Quick Chicken Noodle Soup

I love to make really involved, complicated things sometimes. I enjoy experimenting and trying new recipes and techniques. But I don't want to do it all the time. Life is busy and a lot of the time, I just need to put healthy, wholesome food on the table. These days, it doesn't hurt if the ingredient list doesn't include a bunch of items I need to run to the store for, since I'm trying to go two weeks between shopping trips. 

This recipe uses canned chicken, but you could easily substitute cooked, shredded chicken. I like to use the canned stuff because I always have it on hand and on those evenings when I'm suddenly realizing that dinnertime is 30 minutes away and I haven't planned anything, let alone thawed anything out, I'm good to go. I always have onion, carrot, and celery in the fridge since they last so long.

My family comes from Pennsylvania Dutch country and chicken corn soup was a staple in my house growing up. This is a quick and easy nod to that childhood favorite. I use the thick, kluski noodles here, but you could really use any noodle you have on hand. And if the idea of corn is just too weird to you in a chicken soup, you can always leave it out, but I urge you to try it. Especially if you use really high quality sweet corn, there is nothing like that crunchy burst of sweetness to make this soup come alive. Did I mention it takes only 30 minutes or so to make?

The recipe starts with a standard mirepoix, which is a French word referring to the trinity of onion, celery, and carrot. I like to cut them up really small. For one, they cook more quickly that way, but it also means you get the chance for more flavors in each bite. If you like it really chunky, by all means, make them chunky!

Once you saute the mirepoix until they are a bit soft, the rest comes together very quickly. Add the broth, seasonings, noodles, corn, and chicken and cook until the noodles are tender. That's it! If you want to make it even more hearty, you can always stir in a whisked egg, stirring as you add it to make little wisps of eggy goodness in your soup. And, maybe I'm weird, as I've never heard anyone else eating it this way, but my favorite way to serve any chicken noodle soup is with shredded cheddar cheese. It's amazing!

Quick Chicken Noodle Soup

Yield: 4 servings

1/3 cup minced carrots

1/2 cup minced celery

1/2 cup minced onions

1 TBS oil

pinch salt

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup frozen sweet corn kernels

1 cup kluski egg noodles

1/4 tsp ground sage

1/8 tsp ground thyme

1/8 tsp ground rosemary

1/8 tsp ground bay leaf

1 10oz (ish) can chicken breast meat (or 1 1/2 cup cooked chicken), chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 whisked egg, stirred in at the end, optional

Heat a large sauce pan or small stock pot over medium heat. Add the oil and vegetables and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly, until they are becoming soft and the onions are translucent. Reduce heat as necessary to keep them from browning. 

Add the remaining ingredients (except the egg, if using and the salt and pepper), and bring to a gentle boil. Cook until the noodles are tender and the carrots are pleasantly soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat. Stir in the whisked egg, if desired, stirring until the egg is distributed throughout the soup and is cooked through (the egg white will turn white). 

Easy Chicken Chili

Greetings from muggy Middle Georgia! We're all moved in now and I'm trying to re-acclimate to this nasty, stifling weather. We've actually had some decent weather since we've been here, but the last week was not a part of that. This week, we've seen heat indexes in the triple-digit-teens. Yay! Despite not being super happy about being back in the muggy south (no offense, I'm really a desert girl at heart!), it sure is nice to unpack somewhere and know we're going to be there for a while. After three moves in less than two years, knowing we'll be here three years is really a blessing. I've unpacked everything! I'm planning on hanging things on the walls! We're buying living room furniture!! Gasp! It's so exciting.

As for cooking, well, unpacking and getting set up in a new place with an 18 month old running around has kept me from experimenting too much in the kitchen lately. I'm ready to get back into the really fun scratch stuff (although I have already canned some peaches and some rosemary-peach freezer jam; we are in Georgia, after all). The nice thing about scratch cooking is that it doesn't have to be complex or time consuming to make. Take this stew, for instance. It is super fast and full of convenience but is all homemade. Again, it doesn't have to be hard to be wholesome and delicious. We love it around here; I can make it in less than thirty minutes (and I don't have to remember to set anything out to thaw!) and it's a favorite of us all, toddler included! Tonight he ate his entire bowl and quite a bit of mine.

The only warning I'll throw out there is that you really will want to use unsalted stock in this stew because there are so many salty ingredients in it. I typically only add the barest hint of a dash of salt at the end and it is plenty seasoned. Avoiding overly salted soup is one of the main reasons I make my own!

Easy Chicken Chile
Yield: 4 servings

1 tsp oil
1 cup diced onions (about 1 medium)
1 tsp minced garlic (about 1 large clove)
2 small cans mild green chiles, drained (4-4.5 oz each)
4 cups unsalted chicken stock/broth
1 (12.5 oz approx) can chunk chicken, with broth
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 cup whole milk
6 TBS flour
1 (15 oz) can Cannellini beans
1 1/2 cup Monterrey Jack cheese

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Sweat the onions and garlic until the onions are transluscent. Add the chiles, broth, chicken, and cumin. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the onions are tender. Make a slurry of the milk and flour. Add the mixture to the soup and stir immediately. Continue stirring until the soup thickens. Reduce the heat to warm and add the beans and cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and is no longer visible. Serve and enjoy!

Chickpea and Lentil Stew

I wish I could have come up with a name for this recipe that is as delicious as this dish... but, alas, all I have is the humble "Chickpea and Lentil Stew." And there is meat in there. We're carnivores around here (not that we dislike vegetarian dishes, but we're partial to meat).

