I love root vegetables. This soup makes use of many of them, and if there are some you prefer, they can be added or substituted as desired. The beets make the entuire soup a beautiful colorI like my soups to have a lot of vegetables-to-liquid ratio, so if you like more of the "broth", just add less of the vegetables and greens. The greens used in this soup are best if using the tops of the vegetables, such as beet greens or turnip greens, but any nice leafy greens are great. Try kale, collards or mustard greens. Other root vegetables to consider: leeks, turnips and/or other varieties of beets.
Heat a large soup pot and add in the olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until they are lightly golden. Add in the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes. Add in all the diced vegetables and the water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the soup for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add in the greens and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, until they are tender.
When you want the best tasting gravy possible, it is best to make your own stock. This can be made ahead of time and chilled for use later, or frozen for months. I use the wing tips as they are not eaten in any case, and all the giblets, neck and the tail. Other flavors may be added in as desired, but this recipe makes a wonderful stock. I add no salt to the stock, as it does evaporate while cooking. It is best to salt when making the gravy.
Set a large (about 8 quart) stock pot on the stove and heat to medium high heat. Add the turkey parts and allow them to brown well on all sides. Slice the onion in half lengthwise, leaving the skin on. The skins will give the stock a beautiful color. As the turkey pieces are browned, move them off to the edge of the pan and add in the onion, flat sides down, to brown also. Once browned, add in all the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a low boil, then reduce to a bare simmer. Cover the pot and allow the stock to cook very slowly for 3 to 5 hours. Allow the stock to cool slightly, then strain through a fine mesh strainer, discarding all the rest of the bits in the pot.
This stock is most excellent for making gravy, but is also perfect for the base of any soup.
After a second weekend of pheasant hunting, presented with another pheasant to cook, soup was suggested. Looking for nice earthy flavors and textures to go with the wild bird, this is what we created. It is a marvelously hearty and delicious Fall meal.
Set the dried mushrooms into the boiled water, cover and set aside to soak. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add in the onions, stirring occasionally while prepping the other vegetables. Add in the carrots, celery and garlic and continue to stir occasionally. Add in the whole bird, allowing to brown on each side. Add in the green pepper and potato, the bay leaves, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper saffron and smoked paprika. Add in the 9 cups of water, stir and bring to a simmer.
Remove the mushrooms from their soaking water, reserving the water. Cut stems from the shiitakes and slice. Check the porcinis for any that are too hard and woody, shopping any larger pieces. Add both kinds of mushrooms to the pot. Check the mushroom soaking water for dirt or grit in the bottom. If there is any dirt, strain the liquid through a coffee filter or paper toweling and add to the pot. Cover the pot and allow to simmer for about 3 hours, or until the pheasant is ready to freely come off the carcass. Remove the pheasant from the soup and allow to cool enough to handle. Meanwhile add the wild rice to the pot and bring to a medium simmer for at least 45 minutes. Once the pheasant is cool enough to handle, remove all the meat and discard the bones. Return the meat to the pot. Once the wild rice is completely tender the soup is ready to serve. This soup is wonderful served over egg noodles.
I created this recipe using fresh tomatoes because it is end of summer and tomatoes are abundant. If you do not have fresh tomatoes or prefer not to scald, peel and chop, just use a can of chopped tomatoes to substitute. While it may seem like a lot of steps, this recipe took less than half hour to prepare, from start to finish. The heavy cream is an indulgence, giving the resulting soup more creamy goodness, but it can be eliminated and eaten as is or milk used to substitute; the flavors are marvelous.
If using a can of chopped tomatoes, disregard this first step.
Bring a 6 quart saucepan about half full with hot water to a boil. Drop in the tomatoes and allow to scald for one minute. Remove them with a slotted spoon to a plate to cool. Discard the water; wipe pot dry.
