to stir pretty constantly to prevent it from bubbling over. You can add more liquid if it gets too thick and keep tasting until it’s completely soft and no grittiness remains.

You can add goat cheese to taste. It will give it some flavor as well as make it creamy.

I like to serve the polenta in it’s softened state (as it sits, it will firm up). You can add water, reheat, and stir to reconstitute the polenta.

I like to make it a meal with a hearty portion of polenta, topped with wilted greens, and the cherry tomato confit. You can even use extra goat cheese as a garnish, if you wish.

How to Store for Make Ahead Meals

• You can conveniently cook and store the polenta/grits in a Dutch oven. Polenta keeps for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Simply put a lid on it, let it cool for 20 minutes, and transfer to the refrigerator. To reheat, add water and stir until creamy.

• Store the wilted greens separately in a sealed container and simply reheat.

• Tomato confit can be stored in a sealed container, like a jar, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can just slightly warm the tomatoes in some olive oil to serve them later.

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Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Goat Cheese Grits

You can make an elegant meal using polenta, a pantry staple, by simply adding goat cheese and topping with roasted vegetables. Here, I've used cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinegar to create some little pops of flavor.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword cherry tomatoes, grits, vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 414kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce:

• 3 cups cherry tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ tablespoon sea salt
• 4 sprigs thyme destemmed
• 4 garlic cloves smashed
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Greens:

• 3 cups spinach

Polenta:

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup corn grits aka polenta (not cornmeal)
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

• Roast the cherry tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 375F. Toss the cherry tomatoes with olive oil, sea salt, thyme, and garlic and spread onto a single layer on 2 half sheet trays. Roast for 20 minutes, or until blistered. Remove from the oven and deglaze with balsamic vinegar.
• Meanwhile, saute the greens. In a large saute pan, add the spinach and cook over medium heat until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir and transfer to a serving plate.
• Make the grits. In the same pan, bring the water to a boil. Add the polenta (corn grits) and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon until the polenta has thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the goat cheese and the salt and stir until smooth. Taste and adjust as necessary. Serve the polenta immediately with the tomatoes and the spinach.

Notes

Notes: Polenta has a creamy texture when served hot. As it cools, it hardens. If this happens, you can loosen it by rewarming with additional water while stirring.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 1554mg | Potassium: 644mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3086IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 3mg

Photography by Adam Rahman.

Step aside green bean casserole. There’s a new game in town and it’s more colorful and flavorful than you.

These waxy beans get salt-boiled and drenched in a fresh garlic marinade and practically pop off the plate. It’s a lightening fast way to serve green or yellow string beans as a side dish or salad arrangement. Oh, the possibilities!

In terms of ingredients, there’s a salivating line-up of fresh garlic, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and cayenne powder in the vinaigrette so there’s every incentive to eat a lot of these.

If you’ve ever worked with green beans, you know they simply repel seasoning.

Well, I have a trick for you. You have to toss them in a strongly flavored vinaigrette WHILE warm. This is key. They actually take on more flavor this way, and they can sit for hours (even overnight) without getting mushy.

You know, I’d actually like to touch on a subject that doesn’t come up nearly often enough. This recipe is a great way to connect with yourself in the kitchen. It’s tactile and aromatic. Plus, there’s something satisfying about pinching the stems off with your fingers over a prep bowl. A minor point, but not insignificant.

P.S. My second favorite way to eat them? Fermented. If you have extra green beans, you should definitely try making Dilly Beans because they are a great pantry staple to have on hand for snacking.

Even if you’re a green bean first-timer, this recipe won’t give you any trouble, and you can see the steps below. Let’s go!

How to Make this Yellow and Green Bean Salad

Ok. You get to make a decision. Do you want to serve these legumes whole or cut in half? It’s personal preference, but I like how 2-inch pieces fit on a fork.

While you’re pinching off the stems (those tough parts that may or may not be on the end of each bean), you can bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Be sure to generously salt the water. In other words, about 3 large pinches of salt.

Dump the beans in the boiling water all at once and after about 4 minutes, pour them into a colander set inside the sink.

Make the yummy marinade. Combine the smashed, minced garlic, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and cayenne powder.

Toss the warm, strained green beans with the marinade using tongs to coat. Allow them to sit for about 20 minutes to let the flavors develop.

Pop a bean in your mouth and adjust for salt. You may or may not need more depending on how much you salted the water.

Serve at room temperature.

What to Serve With A Green Bean Side Dish

Serve as a side dish as-is or a salad by mixing in cherry tomatoes or anything, really.

