The Apartment Kitchen » soup

Pasta e Fagioli

admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 21:52:20 +0000

We had a rainy, chilly weekend (which I love), so I took the opportunity to make soup. I used delicious, spicy turkey sausage as the base for this pasta e fagioli. It’s a wonderful, hearty soup with so many variations. I made several variations on this, including making it rather spicy, using red kidney beans instead of the traditional white, and adding whatever veggies I needed to use up. Best of all, I served it with the crusty bread I made earlier in the day – it was perfect for one a perfect, drizzly, chilly spring night.

Pasta e Fagioli

Made a lot of soup!

Leftover Potential: Freezes and reheats well.

1 1/3 cups pasta (bite size shape)

1 Tbsp olive oil

5 slices bacon, diced

1 lb spicy sausage, casings removed

1 large onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

1 (32 oz) can diced tomatoes

2 cups kidney beans, cooked

2 cups chicken broth, or more as needed

parmesan rind (optional)

fresh chopped parsley, to taste

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Dain and set aside.

2. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and sausage and cook until the bacon is crisp and the sausage is cooked through. Remove the meat from the pot, reserving the fat in the pot.

3. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and peppers to the pot and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, and chicken broth. Add the parmesan rind, if using, and bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer until the vegetables are very tender and the soup develops good flavor, 8-10 minutes more.

5. Stir in the pasta, bacon, sausages, and parsley. Simmer to heat through, and eat!!

Caramelized Onion Soup

theapartmentkitchen — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:33:31 +0000

I am a major onion eater. I don’t care about the consequences, I could eat them like apples – even if it meant driving everyone around me far, far away. I love this onion soup because it’s easy and I always have everything I need for it right on hand. I don’t call it “French Onion Soup” because I don’t top it with the cheesy crouton garnish (which is delicious, of course). Instead, this is merely an enriched broth that can be made quickly and enjoyed for days.

Vegetarians – don’t just substitute vegetable broth for the beef broth, you won’t get the rich flavor that’s typical for this soup. Instead, use mushroom broth – it has a rich, meaty flavor that’s the ideal substitute.

Caramelized Onion Soup

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.

Leftover Potential: Freezes and refrigerates well. Puree the soup for a thick, smooth texture, or reduce it down to make a killer sauce for pasta.

3 Tbsp olive oil

6 onions, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 (14 oz) cans beef broth

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, and toss to coat evenly in oil.

2. Reduce heat to low and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown and caramelized, about 8-10 minutes.

3. Stir in the garlic, and season well with salt and pepper.

4. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar, and stir until it reduces completely. Add the broth, and bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer until the soup has good flavor, about 20-25 minutes.

Roasted Tomato Soup

theapartmentkitchen — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:55:23 +0000

A bit of a bug put me in the mood for soup. I immediately thought of tomato soup – I love it and generally only make it in the summer when the tomatoes are the ripest. But it sounded so good, I thought I would try it with good quality canned tomatoes and roast them to boost their flavor. I used olive oil for richness and balsamic to bring out their sweetness and acidity, and was really happy with the results. After I made, I ran around my house with a spoon forcing everyone to taste. What did I discover? No one (no one) in my house likes tomato soup, leaving me with the whole pot to myself! (Oh yea)

Roasted Tomato Soup

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts

Leftover Potential: Delicious reheated and comforted me all week.

2 large cans (32 oz) whole tomatoes

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper, as needed

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 leeks, thinly sliced

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

4 cloves garlic

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

salt and lots of pepper, as needed

1. Drain the tomatoes, and reserve the juice. Halve the tomatoes and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle the tomatoes evenly with olive oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes until they are slightly blistered and lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 7-9 minutes.

3. Add the drained tomato juice to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and continue to cook until the liquid has reduced almost entirely.

4. Add the roasted tomatoes and the chicken broth to the pot. In a blender or food processor, puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, and continue to simmer until good flavor develops, about 10-15 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.

