Category Archives: soup

White Bean Soup

Posted on March 11, 2012 | 1 comment

Beautiful, hearty, soup–rustic in flavor and perfect to take the chill out of a winter day or night. I love soup as a meal. Just mix with salad and crusty bread and you’re good to go; it’s so satisfying. If you’re looking for a vegetarian meal, take out pancetta. If you don’t care, leave it in because it adds a real bite to the soup. Of course, by now you have an immersion blender but if you still haven’t gotten one, you’ll use the blender.

I always suggest the Le Creuset dutch oven because it is the best pot for preparing winter favorites such as soup and stews, and it’s the best pot I’ve ever found for braising meats. I have one in Colorado and one in New York and wouldn’t dream of cooking without it. The Le Creuset distributes the heat slowly and evenly, ensuring picture perfect results almost every time. If you’re getting married, register for one. If you’re a mother, ask for one for Mother’s Day! It’s a perfect gift…and I’m not even being paid by the company!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

4 ounces chopped pancetta (it’s available in almost all supermarkets, chopped in a 4 oz. package)

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 cans ( 15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

5 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth

3/4 tsp. finely chopped thyme (fresh)

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (parmesan cheese)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven pot (Le Creuset) over medium heat, warm 2 tbsp. olive oil. Cook pancetta for about 5 minutes. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook for about 10 minutes until soft. Add garlic, and cook for another minute. Add beans, broth and thyme, and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes. Off the heat, puree with immersion blender until smooth. Stir in cheese if you’d like, and then salt and black pepper. I add a pinch of red pepper flakes, but it’s totally optional.

So simple, so elegant, so delicious.

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Pasta e Fagioli ( Pasta and Bean Soup)

Posted on February 21, 2012 | 2 comments

Me and My Grandson Brody/ from visit with the family

019I have been making this soup forever,  This is really just a tomato base soup with beans and pasta. How bad can that be? unless you hate beans and pasta that is. I usually have ingredients in the pantry and it is a wonderful warm experience, with a nice salad this is a perfect meal. I do use dried beans so I need to soak overnight, if you want to cheat you can just use canned beans. It is a wonderful hearty soup halfway between a soup and a pasta.

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes ( San Marzano)

10 – 12 fresh basil leaves

red pepper flakes

handful of italian parsley, chopped

5 – 6 cups cooked beans and their liquid ( I use cannellini beans usually) any type of bean will work I use Cannellini or Red Kidney beans and a combination of both is beautiful.* feel free to use canned if you don’t have time to cook the beans. ( 2 cans rinsed and drained) the canned beans work out perfectly and it’s a very quick and easy way to go.

5 cups water

app. 1 cup pasta, elbows, tubetti, ditalini, or broken spaghetti

salt and freshly ground black pepper ( I probably used about 1Tablespoon of Kosher Salt but you’ll have to taste for yourself , start with a Tablespoon and use more as needed) Pepper I just add in a few grinds of the pepper mill ( about 12) and taste , taste , taste!

Directions:

In a large , heavy stockpot ( Le Creuset) saute onion in olive oil. When onion is golden and transparent, add garlic. Cook for a few more minutes. Add tomatoes and herbs. Cook until the tomatoes begin to thicken and reduce, about 10 minutes.  Taste for salt.

Add the beans and their cooking liquid. (* see notes on cooking beans) Add the water. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes – until the beans begin to break down and the soup begins to thicken. Lower heat to a slow simmer, as low as you can.  Stir frequently to prevent it from sticking and burning bottom of the pot. Taste for salt and pepper again.  I always like it to simmer for a long time, an hour would probably do it, but if I have the time I let it sit for as long as I can.  Sometimes after it’s been simmering for a while ,  I turn off the heat and right before serving just bring to a boil and add pasta. Just be careful not to let it burn, stir frequently . If you need more liquid add water a little at a time, I showed a picture of my pot filler which is the greatest thing to have in a kitchen, makes it super easy to fill a pot.

When you’re ready to serve, right before add the pasta and cook until pasta is al dente, about 5 – 10 minutes depending on type of pasta you’re using. I used ditalini.

Serve immediately in large soup bowls.

Guests can drizzle some good olive oil and grate some Parmesan Cheese over.  Should serve 8 – 10 depending on appetites. I froze remainder for another time.

