Confessions of a Foodie

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Soup - Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's double post deals with soup, and includes Slow Cooker Creamy Corn Chowder and Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. Enjoy!

SLOW-COOKER CHEESY POTATO SOUP

This comes from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Searching for a new family-favorite meal to take some pressure off the dinner hour? Give this slow-cooker cheesy potato soup a try. Its velvety texture enriched with cheese and crispy bacon is mostly a hands-free affair. Potatoes cook all day in the slow cooker until they’ve broken down into a creamy broth. Stir in the thickener of half-and-half and flour during the last half hour and the cheese and bacon, right before serving. Garnish this soup like a loaded potato with more cheese, more bacon, a sprinkle of green onions and if you’re feeling extra, a dollop of sour cream! Once your family gets a taste, you’ll understand why this recipe has earned more than 600 ratings from satisfied home cooks."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 6 hours 45 minutes; Servings: 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 bag (32 oz) frozen southern-style diced hash brown potatoes, thawed

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 medium stalk celery, diced (1/2 cup)

4 cups Progresso™ chicken broth

1 cup water

3 tablespoons Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

1 cup half-and-half

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 oz)

12 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled

4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

Directions

Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In slow cooker, mix potatoes, onion, celery, broth and water. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours.

In small bowl, mix flour and half-and-half; stir into potato mixture. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 20 to 30 minutes or until mixture thickens.

Stir in cheese until melted; stir in half of the bacon. Sprinkle individual servings with remaining bacon and the green onions.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

tip 1

Southern-style hash brown potatoes are diced instead of shredded. These work best in this recipe.

tip 2

This soup is indulgent, so don’t hold back. Load this up with all the garnishes you might lavish on a baked potato, like bacon, cheese, chopped green onions and sour cream.

tip 3

The dairy is added at the end of this recipe to prevent it from curdling. Mixing the half-and-half and flour before adding to the soup, will help you avoid a lumpy texture. The mixture is meant to be a thickener and you won’t want to skip it because that thick texture is part of what makes this recipe so delectable! It is important to allow the flour to cook because flour should not be consumed raw for food safety reasons.

SLOW COOKER CREAMY CORN CHOWDER

This is from Diana Rattray at The Spruce Eats. Diana wrote, " Corn chowder is one of those soups you can eat year round—it is comforting on a cold day, but also highlights one of the summer's best crops. It is a versatile recipe, allowing for additions (like bacon and chopped red pepper), as well as alterations (like keeping it chunky or puréeing half of the mixture). Corn chowder is also easily made vegetarian by swapping out the chicken broth for vegetable broth.

"What makes this recipe even more appealing is that it is cooked in a crock pot instead of on the stove. You can start the soup in the morning, and then finish it off an hour or so before dinnertime. And because it is filling and nutritious, all you need alongside are biscuits or crackers and a simple salad."

Prep Time: 20 mins; Cook Time: 8 hrs; Total Time: 8 hrs 20 mins; Servings: 6 to 8 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

32 ounces corn (2 16-ounce cans, drained)

3 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold or red-skinned)

1 medium onion

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups whole milk (or half-and-half)

1 tablespoon butter

2 strips bacon (cooked and crumbled, or chopped chives or parsley), optional, garnish

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

Combine the corn, potatoes, onion, salt, pepper, and chicken broth in a slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

Purée in a blender or food processor, or using an immersion blender, if desired, then return to the pot.

Stir in milk and butter; cover and cook on high about 30 to 60 minutes more.

Garnish with crumbled bacon and/or chopped chives, if desired.

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Tip

This recipe calls for canned corn, but you can use frozen kernels if you like. And if you are making this in summer when the corn is at its peak, by all means, use fresh ears (about 6 ears) of corn. To make removing the kernels from the ears easier and less messy, place the ear of corn on the center of a Bundt or tube pan, sticking the point of the ear in the hole a bit. Using a serrated knife, slice down the ear, rotating around, allowing the kernels to fall into the base of the cake pan.

Recipe Variation

Add some protein to the soup if you like. Ham, shrimp, lobster, and bacon are excellent choices. Cook the meat or shellfish and add them to the soup shortly before it's ready. If using shellfish, replace the chicken stock with clam juice or broth.

HEARTY VEGETABLE SAUSAGE SOUP [Vegan, Gluten-free]

This is from Robin on One Green Planet. Robin wrote, "Cold days call for warm, delicious soup! This hearty dish will fill you up with lots of nourishing ingredients."

To view this online, go to https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/hearty-vegetable-sausage-soup-vegan-gluten-free/.

Ingredients

1 package of vegan/gf sausage or brats

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 large carrots, sliced

3 stalks of celery, chopped

2 green bell peppers, chopped

1- 28 ounce can of chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce

32 ounces of vegetable stock or broth

2 tablespoons of Italian seasonings

Salt and pepper

Preparation

Add your oil of choice to a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium flame. Once hot, add your vegan sausage.

Cook until browned on the exterior for about 6-8 minutes. Remove once browned and slice into bite-sized pieces, set aside.

Into your hot pan add your garlic, carrots, celery and bell peppers. Cook until the veggies release their liquid and soften a bit – this may take about 8 minutes or so.

Once tender, add your tomatoes, stock and seasonings. Cover and allow to cook for 30 minutes.

Taste to adjust salt and pepper. Serve over a small pasta or rice, with some crusty bread or crackers.

SOUP JOUMOU

Checking Facebook on New Year's Day of 2023, I saw that someone had posted about joumou, including a photo of it. Another FB friend had a PSA about it, with a brief description. Between the two, I figured I had to check it out.

