Soup

Manhattan Clam Chowder

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 by Pam

I was in the mood for clam chowder but didn't want a heavy cream based soup. I decided to give Manhattan clam chowder a try. I adapted a tasty recipe in my newest library find, "Food Networks Kitchen Cookbook" . The chowder turned out spicy and full of great flavors. My husband and I really, really enjoyed it but it was a tad too spicy for the kids. Next time I make this, I will try to use fresh clams instead of canned clams. It was extremely quick and easy to make and was the perfect soup for a cold rainy day. I served our chowder with a loaf of fresh baked bread.

• 2 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp
• 1/2 large sweet onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1-2 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes, blended with an immersion blender
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1-2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 6-7 red baby potatoes, diced into bite sized chunks
• 2 6.5 oz cans of clams and the juice
  

Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Once crispy, remove from pan and place on a paper towel to drain the fat. Once cooled, crumble the bacon. Remove all but 2 tsp of bacon grease from the Dutch oven. Add the onion, celery and carrots to the Dutch oven and sauté for 6-7 minutes or until soft and tender. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 60 seconds.

Pour the two cans of diced tomatoes in a large bowl and blend thoroughly with an immersion blender (or use a regular blender). Add the tomatoes and chicken broth to the Dutch oven. Add the seasonings and remainder of ingredients (except for the clams and parsley) to the pot. Simmer on medium low for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender. Once you are ready to serve, add the clams and their juices to the pot along with the fresh parsley and bacon crumbles, let simmer for 3-5 minutes then serve. Enjoy.

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

I wasn't in the mood to cook a big dinner so I decided to make soup. I had leftover roasted chicken in the refrigerator so I thought a creamy chicken with rice soup would be a good choice. I have seen evaporated milk used in soup recipes to make it creamy without being full of fat and calories so I decided to give it a try. It turned out to be an excellent soup that was quick and very easy to make. It was a thick, creamy and delicious without all the guilt. My husband and I really enjoyed it and our daughter did too. My son didn't seem too enthusiastic about it but he's not a soup guy. I served it with a loaf of crusty bread and butter.

• 1 tsp of olive oil
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion
• 2-3 carrots, diced
• 2-3 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 5 cups of homemade chicken stock (not pictured)
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon (I love Herb ox)
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced (more if you like)
• 1/2 cup long grain rice
• 1/2 cup of frozen sweet yellow corn, thawed
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1 12 oz can evaporated milk

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery once hot. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir constantly for 60 seconds. Add the chicken stock, diced chicken, rice, bouillon, basil, sea salt, black pepper and bay leaf. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Turn the soup up until it boils. Mix the corn starch and evaporated milk thoroughly in a bowl. Add the milk mixture to the boiling soup and stir. Lower the heat and add the corn. Mix thoroughly and simmer for a few more minutes. The soup will thicken as it sits. Enjoy.

Pasta e Fagioli

My husband was out for the evening so my friend and her son came over for dinner. Since it was a cold and rainy day, I was in the mood for a hearty Italian soup. I found a Cooking Light recipe for Pasta e Fagioli that I adapted. It was rich in flavor and thick with beans, meat and pasta. At the last minute I threw in some fresh spinach which topped it off nicely. This soup was served with a fresh salad made by my friend and some crusty bread lathered with butter. All of us loved this soup, especially the kids. It was a wonderful meal shared with great friends.

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2-3 turkey Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes, blended
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 2 15 oz cans of white beans, drained
• 1 tsp of dried basil
• 1/2 tsp of dried oregano
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
• 1 cup of tubed shaped pasta
• 1-2 cups of fresh baby spinach
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
  

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the turkey sausage, removed from casing, and cook until done and well crumbled. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 60 seconds then add the chicken broth. Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a large bowl, blend the tomatoes thoroughly with an immersion blender (or just use a blender) then pour into the Dutch oven. Add the drained beans and seasonings to the soup and simmer partly covered for 1-2 hours.

When you are ready to eat, turn the soup up to a slow boil then add the pasta and cook per instructions. Taste the soup and re-season if needed. Once the pasta is cooked, add the fresh spinach and parsley. Serve with a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy.

