Julie Van Rosendaal on cooking for celebs at the Calgary Comic Expo

The Eyeopener's food guide Julie Van Rosendaal is getting ready for one of her favourite weekends of the year, working backstage at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.

For the past few years, Julie has had one of the most important jobs at the Expo: cooking food for the pop culture celebrities who sign autographs and meet with fans.

On today's edition of the Calgary Eyeopener, she shared one of Leonard Nimoy's favourite recipes — her sausage, lentil and barley soup.

For the celebrities who don't eat meat, Julie's curried coconut sweet potato soup is a perennial crowd pleaser.

Spock Soup (Sausage, Lentil & Barley Soup)

This is the soup Julie made for Leonard Nimoy during his visit years ago — the visiting celebrities have asked for it by name every year since. Dry lentils and barley simmer together in the soup, boosting protein and fibre and thickening the broth slightly.

• canola oil, for cooking
• 1-2 mild or hot Italian sausages (I used Spolumbo's)
• half a bunch of celery
• 1-2 L chicken or vegetable stock or water
• a big handful of dry green lentils (about 1/3 cup)
• a big handful of pot or pearl barley (about 1/3 cup)
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat. Squeeze the sausage out of its casing into the pot and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink. Chop the entire bunch of celery starting at the leafy end and going about halfway down — you can use a lot of celery and throw it in the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the stock, lentils and barley, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the lentils and barley are tender. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot. Serves 4-6.

Curried Coconut Sweet Potato, Carrot & Red Lentil Soup

This smooth, flavourful soup is easily made vegan with vegetable stock; the recipe is easily doubled to feed a larger crowd, or if you want leftovers to stash in the freezer. Julie chooses the darker-fleshed sweet potatoes, often labeled yams.

• canola oil for cooking
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro stems
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
• 2 tsp. curry paste or powder (or to taste)
• 1/2 cup dry red lentils 
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• salt, to taste
• 1 14 oz (398 mL) can coconut milk
• fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

In a medium pot, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes, until soft. Add the cilantro, garlic and ginger and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the curry powder or paste and stir until heated through and fragrant.

Add the lentils, sweet potato, carrots, stock and a pinch of salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft. Stir in the coconut milk, remove from the heat and puree right in the pot with a hand-held immersion blender (or carefully, in batches, in a regular blender). Taste and add salt if needed. Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro. Serves 6.

With files from Julie Van Rosendaal and the Calgary Eyeopener