Soup! (inspired by ehbeth and edgar)

I allllllllllmost bought some allspice at the market just this last week; it's one thing I don't have in the spice/herb drawer. Which reminds me, I haven't gotten a Penzey's catalog in a while. Have to check out their website. I limit myself from going crazy ordering from them, but usually like their included recipes.

Adds, this has been a great thread..

Parking this here for the next time I want to make it. It's a keeper!

Italian Chicken and Escarole Soup


This Italian chicken soup, inspired by my grandmother's, is famous for the addition of escarole, a bitter type of endive that lends a unique flavor to an otherwise ordinary chicken soup.

Makes 8-10 servings

2-2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
4 celery stalks with leaves, cut into 1/4-inch slices
12 cups chicken stock or broth
1 head of escarole, chopped (about 5 cups)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup grated Reggiano-Parmigiano cheese, plus extra for garnish
2 cups cooked ditalini or other small pasta, optional*

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil (for easy clean-up). Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over chicken. Sprinkle with several shakes of salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove, and cool slightly. Then using a fork, shred the chicken.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onions, carrots, and celery, and saute 5-7 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the cooked chicken and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce to low. Add escarole, salt, crushed red pepper, parsley, and cheese. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Taste it, and adjust seasonings as needed. Add cooked pasta, if desired. Otherwise, serve hot, and garnish each serving with additional grated cheese.

*Nan would add the cooked pasta only just before serving so it wouldn't soak up all the broth. I do the same. I'd also highly recommend serving some crusty Italian bread with this soup. How are else are you going to sop up the broth at the bottom of the bowl?

Recipe inspired by Susan Russo's grandmother, Nan. http://foodblogga.blogspot.com

While at the neighborhood fruit market shopping for ingredients to make Portuguese stone soup, I ran across two absolutely perfect leeks -- really, I don't mind saying that I wanted to take these leeks behind the high school and get them pregnant. I also got two lovely turnips -- to which, however, I developed no carnal attachments. So check your grocer's -- there may be some autumn beauties waiting for you.

Oh, also, the market had the most enormous cabbages I've ever seen - easily the size of two regular heads of cabbage. To those naysayers, then, who contend that America has lost its greatness, I say: "look on our cabbages, ye mighty, and despair!"

I think that the correct term is "gay" market, joe.

and you should consider yourself fortunate to have them...

I miss the city. all we get is wally's and krogurs.

Well, I can't call them "vegetable markets," because then the Terry Schiavo folks gets upset.


I love the ethnic markets we have in the city. Definitely one of the major advantages of urban living.

there were 2 a short distance from where I was in Roselle that were awesome.

"fresh" produce is a sadness here. other than the seasonal farmers markets...

I'm a shocker I don't really go for measurements, rather "taste test", these are my three favourite though, I'll try to add measurements lols.

CHINESE CHICKEN AND SWEETCORN SOUP

A whole chicken carcass
water to boil
2 cans of cream sweet corn
1 can of sweet corn kernels
tablespoon of corn flower
salt and pepper to taste
2 egg whites

Boil the chicken carcass in water just covering it, until the meat comes off the bone, around an hour.

Take all the bones out and keep the pot on the stove to continue to reduce whilst adding the cream corn and kernels, salt and pepper and corn flower, stirring until thickened.

Swirl the egg white over the top and once cooked, serve.




PUMPKIN - PRAWN & COCONUT MILK

Whole pumpkin
Dozen prawns
Can of Coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Corriander

Cut up a whole pumpkin, take the skin off and boil as you would for mash.

Once cooked, put in a blender to puree.

Put back into the saucepan and add a can of coconut milk, salt and pepper to taste.

Drop a few prawn in until cooked.

Serve with corriander.





GREEK LENTIL SOUP

A packet of Lentils
2 onions brown
Table spoon of vinegar
Chicken stock

Soak the lentils over night.

Place them in a pan with a cup of chicken stock and water to cover and cook.

Add 2 chopped / diced onions at the same time and a table spoon of vinegar.

Once cooked, serve with lamb chops cooked with fresh herbs and squeezed lemon on the side and crusty bread.

I had yummy soup last night and it was so easy!

