Zuppa Toscana

Here's another very close Olive Garden knock-off. This soup is my mom's favorite. Though it has cream, it doesn't have any flour to thicken it, so it's still very brothy. I like to add about 1/4 t. of crushed red pepper for a little heat.

Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients

1 lb Italian sausage (mild or hot)
2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large onions, chopped
1/4 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional, but really good)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups kale or 2 cups swiss chard, chopped
2 (8 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 quart water
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Remove uncooked sausage from casings and break into small pieces.
2. Brown sausage in your soup pot. Remove with a slotted spoon.
3. Add onions and garlic to remaining fat and cook for five minutes.
4. Place chicken broth, water, onions, and potatoes in pot.
5. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.
6. Add sausage and bacon.
7. Salt and pepper to taste.
8. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
9. Turn to low heat.
10. Add kale and cream.
11. Heat through and serve.

Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli

This recipe is extremely close to Olive Garden's version of Pasta e Fagioli, and it's very healthy! What's more, both boys loved it. Ben says it's his second favorite soup after homemade chicken noodle.

It is a very thick - more like an Italian chili. You can add more V8 juice to make it brothier, especially when reheating leftovers. Serve with OG breadsticks.

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 12-ounce can V-8 juice (add more if soup is too thick)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 pound (1/2 pkg.) ditali pasta

1. Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat.

2. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.

3. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.

4. About 50 minutes into the simmering, cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes or just until pasta is al dente, or slightly tough. Drain.

5. Add the pasta to the large pot of soup. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 8.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I don't use my crock pot a lot, but I wanted something that would be ready when we came home from church on Sunday. I made several changes based on what I had in the house, and it turned out great! If you don't have a crock pot, you could certainly make this on the stove - just bring it to a boil and simmer for at least 3o minutes.

When we walked in the house, Ben said, "What smells so delicious?". That's a great way to start lunch!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound shredded, cooked chicken (or you can cook a couple of chicken breasts in the soup and shred)
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
1 can or jar taco sauce, salsa, or enchilada sauce (up to 16 oz.)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers or one can drained Rotel tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 qt. chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn

2 T. lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
tortilla chips

Toppings: cheese, avocado, sour cream, extra tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place chicken, tomatoes, sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in corn and cilantro and lime juice. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2. 15 minutes before serving, crunch a few handfuls of tortilla chips into the soup and let them break down. Stir.

3. Serve with toppings.

Chesapeake Chowder

Wow, is this chowder good! We liked it so much, I made it twice in one week. It's great with crusty bread or as a starter with crab cakes. It reheats well, too, but it wouldn't be good to freeze.

Chesapeake Chowder

1/2 pound unpeeled, medium-size fresh shrimp
1/2 pound fresh crabmeat
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1 (8-oz.) bottle clam juice
5 red potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

1. Peel shrimp; devein, if desired. Drain and flake crabmeat, removing any bits of shell. Set seafood aside.

2. Sauté onion, garlic, and celery in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in broth and next 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

3. Stir in shrimp, crabmeat, and heavy cream; cook over low heat 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Garnish, if desired.

Cheddar Broccoli Soup

I needed to use up some broccoli and chicken, so I came up with this soup. It was delicious - a meal in a bowl! I did make some scallion pancakes for the carb lovers in the family.

Cheddar Broccoli Soup

1 small onion, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

4 T. butter

1/2 cup flour

5 cups chicken broth

1/4 t. black pepper

1/4 t. red pepper

1 t. salt (can use less)

4 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup cream

2-3 cups cooked chicken breast

2 cups cheddar cheese, divided

Cook celery and onions in butter until starting to soften (about five minutes). Stir flour into butter and cook for a minute or two. Slowly add chicken broth and whisk into flour mixture. Cook over medium low heat until starting to thicken.

Add salt, black pepper, red pepper, and broccoli. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until broccoli is tender. Stir in cream, chicken and 1 1/2 cups of cheese.

Serve with remaining cheese on top.

Lasagna Soup

I found this recipe in Family Fun magazine, in an article featuring soups from 300 Sensational Soups. It sounds like a great cookbook: one of the other recipes was tomato soup with wee grilled cheese croutons floating about.

This soup is great! Unfortunately, I took a picture of the leftovers, so the pasta had absorbed a lot of the broth and made it more stew-like. The pasta is cooked in the broth, which makes it incredibly flavorful. The soup tastes just like lasagna with a lighter profile and a lot less prep time. Best of all, both boys loved it!

