CHICKEN SOUP FROM SCRATCH
This is from Julia Moskin on The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “Chicken soup is one of the most painless and pleasing recipes a home cook can master. This soup has all the classic flavors (celery, carrot, parsley) but has been updated for today's cooks, who can't easily buy the stewing hen and packet of soup vegetables that old-fashioned recipes used to call for. A whole bird provides the right combination of fat, salt and flavor. Don't be tempted to use all white meat, as the flavor won't be as round. Because making soup involves the bones and deep tissues of the bird, it is particularly reassuring here to use the highest-quality poultry you can find. This method produces a fragrant, golden, savory soup you want to eat all winter long; it's a perfect backdrop for noodles, rice or matzo balls.”
Time: 2 hours, plus chilling; Yield: 6 to 8 servings
This was featured in “A Superior Chicken Soup”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018442-chicken-soup-from-scratch.
Ingredients
For the Broth:
1 chicken, 3 to 3 1/2 pounds, with skin, cut up
3 stalks celery, with leaves, cut into chunks
2 large carrots, cut into chunks
2 yellow onions, peeled and halved
1 parsnip or parsley root (optional)
About 1 dozen large sprigs parsley
About 1 dozen black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
To Finish The Soup:
3 tablespoons reserved chicken fat, more if needed
3 leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, rinsed and sliced crosswise into thin half-moons
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
Kosher salt and ground black or white pepper
Egg noodles (fresh or dried), such as packaged wide noodles, spaetzle, fettuccine or pappardelle cut into short lengths (see note)
Finely chopped herbs, such as parsley, scallions, dill or a combination
Preparation
Place the chicken, celery, carrots, onions, parsnip (if using), parsley, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt in a large soup pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to very low. Adjust the heat until the soup is “smiling”: barely moving on the surface, with an occasional bubble breaking through. Cook uncovered, until the chicken is very tender and falling off the bone, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
When cool enough to handle, use tongs to transfer chicken from the pot to a container. Taste the broth and continue to simmer it until it is concentrated and tasty. Strain broth through a fine sieve (or a colander lined with cheesecloth) into a separate container. Discard all the solids from the strainer (or reserve the vegetables, chill and serve with vinaigrette, if you wish).
Refrigerate chicken pieces and broth separately for at least 8 hours (or up to 3 days), until a thick layer of yellow fat has risen to the top of the broth.
When ready to finish the soup, use your fingers to separate chicken breast meat from bones and skin. Discard bones and skin. Use two forks to pull the breast meat apart into soft chunks, or use a knife and cut into bite-size pieces. (Reserve dark meat for another use.)
Skim chicken fat from top of broth and set aside. Place 3 tablespoons of the fat in a soup pot with a lid. Add leeks, stir to coat, and heat over medium heat until leeks begin to fry. Then reduce the heat to a gentle sizzle and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
Add carrots, sprinkle with salt, stir, and cover the pot. Cook until vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes more. (Keep in mind that vegetables will continue to cook in the soup.) Do not brown.
Pour broth into pot with vegetables and heat to a simmer. Add noodles and simmer until heated through, soft and plumped with chicken broth. Add the breast meat, then taste broth and add salt and pepper to taste. For best flavor, soup should have some golden droplets of fat on top; if needed, add more chicken fat one teaspoon at a time.
Serve immediately, in a tureen or from the pot, sprinkling each serving with herbs.
Tip
Instead of noodles, almost any starchy garnish can be used here: matzo balls; partly cooked dry pasta, rice or other grains; or cooked white beans. Add them when you would add the noodles and simmer until heated through.
HERBED CARROT SOUP
From the December 2005 issue of Runner's World; reprinted from HerbWise: Growing, Cooking, WellBeing, by Bruce Burnett
Ingredients
2 pounds of carrots, chopped
1 large onion, diced
6 sprigs of fresh parsley, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 6 six black peppercorns, bundled together so that they can be easily removed after cooking
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 Tbs of butter
6 C of vegetable stock
Freshly grated mace or nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Lightly sauté the onion & garlic in the butter. Add the stock & carrots & simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the bundle of herbs & continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the herbs, allow the soup to cool, & put it through the blender in batches. Reheat the soup over low heat while adding the mace or nutmeg & salt & pepper to taste. Serve with some fresh, homemade bread & garnish with some fresh parsley & a little chopped fresh thyme.
Note: The original recipe called for vegetable or chicken stock.