If tomato skins have not already split, pierce them with a knife, then pull off skins and stem ends, reserving them to one side of the plate. With hands, squeeze the peeled tomatoes, one by one into the pot. When all have been added, squeeze all the skins to extract as much tomato pulp as possible. Discard the skins and pour any extracted pulp into the pan.
Add in the double concentrated tomato paste and the water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes. Pour the contents of the pot into a blender container and blend until very fine. Meanwhile, wipe out the pot and place it back on the burner on low. Add in the extra tablespoon butter and the flour and blend well. Return the contents of the blender to the pan and stir vigorously to combine the butter and flour with the tomato mixture. Bring back to a boil, stirring. Remove from the heat and add in the cup of heavy cream, stirring to combine. Serve immediately.
NOTES: If choosing to make this gluten free, the step using the butter and flour mixture can be eliminated. I added this step because my husband prefers thick soups, so it was just a small step to ensure proper consistency for his taste. It could just as easily be thickened with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and poured into the blender container to combine. Return to the pot as indicated to heat through and cook the cornstarch.
I had a period many years back where I was looking for ways to eliminate unnecessary meat in my diet. I came up with this recipe for chili that even my meat-loving husband would eat. Make it "as-is" or add in a crumbled piece of tempeh for a more meat-like feel without the meat.
In a large soup pot heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add in the first 5 ingredients and saute for about 7 - 10 minutes. Add in the tomato sauce, diced tomato, all the canned items and the fennel, cumin and chili powder. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for at least a half hour, until the fresh vegetables are soft.
Tempeh is a fermented whole soybean product. The particular fermentation process of the whole bean gives it a higher content of protein, fiver and vitamins than tofu. It has a firm texture and a slightly nutty flavor. It generally is sold in vacuum sealed plastic pouches. It can be broken up into bits into such things as this chili recipe. Its texture puts one in mind of the feel of meat.
The brand most often seen is "Lightlife". This brand also carries a flax tempeh and a three grain tempeh (made with rice, flax and soy). I used to keep the vacuum pouches in the freezer for whenever I needed.
Faced with an excess of hamburger meat and constantly looking for ways to prepare it, I decided to make a gumbo of a sort. While hamburger is not ever a part of a true gumbo, the rest of the ingredients are. From the mahogany/chocolate roux to the file powder at the end, this is just delicious, served over white rice.
Make the Roux: Heat a heavy soup pot and melt the shortening or oil. Add in the flour and over relatively high heat, stir briskly with a whisk for about 10 minutes, until the roux has turned a very deep, dark mahogany chocolate color. Remove from heat and whisk a few times, in case the residual heat of the pot continues cooking. If the roux scorches, there is no salvaging; it must be made again.
In a large skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons oil and sauté the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Add this to the pot with the roux. In the same pan, brown the hamburger very well. Add to the roux, along with the andouille (pronounced "on-DOO-eee") sausages and the thyme, oregano, basil, bay leaves, ancho powder and stock. Taste the mixture for salt and pepper, adding more if needed. Bring this mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour to meld flavors. Serve the gumbo over white rice and pass the file powder.
NOTES: File powder, pronounced "Fee-lay", is powdered sassafras. It has a particular flavor along with the ability to add just a little thickening. It should not be added to a gumbo while cooking, but only in the bowl when ready to eat. If added in to the cooking pot, it may become stringy.
Cincinnati's chili is unlike any other. A touch of the sweeter spices and a little chocolate give interesting and evocative flavors. Thinner than most chili, this is served alone or with the addition of (in order) spaghetti, shredded cheddar cheese, onions or beans, or a combination of all five, making what is called Five-Way Chili.
In a large soup pot, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and saute over medium heat, until the onion is quite tender and translucent. Add in the chili powder, cumin, allspice, cinnamon and cloves and toss to combine until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add in the water or stock and then the ground beef. Break up the beef into the liquid until in very small pieces. Add in the tomato sauce and bay leaf, cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 2 - 3 hours.
The chili may be made a day ahead and refrigerated. This allows the easy removal of any fat that has risen to the surface. If the chili has been refrigerated at this point, reheat and continue the recipe from here.
