Category Archives: soup

7-Can Taco Soup From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

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  • 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 pound of lean ground beef
  • 1 cup of chopped onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 1 envelope of ranch dressing mix
  • 1 envelope of taco seasoning mix
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes,undrained
  • 1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes,undrained
  • 1 can of green chilies,undrained
  • 4 cups of beef broth or stock
  • 1 can of chili beans, undrained
  • 1 can of kidney beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 can of pinto beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 can of whole kernel corn,drained
  • Finely shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese, for garnish, optional
  • Chopped fresh tomato, for garnish, optional
  • Diced avocado, for garnish,optional
  • Shredded lettuce, for garnish,optional
  • Homemade or commercial tortilla strips, for garnish,optional
  • Sour cream, for garnish,optional

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, add the ground beef and onion and cook until beef is browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Stir in the ranch dressing and taco seasoning packets and cook and stir for another minute. Add the un-drained, diced tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, and green chilies; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Stir in the beef broth and the undrained chili beans.  Drain and rinse the kidney beans and pinto beans; drain the corn and add all to the pot and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Can hold longer over low heat.

Serve with a sprinkle of cheese, chopped tomato, diced avocado, tortilla chips, green onion and a dollop of sour cream, or your own favorite toppings, if desired.  6 servings

Cook’s Notes: This is the mix of beans and veggies that I use, but with a well stocked pantry, you can vary the recipe according to your own tastes, using a variety of substitutes. I also like to add in 1/2 pound of raw sausage such as breakfast, Italian sausage or bratwurst along with the ground beef. Swap the beef for ground turkey or use cooked, shredded chicken for a different twist.

For the Crockpot: Brown the meat, drain and add it with remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 1 hour, reduce and hold on low until needed.

15-Minute Coconut Curry Noodle Soup from thewoksoflife.com/

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coconut-curry-noodle-soup-102 tablespoons oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
8 oz. boneless chicken breast or thighs, sliced OMIT
4 cups veggie broth
1 cup water
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2/3 cup coconut milk
6 oz. dried rice vermicelli noodles
1 lime, juiced
Sliced red onion, red chilis, cilantro, scallions to garnish

In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil, garlic, ginger, and Thai red curry paste. Fry for 5 minutes, until fragrant. Add the chicken and cook for a couple minutes, just until the chicken turns opaque.

Add the chicken broth, water, fish sauce, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. At this point, taste the broth for salt and adjust seasoning accordingly (add salt if needed, or if it’s too salty, add a bit of water). Pour the boiling soup over the dried vermicelli noodles in your serving bowls, add a squeeze of lime juice and your garnishes, and serve. The noodles will be ready to eat in a couple minutes.

(Alternatively, you can add the noodles to the boiling broth to cook them, and then divide among serving bowls).

 

vitamix soups

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Rosy Cucumber Soup
Recipe By: Nina Graybill and Maxine Rapoport

2 large cucumber
16 ounces pickled beets, drained, juice reserved
1/2 cup onion
2 tablespoons parsley
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
salt and pepper — to taste
1/2 cup sour cream
green onion tops chopped

In two batches, puree cucumbers, beets, onions, and parsley in processor or blender, then blend in the chicken broth, seasonings and sour cream; transfer to a container. Taste for seasoning, adding reserved beet juice to taste. Refrigerate several hours or for several days.

Sprinkle with chopped green onion tops or chives before serving.

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Summer Corn Essence
Recipe By: Gretl Collins

1 small onion
knob of butter
1 teaspoon flour
1/4 cup white wine
fresh thyme
1 cup chicken broth
4 ear of corn
salt and pepper
1/4 cup half and half

1 small onion, chopped, sauteed in a Tbs butter (10″ nonstick skillet) –add one tsp flour and mix well with wooden spoon to thicken slightly –add about a generous 1/4 C white wine and some sprigs of fresh thyme. Boil to reduce a bit, and –add about 1 C chicken broth (I used Minor’s base).

Cut the kernels off the cob, and add to the mixture just to heat through. IF using uncooked corn, just heat longer to cook the corn a bit.

Fish out the thyme sprigs, season with salt and pepper, put the whole shebang in the VitaMix, and let it rip at high speed. I tasted it, and added about 1/4-plus cup of half-and-half to make the texture creamier.

To serve, I ladled a puddle of the corn cream on the plate, flanked by the buttered asparagus and roasted potatoes. I garnished it with chopped parsley and chives from the garden.

