The magic of onion, carrot and celery
by Mary Bailey
Have you noticed how many great dishes build flavour using a few thrify, everyday ingredients? And how similar they are across cuisines? In Italy it’s minced onion, carrot, celery cooked in olive oil, aka soffritto. In France it’s mirepoix, the same three veg, diced in butter. The Germans call chopped carrot, celeriac and leek suppengrün and the Cajun Holy Trinity uses onion, celery and bell pepper. A Mexican chef told me that Mexican sofrito is diced onion, carrot and red pepper. It’s easy to start with these base builders and cook near recipe-free meals. A friend preps soffritto, then freezes in ice cube trays to have on hand for quick meals. Here’s a few recipes that highlight soffritto and mirepoix to get you started.
Barley and Kale Soup
This recipe adds garlic and rosemary to the soffritto along with soy sauce and fish sauce to amp up flavours.
| ¼ c | extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving | |
| 1 med | onion, minced | |
| 1 lg | carrot, minced | |
| 2 stalks | celery, minced (about 1 cup) | |
| 2 T | chopped fresh rosemary leaves | |
| 1 clove | garlic, minced | |
| 2 T | tomato paste | |
| ½ c | pearl barley | |
| 1 head | kale, roughly torn, ribs removed | |
| 6 c | vegetable or chicken stock | |
| 2 | bay leaves | |
| 4″ chunk | parmesan rind | |
| 2 t | soy sauce | |
| 1 t | fish sauce (optional) | |
| kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper | ||
| handful | fresh parsley leaves (about ¼ c), chopped | |
| Parmigiano for serving |
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the rosemary and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to sizzle, about 5 minutes longer. Add the kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the barley and cook, stirring, until coated with oil, about 1 minute.
Add stock. Add bay leaves, parmesan rind, soy sauce and fish sauce (if using), and bring to a boil. Reduce to a bare simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the barley is softened, about 25 minutes. Season to taste. Take out bay leaves. Stir in parsley.
To serve, drizzle with more olive oil and grate cheese over.
Serves 4-6.
Lemony Lentil Soup
Nothing more comforting than a bowl of lentil soup on a cold night. This recipe, adapted from the Alberta Pulse Growers, uses quick-cooking red lentils and comes together in under a half hour.
| 1 T | canola oil |
| ½ c | diced yellow onion |
| 3 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 1 | red pepper, sliced thinly |
| 1 c | diced sweet potato (about 1 small sweet potato) |
| 2 T | fresh grated ginger |
| 2 t | turmeric |
| 1 t | cumin |
| ½ t | cinnamon |
| ½ t | dried chili flakes |
| 5 c | vegetable stock |
| 1 c | dried red split lentils |
| salt to taste | |
| 1 | lemon, zest and juice |
| fresh basil or cilantro, for garnish |
In a deep soup pot or Dutch oven, heat canola oil over medium. Add the onions, garlic, red pepper, and sweet potato and sauté for 2-3 minutes, just until onions begin to sweat and soften.
Stir in the ginger, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon and chili flakes and sauté for another 1-2 minutes. Add broth and lentils, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-12 minutes until lentils have softened. Season. Stir in lemon juice and zest just before serving. Garnish bowls with chopped basil or cilantro, if desired.
Serves 6-8.
Cuban Black Bean Soup
A warming and thrifty soup using pantry ingredients, and it’s a good soup to have in the freezer for quick meals. Tienda Latina has very nice black beans for not much money. The sofrito, with the addition of bay and garlic, lends depth and flavour to the soup. It’s vegetarian and gluten free too.
| 1 lb | dried black beans (or 4 large cans rinsed and drained) |
| 1 lg | white onion, minced |
| 4 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 2 stalks | celery, minced |
| 2 med | carrots, minced |
| 1 med | red bell pepper, cored and minced |
| 2 | bay leaves |
| 1 t | cumin |
| 1 t | smoked paprika |
| 6 c | vegetable stock (or water) |
| juice of one orange, reserve the orange halves | |
| kosher salt and pepper to taste | |
| sour cream, chopped bell pepper or jalapeño (optional) for garnish |
If using dry beans, prep them the night before. Rinse beans under running water. Pick through and remove any broken or shriveled beans. Cover with six cups of water and soak overnight. The next day, drain and rinse beans, cover with fresh water and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered for 1 hour, drain and rinse. Reserve.
