Category Archives: SOUP, STEW, AND CHOWDER RECIPES

POULET AU VIN BLANC (CHICKEN WITH WHITE WINE)

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Recently I posted a recipe for Carbonnade à la Flamande (Belgian Beef, Beer, and onion stew). On that post I also referenced Boeuf à la Bourguignonne (Beef Bourguignon or Beef Burgundy). (Recipe to be posted within the next couple of days.) But today, I am going to write about my take on a less well known classic French dish – Poulet Au Vin Blanc.

Poulet Au Vin Blanc, a stew like dish with chicken, wine and vegetables is the absolute definition of comfort food. Doesn’t matter whether you are sitting in a French café during a thunderous rainstorm or sitting in your own dining room listening to your children argue over whose turn it is to clear the table, this dish is magnificent! It is also a dish that I think your entire family will enjoy; even your children who might normally reject food containing onions, mushrooms, or carrots. (Actually your little ones might not even notice these evil ingredients if you serve the stew over mashed potatoes.) I personally prefer biscuits with this stew, but I realize some concessions have to be made when there are pre-pubescent gourmets in the family.

BTW, I would much rather be sitting in a small café in Paris eating this dish than at a table with young children. But then, you see, I’ve survived the pleasure of dining with small children. I remember thinking at the time – will these darlings ever grow up?  (I probably used another word besides “darlings”, but I obviously blocked the word from my memory bank.) Now I only wish I could dine more often with their adult counterparts.

And yes, this is definitely one of the dishes I would fix for them. And yes I like to use the French name for a dish when appropriate. Someday I’ll even go so far as to post a recipe for a “casserole” on this site. That should prove how sophisticated I am about French cuisine!

  • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized pieces
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 T. unsalted butter, divided
  • ½ lb. small white mushrooms, quartered
  • 1 lg. Yukon Gold potato (10-oz.), peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
  • 1 lg. carrot, cut into ½-inch dice
  • 1 medium onion, cut into ½-inch dice
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ c. flour
  • 1 c. dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
  • 2 c. chicken stock or broth (I use water and a couple teaspoons (or to taste) of either Better Than Bouillon Chicken or Turkey Base
  • 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or ¾ tsp. dried
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ c. heavy cream
  • 1 T. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, opt.

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the chicken pieces, which have been generously seasoned with salt and pepper, in a single layer. Fry the chicken over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 7 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a bowl. (Do not over-cook the chicken. You want it tender and juicy.) Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pan and add the mushrooms; cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to the same bowl as the chicken; set aside.

Add the second tablespoon of butter to the pan along with the potato, carrot, and onion; cook until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Stir in the flour. Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, thyme, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat until the potato and carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the heavy cream, the cooked chicken and mushrooms, along with any accumulated juices, and adjust seasonings. Simmer for about 2 minutes, or until all the ingredients are hot. Sprinkle with parsley and serve over buttermilk biscuits or Creamy Mashed Potatoes. (Recipe for potatoes under blog post for Carbonnade.)

 

 

CARBONNADE à la FLAMANDE (BELGIAN BEEF, BEER, AND ONION STEW)

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If I were asked to choose between the traditional French stew Boeuf à la Bourguignonne (Beef Bourguignon or Beef Burgundy) containing cubed beef, mushrooms, onions, and Burgundy wine, or Carbonnade à la Flamande, the traditional Belgian sweet-sour beef and onion stew made with beer, and seasoned with thyme, bay leaves, and mustard, I would be hard pressed to do so. Both are lovely and so perfect for this time of year.

But unlike Beef Bourguignon, which was made popular in America by Julia Child, Carbonnade is not as well known. So I plan to right that wrong immediately by posting this recipe. (If only Agatha Christie would have had the forethought to make Carbonnade Hercule Poirot’s favorite food, we could all have been enjoying this amazing stew for years. Plus, I wouldn’t have to be going to all the trouble of revealing the dishes merits. Poor planning on Agatha’s part, I must say!)

Regardless, it is time you learned about this easy to prepare and delicious braised stew. And if you have been fixing Carbonnade for years, please excuse me for preaching to the choir. But having directed a choir for many years, it’s just hard for me to stop instructing!