Add in the grated chocolate, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire and pepper. Stir to combine. Check for salt and add more if needed.
NOTES: As noted above, this chili may be served in a bowl all by itself. It is traditional to serve this with oyster crackers and a bottle of hot sauce on the side. The chili is not made to be hot-spicy, but left to the discretion of the one eating. "Chili-Spaghetti" is found everywhere in Cincinnati, and this is also considered Chili Two-Ways. The addition of a mound of grated cheddar makes this Three-Way Chili. Either the addition of kidney beans or chopped onions make the chili "Four-Way. Using all five together makes Five-Way Chili.
My sister-in-law asked me to make a tomato soup recipe for her. Her criteria were relatively specific. It needed to have chunks of tomato, probably some cream, maybe some butter. Nothing fancy; just good. This is what I came up with, and she loved it.
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon, or chicken "base"
In a medium pot, melt the butter. Add in the onion and garlic and saute slowly for about 10 minutes until translucent and soft. Add in half the can of tomatoes plus the half cup water. Using an immersion blender right in the pot (or other blender, returning the mixture to the pot), partially puree the tomatoes, onion and garlic. Add in the rest of the tomatoes along with the chicken bouillon, baking soda, pepper and parsley. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add in the milk and cream and bring mixture just to the boil. Remove parsley and serve.
A wonderfully elegant, gourmet tasting soup in 20 minutes. This is so simple to make, requiring so few ingredients, anyone can do it. Whether served on a weeknight for supper in a mug, or dressed up with herbed oil in fancy china, it is warming and flavorful.
Cut off the lightest part of the leeks, discarding the dark green tops. Cut off root ends and discard, and then slice down the center length of each leek. Hold the layers together with pone hand and fan the leek under running water to rinse out any mud or grit. Slice the leeks across the grain into about ½-inch slices.
Heat butter in a medium saucepan until melted and immediately add in the leeks. Cook them over medium to medium-high heat, stirring often, until they are relatively soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and toss to combine. Strip off the leaves of a few thyme sprigs and chop finely. Add to the pot and stir. Add in the salt, pepper, potatoes, bay leaf and water. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook for about 8 - 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.
Remove the bay leaf and pour the soup into a blender and process until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and add in the milk (or half & half or cream, as desired) and heat before serving.
NOTES: Stock may be used instead of water in the soup, although the salt will need to be adjusted. To make a pretty presentation, blend together 2 tablespoons of olive oil with another 2 - 3 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves. Pass the oil through a very fine mesh sieve. Using a teaspoon, drizzle about ½ teaspoon of the oil in a circular pattern over the top.
VEGAN OPTIONAL: If a nut or seed milk substitution is made for the milk and a vegan butter substitute or oil for the butter, this recipe is easily made vegan.
I started throwing things together yesterday and this is what I came up with. It is a huge recipe, so good for a bunch. Three pounds of meat and all the rest filled my crock pot to the tippy-top. You may use all Guinness for the liquid, or only part. You can use a different beer, as desired. Or use no beer at all and use only water, or stock, as desired. The Guinness imparts a rich creaminess. For a Gluten-Free chile, omit the beer. I used Anaheim chilies, which had a fair amount of hot spice to them. Anaheims can be very mild. This batch was not! If you prefer a milder chili, use only bell peppers, with the addition of some little canned green chiles, which have no heat.
This can be made in a large crock pot, or in a large Dutch Oven that is stove top or oven safe.
In a large skillet, preferably non stick, fry the meats in the olive oil on high, small batches at a time, until nicely browned, removing them to the crock pot or Dutch Oven as they are done. Fry the bacon in the same pan, until nicely crisp, remembering it will get soggy in the chile as it cooks. Crisper is better. Remove the bacon to drain when done, then crumble into smaller bits, or chop and add to the pot. Reserve1 to 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease in the skillet and add in the chopped onions, tossing over medium high heat until light golden. Add in the garlic and continue to saute until the onions are light browned and the garlic is fragrant. Add to the pot.
