Category Archives: soup

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup–Spicy and Sweet (no dairy)

Posted on November 2, 2013 | 1 comment

photo (26) photo (24) photo (23) photo (22) photo (21)Here it is November already! and we all know what is looming around the corner. I have begun to consider my Thanksgiving menu and hope to tweak it in another week or so. I am playing around with some new soup recipes and I found this one in Gwyneth Paltrow’s new cookbook “It’s All Good” . I followed most of the directions but did it my way. We also like it spicy, and the spice can be regulated to your particular taste . I also try to find vegetarian soups because our daughter Kerri is a vegetarian and I try as much as I can to find things that I know she can eat, since she won’t eat any of the meat on the table . So this is completely vegan. If you don’t like cilantro you can omit it. I love it but I know a lot of people have issues with it. This soup has no cream but comes out very creamy tasting and there is only 2 tbsp. of olive oil in here , super healthy food here. Very Southwestern flavor here with the smoky taste of chipotle.

This will serve 4 people as is , so adjust as you need to.

Shopping List:

fresh cilantro, chipotle in adobo ( sold in a can most everywhere),  Sweet Potatoes

Pantry Items:

Vegetable Stock, Cumin, Kosher Salt or Sea Salt, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Red Onion and Fresh Garlic Cloves.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large red onion, finely diced ( app. 1 1/2 cups)

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 sprigs of fresh cilantro, ( unless you hate it), you’ll need a piece of kitchen string to tie together.

3/4 tsp. cumin

Kosher Salt or Sea Salt

1 1/2 tsp. chipotle in adobo ( adjust for your own taste) go gently with this stuff, it’s pretty potent.

4 – 6  sweet potatoes, peeled and diced ( app. 6 cups) depending on the size of sweet potatoes you may need 4 or 6, I used 4 fairly large, I could have used more. You want at least 6 cups of diced sweet potatoes.

6 cups Vegetable Stock

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot ( think Le Creuset) over medium-high heat.

Add the onion, garlic , cilantro sprigs, cumin and a generous pinch of salt and cook. Stir it around until softened not browned, app. 10 minutes.

Add the chipotle and the sweet potatoes and stir to combine. If you are not a big fan of spicy you should go lightly with the chipotle. Taste soup after flavors start to break down and before you put in the blender and you can add a bit more.

Add the vegetable stock to the pot and turn up the heat. Bring soup to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are very soft., app. 1/2 hour. Taste for salt, I added at least another teaspoon of sea salt.

Remove and discard the cilantro sprigs.

I allow soup to cool down, and I pureed it in my blender. I did it in 3 batches and you’ll need a fairly powerful blender, or use the food processor. If soup is too thick add a little vegetable stock to thin it out as you blend. I had 2 boxes to start so 2 cups were left in the second box which I will use when I re-heat the soup the next day.

Garnish each bowl with a few cilantro leaves, if you like cilantro.

If you have any extra sweet potatoes you can pan-fry a few pieces in a bit of olive oil sprinkled with cumin or coriander and slide them into the finished soup.

Enjoy!

1 Comment

Posted in soup, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian

Tagged , ,

Homemade Chicken Soup – anytime and with not so homemade matzo balls

Posted on March 13, 2013 | Leave a comment

This is my homemade chicken soup recipe which is already posted on my blog as Homemade Chicken Soup which is great to have anytime and is what I add my not so homemade matzo balls to during Passover. I couldn’t re-blog it again so I decided to just re-write it. I would recommend making this at least a day ahead of using, and you can certainly make ahead and freeze till you’ll want to use it.

If you put Passover into Search Box this and other Holiday recipes should come up.

Ingredients:

For Chicken Stock:

1 5 lb. organic roasting chicken ( I don’t use the insides)

1 package of chicken wings ( this was suggested to me a long time ago by my BFF Karyn and she was oh so right. It will add some fat, which translates into a whole lotta flavor , and you will skim off the fat anyway.  Thanks again Karyn.

