Ham & Cheddar Potato Soup

When you send your husband to the grocery store and there is a severe and expensive mistake made in the deli department, it is hard to know who is to blame.

{slightly chunky} Tomato Gazpacho Soup

It's hot as blazes around here.  Until further notice, my oven is closed.

Who's with me?  If you're not with me, it means you live in one of those places with perfect summer weather and I would rather not hear from you right now.

But if you are in my boat... the temps are above 95 or the humidity hits you in the face like a wool blanket when you walk outside...then get ready.

This heat has even changed my taste buds.  I've never been one for cold soups.  Just no appeal really.  I liked em hot and savory, but since this i-must-eat-only-cold-things hit, it sounded like a pretty good idea to have something both cold and savory.

Not to mention the fact that tomatoes are out of this world right now.  It's amazing how good foods taste when they are actually in season.

There is a little bit of prep work here, but no heat so that's a plus.  Have any favorite chilled or frozen recipes you'd like to share?  Email me, please.  Let's band together against this heat, shall we?

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Here are a few pics from the process...

The way I like to go about getting the seeds out of a cucumber.  Slice in half and then slice diagonally on both sides to remove the strip of seeds. 

but as the saying goes, there's more than one way to skin a cat. 

This is a good size chunk to aim for with all your veggies...

This thing is a work horse...

Finally got all those veggies processed.  As you can see, I still had some chunks, which is why I chose the hand blender to help me out at the end.

Tomato Gazpacho
Adapted from Ina Garten
Recipe Notes
I prefaced that this was slightly chunky because if you like gazpacho and you like it extremely smooth and creamy, that is not what you are going to get from this recipe, but I love the texture.

Ingredients

1  cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled

1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded

4 plum medium sized vine ripened tomatoes

1 small red onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups tomato juice (23 ounces)

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tablespoon kosher or sea salt

1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Special Equipment

Small food processor
Optional Equipment
Hand blender

Step by Step

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into small 1 inch chunks. Put each vegetable separately into a small food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Leave slightly chunky; do not completely liquefy.

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. Optional:  If you would like a little more creaminess with small chunks, you can use a hand blender at the end to get the consistency that you like.
The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Serves 4-6. 

Italian Wedding Soup

I don't know what all of a sudden happened and made me go into a soup obsession.  Maybe it was the cold, maybe it was receiving this jewel, but nonetheless, they seem to be on tap a lot around here and I seem to just find great recipe after great recipe.

You might not have jumped on the band wagon when I made this one, but let me tell you, I would be willing to wager you would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't like this Italian Wedding soup.  The only argument I can see against this is if you are vegetarian and I would encourage you to make this the dish you go non-vegetarian on just once in your life.

Contrary to what you might first assume, this soup has nothing to do with any Italian marriage  tradition, but is actually a mistranslation in the Italian language and refers to the fact that meat and vegetables go well together.

Now back to what's important... how good this is.  The chicken meatballs are baked with fresh bread crumbs, two cheeses and added to simmer with chicken broth, wine, tiny star pasta, vegetables, fresh spinach and a little dill.  This is good when it's cold, I imagine it would be perfect for someone under the weather and I enjoyed it all week for lunch.

In conclusion, I will try to help you understand the gravity of how much I love this soup by telling you that I'm not sure I will ever be able to make any other type of vegetable soup or chicken noodle soup ever again.  This is a perfect blend of the two and just hits the spot.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Italian Wedding Soup
Adapted from Ina Garten
Recipe Notes
I could not find regular chicken sausage.  I found a variety that was blended with spinach and feta and I thought those flavors would be fine.  If there is not ground chicken, you can have a butcher ground chicken breasts for you, but you might not have realized it's in most grocery stores.  I'm not a fan of washing the mini food processor if I don't have to so I've come up with a bread trick for fresh bread crumbs.  Any time I have a few pieces left over from a loaf, I pop them in a freezer.  I take the bread out for a few minutes and then grate it with a cheese grater.  The almost frozen bread makes perfect crumbs.
Freezer Note:  Double the recipe of the meatballs so you can have two batches.  For the batch you are not going to use, place on parchment paper an inch apart and freeze for one to two hours.  Wrap tightly in saran wrap and place in a freezer bag.  Freeze for up to two months.  When ready to use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator for one hour.
Ingredients