  • ½ lb. lean bacon, cut into small pieces
  • 1 ½ lbs. boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • bacon fat or butter, if necessary
  • 2 lg. yellow onions, chopped
  • 2 carrots, cut into ¼-inch rounds
  • 3 T. all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ c. beef broth
  • 12-oz. bottle beer (see note about beer below)
  • 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or ¾ tsp. dried
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp. whole grain mustard
  • 1 T. brown sugar
  • chopped parsley, opt.

Fry the bacon until crisp in a large heavy bottomed Dutch oven. Remove bacon to a medium sized bowl and set aside. Do not remove the bacon grease from the pan. Pat beef cubes dry with paper towels; season well with salt and pepper. Place pan with bacon grease over medium-high heat. Brown the meat for about 5-6 minutes on each side. Do not stir while the meat is browning. Add additional bacon fat or butter as needed to brown all the meat. Transfer browned beef to bowl containing the cooked bacon; set aside. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until onions are caramelized and a rich dark brown, about 30 minutes. Add carrots and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add flour and stir until onions and carrots are evenly coated and flour is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits. Add the beer, thyme, bay leaves, reserved bacon and browned beef and accumulated juices, and salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a full simmer. Cover pan and place in a pre-heated 325 degree oven and braise for about 2 hours or until beef is fork tender. Stir about half way through the cooking time, scraping up anything that is sticking to the bottom of the pan. (If the stew seems too thick, add about ¼ cup water.) About half an hour before the stew finishes cooking, add the mustard and brown sugar and remove the bay leaves. When the meat is fork tender, remove from oven and adjust seasonings. Serve over Creamy Mashed Potatoes (see recipe below) or cooked pasta. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Note about beer: I personally do not like a bitter beer in this recipe. I feel it detracts unfavorably from the rich lovely flavor created by the combination of ingredients. I use Alaskan Amber, but any dark, rich beer will do. Beers to stay away from are those that have a bitter taste, i.e. IPA (India Pale Ale) or ESB (Extra Special Bitter).

CREAMY MASHED POTATOES

  • 2 very large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into about 2-inch pieces
  • kosher salt
  • 6 T. butter, room temperature
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • milk

Place the potatoes and about a tablespoon of salt in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are super tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Pour back into pan and set on stove using lowest heat setting available. Mash the potatoes and butter together. Add pepper and enough milk to make a creamy, not too stiff mixture. Adjust seasoning. Cover pan, turn off heat and serve immediately. Or, place in oven on low setting until ready to serve.

 

 

ITALIAN SAUSAGE SOUP WITH LENTILS, CHARD, AND GARLIC

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Based on a recipe from Adam Roberts, this soup is the answer to how to stay warm and feel special during our long, gray, wet winters. It is very easy and reasonably inexpensive to prepare. Add to this the fact that it is really delicious, and you have a winner.

For a greater understanding of why we who live in the beautiful Pacific NW need soups like this one so desperately in our lives, please read my definitions of the various and numerous types of precipitation we experience on an almost daily basis:

Patti’s Perception of Precipitation – based on the novel Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg (great read by-the-way)

Misty Moisty – really just fog, but get’s you wet and cold none-the-less

Mist – more than fog, but less than sprinkle (also known as Oregon Mist except in Oregon where it’s referred to as Washington Mist)

Sprinkle – You don’t really need an umbrella, but wish you had one none-the-less

Drizzle – just goes on and on but really doesn’t affect the water table, just your mood

Chance of Rain – definitely carry your umbrella because you know there’s a good chance you’re going to get wet

Rain (aka – Standard Number 1 Wash) – relentless precipitation with no end in sight! Often accompanied by gray skies. (Renowned for driving newcomers out of their minds and/or out of state!)

Horizontal Rain – guaranteed to percolate inside all forms of outerwear!

Downpour – you are sure to get soaked between your car and the door to the grocery store

Le Deluge – you can count on a good soaking just getting out of your car!

Hail – pellets of frozen rain – you get beat up walking (don’t even think of running) from your car to the grocery store entrance

Sleet – pellets of ice often mixed with rain or snow – you get beat up and wet walking from your car to the grocery store entrance

Chance of Snow – the forecast that allows employees to leave work early, schools to consider sending our darlings home early, and sends most of the general public to the grocery store in a panic over possibly being house bound for 2-3 hours

Snow – atmospheric water vapor frozen into ice crystals and falling in light white flakes or lying on the ground as a white layer. FYI: Even the forecast of snow puts western Washington inhabitants on full alert. It doesn’t help that the threat of snow is always presented with a solemn countenance by our TV station authorities. Even the word “snow” can cause normally intelligent people to act in an irrational manner. And then there are the morons who feel they know all about driving in the snow. (They are the maniacs who truly believe that four wheel drive vehicles were designed to stop on a dime, even when the vehicle is traveling downhill!)

