Tortilla Meatball Soup

Ingredients



2 jalapeño peppers
1 red bell pepper
2 ears corn on the cob
4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
Cooking spray
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 pound ground sirloin
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed red potatoes
1 cup (1/2-inch-thick) slices carrot
3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.


2. Cut jalapeños and bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Arrange corn on baking sheet with peppers. Broil 4 to 6 minutes or until blackened, turning corn once. Place peppers in a paper bag; fold to seal. Let stand 15 minutes; peel. Mince jalapeños, and coarsely chop bell pepper. Cut corn kernels from cobs. Set aside.


3. Place tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat with cooking spray. Broil for 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning after 2 minutes. Set aside. *Watch these! I burned 300 of  them*


4. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 garlic clove, panko, and the next 3 ingredients (through chipotle chile) in a large bowl, and gently mix until just combined. With moist hands, shape the meat mixture into 24 meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each).


5. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add meatballs to pan; sauté for 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pan. Add onion, potatoes, and carrot to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 5 garlic cloves; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add peppers, broth, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally. Return meatballs to pan. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and corn; return to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes or until meatballs are done. Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with 4 teaspoons Monterey Jack cheese, 2 teaspoons cheddar cheese, and 4 teaspoons cilantro. Top evenly with tortilla strips.

*I added an additional chipotle pepper, chopped, in the soup as well as the meatballs*


Julianna Grimes, Cooking Light


OCTOBER 2011

Carrot Coriander Soup

This one comes from my friend Gretchen Buegge -- I knew her in San Diego and now she and her family live in Yakima, Washington...

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups of carrots (peeled and cut into chunks)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

3 Tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

1 stick of celery (sliced), plus 2-3 pale leafy celery tops

2 small potatoes, peeled and sliced

4 cups of stock (vegetable or chicken)

3 tsp ground coriander

1 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander (also known as cilantro)

3/4 cup of milk

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Peel and chop carrots. Heat the oil and 2 Tbsp of butter in a large saucepan. Saute onion over gentle heat for 3-4 minutes, until slightly softened. Do not allow to brown.

2.) Slice the celery and chop the potatoes. Add them to the onions and cook for a few minutes, then add the carrots. Continue to cook over a gentle heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring and then cover.

3.) Reduce the heat even further and sweat vegetables for about 10 minutes. Shake the pan or stir occasionally so the vegetables do not stick to the bottom of the pan.

4.) Add the stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Half cover the pan and simmer for a further 8-10 minutes, until the carrots and potatoes are tender.

5.) Remove 6-8 tiny celery leaves for garnish and finely chop the remaining celery tops. Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan and saute the ground coriander for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.

6.) Reduce the heat and add the chopped celery tops and fresh coriander and saute for about 1 minute - set aside.

7.) Process the soup in a food processor or blender and pour into a clean saucepan. Sitr in the milk and coriander mixture. Season, heat gently, taste and adjust seasoning. Serve the soup garnished with the reserved celery leaves.

*** also tastes good garnished with a bit of sour cream, cheese or hot pepper sauce.

I got this recipe from "The Complete Vegetarian" cookbook. I tweaked it just a tad. :)

White Bean Chicken Chili

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups diced, cooked chicken meat
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups good chicken stock
1 (18.75 ounce) can tomatillos, drained and chopped
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes- I use roasted, diced tomatoes
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed- I use fresh cilantro instead
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can white beans- I use white kidney beans
2 ears fresh corn, husked and cut from cob- I use 1 cup of frozen corn when I cant get fresh
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1-2 whole jalapeno's, sliced
1 small red or green bell pepper, chopped, optional

Ideas For Garnish:
sliced limes
sour cream
shredded cheese, my favorite is Jack
thin baked corn tortilla strips
avacado slices
thin sliced green onions

Heat oil, and cook onion, bell pepper (if using) and garlic until soft.
Stir in broth, tomatillos, tomatoes, chilies, jalapeno slices and all spices, (except fresh cilantro, add this at the very end).
Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Add corn, chicken, and beans; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with garnish choices

Mashed Potato Soup

I like to fly by the seat of my pants... it's just the way I am. I like to try to make things I love, without a recipe. I will almost always love it, but will just as often, not write anything down.
So, I will try to tell you how I made this soup, 2 times already!

