soup

30 Minute Buffalo Chicken Soup.

January 24, 2012 · 132 comments

Welcome to the easiest soup ever. Ever ever.

Just 30 minutes and you can have a big, steaming bowl of chicken soup with a cute and cheesy toasted baguette and tons of other stuff piled on top. In a snap I tell you.

You are going to like this. I promise.

 

This is what it looks like when you ladle soup into a bowl from behind a camera.

This is what it looks like when you miss. Missing is my middle name.

These things down here… they equal the best flavor combo ever. Takes potatoes to the next level too. Trust me. Do this.

Here is my really tan hand.

See? Really tan.

When I first started this blog thing, my brother mentioned that he had an incredible buffalo chicken soup that I needed to recreate. It’s been on my radar and I’ve been harassed for… the lack there of. But sometimes things just don’t sound good to me. That’s the only way I develop recipes. What sounds good to me righthisveryinstant? With few exceptions, obviously. I mean if I had it my way, we would eat mashed potatoes, gravy, pulled pork and chocolate chips every way ’til Sunday.

Then I’d make something out of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Hellllllllo lover of 1996.

Luckily for me and my mouth, I was in the mood for buffalo chicken soup.

Not luckily for my lips, which are the most chapped (chappiest? chappest? most chappedetest?) they’ve ever been in my life. They currently hate me. Seriously. This is becoming a problem. I’m ’bout to go to the ER for my lips then stuff my head in a jar of vaseline.

This soup is straight up broth. No cream and just a little cheese, but not enough to make it super thick. In fact… I claim that this soup is healthy. Not all of you might… but I’m weird. Or maybe it’s you that’s weird. Whatever. It works for me.

So let’s get all of the bits and pieces out of the way:

Do I think you can make this in the crockpot? Sure.

Do I think you should add heavy cream? Definitely. I was out. And lazy.

Do I think you should make it for the Super Bowl? Yes, but quadruple it. Or more.

Do I think you should make it because it’s Tuesday? Um, duh. I’ll be over.

Do I think you can use other cheese? Frankly, no. But what am I gonna do, hunt you down?

Do I think you can skip the cilantro, because you know, cilantro is disgusting and you’d rather put the bar of soap in your mouth before actually even eating it? Don’t get me started. But I love you anyway.

Buffalo Chicken Soup

serves 2 as a meal, 4 as a starter

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8-10 oz), cooked and shredded

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon flour

32 ounces low-sodium chicken stock

1/3-1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce

1/3 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

sliced whole wheat baguettes, toasted with parmesan cheese

sliced green onions, crumbled gorgonzola and cilantro for topping

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions with a sprinkle of salt to the pot, stirring to coat, then cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Add in garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Sprinkle in flour and stir for another 1-2 minutes. Add in stock, buffalo sauce, chicken and grated cheeses, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring every so often.

Serve soup and top with toasted baguettes, cilantro, green onions and gorgonzola.

Now why are you still here? You should be in the kitchen.

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{ 132 comments }

Beef and Barley Soup.

January 7, 2012 · 54 comments

It’s probably like, 60 degrees or something crazy where you live… right?

Well, back when I made this soup a few weeks ago it was cold. Really cold. Freeeeeezing. My fingers almost fell off. So I made soup, because when it’s freezing and your fingers almost fall off, that’s what you do. Make soup.

My mom claims that Mother Lovett made a mean beef and barley soup, but I never experienced it. I did, however, always get a cup of beef and barley soup while I worked at the gym and then would stand at the counter and eat it while watching others run on the treadmill and get red in the face. Take that as you will.

You definitely will want to slurp this up.

It’s one of the most comforting recipes I’ve made to date. Super easy too.

Plus… it’s an excellent excuse to eat a ton of crusty bread. I love that I’m in charge of all the rules.

You can find the step by step recipe on Tasty Kitchen. I live for soup.

{ 54 comments }

30 Minute White Bean + Chicken Soup.

December 8, 2011 · 88 comments

Dinner tonight!

Around this time last year, I made my first batch of chickpea chicken soup and fell in love. I don’t know what it about throwing a boatload of ingredients into a pot of simmering broth, but it ignites an itsy bitsy fire in my soul.

