Chipotle Curry Lentil Soup

To preface: this was an experiment.

I don't really enjoy lentils.

However, they are something of a super legume, so I am trying to incorporate them into my diet wherever I can. Somewhere in my brain it was decided that smoked chipotle + lentils = less blech.

Then I decided to add some curry powder.

And of course, bacon.

Because bacon will make it better.

After the bacon rendered it's fatty goodness, I added the trinity of onion, celery & carrot, and threw in some extra kale stalks for good measure.

A pinch of salt and a few minutes of sweating out and I add some white wine and a pinch of chipotle pepper flakes.

I'm not supporting a brand, but they are... convenient.

After the wine has cooked out I add about 1 1/2 TBSP mild curry powder and a cup of lentils that I soaked overnight.

I let the curry blend in a bit and then cover everything with chicken stock.

Bring up to a boil, reduce the flame to low, add the lid, and let the pot simmer for about 30-40 minutes.

Purée with an immersion blender and taste for seasoning.

This is not my favorite soup, but it's flavorful, healthy and hearty for a cold winter afternoon. Add a dollop of plain yogurt... or mascarpone... to make it really decadent.

Later I plan to add a sausage or pork product to make a heartier, more Hubby-friendly meal out of the leftovers, but for now it's a simple healthy bowl of goodness.

Experiment... mostly successful.

Cauliflower & Lentil Soup

I am not a huge fan of lentils. I have to say that up front. I have memories of dark and mushy-yet-grainy lentil soup that just looked like murky mud. No thank you.

But as they are such a great source of protein, fiber, iron, and folate, I'm trying to learn to like them.

This summer my mother brought home some lentil soup from a gourmet deli that she had thought was chicken vegetable, mistaking the hunks of cauliflower for potatoes. 

She was no longer interested once she discovered her error, so I gave it a try.

It was GOOD!

It had light flavors, broth I could see thru, and was tasty while being massively healthy. So I looked online and actually found the recipe, which I have to say I made with great success... if a few tweaks.

Step one if you know you want to make this soup: you have to let your lentils soak for about 24 hrs.

So annoying for this Instant Gratification Girl, but many good things take time, so, try to plan in advance!

After 1 cup of lentils have soaked, drain and rinse them and they're ready to go.

Fine dice on 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks, as well as one onion.

With 2-3 TBSP of olive oil in the bottom of a large pot or dutch oven, start by browning 3 slices of prosciutto. (Clearly, this is not a vegetarian dish, but you could skip this step if you need to. But this is where I began to see why I liked this soup...) 

Next add the onions and allow to soften for about 4 minutes.

After that add your celery and carrots, a pinch of salt, and give a good stir.

Next throw in one whole head of cauliflower, broken down into bite-size pieces, the drained lentils, and 2 bay leaves.

Stir.

The recipe called for a 14 oz can of plum tomatoes. I only had 32oz of crushed, and that was not the right consistency, so instead I diced 1 late summer heirloom tomato and added that in, as well as enough chicken stock to cover everything.

(Recipe called for vegetable stock, but I rarely have that on hand, so I just used a combination of homemade chicken stock and stock in a box. My substitution had the Hubs eating cauliflower without complaint, so do whatever works for you!)

Bring everything up to a boil and then lower the heat to allow the soup to simmer for 45 minutes with the lid on. I also threw in 4-6 sprigs of fresh thyme about halfway thru cooking when I went to stir everything. (I was wary of bay leaves being the only extra flavor agent.)

After 45 minutes check to see that the lentils are tender, remove the bay leaves and thyme stems, and season the soup with salt and pepper.

Remember, much like beans, lentils absorb seasonings so you might end up adding more than you would first think. Add a little/taste a little until you find the right balance.

Whether converted to a vegetarian/vegan soup or adjusted the way I made it, this soup was warm, comforting, filling, and so healthy I actually felt smug while eating it!

It can also feed an army of 10 on a really small budget.

Add a baguette, ciabatta, or crusty bread of preference and you're all set!

Kale & Leek Leftover Soup

The more I cook, the more I am into making leftovers into soup.

See: Kitchen Sink Chili Soup

I didn't have the soffritto trifecta of celery, carrot & onion on hand with which to start this soup, but it still turned out nicely.

This time I had half a roast pork tenderloin leftover as the hubs was 3,000 miles away with his family, and I had already made 2 meals out of the first half.

So, soup it is!

