Potato Leek Soup

I changed jobs this year, starting working at a community hospital that is a reverse commute from the city. It's a great area, folks stay in the county for generations, there are beautiful views of mountains and farms. So many friendly people. One perk of the job is the ability to join as CSA (something I've always wanted to do) that delivers the produce weekly right outside my office. I should have been blogging all summer about what I've made with the food. It's been fun figuring out what to make. 

I think the all time best, most delicious item is this soup. I had potatoes, I had a huge leek, I had a subscription to New York Times Cooking and you know I love to use that immersion blender -- it was quick easy and absolutely delectable. I will buy leeks and potatoes and make this again and again. 

2T Butter

2 medium (or one huge) leek -- light green and white parts only. Halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 garlic clove

4 C. chicken broth

1 1/2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 bay leaf

1 c. heavy cream

Melt butter in your dutch oven, add leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened, not browned (4 to 5 minutes). Add garlic and stir until fragrant (1 minute)

Add broth, potatoes and bay leaf. Season with salt bring to a boil over medium high heat, cover reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until potatoes are tender (15 minutes). Discard bay leaf.

Use your immersion blender to puree the potatoes until smooth

Stir in cream and warm on low until heated through.

Delicious Homemade Clam Chowder

 As part of my ongoing pledge to make more soup, I found an absolutely delicious (and really easy) recipe for Clam Chowder the other week. I improvised with a few of the ingredients and think it was a winner. 

Diced Pancetta

2 celery ribs, diced

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3 small potatoes peeled and cubed

1 c. chicken stock

1 bottle (8 oz) clam juice

1/4 t. pepper

1/4 t. thyme

1/3 c. flour

2 c. half and half

2 cans undrained chopped clams

Cook pancetta over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain.

Saute celery and onion in drippings until tender. Add garlic; cook a minute longer. Stir in potatoes, chicken stock, clam juice, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender (15-20 minutes)

In a small bowl combine flour and 1 c. half and half until smooth. Gradually stir into soup, bring to a boil, cook and stir until thickened. 1-2 minutes

Stir in clams, pancetta and remaining half and half. Heat through and serve.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

We have been through the ringer at our house -- COVID, the flu, work from home, back to the office. I have completely lost track of meal planning and any organization I ever had. We are downright European at this point -- and by that I mean going to the store every day, or worse, several times a day, and buying just what we need to get through the night's meal.

On Sunday, for some reason, we all agreed that soup would be a good idea. And while I do have some great recipes for soup here on the blog, I wanted to try something new. Ta Da! Broccoli Cheddar Soup!

Here's the deal

4 T. butter

4 T. flour

1/2 onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 or 2 carrots grated

1 large head of broccoli cut into small florets

2 c. chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 t. paprika

2 c. half and half

8 oz. medium or sharp cheddar grated

 

Melt the butter in your soup pot. 

Add onions and saute until tender (about 5 minutes). 

After the onions are soft and translucent, add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more. 

Mix in the flour and heat over medium until the mixture turns golden brown (about 3 minutes)

Add veggies (carrots and broccoli), salt and pepper, paprika and chicken stock. Mix well.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low to allow veggies to cook (about 15 minutes)

Once veggies are softened and cooked through, add half and half and cheddar cheese.

Stir until cheese is melted.

Ham and White Bean Soup

 I need to perfect this soup -- I've made it a few times, most recently during the Christmas holiday and it didn't turn out great, but I'm willing to try try again until I get it right.

Ham bone, hame shank or ham hocks

2 qt. water

1 T. olive oil

1 onion diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 ribs of celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

8 oz. white beans (canned) or dry -- but prepped in the instant pot

Cover the ham bone with water add dried herbs or seasoning to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for about 1 hour. 

Saute onions in olive oil for 8 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic for an additional minute.

Add beans, onions and garlic, celery and carrots to the ham hocks and simmer for an additional 40 minutes.

Pull the meat off the bones, and remove bones. Season with tabasco and parsley

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

We all stayed home for the super bowl this year -- everyone was sick. And we decided to make soup for dinner. My now-college-graduate daughter recalled a roasted red pepper soup that was served in her sorority house. I'd never heard of it before, but we figured in out. And while it looks less than appetizing, it was absolutely delicious.