Chop the bell peppers and Anaheim chilies and add to the pot, or if using canned green chilies (which are not hot at all) instead of the Anaheims, add those. In a mortar and pestle, crush the fennel and cumin seeds. These are helpful as an aid to digestion, and I prefer them nearly whole. Ground spices may be used. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir well.
In Crock Pot, cook on high for about 4 hours or until bubbling vigorously. If using a Dutch Oven or other large pot, this can be cooked on top of the stove. Bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer for at least an hour, or more if possible. The pot, once maintaining a simmer, can be placed into a low oven, around 275 degrees, for 2 or more hours, as desired. Check for liquid levels!
This is excellent with a nice dollop of sour cream, particularly to cool the heat of the chilies, but great no matter how. Wonderful served with corn bread on the side.
NOTE: If making gluten-free, omit the beer and use water or stock.
I added "enhanced" to the title because I use garlic, where Mom never did. I do not truly believe there is much else changed in this recipe. It is just good and hearty, which is just what you want sometimes.
In an oven safe stew pot or braising pan, brown bacon, then remove and set aside. Using the bacon grease in the pan, brown the meat on all sides. Return the bacon to the pan, along with the onions, garlic and bell pepper and toss to combine. Sprinkle the flour over all and stir to moisten the flour, as for gravy. Add the water and stir well. Add in the ketchup, Worcestershire, bay leaves and Kitchen Bouquet (to enhance the color - Mom always used this). Add in the carrots and potatoes and other vegetable of choice. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
Heat oven to 275, or whatever temperature will maintain a simmer. Cover the stew and place in oven to cook slowly for 2 to 2½ hours, or until meat is very tender. Serves 6 to 8.
NOTES: When I was growing up, Mom always, always made this stew in an electric frying pan. A one-pot meal at its best.
This recipe is called a "soup" but is nice and thick of its own accord - no need for thickeners. Dad always added 1 - 3 teaspoons of vinegar to his bowl of soup, and I have followed suit. It just brightens all the flavors - give it a try!
Put first five ingredients into a very large soup pot and add water to almost cover. The hambone may stick out by about 1/3. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for about an hour or so. Add the carrots, potatoes and ketchup, cover and continue to cook for at least another hour or more, until soup is slightly thickened and beans are falling-apart tender. Remove bay leaves and pass the vinegar!
NOTES: This is best made with a leftover ham bone, from whatever holiday you may have eaten a ham. Freeze the bone, if you aren’t ready to use it right away. Leave some of the meat on, so there is plenty in the soup. If a ham bone is not available, use 2 - 3 smoked ham hocks, making sure there is a little meat on them.
When serving, pass a cruet of vinegar! Anywhere from a teaspoon to a tablespoon (to taste) in the bowl really heightens the flavors tremendously. Serve with a nice crusty bread and some butter and prepare to feast!
Mom and Dad took some shortcuts in later years; witness the baby carrots. This photo was taken by my Dad, many years ago. Both parents are gone from this world but never forgotten.
I threw things together one day, long ago, and came up with this recipe. It is hearty, warming and filling, especially on a blustery day.
about 1½ - 2 hours. The meat should be getting tender. Add the bag of split peas and cook until the peas are mostly disintegrated; about an hour. Remove hambone or hocks and remove as much meat as possible and return meat to the soup. Add in the package of frozen spinach and allow to completely heat through. Stir well to disperse the spinach. Serve hot with some nice crusty bread, or corn muffins.
NOTES: This recipe can also be made with yellow split peas. No salt is needed in this recipe, as the ham bone or hocks are salty enough to season the soup. All the ingredients could easily be placed in a large crock pot and slow-cooked all day. It can also be placed in a large heavy Dutch Oven, or enameled cast iron pot and slowly simmered on the stove or in the oven, on whatever temperature maintains a simmer.