Soups – Page 3 – Feed Your Kids

Chicken & Corn Chowder with Thyme

I made this recipe from epicurious for dinner last night. Sorry for the terrible photo – the soup was the same exact color as the inside of my bowls and my photography skills aren’t near what I would like them to be. Someday, I’m going to break down and take a class…but not today, so … Continue reading “Chicken & Corn Chowder with Thyme”

Adaptations:
I browned the pieces of chicken a tiny bit (in the bacon fat that was drained off out of the pan) before placing it in the soup.

I added a tiny bit of my BBQ seasoning, because Girl loves it with corn.

I cut back the amount of onion a tiny bit, and added a minced garlic clove (when the onions were almost done).

I used 1/2 cup half-and-half and 1/2 cup milk, because I ran out of half-and-half, and also just to cut the richness/fat content a little bit.

I have posted another Potato-Corn Chowder recipe before, but this one is a little different (added chicken and bacon, subtracted celery, substituted thyme for dill). They’re both good, just subtly different.

Chicken-Veggie-Barley Soup

Chicken Vegetable Barley Soup 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 cup sliced or chopped carrot 1 cup finely chopped celery 3/4 cup finely chopped white onion 2 pressed or chopped garlic cloves 1 large aseptic box (I use Pacific brand), about 4 cups, chicken broth 2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces about 3/4 cup … Continue reading “Chicken-Veggie-Barley Soup”

Chicken Vegetable Barley Soup

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup sliced or chopped carrot
1 cup finely chopped celery
3/4 cup finely chopped white onion
2 pressed or chopped garlic cloves
1 large aseptic box (I use Pacific brand), about 4 cups, chicken broth
2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
about 3/4 cup barley
about 1 Tbsp. Baby Bam seasoning
fresh chopped parsley, optional

NB: The barley that I used was NOT the quick-cooking kind, but if that’s the you have on hand or all that you can find, it will still work, just put it into the soup later, following the cooking directions on the package.

Sprinkle the Baby Bam over the chicken and stir to coat. Heat half the olive oil in a very large saucepan or small stockpot. Add the chicken to the pan and cook, stirring and turning constantly, until the chicken pieces are browned on all sides (about 3 minutes?). Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Add the other half of olive oil to the pan and heat it slightly. Add the veggies to the pan (garlic, onion, celery, carrot) and saute them until soft (about 3 minutes?). Add the the barley and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not allow the barley to change color – you just want it to be warmed through and very lightly coated with oil. Add the chicken back to the pan and pour in the chicken stock. Cook the soup over medium-low heat (keep it just barely simmering) until the chicken is cooked through, the veggies are softened and the barley is tender to the bite (30 – 45 minutes – but less if you use quick-cooking barley).

If you have any of this soup left over, it still tastes great the next day, but the barley will absorb more of the stock as it sits, so it will become thicker and stew-like.

I served this with roasted brussels sprouts.

Boy and Girl both liked this (Hubby was out of town on business that night) and it was great (warm and filling) for the super cold weather we’ve had the last couple of days. I had to take a short break from macaroons, because we’ve had some rain (I think that might adversely impact the meringue), but I will try two more batches soon. Boy has requested pistachio and Girl has requested chai. After that, I’m going to stop with the macaroons, I promise.

Mayocoba Bean Soup

2 cups dried mayocoba (also called azufrado) beans 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1/2 of a large white or yellow onion, finely chopped 1 large bell pepper, diced 5 garlic cloves, pressed or minced 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped 1 cup carrots, chopped 1/2 tsp. dried oregano a small sprinkle (1/4 tsp?) ground cumin 1 tsp. … Continue reading “Mayocoba Bean Soup”

2 cups dried mayocoba (also called azufrado) beans
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 of a large white or yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large bell pepper, diced
5 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
a small sprinkle (1/4 tsp?) ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
4 cups (or perhaps a little more) chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste, or a sprinkle of Baby Bam seasoning

Optional: a sprinkle (1 tsp.?) dried epazote, if you can get your hands on some. You (and your loved ones) will thank me later.

Cover the beans with water and soak for 24 hours, draining and rinsing the beans and replacing the water frequently (3 or 4 times) during that time. After 24 hours, drain and rinse beans a final time and then put them in a large stock pot. Add chicken stock, chili powder, oregano, cumin and epazote (if using) and begin to cook over medium-high heat, covered, stirring occasionally.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a very large saute pan. Add garlic, onion, bell pepper, carrot and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened. Add vegetables to the beans in the stockpot and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for at least an hour, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, adding more stock, if necessary.

