Italian Style Soup with Turkey Sausage
Italian Style Soup with Turkey Sausage
Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces sweet or hot Italian-style turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (32 ounces) reduced sodium chicken broth
1 can (15 1/2 ounces) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Rosemary, finely crushed
1 teaspoon Thyme Leaves
1 package (6 ounces) baby spinach, leaves
1/2 cup uncooked small pasta, such as mini bowties or elbows
Heat oil in large saucepan on medium heat. Add sausage; cook and stir 3 minutes. Add onion; cook and stir 3 minutes longer or until onion is tender and sausage is browned.
Pour chicken broth, beans and tomatoes into saucepan. Stir in oregano, rosemary and thyme. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes.
Stir in spinach and pasta. Return to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is tender.
Taco Soup
Taco Soup
Serves 8
2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, chopped (1 cup)
3 (14.5 oz) cans tomato puree or diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 bag baby carrots
2 cups water
3 cups chicken broth
4 oz chopped green chiles
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 (1.25 ounce each) packages taco seasoning mix (Lawry’s)
2 packages ranch dressing mix
1.In a medium stock pot, brown beef, onion, and carrots; drain grease if needed.
2.Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, chicken broth, beans, corn, chiles, and seasonings. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
3.Top with cheese, corn chips, sour cream and olives.
Traditional Cioppino
Traditional Cioppino
Recipe Courtesy LoRusso’s Cucina on The Hill
Serves 2
1 tablespoon (or more) chopped garlic
1/3 cup chopped red onion (plus 1/4 cup chopped celery and carrot, if desired)
2 tablespoons (packed) chopped fresh basil
10 turns freshly ground black pepper
2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup Chianti wine
1 can (28 oz.) chopped plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon lobster or shrimp base dissolved in 1 cup water (or clam juice)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon saffron
8 large sea scallops
4 extra-large shrimp
8 oz. swordfish, tuna or other firm fish
8 fresh whole clams
12 green lip mussels
1 cup arborio rice
Extra clam juice
Italian bread, sliced
In large skillet, cook and stir garlic, onion, basil, black pepper and red pepper until onion is transparent. Add wine. Heat and stir to loosen pieces of mixture from bottom of skillet. Add undrained tomatoes, dissolved liquid, parsley and salt. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Add saffron, scallops, shrimp, swordfish, clams, mussels, and rice. Cook over medium heat, covered, adding hot clam juice, cup at a time, until rice is desired texture and seafood is cooked thoroughly.
Potato Seafood Chowder
Potato Seafood Chowder
Serves 6
2 pounds littleneck clams, well scrubbed
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 celery stalks, strings removed, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
1 dried bay leaf
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pound firm white fish, such as cod or red snapper, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Place clams and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, and bring the water to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the clams have opened, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove clams, discard shells, and pass the broth through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, reserving the broth and clams separately. Set both aside.
Melt butter in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the reserved clam broth and the potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Uncover, and add fish and shrimp. Cover, and simmer until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add half-and-half and the reserved clams; season with salt and pepper. Heat through, but do not return to a boil.
French Onion Soup
French Onion Soup
Serves 8
10 medium yellow onions, (about 4 1/2 pounds), halved, peeled, and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup dry red wine
4 toasted multigrain bread
4 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
Preheat oven to 450 degrees;. In a large roasting pan, toss together onions, oil, sugar, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover tightly with foil; cook until steamed, about 30 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring every 30 minutes, until onions are golden brown and caramelized, 1 to 1 1/4 hours more.
Transfer onion mixture to a large saucepan (reserve roasting pan); stir in broth and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until liquid has darkened, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, deglaze the roasting pan with wine: Place the pan over medium heat; add wine. Scrape bottom of pan with a wooden spoon or scraper to loosen any browned bits. Simmer until reduced and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Pour liquid (and browned bits) into soup. Season with salt and pepper. (If freezing, let cool completely before transferring to airtight containers, leaving 1 inch at top.) If desired, make the cheese toast: Heat broiler. Place bread on a baking sheet; top with Swiss cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Cut each slice into four triangles. To serve, divide soup among bowls; garnish each with two triangles of cheese toast, if desired.
Mini Chicken Meatball & Orzo Soup
Mini Chicken Meatball & Orzo Soup
Yields 2 servings
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 pound ground, all-white-meat chicken
1/2 carrot, peeled and grated
1/4 small onion, grated
1 clove garlic, grated
2 to 3 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 to 3 tablespoons bread crumbs
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup uncooked orzo
Place a small saucepot with water over high heat and bring to a boil. Place a medium size saucepot over medium heat and add the chicken broth. While the broth is coming to a simmer, combine the ground chicken, grated carrot, grated onion, grated garlic, Parmigiano, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper in a medium-size mixing bowl.
