Christmas Chestnut Soup

I had never really thought of a nut soup until this one; a Chestnut soup.   It reminds me of Christmas time; my favorite time of the year.

Christmas Chestnut Soup:

2 lbs of Fresh Chestnuts; roasted and peeled
1 Small Onion; chopped
2 Celery Stalks; chopped
1/4 t. Nutmeg
8 C Vegetable stock
3 Cloves
2 Bay Leaves
3 T Fresh Parsley
2 T Fresh Thyme
1 t Dry Parsley
1/4 C Cream
Salt

Directions: 
1.  In a soup pot, add onions, celery and pinch of salt.  Saute for 5 minutes; until translucent.
2.  Add the roasted chestnuts and saute for 5 more minutes.
3.  In a cheese cloth, add the cloves, bay leaves, parsley and thyme.  Tie up.
4.  Add the vegetable stock, nutmeg and the cheese cloth to the soup pot. 
5.  Bring to a boil and turn down heat.  Simmer for 40 minutes.
6.  Remove the cheese cloth and its contents.
7.  Puree soup in a food processor and put back into soup pot. 
8.  Reheat for 15 minutes and add dry parsley. 
9.  Run through a chinois and put back on low heat.
10.  Add cream and salt to taste.

Serves 4-6

Tips: For roasting the chestnuts, Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.   Wipe your chestnuts off with a damp towel.  Place an X on the rounded side of the chestnut and place in a single layer in a roasting pan X side up.  Roast for 15 minutes.  Peel while still warm. 

You can use canned chestnuts; if you don't have access to fresh ones. Use 2 10 oz cans.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

I have a new found love for tomatoes since we grew all sorts this year.   They matured pretty late in the season but once they did we had tons.   I made this soup and everyone loved it; the texture is perfect when you run it through the chinois.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup:
3 Pounds Tomatoes, cut in quarters
2 T Olive oil
Salt
2 T Unsalted Butter
2 T Olive oil
1 Small Onion, diced
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
2 T Tomato Paste
14.5 Oz Can Diced Tomatoes
8 C Chicken Stock
1 C Fresh Basil
1 t. Dried Thyme
2 T Sugar
1/4 C Cream or Milk

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Mix the tomatoes, 2 T olive oil and salt.  Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Roast for 45 minutes. 

2.  In a soup pot, add 2 T butter and 2 T olive oil.  Saute the onions and garlic until translucent.
3.  Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, basil, thyme and sugar.
4.  Add the roasted tomatoes from the oven; everything including the juices.
5.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
6.  Puree the soup in a food processor and run through a chinois.
7.  Reheat and add cream or milk. 
8.  Salt to taste.

Serves 4-6

Tip:   A roasted tomato will give your soup more flavor but feel free to fire roast them on the barbecue or just boil the tomatoes in the stock.

Mama Bakso Soup

Bakso soup is made in different parts and assembled in each soup bowl.  It is centered around a meatball that is made with chicken, pork or any combination of meats.  I like my meatballs with ground chicken.

Mama Bakso Soup:

Meatballs:
3/4 lb Ground Chicken
1 Clove of Garlic
2 T Shallot, diced
1 T Vegetable Oil
1 Egg 
1/4 C Bread crumbs
Salt

Soup:
16 C Chicken Stock
10 oz Egg Noodles
2 Small Heads of Bok Choy, cut in 1/2 inch chunks
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 T Fresh Ginger, ground
3 T Vegetable Oil
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, cut in thin strips
3 T Soy Sauce
Salt
2 T Celery, chopped
4 Hard Boiled Eggs, chopped
Sambal

Directions:
1.  To make the meatballs, saute the garlic and shallot until golden. Cool.
2.  Add the shallot mixture, ground chicken, bread crumbs, egg and salt.
3.  Place in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
4.  In soup pot, heat chicken broth.
5. Add meatballs and cook through.  About 10-12 minutes.
6.  Pull meatballs out and set aside, keep broth warm.
7.  Heat another pot of water and cook egg noodles al dente.  Set aside.
8.  In another sauce pan, heat salted water and blanch the bok choy about 1 minute. 
9.  Pull bok choy out and set aside.
10.  Using a mortar and pestle, add garlic and ginger.  Mash into a paste. 

