Category: Soup of the Week (Page 8 of 25)

Heidi asked me to pull out a soup recipe this week… (yikes!) Off the top of my head, this was the most ‘down home’ recipe that we made in culinary school (American Regional Cuisine—recipes of the Central Plains). My family was totally thrilled by ‘real deal’ beef barley soup versus the canned version. Who would have thought soup could make people so happy!

Beef Barley Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Vegetable oil
• 6 oz. diced lean, boneless beef
• 3/4 C. diced, peeled Carrots
• 3/4 C. diced Celery
• 3/4 C. diced Onion
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
• 1 C. Pearl barley
• 2 Tbsp Tomato paste
• 1/8 tsp dried Thyme leaves
• 3 C. Chicken stock
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 Bay leaf
• Salt and white pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp Chives, chopped (for garnish)

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepot and cook the meat until it is well browned
2. Turn down the heat, add the vegetables, and cook 5 Minutes.
3. Add the barley and stir to coat with oil.  Add the tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
4. Add the herbs, stock, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaf.  Bring to a simmer.  Simmer 30 minutes or until barley is tender.  Skim fat as needed.
5. Remove bay leaf.  Correct seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped chives.

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After driving six hours with only 1/2 a ‘Lunchables‘ in my tummy, I was hoping for some snacks during our exclusive one hour interview with Rex Pickett, author of “Sideways”.  His reply to our texted request to set us up was, “No.”  However, I did get a nice glass of Pinot Noir and learned that this dude loves to cook.  He submitted this transcendental (his work) chicken soup for our slurping pleasure.  A bowl of this would probably go quite well with those left over crackers from my snack set.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole Farmers’ Market chicken (3-4 lbs.)
• 6 carrots (2 roughly chopped; 4 diced)
• Bundle of celery (2 stalks roughly chopped; 2 diced)
• 2 large onions (1 roughly chopped; 1 diced)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• Lots of mushrooms cut into bite-sized pieces
• Fistful of pea shoots (spinach or other green can be substituted), roughly chopped
• Olive oil
• 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp ginger, minced
• The kernels from 1 ear of corn
• 2/3 cup Basmati rice
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 juice of a lemon (optional)
• 2 Tbsp cilantro (optional)

1. Rough chop the carrots, onions and celery, set aside.
2. Cut the chicken into 7 parts — breasts, thighs, wings, and back (use poultry shears or a good kitchen knife)
3. Pack the chicken into a Dutch oven — I use a heavy, cast iron risotto pan — and fill with water — no more than a quart — until just covered.  Throw in the carrots, celery and onions. 
4. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and reduce to a simmer and let go, uncovered, for only 20 minutes. 
5. During that time, dice the onions, celery, carrots, and red bell pepper, and mince the ginger and garlic.  Also, cut the mushrooms and deracinate the kernels from the ear of corn.
6. When 20 minutes is up, remove the chicken to a plate to cool.  Strain the resultant stock into a bowl.  Remove the carrots and set aside with the chicken.  Discard onions and celery.  If you have one, pour broth into a fat separator. 
7. Wash pan, put back on the stove over med. heat.  When the pan’s hot, add olive oil until it gets hot, then add diced onions, celery, bell pepper, and carrots.  Salt and pepper.  Cook for about 7-8 minutes, moving around frequently.  Then add garlic and ginger and go for about 2 minutes
8. Pour back de-fatted stock.  Add 2/3’s cup Basmati rice.  Turn heat to high.  Bring to a boil, cover, then turn heat down all the way.  Set timer for 10 minutes  Check a few minutes in to make sure it’s simmering and not boiling,  Adjust heat if necessary.
9. When 10 minutes is up, put the corn and mushrooms in, salt and pepper (yes, again!) and return to a simmer.  Set timer for 5 minutes.
10. During that 5 minutes, remove the skin from the chicken and shred into bite-sized pieces.  If the chicken still has a bit of rawness, don’t worry.  Rough chop the pea shoots.
11. When 5 minutes is up, add the shredded chicken (salt and pepper before stirring; yep, that’s right) and the pea shoots.  Bring just to a simmer, then turn the heat off, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes, or even as long as 1/2 hour.
12. Just before serving, add the juice from the one half of a lemon.  You can also add cilantro if you want and even a drizzle of olive oil if you’re feeling decadent.

The infamous Mr. Pickett lounging for the show

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Want to know a secret?  I have never made clam chowder (chowda’ or otherwise).  Whilst generally leaving this Eastern Seaboard delicacy to the experts, I was goaded into coming up with one on the fly because Beau is just a bit too busy being waxed for his newest superstar action figure – Next Iron Chef ~ Super Chef”.  He blurted out this “Soup of the Week” on the show so we went with it.  When recently asked for the recipe he texted, “I’m in Maui!”  Enough said.