Lasagna Soup

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage (bulk or with casings removed) I used 20 oz turkey Italian sausage
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
8 ounces fusilli pasta (or rotini or penne)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
8 ounces ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella

Instructions

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and sauté, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pot. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and sauté until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package. Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil. If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the Parmesan, the 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pinch of pepper. To serve, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture in each bowl, sprinkle with some of the mozzarella, and ladle the soup on top. Makes about 13 cups. We didn't get 13 cups out of the recipe because so much broth soaked into the pasta/evaporated, but it does make a large amount.

Nutritional Information:
Per serving (1 cup):
Calories 264
Total Fat 11 g (17% DV)
Saturated Fat 5g (26% DV)
Cholesterol 38 mg (13% DV)
Sodium 1162 mg (48% DV)
Total Carbohydrate 22 g (7% DV)
Fiber 1g (6% DV)
Sugars 5g
Protein 19 g (39% DV)
Vitamin C 14 mg (23% DV)
Calcium 259 mg (26% DV)

Phở and Scallion Pancakes

I used to eat phở at a Vietnamese noodle restaurant in Illinois, and sometimes I crave the unique anise/ginger/umami broth. I had some rice noodles from Super H-Mart and some ground pork, and Mark Bittman's recipe calls for pork rather than the traditional beef, so I decided to try making it myself.


I made the scallion pancakes to go with the soup because Ben is more likely to eat soup if it has some "bread" on the side - or at least some crackers or chips he can dip into the soup. Besides, despite the short ingredient list, they are surprisingly delicious! I first ate them with Korean friends, and I make them now when I need some starch to go with an Asian meal. They are also from Mark Bittman (his How to Cook Everything cookbook mentioned in the post below).


This is the time of year for soup for dinner - I love it, and fortunately, so does the whole family!

Phở (adapted from Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World)

2 T. vegetable oil
1 T. minced garlic
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound ground pork
salt
10 cups beef stock or broth
1 t. ground anise or 4 star anise
1/4 t. pepper
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced, or 1 t. ground ginger
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla) kind of like Asian worcestershire
1 T. sugar
1 pound dried rice noodles
Toppings: cilantro, basil, Thai chiles, scallions, limes

1. Set a stockpot over medium heat and add the oil. A minute later, add garlic and chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. When onion is cooked, add pork with a large pinch of salt. Turn heat to high; brown quickly, about 5 minutes. Add stock, anise, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, fish sauce, and sugar.

3. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until the pork is cooked through. Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles in boiling salted water until tender (follow package directions). Strain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.

4. When the pork is cooked, add the noodles to the broth and reheat them. Remove star anise, if using. Divide soup among 6-8 serving bowls. Garnish with cilantro, basil, chiles, and scallions, squeezing lime juice over all.

Scallion Pancakes (adapted from How to Cook Everything - Bittman)

This recipe makes one pancake, but you can easily double it.

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus a little more.
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup boiling water, plus a little more if needed
1/2 cup. finely chopped scallions
1 T. vegetable oil
coarse salt

1. Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Slowly add boiling water, stirring until it forms a ball. Add a little more water if needed.

2. Knead by hand for about 1 minute. Place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and let rest for an hour.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pancake out to about 1/4 inch thick. Press scallions into pancake.

4. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium low heat. Cook pancake on one side until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Turn and brown the other sides.

5. Sprinkle with coarse salt and serve warm.

Baked Potato Soup

The boys watched Ratatouille on the way home from Florida, so Ben started asking me to make potato soup and eclairs. The French version of potato soup is not like our baked potato version, but we like this better. I hadn't made it in a long time, but it was sooo good - and even Ben ate it!

I found the recipe on the Cooking Light board originally, but it's from a restaurant called California Dreaming.

Baked Potato Soup

1/4 cup onion -- minced
1/4 cup celery -- minced
1/3 cup flour
3 cups chicken stock or broth
2 medium potatoes -- peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon basil, fresh, or 1/3 t. dried
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
1 cup sour cream
8 strips bacon -- chopped
fresh chives or green onions -- chopped
cheddar cheese -- grated

Cook bacon slowly over medium-low heat until crisp, taking care not to brown the fat. Set bacon aside, leaving 1 - 2 tablespoons rendered fat in the pan.

Add onions and celery and saute until tender. Add flour and mix well. Add chicken stock and stir until all flour is dissolved. Continue to stir and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer. Add potatoes and let soup simmer until potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes). Add heavy cream, sour cream, basil, and white pepper. Let simmer for another 10 minutes until soup is hot again.

