Hearty Minestrone

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I came across this recipe last year but had forgotten about it until I heard an interview on NPR a couple weeks back.  What lured me into to this recipe was the V8 in the ingredients. We are big fans of that vegetable juice concoction, so why not give it a go?

The recipe calls for dried cannellini beans, but you can use great northern or navy beans. The soup base is a mixture of chicken broth, water, and that V8.  I used chicken broth for the amount of water and water for the amount of chicken broth.  I felt this would give the base more flavor and it does. Speaking of flavor, the broth mixture is further enhanced by the addition of a piece of parmesan rind.  No, it doesn't melt.  It just gives the soup a good, deep flavor.  

Basil is added for a fresh flavor and red pepper flakes join the party for a good kick.  Serve with parmesan cheese, a drizzle of good olive oil, and a piece of that Classic American Garlic Bread for dunking. Chock-full of veggies, beans, and a bit of pasta (because that's the way I like it), this is one hearty bowl of minestrone indeed.

Black-Eyed Pea and Collard Green Soup

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The New Year is upon us and for me that means having black-eyed peas and greens on the menu in various forms.  As a reader you may know that my background is of Southern heritage.  All though I no longer live below the Mason-Dixon Line, I still take part in many of the wonderful foods and traditions.  If you are not familiar with the eating of peas and greens at the start of the New Year, the peas, once swollen in size, represent prosperity and the greens represent good fortune.  

The dried black-eyed peas can be soaked overnight or quick soaked if you are pressed for time.  Once soaked, I cook the beans with a few veggies  like garlic, onion, celery, and carrots, a ham hock for good flavor, and the collard greens.  Unlike the original recipe that adds the greens at the end of the cooking time, I like to cook the greens for a longer period of time with the beans to remove the bitter flavor and for a tender bite.  Opposite goes for adding the diced ham.  I use the ham hock to flavor the broth and then add the ham right before serving along with any meat from the hock.  That way the ham stays moist and tender, but the soup still has that deep ham flavor.

This is a great recipe for those of you who enjoy your black-eyed peas and greens, but without all the work of a full menu of Hoppin' John, Southern Cooked Greens, and Glazed Ham (that comes Sunday).

Although we are ending the year in Chicago without any accumulated snow (is that possible?!), the air is chilly and a body-warming bowl of goodness with a dash or two or three of hot sauce is still a welcome thought.  And what could be better than ending the year with a bowl full of prosperity and good fortune?  The great taste is just a bonus!  

Albóndigas Soup

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This is Albóndigas Soup, a.k.a Mexican Meatball Soup.  The deeply flavored broth is spiked with chipotles and adobo sauce.  You can certainly add as much or as little of this as you like.  You can even omit the chipotle, but don't skip out on the adobo sauce.  It adds a wonderful smoky kick.  The meatballs are made from a mixture of beef and pork to which crushed tortilla chips and an egg are added as binders.  I baked the meatballs instead of par-boiling them to achieve a nice crust.  Simmer the broth and meatballs together with added carrots, zucchini, and rice.  There is so much going on in each spoonful that you may not taste the same flavor combination twice in one bowl.  You'll find the red broth pulling you back for more.    

Don't forget about how to store your chipotle chiles and adobo sauce.

Shrimp Bisque

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As a child and young adult, I can't tell you how many times I attended a Garden Club luncheon with my grandmother only to see something similar to the picture above placed in front of me.  Shrimp Bisque has that great quality of being classy enough for a meal in that type of setting, but not so snooty as to be too good for your favorite soup list to make at home.  A batch of this for lunch after a brisk autumn walk in the woods is a warm welcome home indeed.  The multiple levels of flavor make themselves apparent with each spoonful.  Trust me, if you even kind of like shrimp, you will be going for another half bowl after the first has been slurpped spooned and savored.  Add a dash or five of cayenne pepper to really make it sing.

This shrimp bisque will make for a tasty departure from the regular holiday eats I have shared.  A nice bowl of soup can break up the meat/sides/roll assembly line.  Having said that, it might also fit quite nicely on a holiday menu as a first course.  

Sweet Corn and Shrimp Chowder

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We had our first sniff of Fall yesterday; sunny skies, dark passing clouds, a steady, cool breeze, and temperatures hovering in the mid 60s.  I can almost smell all the wonderful baked goods and comforting Fall foods.  However, I am not quite ready to give up on the stars of late summer produce, like corn and tomatoes.  Fortunately, I can have both Fall and Summer with this recipe--a bowl of sweet corn to satisfy my summer craving and a warm bowl of chowder to take off the early Fall chill.

