Naturally thick, creamy, and perfect for dinner on cool fall nights. Incredibly easy and delicious. The leftover soup tastes even better the next day.  

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons More Than Olives Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Large Yellow Onion, roughly chopped
• 1 Medium Butternut Squash, about 2.5 lbs., peeled, seeds removed, cut into chunks
• 2 Large Carrots, cut into 1″ pieces
• 2 Large Celery Stalks, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces
• 2 Tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base*
• 2 Teaspoons Turmeric
• 2 Teaspoons Black Pepper
• 6 Cups Water

Garnish:

• 1 Cup Raw Pumpkin Seeds
• 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric
• 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 2 Teaspoons More Than Olives Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Heavy Whipping Cream, to swirl as a topping

Directions:

Add 2 tablespoons More Than Olives Picual Olive Oil in a medium-size stock pot. When the pot reaches medium heat, add the onions, stir to coat with olive oil, and cover the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots and continue to cook covered for another 5 minutes.  

Add the bouillon base to 6 cups of boiling water. Stir until the base is dissolved. Add the broth, butternut squash, celery, turmeric, and black pepper to the stock pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, 20-30 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, toast the pumpkin seeds for the garnish. Heat the oven to 375°F. Toss the pumpkin seeds with 2 teaspoons More Than Olives Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and ¼ teaspoon sea salt. Place the seeds on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake until golden brown and crispy, 8 to 12 minutes. Watch the seeds closely to ensure they don’t get too brown.  

When the vegetables are done, use an immersion blender to purée the soup. The soup will be hot so blend carefully. If you don’t have an immersion blender you can use a standard blender. Work in small batches until everything is blended. 

Pour soup into individual soup bowls and create a swirl with the heavy cream. Add a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds, and serve immediately. 

*If you cannot find Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base, use 6 cups of vegetable stock in place of the bouillon base and 6 cups boiling water. If using vegetable stock, you might need to add some salt, to your taste, to the recipe. 

Soups

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup uncooked wild rice blend
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 2 tablespoons More Than Olives Garlic Olive Oil
• 6 tablespoons butter, diced and divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ¼ teaspoon of each thyme, marjoram, sage, and rosemary
• salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1  ½ cups milk
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions:
Prepare rice according to the directions listed on the package. Halfway through the rice cooking, in a separate large pot, add the More Than Olives Garlic Olive Oil. Heat to medium and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until slightly tender, about 4 minutes, adding in the fresh minced garlic during the last 30 seconds of sauteing.

Add to the pot the chicken broth, thyme, marjoram, sage, rosemary, and season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Increase heat to medium-high, add the chicken, and bring mixture to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid and allow the mixture to boil 12 – 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Rotate the chicken during cooking to ensure it cooks evenly.

Remove the chicken and set it aside on a cutting board to cool about 5 minutes, then shred into small bite-size pieces. Meanwhile, reduce the soup to low and add cooked rice. Add shredded chicken to the soup when shredded.

In a separate medium saucepan, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add cornstarch and cook for 1 ½ minutes, whisking to combine. Continue whisking vigorously and slowly pour milk into the mixture. Cook mixture, stirring constantly until it thickens.

Add the milk mixture to the soup and cook about 5 minutes longer, or until the soup is thickened. You can simmer the soup for longer if you want the rice to soften more. Cover the soup with a lid and stir occasionally.

Stir in heavy cream and lemon zest and serve warm.

With rainy weather still upon us, treat yourselves to the ultimate comfort food! This gnocchi soup with rosemary pork belly croutons is the cozy meal we all deserve!

*Adapted from Half Baked Harvest

Ingredients:

• 4 pieces of pork belly, cut into 1-2 inch cubes, like croutons, or extra thick bacon lardon cubes
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
• 4 tablespoons More Than Olives Garlic Olive Oil, divided
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 6 carrots, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried)
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1-2 teaspoons fennel powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• sea salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4-6 cups homemade stock, or bone/chicken broth
• 4-6 cups roughly chopped kale, bite-sized
• 1  ½ cups heavy cream or canned coconut milk
• ½ cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1 lb fresh potato gnocchi

Directions:

On the stovetop, heat a large dutch oven to medium heat.  Cook the cubed pork belly or lardons until crisp, about 10 minutes, stirring regularly. During the last minute of cooking, add the rosemary. Remove the pork belly and rosemary,  to a plate with paper towels to drain. Season the pork belly/lardon croutons with salt and pepper. 

Drain the fat from the Dutch oven and return it to the stovetop.  Add the More Than Olives Garlic olive oil and onion into the dutch oven and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, until golden. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, basil, fennel, crushed red pepper, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. 

Cook another 5 minutes until very fragrant and vegetables are softening. Add the butter and sprinkle in the flour. Stir the mixture, and continue cooking for a few minutes. You want the flour to darken in color, like a roux. 

Add 4 cups of broth to the Dutch oven. Stir the mixture until well blended and continue to simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until the carrots are tender. Stir in the kale, heavy cream/coconut milk, parmesan, and gnocchi.

Simmer for about two minutes, making sure the gnocchi is not sticking together. If the soup is too thick, add additional broth or water until desired thickness.

Serve the soup in individual bowls topped with rosemary bacon croutons and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Enjoy, preferably with a warm piece of crusty bread.

Rainy weather is upon us, and this potato leek soup is the perfect dish for you and your family to enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 5 chopped leeks
• 3 tablespoons More Than Olives Arbosana “Organic” Olive Oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 small Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
• 1-quart vegetable broth
• ½ cup greek yogurt
• ¾ Cup Heavy Cream, add another ¼ cup if you desire thinner soup
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 oz grated pecorino romano cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped scallions for garnish

Directions:
In a stockpot add the More Than Olives Arbosana Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil and heat to medium. Add the chopped leeks and salt. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 25 minutes or until the leeks are soft. 

Add the chopped potatoes and vegetable broth.  Bring the soup to a medium-high boil to get the broth hot. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. 

Turn off the heat and carefully use an immersion blender to puree the mixture. Add in the heavy cream, greek yogurt, white pepper, garlic powder, and nutmeg. Use the blender once more to work the seasoning into the soup. 

Serve your soup in individual bowls garnished with a drizzle of More Than Olives Arbosana Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil, pecorino romano cheese, and chopped scallions. You are ready to serve!