The first time I made this, I had a pound of lamb and was shooting from the hip. I knew the flavor profile I was shooting for and just went for it. I was multitasking (as I am wont to do these days!) and didn't take the time to write down what I put in it. Boy was I sorry once this dish was done. It was fantastic! At first taste, I immediately knew I would have to make it again, and soon, before I completely forgot what I had done. On round two, I made a bigger pot of it (now that I knew it would be good!) and I only had beef on hand. While it is delicious both ways, if you can find the lamb, I heartily recommend it. It adds a depth of flavor to the dish that beef just can't provide.

This stew is robust and flavorful. It has a Middle Eastern edge, but - as far as I know - is not authentic in any way (I did make it up as I went, after all). The chickpeas are substantial yet creamy (especially if you use ones canned without salt), and the lentils make a nice, hearty gravy. The cumin and garam masala seasoning gives it a lovely warmth. Yup, it's a keeper!

Chickpea and Lentil Stew
Yield: serves 6-8

1 1/2 - 2 pounds ground lamb (or beef)
1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
30 ounces canned chickpeas, drained (aka garbanzos - salt free, if possible)
2 TBS tomato paste
15 oz can petite diced tomatoes, with juice
4 tsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 cups beef stock
1 1/2 cups red lentils
salt, to taste

In a large Dutch oven (or heavy stock pot), brown the meat and drain off the fat. Over medium high heat, add the remaining ingredients. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Continue heating until the mixture just comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover to simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally. Depending on the brand of lentils, you may need to add a little water to keep the stew loose. Just add a little at a time until the stew is the consistency you want. Keeps very well in the refrigerator for one week.

Quick Ham & Bean Soup

I tell you, this is going to be an interesting few months... we just spent the last few weeks on vacation and had a lovely time in the middle of nowhere, Missouri. If you are ever in the Branson area and are looking for a nice place to stay, give a look to Dogwood Canyon's cabins. Of course, it was hotter than heck... and there was no Internet. Are we pathetic, or what? Perhaps it would have been easier if we'd just flat out had no service at all, but we had glimpses of it on our phones, which just taunted us for the entire week. Anyway. We had a good time despite the heat and lack of connectivity.

Now that we're home, we are preparing for the packers to arrive next week. Unfortunately, our housing has not come through yet on the base where we're headed, so we'll be going into temporary housing for a while. I've all of a sudden realized that I will be without my kitchen for at least a month, possibly longer! It has started a panic in me, and I find myself wandering through my kitchen deciding which items I can't live without for that long... my butcher knife and favorite paring knife are definitely coming with me. Beyond that, I'm still trying to decide.

This is also the first time I will be moving without taking my stocked freezer with me. In all my previous moves, we've gone door to door, so I simply locked a few pounds of dry ice in my upright freezer and moved it with everything in it. We can't do that this time. I foresee more weekly shopping and detailed meal planning on my horizon. Who knows? Maybe that will be a good thing. Hopefully, I will still be able to bake and experiment in my transient kitchen. I guess we'll find out soon!

In the meantime, we're trying to clean out the pantry and fridge here, so I made a quick and simple ham and bean soup for dinner tonight. It turned out great and it was done in about 30 minutes. You just can't complain about that.

Here are the basic ingredients. What you're not seeing here is the bacon strips, broth, and herbs.

The general plan with this soup is to first render the fat out of the bacon, saute the vegetables, simmer the broth, puree, and then add final ingredients. Did I mention this soup is fast?

Quick Ham & Bean Soup

Yield: 4 servings

2 slices bacon

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced celery

1-2 TBS minced garlic

4 cups Knorr vegetable broth

2 15-oz cans Navy beans, drained and rinsed

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp ground thyme

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups cubed ham

salt & pepper to taste

In a stock pot, cook the bacon until all the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy. Set the bacon aside for garnish or eat as the cook's reward. Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the bacon fat until translucent. Add the broth, bay leaves, thyme, and Navy beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the celery is tender.

Carefully puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender. Return to the pot and add the black beans and cubed ham. Heat through and serve! Garnish with crumbled bacon, if desired.

Southwestern Style Chicken Soup

In the last year, we've experienced a bean revolution in our household. It seems like every time I turn around, I come across evidence that beans are practically a super food. Not only are they apparently super healthy, but they are cheap and really tasty. Now, I throw them in all kinds of dishes. A lot of the time, I use them instead of adding meat. In this soup, however, the beans play a supporting role. And what a supporting role it is. I love both the flavor and texture of this soup. The creaminess of the beans contrasts perfectly with the pop of the corn kernels. The slight tang of the lime brings out the warm spice of the cumin. This is a hearty and delicious soup!

Southwestern Style Chicken Soup

Yield: 4 servings

1 TBS vegetable oil

1 onion, diced

1 TBS garlic, minced

4 cups water

1 1/2 cubes Knorr chicken bouillon

1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

1 cup frozen corn kernels (or fresh)

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1 TBS lime juice

2 tsp cumin

1 TBS chopped cilantro

salt & pepper, to taste

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large soup pot. Cook the onions until they are translucent and softened. Add the garlic and continue to saute for two minutes. Add the water and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken and remaining ingredients. Simmer for five minutes.

