Author Archives: saltandserenity

Aunt Carol’s Hamentashen

When and what is Purim?

The Jewish holiday of Purim falls on Sunday March 24 this year. The traditional treat to eat on Purim are Hamentashen, a triangular shaped cookie. Created by my Aunt Carol, these are the very best hamentashen. Tender cookie dough encases a sweet golden raisin and prune filling. After baking, dip them in honey and chopped toasted pecans, for crunch.

If you need a primer on Purim, or just a laugh, check out this cute video from Mayim Bialik.

Growing up in Toronto, we celebrated Purim with hamentashen from Open Window Bakery. They were enormous, with a hard, crumbly cookie dough exterior. There were only two flavour options, prune or poppy-seed fillings. Life was simpler back then! My sisters and I fought over the poppy-seed ones. Mom, why did you even bother buying the prune ones?

After marriage, I was introduced to Ottawa-style hamentashen. Homemade! These were little triangles of tender dough filled with a prune and raisin filling, dipped in honey and walnuts. Talk about culture shock. My husband’s aunts, Jenny and Carol, supplied the family with their version of hamentashen. They really are the very best hamentashen. After Aunt Jenny died, Aunt Carol continued the tradition of making hamentashen. She would mail them, near and far, to all her nieces and nephews.

My beloved Aunt Carol died suddenly in 2018. I miss her dearly. She taught me how to bake hamentashen and many other important life skills. When I first moved to Ottawa, she took me under her wing and offered me lots of advice, such as “I know you kept your own name when you got married, but if you use our family name when you order from the kosher butcher, you’ll get better quality meat. “ Turns out she was right. She usually was.

I will do my best to carry on her tradition of sharing her delicious hamentashen with as many as I possibly can!

Aunt Carol’s Hamentashen

Traditional cookie served during the Jewish holiday of Purim. Tender cookie dough filled with a sweet prune and raisin filling. Dipped in honey and pecans for some crunch.
Course Cookies
Servings 30 hamentashen
Calories 212 kcal

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • 3 large eggs
  • 100 grams granulated sugar
  • 125 grams vegetable oil
  • 475 grams all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt or 1/4 teaspoon Morton's Kosher Salt

Filling

  • 340 grams pitted prunes
  • 170 grams golden raisins
  • 125 grams strawberry jam
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

For assembly and topping

  • 1 egg white lightly beaten
  • 170 grams honey warmed in microwave for 30 seconds
  • 100 grams pecan halves toasted and finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Make dough: In an electric mixer, mix eggs and sugar until smooth, about 3-4 minutes.  Pour in oil and mix to combine.  Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and add to mixer. Mix just until dough begins to come together.
  • Dump dough onto the counter and knead for about a minute. Divide dough into 2 pieces and roll each piece, between 2 sheets of parchment paper, to an 1/8 inch thickness. Chill rolled dough in fridge for one hour. (Dough will keep in fridge for 5days or can be frozen for up to a month.
  • Make filling: Combine all ingredients in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped, about 20 –25 pulses.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Use a round (2¾ -3 inch) cutter to to stamp out rounds, leaving as little space between them as possible so that you do not have too many scraps. Place rounds on parchment lined baking sheet, setting them 1½ inches apart. Set scraps aside.
  • Brush the edge of the circles with cool water. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the filling into the center of each circle. Fold up three sides of the dough against the filling, forming a triangular shape. Pinch the edges and corners gently so that the shape holds together. Repeat with remaining filling and dough. Scraps can be rerolled and chilled for at least 30 minutes before cutting and baking more hamentashen.
  • Brush unbaked hamentashen with lightly beaten egg white. Before baking, add a second baking sheet under hamentashen. The double baking sheets will prevent the bottom of the hamentashen from getting too brown, before the tops and sides are done. Bake the hamentashen, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until golden, 15-16 minutes.
  • Once the hamentashen have cooled, dip one edge of them in honey and then into the chopped pecans. Hamentashen will keep well in an airtight container, for about a week. For longer storage, they can be frozen for up to 2 months.
     