Anyhoo, as I’m always up for a challenge, here it is.  Please keep in mind that this has never been tested or tasted.  I just plopped myself down at my laptop – deadline ever present – and pulled it out of my….litany of amazing culinary talent.  Take it as you will.

Heidi and Beau’s Clam Chowda’!  (Bowston accent included)

Serves 2 – me and Bo Mac – next time he’s in town!

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Fresh Manila or Butter Clams (Beau takes big bites, so I go for 2 pounds)
• 1 Cup Clam Juice (divided)
• ½ Cup Chicken Stock
• ½ stick butta’
• 2 cups mire poix  – equal parts celery, onion, carrot – small dice
• ¼ Cup Sherry
• 2 T. fresh thyme
• 2 Cups heavy cream
• ½ to 1 Cup Mashed Potatoes (you’ll need to know how to make these, I have a deadline to meet)
• S&P (white pepper is best here)

For the Clams:

1. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, pour in 1/2 Cup clam juice and stock. Let come to a rolling simmer and then add the clams.  Cover and cook until the clams just start to open.  Remove from heat and strain, reserving the juice.  Pull those luscious little clams out and set aside to cool.  (They don’t have to be completely cooked at this phase….just easy to open shells)  Set a few aside for garnish, in the shell.

For the Base:

1. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, sauté the mire poix in the butter, adding a pinch or two of salt, until translucent – about 5 minutes.
2. Increase heat to high and add the sherry, reduce until almost all the liquid is gone, about 1-2 minutes.  Add the thyme and the liquor from the clams, plus another 1/2 cup of clam juice and cook for a minute or two.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the heavy cream.  Let cook for about 10 minutes until it starts to thicken and remove from the heat.
3. Strain the mixture into a non-metallic bowl and return the ‘soup’ to a sauce pan on medium.  Whisk in the mashed potatoes and check to see if this is your desired consistency.  You can always add a bit of wine to thin it out, or more potatoes to thicken it up.
4. At this point, add the clams and a bit more fresh thyme.  Let cook for 3-4 minutes on low.  Adjust seasonings.  Serve piping hot in a big ole’ bowl topped with a few of those clams in the shell (see picture) and some fresh thyme sprigs.  Crunchy bread,  a ‘stick a butta’ and you’re in business!  Sit down, turn on Food Network and watch our home town hero duke it out.   Next Iron Chef – Super Chefs airs Sunday, Oct. 30th on the Food Network:)

On a personal note:  Beau MacMillan (Bo Mac) is one of the most unassuming, unpretentious culinary geniuses I have ever encountered.  I’m proud to call him a friend and am grateful for all of his support and his BIG, HUGE HUGS!!! Love ya, dude!!

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Although we didn’t shout this one out on the show, we certainly tip our hats to Sunset Magazine and Food Editor Margo True.  I have a feeling that the ‘recipe re-testers’ (gotta’ listen to the show to get that part) had a great time with this dish!

Serves 6 (makes 8 cups)

Ingredients:

MEATBALLS

•     1 large egg, lightly beaten
•     1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
•     1/4 cup milk
•     1 garlic clove, minced
•     Finely shredded zest of 1/2 lemon
•     1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
•     1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
•     1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
•     1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•     1/2 pound ground lamb

SOUP AND SERVING

•     7 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
•     Wide ribbons of zest from 1/2 lemon (use a vegetable peeler)
•     1/2 cup arborio rice or sushi rice
•     1/4 cup vegetable oil
•     3 large eggs
•     Fresh juice of 1 large lemon
•     Chopped fresh mint and parsley

1. Make meatballs: In a large bowl, combine egg, panko, milk, garlic, lemon zest, mint, parsley, salt, and pepper and let sit a few minutes for crumbs to soften. Add lamb, breaking up with your fingers, and mix well with your hands.
2. With wet hands, form meat mixture into 3/4-in. balls (use about 3/4 tsp. for each) and set on a rimmed baking sheet. Chill until a little firmer, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make soup: In a large covered pot, bring broth and zest to a simmer. Add rice and simmer over low heat, partially covered, until rice is al dente, about 20 minutes.
4. While soup simmers, heat oil in a large, heavy frying pan (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs in 2 batches, turning once, to brown on 2 sides, about 6 minutes total. Shake pan, rolling meatballs around to brown a little further. With a slotted spoon, transfer meatballs to paper towels.
5. With a slotted spoon, remove zest from soup and discard. Add meatballs and bring to a simmer over high heat. Turn off heat.
6. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs to blend and add lemon juice. Whisk in a ladle of hot soup. One at a time, whisk in about 5 more ladles of soup, then return mixture to pot. Rewarm over low heat if needed. Serve immediately with more mint and parsley.