Some or All of the Above – (most common forecast) Just means that you need to carry an umbrella, make provisions for your children if they have to come home from school early, be prepared with an alternative commuting plan, go to the store the night before, have an extra supply of warm cloths at work, carry granola bars in your purse or backpack, and make sure your smart phone is fully charged.

Hopefully this has helped you understand more about the types of precipitation we experience in the Pacific NW. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to keep them to yourself. I am not a meteorologist; I have just lived in this area for a very long time and know enough to look outside if I really want to know what the weather is doing!

  • ½ c. extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 2 carrots, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
  • 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced, opt.
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper (not too much)
  • 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, opt.
  • 4 minced garlic cloves, divided
  • 1 c. brown lentils, rinsed and drained
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 6 c. water
  • 3 to 4 c. shredded or thinly sliced Swiss chard or kale leaves
  • grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large covered soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cooked until it is very brown. Remove half of the sausage and set aside. To the remaining sausage in the pan add the onion, celery, carrots, fennel, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Cook until the vegetables soften a bit, about 5 minutes. Add half of the garlic and cook for one minute or until the garlic releases its aroma. Add the lentils, bay leaves, tomatoes, and water. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer gently until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Stir periodically during cooking process. (It might be necessary to add more water if the soup gets too thick.) When the lentils are tender, add the chard and reserved Italian sausage. Adjust seasoning.

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Cook for an additional 5-8 minutes or until the chard is soft.

Pour remaining ¼ cup olive oil in a small pan. Add remaining 2 garlic cloves and warm over medium heat until the garlic sizzles and softens.

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Remove from heat. Serve soup in individual bowls drizzled with a small amount of the hot oil and a sprinkling of Pecorino Romano cheese. Wonderful served with baguette slices that have been buttered, sprinkled with granulated garlic and dried oregano and toasted for about 6-8 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

 

 

ITALIAN SAUSAGE SOUP

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OK, we didn’t have any kind of soup like this in Italy on our recent trip. But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t learn a few culinary tricks along the way! For example, white wine is used a lot in Italy to deglaze a pan. Fennel is very popular in Italian cooking. And red pepper flakes are about as common as mayonnaise on a tuna sandwich in the states! And even though tomatoes are used extensively in Italian cuisine, they aren’t always the star of the show. They seem to be content to appear as just another ingredient lending a depth of flavor to whatever dish they grace with their presence. Same with basil. Basil doesn’t need to be the center of attention or present a distinct flavor in Italian dishes either. In fact, you might not even be able to detect its notes of subtle anise-like flavor.

I think in one of my posts I mentioned that Italian cooks are subtlety experts. They almost never beat you over the head with any one flavor.  So when I was considering what to cook for my father-in-law for lunch today, I thought I might have a go at updating one of my favorite soups from my second cookbook. The few simple changes I made worked and the soup turned out great. And the best part, the soup is easy to prepare, economical and tastes like it’s been simmering for hours. The fact that it’s low in fat doesn’t hurt either!

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  • 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb. Italian chicken sausage (I like Isernio brand) or 1 lb. Italian pork sausage
  • 1 ½ c. chopped celery
  • ½ large onion, chopped
  • 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ c. white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
  • 14.5 oz. Italian diced or crushed tomatoes
  • 1 T. tomato paste
  • 1 qt. chicken broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ c. chopped fresh parsley
  • ½ small zucchini, diced
  • ½ c. dry pasta, cooked al dente (I use orechiette)
  • 1/3 c. chopped fresh basil
  • grated Parmesan, opt.
  • Garlic Toast, opt. (see recipe below)

Heat olive oil in a heavy lidded soup pot. Add the sausage, breaking into bite size pieces as it browns. Add the celery, onion, and fennel and cook until veggies are tender. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper; cook for one minute. Pour in the wine and cook until the liquid has been absorbed. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, and parsley. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before ready to serve, add zucchini and let simmer for about 5 minutes or until the zucchini is tender, but not mushy. Add the cooked pasta and fresh basil; serve immediately. Pass grated Parmesan cheese and Garlic Toast (see recipe below) for dipping in the soup.

