Category: Soups

New England Clam Chowder

“From the daughter of a Newton, Massachusetts gal.”  This is a wild variation on boring old New England chowder – chorizo, red pepper flakes takes it to a new place.  Delish!!

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tab unsalted butter
  • 2 large leeks (white and light green parts) diced and well rinsed
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, grated
  • 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 (8 oz) bottles clam juice
  • 1 cup cooked chopped clams
  • 2 Tab canola oil
  • 8 oz Spanish chorizo sausages
  • 2 green celery stalks, sliced 1/2 inch thick
  • 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes cut in 1/4 inch dice
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 c heavy cream
  • 2 c half and half cream
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp Tabasco sauce
  • 2 Tab Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 lb littleneck or Manilo clams, scrubbed
  • 4 sprigs fresh dill, stems and all, coarsely chopped

Directions:

  1. Make the soup base:
    1. In a large, heavy bottomed pot milt the butter over medium heat.
    2. Add the leeks, garlic and red pepper flakes.
    3. Season with salt and cook until the leeks are translucent, 5 – 8 minutes.
    4. Add the clam juice and chopped clams.
    5. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and keep warm.
  2. Cook the chorizo and celery:
    1. Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat.
    2. Add 1 Tablespoon oil and the chorizo and cook until crispy, 5 – 8 minutes.
    3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a paper towel to drain.
    4. Heat the residual fat in the pan, add the celery and saute for 2 – 3 minutes.
    5. Season with salt.
    6. Remove with a slotted spoon.
  3. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes:
    1. In another pot combine the diced potatoes, bay leaves, cream, and half-and-half with 2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
    2. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 – 12 minutes.
    3. Add the Worcestershire and Tabasco.
    4. Stir to blend.
  4. Cook the clams:
    1. Put a large, heavy-bottomed pot on the stove and add the remaining 1 Tablespoon oil and heat over medium heat.
    2. Add the clams, cover the pot and cook until they pop open, 8 – 10 minutes (discard any that do not open.)
    3. Put the clams in a colander and reserve the cooking liquid.
  5. Finish the  soup:
    1. There is a good chance that there will be grit in the clam cooking liquid.
    2. Strain it through a double layer of cheese cloth or a coffee filter into a bowl and add it to the leek mixture.
    3. Combine with the potato mixture.
    4. Add the clams in their shells, the celery and the dill.
    5. Discard the bay leaves.
    6. Taste for seasoning.
    7. Top with chorizo just before serving.

Serves:  6 – 8

Source:  The Home Cook:  Recipes to Know by Heart, Alex Guarnaschelli

Minestrone al Pesto con Formaggio

This is a REALLY hardy soup – great for snowy winter nights.  It looks far more complicated than it really is.  The vegetables could be varied if you are missing something.
Ingredients:

  • 4 ounces ditalini or small shells
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 Tab extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 quart vegetable or chicken broth, homemade or canned
  • 1 c dry white wine
  • 1 prosciutto bone (because we all have one sitting around), or a few ounces diced prosciutto or another Italian cured meat (optional) or 1 lb Italian sausage
  • 4 to 5 cabbage leaves, thinly sliced
  • 1 carrot, thinly sliced
  • 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, or about 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
  • 1 zucchini, sliced fairly thickly
  • 3 to 4 ounces fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped, or 1/2 cup cooked and drained frozen chopped spinach
  • Handful of green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/4 cup fresh young peas, blanched, or frozen peas (no need to defrost)
  • 1/2 cup cooked cannellini beans (canned are fine), drained
  • Large pinch of thyme, either fresh or dried
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes
  • About 6 ounces fontina, Jack, provolone, young (medium) Asiago, or cave-aged Gruyère cheese, cut into thick, slab like slices (1/8 inch)
  • 1/2 cup pesto, homemade or store-bought
    2 to 3 ounces Parmesan, pecorino, aged Asiago, or dry Jack cheese, grated

Directions: 

  1. Cook the ditalini in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente.
  2. Drain and set aside.
  3. Brown the sausage.
  4. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces and set aside.
  5. Lightly saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.
  6. Add the broth and white wine, and if using, the bone or prosciutto.
  7. Cook for about 10 minutes.
  8. Add the sausage, cabbage, carrot, and tomatoes and continue to cook for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender, especially the cabbage.
  9. Add the zucchini, spinach, green beans, and peas and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
  10. Add the cannellini and thyme.
  11. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
  12. Into each bowl place a slab of cheese, then a big spoonful of the pasta and a dab of pesto.
  13. Ladle the hot soup over it all.
  14. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan or pecorino.
  15. Serve at once!