Spiced Corn Soup with Sauteed Mushrooms

theapartmentkitchen — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:56:12 +0000

At the risk of sounding like a typical New Year’s Resolution maker, I am trying to eat healthier in 2010. Those of you who know me know I try to eat healthy at least most of the time (which makes it much easier and better when I go on a butter eating rampage). At any rate, as I often talk about, it’s easiest to make healthy food that’s delicious by working with it, rather than against it. It’s hard to make something healthy that inherently has a lot of cream or cheese or anything else in it – you’ll miss all that stuff too much if you eliminate it completely.

Corn is full of delicious starches, and in this pureed soup, it turns into a creamy, incredibly tasty soup. Combined with spicy peppers and savory sauteed mushrooms, it is unbelievably good (and also unbelievably healthy).

Spiced Corn Soup with Sauteed Mushrooms

Served 4.

Leftover Potential: Reheats well, though you might need to saute more mushrooms. Would also be great with shredded or ground meat mixed in, making it almost like a curry or stew.

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 small onions, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, smashed

1 serrano chile, minced (or jalapeno)

1 two pound bag frozen corn kernels

2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken or vegetable broth

salt and pepper, to taste

1 (14.5 oz) can corn kernels

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp coriander

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 basket mushrooms, thinly sliced

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the chile and garlic, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Add the corn kernels and broth, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Drain the liquid from the canned corn into the soup.

3. In a blender or food processor, puree the soup until it’s smooth. Return it to the pot, season with salt and pepper. Stir in the corn and spices, and simmer until good flavor develops, about 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onion and saute until it is translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms, and saute until the mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes more. Season with salt.

5. Serve the soup with heaps of mushrooms on top (or, you can always stir the mushrooms in).

Quick Wonton Soup

theapartmentkitchen — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:50:36 +0000

I don’t (generally speaking) order a lot of take out. Ordering take out is sort of a special occasion for me. When I am too busy to cook, which is almost never, I have to admit it is fun to not only let someone else do the cooking for you, but bring it to your door as well.

Recent cravings for Chinese take out soup led me to this incredibly easy recipe. It may not be quite the same as your local take out joint, and it is certainly not traditional, but it was inspired by having several assorted cans of broth and not being sure what to do. I sort of “fortified” the broths with scallions, garlic, and ginger – and the mixture of the three broths was quite delicious and tasted fabulous with my standard wonton/dumpling filling. So, I’m calling it “Quick Wonton Soup”. Sure, it takes a little while to form the wontons, but the opening the can part couldn’t be easier.

Quick Wonton Soup

Served 4.

Leftover Potential: Reheats well, though the wontons can fall apart with excessive stirring and heating.

Wontons

1 package wonton wrappers (mine had about 50 wrappers)

1 lb ground pork

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch scallions, minced

1 Tbsp ginger, minced

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tsp oyster sauce

sriracha, as needed

1. Open the wonton wrappers and cover them with a damp paper towel. Prepare a small bowl of water.

2. In a large bowl, combine the pork, garlic, scallions, ginger, soy, vinegar, oyster sauce, and sriracha.

3. Use your finger to dampen two sides of a wonton wrapper. Fill it with about 1 Tbsp of filling (don’t overfill or your wontons will burst).

4. Fold the wonton in half, to that the side with water encases the filling. Press to seal. Repeat with remaining wontons and filling.

***This makes more wontons than my soup needed, I panfried the rest to eat as an appetizer. You can use your judgement about how wonton-y you want it.

Soup

1 Tbsp oil

2 bunches scallions, minced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp ginger, minced

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth

2 (14 oz) cans vegetable broth

1 (14 oz) can beef broth

prepared wontons

1. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the scallions, garlic, and ginger, and saute until aromatic. Stir in the pepper.

2. Add the broths, and bring the mixture to a simmer. When it has reached a simmer, add the wontons, and simmer until they are cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.

3. Serve warm.

***You could add more flavoring ingredients to the broth, or use your own broth, and let it simmer for a while to let flavors develop before adding the wontons to cook.

