Onion Soup

I don't know why I save onion soup for special occasions. It's relatively simple to make, and is one of Len's favorites. Maybe it's that I've never considered such a brothy soup hearty enough for a meal, so I tend to use it as an appetizer, and how often do I serve multi-course meals (Christmas, maybe)?

Tonight I served onion soup and chicken noodle soup for this season's Soup Night kickoff, and with salad and bread it WAS enough for dinner. Maybe I'll make it for one of our family's favorite simple meals: soup, artisan bread, cheese, and apples.

This recipe is based on Mollie Katzen's from her Moosewood Cookbook. The most obvious change is that I usually use beef broth. A quadruple batch made about 5 quarts, in case you were wondering.

Onion Soup
5 cups thinly sliced onions
2 cloves garlic, crushed
butter, as needed
1 quart stock or water (I use Swanson's 50% less sodium beef broth in a box)
1 Tbsp soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
3 Tbsp dry white wine
1/2 tsp dry mustard
dash of thyme
a few dashes of white pepper
1 tsp honey
optional toppers:
skinny, dense French baguette
garlic cloves, peeled
shredded Italian cheese blend

• Cook the onions and garlic, lightly salted, in the butter in a kettle. Cook them until very-but-not-too brown. Use medium heat to cook them gradually and thoroughly. I leave the lid on for a long time, then cook uncovered to evaporate the liquid and promote browning. Watch carefully and stir more frequently during the uncovered stage. The onions will decrease dramatically in volume.
• Add remaining soup ingredients. Cook slowly, covered, at least 30 minutes.

You know how yummy onion soup is with bread and cheese broiled on top? Well, I don't have the correct bowls, so I improvise with this make-ahead variation:

• Slice a baguette (it must be skinny and dense) at a slight angle, about 1/4 inch thick. Put the slices on a baking sheet and broil. Watch carefully, and turn them over with tongs to brown both sides. You'll need to monitor closely, because the pieces will be done at different times.
• When all the slices are toasted, rub one side of each with fresh garlic.
• Spread the bread on the baking sheet again. Cover with shredded cheese. I use an Italian blend, but provolone or Gruyere or whatever you like is fine. (I don't recommend something stringy like all mozzarella.) Bake (this way all the pieces will be done at once) in the oven until the cheese is melted and maybe even a little bit golden.
• These goodies can be kept at room temperature and floated on top of your bowl of soup. We find that three or four slices fit nicely. They start out crunchy, but once they've soaked up some broth, the toppers can be cut and eaten with your spoon. Enjoy!

Creamy Potato Soup

My friend Anne sent me a version of this recipe, which she found in Taste of Home magazine. It's quick, vegetarian, and tasty. It does use several convenience products (which is why it's quick!), but adding just a few fresh veggies jazzes it up nicely.

Creamy Potato Soup (makes about 4 quarts)
butter or oil as needed
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 stalks celery, sliced
6 cups water, potato water, or vegetable broth
1 package (30 oz) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
2 cans condensed cream of celery soup (low fat/low sodium is fine)
4 oz processed cheese (Velveeta) cubed
OR 6 slices American cheese (more is okay, too)
1 cup sour cream (reduced fat should be fine, although I haven't tried that yet)
1/2 tsp salt (taste completed soup first!)
1/4 tsp white or black pepper
parsley, chopped, optional
optional garnishes: shredded cheese, green onions or chives, bacon bits

• Saute onion in butter or oil until tender but not brown.
• Add celery and saute until almost tender.
• Add potatoes and water; bring to a boil. Simmer a few minutes, until potatoes are tender.
• Add canned soup and cheese; stir until cheese is melted.
• Add sour cream and optional parsley. Taste to see if salt and pepper are needed. Warm through, but do not boil once the sour cream is added.
• Serve topped with optional garnishes. They make it taste like a deluxe baked potato!

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

I made this for soup night yesterday. Almost everyone loved it, with several boys eating three helpings!

I had a recipe years ago from Southern Living, but couldn't find it in my files or online, so I tweaked/combined several others gathered from the internet. Here I'm recording "what I did" without figuring out how to make a smaller batch. That's your mission, if you choose to accept it...

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini
yield: 13-14 quarts (Hey, we only had 2 quarts left!)

2 pkg (13 oz each) Barilla 3-cheese (dry) tortellini
3.75 # turkey Italian sausage (2 pkg sweet, 1 pkg hot)
3 huge (grapefruit sized) onions, chopped
1/2 head (or more) garlic, crushed
3 red peppers, chopped
4 cans (28 oz each) petite diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/3 bottle red wine (could add more)
Beef broth as needed--sorry for the lack of detail. I think I used 3 boxes of Swanson reduced sodium broth and 4 cans of Campbells double-rich beef bouillon plus 4-6 cans of water.
4 huge carrots, sliced (good, but more would be okay, too)
4 stalks celery, sliced (good, but more would be okay, too)
1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped (use 2 or 3 bunches next time)
Parmesan cheese for garnish, if desired

• Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside (maybe in a big plastic bag).
• Saute sausage until lightly browned.
• Add onion and garlic and cook until softened.
• Add red pepper and cook until softened.
• Add tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, wine, and broth. Simmer at least 30 minutes. Check and adjust seasoning.
• About 15-20 minutes before serving (depending on thickness of veggies), add carrots and celery. Simmer until just tender.
• Just before serving, add parsley and pre-cooked tortellini (it will warm up quickly).
• Garnish individual bowls with Parmesan cheese and pepper (black or red), if desired.