Ingredients:
4-5 medium size potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
3-4 T butter
1.5 cup chicken broth
1.5 cup heavy cream
1 tsp chili powder
salt & pepper to taste

Garnishments:
bacon
chives
cheddar cheese

Method:
Boil potatoes in a large pot -- until tender, when pierced with a knife, but still holds it shape. Drain potatoes and set aside for a few minutes.
With same pot, over a medium heat, melt butter and add onion and garlic to just translucent. Season with salt & pepper.
Then add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, add heavy cream and chili powder. Then add potatoes and season again with salt & pepper.
Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. The potatoes will start to mash a bit and the heavy cream will thicken. If soup is too thick, add a bit more broth or water, til desired consistency.

on a side note....
when I place any food on the table, my kids automatically say, ewww. but once they tried this, they ate it up... no fighting or struggling to make them eat. and one of my kids called it, mashed potato soup - and it stuck!

Spicy Tuscan Soup

This is so good. This is also called Zuppa Toscano.. at Olive Garden

1 lb Spicy Breakfast Sausage
1 Shallot, minced
1/2 Stick Butter
2 Slices Bacon, cooked to crispy, crumbled and set aside
3 Garlic cloves, minced
3 Whole Medium Potatoes
1 Can White Kidney Beans (Cannellini beans)
1 1/2 Quarts Good Chicken Stock
1 Small to Medium Bunch Kale, chopped
1 Cup Half and Half
Salt and Pepper
Parmesan cheese, if desired for garnish

Brown sausage to almost completely cooked in a Dutch oven. Drain, and set aside. In the same Dutch oven, melt butter and cook shallots until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Slice Potatoes lengthwise, and then slice in half moon shape slices. Add Chicken broth to shallots and garlic. Add sliced potatoes and sausage. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add beans. Simmer 10 more minutes until potatoes are tender. Add kale and cream. Cook another 5 minutes until Kale has wilted. Sprinkle crisp bacon on top, as well as some parmesan cheese. Serve. 4-6 servings

Caramelized Onion and Portobello Mushroom Soup with Goat Cheese Croutons

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 pounds onions, halved, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)

4 fresh thyme sprigs

1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms, stemmed, caps halved and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips

3 tablespoons Cognac or brandy

3 garlic cloves, minced

8 cups canned vegetable broth

1 cup dry white wine

18 1-inch-thick slices French-bread baguette, toasted

8 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, room temperature

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large pot over high heat. Add onions and thyme; sauté until onions begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low; cook until onions are caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to medium bowl.
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in same pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until soft, about 12 minutes. Add Cognac and garlic; stir 20 seconds. Stir in onion mixture, then broth and wine. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer until onions are very tender, about 45 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs. Season soup with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly; cover and chill. Bring to simmer before serving.
Preheat broiler. Place baguette slices on large baking sheet. Spread goat cheese on baguette slices, dividing equally. Broil goat cheese croutons until cheese begins to brown in spots, about 30 seconds. Divide soup among 6 bowls. Top with croutons and serve.
bon appetite 2006

Creamy Artichoke Soup

This is another recipe from Aubrey.. my favorite person in San Diego; who cooks amazing food and makes me fat. She posted this on her blog and I begged her for permission to post it on here. Looks amazing! She serves this with some warm, crusty bread. Enjoy!

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 leeks, white part only, washed well and chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small potato, peeled and chopped

1 (8-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese

2 tablespoons chopped chives, for garnish

Directions

Heat olive oil in a heavy, large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and the garlic and stir. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the artichokes, stock, salt, and pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
Using a handheld immersion blender, or in a blender in batches*, puree the soup. Add the 2 tablespoons mascarpone and blend again to combine. In a small bowl, stir the remaining 1/3 cup mascarpone to soften.
Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Dollop the top of each of the soups with a spoonful of the softened mascarpone cheese and top the cheese with chives.

