I was recently thumbing through Fresh Every Day: More Great Recipes From Foster’s Marketby Sara Foster when I came across a recipe for Chipotle-Squash Soup. I love winter squash in just about any form and was intrigued by the use of chipotle peppers and rosemary for flavoring in this soup. It turns out that they work great together!

This delicious soup will definitely warm you up, especially if you go overboard on the chipotle pepper like I did. Since I really like the heat and flavor of chipotle pepper, I found a few big ones in the can, chopped them up and added them to the soup. Then, just to throw caution to the wind, I added a few more teaspoons of adobo sauce to the boiling broth. Needless to say, my soup turned out fairly spicy. If you follow the directions, though, I’m sure your soup will be much milder than mine.

To keep the soup mild, start by adding just a small amount of chipotle then taste the broth. You can always add more if you’d like more spice or smokiness.  As far as the rosemary, I only added about 1 tablespoon because I didn’t want it to overwhelm the other flavors. I garnished each bowl of soup with a dollop of sour cream. Yumm!

Chipotle-Squash Soup with Fresh Rosemary
-recipe from Fresh Every Day: More Great Recipes From Foster’s Market by Sara Foster

Chipotle chiles give this soup a pleasant heat and smokiness without making it too spicy. I often dress it up with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream mixed with fresh lime juice. Serves 8 to 10 (makes about 2 1/2 quarts)

1 small winter squash such as pumpkin, butternut or acorn (2 to 2 1/2 pounds), halved and seeds removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1-2 chipotle chiles in adobo, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted and salted, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet with sides. Add 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan and roast the squash until it is soft to the touch, 40 to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onion is very soft and light brown. Add carrots and bell pepper and continue to cook and stir until the carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, until it is fragrant but not brown.

Add broth, chipotle chiles, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring the soup to a low boil over medium-high heat. While the soup is coming to a boil, scoop out squash flesh with large spoon. Discard skin and add the flesh to the soup. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove the soup from heat and stir in the rosemary. Allow the soup to cool slightly before pureeing. Working in batches if necessary, pour the soup into the bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade and puree until smooth, or puree the soup directly in pot using immersion blender. Reheat if necessary and serve warm, garnished with toasted, salted pumpkin seeds.

Tags: chipotle, Soup/Stew, winter squash

One of my absolute favorite summer dishes is Andalusian Gazpacho, a Spanish tomato-based soup. To me, it tastes like summer in a bowl. You must, however, start with good farm stand or homegrown tomatoes. Period. Don’t even think about making this gazpacho if you can’t use excellent tomatoes. 

I pretty much follow the recipe except for substituting red bell pepper for the green pepper. Also, I don’t add any water to the soup because I don’t want to dilute any of the flavor, and I don’t bother to use the sieve to strain out the little bits of tomato and pepper skin (though you should strain the soup if you want it perfectly smooth). Most gazpachos are served cold, but I like this one best at room-temperature right after it’s made. It’s a perfect way to showcase those delicious, garden-fresh tomatoes!

Andalusian Gazpacho
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

Straining this soup makes it absolutely smooth; if you’d rather not strain it, purée it more coarsely so the soup is chunky and tiny fibers aren’t an issue. This recipe was adapted from Carmen Perujo, a home cook from Seville, who says that gazpacho used to be served as the penultimate course of the midday meal, “just before the fruit, which was always our dessert.” Nowadays, it’s often served as an appetizer.

Serves four. Yields 4 cups.

2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped (to yield 2 cups)
1-1/2 lb. very red, ripe tomatoes (about 4 large), cut into large pieces
3-inch-long piece of baguette, sliced and dried overnight or until hard
1/2 cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar; more to taste
2 tsp. coarse salt; more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
1 cup peeled, diced cucumber, for garnish
1 cup diced onion, for garnish (optional)

Put the garlic, green pepper, tomatoes, bread, olive oil, vinegar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients begin to purée (if the bread is hard, it may bounce about and take a while to break down); continue processing until the mixture is as fine a purée as possible, 3 to 5 min.

Pass the soup through a large fine sieve set over a large bowl, pressing until only solids remain in the sieve; discard the solids. Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup ­water, or enough to give the soup the consistency of a thin milkshake. If you want a thicker soup, add less water, or none at all. Add more salt or vinegar to taste. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled (or serve it ­immediately with a few ice cubes in each bowl).

