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Posts Tagged ‘soup’

Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

Posted in Soup, tagged , , , , on February 23, 2012| 5 Comments »

If you haven’t noticed yet, I’m all about soups.  Just take a look at the soup section here for proof.  It’s not just that they’re generally hard to mess up, and that they come together quickly, but there’s just something so satisfying about a good soup.   To be honest, soup is one of my favorite things about living so far north.  It’s one of the reasons I have a hard time saying goodbye to Winter.  I love sitting down with my family to a big kettle of hot soup loaded with vegetables, grains, or legumes.  And I love to try different spices– to see how they meld together in the broth.   

Since we eat soup so often during Winter (several times per week), I try to keep it healthy.  These are our everyday meals, after all.  You likely know that I splurge on occasion and make a meal that isn’t exactly low in the calorie count.  But for the food that nourishes us every day, I try to be a bit more moderate.  My version of wild rice and mushroom soup is light, yet still packed with flavor and nutrients.  It’s far removed from those thick, goopy versions– laden with flour– that you often find in restaurants.  As an aside, it took me years to convince my husband that the stick-to-your-spoon soups are overrated.  He’s finally come around.

To keep the soup lighter, I like to use evaporated milk.  It makes it creamy, without the heaviness of actual cream.  And ‘yes’, you can always use real cream instead.  If you do so, just make sure to add it at the end so it doesn’t curdle.  And if you really prefer a little more thickness, I recommend making a roux from cornstarch and water.  Again, add it near the end of your cooking time.  This is the perfect soup for making a few things ahead of time.  Both the chicken and the wild rice can be prepared in advance and refrigerated.  If you do it this way, the soup really comes together in a cinch.

One last thing to keep in mind here– and I guess I mean to generalize this to all of my recipes– but pay attention to the salt.  If you look back through my other recipes, you’ll see I usually don’t give precise measurements for how much salt to add.  Salt can make or break a dish.  A quote by chef Thomas Keller has stuck with me– and I’ll paraphrase– if you can taste the salt, you’ve added to much.  Salt should enhance the other flavors, but you shouldn’t taste the salt.  My point is, since every broth and roasted chicken contains different levels of salt, you’ll have to decide how much you want to add.  Taste, taste, taste!

The Recipe: Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup 

(Serves 4 comfortably)

3/4 cup dry wild rice, cooked

7-8 medium carrots, chopped (about 1 1/4 cup)

1/2 medium white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

4 celery stalks with leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced thick (between 2 – 2 1/4 cups)

1 large leek, white and green parts only, chopped

3 tablespoons dry sherry

2 quarts organic chicken broth

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

2 cups roasted chicken, thickly shredded or cubed

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

 

Cook the wild rice according to directions on package.  Make sure not to overcook it; it will cook a bit longer in the soup.  Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onions, carrots, leeks, celery,  and a pinch of salt and pepper.   Sauté for a few minutes until vegetables start to soften, making sure to stir a few times.  When the vegetables are somewhat soft, add the chicken broth, mushrooms, and rice.  Raise the heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are tender.  Add the evaporated milk, chicken, and sherry.  Let simmer until the chicken has warmed through and the flavors have melded.  Season with salt, pepper, and stir in the chopped parsley.  Enjoy with a piece of crusty bread!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Laurie

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Lentil Soup with Lemongrass and Ginger

Posted in Soup, tagged , , , , , , on February 17, 2012| 12 Comments »

I finally went on a full-scale cleaning and organizing mission.  I love my kitchen, but I could always use more space– just one more cupboard.  The focal point of my organizing was the food pantry.  There was a time, not long ago, when I got excited everytime I looked in the pantry– so many possibilities!  So many dishes to create!  Lately, opening that door just led to me being annoyed.  Plastic bags with twist ties, hiding all of those beautiful grains/legumes/dried fruit/and nuts that I buy in bulk.  Random boxes half-full of dried pasta.  I needed a better system, and mason jars were the answer.  They stack beautifully and best of all, I can see all of those beautiful dried goods– including these amazing lentils.

I love lentils: red, french, green, brown– they all have fantastic flavors.  Lentils are high protein and fiber and low fat.  They’re also convenient, since they don’t take long to prepare, so they’re perfect for when you need to get a quick weeknight dinner on the table.  Even better, they’re inexpensive.  I like to prepare them with an egg on top (because eggs make everything better), or made into simple, flavorful soups like this one.  They’re brilliant!