Corn, shrimp, potatoes and bacon all come together in this bowl of goodness.  Half the corn kernels are puréed and the other half are left whole giving you a perfect texture.  The potatoes add body, the shrimp add meatiness, and the bacon takes it over the top.  A dash of cayenne adds a welcome bit of heat.

This is also a flexible recipe.  If you don't want to use shrimp, simply omit them from the recipe and add more potato.  Got lobster instead of shrimp?  That's great, too.  The original recipe made a corn broth using the corn cobs, but I use chicken broth both for simplicity and because I always have some in the refrigerator (and I like it).  You can use water or vegetable stock instead.  Like I have said before, make it for you, make it your own.

Tomato-Based Gazpacho

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It's H-O-T and I am not referring to the Tabasco in this recipe.  The temperature outside is climbing to the 100º F mark.  Definitely too hot to be turning on the stove, so a batch of this soup was in order.  It is nourishing and statisfying without weighing you down and it requires little effort.  It is also a great way to keep up your fluids and electrolytes in times of extreme heat.

Gazpacho is a chilled tomato-based raw vegetable soup that originates from southern Spain. There are many variations in color and flavor of the original gazpacho, which included fresh summer vegetables and stale bread.  Nowadays, one can find recipes for gazpachos that include fruit and seafood, as well as ingredients like avocado and cucumber that alter the color. This tomato-based recipe stays fairly close to the roots of gazpacho with the exception of the stale bread.  I keep the bread on the side for dipping.

The original recipe calls for green bell pepper and onion, but I much prefer the sweetness of red bell pepper and shallots.  I also use a few green onions for their mild onion flavor.  Fresh garlic adds a bit of a bite and fresh flat-leaf parsley lends a nice lemony note. The acidity from the tomatoes and vinegar is balanced by a good extra-virgin olive oil.  In terms of texture, make it according to your own liking.  Some prefer their gazpacho chunky and some like it smooth.  I prefer it somewhere in between with a garnish of finely diced cucumber for added crunch. Lastly, several good splashes of Tabasco will accentuate the flavor in this fresh vegetable mixture if a bit of heat is your thing.  If you can't stand the heat outside, try it in this bowl of summery goodness! 

Yellow Split Pea and Ham Soup

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The past few days have been cool and rainy.  Good for the flowers, but not good for the spring soccer season.  This a comforting bowl of soup to warm the body.  The yellow split peas are packed with fiber, they are good for the heart, and they also help stabilize blood sugar levels-- perfect for those energy burning soccer bodies.  Aside from the nutritional benefits, it also helps use up Easter ham leftovers--perfect for moms like me.  I make this soup year 'round, not just after Easter, so I am listing the liquid ingredients as chicken broth,  for that is what I use a majority of the time.  However, you can use water and the leftover ham bone to really add a depth of flavor to this soup.  As much as I enjoy this right from the pot, storing any leftovers gives it that "next day goodness".  On that note, if you do have leftovers, the soup thickens a great deal and needs to be thinned with more broth before reheating and serving.  I like to serve this soup with some whole wheat brown soda bread and a little butter to wipe up every last bit of goodness from the bottom of the bowl.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

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The calendar may say it's Spring but the weather outside is still late Winter here-- cold with snow-- seriously?  This soup was the perfect fit into this week's menu to warm our souls.  It is spicy and deep with flavor, but at the same time the broth is light without weighing you down.  

There are a few steps in making this soup; roasting the chicken breasts, making the broth, and frying the tortilla strips.  However, the end result is worth the time and very rewarding.

To the original recipe I add black beans, corn, and hominy to the broth to give the soup a little more body and flavor.  I also roast the chicken instead of poaching it.  Lastly, I add a few more herbs and spices to my liking.  I like to garnish it with diced avocado, chopped cilantro, diced red onion, diced jalapeno, Cotija cheese, and Mexican crema, but you can use whatever garnish you prefer or have on hand.  This is one crowd pleasing bowl of goodness to feed to your family and friends when it is cold outside, when it is raining, or really whenever you're feeling a bit fiesta-y.  That's not a word.  Here's the recipe.  