Serves:  The recipe does not say, but it must be at least 12

Source:  Marlena Spieler’s Macaroni and Cheese, via Rich and Jenny Barkley

Quick Chili

This is sort of the chili version of a dump cake – open cans, dump, stir.

Ingredients:

  • 1 #10 chili with meat (beans or no beans, your choice)
  • 3 35 oz cans tomatoes, juice and all
  • 1 can (6 lbs) cubed meat, juice and all (Hereford brand is good)
  • ½# onions – chopped
  • 4 c sour cream
  • grated cheese
  • chives or diced onion
  • soda crackers

Directions:

  1. Dump the chili, tomatoes, meat, and onions into a large pot.
  2. Heat.
  3. Serve in bowles
  4. Top with cheese, sour cream and chives.
  5. Serve with crackers.

Serves:   25-30

Source:  A desperate need.

Bad Red Wine Soup

Throw caution to the wind!  Don’t drink that bad red wine – make soup!  This is the perfect soup to take somewhere — the longer it sits the better it gets!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. white beans
  • 1 can tomatoes
  • 1 lb. Italian sausage
  • onion
  • celery
  • large bunch fresh oregano
  • garlic
  • thyme
  • 1 bottle red wine
  • Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Soak the beans.  Several hours or over night.
  2. Drain, put enough fresh water to cover the beans plus the wine and tomatoes and cook until tender.
  3. At some point add everything else.
  4. Amounts are whatever looks good to you.
  5. Sauté the sausage with the onions and celery and garlic and drain off some of the fat before adding to the soup.
  6. The herbs just went straight in.
  7. Give everything enough time so the flavors blend.
  8. You could probably add carrots if you want, and it’s possible to use canned beans, though I haven’t tried it that way.
  9. Serve topped with cheese and good chewy bread.

Serves:  12

Source:   Cathy Painter

Gazpacho by Margie

The perfect summer lunch – Gazpacho, good bread, and maybe a little Sangria.  This one is mild and slightly chunky.  For a little more bite substitute 1 can of soup for an equal amount of V-8 juice and a dash of Tabasco sauce.

Ingredients:

  • 2 can tomato soup
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 cucumber, peeled
  • 1 onion
  • 1 large tomato, peeled
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2/3 c wine vinegar
  • 6 Tab olive oil
  • sour cream

Directions:

  1. Chop pepper, onion, celery and garlic in food processor.
  2. Finely dice by hand cucumber and tomato.
  3. Mix together with soup, vinegar and oil.
  4. Chill.
  5. Serve with dollop of sour cream.

Serves: 4

Source: Combination of several recipes.

Notes:  Updated version:  Replace tomato soup with 1 large can (48 oz 6 cups)  V8 juice and double other ingredients.  Use 1 1/2 c wine vinegar, 1/3 c balsamic vinegar.  Add diced avocado for special occations.

 

Cream-of-Whatever Soup Substitute

This is really just a basic White Sauce (thick).  It can be frozen – great for emergencies!

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tablespoons butter or oil
  • 3 Tablespoons flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • dash of pepper
  • 1-1/4 cup liquid, milk or stock

Directions:

  1. Melt butter or oil in saucepan.
  2. Stir in flour and seasonings.
  3. Cook over medium heat until bubbly.
  4. Add liquid slowly, stirring with wire whisk to prevent lumps.
  5. Cook until thick.

Serves:  Makes 1 cup or 1 can of condensed soup.

Tomato Soup: Use tomato juice for the liquid. Add dashes of garlic, onion powder, basil and oregano.

Chicken Soup: Use chicken broth for half the liquid. Add 1/4 t. poultry seasoning or sage.

Mushroom/celery/chive soup: Saute 1/4 C chopped mushrooms, celery or chives and 1 T minced onion in butter before adding flour.

Allergy Suggestion: If you use a gluten-free flour (rice, tapioca, etc.) or cornstarch, you can make the soup gluten-free. And if you use a stock rather than milk, you can make it milk-free, too.