Ladle the gazpacho into chilled bowls or cups. Grind fresh pepper on top, if you want, and pass bowls of diced cucumber and onion, if using, so ­people can garnish their own.

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Tags: Andalusian Gazpacho, Quick Cooking, Soup/Stew, tomato

This recipe, a twist on traditional chicken noodle soup, features corn, orzo (a rice-shaped pasta) and saffron (the stigma of a Mediterranean crocus flower). Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice by weight, and is popular in Spanish, Indian and Mediterranean cooking. The recipe calls for a “pinch” of saffron which is approximately 1/8 teaspoon (much more than that will overpower the soup). If you don’t like saffron or don’t have any, the soup will still be good without it although it will be missing some of the golden-yellow color and the distinct flavor that saffron gives to food. To make it a heartier soup, add more orzo, chicken and corn.

Golden Chicken, Corn & Orzo Soup
-Recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

Serves five to six as a main course.

 2 Tbs. olive oil     
2 large ribs celery, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 pinch saffron threads
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 qt. homemade or low-salt chicken broth
2 cups finely diced or shredded cooked chicken (such as leftover roast chicken)
1/2 cup orzo
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tip: You might wonder why the orzo is cooked separately. There are two reasons. If you boiled the orzo directly in the soup, the starch from the pasta would cloud the soup broth, and the orzo would also suck up too much of the soup broth as it cooked. Boiling the pasta separately solves both of these problems.

Bring a medium saucepan of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, saffron, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, add the chicken and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. While the soup simmers, cook the orzo in the boiling salted water until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.

Add the drained orzo, corn, and parsley to the soup and cook just until the corn is heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if needed.

Tags: chicken soup, corn, orzo, Quick Cooking, saffron, Soup/Stew

This is a great soup…simple yet hearty and delicious. I did a few things differently but nothing that would alter the recipe too much. For starters, I used bulk Italian sausage instead of the links. If using bulk sausage, just break it into pieces with a spatula as it browns in the pan. I used a few more carrots than the recipe called for, added 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, and used low-salt chicken broth (Italian sausage and prosciutto can be salty depending on the brand). After letting the soup simmer for about 20 minutes, I added about 3 cups of chopped kale and let it cook for a few minutes until it wilted. You can save a little money by omitting the prosciutto…the soup will still be good without it. If making the soup ahead of time, add the kale (if using) when reheating and let it cook for several minutes before serving; this way the kale should be bright green when you dish up the soup. Adjust seasonings if needed and serve the soup sprinkled with a little parmesan cheese if you like.

Sausage & White Bean Soup  
-from Perfect Recipes for Having People Over by Pam Anderson
Servings: 8

“Most of us enjoy a good pot of ham and bean soup, but often we don’t have a ham bone on hand or the time to soak and simmer dried beans. Minced prosciutto instantly transforms chicken broth into a ham-flavored soup base. Italian sausage reinforces the pork flavor and makes the soup satisfying and substantial. Canned beans work as well as dried ones, and mashing some of them thickens the soup and gives it body.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sweet or hot Italian sausage
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto ham, minced
2 medium onions, cut into medium dice
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into medium dice
2 medium celery stalks, cut into medium dice
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 quart chicken broth
3 cans (16 ounces each) great northern or other white beans, undrained

Heat oil in a large deep pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add sausages and cook, turning once or twice, until well-browned on all sides, about 5 minutes (sausage will not be fully cooked).  Remove with a slotted spoon; when cool enough to handle, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Meanwhile, add prosciutto, onions, carrots, celery and thyme to pot and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are well browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add broth and sausage. Smash 1 can of beans with a fork, then add to soup with remaining beans. Cover, and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, to blend flavors, 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes to let flavors develop.

Return soup to a simmer and serve. 

Make-ahead Tip: The cooled soup can be refrigerated up to 3 days.
How can I vary it? Substitute smoked cooked sausage: kielbasa or chorizo. Other varieties of canned beans can be substituted as well.