Anything savory (so, any meat dish) is a great accompaniment. Green beans are a nice seasonal side for a summer barbecue and you can even find them fresh in the store up to Thanksgiving.

Here are a side dish ideas:

• Smoked Beef Short Ribs – a low and slow flavor extravaganza
• Roasted Whole Chicken over Radishes – a fast, complete meal for 2-4 people
• Herb Infused Mashed Potatoes: This would be a great one with some roasted salmon, too!

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Garlicky Green Bean Salad

This green bean recipe uses fresh green beans and garlic, so this side is really fresh, flavorful, and healthy. If you're in a hurry, you can keep the green beans whole, as I have done or you can break them in half (this size fits better on a fork). Feel free to add cherry tomatoes or use a combination of green and yellow beans for more visual interest.

Course Appetizer, Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword green beans

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 115kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• ½ pound yellow/wax beans cut in half on diagonal
• ½ pound string beans cut in half on the diagonal
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves smashed and minced
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

• Boil the beans. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the beans and boil for 5 minutes. Pour over a colander set in the sink.
• Toss and serve. Pour the olive oil, garlic, and salt into a small bowl. Mash the garlic well with a fork. Add the cayenne pepper and apple cider vinegar. Mix well then toss the dressing on the warm beans. Marinate 20 minutes. Serve with tongs.

Nutrition

Serving: 1side | Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 495IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

In anticipation of harvesting armfuls of collard greens from my garden, I’m sharing one of the best ways to prepare and cook them for fresh eating. Even people who dislike greens love this recipe. It’s rock solid as-is, but you could zazz it up with some cooked black-eyed peas and ham.

These garlicky ribbons are surprisingly good. I learned how to cook them Brazilian style from a colleague and have been making them this way ever since.

Like kale, collard greens are tough and fibrous, so it’s necessary to cook them until tender. You can cook the whole leaf and use it as a wrap for chicken salad, like in these collard green wraps or you can try this simple preparation as a fast side dish.

In this recipe, you’ll be rolling and cutting the leaves into thin little strips. This way, the strips break down quickly and don’t get mushy.

Unlike Southern style collards, which tend to be stewed for a long time, these collard greens come out with a vibrant green color and a simple, pleasant flavor. I like a bit of garlic and shallot (or red onion, if you prefer).

Are collard greens available year round?

Yes. You can buy them year round but will find them to have the best flavor in the colder months after the first frost, so definitely try this recipe in the fall or winter if you can.

Sautéed Garlic Greens

Sautéing is a popular basic cooking technique for when time is of the essence. Greens break down fast in a small amount of oil, and you can even add a splash of vinegar to bring out more of the color after removed from the heat.

Technique Tip: When sautéing, try adding a pinch of salt in the beginning and middle (dishes salted in the beginning, need less overall salt and salt helps draw out moisture). Add any aromatics you have on hand (garlic, onion, lemongrass, chile peppers).

How to Cook Greens

Let’s get prepping so we can have everything in place when we start to cook:

Gather your ingredients and a large pan. A cast iron skillet works great. Mince the garlic and thinly slice the shallot. Stack the collard greens and remove the stem by slicing with your knife on either side.

You can toss the stems into the compost bin or add them to your juicer.

Stack a couple of leaves at a time and neatly roll into a cigar. Thinly slice about 1/4-inch thick or thinner, if you want. Collect the ribbons in a bowl.

Cook the garlic and shallot down to release flavor and just before you see the garlic begin to brown, add the collard greens and stir.

Cook, stirring to coat the leaves with garlic and shallot until the color turns bright green. Taste and add extra salt, if you like.

Kale vs. Collards — How to Sautee Kale

A quick word about kale. You can follow this technique with kale, but you won’t be able to roll it neatly like collard greens because it tends to break. You can, however, stack the leaves and slice thinly.

Serving Collards as a Side Dish or Make it a Meal

Side Additions: Add a wedge of lemon or a pinch of red chile flakes if you like a little heat.

Meal Plan: You can even make these a day ahead and just rewarm in the skillet and serve or prep (step 1) the greens and cook as needed throughout the week. Store cut greens in a sealed bag in the fridge.

Make it a Meal: One of my favorite dishes is kielbasa or spicy sausage, beans, and collards greens, but you could serve these with any side of fish, chicken, even a fancy prime rib roast. Share your ideas in the comments and any impressions you have of the dish.

