soup – Page 2 – Sue's Seasonal Palate

April 10, 2016 Spinach Soup with Middle Eastern Spices

Spring made an early entrance this year, but it’s not quite sure if it wants to stick around permanently yet. One day it’s rainy and seasonably warm, the next we are anticipating wet snow that will bring a coating to possibly an inch to grassy surfaces.

The occasional warm day we’ve been having is causing the spinach in the greenhouse to bolt, that is, go to seed. It ‘s time to pick as much as possible, so recipes that use mass quantities of spinach look good to me. This recipe for spinach soup with middle eastern spices uses a pound and a half of fresh spinach. That translates into approximately 18 cups of spinach, and I say, bring it on!

Cookbook author and New York Times food columnist Martha Rose Shulman got her inspiration for this soup from a Syrian pan cooked spinach recipe. The warming spices, clove, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon and coriander are a pleasing contrast to the sweet, mild flavor of freshly picked spinach.

To start, saute a medium chopped onion and celery in a Dutch oven. I checked with the NOA, National Onion Association and they say a medium onion equals about 1 cup chopped onion. When the vegetables soften, add a few cloves of chopped garlic and cook until fragrant. Add stock, rice, bouquet garni and a generous pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to boil and simmer for 30 minutes. This infuses the broth with flavor and cooks the rice which thickens the soup. Remove the bouquet garni and add the spices and the spinach. It is best to add the spinach in batches to the hot broth, continue to add more until it is all wilted. Cover and cook for five minutes, no longer. The spinach should retain it’s bright green color, any longer it could turn gray.

Puree the soup in batches in a blender or blend in the pot with an immersion blender. The final touch is the addition of some tangy yogurt, half is blended into the soup and the rest is a garnish for each bowl. Sprinkle a few chopped walnuts on top before serving. I served it hot but I think it would be good cold as well.

Spinach Soup with Middle Eastern Spices

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 c finely diced celery
Salt to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ to ½c medium grain rice
6 c chicken or vegetable stock
Bouquet garni of a few sprigs parsley and thyme and a bay leaf
1 ½ lbs fresh spinach, washed thoroughly, large stems removed
¼t ground allspice
1/8 t ground cloves
1/8 t freshly ground nutmeg
¼ t ground cinnamon
1t coriander seeds, lightly toasted and ground
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 c Greek yogurt (low or full fat)
¼ c chopped walnuts to garnish

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion and celery and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and a pinch of salt and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the stock, rice, bouquet garni and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
While the stock is simmering you will have time to measure out the spices and toast and grind the coriander.
After the stock has simmered, remove the bouquet garni. Add the spices and add the spinach in batches, wilting it as you go. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Spinach should still retain its bright color.
Puree the soup in batches in a blender. Be sure to not to overfill and hold down the lid tightly. Alternately you could puree the soup in the pot with a hand blender. Stop at this step if you are not serving the soup immediately.
Return the soup to the pot and heat through, stirring occasionally. Whisk half of the yogurt into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the soup with a swirl of yogurt and garnish with chopped walnuts.

April 2, 2016 Triple Mushroom Soup

Creamy, rich mushroom soup, a dish that is so simple, yet so refined. This version, from chef Anthony Bourdain provides maximum flavor with not a great deal of effort. The rich velvety texture of this soup doesn’t come from cream, it comes from the butter that the mushrooms are sautéed in. I used two of the most readily available mushroom varieties, white “button” mushrooms and creminis. If you were not aware, creminis are referred to as portabellos when they grow to full maturity. To up the mushroom quotient, add some reconstituted dried mushrooms, I used chanterelles. Not too many, I started with about a quarter of a cup dried, you don’t want to overwhelm the soup.

We live about an hour from the mushroom capital of the world, close enough for mushrooms to be sold as a local product at our farmers market. Kennett Square in Chester County Pennsylvania is home to farms that produces over a million pounds of mushrooms a week. Kennett Square did not become the mushroom capital for reasons of climate or soil conditions but for reasons of ingenuity. Enterprising and frugal Quaker farmers in the late nineteenth century were looking for ways to use the wasted space under the elevated benches where they grew flowers. They imported spawn from Europe, created the right growing environment and a successful industry was born.