The flavors in this lentil soup mingle perfectly.  The ginger, curry, cardamom, and cumin are stand-outs.  They give the soup an identity.  And the lemongrass adds that little zing that really brightens things up.  Depending on where you are, lemongrass may be difficult to find.  If so, just add a bit of lemon zest and a healthy squirt of lemon juice before serving.  The coconut milk is the backbone here,  it ties all of the other wonderful flavors together.  It is rich and creamy, and envelopes those warm spices.  I use a whole can in this recipe, but if you want to reduce the calorie count, add just a half can.  If you do so, make sure to compensate for the loss of liquid by adding a bit more broth or water.  And don’t buy the ‘lite’ versions of coconut milk– they’re not particularly good.  Pair this soup with a nice piece of crusty bread drizzled in olive oil, and enjoy!

The Recipe:  Lentil Soup with Lemongrass and Ginger

(Serves 4 comfortably)

5-6 small/medium carrots, chopped (1 1/4 cup)

1 medium red onion, chopped  (about 1 cup)

1 stalk lemongrass, outer leaves removed and discarded, finely minced

1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed

1 can (13.5 ounces) organic coconut milk

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon cardamom

1 quart organic chicken broth

pinch of salt

lemon, cilantro, and sour cream for garnish, optional

In a large Dutch oven placed over medium heat add the olive oil.  When hot add the carrots, red onion, lemon grass, ginger, a sprinkle of salt and sauté  for about 7- 10 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.  Then add the curry powder and cardamom and  toast for just 30 seconds, or so.  Immediately add the tomatoes, chicken stock, coconut milk, and lentils.  Raise heat and bring to a small boil.  Immediately lower heat to low/medium and cook the soup covered for about 20-30 minutes, or until the lentils are your desired consistency.  The amount of time will vary depending upon how high your flame is.  Taste the soup and adjust salt accordingly.  Take note that this is a soup that will thicken as it sits, so leftovers may need a splash of broth or water to loosen it up.  Serve with sour cream, cilantro, and lemon, if desired, and a drizzle of olive oil.  Enjoy!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Laurie

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Paprikash

Posted in Soup, tagged , , , , , on January 25, 2012| 30 Comments »

Paprikash.  Just saying it reminds me of being a little girl, coming in from playing in the snow to that amazing aroma of paprika wafting through our farmhouse.  My brother and cousins were there, of course, with the same frigid hands and red wind-blown cheeks.  This soup– more than any other meal– defined my childhood.  Paprikash is nourishing and delicious, but it’s so much more than that to me.  It’s family and friends.  Paprikash meant company was about to arrive, and that we kids had the freedom of the farm while the adults chatted the afternoon away.  It meant the comfort of having my parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all together to share a communal meal.  And now, paprikash is nostalgia.  It’s a bit strange to write about it here.  It’s bittersweet because I loved those days, and know that I can never have them back.  I’m reminded of how very lucky I was to grow up in rural North Dakota– to see my extended family every week.  This soup reminds me of those family traditions.  I love traditions.  I also love this soup.

This is my version of paprikash.  Like nearly every mother, grandmother, and aunt in my hometown, I’ve developed my own take on this Hungarian soup.  The foundations are the same:  beef, onions, potatoes, and dumplings.  And they’re all enveloped by a thick, rich, beef broth.  It’s a hearty soup that has a profoundly deep, comforting, flavor thanks to sweet paprika.  This is the bowl you want to eat when the snow is falling outside your dining room window.

Now for a few pointers.  First, use good paprika.  I can’t stress this enough.  The paprika is the canvas upon which the rest of the soup is created.  Buy the best you can.  Second, the soup takes a bit of patience.  The beef needs time to become tender.  When it’s ready, you will know.  And if you’ve never made egg dumplings before, they may seem a bit odd or confusing.  They are almost paste-like.  Here’s the thing though– just get them in there.  Drop a bite-size portion into the hot soup, they’ll cook, and turn out beautifully.  Finally, just how good this soup turns out will depend on the salt.  The amounts I list below should be fine, but remember that every beef broth is different.  Some are much saltier than others, so you’ll want to taste, taste, taste, as you add ingredients.  Better to add more salt later, than ruin an amazing meal.  I really hope you make this soup.  There’s nothing else like it.