*Cooking dried Beans:

Place the beans in a bowl and cover with water – about 2″ – 3″ above the beans. Soak overnight.

Rinse and drain the beans, remove any stones, foreign matter, or beans that have not expanded.

Place the beans in a heavy pot and cover with water – about 2″ above the beans.

Bring the beans to a boil. Turn down heat, cover and cook at a very low simmer. Do not allow beans to boil hard. The beans should retain their shape. Cook until beans are tender. Cooking time will vary depending on the type of beans and how fresh they are. Plan on cooking for 2 to 3 hours.

The beans will now be ready to be used for any recipe calling for cooked beans.

If you don’t have time to soak or you just forgot, you can place beans in the pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, cover and let stand for 1 hour, and then proceed with the rest of the directions.

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Mushroom Barley Soup (can be vegetarian)

Posted on February 9, 2012 | 1 comment

I have the funniest story about me and this soup. The first time I made it, I received the recipe from a friend. I didn’t see that it said .5 lbs. of mushrooms and I thought it was 5 lbs! So you can only imagine how much chopping I was doing. I had never seen a recipe say .5 instead of 1/2 lb! Joel happened to be in the kitchen and he kept saying that is an awful lot of mushrooms, and until I looked at it carefully I hadn’t seen that it said .5 . Who writes .5 ? Well, we had enough mushroom barley soup for the whole winter and then some–it expanded to a huge amount, and I had to keep adding liquid, it was hysterical. Once I realized what I had done, I had a good laugh, but the soup was still pretty tasty. I will write it it the way it should be and I doubt you’ll be making that same mistake any time soon. This is a very tasty , deeply robust soup, very healthy rendition of Mushroom Barley Soup. (and I always wear my reading glasses when I read a recipe now because you never know when you really need to see the difference between .5 and 5! )

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup dried mushrooms, like porcini

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

12 medium carrots, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 lb. of white mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1/2 lb. of shitake, cremini, portabello or other mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1/2 lb. of whole barley( I had to use pearl barley because that’s what I had in house, it’s fine) I just used 1/2 a bag. Don’t worry over exact measurements here, just eyeball it. If you have a scale, you can measre it exactly, I just halved the bag.

6 cups of beef broth (vegetarians can use vegetable broth)  and you will need the other 2 cups in the box if you are using boxed broth. You will need 8 cups total, just start out with 6.

3 tablespoons sherry

* 1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar – I like this and add it before I serve it. It’s no biggie if you don’t want to use or don’t have it.

Directions:

Cover dried mushrooms with 1 cup of  hot water and set aside for 20 minutes. Reserve the liquid and finely chop mushrooms.

Heat oil in heavy bottom pot (Le Creuset).

Saute onions and carrots over medium heat until onions begin to turn golden and transparent. Add garlic and saute for a minute. I always throw a bit of kosher salt and pepper in while veggies saute. Just a bit, you’ll taste for Salt and Pepper later.

Add fresh mushrooms(dried ones as well)  and saute for about 5 minutes until mushrooms release their water. Raise the heat and add the barley. Saute until barley begins to color. Add broth and sherry. Add mushroom soaking liquid to pot. Add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Soup will start to naturally thicken as barley plumps up, if you need to add more liquid either water or broth will be just fine.  Simmer for about an hour, you will probably need more liquid, I always add the other 2 cups of broth, and I add water then if it is still too thick, play it by ear. I also add additional Salt and Pepper at this point, you will have to adjust to your own personal taste.  Add vinegar right before serving, if you are using it.  Serve with nice crusty bread! Enjoy!

This makes for a delightful lunch meal with a salad and bread. I also make this in the morning , put whole pot in fridge ( once it cools down) and right before dinner heat it up. This gives flavors time to meld together, and then if you need to add more liquid  you will add water since you’ve already added the additional 2 cups of broth. Freezes up beautifully, and exactly what I will do, because whole family will be coming to visit at the end of week, Yeah!!!! 🙂 🙂

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Minestrone Soup

Posted on February 4, 2012 | 1 comment

The definition of minestrone is “big soup.” It is a hearty vegetable soup and how it’s made varies from region to region in Italy. It varies mainly because of the availability of vegetables from each region. This is my favorite combination, but really any vegetable can be added. I actually made it in the slow cooker the other day just to see how it would come out. I find that it’s best to saute the onions and garlic first, so it really doesn’t matter which pot you’re going to make it in. The pot on the stove needs to be watched, and either way, you will be using 2 pots. I did the saute on the stove top and then I put it all in the slow cooker on low for 6 hours. I also added ditalini, which I cooked and then added right before serving so it was al dente and not over cooked. I will explain the steps in the directions. This is very tasty and very healthy.

