Soups on! Any favorites or soup recipes you want to try.... (3,814 views)

I am a die hard soup fanatic and make it all year long, lighter more veggie centric in the summer and heartier varieties in the winter. Anyway, I just tried some new recipes in my files last weekend as well as some tried and true. The new one was a Polish style Dill Pickle Potato soup. It intrigued me because of the pickles and I had some russet potatoes to use up. It turned out much better than I expected and I probably will make it again in the future, but I can't say it was a wow. Here is the link to the recipe. I did change things a bit. I used Gruyere cheese as I hate Swiss and then I did not have enough so I made up the difference with some cheddar. I used light sour cream and added chopped scallions at the end. I also sauteed 2 spicy Italian chicken sausages and threw them in at the end. I bet it would be good with bacon, too, but you have to really watch the seasoning as it could easily get too salty with the pickles. 
www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/dill-pickle-and-potato-soup/
 
I also made Escarole Bean Soup as escarole was on sale last week. Pretty straight forward and very tasty. White beans, Italian turkey sausage, escarole in a tomato based chicken broth. I threw in a bit of cooked ditalini I had and simmered the soup with a Parmesan cheese rind. 

This week I will likely be making some turkey chili since my peppers in the garden are all turning red and I also have lots of serranos, some poblanos, and mariachi peppers to use or harvest and freeze. I am holding out to make some posole as my tomatillos are almost ready but need a bit more time. I just hope they make it before it gets too cold or we get a frost. Otherwise I resort to canned tomatillos.

Karen

Hmmm, I bought a can of hominy last week and it's perfect weather (rainy, cool) for posole but I think that the recipe we like was on the CL boards (and I'm pretty sure that this was one that I did not copy before everything disappeared). Maybe it's in my file somewhere, but if anyone has a good t&t recipe I'll be happy to give it a try!

I have a Crock Pot Posole and one that came from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything (quite possibly on Bobmark's long thread on the CLBB.  Do you know if one of those might be it?  

Here is a ridiculously simple recipe from Shirley Ekstein, who some of you may remember from around 2002 or so. Before I pass it along, I also feel the need to set the stage. Shirley and her husband were living in a small village in France at the time, pretty much in the middle of nowhere. The night in question, Shirley had picked us up at the train station sometime after 8:30 pm, then drove the hour-and-a-half or so it took to get to their home. We were tired, it was late, and we were hungry. Naturally, Shirley had been prepared for all that. Out came a lovely loaf of rustic bread, a wedge of cheese (and perhaps some cornichons, have forgotten), red wine (there was ALWAYS wine!) and bowls of this lovely soup. After dinner, we went outside, had more wine, and sat for a while. Out in the middle of nowhere there were no city lights to mar the darkness. The sky was adazzle with millions of stars and the universe seemed infinite. I remember Shirley asking us what had been the highlights of our holiday thusfar. My reply had been, "This night, I think, has just become one of them."

Impossible to eat this soup and not relive that again.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE (SUNCHOKE) SOUP

Dead easy. Peel and chop an onion and as many artichokes as you have - put them to seethe gently for about 10 minutes with a lump of butter and salt and pepper, lid on, stirring from time to time. Add chicken stock or water just to cover, bring to boil and simmer till artichokes are squashy, about 30 mins or so. Blend, and if too thick for you dilute with more stock, water, milk or thin cream, whichever takes your fancy. Check for seasoning and serve with a swirl of crème fraîche if you've got it, or any other cream, and a sprnkle of chives on the cream is nice but not obligatory. That's it!

(Gail note: peeling Jerusalem artichokes is probably the hardest thing about this dish, especially if they're small. I also like to add a sprig or two of fresh thyme, though Shirley didn't use it that night.)

Beth, that wasn't the recipe, but it is the one that I'm going to make! Sounds delicious, I just have to put spareribs on my grocery list and I'm all ready. THANKS!!!

Gail, I think that I remember Shirley but I thought that she lived in England.

I'm making a small batch of Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup tonight. Never tried this recipe before but I love all the ingredients. Will have to let the apples simmer for a while so I don't get in trouble. (Stupid allergies!) Hope this link works!

www.onceuponachef.com/2012/10/autumn-carrot-and-sweet-potato-soup.html#tabrecipe

Back to report This was a very good soup. Next time I'll increase the amount of apples as some of that tart flavor mellows if you have to cook them. On the other hand, one reviewer said it was hard pureeing the uncooked apple pieces towards the end. Will definitely make this again later in the fall.