Whenever possible I prefer to purchase whole loose mushrooms. Inspect mushrooms carefully, they should feel damp, not moist. Try to avoid mushrooms that are badly bruised or broken. Many sources say that you shouldn’t rinse mushrooms because they soak up water but the folks at Cooks Illustrated have proven that wrong. They found that after a quick rinse of a six ounce container of mushrooms they gained only a quarter ounce of water. The key is to rinse, not soak and dry immediately. Cooks Illustrated also suggests that if you store mushrooms it should be in a partially open zipper bag. This maximizes air circulation without letting the mushrooms dry out.

Begin the recipe by melting butter in a medium sized pan, I prefer my Le Crueset 5 quart Dutch oven for any soup I make. Add the sliced onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Next add the mushrooms and allow the vegetables to sweat, that is, to soften without taking on any color. The mushrooms will exude their liquid and cook down considerably. If you want, add 1/4 cup of dried mushrooms that have been reconstituted in warm water for about 20 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock (vegetable if you prefer a vegetarian dish) and a small bouquet garni of a few sprigs of parsley and some fresh thyme. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour. Although it wasn’t in the original recipe, I added a small piece of Parmesan rind to add to the umami quality of the soup.

After an hour, discard the piece of Parmesan rind if using, and the herbs. Allow the soup to cool for about 15 minutes then transfer the soup to the blender in batches, being careful to keep the lid on tight; blend until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, season with salt and pepper, reheat and add sherry. One last word of admonition, do not use cooking sherry. It is sherry with salt and other additives to prolong it’s shelf life. Look for a dry sherry to compliment the flavors in this recipe. Saute a few mushrooms slices to garnish the soup and maybe a small sprig of thyme.

Triple Mushroom Soup

Serves four, can easily be doubled

Ingredients

6 T butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
12 ounces mushrooms (I used half button and half crimini)
¼c dried mushrooms (shiitake, chanterelles etc.) reconstituted in warm water for about 20 minutes and well drained, optional
4 cups chicken stock
Several sprigs of parsley
1 sprig of fresh thyme
2 ounces sherry
salt and pepper

Directions

Over medium heat, melt two tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan. Toss in the onion and cook until soft but not browned.
Toss in the remaining butter and then add the mushrooms. Cook for 8 minutes.
Pour in the chicken stock, add the herbs and rind (if using), and bring to a boil. When bubbling, reduce to a simmer and cook for an hour.
Pour soup into a blender (you might need to do this in stages), and process until smooth. Return to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Pour in the sherry, and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with sauteed mushroom slices and a sprig of thyme.

DSC_6564a — The same chanterelles after a twenty minute soak.

DSC_6568a — Add chicken stock , herbs and bring to a boil.

January 26, 2016 Smoky Bacon and Lentil Soup

The anticipation of a cold and snowy weekend was a good reason to make a slow cooker soup. It only took about twenty minutes to put this smoky bacon and lentil soup together on a Friday afternoon.

Lentils are very nutritious. Rich in minerals, vitamins and fiber, they contain more protein than whole grains like brown rice. They have an earthy, nutty flavor and are low in fat and have zero cholesterol.

Unlike other dried beans, lentils can be prepared the day of serving since a presoak is not necessary. Spread lentils on a light colored plate or board to check for and remove small stones or debris. Then place the lentils in a fine strainer and rinse them under cool running water. Purchase fresh lentils in a store where you know there is high product turnover to ensure freshness. Store them in an airtight container away from heat and moisture, they will stay fresh for about a year.
I chose a flavorful, aromatic cherrywood bacon for my soup. Choose a thick cut or slab bacon for easy dicing. Fry the chopped bacon in a heavy skillet, until brown and add to the slow cooker. In the rendered bacon fat, saute the onion and carrot until the onion is translucent, add them to the cooker. Now for the easy part, add the lentils, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, smoked paprika and ground pepper to the slow cooker.

Green or brown lentils work best in this recipe because they hold their shape. I cooked the soup on low for seven hours and turned it off before we went to bed. The next day I turned the heat to low for an hour to warm it back up before it went to the keep warm setting. We had a satisfying and delicious soup that fortified Joe between his plowing and snow blowing sessions in the blizzard of 2016.