For the meatballs:

3/4 pound ground chicken

1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed

2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs *see recipe note

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

3 tablespoons milk

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup minced yellow onion

1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces

3/4 cup diced celery (1 large stock), cut into 1/4 inch pieces

10 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta stars (or any other small pasta)

1/4 cup minced fresh dill

12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. Using a teaspoon, make mini meatballs and place about 1 inch apart.  (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside. You can also freeze unbaked meatballs at this point for use in a later soup. 

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

Broccoli Soup

I know I have instantly alienated a good chunk of you by posting a recipe for broccoli soup.  And if you had the same question as Mr. Hungy, no, this is not broccoli cheese soup, it is a very healthy soup.  So if I still have anyone’s attention, I will proceed. 

Our broccoli crop has been wonderful, but only so many times can I eat steamed broccoli in a week.  I had thrown it in pasta as well, but we still had an abundance that needed to be used before it got too big and bitter.  Hence the reason I started searching for recipes that would use a lot of broccoli at once.  When I found this recipe, I thought it would be pretty wonderful if it worked out because it would also be very healthy and looked easy.  So healthy that it is a part of a series of detox recipes from Whole Living.  Perfect for this time of year… hearty, but it won’t pack on the pounds.

By george, it worked... it was delicious, thick and creamy.  Instead of this soup being chock full of cream and cheese, it gets its thickness from cannellini beans.  This seemed odd to me at first, but after pureeing, it added a perfect thickness to the soup. 

Basically, if you can come around to the idea of broccoli soup, this is definitely the one to try.

Broccoli Soup
Adapted from Martha Stewart, Whole Living

DISCLAIMER:  I tried this with the broccoli from my garden.  Broccoli grown from home is better than any broccoli I have bought from the grocery store.  The results might be similar, but I’m just sayin, the broccoli I started with was amazing and slightly sweet.
Ingredients
1 head of broccoli (1 lb.) cut into florets with stems thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
1/2 ounce shaved parmesan for serving
Step by Step

Steam broccoli florets and stems until tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly. Reserve 1/2 cup florets for serving.

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for about 8 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add beans and stock and bring mixture to a simmer. Remove from heat and add broccoli.  Use a stick blender to blend soup to a slightly chunky consistency. If you do not have a stick blender, allow soup to cool and blend in batches in a blender until you have a smooth consistency.   Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish each bowl with broccoli florets, toasted pine nuts, and shaved Parmesan.

Freezes well or can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

I could not let the coldest weather I think we have ever had come without making some soup.  But here is the catch, there is a chance this could look familiar because I had already posted it, but due to my picture debacle, I decided to photograph it again.  And it's just such a wonderful soup, I thought it couldn't hurt to remind you that it should be on your list of things you should be making right now in this cold weather. Here are the reasons I love it... pretty easy and straightforward to make, so much great flavor, and it's actually healthy, but tastes really hearty. I am still in search of finding "the recipe" for many of my favorite foods.  

This tomato basil soup combines slow roasted tomatoes with plum tomatoes and lots of basil for a perfect, robust soup.  And if you are already a fan, you know most tomato basil soups are loaded with cream.  This does not have a drop to speak of and is still very thick and creamy. You might as well make a double batch and freeze some for next week.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Makes 6 to 8 bowls.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
Recipe Notes
Since I was preparing quite a few dishes for the meal, I roasted the tomatoes the day before and tightly covered and refrigerated them until ready to assemble the soup.  Also, the last step is to use a hand blender to slightly blend the soup.  If you do not have one of these, you can wait until the soup cools and put it in a blender.... This might just be a good excuse though for you to go ahead and get a hand blender because you will use it more than you would imagine.
Ingredients
3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half with stems removed
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepepr
2 cups chopped yellow onions (1 large onion or 2 small)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28 ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 quart chicken stock (4 cups)
Step by Step
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Toss the fresh tomatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper.  Spread the tomatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Roast for 45 minutes.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown.  Add the canned tomatoes, basil and chicken stock.  Add the oven-roasted tomatoes and their liquid from the baking sheet.  Bring the soup to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.  Blend using a hand blender until the consistency is slightly chunky.  If you do not have a hand blender, wait for the soup to cool completely, and blend in a blender until slightly chunky.