• 4 large red bell peppers, roasted seeds removed
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp herbs de provence
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 cups fat free chicken broth, or vegetable stock
• 1 medium russet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp fat free sour cream
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Roast the peppers over an open flame until the skin is charred.

Place peppers in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for several minutes

Sautee onion, carrots, garlic and herbs in oil in your soup pot for about 8 minutes

Add chicken broth, potato, and white wine

Remove skin from peppers, remove stems and seeds and coarsely chop

Add to soup, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes

After 30 minutes add the sour cream and use an immersion blender to complete the soup

Put cheese in the bottom of a serving bowl then add soup.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

My sister Gretchen, who has worked full time for years now is a crock pot fan -- and told me about skinnytaste.com. I found this recipe there and the biggest, pickiest kid (i.e., the husband) not only told me that it was really good, but he went back for seconds during dinner! Mission accomplished.

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups + cheese • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 260.9 • Fat: 6.6 g • Protein: 25.4 g • Carb: 29.9 g • Fiber: 6.7 g • Sugar: 4.1 g
Sodium: 572 mg (without salt)


Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups low sodium fat-free chicken broth
8 oz can tomato sauce
1-2 tsp chipotle chili in adobo sauce (or more to taste)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (plus more for garnish)
 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups frozen corn
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 8 oz skinless chicken breasts (16 oz total)
1/4 cup chopped scallions, for topping
3/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
fat free sour cream (optional)

Directions:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce and chipotle adobo sauce and bring to a boil. Add cilantro and remove from heat. Pour into crock pot.

To the crockpot, add drained beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano and stir. Add the chicken breasts; cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Add chicken back into the soup, adjust salt and cumin to taste. Serve in bowls and top with fat free sour cream, cheese, scallions and cilantro. You can also top with avocado or crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Southwestern Corn Chowder

It mystifies me what my family likes and doesn't like. This one has all the ingredients they love -- corn, potatoes, creamy soup. It was met with not a great deal of enthusiasm. I, on the other hand, enjoyed this soup. Crock pot, somewhat low fat, soup... what's not to love? I'm going to keep serving it and see what happens.

Ingredients

• 4 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 2-3 medium potatoes, peeled (optional) and diced
• 2 4 oz cans of shopped green chilies
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 (2-3 oz) chorizo sausage links, skinned and diced
• 4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
• 2-4 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 c fat free half and half
• 4 tbsp flour

Instructions

1. place all ingredients (except for the last two) in slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours, until potatoes are tender
2. about 15-30 minutes before serving, mix the half and half and flour together until smooth and add to the mixture to thicken
3. adjust seasonings to taste and serve

Recipes to Try -- Spinach and Pasta Soup

I have been collecting recipes I'm going to try in all sorts of places -- and I've decided since I've started using this blog as a resource and cookbook of sorts, I think I'll start loading in recipes I want to try (as well as ones I've made)...

This one was in the Washington Post yesterday (October 13) food section.  It's a soup (which I was, at one point committed to making more of) and it's quick and it looks like a way to sneak some spinach into those tiny mouths I'm in charge of feeding....we'll see.  They are pretty observant.

Spinach and Pasta Soup
1 lb. turkey or chicken sausage, without casings
1 medium onion
1 or 2 large cloves garlic
28 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes, drained
4 c. water
4 c. no salt added chicken broth, such as Kitchen Basics brand
8 oz. baby spinach leaves
15 oz. (1 can) no salt added cannellini beans (such as Eden brand)
Kosher salt
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Mini bow tie pasta

Pinch pieces of the sausage and place in a stockpot over medium-high heat.  Cook the sausage, stirring to break up large clumps, until the exterior is no longer pink(it need not be fully cooked through at this point).

Cut the onion into small dice to yield 1 cup.  Mince the garlic (to taste). Coarsely chop the tomatoes, reserving their juices.

Add the onion and garlic to the pot; cook for 4 minutes, stirring a few times, until just softened, then add the tomatoes and their juices.

Stir in 2 c. of the water and the 4 c. broth. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then add the pasta and cook for 3 minutes; it will still be firm.

Rinse, then coarsely chop the spinach. Drain and rinse the beans.