Ingredients: 

2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 small (or 1 large) potato, cubed (You can also add more potatoes if you like.)

1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes with the juice (I used the chef’s cut)

3 cups broth (can be vegetable or chicken)

1 cup shredded cabbage, kale, or spinach (this time I used kale)

1 cup cooked beans, cannellini or any other white bean (I used a 15 oz. can of drained and rinsed white northern beans, because I didn’t have time to soak the beans overnight. Use whichever you’d like.)

1/2 cup small pasta (I used ditalini. You can also use spaghetti broken into small pieces.)

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 bay leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated parmesan cheese if you’d like when you serve

Directions:

Saute the garlic and onions in the olive oil. Use a heavy large pot (Le Creuset.) When onions are golden and translucent, add the carrots, celery and potatoes, and toss for a few minutes just to coat the vegetables with the oil.

If you are using the slow cooker, as I did, just put everything into slow cooker at this point. Add the tomatoes, beans and the broth. I cooked on low for 6 hours, but it can cook up to 8 hours. You can also cook on high for 3 – 4 hours.

About 1/2 hour before you want to serve soup, add the spinach, kale, or cabbage. I had 2 small zucchini in the house and I put them in when I added the cabbage.  I then prepare the pasta and put it in each bowl before serving. (I did this because I didn’t want to freeze the soup with the pasta in it. I find that pasta gets very mushy when you freeze it.)  Next, remove bay leaves, and season to taste, with salt and pepper.

*this soup freezes beautifully, I just cook up more pasta for it while I reheat the soup when I serve it again

Sprinkle with cheese as you serve it.

* if you are cooking in a pot on the stove, cook uncovered for about an hour on a low simmer. The vegetables should be tender and the soup thick. You may or may not need to add more liquid (I find 3 cups usually does it.)

* if you like you can add pasta right to the soup on the stove top method. I just find that the pasta gets very soft, so I prefer doing it separately.

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Carrot Soup with a touch of Ginger and Apple

Posted on January 7, 2012 | Leave a comment

I have played around with 3 different recipes for Carrot Soup, I tried it with low fat milk and honey, it was blah. So this was the one that won out. I actually used apples and ginger. It is vegetarian and if you leave out the heavy cream at the end it is lower in fat, and vegan as well. I did add the heavy cream to get a certain velvety consistency . I also tried it with baby carrots once and not as good as the long organic ones I usually buy. So if you like carrots, and I do, and even Joel does (they’re not green) go for it.

Directions:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 average sized yellow onion sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 average apple (not too big, and not too small) , peeled and sliced

2 lbs. carrots , peeled and sliced

6 cups vegetable broth ( or chicken broth ) whichever you prefer or homemade stock , you will start out with 5 cups, and I added another cup of broth at the end. (see directions)

Carrot Ginger Soup with a touch of cream

* you may need some water at the end of cooking before adding cream to just thin out a bit , start with 1/2 cup and add from there, if you’re not adding the heavy cream you may want a bit more water.

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated

dash of nutmeg

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste at the end

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

Directions:

In a heavy stockpot (Le Creuset) over medium heat heat the olive oil, add the onions continue cooking until onions are translucent, about 8 – 10 minutes. Add ginger and garlic, and continue cooking for another minute or so, you’ll be able to smell how fragrant this is. Add sliced apples and sliced carrots and cook for about 5 minutes.

Turn heat to medium -high and add broth/stock whichever you’re using .  Bring to a boil , reduce heat to low and bring to a low simmer, uncovered. You’ll want to cook this until carrots and apples are softened, about 1/2 hour – 40 minutes. When this happens, remove from heat and let it cool down a bit.

With the immersion blender I started to puree. If you’re using a blender do small batches at a time so there are no soup explosions. Once the soup is completely blended, check consistency , if you need more liquid add a little water at a time, I added 1/2 cup at this point, you may or may not need it, I also added another cup of Broth at this point, I needed the liquid, you will judge for yourself how much liquid you’ll need to add. This is also where I add nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. I would say a little black pepper, as the ginger packs a bit of a kick on it’s own. At very end add cream, go slowly and stir in . Serve with croutons if you like, or just this way with a sprig of thyme ( if you have it in the house) or chervil, or just plain.