     
     

Nutrition

Serving: -1hamentashenCalories: 212kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 68mgPotassium: 171mgFiber: 2gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 117IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Hamentashen Recipes

Looking for other hamentashen flavour options? Check out Malted Milk Chocolate Hamentashen, Poppyseed Fig and Walnut Hamentashen, Strawberry Rhubarb Hamentashen, Maple Pecan Hamentashen, Cinnamon Bun Hamentashen with Almond Shortbread Dough, Salted Caramel Apple Hamentashen, and Dried Cherry and Pecan Hamentashen

Aunt Carol’s Hamentashen

Traditional cookie served during the Jewish holiday of Purim. Tender cookie dough filled with a sweet prune and raisin filling. Dipped in honey and pecans for some crunch.
Course Cookies
Servings 30 hamentashen
Calories 212 kcal

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • 3 large eggs
  • 100 grams granulated sugar
  • 125 grams vegetable oil
  • 475 grams all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt or 1/4 teaspoon Morton's Kosher Salt

Filling

  • 340 grams pitted prunes
  • 170 grams golden raisins
  • 125 grams strawberry jam
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

For assembly and topping

  • 1 egg white lightly beaten
  • 170 grams honey warmed in microwave for 30 seconds
  • 100 grams pecan halves toasted and finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Make dough: In an electric mixer, mix eggs and sugar until smooth, about 3-4 minutes.  Pour in oil and mix to combine.  Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and add to mixer. Mix just until dough begins to come together.
  • Dump dough onto the counter and knead for about a minute. Divide dough into 2 pieces and roll each piece, between 2 sheets of parchment paper, to an 1/8 inch thickness. Chill rolled dough in fridge for one hour. (Dough will keep in fridge for 5days or can be frozen for up to a month.
  • Make filling: Combine all ingredients in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped, about 20 –25 pulses.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Use a round (2¾ -3 inch) cutter to to stamp out rounds, leaving as little space between them as possible so that you do not have too many scraps. Place rounds on parchment lined baking sheet, setting them 1½ inches apart. Set scraps aside.
  • Brush the edge of the circles with cool water. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the filling into the center of each circle. Fold up three sides of the dough against the filling, forming a triangular shape. Pinch the edges and corners gently so that the shape holds together. Repeat with remaining filling and dough. Scraps can be rerolled and chilled for at least 30 minutes before cutting and baking more hamentashen.
  • Brush unbaked hamentashen with lightly beaten egg white. Before baking, add a second baking sheet under hamentashen. The double baking sheets will prevent the bottom of the hamentashen from getting too brown, before the tops and sides are done. Bake the hamentashen, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until golden, 15-16 minutes.
  • Once the hamentashen have cooled, dip one edge of them in honey and then into the chopped pecans. Hamentashen will keep well in an airtight container, for about a week. For longer storage, they can be frozen for up to 2 months.
     
     
     

Nutrition

Serving: -1hamentashenCalories: 212kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 68mgPotassium: 171mgFiber: 2gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 117IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Stuffed Crust Margherita Pizza

This is my twist on a classic Margherita pizza. I stuffed the crust with fresh mozzarella cheese. Because more cheese is never a bad idea, right? I used fresh pearl mozzarella. If you can’t find the little balls, just dice up some regular fresh mozzarella into 1/4 inch pieces.

Fresh mozzarella is sold in small plastic containers or bags filled with water or whey. It is quite perishable and should be used within a few days. Regular, or “low moisture” mozzarella is sold in a block or ball, tightly wrapped without any liquid. it has a firmer texture and is more rubbery than fresh mozzarella. That is what the pizza gets topped with and what gives you that gorgeous cheese pull.

Here’s how it all comes together.

For the dough, you can certainly purchase ready made pizza dough. But if you want something truly spectacular, try Jim Lahey’s no knead pizza dough (recipe below). You need to plan a day ahead if you want to make the dough, but it’s worth it.

I have a little pizza oven that I can put on my BBQ. But I have also made pizza successfully in my regular oven. I would suggest getting a baking steel or pizza stone to bake the pizza on. I prefer the durability and performance of the baking steel, but have had good results with both.

A little drizzle of olive oil on the crust before baking ensures a golden crust.

Add the fresh basil after baking so that it does not wilt and go black.

