soup

Sausage and White Bean Soup

This is a lovely winter soup in that it is hearty and can be made with what you have in the wintertime. Italian sausage is totally required as are onions, carrots, celery, great northern beans plus some delicious seasonings that make it perfection.

Notes: I used dried great northern beans; cooked them in my instant Pot until done. Once you have that it is about 30 minutes to make it. You can use canned beans but I do prefer the wonderful flavor when you cook them from a dried state. If you want to change the veggies; sure but don’t leave them out as they really add to the substance and flavor of the soup. The cream gets so dispersed that it really doesn’t taste all that rich, but it does pull the whole thing together perfectly.

Sausage and White Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup (half a bag) of dried Great Northern beans

1 bay leaf

1 lb of Italian sausage; loose (if in links you will need to slit the casing and dump out the meat before cooking.

1 large onion diced

2 big carrots, cut in half rounds

3 celery stalks diced

2 tsp. minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth or all the bean cooking liquid plus 2 tsp. Better than Boullion chicken broth paste and enough water to make 4 cups; I had 3 cups of bean broth leftover from cooking the beans

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. basil

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (up to 1/2 tsp.)

1/4-1/2 tsp. black pepper (I used 1/4 tsp)

2 cups or handfuls of baby spinach

1/2 cup heavy cream

1-2 Tbsp. chopped parsley to sprinkle on top or 1 tsp. dried parsely

Directions: I put the beans in water to cover them, brought to a boil and boiled 2 minutes. Then let them stand 1 hour. Drain water and rinse beans well. Place in IP with filtered water to cover by nearly 2 inches. I set my IP for 15 minutes as I had this bag for at least 6 months. After it cools 15 more minutes open the top and let cool while you make the soup.

In a large saucepan spray the bottom with cooking spray as it heats. Add sausage meat. Cook 10-15 minutes, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add the chopped onions and carrots; stir well and add the celery. Stir and cook about 5 minutes. Add the garlic; stir and cook a minute. Then add the spices, the tomato paste and stir well. Add the stock/broth. Let heat a couple of minutes and add the beans. Stir well and let it come to a simmer. Cook 8 minutes. Taste and make sure the veggies are cooked. If not cook a few minutes more. Add the cream slowly (I like to pour a few spoonfuls of the hot soup in and stir it up to warm the cream before adding it.) Cook a minute at a simmer and add the spinach. Cook 3-4 more minutes; sprinkle with parsley and serve. Enjoy!

Finnish Salmon Soup

This soup is a combination of at least 3 recipes maybe 4. I think it is delicious, delicate and definitely a different direction than what I normally do with salmon fillet. You can mess with the ingredients but stick with salmon, dill and potatoes in a light creamy soup. Change up your soup game and try this one for sure!

Notes: I deskinned the salmon and fried up the skin for the cat, if you like crispy salmon skin you could Jullianne it and add on top of your soup at serving time. Most of the recipes wanted soup stock but vegetable or even chicken stock were listed as alternative choices. I went with vegetable stock. Try for a creamy potato- I used homegrown organic reds. Most recipes say whipping cream but a few said half and half or light cream if you want less richness. Your choice but I went with heavy cream. Carrots seem to be in most every recipe and most ask for leek. I got leeks and used one; lovely undertone flavor. The other 2 leeks are going in a turkey and pasta dish that is a favorite of mine. I love planning to use all of an unusual ingredient like leeks. Nothing is wasted and great food is created. I added a serving of shrimp (in shell for more flavor) but honestly I think I just want to stick with salmon. Several other recipes had cod too. Another good option. Definately fresh dill is a must…it is totaly in the flavor profile for this geographic area. Leftover dill could go in potato salad, on top of a sauteed fish fillet or on a white sauce for a pop of fresh flavor. I used less dill than the recipes suggested; totally a personal choice but dry dill would be a sad sad choice.

Finnish Salmon Soup

1 leek; remove dark green leaves and cut up white portion and pale green into quarter inch rounds.