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

A few months ago, a friend moved away to a new duty station and gave me a grocery bag full of frozen food items she couldn't take with her. The assortment included two large bags of frozen broccoli florets. From the first moment I saw them, I immediately had an urge to make a cheesy broccoli soup. I finally got around to it the other night. This is such a quick and easy soup to make and it is filling and so mouth satisfying. I made it with non-fat milk because that's what I had on hand, but it would be even better with 2% or whole milk. When you use a lower fat milk, it is not usually the flavor that suffers, but the mouth feel. Feel free to use whatever type of milk works for you!

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Yield: 4 servings

3 strips of bacon, diced

1 medium-small onion, diced

1/4 cup flour

4 cups milk, warm

1 Knorr vegetable bouillon cube (or similar)

1 16 oz bag frozen broccoli florets

2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

salt & pepper to taste

splash of heavy cream (optional)

Heat a 4 quart pan over medium high heat. Add the pieces of bacon. Cook until the bacon has rendered its fat and browned. Spoon out the bacon onto a paper towel lined plate and set aside. Add the onion to the oil and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender and translucent.

Add the flour to the onion and fat and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Mix the warm milk and bouillon cube and then slowly add to the flour mixture, stirring with a whisk continuously. Add the broccoli and let the mixture come to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the broccoli is tender. Remove from the hear. Add the cheese, salt & pepper, cream (if using), and cooked bacon and mix thoroughly. Serve and enjoy!

Moroccan Style Chick Pea Soup

Everyone seems to assume that because I currently live in Florida that it's all sunshine and warm weather for us all winter. While I can't say we never experience that combination, in the panhandle, there's plenty of cold and dreary to go around. It seems we go through little phases of the not so nice weather. The difference between here and real winter up north is that we get a lot more breaks of beautiful weather through the winter.

It seems like we've been going through one of those not so nice phases. While two days ago was a stunningly beautiful day, today and many of the other days in the last two weeks have been cold and/or dreary. And you know what cold and dreary means? Soup! Lots and lot of soup!

This soup is wonderful for a couple of reasons. The first is that it can easily be made in less than half an hour. Another reason I like it is since there is no meat in it, I can make it spur of the moment on those evenings when I've forgotten to thaw out something for dinner. The last really great thing about it is the taste. Those Moroccan spices with the cinnamon and cumin really make this a warming soup. Yum!

Moroccan Style Chick Pea Soup
Yield: 4 servings

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp cumin powder
1/8 tsp cayenne powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
4 cups vegetable broth (I like Knorr vegetable broth cubes)
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
2 15-oz cans chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp sugar
2 cups fresh spinach

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat in a 6 quart or larger pot. Cook until onions are soft and slightly browned. Add the spices and stir to mix. Add the broth, stirring to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, chick peas, and sugar. Let cook 15-20 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and add the spinach, stirring to wilt it. Serve immediately.

Meatball Soup

Well, today is my last day in beautiful Seattle. The weather has been quite cool the last few days and I am worried about returning to the hellish sauna called "home" tomorrow. I have had a wonderful time on this visit seeing family and friends and traveling around the state looking at cool rocks. After two weeks, though, I am a little ready to get back into my routine of home.

This week we're going to have our lawn re-sod and I am will be installing a small patio of flagstone and finishing some other odd jobs I haven't quite finished outside. Prepare to sweat!

In the meantime, while enjoying my last sweat-free day in a while, I'll share with you a recipe I whipped up before coming out here. This soup has a great, robust flavor that is both hardy and delectable. It's like a French onion soup with meat! A great compromise of flavors between my husband and me.

First, you need to make the meatballs. Forgive the slightly creepy look of the ingredients in this bowl. The roll of sausage just looks weird, I know, but when it's mixed with breadcrumbs, eggs, onion, and seasonings, they're mighty tasty.

Simply mix the meatball ingredients together and form one-inch balls out of the meat. Set aside on a plate or tray until the soup is ready for them.

In the meantime, start caramelizing a bunch of onions. I always start my onions over medium-high to high heat and then turn the heat down to medium-low once I see them starting to brown. It takes a bit of time to properly caramelize onions, so be patient. I think this amount of onions took me about 30 minutes. Once they have a nice color like you see here, proceed with adding the broth. Bring to a boil and add the meatballs. Cook for 10 minutes at a low boil (reduce heat as necessary) and then at the very end add the Madeira (a fortified cooking wine) and chopped spinach. The soup can then be served immediately.

Meatball Soup
Yield: 6 servings

2 onions, halved and sliced
1 TBS butter

1 lb pork sausage
1/3 cup minced onion
1 tsp minced parsley (fresh or dried)
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt

6 cups chicken broth
2 TBS Madeira
2 cups loosely packed, chopped fresh spinach

Heat a skillet over medium-high to high heat. Melt the butter and add the sliced onions. Toss onions to coat with butter and then cook, stirring occasionally until they just start to brown. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring from time to time, until the onions are caramelized and show a nice, rich, brown color. It should take about 3o minutes.

While the onions are cooking, mix the meatball ingredients together and form into one-inch balls. Set aside completed meatballs on a tray or plate.

When the onions are done, add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the meatballs gently to the broth and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle boil. Once the meatballs are cooked through, add the Madeira and the spinach. Serve immediately.

Chicken Broth

Today is a monumental day... today is the first day of the rest of my life. I love teaching, but - having taught now in multiple schools in multiple states - I have come to the following profound conclusion: all schools are not created equal. OK... maybe it's not profound, but it really has impacted my life. This is the second time I have gotten stuck spending a year at a school that has discipline (read: lack of) issues. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but that just doesn't fly with me. And so, I start a new chapter in my life. Granted, this last chapter wasn't that long, but - work with me here. It feels significant. I can breathe again!

