Bertolli Ribollita con Crostini di Pane (Italian Soup with Bread)

My Mom started making this soup back in the nineties. I remember the first time she made it I was very hesitant to try it. I mean look at all the vegetables that are in the recipe. Shudder. But, I have to admit that the vegetables are nice and tender and you really can't tell they're in the soup. Plus, this recipe has a ton of flavor and it's just a nice warming dish to have on a cold and snowy day. The other great thing about this soup is you can add or subtract whatever ingredient you might like or not. If you don't like beans substitute pasta instead. Or, have both! Plus, it goes great with the bread. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/4 c Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for serving
1/4 c each chopped and trimmed fennel, celery, onions, and carrots
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
6 c chicken broth
1 can (28oz) Italian Plum Tomatoes, cut up
2 c. peeled & diced russet potatoes
1 can rinsed and drained cannellini beans
1 c. finely shredded Savoy cabbage or Swiss chard
1 c. diced trimmed zucchini
2 tbsp. each chopped fresh parsley and basil
2 cups Pasta (optional
Salt and Freshly ground pepper
8 slices (one per bowl) Italian bread

Combine the olive oil, fennel, celery, onions, carrot, and garlic and thyme in a large heavy saucepan. Cover & cook over medium low heat until the vegetables are very soft, about 15 minutes. Do not brown.
Then, stir in the chicken broth, tomatoes, potato, beans, & cabbage or Swiss chard. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add in the zucchini, parsley, and basil. If using add in the pasta. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into a bowl and serve with a piece of bread.

Chipotle Rosemary Sweet Potato Soup

I know I've said time and time again how much I dislike cold weather. But, it's so nice sometimes to make warm and comforting foods during this time of the year. I had a bunch of sweet potatoes sitting in my fridge begging me to do something with them. I did some handy-dandy googling, and came across this recipe from Tasty Trials for sweet potato soup. This soup was very good. I liked the smokiness that the chipotle provided, and I'm always looking for a way to use up some of my rosemary. The bacon added a nice touch as well. I will definitely make this soup again, and try to use up my sweet potatoes a lot quicker next time.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
1/2 pound carrots
2-3 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp cumin, divided
2 tsp chopped rosemary, divided
3 strips of bacon, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/4 c dry white wine
3 c low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 c heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Grated Cheese, optional

First pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees, and then peel and chop the sweet potatoes and the carrots. Doesn't have to be pretty. Pour the sweet potatoes and the carrots into a glass baking dish (9x13) and sprinkle with olive oil (a couple teaspoons). Add in 1/2 tsp cumin and 1 tsp rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Toss well. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes or when they're fork tender. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large pot, crisp up the bacon and set on a paper towel for later use. In the same pot, add in the leeks and the chopped shallots. Saute over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until they caramelize. Then, add in the remaining cumin and rosemary, garlic, and chipotle puree. Stir, and let cook for a couple minutes. Add in the wine, and let reduce for a couple minutes. Then toss in the sweet potato mixture. Stir well. Add the chicken stock and simmer covered for 10 to 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender (or a regular ol' blender) and puree the mixture till smooth. Next, stir in the heavy cream and if necessary season with salt and pepper. Serve in bowls topped with the reserved bacon. Throw in some cheese if you are using. Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

OMG! Finally! I finally found a tomato soup recipe that is incredibly, deliciously, scrumptiously good!! Barefoot Contessa really knows how to put a recipe together. There's layers of flavor in this soup from the garlic to the hint of spice to the tomato flavor, of course. Heaven! That's what this soup is! It's also really simple to make and it's oh so good! Please do yourself a favor and make this soup ASAP! Forget the tomato soup I made a couple years ago. Make THIS one!! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise (I used 7 tomatoes on a vine and didn't cut them)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 quart chicken stock or water

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Next, take your tomatoes and smother them with 1/4 cup of olive oil, the salt, and the pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. 

Take a large stock pot, and add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the butter, onions, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Sautee for 10 minutes until the onions turn a slight brown color. Then, add in the canned tomatoes and the basil. Next, pour in the roasted tomatoes along with the juice from the pan. Bring this to a boil and then simmer uncovered for an additional 40 minutes. Next, use an Immersion Blender or carefully transfer a little at a time into a blender and puree the soup. Serve warm and garnish with additional basil leaves if desired. Enjoy!

Thai Soup: Tom Kha Gai

I’m on a kick. A soup kick. You may have noticed. Here’s another good one to add to the list that I found on The Daring Gourmet. It’s spicy, and if that surprises you, then you haven’t been paying attention to my recipes. Even with plenty of (light) coconut milk, it’s more of a brothy soup than a creamy soup. It’s easy, filling and even somewhat healthy. Overall, both my husband and I really enjoyed it, and definitely recommend you try it. However, one word of warning… it does not keep. So eat it all the first day. (You’ll want to!)