The flavor of the sweet creamy corn with the grilled salmon (and the sides) was amazing. I debated pushing it through a sieve, but chose not to. It had a bit of texture but not much.

I might even try this and more highly seasoned, with heavy cream to thicken.

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Avocado Soup with Lump Crab Meat
6 cup Vegetable stock, I use chicken broth
4 ripe Avocados
Juice of 2 Limes
2 tablespoon Greek Yogurt
3 dashes Hot Pepper Sauce
6 ounce Crab meat, lump
Olive Oil, your best finishing oil
2 tablespoon Chives, chopped

1. Put stock, avocados, lime juice, yogurt and pepper sauce into the blender or Vitamix. Blend until smooth and creamy.

2. Put into 6 pretty serving glasses and top with the crab meat, a drizzle of good olive oil and the chopped chives. A little extra hot sauce is nice and pretty.

Notes: Shrimp canned be used in addition to or instead of the crab

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Broccoli Cucumber Bisque
1/4 cup raw broccoli
1 large cucumber
squeeze of lime juice
sprinkle of dry mint

1. Put the broccoli and cucumber into the Vitamix. Sprinkle in a couple of pinches of salt.

2. Squeeze a little lime juice over each bowl of bisque and top with a little sprinkle of dried mint.

Notes from Terry: I needed to add about 1/4 cup of water and it really needs the lime. Best served very cold after several hours of refrigeration.<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ACM-xTnRW0>

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Carrot Ginger Soup
1 piece fresh ginger (about 3 inches long)
1 1/4 lbs carrots
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
5 cup vegetable broth
1 yellow onion
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of nutmeg (optional) freshly grated
Sea salt and black pepper

Cook onion and ginger in olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Stir occasionally – cook for about 5 minutes or until onions and ginger have softened.

Add carrots, orange juice, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover with lid, and let simmer for about 45 minutes or until carrots are quite soft.

Transfer soup in batches to a blender and blend until smooth. If you have a hand-held blender, you can blend the whole batch right in the pot.

Season soup with sea salt, pepper, and nutmeg if you have it on hand.

The flavors in this delicious ginger carrot soup go together quite nicely with a ripe, room temperature avocado. If you enjoy avocados, try garnishing this soup with a few avocado slices just before serving.

This soup is full of immune-boosting ingredients; carrots are rich in carotenoids that can be converted to vitamin A, which is needed for optimal immune system strength; fresh orange juice is a decent source of natural vitamin C, good for overall immune system support; and just a little ginger provides a number of health benefits, including protection against cancer.

Nutmeg is an optional ingredient, but if you have some sitting around in a cupboard, I highly recommend that you add a pinch, as nutmeg goes together brilliantly with the rest of the ingredients in this beautiful, bright orange soup. (Terry’s note: don’t bother unless you have fresh nutmeg, if it’s old it has no flavor)  Serving Size: 4
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Terry’s Taco Tortilla Soup
3 cups Chicken broth
1 or 2 carrot
2 Celery stalk
1/4 cup Tomato
1 or more Jalapeño
1 teaspoon Taco seasoning
1 treaspoon cumin
add a couple of handfuls tortilla chips
1/2 to 3/4 can drained and rinsed Black beans
1 cup frozen Corn, thawed
chicken (cooked if you like)

Pulse to just chop the ingredients
Then top with some more of the whole corn and black beans and a dollop of sour cream or asadero cheese.

Buzz the first 7 ingredients until hot and steamy. Then add the tortilla chips and rest of ingredients and pulse gently until slightly chopped.

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How to Make Vegetarian Phở Without a Recipe from food52

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1Phở is a soup you stick your face in before you eat. You can’t help but smell it: mellow onion, all those spices, zesty lime, and hits from just-relaxed herbs all steaming up together. It simultaneo usly nestles you underneath your blankets and ships you to the street markets of Hanoi.

Having so many flavors at work in one soup means you have a lot to tinker with. First, there’s the broth: Classically, it’s beef- or chicken-based, but you can get an equally robust (and vegan) broth by taking some traditional broth ingredients, which you likely already have in your pantry, to the oven or stove beforehand. Plus, by using your nose, you can adjust the spice components of your broth before it gets to simmering, so you know you’ll like the final flavor. And we hope you really like it, because this broth is something to have on hand for the week, to carry whatever miscellaneous vegetables need using up.