I can cook again! This last weekend, I canned chicken broth. I really like having homemade chicken broth on hand. I know a lot of people freeze it, but as it is very often a last minute dinner ingredient for me, I prefer the convenience of not having to thaw it out first. Plus, it doesn't hurt that I don't have to fill up my freezer with it.

Can you believe that I made chicken broth for less than I can buy it at the store? I think I was recently paying somewhere between 65 and 85 cents a can for Swanson's recently. Depending on where you live, you may have to spend a lot more! I bought a ten pound bag of fryer legs for less than nine bucks. From that, I canned 18 pints of broth, had two meals from the broth that didn't fit in one canner batch, and put four cups of chicken meat in the freezer for later. Even with incidental costs for canning lids and vegetables, I still come out ahead. And it tastes better! For folks watching their salt intake, it's a heck of a deal.

You can sometimes get really cheap chicken parts from your butcher (backs work well and are usually quite cheap), but what I really liked about using the fryer legs was that I could then save the meat and freeze it separately to use later. The cost savings just keep on adding up!

The hardest part about this process is getting comfortable with a pressure canner. When I first got mine, despite the fact that I knew there were multiple safety mechanisms on them to keep them from blowing up, I was nervous. I'm over than now. I'll tell you what, you take my word for it and skip right ahead to being over it too. Pressure canners are so wonderful! To be honest, they're less work to use than a water bath canner (if you aren't up to speed on the difference between the two types of canning or on the basics of how to can, read this).

Place the chicken in a large stock pot. Please note, for this recipe, I really mean large! You can cut this recipe down however much you like, but for the amounts I used, you need at least a 20 quart (5 gallon) stock pot. The good news? This is not a hard and fast recipe. Exact proportions are not required, so use what you've got and wing the amounts. It'll turn out fine.

Roughly cut up a bunch of vegetables. I like to use the traditional combination of celery, onions, and carrots.

Throw the vegetables into the pot with the chicken and then add a few sprigs of parsley, and small bunch of thyme, a couple garlic cloves, a teaspoon of whole peppercorns, a few bay leaves, and some salt. Add 2 1/2 gallons of cool water and turn on high. When it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. I cover mine to help it heat up faster and then cook it uncovered at a simmer.

Unfortunately, cooking chicken in this way does not lend itself to being a pretty sight. For that matter, the aroma isn't that great either. Have faith; all will be well in the end. Cook until the chicken pieces are cooked through (I use a thermometer to be sure). Remove the pieces and let them cool until you can handle them to remove the meat to save for another use. Return the bones and skin back into the stock pot and simmer another hour.

I got four bags of pulled chicken to put in the freezer (about a cup of meat each) to use for quick meals. I love the added bonus.

Prepare your jars and canner following the instructions for your canner. When the broth is done, ladle it through a sieve. For the best clarity, you don't want to pour the broth, but I was lazy this time and poured away and it didn't turn out too cloudy. Your judgement call here. Pints process for 20 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure, quarts for 25 minutes. Fill the jars leaving a 1/2 inch head space. Be sure you don't start your processing time until the pressure control starts jiggling (or however your canner works - be sure your 20-25 minutes starts after the pressure is sufficient for processing). Let the canner cool off at room temperature before opening and removing the jars.

Again, I got 18 pints out of this batch; this should last me a good while, don't you think?


Chicken Broth
Yield: approximately 22 pints of broth

10 lbs fryer legs
2 1/2 gallons water
3 onions
3 carrots
4 celery ribs with greens
parsley
thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp whole peppercorns
2 garlic cloves
1 TBS salt (or to taste)

Chop the onions, carrots, and celery into large pieces. Place all ingredients into a 20 quart stock pot. Cover and turn heat to high. When broth comes to a boil, uncover and simmer 1 hour, until chicken is cooked through (it may take a long time to come to a boil). Remove chicken pieces onto a plate or tray and let cool until you can handle them to pull the meat. Return scraps and bones back into the broth and continue cooking another hour at a simmer.

Prepare your jars and canner according to your canner's instructions. Ladle broth through a sieve and then pour into jars so that there is a half-inch head space at the top. Can at 10 pounds of pressure, 20 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts. Allow canner to come back to room temperature slowly. Check for a proper seal before storing in a cool, dark place.

Tomato and Bean Soup

I've been a little more pressed for time this week than I anticipated. But I'm trying to eat better, too. A week of indulgent eating while out of town for spring break means I need to rein things back in. After having spinach salad for dinner the last two nights, I was ready for something a little more substantial. But what to make? I was in a hurry and hadn't thawed anything out.

Who knew such a delicious soup could result from such humble ingredients? I spied a can of cannellini beans and a can of diced tomatoes. About twenty minutes later, I was eating dinner! Hallelujah!

Tomato and Bean Soup
Yield: 4 servings

1 TBS olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 rib of celery (with greens, if possible), diced
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh oregano
1/8 tsp pepper
4 cups vegetable broth
1 - 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
2 - 1" slices of lemon rind
1 TBS minced fresh basil
rind of Parmigiano Reggiano (optional)
salt to taste

Saute the onion, garlic, and celery in the oil over medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add the herbs, pepper, and broth and cook at a simmer until the celery is tender, about 10 minutes. If you have a rind of cheese that you plan to add, add it when you add the herbs.