This recipe is from Cindy Similien and adapted by Priya Krishna on The New York Times cooking site. Priya wrote, "For Haitians, soup joumou is synonymous with freedom. The story goes that during French colonial rule of Haiti, enslaved Africans were forced by their oppressors to cultivate squash for this dish but were not allowed to eat it. When Haitians won their independence on Jan. 1, 1804, they ate soup joumou to celebrate. The formula varies slightly from family to family, but usually includes calabaza squash, beef marinated in a bright epis seasoning of onions, peppers and herbs, an assortment of other vegetables and pasta. This classic version is adapted from “Let’s Speak Haitian Food: Stories from the Haitian Diaspora on Cuisine, Community and Culture” by Cindy Similien, a Haitian-American author and community advocate. The inclusion of both vermicelli and homemade dumplings adds a springy bite and thickens the broth of this one-pot dish, which can be made on Haitian Independence Day, or for any special occasion."

Time: 2 hours, plus marinating; Yield: 6 to 10 servings (about 20 cups)

This was featured in "With a Fortifying Soup, Haitians Share Their Pride in Independence", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021716-soup-joumou. While you're at it, check out the article that this was featured in, as it's really pretty interesting.

Ingredients

For the Epis Seasoning

1 large green bell pepper, stemmed and chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed and chopped

1/2 white onion, chopped

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 celery stalk, chopped

2 scallions, trimmed and chopped

1 fresh parsley sprig

5 garlic cloves, peeled

1 chicken bouillon cube

1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme leaves

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the Soup

1 pound boneless beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 3 limes)

5 tablespoons epis seasoning

2 pounds calabaza squash, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 chicken bouillon cube

5 medium Idaho or russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1/2 small head green cabbage, shredded (about 3 cups)

4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

1 large white onion, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 scallions, trimmed and sliced

3 fresh parsley sprigs

1 Scotch Bonnet pepper

1/4 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup vermicelli

For the Dumplings

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Prepare the epis seasoning: Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and purée. Use epis or transfer to a large jar and refrigerate for up to 6 weeks. (Similar to sofrito, epis is versatile and adds extra kick and flavor. It can be used to marinate beef, fish or chicken, or stirred into rice or soup.)

Prepare the soup: Rinse the beef with lukewarm water, then transfer the meat to a large bowl. Add the lime juice and rub it into the meat until coated. Add 5 tablespoons epis seasoning and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate to marinate, ideally overnight or for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to cook, purée the calabaza squash with 1 cup water in a blender; set aside.

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium. Add the meat with its marinade, the tomato paste and bouillon cube, crushing it between your fingertips. Cook the meat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture caramelizes and darkens, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl to set aside.

Add 6 cups water to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the squash purée, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onion, celery, scallions, parsley, Scotch Bonnet pepper, thyme, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil again. Stir in the meat with its juices.

Once the mixture comes to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to simmer over low, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove and discard the Scotch bonnet pepper. (Do not let it burst. If it does, your soup will be very spicy!) Stir in the vermicelli. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the dumplings: Combine the flour, oil, salt, pepper and ½ cup water in a medium bowl and stir to combine. (You can knead slightly, if needed, to get the dough to come together.) Take about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it between your palms into an elongated shape the width of your palm, about 4 inches long. Add the dumpling to the soup and continue to make dumplings with the remaining dough, dropping them into the soup as they are rolled. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until dumplings are softened and cooked through but still firm, 15 to 20 minutes.

If the soup is too thick for your taste, stir in water, about 1 cup or as desired. Remove pot from heat and serve warm.

HOMEMADE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

This is from MyRecipes, and begins, "Once you've made your own veggie-packed pot of chicken noodle soup, you won't go back to the canned, supersalty stuff again."

Hands-on Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Makes 6 servings (serving size: about 1-1/4 cups)

To view this online, go to https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-chicken-noodle-soup.

Ingredients

1-1/2 tablespoons canola oil

1-1/2 cups thinly sliced carrot

1 cup finely chopped onion

2/3 cup thinly sliced celery

2 cups water

1 (32-ounce) container unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)

1 teaspoon dried thyme or 3 fresh thyme sprigs

6 ounces whole-grain rotini (such as Barilla; about 2 cups)

8 ounces skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast, shredded

4 ounces skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken thigh, shredded

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Heat a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add carrot, onion, and celery; sauté 5 minutes.

While vegetables cook, pour 2 cups water and stock into a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH for 5 minutes. (This saves up to 10 minutes in the pot.)

Add hot stock mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Stir in thyme and pasta; reduce heat to medium, and cook 8 minutes.

Add chicken, salt, and pepper to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated and pasta is tender.

CURRIED CAULIFLOWER SOUP

This comes from Martha Rose Schulman in The New York Times cooking e-mail. Martha wrote, “It will take you only about 10 minutes to prep the ingredients for this comforting soup. Curry flavors and cauliflower always make a good match.” Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 45 minutes.

This was featured in “Vegetable Soups, Smooth and Hearty” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, ground

2 pounds cauliflower (1 medium head), roughly chopped

1 russet potato, peeled and diced, or 1/2 cup rice

2 quarts water, vegetable stock or chicken stock

Salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper

Chopped cilantro for garnish

Preparation

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder and ground cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the cauliflower, potato or rice, water or stock, and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, purée the soup (or you can use a regular blender, working in batches and placing a kitchen towel over the top to avoid splashing) until it is very smooth. Return to the pot, heat through, add freshly ground pepper and adjust salt. Serve, garnishing each bowl with chopped cilantro.

Tip

Advance preparation: You can make this a day ahead, but you may have to thin it out with a little water or stock when you reheat.

No comments:

Post a Comment