Serve hot or cold.  Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

So we are almost at the end of soup season and I apologize that I am just now sharing this because it is one of my very favorites (oh yeah, and sorry for those of you who are not near the end of winter, but the tides will turn come July when I can't breathe in a tank top because it is so hot and humid).
Chicken tortilla soup is one of those that has been interpreted in a thousand different ways. I prefer mine with a tomato broth base and to have a little bit of chunkiness to it. If I have one thing to say, it is don't skimp on the toppings. The soup is delicious, but the tender chunks of chicken, tangy cheddar, creamy avocado and crunchy tortilla strips are what will knock your socks off.  This is not the quickest version, but I do think it is one of the best, so I find it worth the time to make a batch and freeze half for later.

The original recipe calls for boiling the chicken, which is something I will never go back to after I discovered this.  Of all the ways I used my new, favorite roasted chicken, this might be the best one.  So if you are following me here... get one of these, make this, and then make this soup.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

the yummiest part... the toppings

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Adapted from the Mansion's Tortilla Soup

Recipe Notes

There are a couple of fussy steps to this one, so it might seem to be a little time consuming at first, but I promise it is worth it.  I adapted this recipe from here, but my favorite twist is to roast the chicken.  The flavor and tenderness from this method is unmatched.  In the past I have used regular plum tomatoes to puree, but this time, I had small cherry tomatoes on hand so I used them.  Moral of the story... any tomato will work.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons corn oil
4 corn tortillas, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup fresh onion, pureed
2 cups pureed fresh tomatoes
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 whole bay leaves
4 tablespoons canned tomato puree
2 quarts chicken stock
salt
cayenne pepper
Toppings
1 cup cooked chicken, cut into small chunks (click here for recipe)
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3 corn tortillas, cut into strips and fried (directions below)
Step by Step
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Saute tortillas with garlic and cilantro over medium heat until tortillas are soft.

Add onion and fresh tomato puree and bring to a boil.  Add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, canned tomato puree and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to simmer.  Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste, and cook stirring frequently for 30 minutes.  Skim fat from surface, if necessary.

To make crunchy tortillas strips

Heat a thin layer of corn oil over medium high heat.  Cut three corn tortillas into thin strips.

Lightly fry tortilla strips in oil.  Remove strips when they are golden brown and allow to drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil.  Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper and allow to cool.

Corn Chowder

I have abandoned some of my main criteria to share this recipe with you.  It is not quick or healthy... but most definitely worth the time and calories.  The tale of this corn chowder started last summer.  I was out of town and Mr. Hungry and one of his friends from school decided to treat themselves to a meal at Mark's in Houston.  If you live in the area, you might be familiar with the fact that this is one of the nicest restaurants in Houston.  It is located in an old church and the food is known for being fabulous.  Ever since that summer night, I have heard about this corn chowder that is just inconceivably amazing.  I of course had to research further and read reviews of the restaurant where most critics and patrons say they have a hard time not ordering this chowder for all four courses.  I just keep thinking...this is corn chowder... not osso bucco or foie gras... I can do this.  
So I started my search to find a way to make this at home (even though I have never had it).  Well, my research did not take long before I figured out that Mark himself has posted the corn chowder recipe on his restaurant's website... or so he says.  I was immediately thrilled and thought there would be nothing to this... that is, until I read the recipe.  I quickly found that there were ingredients listed in the ingredient list that were not mentioned again in the recipe.  I won't even go into the fact that the soup is called roasted corn chowder yet there was no mention of roasting anything OR ever even cooking the corn.  I was not defeated by this though, because I at least had a list of ingredients to start with and tweak as necessary. 
 So I will give credit to Mark's for this recipe, but I stand by the fact that this is very loosely adapted and I give myself a huge pat on the back for coming up with the way to roast the corn which really developed the flavor.
p.s. In case you were wondering... Mr. Hungry and his friend Daniel who had dined with him at Mark's both agree that this soup is pretty darn close to what they had at the restaurant.