Drain and rinse the beans and tomatoes (this can be done together). Fish out the garlic cloves, herbs, lemon rind, and - if used - the cheese rind and discard. Add the beans and tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 2-4 minutes. Add the minced basil. Lastly, add salt to taste. Because every broth is different, the amount of salt needed with vary. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

NOTE: When a recipe calls for vegetable broth, I reach for Knorr's broth cubes. Out of all the bouillon out there, it is the only one I've found that consistently has a great broth flavor for a reasonable price and can-free convenience.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Nothing says spring to me like asparagus. I know in many parts of the country, spring is just a far off dream, but here in Florida, we're starting to see asparagus in the market at peak-season price. I just can't help but think that it is spring when that happens.

It used to be that I knew spring had sprung when tender shoots of asparagus peeked out from the soil of my perennial garden in Ohio. There is nothing like home grown, fresh picked asparagus. And it is so easy to grow! The only down side is that it takes a few years to get the bed established. If you have the patience, you will be rewarded... unless your husband's in the military and then you get to be Johnny Appleseed and continually plant for other's enjoyment.

I did at least get to enjoy one decent harvest from my asparagus bed in Ohio before we had to leave. Doesn't that look fabulous? I hope the folks that bought our house like asparagus. This year should be a bumper crop!

Asparagus is such a great vegetable. You can include it in dishes for any time of the day. It's great in quiche. It's great wrapped in prosciutto and roasted. I like it steamed with a sprinkling of smoked salt. It also happens to rock as a soup. While this recipe can really highlight a number of vegetables (think broccoli or cauliflower), it's especially good with asparagus.

It starts with shallots and asparagus. And a little butter. You didn't think I'd forget about the butter, did you? While, ultimately, the soup will be pureed, I like to chop all the ingredients small so that they cook quickly. Usually when I make this soup, I'm in a hurry for some sustenance.

Saute the shallot in butter over medium heat. Add some celery and the asparagus pieces. Be sure to trim the stems so that you are only using the tender part of the spear. I once thought that because the soup was pureed I would use the whole spear. BIG mistake. The asparagus was pureed, but the soup still had a distinct woody texture. Not a very pleasant experience, let me tell you.

When the vegetables are softened and slightly browned, add the chicken broth. Cook at a simmer until the vegetables are very tender, almost falling apart. I save the tips of the asparagus for garnishing the soup. About five minutes before the vegetables are done, I cook the tips in the broth using a piece of cheesecloth to keep them separated.

Remove the soup from the heat and let cool for a few minutes before pureeing in a food processor or blender. In my experience, you don't have to worry too much about over processing it. It maintains a nice texture even with a fair amount of processing. Return the soup to the pan and place over medium-low heat. Add the cream and stir until it just reaches a simmer. Remove from the heat and serve!

Cream of Asparagus Soup
Yield: 2 servings, double/triple, etc. as needed

1 TBS butter
1 small shallot, diced
1/4 cup celery ribs, diced
2 cups chopped asparagus spears, woody ends removed
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup cream (heavy or light, depending on your mood)
salt & pepper to taste

Saute the shallot and celery in the butter over medium-high heat. Reduce heat as needed to prevent too much browning. When the shallot and celery are beginning to soften, add the asparagus. Saute for another 3-4 minutes.

Add the broth and bring the soup to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are very tender, about ten minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and let cool slightly before pureeing in a food processor or blender. Return the soup to the pot and place back over the heat. Add the cream and salt and pepper. Heat, stirring, until it just reaches a simmer. Remove from the heat and serve.

Salmon Chowder in a Flash

I can't tell you how long I've had this little can of salmon sitting in my pantry. Every time I opened the door, it would stare out at me forlornly. "Choose me. Cook me," it always seemed to say. But, alas, I would grab something else and tell that poor little can that maybe next time would be its chance.

It's not as if I've never used a can of salmon before; I have. But not often and not with great success. To be honest, I think it was a result of the age old quandary: I have it but what do I do with it? I had never received that canned salmon epiphany... until five days ago. Can't tell you where it came from, how, or why. After all these times opening and closing that pantry door, this time... this time, it came. Chowder. I would prepare a super fast and easy salmon chowder. It was fast (less than 30 minutes) and it was absolutely delicious. I might have to go buy another can now!

It starts with a 7 1/2 ounce can of salmon. To round out the flavor, I used celery and shallots, but you could substitute onions for the shallots if you wish. I cut the vegetables into pretty small pieces. I wanted them to cook quickly and I didn't want big pieces to overwhelm the salmon flavor.

I turned a pan on medium-high heat and melted a tablespoon of butter. Once things were warmed up, I added the vegetables and let them sweat it out for a few minutes. I'm guessing it was about five minutes, about the time it took me to prepare the salmon and the remaining ingredients. Oh, yeah, and I added a bit of fresh ground black pepper. Normally I would add some salt at this stage, but between the butter, the salmon, and the broth it can get pretty salty. It's best to wait until the end and add salt to taste, if necessary.

Most canned salmon consists of a salmon steak (cross-wise cuts through the fish). This means that there is part of the spine running through the can. They also can it with the skin on. I pull the meat out of the can and remove the backbone and skin. You can ignore the bones, though. Through the canning process they have become softened enough to eat... in fact, this is why canned salmon is a pretty decent source of calcium. Once the vegetables are softened, add the salmon and any juice in the can into the pot. Stir around for a minute and then add the water and half of a bouillon cube. Bring to a simmer and cook with a bay leaf for 5-10 minutes.