Note: Be careful not to add too much pasta because it will thicken up the soup too much.

Chicken Noodle Soup With Homemade Noodles

There is something so comforting about chicken noodle soup when you don't feel well. My daughter was home sick today so I decided to make her this soup. She loved it, like usual, and had two full bowls. Making homemade noodles is really easy to do and it makes a really good soup even better. I always add extra noodles to the soup because my kids love them. Make sure to dry them out for at least an hour before adding them to the soup. I served this with hot crusty bread and butter.

Soup:

• 8 cups homemade chicken stock (or store bought)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion diced
• 1-2 cloves of garlic diced finely
• 1 1/2 cups of carrots diced
• 3 stalks of celery diced
• 2 tsp good chicken bouillon (I use Herb Ox)
• 1 bay leaf
• Sea Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme or basil
• 1 1/2 cup cooked chicken diced (I use meat from leftover roasted chicken)
• Fresh parsley, chopped

Sauté onions in olive oil until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic & cook for 30 seconds. Add broth & the remainder of ingredients. Cook over medium low heat for 1-2 hours.

Noodles:

• 2 cups of flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup of milk

In mixing bowl combine flour, salt, egg and milk. Mix until you produce a slightly sticky ball of dough. Flour the counter and roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. You want them very thin because they thicken when cooked. Cut noodles (I use a pizza cutter) to desired size and place on wax paper. Let the noodles dry out on the counter for at least 1 hour before adding them to the soup.

About 30 minutes before serving soup, drop noodles in and cook. Add some fresh chopped parsley right before serving. Enjoy.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Time flies when you're having fun. Today is For the Love of Cooking's one year anniversary. This has been a wonderful journey for me. Not only have I become a much better cook, I have organized my recipes and met some wonderful people who love food as much as I do. Thank you so much for visiting my blog, trying my recipes and leaving comments. I really appreciate each and every one of you.

On to the soup... I got this recipe out of a Cooking Light magazine years ago. It's really easy to make and tastes so good. It's full of flavor and delicious without being full of fat and calories. I pair it with a tossed salad and crunchy, crusty bread. It's a perfect lunch or light dinner. We all love it, especially my daughter, who had two bowls.

• 3 cups of asparagus, cleaned with ends removed and sliced into thirds
• 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth (I used chicken broth)
• 1/2 tsp of dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp flour
• 2 cups of low fat milk
• Dash of nutmeg
• 2 tsp of butter
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• Zest of one lemon

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, combine asparagus, broth, thyme, bay leaf and garlic; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Using a blender or an immersion blender, blend until completely smooth. Keep soup in the blender (or pour into a bowl if using an immersion blender) and set aside.

Place flour in the pan. Gradually add the milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Add pureed asparagus and ground nutmeg, stir to combine. Bring to a slight boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in butter, lemon zest and sea salt and black pepper to taste. Enjoy.

Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup

This is a great soup to have on a cold day. Roasting the tomatoes makes them wonderfully sweet and rich. It has been incredibly windy here in Portland this past week, so a big pot of soup sounded good. I just picked up some fresh basil at Trader Joe's so I decided to make a batch of tomato and basil soup. In the summer, I strain the soup so it's thin and light. In the winter, I usually serve it thick and unstrained for a hearty version. It's great either way and works well for lunch or dinner. I usually serve it with a salad and a crusty piece of bread or a really good sandwich.

Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic:

• 1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, sliced into thin slivers

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Strain tomatoes from juice, reserving juice for later. Spray cooking spray over a tinfoil lined baking sheet. Add tomatoes, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top along with the dried basil and the salt and pepper to taste. Slide the garlic slivers into the tomatoes, they will roast and soften inside as well as infuse the tomatoes with their flavor. Place in oven and roast for approximately 30 minutes. Don't over roast or they will be dry.

Soup:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1 1/2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced or minced
• 2 cups of vegetable broth or chicken broth (I use homemade chicken broth)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp white sugar
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 tbsp fresh chopped basil
• 1/2 cup of non fat milk

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a dutch oven or large soup pan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook until tender. Add garlic and stir for 30-45 seconds before adding chicken (or vegetable broth), reserved tomato juice (from canned tomatoes), bay leaf, sugar, balsamic vinegar and roasted tomatoes. Cook over medium low heat for 2-3 hours.

