Soups | Eat Your Heart Out

Cidered Beef Stew

April 3, 2013 by Stephie 11 Comments

Oh, what was that spring? You’re on your way? You’re almost here? You’re just running a bit late?

I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you. My winter coat, long pants, and close-toed shoes must be affecting my hearing.

Until spring gets its you-know-what together and decides to actually show up – not just tease me with sunny skies but mid-30 temperatures – I’m going to go ahead and cook for whatever season I feel like. Right now, that means a hearty bowl of stew.

This winter, my parents bought a cow. Well, a quarter of a cow, to be more exact. Organic, grass-fed Black Angus from our vet. Nothing says “small-town” like buying a quarter side of beef from your vet…who is also referred to as “Doc”. Yep, that’s real.

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Filed Under: Main dish, Soups Tagged With: beef, dairy-free, Main dish, Mushrooms, Soup, winter

Shrimp and Crab Gumbo

February 11, 2013 by Stephie 11 Comments

I’ve mentioned before that my maternal grandmother is originally from Mississippi, and that when I was 10, my family took a trip to New Orleans and my grandmother’s hometown of Brookhaven, Mississippi.

While I have grown up on some southern staples – grits, bread pudding, and the “correct” kind of cornbread (read: not sweet) – the whole trip was an opportunity to eat some other foods that my grandmother grew up eating, but I had never had a chance to try, such as beignets, pecan pralines, and – perhaps most importantly – gumbo.

I have spent my whole life hearing my momma talk about eating her grandmother’s crab gumbo and how wonderful it was. Unfortunately, Ma-Ma never wrote down her gumbo recipe, and so we were never able to replicate it. But, after eating at the famous Brennan’s, Momma declared that their gumbo was as close to Ma-Ma’s gumbo as she had ever had.

And so, on a recent visit to my parents’ house, Momma and I put together bits and pieces of her memories, along with some guidance from Brennan’s and John Besh, and set out to recreate my great-grandmother’s gumbo.

Gumbo, while not a difficult dish to make, does require a few different components, all of them important. First, there’s the roux: make sure you take the time to get the color in your roux – it’s what is going to give your gumbo that deep, rich flavor! Then, there’s the filè: made from powdered sassafras leaves, this is going to help thicken your gumbo, and also imparts flavor. While you can make your gumbo without it, it should not be too hard to find at your local grocery store (and can definitely be found online). And finally, there’s what you put in your gumbo: while we stuck with shrimp and crab, those of you who prefer a little extra spice in your gumbo can most certainly add in some andouille sausage.

So bring a piece of New Orleans into your home and celebrate Fat Tuesday – or, really, any day that ends in “y” – with some seafood gumbo.

Adapted from Breakfast at Brennan’s and Dinner, Too and My New Orleans

Shrimp and Crab Gumbo

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup flour
1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound okra (fresh or frozen), cut into ½-inch pieces
1 16-ounce can tomato sauce
1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes
1½ teaspoons dried thyme
1½ quarts seafood or chicken stock
⅓ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound cooked lump crab meat
1 tablespoon file powder

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the flour – it will sizzle and spatter a bit – and whisk until smooth. Lower the heat to medium and continue stirring for about 15 minutes, until the roux is the color of milk chocolate.
Add the onion to the pot and continue stirring until the mixture is the color of dark chocolate.
Add the pepper, garlic and okra (if using fresh). Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the stock, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. (If using frozen okra, add it now and allow to thicken slightly before continuing.)
Add the uncooked shrimp, and simmer for about 10-12 minutes, just until the shrimp is mostly cooked. Add the crab and continue simmering until the shrimp is completely cooked and the crab is heated through.
Remove from heat and add the file (do not add while the gumbo is still simmering, or else it can become stringy). Remove bay leaves. Serve over cooked white rice.

Filed Under: Main dish, Soups Tagged With: Main dish, seafood, Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

January 28, 2013 by Stephie 15 Comments

This morning I did something that, until this moment, completely terrified me.

This morning I handed in my letter of resignation at work.

I do not have anything officially lined up for when I leave.

It was absolutely one of the biggest leaps of faith that I have ever taken. Yet I am standing firm in the belief that this was the right move for me, and that God will provide.

I find it highly symbolic that when I walked into work this morning, it was gray and rainy and generally crappy outside.

When I walked out of that meeting – feeling lighter, and less stressed than I have in months – it had stopped raining and the sun was starting to peek out from behind the clouds.

You can tell me I’m crazy {you’d be right}, but I’m choosing to believe it was a sign.

I don’t know what this next chapter of life holds for me, but I do know this: There will be plenty of food. Starting with this soup.

Remember last week when I said that your freshly baked loaf of sourdough bread would be fabulous with some soup? This is the soup I had in mind. And here’s what’s really great about it: it’s loaded with veggies and, without any cream, is lighter than other recipes you might encounter. Don’t get me wrong – I loooooove those versions, but sometimes you just need something a little lighter.

