Spicy Golden Potato and Collard Greens Soup
At first glance these eye-catching chile peppers look like red jalapeno. However, they have a different flavor and are less meaty than Jalapeno. Red Fresnos are great roasted and added to salsas. Try grilling them alongside your steaks or in kabobs.
When roasting these they should char, blister, and become soft. Try substituting these in your favorite chile recipes.
Ingredients:
1 tsp.extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups chopped onions (about 2 large or 3 medium onions)
2 red Fresno chiles, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 cups diced potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes)
1/2 cup chopped celery (about 2 ribs)
1 large carrot, diced
3-1/2 to 4 cups of water
2 Tbsp. cashew butter
2 Tbsp. tamari or shoyu
1 bunch collard greens
1 tsp. brown rice vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions:
Heat the oil in a 3 quart pot and add the chiles, onions and salt. Cover and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions cook down to a nice mush (about 15-20 minutes). Add the potatoes, celery, carrot and water to the onion mush and cover. Simmer until the potatoes are soft (about 15-20 minutes). Put the soup mixture into a blender with the cashew butter and tamari. Blend the ingredients until smooth, then run the soup through a strainer to remove the celery strings.
Return the soup to the pot. Remove the thick stems from the the collard leaves by pulling the leaf off with one hand while holding onto the stem with the other. Fill your sink with cold water and submerge the collard leaves. If the water has sediment, drain the sink and repeat. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and submerge leaves. Remove a piece and test every minute or so. You are looking for a slightly wilted leaf that still has a bright green color and (most important) a succulent, sweet flavor. Pour the cooked greens into a colander in the sink. When you can handle them, squeeze out any excess water with your hands and clip the collards into bite-sized pieces or thin strips and stir into the soup. Add the vinegar, taste the soup, and adjust the salt and pepper as desired. Gently heat the soup before serving.
Recipe from the Vegetarian Journal.