A Good Appetite: soup

Showing posts with label soup. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Creamy Cauliflower and Red Lentil Soup

This is a gorgeous and flavorful fall soup. Even though it is very creamy, thanks to blending, there is no cream in it except the soup cream you garnish it with. Fresh ginger and a pinch of cayenne give it that touch of warm that is perfect for colder winter.

Wouldn't that make a beautiful starter for Thanksgiving? Or just great meal with some bread on a busy weeknight? It is really complimented with rolls or pretzels with poppy seeds on them. You can make this ahead of time too since I think it was even better a day or two later.

Creamy Cauliflower and Red Lentil Soup

1 T unsalted butter
1 T olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 T fresh peeled, minced ginger
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small head of cauliflower, chopped (about 2 - 2 1/2 cups)
1 c red lentils
6 c water
1 t ground mustard
1 t coriander
2 t turmeric
pinch or two of cayenne
salt
sour cream

In a large heat pot heat the butter and olive oil over medium hight heat. Add the onion and ginger. Sauté until the onion is starting to become translucent. Add all the remaining ingredients except the salt and sour cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 20 - 30 minutes, until the vegetables and lentils are tender. Use an immersion blender, blender or food processor to blend to desired creaminess. We got our almost blended, but left a few chunks of vegetables for texture. Salt to taste.

Serve garnished with sour cream.

Makes 6 servings.

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Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Thai-Inspired Chicken, Cabbage and Noodle Soup

This was another dish inspired by leftovers and what was in the fridge. Basically, I had some roast chicken that needed to be used up, plus a head of cabbage. I don't know why, but that just seemed like a start to an Asian soup to me. Add the fact, I had some fresh ginger and my path was clear.

The ingredient that really makes this dish is the Thai Sweet Chili Sauce. It gives it a wonderful sweet and spicy flavor (very mildly spicy). A touch of lime juice added a little but of needed sour. What you end up with is a different take on a comforting chicken noodle soup that has a great fresh, almost lightness, to it.

Thai-Inspired Chicken, Cabbage and Noodle Soup
4 c chicken stock
1 t minced fresh ginger
2 green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
1 carrot, sliced thin
3 T Thai sweet chili sauce
1/2 t soy sauce
2 t lime juice
2 c cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
small cabbage, cored and cut into approximately 2 inch piece, about 2 - 3 cups
3 - 4.5 oz thin rice sticks (3 for 2 servings and 4.5 for 3)
salt

In large soup pot, stir together the stock, ginger, white part of the green onions, carrots, Thai sweet chili sauce, soy sauce and lime juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the carrots soften slightly. Add chicken and cabbage. Cook until cabbage wilts a little. Taste for salt and add if needed.

Meanwhile put the rice sticks into a heat proof bowl, I like to break them up a little. Cover with boiling water. Let sit for about 8 - 10 minutes until the noodles are softened, stirring occasionally.

Drain the noodles and divide between bowls. Pour soup on top of the noodles. Sprinkle with green onion greens.

Makes 2 very large or 3 smaller servings (Matt and I ate almost the whole thing ourselves, but it could have easily been divided between 3.)

Monday, January 14, 2013

White Bean and Ham Soup

We picked up a new toy for the kitchen this weekend, something that Matt has been thinking about and researching for a little while.

It's a Breville Fast Slow Cooker. What the heck does that mean? Well, it's a slow cooker, but also a pressure cooker, and a steamer, plus it apparently makes the fluffiest rice ever. Oh and unlike other slow cookers, you can sauté and sear ingredients in it before starting the slow cooking (love this, no getting another pan dirty). Matt has been wanting a pressure cooker, but I just felt like it was another kitchen appliance to store. He sold me on this one because it can do some many things and take the place of a couple other appliances in the cupboard.

Matt's boss has one and says it makes the most amazing soups, so that is where we started.

This is a pretty basic ham and bean soup just using the leftover ham bone from Christmas and dry Rancho Gordo Yellow Eye beans. We threw everything in the machine, set the pressure cooker for medium and let it go for 30 minutes. I have to say I was dubious about the beans cooking in 30 minutes. (We had a few first timer problems, like "someone" couldn't stop himself from touching it which let out all the pressure and we had to start over part way in.) The end result was pretty amazing though, a rich soup with perfectly cooked bean. We didn't even use stock as the base. So, I would say the first experiment was pretty darn successful and homemade soup in 30 minutes that tastes like it cooked for hours is quite a treat.