Besides…then you can have an extra slice or two of bread.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 large bunch broccoli
2 large carrots, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Cut the broccoli into florets. If you want, you can also dice up the tender parts of the stem. Set aside.
In a large dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and onion, sautéing until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and sauté one more minute.
Sprinkle in the flour, stirring to combine. Cook for one minute, then slowly stream in the stock and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat to low. Add in the broccoli and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until broccoli is tender.
Using an immersion blender (or carefully transferring the soup to a regular blender, about ⅓ at a time), blend soup until it reaches your desired consistency. Add salt, plenty of freshly ground pepper and the cheese to the blended soup, stirring over low heat until cheese is melted. Serve warm, preferably alongside some freshly baked bread.

Filed Under: Main dish, Soups Tagged With: Broccoli, cheese, Healthier, Main dish, Soup, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Turkey and Corn Chowder

January 2, 2013 by Stephie 9 Comments

It’s the new year!

And that’s all I’ll say about that. Trust me, you’ve read it all already anyway, and I’m sure you’re tired of it at this point. So let’s just move on with our post-holiday recovery, shall we?

You can’t kid me – you might want to lose some of that holiday weight, but we all know that you don’t really want to be eating salads for the rest of January. We also know that you’ve got some leftover turkey squirreled away in your freezer from the various recent family dinners. And to top it all off…it’s cold. And what you really want is some warm, creamy soup.

My friend Julia recently made some gorgeous, creamy corn chowder that I instantly knew I wanted to make. Not only is this soup chock-full of veggies (you could even add more if you like), it also makes use of some of that leftover turkey…and the best part? There is only 1/2 cup of half and half in the entire recipe. That’s right, this recipe manages to produce a creamy, delicious, comforting soup without adding significantly to your waistline. It’s exactly what we need to start off this new year.

Adapted from The Roasted Root

Turkey and Corn Chowder

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into pieces
1-2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bag frozen corn
1 quart chicken broth, divided
½ cup fat-free half and half
2 cups cooked, diced turkey
Black pepper to taste

Instructions

Place about half of the corn kernels in a blender with 1 cup of the chicken broth and all of the half and half. Blend until smooth and creamy; set aside.
In a large dutch oven, cook the bacon pieces until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels. Pour the fat into a small bowl.
Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add in about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and the butter. Add the onion, carrots, and potato, cooking until onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Sprinkle the flour over the cooked vegetables and stir to combine. Cook for about 1 minute, then slowly pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Stir until thickened, then add the rest of the corn, the blended corn mixture, the turkey and the cooked bacon. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Filed Under: Main dish, Soups Tagged With: Chicken, corn, Healthier, Main dish, Side dish, Soup, turkey, Vegetables

Chicken and Smoked Sausage Stew

November 29, 2012 by Stephie 9 Comments

I have a confession: I am really weirdly picky about soup.

Cheese had better be involved. Also, if there is cream in that situation, that’s even better. Bean-based soups are pretty good, too. But broth-based soups? Not exactly a fan. In fact, I tend to avoid them if possible. Sure, I’ll eat them…they just aren’t my favorite.

So when I found a broth-based stew recipe in Midwest Living magazine, I was surprised to find that it was calling to me, begging me to make it happen in my kitchen. I mean, of course I had to alter it quite a bit…but the general structure is still there. And there isn’t a drop of cream or speck of cheese in sight. And you know what? I really liked it. WEIRD, I know.

In fact, my father has declared this to be his new favorite soup of all time. Big statement, right there. I think he would eat an entire pot of this soup by himself if he could. But if you’re going to eat a giant pot of soup, this might be the one to choose. It’s hearty and will warm you up from the inside out, but is full of all sorts of winter veggies to keep you healthy during these long, cold months. Plus, it freezes extremely well, making it a great option for making ahead and reheating later. Consider serving it on top of some brown rice for some extra hearty goodness.

Maybe this is all a sign that I’m starting to grow up and appreciate soups that are actually good for me…Yikes!

Adapted from December 2012 Midwest Living Magazine.

Chicken and Smoked Sausage Stew

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
2 cups cubed sweet potato
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon each dried parsley and dried oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cooked chicken
1 13-ounce package smoked turkey sausage, sliced
½ bunch kale, stems removed and cut into manageable pieces

Instructions

In a dutch oven, saute onion, carrot and garlic in the oil until onion is soft. Add stock, potato, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried herbs and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer 20-25 minutes, until potato is tender. Stir in chicken, sausage, and kale. Simmer until heated through and kale is wilted.
Will last for about 4-5 days in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer.

Notes

The longer this sits, the more the flavor of the smoked turkey sausage mingles with the rest of the soup. You might consider making this the night before, then reheating and adding the kale just before serving.