Soup - Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Today's double post deals with yummy homemade soup, and includes Instant Pot® Hamburger Soup and Firehouse Chili Gumbo. Enjoy!

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP WITH TURKEY MEATBALLS

This is from Sarah Copeland in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sarah wrote, "Classic Italian wedding soup is beloved for its simplicity and satisfaction. This turkey version is lean, while meatballs stay moist by simmering in broth. Start with the most flavorful broth you can get your hands on (homemade is ideal, but store-bought works well too), then pack the meatballs with flavor (garlic and parsley) and staying power (egg, panko and cheese, to gently bind them together). Traditionalists may be tempted to add a small grated onion to the meat mixture, and sweat celery and carrots into the broth, but for a quick weeknight meal, you won’t miss them here. If speed is your game, roll the mixture into 12 large meatballs—or opt for 20 smaller ones if serving kids (mini meatballs will cook through even faster). Either way, finish with a healthy dose of olive oil, lemon, cheese and dill, or any fresh Italian herb you may have on hand."

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019925-italian-wedding-soup-with-turkey-meatballs.

Ingredients

12 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for greasing and serving

1 pound lean ground turkey

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/3 packed cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

3/4 cup orzo, ditalini, acini di pepe or another small soup pasta

3 packed cups baby spinach or kale, thinly sliced

1 lemon, zested and halved

1/4 cup fresh dill, oregano or basil, roughly chopped (optional)

Preparation

Combine the chicken broth and 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, add the turkey, panko, parsley, egg, garlic, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup Parmesan to a large bowl. Mix with a fork or clean hands until combined. Gently roll the mixture into 12 medium (2-inch) or 20 small (1 1/2-inch) meatballs and transfer to a baking sheet lined with lightly oiled aluminum foil or a silicone baking mat.

Heat the broiler to high and set an oven rack 6 to 8 inches from the heat. Broil the meatballs until brown on two sides, turning halfway through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Add the pasta to the boiling broth and cook over medium until al dente, then lower the heat to a low simmer.

Add the meatballs to the broth and simmer on low until completely warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, and add the spinach and lemon zest, stirring well, to wilt. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the soup among four bowls. Drizzle each with olive oil, sprinkle with more Parmesan and squeeze a bit of lemon over the top. Scatter the dill over the top, or stir in.

FIREHOUSE CHILI GUMBO

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. It begins, “This recipe is adapted from the one that a Louisiana firefighter named Jeremy Chauvin entered into a national cook-off run by Hormel Foods in 2017, and that took home the prize for America’s Best Firehouse Chili. It is not really a chili in the Texas sense of the word. There is a roux at its base — it’s more like a chili gumbo, a bayou take on the original red. Serve with grated cheese and corn chips. Chauvin told me he was moved to enter the chili contest as a way to honor his brother Spencer, also a firefighter, who was killed in the line of duty in 2016. ‘I just want people to remember his sacrifice,’ he said.”

Yield: Serves 8 to 10; Time: 2 hours

This was featured in “This Is the Best Firehouse Chili” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Chili:

2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed

3 pounds ground beef, ideally coarse-ground

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 tablespoons chile powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 tablespoons steak sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes

For the Gumbo:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced

2 medium shallots, peeled and diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

3 ribs celery, trimmed and diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 6-ounce cans tomato paste

2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce

1 to 2 cups tomato juice

1 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar, or to taste

2 tablespoons hot sauce, or to taste

Preparation

Make the chili. Heat the oil in a large skillet or heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the beef, stirring often, until it has begun to brown at the edges. Using a slotted spoon, transfer browned meat to a bowl.

Pour off excess fat, turn heat down to medium and return the browned beef to the skillet or pot. Add salt, peppers, chile powder, turmeric, oregano and cumin, and stir to combine. Add steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce and diced tomatoes, and stir again. Cover the skillet or pot, and cook, stirring a few times, for 15 minutes or so.

Make the gumbo. Place a large pot with a heavy bottom over medium heat, and put the butter and oil into it. When the butter is melted and foaming, sprinkle the flour into the pan, and whisk to combine. Continue whisking until the mixture is golden brown, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Add the onion, shallots, bell peppers, celery and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have started to soften, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Make the chili gumbo. Add the beef mixture to the pot with the vegetables along with the tomato paste, tomato sauce, tomato juice and ketchup, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 45 minutes, then add apple-cider vinegar and hot sauce to taste. Take the pot off the heat, and serve, or allow to cool and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to cure. Heat before serving.