1 large, yellow Spanish onion, unpeeled and quartered

a big bunch of fresh dill

4 celery stalks with leaves and cut into thirds

4 carrots, unpeeled and halved

a bunch of flat-leaf parsley

a bunch of fresh thyme

1 head of garlic, cut in half cross-wise ( skin and all)

2 tbsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. whole black peppercorns

Directions for Soup:

I place the chicken , chicken wings, onion, carrots, celery, all the herbs, garlic, salt and pepper in as large a stockpot as I can find, I actually have a 16-20 qt. stockpot that I use. Add cold water to cover chicken by at least 2″ above the chicken but not to the top of the pot because it will boil over (very messy) . Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered for about 3 hours. I skim the soup for the first 1/2 hour or so after that you shouldn’t have much more. I remove the chicken from the broth after an hour or so, because it is cooked and it will taste like a rubber chicken if you plan on eating it. Sometimes I like to shred it and return it to the soup. If you are not using the chicken ( a waste of a good chicken ) you can just leave it in the water for as long as you’d like, it will fall apart in there. I leave the wings in and discard them after about 3 hours. After letting soup simmer on stove top for about 3 hours all together, I let it cool down significantly first, strain all of the soup in a large colander, discard all remnants, fill my containers and put in the fridge. The next day, I skim off any noticeable fat that has risen to the top and make my matzo balls. (see recipe below)

*you can also make chicken salad from this chicken , go to my curry chicken salad recipe on cookingwithcandi.comPicture 001Picture 005

Matzo Balls:

This has always been my little secret to great matzo balls. I own it, after years of making matzo balls from scratch, my Mother ( yes, my Mother the cook) turned me on to Manischewitz boxed matzo ball mix! It just wasn’t worth the time spent, the balls weren’t as consistent as I would have liked, whereas these are always perfection every time! Light and fluffy and everyone always loves them, and asks for recipe . No sinkers here!

I follow the directions on the box carefully. They sell just the mix in a box. You will need vegetable oil and 2 eggs per box. I do add a little piece of dill inside each ball, but that’s it! Now my secret is out, sometimes this is really the only way to roll. It saves time and ingredients, and they are really good. No MSG or trans-fats either, so make the homemade soup, cheat with the balls and enjoy. There is no substitute for homemade chicken soup , though.

*when not observing Passover, this soup is delicious with noodles

Leave a comment

Posted in Passover Recipes, soup

Tagged ,

White Bean and Tomatoes with Veggies Soup- can be vegetarian

Posted on February 24, 2013 | 1 comment

photo (2)photo (2)photo (2)photo (2)photo (5)I decided to take a little bit different spin on my usual vegetable soup.  I did use chicken stock but you can certainly keep this completely vegetarian with vegetable stock. Play around with it and use whatever ingredients you like and whatever vegetables and stock suit your tastes best. This was delicious and heartwarming,  we ate some and froze the rest for another time. This should stay frozen for about 3 months in freezer. When you defrost you’ll thin out with a little stock while heating it up. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic , chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

1 can yellow corn, drained ( 15 oz. can)

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

5 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

2 15 oz. cans of white beans, drained and rinsed I used Cannellini but butter beans would be nice too, any white bean would work here

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried thyme

5 – 6 small red potatoes , cut into small pieces (had them in the house and they added a really nice flavor)

*fresh kale , rib removed and torn into small pieces.  This is totally optional, I had some kale on hand and decided to use it. Spinach would also be delicious.

Directions:

In a large stock pot ( Le Creuset) over medium heat , saute onion and garlic until tender and onion is translucent , approximately 5 minutes or so. Stir in carrots and corn, season with salt and pepper. I just throw in some kosher salt and a few grinds of the pepper mill. You will taste for salt and pepper towards the end , so don’t worry about seasonings. Cook carrots and corn for a few more minutes, give it a few stirs. Pour in chicken broth, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, and thyme. Bring soup to a low boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for app. one hour.

Separate soup into 2 equal portions, I just took out 1/2 of the soup into another bowl. Allow soup to cool to room temperature, once cooled down sufficiently puree  the half that you took out in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return that pureed batch to the remaining soup in stockpot and heat until warmed through. Adjust your seasonings with salt and pepper as needed. If soup appears to be very thick you can thin it out with a little water or broth, add a little at a time. I also added some fresh kale at this time, I removed the rib and tore the leaves into small pieces.  This is totally optional, but since I had the kale I figured I would. Serve hot with a nice crusty bread . I love the pretzel rolls from Whole Foods, check them out.