The Recipe: Paprikash

(Serves 6)

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/4 -1 1/2 pounds of grass-fed beef stew meat, cut into small cubes

1 large onion, chopped (about 4 cups)

5 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika

2 quarts homemade or good quality beef broth

2 pounds yellow potatoes or yukon gold, peeled and cubed

6 eggs, lightly beaten

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus a bit more.

cracked black pepper

3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

In a large Dutch-oven over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  When it is hot, add the cubed beef and a sprinkle of salt and freshly cracked pepper.  Stir the meat a couple of times, and cook for about 5-6 minutes.  Transfer the beef, along with it’s juices, to a bowl and set aside.

In the same Dutch-oven over medium-high heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil.  When it is hot, add the 4 cups of chopped onion.  Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until they become golden brown and are very fragrant.

Still on medium-high heat, add 5 tablespoons of paprika to the browned onions and toast for about 30 seconds.  Add 2 quarts of beef broth, the reserved cooked beef and juices, 1 teaspoon salt, and cracked black pepper.  Bring to a boil.   Reduce heat to simmer.  Simmer on low-medium for about 2 hours, or until the beef is very tender.

When the beef is tender, raise the temperature to medium and add the cubed potatoes.  Cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and tender, but not falling apart.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, using a large spoon, mix the lightly beaten eggs with the flour and 1 teaspoon salt.  It will form a sticky paste.  This is normal.  When the potatoes are cooked through, begin to add the dumplings one at a time.  Using a small spoon, gently “plop” a bite-sized portion into the hot soup.  You may want to use another spoon (or your finger) to help you.  It will sink at first, and then float to the top.  Repeat until all of the egg/flour mixture is in the soup.  The soup will look crowded, and you will need to “push” some of the dumplings out of the way to make room for more.  Once they are all in the soup, let them cook for another 5-10 minutes.  At this point, taste the soup.  Much of the flavor is dependent on the amount of salt.  Add more if necessary.  Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.  Enjoy with a piece of crusty bread.  Please note that this soup is even better the next day!

Thanks for stopping by.  I always look forward to hearing from you!  Come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dishsponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset 

Laurie

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Szechwan Carrot Soup

Posted in Soup, tagged , , , , on January 16, 2012| 8 Comments »

Carrot soup.  It isn’t exactly a cause for celebration, is it?  Carrot soup even sounds dull.  Not this time, though.  I love a dish that takes a reliable, though perhaps uninspiring ingredient, and transforms it into something special.  Here the addition of a few interesting Asian flavors make this carrot soup absolutely delicious.  And as a bonus, this is a perfect weeknight soup.  Chances are the you already have most of these ingredients in your kitchen, and it comes together in less than a half hour.

Like most soups, this recipe has a lot of wiggle room so you can adjust it to fit your palate.  If you like things spicy (like we do) add more red pepper flakes.  Or you may want more peanut butter or sesame oil.  Feel free to experiment.  As always, make sure you taste before you serve it.  Since they remain the central flavor of this soup, it’s worth tracking down organic carrots.  You’ll find the flavor is simply better.  I paired it with this salad (without carrots), and it made a perfect, light weeknight meal.  Hope you enjoy it!

The Recipe: Szechwan Carrot Soup

1/2 medium white onion, chopped

2 celery ribs. chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces

1  inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes, or more to taste

4 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1 -2 teaspoons sesame oil

splash of rice wine vinegar or lime juice

Cilantro, chopped for garnish

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven.  Add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook a few minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.  Add the chopped carrots, ginger, red pepper flakes and broth and simmer until the carrots are soft, about 20-25 minutes.  Stir in the peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil.  Puree with a emersion blender, or transfer it to a regular blender and mix until smooth.  Taste.  Adjust seasonings if necessary.  Add a splash of rice wine vinegar or lime juice.  You may want to add more peanut butter or soy sauce, depending upon your personal taste.  Enjoy!

Source:  Adapted from The Amateur Gourmet

Thanks so much for stopping by Relishing It  — I love hearing from you.

Laurie

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Smoked Ham Shank and Apple Soup with Dijon

Posted in Soup, tagged , , , , on January 9, 2012| 4 Comments »

Another Monday is here.  Another weekend blew past far too quickly.  I keep waiting for life to slow down– just a bit to let me catch my breath– but with two small children I’m trying to accept the fact that it’s not going to happen.  I know, I know.  It’s only going to get busier as they both grow and start school activities.  Even after a few years, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the pace of it all.  I think that is one of the reasons I enjoy being in my kitchen for those short stretches of free time.  It’s calm.  And I get to determine the speed of most things.  There’s a relaxing orderliness to cooking and baking that I can control.  Of course, it’s also rewarding to get to sit down at the dinner table with my family every night.  So those brief, tranquil cooking times in the kitchen have the added benefit of putting life into perspective.  It’s these little things that help paint the much bigger picture.