White Bean and Ham Soup
We did this in a pressure cooker, but you can easily make it in a slow cooker or on the stove, it'll just take longer

ham bone with meat on it
1 c chopped yellow onion
1 c chopped celery
1 c diced carrot
1 c dry yellow beans (or other white bean)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 bay leaves
2 T chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Cut the excess meat off the ham bone. Chop and set aside. We got about 5 oz of meat from ours. You'll put the bone in your soup.

Put everything except the parsley in your pressure cooker, slow cooker or large soup pan. Add 6 cups of water. In a pressure cooker, set to medium and cook 30 minutes. In a slow cooker set to high and let cook 4 - 6 hours (until beans are soft). On the stove, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for about 3 hours, until the beans are tender.

Remove the ham bone. Stir in the parsley and reserved ham. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Makes 5 servings
183 calories per serving (will vary based on the amount of ham meat you put in your soup.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Beef, Mushroom and Farro Soup

We are so busy this time of year getting ready for Christmas. Meals tend to be hearty and easy. If they give us leftovers, all the better. Soup seems to fit the bill a lot.

This classic soup is fill of umami and will keep you satified on a cold winter night.

We used farro in this soup because we didn't have enough barley on hand, you can certainly substitute.

Beef, Mushroom and Farro Soup

1 T olive oil
1 lb stew beef
8 oz button mushrooms
2 yellow onions sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 c beef broth
2 c water
2 T soy sauce
1 t crushed, dried rosemary
1 c farro
salt and pepper

In a large heavy soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the beef. Add the beef to the pot and sauté until cooked through. Add the mushrooms and onions. Sauté a minute or two until the onions are tender and the mushrooms have released their liquid. Add the garlic sauté another minute. Add the broth, water, soy sauce and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Add the farro. Bring to a boil again. Reduce the heat, cover leaving the cover open slightly and simmer for 20 minutes or until the farro is tender (it should still have a slight toothiness to it). If it seems too thick add another cup of water. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Serve with a crusty bread.

Makes 6 servings.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Easy Gazpacho

When the tomatoes are ripe and the temps soar into the triple digits, it's the right time of year for gazpacho. Really, there is nothing like a bowl of this cooling soup with some crusty bread when the thought of turning on the oven, or even the grill, seems unbearable.

Ok, you do have to turn on the stove for this, but just briefly to blanch the tomatoes to remove the skins. Do it in the morning before the house heats up.

I just winged it with this version using what vegetables we had on hand and adding things I thought sounded good. Funny thing is, it's probably the best version of gazpacho I've ever made. All the flavors blend together so one vegetable doesn't over power the rest. The balsamic adds some depth and the red pepper flakes a litte zing. The color is a gorgeous deep red. Cilantro, while not typical in gazpacho, really goes with it beautifully, but if you are one of those people who can't eat cilantro leave it out. I can't recommend topping it with sweet corn more, the crunch and sweetness it adds is really something special.

Easy Gazpacho

1 c peeled, seeded and roughly chopped tomatoes
1 red pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1 large sweet white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
handful of fresh cilantro (optional)
1 11.5 oz can of tomato juice
1 t kosher salt
1/8 t - 1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 T balsamic vinegar

Put everything in a blender or food processor. Process until everything is chopped but the soup still has a little texture. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed.

Makes 4 cups

Optional toppings:
cooked corn kernels (To cook an ear of corn easily, peel the husk without removing it. Remove all the silk you can. Push the husk back up around the corn. Microwave on hight for 3 minutes. Perfectly done corn)
diced cucumbers
diced onion

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Is it just me or does it seem like everyone is sick right now? Both Matt and I seem like we are on the verge of coming down with something, a cold or flu maybe. It seemed like a good week for some homemade chicken noodle soup.

Chicken soup is such a basic I didn't even think about posting a recipe for it here. Then a friend of mine asked if I was going to post it after she recently had a bad experience with a salty canned soup. Oh, I heard her there, I have a big problem with canned chicken soup too because of the salt and the MSG. Then Matt told me this was the best batch of soup I'd ever made, so I figured I best write it down even if just for my own reference.

In my book there are three main things needed for a good chicken noodle soup, good stock, fresh parsley and the right noodles.

My freezer is almost always full of homemade stock. It's so easy to make and so much better than most you get in the store. All I do is put a chicken carcass or two, a couple of carrots, some celery stalks, a quartered onion, some thyme sprigs and a few crushed peppercorns in a large soup pot. Cover it all with a good amount of water and let it simmer all day. Often I add more water as the day goes on. At the end of the day I strain it into two cup containers and fill the freezer. I've made it with just the carcass and it's been just fine but it's such much better with the vegetables. I do not salt my stock until I use it.