Stuffed Crust Margherita Pizza

saltandserenity
A twist on the classic tomato sauce, mozzarella and fresh basil pizza. I stuffed the crust with fresh mozzarella, because more cheese is always a good idea, right?
Course Pizza
Servings 3 twelve-inch pizzas
Calories 1197 kcal

Equipment

  • pizza stone or baking steel

Ingredients
  

  • 900 grams pizza dough homemade or store bought
  • 225 grams fresh pearl mozzarella or regular fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
  • 130 grams marinara sauce I like Rao's brand
  • 150 grams low moisture mozzarella shredded
  • 25 grams Parmesan cheese shredded
  • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoons flaky sea salt
  • 15 leaves fresh basil julienned

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your pizza oven if you have one or, set a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F, allowing at least 45 minutes for the stone to heat.
  • Flour your work surface and scrape the dough out of the bowl. Divide it into 3 equal parts and shape them. For each pizza, start with the right side of the dough and pull it toward the center; then do the same with the left, then the top, then the bottom. (The order doesn’t actually matter; what you want is four folds.) Shape each portion into a round and turn seam side down. Mold the dough into a neat circular mound. The mounds should not be sticky; if they are, dust with more flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for a few minutes.
  • Shape the pizzas, one at a time. On a lightly floured surface, pressing down with floured fingertips, shape the dough into a small, flat disk. Work from the center and push the dough outward, spreading your fingers as you make the disc larger. Keep the rim a bit thicker. Pick up the dough and move your hands along the edges, allowing gravity to pull the dough into a 12-inch circle. This method has been nicknamed, “Driving the Bus”.
  • Lay a sheet of parchment paper, slightly larger than the pizza, on the counter and sprinkle it with cornmeal. Place dough on parchment paper. Pull rim of dough to flatten it a bit more. Arrange 1/3 of fresh mozzarella around the edges of the crust, leaving a 3/4-inch space. Fold the edges of the dough over the cheese, pinching down to seal. 
  • Top pizza with 1/3 of sauce, low moisture mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle crust with olive oil and sprinkle with flaky salt.
  • Transfer pizza, still on parchment paper, to a pizza peel. Slide onto the pizza stone and bake for 3 minutes. Using the pizza peel, slide pizza out and, carefully, using tongs, pull the parchment paper out and discard. The parchment paper is just used to make sliding the pizza into the oven easier. If you leave it in for too long, it will burn. Now that the bottom of the pizza is partially cooked, it will slide easily back onto the stone. Continue baking until cheese is melted with some browned spots and crust is golden brown and puffed, 11 to 13 minutes more if you are using your oven. If you have a BBQ pizza oven, it will cook quicker, maybe 5-6 minutes in total.
  • Remove from oven. Repeat with remaining 2 pizzas. It is best to shape and top them just before baking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1-twelve inch pizzaCalories: 1197kcalCarbohydrates: 150gProtein: 55gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 4103mgPotassium: 259mgFiber: 5gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 1194IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 835mgIron: 9mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Jim Lahey’s No Knead Pizza Dough

Jim Lahey
Course Pizza
Servings 3 12 inch pizzas
Calories 608 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams all-purpose or 00 flour
  • 1 gram active dry yeast
  • 16 grams Diamond Crystal Kosher salt or 8 grams Mortons Kosher salt
  • 350 grams water room temperature

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend the flour, yeast, and salt.Add the water and, with a wooden spoon, a Danish whisk, or your hands, mix thoroughly.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow it to rise at room temperature (about 72°F) for 18 hours or until it has more than doubled. It will take longer in a chilly room and less time in a very warm one.

Notes

Recipe from Jim Lahey’s stellar book My Pizza: The Easy No-Knead Way to Make Spectacular Pizza at Home.”  You can use either all-purpose flour or 00  pizza flour. If you live in the US, King Arthur makes a great 00 pizza flour. If you are in Canada, President’s Choice makes a good version of this flour as well. 
A Danish whisk is an excellent tool to have if you plan on making dough often. 

Nutrition

Serving: 112 inch pizzaCalories: 608kcalCarbohydrates: 127gProtein: 17gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 2076mgPotassium: 182mgFiber: 5gSugar: 0.5gVitamin A: 3IUCalcium: 30mgIron: 8mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Wild Mushroom and Sausage Stuffed Crust Pizza

Are you as disappointed as me when you order pizza for home delivery? It never tastes as good as when you get it fresh from the oven. It’s my mission to get you to try making your own at home.

What you will need to make pizza at home:

Roast your veggie toppings before adding to the pizza:

I decided to make a “white” pizza, meaning no tomato sauce. Wild mushrooms, spicy Italian sausage and cheese are a great flavour combination. I like to roast the mushrooms in the oven before topping the pizza. Mushrooms have a very high water content, and if you put them onto the pizza raw, they will release all their juices and make the pizza soggy. I used a mix of cremini (brown button mushrooms) and oyster mushrooms. Olive oil, salt, pepper and a bit of fresh thyme go onto the mushrooms before a 15 minute roast in a hot oven.

