Rustic Spinach and Corn Meal Soup

The appetizer Chef Valene made for our Bon Appetit dinner-  so different and very good!

Rustic Spinach and Corn Meal Soup (recipe from Bon Appetit)

 

• 6 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
• Coarse kosher salt
• 8 ounces baby spinach leaves

 

• Bring 6 cups broth to simmer in large saucepan; cover to keep warm. Whisk polenta and flour in heavy large pot. Add 1 cup hot broth; whisk over medium-high heat until smooth. Stir in butter and garlic; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Gradually add 5 cups hot broth by cup-fulls. Boil gently over medium heat until polenta is tender and soup is creamy and thickened, whisking frequently and adding more broth to thin, if desired, about 25 minutes. Stir in spinach by handfuls; simmer until wilted, stirring often, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Season with more coarse salt and black pepper.

Swedish Meatball Noodle Soup

Over Memorial Day, niece in law, Melinda, made this delicious soup- really more a stew.  It was so good with crusty bread and salad.  A keeper for sure.  You could probably use Ikea's Swedish meatballs but I'm not really a fan. 

               

Swedish Meatball Noodle Soup (recipe shared by pineycook.com)

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 8 oz. Broad Egg Noodles, cooked al dente according to package directions
• ¼-½ cup sour cream (personal preference)
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• Swedish Meatballs
• 2 slices bread, toasted and torn into pieces
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ large onion, minced
• ⅔ pound ground beef
• ⅓ pound ground pork
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
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• Soup
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup flour
• 7 cups beef broth
• 1 cup heavy cream mixed with 2 tablespoons cornstarch**
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

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Directions

1.To make the meatballs, place the bread into a small bowl and mix in 1/2 cup cream. Allow to stand until bread absorbs the cream, about 15 minutes, then add bread to food processor and pulse until completely broken up (it will look like mushy bread). Add pulverized cream bread to a large bowl. 2.While the bread is soaking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add onions and sauté until translucent and softened, about 5 minutes. Add to large bowl with bread. 3.To the onions and bread, add remaining meatball ingredients and mix. Form meat into 1 tablespoon meatballs, approximately 40 meatballs. 4.Melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add half of the meatballs and cook, stirring frequently, until well browned on all sides, approximately 5 minutes. Remove meatballs to paper towel lined baking sheet. Add remaining meatballs to skillet and repeat. 5.Melt 5 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven/large soup pot over medium high heat. Add carrots, celery and mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. 6.Turn heat to low and gradually stir in beef broth followed by heavy cream. Add Worcestershire sauce, parsley, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil, stirring frequently until thickened to desired consistency, approximately 5 minutes. 7.Add meatballs and lower the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally. 8.Stir in sour cream until smooth, followed by noodles. Taste and add additional salt, pepper, red pepper flakes if desired. 9.Garnish with fresh parsley (optional) and serve.

Notes *For a lighter version, you may substitute milk but only use 1/4 cup and add more as needed to meatball mixture. **You may substitute milk or half and half, but keep in mind the higher the fat content, the creamier the soup. You can add more sour cream at the end of cooking to help creamify. ***For a less "chunky" soup, add more beef broth and/or heavy cream/milk.

Market Street Clam Chowder

This is a repost of one of my favorite soups- a chowder really- that you can get at a favorite Salt Lake restaurant called Market Street Grill.  I make mine a titch thicker but you can do thick or thin, whatever you want.  (It's your chowder after all!)

Market Street Clam Chowder

3/4 c. butter, melted

1 cup flour

1 cup diced potatoes (sometimes I double the potatoes)

1 cup diced celery (sometimes I double the celery)

1 cup diced onions

1 cup diced green pepper

1 c. diced leek

3/4 c. chopped clams

3/4 T. freshly ground pepper (ha!)

1 ½ T. salt

3/4 tsp. thyme

6 bay leaves (I have a bay tree out in the greenhouse. Borrow as much as you like!)

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

3/4 c. cooking sherry or bouillon

2 c. water

3/4 c. clam juice

2 qt. half-and-half

Combine melted butter and flour in oven-proof dish and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.  (I put a picture of this since it is different than making a flour/butter rue.  It actually turns out crumbly.)