Fresh flat leaf Italian parsley seems to be the ingredient that makes my soup taste like the ones we love from a deli. I think it is the fresh, almost citrus flavor it adds. Do not skip it.

Noodles. This has been the hardest thing to get right. When I get chicken noodle soup from the deli it has these thick egg noodles that still have a little toothiness to them. I've tried making my own,

they were good, but a lot of work and I ended up with a ton. I was really hoping to find them ready made (I know, I know but often when I'm making chicken noodle soup, it's because I dont' feel well, so the easier the better). Well, this time I found them, Mrs. Weiss Kluski Egg Noodles

They were perfect!

Ok, I guess I did have a lot to say about this "basic." On to the recipe. Most recipes I've seen for chicken noodle soup on line have you start with the whole chicken and make the stock. Mine assumes you have the stock already made which means it comes together in about an hour.

Chicken Noodle Soup
If you have leftover cooked chicken you can use it in this and just skip the step of cooking it.

1/2 T olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
1/2 c chopped onion
1 c sliced carrots
1 c sliced celery
8 c chicken stock (if you stock is very flavorful and thick use part stock part water, with mine I go half and half)
1/4 c chopped flat Italian leaf parsley
1 bay leaf
1 t fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper
4 oz dumpling egg noodles

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and sauté until it is no longer pink. Add the onions, carrots and celery. Sauté until the onion is translucent.

Put the stock into a large soup pot. Add the cooked chicken and vegetables. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the parsley, the bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 15 minutes.

Add the salt and pepper to taste. Bring the soup to a boil. Add the noodles. Let cook at a rolling boil for 16 minutes or for the time required for your noodles. You want the noodles to be cooked but not mushy. In the last minute or two add the remaining parsley.

Check once more for seasoning.

Makes 4 servings.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Crock Pot Bean and Sausage Soup

We are all about the comfort foods right now and this soup came about because of a craving for cassoulet. Now, this is by no means a cassoulet, but it's a kissing cousin with its slow cooked beans and sausage.

You could not get much easier than this dinner. It's pretty much a throw everything in the crock pot and let it simmer all day sort of thing, I didn't even bother crisping the bacon before cooking. It smells amazing and is full of wonderful slow cooked flavor.

A few notes on this dish: You could easily skip the kale, but we are always looking for ways to get a dark leafy green in the winter. The only thing I might do differently next time is add the sausage the same time as the kale. It got a pretty soft texture from the long cooking. The soup gets a lot of its flavor from the sausage, but that last hour should be enough time for that to happen.

Crock Pot Bean and Sausage Soup

1 c dried white or yellow beans (we used Rancho Gordo Yellow Indian Woman Beans)
12 oz smoked andouille sausage links, sliced into rounds
2 slices smoked bacon, chopped
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2 springs fresh thyme
5 c chicken broth or if you are using a good hearty stock a mix of stock and water
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin
2 bay leaves
2 c frozen pearl onions
4 oz chopped kale
salt and pepper

Rinse the beans. Put everything except the kale in the crock pot. Set to high and let cook for about 4 hours. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add the kale. Let cook about another hour until the beans are nice and tender. Serve with a good crusty bread.

Makes 4 - 5 servings.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Sausage, Bean and Kale Soup

What could be better on a chilly, rainy fall day than a bowl of hearty soup?

Not much in our books. We really couldn't be more happy to have soup season on us again and this soup was a great way to kick it off.

This soup is super simple to make and, despite that fact it doesn't have a huge list of ingredients, it's full of flavor. The trick is to use good beans and sausage, both of which give a lot of flavor to the broth. We used Ranch Gordo Yellow Indian Woman Beans, which is a small bean that retains it shape while cooking yet still gets creamy on the inside. They have a rich, earthy flavor. You want to make sure the sausage is well spiced, some brands can be a little bland (which is why we started making our own). If yours is, add a little extra fennel and garlic with the red pepper flakes to the broth. A good dose of seasonal kale ups the healthy quotient.

Sausage, Bean and Kale Soup
(I use dried beans, but you can used can beans if you wish and cut the first simmering time to 30 minutes.)

1 c dried yellow Indian woman beans (or white beans)
1 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz bulk Italian sausage
1/4 t crush red pepper flakes (skip if you use a spicy Italian sausage)
1 T tomato paste
1 bay leaf
5 c chicken stock
kosher salt
4 oz fresh kale, roughly chopped

Rinse the beans. Put them in a pot or crock pot with about 3 cups water. Simmer for about 2 hours until almost tender. Drain.

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion becomes translucent. Add the sausage and cook through. Stir in the red pepper flakes and tomato paste. Add the bay leaf and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Remove the cover. Taste the broth and add salt as needed. Add the kale and simmer uncovered until tender, about 30 more minutes.

