The Silver Platter: Yummy Soups To Stay Warm In Your Sukkah!

These soups are great options for this time of year. They are hearty and healthy for the holidays and help keep you warm and comfy on cold Sukkos nights. Happy holidays everyone!

xo,
Daniella

For these recipes and much more, check out Daniella and Norene Gilletz’s bestselling cookbook, The Silver Platter: Simple Elegance. With old favorites and new twists on tradition, it is the perfect enhancement to your Yom Tov cooking, as well as a great hostess gift. Click here to buy.

PUMPKIN SOUP WITH PUMPKIN CRUNCH
pareve, gluten-free, freezes well, yields 8 servings

When the High Holidays roll around, this is one of my favorite first courses. Wonderfully warming, with a sprinkling of spiced pumpkin seeds for crunch, this soup is also perfect for Succot and Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

Pumpkin Crunch

1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
½ tsp ground cinnamon

Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp)
2 (14 oz/398 ml) cans pumpkin purée
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
4 cups water or vegetable broth
1 cup almond or coconut milk (optional)
Method

Pumpkin Crunch: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scatter pumpkin seeds onto prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and maple syrup; sprinkle with cinnamon. Mix well; spread evenly. Bake, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes, until glazed.

Soup: Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté for 5 minutes, or until golden.

Add pumpkin, sweet potatoes, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, salt, pepper, and water; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat. Simmer, partially, covered, for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Using an immersion blender, process soup until puréed. If too soup is too thick, add a little water, broth, or almond milk. Adjust seasonings to taste. Transfer to individual soup bowls; garnish with Pumpkin Crunch.

Norene’s Notes:

Pumpkin Crunch is great for munching! Why not make a double (or triple) batch? It’s great as a topping for salads, breakfast cereal, or even on ice cream and frozen yogurt!

Did you know that pumpkin seeds are also known as pepitas?

Make It Yourself: A 14-oz/398-ml can of pumpkin purée (about 1¾ cups) is equivalent to about 2½ lb/1.3 kg fresh pumpkin. Cut pumpkin into large chunks, discarding stem, pulp, and seeds. Bake, covered, at 400°F for 1¼ hours. Discard skin. Purée until smooth.

TOMATO QUINOA SOUP
pareve, Passover, gluten-free, freezes well, yields 8 servings

Tomato soup brings me back to my childhood, when mom was forever making this simple dish. I wanted to rethink her recipe using protein-rich quinoa to make tomato soup a heartier meal-in-one. Same great flavour and bright color, and ready in 30 minutes.

Ingredients

1½ cups lightly salted water
⅔ cup red or white quinoa
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tsp)
2 (28 oz/796 ml) cans tomatoes, with their liquid
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup minced fresh chives, for garnish

Method

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add quinoa; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat. Let stand for 10 minutes, covered. Fluff quinoa with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until golden.

Stir in tomatoes with their liquid, oregano, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, partially covered, for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Using an immersion blender, process until smooth.

Transfer soup to individual bowls; top with a scoop of quinoa. Garnish with chives.

Norene’s Notes:

Kitchen Hack: Chives have a tendency to roll all over your cutting board, which can make them difficult to chop or mince. Secure the bunch on one end with a rubber band to hold them together, and then mince finely with a sharp knife.

Tomato Tip: You can use any variety of canned tomatores for this recipe.

SQUASH & LEEK SOUP
pareve, Passover, gluten-free, freezes well, yields 8 servings

This delicious soup comes from my mother-in-law, Bonnie Silver, who often serves it as a starter course for holiday dinners. Apples, squash, brown sugar, and leeks give this soup a warm, comforting, and slightly sweet flavor for the Fall season.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, trimmed, sliced (use only the white part)
6 cups butternut squash cubes
2 green apples, peeled, cored, chopped
¼ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
5 cups water or broth

Method

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic; sauté for 6-8 minutes, until softened.

Add squash, apples, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and water. The water should just cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat. Simmer, partially, covered, for 30-40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.

Using an immersion blender, process soup until smooth. If soup is too thick, add a little water or broth. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Norene’s Notes:

An immersion blender does a great job of puréeing soups right in the pot. When the immersion blender is immersed partway into the pot, the whirling blades create a kind of whirlpool, blending your soup to silky perfection. Cordless models are the best of the lot in terms of convenience.

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