Soup will last in an airtight container for about 4 days. Soup also freezes pretty good, I would allow it to thaw for a day in the fridge before heating up, and you may have to add some liquid to this as well.

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What I’m Cooking Tonite – Lentil Soup with Chicken Sausage – more comfort food

Posted on December 29, 2011 | 5 comments

Prep for Lentil Soup with Chicken Sausage

We are in Colorado now for the winter season. It’s  just one of those cozy, stay at home nights. My plan is to start the entire season of “Homeland ” tonite on demand tv. So as you can tell I have my work cut out for me. Lentil Soup was my thought with salad and a nice crusty whole grain bread. I am putting some spicy chicken sausage in it tonite as I want it to have a bit more substance as it is the main meal. Hope you feel like you want to make this hearty delicious soup. Also this will keep in fridge for at leasat 4 – 5 days, and it freezes well. I got my inspiration for this soup from Joy the Baker and my usual recipe without chicken sausage. A few new spices  like turmeric and cumin in it as well. Just an aside a little tidbit on Turmeric, it has long been considered to be one of  nature’s most powerful healers, so use it in the soup!  Making soup is not an exact science so if you don’t have all the spices, no biggie, if you want to use vegetable broth and no meat it’s OK, if you want to use turkey or pork sausage that’s perfectly acceptable. Just keep the liquid ingredients and the lentill proportion as is and you can add or subtract whatever you like. One suggestion is to add some spinach or swiss chard at the end of the cooking. I didn’t this time, but it is a nice touch, add it at the end of cooking, and it will wilt quickly and you can serve.   This will serve between 6 – 8 people nicely . So we will have plenty of leftovers to freeze up for another time.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of olive oil + one more after sausage browns ( you may need a bit more, you’ll have to play with it)

1 lb. chicken sausage , out of casing. I am using spicy chicken sausage, if you can’t get you can always add some crushed red pepper flakes for kick.

1 yellow onion chopped ( about a cup) more or less

3 stalks celery diced

3 carrots diced small

3 cloves garlic minced

2 cups uncooked lentils (any kind you can get)

1 tsp. kosher salt ( you will taste for salt and pepper at end)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

* 1/4  teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ( you may or may not want to add, depends on how spicy and hot you like it) you can also substitute cayenne powder (use 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne)

8 cups chicken broth (also nice to use 1/2 veggie and 1/2 chicken )

1 – 2 cups of water depending on how much you’ll need at the end

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

In a large saucepan ( Le Creuset once again) over medium heat, heat up the  3 tablespoons of olive oil . Add the chicken sausage and cook, breaking up the chicken with the back of a wooden spoon so pieces are smaller and crumbly.( small chunks) Once it’s cooked ( about 8 – 10 minutes ) remove from pan.

See if you need more olive oil and add if you do. ( I did add about 1 more tablespoon)Add onions, celery, and carrots. Cook until onions are translucent ( 5 – 7 minutes) Stir occasionally. Add the garlic, and spices , cumin, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, and turmeric. Cook for a few minutes . Add the sausage back into the pan, Stir to incorporate all . Add the lentils and stock. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup, uncovered , until the lentils are soft. At least an hour, I like it to cook for as long as I can. I added about 2 cups of water towards the end, you’ll have to see for yourself, add a little at a time. Serve soup with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan Cheese, and good crusty bread.

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Comfort Foods – Split Pea Soup – Can be Vegetarian

Posted on December 20, 2011 | 3 comments

I love almost all soups, stews, etc.  I find them so warm and inviting to eat. The flavors are all melded together and it is all usually very healthy ingredients which you are in control of that go into a freshly made soup. As a kid you couldn’t get me to eat Split Pea Soup, as an adult I love it. Maybe it’s the color? the texture? I can’t get Joel to go near it, but he’s allergic to almost anything that looks this green with a lot of references to the Exorcist which I could live without that visual. In any event it’s a warm, cozy soup. Very healthy, and you can leave out the chorizo or add it as you like. Last time out I added it. Very filling, it’s a meal for me with a nice piece of bread.