Cheddar and Beer Soup

theapartmentkitchen — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:56:44 +0000

Cheese. Beer. In soup form. You guessed it – it was a success in my house. I used a lot of great aromatics to start building this soup. Then I added beer, pureed the mixture, and stirred in some sharp cheddar at the end. We tried a number of ways to finish it – green chiles and cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, or some seasoned sourdough croutons. Don’t be afraid to use a really sharp cheddar – it’s a great time for it to shine, and the beer can handle it.

Cheddar and Beer Soup with Sourdough Croutons

Served 4.

Leftover Potential: Refrigerates and freezes well.

2 Tbsp butter

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 leeks, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic

1/3 cup flour

1 bottle Yeungling or pale ale

3 (14 oz) cans chicken broth

1/4 cup canned diced green chiles

3 cups sharp cheddar, shredded

salt and pepper, to taste

pinch cayenne pepper

3 cups diced sourdough

2 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large pot, melt the butter. Add the onions, carrots, celery, leeks, and garlic and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes.

2. Add the flour, and stir to coat the vegetables. Add the beer. The mixture should look like a thick paste.

3. Add the broth in batches, stirring constantly to ensure everything distributes evenly. Stir in the chiles.

4. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer the soup until great flavor develops and the soup thickens slightly, 30-45 minutes.

5. Toss the sourdough with oil, salt, and pepper. Spread into an even layer on a baking sheet, and toast in a 350 degree oven until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.

6. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Return the soup to the pot and bring it to a simmer. Stir in the cheese, and season well with salt and pepper. Serve with croutons.

Chicken with Mustard Dumplings

theapartmentkitchen — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:21:05 +0000

I love chicken and dumplings, and it’s something I haven’t made yet in my own kitchen (my mom’s version is delish). I wanted to make it a little different by adding a burst of flavor to the dumplings. Matt is a mustard lover, and I’m a recent mustard convert, so I figured I’d give it a try. The result was great – slightly different but still staying true to the basic flavors in it already.

Using whole grain, spicy brown, and Dijon mustard pumped up the flavor in a warm way that complemented the chicken and the broth. Since we’ve had our first frost here, I was delighted to have something this warm and tasty for dinner (and for lunch the next day)!

Chicken with Mustard Dumplings

Served 4.
Leftover Potential: Reheats well and is wonderful in this cold weather!

Chicken and Broth:
4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper, as needed

1 Tbsp butter
1 onion, minced
2 carrots, minced
2 stalks celery, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white wine
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp thyme, chopped
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1 cup peas
salt and pepper, to taste

Dumplings:
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
3/4 cup water, or more as needed

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven until cooked through but still tender, about 8-10 minutes. Let cool enough to touch. Thinly slice or dice the chicken and reserve.
2. In a large pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot, and celery. Saute until the vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms, and continue to cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 3-5 minutes more.
3. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, and cook until the liquid has almost evaporated. Add the chicken broth, and bring the mixture to a simmer.
4. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder for the dumplings to combine. In a smaller bowl, combine the mustards and water. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and mix just to combine. Do not overmix.
5. When the broth has come to a simmer, form the dough into dumplings using two spoons. Drop the dumplings into the simmering liquid. Cover the pot and let the dumplings cook, maintaining a simmer, until cooked through, about 14-16 minutes.
6. Add the cooked chicken, herbs, and peas, and stir the mixture to heat through. Serve warm.

Chanterelle Mushroom and Leek Soup with Roasted Corn

theapartmentkitchen — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:41:27 +0000

Even though it hasn’t quite gotten chilly yet, I was craving soup and thought it would be the perfect way to use my remaining chanterelles. Is it possible to be in love with a mushroom? I think so, but in my case…it’s multiple mushrooms (I’m an equal opportunity fungus lover). The point being, this pureed soup was earthy with a silky texture sans cream that is absolutely craveable. Stirred in some roasted corn for an end of summer touch and ate it with toasty baguette croutons. And even though it wasn’t too cold out, I still enjoyed the cooler breeze as I ate my soup – real soup weather is almost upon us!

