Strawberry Soup

Strawberry Soup

Tis the season for hotter temps and cooler soups. I learned to make this one in culinary school. We served it as a choice for the soups course but it really could be a dessert. It's sweet, but not too sweet, and just a bit thinner than a mousse or pudding. Put your freshly picked strawberries to good use and try this one out.

Strawberry Soup
Serves 4 as an appetizer 
Ready In: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

1 to 1 1/2 qts fresh strawberries cleaned and hulled
1 whole clove
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/4 c triple sec OR orange juice
1 cup finely granulated sugar such as caster
cornstarch
2 cups heavy cream 1/2 liquid and 1/2 whipped

Combine strawberries, clove, cinnamon, sugar and liquor or juice in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Thicken if needed with cornstarch. Cool.

Once the strawberry mixture is cooled, remove the clove and cinnamon stick. Mash well or puree, if desired, some like this soup chunky and others prefer it smooth. Add the liquid cream and then fold in the whipped cream. Chill for several hours before serving.

Black Bean and Ham Soup

Black Bean and Ham Soup

This is one of the simplest soups to make and a great way to use up leftover ham. The flavor is mild and savory and you can add almost anything to the top as a garnish. Dinner is ready in 35 minutes and a simple salad and good bread make it complete.

Black Bean and Ham Soup
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 35 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup green pepper - diced small
1 small yellow onion - diced small
1 clove garlic - minced
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained
4 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups leftover ham diced small
sour cream
chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat and add oil. Saute green pepper and onion with garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add stock, beans, bay leaf, cumin, oregano and ham. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
3. Remove bay leaf and serve topped with sour cream and fresh cilantro.

Cauliflower and Watercress Soup

Cauliflower and Watercress Soup

When I first had to change my diet to be more aware of the carbohydrates I was eating (I'm hypoglycemic) I struggled to find foods I really liked that weren't also full of fat and cholesterol. One quick Google search for low fat and low carb will lead you to very few real solutions; it's difficult to have both at once.

This soup was a savior. It's low in carbohydrate, calories AND fat. In fact, the fat in this is so low it barely registers. The best thing is, there's no way you'll miss it. I had already made Cauliflower Leek Soup but I was unwilling to add in half and half and skim milk would be pointless and just extra calories.

The real star to this is the cauliflower. Once cooked and pureed, it's got a velvety smooth texture that tricks your taste buds into believing there's a lot of fat there. You can easily switch out the watercress for another green like spinach and feel free to add in whatever herbs you like. This is the bare-bones recipe and I like it just fine this way.

Cauliflower and Watercress Soup
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 large head cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds) broken into small pieces
1 bunch watercress, large stems removed
4 cups fat free vegetable stock
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine stock, cauliflower and watercress in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Lid well and cook until veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Puree in batches until smooth and return to pot or use a stick blender directly in the cooking pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well, check for seasoning and serve.

Leftover Ham and Potato Soup

Leftovers are not usually something I have a lot of here. All these kids can really decimate a meal and leave nothing behind, but for Easter, the day they gets a lot of candy early in the day, I always have leftovers.

This year we had a lot of ham and mashed potatoes left behind so I tossed them together for a warm and tasty soup. If you didn't have ham, use a little bacon for flavor as the mashed potatoes really can stand on their own here.

Leftover Ham and Potato Soup
Printable Recipe
Serves 6
Hands On Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 35 minutes


Ingredients:

1 small onion - chopped small
1 clove garlic - minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced leftover ham
1 quart chicken stock or broth
4 cups leftover mashed potatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed thyme (optional)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed 4 quart soup pot.
2. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently - until translucent.
3. Add ham and cook until heated through.
4. Pour in stock and bring to a boil. Reduce immediately to a simmer and stir in potatoes and thyme.
5. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure potatoes are smooth.
6. Stir in cheese and serve.

Simple Beef Stew

Simple Beef Stew

The first time I made beef stew I was 17 and I caught sight of a recipe in a magazine; Seventeen, to be exact.     I followed the recipe to the letter and was pleased with the results. Now that I'm older and have studied and experienced  food quite a bit more I still love a simple beef stew, with a little extra flavor thrown in.

This is the recipe I use most often, usually minus the peas and mushrooms because the kids detest both, but when I make it for me, they're throw in. Herbs can be to your liking, but I never make meat stews without fresh thyme. I just really like the flavor and I always have some on-hand.