A dough discussion:

For the dough, you can certainly purchase ready made pizza dough. But if you want something truly spectacular, try Jim Lahey’s no knead pizza dough (recipe below). You need to plan a day ahead if you want to make the dough, but it’s worth it.

I don’t use a rolling pin on pizza dough to shape it. I start with a ball of dough and gently press it into a round or oval shape. Then I use gravity and hold the dough like a steering wheel, turning it so it stretches. You can see the technique in the video.

Difference between fresh mozzarella and regular (low moisture) mozzarella:

Because more cheese is never a bad idea, I decided to make this a stuffed crust pizza using fresh pearl mozzarella balls. If you can’t find the little balls, just dice up some regular fresh mozzarella into 1/4 inch pieces. Make sure press firmly as you seal in the cheese as you go around the rim of the crust.

Just a note on the difference between fresh mozzarella and regular mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella is sold in small plastic containers or bags filled with water or whey. It is quite perishable and should be used within a few days.

Regular, also called “low moisture” mozzarella is sold in a block or ball, tightly wrapped without any liquid. it has a firmer texture and is more rubbery than fresh mozzarella. It is ideal to be used as a pizza topping or in lasagna.

I opted to use Fontina cheese on top of this pizza. Fontina has a nutty flavour profile that pairs well with the roasted mushrooms. I also added some ricotta for creaminess. To keep my pizza vegetarian, I used a plant based spicy Italian sausage, that I browned before adding to the pizza.

Wild Mushroom and Sausage Stuffed Crust Pizza

saltandserenity
A white pizza topped with ricotta, fontina, spicy Italian sausage and roasted mushrooms. Stuffed crust for added cheese!
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Pizza
Servings 3 -12-inch pizzas
Calories 1503 kcal

Equipment

  • pizza stone or baking steel

Ingredients
  

  • 900 grams pizza dough homemade or store bought
  • 3 Tablespoons cornmeal for dusting parchment paper

For roasted mushrooms

  • 250 grams mushrooms I used a mix of cremini and oyster
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves stripped from stems

Pizza toppings

  • 100 grams spicy Italian sausage meat or plant based, casing removed
  • 225 grams fresh pearl mozzarella or regular fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
  • 150 grams ricotta cheese
  • 75 grams fontina cheese shredded
  • 75 grams low moisture mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 10 grams Parmesan cheese grated

For finishing pizza

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice cremini mushrooms into 1/4 inch thick slices. Tear oyster mushrooms in half. Place mushrooms on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and thyme leaves. Mix mushrooms with your clean hands until they are coated in oil and seasonings. Roast for 12-15 minutes until browned and a little bit crispy around the edges.
  • Preheat your pizza oven if you have one or, set a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F, allowing at least 45 minutes for the stone to heat.
  • Flour your work surface and scrape the dough out of the bowl. Divide it into 3 equal parts and shape them. For each pizza, start with the right side of the dough and pull it toward the center; then do the same with the left, then the top, then the bottom. (The order doesn’t actually matter; what you want is four folds.) Shape each portion into a round and turn seam side down. Mold the dough into a neat circular mound. The mounds should not be sticky; if they are, dust with more flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for a few minutes.
  • Heat medium sized skillet over medium high heat. Add sausage and crumble with potato masher or wooden spoon. Continue cooking until sausage is browned and fully cooked.
  • Shape the pizzas, one at a time. On a lightly floured surface, pressing down with floured fingertips, shape the dough into a small, flat disk. Work from the center and push the dough outward, spreading your fingers as you make the disc larger. Keep the rim a bit thicker. Pick up the dough and move your hands along the edges, allowing gravity to pull the dough into a 12-inch circle. This method has been nicknamed, “Driving the Bus”.
  • Lay a sheet of parchment paper, slightly larger than the pizza, on the counter and sprinkle it with cornmeal. Place dough on parchment paper. Pull rim of dough to flatten it a bit more. Arrange 1/3 of fresh mozzarella around the edges of the crust, leaving a 3/4-inch space. Fold the edges of the dough over the cheese, pinching down to seal. 
  • Top pizza with 1/3 of ricotta, fontina and low moisture mozzarella. Scatter sausage over cheese. Top with 1/3 of mushrooms. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with flaky salt.
  • Transfer pizza, still on parchment paper, to a pizza peel. Slide onto the pizza stone and bake for 3 minutes. Using the pizza peel, slide pizza out and, carefully, using tongs, pull the parchment paper out and discard. The parchment paper is just used to make sliding the pizza into the oven easier. If you leave it in for too long, it will burn. Now that the bottom of the pizza is partially cooked, it will slide easily back onto the stone. Continue baking until cheese is melted with some browned spots and crust is golden brown and puffed, 11 to 13 minutes more if you are using your oven. If you have a BBQ pizza oven, it will cook quicker, maybe 5-6 minutes in total.
  • Remove from oven. Repeat with remaining 2 pizzas. It is best to shape and top them just before baking.
     