Notes:

• The leftovers taste good, but are less spicy after the first day. Add a little crushed red pepper to your own serving before reheating, unless your whole family likes it hot. (In that case, use all hot sausage in the first place.)
• The leftovers taste good but look like stew rather than soup. The tortellini soak up the broth, and so they swell and fall apart, too.
• This can be made in advance, but DO NOT add the tortellini (or parsley) until the last minute, after the soup is already hot.
• (2/2012):  You can substitute other pasta for the tortellini.  Lately I've been buying Trader Joe's mini cheese ravioli (dry, not frozen).
• Most of the recipes I found suggested adding zucchini or spinach. I chose not to, partly out of respect for all the kids who come to soup night. Chopped frozen spinach could probably be hidden easily enough. Zucchini would have gotten soft and yucky sitting on the stove for the hour and half of our get-together. How's that for a good excuse? ;-)

New England Clam Chowder

This recipe is adapted from one in Sunset's Favorite Recipes II. Yield: 4 quarts

butter, approximately 2 Tbsp
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
4 cups potato cubes (1/2" dice, thin-skinned potatoes--NOT baking potatoes)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
4 cans (6 1/2 oz. each) chopped or minced clams
2 (12 oz. each) bottles clam juice
4 cups whole milk
3 Tbsp cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste
more chopped parsley for garnish

• Melt butter. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens. Add celery and cook for a few more minutes.
• Drain clams, pouring liquid into a four cup measure. Add enough clam juice to total four cups. (Reserve clams for later.)
• Add clam juice, potatoes, and parsley to the soup pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender but not mushy, 20-30 minutes.
• Whisk cornstarch into milk and add to soup. Add clams. Bring to a simmer (stir frequently) and let it bubble several minutes, until slightly thickened.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
• Serve with grated cheese and/or bacon bits if desired.

Notes:

• I think this could have used less milk and possibly more potatoes.
• I'm probably more generous with onion and celery than the recipe calls for.
• I really don't notice a thickening due to the cornstarch, but have always added it per the original recipe.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

This is from the old (1977) Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. I actually follow this recipe, except for decreasing the butter. Most cream/white sauce recipes use equal amounts of butter and flour, but I don't find that to be necessary. I just use enough butter to saute without burning, probably about 2 Tbsp for this soup. I'm not fussy about getting the exact amount of asparagus called for, either. If I have a little more, that's fine. This is delicious with skim milk--creamier milk makes it more luxurious.

Cream of Asaparagus Soup
1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
butter as needed
salt
6 Tbsp flour
2 cups water or stock
4 cups scalded (heated almost to a boil) milk
1/2 to 1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp salt
white pepper
dash of tamari or soy sauce

• Break off the tough asparagus bottoms and discard them (compost pile!!). Cut off the tips and set them aside. Chop the stalks, and cook them with the onions in the butter, salting them lightly.
• After about 8-10 minutes, when onions are clear, sprinkle in the flour. Continue to cook over lowest possible heat (use a "waffle" heat absorber if you have one) for 5-8 minutes.
• Add water or stock. Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.
• Puree the sauce bit-by-bit with the milk in the blender. Blend it until thoroughly smooth. Return the puree to a kettle, preferably a double boiler, and add dill, salt, white pepper, and tamari.
• Heat the soup very gently--don't boil it or cook it. As it heats, steam or saute the asparagus tips until tender but still very green. Add these, whole, to the soup.
• Serve as immediately as possible.

Note: My mom gave me an immersion blender (you stick the blender in the pot rather than transferring the soup) which makes the pureeing MUCH easier. Also, I don't bother with a double boiler; I'm just careful not to scorch the soup.

Taco Soup

A friend shared this simple, quick recipe with me.

2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning mix (I use reduced sodium)
Brown meat. Add onion and mixes and cook.

1 can (15 ounce) dark red kidney beans
1 can (15 ounce) pinto beans
1 can (15 ounce) hominy
1 small can chopped green chiles, optional
3 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) stewed or petite diced tomatoes
3-4 cups water
Do NOT drain the cans. Add to meat mixture. Cook about 30 minutes, until soup is hot and flavors are blended.

This is great served with chili condiments: sour cream, fritos, grated cheese, and sweet or green onions. If you want it thicker (or want it to fit in your crockpot), just don't add as much water.

This recipe is easy to increase. It freezes fine, but it's so easy that I don't see the point in taking up the freezer space. Maybe making and freezing extra meat mixture would give you a head start. With that in the freezer and cans in the cupboard, you'll always have an emergency dinner ready.

Beef Barley Soup

Don't you feel cozier just looking at that bowl? :-)

Beef Barley Soup

2 pounds beef cubes (from a roast; chuck roast requires trimming but is flavorful)
onion, chopped, to taste (about 2 large)
5-8 cups broth or water (I use the Swanson boxes of reduced sodium beef broth)

extra broth may be needed
2/3 cup barley (it really expands!)
fresh mushrooms, sliced, optional
sliced or baby carrots

I made this recipe up, and there are several ways to cook it. You can just throw everything but the carrots in a crockpot, then steam the carrots and add at serving time.

The flavor is better if the meat and onion are browned first. Saute the beef in oil, in small batches so it can stick a bit and brown instead of steaming in its juices. Next cook the onions, scraping up the meaty bits in the pan (add a bit of broth if needed). Then put everything but the carrots in the crockpot, or simmer on top of the stove. If you have a Dutch oven, you can even simmer in the oven (about 300 degrees).

In any case, simmer somehow until the barley is cooked and the beef is tender, at least an hour and a half. If you use a crockpot, steam the carrots and add at serving time. If you're simmering on the stove, add the carrots after the beef and barley are done, and cook just until the carrots are ready.

This recipe is easy to double or triple (but that's A LOT of soup), and it freezes well without the carrots. I sometimes make a big batch with the smallest amount of broth, and freeze it in a smaller portion than we will eat. Later I thaw it and add the carrots and more broth. The long cooking is done, and it takes up less space.