During one of my sabbaticals to the kitchen the other day, I made this soup.  I was interested by the fact that it combines two  atypical soup ingredients.  Apples and mustard.  Intriguing, eh?  I thought  it would all come together when I read about the smoked ham shank.  And my hunch was right, though that doesn’t do this recipe justice.  I figured it would be good, but I wasn’t prepared for just how delicious– and unique– this soup really is.  I’ve never had another with flavors even remotely similar to this one.  And that’s a good thing.  It wasn’t overly sweet, despite containing both apple cider and chopped apples.  As for the Dijon mustard– wow!  It’s the star here, adding a brilliant tang.  And though making the ham stock took a few steps, it was so worth it.  It’s a perfectly salted and smokey canvas for the other ingredients.  Once you have the stock prepared, the soup comes together in minutes, so it’s easy to prepare ahead of time.  If you get a chance to sneak away to your kitchen this week, make this soup.  I was so happy I did, and you will be too.

The Recipe: Smoked Ham Shank and Apple Soup with Dijon

(serves 4)

For the Stock:

1 1/2 pounds smoked ham shank

2 3/4 cups apple cider

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 large white onion, rough chopped

For the Soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil

7-8 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 head garlic, peeled and chopped

1/2 large white onion, chopped

4-5 medium yellow potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, cut into 1/2-inch dice

2-3 tablespoons creamy Dijon mustard

3 tart apples, cored and peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice

kosher salt and cracked pepper, to taste

To make the stock:  In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, combine the ham shank, 3 quarts water, apple cider, garlic cloves, and 1/2 white onion.  Simmer over medium heat for about 3 hours or until the ham is tender and falls off of the bone.  Remove the ham shank from the stockpot and place on a plate, pull the meat off of the bone and set aside; discard the bone.  Discard the garlic and onion.  Reserve the cooking liquid — you will need two quarts.  Skim the fat off of the ham stock using a ladle.  Discard the fat.

To make the soup:  Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the carrots, parsnips, onions, and garlic and cook a few minutes until soft and tender.  Add the potatoes, garlic, apples, ham, and reserved liquid and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Stir in the mustard and season with salt, if necessary.  Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from The Spotted Pig, New York City  via Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer’s Harvest to Heat Cookbook

So glad that you stopped by Relishing It today — hope you enjoy this soup!

Laurie

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Mexican Chicken and Hominy Soup

Posted in Soup, tagged , , , , , on December 9, 2011| 3 Comments »

While we’re a few days closer to the holidays– and you’re probably expecting a sinfully decadent recipe– I’ve decided to shake things up a bit with this simple, wonderfully savory soup.  This winter warmer is one of my family’s favorites.  It’s modest, yet combines enough interesting flavors and textures to stand out.  For starters, can we talk about how fabulous smoked paprika is?!  I love the stuff.  And paired with the cumin in this soup, you get a real flavor explosion.  Add a little lime and cilantro, and you end up with a perfect, fresh complement to the spices.

The other key ingredient is hominy.  While I’ve been making this soup for a long time, I only recently switched from using the canned variety to dried hominy.  You’ve seen in previous posts that I always advocate using dried, rather than canned beans.  Well, I wondered if the same texture and flavor differences applied to hominy, so I had to give it a try.  Wow!  It really makes the soup that much better.  Dried hominy added a more ‘tooth-some’ (am I making up words again?) quality to the soup.  It’s firm (though not hard), and helps make the dish more substantial.  I won’t be going back to buying the canned version.

You may have to work to track down dried hominy.  I eventually found it in a local Mexican foods market.  The point is this– if you can find it, use it.  If not, the soup is still brilliant using canned hominy.  If you go the canned route, use about 3-4 cans, drained.  One thing to keep in mind, this soup will thicken more the day after it is made.  The hominy continues to soak up liquid, so you may want to add more broth on the following days if you have leftovers.  Make it– you’ll love it.  And as for those sweet recipes, I have a few up my sleeve for next week.  Have a great weekend!