Makes 5 - 6 servings.

What soup is fall making you crave?

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Sweet Corn Gazpacho

I love a good cold bowl of gazpacho especially on hot, steamy days like we've been having, but it has to be a good bowl of gazpacho. It is so disappointing to order something called gazpacho and just get a bowl of cold tomato soup. To me, gazpacho is much more than just tomato, it's the perfect blend of all the vegetables that are in season.

The typical combination of vegetables is tomato, cucumber and peppers, but when I saw the beautiful sweet corn that was finally here I knew I had to add it too. Now, I'm not sure I'll like gazpacho as much without it! I love the sweetness it adds to the soup plus the crunch it adds as a garnish.

This is the perfect hot weather meal as the only cooking involved is the corn (well, ok I blanched my tomatoes for peeling). Other than that everything else just gets thrown in the blender. I serve the soup with some hearty white bread, usually what's left of the loaf I used in the soup itself.

Sweet Corn Gazpacho
(If you like your gazpacho to have a little kick add a hot pepper along with the sweet ones.)

2 ears sweet corn
1 clove garlic, peeled
kosher salt
1 1/2 lbs tomatoes, peeled & seeded
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces + a little extra chopped for a garnish
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1/2 c chopped, seeded sweet pepper
1 T sherry vinegar
2 T olive oil
1/2 c pieces of heavy white bread (preferably a day old though I used fresh a& it worked fine) with crusts removed
Pepper
pinch or two of cayenne pepper

Husk the sweet corn. Cook in boiling water until crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Remove and let cool. Cut the kernels from the cobs.

Put the garlic clove and two pinches of salt into a mortar and pestle. Crush until it forms a paste.

Put the corn kernels in a blender, reserving a few tablespoons to garnish the soup later. Add the garlic paste, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, sweet pepper. Purée until everything is chopped very finely. Add the vinegar and olive oil.

Put the bread pieces in a bowl and add 1/2 cup cold water. Let sit until the bread absorbs most of the water. Squeeze the water from the bread, reserving the water. Add the bread to the blender. Purée until smooth and creamy. If you want it thinner add the bread water a little at a time.

Chill for at least an hour. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne before serving. Serve garnished with the reserved corn and a little chopped cucumber.

Makes 2 - 3 main dish servings.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Cuban Black Bean and Ham Soup

Ok, forget any ham and bean soup I've made up to this point because this one is hands down the new winner.

It is cold again in Minneapolis and once again spring snow is predicted. Soup is just the thing in this kind of weather but, we are craving lighter, fresher spring foods. This soup is a great half way point. The ham and beans are hearty while the lime and cilantro give it a bright, almost tropical, flavor. If you've got some ham leftover from this past Easter, I can't think of a better use for it.

Cuban Black Bean and Ham Soup

1 T olive oil
3/4 c chopped yellow onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 c chopped cooked ham
zest from half a lime
2 15oz cans black beans (do not rinse or drain)
2 c chicken stock
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 t hot sauce (or more to taste)
1/2 t cumin
juice of one lime
chopped cilantro
salt
sour cream or plain yogurt (optional)

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper. Sauté until the onion is translucent, 3 - 4 minutes. Add the ham and sauté another minute. Stir in the lime zest, beans (including liquid), stock, tomatoes (including juices), hot sauce and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer for 45 minutes.

Add the lime juice and cilantro. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt if desired.

4 - 5 servings.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Reviewing the Recipes - Italian Kale and Farro Soup

We cook a lot of recipes from around the internet and various cookbooks that I don't write about because we don't change the recipe much or at all. I decided to start a series reviewing some of those recipes...

Matt is a loyal Serious Eats reader and often prints out recipes from their Dinner Tonight series. This Italian Kale and Farro Soup is one of those recipes.

These recipes are typically easy and interesting, perfect for a work night. This soup was no exception. Other than some chopping it took no time at all to prepare. It's basically a vegetable soup with farro added to it but, it has some really great flavor thanks to the leek, garlic and fresh thyme. We love the farro, it doesn't get as soft as barley can and adds a nutty flavor (yes, it is quite a bit more expensive than barley). I was worried the kale wouldn't have enough time to cook to tenderness but 20 minutes ended up being just enough time to soften it yet still leave a little texture.