½  Tbsp vegetable oil

1 ½  Tbsps Thai red curry paste

3 cups chicken broth

3 cups unsweetened coconut milk (I used “light”)

1 large lemongrass stalk, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

6 thin slices fresh ginger

2 Thai chilies, cut in thin slices

3 Tbsps fresh lime juice

2 Tbsps Asian fish sauce

1 lb chicken breast, cut into thin strips

1 cup white button mushrooms, sliced thinly

1 cup frozen yellow corn (optional)

Cilantro or basil leaves for garnishing

We couldn’t find Thai chilies at Kroger (it’s hit or miss) so we used two habaneros. We did not seed them, but if you are sensitive to spice, you may want to. Start by warming the oil over medium heat in your soup pot. Add in the curry paste, and stir about a minute to a minute and a half.  Next, stir in the chicken broth, coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger, chilies, lime juice, and fish sauce and bring it to a simmer, about 5 minutes.  We were out of fish sauce so we just used soy sauce. Then add in the thinly sliced chicken and simmer for 15 minutes. We added the corn in at the same time as the chicken because we felt like it needed some more veggies. Pay close attention and don’t let it boil! I didn’t and I think that my coconut milk ended up doing weird things because of it. Add the mushrooms and simmer for another 5 minutes.  Salt to taste. Remove the lemongrass and ginger before serving. This is the hide and go seek portion of the dinner—have fun with that.  Serve with a garnish of fresh Thai basil leaves or cilantro.

Chicken Curry Soup

With the cold, rainy weather plaguing Richmond in the last two weeks, one thing is for sure: it’s full on Soup Season. Seriously, I think Winter should be late November through December, and then Soup season can be January and February. Maybe even March. Anyway, my seasonal suggestions aside, I made a really awesome soup last night. I found this Chicken Curry Soup on Will Cook For Friends and instantly knew it was right up my alley. Spicy, brothy, no beans—yeah that hits all my checkmarks. My only gripe about the soup, and it’s a small one, is that it probably could have used a few more vegetables. I know, that doesn’t sound like me, but it did need just a little bit more, maybe a daikon or some root vegetable. I thought it was delicious, my husband did too, and I’m looking forward to having the leftovers again soon!

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 large yellow onion

1 serrano chile (optional)

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBSP curry powder

1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger

1/4 cup honey

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

2 limes, juiced

Salt to taste

White or brown rice, for serving

The original recipe called for bone in chicken breasts, but I didn’t want to have to deal with shredding it off the bone, although I’m sure that brings more flavor. I didn’t feel like the chicken was lacking in any way, though. Start by trimming any excess fat off your chicken. In a small bowl, mix cumin, cinnamon, allspice and kosher salt, and sprinkle the mixture over the chicken, rubbing it in well. Heat your oil over medium heat and sear the chicken on each side, about 3-4 minutes a side. Then set it aside.

Add your onions and serrano into the pot and sauté for around 3 minutes. The original recipe didn’t call for serrano, but I wasn’t convinced the curry powder would bring enough heat. Well, the soup ended up pretty spicy (in a good way) so I would say if you’re not into that, leave out the serrano.

After about 3 minutes, add in the garlic, ginger and curry powder and mix well for about another minute before stirring in the honey and chicken broth. I use Swanson’s 100% fat free broth to make it even healthier. Put your chicken back in the broth and bring it to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer covered for about 30-40 minutes. If you use bone-in chicken it will need to go longer than breasts will to cook all the way through.

Once the chicken is done, pull it out and shred it, then return it to the pot along with your lime juice and cilantro. Taste it and salt it accordingly. If it’s not spicy enough, add in some cayenne pepper. If it’s too spicy, you can bring it down with some more honey or coconut milk. Serve it over a half-cup of rice. Happy Soup Season! 

Vietnamese-Style Chicken Noodle Soup

I've been fighting a cold for the past couple days. And, I was feeling pretty awful yesterday. So, I decided that I really wanted soup for dinner. I browsed thru some recipes on the web for the best soups for colds, and didn't really find anything that appealed to me. Next, I looked thru a couple of my favorite cookbooks. I really like my Cook's Illustrated cookbook. It's pretty similar to my favorite New Best Recipes, but this cookbook has a lot more recipes.

I had heard that Pho is really good for colds, so I decided to make this chicken noodle soup from Cook's Illustrated. Wow! It was really good and really spicy since I decided to add Sriracha and red chili peppers from my garden. It really helped to open my sinuses. Plus, it was very flavorful. I also decided to add a cinnamon stick to the broth since I saw that was added to another Pho-style soup. If you have a cold you are trying to kick; I highly recommend you try this soup. And, even if you just want a warming soup on a cold, winter day this will do the trick. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
8 oz wide rice noodles

Broth and Chicken
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
12 oz boneless, skinless check thighs (about 3 thighs), trimmed (I used 2 chicken breasts)
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled, cut into 1/8 inch rounds, and smashed
2 star anise pods
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
Salt

Vegetables
4 cups shredded napa cabbage
2 scallions, sliced thin on bias
1/2 cup fresh mint, large leaves torn in half
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 tbsp chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
lime wedges
1 tsp diced jalapeno peppers
Sriracha

For the noodles, I followed the directions on the box to make pasta out of them. Basically, you bring salted water to a boil, add the noodles, stir, and let cook for 4 to 6 minutes until al dente. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water. Drain and set aside. Or, you can go ahead and distribute the noodles into bowls.

For the broth and chicken, take a large pot and add all ingredients except salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and then simmer, partially covered, so that the flavors can meld about 10 to 15 minutes. Or, until chicken is cooked thru. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and when cool enough to handle slice thin. Continue letting the broth to cook for an additional 10 minutes. Then, strain the broth thru a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Then, return the broth to the pot and discard the ingredients in the strainer. Season with salt to taste. Cover broth and keep hot over low heat until ready to serve.

