Posted on 12/30/2020 5:45:34 PM PST by Jamestown1630
One of our members suggested that for the January cooking thread, we do Soup. So here we go.
One of my favorite soups is a Sausage-Bean-Spinach soup; I can’t recall where I found the recipe, but we first made this on a very cold day after Christmas, for some friends who had attended the local Christmas Bird Count, and it was a hit - it’s a very stick-to-the-ribs dish:
Sausage, Spinach and Bean Soup
8 oz. Hot Italian Sausage, casing removed (or your favorite sausage - I usually use one of the little 'chubs' of hot sausage)
1 tsp. Olive Oil (this doesn't seem right - I think I probably used more)
5 cloves Garlic, minced (Yes, 5; you may want to tone this down to personal taste)
1/2 tsp. dried Red Pepper flakes (or, again, to taste/tolerance)
2 10-oz packages of fresh Spinach, torn (Baby Spinach is good here)
2 15-oz cans of Great Northern Beans, undrained
1/4 cup unsalted Butter
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan Cheese
2 plum Tomatoes, diced (can use canned)
2 T. chopped Parsley
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
3 cups Chicken Broth
Brown sausage in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat for 10 minutes, breaking it up and stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink.
Add garlic and crushed red pepper, and saute 2 minutes. Add spinach and saute 2 minutes, or until wilted. Stir in the beans and cook 1 minute. Add broth, and bring to a boil. Add butter, cheese, tomato and 1 T. parsley.
Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in salt and pepper. Sprinkle each serving evenly with 1 T. parsley.
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We recently purchased some demi-glace from a company called ‘More than Gourmet’, and while perusing their website, we found this recipe for Roasted Cauliflower and Gorgonzola Bisque. Haven’t tried it yet, but it looks good (I think you could use any good stock for this):
http://www.morethangourmet.com/recipe-roasted-cauliflower-and-gorgonzola-bisque
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You always need something to go with soup, and Dale Calder recently demonstrated what looks like a very easy recipe for Scottish ‘Baps’, a sort of roll:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaSZoCHUg3U
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The other night, we happened to hit on this video about Eddie Goldfarb, the toymaker. He’s a great testimony to remaining intensely interested in something that really engages you, if you want to live a long, high-quality life:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sKKan_Q9VU
I wish everyone a very good New Year, despite what we've faced in the past one, and no matter what the next one brings. Onward!
(The painting at the top is entitled 'La Soupe', by the French painter Bouguereau):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/_Bouguereau
-JT
This month: Soup! and some inspiration for living a long and enjoyable life.
Happy New Year!
-JT
That recipe is a must try! Thank you.
Yummy——your soup recipe is a keeper. I was also inspired by the charming French painting.....and remembered I had this wonderful recipe by Julia Child who gave the world the art of French cookery. Demi-glace is a rich brown sauce in French cuisine traditionally made w/ equal parts veal stock and sauce espagnole, one of the five mother sauces of classical French cuisine; the mixture is then slowly reduced by half. Because this is a long process, Julia Child often referred to the shortened method as a “semi-demi-glace” (no espagnole sauce).
Semi-Demi-Glace
Directions: bring 2 qts homemade stock to a boil.Turn heat down to lowest setting; add 2 tbl red wine.
Simmer several hours; reduce to 1-2 cups (skim surface as it simmers). Done when coats back of spoon.
Chef: a good quality canned beef consommé can be used as a shortcut substitution.
Woohoo! I will have some good ones to post tomorrow. Bedtime now and I have some early errands to run tomorrow. We pretty much live on soups in the winter.
"Pressure Cooker Chili Verde (Green Pork Chili) - DadCooksDinner"
https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/pressure-cooker-chili-verde-green-pork-chili/
Longing for this thread. I am channeling you because tomorrow I am making my Italian mother in law’s sausage, lentil, & spinach soup. Very similar to yours.