1 Comment

Posted in soup

Tagged , , ,

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Posted on February 8, 2013 | Leave a comment

All of a sudden I am very very into cauliflower. I think what happened was I started roasting it for dinner and had left over roasted cauliflower because you know Joel wasn’t eating it. I decided to do something with the leftover cauliflower and I made this delicious Roasted Cauliflower Soup, which lo and behold Joel ate! and enjoyed! It’s really pretty easy , and rather tasty. It comes up a light brown color because the cauliflower is roasted first. I did put a little pancetta on top to entice Joel but you can absolutely leave it out , it’s totally not necessary . You can top it with sliced toasted almonds as well if you’d like and a little flat leaf parsley, just to add color. Beef Stew 001Skirt Steak and Brody Birthday 011Beef Stew 004Beef Stew 005

Ingredients:

1 large head of caulflower , broken up into florets

4 teaspoons olive oil plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided in 1/2

3/4 cup chopped yellow onion, about 1/2 of a large onion

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 cups Chicken Stock, you can keep it vegetarian and use Vegetable Stock

1 cup water

1/2 cup half and half or 1/2 cup milk , you need a little cream here

* 2 ounces pancetta chopped , this is optional , I had it so I added it , totally unnecessary

* couple of tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted for garnish

* flat leaf parsley , chopped up for garnish as well, I skipped this because I didn’t have any on hand

Directions:

Roasted Cauliflower:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place cauliflower in a large bowl, drizzle with  4 teaspoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Toss to coat the cauliflower. Arrange in a single layer on a jelly roll pan ( cookie sheet with rim) that’s been sprayed with Pam. Bake cauliflower at 450 degrees for app. 40 minutes or until tender and browned, stirring once after first 1/2 hour. By the way this is how I serve my cauliflower with dinner most of the time. It’s wonderful.

Heat a large Dutch oven ( Le Creuset) over medium heat. Coat pan with Pam first.  If you’re going to cook pancetta , cook it now. Cook until crisp and remove it, drain it on paper towels and save till later. Melt 1 1/2 teaspoons butter in pan, I also put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in at this time. Add onion and garlic saute for app. 5 minutes till softened and onion is translucent, stir occasionally. Add cauliflower, stock and 1 cup of water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in half and half . I then took out my immersion blender stick and blended it all together, at this point add in other 1 1/2 teaspoon butter.  If you don’t have an immersion stick and don’t feel like buying one use your blender in batches. Blend until smooth. I sprinkled with chopped cooked pancetta, use whatever you like or nothing at all. A nice crusty bread is very nice served alongside this soup. This soup is great served for lunch or dinner with a beautiful salad.

*serves 4 people nicely

Leave a comment

Posted in soup

Tagged , ,

Veggie Soup with Rotisserie Chicken – Perfect Winter Soup

Posted on January 14, 2013 | 2 comments

Winter '13 colorado 002Winter '13 colorado 003Winter '13 colorado 006This is a soup, and a little like a stew, and I think Rachael Ray calls it a stoup, because it’s a little bit stew and a little bit soup. I combined a lot of different recipes for this one, and used a lot of ingredients from the pantry as well. I served alongside a toasted baguette with goat cheese. A perfect ending to a chilly day and just in time for soup season!  And did I say filling? it is a meal in itself. There are a lot of ingredients, but it really did make this soup wonderful. I enjoyed the prep, it’s very therapeutic and it’s not difficult at all.   I find it is very very important to read through a whole recipe before starting to cook, because you don’t want any surprises 1/2 way through and I always set out all of my ingredients before I start cooking, don’t want to be running around looking for an ingredient. You can also substitute wherever you’d like in this recipe using ingredients you would prefer. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 whole Rotisserie Chicken ( skin and bones removed and shred meat) (store bought is perfect here) unless you are in the mood to roast a chicken.

Olive Oil

1 4 oz. package of diced pancetta– I thought it added a delightful layer of deliciousness but not if you are opposed to using it

1 medium yellow onion ( diced)

3 carrots , peeled and diced

3 stalks of celery , diced

2 1/2 cups of diced peeled butternut squash

4 cloves garlic  minced

2 teaspoons fresh thyme

1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes

1 15oz. can cannellini beans , drained and rinsed

1/2 cup dry white wine

baby spinach leaves ( I only used a little bit, but feel free to use whole 8 ounces) Kale would also work beautifully here

1 cup small pasta , like ditalini. I used small elbows because that is what I had on hand.