11.  In a skillet, heat oil; add garlic ginger mixture, soy sauce and chicken strips; saute until cooked.   About 2-3 minutes.
12.  Place a meatball in the middle of the bowl.  Divide the noodles into each bowl, add bok choy and sauteed chicken. 
13.  Garnish with celery, hard boiled egg and sambal, if desired.

Serves 8-10

Tip:  Sambal is a thin paste made from ground chilies and vinegar.  It is used to flavor the soup and can usually be purchased in the ethnic aisle.

Chinese Crab and Corn Soup

My first Chinese Corn soup.  It is one of my favorites but I have never attempted it.  It turned out wonderful. 

Chinese Crab and Corn Soup:

6 C Corn Kernels, fresh or frozen
12 C Chicken Stock
2 t Ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 C Rice Wine
1/4 C Soy Sauce
1/2 Pound Crab Meat
3 Whole eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 C Scallions, sliced
Salt

Directions:
1.  Puree 1 C corn and 1 C chicken stock, coarsely.

2.  In soup pot, bring the remaining 11 Cups of chicken stock, rice wine and soy sauce to a boil.  Add grated ginger and salt.

3.  Add the whole corn kernels and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

4.  Increase the heat and add the pureed corn.   Bring to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes, constantly stirring.

5.  Add the crab meat and return to a boil.

6.  Pour a thin stream of egg into the soup in a ribbon, stirring well.   Turn heat off. 

7.  Sprinkle with scallions.  Salt to taste.

Serves 8-10

Tip:  Buy live crabs and cook them yourself.  You can usually find them at the Asian markets.  They should be put in salt water with a bay leaf and brought to a boil for 7 minutes.

Roasted Potato and Garlic Soup

This week it finally got cold and rainy here.  I caught a little bit of a cold but it was nothing that soup couldn't fix.  This soup is very hearty and the head of garlic detoxifies.    I had purple potatoes in the house so that is what I used here.  Feel free to use any potato available to you.   If you use red potatoes or yukon gold, you will need to boil them a little longer. 

Roasted Potato and Garlic Soup:

2 T Olive oil
2 Pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1 Leek, sliced white part only
1 Head of garlic
1 T Butter
1 T Water
6 C Vegetable stock
2 T Fresh Thyme
1/2 C Milk or cream
Salt to taste

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 F.   Put potatoes, onions and leek in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and salt.

2.   Slice top of garlic off and place in aluminum foil.  Add 1/2 T butter, drizzle with 1T water and fold up the aluminum on the sides creating a packet around the garlic*.  Place garlic in roasting dish next to potato mixture.

3.  Roast for 45 minutes; remove the garlic and continue cooking for another 15 minutes.

4.  In the meantime, make your vegetable stock in a large stock pot and have it on low heat.

5.  Once the vegetables are done, add the roasted vegetables and thyme to the vegetable stock.  Simmer for 15-20 more minutes.

6.  Puree about 1/3 of the soup with the garlic; squeezing the garlic into the food processor and through the left over skins away.  Make sure not to over puree as the potatoes will get starchy.

7.  Add the soup back into the stock pot with the remaining vegetables on medium heat.  Bring back to a boil. 

7.  Turn off heat and add milk.  Salt to taste.

Serves 6

Tip: *  It should look something like this when you are finished.  The top 1/3 is cut off to allow the water and butter to absorb and roast the garlic.

Fresh Pea and Mint Soup

I was at the Farmer's Market this weekend and found some amazing pea's in the shell.   I actually used the whole pea in the soup, pureed the soup and ran it through a chinois (china cap). 

Fresh Pea and Mint Soup

2 T Butter
2 T Olive Oil
1 Onion, chopped
2 Shallots, chopped
10 C Fresh Peas in the shell, cleaned and strings detached
8 C Chicken Stock
1/2 C Fresh Mint
2 T Creme Fraiche
Salt to taste

Directions:
1.  Combine olive oil and butter in stock pot.  Add chopped onions, shallots and salt.  Saute 5-8 minutes; until translucent.