Happy New Year to you & everyone on this thread. And JT, thanks for the delicious break from life!
Great information. A keeper. Thanks.
The soup sounds delish, and the painting is lovely.
Easy potato soup for the slow cooker:
1 lb diced ham (just buy it ready to go)
1 package frozen mixed vegetables, 12-16 ozs
2 packages frozen O’Brien style potatoes
Large carton of chicken broth
1 8 oz brick of cream cheese, cubed
Put all in the slow cooker, cook on medium all day, stir well and increase to high heat for last 1/2 hour.
Sounds very good! I’ve been looking for a good lentil soup recipe - please post yours.
Soup is nice made fast with some chicken and rice.
Start with a pound or more of raw diced chicken in a pressure cooker. Add lots of onions and garlic, several bay leaves, and about a dozen peppercorns. Then add enough chicken stock to cover and a little bit more. Pressure cook for 15 minutes.
Slowly open cooker and add lots of sliced celery, carrots, mushrooms, a finely diced and seeded jalapeno, bell peppers, peas, green beans, green and yellow squash, Italian parsley and 1\2 the salt you anticipate using, and any other suitable vegetables you like (including canned diced or crushed tomatoes) or omit any you don’t have or don’t like. Add 3\4 cup of white rice, more stock, 1\2 cup (or more) of white wine and your preferred herbs and spices. Pressure cook for 20 minutes. Taste, but be careful not to burn your taste buds, the soup is going to be extra hot, gently correct the seasoning, and remember that tastes are highly individual, and too much salt spoils the pot. If you think it needs something but you don’t know what, it’s lemon juice.
We have been eating home made Italian wedding soup.
Sleepy...will post tomorrow. Sweet dreams.
yours sounds great! I will try soon.
Last night I used 3 links of Italian sausage. Removed skin and browned meat chopping it into small bites. I added about 3/4 cup of chopped leeks and let them get soft. I added a few shakes of herbs de provence, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, s&p, then about 3 cups of baby spinach and let it wilt. Then I added a couple shakes of bottled parmesan cheese. Turn on low and add half and half enough for a couple of bowls. Let thicken and serve. It was easy and delicious and husband said to hurry and write down the recipe! I will try some mushrooms next time.
So! You got married?
:-)
My husband would like that very much; and he’s crazy about our pressure cooker. (I haven’t yet been able to get in his way to learn how to use it myself - other ladies I’ve known have said the same about their husbands :-)
Here's one I made recently which is as delicious as it is healthy.
Mushroom Chickpea Soup with Veggies and Greens
Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 35 mins Total Time 50 mins
Servings: 2
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (I used baby bella)
• 1 to 2 tsp fresh ginger minced
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup other veggies like bell pepper, celery, sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp black pepper use less or more
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 2 tsp soy sauce/tamari
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 to 1.5 tsp sugar or other sweetener
• 2 cups broth or water
• 1.5 cups or more water
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/2 tsp or more salt use less if you plan to use salted broth, or add later cornstarch to thicken in the end if needed
Instructions
1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and a pinch of salt and cook for 3 minutes or just about translucent. Stir occasionally.
2. Add mushrooms and mix and cook for 3 minutes or until they starts to get golden.
3. Add ginger, carrots and veggies and cook for a minute.
4. Add chickpeas and spices and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, broth and water. Partially cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste and mix. Add in the spinach or other greens. Cook for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, sweet, tang, spice. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs of choice or scallions. Serve hot.
6. To thicken, mix 2 tsp cornstarch in 2 tbsp water and mix into the soup in the last 5 minutes. Bring to a boil.
ENJOY!
I see spinach in that recipe. Do you ever use mustard greens? I’ve only had them once and didn’t care for the texture but the flavor was outstanding. A friend from Tennessee cooked them.
I’ve never used mustard greens in anything - but it sounds interesting.
I make a ‘green soup’, and may try substituting some of the kale for mustard greens. Thanks!:
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