Chanterelle Mushroom and Leek Soup with Roasted Corn

Served 2.

Leftover Potential: Keeps well refrigerated and frozen. Made 2 meals after the initial dinner.

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 leeks, thinly sliced

3 cloves roasted garlic*

2 cups chanterelle mushrooms

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 Tbsp thyme, chopped

1 Tbsp parsley, chopped

2 Tbsp rosemary, chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups corn kernels

2 slices baguette, thinly sliced

salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed

1. In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and leek and saute until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and broth, and saute until beginning to become tender, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender, and puree until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, and stir in the herbs. Let simmer until good flavor develops, 10-15 minutes.

3. On a sheet tray, drizzle the corn and bread with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the corn is lightly browned and the bread is toasted, about 5-7 minutes.

4. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with roasted corn and toasted bread.

Vegetarian Ramen

theapartmentkitchen — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:45:41 +0000

I think I was about 14 when I first saw Tampopo, a Japanese “noodle Western” about a “cowboy” (truck driver) who helps a woman turn around her formerly unsuccessful noodle shop. The truly remarkable thing about this movie is it actually says a lot about the importance of food in Japanese culture. I became fascinated, as well as endlessly amused by it. Still today, I remember the scene where the old man teaches an eager young student the correct way to eat a bowl of ramen. I don’t follow his instruction, but I do love ramen, and today was the kind of rainy day that was just perfect for it.

Vegetarian Ramen

Served 1.
Leftover Potential: It would be super easy to double or triple this recipe to serve more people or to save for leftovers.

1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp chili paste
1 (14 oz) can vegetable broth

1 handful soba noodles
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup snap peas
1/4 cup water
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 radishes, thinly sliced
cilantro, roughly chopped, as needed for garnish

1. In a small pot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat and cook the carrot, celery, and shallot until the shallots for about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to a blender or food processor, and process to a paste.
2. Transfer the mixture back to the pot, and add the vegetable broth. Add the soba noodles. Simmer until the mixture develops good flavor and the noodles are tender, 8-10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the garnishes. Heat the oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until softened. Remove and set aside. Add the bell pepper and saute until softened, then set aside. Add the snap peas and saute with 1/4 cup water. Steam until the water has evaporated entirely. Set aside.
4. Spoon the finished broth into a bowl, and top with the garnishes. Serve immediately.

Curried Chicken Soup

theapartmentkitchen — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:44:25 +0000

I’ve been sick for a couple days. I wanted some chicken soup to warm me up, but I definitely didn’t want plain old chicken soup. I looked at what I had in my pantry (one of the beauties of making soup is using what’s on hand) and decided on a fresh and light chicken and vegetable soup with a touch of curry and coconut milk. It was the perfect pick me up that was tossed together in no time, allowing me plenty of time for a nap.

Curried Chicken Soup with Corn, Peppers, and Mushrooms

Makes about 2 quarts

Leftover Potential: As with all soup, it keeps and reheats very well. Freezing would also be a possibility.

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 shallots, minced

1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (15 oz) can coconut milk

5-6 cups chicken stock

2-3 Tbsp red curry paste

zest and juice of one lime

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 jalapeno, seeded, minced

1 Tbsp ginger, minced

2 scallions, very thinly sliced

1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 cup corn kernels

1 cup chicken, cooked, shredded

scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

jalapenos, thinly sliced, for garnish

cilantro, roughly chopped, for garnish

avocado, thinly sliced, for garnish

lime wedges, for garnish

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, cilantro, and garlic. Cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add the coconut milk and chicken stock, and bring to a simmer. If a smoother broth is desired, strain this mixture, pressing the solids to release all liquid, and return the liquid to the pot. Otherwise, let the mixture continue to simmer. Add the red curry, lime zest, and juice.

2. In a saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients (except garnish) and cook until heated through, 3-4 minutes. Add to the broth. Simmer until the mixture has reached desired flavor, and season with salt.

3. Ladle the soup into large bowls and garnish as desired.