The last step is to add the milk slurry. You do not have to thicken this soup at all, or you could thicken it a lot more. As presented here, it will not be super thick, but it will have some body. Adjust as you see fit. Mix the corn starch and milk together before the milk is heated. Pour into the pan and heat until it comes to a simmer. Cook for about a minute and remove from the heat. If desired, you can add a splash of heavy (or light) cream to give a little bit of that rich mouth feel. Lastly, add a small pinch (I used about a teaspoon) of fresh minced parsley. If you only have dried, it's not a big deal.

Salmon Chowder in a Flash
Yield: 2-3 servings, about 1 quart

1 TBS butter
1/4 cup celery, diced small
1/4 cup shallot, diced small (onion's OK, too)
dash fresh ground pepper
7 1/2 oz can salmon with juice
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 cube Knorr vegetable bouillon (or similar)
1 cup milk (preferably whole)
2 TBS corn starch
splash heavy or light cream (optional)
1 tsp fresh or dried parsley

Melt butter in a 2 quart sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the celery and shallot and cook, stirring occasionally until softened and lightly browned. Somewhere along the way, add a dash of fresh pepper. Meanwhile, open the salmon, save the juice, and pull it into small pieces, removing the skin and backbone. You can leave all the other, smaller bones alone.

When the vegetables are ready, add the salmon and juice to the pan along with the water, bouillon, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Mix the milk and cornstarch together to form a slurry. Add to the soup, stirring constantly. Bring back up to a simmer and cook about 1 minute, until the mixture has thickened slightly. Test for salt and adjust as necessary. Add a splash of cream, if desired. Lastly, stir in the parsley and serve.

Corn Chowder

This is such a great little recipe. I think I've mentioned before that I firmly believe corn and cumin were made for each other. Somehow, the flavors are perfect compliments. This soup takes perfect advantage of this pairing.

While I usually make this soup with chicken stock, it can just as easily be made vegetarian by using vegetable stock. In fact, I think that's how this soup originated, but I just can't be bothered to keep vegetable and chicken stock on hand.

If you want a soup that tastes good and looks its best, then use only 1 teaspoon of cumin. I really like the flavor than an additional teaspoon provides, but I have to admit that it does make the soup look a little more brown and a little less attractive.

Corn Chowder
Yield: 6 servings

2 TBS butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1-2 tsp ground cumin
2 cup chicken broth/stock
2 medium potatoes, peeled & diced

1 cup cream-style corn
2 cups whole corn kernels
3 TBS chopped fresh parsley
2 cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp lime juice
salt & pepper to taste
2 TBS heavy cream (optional)
fresh chives (optional)

Melt the butter in a stock pot on the stove top. Add the onions and saute until they are tender and translucent. Add the cumin, broth/stock, and potatoes. Cook, covered, at a low boil until the potatoes are tender (15-20 minutes).

Remove the lid and add the corn, parsley, and milk. Stir to mix and then reduce the heat slightly. You want to heat the corn and milk but not bring it to a boil. Once it is nice and hot, add the cheese and the lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you want to add an extra richness, add a small dollop of heavy cream. You can also garnish with a small bit of cream. Serve into bowls and garnish with chives, if desired.

Won Tons

There are certain things that I just like to have on hand in the freezer for quick meals. I freeze my chocolate chip muffins for breakfast in the mornings. When I make tacos, I make four times as much taco meat as I need so that I can freeze the leftovers for nachos. When I make waffles, I make a triple batch and freeze the remainders for a quick toaster breakfast. When I make meatballs, I make extras to freeze to use as a quick meat for spaghetti. And I like to freeze won tons to make a quick, delicious soup.

On the day that I make the won tons, I fry up some pot stickers. I find that pot stickers don't cook up very well from frozen homemade won tons, so I try to get my pot sticker fill that one day. I individually freeze the remaining dumplings for future use.

Here are the ingredients you need. There's not much to these things. I like the round won ton wrappers, but sometimes I can't find them (like this time). When this happens, I use a large round cookie cutter to make them round. You can form won tons out of square wrappers, I just don't personally care for that "hat" shape.

So, here we have wrappers, soy sauce, ground pork, onion, cabbage, ginger, carrot, and onion. I like my filling to be pretty homogeneous, so I shred everything finely using a box grater. You can use a food processor shredder, but I often end up with large shreds that way. The filling will be added to the wrappers in teaspoon size increments... that means you need the filling ingredients to be in small pieces. Using the box grater does have one drawback, though. It tends to make the vegetables release water, so you'll need to press a little of that excess water out.

Oh, I almost forgot; you need an egg, too. Add the soy sauce and mix thoroughly!

You'll need a small bowl of water to dip your finger in so that you can wet the edge of the wrappers. This provides the "glue" to stick the edges together to form the little dumplings. Place about one teaspoon in the middle of each wrapper. Wet the edge of one half of the wrapper. Using both hands, fold the wrapper over, pressing the air out at the same time. To form the little dumpling shape that I like, once the edges are sealed, keeping your fingers at 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock, gently press the dumpling onto a parchment lined sheet. This motion flattens the bottom and also helps to form the ruffled edges on the dumplings.