The Recipe: Mexican Chicken and Hominy Soup

Serves about 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 jalapeño, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 quart canned crushed tomatoes

2 cups shredded roasted chicken

2 cups dried hominy, soaked overnight in cold water and drained

1  1/2 quarts chicken broth

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 teaspoon smoked paprika

kosher salt and black pepper to taste

juice of one lime

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté the green bell pepper, onion, garlic, and jalapeño in the olive oil until tender, about 4-5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, hominy, chicken broth, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Cook until the hominy becomes tender, about 30-40 minutes.  In the last 10 minutes of cooking time, add the roasted chicken.  Doing so too early will cause the chicken to fall apart.  When the soup is done, stir in the lime juice and cilantro.  Adjust seasonings, if necessary.  Serve with tortilla chips and queso fresco, if desired.  Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Laurie

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Red Kuri Squash Soup

Posted in Soup, tagged , , on November 18, 2011| 3 Comments »

If you have small children, there’s a good chance you’ve read the book “Pumpkin Soup” by Helen Cooper.  It’s an adorable tale about three friends: a duck, a cat, and a squirrel.  They live in a pumpkin patch, play music, and go on adventures to find spices.  Every night for dinner they make– surprise!– pumpkin soup.  “The best you ever tasted.”  Just after we first read the book to Aanen when he was two, he started asking for pumpkin soup.  This is the version I make for him.  (P.S. Yes, it’s technically squash soup, but I’m comfortable with the deception.)

This is a simple, light squash soup.  It’s nothing fancy, and I think I appreciate it for that very reason.  The squash alone is silky, so I don’t add heavy cream.  I made it with whole milk once, and though it was good, I prefer it this way.  I like to use red Kuri squash for this soup, but Buttercup or Sweet Mama varieties are also wonderful options.   Sometimes I swap the onion for a couple of leeks, but given the abundance of onions in my home, I generally use them.  The key to the soup is the freshly grated nutmeg.  It gives this soup a subtle depth that is difficult to pinpoint.  Nutmeg has a way of doing that, which is one of the reasons I use it as much as I do.  The other essential  ingredient is fried sage leaves.  If you haven’t eaten a sage leaf fried in butter, do yourself a favor and give it a try.  Amazing stuff.

This soup would make a perfect starter for your Thanksgiving meal– I made it for that very purpose last year.  It’s a wonderful soup to make ahead of time and reheat right before you serve it.  And it’s not so heavy that your friends and family will leave too much turkey on the platter.  Also, remember that you can adjust the thickness by adding more or less chicken stock.

The Recipe: Red Kuri Squash Soup

Serves 4

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium-large red kuri squash

1 medium white onion

6 -7 cups chicken broth

kosher salt and cracked black pepper

freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/2 teaspoon

Garnishes

3-4  tablespoons butter

fresh sage leaves, use as many as you like (2-3 per bowl of soup works well)

toasted and salted pepitas

sour cream or creme fraiche

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Cut the squash in half and remove seeds.  Place squash cut side up in a baking dish and cover with lid or aluminum foil.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile, in a dutch oven set on the stove top, begin to sautee the onion in olive oil when the squash is nearly cooked.  Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.  When the squash is tender, scoop the flesh from the skin and add it to the dutch oven.  Let cook for a few minutes to make sure the squash is completely cooked through and to let the flavors meld.  Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Use an emersion blender to puree the soup or transfer it to a regular blender.  Adjust seasonings, if necessary.

In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the sage leaves and sautee for just a minute.  Remove from heat.  Ladle hot soup into bowls and top with sour cream, pepitas, and the fried sage leaves.  Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by Relishing It today.

Laurie

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African Peanut Soup

Posted in Soup, tagged , , , , , , , on October 20, 2011| 20 Comments »

As I’ve said in prior posts, my family eats a lot of soup through the chilly Fall and Winter months.  Some lighter soups I prepare as a first course to a meal, while other more substantial versions become the meal itself.  This is one of those that is hearty enough to stand alone.  It has the added benefit of not only being delicious, but it’s somewhat unique.  It has an interesting flavor that breaks up the monotony of all those broth-based soups.  My neighbor introduced me to this beautiful soup two years ago.   It is has become one of our favorites.