* When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.
recipe, courtesy Giada DeLaurientiis, Food Network

Lemon Chicken Soup

It got down to a bone chilling 64 degrees here in California yesterday, ha! Coming from Colorado I have to laugh at the weather forecast here. Today we are having a "Serious Weather Warning, in fact it was even broadcast during the first 5 minutes of the Today show. It's raining and the wind is blowing, scary!

Anyway- I woke up yesterday craving soup and sniffling from a cold we are trying to fight off.. so here is what I made for dinner. Play with the lemon's in this recipe if you aren't sure you like a strong lemon flavor. I do, and so I used 2 lemons in mine and added a slice on top. but I'm just wierd.

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbs Olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 dried bay leaf
1 (2-inch) piece Parmesan cheese rind, optional * I used a handful of shredded parm cheese
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 celery stalk, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup minced onion
1 cup small pasta. I used whole wheat pasta circles
2 cups diced cooked rotisserie chicken, preferably breast meat
1 cup grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt
Black Pepper

Directions
In a large stockpot, saute in 1 Tbs olive oil- carrots, celery, onion and bay leaf. Stir and saute until onions turn transparent and veggies start to get tender.
Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and parmesan rind, if using, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn the heat down and let simmer for 8 minutes.
Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is tender, for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken and heat through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and the parmesan rind and discard. Stir in 1/2 of the cheese and the parsley. Season with salt, to taste. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
adapted from a Giada DeLaurientiis recipe, Food Network

Black Bean Soup with Crab & Kielbasa Sausage

I love to make this soup - it's the only soup my husband will eat!

Last year, when Hurricane Ike visited us, we had this great idea (haha!) to weather it out, stay home and just see what happens. Well, it was ok - the kids slept a bit, i slept nothing, and my husband was asleep on the couch 3 hours before it even approached our West Houston home. I bought a few things to have on hand. You know, water, diet coke, chips, just the essentials. I did, however have the where-with-all to make this soup a few days before. I bought double ingredients, to perhaps share with others. I made the rice, too, and we stored it in the fridge, thinking we could heat it up in those days following the hurricane.
Let me tell you, this soup was the best part of the whole ordeal! In the middle of electricity-free, candle-lit, air conditioning-free, and humidity-laden air, our family was able to heat this soup up on the stove (we had gas still and just struck a match to light it!) and had some resemblance of a 'normal' day!
I had this vision of us serving the meal to all of our neighbors and them being so grateful! Well, we did share it, to A neighbor, and THE neighbor was grateful, we just had a lot left over and without refrigeration - the soup went bad soon after. It's the thought, right??

ANND - it's a slow-cooker recipe, what else could be better?

The Ingredients:
2 (15-oz) cans black beans, drained
3 cups chicken stock
1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 lb kielbasa sausage, cut in half length-wise, then sliced in 1/2 in thickness
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
2 T ground cumin
2 bay leaves
Salt & Pepper

The Garnishments:
2 cups lump crabmeat, picked for shells and cartilage
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

The Side/Serve-Along-With:
Brown Rice (Make sure you factor in the 45 min it takes to cook the brown rice!)

The Method:
In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients from black beans through S & P -- Mix well. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Spoon brown rice into a bowl, then ladle soup over rice and garnish with crab and cilantro.

adapted from a Robin Miller recipe

Thai Coconut Soup by Elisabeth

My sister, Elisabeth, sent me a recipe this morning... I thought I'd post it, as it's been awhile since we have been regularly posting recipes :) sorry...

