Sweet Coriander-Pepper-Sesame Crusted Salmon with a Potato-Leek-Squash Soup

I've been delving into a lot of soups recently, with the chill in the air and eagerness to take advantage of my farmer's market's fall offerings, but this one might take home the prize. What makes a good fall winter soup? Potato - check. Leek - check. Squash - check. This thick, creamy soup combines the three for a hearty and tantalizing creation. It's on the thicker end of soups, but each bite is a delight.

To pair with the savory-with-a-tinge-of-sweet soup, I also served fresh salmon crusted with coriander, pepper, and sesame seeds but sweetened with an apricot glaze. The bite of the spices mixed with the crunch of sesame and the sweetness of the fruit was a perfect blend. Each bite was interesting in its texture and flavor, and the salmon was a perfect complement to the soup.

Difficulty: medium
Time: 1 hr
Cost: $32.50



Potato-Leek-Squash Soup
Time: 50 min

Keep in mind that this recipe makes a LOT of soup. You'll easily end up with 6-8 quite large bowls ready to go. Make this for a group, or else, like me, make it on a weekend and then take extra for lunch each day, paired with some extra freshly made toasts for a great, healthy lunch at work.




Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter (no salt added)
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes (should be 4-5 cups cubed)
1 lb potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes (leave skin on, about 2-2.5 cups cubed)
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 c leek, sliced
5 c vegetable broth
1 c fat free half and half
1 baguette (fresh)
3/4 shredded low-fat mozzarella
4 tbsp chives, diced

You'll want to chop everything in advance, otherwise you'll fall behind as you start to cook. Make sure the squash, potatoes, and leek are clean and chopped.

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and let it melt, swirling to coat. As soon as it melts, add the squash, potato, salt and pepper. Stir to mix but then let it saute for about 5 minutes. Add the leek, stirring it in initially, and saute for another 3 minutes.

Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Then immediately reduce the heat and keep at a steady but gentle simmer for 20 minutes. The potato should be tender at the end of that time.

As soon as the soup is simmering, make sure to dice your chives. Also, preheat your broiler.

Slice the bread into 1/2" thick slices. Place them on a greased cookie sheet (with cooking spray.) Divide the mozzarella evenly among the slices, putting a bit on each slice. Just as the soup hits the 20 minute mark, broil these for two minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.

So the soup should hit twenty minutes right as you put the bread in the oven. You can now finish up the soup preparation. Pour half of the soup into a food processor (or blender) and process until smooth. Pour the smooth soup into a large bowl. Pour the rest of the soup in the pan into the food processor and repeat until you have all of the soup in the bowl.

Add the half and half and chives to the soup. Stir until well mixed. Serve the soup with the mozzarella toasts for dunking and eating.

Sweet Coriander-Pepper-Sesame Crusted Salmon
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 lb salmon fillets
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 c apricot preserves
1/4 c cider vinegar
1 tsp ginger, peeled and diced
1/8 tsp salt

Heat a pan over medium-high heat. As it is heating, crush the sesame seeds, peppercorns, and coriander seeds by placing them in a ziploc bag and pounding/rolling a rolling pin over them. Add the olive oil to the pan and let the oil heat.

Place the seeds on a flat surface, such as a plate or simply rip open the bag. Press the salmon fillet into the seeds so the side without skin is pressing against them. Push and roll to coat that side of the salmon.

Place the salmon, seed side down, into the pan. Cook for 3 minutes and carefully flip so the seeds are now up. (If you continue to cook on that side the seeds will burn and smoke.)

Cook the salmon for another 5-10 minutes depending on how thick it is and how well you would like it cooked. When it is cooked to your preference, remove it from the pan and set it aside on a plate.

Keep the pan on the heat and add the apricot preserves, cider vinegar, ginger, and salt. Bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the salmon. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and pour the nectar over the salmon before serving.