Mastering Meatballs

They sound rustic, but they’re delicate things that suffer from over-handling. Here are tips for making them come out right.

Mixing: Always start by mixing the bread crumbs (which keep the meatballs from getting tough), any liquids, and seasonings—then add the meat. Stop when the mixture looks evenly blended; don’t overwork it.

Forming: Dampen your hands with cold water to keep the meat mixture from sticking while you roll it into balls. If it’s still sticky, let it sit for a few minutes in the fridge.

Browning: A good crust helps meatballs retain their shape—important if they’re going to simmer in a thick sauce. If you plan to eat them on their own or add them to broth, though, a light pan-frying will do the trick.

Recipe courtesy of Sunset Magazine, March 2010

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Kevin Crafts

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This is my grandma’s bean soup recipe (via my brother–all in the family). My family is 100% German, so we thought Bohnensuppe would be great addition to the ‘all German/Ocktoberfest’ theme of the week. I have happy memories of going to Grandma’s for bean soup and homemade bread. As with most ‘grandma’ recipes, you need to use your best judgment on measurements (I’ve tried to fill in the blanks). Leftovers (Grandma always made sure to send home leftovers!) are excellent reheated throughout the week.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb navy beans
• Ham bone*
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 Potatoes, chopped
• Salt and Pepper (add at very end)

Directions:

1. Soak navy beans in water (to cover) overnight.
2. Drain the beans the next morning and place in a large pot.  Cover beans with enough water to cover them by 1 inch and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours.  Cook until al dente.
3. In another pot, cook ham bone (with some meat still on), a bay leaf, and chopped onion.  
4. Add cooked beans and continue to simmer until the meat is soft.  Remove ham bone and meat from pot; remove meat from the bone, chop, and set aside (discard the bone).  
5. Add the two chopped potatoes and the cooked meat to soup.  
6. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Another option: Soak beans overnight.  Drain.  Add beans, water, bone/meat, potatoes, bay leaf, and onion to a crockpot on LOW.  Cook for 10-11 hours.  Remove bone; remove meat from bone and chop meat. Return meat to the soup.  Note: The potatoes tend to get a little soft in this method…

Ham bone note: You can buy a ham bone at the store/meat shop or use a leftover ham bone (with some meat still on) from a previous meal (i.e. bean soup is a great meal to make after a big holiday ham feast).

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I had the amazing opportunity to interview Cat Cora on my show, and she graciously shared this soup recipe with us.  In Cat’s own words… “This chilled melon soup is impressive enough to be the first course for a formal dinner party yet so easy it can be a light, refreshing workday supper on a hot day. I either make the soup the night before or I whip it up as soon as I get home from work; then I can relax with a glass of wine and watch my boys run through the sprinkler while the soup chills. You can kick back as long as you like because this soup is happy to hang out in your fridge, chilling, until you’re ready to eat.”

Ingredients:

• 2 Medium Cantaloupes (About 8 cups; Peeled, Seeded and Cut into Chunks )
• 1⁄2 Cup Dry Sherry
• 2 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
• 3 Ounce Thinly Sliced Prosciutto
• 4 Tablespoon Fresh Mint (Finely Chopped )

1. Puree the cantaloupe chunks in a food processor until very smooth. (If the melon chunks don’t all fit in your food processor, just whip them up in several batches.) Add sherry and lime juice and pulse (or stir together) until thoroughly mixed, just 10 seconds or so. Pour into a serving bowl or pitcher and store in the refrigerator until the soup is well chilled, for at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. About 15 minutes before you’d like to serve the soup, sauté the prosciutto in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until crispy, about 7 minutes. Let it cool and then top each serving of soup with about 2 teaspoons of crispy prosciutto; spoon it into a sort of mound in the center of the soup. Spoon the extra prosciutto into a small bowl and set it on the table so guests can help themselves to more if they like. For the mint garnish, sprinkle it around the edge of the soup.

Twist It:

This is a simple addition but it changes the soup. Add 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint to the food processor at the very end. If you’re processing in two batches, just add 1/4 cup to each batch.

Cat’s Note:

Don’t get too hung up on the weight of the melon called for here. Just aim for about 8 cups of melon chunks and, if you have more, spoon in a little more sherry and lime juice to taste.

Soup of the Week is brought to you by Sunset and Savor the Central Coast

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