Children are funny, especially when it comes to food.  My children are fairly good eaters, thanks to “The Kosher Mom”.  I personally don’t have the patience she has.  Her willingness to sit with them (from the time they first started to eat solid foods) to make sure they not only ate, but enjoyed the foods they were eating, has certainly paid off.  There isn’t much my children don’t like.  If they are being finicky, it’s more than likely because they are tired or simply don’t want to eat.  It’s very rarely because of the food.

This morning, before they headed off to school, my two older children asked me to make them “Magic Soup” for dinner.  It was a dreary morning here in the Holy Land and the air smelled like it was going to rain, so I kind of knew why they were asking for this bright orange bowl of magic.  Naturally, I aim to please my children, so I happily obliged.  It’s a very simple recipe, and by adding a few “sophisticated” ingredients, it’s suitable for adults as well.

Ingredients:

3 cups of cubed winter squash

1 red bell pepper (chopped)

1 medium onion (can be yellow or red, whatever you have on hand) (chopped)

2 medium sized garden tomatoes (chopped)

1 tsp salt

2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp olive oil

Soup Nuts

Grated cheddar cheese (for the children)

Goat’s feta cheese (cubed) (for the adults)

Flat leaf parsley, whole, washed (for the adults as a garnish)

Kettle of boiling water (amount varies, but roughly 750 mL)

Hand blender (food processor or regular blender will work just as well, but a hand blender is the easiest to clean).

In a medium sized sauce pan, add the veggies (squash, red bell pepper, onions, tomatoes).  Pour in boiling water until it just covers the veggies. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to a medium low. Let it simmer for about twenty minutes.  Remove the pan from the stove top, add the salt, turmeric and olive oil.  Blend with the hand blender until you have a smooth consistency.  It will be slightly thick and not too runny.  If you feel you have added too much water, remove some before you start to blend, and add as you see fit.  Taste the soup.  Don’t worry if it’s not too salty.  The soup nuts and cheese add more salt flavor to the soup.

Ladel soup into a bowl, top with cheddar and soup nuts (for the children) or goat’s feta and parsley for the adults.