In a separate bowl add milk. Slowly spoon a little bit of soup mixture into milk to warm (don't pour cold milk into the soup because it will curdle). Once the bowl of milk is warm add it to the soup along with the fresh basil. Remove the bay leaf and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. If you want a thin soup, pour mixture through a strainer. If you want thicker soup, serve as is. Enjoy.

Broccoli and Sharp Cheddar Soup

I recently found a wonderful recipe for broccoli and cheddar soup on a great food blog named Wives with Knives. The soup looked so rich, creamy and delicious I just had to try it. I adapted the recipe to make it a little lower in fat; I also used sharp cheddar for extra flavor. It turned out AMAZING! I really loved how quick and simple this recipe was. We had friends for dinner and we all, including the kids, enjoyed this soup. I served it with a tossed salad and fresh baked bread with butter...my ideal dinner. Thanks for a wonderful recipe Cathy!

Broccoli and Sharp Cheddar Soup:

• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
• 3 cups 2% milk
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 4-5 cups of broccoli florets
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Heat butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until tender. Add flour, stir and cook for a few minutes. Slowly add milk, chicken bouillon granules and chicken broth, stirring constantly until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add grated cheese and stir until melted. Add broccoli and mix thoroughly. Let simmer until broccoli is tender. Enjoy.

Note: I did increase the liquid amounts of this soup to serve more people but I didn't increase the flour. It was not as thick as Cathy's soup but still very tasty. If you want it to be really thick, you must add a bit more flour.

Tuscan Soup

I was craving a big bowl of soup and found a tasty looking recipe on the blog, Home of the Lazy Dog. It's a Tuscan soup filled with Italian sausage, kale and bacon and it was delicious! I adapted it to make it a bit lower in fat (using turkey sausage and 2% milk). It was still rich and creamy and so tasty. My sweet husband went to two different grocery stores looking for kale but could not find any. I ran to one other store and they didn't have it either, so I used green Swiss chard. It was an excellent replacement for kale with a similar texture. I really enjoyed this soup and so did the rest of my family. My daughter really loved the broth. I served with a tossed salad and fresh bread. A perfect meal for a rainy Oregon day.

• 3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 3 Italian sausage links
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 5 cups of chicken stock
• 2 russet potato, peeled and diced into bite sized chunks
• 2 cups of kale or green Swiss chard, chopped
• 2 cups of 2% milk
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• Pinch of crushed red pepper (more if you want it spicy)

Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Once it's finished place on a paper towel. Crumble then set aside for later.

Remove the turkey Italian sausage from the casing and put in the Dutch oven along with the diced onion. I made sure to really mix my Italian sausage so it was crumbled. Sauté until the onion is soft and the sausage is cooked, add the garlic, stirring frequently for 45 seconds. Add the chicken stock, milk, potatoes and kale along with the crushed red pepper, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Cook on medium low for 60 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and tender. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with crumbled bacon. Enjoy!

Clam Chowder

I have been making a lot of soups lately and was craving a seafood stew or chowder. I don't normally buy canned clams but I had them for a dip that I didn't end up making. I was thinking about making Manhattan clam chowder but my children, who absolutely adore creamy clam chowder, asked me to make the New England version instead. I agreed but knew that I would be making a healthier version. I adapted a recipe by Dave Lieberman. The soup was really good although it tasted more like a delicious potato soup with clams. Next time I will substitute a bit of clam juice for some of the chicken broth. Overall, it was a great soup for a cold rainy day. The clams were really tender and delicious and the crunchy, salty bacon was the perfect garnish. My daughter LOVED this chowder and ate two full bowls.

I am entering this recipe in the Seven Fishes Feast hosted by Joe from Italyville and Maryann from Finding La Dolce Vita.