Add the remaining 2 c. water, the spinach and the beans to the pot.  Stir, then cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes; the spinach should be tender, the pasta should be al dente and the sausage will be cooked through.  Season wtih salt to taste (keepin in mind that cheese might be added)

Divide among individual wide shallow bowls; sprinkle with the freshly grated cheese, if desired.  Serve hot.

Black Bean Soup -- Slow Cooker

I cannot for the life of me remember where I found this recipe -- but since no one really reads this blog, I guess I don't need to be all uptight about citing my sources....

I've found that the love of black beans is pretty universal here in our house, and as mentioned previously I'm working on: 1. More soup and 2. (previously un-announced) more slow cooker recipes.  TA DA -- the perfect marriage of both.

Now spicy is an issue -- and this recipe originally called for chipoltes -- which is too much for most of us.  So I substituted roasted pablanos -- I think it still needs a bit of a kick, next time I think I may put a few dashes of hot sauce --


Black Bean Soup

Yields 6 main course servings
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium-size red onions, chopped
1 medium-size red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 16-ounce package dried black beans
1 pablano pepper (roasted for about 12 minutes in 350 degree oven) seeded and chopped
7 cups hot water (I just used very hot tap water)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and both bell peppers and sauté until beginning to brown, about eight minutes. Add garlic and cumin; stir one minute. Transfer mixture to 6-quart slow cooker. Add beans and chipotles, then 7 cups hot water. Cover and cook on high until beans are very tender, about 3 hours. [See note up top.]
Use the wand blender to puree until smooth. Stir in lime juice, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste; we found we needed more salt. Ladle soup into bowls. Spoon dollop of toasted cumin seed cream (below) over each bowl and serve.
Do ahead: This soup keeps great in the fridge, and even thickens a bit. In a good way!

Toasted Cumin Seed Crème Fraîche
Hacked from Bobby Flay
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
1 cup crema or crème fraîche (or make your own crema, make your own crème fraîche, or swap sour cream or yogurt, for a close-enough taste)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Place the cumin in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Toast until lightly golden brown. Place in spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind until coarse. Stir it into the creme and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Could have sworn I got this from The Bitten Word -- but can't find it there now...

Fajita Soup

I don't know if I've said this out loud, but I've been trying to make more soup. As a matter of fact, I have a goal to make it once a week. It seems like something everyone around here likes, it's very nutritious (don't tell the kids, but I can sneak in all kinds of veggies) and it can be sort of easy, sometimes. I'm going to make a soup category.

Anyway, I re-subscribed to Cooking Light when a local middle schooler came around raising money for the band, and this recipe is the first one I tried. I wouldn't say it was a hands down winner, but it can definately go into the rotation -- it may get better reviews in the future.

Chili Spiced Chicken Soup with StopLight Peppers and Avocado Relish
(or, simply put, Fajita Soup)

Spice Mix:
2 1/2 t. chili powder
2 t. ground cumin
1 1/2 t. ground coriander
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. black peper
1/2 t. kosher salt

Soup:
1 T. canola oil
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
2 c. chopped sweet onion
1 c. chopped red bell pepper
1 c. chopped green bell pepper
1 c. chopped yellow bell pepper
1 T. minced garlic
1/2 t. salt
2 c. fresh corn kernels
1 32 oz. carton chicken broth
1 28 oz. can fire roasted crushed tomatoes (undrained)
2 T. fresh lime juice

Relish:
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 c. chopped green onions
1 t. grated lime rind
3 oz. queso fresco, crumbled
1 diced peeled avocado

1. Prepare spice blend in a small bowl
2. Heat 2t. oil in the soup pot, add chicken; sprinkle with 1 1/2 T. of spice blend. Saute 8 minutes or until done. Cool. Chop chicken; set aside.
3. Heat remaining 1 t. oil in pan over med-high heat. Add onion, peppers, garlic and 1/2 t. salt. Sprinkle remaining spice blend; saute 8 minutes or until veggies are tender. Stir in chicken, corn, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 15 minutes, add lime juice.
4. To prepare relish, combine cilantro and next 4 ingredients.
5. Ladle soup into bowls, top with relish.