For the vegetables, divide cabbage and chicken among bowls with noodles, and ladle in the broth. Sprinkle each serving with scallions, mint, cilantro, peanuts, sriracha, peppers, and lime wedges.

Butternut Squash Soup with Sherry

It’s starting to get downright wintery around here these days. And while cold weather makes me miserable when I’m out in it (particularly when I’m out in it at 3am with a barking dog) it makes me happy when I’m either snuggled under the comforter in bed, or when I’m able to have my favorite soups. Whew, that was a long sentence. Still with me? Ok. So, soup. Man, that stuff is good. Warms your insides up. Butternut Squash Soup is a classic and it seems like everyone has their own favorite recipe. I decided to try a new one and found this on food52. I of course modified it because that’s just how I do. Plus, to me a soup is a constant adjustment. You taste it, and adjust. Not creamy enough? Add more cream (or cream cheese, or sour cream, or Greek yogurt). Not enough flavor? Add some spices. So follow this recipe to start, but then get out a nice clean spoon and start adjusting.

2 Tbsps unsalted butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 3-to-4-pound butternut squash, peeled and cubed

¼ Tsp freshly ground nutmeg

½ Tsp freshly ground black pepper

Salt to taste

3 Tbsps dry sherry

2 to 3 cups chicken broth/stock

1 cup milk

4oz cream cheese (optional)

½ Tsp cayenne (optional)

Get out your nice big soup pot or Dutch oven and melt butter over medium low heat. Cook your chopped onion in the butter until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in your squash, nutmeg, pepper and a half teaspoon of salt and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring often. Add in the sherry and reduce for a few minutes, then pour in enough chicken broth or stock to cover the squash. I used about 3 cups. If you want to make it vegetarian just use veggie broth, but I personally like the taste of chicken broth a lot better. Turn up the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil, then take it back down to a simmer. Let it simmer for 20 minutes partially covered, or until the squash is fork tender.

If you have an immersion blender, this part is way easier than if you don’t. Blend together the soup with the milk. If you don’t have an immersion, you’ll have to blend it in batches in your blender. Be careful! At this point start to adjust. I like my soups to be a little bit creamier, so I added in some cream cheese. Just be careful to blend it in well or you will have little bits of cream cheese floating around. I also added cayenne pepper for some spice. If the soup is too thick, just add more chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. The original recipe also said to stir in a “splash” of sherry just before serving, but I skipped it. Taste and adjust the spices and when you like what you taste, serve it up! It’s a great soup for those chilly days.

French Onion Soup

So here goes my one post, every six months? Maybe not even that frequently? I'm so thankful I get to be a part of this awesome blog despite my infrequent posts. I look to this blog for new recipes and if I want to try something different, so it's very convenient.

Okay, so I have officially moved OUT of the in-laws and into my own apartment. That means I have my own kitchen, and I am so excited to be able to start cooking up a storm. Since the temperatures outside dropped for a bit, I thought a nice soup for dinner would be a great idea, and I have never made any kind of soup before. In trying to figure out what kind of soup I could make with ingredients I already had, french onion soup came to mind. I already had onions, wine, cheese, and bread. Not to mention Joe loves french onion soup.  This recipe from Food Network is what I chose to go by, and there was some as-I-go changes and adjustments because the time frames listed in the recipe were completely inaccurate. Well, at least they were for me. It definitely did not take 25 minutes to caramelize the onions, and it took way more than 5 minutes to evaporate the wine. Whoever wrote the instructions to this soup probably should revamp it. So here goes what I actually did, and it turned out pretty tasty!

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 onions, sliced (I used 5 small onions)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs (I didn't have fresh thyme so I sprinkled in some dried thyme)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red wine, about 1/2 bottle (I used what I had in stock, Chianti which worked out well)
3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 quarts beef broth
1 baguette, sliced
1/2 pound grated Gruyere (I just used shredded Kraft Swiss, which was still quite delicious)

In a large pot, melt a stick of butter. As the butter melts and warms up, slice all your onions and chop up garlic. You can make your onions as big or as small as you want for the soup. I sliced some onions and chopped some just for the fun of it. Saute your onions until they caramelize in the butter with garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. This took me about 15 minutes or so. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until wine has evaporated. The original recipe said 5 minutes, but this took about another 15 minutes. I could have very well not had the heat high enough, but what I did worked out just fine. Once the wine has mostly evaporated remove bay leaves and fresh thyme, add flour and stir. Cook for about five more minutes. Pour all of the broth into the pot and bring to a boil stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. I didn't add any more salt and pepper because the broth had plenty of salt. For a little different twist, I cut the baguette into cubes, toasted them in a pan with butter to make croutons. To serve, ladle soup into a bowl, drop a handful of shredded Swiss cheese into soup (or more handfuls of cheese if you so desire) and float croutons on top. Voila! Yummy french onion soup. Just beware your entire house will smell like onions for at least a day - consider opening a window or lighting candles.

Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

I actually made this soup a while ago, when the weather was still appropriate for a hearty soup like this. But I didn’t post it because there was one little ingredient that the original recipe (found on The Kitchn) called for that completely ruined it for me: rosemary. Now I like rosemary in certain situations. However, adding dried rosemary to a soup is something I’ll never do again. Those little pieces never soften so you end up being very aware of them, and not in a good way.