2.  Add shelled peas and saute 5 minutes more.

3.  Add stock and bring to a boil; turn down to simmer 15 minutes. 

4.  Add mint and salt.

5.  Puree in a food processor.

6.  Push through a chinois*; until silky smooth.

7. Put back in the stock pot on low heat; add creme fraiche.

Serves 4-5

Tip: * When you are running the soup back through the chinois; you can use the back of the soup ladle to help you push the thicker parts of the soup through.  This gives the soup a real smooth texture.

My Bouillabaisse

Bouillabaisse is a fish soup containing different kinds of cooked fish, shellfish and vegetables.  It is flavored with a variety of herbs and spices such as saffron, bay leaf, garlic and red pepper.  I make my Bouillabaisse with mussels, shrimp, whitefish* and scallops but you can use whatever kind of seafood you have available to you.  

My Bouillabaisse  

1 Pound Mussels, cleaned
½ Pound Shrimp, shelled and deveined (keep shells)
½ Pound Bay Scallops
2 Pounds Halibut*, bone in and cut in 2 inch chunks
¼ C Vegetable oil
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Small Onion, chopped
1 Shallot, chopped
2 Small Fennel Bulbs, sliced thinly
1/2 t Red Pepper Flakes
3 Tomatoes, peeled and sliced
2 T Tomato Paste
Pinch of Saffron**
8 C Water
1/2 C White wine
1/2 C Clam Juice
1 Bay Leaf
Juice of one lemon
Salt to taste


Directions:

1.  Heat up water in a large stock pot.  Add the bones from the fish and the shrimp shells.  Bring to a boil and turn down to simmer for 45 minutes. 

2.  Strain all the bones and shells out and reserve liquid. 

3.  Soak the saffron** in about 2 T of hot water. 

4.  Heat the oil in a stock pot.  Add the fennel, onions, shallots and a little salt and cook about 5-8 minutes; until translucent. 

5.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 additional minute. 

6.  Add the white wine and burn off for about 2 minutes.

7.  Then add the fish stock, clam juice, tomatoes, tomato paste, saffron with liquid and bay leaf.  Cover and simmer for 30 more minutes. 

8.  Add the mussels, fish, shrimp and scallops to the soup and simmer about another 5-8 minutes; until mussels open and fish is cooked.  

9.  Squeeze one lemon in the broth and serve.

Serves 8-10

Tips:  *You should choose a fish that will not flake apart in the hot water.  Red Snapper, halibut, monk fish, or whitefish are good choices. 

**Saffron is the red and orange stigmas of the crocus plant.  It has to be picked by hand and is very expensive. 

Avgolemono Soup

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Avgolemono soup is a Greek lemon and egg soup.   "Avga" meaning eggs in Greek and "Lemono" meaning lemon.   The eggs in this soup give it a nice thick consistency and the rice absorbs the lemon broth as days pass.   Today my amor decided that he would like to help me make this soup.  This is his and his family's soup.  I learned everything I know about it from them. 

Avgolemono Soup:

1 Fryer Chicken
1 Onion, peeled and quartered
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
2 Celery ribs, chopped
2 t Salt
5 C Water
1 C Chicken stock (for extra flavor)
3/4 C Rice, uncooked
4 Eggs
1/2 C Lemon juice
Salt to taste

Directions:
1.   Bring the chicken, carrots, celery, onions and 2 t. salt in a stock pot to a boil.  Once boiling skim the "scum" from the top of the stock pot and place on simmer for about 2 hours; until chicken is tender and stock is thick.  Add more water as needed to make sure chicken is covered at all times.

2.  Strain and remove the chicken; set cooked chicken aside; discard vegetables.
3.  Bring stock back to a boil and add the extra chicken stock, 5 C water and rice.  Simmer for about 15 minutes; until rice is cooked.
4.  Whip the eggs and lemon juice together in a separate bowl until frothy.
5.  Mix a small amount of the chicken soup with the egg mixture*.  Whip until smooth.  Keep whipping in a circle and adding a little more chicken soup until the egg mixture warms up and is frothy; add about 5 cups of soup. 
6.  Add the warm egg mixture back into the chicken soup; stirring constantly.  Salt to taste.
7.  Put the cut up cooked chicken on a plate for people to add to their soup and serve the soup in a bowl with extra lemons. 