We had only one issue with this recipe and that was with the quantity of some of the ingredients. First, it called for 4 tablespoons of olive oil to sauté the onion and leeks, that is a lot of oil. I cut it in half with no problem. Second, was the amount of farro. The recipe called for 2 cups for 4 servings, that is 1/2 cup per serving, way too much in our book. We cut it down to 1 1/2 cups and we still ended up with a soup that was almost a stew. When Matt had it the next day for lunch there was no broth left, it was more like a farro pilaf or risotto. Next time we'll only use 1 cup of farro which seems more appropriate. Finally the recipe says it makes 4 servings but, with a slice or two of crusty bread we had 6 hearty servings.

This is a soup that gets high marks in our book and will end up in our cold weather rotation.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Italian Sausage and Bean Soup

We like to make a big pot of chili or soup during the week so we can have it for weekday lunches. During the winter it is so much more appealing than a cold sandwich or salad. Matt came up the the idea for this soup as a way to use up a pound of Italian sausage in the freezer. It made about 6 - 7 servings so, we are set for a couple days anyway.

Oh my, was this a flavorful soup & we didn't even use any stock in it. A lot of the flavor comes from the seasoning in the sausage so, make sure your pick a really good one or even better grind & spice your own. The red pepper, which was a last minute addition, is also a prominent flavor. Finally, we use the cooking water from beans in the soup as well. In the last couple of months we've really come to love the flavor the pot liquor from cooking beans adds to soups & stew, don't throw it out! It probably helps that we use really good Rancho Gordo beans.

Italian Sausage & Bean Soup

1 c dried white beans (we used Rancho Gordo snocaps)
1/2 T olive oil
1 lb bulk Italian sausage
1/2 red pepper, seeded & chopped
1/2 c chopped yellow onion
1 14/5 oz can diced or crushed tomatoes, juice included
1 T tomato paste
1/4 c red wine
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t dried oregano
salt
Parmesan rind (optional)

About 3 hours before you want to make the soup start your beans. Rinse the beans & put them in a pot or crockpot with about 3 cups water. Let simmer for 2 - 3 hours until almost completely tender (I like to under cook mine a little since they will cook a little more in the soup).

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage & cook through, breaking up with a spoon while cooking. Add the peppers & onions. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes with juices, beans with their cooking liquid, tomato paste, red wine, basil, oregano & two cups water. If you are adding a Parmesan rind do it now as well. Let simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste & season with salt as needed.

Serve with a good crusty bread. If you haven't used Parmesan rind you may want to sprinkle a little grated Parmesan on top.

Makes 6 - 7 servings

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

French Onion Soup for Two

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day yesterday. We certainly did. There were homemade cards, a bouquet of flower & champagne. For dinner, I made Matt French Onion Soup, a soup he loves but I just never make. I don't know why since it's so easy to make &, other than the time it takes for the onions to cook, comes together really quickly.

This is not exactly a traditional French onion soup as I didn't use beef broth. We aren't huge fans of beef broth, there is just something about the flavor, so, I decided to go with chicken stock instead. Also, we have a freezer full of homemade chicken stock. We thought the end result was just as good as any version we've had made with beef broth. The other main change I made to the original recipe was to add some malt vinegar. I think just a little bit of it helped cut through some of the sweetness of the slow cooked onions.

Topped with toasted bread & melted cheese it's a little bit of heaven in a bowl.

French Onion Soup for Two
(adapted from The Big Book of Soups and Stews)

1 T butter
1 lb, white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t white sugar
3 c chicken stock or broth
1 1/2 t worcestershire sauce
1 t malt vinegar
2 T red wine (a good excuse to open a bottle to drink with dinner)
1 bay leaf
pinch of dried thyme
salt & fresh pepper to taste
petite baguette, cut into 1/2 - 3/4 inch slices
grated gruyere

In a heavy soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic & stir well. Turn heat to low, cover & let cook for 15 minutes. Remove the lid, stir in sugar. Continue to cook uncovered on low, stirring from time to time, until the onions are very tender & light brown, about an 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

Add the stock, worcestershire, vinegar, wine, bay leaf, thyme, salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes.

You can prepare the cheese bread for the top two ways.

This version works well if you don't want to out your soup bowls in the broiler. Put the sliced bread on a baking sheet & broiled one side until crisp. Then we turned the slices over topped with the cheese & returned to the broiler until bubbly. Place the cheese bread on top of the soup.

Or you can put the soup in ovenproof bowls, top with bread slices & cheese. Put the whole thing in the broiler until the cheese is bubbly.

Makes 2 servings

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Three B's Soup

3 B's? Yes, beans, bacon & beer. Sounds good, right?

Throughout the year we've saved the little bits of leftover dried beans & lentils in a jar Matt has marked as "bean soup."

The jar was full so it was time to throw everything in the crock pot & whip up (well, slow cook) a hearty soup that will last us all week.