I started by sautéing half a leftover leek in some bacon fat and olive oil (also leftovers from making the Linguine w/ Clams, Leeks & Bacon) with the stems of the kale with a pinch of salt.

Halfway thru the wilting process I added 2 cloves of garlic, minced.

Chop the kale leaves into manageable pieces and add to the pan with a splash of white wine.

Add the lid to wilt.

While the kale is wilting I purée one can of white beans with some chicken stock. If you prefer, keep your beans whole. I like how puréeing them thickens the whole soup.

Add the beans and season with salt and an optional tsp of ground rosemary.

(My pork tenderloin had been cooked with rosemary and sage, so I did not add extra to the soup, fearing it would overwhelm the final product.)

Cover everything with chicken stock, add a hearty handful of grated parmigiano reggiano, and bring to a simmer.

I dice up the leftover pork (note it is nice and pink in the middle) and keep it wrapped in the fridge to add a little bit per portion once the soup has already been reheated. That way the pork does not get overcooked or tough. Instead the heat from the soup warms each bite thru while maintaining its tender texture.

The bacon from the beginning adds a background of smokiness, the leeks add sweetness, the beans protein and body, the kale is a superfood, and the tender bites of pork are always a treat.

I love making Leftover Soup!

Tomato Soup Comfort

Do you remember those Campbell's Soup commercials where the kid comes home from school and the mom puts out a warm bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich?

It always looked so warm and tasty.

Unfortunately I have always hated tomato soup as it is no longer a fresh vibrant tomato, nor is it slow-cooked tomato sauce. It's something kind of sad in a middle stage.

However, on the afternoon after we got home from London there was little in the house, I'd only grabbed a few things from the store, and it was a cool and rainy night.

I decided to attempt some tomato-ish soup and grilled cheese.

I wanted that picture from the commercial!

I started with the usual suspects of diced onion/shallot and 2 cloves of garlic in a bit of olive oil. I then added 2 carrots that I had peeled and diced. Once those had started to soften I added a pint of sliced grape tomatoes, because that was what I had grabbed at the store, and a few cups of chicken stock.

Add a pinch of dried thyme, some salt, and a bay leaf.

Simmer.

After about 20 minutes I removed the bay leaf and puréed the soup with an immersion blender.

Popped the bay leaf back in and left the soup on low heat to give it more time to combine flavors.

I happen to love having muenster cheese in my deli drawer. It's great melted over corn chips for nachos and makes nice, gooey grilled cheese sandwiches seasoned with a pinch of garlic salt.

Tip: butter the bread instead of just melting it in the pan and everything will come out evenly.

Instead of adding cream to the whole batch of soup, I just put a dollop in each serving. That means that the leftovers will freeze nicely, as dairy doesn't always freeze well in soups (it tends to separate.)

If you wanted to get really decadent, use a spoonful of mascarpone cheese instead of cream.

Happily for my arteries, I was lacking in that much decadence at the moment.

Still it was a fairly tasty meal, and very satisfying.

And while I have not come close to perfecting my recipe for tomato soup, I'm guessing this tasted a damn sight better than anything out of a can!

Potato Leek Poundage

"Poundage" because this soup is packed with some extras to help put some weight back on my dad. Most people are usually trying take off a few pounds here and there, but if you have someone you love who has been ill and has lost weight, this is a very comforting soup that can help bulk them back up.

I brought this to the hospital the other day (really, any outside food is appreciated if you're stuck in the hospital) and it was a hit.

I started out with a typical potato-leek soup recipe: 2 medium leeks and one small onion, chopped and sweating in olive oil and about 3 TBSP of butter. (Remember, I'm trying to make this rich!)

Season with salt once they have started to sweat and soften.

Then I added about 1/2 cup of white wine and let that simmer for a few minutes.

To that I added about 6 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes. (Next time I think I will use a mixture of Idaho potatoes and Yukon Golds, just for a different flavor and texture.) Top with about 4 cups of chicken stock, or however much it takes to cover the potatoes.

An odd addition to this was a can of white beans, because while I was trying to make this a calorie-heavy soup, I also wanted some nutrition to it. The beans add both protein and fiber.

Lastly I threw in a bay leaf for good measure and set the pot to simmer, lid on, for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes were soft enough to purée.

(Remove the bay leaf first!)