Tags: italian sausage, Soup/Stew, white beans

Sometimes a simple homemade soup speaks volumes. I made this one recently for a birthday luncheon for some friends. It was pretty (with its bold, bright colors) and went perfectly with paninis. The soup may sound fancy but it’s really pretty basic…just tomato soup drizzled with a basil sauce. Coulis (pronounced “coo-LEE”) is a sauce made from fruits or vegetables, and in this case basil. Both the soup and coulis are easy to make and great for entertaining because you can make them a day before serving. If you don’t have a squeeze bottle (available at cookware stores), just drizzle the coulis onto the soup with a spoon. 

Creamy Tomato Soup with Basil Coulis
by Fine Cooking magazine

Serves six. Yields about 6-1/2 cups.

For the basil coulis:
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic, crushed and peeled; more to taste
Sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 Tbs. more if needed

For the soup:
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
One-half red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cups lower-salt chicken broth
28-oz. can whole peeled plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped (reserve the juice)
1 large sprig fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Make the coulis: Have ready a medium bowl of ice water. In a small saucepan, bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Add the basil and blanch for 30 seconds. Remove from the water with a strainer or slotted spoon and plunge into the ice water.

Once it’s cool, squeeze the basil with your hands to remove excess water. Put the basil in a blender or food processor and add the crushed garlic and a pinch of salt. With the machine running, slowly add 1/4 cup of the oil. If the mixture clings to the side of the container, add the remaining 2 Tbs. oil. Purée until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer the coulis to a squeeze bottle or a jar.

Make the soup: In a nonreactive 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery, and red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are quite soft, about 10 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, thyme, 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper, and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes.

Discard the thyme sprig. Let cool briefly and then purée the soup in two or three batches in a blender or food processor (see tip below). Rinse the pot and return the soup to the pot. If it is too thick, add some of the reserved tomato juice. Reheat if necessary and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top each serving with a little coulis.

To Make Ahead: The coulis can be made 2 or 3 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Allow the coulis to come to room temperature before using. This soup stores beautifully and tastes better the second day. You can keep it in the refrigerator as long as you bring it to a boil every two days. Or you can stash it in the freezer for up to three months.

Tip on puréeing hot soup: Be sure to purée in small batches and crack the blender lid slightly (or remove the center cap from the lid). Steam can build up once you start blending, and if the lid is on tight or the blender is overfilled, it will spray hot soup all over you and your kitchen. For protection, cover the top with a dishtowel while puréeing.

Tags: basil, Quick Cooking, Soup/Stew, tomato

I seriously could eat Thai food everyday and be completely happy, and that’s saying a lot because I love variety. Thai soup is actually comfort food for me. When I’m getting a scratchy throat, I send Husband to the local Thai restaurant for some take-out soup. There’s something about the spicy broth that does wonders for me. This soup is a little different than the one I order at a Thai restaurant but just as delicious.

I pretty much followed the recipe with the exception of a few additions. I substituted a teaspoon of ground coriander for the coriander seeds (didn’t have them and didn’t want to buy them). Because I wanted the soup to be spicy, I added more green curry paste (at least twice as much…taste as you go if you add more). I also added carrots, thinly sliced onions and sliced mushrooms to the simmering soup; a few minutes before serving, I added a few handfuls of fresh spinach. Once the spinach wilted, I served the soup. Also, taste for seasoning before adding salt to the finished soup…I didn’t think it needed it. The curry, coconut milk and ginger blended together to make an exotic, fragrant and very flavorful soup, while the snow peas and other vegetables added crunch and color.  

Thai-Style Chicken and Rice Soup
- recipe from Gourmet Magazine – www.epicurious.com

Using shrimp instead of chicken in this recipe makes for an equally delicious soup.

Yield: Makes 8 main-course servings

8 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth (64 fl oz)
4 cups water
1 tablespoon Thai green curry paste*
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 (2-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
2 cups loosely packed whole fresh cilantro leaves plus 1/2 cup chopped (from 2 large bunches)
1 cup jasmine rice
3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced crosswise, then slices cut lengthwise into thin strips, or 3/4 lb medium shrimp in shell (31 to 35 per lb), peeled and deveined
1 (13- to 14-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk, stirred well
1/4 lb snow peas, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1/4-inch strips
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

Accompaniment: lime wedges 

Combine stock, water, curry paste, garlic, ginger, coriander seeds, and whole cilantro leaves in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, then simmer, uncovered, until ginger is softened, about 15 minutes. Pour through a paper-towel-lined sieve into a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot and discard solids. Stir rice into soup and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes.
 