2 Tablespoons Pesto , I happen to have some frozen, but buy the store bought one if you don’t happen to have this on hand.

1 baguette or crusty type bread

6 cups of chicken broth, hold on to the extra 2 cups because you may need them

2 bay leaves

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

*freshly grated Parmesan Cheese ( optional) for serving

Directions:

Heat 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil in a large heavy pot ( Le Creuset) or any Dutch type Oven. Add the pancetta and cook for about 6 – 8 minutes over medium low heat, stirring occasionally , until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic and thyme, and cook over medium heat. I cooked for about 12 minutes till everything started to break down and soften.

Add the can of tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, bay leaves, I added 2 teaspoons of Kosher Salt and about 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. You can taste later and add if you need more. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for app. 45 minutes to an hour.

I cooked pasta separately till al dente.

Discard bay leaves, add pasta , beans and shredded chicken to soup. Heat through. Soup should be quite thick and if it’s too thick add some more chicken stock or some water.  Just before serving if you’re using it add in the spinach a little at a time, I used very little because Joel really doesn’t care for it, use as much as you’d like, keep stirring. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Check for salt and pepper.

Serve in nice large shallow bowls, with bread on the side. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if you’d like.

I sliced a baguette on the diagonal and brushed olive oil on both sides, Baked in the oven at 425 degrees, turning bread once , total cooking time about 8 minutes, took bread out and spread some goat cheese on each slice and put back in the oven for about 4 minutes. Delicious!

 

2 Comments

Posted in soup

Tagged , , ,

Pantry Soup aka Pumpkin Bean Soup (can be vegetarian)

Posted on December 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

Colorado Winter '12 004Colorado Winter '12 006Colorado Winter '12 008We just got out to Colorado and I looked at the shelves of my pantry and they’re overflowing with cans of Pumpkin . I don’t know what I was thinking but I am going to start using those cans of Pumpkin albeit in some creative ways. I love pumpkin as you already know by now. Since you can only really buy it through the Christmas Season I stocked up for my muffins, soups, etc. So I pulled out some cans of Black Beans, a can of Pinto Beans, and a can of Diced Tomatoes. This is the soup I made and it was pretty tasty. The spices I used are key, and you’ll have to check for Salt and Pepper towards the end . It wasn’t that difficult to make , I did use a lot of different ingredients but it was a good feeling to clean out the pantry at the same time! This is a warm wonderful soup, perfect for a cold winter day or evening. I did use a tablespoon of butter but you can easily substitute with all olive oil. I also love the way the Sherry Vinegar adds kick but if you don’t have it use Apple Cider Vinegar it’ll be just fine. There is no real right or wrong with this recipe, make it your way, use what you like and enjoy it!

Ingredients:

2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 15 oz. can Pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, or chef’s cut tomatoes

1 10 oz. can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies ( this is optional, I had it and threw it in)

1 15 oz. can of Corn ( I used low sodium)

1 tbsp. Butter ( unsalted)

1 medium onion chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons kosher salt ( divided)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

4 cups Beef Broth ( feel free to substitute Vegetable Broth)

1  15 oz. can Pumpkin Puree

2 Tablespoons Sherry Vinegar ( or Apple Cider Vinegar)

Directions:

Pour 2 cans of the drained black beans into a food processor or blender, along with the can of tomatoes. Puree until smooth. Set aside.

Melt butter and olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and season with 1 teaspoon salt and some of the pepper. Cook and stir until the onions are softened and translucent. Stir in the bean puree, remaining can of beans, beef broth, pumpkin puree, and corn, tomatoes with green chilies, spices, and sherry vinegar. Mix until well blended,  I simmered for about an hour on a very low flame. Soup will thicken up nicely , if it is too thick you can add beef broth to thin out a bit.  Taste for Salt and Pepper, I added additional teaspoon of salt and pepper.