 In large saucepan, combine potatoes, celery, onion, peppers, leeks, clams, ground pepper, salt, bay leaves, Tabasco, sherry, water and clam juice. Simmer until potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Add butter and flour mixture to chowder and stir until thick. Mixture will be slightly less thick than cookie dough. Remove chowder from heat. Stir in half-and-half until blended. Heat to serving temperature, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately. Serves 12

Lemongrass Soup

Thanks, Diana, for this lovely soup made for our Bucket group.  Yum!

Lemongrass Soup

6 cups good-quality chicken stock  
1-2 chicken breasts, sliced, OR 1-2 cups roasted chicken or turkey 
1 lemongrass stalk, OR 3 Tbsp. frozen prepared lemongrass (Whole Foods)
4 kaffir limes leaves (fresh or frozen) I can’t find these
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced (I used regular mushroonms)
1 thumb-size piece galangal or ginger, grated 
1-3 fresh red chilies, minced (to taste), OR substitute 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. dried crushed chili 
1/2 to 1 can good-quality coconut milk 
2 Tbsp. lime juice 
2+ Tbsp. fish sauce 
1 tsp. brown sugar (optional, according to taste) 
handful fresh coriander leaves 
handful fresh basil leaves 
3 spring (green) onions, sliced 
1 cup cherry tomatoes 
1 can of baby corn cobs, sliced in 1 inch pieces


Slice and mince the lower portion of the lemongrass stalk. Retain the upper stalk for the soup pot. 
. Place chicken broth in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. If you have leftover chicken or turkey bones, add those too. Bring to a boil.
. Add fresh chicken (or leftover chicken or turkey). Also add the prepared lemongrass (including upper stalk pieces), plus kaffir lime leaves and fresh chili. Boil 5-8 minutes, or until chicken is cooked.
. Turn heat down to medium. Add the galangal or ginger, 1/2 can coconut milk, the fish sauce, and extra vegetables (if using). Stir well. Simmer gently 1-2 minutes.
. Turn heat down to minimum. Add lime juice and stir.
Add the mushrooms at the last minute or they turn black.
. Do a taste test. Look for a balance between spicy, sour, salty, and sweet flavors. Start with salty, adding more fish sauce if not salty or flavorful enough (1 Tbsp. at a time). If too sour, add the sugar plus a little more if you need it. If too spicy, or if you'd like it creamier, add more coconut milk. If not spicy enough, add more chili.
. Ladle soup into serving bowls. Sprinkle a little fresh coriander, basil, and spring onion over each bowl. 

I like to serve with rice and let each person spoon a little rice into his/her soup before eating. 

Chilled Green Gazpacho Soup

I loved, loved, loved this chilled soup friend Valene served at the beginning of our Bon Appetit dinner.  Since we were having a full (and fabulous) meal- I would serve this in a smaller portion (like a shrimp cocktail size).  The flavors are unbelievable!

Chilled Green Gazpacho Soup

• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1½ cups whole-milk plain Greek yogurt, divided
• ½ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4 oz. ciabatta or country-style bread, crust removed, bread torn into 1” pieces (about 2½ cups)
• 1 medium English hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, cut into large pieces
• 1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 4 large tomatillos (about 12 oz.), husked, quartered
• 4 scallions, cut into 1” pieces
• 2 jalapeños, seeds removed, chopped (friend Valene used much less)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
• Piment d’Espelette or Hungarian hot paprika (for serving)

• Whisk vinegar, lime juice, 1 cup yogurt, and ½ cup oil in a large bowl until smooth. Add bread, cucumber, bell pepper, tomatillos, scallions, jalapeños, garlic, and ¾ tsp. salt and toss to coat (make sure bread is well coated so it can soak up as much flavor as possible). Cover and chill at least 4 hours.
• Working in batches, purée bread and vegetable mixture in a blender until very smooth; transfer to a large bowl and season gazpacho with salt.
• Whisk remaining ½ cup yogurt in a small bowl, thinning with water a tablespoonful at a time, until the consistency of heavy cream; season with salt.
• Serve soup in chilled bowls. Drizzle with thinned yogurt and more oil and sprinkle with piment d’Espelette.
• DO AHEAD: Gazpacho can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Mix well before serving.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

 Love, love, love this soup.  Probably one of my favorites.  It is so rich and filling and pure comfort food.  I made this for our Warm Hearts through Service evening.  For the full event, check it out here: http://constantgrowingamazement.blogspot.com/2013/11/service-to-warm-heart.html

 

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup


1 1/4 c.  chopped celery

1 1/4 c.  chopped carrots

1/2 medium yellow onion (about 1/2 cup)


Cool all the vegetables in water until tender, then drain.