• 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 3/4 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 (6.5 oz) cans chopped clams in juice
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups 2 % milk
• 4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
• Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-3 tbsp corn starch
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat. Once the bacon is done, remove to paper towels for later use. Remove all but 2 teaspoons of bacon grease from Dutch oven. Add the onion and celery to the pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes then add the minced garlic and stir frequently for 45 seconds. Add the clam juice (reserving the clams for later), 3 cups of chicken stock, milk, russet potatoes, sea salt, black pepper and bay leaf. Cover over medium low heat for 60 minutes.

When the potatoes are tender, bring the soup to a slight boil. Mix the corn starch with the 1/4 cup of chicken stock and mix thoroughly. Add the slurry to the soup and stir. Taste and re-season if desired; add the clams and stir, mixing thoroughly. Reduce heat and let the soup thicken for few minutes. Ladle into soup bowls and top with bacon crumbles and parsley. Enjoy.

Oyster Stew

My father makes an amazing oyster stew that is rich, creamy and unbelievably delicious. We always serve it at family functions and holidays. We had a small Thanksgiving this year with just my husband, my children and me. It was nice to spend time at home watching movies by the fire and making a delicious feast. I had to make my Dad's oyster stew - it's tradition. I used lower fat milk and less butter than he does but it still turned out amazing. I am not a fan of eating the oysters in the stew (I save them for my husband) but the broth is amazing with oyster crackers. My children tried it for the first time this year, my daughter just liked the broth and crackers but my son gobbled up the oysters.

Oyster Stew:

• 2 tbsp of butter (my dad uses much more)
• 1 shallot, diced finely
• 2 green onions, diced (divided)
• 1 jar of medium size oysters, chopped into pieces (reserving the liquid)
• Dash of Tabasco (optional)
• 1/2 gallon of 2% milk (my dad uses whole milk)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the shallots and half of the green onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped oysters and sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes. Add the milk, oyster liquid (for a stronger oyster flavor), Tabasco, salt and pepper. Let simmer on low heat for 1-2 hours - don't let it boil. Garnish with the remainder of the green onions and serve with oyster crackers. Enjoy.

Greek Style Minestrone with Turkey and Feta Meatballs

I got this soup recipe from my friend Heather a long time ago. My husband, children and I have been fighting a nasty cold so I thought this soup would be great because it's filled with a lot of veggies. It's a vegetarian soup but the recipe notes that it's great with Italian sausage too. I went to two different grocery stores looking for linked turkey Italian sausage and they were out. I decided to make turkey meatballs with feta so I grabbed some ground turkey. The recipe called for eggplant, but I forgot to get one at the store, so I used a yellow squash instead. The soup was delicious with a hint of dill, full of garlic and veggies. The meatballs were amazing! I really loved how moist and flavorful they were. I cooked my meatballs in the skillet before I threw them in the soup. I realized after doing this that most meatballs (for soup) are cooked in the broth, I will try it that way next time. Either way, the meatballs were great and added a wonderful flavor and texture. We all, kids included, loved this soup. I served it with a Greek salad and fresh hot bread. I had leftovers for lunch the next day and it's flavor was even better.

Turkey Meatballs:

• 1 lb of ground turkey meat with Italian seasonings
• 2 tbsp sweet yellow onion, diced finely
• 2 tbsp feta cheese (I used reduced fat)
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup of garlic and herb bread crumbs
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil (for cooking meatballs)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and gently combine with fingers until thoroughly mixed. Roll into very small meatballs.

Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium heat, once the pan is hot add the meatballs and cook for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside.

Soup:

• 1/2 cup sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 cups of chicken stock
• 1/3 cup of long grain brown (or white) rice
• 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1-2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tsp of oregano
• Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 zucchini, chopped into bite size pieces
• 1 yellow squash, chopped into bite size pieces
• 1 can small white beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups sliced fresh spinach (about 3 ounces)
• Turkey meatballs
• 1/2 cup of feta cheese for topping

Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, stock, rice and tomatoes in a large Dutch oven, over medium heat. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, until the vegetables and rice are tender, about 25-30 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium and add beans, meatballs, zucchini and squash. Taste and re-season if needed. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring once. Stir in spinach and simmer, uncovered, until spinach is wilted and all vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes longer. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with feta cheese. Enjoy.

Note: If not serving immediately, add the spinach just before serving to retain the bright color and prevent overcooking.