Won Ton Filling
Yield: enough to fill about 50-60 wrappers

1/2 lb ground pork
1/3 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup shredded onion
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 TBS grated ginger
1 egg
1/4 cup soy sauce

Mix all ingredients together. Spoon about a teaspoon into the middle of each won ton wrapper. Wet half of the wrapper edge with water. Fold over, pressing all of the air out as you do so. Press down on the dumpling at 10 and 2 o'clock when placing on a parchment lined sheet to form the dumpling shape. Either cook as pot stickers (can be held on pan in the refrigerator for a couple of hours) or freeze for 24 hours on sheet before transferring to zip-top bags for long term freezer storage.

Preparing Pot Stickers

To cook pot stickers, heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with a light skim of oil in the bottom. Wait until the oil is hot and then add the won tons. Do not over crowd the pan or they might stick together into a ghastly mess. Fry the won tons, turning every couple of minutes to get a nice brown crust on each side. Once all the sides are crisped up, place the lid on the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low or low and let them steam for another 3-5 minutes. I like to serve with a dipping sauce I make using soy sauce, honey, rice wine, green onions, and ginger. Yummy!

Preparing Won Ton Soup
Serves 2

In a small sauce pan, pour one can of chicken broth, add a splash of soy sauce, throw in a tablespoon or so of fresh cut green onions (the green tops), and a 1/4 inch slice of ginger. The ginger should be removed before serving or someone will be in for a spicy surprise!! Bring this mixture to a boil and add 8-10 frozen won tons. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat, and boil gently for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy! If you want more soup, just use more broth and adjust accordingly.

Potato Soup #143

There are some things that I make that are never the same. Take potato soup, for instance. God only knows how many times I've made it. Maybe this was #143... who really knows? I have a general formula, but every time I make it, it is always a new creation. This is a great, bad thing. It's great because it never gets old and it's bad because sometimes I make a soup that is absolutely phenomenal and I don't remember how I did it.

When we had potato soup a couple of weeks ago, I knew that I would be taking pictures of it for later posting on here. Therefore, I did something I don't usually do when I make potato soup - I wrote down what I put in it as I made it. What I'm posting here today was that day's version of potato soup. It was very good and I feel confident sharing it with you, but I will probably never make it exactly this way again. With some things I just can't help but shoot from the hip.

Potato Soup #143
Yield: 4-6 servings

2 tsp olive oil
6 strips bacon, chopped
5 small potatoes cut into cm sized cubes (2-3 cups, cubed)
1/2 cup diced onions or shallots
1/4 cup diced celery
3 TBS flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
2 cups milk
2 TBS heavy cream (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

In a heavy Dutch oven, add the oil and bacon and cook over medium to medium-high heat until the bacon is crispy. While the bacon is cooking, prepare the potatoes, onion, and celery. Remove the bacon onto a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

Drain off all but 2 TBS of the bacon grease. Add the onion and celery to the pot and saute over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until the onions are slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir to thoroughly mix. Add the broth (it works best if the broth is slightly heated, but this step is not required), parsley, and marjoram. Add the potatoes and cover, reducing heat to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are soft, about 15-20 minutes. Add milk and stir. Stir in the heavy cream, if using. The cream is optional, but it is amazing what even a little bit of the stuff does to the mouthfeel of a creamy soup. Right before serving, return most of the bacon into the soup. I hold a bit back to sprinkle on top of the bowls when I serve them.

Minestrone Soup

This is a really wonderful soup. I especially enjoy making it in the summer when I can use a lot of items out of my garden. But you can make it at any time of the year. It makes a good amount of soup, but it freezes well and also makes great leftovers. In fact, I think it tastes better on the second day. I'll often make this for company, but cook it up a day or two ahead of time. Then I simply reheat it to serve. Be sure to top it with generous amount of a grated cheese such as Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano.

Minestrone Soup
Yield: 10-12 cups

3 TBS olive oil
2 TBS minced garlic
1/4 cup green onions, chopped (green parts too)
1 medium onion, minced
1 cup chopped celery, leaves included
2 carrots, shredded

2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes (with juice)
6 cups water
1 15 oz cans red kidney beans
1 15 oz cans cannellini beans
2/3 cup cilantro, chopped

2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 TBS dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 TBS dried basil
1 TBS dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried rosemary

2 small zucchini, halved and sliced
1 cup small shells

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over fairly high heat. Add garlic, onions, celery, and carrots to the oil and saute for about 1 minutes, until they begin to soften and brown slightly. Add the next two batches of ingredients (do not add the zucchini or shells yet). Stir to mix. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for one hour. Add zucchini and cook for 15 minutes and then add shells and cook for 15 minutes more. Soup is then ready to serve or you can cool it and store in the refrigerator to serve another day. Keeps for up to five days in the refrigerator and can be frozen for up to one year.

Tomato Soup

It's time to start thinking about planting tomatoes. I am sad that this year I will have to forgo this ritual since my husband and I are in middle of moving from our small Ohio farm to a subdivision in Florida (that's the military for ya!). Eventually, I'll make some raised beds in our new yard so that I can raise tomatoes there as well, but it won't happen in time for this summer. Fortunately, I have jars of tomato products in my pantry from last summer's monster tomato crop to tide me over.

Of all the tomato products I can, tomato soup is probably my favorite. It is so much better than what comes in a can at the store. I use my countertop roaster oven when preparing the tomatoes for this soup; it's almost like having a giant crock pot. You want to cook off a huge amount of the water, and I find cooking them down in the roaster oven provides less opportunity for scorching. Plus, the capacity is pretty darn good. If you aren't interested in canning this soup, I have also included directions for making it at home in a jiffy using store bought canned tomatoes.