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HOW TO COOK COLLARD GREENS

A bright, cheery approach to collard greens. These ribbons are so thin that the collards cook in no time at all. If you like, serve them with a wedge of lemon and a side of beans and rice.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword collard greens

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 93kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• 1 shallot thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 ½ pounds collards washed and dried
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Prepare the greens. Fold the collard leaves in half lengthwise and cut away the stems and inner ribs. Pile about 5 or 6 leaves on top of one another, and roll into a tight cigar. Starting at the top and cutting across the leaves, slice the leaves into needle thin strips.
• Saute the aromatics then add the greens. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute for a minute until fragrant. Add the garlic and saute for a few seconds but avoid browning because it adds a bitter flavor. Add the collards, season with salt and pepper, and saute (stir frequently) until they turn bright green and are just short of the wilting point (due to carry-over cooking, you want to pull the greens off the heat while they retain their vibrant color and remain slightly crisp). Serve warm.

Nutrition

Serving: 1scoop | Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 392mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 8538IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 401mg | Iron: 1mg

My favorite way to cook Brussels sprouts is to halve and roast them until they develop those delectable crispy outer leaves, then served with my essential lemon garlic sauce. I’ve been doing them that way (also, with small diced pork belly added to the pan) for years.

What is Au Gratin?

This winter, I thought I’d try a new technique: au gratin– where you partially roast the Brussels sprouts then finish them inside of a light and cheesy béchamel sauce.

So, technically, an au gratin is either cheese or breadcrumbs plus baking. BUT. The sauce part is a nice touch and is totally easy. You’ll see.

Brussels sprouts love cheese, especially hard cheese — so much flavor!

For the cheese part, I tried a combination of parmesan and gruyere, and you know what? While the cheese added a nuttiness, overall, these winter sprouts were on the sweet side of savory. Actually, I went overboard with caramelizing the onion. Just a cautionary tale.

Sweat the Onion for a Savory Flavor

My goal was to sweat the onion until soft and avoid any browning. Since I minced the shallots, they caramelized so quickly! I’ve included a good note in the recipe to ensure your dish comes out more on the savory side.

Another thing. I wanted desperately to use fresh thyme in this recipe because it really compliments Brussels sprouts, but they were sold out. Go figure. I tried fresh marjoram, instead. Big mistake. It totally overpowered the flavor–I don’t recommend it.

If, however, you can’t find fresh thyme, I think parsley or even lemon zest would make a better substitute.

All of this is to say, if you are looking for a good Brussels sprouts au gratin recipe, this is it! It comes together really quickly and would make a lovely side dish to some turkey. Just take my advice, and don’t caramelize the onion (that is, unless you are a big fan of sweet flavors).

Let me know what you think! Feel free to drop any additions or subtractions in the comments below.

P.S. This Irish Soda Bread.

P.S.S. Your Winter Produce Guide

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BRUSSELS SPROUTS AU GRATIN

I like to serve Brussels sprouts this way as a decadent side dish. Brussels sprouts get roasted and topped with a combination of gruyere and parmesan cheese melted inside of a quick and simple béchamel sauce (just shallots, fat, flour, and milk).

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Brussels sprouts, nut free, vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 215kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Brussels sprouts ends trimmed and halved
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large shallots (about 1/3 cup) minced
• 1 tablespoon ghee or butter or olive oil
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup whole milk or reduced fat milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 2 ounces grated gruyere

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts with olive oil and salt until well-coated. Spread in a large baking dish (you want a shallow layer to get some browning) and roast for 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large pan over low heat, melt the ghee and sweat the shallots just until aromatic and tender, about 2 minutes (avoid browning the onion or it will cause the final dish to have a sweet taste). Add the flour and stir just to coat the onion. Immediately add the milk, salt, thyme, and cheeses. Stir and cook just until slightly thickened (raise the heat to medium to achieve this quicker).
• Pour the sauce over the pre-roasted Brussels sprouts and return the dish to the oven for 15 minutes. To serve, top with more parmesan cheese and enjoy while it's hot.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1large serving | Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 409mg | Potassium: 701mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1382IU | Vitamin C: 131mg | Calcium: 243mg | Iron: 3mg

If you’re looking for a really delicious, simple celery soup, this is it. It’s light, yet flavorful, and best of all, puts all those winter vegetables to good use.

Best of all, it’s 100% from scratch and the flavors come through. There’s:

• a homemade turkey stock – just a turkey back, some water, peppercorns, and leek
• an entire bunch of fresh celery
• ghee to add richness – but, yes, you can use olive oil or butter to sweat the vegetables
• no cream – to keep the flavors clean and pure, but yes, you can make it your own with sour cream at the end

For the past week, I’ve been putting together your winter produce guide and realized: I don’t have a lot of recipes featuring celery. Odd, considering how much I love celery.