FRENCH COUNTRY BEAN SOUP

Recipe Yield: Makes 8 servings (with chicken)

Source: AICR

Recipe and image appear courtesy of American Institute for Cancer Research.

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/french-country-bean-soup.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 carrot, cut in half-moons

1 rib celery, sliced

1 small onion, chopped in bite-size pieces

1 small leek, chopped in bite-size pieces

3 outer leaves Savoy cabbage, rolled and cut in 1/2" strips

4 cups fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 cups squash (e.g. butternut), peeled and diced

1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas or white beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup cooked chicken cut in bite-size pieces (optional)

Directions

Heat oil in medium Dutch oven or large, deep saucepan. Saute carrot, celery, onion, leek, and cabbage until leaves are bright green and other vegetables start to soften, about 3 minutes. Add broth. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add thyme, garlic, squash and beans. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in chicken, if using. Ladle soup into deep bowls and serve accompanied by toasted slices of whole-grain French bread or other rustic bread. (This soup reheats well. It keeps up to 5 days, covered, in refrigerator.)

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 123; Fat: 4 g; Sodium: 464 mg; Protein: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 19 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Bread/Starch, 1 Lean-Meat, 1 Vegetable

INSTANT POT® HAMBURGER SOUP

This is from Angela Giannetti Snyder on AllRecipes. She wrote, "Easy and delicious soup with a nice thickness. You can make it in the Instant Pot® or on the stovetop. When this cools, it will be very thick, but it thins out when reheated. Freezes very well."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Makes: 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/268565/instant-pot-hamburger-soup/.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 (14.5 ounce) cans beef consomme

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 cups water

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup

Campbell's® Condensed Tomato Soup

4 carrots, finely chopped

3 stalks celery, finely chopped

4 tablespoons pearl barley

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

Directions

Turn on a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot(R)) and select Saute function. Cook and stir beef and onion until browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour in beef consomme, tomatoes, water, and tomato soup. Add carrots, celery, barley, thyme, and bay leaf.

Close and lock the lid. Select Soup function; set timer for 30 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.

Release pressure using the natural-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 10 minutes.

Cook's Note:

If you're making it on the stovetop, brown ground beef and onion together, then add the remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for at least 2 hours.

ROASTED AUTUMN VEGETABLE SOUP

This comes from an old Weight Watchers emailing list, and begins, “This warm, comforting soup will stick to your ribs on cold fall days. Roasting the vegetables helps bring out their natural sweetness.”

POINTS® Value: 2; Servings: 8; Preparation Time: 25 min; Cooking Time: 30 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 large onion, cut into large chunks

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

6 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

4 cups winter squash, cubed

2 servings cooking spray (5 one-second sprays per serving)

3 cups fat-free chicken broth

1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk

1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste

1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large roasting pan combine onion, carrots, parsnips and squash; coat with cooking spray. Roast for 15 minutes.

Place vegetables in a large pot; add broth and milk. Season to taste. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender in pot, and blend until smooth, about 4 to 5 minutes. (Puree soup in batches to prevent hot liquid from splatterng, if necessary. Or allow soup to cool before pureeing.) Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

Notes

You can add more water or broth to the pureed soup to achieve desired thickness.

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

This is from Kraft, and begins, “Follow this Cream of Broccoli Soup Recipe — you won't be disappointed! This velvety soup with chopped broccoli and creamy cheeses is a real crowd favorite!”

Prep Time: 30min.; Total Time: 30min.; Servings: 5 servings, about 1 cup each.

Ingredients

1/4 cup chopped onions

1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1 Tbsp. flour

2 cups milk

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA®, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, cooked, drained

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions

Cook and stir onions in butter in medium saucepan on medium-high heat 3 to 5 min. or until onions are crisp-tender. Whisk in flour until blended.

Stir in milk; cook on medium heat 2 min., stirring occasionally. Add cream cheese; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until melted.

Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Cook 5 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.