Well. That sort of sounds annoying, huh?

Whatev. All I’m trying to say is that I really like soup.

Wanna hear something funny?

Okay. It’s really not funny.

Mr. How Sweet has been gone for almost two whole weeks. TWO.

You know how much I love that. I crave my single lady time and get to do whatever the heck I want. I get to hog the bed to myself, don’t have to listen to any snoring, get to watch all those Friends’ episodes that I seriously (seriously!) have not shut up about, not pick up after myself, and perhaps most importantly: eat whatever, whenever I want. Things that he won’t even dreeeeeam of touching. Things without chicken and steak. Things like wine and cheese and crackers every night.

That’s not the nonfunny part. The nonfunny part is that I developed my sickness the day he left. The sickness that robbed me of my sense of smell, appetite and general motivation to do anything at all. The sickness that made me not want to eat anything fun. The sickness that only allowed me to consume about 6 full meals in 11 days. The sickness that caused me to LISTEN TO MY OWN SNORING every single night. The sickness that made me ingest more Nyquil that humanly possible, disallowing me any wine. The sickness that rendered me useless and made it physically impossible for me to steam clean our carpets and deep clean our family room like I had fully intended on doing.

Oh wait. We all know I could care less about those last two.

But really. This lack of appetite has been so intense that I let that entire pan of baklava sit on my counter without touching it for THREE days. I let the mocha coconut fudge sit right under my nose for THREE more days without so much of a bite. Well, except for yesterday when I took a bite of fudge, then a bite of pretzel, then a bite of fudge, then a bite of pretzel, then a bite of… yeah. It has just been totally loopy.

I have pretty much lived on green things that I thought would cure me and slurps of soup, this being one variety. It’s packed with tons of flava flav, thanks to the bacon that starts everything off. Don’t you dare leave it out! I’ll know it if you do.

So now… Mr. How Sweet is on his way home and I guess that means I have to come up with something really meaty for tonight. Hope he doesn’t mind eating dinner at midnight in bed while watching Friends.  

White Bean Chicken Soup

serves 4

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

2 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped

1 small sweet onion, chopped

1 cleaned and trimmed leek, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (6 oz) bag fresh spinach

1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups low-sodium chicken stock

2 cups water

1/4 cup freshly grated fontina cheese + more for garnish

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add chopped bacon. Cook until crispy and fat is rendered, then remove and let drain on a paper towel. Turn heat down to medium-low and add onions and leeks. Stir thoroughly to coat in bacon fat, then cook for 3 minutes. Add in mushrooms, stirring to coat and cook for 3 minutes more. Stir in pepper and paprika, then add in garlic and spinach. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until spinach wilts.

Add in chicken and toss with ingredients to coat. Add in beans, stock and water, then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir in fontina and bacon. Season with salt if desired (I really didn’t feel that mine needed any with the bacon + stock + fontina.) Serve with additional grated fontina and crackers.

Note: as long as you have some cooked chicken on hand, this soup will take you under 30 minutes. If you have to cook the chicken, you’re looking at about 45 minutes.

P.S. Those little crackers up there are these crispy multigrain flax pita things from Trader Joe’s. They are currently rocking my world. sooooo.much.freaking.crunch.

{ 88 comments }

Minestrone Pot Pie with Whole Wheat Parmesan Biscuits.

Minestrone Pot Pie [slightly adapted from Martha] makes one 9×13 dish, serves 4-6 2 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped 1/2 sweet onion, chopped 1 cleaned and trimmed leek, thinly sliced 1/2 cup coarsely chopped baby bella mushrooms 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash 3 cups raw spinach leaves 3 cups torn kale leaves 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 can (15 oz) peeled whole tomatoes 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock 1/4 cup parmesan cheese + 1 parmesan cheese rind Heat a large pot over medium heat and add chopped bacon. Cook until crispy and fat is rendered, then remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel. Add onions and leeks to the pan with a sprinkle of salt, cooking for 5 minutes. Add in mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add spinach, kale, squash, tomatoes, beans, stock and parmesan rind. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook f0r 20 minutes, covered. While soup is cooking, make biscuits below and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. After 20 minutes, stir parmesan and bacon into soup and transfer [...]