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped yellow onions (  1 small to medium size yellow onion)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 cup of olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt ( you might want to start with 1/2 and increase it as you need)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups coarsley chopped carrots

1 pound dried split green peas

8 – 10 cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock ( for the vegetarians out there)

*sliced chorizo (you buy it whole , so slice up as much or as little as you’d like) this is totally optional, you can keep this soup totally vegetarian if you’d like

Directions:

In a large stockpot ( Le Creuset again) on medium heat , saute the onions and garlic with the olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the carrots, 1/2 lb. of the split peas, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, the simmer for about an hour. Skim off any foam while it is cooking.  After the hour, add the additional 1/2 lb. of split peas and continue to simmer , usually another hour for all the peas to be soft. Stir frequently as the solids can settle at bottom and burn. Taste for Salt and Pepper.  I then let soup cool down a little, and take the Immersion blender to it, not a complete puree. I know the consistency I like, so I would suggest cooling down soup then removing maybe 1/2 of soup to another pot, and using the immersion blender or a regular blender , blend it, again not completely. Add it to the rest of the soup, heat it up till it reaches a nice simmer. It was after I blended it partially that I added sliced Chorizo to the soup. A very nice addition.  If you add the chorizo just heat it up for about 20 minutes or so, the chorizo is usually pre cooked, it’s just to get the flavors going. Serve Hot with a nice crusty bread.

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Cream of Mushroom Soup -Vegetarian

Posted on December 7, 2011 | 2 comments

My friend Jean gave me this recipe many years ago and I made it exactly the way she gave it to me. This time out I took a few liberties with the recipe and made it for vegetarians. I am always trying to find recipes which will suit my vegetarian daughter, old habits die hard. I switched out the beef broth for veggie broth and had some hesitation as to the flavor but I actually liked it better. It is wonderful and has a totally different flavor with the Beef broth, use whichever you like or whichever you have on hand. It worked out beautifully though so I will stick with it this way. The freshly ground black pepper gives this soup a great flavor, so don’t skimp on it, unless you hate it. It doesn’t get alot of salt, just a bit. I know there is butter and cream in here, but it really needs it, and honestly how much in each serving? just saying….. This is such an easy recipe, not alot of ingredients, and cooks up very quickly. You will need an immersion blender stick, a cuisinart or a blender. It really tastes like a gourmet soup, throw in a crusty piece of bread on top, or some croutons and you are good to go. This soup will taste like you slaved for hours.

*serves 6 nicely , you can easily double but don’t have to double the butter just increase it to about 8 tablespoons of butter.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter (unsalted)

1 cup onion (yellow) finely chopped

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms chopped ( I used Portabello , which also gave it a very rich flavor but you can use any kind)

3 tbs. flour

3 cups stock ( Vegetable or Beef)

1 Bay Leaf

Freshly Ground Black Pepper ( about 1/8 tsp. it’s really to taste, and the pepper is very important to this soup)

Kosher Salt ( just a bit)

3/4 cup half and half

Directions:

Melt butter in a large heavy pan ( Le Creuset stock pot is the best ) Add onions and stir over moderate heat until onions are transparent. ( about 5 minutes) . Add mushrooms , and cook, stirring another 4 minutes or so, at this point I threw in a bit of kosher salt. ( A little bit)

Remove the mixture from the heat and place on a cool burner, and add the flour stirring as you go till it blends. Add in the stock slowly, stirring constantly, Add the bay leaf and pepper.

Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf and stir in the half and half. I took off of hot burner and let it cool a bit before I blended it.(about 15 minutes or so)

I then used my immersion blender stick and just pureed it for a few minutes, just do it till you get the consistency you would like. I didn’t puree it completely. I left some pieces of mushroom ,

Portabello Mushrooms for Soup

that’s how I like it. It had a nice texture without being totally smooth. Check for seasoning (salt and pepper) I served with croutons because I had them in the house, you can also serve with a nice piece of toasted baguette, or nothing . It’s really delicious.

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Pumpkin Lentil Soup (can be vegetarian)

Posted on November 4, 2011 | 1 comment

It’s Fall and that means it’s time to cook up some heart-warming soups! Pumpkin Lentil Soup is a delicious, hearty soup that you and your family will love.

