Red Vegetable Chowder

This is a play on Manhattan Chowder inspired by our Book + Supper Club with Caroline Woods, celebrating her book The Lunar Housewife. We finished the soup with fried kale chips, but it is great without the kale or with any other hearty green floated in the soup at the last minute.


Ingredients

1 onion, sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 threads saffron
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 28 oz can ground tomatoes
2 carrots, diced
1 kohlrabi, peeled and diced
4 yellow potatoes, diced
1 rutabaga, peeled and diced
2 cups water
5 sprigs parsley, chopped

Method

  1. In a soup pot, heat a glug of olive oil over medium heat
  2. Add the saffron, fennel seed, and oregano and briefly fry until fragrant
  3. Add the onion and garlic with a big pinch of salt, and reduce the heat to low
  4. Sweat the onion and garlic until soft
  5. Add the vegetables, ground tomatoes, and water
  6. Increase the heat to medium-high
  7. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender
  8. Taste and adjust seasoning
  9. Serve with parsley and some hearty greens (like kale, cabbage or spinach) added at the last minute