In addition to the wide array of vegetables that fit into this soup, there are noodles, proteins, and umpteen garnishes to dabble in. Stir in as many or as few as you want, or let each person choose their own (a phở bar!). A few slurps, with all the textures of the mix-ins and that anchor of abroth, and you’ll feel good, fortified. Here’s how to do it:

1. Scorch. Cut an onion and 2 pieces of ginger in half; the peel can stay on. Using tongs, place the pieces of onion and ginger directly over the flame of your gas stove, one by one. Hold them there for 3 to 4 minutes, turning every so often so all the sides get black. It might look as if you’re making onion s’mores (which sound horrible) — but there’s a good reason you’re going there: Charring the aromatics gives them a smokiness and a nice, mellow sweetness.

If this indoor campfire sounds treacherous, you could also broil the onion and ginger in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. You could also skip the charring step entirely and proceed to step two using chopped raw onion and ginger, though the broth won’t end up quite as sweet and soothing.

2. Make the broth. Put the onion and ginger in a soup pot with 6 or so cups of water. Next come the spices. Measure a cupped palmful (or a tablespoon) each of fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns, and add them to a little bowl. Throw in a few cardamom pods, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. Smell the mixture: Do you like how it smells? Do you want to eat a soup that tastes like that? Into the soup pot they go. Are you not getting enough fennel, or do you want more of another spice? Add a bit more, smell to make sure it smells like what you want, then add the spices to the pot. Throw in a pinch of salt.

3. Simmer. Bring the mixture to a boil, and let it simmer, covered, for an hour.

4. While you wait, prep your mix-ins. They may be a combination of:

  • Noodles: cooked rice noodles or soba (cook your noodles beforehand — cooking them in the broth will make the broth murky and starchy)
  • Chopped raw vegetables: bok choy, kale, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, mung bean sprouts, mushrooms, snap peas, or whatever you have lying around
  • Protein: tofu, shelled edamame, or — for the non-vegetarian route — cooked chicken or turkey or very thinly sliced raw beef
  • Garnish: lime, cilantro, basil, mint, Sriracha, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, green onions, or crispy fried shallots

As you bide the time while your soup cooks, entertain yourself with some phonomenal puns: Pho is a phobulous, unphogettable Vietnamese soup — pho real, it should be a phonomenon. Pho pho the win. Pho phoever. It’s pho sho what’s pho dinner. (Except really it’s pronounced “fah,” not “fo,” so you can phoget about this phonny business.)

5. Get ready to slurp. Your broth will be ready when you taste it and you like it. If the flavor isn’t intense enough, let it simmer for a little longer. If the spices are overwhelming, add a bit more water. Then, strain the broth and discard the solids. Ladle into and add as many or as few of your mix-ins as you’d like. Let the raw ones (everything but the noodles) soften a bit from the heat of the broth. Take a whiff. It’s good, right?2

DASHI (JAPANESE SEA STOCK)

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  • download6 cups cold water
  • 1 oz (30 grams) kombu (dried kelp), about 20 square inches
  • 2 (5-gram) packages katsuo bushi (dried bonito flakes), about 1 cup

Bring cold water and kombu just to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat and remove kombu (saving it for pickled Napa cabbage ). Sprinkle katsuo bushi over liquid; let stand 3 minutes and, if necessary, stir to make katsuo bushi sink. Pour through a cheesecloth-lined sieve or a coffee filter into a bowl. Reserve katsuo bushi for rice with soy-glazed bonito flakes and sesame seeds .

cooks’ notes:• If making stock for miso soup it is not necessary to save the kombu or katsuo bushi. • Stock keeps 4 days. Cool, uncovered, before chilling, covered.

Celery Soup- Bon Appetite from Phyllis Keating

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12308928433_46006b141a_b1 head celery, stalks chopped, leaves reserved
1 large waxy potato, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
Kosher sal
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup fresh dill
½ cup heavy cream
Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon) and olive oil (for serving)

Combine celery, potato, onion, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; season with kosher salt. Cook, stirring, until onion is tender, 8–10 minutes. Add broth; simmer until potatoes are tender, 8–10 minutes. Purée in a blender with dill; strain. Stir in cream. Serve soup topped with celery leaves, sea salt, and oil.  servings: 4

Jane Grigson’s Celery Soup from food52

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  • 12308928433_46006b141a_b1/2 pound celery, chopped (4 large stalks about 2 cups)
  • 1/2 onion chopped 
  • 1-2 diced small potatos
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 cups veggie stock
  • 1/2 c. cream, half and half or milk
  • About 1 teaspoons dill weed * (2 teaspoons for fresh dill)
  1. Stew celery, onion, and potato gently in the butter in a covered pan for 10 minutes. Don’t let the vegetables brown. Add stock or water, s & p to taste and 1/2 teaspoon of dill weed. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  2. Blend or purée the soup.  Add cream. Bring slowly to just under the boil, and more dill weed if required.
  3.  Serves 4, 6 if the rest of the meal is fairly copious

Notes:  * I only used 1/2 tsp dill as I thought more would be overpowering.  I used an immersion blender.