Meanwhile, sauté the garlic, onion, celery, carrots and bell pepper together until soft. Add bay leaf and spices, then add to the drained beans along with the orange halves, seasoning and stock. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 40 minutes to one hour, or until beans and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add more water if necessary. Remove the bay leaves and orange halves and partially puree (optional). Add the orange juice, cook for another 5 minutes or so to marry flavours.
To serve: top with a dollop of sour cream and chopped veg if using.
Serves 6-8.
Chicken and Dumplings Soup
Soup for dinner? Yes! This is an easy way to spread 4 chicken thighs over 6 portions. Make the dumpling dough while the soup simmers.
| 4 | bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs |
| 2 T | kosher salt, divided |
| ¾ t | fresh-ground black pepper, divided, plus more for garnish |
| 1 med | yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup) |
| 2 med | carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick rounds (about 1 cup) |
| 2 stalks | celery, chopped (about 1½ cups) |
| ¼ c | all-purpose flour |
| 6 c | chicken stock |
| 1 bunch | thyme sprigs, tied with kitchen twine, plus fresh thyme leaves for garnish |
Sprinkle chicken thighs evenly with salt and pepper. Place chicken, skin side down, in a medium Dutch oven (or large pot). Cook over medium-high, undisturbed, until skin is browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and reserve the drippings in the Dutch oven.
Add the onion, carrots and celery. Sauté over medium-high, stirring often, until just softened, about 6 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add stock and thyme bundle. Return chicken to Dutch oven; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of chicken registers at least 165°F, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken from Dutch oven (keep over medium-low heat), and transfer to a cutting board; let cool, then shred, discarding the skin and bones. Remove thyme bundle and return the shredded chicken to the broth. Check seasoning.
Biscuits
| 1½ c | flour |
| 1 t | baking powder |
| ½ t | baking soda |
| ½ t | salt |
| ¾ c | buttermilk |
| 2 T | butter, melted |
Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Mix in the buttermilk and butter until batter is just combined. Bring soup to a boil over medium-high. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into boiling soup. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook, undisturbed, until dumplings are cooked through, about 18 minutes. Garnish with additional pepper and thyme leaves. Spoon into six bowls with dumplings.
Serves 6-8.
Chef Ludo Lefebvre’s Hache Parmentier
Hache parmentier is the French name for shepherd’s pie. You probably have a shepherd’s pie recipe, but give this French version a try. The addition of the wintry spice mix brings in a whole raft of delicious flavours. Also in this recipe, the mirepoix goes in after the meat is browned. Adapted from a recipe by chef Ludo Lefebvre.
| 2 lbs | medium Yukon gold potatoes |
| kosher salt | |
| ¾ c | heavy cream |
| 6 T | unsalted butter |
| freshly-ground white pepper | |
| 10 | allspice berries |
| 1 T | fennel seeds |
| 1½ t | black peppercorns |
| 2 T | extra-virgin olive oil |
| 2 lbs | ground beef |
| 1 med | carrot, finely chopped |
| 1 med | celery rib, finely chopped |
| 1 med | red onion, finely chopped |
| kosher salt | |
| ½ c | dry white wine |
| 1 c | water |
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt and simmer over medium heat until tender, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a spice grinder, combine the allspice berries, fennel seeds and black peppercorns; grind into a fine powder.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the ground beef, ground spices and a generous pinch of salt. Cook over medium-high, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until just starting to brown, about 6 minutes.
Add the carrot, celery, onion and a generous pinch of salt to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is cooked through and the vegetables are softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the water is nearly evaporated, about 7 minutes. Season, then spoon into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Reserve.
Drain the potatoes well and, using a paring knife, peel off the skins. In the same saucepan, melt the butter in the heavy cream over medium-low heat. Pass the peeled potatoes through a ricer or food mill into the saucepan. Season generously with salt and white pepper. Dollop the potatoes on the beef filling in the baking dish, then spread in an even layer. Bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve.