GARLIC TOAST

  • baguette slices
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 whole garlic clove, peeled

Place baguette slices on a baking sheet. In moderation, baste both sides of the baguette slices with olive oil and bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until the slices are very crisp and brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and rub the top of each slice with the whole garlic clove. (Because the toast is crisp, the fresh garlic just kind of melts into the hot surface of the bread.) Delish served with this soup, or almost any other soup for that matter!

 

ITALIAN BEAN SOUP

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While in Italy recently we spent a couple of nights on the beautiful Isle of Ischia in the Gulf of Naples. The Isle of Ischia is the birthplace of our dear friend Gaspare Trani, who until recently owned along with his wife Diane, the fabulous Gaspare’s Ristorante in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood of Seattle. (I am still in mourning! Gaspare actually had the gall to sell the restaurant and semi-retire.) It is still possible to experience his wonderful food however because he retained the catering side of the business. For more information or to place an order, please visit their website www.gasparesrestaurant.com or email them at diannetrani@yahoo.com.

Before we left for Italy we asked the Tranis where we should dine while in Ischia Porto.  (Who better to ask after all?) They quickly answered that by all means we should eat at Ristorante da Raffaele. So not being dummies we took their excellent advice and ended up eating there both nights.

The second night we were not exceedingly hungry so we thought we would just start with a bowl of soup each and then share a primi or secondi. I ordered a cream of mushroom soup and Mr. C ordered the Fagioli (bean soup). While my soup was good; Andy’s was outstanding. So good in fact that he only shared one itsy-bitsy little spoon full with me. But the taste I did have left me wanting more. So when I got home I went on a quest for the perfect bean soup.

My search took me all through Italy. What I soon realized was that there are as many recipes for bean soup in Italy as there are cooks. And being the wise, practical and wonderful cooks that the Italians are, their soups often contain whatever happens to be on hand. You have a small piece of leftover pancetta and a few seriously sad veggies in the bottom of your refrigerator, no problem. Make a soup. And that soon to be moldy rind of Parmesan, well what the heck throw that in too. And while you’re at it, why not toast up yesterday’s baguette and add it to the soup at the last moment for some crunch and another depth of flavor.

Like I said, after looking at many recipes and also drawing on many years of making soup almost every cool weather weekend, I came up with my own take on a non-regional but distinctly Italian bean and vegetable soup. Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients. The soup actually goes together fairly quickly. And don’t limit yourself just to the veggies I use. You have a lone zucchini looking lonely and forlorn in your veggie drawer, dice it up and add it towards the end of the cooking time. Same with a small amount of butternut squash, cauliflower, parsnip, etc. The only vegetable I would not add is potato. There is already plenty of starch provided by the beans.

So next time you are in the mood for a hearty and delicious soup, build yourself a pot. As with most soups, it’s even better the second or third day. It also freezes beautifully.

(More to come on the Isle of Ischia)

  • 2 c. dried white beans, such as cannellini or Great Northern
  • kosher salt
  • 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for toast and serving
  • scant 1/4 lb. finely diced pancetta or thick lean smoked bacon, opt.
  • 2 small yellow onions, chopped
  • 3 small carrots, chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 cloves garlic, divided
  • 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp. toasted fennel seeds, crushed
  • 1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes, like Cento or 1 box Pomi brand chopped Italian tomatoes
  • 4 lightly packed cups coarsely chopped or shredded Savoy or napa cabbage
  • 4 lightly packed cups coarsely chopped kale
  • 1/2 c. chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 3-inch piece of Parmesan rind
  • 6 c. chicken or vegetable stock
  • rustic baguette, sliced
  • freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

In a large bowl, cover the beans with cold water. Cover and allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator. Drain the beans and place them in a large pot with 8 cups of water; bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Set the beans aside to cool in their liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the ¼ cup olive oil in a large stockpot. Add the pancetta and cook until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the onions, carrots, celery, fennel, salt, and pepper; cook over medium-low heat until the veggies start to brown. Add 5 cloves of the garlic that have been finely minced, red pepper flakes, and toasted fennel seeds. Cook over medium-low heat until the garlic releases its aroma, about a minute. Add the tomatoes with juice, cabbage, kale, basil, and Parmesan rind. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for another 7 to 10 minutes.

Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid. In the bowl of a food processor, puree half of the beans with a little of the reserved cooking liquid. Add to the stockpot, along with the remaining whole beans. Pour the bean cooking liquid into a large measuring cup and add enough chicken stock to make 8 cups. Add to the soup along with the reserved fried pancetta and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning.

Meanwhile baste both sides of the baguette slices with olive oil and bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven until crispy brown, about 9 minutes on the first side, flip and a good 3 minutes on the other. Remove toast from oven and with the remaining garlic clove, skinned but left whole, scrape each piece of the toast. (You will be surprised how quickly the clove of garlic “melts” into the toast. You might even need an additional clove.) Set aside until ready to dish up the soup. Warning: Do not start eating the toast or you won’t have room for the lovely soup!

To serve the soup, place 2 pieces of toast in each soup bowl and ladle the soup over the toasts.

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Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

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ITALIAN SAUSAGE SOUP WITH ORZO

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I know it’s kind of strange thinking about soup on a lovely sunny afternoon in June, but I just came in from spending about 4 hours pulling weeds. And one of the “weeds” (it now falls into that category as far as I’m concerned) that has spread all over our yard I actually planted myself! It was just such a cute little feller in a 4-inch pot when I brought it home from the nursery 5 years ago and innocently stuck it into my new herb garden. When we lived in Bellevue my herb garden was in the shade most of the time, and this herb did OK, but never got out of hand. But here, where this gardener’s nightmare gets sun all day long, along with soothing salt water breezes, it has gone crazy and is trying to devour every bit of earth on our property. Even the blackberries can’t keep up with it. And I was so sure it would be the blackberries that eventually inherited the earth (after mankind finished wreaking havoc, that is!)  But now, I’m not so sure. I think it might be the horribly insidious edible Origanum vulgare (vulgar, they got that right!), better known as oregano.

Now, I love to cook with oregano. (That’s why I planted it in the first place. Duh!) But please learn from my experience and don’t let oregano loose. It must be kept confined. (Think jail cell.) Oregano is related to mint, and if you have ever planted mint then you know what I mean. If not, go online and let the experts scare you into not going anywhere near either one of these spreading disasters.

But as an herb for cooking purposes, oregano is delightful. And in this lovely soup, it is perfect. So next time you want an easy weekday soup that everyone in your family will love, give this recipe a try. And if you live near us, come on over and I’ll let you have as much oregano as you would like. Free of charge. Of course you’ll have to go find it, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Oh, and while you’re at it, I have this fence that needs painting……..

  • 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage, pork or chicken
  • 1 ½ c. chopped celery
  • ½ large onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 14.5 can chopped tomatoes
  • 8-oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 qt. chicken broth
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 ½ tsp. fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp. dried
  • 1 T. fresh oregano leaves or 1 tsp. dried
  • ½ c. fresh parsley, chopped
  • 3 T. sugar
  • 1 c. orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
  • shaved Parmesan, for garnish

Sauté sausage in a large soup pot, breaking the sausage into bite size pieces as it browns. When the sausage is good and browned, add celery, onion, and garlic and cook until vegetables are crisp tender, about 10 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, parsley, and sugar. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the orzo and cook until just done, about 6-7 minutes. Stir frequently as pasta cooks. Serve soup hot, garnished with shaves of Parmesan. This soup is great served with good, hearty bread and a glass of red wine.

 

GRUYÈRE SOUP

Maybe it’s because I am sitting inside our trailer in Bandon, Oregon while the rain is beating down on us that posting a recipe for one of my favorite soups seems so appropriate.  Could be, don’t you think? It’s not really cold outside, but it is wet! So even though it is just after breakfast, my mind just naturally drifted off to something warm and delicious, and the first thing I thought about was this James Beard classic.

I found this recipe many years ago when I was looking for a perfect first course soup. And “perfect” is the one word that describes this soup to a tee. I didn’t change a thing from Mr. Beard’s recipe. Why would I want to mess with perfection? So do yourself a favor and make this soup next time it is raining and you are in need of a little comfort. This will do the trick.

  • 4 T. butter
  • 4 T. flour
  • 2 c. milk
  • 2 c. chicken stock
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 2 ½ c. grated Swiss Gruyère cheese (do not use domestic “Gruyère”)
  • dash or 2 hot sauce (Tabasco or Frank’s)
  • kosher salt
  • Garlic Croutons, opt (recipe provided)
  • fresh chopped parsley, opt.