Add the orzo to the boiling water and cook about 2 minutes less than the directions on the box — the hot broth in the thermos will finish the cooking. If you are making it to eat right away, cook the orzo for the appropriate amount of time. Strain orzo when it is finished cooking and reserve.
While the orzo is cooking, make small meatballs from the chicken mixture — about the size of a nickel — and add them to the simmering broth. You can also put the ground chicken mixture into a re-sealable plastic bag, cut off about a half-inch at one of the corners, and squeeze the mixture through the tip. Cut off the mixture every half-inch or so with a pair of kitchen scissors. Cook the mini chicken meatballs for about 6-7 minutes or until fully cooked. To assemble, add a couple of large spoonfuls of cooked orzo, along with some mini chicken meatballs and broth.
Sloppy Taco Chili
Sloppy Taco Chili
Yields 4 servings
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin
Salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup hot sauce, any kind you like
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 quarts beef stock
4 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup green olives with pimento, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup corn tortilla chips, crushed
Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat with olive oil. When oil is hot, add beef and season with salt, black pepper, chili powder and cumin. Brown the meat for 5 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the garlic, onion, peppers and the bay leaf, and cook for 7-8 minutes until tender. Add the hot sauce and tomato paste, and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Stir in stock, bring to a bubble, reduce heat and cook for 10-15 minutes. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the scallions, cilantro, olives and tomatoes. Serve this mixture on top of the sloppy chili along with a handful of crushed tortilla chips.
Chicken Escarole Soup
Chicken Escarole Soup
Serves about 10
6 whole chicken leg-thigh quarters
2 stalks celery, sliced into 2-inch pieces
2 whole carrots, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, quartered
1 parsnip, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound escarole, chopped
Fill a large pot with 4 quarts water; place over high heat and bring to a boil. Add chicken, return to a boil, skimming off any foam that has accumulated at the top. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking, uncovered, for 2 hours. Add celery, carrots, onion, parsnip, dill, and parsley. Continue cooking slowly, uncovered, for 1 hour.
Set a strainer over a large bowl and strain soup; discard solids. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, covered, overnight. Remove the layer of fat that has formed on top of the soup overnight and discard. Place soup in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Just before serving, add escarole and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes.
Summer Corn Chowder
Summer Corn Chowder
Serves 4
4 ounces bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 small onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)
2 ribs celery, strings removed, cut into 1/2-inch dice (3/4 cup)
8 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups homemade chicken stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
3 ears yellow corn, kernels removed (about 2 1/2 cups)
5 ounces small fingerling potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 poblano chile, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
Place bacon in a small stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until it is deep golden brown and all the fat has been rendered, about 4 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, then transfer to paper towels to drain, and set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat.
Add diced onion, celery, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste to stockpot; cook over medium-low heat until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 15 minutes.
Add corn, potato slices, and poblano chile; cook until potatoes are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard thyme. Add half-and-half, and simmer until soup is hot. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into soup bowls, and garnish with bacon. Serve immediately.
Thomas Keller’s Shellfish Broth
Thomas Keller's Shellfish Broth
MAKES ABOUT 1 1/2 QUARTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces (about 1 3/4 Cups) shallots, sliced 1/4-inch thick
4 ounces (about 1 cup) carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 garlic, cloves separated, peeled, and smashed
8 ounces (about 2 cups) fennel, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 pound (about 2 cups) plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
1/4 cup Pernod
20 fresh thyme
6 fresh parsley
8 fresh tarragon
3 dried bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
6 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
1 tablespoon saffron threads
1 pound mussels, washed
1 pound clams, such as Manila, washed
1 pound oysters, washed
Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add shallots, carrots, and garlic; cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add fennel; cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook for 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Add wine and Pernod; simmer for 5 minutes.
Add thyme, parsley, tarragon, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Add chicken stock; bring to a simmer. Add saffron and shellfish; return to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from heat; let sit for about 15 minutes. Prepare an ice-water bath.
Strain broth through a fine-mesh strainer. Strain again using same strainer lined with a triple layer of cheesecloth. Repeat 2 or 3 times, rinsing cheesecloth and strainer each time, until broth runs through cheesecloth like water.
Transfer broth to ice bath. Stir occasionally, and cool. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
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