Serves 6-8.
Heart of the Home’s Cosy Lasagne
A version of this classic dish with a slightly different technique for the ragù. The recipe looks long with many steps but most of the time is spent in the oven. Think of it as a delicious cold January weekend project. Bonus: your house will smell amazing. Adapted from a New York Times recipe by Heart of the Home’s Lauren Verret.
Ragù Bolognese
| 1 lb | mild Italian sausage |
| 1 lb | hot Italian sausage |
| 1 lb | ground beef |
| kosher salt | |
| fresh ground pepper | |
| 2 T | extra virgin olive oil |
| 4 rashers | bacon, chopped |
| 1 | med onion, shredded |
| 1 stalk | celery, very finely chopped |
| 1 lg | carrot, peeled and shredded |
| 5-8 cloves | garlic, thinly sliced |
| 6 oz can | tomato paste |
| 1 c | red wine |
| 28 oz can | whole peeled San Marzano Tomatoes |
| 1 c | beef broth |
| 1 c | whole milk |
Preheat oven to 225°F. Remove sausage from casings, mix with beef with your hands in a large bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper. Make 20 or so meatballs, they don’t have to be perfect.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. I use my biggest 12 L Creuset pot for this, but a pot even half the size will do. Working in 2-3 batches, brown meatballs on as many sides as you can until browned all over. Be careful to adjust your heat to avoid any burning. Transfer to a baking sheet. This might seem like a lot of extra work, but browning meatballs gives the ragù a nice chunky texture.
Reduce heat to medium, add bacon and sauté until it just starts to brown. Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6-8 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens, about 2 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until nearly evaporated, 4-5 minutes. Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands, and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is jammy and reduced by about half, 8-10 minutes. Add broth and milk and return the meatballs to pot. Bring to a simmer. Cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and transfer to the oven. Bake the sauce (no need to stir, do check after an hour or so to ensure liquid is at a low simmer, adjusting oven temperature as needed) until meatballs are falling-apart tender, 3-4 hours.
Chop or break the meatballs coarsely, season with salt and pepper. You should have about 8 cups sauce. Reduce over medium-low heat, if necessary
Béchamel
| ½ c | butter |
| ¼ c | all-purpose flour |
| 6 c | whole milk |
| 1 c | grated Parmesan |
| pinch | cayenne pepper |
| pinch | ground nutmeg |
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking occasionally, until flour begins to smell a bit nutty, about 4 minutes. Quickly whisk in milk and increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, whisking occasionally, until smooth and velvety, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the cheese, cayenne and nutmeg (you should have about 6 cups). Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and use within 1 hour or chill.
Lasagna
| 1lb pkg | lasagne noodles |
| 16 oz pkg | (or equivalent) ricotta |
| 4 c | shredded mozzarella |
| 1 c | grated parmesan |
Preheat oven to 325°F. Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally and separating noodles so they don’t stick to each other, until just starting to soften but still snap in half rather than bend when folded; 3 minutes is the magic number. They will be so firm it will just seem all wrong, but this is what separates al dente lasagna layers from gummy ones. Transfer noodles to a large bowl of cold water to cool. Drain and lie flat in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, separated by parchment or wax paper.
Lightly oil a 9×13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Spread 1½ cups sauce in dish. Lay a single layer of noodles over sauce (you will need to cut some noodles in half in order to fill the gaps). Spoon 1¼ cups béchamel over noodles, spreading in an even layer with a small offset spatula. Blob on several tablespoons of ricotta. Top béchamel and ricotta with 1½ cups ragù. Repeat, creating 4-6 layers depending on your pan and ending with remaining 1 cup béchamel. Top with mozzarella and grated parmesan. It should come right to the top edge of the dish, and the top layer of pasta will get super crunchy when baked.
Cover with a lightly oiled piece of foil and set on a rimmed baking sheet (just to catch drips). Bake lasagna until bubbling gently around the edges, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 425°F; carefully place rack in top of oven. Uncover and continue to bake until the top is browned and crisp around the edges, 10-15 minutes.
Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving.
Serves 8-12.