Garnish each portion of soup with the bacon, chives, and cheese.

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup with Sausage

I ended up making this soup tonight instead of the gnocchi I had planned. I had great plans to grill Italian sausage and vegetables this weekend, but it rained for four days straight, so I needed a way to use them up. This was a great find! I ate the leftovers without sausage, and it was just as good.

The recipe is adapted from Rachael Ray. She uses bacon, which I'm sure would also be great.

Note: I always have chipotle peppers in the freezer - when I buy a can, I freeze individual peppers with adobo sauce in ice cube trays, then transfer them to a ziploc bag. Otherwise, I'd end up wasting most of the can since most recipes only call for 1-2.

Ingredients:

4 sweet potatoes (2½ pounds), peeled and sliced 1 inch thick
Salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 links Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, shredded
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon thyme
One 32-ounce container chicken broth
1 teaspoon grated peel and juice of 1 orange
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Honey or maple syrup, for drizzling
Pepper
1 cup sour cream, for passing around the table

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, add the sweet potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, salt the water and cook until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and return to the pot.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, in a medium pot, heat the oil. Add the sausage and crumble. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Discard all but 2 tablespoons fat. Add the onion, carrot, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, and thyme and cook until the onions are softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, orange peel, orange juice and cinnamon; drizzle with honey/maple syrup and season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the broth mixture to the sweet potatoes in the pot and puree with an immersion blender (alternatively, puree in batches in a blender or food processor). Serve the soup with the sour cream and sausage on top.

Cheddar Chicken Chowder

You'll have to not judge me when you read this recipe: it contains Velveeta. So the "cheddar" in the title is misleading, but sounds nicer than, say, Cheezey Chicken Chowder. The sad truth is that no other cheese melts smoothly like Velveeta does for soup - real cheddar gets stringy.

This soup is a favorite. It is completely satisfying, filling enough on its own but really good with a brightly-flavored salad on the side as well. I found it on the Cooking Light forums, and while it is not actually low calorie, it is reasonably healthy. It makes a lot and reheats well, but I wouldn't freeze it.

One caveat: this soup uses several pots and pans. An easy way to cook the chicken (other than using leftovers or rotisserie chicken) is to put the breasts in a crock pot with salt and pepper - no liquid necessary. You can put them in frozen or not. I cooked frozen breasts for about two hours in the crock pot on high; unfrozen ones could be cooked on low or high, depending on how much time you have.

Cheddar Chicken Chowder

5 cups chicken broth or stock
4 cups diced red potatoes
2 cups diced celery
2 cups diced carrots
2 cups diced onion
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all purpose flour
3 cups skim or 1% milk
3 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 lb Light Velveeta, cubed (half of loaf)
Fresh chives/green onions (optional)

1) In a large stock pot combine chicken broth, potatoes, celery, carrots and onion. Cover and bring to a slow boil for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

2) In a medium sauce pan over low heat, melt butter, add flour, and whisk until smooth. Let simmer for one minute, then increase heat to medium. Stir mixture constantly while gradually adding milk. Continue to stir until thick and bubbly.

3) Add milk mixture to vegetables. Add soy sauce, crushed red pepper, and cayenne. Gently stir in cheese, and continue to stir until completely melted. Add chicken, heat thoroughly, and serve garnished with fresh chives.

Ellie Krieger's Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

I took Ellie Krieger's book out of the library, and it's really good. It's called The Food You Crave, and it's basically healthy, satisfying food without fake or substitute ingredients. I'm posting this soup today because my sister has one of her many New England weather-induced colds, and it's pure comfort food - restoring and nourishing.

The eggs disappear into the broth and thicken it. If you have leftovers, you'll need to add some broth.

Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo

4 teaspoons olive oil
8 ounces skinless -- boneless chicken breast halves, cut into small chunks
1 pinch salt -- plus more to taste
1 medium onion -- diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 stalks celery -- diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium carrot -- diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup orzo -- preferably whole wheat
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with the salt, add it to the pot, and cook, stirring, a few times, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a dish and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and thyme and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and let simmer until tender, about 8 minutes. Turn the heat down to low to keep the soup hot but not boiling.