Tomato, Leek, and Basil Soup

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After sharing the recipes for the Chocolate Budino and the Caramel de Lite Cookie Bars, I thought I should post something savory and nutritious.  With a chill lingering in the late weeks of winter, I figured that a soup would fit the bill. 

Tomato soup is like macaroni and cheese; you just can't have too many recipes.  There is cream of tomato, tomato and rice, tomato and bread, tomato bisque--the list goes on.  This recipe is one that I haven't made in a while.  It is also one of those that I need to write down before I forget the recipe.  

I like this soup thick and chunky, but you can thin it out with more chicken broth or purée it a little more for a smoother texture.  Served with some crusty bread and a dollop of crème fraîche,  this is a comforting bowl for a chilly night or rainy afternoon.

Great Lakes Clam Chowder

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After shoveling several inches of snow this week in freezing temperatures, I needed something to warm me up.  This chowder does the trick.  It is rich, creamy, chunky, and delicious!

This clam chowder was adapted by Bon Appétit from SkipJack's, a Boston restaurant.  Since Skipjack's is on the East Coast they have access to fresh clams.  Since I am on the coast of the Great Lakes (hence the new name), I use Bon Appétit's version, which calls for bottled clams.  

With a few adaptations to suit my own taste, I have what I think is the very best approximation of this classic--next to fresh clam chowder.  I thickened it with some cornstarch, added a dash of Worcestershire and also a splash of dry Sherry.  It is  wonderful the day I make it, but after a night in the refrigerator, I think the flavor improves.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh chives and handful of oyster crackers--they are a must.  This is a serious bowl of yum!

So, if you are freezing like I am and nowhere near a fresh clam source, this recipe is for you.  Or if you simply want an easier version of good clam chowder, then this recipe is for you too.

Soupe au Pistou

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After all the holiday parties are over, the presents are put away, and the decorations are taken down, there is one thing that I look forward to immediately after the New Year. That thing is walking out onto my front stoop, opening up the mailbox and retrieving that first of many garden/seed catalogues.  It is actually a love/hate feeling.  I love looking at the pictures, dreaming and designing my 2011 kitchen garden, but I hate the fact that I still have to wait what seems like an eternity until the first frost-free date. And where I live, that date falls in the month of May!  

The catalogue that I received yesterday had the most beautiful looking sliced tomato on the cover.  It made me think of walking past my tomato plants and smelling that tomato vine smell--so earthy, so wonderful.  And then I thought of the large pots of basil planted nearby.  Mmm...basil and tomatoes, how I miss that fresh summer taste.

Fortunately, I can still enjoy that taste of basil and tomatoes in the dead of winter and it is in this soup.  Soupe au Pistou is a French Provençal vegetable soup made with a pistou.  Like the Italian pesto, a pistou is a "pounded" sauce of garlic, basil, tomato, and cheese.  And since I have some frozen basil pesto that I made in the freezer from the end of last year's harvest, this soup is on the menu tonight.

I make the soup base with chicken broth, onions, potatoes and carrots.  I then add some haricots verts (french green beans), navy beans, and broken spaghetti noodles and season with a bit of saffron.  To add body to the sauce I crumble in a piece of day old white bread.  But what really gives this soup a lovely fresh taste and velvety texture is stirring in a mixture of tomato paste and pesto.  Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty white bread--it is the next best thing to walking in my garden when it is 20º degrees outside.

Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup

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One of my favorite things to eat for lunch is soup.  I eat soup all year long.   Steamy and warm bowls of it in the fall and winter, light and delicate broths in the spring and chilled gazpachos and velouté in the summer.  Soup is so satisfying.  One of the reasons I enjoy soup so much is getting to have a crusty piece of bread, a corn muffin, a hot biscuit, or some type of cracker to eat on the side to sop up the last bit of  goodness in the bowl-- yum! 


So, since I have a bit of that pumpkin puree leftover from the muffins, the only thing to make is a pot of Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup.  This soup screams Fall.  Looking at the ingredients you might think, "How can this taste good?"-- pumpkin, black beans, tomatoes, and cinnamon?  Let me say it just works.   The pumpkin adds a silkiness, the beans add body, the tomatoes add sweetness, the cinnamon adds the perfect spice, and the ground cumin just rounds it all together.  Finish it with a dollop of sour cream, some chipotle sauce, and sprinkle of pomegranate seeds for a bit of texture and you've got yourself a bowl full of goodness.  Oh, don't forget the cornbread.

Note: Can be eaten immediately, but this is also a "next day better" meal.