This recipe has been around my family for a while. A friend gave it to me a while back, and I make it every fall.  Just because it’s fall and it’s pumpkin and this soup can wind up on my Thanksgiving Table if I don’t make my Butternut Squash Soup.   It’s hard to get canned pumpkin any other time of year, so I take advantage of it now and pick up a few extra cans and try to make it throughout the winter. Warm, hearty and pretty healthy. And what’s a little butter between friends? I actually lost this recipe, but luckily my friend Marcy still had it, so thanks Marcy! It’s good to share with friends, and now all my recipes will be posted on my blog so I’ll never have to search far. You can freeze this ahead of time and take it out for Thanksgiving. For the holiday, it’s always between this and Butternut Squash Soup, and I like that they can both be vegetarian.

*this can be doubled but no need to double the butter (just add a little bit more)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (unsalted)

2 large onions (spanish) chopped

1/2 cup lentils (if you can find red lentils, buy them because they look beautiful for Thanksgiving and give the soup a lovely orangey color)

5 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (make sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling)

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon marjoram

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Melt butter in large stockpot (Le Creuset). Saute the onions until translucent and golden, then stir in the lentils and the stock. Add pumpkin and herbs and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower it and let it simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.

I take the immersion blender to it. It becomes rich and creamy. You may prefer it not pureed, it’s up to you. A third option is to not puree it all the way. If you don’t puree, you may need to add more broth. If soup is too thick, use the broth as needed, a little bit at a time, to reach a good consistency.

*soup freezes just fine but you’ll need to add broth/water after you defrost and heat up

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Chicken Stew in One Pot

Posted on October 26, 2011 | 3 comments

This is one of  my go to meals when the weather turns a little cold and throughout the winter months.  When I need something to make that’s easy, healthy and comforting. Food for the soul I like to say. I serve this with crusty bread,  and a green salad. It’s very filling and makes a beautiful presentation for 2 or 6. Hope you enjoy, it’s really very easy , just chop up a few vegetables (carrots, onions, and celery, a basic *mirepoix) open a few cans and buy the chicken, don’t be intimidated by ingredients! This recipe inspired from Giada de Laurentis’s chicken stew. I have made a few changes to suit us.

*Basic Mirepoix is a combination of chopped carrots, celery and onions used to add flavor and aroma to stocks, sauces, soups and other foods. Usually comprised of 50% onions, 25% carrots, and 25% celery.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 stalks celery, small bite size pieces

1 carrot, peeled, cut into small bite size pieces

1 small white onion chopped

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 can chopped tomatoes ( I use San Marzano diced) large 28 oz. can with juice

16 oz. chicken broth (1/2 box) but you may need a bit more so hold on to rest of the box.

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dry thyme

I use 4 chicken breasts with ribs ( I usually go to butcher order 2 chicken breasts with bone in, split in two) if you go to supermarket, either buy 2 large breasts, or 4 smaller ones. Skin on and Bones in! app. 1 1/2 – 2 lbs. total weight. You will be removing the skin, it will add to the flavor of the stew.

1 can red kidney beans drained ( if using organic, do not need to rinse) 15 oz.

1 can black beans drained ( if using organic , do not need to rinse either) 15 oz.

nice crusty whole grain bread

Directions:

Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy 5 1/2 quart. pot. ( Le Creuset again) heat over medium heat. When oil is hot add the onions, celery , and carrot (Mirepoix mixture). Saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. You will taste again towards the end, so if you want to hold off on this step you can. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, tomato paste, bay leaf and thyme. Then add the chicken breasts , press to submerge in the sauce.

Bring the liquid to a slow simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently uncovered until the chicken is almost cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over and stirring mixture occasionally, app. 30 minutes. Using tongs if you have them, if you don’t , buy them, remove the chicken to a plate and allow to cool ( about 15 minutes) Discard the bay leaf, add the beans to the pot ( remember to drain) and bring to a simmer until the liquid is reduced to a stew-like consistency, probably another 15 minutes or so.

Discard the chicken skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Shred or cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Return the chicken meat to the stew. Bring the stew back to a slow simmer. Season again with salt and pepper to taste.

I usually cook , then turn off heat, and bring it back to simmer right before serving.

This should serve 6 well. I serve with a nice crusty whole grain bread. Everything is in the pot, veggies, and protein. Enjoy! it’s delicious. Don’t be put off, it’s really easy to prepare, can be made ahead of time.  If it’s made a few days ahead you may want to add the chicken broth to thin out.

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