2 Tbsp. butter plus one more for topping finished soup

2 medium carrots peeled and thinly sliced on a bit of a diagnonal for lots of surface area

4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and diced to 3/4 inch size more or less. About 2 cups worth

4 cups of veggie/fish/chicken broth

2/3 cup heavy cream or half/half

1 -1 1/4 lb. of salmon fillet, deskinned and cut into 1 inch cubes

40-60 grams of fresh dill chopped somewhat fine- about a cups worth, can add more if you like

DIRECTIONS

Melt the butter in a medium (2-3 qt) saucepan. Add leeks, sauté slowly for 6 minutes, do not let it brown. Add the carrots, stir and cook a minute. Add the potatoes and broth, stir well and cook for 15 minutes on medium low – until the potatoes are close to fork done. Add the heavy cream, stir up and let heat a minute. Then add salmon cubes and cook 4 minutes on low heat. Add the dill and turn off; let stand a minute and add that tbsp. of butter. Once it melts serve it up in a wide bowl. This would go well with a slice of toasted sourdough bread. Enjoy!

Summer Tomato Soup with Spaetzle

Summer always is tomato time around here.  But it’s now officially autumn and this day is distinctly chilly. I still have a few nice tomatoes, so I made my homemade tomato soup but added something special to it. Spaetzle; skinny egg dumplings which my mom made free form and tossed in her tomato soup often served for Saturday lunch. I got a lovely spaetzle maker for Christmas which I had not used too much yet and so I decided that I would try to replicate my mom’s luncheon soup. You don’t have to make spaetzles, but I highly recommend them. They really shine in the soup’s rich flavor; they are delicate and delicious.

I generally make Ina Garten’s tomato soup recipe but simplified a tad.  I made it today without the cream; I don’t think it goes as well with the spaetzles. So, if you don’t make spaetzles and don’t like it creamy leave out the cream or use half and half or whole milk for less calories.  If you are a vegetarian use veggie broth instead of chicken broth. I actually did half of each type of broth today as I had nearly a cup of veggie broth to use up.  You can strain or blend the soup. I never strain but sometimes I use my immersion blender to make it smoother. But I generally prefer it unstrained and chunky. Note: It has a good amount of garlic which you can reduce as wished.  I cut back on the salt, but you can cut it even further as you wish.

Your family will love this soup with a sandwich or salad. It is naturally gluten free.  GF croutons would bring a lovely crunch to it if you have any and aren’t doing the spaetzle dumplings. Enjoy!

See my trusty spaetzle maker in action! Notice how thick the dough is,

 

Just after I added the dumplings and before I put the lid on for their 5 minute beauty bath.

 

Fresh Tomato Soup with Spaetzles

Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red or yellow onions (2 onions)
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5-6 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves

2-3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream/half and half or whole milk (optional)

Spaetzle Ingredients

1 large egg

100 grams of Better Batter gf flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4-1/3 cup 2 percent milk ( I believe I used a full 1/3 cup)

Soup Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and sauté for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.

Or: use your Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker to make it; saute as per recipe in the pot, add the rest of the ingredients and put the lid on and cook under pressure 20 minutes.  You might have to blend it a bit with an immersion blender. I sometimes leave off the cream but my next paragraph is how to add that….

Spaetzles:  Beat the egg with a whisk in a medium mixing bowl. Add in the milk and then the salt mixed with the flour, Stir briefly until you have a very thick batter. Use a spaetzle maker to drop the dough in strands into the hot soup; I added it about 6-8 minutes before the soup was supposed to be done. I cooked it 5 minutes once all the dumplings were in and turned off the heat; let it stand 10 minutes. 

Thick, chunky and fragrant with EVOL and fresh basil as well as the ripe tomatoes. Heavenly.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cream-of-fresh-tomato-soup-recipe.

Original post of this was way back in the summer of 2014.  Minor changes and addition in this recipe of the spaetzle dumplings. Enjoy!