As I was thinking about how to craft this soup recipe, it struck me to use leek instead of onion. I wanted to capitalize on the light green portion of the leek in the soup and use the dark green top for the stock. Root to frond cooking, how nice.

There’s a whole bunch of celery leaves, too, that don’t get cooked but just added to the blender, for nutrition and flavor. No waste. I even tried this new technique: you take a few celery leaves and blister them in a bit of hot ghee, about 20 seconds per side. They make for a unique garnish. Worth a try.

For those of you with gardens, I’m betting you have a bunch of fresh celery, leeks, and potatoes in storage. What better way to experience those flavors than together in a harmonious fresh-tasting winter soup?

How to Can and Store Celery Soup

If you have a pressure canner, you can multiply this recipe by however many heads of celery you’d like to use and proceed as follows:

After step 2, you will transfer the soup to glass jars and pressure cook them at 10 pounds pressure for 20 minutes.

To serve, you can blend and reheat each individual jar, adding fresh herbs or seeds (such as dill, parsley, nigella, or basil).

To store this recipe as-is (no canning), you can put it in the fridge for up to 1 week. Since it only makes about 6 portions, you may even want to double the recipe.

To freeze, vacuum seal the soup and use within 2 months. From frozen, you can defrost the soup overnight in the refrigerator or directly reheat from frozen in a Dutch oven or pot over medium heat, covered, until bubbly.

I hope you give this celery soup a go. It may sound strange to put celery in a soup, but it’s really good!

P.S. This cauliflower leek potage.

This recipe is adapted from Feasting at Home’s simple celery soup. Where Silvia gets a vibrant green color from incorporating fresh herbs, I’ve opted to leave those out for simplicity. I’ve also added an easy turkey stock from scratch to replace store-bought, using leek in place of the onion.

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Celery Soup

This simple, satisfying soup features a quick homemade turkey stock and an entire head of celery. There's nothing I would change about it.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword celery, gluten free, nut free, paleo, soup

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 bowls

Calories 155kcal

Author Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

• 7 cups water
• 1 turkey back* or 4 chicken wings
• 6 whole peppercorns
• 1 leek remove the green top portion for the stock, slice and reserve the light green/white portion for the soup
• 2 tablespoons ghee or substitute butter or extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 large garlic cloves roughly chopped
• 1 russet potato (about 12 1/2 ounces), peeled and chopped
• 1 large celery head (about 1 1/3 pound), sliced, leaves reserved for blending and garnish
• 1 bay leaf optional, remove before blending

Instructions

• Make the poultry stock. Fill a large pot halfway with water (about 7 cups reduces to 5 cups stock). Add the turkey back, peppercorns, and the green top portion of the leek. Bring to a boil over high heat then simmer for about 40 minutes.
  
• Sweat the aromatics. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven or medium pot, melt the ghee over medium heat. Add the sliced light green/white portion of the leek along with the sea salt. Stir occasionally, sweating until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and turn off the heat to avoid burning.
  
• Simmer the vegetables. To the leek and garlic mixture, add the potato, celery, bay leaf and 5 cups of the poultry stock (from step 1, above). Cover and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
  
• Blend and finish the soup. Use a ladle to transfer the vegetables to a blender. I like to do this in 2 batches to avoid any messes. Add 1 cup reserved celery leaves (save a few for frying, if desired)*. Blend on low then increase to high until the soup is completely smooth. Transfer to a pitcher for easy pouring. To serve, taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with celery leaves, sour cream, or fresh herbs.
  

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Notes

Celery and Celery Leaves: Favor organic celery for its color and flavor for this soup and select celery with a as many leaves as possible. You should get about 1 loose cup of leaves per head/bunch. If your celery is missing a lot of leaves, you may omit them or add 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, instead.

*Turkey Back: Turkey back has a lot of flavor and very little meat, making it perfect for homemade stock. If you can’t find it, you may substitute 4-6 whole chicken wings. You may also make the poultry stock using a very lean whole chicken/rooster. To save time, feel free to substitute 5 cups ready made chicken stock for the liquid in this recipe (replaces step 1 above).

Blending: While you can use an immersion blender, I think you should process this soup in a countertop blender to get the creamiest consistency. Fill your blender half-full and secure the lid. Start the blender on low and slowly increase the speed to avoid splatters.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 675mg | Potassium: 391mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 255IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg