Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Photo: Cooking Classy

Pumpkin, pumpkin everywhere! In recent times fall is marked by the proliferation of pumpkin-flavored coffee, candy, and desserts. This weekend I'm jumping on the pumpkin bandwagon by making pumpkin soup. Savory and simple, I don't like mixing sweet and savory flavors in a dish, so no cinnamon or ginger in my soup. Here's the recipe:

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

5 cups water

2 large chicken bouillon cubes
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks of celery with leaves, diced

1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
12 turns of the peppermill (= 1/2 teaspoon)

A tiny sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a hint of heat, but short of hot.

1 teaspoon of dried (or fresh) parsley

A sprinkle of Westchester sauce

1 bay leaf

1 cup of milk or 1/2 cup of cream

Note: No additional salt is needed unless you use chicken stock in lieu of water and bouillon to make the soup. If you substitute chicken stock then add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. You have the option of mincing a potato to thicken the soup. A potato adds B vitamins and potassium to the soup. The soup is good with or without the potato. I don't go out of my way to avoid eating starch since starches are satisfying and part of a balanced meal. That said, I also don't go crazy but focus on moderation ... portion size. I know, my lovely readers, don't we all wish we could eat with abandon? 

Directions:

1) Toss the pumpkin puree and water into a blender, or food processor (or use a mixer, emersion blender, or potato masher in the pot itself) to incorporate them. Pour into a saucepan with chicken bouillon and bring to a simmer.

2) Add diced onion, celery, thyme, garlic, pepper, red pepper flakes, and/or a potato (if using) and parsley to the pot. 

3) Simmer on medium-low heat until the onion and celery are tender - about 15 - 20 minutes.

4) Whisk in the milk or cream. If you don't mind the calories, the cream is richer and better, but milk is healthier -- so you choose.

5) Bring to a boil again and simmer until thick and creamy.

6) Taste and adjust the spice (sometimes you need a tad more salt or pepper. You can add more cream to make it creamier and if so heat the soup again), then transfer to a bowl and garnish with another sprinkle of dried parsley.

Slice fresh crusty bread to eat with your soup, and feel free to toss bacon bits, croutons, or whatever you like ... toasted seeds and nuts ... on top of your bowl of soup. 

You could make ham and cheddar or turkey and brie sandwiches with a lettuce, tomato, and cucumber vinegarette salad for a weekend meal. Open a bottle of wine. Bon Appetite! 

♬♪♪♫♪♪♬♪♪♫" Any kind of we-a-ther, soup and sandwitch go to-ge-ther."♬♪♪♫♪♪♬♪♪♫

Chicken Noodle Soup

Photo: iStock

Chicken noodle soup is sometimes called the ultimate comfort food. At home, it's usually made with leftover chicken, but making it fresh from scratch gives it an even better flavor. The following takes all of 30 minutes and you can use chicken breast or ground chicken, both are super tasty, and one of them will be on sale at the supermarket. Here's a super easy recipe:

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

Choose one - Both are delicious: {a} 1 lb of white chicken breast; or {b} 1 lb of ground chicken

1 onion, chopped

4 celery stalks and leaves, chopped

2 - 3 large carrots, scraped and sliced

8 cups of water

2 large cubes of chicken bouillon (or 4 small cubes)

1 teaspoon of dried garlic (or 4 - 5 fresh garlic cloves, minced)

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon coriander

a shake of parsley

1 bay leaf 
5 ounces dried noodles - chooose one: flat egg; shells; or curly

Optional: Toss in 1/2 cup of frozen peas at the last minute of cooking.

Directions:

1) {a} If using chicken breast, pouch them in white wine and (if needed water) for 10 - 12 minutes and after they are cooked, dice into cubes.

{b} If using ground chicken, brown it in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss the chicken of choice in a stock pot or large saucepan.

2) Add the water and chicken bouillon.

3) Toss in the sliced and diced vegetables: onions, celery, and carrots.

4) Next add all the spices. If you use ground chicken, toss the garlic in as you brown it - searing gives the garlic extra flavor, but if you pouch chicken breast, just toss the garlic in the stock pot along with the cubed cooked chicken breast.

5) Once the vegetables are in the pot, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

6) Finally add the dried noodles and simmer until they are al dente.

7) Toss in 1/2 cup of frozen peas at the last minute if you wish. The green looks lovely.

Chicken noodle soup is a later edition in my cooking repertoire, but after I ate canned soup of mostly broth without chunks of anything, I decided to stop buying canned chicken noodle soup and make my own. 

This chunky chicken noodle with vegetable soup is a light one-pot dinner. Start with cheese and crackers, and add grainy bread and a salad. Heck, make Emeril's Bloody Marys (recipe👇) to drink, or sip a glass of wine while preparing the soup. Enjoy!

 

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Pasta e Fagioli

Photo: From America's Test Kitchen - not their recipe below, but it's what the soup resembled in the Time Inc cafeteria. It wasn't as tomato red as I sometimes see it elsewhere.

Years ago I discovered delicious Pasta e Fagioli at work in Time, Inc's cafeteria. I'd love to make it at home but never had a sure-fire recipe. Time's Pasta e Fagioli seemed to have bits of ham or Italian sausage in it, definitely not the ground beef used by a few cooks and closer to bean soup than tomato soup. Although I can't procure the exact recipe, I remember the taste and texture to this day. The following recipe comes close enough for now:

Pasta e Fagioli

Ingredients:

1 lb of spicy Italian sausage or Italian bacon (Ham or hot dogs work also, then spice to taste. Drop in a few red pepper flakes. Add some green Italian seasonings.)

2 medium onions, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 carrots, diced

1 garlic bulb, minced (or 2 teaspoons of dried garlic)

4 cups water

2 large chicken bouillon cubes (which contain salt, so don't add more until you taste it before serving.)

2-15-ounce cans of Northern white beans (Feel free to use pinto or pink beans, etc., if it's in the panty. It will taste good). 

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons dried basil

2 teaspoons dried rosemary

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

2 cups macaroni (or similar smallish pasta)

Sprinkles of grated Parmesan cheese - Add a sprinkle when cooking the soup, then garnish with the cheese before serving the soup.

Optional: Olive olive if you need it to grill the meat and vegetables  (see step 1 below).

Directions:

1) In a stockpot, brown the sausage, bacon, (or ham, or hotdogs) as it brings out the flavor. Toss in the onions, celery, and carrots as the sausage is browning. Towards the end, add the fresh garlic if using it. 

2) Next add the water and chicken bouillon cubes. (You can substitute chicken stock and salt to taste if you wish. I rarely buy chicken stock, so use water and bouillon.)

3) Mash one can of beans only. Add both cans of beans and diced tomatoes into the pot.

4). Follow with the dried spices.

5) Finally add your pasta and bring to a boil for about 12 minutes until the noodles are al dante.

My leftovers for the week.

Don't forget to garnish with extra shakes of parmesan cheese. This soup is a balanced meal with your meat, vegetables, and starch in a delicious sauce. I was always delighted to go down to the cafe to see it on the day's menu. Buon Appetitio!

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Easy French Onion Soup

Photo: Betty Crocker

It's hard to be a great French cook while limiting fat and calories in your meals. Today I'm making French onion soup for the first time ever and will not cut calories. I don't think it's the most nutritious soup to eat -- lower in protein than many, only one vegetable -- nor is it a low calorie soup ... but at times one must eat what one wants, and today that's French onion soup!

The homemade soup is sitting on my stovetop. It smells and tastes delicious. I sampled it! For tonight's dinner, I'll add the bread and cheeses, broiling the topping in the oven until melted and slightly brown. The quantity is 4 large servings:

French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 large onions, cut in strips (not diced small)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 large beef bouillon cube (or chicken bouillon cube; or 3/4 teaspoon salt)

3 cups beef stock (or chicken stock - I use whatever flavor is in the pantry)

1/2 cup red wine (or white - I use what's open, most often red. The color doesn't really matter. If tasty to drink, the wine makes excellent soup:)

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon Herbs of Provence

Sprinkle of garlic

Sprinkle of dried celery

Tiny pinch of sugar

white and black pepper to taste

Extra 1/4 cup of onion, diced

Swiss cheese (buy a brick of cheese)

Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1) Toss the olive oil and butter into a stockpot and heat it, followed by the onions and simmer on middle-low heat for 20 minutes to caramelize. Cover with a lid. Watch and stir so the onion doesn't burn. After 20 minutes ...

2) Whisk in the flour. Add the bouillon cube (or salt, not both). You can add about 1/2 cup of water if needed to dissolve the bouillon. 

3) Next add the beef stock and wine; follow with your dried seasonings. Add a pinch of sugar too. Simmer on low-medium heat for another 30 minutes. (Without a boil, the soup won't cook properly, yet too high a flame cooks the water out. That's the dilemma. Make sure you have a low boil, not a robust boil.)

4) Near the end of the cooking time (like the last 10 minutes) dice another 1/4 cup of onion (get out another small onion) and 1/4 cup of the Swiss cheese and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and toss into the pot. This adds omph -- more flavor and texture.

5) Pour into soup bowls and top with bread and cheeses. Read step 6.

6) {a} - For myself, I lay a couple of slices of toasted multi-grain bread on the soup and then top with lots of Swiss and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheeses, broiling the bread-cheese topping in the oven until the cheeses are hot, melted and slightly brown.

{b} - If I were to make this soup again for guests, I'd buy a loaf of artisan bread, cut it into thick slices, butter and brown the slices on a baking sheet in the oven, then top the bowls of soup with the oven browned bread peaked with plenty of cheese. Without guests, I skip this oven-browned-bread step to get out of the kitchen. Butter-less supermarket, toasted bread topped with cheese is fine for me! Still a success.

Update: Dinner is served at 6:50 pm. I'm afraid of ruining a mug or bowl by broiling, so I used mini cake pans, different, I know!

If I say so, myself, the soup looks, smells and tastes amazing! Restaurant worthy. Good enough for guests. Mine isn't as salty as I've eaten it out, so perhaps, it's even better.

Pandemic cook is back, sister!

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Hearty Potato Soup

I used skim milk for this. Tasty, but next time I'll have cream on hand. Even better!

So, you are looking at my 1st attempt at potato soup. My mother made beef vegetable, chicken noodle, pea, lentil, and bean soup. Never potato soup. We only used potatoes as a side dish, not as the main ingredient of a soup. But recently, I tossed diced potatoes and ingredients into a pot and voilà! It got so many likes on Facebook, I decided to post it here on the blog, so I remember how to make it again. The next time, I will make it even creamier:

Potato Soup

Ingredients

4 medium potatoes, diced
1 small onion, diced
About 6 strips of bacon, fried in a pan
2 stalks celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 large chicken bouillon cube (or you can use chicken stock and salt to taste)
Dried spices to taste - black pepper, garlic, rosemary, cilantro, Herbs de Provence, nutmeg, whatever you like. (If you use a chicken bouillon cube, remember to omit the salt.)
2 cups milk (or 1 cup milk and 1 cup cream)

Optional: Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1) Toss several strips of bacon into a chef skillet (so you won't have to clean 2 pans). One-pan cooking rocks!🙂 Set the bacon aside.

2) Sautè the diced potatoes and onion in the bacon grease for 5 minutes or so, then drain the grease. (If too much grease to began with, pour some of it out first. You don't need much to grill the potatoes and onion.)

3) Next add the celery, carrots, milk (plus cream if you decide

to use it), chicken bouillon (or stock) and spices. 

You do need a fat (either bacon grease, or a couple of tablespoons of butter) to prevent the milk from cruddling while cooking. Therefore if you use skim milk and no bacon grease, 1st make a simple roux with butter and all-purpose flour in the pan, then add your soup ingredients.

4) Bring the soup to a simmer. Cook on medium-low until the potatoes, carrots and celery are tender. It's all you have to do.

But, if the soup is not thick enough for you, thicken it by taking 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour dissolved into a little water and carefully add it to the soup. (To prevent lumps add a little hot soup to the mixture before dropping it into the pot.) Cook the soup for 5 minutes longer to thicken. (I didn't need to do this -- but it's an extra step I take if a soup, stew or gravy needs more thickening.)

5) After you put the potato soup into bowls, top with crumbled crispy bacon (and shredded cheddar cheese) if you wish. I tend not to put the cheese and bacon into the soup during the cooking stage because they dissolve and you can't taste them as well. (Plus you then need more of these calorie-rich treats for your dish. A garnish gives you the taste without the higher calories.) Better to enjoy cheese and bacon (so easy to do!😍) in moderation. 

The soup is on. Bon Appètit!


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Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Photo: Lisa's Kitchen

On New Year's Day I went to the supermarket to buy a can of black-eyed peas. But when you first think of it on New Year's Day, you will find a huge empty space where cans of black-eyed peas should be. Therefore, I returned home with a 16-ounce bag of dried black-eyed peas, one of only four left! It was more servings of black-eyed peas than I needed to ensure good luck.

Sooo. I began making a new soup, and I learned something else from my procrastination: Unlike pinto, black, pink or navy beans, there is no need to soak black eyed peas beforehand. (Ignore the directive to do so on the package.) After simmering on a stove top for 1.5 hours, they get tender enough to eat. Here is my quick and dirty recipe for 2 servings of tasty black-eyed soup:

Black Eyed Pea Soup

Ingredients:

1/4 cup dried black-eyed peas

2 carrots, sliced (I cut the vegetables into big chunks.)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small plum tomato, chopped (or any tomato you have)
1 medium potato, cubed
a cup of green vegetable: Select one of the following - green beans, kale, spinach, collard greens or peas (i.e., whatever you find in your freezer or refrigerator)
1 large bouillon cube (or 2 small)
2 1/2 cups of water
dried garlic powder to taste
dried onion powder to taste
a sprinkle of nutmeg
a sprinkle of Italian seasoning
a bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
a sprinkle of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 1/4 cup of quinoa

Directions:

1) Dump all the ingredients into a pot. Two exceptions: 1} Hold the salt until the end so it won't increase the cooking time of the black-eyed peas. 2} If you use spinach or peas, hold them until the soup is nearly done so as not to overcook. Spinach or peas cook in under 5 minutes, so simply lay either on top of the pot of soup near the end of the cooking time.

2) Bring to a boil, lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Certainly, a 16-ounce bag of dried black eyed peas makes lots of soup! Make one big pot and freeze the leftovers, or 8 (2 serving size pots (which is what I'm doing to avoid leftovers). The choice is yours!

I've been making my soup vegetarian on nights I want to prepare a no fuss, quick meal, then pairing it with a protein. Quinoa is a complete protein grain. A ham sandwich is good too.

Feel free to toss grilled sausage into the soup, if you wish. Fresh or frozen vegetables are fine too. Soup is so adaptable ... a mish-mosh pot of deliciousness! Bon appétité!

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Healthy Cabbage-Tofu Soup

Recently, I started making batches of the old Cabbage Diet Soup to keep in my refrigerator. Unfortunately, I'm not losing any weight (like my winter gain of ten pounds), but I'm not following the strict diet either. It's just convenient to have a pot of prepared vitamin rich soup I can microwave and eat with a sandwich (or whole grains; or even cheese and crackers) when I arrive home.

The original recipe calls for a package of Lipton's onion soup, which I replace with fresh onions and seasonings. I add a few more vegetables and a vegetarian protein also. (You can use leftover ham, beef, or chicken, if you wish.) I make mine vegetarian so that it keeps for 7-8 days in the refrigerator (and it freezes well for a longer period of time).

The healthy 7 vegetable soup is delicious the first night you make it and tasty later. I'm writing my recipe down here, so we can return anytime to make it:

Cabbage-Tofu Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 head cabbage, cut up (or pick a small head.)
2 large onions, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
3 large carrots, sliced
1 cup frozen green beans (or fresh if you have it.)
15 ounce can whole tomatoes (I buy a 28 ounce can of tomatoes flavored with basil and garlic and use half. Refrigerate the rest for another dish.)
6 cups water
16 ounces, firm tofu, diced
3 double (or 8 small) bouillon cubes (If you substitute chicken or beef stock, than salt the soup to taste.)
1 tablespoon of cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
A sprinkle of soy sauce
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon dried garlic powder (or fresh)
1 teaspoon dried celery, if you have it.
1 teaspoon dried onion powder
a sprinkle of nutmeg
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
12 turns of the black pepper mill
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

1) Cut up your vegetables (the hardest part of making soup).
2) Throw all the ingredients into a big pot, one by one.
3) Cover, bring to a boil and simmer until tender.

The soup is naturally low in calories. If you follow the diet for a week, the weight will drop off, but I like to add a (side) whole grain and additional protein. I have a huge appetite and always eat a variety of food and textures for a meal. No starving in my house. Bon appétit!

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