Soup 24: Broccoil Marscapone

I have to admit, I wasn't sold on this soup when I decided to make it, but it seemed so quick and easy that I went with it. Sooo glad I did! Not only did I enjoy it, my coworkers raved about it!

I started with cooking the shallots in the olive oil until soft. I added the broccoli and cooked for a minute more. I than added the chicken stock and let simmer for 10 minutes. I let cool and then pureed with my handy immersion blender. I whisked in 1 1/4 cups marscopone a little at a time and then added some cayenne pepper. And then I added more cayenne pepper :-D I refrigerated it overnight and took it to work in the morning.

And because I served it at work, I totally forgot to take a picture. To be honest, it's not the prettiest soup I've made, especially serving and eating it out of a coffee mug at work, but it was good. The cayenne really came through as a fabulously surprising bit of heat at the end. And anyone who loves broccoli will also love this.


Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil / from home
1 1/2 cups sliced shallots
1 1/2 pounds broccoli florets
6 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups mascarpone
salt
1/4 cayenne pepper

Week 23: "Cool & Hot" Tomato Chipotle Soup

Yes, I realize that I've made several tomato soups already, but tomatoes are just so yummy and pair so well with a variety of different ingredients. This week's recipe is Tomato & Chipotle and can be served hot or cold.

Unlike the prior recipes, this one calls for fresh tomatoes rather than canned tomatoes. I decided to stick with that even tho it was a ton more work, but I wanted to see how the fresh would compare with the canned. To prep the tomatoes as the recipe suggested, I cut them in quarters and removed the seeds and membranes. I then cut into 1/2 inch pieces to yield 5 cups. This wasn't so bad. I wore gloves to protect my fingers from getting wrinkled by the water from the tomatoes, and I had some time to kill as I waited for the chipotles to cook.

The recipe also called for dried chipotle peppers rather than the canned chipotle. I found the peppers at Chavez Market in the cellophane package. But... I could not find a package of chipotles. I googled it and tried to find a chile that looked like the picture. I ended up with "Chili Pasilla" which worked just fine. To cook the peppers, I boiled them in hot water for 30 minutes and then removed from the pan and saved the liquid left in the pan. Before soaking, I should have removed the chili seed and membranes, but it wasn't too bad doing that after the chilis were cooked. I chopped the peppers and set them aside. Although the recipe called for only 4 peppers, I cooked more just in case the soup needed more heat (and it did!). I also strained the cooking liquid through a sieve and paper towel.

As much as I love using fresh ingredients, I think the soup would have been just as good with the canned tomato and chipotle in adobo sauce. And it would have saved tons of time, effort and money. And with the organic canned tomatoes, it would have been healthy too! Oh well, you don't know until you try.

After the prep of the chilis and tomatoes, the rest went quickly. I sauteed the chopped onions in olive oil for a few minutes then added the garlic and peppers, stirring for a minute or so. Next, I added the tomatoes, strained liquid from cooking the chilis, chicken stock, salt, and cumin. I brought this to a simmer and let it continue to simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.

I then used my immersion blender to puree. I tasted the soup hear and added more salt, cumin and chili and placed in the fridge to cool overnight.

The next day I served the soup cold with a dollup of sour cream and sprinkle of cilantro. The soup was good but, truthfully neither myself nor the rest of the fam was overwhelmed. But I didn't want to waste, so I took a big bowl full to work for lunch the next day. Under the cold A/C of the office, I decided to eat the soup hot for lunch. What a difference! Heated up the smokey flavors of the chili really showed up! I brought enough for a coworker and he loved it too (also warm).

So the moral of the story is, this soup is awesome served warm, and if you are serving warm, feel free to use the canned tomatoes and chipotle in adobo to save some time and money. And don't skimp on the chili!