Take a look at all of those vegetables!  Just when you think you cannot possibly add more, it’s time to put an entire bag of spinach into the pot.  The veggies are just one of the many reasons to love this soup.  The broth is another.  It’s hefty and creamy, with just the right amount of peanut, ginger, and curry to give it that unique flavor.  You may think you’re cheating by eating such an indulgent dish, but fear not– the small amount of peanut butter goes a long way here.  Another reason to love this soup is that it comes together in a snap and cooks up in little time.  The sweet potatoes become tender quickly, so it doesn’t need to simmer on the stove for long.   Finally, the addition of chicken is a nice contrast to all of the vegetables, and makes the soup even more substantial.  If you prefer, you can easily leave it out for a vegetarian version– just be sure to add a few more vegetables.

The Recipe:  African Peanut Soup

Makes 4 -6 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped celery

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoon curry powder

2 cups canned crushed tomatoes

1 bay leaf

4 cups organic chicken stock

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed into bite size pieces

1 – 1 1/2 pounds organic/free-range  chicken breast, cooked and cubed

1/2 cup  or more of peanut butter (try to use a natural kind containing just ground peanuts)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 – 5 oz bag of baby spinach leaves, torn

kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper chopped

peanuts and lime wedges,  for garnish

To make the soup:  Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven.  Saute on medium heat the onion, peppers, carrots, and celery until soft — about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, ginger, and curry powder.  Saute for about  a minute.  Add the tomatoes and bay leaf.  Cook for three more minutes, so the tomatoes can reduce a bit.

Add the broth, sweet potatoes, and chicken.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are soft. 10 – 15 minutes.  Stir in the peanut butter and cook for another 2 minutes.  Stir in the cilantro and spinach.  Cook until spinach wilts.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with a wedge of lime and a sprinkle of peanuts.  Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from an article in Parade Magazine, I’m told

Thanks for stopping by Relishing It  — have a wonderful weekend!

Laurie

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Roasted Chicken Vegetable Soup with Lemon and Pesto

Posted in Soup, tagged , , , , , on October 14, 2011| 5 Comments »

Unfortunately the glorious Indian Summer in Minnesota appears to be ending.  That’s the way of it up here, I guess.  The tempermental mid-Summer months were suffocating at times, keeping us indoors more days than I like.  And the cool comfort of Fall just isn’t long enough.  At least it was magical.  Now the last couple of days have been gray, wet, and cold.  I’m not ready for the long dark of Winter, though I expect my wishes won’t hold it back much longer.  I suppose I should be thankful for the recent– if brief– temperate weather, because I recall  as a child trick-or-treating in October during snowstorms.  Memories of huge freshly-piled snowbanks, and the frustration of not being able to see because my glasses had fogged-up beneath my mask.  Yes, it’s time to appreciate these few weeks, even if they are getting cool, windy, and wet.

One benefit of the colder weather is that many of our meals shift towards warming comfort foods, like soup.  I love soup.  Not like a typical person loves soup, but on a fundamental– maybe inherited genetic– level.  My Mom likes to declare that she “could live on nothing more than soup!”  And she cooks up some divine ones.  While I won’t be so bold as to say I could survive on it alone, soup gets me through those bone-chilling days.  It’s genius– a hearty bowl is the best way to warm up from the inside out, and the smell of a simmering kettle on the stove for a few hours chases the cold away for awhile.

Today’s recipe is my variation on the old ‘vegetable-chicken’ soup that is the staple of so many Winter meals.  While it may look familiar, it offers so much more than the simple vegetable, chicken, and broth flavors you’re used to.  The reason is the addition of lemon and pesto (or pistou if you prefer to make it without the nuts…and want to show off your command of Provençal).  The lemon provides a subtle, though noticeable, hint of interesting acidity.  And the dollop of pesto is brilliant.  It combines the boldness of fresh herbs along with a delicate saltiness.  You can make your own, or buy it at your local market.  For the meat, I generally use roasted chicken, though it is also beautiful with the more potent flavors of wild pheasant.  Like most soups, you can experiment with the ingredients to make it your own.  This soup has become a family favorite that we all love– even my little ones.  I hope you enjoy it, too.

The Recipe:  Roasted Chicken Vegetable Soup with Lemon and Pesto

(As always, you will get the best results by using fresh organic ingredients.)

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 small leek, chopped

4-5 medium carrots, peeled and diced

4-5 medium parsnips, peeled and diced

2 small celery stalks with leaves, diced

1 medium white onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup green beans, trimmed and chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 cups roasted chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 cup pearled barley, rinsed

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 tablespoons parsley,  finely chopped

2 quarts chicken stock (homemade or store -bought)

kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

red pepper flakes, to taste

Pesto:

1 3/4 cup fresh basil, torn

1/4 cup fresh parsley, torn

1/3 cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese (or Grana Padano — almost as wonderful, but at a much better price.)