Melt butter in a heavy medium sized saucepan. Add flour and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Whisk in milk and stir until mixture slightly thickened. Add chicken stock and mustard. Heat through. Remove from heat and add cheese and hot sauce. Add salt if necessary. Serve immediately garnished with Garlic Croutons and chopped parsley.

Garlic Croutons:

  • 1 T. butter
  • 2 c. cubed crusty, chewy bread
  • granulated garlic

Melt butter in a large sauté pan. Add bread cubes and slowly sauté until crunchy and browned. (This takes upward of 45 minutes, so plan to make croutons when you are working on other dishes and are close at hand.) Stir frequently. When the bread cubes are golden brown and crunchy, lightly sprinkle with granulated garlic. Cool and store in an airtight container. Use on soups or salads.

 

PHO (VIETNAMESE RICE NOODLE SOUP)

As some of you know, homemade soup is one of my top 10 favorite foods. And pho (pronounced more like fuh than foe) is one of my favorite soups. (And, its gluten free!)

I almost always order it when I go to a Thai or pan Asian restaurant because I so love the broth. And to actually make the broth the way they do in these really good restaurants takes hours and hours, and even then some days it’s just better than others! So when I discovered this recipe, and for the love of all things noodle I can’t remember where or when, or even how much I mangled the original recipe, I was delighted. So as far as I’m concerned, this broth is pretty darn acceptable for not starting with bones and cooking then for hours and hours, etc. etc. And the rest of the soup is a snap. You just add cooked rice noodles to your hot broth and a few uncooked ingredients (well except for the fried tofu, which is totally optional but absolutely divine) and sit back and think pleasant thoughts. Pretend you are sitting on the veranda of a fabulous water front café at Halong Bay (Bay of descending dragons) watching the sun sparkle on the water as you eat your big old bowl of pho. Just thinking about warm beaches and shimmering water in Vietnam makes me want to hop on a jet. But unfortunately the only hopping I should be doing right now is in the kitchen. I still have more food preparation to do today for the pre-concert JazzVox dinner here tomorrow night! Yikes! If you’ll excuse me, my Italian Cream Cake is calling to me that it is feeling a little naked. Cream cheese frosting sprinkled with toasted coconut and pecans coming right up!

  • 6 c. water
  • 1-2 tsp. beef base
  • 1 T. won ton instant soup mix (You can purchase won ton instant soup mix (like Dragonfly brand) at any decent Asian food store)
  • 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 T. finely diced fresh ginger
  • 2-3 oz. pho noodles (rice)
  • 1/3 block firm or extra-firm tofu, opt.** (see recipe and preparation instructions below)
  • ¼ lb. very thinly sliced beef*
  • ½-1 jalapeno, seeded, deveined and thinly sliced
  • 1 c. fresh bean sprouts
  • 1 T. chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
  • several Thai basil leaves
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
  • ½ fresh lime, cut into 4 wedges
  • Sriracha sauce
  • hoisin sauce

Combine water, beef stock, won ton soup mix, onion, and ginger in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile soak the noodles in water for 15 minutes. Bring a pot of water to a boil. When the broth is ready, remove the noodles from the soaking water and cook for about 3-4 minutes in the boiling water. When done, place the noodles in the bottom of two large soup bowls. Add the tofu, raw meat, jalapeno, bean sprouts, and cilantro. Fill the bowls with stock, and garnish with basil leaves, green onions, and 2 lime wedges each. Pass Sriracha and hoisin sauce as “do it yourself” garnishes. (Instead of beef, you can add pre-cooked shrimp, chicken, or pork.)

*To thinly slice beef, place beef in the freezer just until it starts to get hard. Using a very sharp thin bladed knife cut slices as thin as possible against the grain of the meat.

**Optional fried tofu recipe: Slice drained tofu into 1/4-inch slices and coat with 1 tablespoon cornstarch.  Combine 1 tablespoon sesame oil with 1 teaspoon chili oil in a medium frying pan. Bring oil to medium heat and fry the tofu until both sides are a nice golden brown. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel. When cool cut into bite size pieces.