Add chicken or shrimp and poach at a bare simmer, uncovered, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, snow peas, and fish sauce and simmer, uncovered, until peas are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice, salt, and chopped cilantro.

*Available at Asian markets, some specialty foods shops, and some supermarkets.

Tags: Asian, Chicken, coconut milk, curry, Soup/Stew

This is a wonderful soup – a rich and savory combination of butternut squash, nutty wild rice and smokey sausage. I made the soup the day before serving it, which worked perfectly. Instead of the roasting method that the recipe calls for (peeling the squash, cubing it then roasting it), I split the squash, scooped out the seeds, drizzled it with a bit of olive oil and roasted the halved squash (much quicker than peeling and cubing). After the roasted squash was cool enough to handle, I scooped out the cooked flesh and discarded the peel. I then proceeded with the recipe as written, making the butternut puree, cooking the wild rice, and browning the sausage. Next, I combined the butternut puree, additional broth, corn and sausage together and refrigerated the soup; I stored the wild rice in a separate container. When I reheated the soup the next evening, I waited until the soup was fully heated through before adding the cooked wild rice and half & half. I cut down on the half & half (using less than 1 cup) but made up for it with a bit more chicken stock. Also, instead of 2 cups of fresh corn kernels, I used a whole bag of Trader Joe’s white frozen corn. For the sausage, I used a high quality smoked sausage from a local gourmet market. The butternut squash I used was a three-pounder; next time I’ll use one that’s at least 4 pounds for a more intense squash flavor. The soup was delicious, hearty and festive…a perfect soup for our Christmas Eve dinner.

Smoked Sausage, Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Soup
- recipe by Emeril Lagasse – foodnetwork.com

Makes 10 servings 

2 medium butternut squash, about 3 to 4 pounds, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 cups chicken stock
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup wild rice
3/4 pound smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the squash with 1 tablespoon of the oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender. Remove from the oven and cool completely. In a blender or food processor, puree the squash with 2 cups of the chicken stock. Puree until smooth and set aside.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, bring 4 cups of the stock and 1/2 cup of the chopped onions to a simmer. Stir in the rice and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally with a fork. Remove the rice from the pan and cool. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and brown for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups of onions and corn. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 6 cups of stock and squash puree. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Stir in the rice and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the half-and-half and reason with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Tags: butternut squash, corn, sausage, Soup/Stew

The Pacific Northwest was visited this week by a pre-Christmas snow and ice storm. Basically, daily life as we know it has ceased and people just stay home where it’s safe and warm. Schools shut down and some businesses close until the weather warms up and the ice melts off. Husband grew up in a rural town that got a lot of winter snow so he knows how to drive in the snow and ice. Most of us in this area, however, don’t. I’m sure it’s entertaining for anyone from a part of the country where the winters are really brutal. 

Yesterday was our third day into the “stay-at-home-because-there’s-ice-and-snow-outside” weather and I had to make due with what I had in the fridge and pantry. I wanted to cook a pot of warm, hearty soup but most of the recipes I looked at called for ingredients that I didn’t have. Fortunately, I ran across a recipe in my “SOUP” file for Split Pea Soup with Sausage and Potato. Since I had all the ingredients, I immediately went to work chopping and dicing. The only ingredient I had to step outside for was the fresh rosemary. I have a big rosemary bush planted in the backyard but I didn’t feel like tracking through the snowy grass to get to it. I decided to pluck a few branches off the little rosemary Christmas tree that I had potted at the front door instead. I didn’t realize, however, how icy it was outside and had to catch myself from falling when I took my first step onto the front door mat. Fortunately, I caught myself and was able to gingerly step across the icy walkway to the icicle-covered rosemary plant. I’m not sure if the rosemary plant will recover from the icy weather but at least it survived long enough to season my delicious split pea soup.

I followed the recipe as written except I used a German smoked sausage instead of the spicy sausage, and added a stalk of chopped celery and one chopped carrot to the sauteeing vegetables. The soup was the perfect compliment to a snowy stay-inside day.