Smoky Bacon and Lentil Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

8oz smoky slab or thick cut bacon
6c chopped yellow onion
1c chopped carrots
1½ quarts of low sodium chicken broth or chicken stock
1¼c brown lentils
1c canned diced tomatoes (I used a variety with green chilies)
1T tomato paste
1T smoked paprika
1t ground black pepper

Directions

Cut the bacon into medium dice. Fry in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp, about 7-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to the slow cooker insert. Leave the bacon fat in the skillet.
Add the carrots and onion to the skillet and cook until the onions are translucent, 4-5 minutes. Scrape the onion and carrots into the slow cooker.
Stir in the broth, lentils, tomatoes, tomato paste, smoked paprika and pepper.
Cover and cook on low for 7 hours or high for 3 hours.

October 25, 2015 Broccoli Leek Soup with Fresh Ginger

The fall crop of broccoli is making it’s appearance in our farmers market and I love making broccoli soup now that the cooler weather is upon us. This time I combined it with leeks and shallots from our own harvest and one of the more unique offerings at our local farmers market, freshly harvested ginger.

This ginger is younger than the ginger you buy at the grocery store. The skin is a yellowish beige with pink and purple markings. The flavor is milder and the flesh is delicate and juicy, not fibrous. This is the ginger commonly used in pickled ginger. You can substitute fresh ginger in any recipe, but because of it’s milder flavor, you will need to use more.

Ginger from the grocery store that has sprouted can be planted but there is no guarantee if it will be disease and pest free. Our local farm, Blooming Glen Farm buys rhizomes from certified organic farms in Hawaii. They start their plants in the spring and grow them in conditions that are similar to the warm temperatures the plants are accustomed to in Hawaii. The rhizomes are ready for harvest by mid October. A bit pricey, 18.99 a pound, but a nice splurge this time of year. I’m going to hold a few aside for Joe to plant so we can have our own ginger next fall. This soup comes together very quickly and the frizzled leeks that top it are very easy to do and add a nice textural contrast.

Broccoli Leek Soup with Fresh Ginger

Makes about 6 cups

Ingredients

2-3 T olive oil
¼c chopped shallots
1T finely chopped fresh ginger
3 large leeks, sliced, white and light green parts only
1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
4-5c chicken or vegetable stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Frizzled leeks as garnish-see recipe following

DSC_4970a — Fresh ginger from the farmers market.

DSC_2854a — Part of the fall leek harvest.

Directions

Add olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Stir in the chopped shallots and ginger and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
Add the broccoli florets and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
Puree the soup in batches in a blender. Add additional stock if the soup is too thick.
Season to taste with salt and pepper
Garnish soup with frizzled leeks.

Frizzled Leeks

Ingredients

1 leek, trimmed
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Cut leek in half lengthwise and rinse away any grit. Slice thinly and pat dry to insure the oil will not splatter.
In a small skillet over medium heat, warm ¼ inch olive oil. Add a handful of leeks and fry until golden brown, about a minute or so. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat with remaining leeks.

October 13, 2015 End of Summer Green Gazpacho

Summer was officially over several weeks ago and the first touch of frost was on our lawn Sunday. That doesn’t mean the garden is giving up yet. There are still some tomatoes, peppers, both sweet and hot, eggplants and herbs ready for the picking.The tomatoes may not be the prettiest, but they are certainly the sweetest. Joe has planted a large crop of spinach and salad greens in the garden greenhouse that we will enjoy for several months to come. After a week of indulging in Denver’s finest cuisine it was time to get back on the healthy eating track. What better way to use some of these ingredients than in a cold refreshing green gazpacho?

Gazpacho by definititon is a liquid salad that originated from the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. The name possibly originated from the Latin word “caspa” meaning fragments, alluding to the small pieces in gazpacho. You can make this as chunky or as smooth as you choose. I love the addition of avocados in our nightly salad with dinner and had a few extra ripe ones to give this soup a creamy texture. I used the bounty of our garden and the addition of a cucumber for it’s crisp sweetness. Give this soup several hours to chill and the flavors to blend.

Substitutions are permitted, watercress for the spinach, that will bring a spicy kick to the soup. Cilantro can sub for the basil, add a touch of Tabasco if you don’t have a fresh hot pepper, I would be happy to share. I always stock up on vinegars at The Tubby Olive and used their Alfoos Mango in my soup, love them in our vinaigrettes too. If you don’t have a fruit vinegar, use white wine vinegar and a touch of honey. A little chopped cucumber as garnish gives a little crunch and since our nasturtiums are still in bloom I couldn’t resist adding a few for their vibrant color and spiciness.

A new crop of spinach in the garden greenhouse is ready for harvest.

End of Summer Green Gazpacho

Makes about 4 cups

2 medium tomatoes or 12-15 small tomatoes
3-4 small cucumbers peeled and cut into chunks
1 avocado, flesh cut into large chunks
½c basil leaves
½c flat leafed parsley leaves
½ to 1 whole hot pepper, jalapeno or serrano
1 sweet pepper, seeded, stemmed and cut into chunks
2c packed baby spinach leaves
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3T fruity balsamic vinegar (I used Mango from Tubby Olive)
Cold water to blend
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Water as needed
1T extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Reserve ½ cup cucumber chunks and chop finely.
Combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, basil, hot pepper and sweet pepper, spinach, garlic and balsamic vinegar with cold water as needed in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process until smooth adding more water as necessary to achieve a smooth texture. Taste and season with salt, pepper and more vinegar if desired.
Refrigerate until cold, pour into bowls and garnish with cucumber chunks.

September 23, 2015 End of Summer Eggplant Soup

Even though the temperatures are still in the eighties, fall is rapidly approaching and it’s time to say goodbye to our summer vegetables. What better way to use them now and enjoy them later than in an end of summer eggplant soup. Another good reason to have soup on hand was the stomach virus that Joe and I suffered through last week. Nothing tastes better when you are on the road to recovery is a nutritious soothing soup.

I am still picking eggplants, peppers and tomatoes, but not in the same quantities as a few weeks ago. The days are getting shorter and even though the days are warm, the nights are definitely cooler. After an afternoon pick yesterday I came back with quite a nice variety of eggplants, several peppers and a few tomatoes. This is the type of recipe you could make differently every time, depending on what is still there for the picking. I wanted to make this as easy as possible so I decided to roast the vegetable first before combining them in a soup. Carrying over on the easy concept, I lined the baking trays with parchment to make clean up a snap. I cut the eggplants in half and lightly brushed the cut edge with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. On the second large baking sheet I added several tomatoes, peppers, an onion and some unpeeled garlic cloves, brushed everything with olive oil, and sprinkled on kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

I decided on a 375°F oven, the temperature we use when oven roasting vegetables. I checked the tray with the tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onion first, they were done in about 12-15 minutes, getting a nice toasty brown. The eggplants took a little longer, they are done when the skins start to collapse. Once cooled, it’s easy to separate the flesh from the skin. Squeeze the garlic from the skins and roughly chop the onion. I pureed the vegetables in the food processor in batches. Because some of my eggplants were seedy I put the puree through a food mill with a medium disc. Pour the finished puree into a stockpot. I added ground cumin, coriander, salt, freshly ground black pepper and a touch of cayenne. Add chicken or vegetable stock to thin out the consistency. Make some to enjoy now and freeze some for the cold winter months.

Place vegetables on a parchment lined baking sheet.

The skin easily peels off the peppers and tomatoes. Roughly chop the onion.

Eggplants are ready when they start to collapse. The flesh separates from the skins.

End of Summer Eggplant Soup
Serves: 6

Ingredients

3 ½lb eggplant, any type, halved lengthwise
2 red or yellow bell peppers, or any combination, halved and cored
3-4 tomatoes, halved and cored
1 small onion peeled and halved
4 garlic cloves
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly
½t ground cumin
½t ground coriander
3-4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Basil leaves as garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Line two large baking pans with parchment paper. Brush cut side of eggplant with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and arrange cut side down in one layer on baking sheet. On the second sheet, arrange tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, and onions, cut side down, in a single layer. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake vegetables until eggplant and bell peppers have a slight char on their skins. Check at 15 minutes, as garlic may need to come out earlier so that it doesn’t burn. Let cool until ready to handle. Remove skins as much as possible.
Working in batches, pulse vegetables in a food processor, you can either roughly chop or take them down to a puree. If necessary, put the mix through a food mill. Transfer vegetables to a large stockpot and add broth and spices. Cook for 15-20 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Adjust seasonings to taste.
Serve garnished with basil leaves

May 4, 2014 Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup

What could be better on a chilly and rainy spring evening than a bowl of warming soup? Our latest rainstorm brought us cooler than normal temperatures and rain that was coming down at a half an inch per hour. Lemony chicken and orzo soup was the perfect choice. It’s a blend of the comfort of chicken noodle soup with a tip of the hat to avgolemono, the classic Greek egg and lemon soup.

Easy enough for a weeknight dinner, the initial prep time is only about five minutes and soup is on the table in less than an hour. It starts with chopped leek and celery sautéed in olive oil until softened. Next boneless chicken thighs and broth are added to the pot, brought to the boil and simmered. Chicken thighs are the best choice in making soup, they hold up well and stay tender in cooking. Orzo means “barley” in Italian and is the rice shaped pasta in this soup. Though not essential, you could toast the orzo first, it adds a depth and nuttiness to the soup. If you choose to toast, do this first in the pot you will cook the soup in, eliminating the need to dirty an extra pot. The orzo is cooked in the broth and the chicken is shredded and added back to the soup.

What really takes this soup from average to outstanding is the addition of fresh chopped dill and a squeeze of lemon at the end that brightens the flavors. Let each diner add lemon to their own taste. More vegetables could be added if desired, sliced carrots or baby spinach would be good choices. A new approach on an old classic that is quick, simple and delicious.

Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup

Serves four

Ingredients

1 T butter (if toasting the orzo)
1 T olive oil
1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise 1/2″ thick
1 celery stalk, sliced crosswise 1/2″ thick
12 oz. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
6 c low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
3/4c orzo
1/3 to 1/2 c chopped fresh dill
Lemon halves (for serving)

Directions

If toasting the orzo. Heat a dutch oven over medium heat. Add butter to melt. Add orzo and cook until toasted, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add leek and celery and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, 5-8 minutes.
Add chicken and broth; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool, then shred chicken into bite-size pieces.
Meanwhile, return broth to a boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente, 8-10 minutes.
Remove pot from heat. Stir in chicken and dill. Serve with lemon halves for squeezing over.

March 8, 2014 Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

A whole new world opened up to me when I discovered my love of cooking and good food over thirty years ago. To learn as much as I could, I immersed myself in cooking magazines, cookbooks and food programs on television. In the pre Food Network days the only option was the local PBS affliliate. Sure there was Julia, but there was also Nathalie, Madeline and a program called The Great Chefs. The Great Chefs programs were the first to take the television cameras behind the scenes and into the kitchens of the finest restaurants in the world. Two of the those programs, Great Chefs of New Orleans and the Great Chefs Louisiana New Garde became my first encounter with the Cajun and Creole cooking of New Orleans. Probably the first celebrity chef to come out of that town, even before Emeril, was Paul Prudhomme. I bought his first cookbook, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen and began cooking away.

We had parties revolving around the food of NOLA, Jambalaya Jams, we called them, featuring the spicy cuisine of that city. We also had the pleasure of visiting New Orleans several times and even dined at K-Paul’s, Prudhomme’s eponymous restaurant. While Joe was busy with medical seminars, I enjoyed some demonstration cooking classes to further my exploration in the cooking techniques of the region. I learned about a very different “holy trinity” than I was familiar with, how simple it is to make “prah-leens”,and that a roux (pronounced roo) was the basis of many of the region’s best dishes.

A New Orleans style roux is a fifty-fifty mixture of flour and oil. The oil, always something neutral like a vegetable oil, is heated to a high temperature, then the flour is added gradually. The flour will first bubble as it releases it’s moisture, then toasts as you continue to stir, and stir you must, constantly. The tool of choice here is a long-handled wooden spoon or heat proof spatula. The well-earned nickname “Cajun napalm” comes from the fact that splattering roux will stick to your skin and result in a nasty burn. The roux will toast and begin to turn a caramel color and develop a wonderful nutty fragrance. A roux can range anywhere from light brown to almost black. Chef Prudhomme says that Cajun tradition is the darker the meat in the dish, the lighter the roux. A dark roux will provide less thickening since the starch is thoroughly cooked but will impart a richer flavor to the dish. If the roux has black specks in it, or smells burnt, discard it and start all over again. A burnt roux cannot be saved!

Gumbo is a classic New Orleans dish claimed by both Cajun and Creole cooks. Along with a toasty roux, the flavor base of gumbo is enhanced by the “holy trinity” that I mentioned before, a Creole mirepoix of celery, onion and green pepper. I chose to make this gumbo with chicken thighs since they stand up well to reheating and some andouille sausage to add a little spiciness and authenticity to the dish. Okra and file powder are traditional thickeners added at the end of the cooking process. Okra is a green pod that is sliced into rounds and breaks down to thicken the gumbo. Okra, both the plant and it’s fruit contain mucilage. That is why some think okra brings a “slimey” quality to the dish. The other option, filé powder is made with the ground leaves of the sassafras tree. It smells like eucalyptus and adds a certain earthiness to gumbo. Filé powder needs to be added to individual bowls right before serving, cooking it makes it become stringy.