This time I omitted the rosemary and I think the soup is a real winner. It was maybe a little too hot to make it last night, but I don’t regret it. One major change I made (reflected below) was to use two boxes of Rice A Roni Long Grain Wild Rice, because I couldn’t find actual wild rice. I think that this change made the soup taste even better though. The seasoning packet helped make it even more flavorful. I also used vegetable broth the first time, and decided that chicken broth tastes better. I also cut down the amount a little. This soup takes some time, so take that into consideration when you are planning to have it for dinner. We didn’t eat until almost 8.

Ingredients

2 boxes Rice-a-Roni Long Grain Wild Rice
1 large onion, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 pound sliced mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
3 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth/stock
1 cup whole milk or cream
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Salt to taste

I dice the celery and onion pretty small so they sort of disappear into the soup, but if you want a chunkier soup, just rough chop them. You can either cut up your mushrooms or leave them in slices, which is what I would recommend. Big meaty slices of mushrooms—yum!

So, get your rice started by following the instructions on the boxes. Then get out your Dutch oven or trusty soup pot and heat up a little bit of oil over medium-high heat. Add in the diced celery and onion and cook, stirring, just about 4-5 minutes until they start to get tender and translucent. I also added in salt and pepper at this point. Turn the heat down to medium and stir in your mushrooms. You’ll want to cook the mushrooms for a good 20 minutes to get them nice and brown and caramelized. That’s where the flavor of the soup really comes from so don’t get impatient. Don’t feel like you have to constantly stir it, but you should mix it up about every 8 minutes or so to make sure nothing burns. Leaving it sit actually helps the caramelization.

Next add in your garlic and oregano. The recipe says cook until fragrant. I never know what that means but they recommend about 30 seconds. Now you want to sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, and stir it up. You want the flour to soak up the liquid and stick everything together. Once that happens, turn up the heat to medium high again and you can pour in your wine and deglaze the pot (scrape up any delectable brown bits from the bottom of the pot). Let this simmer for a little bit until it thickens up and some of the wine evaporates, about 5-8 minutes.

Put in the bay leaf. Just break it in half, but don’t crumble it. You’ll want to remove it later (people shouldn’t eat bay leaves.) And add in the broth or stock. The original recipe called for 4 cups of stock, but it always seems a bit too much to me, so I cut it down to 3 ½ cups. Bring this to a boil, then turn it down to simmer for 20 more minutes. (See, I told you this would take awhile.)

Now, add in your rice, which should be done by now, and the milk or cream. Simmer AGAIN for 15 more minutes. It’s worth it, I swear. Finally, add the vinegar and salt to taste. It makes a lot of soup, but the leftovers last and it’s definitely tasty enough to have a few nights in a row.


(click for printable recipe)

Roasted Cauliflower and Aged Cheddar Soup

When I found this recipe on Closet Cooking, the photos looked so creamy, warm and delicious that I knew I needed to try it. However, I have to admit I was skeptical. I like cauliflower a lot, but for some reason the idea of pureeing it and turning it into soup didn’t seem all that appetizing. But I am really glad that I put those thoughts aside and tried it. It was just as creamy and belly-warming as the photos made it look, and the aged white cheddar gave it an extra level of flavor. Even better, it was easy to make. Just give yourself enough time to roast the cauliflower (about 20-30 minutes). The only thing I might change when I make it again (and I will!) is to substitute chicken broth for the vegetable broth. Just a personal preference. My husband also mentioned that it would be good with some meat, and i agree that some sliced sausage or cubed ham would be a tasty addition.

Ingredients

1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets

Olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

3 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups aged white cheddar, shredded

1 cup milk or cream

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Try to keep the cauliflower florets relatively the same size so they will cook evenly. Toss the florets with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste until they are evenly covered. Spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast them until they are just golden, about 20-30 minutes. You may want to stir them halfway through.

Once the cauliflower is roasted, heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the onion and cook until it softens (5-7 minutes), then add the garlic and thyme for about a minute. Finally, add the broth and cauliflower and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer about 20 minutes.

Puree the soup with your handy immersion blender, if you have one. If not, be careful transferring it to your standard blender, and think about doing it in batches. Once it’s pureed and smooth, take it back to low heat and mix in the cheese. Yay, cheese! Let it melt, taste it, and salt and pepper to your liking. Then mix in the milk or cream and remove from the heat. I used milk and it was still really creamy, so unless you really want the extra calories, I don’t think you need to step up to cream. But hey, no judgment if you do. That’s it! Ladle into bowls and enjoy it.

(click here for printable recipe)

Posole Sopa

A couple weeks ago; my mother invited me over for dinner. I usually find out what she is planning on making before I accept. What can I say; I can be picky. On this particular evening she made Posole Soup. I had no idea what it was other than some kinda Mexican soup. I figured it would probably be pretty good as my mother really likes Mexican cuisine. Well, I was right to go over there that evening, because the soup was really good. My mother's soup was spicy and had a ton of flavor. I added some tortilla chips to my soup since I had brought over chips and salsa. It was delicious. I'm not entirely sure what recipe my mother used, but I came across this recipe from My Recipes. I kinda messed up the tomatillos. According to the recipe, you are supposed to boil them before pureeing the tomatillos in a food processor or blender. I forgot to boil, and instead, I immediately pureed them. I read up on boiling and basically it helps soften the flavor of the tomatillo. I found out that a lot of mexican sauces are made with raw tomatillos. So, I didn't feel so bad that I forgot to boil, but I did wash them, fortunately. You should do this after peeling off the husks, because they have a sticky residue. This soup was really good, and quite similar to my mother's recipe. It might be the same for all I know. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound tomatillos
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 3 pounds chicken breast halves, skinned
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and quartered
• 1 (30-ounce) can white hominy, drained
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 8 lime wedges