Corn Chowder

Recipe Notes

If you do not have a hand blender, a blender will work.  Wait until soup is completely cooled and

Ingredients

1 cup (4 oz) maple or apple smoked bacon, chopped

1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped

1 cup yellow onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup baby red potatoes, skin on, chopped

3 to 4 ears of corn (enough for 2 cups of kernels)

1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 cups chicken stock

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives

Step by Step

Remove all husks and strings from the ears of corn.  Lightly coat each ear of corn in olive oil and lightly salt.  Wrap each ear of corn in foil.  Heat a large heavy skillet over medium high heat.  Place ears of corn wrapped in foil in dry skillet.  Turn each ear a quarter turn after about 5 minutes of cooking and repeat until all four sides have been exposed to heat.  Peel back foil and remove from heat when corn is lightly blackened on each side.  Set aside to cool.  After corn is cooled, break ears in half in order to make removing corn easier.  Stand each piece of corn up and remove corn kernels with a sharp knife.

Boil 2 cups of water in a sauce pan over high heat.  Add potatoes and cover.  Reduce heat a little and allow to boil for 15 to 20 minutes.  Pierce potatoes with a fork, and when they are tender remove from heat, drain water, and set aside.

In a heavy sauce pot, over medium heat, saute the diced bacon until crispy and golden brown.  Remove bacon from pan and reserve.  To the bacon drippings, add garlic, yellow onions and celery.  Add potatoes and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the processed corn to the potato onion mixture.  Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Add heavy cream and bring to a boil for 7 minutes.  Remove from heat and add thyme, lime juice and bacon.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Using a hand blender, lightly blend soup mixture until a thick soup forms, slightly chunky, but remove any big bites of potato.  Garnish with bacon and green onions and serve.

Hearty Vegetable Soup

Okay, all of you on a "new year, new you" kick, I have a recipe for you (you should probably ignore the cheese toasts though because I don't think they would fall into this category).  I personally think January could not be a worse month for everyone to think about their health kick.  I mean it's freezing and all I want to do is curl up on the couch, watch terrible reality t.v. shows and eat macaroni and cheese.  So while I am not overhauling my eating habits at this point, I am trying to cook relatively healthy, yet still hearty meals.  This vegetable soup is a perfect combination of the two.

This is a soup I grew up on.  It was a staple in our house.  My mom would sometimes make a roast on Sundays and the leftovers would always go into this soup.  Last winter, I was craving this and decided I would try to learn it myself thinking it was probably one of those soups you had to slave over.  Well that couldn't be farther from the truth.  Besides the chopping, this soup couldn't come together any faster.  Another perk is that it freezes really well.  Make a big pot and put half away for a week or two from now so you don't have to eat soup night and day for a week. 

Hearty Vegetable Soup

Recipe Notes

I have to apologize though because I am committing one of my own personal biggest frustrations about some recipes.  Below, you will see that it calls for 2 to 3 cups of leftover roast.  Well, by the time I usually realize a recipe calls for something I cannot just pick up at the grocery store, I have already planned on making it for dinner and my plans are ruined.  Even worse... I have not yet posted my roast recipe.  I have a reason for this though.  I currently tried out a new roast recipe, and while it was delicious, it was far too complicated for the outcome.  So I will be making my mom's roast recipe soon and I promise to share and link it to this recipe. For now, I suggest you only attempt this if you already have a roast recipe you like and are looking for something to do with the leftovers. Another note: You really cannot mess up the seasoning of this soup.  I suggest putting in whatever you have.  Leftover fresh or dried herbs, your favorite seasoning or spices.  Just taste between each new addition so you don't overdo it.  And another note: I am not a lima bean fan.  If I had not grown up having this soup, I would probably leave them out if I tried to make this soup.  I urge that you give them a chance.  You won't even really notice them, but they add alot to the soup and are quite healthy as well. 