Ingredients
1 bag dried chipotle peppers (or canned chipotle in adobo sauce) / $2.49 / Chavez market
3 lbs tomatoes / $1.50/ lb = $4.50 / Real Produce
1/4 cup olive oil / from home
2 cups chopped onion / from home
1 tablespoon minced garlic / from home
2 cups chicken broth / $1.99 / Trader Joe's
kosher salt / from home
2 teaspoons ground cumin / from home (more to taste)
sour cream / $1.79 / Trader Joe's (optional)
1/4 cups chopped cilantro / $0.99 / Chavez Market (optional)


Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Taste: 4 stars
Prep: lots of prep if using fresh tomatoes and peppers
Cost: $11.76 ($1.96 per serving)

Week 22: Lemongrass Soup with Shrimp

Let me first say I love Thai food; however, I have never tried to cook it. As a general rule, I am afraid of simplified recipes of ethnic food. BUT this was awesome and I could absolutely imaging being served this soup as a starter at a legit Thai restaurant. And thanks to You Tube, I learned how to prepare the lemongrass, an unfamiliar ingredient.

The first step was to doctor up the broth. To prep the lemongrass, I cut off the woody stem and green leafy part and them removed a few outer layers. The fun part was crushing the stems with a rolling pin to release the oils and get ultimate flavor out of the stems. I added the lemongrass and sliced limes to the broth and let simmer for 10 minutes. I strained the stock and discarded the lime and lemongrass.


The rest was super easy and super fast! I added the mushrooms, red bell pepper and red pepper flakes and simmered for 5 minutes. Next step was to add shrimp, snow peas and and green onions and cook until shrimp are curled and pink, about 2-3 minutes, careful not to overcook the shrimp or let the soup sit too long on the heat. I stirred in fresh squeezed lime juice and seasoned with salt, although the broth was already quite flavorful so minimal salt was needed.

At serving I garnished with cilantro. The smell was amazing and the colors in the soup were beautiful. I can't believe how easy this was. This recipe is for only 4 servings, but it was 4 hearty servings and not a drop of leftovers. This soup is easy and quick enough to make a second day if you are craving more. I wouldn't recommend reheating the shrimp in case they get chewy. You could always prepare the veggies and broth and add the shrimp when ready to enjoy.
Ingredients:

2 lemon grass stalks / $1 / Farmers market
2 limes / from home
4 cups chicken broth / $2.49 / Smart & Final
8 ounces sliced mushrooms / $3 / Farmer's Market (sold in a carton, had a ton left over)
1 red bell pepper / $1.50 / Farmer's Market
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes / from home
1 pound uncooked shrimp / 8.99 / Safeway
1 cup snow peas / $1.00 / Farmers market
2 green onions / $1.00 / Farmers market
salt / from home
cilantro for garnish / $1.00 / Farmers market

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Taste: 5 stars
Prep: super easy
Cost: $19.98 ($4.99 per serving)


Check out this video if you would like to learn more about cooking with lemongrass!

Week 21: Watermelon Gazpacho

Oppps... It's been quite a while since I've blogged. Funny thing is, I have been making soup, just haven't found the time to write about it. There have been some really good ones, so it's about time I share.

Whats great about summertime soups is that they are cold and refreshing. They are also very easy and quick to make, except for the chill time which takes some advanced planning, but worth the time. Most weeks I've made the soup in the evenings anyway, to be eaten the next day.

The soup I couldn't wait to make once it was time for the summer recipes is the Watermelon Gazpacho. It sounded so light and delicious and also gave me a chance to grill!

The first step was to cut and drain the watermelon. After cubing the watermelon, I let it drain in a colander to remove excess liquid. ---If I make this again (which I might), I would be sure to set aside a few larger cubes for the garnish. --- I then blended the watermelon and bread crumbs together in a food processor in 3 separate batches, careful not to blend too much so that there was some texture to the soup. Once all the watermelon was blended, I combined the mixtures and stirred in the lime juice, salt and red pepper flakes. I then covered the soup and placed it in the freezer for about 1 1/2 hours or until slushy. I tasted it again when I was ready to serve and added extra lime juice and salt.