3 1/2 c. chicken broth (I cook the vegetables in the chicken broth)

1 cup cooked wild rice ( I like the blends)

5 oz. or several chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1/2 c. whipping cream

salt and pepper to taste. 

Mix 1/4 c. plus 2 T. of butter and
1/2 c. flour  together in a pan to brown the flour. Set aside.

Mix the chicken broth into the flour mixture. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer about 20-30 minutes. Delicious served even the next day.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

We went last week to the Cook's for our Bon Appetit dinner...and one of the recipes Valene (who I call my favorite chef) served a soup from Bon Appetit.  Yesterday Valene called to ask me what my favorite soups were...since she is hosting a Halloween dinner for her kids...and I immediately said, "the soup you just fed us for dinner at your house!"  It really is a 5-star recipe.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

 

     2 tablespoons(1/4 stick) butter

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoonground nutmeg
• 4 1/4 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 1/4 cups(or more) vegetable broth
• 1 Gala apple, peeled, cored, diced
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• Light sour cream
• Chopped fresh chives

Preparation

Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and nutmeg; sauté until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add squash, 4 1/4 cups broth, apple, and apple juice. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered until squash and apple are tender, about 30 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring soup to simmer, thinning with more broth if desired. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with sour cream and chives

Spicy Curry Noodle Soup with Chicken (opt.) and Sweet Potato

 

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  Friend Valene made this delicious soup for lunch the other day.  She and I aren't too spicy (boring, I know) so there are a few things to tone it down (or up.)  This was delicious.  She also didn't put chicken in it since she was serving it as a side to chicken dishes. 

Spicy Curry Noodle Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potato 

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped shallots
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced lemongrass (from bottom 4 inches of about 3 stalks, tough outer leaves discarded)(you can buy bottled, already minced lemongrass.  Ask your produce man about it.)
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons Thai yellow curry paste
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek) (you can use more or less, depending on how hot you like it.)
• 2-13.5- to 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk, divided
• 5 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 cups snow peas, trimmed
• 2 cups1/2-inch cubes peeled red-skinned sweet potato (yam; from about 1 large)
• 1 pound dried rice vermicelli noodles or rice stick noodles
• 3/4 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced (opt.)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 red Thai bird chiles or 2 red jalapeno chiles, thinly sliced with seeds (opt.) (Valene didn't use which made it a delightfully mild soup.)
• 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

• Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add next 4 ingredients; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in curry paste, curry powder, and chili paste. Add 1/2 cup coconut milk (scooped from thick liquid at top of can). Stir until thick and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add remaining coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, and sugar; bring broth to boil. Keep warm. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate until cold, then cover and keep chilled.
• Cook snow peas in large pot of boiling salted water until bright green, about 20 seconds. Using strainer, remove peas from pot; rinse under cold water to cool. Place peas in medium bowl. Bring water in same pot back to boil. Add sweet potato and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Using strainer, remove sweet potato from pot and rinse under cold water to cool. Place in small bowl. Bring water in same pot back to boil and cook noodles until just tender but still firm to bite  about 6 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold water to cool. Transfer to microwave-safe bowl. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Bring broth to simmer.  Add chicken; simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add sweet potato; stir to heat through, about 1 minute. Heat noodles in microwave in 30-second intervals to rewarm. Cut noodles with scissors if too long. Divide noodles among bowls. Divide snow peas and hot soup among bowls. Scatter red onion, green onions, cilantro, and chiles over soup. Garnish with lime wedges and serve.

( Valene made this from Bon Appetit magazine.)

Cheese Crackers

Cheese Crackers

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 pound butter

1/4 pound cheddar cheese, grated

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 dash red pepper

PREPARATION:

Cream together the butter and cheese. Stir in the salt and red pepper. Slowly add the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until well blended. Knead dough until smooth. Roll into a long log and chill in the refrigerator.

Slice thin ( or in my case, slice, then cut out with heart cookie cutter....remold excess) and place crackers on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden.