French recipe for a silky and smooth Pumpkin Soup with two main ingredients. Healthy, colorful, and easy to make. If you have a blender, you have to try this recipe as soon as pumpkins are in season.
To impress your guests, serve this soup in individual pumpkins.
Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 2 leeks (white part only)
- 1 medium pie pumpkin or sugar pumpkin (about 1.5 kg)
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Some heavy whipping cream or sour cream (optional)
- Some fresh herbs (cilantro, green onion, parsley) to garnish
Instructions
- Wash and chop the leeks.
- Wash the pumpkin and cut it in half horizontally. Scrape the inside of the pumpkin clean with the spoon or ice cream scoop (you can use the seeds for another recipe).
- Peel and cut into regular cubes.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook and stir leeks until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add pumpkin cubes and cook for 5-7 more minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Transfer the veggies into a large pot. Add just enough water to cover them, and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Simmer about 15 minutes until the pumpkin is cooked.
- Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in a food processor. Add a little more boiling water if the soup is too thick. Taste for flavor, and feel free to add more salt or pepper.
- Serve hot, with sour or heavy whipping cream and fresh herbs.
For a special presentation:
- Cut off the top of a small pumpkin and scrape the inside.
- Before adding the soup, heat the pumpkin for few minutes in the oven, then add the hot soup and serve immediately.
Roasted Pumpkin Wedges
Roasted pumpkin wedges are a simple and healthy dish that pairs well with fish and meat. This recipe is easy as pie and requires just basic ingredients like pumpkin, salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil and some fresh herbs.
Roasted Pumpkin Wedges
Ingredients
- 4 wedges of a big pumpkin
- 1 clove of garlic
- salt and black pepper
- Some olive oil
- Some fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro or scallions)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390F (200С). Line your baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Wash the pumpkin thoroughly, cut into two parts and remove seeds with a spoon.
- Cut the pumpkin into wedges. Keep in mind that this kind of pumpkin doesn’t need to be peeled. Season the wedges with salt and pepper. Next, mince or grate finely some garlic. Coat the wedges with a mixture of olive oil and garlic.
- Place the wedges on the baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes (depending on the kind of pumpkin and wedges size). When the wedges are soft, remove from the oven. Make sure they are not overdone.
- Sprinkle the roasted pumpkin wedges with fresh herbs and they’re ready to be served!
Spinach Salad with Strawberries
This spinach salad with strawberries is seasoned with a delicious homemade sauce, made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a little jam. A perfect summer salad!
Spinach Salad with Strawberries
Ingredients
Salad
- 200 g baby spinach
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 100 g strawberries
Dressing
- 3-4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp jam (strawberry, raspberry, apricot)
- 1-2 pinches paprika (optional)
- Some sliced almonds or walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- In the bowl, combine the spinach, red onion and strawberries.
- In the jar, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, jam and paprika, to make a smooth sauce.
- Drizzle the salad with dressing and serve immediately.
- If you want, you can add some almonds or other roasted nuts.
Roasted Sweet Mini Peppers
Mini Bell Peppers look so cute and perfect and tastes delicious, either roasted or raw. Normally, I’m not a big fan of bell pepper, but can’t say “NO” to this colorful bag with sweet mini bell peppers. These mini peppers add flavor and texture to a variety of dishes. You can serve it hot or cold, with meat or fish, or just eat it as a snack.
Roasted Sweet Mini Peppers
Ingredients
- 600 g mini bell peppers
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- some olive oil
- some green onion or any fresh herbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cut the stems off the mini peppers, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut the half peppers into the strips. Spread the mini peppers onto the baking sheet, coat it with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove mini peppers from the oven and garnish with fresh herbs before serving.
Tuna Rice Salad
Very nourishing and yet simple to make salad from canned tuna, rice, corn, avocado, eggs and tomatoes. No mayonnaise! This salad always comes to my mind when I have leftover rice.
Tuna Rice Salad
Ingredients
- 2 hard boiled eggs peeled
- 1 can (150 g) tuna in its own juice drained
- 100 g fully cooked rice
- 1 avocado
- 1 can whole kernel sweet corn drained
- 2 medium tomatoes cut into 6-8 wedges
- 1/4 red oinon peeled and cut in half-moon
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Tbs olive oil
- Green onion or fresh dill minced
Instructions
- In a nice big serving plate, mash tuna using a fork. Add rice and stir to combine.
- Cut the avocado in half, using a sharp knife, slice through the avocado lengthwise until you feel the knife hit the pit. Remove the pit and dice avocado into cubes.
- Add avocado, corn, tomatoes, and red onion. Carefully mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with olive oil.
- Slice eggs into quarter. Arrange them on top of the salad. Garnish with green onion.
Creamy Zucchini Soup
This deliciuos Creamy Zucchini Soup is extremely easy to cook. Only three main ingredients: zucchinis, onions and milk.
Creamy Zucchini Soup
Ingredients
- 5 zucchinis
- 3 onions
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 3-4 Tbsp olive oil
- salt and ground pepper
- 300 ml water
- 300 ml milk (2%)
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 1 tsp mix of herbs de Provence
- Few pinches of paprika for serving
Instructions
- Peel and chop onions.
- Peel and chop garlic.
- Cut the zucchinis.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil, add onions and garlic. Cook until golden, while stirring constantly.