Notes

You can make your own pizza dough or just use store bought dough for this recipe. I love Jim Lahey’s no knead pizza dough recipe. If you decide to make Jim’s recipe, plan ahead. Make the dough the day before you want to make the pizza. 
You will need a pizza stone for your oven or a portable pizza oven for your BBQ. A wooden or metal pizza peel is also essential.

Nutrition

Serving: 1-12-inch pizzaCalories: 1503kcalCarbohydrates: 158gProtein: 67gFat: 68gSaturated Fat: 30gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 158mgSodium: 4133mgPotassium: 548mgFiber: 6gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 1183IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 847mgIron: 10mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Jim Lahey’s No Knead Pizza Dough

Jim Lahey
Course Pizza
Servings 3 12 inch pizzas
Calories 608 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams all-purpose or 00 flour
  • 1 gram active dry yeast
  • 16 grams Diamond Crystal Kosher salt or 8 grams Mortons Kosher salt
  • 350 grams water room temperature

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend the flour, yeast, and salt.Add the water and, with a wooden spoon, a Danish whisk, or your hands, mix thoroughly.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow it to rise at room temperature (about 72°F) for 18 hours or until it has more than doubled. It will take longer in a chilly room and less time in a very warm one.

Notes

Recipe from Jim Lahey’s stellar book My Pizza: The Easy No-Knead Way to Make Spectacular Pizza at Home.”  You can use either all-purpose flour or 00  pizza flour. If you live in the US, King Arthur makes a great 00 pizza flour. If you are in Canada, President’s Choice makes a good version of this flour as well. 
A Danish whisk is an excellent tool to have if you plan on making dough often. 

Nutrition

Serving: 112 inch pizzaCalories: 608kcalCarbohydrates: 127gProtein: 17gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 2076mgPotassium: 182mgFiber: 5gSugar: 0.5gVitamin A: 3IUCalcium: 30mgIron: 8mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Meatball Minestrone Soup

meatball minestrone soup

This is my twist on the classic minestrone soup. I decided to add meatballs to the soup to turn it into a heartier one pot meals because it’s February and we all need some comfort. I decided to keep the soup vegetarian by substituting Beyond Ground Beef for regular ground beef. You can also use it in chili and my vegetarian meaty lasagna, This was my first time using it to make meatballs. The results were excellent. They were tender and moist.

The usual meatball binders, of egg and breadcrumbs were employed, along with lots of finely diced onion to add moisture. For spice, I added ground fennel seed and lots of Aleppo pepper. I used a mini meatball scoop to form them and baked them in the oven while the soup was cooking.

scoop meatballs for even size

Tips for success:

  • Yes, there are are lots of ingredients. Don’t let this scare you. This is not a weekday soup recipe. Set aside some time on the weekend, put on some music or a podcast or binge some old episodes of Top Chef, and get chopping. I like to chop everything before I start cooking. Then I know I won’t forget any ingredients.You will be rewarded with a big hug in a bowl.
  • The ingredients are very customizable. The basics include a mirepoix (carrots, onions and celery), but the additional vegetables could be whatever is seasonal or you just happen to have hanging around in your fridge. I used butternut squash, zucchini and red potato.
  • When sautéing your mirepoix, keep the heat on medium. You don’t want to brown the veggies at this point, you’re just looking to soften them. If they start to stick to the bottom of the pot or get too dark, add about 1/4 cup of water to slow things down.
  • I added kale, but feel free to use spinach or any other hearty green. For the pasta, you want a small shape, like macaroni, orecchiette, small shells or ditalini.
  • Don’t rush the cooking/browning of the tomato paste. You really want the tomato paste to get dark brown. There is a ton of flavour and umami in tomato paste and we want to take advantage of that by browning to develop those deep rich flavours.
  • If you’re not saving your parmesan rinds, after you’ve grated all the cheese, start now. Throw them in a bag in the freezer and add a rind or two of Parmesan cheese to the simmering soup. Parmesan is packed with umami. The savoury flavour of the cheese will enrich your soup.
  • Just before serving stir in about a Tablespoon of sherry or red wine vinegar. This tiny bit of acid wakes the sop up.