I will tell you how I made this soup. Please go to the link above to do it the way it is intended...
First thing I did was boil 4 chicken breasts. I added some pepper and salt to the water and chicken. Once the chicken has cooked thoroughly, remove from pot. Shred chicken and set aside. This is where I messed up the tomatillos; remove the stems and the husk from the tomatillos. Rinse thoroughly. I threw the tomatillos into my food processor and pureed until smooth. Set aside. Take a 4 qt saucepan, and add 6 cups of chicken stock. Set aside. Next, chop your jalapenos, onion, and garlic. Throw the onion, garlic, and jalapeno into a medium-sized skillet; set on your burner at medium heat; and add a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Sautee until the onion is tender...about five minutes. Add in the tomatillo puree that you had set aside from earlier. Stir and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Around this point; start warming up your chicken stock. Add in the chicken and the rinsed hominy. Add in the tomatillo mixture. Add in the juice of 2 limes. Add in a couple tablespoons of cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in a bowl with diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, and reduced-fat sour cream. Enjoy!

(Click here for printable recipe)

Spicy Corn Chowder w/ Cheese

I guess you could say this is corn chowder part deux! Sara posted this delicious sounding corn chowder recipe a year ago. Unfortunately, I didn't have all the ingredients, so I wasn't able to try it. But, I definitely will one day. I have been wanting to make a spicy corn chowder after trying La Parisienne's (in downtown RVA) version. It was super good. Plus, it had a bit of cheesiness along with a nice spicy kick. I found many, many corn chowder recipes, but I thought this one from food.com sounded right up my alley. Even better I had all the ingredients save for heavy cream. But, I just grabbed that ingredient when I made a grocery store run. I have to say this soup was very, very delicious. I loved that I added cheese to it. I think next time I will only use about a cup of diced potatoes. I think 2 cups is a bit overboard. I agree with a lot of the commentators from food.com that you don't need to use a quart of chicken stock. I just added enough so that it had a thick but just right consistency. I highly, highly recommend this soup. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
lime, juice and zest of
2 tablespoons corn oil (I used olive oil)
1 large yellow onion, peeled and minced
1 quart chicken stock, preferably homemade (I wouldn't pour all of the chicken stock in there just enough until the consistency is more like a chowder...about 3/4 of the quart)
2 cups peeled diced russet potatoes
1 teaspoons ground red chili powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne (optional)
1 anaheim chili, stem and pith removed,seeded and chopped (I used a jalapeno pepper)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus
5 sprigs cilantro, tops for garnish
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
garnish with drained salsa, if desired

Take a medium sized bowl and pour in the corn. Add the lime zest and the juice of the lime. Set aside.
Next, take your large saucepan and add in the oil and the chopped onion and sautee until the onions are soft and translucent. Add about 1/2 the quart of chicken stock, the potatoes, chili pepper, salt, red pepper flakes, cumin, and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Then cover the sauce pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until the potatoes are very soft. Poke the potatoes with a fork to determine if they are soft. Add in the corn that you had set aside from earlier, and the heavy cream. Continue to cook until the soup thickens. At this point, try the soup and determine if you need to add any more of the spices and/or salt. I definitely did. When you get the seasonings just right add in the chopped cilantro. Add in your shredded cheese. I probably used about a 3/4 cup of cheese. I did not add salsa to the soup. But, feel free if you would like. And, enjoy!

(Click here for printable recipe)

Beer and Cheddar Soup

How many of you utilize Kroger's digital coupons? I do, and I love it. The only bad thing about it is that you have to remember (when you go to the store) what all you had put on your kroger plus card. Well, I remembered that I had selected this digital coupon for Food & Wine magazine. It alloted me a dollar off the regular $4.99 price. Also, I knew I had till the end of October to utilize this discount. Well, I'm glad I did. The November issue of Food & Wine talks about Thanksgiving. They have plenty of other recipes as well. One of the "other" recipes I picked out was this Beer and Cheddar soup. I thought it sounded really good. I mean it contains beer, cheddar cheese, jalpenos, bacon, heavy cream. How could it possibly be bad? Well, it wasn't. Buuuut, it also wasn't totally awesome either. I definitely over-salted the soup a tad, which was a bummer. And, I ended up using smoked gouda because Whole Foods didn't have smoked cheddar. Also, I used a Pale Ale instead of a Pilsner or a lager. So, maybe it was partly my fault since I didn't follow the recipe exactly. My Dad really, really liked it. And, if you like beer then you'll love this soup. You could really taste the ale thru all that cheese. So, maybe it was just my palette.
Oh, a little tid-bit, I looked up if there are any immediate remedies for over-salting soups. I found that if you peel and quarter a large potato and let it sit in your soup for 15 minutes then discard it this will help eliminate some of the over-salting. My Dad confirmed today that it really did help. One last thing, obviously this soup is not a low-fat soup. So, I probably won't be making this soup very often. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb piece of slab bacon, sliced 1/3 inch thick (I just purchased a pack of bacon and chopped it into little pieces)
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chopped thyme (I used 1.5 tsp of dried thyme)
1 12 oz bottle lager or pilsner
About 2 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 lb sharp yellow cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded
4 oz smoked cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded
salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large saucepan cook your bacon pieces until crispy. Remove the bacon and place on a paper towel and then place into a small bowl. Set aside. Next, add the celery, onion, jalapeno, garlic, and thyme into the same saucepan and cook over medium heat until the onion is tender. Add half the beer to the pot and cook until reduced by half. About 5 minutes. Add 2 1/4 cups of chicken broth and bring this to a simmer.