Other than precooking the vegetables & bacon this soup is pretty much hands off. Since you are slow cooking the beans there is no need to presoak them. Using different beans & lentils gives the soup different textures & flavors. The flavor of the beer really comes through in the broth so make sure to use something good. We used a Belgium blonde ale but I think a dark beer would be great too, maybe something with some smoky undertones. Serve with some crusty bread & you have a warming winter lunch or dinner.

Three B's Soup

3 slices of bacon, chopped
2 med. yellow onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled & diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb mixed beans (ours had a some lentils in it too)
12 oz beer (we used a blonde ale)
6 c water
large handful fresh Italian parsley, chopped
salt & pepper
1 T verjus or lemon juice

In a large skillet cook the bacon over medium-high heat until it starts to render its fat. Add the onion, carrots, celery & garlic. Sauté until the onions are translucent & the bacon is crispy. Drain fat if you wish, I didn't bother, & add everything to a large crock pot.

Rinse & pick through your beans then add them to the crock pot. Add the beer, water & parsley. Cover & turn crock pot to high. Let cook until the beans are tender about 4 hours.

Taste & season with salt, pepper & verjus or lemon juice.

Makes 6 - 8 servings

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Asian Butternut Squash and Rice Soup

Over the holidays the Cooking Channel ran a series of Jamie Oliver Family Holiday Specials. On one of them he made a butternut squash soup full of Asian flavors that sounded so interesting we just had to make it.

There was no official version of the recipe anywhere online but, I found a few people who had attempted to transcribe it from the show & I adapted from there.

We thought it was quite usual when Jamie didn't peel the squash before putting in the soup, wouldn't it stay hard? Surprise, the peel cooked up soft & tasted great. Why have we been wasting time peeling? Also, unlike a lot of butternut squash soups, this one doesn't get puréed but, stays in large chunks.

The spice mixture for this soup smelled amazing with the lime, lemongrass, garlic & ginger. So, we were surprised at how mild the final soup was especially once the coconut milk was added. The lime juice squeezed in at the end really lived all the flavors thankfully. Matt also added a good dash of sriracha. The soup was much thicker than I expected (though Matt remembered it being quite thick on the show) & almost has a rice porridge or congee texture. Quite comforting on a cold winter's night.

Asian Butternut Squash Soup
(adapted from Jamie's Family Holiday TV show)

1 c white rice (we used jasmine rice)
zest of 2 limes
2 6-inch pieces of lemongrass, crushed
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled
1 Fresno pepper, seeded (or go for something hotter if you like)
1 1/2 T olive oil
1 heaping t Asian five spice powder
1 t ground cumin
1 t kosher salt
1 small yellow onion, sliced thin
1 butternut squash, seeded & cut into 1-inch squares (do not bother to peel)
4 c chicken stock
11 oz coconut milk
juice of 2 limes

Cook rice. Rinse & set aside.

Put the lime zest, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, Fresno pepper, olive oil, Asian five spice, cumin & salt into a small food processor. Blend into a smooth paste.

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the spice mixture & sauté for 1 minute. Add the onions & cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the squash & stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & let simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cooked rice & simmer another 10 minutes. (The squash should be tender by now.) Stir in the coconut milk. Warm through. Add the lime juice. Taste for seasoning & add salt as needed. Drizzle each serving with a little olive oil if you wish.

4 servings

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Not Too Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Potato Soup

New Year's Day Matt roasted a lovely garlic chicken for our dinner. I love how comforting a roast chicken dinner is plus, is leaves us with lots of leftover chicken to play with. Matt's first suggestion was to make our Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup (always a favorite). Then I remembered that we had half a bag of broccoli in the freezer & the idea for this soup was born.

Not Too Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli & Potato Soup

Cheese is a classic flavoring in broccoli soup but Matt asked that I not make it too cheesy, which can often make a soup heavy. The potato was a last minute addition just because I had one russet that had been sitting in the potato basket for awhile. The final result was a soup that was just a comforting as the roast chicken dinner that was its initial starting point. Lots of texture & a creamy but not too thick broth with a subtle but not over-powering flavor of cheese make this soup a winner for winter.

Not Too Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli & Potato Soup

Make sure to be generous with the fresh pepper at the end, it really adds to the flavor.