If desired, you may puree the soup to make a thicker, creamier soup, or you may serve it as is. We chose to puree part of it with a submersible blender, but still leave some beans intact. It turned out pretty thick, more like a stew, but we enjoyed that. I you want it “soupier”, then just add a bit more stock during cooking.

The verdict: pretty yummy and would work with almost any kind of beans. Would also be good with some diced ham or shredded, cooked chicken added to it at the end.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This company used to make a Chicken Enchilada soup mix that Boy used to LOVE. They stopped making it a couple of years ago, so I’ve been experimenting with re-creating it. Boy has always loved soups, ever since his class made Stone Soup in preschool. I like my tortilla soup version better now, because I … Continue reading “Chicken Tortilla Soup”

Chicken Tortilla Soup

about 1 Tbsp oil (canola or olive)
3 or 4 cloves garlic, peeled and run through a garlic press
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1 – 2 Tbsp. chili powder
sprinkle of ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
small sprinkle of pimenton (smoked paprika)
one rotisserie chicken
1 cup tomato sauce (or the other half of a can that you used to make sloppy joes)
about 6 cups chicken stock
1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
about 1/2 cup frozen peas
about 1/2 cup frozen corn
about 3/4 cup canned black beans (about half a can), drained and rinsed
1/4 cup masa harina flour (great for thickening, it’s used for making tortillas and chili – check the hispanic foods aisle at your supermarket)
optional: a little sprinkle of finely chopped cilantro
optional: one small can of chopped green chiles

for garnish:
1/2 cup grated cheese (a blend of jack and cheddar is good)
1/2 cup guacamole
approximately 1 cup slightly crushed corn tortilla chips
optional: a dollop of sour cream or little decorative cilantro leaf

Pull the chicken breasts off the chicken and reserve (or freeze) for another use. Remove all remaining meat from the chicken, chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until softened and translucent. Add the carrots and saute a few more minutes until slightly softened. Add 4 cups of the chicken stock, tomato sauce and spices and bring to a gentle boil. Lower heat and simmer while adding peas, corn and chopped chicken. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, adding more chicken stock, a little bit at a time, if necessary and stirring occasionally. Remove about 1 cup of the broth and place in a bowl with the masa, whisking or stirring to blend completely. Pour masa-broth mixture back into the simmering soup and allow to simmer for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally, until soup is beginning to reach desired (slightly thickened) consistency. Add more broth, if necessary. Add beans. Add chiles and cilantro (if desired). Stir gently until beans are warmed and all ingredients are well incorporated and then serve!

Makes 4 very large or 6 reasonable-sized portions.

When serving the soup, top with some grated cheese, crumbled tortilla chips and a dollop of guacamole or sour cream.

Gazpacho

Girl and I LOVE Gazpacho. It’s one of her favorite foods and she is always excited when I tell her that I’m making it. We wait all year for summer (and beautiful tomatoes!) to arrive. To be worth the effort, you have to have GREAT tomatoes – in season, bought locally, and deliciously ripe. That is key. If you go to all of the effort to make this with inferior tomatoes, you will be disappointed with the result, I assure you. The recipe itself is VERY flexible and up to your own personal taste.

Summertime Gazpacho

All ingredient amounts are approximate and flexible!!!
3 pounds ripe tomatoes
1 large (or 2 small) green bell peppers
2 medium-sized cucumbers (or 1 very large)
6 large garlic cloves, minced or put through a garlic press
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
a little sprinkle (1/4 to 1/2 tsp. to taste) smoked Spanish paprika, also called pimenton
(This is sold at gourmet stores like Williams Sonoma, etc., but is also carried at some major grocery store chains. McCormick’s makes one, but they call it smoked paprika, rather than pimenton – read carefully – the label looks only very slightly different from the regular paprika.)

Remove peels from tomatoes:
If they are very ripe, the peels can be stripped off by hand, just by getting the edge started with a paring knife (kind of like peeling a hard-boiled egg?). If the peels are more stubborn, you can cut a shallow “X” (about an inch across) into the non-stem end of each tomato, then submerge them in boiling water for a minute or so, to allow the skins to loosen. After removing from the boiling water, place them immediately into ice water to cool before draining and slipping the peels off.

Finely chop about 1/2 cup of the tomato and reserve it, put the rest in a large, glass bowl.

Peel and seed the cucumbers. Dice and reserve about 3/4 cup of it and set it aside. Put the rest in the bowl with the tomatoes.

Finely chop about 1/2 cup of the pepper and set it aside. Put the remaining pepper in the bowl with the tomatoes and cukes.

Add the garlic, salt, pepper, pimenton, oil and vinegar to the veggies in the large glass bowl and puree, using an immersion blender. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you may do it in batches in a regular blender. Add the reserved, chopped veggies and stir them in.