I make Pasta e Fagioli and Roasted Red Pepper soups year round. In the past couple weeks I've made Chicken Noodle, Ginger Carrot Soup, and tonight Butternut Squash Bisque.

Other favorites are :

-- Chicken & Andouille Gumbo
-- Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup
-- Sweet Potato Andouille Bisque
-- Cream of Cauliflower Soup
-- Ina's Minestrone
-- Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage & Swiss Chard
-- Roasted Garlic Soup
-- Onion & Fennel Soup Gratin
-- Smoked Paprika & Rutabaga Bisque
-- Spicy Dahl
-- Split Pea & Barley Soup
-- Wild Mushroom Soup with Sherry
-- Wild Rice & Turkey Soup,

Gail, here you go.


Wild Mushroom Soup With Sherry


4 tablespoons butter, room temp
1 cup sliced celery
½ cup sliced shallots
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3-4 cups sliced mushrooms (I used combo of shitake and button) can use crimini & oyster
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
½ cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock or canned broth
¼ cup heavy cream

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, shallots, and onion and sauté until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic for 30 seconds, then add mushrooms and thyme, sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add sherry. Boil until liquid is reduced to glaze, about 6 minutes.

Mix remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons flour in small bowl until smooth paste forms. Add flour paste to mushroom mixture in pot; stir until mixture melts and coats vegetables. Gradually mix in stock. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until mushrooms are tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper.

Puree about 1/3 of soup in blender until smooth. Return to pot. Can be prepared 1 day ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate. Re-warm over medium-low heat before serving.

Bon Appetit
December 2000

I had a very dark mushroom soup recently and have been wondering if it was the mushrooms used or if it started with a roux, but the flavor was very good. I'll have to try the one above. My other favorite mushroom soup was one with wild rice. I didn't make either and wouldn't have tried it when the boys were young. I could now - justs need to think to. Glad we have reminders like this thread.

Swedishcook and Soupsandstew, neither of your links are working for me. Can you post the recpes?

Here is a link. Please let me know if it doesn't work. Could see where I messed up in my post earlier Have gone back and edited. Bit skittish regarding copyright matters.
www.onceuponachef.com/2012/10/autumn-carrot-and-sweet-potato-soup.html#tabrecipe

I made one of my favorites --- freezing the chili in individual containers for quick meals. Thanks to KarenW mentioning it on the old CLBB a few years back. I might have used the beef broth the first time I made it, but since then always use chicken broth (I usually use the Minors chicken base). And, I leave out the bacon, I don't think really needed/never buy (but I do love), and have uses lean ground beef too. IMO the recipe is very flexible so easy to change up/tweak flavors.



Black Bean Salsa Chili

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup chili and about 4 teaspoons sour cream mixture)

Ingredients
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
Cooking spray
1/2 pound ground turkey
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 sweet hickory-smoked bacon slices, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups mild salsa
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Preparation
1. Combine 1 1/2 cups beans, 2/3 cup water, and sugar in a food processor; process until smooth. Combine bean puree and remaining beans in a bowl.
2. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add turkey; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove turkey from pan.
3. Add onion, bell peppers, and bacon to pan; cook 5 minutes or until bacon and onion are lightly browned. Return turkey to pan. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and crushed red pepper to pan; stir well to coat. Stir in bean mixture, salsa, tomato paste, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Combine sour cream, cilantro, and juice in a small bowl. Serve chili with sour cream mixture.

Nutritional Information
Calories:
199
Fat:
6.2g (sat 2.6g,mono 1.9g,poly 1.2g)
Protein:
14.8g
Carbohydrate:
22g
Fiber:
5.9g
Cholesterol:
34mg
Iron:
2.6mg
Sodium:
740mg
Calcium:
88mg
Barbara Estabrook, Rhinelander, Wisconsin, Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2009

Thanks applecrisp1, that black bean chili looks so good! I must have missed it when karenw posted the recipe. Big bonus that it can be frozen as I'm the only one eating black beans.
I've never heard of Minors chicken base. Sounds like an ideal product in our kitchen where half empty broth cans often linger in the fridge.

swedishcook, I've been using the Minors chicken base (low sodium) for years. I first heard back on the CLBB. I have limited cabinet space so it save me lots of space -- just need to refrigerate a small container (the size of a sour cream container) and it lasts a long time. And no lugging home cans of broth or refrigerating/freezing leftover broth and best of all you can make as little or as much as you want, no need to refrigerate or freeze leftovers (that I often would not use or forget to use).

McGee, that's one of my husband's favorite soups. Think I will put that on the menu when he is recuperating from Achilles tendon surgery.