Simple Beef Stew
Printable Recipe
Serves 8
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef chuck roast cut into 1" cubes
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup red wine or dark beer
3 cups beef stock
2 cloves garlic - minced
4 ounces tomato paste
1 medium onion cut into eighths and separated
2 pounds small new potatoes - cut in half if larger than a golf ball
1 pound peeled baby carrots
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
8 ounces fresh baby button mushrooms
1 - 10 ounce package frozen peas

Directions:


1. Coat beef cubes in 1/4 c flour and shake off excess. Salt and pepper well.
2. Heat oil in a heavy stock or soup pot. Brown meat in oil.
3. Add wine or beer, stock, garlic, tomato paste and onion.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour until meat is tender.
5. Add carrots, potatoes, thyme, rosemary and mushrooms. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes until vegetables are tender.
6. Add peas and cook for 5 minutes. Serve.

Beef Nacho Soup

In their most basic form, nachos are simply corn tortilla chips and melted cheese. This soup takes the seasoned beef, cheese, tortillas, tomatoes and chili peppers and combines them in a bowl of steaming yumminess. That is too a word.

Anyway, there is one version of beef nacho soup that seems prolific across the web. Everyone posts it and it seems that everyone "owns" it, but it's exactly the same recipe. Beef, taco seasoning, cheese soup, diced tomatoes with green chilies and milk.

I have an aversion to canned soups in recipes. I've done it. I mean, I have 7 kids, of course I use shortcuts! But, when it comes to a soup blog, I can't conscionably tell you to use a canned soup in the preparation of another soup. That even sounds weird.

So, rather than use a highly processed can of soup, I used a highly processed block of cheese. Yep, I used Velveeta. I often use Velveeta for macaroni and cheese (it's killer - trust me) and it ads the right creaminess without separation like real cheddar.

Here's the recipe, with baked tortilla chips on top - because I had to assuage the Velveeta guilt somehow -  and fresh cilantro, sour cream and black olives as well, although you can top this soup however you top your nachos.

Beef Nacho Soup
Printable Recipe
Serves 6
Total Time: 30 minutes

1 pound ground beef
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 clove garlic - minced
3 cups beef stock
1 can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
8 ounces Velveeta - cubed
Salt to taste
6 ounces tortilla chips
Garnishes such as: sour cream, black olives, fresh Cilantro, salsa, shredded cheese or sliced jalapeños.

1. Brown ground beef in a medium soup pot and drain off fat. Add spices and stir well.
2. Pour in stock and tomatoes. Heat over medium-low heat for 20 minutes so flavors can meld.
3. Add Velveeta and stir until melted and smooth. Salt to your liking.
4. Serve in bowls with toppings.

Michigan Chicken, Bean and Sausage Stew

I've had this recipe floating around in my stores for a very long time. It's even written down in my family cookbook, but with no real directions, just ingredients and amounts. So, today I took the challenge of getting this together in a deliciously edible form to share.

I haven't the faintest idea why it's titled "Michigan", but it sure is good. Canned beans are fine, but I really prefer dry to start with. I almost always forget to soak overnight so I end up doing the fast soak method and the beans turn out just fine.

Any type of sausage will do, I prefer a good country-style sausage, but Italian is tasty and a smoky kielbasa would be great as well. The original recipe calls for salt pork to start, and I'll put that in the recipe, but I started with olive oil for a bit of a healthier alternative. I also added lemon juice to brighten it up and add some contrast.

Michigan Chicken, Bean and Sausage Stew
Printable Recipe
Serves 8

1 pound navy beans, sorted, soaked and cooked until tender OR 4 - 15 ounce cans of beans, drained)
4 ounces salt pork - diced fine OR 2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups diced onion
2 pounds cooked chicken (any cut) diced into cubes
1 1/2 pounds sausage, cooked and sliced thickly - about 1/2"
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 - 15 ounce can tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon juice to taste

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat and add olive oil or salt pork. If adding salt pork, render for several minutes. Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent, do not brown.
2. Add chicken and sausage and stir well. Pour in beans and stock and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes - uncovered.
3. Put in bay leaves, thyme and tomato sauce. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes - uncovered until thick. Remove bay leaves, add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and serve.