 

CREAMY GARLIC SEAFOOD SOUP

I originally decided to give this recipe a try when I realized it contained so many of my favorite ingredients. I am a complete sucker for any recipe with garlic, jalapenos, white wine, cream, seafood, or avocados to begin with. But when they all are combined in the same recipe! How could I not give it a try? So before it gets too warm and you all stop thinking about soup until next fall, I thought I better post this wonderful recipe. I found it in my favorite food magazine, Cooking Light. I decided to post it now because it is one of those soups that is truly a soup for all seasons. And sometimes when it’s warm outside, we forget that soup makes a terrific dinner entrée even in the summer. Add a nice crusty bread, and that’s really all you need.

So if you would like a wonderful change of pace from seafood soups, gumbos, and bisques that are tomato based, make this delightful recipe for dinner sometime soon. And no, the 12 cloves of garlic will not make it too garlicky. Just don’t plan to kiss someone who hasn’t also enjoyed the soup with you. Just a word to the wise!

  • ½ lb. large raw shrimp/prawns with shells and tails
  • 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 c. chopped onion
  • 12 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 jalapenos, halved (veins and seeds removed)
  • ¼ c. dry white wine
  • 6 c. water
  • 1 T. butter
  • 2 T. flour
  • ¾ c. heavy cream
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
  • 1/8 tsp. crushed saffron threads
  • 1 lb. firm white fish (snapper, halibut, cod) cut in bite size pieces
  • 3 T. minced cilantro
  • 2 avocados, chopped
  • lime wedges

Peel and de-vein the shrimp, reserving shells and tails. Place shrimp in the refrigerator. Heat a heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, reserved shrimp shells and tails, onion, garlic, jalapeno halves; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add wine and cook until evaporated, stirring constantly. Add water and bring to boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes or until liquid is reduced to three cups; strain over bowl. Discard solids and wipe pan clean. Melt butter in pan and whisk in flour; cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in reserved three cups of shrimp broth, cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and saffron; bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle reserved shrimp and fish cubes with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; add to liquid. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes or until shrimp are pink and fish flakes easily. Remove from heat. Serve garnished with cilantro, avocado, and squeezed wedge of lime.

ROASTED MUSHROOM CREAM SOUP

I found this recipe in Bon Appetite years ago and it has been my favorite creamy mushroom soup ever since. (Of course I made a couple of tweaks, but that’s what I do!) The first time I made this delicious soup was for Mr. C. and the other members of the “Tangoheart” orchestra. It was for one of the many rehearsals we held at our Bellevue home. (You’ve heard the term “starving musicians”. Well this group could have been the poster children for starving musicians everywhere!) I usually served soup for these rehearsals because it could remain happily simmering on the stove until the group was ready to take a food break. Soup is also quick and easy to eat, so the group never had to take too much time away from rehearsing. Along with a nice chewy loaf of bread, a glass of wine, and a brownie perhaps (no, not the kind that is now legal in Washington state), soup was always the perfect way to provide a simple meal for our musician friends. This soup is also lovely when served as the first course at a dinner party. It is ever so rich, and a cup or so is just perfect. So next time you plan a dinner party, consider serving a lovely rich soup like this, just after the appetizers and before the main course. Your guests will love everything about this soup. It is creamy, a little chunky, and tastes like heaven in a bowl. It’s also meatless. That’s especially nice when planning a dinner party for associates or new friends. Even if one of your guests happens to be a vegetarian, and unable to partake of the meat portion of the entree, they can always have more of this wonderful soup. Your guests may not be musicians when they arrive at your home for dinner, but serve them this soup and they will be singing your praise by the time they leave!

  • 1 lb. Portobello mushroom, stemmed, dark gills removed, caps cut into ¾-inch pieces
  • ½ lb. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps cut into ¾-inch pieces
  • 3 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 ½ T. butter
  • ½ medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 T. Madeira
  • 3 T. flour
  • 6 c. vegetable broth
  • 1 c. heavy cream
  • 1 ½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme
  • chopped fresh parsley, opt.

Place cut mushrooms on a large short sided baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15-30 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender but still moist. Meanwhile, melt butter in a heavy large pot. Add onion and garlic and gently sauté until the onion is very soft. (Do not cook too quickly. The onion and garlic should not be allowed to brown.) Add Madeira and simmer until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Add flour; stir for 2 minutes. Add 4 cups of the broth, cream, and thyme. Remove from heat. When the mushrooms have finished baking, puree half of them with the remaining 2 cups of vegetable broth. Chop the remaining mushrooms into small pieces and add them, along with the mushroom puree to the pot. Return pot to heat and simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Ladle into serving bowls/cups and garnish with a light sprinkle of chopped parsley.