1/4 cup lightly toasted walnuts, chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (adjust more or less, depending upon your desired consistency.)

pinch of red pepper flakes

Kosher salt, to taste

To make the soup: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven.  On medium heat, sauté  the onion, leek, celery, carrots, parsnips, green beans, and a bit of salt and pepper until the vegetables start to become tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.  Add the chicken broth, barley, chicken, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until the barley is done, about 3o-40 minutes.  Add the lemon zest and juice.  Stir in the parsley.  Season with more salt and pepper, if needed, and a pinch of red-pepper flakes.

To make the pesto:  Add the basil, parsley, garlic, Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, walnuts, pinch of salt and red pepper flakes to a mini-food processor.  Pulse a few times to incorporate everything together.  With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil.  Adjust seasonings, if necessary.  Serve a dollop on top of a bowl of hot soup.  Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by Relishing It today — wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Laurie

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Borscht

Posted in Soup, tagged , , , , , , , on August 22, 2011| 8 Comments »

While growing up, I recall my parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles always talking about how much they loved Borscht.  As a child, I had to disagree.  They couldn’t be talking about that deep-red vegetable soup that I sat at the table and stared at, hoping it would somehow disappear so I could go play, could they?  I’d like to believe I wasn’t too keen on Borscht because of the not-so-wonderful sounding name, though no doubt my palatte has simply changed.  I get what my family was talking about.  Now I make this soup all of the time.  Take one look at that beautiful color, and then a spoonful of those lovely vegetables and comforting broth, and you’ll see why.

Beets– probably the most vibrant vegetable around.  I love their slightly-sweet flavor, and eat them both roasted and raw.  They are the foundation of this soup, along with a nice selection of other fresh vegetables.  I like to add as wide a variety of vegetables as possible– in particular root vegetables– but if you don’t have exactly what I used, don’t worry.  Like any good soup, this one is forgiving and you should be able to find a substitute.  I used fresh tomatoes because I had them on hand.  I also used the last of my homemade tomato juice.  When I don’t have fresh tomatoes in winter, I rely on my homemade crushed canned tomatoes– about 2 cups.  If you use canned crushed tomatoes, be sure to make the appropriate adjustments to the amount of liquid you add.  In other words, you may not need as much water.

Speaking of the broth, this is generally the only soup that I make using just water.  In this soup the ingredients are so numerous and fresh that they provide that additional flavor that you generally get from vegetable broth.  If you want a little more taste, you can add a ham shank or ham juice– like my Mother does.  Both wonderful additions.  The two ingredients where you won’t want to vary from the recipe are the fresh dill and addition of vinegar.  Both are keys to making this soup complete.  So how do you add fresh dill in early January when you want to linger over a bowl of Borscht?  Thankfully, dill freezes very well.  Stick it in a freezer storage bag and it’ll last for months.

So why am I writing about a warm soup in late August?  Good question.  The last two weeks have seen crisp air at night here in Minnesota.  I bought apples at the farmers’ market this weekend.  And right now my house smells of cinnamon, as my husband is bottling a batch of his home-brewed Autumn Spice Ale.  It has seemed like an unusually short summer– and though it going to be hard to let it go, I think I’m getting ready for Fall.  This soup was a test and I think it feels right.

The Recipe:  Borscht

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

4 tomatoes, diced

4 beets, peeled and diced

4 carrots, peeled and diced

3 parsnips, peeled and diced

1 turnip, peeled and diced

1 onion, chopped

1/2 head small cabbage, chopped

1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons white vinegar

2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4  teaspoon cracked black pepper

6 cups water

1 cup tomato juice

In a large heavy-bottomed kettle, such as a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and add the onion, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnip, and tomatoes along with the kosher salt and black pepper.  Saute until the vegetables start to soften, 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the cabbage and allow to wilt a bit, another 3-4 minutes.  Add the water, tomato juice, bay leaf and vinegar.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.  Allow to simmer until the vegetables are tender, 30-45 minutes, depending upon how high the heat is.  Stir in the fresh dill.  Make seasoning adjustments if necessary.   Serve with a dollop of sour cream.  Enjoy!

Thanks again for stopping by Relishing It!  Have a great day.

Laurie

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