Home Canned Tomato Soup
Yield: Variable, make as much or as little of this soup as you need/want. Specific instructions are given on a per pint jar basis.

Prepare the tomatoes: Wash and remove the green stems of the tomatoes you want to use. Fill stock pot or countertop roaster oven with halved or quartered tomatoes to help them cook down more quickly. Cook until thick and reduced by at least 1/3. It somewhat depends on how watery the tomatoes were to start, but remember that thicker is richer! In my countertop roaster, I used the 300 degree temperature setting. This cook down part takes a while, maybe as much as 6-10 hours, but you can turn it on and basically walk away. You could make it go much faster if you stood there stirring it the whole time, but I don't have the patience for that! Once it is nicely thickened, let it cool enough to handle without burning yourself. Process the sauce through a food mill with a tomato screen.

Fill the jars: Before getting too far along, be sure to get your water bath canner water ready. If you aren't sure about canning processes, get the low down on my Canning 101 page.

For each pint jar, add the following:
2 tsp cook type clear jel (a special type of corn starch specially made for canning)
1/2 tsp tomato soup seasoning (see below)
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS light corn syrup

Add a small amount of soup to the jar and mix thoroughly. Then fill up the jar leaving 1/4 inch of head space. Seal and process for 35 minutes.

To prepare the soup for eating, pour soup into a sauce pan with half a jar (1 cup) of milk (or water). Heat over medium-high heat until the soup starts to boil and turns bright red. Serve with shredded cheese and sprinkle with dried oregano.


Tomato Soup Seasoning Mix

2 TBS dried parsley
1 TBS dried oregano
2 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp onion powder
4 tsp beau monde seasoning (a seasoning blend, often available in the spice section of the supermarket, available through Amazon if not)


Quick Tomato Soup
Yield: 2 servings

1 15-oz jar plain crushed tomatoes (be sure to check the label, a lot of them have other flavorings in them)
1/2 tsp tomato soup seasoning (see recipe above)
1/4 tsp salt (will vary depending on the brand of tomatoes you use)
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
2 TBS corn syrup
1 cup milk (or water)

Mix all ingredients in a sauce pot and cook over medium-high heat until it starts to boil and turns bright red. Serve with shredded cheese and sprinkle with oregano. Also very good with pepperoni that has been nuked in the microwave to a crisp. Yum!

Quick Fix Chili

I suppose there are some serious chili cooks out there that might take offense when I say that I'm not really sure why everyone seems to think that you can't make a good chili in a hurry. This chili takes less than an hour to make and the vast majority of that time it's just bubbling away, leaving you to do other things.

As an FYI, I may just have the wussiest tongue known to man. Since I got married, I have tried to expand my spice heat-tolerance, but not very successfully. This chili is quite mild, if you like yours to make you sweat, then add some jalapeno or cayenne. The chili peppers that I use in here are Anaheim peppers, which give good chili flavor without too much heat and are usually available in any grocery store. As for the chili powder, I just use the cheap grocery store type in the big jar. It's not hot, but adds great flavor.

Quick Fix Chili
Yield: 4-6 servings

1 TBS oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground meat (I usually use venison since it's what I have, but beef is great too)
1 16oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 c chopped fresh Anaheim chili pepper
1 cup tomato sauce
1 quart whole canned tomatoes (the large can, 28 oz, I think)
4 TBS chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Heat a stock pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil, onions, and garlic. Saute until slightly softened. Add ground meat and brown, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Add remaining ingredients, stirring to mix. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a slow boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Serve with shredded cheese or sour cream. Cornbread is also a great accompaniment.

French Onion Soup

I didn't want a heavy dinner tonight, so I thought it was a good time to make some french onion soup. I love making this soup because it has a rich flavor and is so easy.

French Onion Soup

2 TBS butter
2 large onions (preferably sweet onions)

1 TBS flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
bouquet garni (thyme, bay, and parsley)
2 - 14 oz. cans beef broth (approx. 4 cups)
3 TBS Madeira
salt & pepper to taste

Slices of Toasted Bread (preferably french baguette)
Shredded Gruyere cheese

Slice onions fairly thinly. Melt butter in a soup pot over medium-high heat, add onions and stir to coat evenly. Cook over medium-high heat until onions begin to soften and brown. Turn heat down to medium as necessary to prevent burning. Cook 15-30 minutes until onions are well browned and caramelized. How browned you let the onions get depends on how patient you are. I wouldn't proceed until they are at least at far along as what you see in this picture.

Add flour and stir to coat. Cook for a minute and then add wine to deglaze the pan. Add broth and bouquet garni. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove bouquet garni, add Madeira, and let cook 2 minutes more.

To serve, ladle into bowls, place slices of toast floating on soup, cover with shredded cheese. Place under broiler until bubbly and browned. Enjoy!

Notes: A bouquet garni is simply a bundle or pouch of herbs. In the summer, when I have fresh herbs, I simply tie them together with kitchen twine. This time of year, I use a linen bag with a pull tie (sold as bouquet garni bags in some specialty shops). Madeira is a fortified wine that is available for a reasonable price at the liquor store and some supermarkets. Don't be concerned about having to buy a whole bottle just for this recipe, Madeira is a great cooking wine and you'll be glad to have it around. As far as the cheese goes, there are a lot of cheeses that work well for garnishing this soup, Gruyere (a type of Swiss) is my favorite, but regular Swiss, mozzarella and provolone are also superb. This recipe makes 4 small bowls of soup or two large bowls.