The garnish was super fun to make! I heated the grill, skewered the remaining watermelon cubes and brushed them with olive oil. (Remember to soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes before placing them on the grill.) My cubes were a little small and started to fall off the skewers while they were warming up, so I will definitely cut them larger next time. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get grill marks on the melon. I may have not had the grill hot enough or I didn't leave them on long enough because they were starting to fall off the skewers, but they were still yummy. Once grilled, I re-skewered the melon between mint leaves and added to the bowls of watermelon gazpacho.

The gazpacho was yummy and refreshing. It was a great starter to the first bbq meal of the summer, and the family ate it all up! I will definitely try this again, maybe adding mint to the gazpacho or maybe basil would be yummy too... so many options.



Ingredients
6 cups cubed watermelon, plus extra for skewers (About 5 lb watermelon) / $6.99 /Safeway
3/4 cup bread crumbs / from home
2 1/4 teaspoon fresh lime juice, more if needed / from home
salt / from home
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes / from home
Olive oil / from home
6 fresh mint leaves / $1 / Real Produce

Also needed
skewers

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes, 1 1/2 hour freezing time
Servings: 8
Taste: 4 stars
Prep: super easy
Cost: $7.99

Week 20: Summer Minestrone

Usually I'd be a little annoyed by rain in June, but since I need a tan and I am still in the mood for soup, I don't mind it so much. The challenge was to find a hearty, warm summer soup in my cook book, but I found something and added some stuff to make it a satisfying meal on a rainy day. The family loved it, and I'm still eating leftovers even thought the sun finally came out.

Basically this was a minestrone soup with summer veggies but the addition of pesto mixed in really gave it a unique flavor. Also, since I was going for something a little heartier, I added the green beans and wax beans and also the cannelli beans. I also threw in a little extra pasta.

This was my first shot at making a homemade pesto. The recipe actually calls it "pistou" which, I think, the difference is the absence of pine nuts. It was super easy to make; I put the basil, Parmesan and garlic in the food processor and pulsed a few times. I then added the olive oil in a stream and pulsed until the pistou was smooth. I saved it in a small dish to be served in the soup.

The soup was also quick and easy to make. I brought the broth to a boil, added the tomatoes, pasta and onion & cayenne and cooked for 10 minutes. I then added the squash, beans, & green beans and cooked for another 5 minutes. I seasoned with salt and pepper and the soup was good to go!

I served the soup with the pistou on the side and let the family add their own. I added a good couple spoonfuls to mine. The family was a little more reserved, but tried some and really liked it. My only disappointment was that the leftovers soaked up most of the remaining broth in the fridge overnight, so I had to add more broth to eat leftovers the next day.

Looks like the weather is getting more summer-like now, so you will begin to see more cold soups in the upcoming weeks.... stay tuned.

Ingredients
4 medium tomatoes / $2.50 / Farmer's Market
1 pound small yellow and green summer squash / $2.00 / Farmer's Market
1/2 pound green beans & wax beans / $2.00 / Farmer's Market
1 can cannellini beans / $0.89 / Trader Joe's
8 cups vegetable broth / 2 @ $1.99 / 3.98 / Trader Joe's
1 1/2 cup small penne pasta / $0.99 / Trader Joe's
1/2 cup diced red onion / $0.50 / Farmer's Market
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper / from home

Pistou
1/2 cup basil leaves / $1.00 / Farmer's Market
1 teaspoon chopped garlic / from home
3 tablespoons olive oil / from home
6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese / from home

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Taste: 5 stars
Prep: easy
Cost: $13.86

Week 19: Watercress Soup with Seared Scallops

So I took a little break from blogging for a few weeks, so that meant I felt the pressure to return with an AWESOME soup.
Done and done!

I'll be honest. I saw the recipe, but didn't know for sure it was going to be amazing. I've never tried watercress before, cooked or raw. Wikipedia called it "peppery." I'm not sure that came across in the soup but it was super yummy regardless.

This was a perfect starter for a yummy seafood diner. I was happy to make it for my mom and her friends for a birthday celebration. The guests loved it, and it was fun to cook for a new audience.