Next, take a small skillet and melt your butter. Add in the flour and cook over medium heat. Stir the mixture until lightly browned. This could take up to 2 minutes. Incorporate the roux into the soup and bring to a simmer. Cook until the soup has thickened. This could take about 8 minutes. Add the heavy cream, the cheeses, and the remaining beer. Simmer and stir occasioinally until thick and creamy. This could take up to 5 minutes. Stir in the bacon and season with salt and pepper.

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

I'm posting this recipe more for selfish reasons. I was trying to find this recipe on the food network's website, and I was upset to learn that they had taken it down. Fortunately, I still have a printed copy, however, it's on its last leg. Also, I've been saving this recipe to use in an iron chef. But, I like it sooo much that I think if I didn't win I would be really devastated. Okay, that's a bit dramatic. But, I would be disappointed. My verison of this recipe is much different than the one food network had posted. Well, the base of the recipe is the same, but I've tweaked it. So, I'm going to post how I do this recipe. If I ever come across the basic recipe I will be sure to include it in this post. I hope you like it. To me it's the best chicken tortilla soup I've ever had. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 Spanish Onion (Or red onion) cut in wedges
7 cloves of garlic, mashed
1-2 jalapeno peppers (seeded and deveined)
1 serrano pepper (seeded and deveined); optional
I also used 5 red chili peppers from my garden (seeded and deveined); optional
1/2 can chili peppers in adobo sauce (seeded)
1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
5 cups chicken broth
1 small bag corn
cilantro (I used about a handful)
6 tbsp lime juice
Shredded chicken
2 tsp kosher salt
1 bag of shredded cheddar (or mexican) cheese
tortilla chips

If you need to; boil about 4 chicken breasts so their cooked thoroughly. Remove from pot and when cool enough to handle; shred chicken, place in a bowl, and set aside. Next, place the cut onion, mashed garlic, and peppers on a skillet turned to medium heat. Char both sides for a total of 5 to 10 minutes. Take the can of tomatoes and pour into a blender (include the juice). Remove the onions, garlic, and peppers and place into the blender. Don't forget to add the chili peppers in adobo to the blender as well. Blend ingredients. Pour the puree into a pot. Bring to a boil. Let thicken for about 4 minutes. Pour in the 5 cups of chicken broth. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Feel free to put in the chicken and corn while the soup simmers. Add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. You may need more depending on your palette. Add in the lime juice. I just used the juice of 2 limes. Add in the chopped cilantro. Also, I added a couple dashes of cayenne, pepper, and cumin to the soup. Pour soup into bowls and add shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips. These ingredients aren't necessary, but they really make the soup. Enjoy!

(Click here for printable recipe)

Coconut Soup with Chicken

Tonight, I ventured into unchartered territory. I cooked with lemongrass and thai fish sauce. Lemongrass proved very difficult to find. Kroger, Trader Joes, and Martin's didn't have fresh lemongrass. However, I found success at Whole Foods. I had to look up how to cut lemongrass. I found this site, which proved very informative. I've heard a lot about lemongrass lately thanks to a friend who cooks a lot with it. And, since we may use it as an eventual Iron Chef secret ingredient I thought I'd give it a shot. Lemongrass is very fragrant, and from the website it says you don't want to eat the lemongrass stalk. Thai fish sauce is also very fragrant, but not in a good way. It has that yucky fish smell. But, it proved very flavorful when mixed in with the soup. I found this recipe in cooking light's cookbook, and it definitely packed plenty of flavor. This soup was also very easy to make. You don't have to do much chopping other than slicing the ginger and lemongrass. I thought for sure I'd have to use salt, but I think the thai fish sauce helped with the seasoning. I highly recommend this soup. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 c water
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1/2 c sliced, peeled fresh lemongrass, slightly crushed
15 pieces thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger, slightly crushed
4 serrano chiles, slightly crushed
5 kaffir lime leaves, slightly torn, or 1 1/2 tsp grated lime rind
1 3/4 lb chicken breast quarters, skinned
3/4 lb chicken thigh quarters, skinned
1/4 c Thai fish sauce
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
6 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

I completely messed up the very beginning of this recipe. I was boiling chicken and tossed my 3 chicken breasts in with the boiling chicken. But, what you are supposed to do is pour your water and coconut milk (I used light coconut milk) into a dutch oven over medium heat. Then, you stir in your lemongrass, ginger, chiles, and lime leaves. Bring to a boil. Now, I didn't see kaffir limes anywhere, so I just used a lime and grated the rind. Also, I couldn't find serrano chiles so I used 2 large jalapeno peppers. I just used a meat tenderizer and pounded the peppers, lemongrass, and ginger once. Now, you are supposed to add your chicken, reduce the heat, and simmer for 50 minutes covered or until chicken is done. Now, remove the chicken from the pot. Let chicken cool for 15 minutes or so and shred. Take your pot, and strain the broth thru a colander into a large bowl. Discard the solids, and return the broth to your pot. The recipe says to remove the chicken from the bones, but I just used boneless chicken breasts which makes life so much easier. Return chicken to the pot, and add the fish sauce. Cook for a minute. Add the lime juice and heat thru. Add the cilantro.