Serves 6-8

Tip: * You will need to whip the egg mixture in a circle when adding the hot chicken stock.  You want the egg mixture to mix into the soup not solidify.  As long as you keep the mixture moving and add about 5 cups of chicken stock it will heat the egg mixture enough for you to incorporate it back into the soup.

Vegetarian Vegetable Soup

Vegetable soup is a soup that I feel you can create any way you like it.  I like cabbage, corn, broccoli, beans, peas, carrots and zucchini in mine** but feel free to use what you love.

Vegetarian Vegetable Soup:

2 T Olive oil
2 T Butter
1 Leek, white part only, chopped
1 C Onions, chopped roughly
1 Small Shallot, chopped
1 Clove garlic, minced
4 Pounds vegetables**
2 C Potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 C Tomatoes, peeled*, seeded and chopped
10 C Vegetable stock
1 T Tomato paste
Handful of pasta
1/3 C Parsley, chopped
10 Sprigs of thyme, chopped
Juice of one lemon
Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Heat butter and olive oil in stockpot.  Place leeks, onions, shallots, garlic and a pinch of salt in the pot.  Cook for about 5 minutes, until softened.
2.  Put your vegetables in two different bowls, the vegetables that cook "fast" ie the broccoli and the vegetables that cook "slow" ie the green beans, carrots, peas, etc. 
3.  Add your "slow" cook vegetables and potatoes and continue to cook for 8 minutes. 
4.  Add the stock and bring to a boil; turn down and simmer for 20 minutes.
5.  After add the tomatoes, tomato paste, any of "fast" cook vegetables and the pasta.
6.  Reduce to low and cook until vegetables are tender and pasta done, about 15-18 more  minutes.
7.  Remove from heat and add parsley, thyme and lemon juice. 
8.  Salt to taste.

Serves 6-8

Tip:  *An easy way to peel tomatoes is to boil a pot of water, cut an X on the bottom of the tomatoes (only cutting through the skin)
 Place in the water for 30 seconds and

Put straight into a water bath for 1 minute.  When you pull the tomato out, you should be able to peel the skin off really easy where you put the X in it.

**These are some of the vegetables that I genuinely love to use; broccoli, carrots, green beans, corn and zucchini.

Wild Mushroom Soup

Sunday’s soup, Wild Mushroom; need I say more.   It is made with fresh and dried mushrooms which give this soup a very rich flavor.  Feel free to use any kind of mushroom you find.  I like the Cremini, Oyster, Bluefoot and Portabella but mix it up; Wood ear’s are also nice you just need to make sure you cook them plenty and puree them a little finer.

Wild Mushroom Soup:

1 1/2 C Dried mushrooms
2 C Warm water
2 T Olive oil
2 T Butter
2 Leeks, chopped
2 Shallots, diced
2 Cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs Fresh wild mushrooms*
7 C Chicken stock
1 T Fresh thyme
1/2 C Heavy cream
Salt to taste
Few sprigs of thyme for garnish

Directions:
1.  Put the dried wild mushrooms in a bowl, add the warm water and let soak for 30 minutes.  Strain all the liquid and reserve for later.  Cut the dried wild mushrooms finely.
2.  In a skillet, heat the oil and butter.   Add leeks, shallots and garlic; cook until softened about 5 minutes.
3.  Clean** and chop the wild mushrooms.  Add to pan and cook until they start to soften; about 3 more minutes. 
4.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  
5.  Add the wild mushroom soaking liquid and the chopped up dried mushrooms.  Turn the heat down and continue to simmer another hour.

6.  Add the chopped thyme and salt the last 10 minutes. 
7.  Place soup in a food processor and puree it coarsely.
8.  Return to stove and bring back to a boil.  
9.  Turn heat down and add cream and salt to taste.
10.  Serve with a fresh sprig of thyme on top.

Serves 6

Tip:  *Use the entire mushroom including the stem.   It makes the soup flavorful and you ultimately puree the soup so there will be no tough pieces.    

**Do not let them sit in water when you are washing them.   You do not want them to absorb water.



To store mushrooms; put the in paper bag in the refrigerator.  They will last a few days.