1 Tbsp veg oil (I used EVOO)
2 Tbsp grated ginger
4-6 tsp Thai Red Curry Paste (I used 4tsp yellow curry paste cuz that's what I had, but will use less next time)
6 C chicken broth
3 Tbsp Fish sauce or soy sauce (fish is preferred if you have it--I will use a bit less next time as it was a tad "fishy")
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 (14 oz) cans coconut milk (not light)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used thighs), sliced into 1 inch strips
1/2 lb white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin (I diced up small cuz we don't really like mushrooms--I also added thinly sliced carrot)
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
fresh cilantro leaves

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in ginger and curry paste and cook for 1 minute. Add 1/2 C of broth and stir until the curry paste dissolves. Add the remaining broth, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 15 minutes.
Stir in the coconut milk, chicken, and mushrooms (and carrots, if desired). Simmer until chicken is cooked, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and season with salt (if needed). Sprinkle the bowls with the cilantro leaves and serve.
With our leftover soup I brought it back to a boil, and added diced potato and carrot, and more chicken. Serve over rice for a second meal. So cheap and fast and easy!
Let me know if you try it! (really! let TBNB know what you think!!)

Jamie--
I got this recipe from that America's Test Kitchen Cookbook. It was so good, I wanted to share. :)
Jonah (her son) even had a second helping! It turned out a tad spicy, but by chasing it with a glass of milk the kids liked it! It's the best soup I've had of this genre. I wouldn't tell the kids what it was until they were done eating (they're funny about things like that sometimes!) and that was incentive enough to get Jonah to start taking bites--he is so curious!

Wild Rice Soup

Not your traditional wild rice soup - this soup has more of a tomato base.

1/2 lb bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch half-moons
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
16 oz wild rice blend (i use Lundberg Wild Blend - wild & whole grain brown rice)
2 cups cooked and cubed chicken breast (i usually have cooked and saved a couple of extra breasts during the week - it makes the cooking time much faster.)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3.5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

In a Dutch oven (or other 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid), cook bacon over medium-low heat until browned and crisp. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon fat.
Add onion and carrots; cook until softened. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste.
Add rice, thyme, broth, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover; cook until rice is tender, about 50 minutes.

Stir in vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve immediately.

Note: If you prefer to leave out the bacon, skip step 1, and cook the onions and carrots in 1 tablespoon olive oil.
If the soup becomes too thick during cooking, add up to a cup more water.

ITALIAN MEATBALL SOUP

Its getting cold outside, I love the fall. Here is my favorite Italian soup recipe. I serve this with fresh, warm crusty bread. Don't skimp on the cheese in this recipe. If you can find it, a good quality parmigiano-reggiano cheese is key. I usually make my own meatballs for this. Small meatballs are better. You can use beef, turkey, chicken.. whatever you like. Or you can use frozen meatballs too!

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
5 1/2 cups- (42 oz) good quality chicken stock
2 1/2 cups water
20 meatballs- cooked
2 cans (14 oz) small white beans. I use cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
1 (5-6 oz) bag fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup (or more!) finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a 5-6 qt pot over med high heat. Add onions, garlic, celery and carrots. Cook about 4 minutes until veggies are soft and onions are pale golden. Stir in broth and water. Bring to a boil, covered. Add meatballs to soup along with beans. Bring to a brisk simmer, covered.
Stir occasionally and simmer until veggies are tender and meatballs are heated through, about 15 minutes.
Stir in spinach, cheese, salt and pepper -(add cheese first because the cheese is salty).
Simmer, uncovered until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
I add more cheese to each bowl and serve.
Makes 4 servings

Meatballs:
This is how I make my meatballs. Warning- I leaned how to cook using a handfull and a pinch. I also learned there is no such thing as too much cheese! So tweak as you see fit.
1 pound each of ground beef and ground pork (or turkey and chicken.. any combo you want)
Add 2 medium or 1 extra large egg. Add 2 small chopped or grated garlic cloves. Add 2 generous handfulls of seasoned, Italian bread crumbs. Add 1-2 generous handfulls of grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Add salt and pepper usually about 1 ts salt and 1/2 ts pepper. Combine all ingredients with your hands, just until mixed and absorbed. Dont over mix. Form into balls. I spray my broiler pan with nonstick spray and line the pan with the meatballs. That way, the grease drops down.
Cook 375-400 for about 30 minutes. They will finish cooking in the soup, if they arent completely cooked already.