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Category: Soups

Winter Minestrone

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 ounces pancetta, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
2 carrots, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
2 cups butternut squash, chopped (½ inch cubes)
1½ tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
¼ to ½ cup dry white wine
28 ounces canned chopped/crushed tomatoes
6 to 8 cups chicken stock (beef broth works very well too)
1 (1-ounce) Parmesan rind
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 fresh rosemary sprigs (or Italian seasoning)
1 bay leaf
15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
¾ cup dry tube pasta, like macaroni or ditalini, cooked & drained (about 1 ½ cups cooked)
6-8 ounces baby spinach
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh chopped parsley.

Note: This works well with heartier greens, like Swiss Chard. Trim the stems and leaves sliced. Add these greens earlier in the soup, when you add the tomatoes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add wine and scrape the bottom of the pan.

Optional: Add half of the tomatoes, half of the beans, and 1 cup of stock to a blender and puree.

Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, parmesan rind, salt & pepper, crushed red pepper, and herbs to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Discard the bay leaf, rosemary stems, and rind. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through, about 2 minutes. This is a thick soup, but if too thick adjust with extra stock. Just before serving, stir in the spinach and cook just until the leaves are wilted. Check for salt and pepper seasoning. Serve with grated Parmigiano cheese and parsley.

Black Bean and Sausage Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound smoked pork sausage, such as andouille, sliced into half moons
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 medium stalks celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 medium cloves garlic, crushed
4 cups (1.5L) low-sodium chicken broth, or water
3 (16 ounce) cans black beans, drained
2 while chipotle peppers, minced, plus 1 Tbsp of sauce
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add sausage and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 6 minutes or until nicely browned. Add onion, celery, carrot, pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, about 6-8 minutes.

Add chicken stock, beans, remaining herbs & spices and stir well. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30-45 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Place 1-2 cups (depending on desired thickness) of soup in a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Stir mixture back into pot. Serve with rice, cilantro, avocado, green onions, lime wedges, etc.

Spicy Asian Chicken and Noodle Soup

4 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast (about 1.5 lbs)
1 cup grated carrot (about 2 medium)
1 cup thinly sliced snow peas
1 tablespoon Sriracha
4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
1 (4-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground Chinese Five Spice
6 cups water
3 ounces uncooked wide rice sticks (rice-flour noodles)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint, optional
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

Bring first 11 ingredients to a simmer in a medium saucepan; keep warm.

Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add rice noodles; cook 3 minutes. Drain. Place about 1/4 cup rice noodles in each of bowl for serving.

Discard ginger. Add juice to broth mixture; stir. Ladle 1 1/3 cups broth mixture over each serving; top with 1 tablespoon each mint, cilantro, and green onions.

Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken

1 (16-oz.) can or 1 1/2 cups soaked & cooked garbanzo beans
1 (16-oz.) can or 1 1/2 cups soaked & cooked black beans
1 (16-oz.) can or 1 1/2 cups soaked & cooked red kidney beans
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
1 cup tomato salsa
1/2 cup salsa verde
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
4 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper to taste (about a half teaspoon each)
2 bay leaves
1 lb. chicken, large pieces
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Place all ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker. Turn on low, cook for 4-6 hours. Serve over a bed of rice, or with a side of cornbread or warm tortillas.

Note: For dried beans, place 1/2 cup of each bean type in slow cooker with enough water (about 8 cups) and desired spices, like bay, cumin, paprika, garlic, and granulated onion (NO SALT WHILE COOKING!). Start the beans on Low about 4 hours before the salsa chicken start time (8-10 hours ahead, total). After 4 hours, reserve 1 cup of liquid and drain. Add the beans and reserve liquid to the recipe like canned beans.

Slow Cooker Cassoulet

** 1/2 pound dried cannelini/northern beans
2 bacon slices
1.5 pounds lean boneless pork chops, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound reduced-fat or turkey smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups chopped onion
—– 1c carrot (optional)
—– 1c celery (optional)
—– 1c red bell pepper (optional)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 cup dry white wine
** 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained $
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 teaspoons finely shredded fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)
8 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

** If using canned, instead of dry beans, use 2 15-ounce cans of beans (drained and rinsed) and omit chicken broth.

Soak beans overnight.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add onion, (optional carrot), (optional celery), thyme, rosemary, and garlic to drippings in pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add wine, let simmer 1 minute. Stir in crumbled bacon, salt, pepper, (optional red bell pepper), and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Combine beans, pork, and sausage; stir well. Place half of bean mixture in a 3 1/2-quart electric slow cooker; top with half of tomato mixture. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Goulash

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pounds top loin, chuck roast, or boneless beef short ribs, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, chopped
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
4 carrots, cut into 1 to 2-inch lengths
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sweet paprika
1 tablespoon ground caraway
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 teaspoon oregano
4 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
Sour cream, parsley, and buttered noodles, for serving

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Thoroughly dry beef with paper towels then season liberally with salt and pepper. Brown half of the beef in the skillet over moderately high heat, about 12 minutes. Transfer them to a slow cooker with a slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining beef.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the skillet. Add the onion, garlic and carrots and cook over low heat, stirring, until the onion is barely softened, about 5 minutes. Optionally, you can do a quick deglaze here with 1/4 of dry vermouth or other dry white wine. Sprinkle in the flour; stirring until oil is absorbed and flour begins to cook (3-5 minutes). Stir in the tomato paste. Add the paprika, caraway and coriander and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with about half of the chicken stock, being sure to scrape up the browned bits. Transfer the mixture into the slow cooker.