 

Pancotto (Tuscan Bread Soup)

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pancotto_IMG_6138_food52

  • 1/2 pound (250 grams) stale white bread (Italian style loaf), crusts on
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 celery stick, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp marjoram
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1 pinch salt
  • pinch chili flakes
  • 1 teaspoon dried chile (or chopped fresh chile)
  • 4 cups (1 liter) water or veggie stock 
  • 3/4 cup (80 grams) finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, divided
  • Handful of fresh parsley
  1. Roughly chop the bread into chunks, pass under some cold running water quickly to soften (but not soak), and crumble into pieces. Set aside.
  2. Add the olive oil to a large casserole or soup pot, and gently saute the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic with a pinch of salt until softened but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the chile and water and bring to a boil. Add herbsLet simmer gently until the vegetables (in particular the carrot) are cooked through and the broth is fragrant, about 10 minutes.
  3. Add the bread and cook until the soup has become thick and creamy with the appearance of oatmeal, about 10 minutes. Stir through half the cheese and remove from the heat. Let sit a further 5 to 10 minutes, covered, before serving in shallow bowls with the rest of the cheese sprinkled on top, some herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil.  Serves 4

 

Vegetarian Ramen at Home from food52

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For the broth:

  • 1 cup dried mushrooms, preferably shiittake
  • 2 carrots, cut into thirds
  • 1 onion, cut in half (you can leave the skin on)
  • 2 stalks celery, cut into thirds
  • 6 to 8 garlic cloves, smashed
  • One 2-inch section of ginger, smashed
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, cut into thirds and smashed (optional)
  • 8 cups cold water
  • 1 sheet kombu, wiped with a damp cloth
  • 2 tablespoons bonito flakes
  • 1/2 cup mirin
  • 1 cup shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 to 2 squirts sriracha, or pinch of red pepper flakes
  1. Add mushrooms, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass (if using) into a large stock pot along with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Add in kombu and bonito flakes, if using. Simmer stock for 2 to 3 hours.
  2. Pour stock into a bowl through a fine mesh strainer. (I recommend reserving the mushy, cooked carrots for snacking.) Return stock to the pot.
  3. Add in soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, and Sriracha. Stir. Taste for seasoning: Add more soy sauce if you want it saltier, more Sriracha for spice, more brown sugar for sweetness. If the flavor is too strong, add in more water to dilute. Play around until you have a flavorful, balanced broth. Turn down the heat to keep it warm while you prepare your other ingredients.

For the ramen bowl:

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 packet extra-firm tofu, pressed of its moisture
  • 1 tablespoon oil with high smoke point, like peanut
  • 4 packets ramen or udon noodles, preferably fresh
  • Thai basil
  • Lime wedges
  • Green onion, sliced
  1. Boil a large pot of water with a pinch of salt. Cook eggs to desired doneness — I like mine cooked for 6 minutes so the yolk is nice and gooey in the middle. Remove eggs from water, keeping it simmering for ramen noodles. Cool eggs, peel, and drop gently into the broth while you prep the rest of your ingredients.
  2. Slice drained tofu thinly. Heat oil in a wok or non-stick skillet until smoking, then layer in the tofu, making sure none are overlapping. Cook for a minute or two until brown on the underside, then flip and cook for another two minutes. Drain tofu on paper towels.
  3. Drop noodles into boiling salted water and cook according to package directions. Drain.
  4. Divide broth between four bowls, then divvy up noodles, eggs (I cut them in half before serving), and fried tofu into broth. Garnish with Thai basil, green onions, and squeezes of lime. Slurp away.
  5. If you want an even heartier bowl of vegetarian ramen, consider adding roasted vegetables like sweet potatoes, eggplant, or tomatoes. Cube them, then roast in a 425° F oven with salt and pepper until wrinkled, soft, and caramelized, then add to broth.  Makes 4 generous servings