Mushrooms

Soup Queen's Ultimate Chicken Stock

When you need chicken stock for a Sunday soup, the best thing to do it to make it homemade.  Anytime you cut down a whole chicken, you can freeze the carcasses and use them later.    Stock takes a long time to make but you will get the most amazing rich, deep flavor and it can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Soup Queen's Ultimate Chicken Stock:

4 Pounds of chicken carcasses
1 Onion, quartered
4 Carrots, cut and peeled
5 Celery ribs, cut into pieces
1 Leek, cut in half
6 Sprigs of fresh parsley with stems
2 Turkish bay leaves
6 Sprigs of fresh thyme
2 Cloves of garlic, peeled
1 t. Salt
2 Gallons of water

Directions:
1.  Put chicken carcasses, vegtables, herbs and salt into a soup pot.
2.  Add water and put on high heat until almost a boil
3.  Turn down to medium heat and skim the scum from the top periodically.
4.  Simmer uncovered for 6-8 hours; adding more water as needed to keep the chicken/vegtables covered in water at all times.
5.  Strain the stock into air tight containers
6.  Place in refrigerator over night and remove any solitified fat from the surface before freezing.
7.  Prior to using, thaw the stock and bring it to a boil.

Makes 4-5 quarts

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

This is one of my favorites and I always can't wait until this time of year to enjoy it.  When you roast the pumpkins and vegetables, it gives the soup so much depth of flavor.  Try this one, you will for sure like it.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup:
3 Sugar pumpkins* - peeled, seeded and cubed
4 Carrots - peeled and chopped
2 Fuji Apples (or similar type apple) - peeled and sliced
2 Brown onions - Cut into wedges
1 Shallot - Cut into pieces
2 Cloves of garlic
3 T Olive oil
3 Quarts Chicken stock
1/2 C Heavy cream
1 1/4 t. Cinnamon
1 t. Ground nutmeg
1/2 t. Ground ginger
Salt to taste

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2.  Place pumpkin, carrots, shallot, garlic and onions in a baking/roasting dish.  Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. 
3.  Bake in preheated oven 1 hour; until soft (do not let blacken).
4.  In large soup pot, add chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add apple and let soften about 20 minutes. 
5.  Combine roasted vegetables with the stock and apple.  Let come to a boil for 20 minutes and then puree in a food processor until smooth.
6.  Return to the soup pot while running through a sieve (strainer) over low heat for 30 additional minutes and stir in cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt the last 5 minutes. 
ENJOY!

Serves 6-8

Tip:  * Sugar pumpkins are used for cooking, they are different then the ones you carve for decoration.  They are usually about 2-3 pounds.

**Use a peeler to peel your pumpkin.  It makes it very easy and you don't waste any pumpkin.

Pumpkin

Trahana from Cyprus

Trahana Soup

When I was in Cyprus this year, I picked up some of my favorite soup makings; trahana.  In Cyprus, trahana is considered one of their national specialties.  Trahana is a fermented mixture of grain and sheep/goat yogurt/milk.  You can get sour trahana out here, usually at a Greek market, but the best is homemade in Cyprus by the shepherd's wife.   Thank you to Katarina, the shepherds wife and yaya Niki (grandma) for mine. 

Trahana:
12 cups of chicken stock
3 cups of trahana*, unsoaked
3 cups water
Juice of 2 lemons
Hallumi**, sliced in quarters
Salt/pepper

Directions:
Mix the trahana and the water in an airtight container.  Soak the trahana for at least 6 hours before you want to make the soup.  It is best soaked the entire night before; if you have the time.  While your trahana is soaking, you can make your stock.  Stock is best homemade if you have had a chicken lately but if not, a basic stock from the market is indeed all right to use.  Bring your stock to a boil and add the soaked trahana and all the juices.   Squeeze the juice of two lemons into the stock and let simmer for about 1 hour.  The last 5 minutes, add the sliced hallumi and turn off the heat.  Add salt/pepper to taste.  ENJOY! 

Serves 6-8

Tips:
*Trahana is best kept in a pillow case for dryness.  You can also keep a clove of garlic in it to keep out any pests.  It will last forever this way.

**Hallumi is a Cypriot cheese that is made from sheep's milk and will not melt.  You can buy it at any specialty Greek markets.