Source:  A Frugal Simple Life, September 7, 2011

Nancy’s Clam Chowder

Quite tasty and you can saute stuff and refrigerate until ready to add soup etc.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans Snow’s New England Clam Chowder
  • 2 cans whole milk (measure in soup can)
  • 2 cans chopped clams
  • 2 – 3 tomatoes, peeled, chopped fine
  • 3 onions, chopped fine
  • 1 green pepper chopped fine
  • 1/2 c butter (1/4 lb)
  • dash of Tabasco
  • dash of seasoning salt
  • chopped parsley (optional)

Directions:

  1. Saute onion and green pepper in butter about 15 minutes.
  2. Add soup, milk, tomatoes, clams and heat.
  3. Add dash of Tabasco and seasoning salt.
  4. Serve garnished with parsley.

Serves:  4 – 6

Source:  Nancy Kenz

Tomato Soup

No fresh tomatoes?  Canned work too.  You can make the base (no cream) and freeze it when you have the bounty of summer tomatoes.

Ingredients:

  • 4 c tomatoes cut in pieces (2 #1 cans)
  • 2 scallions, finely cut – stems and bulb
  • 1 onion – small, finely chopped
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme (1/2 tsp fresh)
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil (1 tsp fresh)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp parsley, chopped
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 pt cream

Directions:

  1. Simmer tomatoes, scallion, onion, thyme, basil, parsley, salt and pepper for 1/2 hour.
  2. Add 1/2 c water or tomato juice.
  3. Heat, but do not boil the cream.
  4. Strain tomato mixture into cream. (or just put the pulp in unstrained for a chunky soup)
  5. Can be served with a dollop of sour cream or croutons on top.  For fun, try popcorn!

Serves: 4

Source:  Some magazine long ago.

 

Freezer Tomato Soup

So, it is the middle of summer and you have run out of friends to give your beautiful tomatoes.  Be selfish! Keep them and make this soup – so good in the middle of winter when fresh tomatoes taste like cardboard.

Ingredients:

  • 7 – 8 lbs tomatoes, ripe (16 – 18 large)
  • 3 onions, large, chopped (2 lbs)
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 1/4 c parsley, chopped
  • 6 Tab cornstarch
  • 6 Tab water
  • dash of ground cloves (optional)
  • butter or sour cream

Directions:

  1. Core then chop 3 quarts of tomatoes.  Don’t bother to peel.
  2. In an 8 qt pan combine tomatoes, onions , sugar and parsley.
  3. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the tomatoes make juice and come to a boil.
  4. Reduce to medium low.
  5.  Cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Blend cornstarch with water, stir into the tomato mixture.
  7. Cook, stirring until boiling and thickened.
  8. Remove and press through a food mill or fine strainer.
  9. Discard seeds and pulp.
  10. Cool and pack in pint containers.
  11. Freeze.
  12. To serve, thaw and heat.  Add salt, pepper, cloves.
  13. Top each serving with butter or sour cream (or popcorn).

Serves:  12 (makes 6 quarts)

Source:  Sunset

Notes: For cream of tomato soup add 1 c milk or half and half and 1/2 tsp basil.

Egg Flower Soup

For meat lovers, you can add a ½ cup of diced leftover barbecued pork, cooked shrimp, or ham lunch meat.

Ingredients:

  • 6 c Swanson’s low fat chicken broth
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 1 c snow peas
  • ½ c frozen chopped spinach
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 nori 8-x-7-inch sheet
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp white pepper

Directions:

  1. In a medium soup pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil.
  2. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Julienne the carrots into match stick size pieces ½ in long.
  4. Snap off the snow pea stem ends and remove fibrous strings. Slice to 1/2”pieces.
  5. Add carrots and cook for 2 minutes.
  6. Add snow peas and spinach.
  7. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 teaspoons of cold water.
  8. Add cornstarch solution to broth and cook, stirring, until the soup comes to a boil.
  9. Cut the nori into 1/8-inch strips.
  10. Stir in the nori. Turn off the heat.
  11. Crack the egg into a bowl and lightly beat it with a fork or whisk.
  12. Slowly pour the egg into the pot, stirring with a chopstick in a circular motion until long threads form.
  13. Stir in the sesame oil, salt, and white pepper.

Serves: 4-6

Source: Chinese Cooking for Dummies by Martin Yan