Once puréed (I find an immersion blender is easiest), I added about 1/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese (because that's how much I had left) about 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese, and about 3/4 of a cup of mascarpone cheese instead of cream (made in Vermont, so pasteurized and therefore transplant-safe.) Season with salt (or garlic salt if you prefer) to taste.

Garnish with chopped chives (and yes, that has a dollop of mascarpone in it as well) and you're all set.

Another tasty garnish option is a drizzle of good olive oil.

Those options of course was not enough for me tho, so I crisped up some prosciutto and used that as the extra garnish for the portion I brought to my dad.

Cute note: While he was happily chowing down on his soup, he stopped and looked at me and said,

 "Wait, you said this is potato leek soup, right?" 

To which I replied in the affirmative.

"But, there's meat in it."

"I thought you'd like that little extra touch, Dad."

"Oh... it's good!" and he kept eating.

He has no idea just how many "extras" I put in his soup for him.

Whatever works!

Cioppino

Not too shabby for a first attempt.

For those who may not know, Cioppino (chee-oh-pee-noh) is an Italian fish soup or stew. The ingredients can vary depending on what fish is freshest and what the individual making it prefers.

Mine was lacking in the common mix of clams, mussels, and shrimp, as those are all things the hubs protests eating.

He will eat calamari tho, so I combined that with some chunky cod filets and called it good to go.

Unappetizing cauldron of tomato

For this dish I used:

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes 

1 medium onion (or two large shallots), sliced

half a head of fennel, sliced

5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 TBSP tomato paste 

1 bay leaf

1 TBSP dried oregano
1/4 cup fresh basil (5-6 large leaves)

1 cup fish stock (or clam juice)

3/4 cup white wine

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

Start by sautéing the onions and fennel in 2 TBSP olive oil on medium heat in a large stock pot. Cook until softened and turning translucent, around 10 minutes. When almost done add the garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, and tomato paste and allow to cook out another minute or two.

Squid!

Next add the bay leaf, fish stock, white wine, tomatoes, and basil and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.

Add your chosen combination of shellfish and fish and cook, covered, for another 5-6 minutes, or until the fish is opaque. Make sure all shellfish used open completely.

Discard any that do not, along with the bay leaf.

Ladle into bowls, garnish with fennel fronds, and serve immediately.

An option if you are making this dish for a party would be to go through all the steps leading up to adding the seafood and stopping there. You could make the soup liquids a couple days in advance. Then, right when it's time to eat, bring the soup back up to a simmer, add the seafood, and you'll be sitting down in 10 minutes, largely stress-free.

This dish is light enough for the summer months, but satisfying enough for the winter, especially if served with some crusty garlic bread!

Kitchen Sink Chili Soup

My friend was trying to help me come up with a name for this soup, and as she thought it had some good Italian leanings we were trying to look up how to say "kitchen sink" in Italian.
We failed.
That, or "Acquiao Chili Soup" sounded even more unclear to us.

The "kitchen sink" aspect of this soup comes from the fact that when I first made it, I was simply using up items in my fridge, which often leads to tasty cooking discoveries. This time I had some almost-wilting kale, the usual celery and carrots, and some leftover rosemary pork tenderloin from dinner that wasn't enough for a meal by itself. So, I diced it up and put it in the bottom of my bowl when I ladled the soup on top... and it was DELICIOUS!

Other guests to this party (read: soup) include shallot, garlic, chicken stock, white wine, white beans (always in the pantry for adding body, protein, and fiber), cumin, oregano, & chili powder.

You may recognize the seasonings from my favorite Chicken & White Bean Chili. Well, that's why this soup was named Kitchen Sink Chili Soup. Also, if you have swiss chard or some other hearty winter green, by all means use that. I just buy (and thereby cook with) kale the most because it is so heavily packed with vitamins and other good things, and it really does stand up to sitting in a pot full of hot soup, unlike spinach and arugula.
(Wusses...)

Step one: soffritto. Dice 1 medium shallot, 2 medium carrots, and one long stick of celery and sauté in olive oil on medium heat until tender with a pinch of salt.

More fun with macro

I separate the stems of the kale and dice them to a similar size as the soffritto and throw them in the pot to soften at the same time.

While these four ingredients are softening, chop up the greens of the kale and set aside. Take 2-3 cloves of garlic and finely chop them as well, and measure out 1 tsp of cumin, 3/4 tsp oregano, and 3/4 tsp of chili powder.