From Cooking Light, March 2010 (p. 172)

Here Comes the Comfort Food -- Baked Potato Soup

It's been bitterly cold here -- just plain gross weather. At the end of an extended winter break where we've eaten too much, drank too much, and helped ourselves to just about everything we've wanted to ingest, I decided we needed one last hurrah before we buckle down to salad and fruit and water.

I'm also starting to think that soup on Sunday is a good idea. So, on a bitterly cold, ugly Sunday before we go back to the grind, what a better thing to prepare but Baked Potato Soup! This recipe is so bad -- it called for a cup of sour cream at the end, but I just couldn't do it. It's got potoatoes, cheese, milk, flour, butter -- BACON... but it was universally accepted by the family, and will be a "make again."

My apologies to those health nuts out there -- but here goes:
Baked Potato Soup
(From Fix It and Forget It Cookbook)

4 large baked potatoes
2/3 c. butter
2/3 c. flour
6 c. milk
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
4 green onions
12 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large stock pot. Add the flour and stir, heat for a minute or two. Slowly add the milk and stir constantly until soup thickens. Add salt, pepper, potatoes, onions and bacon. Stir and heat through. Right before serving, slowly add the cheese.

The Split Pea Soup Experiment

I am vegetable challenged. I can't seem to figure out a way to get the green things into the kids on a regular basis. So, the other night, when my pal Alton Brown told me that split pea soup is a great way to sneak some peas into the unsuspecting little people, I thought I'd give it a shot.

Amazingly, it didn't go over quite as well here in the real world. Son #1 didn't even try it, daughter said it had a funky aftertaste, and son #2 said it was okay. Husband said it was good, but too thick. (I think he was just being nice). I, on the other hand, loved it (of course). I had some left over, and it does get thicker as it ages, to the point where I feel like I'm eating baby food for lunch. The other great thing about this recipe is that I got to use my groovy new emersion blender...

I think I've got to make it a few more times to get the kids on the right track. I'll torture them with vegetables.

Also, I realized I had to serve it with something they would eat, or they would all starve the night I made it -- so I made ham steaks and macaroni and cheese...

Here's the recipe:
Curried Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
12 ounces dried green or yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
5 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon curry powder
Directions
Place the butter into a large (4 to 6-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sweat for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, making certain not to allow onions or garlic to brown.

Add the peas, chicken broth and curry powder. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook at a simmer until the peas are tender and not holding their shape any longer, approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Using care and a stick blender, puree the soup until the desired consistency. Watch out for hot splatters.

Corn Chowder

As my first attempt at creative family-friendly fare I found a recipe for Corn Chowder.

It seems healthy, it has fresh seasonal ingredients. Wyatt loves soup. Chris (husband) wasn't home for dinner. I thought I'd give it a try. What's not to like?

Wyatt (11) liked it -- gave it a "make again" rating. Zachary (5), who really isn't too picky yet, also ate an entire serving (which is a passive make again). Kate (9) said, "It looks like vomit," and she honestly could not get past that to taste the wonderful soup. I froze the leftovers and will try again.

Recipe:

3 medium ears of corn

4 oz. bacon cut into 1/2 inch dice

1 med onion

1/2 red bell pepper (1/2 inch dice)

1 or 2 spigs of thyme

1/2 t. cumin

1/8 t. tumeric

1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes (1/2 inch dice)

3 c. chicken stock

2 t. corn starch dissolved in 2T. water

1 c. heavy cream

2 T. of chives or scallions for garnish

1. Cut the kernels from the corn cobs and with the back of your knife scrape down the cobs to get the milky substance from the cobs.

2. Heat a 3 or 4 quart heavy pot over low heat and add the diced bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is crisp and golden brown. Pour off all but 1 T. of the fat, leaving the bacon in the pot.

3. Add the butter, onion, bell pepper, thyme, cumin, turmeric and saute stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon for about 8 minutes, until the veggies are tender but not browned

4. Add the corn kernels, potatoes, and stock, turn up the heat, cover and boil vigorously for about 10 minutes. Some of the potatoes will have broken up. Use the back of your spoon to smash a bit of the corn and pototoes against hte side of the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and season the chowder with salt and pepper.

5. Stir the cornstarch mixture and slowly pour it into the pot, stirring constantly. As soon as the cowder has come back to a boil and thickened slightly, remove from the heat and stir in the cream.

From 50 Chowders by Jasper White.