(Click here for printable recipe)

Fast Turkey Chili

I did something daring today. Finally post a blog after about a month of silence, you say? No, that wasn’t it - though, sure, it might have been a while. Today, I was brilliantly brave. Not only did I make chili from scratch. I did so while wearing a clean, white shirt.

I know. Such bold acts walk the line of lunacy.

Anyhow, this is a recipe I’ve had bookmarked on my computer for easily over a year. Fast Turkey Chili – the name alone is promising. 'Fast' is always a great thing when it comes to dinner. 'Turkey' presents a healthier option to the sometimes greasy beef chilies. And, of course, ‘Chili.’ I mean, really. Who doesn’t love a good chili when it’s cold outside?

Ingredients: 
Olive oil
1/2 medium onion
1 medium red bell pepper
1 medium green bell pepper
1 lb. ground turkey
garlic powder
chili powder packet
1 28-oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 15-oz. can of pinto beans
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 ½ cups of frozen corn

Dice the onion, and chop the bell peppers into roughly ½ squares (minus the core and seeds). Heat a large pot over high heat and drizzle olive oil, spreading it evenly. When the pot and oil are hot, toss in the onion, bell peppers, and ground turkey. Cook, stirring regularly, until turkey is no longer pink.

Add in garlic powder to taste (about 5 shakes for us). Mix well and cook for one more minute. Add the chili powder packet and mix well, cooking for one more minute. Add the tomatos, beans (drained), and oregano, and stir thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Partially cover it, and stir occasionally.

Add the frozen corn, stirring to mix it in well, and simmer for 10 more minutes. After that, it will be ready to serve. The total time from start to finish is roughly 60 minutes. I made cornbread, which was a perfect complement.

Happy cooking!

KSP

(Click here for printable recipe)

Fresh Tomato Soup

Lately I've been trying to find a delicious tomato soup recipe. I made one not too long ago and was completely disappointed. I think it tasted pretty good, but I didn't care for the texture. It was very grainy, and in a soup that is not a good thing. I think the reason it was so grainy was because it called for Parmesan cheese. And, when I used my immersion blender it broke it up into grainy pieces. I could be wrong, though. Maybe it was just my cooking technique that messed it up. Who knows. Anyway, I decided to try another tomato soup recipe. The one that I tried last night was from the Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook. By the way, I highly recommend this cookbook if you don't have it in your arsenal. I thought the soup looked grainy once I blended it but the taste was perfect. I think I will still try another recipe maybe one that is called Tomato and Basil Soup. However, I recommend this recipe. I thought it had a wonderful taste and it was very warm. And, last night was definitely a comfort food night! I think it would go wonderfully with a delicious grilled cheese sandwich. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and quartered
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped celery ( 1 stalk)
1/2 of a 6 oz can of tomato paste (1/3 c)
2 tbsp snipped fresh cilantro or basil
2 tsp instant chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp sugar
Few dashes bottled hot pepper sauce
Snipped cilantro or basil for garnish

I used 6 tomatoes from a vine because they were a tad on the small side. The recipe doesn't call for this, but since it says peeled tomatoes, I took a large pot of water and brought to a boil. I placed the tomatoes one at a time into the boiling water for about 30 seconds. I then transferred the tomato into a bowl of ice water. This helps to make the peeling process that much easier. Once the tomatoes were peeled, I sliced the tomatoes and remove the seeds. You don't have to do this, but I did. Chop up your onion and celery. Take a soup pot and add the onion, celery, tomato, water, tomato paste, the basil ( I used this instead of cilantro), bouillon granules, sugar, and hot pepper sauce. I didn't have hot pepper sauce, but I did have Pickapeppa. So, I used that as my hot pepper sauce. Also, I added a couple dashes of garlic salt. Bring this to a boil. Next, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer with a lid on the pan for about 20 minutes. You want the celery and onion to be tender. Remove from heat and cool for about 10 minutes or so. It says to place half the soup into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. However, I have an immersion blender, so I used this to blend my soup. Then return to the stove (if you used the blender) and heat the soup. For some reason the recipe doesn't call for salt or pepper. But, I felt it definitely needed salt. So season with salt and/or pepper to your liking. I garnished my bowl with some basil.

(Click here for printable recipe)

Chicken and Dumplings

For those who know me well; you'll know that I'm not a big fan of winter. As a matter of fact, I really detest winter. I'll take a 100 degree day over a 30 degree day every single time. But, if there's one thing I do like about winter it's the food. Warm, comforting, and yes, fattening food! One of my favorite meals of all time during the cold months is Chicken and Dumplings. Probably my favorite part is the dumpling, and it definitely keeps me warm on those cold winter nights. The recipe I use is from one of the best, fatten-you-up, comfort food cooks of the south; Ms. Paula Deen. The dumpling I use, well, not sure where I got that recipe from, but it's delish. Enjoy!