Refreshing Gazpacho Soup: Slurp your Tomatoes!

Hot late summer days mean I need a cool soup recipe. One with minimal cooking: that is easy and tasty.  Plus I want to use some of my garden produce.  This classic Spanish soup called gazpacho is perfect for all of that and my family loves it. It absolutely must be made with ripe summer tomatoes, never ever attempt it with any less than the best vine ripened fruit.  You can get great tomatoes at farm stands, farmer’s markets and even the grocery store; look for the grown local label for the best flavored tomatoes. Please do not use greenhouse tomatoes grown far away and shipped while not really ripe. Your soup will not be full of tomato flavor and it will taste disappointing.  These ripe locally grown tomatoes are vital to the flavor of gazpacho.

I make my gazpacho in the blender but I believe a food processor works okay too.  No heat,  minimal fuss.

My version allows you to add chopped raw veggies in the amount you prefer just before you slurp it down. I prefer its fresh pure flavors to those soulless restaurant versions that are gelatinous and crammed full of a wide assortment of chunked veggies…uggh.

I once had a version of gazpacho similar to mine in a Philadelphia restaurant made with golden yellow tomatoes which was beautiful looking and quite tasty too.

Warning: you do need to peel the tomatoes but that goes pretty fast.  I heat about a wide sauce pan filled 3 inches deep with water to a boil and pop the ripe tomatoes in for 2 to 3 minutes. I put in 4 at a time; done in a couple batches.  Let them cool a bit and then peel off the skin and cut out the blossom end (top) and they are ready to use. You can easily halve this recipe; just one blender-full of tomatoes for that and half the rest of the ingrediens.

One more important instruction: gazpacho HAS to chill really good; make it early in the morning to serve as a late lunch or better yet; for supper. The colder the better, I actually put my soup bowls in the freezer for 15 or 20 minutes and yank them out just before filling and serving this cold summer delight.

It is a flexible recipe; depends on the size of your tomatoes. This should make close to 60 ounces or just shy of 2 quarts; cut in half if you don’t want too much. But you will wish you had made more…I promise!  It will keep 3-5 days in the refrigerator.

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tomato juice for thinning the soup

 

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skinned tomatoes ready for soup making

 

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I am about to press the puree button!

 

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Still in blender, just pureed soup.

Summer Chill Gazpacho

Soup ingredients:

8 to 10 ripe fat tomatoes (large ones)

About ¼ cup EVOL; best you can afford

2 slices white bread (GF if you have celiac)

1 lemon

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 to 1 ½ tsp. sea salt

Toppings:

2 large tomatoes diced, heirloom if possible

1 cup diced burpless cucumber

2 scallions, sliced thin, green and white parts

Directions: peel the tomatoes as described above.  When I peel them I do it over a bowl to capture the juices and seeds. I save them, strain off the seeds and I add back the juice as needed to thin the finished soup.    Put 4-5 tomatoes in the blender; add a slice of bread broken up, 2 tbsp. olive oil, the juice of half a lemon and one garlic clove.  Put the lid on and blend well.  Note: do not fill the blender more then ¾ full. Taste; add salt; ½ to ¾ tsp.

Repeat entire process with the rest of the ingredients and thin with reserved tomato juice – it should be thick but not porridge thick. Just know that it will thicken as it rests and chills in your refrigerator.  Mix the two batches together in a big glass bowl; never metal because of the acidity of tomatoes and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Then chill it at least 3 to 4 hours.

Serve with bowls of toppings to sprinkle on top of the thick soup; diced ripe tomatoes, scallion slices and cucumber ( preferably burpless) cut in small dice.  If you want to guild the lily, top with croutons (gf ones if you have celiac), I don’t bother.

Note: gluten free bread often gives a slightly different texture to the soup; somewhat less smooth in the look of it and the taste.  It’s okay as it doesn’t affect the flavor: it still is delicious and a bowl of it is so very refreshing on a hot day.  Serve with a sandwich and you have a perfect summer lunch.