Add the remaining stock, oregano, thyme and bay leaves, cover and bring to a boil on high. Cook for 4 hours on high, until the meat is very tender. Discard the bay leaves and thyme and spoon off as much fat from the sauce as possible. Serve the goulash in deep bowls with a dollop of sour cream and buttered noodles, sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Mike’s Chili, version 2

1.5 lbs ground beef
1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1 Tbsp jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 15-oz can peeled diced tomatoes
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar, optional
1 dried ancho chile, ground
1 dried guadijillo chile, ground
1 dried chipotle chile, ground
4 Tbsp chili powder (2+2)
4 Tbsp cumin (2+2)
4 garlic cloves minced + 1 tsp garlic powder
1 bay leaf
2 tsp oregano (1+1)
3 tsp paprika (2+1)
1 16-oz can kidney beans, drained

*Note: Ingredients listed with (x+y) indicate to add “x” amount initially, and the remaining “y” amount at the end.

Brown ground beef in a dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Remove beef from pot and drain fat.

Add onion, jalapeno, and garlic to the pot; saute for about five minutes.

Return the beef to the pot and add remaining ingredients (reserving indicated portion of spices for final spice dump). Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add remaining reserved spices (chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and oregano). in the last 5 minutes. Serve with shredded cheddar and green onion garnish.

Mongolian Hot Pot, version 2

2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces flank steak, cut into 1 1/2-inch wide strips and thinly sliced

6 cups stock (4 beef and 2 chicken is optimal)
2 cups water
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2-4 whole cloves  (about 1/4 teaspoon ground clove)
3 star anise  (or 1 teaspoon fennel seed)
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken (about 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 (3-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, halved
3 garlic cloves

1 Tbsp peanut or canola oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
6 cups thinly sliced bok choy (about 1 pound)
1 cup (about 2 ounces) shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup carrot, sliced
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
4 ounces uncooked soba (buckwheat) noodles
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dark sesame oil, divided

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag, and seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 1/2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Combine the next 9 ingredients in a large stockpot over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes covered. Strain broth through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Return broth to pan; keep warm.

Heat oil in a small Dutch oven over high heat until it begins to smoke. Add beef mixture to pan; stir-fry 1 minute or until browned. Remove beef mixture from pan; set aside.

Add sliced yellow onion to the pan and cook until tender and starting to color. Add bok choy, mushrooms, carrot, and green onions to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes or until bok choy begins to wilt. Add prepared broth mixture and hoisin sauce. Stir in noodles. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until noodles are done. Stir in beef mixture and vinegar. Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; drizzle each serving with 1/4 tsp sesame oil.

Lentil and Sausage Soup

1 lb. hot Italian or garlic turkey sausage
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, rough chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
2 cups dry lentils
1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 cups kale, rinsed and torn into small pieces
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
black pepper
salt, to taste

In a large soup pot, cook sausage over medium-high heat, breaking it into chunks, until browned (about 6-8 minutes). Remove sausage with a slotted spoon.

Add olive oil to pot and reduce heat to medium. Add onions, carrots, and celery, cook and stir until tender (about 5 minutes) being sure to scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Stir in garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, bay leaf, cumin, and coriander; cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in lentils, broth/water, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender (varies, but usually 30-40 minutes). Add kale in the last 10 minutes of cooking (optionally, spinach can be added in the final minute). Check seasoning and add vinegar.

Escarole and Fennel Soup

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1.5-2 cups)
1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb, fronds reserved
2 tablespoon minced garlic
6 (3.2-ounce) links sweet turkey Italian sausage, casings removed
2 tsp fresh thyme
2 tsp fresh rosemary
2 tsp leftover fennel fronds
4 (15-ounce) cans lower-sodium chicken broth
2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
6  cups chopped escarole
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add sausage, stirring frequently to crumble, and cook until browned (about 8 minutes).  Remove sausage and set aside.

Add onion, fennel bulb, and garlic; sauté 5-7 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add broth, 1 cup water, herbs, and beans; return sausage to pan. Cover; bring to a boil, and cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in escarole; cook 4 minutes or until escarole wilts. Serve garnished with a sprinkle of Parmesan.