Ingredients

1 can of lima beans

1 can of diced tomatoes (plain or with seasoning will work just fine)

1 can beef broth

2 ears of fresh corn (if not available frozen will work but not preferred)

3 carrots, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 brown russett potato, peeled and chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

2 to 3 cups leftover roast, chopped into bite size pieces

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon worcestire sauce

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

tabasco

water

Step by Step

Fill a large sauce pan or soup pot with all ingredients through parsley.  Fill pot with water to cover the vegetables.  Add all seasonings and bring to a boil.  Turn down stove to a rapid simmer (around medium heat) and cover.  Allow soup to simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Do not allow to cook too long because you do not want the vegetables to become too mushy.  Serve hot. 

To freeze:  Allow to cool completely.  Freeze in an airtight container for up to a month.  To defrost, place in the refrigerator overnight.  Heat on the stove over medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, until vegetables and meat are heated through.

Makes 6 to 8 bowls of soup.

Goes really well with cheddar cheese toasts if you are not too concerned about being super healthy.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Can you tell I'm ready for the cold weather?  One day last week, there was about an hour of cool breezes here in Houston and with all this talk of the first days of fall I had to make soup. Sure, the cool breeze had dissipated by the time I had even bought the ingredients from the store, but that didn't stop me.  I simply cranked down the air conditioning and enjoyed this wonderful soup.

Before I had ever made chicken noodle soup, I had quite the misconception that you must slave over the stove all day to produce a great batch.  Quite the contrary with this recipe I adapted from Rachael Ray.   I know she is quite the controversial topic in the food world, but you can't argue with her good recipes such as this one.  I did a little adapting, but have to say I might have already found my favorite chicken noodle soup recipe on the first try! You can put it together very quickly and the addition of the fresh herbs at the end, makes this a hearty yet fresh soup. Enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Adapted from Rachel Ray, Food Network

Servings: 4 large bowls, 6 regular bowls

Recipe Notes

If you have not heard me say this before, I am quite the salter.  I will just say I added quite a bit of salt to this and leave it at that.  My suggestion is that you wait till the soup is almost finished and taste and add salt slowly till it is to your taste.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1 parsnip, peeled and chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 bay leaves, fresh or dried

3 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

10 cups good quality chicken stock (2 boxes)
1 pound (the average weight of 1 package) chicken breast tenders, diced
1/2 pound wide egg noodles
A handful fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh dill, chopped

salt and pepper

Step by Step

1.  Place a large pot over moderate heat and add extra-virgin olive oil. 
2.  Work close to the stove and add vegetables to the pot as you chop, in the order they are listed.

3.  Add bay leaves and salt and pepper. 

4.  Add stock to the pot and and raise heat till soup comes to a boil. 

5.  Add diced chicken tenderloins, return soup to a boil, and reduce heat back to moderate. Cook chicken 

two minutes and add noodles. 

6.  Cook soup an additional 6 minutes or until noodles are tender and remove soup from the heat.

7. Stir in parsley and dill, remove bay leaves and add additional salt and pepper to taste.

8. This is a thick soup. Add up to 2 cups of water if you like chicken soup with lots of broth.

Ever seen one of these before?

I hadn't... It's a parsnip.  I was worried I was going to have to search the ends of the earth for what I thought was some fancy schmancy ingredient, but there it was at my local grocery store... amongst all the other produce I buy daily. If for some reason it is not at yours, I wouldn't sweat it... just add an extra carrot.

This went perfectly with mini cheese toasts.