Intrestingly enough either one of these two thickeners could be the origin of the word gumbo. The African Bantu word for okra is “kingombo” and the Choctaw Indians were the first to make and sell filé powder which they called “kombo”.

Gumbo is a great make ahead dish. As with many stews, it tastes even better the next day. Gumbo can be stored in the refrigerator for several days or frozen. Serve over white rice, garnish with chopped scallions and pass around the Louisiana style hot sauce for a satisfying one dish meal.

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1″ pieces
1t kosher salt
1t garlic powder
1/2-1t cayenne pepper
6c chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth
Vegetable oil (1/2 cup plus a little more)
1/2lb Andouille sausage or other spicy sausage, sliced in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/3 inch half moon slices
1/4c Canadian bacon, cubed
1 1/2c finely chopped onion
1c finely chopped green pepper
1c finely chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
2t dried thyme
Finely chopped scallions
Louisiana style hot sauce
Hot cooked white rice
Filé powder

Directions

Place the chicken in a bowl large enough to hold it comfortably. Mix salt, garlic powder and cayenne in a small bowl. Toss the chicken with the spices and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Warm the chicken stock over medium heat.
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a 7-8 quart Dutch oven over medium high heat until hot, 1-2 minutes. Add the sausage and the Canadian bacon and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until well browned, 4-6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
Add 2 tablespoons to the Dutch oven and sauté the chicken in several batches until golden brown, about 6-7 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the sausage.
Add enough vegetable oil to the Dutch oven to make 1/2 cup. Using a wooden spoon to scrape and loosen browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Using a long handled whisk, gradually stir in the 1/2 cup flour. Cook whisking constantly. I switched back and forth between a whisk and flat edged wooden spoon to make sure nothing stuck to the bottom of the pan. It will take anywhere from 4 to 8 minutes for the roux to reach a dark caramel color.
Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the onion, celery, pepper and garlic. Stir constantly to stop the roux from getting darker.
Return pan to low heat and cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan well.
Stir in the chicken broth, sausage, Canadian bacon, chicken, thyme and bay leaves.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Gumbo can be served immediately or stored in the refrigerator for several days. Reheat gently before serving.
Serve in large soup bowls over cooked rice. Add scallions, filé powder and hot sauce to taste.

November 23, 2013 Chicken Tomatillo Soup

As previously confessed, when we first grew tomatillos I wasn’t only unfamiliar with how to cook with them, but more importantly how the fruit develops and matures in the garden. The first year we grew them by about the beginning of July I was certain our crop was a bust.

The sprawling bushy plants grew to about three foot tall and were quite healthy. The vines produced little yellow flowers that eventually turned into small bright green papery looking Chinese lanterns. When I examined the fruit, it felt like only a small pea was inside the husk. So I would either forget about them or months later gather up the few that would finally burst out of their now light brown husks.

Since then I have learned quite a bit about this member of the nightshade family. Tomatillos are more closely related to cape gooseberries than they are to eggplants and tomatoes. I learned that as the fruit matures it fills out the husk. Tomatillos are about the size of a large cherry tomato, low in calories, a good source of iron and magnesium and vitamins C and K. Though they look like green tomatoes, they are much firmer in texture when ripe. The thin papery coating will turn light brown as the fruit matures. They can be stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks or frozen whole. Leave the husks on the fruit until ready to use. To prepare tomatillos, remove the husk and stem and rinse off the remaining sticky residue that coats the fruit.

I am enjoying tomatillos more each season. We grow both green and purple tomatillos. The purple variety is supposed to be sweeter, I can’t say that for certain, but they certainly make an attractive addition to the garden. My tomatillo recipe repertoire to this point was limited to accompaniments. Roasting tomatillos for salsa verde was initially a good way to use them but now I wanted to branch out This year I did something I never did before, I ate one raw. I was surprised and delighted with the bright, not too tart citrusy flavor. Prior to this I thought that biting down on a tomatillo would be the same as eating a green tomato, not necessarily a pleasant experience.

