Category — soup

*Warning:
With any dish that has any level of heat, just remember that you can always add heat, but you can’t take it away. Use peppers conservatively in the beginning.

2 (32 ounce) boxes low sodium chicken broth
1 -2 tablespoon Knorr “Caldo de Tomate” (by the bouillon cubes)
1 regular sized can fire roasted diced tomatoes, lightly pulse in food processor
1 regular sized can hominy, rinsed
1 regular sized can black beans, rinsed
1- 2 tablespoons diced chipolte peppers in adobe sauce
4 gloves garlic, minced
½ cup onion
1 medium Idaho potato, cut into bite sized pieces
2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
Juice of ½ lime
1-2 cups cooked shredded chicken (optional)
Cilantro, as a garnish (optional)
Sour cream (optional)
Broken up Tortilla Chips

Heat up chicken broth with Caldo de Tomate. Add in onions and garlic once boiling, add in chipolte peppers (more can be added if you are looking for a spicier soup). Add in tomatoes and hominy and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Then add beans, potato and lime juice and season with more Caldo de Tomate if needed. Let simmer for an additional 20 to 30 minutes. The beans will start to split and the potatoes will start to fall apart. Add in tomato paste, turn off heat, let sit for 10 minutes and garnish with the above options.

This is another one of my favorite soup recipes. I saw Giada De Laurentiis (Food Network) make this a few years ago and knew that it would be awesome. So I made it for my parents and it was a huge success. I tried variations of this recipe as well, but none of them were as good as this recipe. Follow this recipe exactly, down to the endive or escarole and I promise you will not be disappointed. This soup with warm your soul!

1 small onion, grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large egg
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 slice fresh white bread, crust trimmed, bread torn into small pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces ground pork
Freshly ground black pepper
Soup:
12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound curly endive, coarsely chopped (1 pound of escarole would be a good substitution)
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
To make the meatballs: Stir the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese, beef and pork. Using 1 1/2 teaspoons for each, shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.

To make the soup: Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and curly endive and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the curly endive is tender, about 8 minutes. Whisk the eggs and cheese in a medium bowl to blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin stands of egg, about 1 minute. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. Finish soup with parmesan cheese if desired.

This is by far my favorite soup ever. When I was watching Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa), make this on the Food Network, I knew I had to make this, STAT! And I did…and it was delicious. This recipe does involve more time than most soups, but if you follow the direction below, you should not have any problems at all. Wild mushrooms make this dish. They are much easier to find in the grocery store now. But if you are unable to find them, you can substitute baby portabello and white button mushrooms. Serve with a loaf of crusty sour dough bread and you will be in heaven. Enjoy!

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions
Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don’t wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

With the summer coming to an unfortunate close, my taste buds are craving warm, comforting soup.  Who doesn’t enjoying a bowl of soulful goodness?  Soup can be so versatile to your mood or taste buds.  Whether it is a bowl of spicy chili during a football game or a creamy bowl of chicken dumping soup on a rainy day, soup can soothe your mood and your cravings.  My next few posts are going to be a variety of soups of which I’ve made or have been given recipes for.  Some are my favorite soups are those of Giada De Laurentiis and Ina Garten (Food Network).

Wow! I was just watching Tyler Florence and saw this awesome recipe for chicken soup. Sounds amazing. I’m going to try it tonight. You should too and let’s compare notes.

For the soup:
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 large carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 bay leaf
4 fresh thyme sprigs
3 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
5 parsley stems, plus 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
4 black peppercorns
Kosher salt
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish

For the meatballs:
1 medium onion, diced
Olive oil
6 links organic chicken-apple sausage meat (or any chicken sausage)
1 egg
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 handful fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 pounds frozen cheese tortellini, store bought
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:
Set a large stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, half the garlic, carrot, onion, celery, bay leaf, and thyme and gently saute until fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, add parsley stems, black peppercorns and salt, to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer while you work on meatballs and tortellini.

For the meatballs:
Caramelize the diced onion in a saute pan with a little olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage, egg, onion, thyme, parsley, and cheese to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they all come together. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil until just smoking. Use a small ice cream scoop to drop meatballs onto skillet. Cook, turning, until golden brown.
Drop tortellini straight from freezer into soup. Cook until they float. Once meatballs are browned, add to pot of chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Give soup a final seasoning and serve in shallow bowls with a small shower of Parmesan, olive oil, and parsley.

1 cup diced left over Ham

1/2-cup leeks

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/4 cups milk

1 cup grated Sharp Cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper

3 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced, (do not rinse)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sautee leeks in butter until translucent, add flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking. Whisk in milk and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add 3/4 cup of cheese, stirring until melted; season with salt and pepper to taste. Layer half of potatoes and ham in a baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with half of sauce. Layer remaining potato slices and ham on top of sauce and season. Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, covered, for 30-45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  For the last 10 minutes of cooking, remove lid so potatoes can get crispy.

This recipe by far is the best cream of mushroom soup I’ve ever had.  It is not my recipe, it’s actually Ina Garten from the Food Network’s recipe.  She is one of my favorite chef’s on the Food Network.  Follow this recipe exactly and you’ll wow your friends and family.  It pairs well with some lightly toasted sour dough bread.  Please comment back and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
(or just get the best variety you can find at the local super market)
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don’t wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.