Warm the remaining 1 cup broth in a small saucepan until it is hot but not boiling. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Gradually whisk the lemon juice into the eggs. Then gradually add the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture, whisking all the while. Add the mixture to the soup, stirring well until the soup is thickened. Do not let the soup come to a boil. Add the cooked chicken to the soup. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Makes 4 servings, Serving size: 1 1/2 cups

Per serving: Calories 280; Total fat 10g (Sat fat 2g, Mono fat 6g, Poly fat 1g); Protein 26g; Carb 22g; Fiber 2g; Cholesterol 139mg; Sodium 291mg

Summer Corn Chowder and Grilled Corn on the Cob

We had some leftover grilled corn on the cob, and my favorite thing to do with that is make corn chowder. My mother had some and liked it so much that she asked me to post the recipe.

We make corn on the cob many different ways: boiled, steamed, microwaved, and grilled. Some people even bake it in the oven! There is a controversy when grilling corn over leaving some of the husks and soaking vs. peeling the corn entirely. This summer we've been making our corn like this, and we love it. Without any husks, the corn is truly grilled and not steamed.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Shuck as many ears as desired. Mix together softened butter, salt, and pepper. Brush it lightly on the corn. Grill on medium, turning from time to time. It will take about 8-10 minutes to get tender and slightly charred. Some people eat it with additional butter, but I like it right off the grill.

Summer Corn Chowder (inspired by epicurious.com)

6 slices bacon, chopped I always use center cut, which is less fatty
5-6 cups fresh corn kernels(cut from 6 to 8 ears)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion or leeks
1 cup sliced peppers - any colors
1 cup 1/2-inch cubes peeled russet potatoes
3 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or green onions
Optional: splash of cream or half and half

Sauté bacon in large pot over medium-high heat until crisp and brown. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add corn, onion, peppers, and potatoes to drippings in pot; sauté 5 minutes. Add 3 cups broth and simmer uncovered over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer 3 cups soup to blender. Holding blender top firmly, puree until smooth. (An immersion blender works great.) Return puree to soup in pot. Stir in milk and cayenne. Bring chowder to simmer, thinning with more broth if too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a splash of cream if using. Ladle chowder into bowls and sprinkle with bacon and chives.

Pacific Northwest Gourmet Club

I mentioned in an earlier dinner club post that the night I hosted had a Pacific Northwest theme. While that was several months ago now, I've been wanting to post the details and a recipe.

(I can't figure out how to get my picture horizontal; it is before I attach it!)

I was inspired by a book, Timberline Lodge Cookbook, given to me by my brother- and sister-in-law a few years ago. It's from a lodge on a slope of Mt. Hood, Oregon, and it looks lovely. The food in the cookbook favors seafood, vegetables, berries, herbs, and hazelnuts. Here is our menu.

Pre-dinner: Tillamook cheddar cheese and grapes. My friend Kaeley from college was from Oregon, and she always raved about Tillamook cheese.

Amuse bouche: Shrimp with a remoulade sauce. The remoulade is not very Northwestern, but I like it better than cocktail sauce. I served two shrimp hanging on a shot glass filled with sauce. It was really cute; the shrimp make a heart shape, so it would be nice for Valentine's day.

First Course: Creamy Gazpacho. Wow, was this good! I think it may have been the hit of the night. I was so happy to have leftovers. It's a great warm-weather cold soup. The olive oil and sour cream make it more decadent than typical gazpacho. I served it in glass bowls stored in the freezer. Recipe below.

Main Course: Poached salmon with hollandaise and raspberry sauce, hazelnut wild rice pilaf, and glazed carrots. The carrots were cut matchstick sized and tied with a green onion into little packages, which added to the cute factor as well.

Dessert: Hood River Pear and Hazelnut Tart. This dessert was truly labor intensive but delicious. The tart pastry was lined with chocolate ganache, then layered with an almond paste/butter/egg/sugar/toasted ground hazelnut mixture, topped with poached pear slices and sugar, and glazed with hot apricot preserves. I seemed to have too much filling for my tart pan, so it wasn't as pretty as the picture, but it tasted amazing anyway.

It was a fun night! I think the four children took out every toy in the house while we were eating.

Here is the recipe for the creamy gazpacho. I'm going to make it again this weekend. I'll try half the oil this time, but most of the ingredients are so low-calorie that the overall profile isn't bad.

Sauvie Island Creamy Gazpacho

Serves 8

1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 green onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 bunch parsley or cilantro, chopped

1 T. honey

1 T. chopped fresh dill or 2 t. dried

4 cups tomato juice

1 c. sour cream or plain yogurt

salt and pepper to taste

juice of 2 lemons

1/2 cup olive oil

garnish with fresh chives

Combine all of the ingredients except the chives in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Garnish with chives. Serve very cold.