2 T unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped (about 3oz)
8 oz russet potato, peeled & cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 T all-purpose flour
3 c chicken stock
1 c milk (we used 2%)
1/4 t dry mustard
4 1/2 oz white cheddar, grated
1 1/2 c cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
1 1/2 c frozen broccoli, chop if the pieces are very large
salt & fresh ground pepper

In a large soup pan melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion & potato. Sauté until the onion is translucent. Sprinkle the flour over everything & stir for 1 minute, do not let brown. Add the stock & milk. Cook while stirring until bubbly & slightly thickened. Stir in cheese & mustard until the cheese is melted. Add the chicken & broccoli. Simmer until everything is hot & the potato is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Season with salt & a generous amount of pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Sausage and Bean Soup

I don't know about you guys but I'm starting to feel the holiday pressure. Really it's my own fault. You see, I decided to make a bunch of handmade gifts this year, 2 knit scarves, a pair of mittens, 2 pairs of pjs &, here's the topper, 4 quilts. The knitting projects are done but the sewing projects are taking a little longer, I still have the pjs & 2 quilts left to make. Plus I'm heading off to San Francisco again next week! Ok, breath. (Want to see all the stuff I'm making? Visit my craft blog.)

So, what does this have to do with food anyway? Well, as I'm sewing busily away in my craft room the last thing I want to do is stop everything to make dinner. This is when I love my slow cooker. Everything gets put together either in the morning or at lunch & then I have the whole afternoon to sew without stop. This soup gave me the time to quilt a whole quilt yesterday.

Served with some crusty bread this soup makes for a hearty winter meal with lots of flavor. It uses just a little stock & mainly water as the base because the sausage & beans impart so much flavor to the broth. Chose a good flavorful, garlicy sausage.

Let's talk beans. We used Rancho Gordo Snocap beans in this soup. They are bigger than the navy bean I would usually use in this type of soup & have a wonderful creamy texture. But really you can use any white bean in it. Using dried beans though, does really make a difference here because of the flavor they add to the broth while cooking. I totally recommend buying good dried beans like Rancho Gordo's. They have such a variety & the flavors & textures are so superior to most we get in the grocery store. We usually stock up with a few pounds whenever we go to San Francisco but they are available online & are starting to pop up in stores around the country. I know here in Minneapolis you can now get them at Surdyk's.

Sausage & Bean Soup

2 oz pancetta, diced (substitute bacon if you wish)
4 oz onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 c chicken stock
2 c water
1 c dried white beans, rinsed
2 polish sausages (brat size), cut in half length-wise & then sliced
1 bay leaf
1/2 t worchestershire sauce
1/2 t salt
1/2 t dried sage
a couple grinds of fresh pepper
a few dashes hot sauce

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta & cook until it renders its fat & begins to get crispy. Add the onions, carrots, celery & garlic to the skillet & sauté until the onion begins to get translucent.

Put all the the ingredients into a slow cooker. Turn to high & let cook for 4 1/2 - 5 hours until the beans are tender. (This time will really be depended on the size of your beans, we used quite a large bean.)

Makes 4 servings

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Lasagna Soup

When Matt travels I often find myself picking up containers of soup from the deli at the local gourmet grocery store, Kowalski's, for lunch or dinner. Recently, they seem to have a whole bunch of new varieties for winter & I was intrigued by one called lasagna soup. It was so good I knew I had to try creating a version of it at home.

A creamy tomato soup is made even creamier with ricotta cheese & seasoned with basil & oregano. Sausage & lasagna noodles are added creating a hearty soup with all the flavors of lasagna. We used a spicy Italian sausage which gave a good bite of heat against the creamy, cheesy soup. The broken lasagna noodles make great soup noodles,retaining their texture even two days later, plus, I like a thick noodle in soups. This soup was tasty as is but next time I may add some spinach for color & to get some greens in our winter diet.

We had our first snowstorm of the winter this past weekend which kept us trapped inside on Saturday. This soup was the perfect warmer in front of the fire re-watching all the Harry Potter movies (yes, I'm getting excited to see the new one Thursday night!).

Lasagna Soup

1 lb bulk Italian sausage, we used hot but mild would be find too
5 oz yellow onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped, about 2 T
1 T tomato paste
1 t dried basil
1/2 t dried oregano
2 t kosher salt
few grinds fresh pepper
2 14.5 oz cans of crushed or diced tomatoes
2 T sherry
2 c chicken stock
1 c half & half
1 c ricotta
1/4 c grated parmesan
6 lasagna noodles (not the no boil kind)

In a large heavy soup pan or dutch oven brown the sausage over medium-high heat until cooked through, break it into pieces as you go. Remove from the pan & set aside.

The pan should have a good coating of fat in it from the sausage if not, add a little olive oil. Cook the onions & garlic over medium-high heat until tender & the onions are translucent. Add the tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt & pepper. Cook while stirring for about a minutes. Add the tomatoes & bring to a simmer. Let simmer 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water. Break the lasagna noodles into large pieces & put into the boiling water. Boil until just undercooked, for us that was about 6 1/2 minutes. Drain & set aside.