Ingredients
Chicken:
1 (2 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup

Dumpling:
2 c flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp melted, butter
2/3 c. milk
Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. In a separate bowl combine the milk, egg, and melted butter. Pour liquid mixture into flour mixture, and stir quickly. Wait till the end before adding pieces of the dough to the soup.

To begin, I prepped my vegetables by chopping them and setting aside. Also, I did not use an onion. Instead I used 4 carrots. I also just used about 2 pounds of chicken breast. Placed the chicken, carrots, celery, 2 bay leaves, the chicken bouillon cubes, and the house seasoning into the pot and cook until the juices from the chicken run clear. It took about an hour. Also, about the house seasoning. I just guesstimate everytime, by taking a teaspoon and pouring a little of the garlic powder and pepper, and add more of the salt into it.
Once the chicken is cooked thru, remove it and wait till it cools. Then either shred the chicken or cut it into small pieces (however you prefer). Add back to pot and then add in the can of soup. This time I used cream of chicken, but it really doesn't matter which one you use.

Paula recommends adding 1/4 cup water and 2 tbsp of corn starch (stir together) to the pot of soup if it is not thick enough. I usually do follow this step, and I add it in twice. I also usually add a couple sprinkles of dried thyme to the soup as well. I also add more salt and pepper. Last it's time to add the dumpling dough to the pot. I just grab some of the dough and roll it in my hands and drop into the pot. Cover with a lid and bring to a rolling boil.
Cook until the dumplings are cooked thru. It usually takes about 10-15 minutes for this to occur. Keep in mind that the soup is usually really hot when serving. Enjoy!

(Click here for printable recipe)

Spicy Corn Chowder

Ok, I’m going to be honest. I did not make this. I had a root canal earlier in the day (hence the soup decision for dinner) and my wonderful husband Steve made the soup. And maybe it was because I didn’t help a lick, or maybe it was just made with lots of love, but it tasted really, really good. So good that I’m going to eat it again tonight.

I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen and the only tweaks Steve made were to double the bacon (because, c’mon, it’s bacon) and add an extra chipotle pepper and pepper (our changes are incorporated in the recipe). We thought about adding cheese but the soup really doesn’t need it. I would caution you that it’s pretty spicy. If you want a milder soup, only add one chipotle chile, and maybe not the entire can of green chiles.

4 slices bacon, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1-½ whole yellow onion, diced

5 ears corn, shucked

3 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced

1 4oz can diced green chilies

32 ounces, low sodium chicken broth

1-½ cups heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)

Pepper

3 tablespoons corn meal OR masa

¼ cups water

Start with prepping everything. Trust me, this makes it way easier when you start cooking. Slice the corn off the cob, chop up your onion, bacon, and peppers. We got these lovely little glass prep bowls from Crate & Barrel that are just perfect for putting together a “mise en place.” Which is just a fancy way of saying “all the stuff I need to make this fantastic soup!”

Make this in a big pot, or even better, a Dutch oven. Cook the bacon pieces over medium heat for a couple of minutes (they won’t be fully crispy), and then add the diced onion. This is also when Steve added the pepper.  Cook the onion for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then add the butter. Once it’s melted, put in the corn and cook that for one minute. Throw in the chipotle and green chiles and stir until it’s mixed. Finally, pour in the chicken broth, cream and salt. Stir it up and bring it to a boil (you might have to turn the heat up a little for that… it’s ok.)

Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to low. I don’t know what masa is, so I just used the corn meal. Mix it with the water and stir it before pouring it into the chowder. This is the thickening agent. I think next time I might skip the cornmeal and use cornstarch instead. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes. At this point you want to check the thickness of the soup. If it’s good, cover it and cook for another ten minutes. If you want it to be thicker (we did), add another tablespoon of cornmeal mixed in a little water. I have to say, this soup is billed as a chowder, which I guess should be pretty thick. But ours came out more like a cream soup, and it was excellent. Not sure I would have wanted it to be too much thicker. After ten minutes it’s ready to eat, and it’s a really enjoyable soup. The corn was perfect—tender but still with that great crunch. I suggest you try it on one of these cool fall days, and if you can get someone else to make it for you—even better!

(Click here for printable recipe)

Spaghetti Soup

I really have no idea where this recipe came from. My original thought was that it came from my Aunt Cathy who lives in Illinois. But, perhaps, it's a recipe my mom has had for several years. I don't really have a story to go along with this one, either. Alas, it doesn't matter. This is the perfect recipe for trying to get rid of celery, spaghetti noodles, or getting rid of some of those green peppers growing in your garden. It's very easy to make. Really. And, it's very good.

Ingredients:
1 lb italian sausage (mild)
1 med onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 c. chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz jar spaghetti sauce
6 c chicken broth
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tbsp sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:
First thing I did was prepare the vegetables by chopping the onion, pepper, and celery. Next, I took a large sauce pan and began browning the sausage over medium heat. Once the sausage was browned, I added the minced garlic cloves, the chopped onions, pepper, and celery. Continue cooking until the vegetables become tender. Then, you add the diced tomatoes along with the juice, the spaghetti sauce (I found a 14 oz jar of Ragu Plain Sauce at Kroger's), the chicken broth, the italian seasoning, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Then, add about 2-4 ounces of spaghetti and break it in half. Cook until the spaghetti is tender. Serve with bread.

(Click here for printable recipe)