I wasn't surprised that this was one of the more pricey soups to make since scallops can add up quickly. However, with a little more time and advanced planning, I could have cut the cost a bit. I ended up purchasing the watercress & scallops at Whole Foods, and buying twice the amount of scallops just because it seemed like it would not be enough. The watercress was not available at my regular Real Produce spot, even though I've seen it there before. Had I known, I could have probably found it at an Asian market much cheaper. Also, I wasn't sure how much it would chop down to, so I ended up buying too much and could have gotten away with only 1 bunch. I also found out after the fact that Trader Joe's sells frozen scallops for $12.99 for about the same amount in cost and bulk that I purchased from Whole Foods at TWICE the price! I was thinking Whole Foods would have some awesome fresh scallops, but it turns out they are previously frozen anyway. They tasted great regardless, which leads me to believe that when I make this again --and I WILL-- that I will cut the cost and buy the bag at Trader Joe's. But still, it's not a full meal, so it's not a good budget course at all.

Another reason to L O V E this soup is that it was so quick and easy to make! I started by sauteing the leaks and potatoes till leeks were tender. I added the broth, brought to a simmer, and let simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. After potatoes were tender, I removed from the heat and added the watercress until it wiled, for about 5 minutes. Once again I got to get out my super cool immersion blender and puree. I whisked in the sour cream and added milk until the desired consistency then seasoned with salt and pepper. Delish!

For the scallops, I melted oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. I cooked about 2 minutes on each side. This was the first time I've cooked scallops too, so it was hard to tell when they were done and I was afraid to overcook. But I guess I had a little streak of beginner's luck because they were perfect.

I took the picture as the recipe calls for with just one scallop, but since I had extra and they were delicious, I added an extra scallop to every one's bowl.



Ingredients

3 1/2 tablespoons butter / from home
3 cups chopped leeks /2 bunches @ $1.79 = $3.58 / Real Produce
2 medium russet potatoes (peeled & chopped into 1" cubes /$0.69/lb = $1.46 / Real Produce
4 1/2 cups chicken broth / $2.49 / Smart & Final
2 1/4 cups trimmed & coarsely chopped watercress / $2.99/bunch / Whole Foods
1/2 cup sour cream /$1.69 / Trader Joe's
3/4 cup whole milk / $1.29 / Trader Joe's
salt
pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil / from home
6 jumbo sea scallops, side muscles removed / $22.99/ lb = $21.61 / Whole Foods

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6
Taste: 5 stars
Prep: easy
Cost: $35.11

Week 18: Carrot, Orange & Tarragon soup

I ventured outside of my cookbook again once I came across this recipe I had saved a while ago. Now that I have a true appreciation for tarragon, I can't pass up a tarragon soup recipe. Oh, and the best part, this recipe called for a bit of brandy. That pretty much sealed the deal.

This is going down as one of my favorite soups. It was super easy to make and I had most of the ingredients at home. And the taste was so yummy and super unique. The carrots and orange gave a subtle sweetness while the earthiness of the tarragon and brandy. I ate the soup with a yummy wheat bread, and it was the perfect lunch for a few days.

To make the soup, I sauteed onions with carrots until the onions were soft. I then added the broth and brought to a simmer. I let simmer for 15 minutes, or until carrots were tender. I pureed the soup with an immersion blender and added the orange juice, brandy, tarragon and salt and pepper. I let simmer for 10 more minutes so the flavors could blend. The soup was yummy, but I added a bit more brandy just because I thought the flavor wasn't bold enough and partially because it's fun putting liquor in soup!




Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Taste: 5 stars
Prep: easy
Cost: $9.99


Ingredients

1 teaspoon butter / from home
3 cups chicken broth / $3.99 / Lucky's
1 medium onion / $0.50 / Farmer's market
1 1/2 pounds carrots / $4.00 / Farmer's Market
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon / $1.50 / Farmer's Market
1/2 cup orange juice / From home
2-3 tablespoons brandy / from home

Carrot, orange & tarragon soup
garnished with a sprig of fresh tarragon