Chicken broth
can of Rotel tomatoes
chipotle peppers and onions
corn tortillas
chicken

Boiled and cubed the chicken. Saute'd the chopped onions and peppers. Threw them in the pot with the cubed chicken and chicken broth. I seasoned with cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Dumped the Rotel tomatoes in the pot. In a non stick pan I fried the tortillas (cut into strips) in a little oil until they were crispy. Put them in a bowl and ladeled my soup over them topped with cheese and a dollop of sour cream. It was delicious. Cleared out my nasal passages quite nicely. You can make it as brothy or chunky as you like.

Sausage and chicken gumbo tonight - I could eat soup every night during the fall and winter months. So good.

olive oil 4tbsp about - , butter, onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic - when onions are clear and before garlic is brown - throw in the flour - make a roux - when it is a rich brown color add chicken broth. 4 or 5 cups depending on how much flour you used. it should thicken up fairly quickly.
I either use chicken from a rotisserie chicken I used at dinner the night before or grilled. I like polska kielbasa - but I have used crumbled sausage as well. I throw that in the pot along with a little file, cayenne pepper and a few bay leaves and let it simmer on low for a while. I do not like okra ever - so that won't go into any of my gumbos...<shiver>

I ladel it over rice. Totally delicious.

chipotle peppers ? Peppers are capsicums right but what is chipotle?

Gumbo's yum....

Chipotles are jalapeno peppers that have been smoke-dried.

Thank you, appreciated:) Geez well I can't do that, too hot for me but my fiance is a Chef, he says that would be awesome, it's not done here in Australia....

An old favourite: It's a lentil+ vegie soup from Anna Thomas' book, From Anna's Kitchen. I've lost track of how many times I've made this one over the years.

This is a big soup -it will yield 12 - 15 servings, but it's well worth it. And you can always freeze what you don't eat for later.

(Of course, if you wanted to add meat to it (eg bacon in the early stages of cooking) , go ahead. And don't worry too much if some of the ingredients aren't available. Substitute. But the toasted cumin seeds are important.)

Guillermina's Lentil soup:

450 g (1lb) lentils (red or brown, but I prefer the red in this recipe)
2 tsp salt
3 medium carrots
2 celery stalks
small bunch fresh coriander*
6 spring onions
8-10 swiss chard leaves, chopped*
575 (1 1/2 lb potatoes
2/3 ripe tomatoes (or tinned tomatoes, if not available)
1 large red or green pepper
3-4 leeks, white part only, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
freshly ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne
juice of 1 lemon

Boil the lentils in 3-4 litres (6 pints) of water, with a teaspoon of salt, for about 30 minutes

Meanwhile peel & slice carrots, trim & slice the celery, prepare the coriander (discarding the stems), slice the spring onions, prepare the chard leaves (removing the tough part of the stems & chop leaves), cut potatoes in 1.5 (1/4 inch) dice, peel & coarsely chop the tomatoes, seed & coarsely dice the pepper, clean & chop the leeks.

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pan & saute the leeks, spring onions & garlic in it, stirring often, until beginning to colour. Add the chard & cook a few minutes more.Then add the saute mixture, as well as the other vegetables & another tsp salt, to the lentils. Continue simmering the soup for 30 minutes.

Toast cumin seeds in a small pan, stirring constantly, until they release their fragrance. Grind them in a mortar & add to the soup, along with freshly ground black pepper to taste, a good pinch of cayenne & the juice of a lemon.

Simmer the soup for a few minutes more, or until all the vegetables are tender. Taste & correct the seasoning if needed.

* If coriander isn't available in winter you could substitute with parsley.
* Of course, you could substitute the Swiss chard/silverbeet for spinach. (fresh or frozen)

Where do you cook this? In a bath tub?

No, on the stove top, in a humongous pot! The biggest one I have.

Well, considering the recipe calls for over 800 pounds of potatoes, I should think it would be your biggest pot.

I wonder if you only had 573 potatoes, if it would skew the stew...?

Did I actually say 800 pounds of potatoes?

Good grief!

Just checking my crumpled old recipe book. Hang on a minute!


Found it.
Cut the potatoes! Stop chopping now!
Amendment:
OK, where the recipe says 575 (1 1/2 lb potatoes

Change it to:

575 g of potatoes.

Ooops, sorry about that!

It just wouldn't be authentic!