Note: This recipe has not been changed but some additional information is in this repeat posting of this most delicious soup!

I used some chunks of gf sourdough as my croutons in this bowl. Used zucchini not cucumber in topping.

Eight Bean Storm Soup

Snowstorm today, time for a hearty stew.  This is my favorite multi-bean soup with Italian sausage.  I started with a 1.3 lb bag of 4 bean mix and added two kinds of lentil and a bit of a few others.  The thing is, if you have celiac most 15 bean mixtures for soups contain barley which has gluten, a major no no. You need to carefully read the label. In the past I found a four bean mix out at Echo Hill country store in Berks County and added some French lentils; maybe ¼ a cup and some red lentils; another ¼ cup plus a ¼ cup of dried garbanzo beans and a sprinkling of dried limas.  You can use what ever blend you like but I like a good mix for a rich thick stew.   Update: Later on, I found a bag of 15 beans for soup and no barley!! Giant Store here in town. Great score for more bean soup.

Mine has Italian sausage but you can leave that out if you want a vegetarian version. I personally love sausage in a bean stew. Gives you lots of meaty flavor and a healthy dose of protein. I am guessing you could use other things like smoky ham chunks or maybe a ham hock? I haven’t found any gf ham hocks yet; they all seem to have a touch of gluten so I am kinda discouraged over that. Smoked turkey wings work pretty well instead of hamhocks.

I enjoyed a hot bowl of this potage with a slice of toasted multigrain gf bread.  It made a full meal without anything else being necessary.   A fresh crunchy salad would go well if you want to round your dining experience out with some greens!

Ten Bean Soup with Sausage

Soak 1- 1/2 pounds of dried beans in water to cover.  If you buy lentils separately; set them aside and added them after the soaking as they don’t need the same treatment the other beans need.  Either bring to a boil and let stand an hour or just let stand in the cold water overnight.  I did the quick version!  Drain them well and rinse before returning the swollen legumes to the rinsed pot.  Cover with fresh filtered water and add a bay leaf.  Cook 1 hour, pour in more water as needed and stir so it doesn’t stick or burn.  Then, add the lentils and cook another hour until the beans are nearly tender.  It is hard to say when beans get done, depends on a number of factors, taste often to check for tenderness. And stir that pot! As they approach that almost done spot start the rest of the dish.

Chop into dice:

3 sizable carrots

1 large onion

Mince: 2 big garlic cloves

Add the veggies, stir and cook 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add water if needed.  I like the soup thick but it can’t be solid so add water.

As that cooks start the sausage.  Sauté one lb Italian sausage: brown in a Teflon pan with a touch of olive oil until top and bottom are browned and sausage is mostly done. Let cool a bit and slice into rounds or chunks, set aside.

Add to the soup:

½ a 14 ounce can of spicy diced tomatoes

½ tsp. dried oregano

Sprinkle dried basil

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp smoked paprika

1 beef bullion cube

½ bunch of kale leaves cut into big shreds; I cut off the bigger stems as they can be tough. (optional but excellent)

1-2 tsp sea salt

Some fresh ground black pepper

Cook ten minutes, add more water if it gets too thick. Stir occasionally.  Taste and add more spice if you think the soup needs more. Add the sliced sausage and cook five minutes more.  Taste and add more salt/pepper as you see necessary.  Let stand 5-10 minutes before ladling out.  Now that is comfort food that is good for you too! Enjoy.

Alternate cooking method that I used the last time I made this soup.  Cook soaked beans in a separate pot until nearly tender. Meanwhile, sauté veggies for about 5 minutes in a big pot in about 2 tbsp. EVOL, add 6 sausage links; cook 8 to ten minutes; add canned tomatoes, then broth and all seasonings.  Cook 5 minutes, add the beans that are about done and cook 10 minutes, remove the sausage and let cook five minutes, slice into rounds and add back in, cook 5-15 more minutes until beans taste done.  Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Originally posted two years ago in January 2015. Minor revisions; recipe remains the same.