light and fresh chicken soup

This soup is wonderful for any reason, but is especially good if you're not feeling well. The cornstarch turns the broth silky and beautiful and the ginger gives it a nice bite.

Chicken, Mushroom and Ginger Soup

1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms (dried is much preferable to fresh in this recipe)
4 cups boiling water
4 cups additional water
2 pounds chicken thighs cut into chunks
A 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced very thin
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 teaspoons sugar
A pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch

Boil the first 4 cups of water. Soak the mushrooms in the boiled water for 20 minutes.

While the mushrooms are soaking, mix the soy, sugar, salt and corn starch in a large bowl. Make sure there are no corn starch lumps. Add the chicken and ginger to the bowl, toss to coat with the marinade, and set aside.

When the mushrooms have softened, remove from the water (saving the soaking liquid) and slice thin. Add the mushrooms into the bowl with the chicken. Pour the soaking water though a fine-meshed sieve lined with a paper towel back into the cooking pot.

Put the chicken mushroom mixture, and the additional 4 cups of water into the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a bare simmer, cover the pot and cook gently for 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Adapted from Simply Recipes

potato smoothness

The first time we made this the potatoes we used were on the smaller side, so the soup turned out a little thin, but it was absolutely delicious. I can't wait to make this with even more potatoes for a thick and creamy version. And it's great as a side with corned beef and cabbage in place of boiled potatoes.

Irish Potato Soup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped
6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 cup stock (chicken, vegetable, or ham), homemade if available
2 cups whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: chopped parsley

In a large stock pot, melt the butter. Add the onions and potatoes; heat over medium heat, covered, stirring often until they begin to soften (15-20 minutes). Do not allow them to brown.

Add the stock and milk and allow to come to low simmer. Stirring often, cook until the potatoes and onions are fully soft about 25 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to achieve a smooth consistency. If, after processing, the soup is thicker than desired, pour it back into the cooking pot and thin with additional warm stock.

Adapted from Boulder Locavore

mushroom mushroom badger badger mushroom

I found this recipe back in 2005, and I can't actually remember if I've ever made it, but it certainly looks good and relatively easy. Been craving mushrooms lately, so if I find a good assortment I may just have to whip this up.

Thyme and Mushroom Soup

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 onion, sliced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (removed from the stems)
10 cups sliced assorted mushrooms (One very full brown paper mushroom bag will slice up into about 10 cups)
1 cup white wine
4 1/4 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon sea salt (depending on how salty your stock is)
1 teaspoon cracked pepper

Melt butter in the bottom of a large stockpot. Cook and stir onions, garlic and thyme over medium heat for 5 or so minutes, until onions begin to brown and the scent of thyme fills your kitchen.

Add mushrooms and cook, over med-high, heat stirring only occasionally, to brown the mushrooms a bit before they start giving off too much water. Continue to cook, stirring for 6 to 8 minutes.

Add in remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Ladle off 1/2 the mixture into a bowl. Use immersion blender on one half the soup. Combine the two portions again and heat through.

Adapted from Lex Culinaria

dreams of new orleans

As I recently discovered, don't skimp on the 45 minute cooking time. Giving the flavors time to blend is important.

Red Beans and Rice

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fully cooked smoked sausage or Kielbasa, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 14 1/2- to 16-ounce cans kidney beans
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning
3 cups cooked rice

Heat olive oil in heavy large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until onion is brown, about 15 minutes.

Mix in kidney beans with their juices, broth and Creole seasoning. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until flavors are blended and mixture is very thick, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Divide cooked rice among large shallow soup bowls. Spoon bean mixture over rice and serve.

Adapted from Epicurious.com

crockpot delights

We've tried this both on the stove-top and in the crockpot and while the depth of flavor is a little more complex when cooked on the stove, the crockpot version is so easy and just as delicious that it's worth the time and effort saved to be able to make it on a weeknight.

Sweet Potato Soup with Rum Cream

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (1 3/4 to 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 fresh thyme sprigs or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch ground red pepper
Rum Cream or caramelized onions

Stove-top directions:
Melt butter in pot over medium-high heat; add onion, and saute until tender. Stir in chicken broth and next 4 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until potato is tender. Remove and discard thyme sprigs. Cool slightly.

Use an immersion blender to process until smooth in the pot. Stir in whipping cream and next 4 ingredients. Serve with Rum Cream or caramelized onions.

Crockpot directions:
Add butter and onions to the crockpot. Stir in chicken broth and next 4 ingredients. Cook in crockpot for 10 hours on low. Remove and discard thyme sprigs. Cool slightly.

Use an immersion blender to process until smooth in the crockpot. Stir in whipping cream and next 4 ingredients. Serve with Rum Cream or caramelized onions.

Rum Cream

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/8 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum

Directions:
Beat all ingredients at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.

The above recipes are adapted (barely) from Southern Living

Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:
5 lb bag of white onions or vidalia onions - sliced
1/2 half stick of butter
2 tbsp of olive oil

Throw all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low for 10 hours.

Result: The onions weren't as browned as I expected, though they tasted wonderful, if not as sweet as we would have liked. We used regular spanish onions, so next time I will add some sugar to help with the sweetness, or use vidalias. I will also aim to cook them for closer to 12 hours and see how much more that browns them and breaks them down.