The Art of Soup: January 18-25, 2024
We haven’t done cooking as art, yet, and winter is the perfect time for soup. Some of us are making the same ones on rotation these days, and could use a new recipe. This week, make soup - either an old favorite recipe or something new you invent - and share both a photo of your creation and the recipe so we can all steal it and add it to our winter meals lineup.
The Submissions:
Chicken Gizzard Soup - by Espy la Copa
chicken hearts, gizzards, livers
mushrooms
carrot
green onion
chicken broth
fresh ginger
radishes
Everything was too lovely and crispy to soak in broth, so I had the spicy ginger broth on the side. I am more of a chaos cook, tossing things together, so I don't have a recipe to share. But if you choose to make gizzards, we should be friends!
Kind of a pasta e fagioli recipe - by The Kilsigliere
1 onion
1 fennel bulb
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 large carrots
2-3 stalks of celery
1 Serrano pepper
Chop all the above veggies and sauté in olive oil.
Add salt and pepper liberally.
Deglaze pan with some wine- red or white, whatever you have. 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup. Let it boil a bit. Add some worchestershire sauce.
Add a large can of whole tomatoes, crushed with your hand.
Taste for salt/pepper. Maybe add some crushed red pepper here. Add 3-4 cups of chicken broth. I had homemade in the freezer,(flex), but Better Than Bouillion paste is what I usually use. Add a leftover ham bone/smoked ham hock, and the rind of a wedge of Parmesan. Cook for 40 ish min- 1 hour on a low simmer.
Remove bone and now melted cheese rind.
Add 1 can of white beans/chickpeas (rinsed), and two potatoes( any kind) chopped. Cook for another 20 min.
Add any 1/3-1/2 cup small pasta shape. I had small ring pasta, but orchiette, orzo, macaroni, etc would all work. Allow pasta to cook for 10-15 min in hot soup.
Remove from heat, add a couple of tablespoons of acid, red wine vinegar or lemon juice is fine, and a bunch of chopped herbs. I had parsley and cilantro.
Eat with Parmesan on top.
This is less of a recipe and more of loose set of instructions.
All the vegetables are negotiable-just make sure you have alliums of some sort, (shallots, green onion, leeks would all be good). Garlic powder instead of fresh garlic is fine. Other spices would be good-cumin, smoked paprika, whatever.
Don’t add ham hock and use veggie stock if you want a veggie recipe.
If you want more meat, and not just a smoky background flavor, I would totally add Italian sausage or small bits of ham, shredded chicken, whatever.
The Parmesan rind is really magic in soups and broths. I just keep a bag in my fridge with all my old rinds. I have a nice collection at this point.
Pasta is nice, but not necessary, as are potatoes.
Beans are delicious, and I always have a random can of chickpeas.
I made it a point not to buy anything for this soup, which just shows how frighteningly full my pantry and freezer is at all times.
- The Kilsigliere
Chipotle Turkey Chili w/Sweet Potatoes - by Heart of Darkness
Lots of soups this week. Pozole was probably my favorite, but this was soup easy and perfect for the dreary week.
“Cheesy Potato Sausage Soup” - by Captain Quillard
Instructions
Preheat a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the sausage (remove casings if using links), crumble and cook until cooked through and partially browned. Set the sausage aside, but leave any drippings in the pot.
Add 4 tablespoons butter to the pot and let it melt. Add the diced onions, celery, and carrots, and cook until the vegetables are soft (5-10 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for 1 or 2 more minutes.
Add the flour and cook for about 2 minutes.
Add the chicken broth a little at a time, and use a spatula to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot for extra flavor.
Slowly stir in the heavy cream, hot sauce, soy sauce, and seasonings.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Add potato pieces to the soup, then simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork tender - about 30 minutes or more.
Add the sausage back to the soup and stir to combine.
Add the cheddar cheese and stir to combine.
Serve.
Ingredients
Soup
1 pound ground Italian sausage, mild or hot (I use 1/2 lb mild, 1/2 lb hot)
4 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
8-10 small red potatoes, cut into eighths or 1-inch cubes
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Seasonings:
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder (such as Colman’s brand)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
“Chicken and Orzo Soup with Garlic and Paprika “ - by Captain Quillard
(Recipe stolen from Milk Street)
Instructions:
In a large saucepan, combine the oil, tomato paste, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until several shades darker. Add the paprika and mint, then cook, stirring, just until fragrant. Add the chicken, 7 cups water, and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt. Simmer, uncovered, until a skewer inserted into the chicken meets no resistance. Transfer the chicken to a bowl. Add the orzo to the pot and cook until al dente. Shred the chicken. When the orzo is done, add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Serve drizzled with additional oil.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup tomato paste
4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons dried mint
kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved
1 cup orzo pasta
by Anonymous Frau Redux
Made this recipe a few days before the assignment came from our Capt.
Over the years we tried some changes such as:
- make only half of the recipe unless you are feeding a crowd or plan on eating all week long
- can cook on stovetop in large pot, just use your veggies fork tenderness to determine when “done”
- substitute ground Italian sausage for the meat
- cook and store pasta separately to avoid it soaking up all that juicy goodness
- try different pasta (ditalini or bow ties are good!)
- add corn, green beans for taste/texture
- top with Parmesan
Try it your way.
-Anon Frau Redux
Next Week’s Assignment:
Make a jigsaw-style puzzle (without a jigsaw, unless you have one) for someone to put together. Bonus points if you give/send it to someone else and they complete the puzzle.