Leave a comment

Posted in soup

Tagged , ,

Another Pasta e Fagioli Recipe, with meat

Posted on November 3, 2012 | 1 comment

This is another version of Pasta e Fagioli . It contains pancetta.  Hurricane Sandy is about to touch down in NY and I figured this was as good a time as any to make this. I’ve always made my Pasta Fagioli the traditional way with carrots , onions and celery, a basic mirepoix. This recipe gives it a different base flavor, and you can also use canned cannellini beans for those of you who don’t want to fuss with the beans.  This soup is hearty and delicious, and is worth a try for sure. I use canned beans when I am in a rush and don’t have time to soak  the beans.   You’ll need an immersion blender or regular blender to blend. This soup was amazingly delicious. I didn’t blend it completely just for a few minutes so there were still a few beans and pieces of pancetta. This was amazingly delicious, and I ended up having to throw away the 2 containers in my fridge because we lost power and I was worried about the pancetta in it going bad. In retrospect I think it would have been fine. Oh well, it was delicious and I will definitely will be making it again soon.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

4 ounces pancetta

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 15 oz. cans of cannellini beans if canned rinsed and drained

2 tbsp. tomato paste

8 cups chicken broth (2 quarts)

1 cup of mini pasta ( you can add up to 1 1/2 cups of mini pasta, like ditalini or mini farfalla would be nice) the more pasta you add the more like pasta and less like soup it becomes. I did add an extra 1/4 cup because there was just a small amount left in the box.

*1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (Use at your own discretion. This is a very little bit. I like the heat so I go a bit heavier, but how much you use depends on your crowd. People can always add a bit more at the table, too.) Totally optional

*Grated Parmesan cheese for topping (optional)

*fresh basil for garnish (optional)

2 – 3 leaves fresh basil, cut up

Directions:

Heat a heavy stock pot on medium high heat until hot. Add olive oil and pancetta, saute for a minute or so. Add garlic and cook for another minute or so. Lower heat to a simmer and add tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for a few minutes. Add chicken stock, salt, pepper and beans, then bring to a gentle boil and simmer for at least 30 minutes, I simmered for an hour. House smelled amazing. I had my doubts about this soup while I was cooking it but couldn’t have been more wrong, it’s awesome. Now I have 2 quarts of it left over !

Cool it down, and get out your immersion blender stick or blender, and start to puree until it is slightly chunky, not completely pureed. Bring soup mixture to a boil. Taste for salt and pepper, and if you’re adding it add red pepper flakes now. Add pasta and cook until al dente.

Serve in bowls with grated cheese and a sprinkling of fresh basil if you like.

1 Comment

Posted in pasta, soup

Tagged ,

Tomato Soup

Posted on October 17, 2012 | 1 comment

I have made many tomato soups and this one was very easy. I used one can of crushed plum tomatoes. If you don’t have crushed in the house, you can crush in your food processor. I almost always have parmesan cheese in the house and I loved using the rind, as they have many uses particularly in soups where they can soak and soften. This time I diced it up into small little pieces so the result was like little explosions of flavor. Don’t ever throw away those rinds, they are so perfect used in soups and sauces.  The saffron threads give it that warm wonderful flavor.

Ingredients:

1 small piece of rind (2×3) from either Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 ounces pancetta, diced up (you can buy packages pre-chopped, keep in the freezer and just take out when you need them)

1 small yellow onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

* scant 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (if you like the heat)

1 28-ounce can crushed plum tomatoes (San Marzano the best)

2 – 2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon kosher salt (and you’ll probably need a drop more after tasting)

1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads (buy a package of saffron threads sold in most supermarkets, and just gently crumble before measuring )

Directions:

In a soup pot, warm the olive oil. Add the pancetta and saute over medium heat until it is nicely browned and crispy. (I prefer it very crispy.) Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the onion, garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes to the pan and saute until onions are softened, about 6 – 10 minutes.  Stir in the crushed tomatoes and  1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth. Simmer  until the mixture becomes more condensed and aromatic. I did this for 30 minutes.

While this is happening, I placed cheese rinds into microwave for about 15 seconds just to soften. They are easier to dice up once they are warmed. I cut into pretty small dice size pieces.