- Add zucchinis, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
- Add water, milk and heavy cream. The level of liquid should just cover the veggies. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the herbs of Provence and simmer about 20 minutes.
- Puree the soup with blender until smooth. If the soup is too thick, add some milk or heavy cream. Bring to a boil once again and remove the pan from the heat. Taste the soup, and add salt and pepper accordingly.
- Serve the creamy soup and don’t forget to sprinkle with paprika or decorate with fresh herbs.
French Buckwheat Crepes with Mushrooms
Prepare buckwheat crepes and garnish them with this delicious, simple mushroom and sour cream combination. A French favorite!
Find other recipes on this site: the buckwheat crepes or the version with ham and cheese.
French Buckwheat Crepes with Mushrooms
Ingredients
Buckwheat Crepes (for 12 galettes)
- 250 g buckwheat flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 350 ml water
- 350 ml milk
- 2 eggs
- 50 g melted butter
Filling (4 servings)
- 1 onion peeled and minced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 400 g mushrooms cleaned and sliced or 2 jars of canned sliced mushrooms
- 150 ml sour cream
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mix buckwheat flour with salt, milk, water, and eggs together. Add melted butter and whisk until you get a smooth batter. Cover with plastic and and let rest for at least 2 hours. When you are ready to cook the crepes, stir the batter before frying each crepe.
- In a medium skillet, heat the oil add onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
- Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Add the sour cream, mix well, and cook for another few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Heat a lightly buttered nonstick skillet. Add 1/4 cupful batter to skillet and immediately tilt to fully cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer. Cook for a few seconds until the surface isn’t liquid.
- Without flipping the crepe, place 2-3 Tbsps of mushroom’s filling in the center. A 10-15 seconds later, as the crepe seems to be ready, carefully lift the sides with a spatula and fold them to form a square, or triangle.
- Carrefully transfer the crepe from the pan to tha plate, and serve quickly.
Whole Roast Duck With Apple and Cranberry Stuffing
Impress your holiday guests this year with crisp, delicious and full of juices roasted duck. This recipe is very simple and easy to make. The best way to serve it is with mashed potatoes.
Whole Roast Duck With Apples And Cranberry Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 (2 kg, or more) duck
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 20 g butter (or 2 Tbsp olive oil)
- 1 onion
- 2 sticks celery
- 2 apples Granny Smith
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry duck with paper towels. Season inside and outside with salt and pepper.
- Peel and finely chop the onion.
- Cut celery into thin slices.
- Peel, core and cut apples into small cubes.
- Heat olive oil or butter in a frying pan. Add onion and celery and sauté for 3-4 minutes until golden. Season with some salt and pepper.
- Add apples and cranberries. Remove from the heat.
- Add bread crumbs and mix well.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Stuff duck with prepared stuffing. Secure skin underneath with skewer or toothpicks.
- Rub the skin with olive oil and place it into the roasting pan with the breast side down. Roast for one hour.
- Baste all over every 15-20 minutes with juices from the bottom of the pan.
- Flip the duck over and continue to roast for another 20-30 minutes. Cover wings and legs with foil if it gets too brown.
- The duck is done if the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted in the thickest part of the leg. Remove from the oven and cover the duck with aluminum foil for at least 10 minutes.
Chickpea Salad with Feta Cheese
The chickpea Salad with Feta Cheese is a very simple salad, composed of canned chickpeas and feta. The tomatoes and bell peppers are not necessary, but provide more flavor and vitamins, as well as a vibrant color.
Chickpea Salad with Feta Cheese
Ingredients
- 400 g (1 can) garbanzo beans drained
- 150 g feta cheese cubed
- 15 cherry tomatoes, or 2 medium tomatoes sliced
- 1 bell pepper cored and sliced
- 1/2 red onion cut into thin slices
- 1 clove garlic pressed
- Fresh or dried herbs (cilantro, chive, dill) chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon (juice only)
- 3-4 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a salad bowl, mix the chickpea, feta, tomatos, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and herbs.
- Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with freshly pressed lemon juice and olive oil. Serve right away or keep it in the refrigerator.
Tabbouleh Salad
Tabbouleh salad has been a fundamental part of Middle Eastern cuisine for many years. The main ingredients are bulgur, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil, the rest ingredients are fresh or marinated vegetables, olives, raisins and spices. This salad is very flexible, fell free to add more or less of any spices of your choice.
Tabbouleh Salad
Ingredients
- 200 g couscous
- 200 ml boil water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 tomatoes
- 1 english cucumber or 4 small ones
- 1 onion
- 1 bell pepper (any color) (I used 3 mini bell peppers)
- 1/4 bunch fresh parsley
- 1/4 bunch Fresh mint
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Few drops tabasco sauce (optional)
- 1 large lemon
- 6 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water and 1/4 tsp of salt to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover tightly with a lid and remove from heat, let steam for 5 minutes. Cool it down.
- Cut tomatoes into small pieces.
- Peel and cut cucumber into small cubes.
- Peel and thinly chop onion.
- Remove seeds from bell pepper and cut into small cubes.
- Finely chop fresh parsley and mint.
- Place the chopped vegetables, herbs and bulgur in a mixing bowl. Add Tabasco sauce. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Mix gently. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
- Transfer to a serving plater or serve it as a castle (using a ring)
- Or in a glass.
- Or as stuffed tomatoes.