Soups

Big Pasta & Cannellini Bean Soup with Pesto

April 4, 2018

Dick was down with a bad cold, and that usually means homemade soup in our household. Translation: he needs me to get out of his ‘territory’ so he can rest, so I end up puttering away in the kitchen, which to me is a win-win. On that particular day, the soup depended on what was available in the pantry and fridge, and this soup is the result. It’s hearty….super hearty, and one of those you can pack in a thermos for a special treat after a day of digging in a soon-to-be garden, an early spring hike, or any other activity that requires you to warm up from being out in the elements. Big hunks of colorful vegetables are the base, and then we load on a lot of healthful cannellini beans, a fair amount of carbs with big elbow macaroni, and enough crushed tomatoes and chicken broth to round everything out. We won’t forget to add big dollops of pesto to the top of our bowls for freshness, and let’s not skimp on the butter on those crackers – we earned it.

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Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili with Cinnamon, Cocoa & Espresso

February 1, 2018

Super Bowl Sunday is just a few days away, and that means I’d better figure out something to make with zero last minute effort in order to concentrate on all of those good commercials. This vegetarian chili is full of flavor, thanks to three varieties of beans, sautéed onion and mini-peppers, and hold the phone…why in the world would anybody add some weird stuff like cinnamon, cocoa, and espresso to all that? Here’s the thing: all of those spices and other odd sounding things add a deep and savory flavor. And no…you won’t taste the cinnamon, the cocoa, or the espresso, but you will know something good is going on in there that you just can’t quite put your finger on. I sautéed the vegetables first, then threw everything else into the slow cooker, because as we’ve covered before, I am basically a lazy cook. Oh wait! I also added a bottle of a good Stout beer. Sound weird? The Stout has coffee and chocolate undertones, but also adds a subtle bitterness to the chili that ups the flavor meter to the ‘just right’ setting. Like most chilies, this is better the second day, so if you can throw it together the day before and reheat it, the flavors will get a chance to mellow and get to know each other, and that’s always a good thing. (PS: Thanks Nick, for the Stout suggestion – it was a great one xox.)

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Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

January 26, 2018

Got the blues? Cold outside? Feeling not quite yourself? This is the soup for you. It’s what I make for my husband every time he’s down with a cold, and the one I pack up and deliver to friends who are under the weather or in need of some nutritional comfort. It can take hours or minutes, depending on your choice of broth options and chicken selected. Still tastes just right, whichever route you take. This is hearty soup, with big pieces of chicken and vegetables, plus a whole lot of, shall we say, generously sized noodles (I used regular lasagna noodles and cut them into strips when cooked) because to me, noodles are a food group all by themselves. Another bonus: this soup can be gluten free – just substitute gluten free pasta for the regular noodles in this recipe and you are good to go.…

French Onion Soup with Cheesy Ciabatta

January 11, 2018

Happy National Soup Month! Not to be outdone, let’s get with the program and make some 🙂

This is my version of French Onion Soup (right alongside the five billion other versions out there) and falls into the ‘happy accident’ category of cooking. I set out to make some pizzas with grilled onions as part of the topping. Ever the lazy cook, I threw about four huge onions into a cast iron Dutch oven and figured I was good to go – not so much. The onions tasted great, but so many were in the pan that they steamed themselves and turned into a mushy looking, unattractive concoction. I put them aside and sautéed more onions in a shallow layer, then got the crisp brown edges and the better looking outcome I was hoping for in the first place. Since I ended up with plenty of leftovers, I threw everything together in a pot, added broth, and ended up with a pretty darned good soup. So here you have the best of both worlds: a creamy, flavorful base of onions with enough caramelized brown bites to create a nice balance. We won’t forget the crispy bread and melted cheese because that would just be wrong. Let me show you how it happened…

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Roasted Acorn Squash Soup & Spiced Carrot Soup

December 8, 2017

It’s a winter rainbow!! Here are two soups that are so darned good individually, but really sing when put together. We start with a Roasted Acorn Squash Soup with Coconut Milk that’s comforting and mellow. Then to jazz things up a little we add a Spiced Carrot Soup, full of warm winter spices with just a kick of heat. Swirl them together, add some creme fraiche and herb oil if you like, and go to town. They are both a breeze to make, so the time commitment is doable, even during these crazy, frantic holidays.

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Chicken & Corn Chili with Queso and Crushed Corn Chips

October 13, 2017

Don’t get me wrong – I love chili – really. It’s just that sometimes I get weary of the tomato-y aspect of it all. Enter Chicken & Corn Chili. Full of diced green chilies, big chunks of chicken, plenty of white beans, and smoked paprika. The broth is savory with chicken broth, garlic, chili powder and plenty of that smoked paprika. To top the whole works off, we crumble some Queso Fresco cheese, which is mild and just a little salty, and then crumble on some corn chips. The whole corn chip aspect is especially challenging for me since I usually end up devouring half the bag before the chili is ready. I have called this ‘quality control’, which is very important in recipe creation, and good for my guilt complex. This chili is just right on a rainy day while you are watching a football game on television, and counting your lucky stars that you are not sitting in the stands.
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Creamy Irish Potato and Parsnip Soup with Sharp Cheddar and Parsley Oil

March 10, 2017

Happy almost Saint Patrick’s Day everybody!! We all know that potatoes are a traditional Irish food, but did you also know that parsnip soup finds its way into many Irish cookbooks? It’s true. In the spirit of all things Irish, we combined potatoes and parsnips into a rich and creamy soup. Then we decided to pile on roasted potatoes and parsnips, sharp cheddar cheese, and turkey bacon. For a bit of the green, there’s an easy Italian parsley oil to drizzle right on top. And of course, we didn’t forget the Guiness….. that would just be wrong.

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Mushroom Barley Soup

January 12, 2017

Enough already. Really. I was going to post a smoothie recipe this week for any and all of us who might be just a teensy bit guilt ridden over holiday overindulgence, but with a foot of snow on the ground and roads turned to skating rinks, it just didn’t feel right. It seems as if we have been snowed in for days – oh yeah – we have. Living at nearly the end of a gravel road without much gravel makes for tough sledding in this weather. Dick has been out hand shoveling our road for hours on end in hopes that sometime soon we may find our way out. And since we officially ran out of coffee this morning, I am betting a trail will be blazed tomorrow into town. In the meantime, I’ve got a pot of Mushroom Barley soup simmering away on the stove. Warm and comforting, even on the coldest of days.

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Harvest Vegetable Soup

November 3, 2016

The harvest is nearly complete, but we can still find fresh carrots, celery, parsnips, a variety of colorful peppers and those cute little potatoes in the market. How about we whip up a big batch of Harvest Vegetable Soup so we can take advantage of all nature has to offer, and at the same time feel pretty proud of ourselves that in just a few minutes we can make a soup that will have you turning your back on the soup aisle in the grocery store? ….unless you crave some of that Loaded Baked Potato Soup for which I forgive you and myself.

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Thai Coconut Curry with Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

October 20, 2016

This is the soup I envision eating while snowed in somewhere. I can see it all now: snow falling, fire crackling, and nowhere to go but to the soup pot. This creation is rich, creamy, and has just enough heat to get your attention. It’s loaded with coconut milk, fresh ginger, and the essence of lime, and may soon be your best soup-related friend. And that’s not all: once your ingredients are prepped, you can make it in about 30 minutes.

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