This time I used them in an easy to put together soup. Bright lemony flavored tomatillos are combined with tomatoes, smoky cumin and green chilies. Homemade chicken stock is always a good base for a soup but low sodium chicken broth is fine also. I prefer using chicken thighs in soup recipes because they will hold up better if the soup is reheated.

Chicken and Tomatillo Soup

Ingredients

Olive oil
1lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1″ pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 t chile powder
1T cumin
1 t dried oregano (for this recipe I prefer Penzey’s Mexican oregano)
1 clove garlic finely chopped
2T diced canned roasted mild green chiles
8 cups chicken stock or substitute low sodium chicken broth
2c diced tomatoes, I use my roasted tomatoes, substitute your brand of choice
3c finely chopped tomatillos
1 can Great Northern beans
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat 1T olive oil over medium-high heat in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven. Add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides, about 5-6 minutes. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
Add onion and cook, stirring, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chili powder cumin, oregano, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.
Stir in the chicken and chiles and then add the broth, chopped tomatoes and tomatillos and a can of beans. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until the flavors blend, about 30-40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

February 2, 2013 Chicken and Black Bean Soup

Last week I made chicken and black bean soup or should I more accurately describe it, cooking by the power of suggestion. Our ladies Bible study group is currently in a series on the book of Nehemiah. The teacher of the series, Kelly Minter is a self described foodie and each chapter of the study ends with a few of her favorite recipes. This past week there was a recipe for her favorite Southwest Chicken Soup. I didn’t want to follow her recipe exactly but a concept was set in my mind and the frigid temperatures we were experiencing definitely called for a satisfying warm soup.

The starting point for a good soup is a good homemade chicken stock and I like to have it on hand for impromptu meals like this one. Not only do you benefit from the richer flavor of homemade but you can control the amount of salt in your recipe. Another plus is that when your homemade stock has been cooled and refrigerated, the fat separates at the top and can easily be scraped off. Normally when I make stock I simmer the chicken long enough for it to be cooked through. Then I remove the meat from the bones and cook the broth, vegetables and bones a bit longer before straining. But because of Hurricane Sandy and the need to consolidate all of our frozen foods into one freezer, some of my supply of frozen chicken had fallen victim to the dreaded freezer burn. Not bad, just icy, a little dried out and less than optimal. So I used some boneless and bone in pieces to make this batch of stock. I didn’t waste the chicken, the dogs were quite happy to partake in this batch, supplementing their usual food.

For my soup I used homemade stock, chopped, roasted tomatoes that I froze last summer and a pickled jalapeno from a batch that I canned. I did use canned beans, since the meal was impromptu; I didn’t have time to soak and cook fresh ones. I chose boneless chicken thighs because the dark meat holds up better when reheating a soup, and let’s face it, most soup does get reheated. Good canned chicken broth is a reasonable substitute. I prefer a low sodium version and usually have a few containers of the Pacific brand of both chicken and beef on hand. I seasoned my chicken with Penzey’s adobo seasoning to enhance the flavor profile of the southwest. Substitute a combination of cumin, oregano and cayenne if you don’t have this blend. A small can of chopped roasted tomatoes could stand in for my garden variety. You get the idea, use what you have. I added the chopped spinach at the end since I knew it didn’t need to cook very long and wanted to give the soup a green vegetable element. We had ours with a salad, maybe a little sour cream top the soup and some crusty bread would also be a welcome addition.

Chicken and Black Bean Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 small onion, finely chopped
1T canola oil
3 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1″ pieces
2t Penzey’s adobo seasoning or a combination of cumin, smoked paprika and oregano
1 qt bag roasted tomatoes, chopped or 1 can
1 finely chopped pickled jalapeno (optional)
4-5 c defatted, homemade chicken stock or low fat canned chicken broth
3-4c baby spinach
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Heat chicken stock or broth over medium high heat in a 5 quart Dutch oven until heated through.
In a saute pan, cook the onion over medium heat until softened but not browned, 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
Sprinkle adobo seasoning over chicken, add to the saute pan and cook, adding a little broth to the pan as needed until slightly browned, 10-12 minutes.
Puree 1/2 c of the black beans in a mini food processor.
Add cooked onion, pureed beans, chopped tomatoes, pickled jalapeno and the rest of the canned beans to the broth. Add cooked chicken and heat through. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Soup can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead. Reheat over medium heat. Before serving, add spinach to wilt. Serve in warmed bowls.

DSC_5791b — The first blush on a jalapeno last summer.