Dayrecipe Food Community

I’m a real soup and stew lover in the fall and winter months. I often like to make a big batch, have what we want for lunch or dinner, and freeze the rest in 2 serving size packages. This recipe makes 4 big servings so double it if you want extra to freeze.

MAKES: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra olive oil to serve as garnish
• 1 stick celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 1/4 pints vegetable stock
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, undrained
• 1 (15 ounce) can borlotti beans, undrained
• 1 small sprig fresh rosemary, or 1/2 teaspoon of dried
• 1 small sprig fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon of dried
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 ounces cooked ham, in small cubes
• 8 slices bacon, cooked crispy (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, then add the chopped vegetables and some salt and pepper.
2. Cook very gently for 10 minutes until softened but not colored.
3. Add the stock, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf.
4. Bring to the boil, then lower heat and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes.
5. Add the canned beans, juice and all to the soup pot and gently stir.
6. Stir in the ham and bring to a simmer.
7. If desired garnish with a few crisp slices of bacon and a swirl of olive oil.
8. Serve.

Great combo that makes a light yet hearty soup. The flavors are great together and there is no shortage of the mushrooms. I love non “cream of” soups and this once again confirms that you really don’t need all of that fat to have delicious and satisfying soup. I used the very small Yukon Gold potatoes and sliced them thick, there’s lots to sink your teeth into and it should please the whole family. It’s high in the health scale too, it’s vegetarian, low fat and high in fiber. What more could you ask for in something that tastes so good!

MAKES: 6 cups

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1 potato, peeled and diced or use several small potatoes and slice them
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup light sour cream (optional)
• 1 green onion, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; cook onion, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add mushrooms and potato, cook over medium-high heat until no liquid remains and mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in flour; cook for 1 minute.
4. Stir in stock and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
5. Top each serving with dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of green onion, if desired.

Lovely, rich soup made with my favorite vegetable. I made this tonight after a day of shopping in minus 0 degree winds and the first snowfall of this season. It was wonderful. It was warm and filling without being over heavy. I like the cheese just sprinkled on the top but if you would prefer you could certainly add and mix it into the soup.

MAKES: 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs broccoli
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup light cream
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 6 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Hot pepper sauce (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Trim flowerets from broccoli and reserve.
2. Put aside stems for another use.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine flowerets and chicken broth.
4. Bring to a boil; reduce heat.
5. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat, until broccoli is tender, about 12 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in a heavy skillet, melt butter and saute onion until golden, about 8 minutes.
7. Reduce heat to low and stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes.
8. Stir onion-flour mixture into soup.
9. Heat to boiling; cook until thick.
10. Remove from heat, and add salt and pepper.
11. Transfer broccoli mixture to the container of a food processor and blend to desired creaminess, I like some very small chunks left.
12. Transfer to clean pot. Add milk, cream, nutmeg, and dash of hot pepper sauce.
13. Heat slowly to boiling, stirring constantly, and remove from heat.
14. Serve at once.

The influence is Greek and it’s a good influence indeed. It contains vinegars that may be cut back or omitted if you like but the tang is a very nice change from the usual daily soup. It has the usual veggies for good nutrition and flavor plus artichoke hearts that are both interesting and tasty.

MAKES: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lg boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into large bites
• 3 large potatoes, roughly diced
• 1 1/4 cup carrots, sliced
• 1 cup celery, sliced
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained, coarsely chopped
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 2 (15 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 cup white wine (optional)
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place all ingredients in a crock pot.
2. Cook 1 hour on high, then 5 hours on low or 7 hours on low, if you are not available to switch crock pot from high to low.
3. If you don’t have a crock pot, soup can just as easily be simmered for a long time on the stove, until the chicken is falling apart, about 3 hours.
4. Before serving, taste and adjust any seasoning if you feel it’s needed.

Fermented black beans are an essential ingredient to this soup. I
couldn’t find exactly the kind of beans Kunkhen used, so I settled for a
prepared black bean garlic sauce, which was perfect and gave the soup the
same earthy taste that Kunkhen’s had. I recommend that if you are using
black beans you begin by adding 5 teaspoons, then taste the soup for
seasoning. If it needs more flavor, add more black beans. The tablespoon of
black bean garlic sauce was perfect to season this amount of soup.

Makes 10 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• for the noodles:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 cup waterfor the soup:
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 2-inch length fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, cut in half lengthwise, then cut in thin half-moon shapes
• 2 ounces black radish, peeled and diced4 tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
• 5 shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup hot water
• about 5 teaspoons fermented black beans, or to taste, (or 1 heaping
  tablespoon prepared black bean garlic sauce – see head note)
• 8 cups water
• 1 1/2pounds fresh spinach, trimmed and rinsed
• 2 heads butter lettuce, rinsed, leaves scissor cut in wide strips
• sea salt to tastefor the garnish:
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, firmly packed
• 3 scallions, trimmed and minced

DIRECTIONS 1.Place the flour in a medium bowl and make a well. Add the water and the
salt and mix, then gradually mix in the flour. Turn out the dough onto a
lightly floured surface and knead it until it is slightly elastic and
smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover it with a bowl and let it sit.The noodle
dough can be prepared up to 2 hours before making the soup.

2. To make the soup, place the oil, onions and garlic in a large stockpot
over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are
translucent, about 8 minutes.Add the ginger, the carrots, and the radish
and stir, then add the tomatoes and stir.Cook, stirring, until the
tomatoes have lost their shape, about 8 minutes.

3. Drain the mushrooms, saving the liquid they soaked in, and cut them in
quarters. Add the black beans, or the black bean puree to the vegetables in
the stock pot, stir, then add the water and the mushroom soaking liquid.
Stir, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the liquid is
simmering and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Add
the spinach and the lettuces. You may need to add the greens gradually,
pushing them down into the liquid as they wilt. Cook until all the greens
are wilted.

4.While the greens are cooking, divide the noodle dough in quarters. Roll
the quarters into 1-inch thick ropes, then take one rope and holding it at
the end between your thumbs and forefingers, gradually move along the rope
of dough as you continue to pinch the dough with your fingers, so that you
end up with a band of dough that is about 2-inches wide. Repeat the process
on the same band of dough, then repeat with all the ropes of dough so that
you have four, flat bands. They will be irregular, but that is fine.When
the greens are thoroughly cooked, tear 1-inch pieces off the first band of
dough and throw them into the soup. Stir, then continue with the remaining
band of dough.The dough is fairly soft, but it tears quite well,
resulting in noodles that are irregularly shaped, just as Kunkhen’s were.

5. Cook the noodles just until they are tender, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring
the soup so they cook evenly.Serve the soup immediately, with the
garnishes alongside.