Adjust thickness, if necessary:
Some recipes call for a little bit of tomato juice or beef broth to make the soup thinner, some (like this one on Epicurious) call for breadcrumbs to make the soup a little thicker. I usually find that the texture is OK with just veggies, but just in case….

Pour back into the glass bowl. cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Will keep almost a week in the fridge and gets better as the flavors sit and meld together.

Possible adaptations:
This recipe can be changed around lots of ways; I never make it EXACTLY the same way twice. If you like it smoother, you can puree the whole thing; if you like it chunkier, you can have more chopped veggies and do less pureeing. If tomato seeds skeeve you out, you can remove the seeds before pureeing. I don’t personally believe in adding canned ANYTHING (V8, tomato juice, tomato paste, etc.) to gazpacho, because I believe that the fresh taste is the best part of this dish, but do what suits YOU.

Other good additions, if you’re so inclined:
a little (1 to 2 Tbsp.?) very finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
a little chopped fresh oregano or basil
finely chopped purple onion
a little jalapeno and/or cilantro for a Southwestern version
a little cubed avocado stirred in before serving
a little freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice (cut back on the vinegar a bit?)
black beans or small garbanzo beans

Garnishing options:
thinly sliced avocado
a drizzle of olive oil and/or balsamic vinegar
a tiny bit of sour cream or creme fraiche
fresh chopped herbs: basil, parsley
croutons (or Goldfish crackers, for kids)

Gazpacho Ingredients, fresh from the farm

Cauliflower-Parsnip Soup with Beet Crisps

I saw this recipe from www.chow.com, featured as part of a Valentine’s Love/Hate menu. It looked really good and the mom-in-law had fresh cauliflower and beets handy, so I thought I’d give it a try. Hubby was out of town for Valentine’s, so I ended up making this a little later, for my dad’s birthday. My grandparents were in town, too, so it was a multi-generational (4?) party. I forgot to take photos of the finished soup as it was being served, but it was quite lovely, with the colorful, crispy beets on top. (I’ve posted a photo of Hubby, me, Boy, Girl and my grandparents at the birthday dinner, instead.) I only made one batch of soup, which is only supposed to serve 2, but there were 8 of us, so I served small, appetizer portions in ramekins, as an “amuse bouche” before my mom’s dinner of bruschetta, salad and lasagna. The soup was very yummy and creamy, especially for something so healthy. I did substitute chicken broth for the water, just to add a little more body. The parsnips gave a tangy, refreshing gingery flavor.

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The leeks, sauteeing.

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The soup, simmering, before being pureed.

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These beet chips were SO yummy. They would be tasty on top of a salad, instead of croutons.

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Creamy Wild Rice Soup

A friend from Minnesota gave me this recipe about 15 years ago. It’s one of our favorites when soup (cold) weather arrives. We’re still waiting (sigh) for soup weather in Texas this year, but we’re enjoying our soup, anyway, even if we’re wearing shorts while we eat it! Boy especially likes this soup. It is a great first course, if served in very small cups, or add a salad and some bread and make a meal of it! The salad pictured above was an odd mixture of romaine hearts, black beans, purple onion, chopped tomato and chopped, toasted pecans with sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. I have a tendency to throw whatever I have in the fridge on top of a salad. Sometimes they turn out great (like this one), but sometimes they’re just weird. If I had it to do again, I would have left either the pecans or the beans out – they weren’t a good combination, but not awful….

Wild Rice Soup

1/4 cup minced onion
4 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup frozen green peas or grated fresh carrot
(I usually use carrots, but didn’t have any today, so I used peas)
1/2 cup cubed ham
2 1/2 cups cooked wild rice (I cook it with chicken broth, for extra flavor)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion in the butter until soft. Turn heat off and whisk in the flour until well blended. Gradually pour in the chicken stock, whisking to incorporate. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very slightly thickened (5 – 10 minutes?). Add peas or carrots, ham, rice and parsley. Stir to combine and cook over low heat for 5 more minutes or so. Gradually pour in as much milk as necessary to reach the proper soup consistency (you may need slightly more or less than 2 cups). Simmer 2 or 3 more minutes to allow the soup to warm through. Salt and pepper to taste.

If you’re feeling like REALLY rich soup you can substitute half-and-half for some (or even all) of the milk, but we like a slightly lighter flavor so that we can make a meal of this. I would only make it with all cream if you are planning to serve VERY small portions.

Other possible variations:

Add a little finely diced celery (about 1/4 cup?) to the onion. Saute the celery with the onion and proceed with the recipe as usual.

Add some sliced or chopped, sauteed mushrooms (about 1 cup?) to the soup when you add the rice and ham.

Substitute chopped, cooked chicken for the ham.