BAKED POTATO SOUP
This is from Ali Slagle in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Ali wrote, "If we’re being honest, a baked potato isn’t really about the potato. It’s about the toppings: plush sour cream, butter, cheese, salty bacon, bright scallions. This soup version doesn’t skimp on those extras: The potatoes simmer in milk with garlic and scallions until just tender, then they join sour cream and Cheddar in the pot before the toppings — including potato skins — are added. It’s potatoey, creamy and adaptable. Make it smooth or textured, skip the bacon and serve it with a side salad (though it’s plenty hearty all on its own)."
Yield: 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019913-baked-potato-soup.
Ingredients
6 slices bacon, or 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced separately
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes, large skins reserved
6 cups whole milk
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
Black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
3/4 cup freshly grated Cheddar (about 3 ounces), plus more for serving
Preparation
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon (if using) until crisp, 12 to 13 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate or cutting board. Return the pot with just 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat to the stove. (If there’s not enough fat, supplement with butter to total 3 tablespoons.) If making the soup vegetarian, melt butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Over medium-low heat, sauté the white parts of the scallions and the garlic until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently and adjusting the heat as necessary to avoid burning the garlic. Add the potatoes, milk and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat (resist the urge to heat it faster as this can lead to curdling). Once at a boil, lower the heat and simmer covered until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
As soup simmers, prepare the potato skins: Warm the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Working in batches if needed, add the potato peels in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until crisp and golden-brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or cutting board, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, cayenne and garlic powder. Crumble and set aside.
Once the potatoes are tender, take the pot off the heat, and purée the mixture with an immersion blender if you’d like a smooth soup. (Mash with a potato masher if you’d like a chunkier soup.) Stir in the sour cream and cheese until combined, then season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with crumbled bacon, more sour cream and Cheddar and the green parts of the scallions. Top with potato peels (eat any extra as chips, dipped in ketchup and mustard).
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
IRAQI LENTIL SOUP WITH MEATBALLS
This is from Joan Nathan in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Joan wrote, “This recipe came to The Times in a 2004 article about iftar, the breaking of the fast during Ramadan, the monthlong Muslim holiday during which observers abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. Soup, like this hearty, spiced lentil soup with meatballs and angel hair pasta, is a common iftar meal as it provides substantial nutrition as well as plenty of hydration. It is adapted from a recipe belonging to Suad Shallal, who moved with her family from Iraq to the United States, in 1966. It was served at her son Andy's restaurant, Mimi's American Bistro in downtown Washington, each day during Ramadan. (The restaurant is now closed.) Mrs. Shallal's recipe calls for ground allspice, but feel free to experiment with other spices found in Middle Eastern cooking like cumin, coriander, cardamom and turmeric. And don't forget to taste and season with salt as you go.”
Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 45 minutes
This was featured in “Breaking Ramadan's Fast With a Family Meal” and can be found online here.
Ingredients
2 medium onions, minced
1 pound ground beef or lamb or both
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt plus salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice, freshly ground from about 5 whole allspice
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
10 cups chicken broth
1 pound brown or yellow lentils
3 rounds angel hair pasta (about 2 ounces)
2 carrots, diced fine
Juice of one half lemon
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Place half the onions and the ground meat, parsley, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and allspice in a medium mixing bowl. Blend ingredients, and form into balls the size of walnuts. Turn onto the baking pan.
Bake for 10 minutes, remove from pan, and drain on a paper towel. In a soup pot, sauté remaining onions in olive oil over medium heat until golden. Add chicken broth and bring to boil.
Pick any stones from over lentils, place in bowl, cover with cold water, and drain. Add them to soup, turn heat to low, and simmer slowly for about 20 minutes or until lentils are almost tender.
Crumble angel hair pasta into soup, along with carrots and meatballs. Simmer slowly for another 5-10 minutes or until lentils and noodles are cooked, adding more chicken broth or water as needed. Just before serving, squeeze lemon into soup.
VEGETABLE-CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Recipe Yield: Servings: 6 (Serving = 1-1/2 cup)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
6 cups 1/3-less-salt chicken broth, divided
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced leek (white part only)
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup peeled and chopped turnip
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoons fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 ounces uncooked "no-yolk" broad noodles
1 cup diced cooked chicken
Directions
Place 1/3 cup chicken broth, celery, leek, carrot and turnip in large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
Stir in remaining 5 -2/3 cups chicken broth, parsley, thyme, rosemary, vinegar and black pepper. Bring to a boil; add noodles. Cook until noodles are tender; stir in chicken. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer until heated through.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 98; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 73 mg; Cholesterol: 18 mg; Protein: 10 g; Carbohydrates: 12 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 Starch/Bread, 1 Lean Meat, 1/2 Vegetable