When the veggies have softened (less than 10 minutes if you've done a fine dice) add the garlic and spices and allow them to cook out another minute.

Note: It is possible at the end that you might want to add a bit more seasoning. I find that the beans can absorb a lot of salt and other seasonings, and sometimes I need to adjust before serving.

See that? That's how much white wine I used.

Less than or up to 1/4 cup. Just enough for a little background depth of flavor, and something for the garlic to simmer in for another minute or two.

Next add your chopped kale leaves and about a cup of chicken stock.

Stir, add the lid, and allow the kale to wilt down a bit.

While that's happening...

Notice how the circumference of the can is slightly wider than the circumference of my immersion blender? I love this trick.

I remove the white beans from the can and rinse them in cool water in a mesh strainer. Then I put half the beans back in and add just enough chicken broth to cover them, and then I use the immersion blender inside the can to purée the beans. Two rounds of that and a little extra stock to rinse out the can and I have saved myself a lot of cleanup.

You, however, do not need to purée your beans in your soup.

I'm just weird about white beans and like them to be invisible.

Add your beans to the pot and fill with however much stock makes you happy for your soup. If I'm in the mood for broth-y soup I probably use around 3 cups. If I want it thicker, less than 3 cups, OR I add another half can of puréed white beans to the mix.

Salt your soup again, as the beans will absorb.

Bring up to a simmer and check for any other seasoning adjustments.

Now comes the time for the leftover rosemary pork tenderloin. Dice it into bite-sized pieces and portion it out into the bottom of your serving bowls and ladle the hot soup on top.

I garnish with a little grated pecorino cheese and call it tasty.

Yes, this soup is still good without the leftover pork, but I HIGHLY recommend not skipping that step. It adds a wonderful depth of flavor. And do not throw it into the actual pot of soup, because then it will cook through all the way and lose all of that velvety tenderness that you got buy cooking it to a perfect light pink the night before. Just put a diced portion in the bottom of each bowl of soup and allow it to warm through that way, and they will be little gems of surprise deliciousness.

You won't regret it.

Unless you're kosher...

Àndale Aztec Soup

This is a SUPER cheat for making Aztec Soup. While slow and homemade are wonderful and important aspects in the food world, sometimes you just cannot be bothered and you want food NOW.
Or, in 15 minutes.

The cheat in this is using Rosa Mexicano's Mexican Chicken Broth which already has things like cilantro and jalapeño essences in it, which is why it is such a shortcut. (Fresh Direct carries it, but for anyone not living in the NYC area, that link goes to their website where you can order it directly. As with pretty much all canned or boxed soup, I am not a fan of their pre-made Aztec Tortilla Soup, so just stick with the broth.)

You will need: onion or shallot, celery, carrot, garlic, tomato, avocado, (cooked) chicken, Mexican Chicken Broth, manchego cheese (or queso fresco), and corn chips and fresh cilantro for garnish.
If you like your food super spicy, by all means add some more fresh jalapeño, but for me this broth is spicy enough as it is.

I start out with the usual suspects: diced onion or shallot, celery, and carrot. Sauté those until tender in a bit of olive oil, maybe 5 minutes. Then add one grated/minced clove of garlic and cook for another minute.

When I'm making just enough for myself with maybe a bit leftover, I use 1 medium carrot, 1 rib of celery, half a medium shallot, and one clove of garlic.

Multiply your amounts accordingly.

After the garlic has cooked out for about a minute I add 8 grape tomatoes (or 1 regular tomato) finely chopped to match the size of the carrots and celery. Season with a pinch of salt and stir.

Then, add as much of the box of Mexican Chicken Stock as you wish to make your soup.

I only use about half the box (2 cups) when making it for myself.

If you have any leftover roast chicken (or you could have poached a chicken breast in the broth before dicing the veg for the previous steps), now would be the time to chop it up and throw it in the pot as well.

Bring everything up to a simmer to heat through.

While the soup comes together and warms through I take 1/4-1/2 of a rip avocado (depending on the size) and score it before removing it from the skin and place in the bottom of your bowl.

Spritz with a bit of fresh lime juice.

Once your soup is hot, ladle it over the avocado.

Top your soup with some grated manchego cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, and either crush some corn tortilla chips over the top or leave on the side for snacking between bites.

This whole meal should only take you about 15-20 minutes start to finish, but it is packed with both flavor and nutrition, and will definitely fill you up and warm you through.

Which is good when the wind chill is only in the teens.