Split Pea Soup with Sausage and Potato
- recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

Makes 4 to 6 servings

5 fully cooked spicy smoked sausage links (such as andouille or hot links), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 12-ounce russet potato, peeled, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/4 cups green split peas, rinsed
4 cups low-salt chicken broth

Sauté sausages in heavy large pot over medium-high heat until fat begins to render, about 4 minutes. Add potato, onion, and rosemary. Sauté until onion is soften, about 5 minutes. Mix in split peas, then broth. Bring soup to simmer. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until peas are tender, stirring occasionally, about 50 minutes. If desired, thin soup with water by 1/4 cupfuls. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Market Tip:
For a less spicy (read: more kid-friendly) sausage, choose Kielbasa or garlic sausages.

Tags: sausage, Soup/Stew, split peas

One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes is the one with the Soup Nazi. In the show, everyone is making a huge deal about how good the Soup Nazi’s soups are. In fact, Elaine’s knees actually buckle after she tastes his mulligatawny, a curry-flavored soup. Even though it had been years since seeing this famous Seinfeld episode, I was still intrigued with wanting to try my hand at making mulligatawny soup. I decided it was time to make it myself. I sauteed cut up chicken breast and thighs (skinless, boneless) instead of the turkey, used basmati rice in place of regular long-grain white rice, and replaced some of the yogurt with coconut milk (about a half cup of each). I also added about a half cup or so of chopped canned tomatoes and a heaping handful of fresh baby spinach leaves for added flavor, texture and color. I don’t know how close this is to the real thing but it sure tasted good! I served the soup with crusty bread. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Turkey Mulligatawny Soup
-recipe from williams-sonoma.com

In place of the fresh turkey breast, you can use leftover cooked turkey or a purchased rotisserie chicken. Remove and discard the skin and bones, and cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Add the cooked turkey or chicken to the soup along with the yogurt.

Ingredients:
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 boneless, skinless turkey breast half, about 1 1/2 lb., cut into bite-size cubes
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs. curry powder
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
1 cup plain yogurt
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the turkey and sauté until lightly browned on all sides, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic to the pot and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes more to blend the flavors.

Add the broth and browned turkey to the pot, increase the heat to high and bring just to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, add the rice and cook, uncovered, until the rice is tender and the turkey is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the yogurt and simmer for 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Tags: curry, rice, Soup/Stew, turkey

I’m convinced that our world would be a happier place if more people made Chicken noodle soup for each other. Just think of all the comfort and mirth we’d be sharing…kind of like Whirled Peas (you’ve seen the bumper sticker), only better! Chicken noodle soup is one of those basic foods that, not surprisingly, tastes so much better homemade than from a can. Yes, there’s a few steps involved but they are simple steps that result in something truly comforting. Imagine the goodwill you’ll be creating when you make a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup for your family or a sick friend.

This recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup comes from Tyler Florence of The Food Network (you gotta love a man that cooks!). It calls for making your own chicken stock by simmering the whole chicken with veggies and water. Be sure to use only about 3 quarts of water to make the stock or it will be too weak. In the pot I was using, 3 quarts of water didn’t totally cover the chicken so I turned the chicken over in the pot about half-way through cooking it to make sure the whole thing was cooked. Once you’ve made the stock then it’s on to finishing the soup. Next time I’ll probably double the carrots just because I like lots of carrots in my soup. The recipe calls for using 1-1/2 cups of the chicken meat which was about half of the cooked chicken.  Save the unused chicken for another use (chicken salad, enchiladas, a casserole, etc). The finished soup was satisfying and comforting…a perfect meal for a chilly Fall day.

Chicken Noodle Soup
-Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence at foodnetwork.com
Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock, recipe follows
8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 

Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with the oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Chicken Stock:
1 whole free-range chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), rinsed, giblets discarded
2 carrots, cut in large chunks
3 celery stalks, cut in large chunks
2 large white onions, quartered
1 head of garlic, halved
1 turnip, halved
1/4 bunch fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
 
Place the chicken and vegetables in a large stockpot over medium heat. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (about 3 quarts); too much will make the broth taste weak. Toss in the thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and allow it to slowly come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, partially covered, until the chicken is done. As it cooks, skim any impurities that rise to the surface; add a little more water if necessary to keep the chicken covered while simmering.
Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. When its cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones; hand-shred the meat into a storage container.

Carefully strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot to remove the vegetable solids. Use the stock immediately or if you plan on storing it, place the pot in a sink full of ice water and stir to cool down the stock. Cover and refrigerate for up to one week or freeze. Yield: 2 quarts

Tags: Chicken, Soup/Stew