Process the soup until smooth either in a blender or with an immersion blender. Stir in the sherry, chicken stock & half & half. Heat through over low heat. Add the ricotta & parmesan. Stir over low heat until melted. Stir in the sausage & noodles. Taste for seasoning & adjust as needed.

Serve with extra grated parmesan if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Sausage and Bean Soup

Here's an easy little soup that Matt made up the other night. We always make a big pot of soup so that we can have it for lunches during the week which is a nice change-up from our typical sandwich.

This soup definitely leads towards Italy with its Italian sausage & garlic. The crushed red pepper flakes give it a nice back of the throat heat without being spicy. The beans we used were Vallarta beans from Rancho Gordo. They are a rich, dense bean that added a lot of flavor. We find the broth from cooking the beans is such a good base for making soup that we don't even need to add stock. (Just one of the reasons to start with dry beans instead of canned.) Can't get Vallarta beans then try using a yellow eye or great northern or even a navy bean would be good.

I found this soup was even better after a night in the refrigerator so make it on a Sunday or Saturday afternoon & have a fabulous soup for lunch all week!

Sausage & Bean Soup

1 c dry beans (see post above for variety suggestions)
1 lb bulk Italian sausage
1 large carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 c diced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t marjoram
1/4 t dried thyme
1 t dried parsley
2 1/2 oz kale*, chopped
salt to taste
Parmesan curls for presentation

Rinse the beans. Put them in a crock pot or saucepan with 3 cups water. Let simmer covered until tender, about 2 hours or so. Set aside, do not throw out the cooking water.

In a large soup pot brown the sausage over medium-high heat until cooked through. Add the carrot, celery, onion & garlic. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Stir in the red pepper flakes, marjoram, thyme & parsley. Add the beans, cooking water & kale. Add about 2 more cups water or enough to cover everything. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat & simmer for 15 more minutes. Add salt to taste.

Serve with a parmesan curl on the top of each bowl.

6 servings

*A note about the kale: We blanch & freeze kale throughout the summer & fall to use all winter. The blanching makes it a little more tender thus it needs less time to cook in our soups & stews. If you are using fresh kale you may need to cook the soup slightly longer to get the kale tender or try blanching the leaves for a minute before adding them in.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Smoked Salmon Chowder

When we were in Seattle this summer we had a fabulous smoked salmon chowder for lunch one day at Pike Place Market. It had capers in it which seemed unusual but really added a great salty tang. Now that soup weather has hit here in MN we decided to take a stab at making it ourselves.

Really the recipe is a pretty basic chowder recipe yet, the smokey flavor of the salmon & with the capers takes it to another level. It's not too heavy a chowder but, it has a real richness. This is a soup that comes together in 30 - 40 minutes making it a quick, satisfying lunch or dinner.

I was going to buy smoked salmon to make this soup but since we have so much Alaskan salmon in the freezer we decided to try smoking our own. Instead of pulling out the smoker we used one of the smoker bags we had left from out apartment days.

(Our smoker bags came from Williams-Sonoma but you can easily find them online like these on Amazon)

These bags turn your oven or grill into a smoker for about a pound of meat, fish or vegetables at a time. We've found they really do give the food a great smokey flavor (& your house will smell like an amazing bbg too). All I did to smoke the salmon was put a filet that in the bag, seal it up & put it in a 350 F preheated oven for 1 hour. The salmon came out fully cooked, flakey, moist & smokey. I didn't season it at all but it would be fun to experiment with putting sauces like teriyaki or maple on before smoking. This isn't exactly like the smoked salmon you buy in stores, which is most likely cold smoked, but its perfect for recipes like this. We plan on trying it again to use in pasta or a lentil salad.

Smoked Salmon Chowder

1 lb new potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, unpeeled
1 stalk celery, chopped
6 oz yellow onion, chopped
2 c chicken stock
1 1/2 T all-purpose flour
5 - 6 oz smoked salmon, flaked
2 c half & half
2 T drained small capers
1/2 t dried thyme
1 t kosher salt
pepper to taste
hot sauce (We used Crystal)

Put the potatoes, celery, onion & chicken stock in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Cover & reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir until combined. Add the salmon, half & half, capers, thyme, thyme, salt, a few grinds of fresh pepper & a couple of dashes of hot sauce. Stir to combine. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. Taste & adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve with crusty bread & extra hot sauce if desired.

Makes 4 - 5 servings.