Turn heat off, and using an immersion blender (they are the best), roughly puree the soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender you can do this in batches with a regular blender. You will probably want to add some more of the chicken broth at this point. I gradually added as I blended. I used about 2 1/2 cups total chicken broth. Taste for salt at this point, and add accordingly. Bring the soup back to simmering and drop the diced cheese rinds into the soup to soften. Ladle into individual soup bowls, scatter the surface of the soup with the reserved pancetta, and serve. You will want to have a nice crusty bread to serve alongside this delicious soup.

*serves app. 4 people

1 Comment

Posted in soup

Pumpkin Soup – Happy Fall

Posted on October 10, 2012 | 4 comments

Fall is here, and time to make soups, and hearty meals. Heartwarming and comforting is what comes to mind. This pumpkin soup is all of that–warm,sweet  and savory all at the same time. It contains cream; and I do use heavy cream, you can probably substitute regular milk or skim milk I figure there are 8 servings and only 1/2 cup of cream in the total so it’s not too too terrible. You can also substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth for a vegetarian style soup. It’s a smooth delicious soup, and served with a nice green salad and some crusty bread, it’s awesome! Happy Fall.

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken / vegetable stock ( either one)

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 cups ( 2 cans) pumpkin puree ( not pie filling – be careful)

1 medium yellow onion chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme ( you can use fresh )

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup maple syrup

5 whole black peppercorns, or a few grinds of the pepper mill

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Heat up 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nice deep soup pot ( Le Creuset) add chopped onion and saute till translucent, add garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. When onion is translucent add stock, pumpkin, thyme, maple syrup and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer on low flame for at least 30 minutes uncovered.

With an immersion blender, ( if no immersion blender a regular blender or food processor will do, but then you need to do in batches of 1 cup at a time and let it cool down a bit)

Blend till well combined, and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered. Taste for salt, the peppercorns get ground up and taste wonderful but you may want to add more pepper. Stir in heavy cream and stir well. Pour into soup bowls and enjoy!

You may want to sprinkle some fried onion rings on top. If I am pressed for time I take the onion rings right from the container ( French’s ) makes the best type and add to the soup for a little more flavor and crunch. Not too much just a taste. Of course a great crusty bread with butter and a delicious hard cheese needs nothing else but the soup.

4 Comments

Posted in soup

Tagged , , ,

Cold Asparagus Soup

Posted on June 5, 2012 | 1 comment

I am still super obsessed with local beautiful sweet asparagus. I found Long Island asparagus today and bought a bunch of it. Joel is away for a few so no problem making it and having to think of something else to make for him. I am planning on enjoying this soup in the fridge for a few days. Super easy, I saw Mark Bittman (love) on the Today show a few weeks ago and saved the recipe for local asparagus. Am psyched and this recipe is super healthy , low-fat and super super easy to make. It literally took no time at all. The cooling down takes some time but I don’t see the harm in eating it before it really chills out do you? Hope you’ll check out some local produce and get the asparagus while the getting is good. I mean you can make this all year round, but its super delish now. I actually ate it while it was still warm with the fresh lemon juice and drizzle of olive oil you can taste the asparagus, and it was just divine.

Ingredients: 

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Salt and Freshly ground black pepper

app. 1 1/2 lbs. chopped asparagus (medium size spears, not too fat) I snap off bottoms

1 large peeled and cubed potato

fresh lemon juice for garnish

* if you’d like drizzle a little olive oil for garnish as well

some warm crusty bread was awesome with this with a little hard cheese! just saying……

Directions:

Bring the stock to a boil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the chopped asparagus and cubed potato, and turn the heat to low so the mixture bubbles gently for about 25 minutes. Cook until vegetables are tender. I added Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper at the point the vegetables went in, I tasted it after 25 minutes and added some more. Add what you like.

Remove from heat when veggies are soft, I also added another 2 cups of water at this point because a lot of the water steamed out, you’ll have to play that by ear. You don’t want it super thick and you don’t want it super thin, somewhere in the mid range is perfect, you can always add more water, so add slowly.  I used immersion blender when it cooled off  , I didn’t  strain it at all, I liked the way the tiny pieces tasted it in it.  Refrigerate to cool. Garnish with a squirt of fresh lemon juice and you can drizzle in a little olive oil if you’d like.

*serves 4 – 6 depending on size of servings

1 Comment

Posted in soup, vegetables, vegetarian