Kitchen Sink Soup

I love this soup and it uses up vegetables that are going to go bad soon.   I call it the Kitchen Sink Soup because you put everything in it, but the Kitchen Sink.   Feel free to put whatever you have in it, including beans, pasta and potatoes.

Kitchen Sink Soup:

2 Q Chicken Stock
1 Onion, diced
1/2 Corn, off the cob
3 Mushrooms, sliced
2 Carrots, sliced
1 C Broccoli, chopped
1 C Peas
1 Potato, cubed
1 Celery Stalk, sliced
1/2 C Pasta
Salt to taste

Directions:
1.  Bring the chicken stock to a boil.  Add potatoes and carrots.  Cook for 10 minutes.
2.  Add all other vegetables and pasta. 
3.  Bring back to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Salt to taste.

Serves 4-6

Tip:  The pasta will soak up a lot of liquid as the soup sits.  You never want to freeze a soup with pasta in it.  It will become mushy and break apart once thawed.

Asparagus Soup

Asparagus has been all over the farmers markets lately.  It is in season and so delicious right now.  I make this soup with a little yogurt to thicken it t the end.  It is a little healthier and still adds the same richness.

Asparagus Soup:

2 Lbs Asparagus, washed and trimmed
8 C Vegetable Stock
2 Shallots, minced
2 Potatoes, peeled and chopped
Salt to taste
Plain Yogurt, garnish
Grated Lemon Peel, garnish

Directions:
1.  Wash and trim asparagus into 2 inch pieces, reserving the trimmings and setting aside some tips.
2.  In a soup pot, bring the vegetable stock to a simmer.  Add asparagus trimmings and cook for 20 minutes.
3.  Strain stock and add asparagus stalks, shallots and potato.  Bring to a boil and turn down heat.  Simmer for 45 minutes. 
4.  Meanwhile, blanch the asparagus tips and set aside for garnish. 
5.  Puree the soup in a food processor and run through a strainer.  Return to the soup pot and reheat. Salt to taste.
6.  Garnish with a little yogurt, lemon zest and a few asparagus tips in each bowl. 

Serves 6-8

Tips:  Asparagus is in season spring to early summer so enjoy it now.

Roasted Chicken Stock

I like to remind everyone once in a while that a homemade stock is the heart of a great soup.  They make your soup much richer in flavor.  This one is made by roasting the chicken carcasses and then boiling everything.  If you would like any other stocks, please go to http://www.sundaysoups.com/ and click on the "stocks" tab.



Roasted Chicken Stock:

6 lbs of chicken carcasses
3 Onions
5 Carrots
6 Stalks of Celery
2 Leeks
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 T Thyme
2 T Sage
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
8-9 Q water

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.  Put everything in a baking dish.  Toss with olive oil.
3.  Cook for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables get some color.

4.  Pull out of oven and place in a soup pot, scraping all bits from the pan.  Put water into the soup pot to cover all the chicken and vegetables.
5.  Bring to a boil and turn down heat.  Simmer for about 2-3 hours.
6.  Strain.

Makes about 7-8 quarts

Celery Soup

We saw something like this on Top Chef Masters.   It inspired me and so I made a variation of a a celery veloute using celery roots.  If you can not find celery roots, you can use celery stalks instead.  It will be equally as delicious. 

Celery Soup:

3 T Olive Oil
2 Leeks, sliced
1 Onion, diced
2 Celery Roots, peeled and diced
4 Stalks of Celery with leaves, chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
8-10 C Chicken Stock
2 T Cream
Creme Fraische, as needed
Salt to taste
Lemon oil, garnish

Directions:
1. Saute leeks, onions, garlic and a pinch of salt until translucent.  About 3-5 minutes.
2.  Add chicken stock, celery roots and celery stalks
3.  Bring to a boil and turn down heat, simmer until soft.  About 30-45 minutes.
4.  Puree in a blender.   Run through a chinois, sieve. 
5.  Add cream and creme fraische.  Salt to taste.
6.  Drizzle with lemon oil. 

Serves 4-6

Fun Fact:  Celery is known to be a negative calorie vegetable. Which means that the body uses more energy to digest than absorb calories from it.

Chilled Strawberry Soup

With strawberries in season and a hot summer day, what better then a chilled strawberry soup.  This soup is refreshing and can be eaten as an appetizer to a brunch or as a dessert. 

Chilled Strawberry Soup:

4 Pints Strawberries, sliced
3 C Plain Yogurt
3/4 C Orange Juice
1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Water
1/8 t Cinnamon
Mint, for garnish

Directions:
1. In a bowl, combine strawberries and sugar.  Let sit for 20-30 minutes.
2.  After, in a blender, combine strawberries, yogurt, orange juice, water and cinnamon.  Puree until mixed well. 
3.  Chill for at least 4 hours to overnight.  Serve with a a few slices of strawberries on top and a leaf of mint.

Makes 8-10 Servings

Tip:  Store strawberries in a colander in the refrigerator for air circulation.  Eat strawberries as soon as picked/bought, they will not ripen any further once picked.