Watch how the soup comes together in this video.

Meatball Minestrone Soup

saltandserenity
This is my twist on a classic minestrone soup. The addition of meatballs makes it a hearty, comforting one pot meal. I used a plant-based ground beef (Beyond Ground Beef) to make my meatballs and was thrilled with the results. The meatballs were tender and moist.
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Course Soup
Servings 6
Calories 459 kcal

Ingredients
  

Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground beef or plant-based ground beef
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic finelyminced or grated on microplane
  • 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon Morton's Kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Soup

  • 2 large carrots peeled and chopped into ¼ inch pieces
  • 2 ribs celery peeled and chopped into ¼ inch pieces
  • 1 large yellow onion peeled and diced into ¼ inch pieces
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt or ½ teaspoon Morton’s Kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 28 ounce can of crushed or diced Italian plum tomatoes with juices
  • 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 medium red potato washed and diced into ½ inch pieces
  • 1/2 small butternut squash peeled and diced into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 small zucchini peeled and diced into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 rind Parmesan cheese
  • 1 15 ounce can of white beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 pound black kale (also known as Lacinato, Dinosaur or Tuscan kale) center ribs removed, and leaves sliced into thin julienne strips
  • 1 cup dried small pasta, (shells or orecchiette)
  • 1 Tablespoon red wine or sherry vinegar

For Serving

  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.Place all meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using your clean hands, gently mix until well combined. Form small meatballs, using either a Tablespoon measure or a 1¼ inch mini scooper and arrange on baking sheet. Roast meatballs for 18-20 minutes until meatballs are well browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
  • While meatballs are roasting, heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, celery and onion and sauté over medium heat for 6-8 minutes. If veggies start to burn or brown too quickly, add ¼ cup water to pan and continue cooking until veggies have softened and become translucent.
  • Add tomato paste and stir well, until all the vegetables are coated in the tomato paste. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes until everything is well browned. There is flavour in the brown, you are developing deep flavours here. Add Aleppo, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper and stir well.
  • Add canned tomatoes and stock. Stir well, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add potatoes, squash, zucchini, and Parmesan rind. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to simmer, partially cover the pot and simmer soup for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes and squash are tender.
  • Remove lid, add beans and pasta and simmer, uncovered for an additional 15 minutes. Add kale and meatballs and simmer for another 5 minutes, until pasta is cooked. Remove bay leaves and Parmesan rind and discard.
  • Just before serving, stir in 1 Tablespoon vinegar.
  • Ladle soup into bowls and top with grated parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 459kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 25gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 1772mgPotassium: 1307mgFiber: 8gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 19399IUVitamin C: 101mgCalcium: 374mgIron: 5mg
Keyword comfort soups, hearty winter soup, Main dish soups, Meatball Minestrone, Minestrone Soup, One pot meals
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Harissa Salmon with Pistachio Pangrattato Crumb

Even though I’m a food blogger, when it comes to dinner, I fall into a rut just like everyone else, making the same things every week. For years the only salmon recipe I made was salmon with a chipotle honey lime glaze. It was delicious but it was time to change things up.

A pangrattato is the process of making toasted breadcrumbs, using stale bread, olive oil and some seasonings, usually salt and garlic. It’s known as the poor man’s parmesan and is quite popular in in southern Italy where they use it as a topping for pasta. My version adds some pistachios, lemon zest and dill and I use it to top salmon before baking.

Watch it all come together.

I used a mix of mayonnaise and harissa paste as the “glue” to make sure the breadcrumb topping really sticks to the fish. I love the signature harissa paste from NY Shuk. It has the perfect hit of heat.

Since the salmon is baked in the oven, I decided to make this salmon recipe a sheet pan dinner. I added broccoli and cherry tomatoes. Peel the woody broccoli stems and then cut the broccoli from crown to stem, to make planks. The flat surface of the planks, gives you more surface area that comes into contact with the pan, allowing the broccoli to crisp up better.

The balance of different textures of this dish really enhances the eating experience. The rich buttery flavour and tender texture of the salmon contrasts so perfectly with the crunchy pistachio breadcrumb topping. The harissa paste adds a welcome hit of heat and acid. Add this to your dinner rotation. You’ll thank me.

Click here to print recipe for Harissa Salmon with Pistachio Pangrattato Crumb.