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Loaded Baked Sweet Potato Soup.

Loaded Baked Sweet Potato Soup serves about 4, can be easily multiplied 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (I had 2lbs total after peeling and cubing) 2 tablespoons butter 1 1/2 tablespoons flour 1/2 sweet onion, diced (about 1/2 cup chopped) 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 1/2-3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock 1 1/2-2 cups low-sodium chicken stock 1/2 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika for garnishes: bacon, mascarpone cheese, crumbled goat cheese & crispy shallots Prepare potatoes: peel and cube sweet potatoes, then add to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high power for about 10 minutes or until fork tender, tossing 2-3 times during cook time. If you do not want to use the microwave, throw the potatoes on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper (you can omit/add less salt and pepper later if this is the case) and roast at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes. Using the microwave will help this soup come together in 30 minutes. Roasting the sweet potatoes adds a bit more “caramely,” deep flavor. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add butter and diced onions and cook for 5 [...]

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Crockpot French Onion Soup.

Crockpot French Onion Soup [adapted from Tyler Florence] makes a giant pot, about 8-10 servings 4 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, minced 4 tablespoons of butter 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I used my favorite Fustinis!) 2 tablespoons brown sugar 3 tablespoons flour 8 ounces of beer 64 ounces of low-sodium beef stock 2 tablespoons fresh thyme 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt french bread gruyere cheese, sliced Set your crock pot on high, then add onions, garlic, brown sugar, butter, salt and balsamic and mix until combined. Cover and let cook for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are a bit caramely and brown on the edges. Add in flour, then stir thoroughly and let sit for 5 minutes. Add in beer, beef stock, thyme, and pepper, then turn heat down to low, cover and cook for 6-8 hours. Before serving, cut french bread or baguette into slices. Fill soup bowls to the top, then cover with slice of bread and a slice of cheese. Set under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Be careful when serving as bowls will be hot! Note: I used a very low-sodium beef [...]

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Easy Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup.

Easy Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup makes one giant pot, serving at least 8 1 6-pound roasting chicken + fresh thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper for your chicken 96 ounces low-sodium chicken stock 2 cups of chopped carrots 2 cups of chopped celery 2 medium sweet onions, chopped 1 1/4 pounds (about 20 ounces) of egg noodles 2 teaspoons black pepper 1 1/4 teaspoons salt for additional flavor, add: minced garlic, fresh rosemary, thyme and parsley Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove chicken from packing and clean if necessary. [See a full tutorial for roasting a chicken HERE.] Rub chicken with olive oil, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Set in a roasting pan or baking dish breast-side up, and roast for about 90 minutes, or until juices run clear when sliced near the thigh. Remove chicken from oven and let cool completely. Once cool, remove skin (i.e. eat it) and remove all white and dark meat, setting aside in a bowl. Fill a large stock pot with chicken stock. Add the chicken carcass into the pot, then add a few sprigs of fresh thyme (I used 5 sprigs). Bring the stock to a simmer and let bubble [...]

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Super Hearty Chili. {Dinner Tonight: Part 1}

Hearty Chili makes a giant pot, at least 12 servings 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil 2 pounds of beef chuck roast, cut into cubes 1 pound of boneless pork short ribs, cut into cubes 1 1/2 pounds of lean ground beef 1 onion, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 4 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced 2 jalapenos, chopped or sliced 2 28-ounce cans of tomato puree 2 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes 1 6-ounce can of tomato paste 2 15-ounce cans of light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 12 ounces of beer 5 1/2 tablespoons of chili powder 3 tablespoons of cumin 1/2 tablespoons cayenne pepper 1/2 tablespoon black pepper salt for layering flavor and seasoning + your favorite chili toppings [I began this recipe by searing both my beef roast and the pork ribs (not the ground beef). I seasoned them both with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, then added about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the bottom of my giant stock pot and seared them over high heat on all sides for 1-2 minutes, until color developed. Before I seared them, I did NOT remove the fat. Both meats were fairly lean and I found [...]

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Fresh Corn Chowder with Barbecue Shrimp.

Fresh Corn Chowder with Bacon + Barbecue Shrimp adapted from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette serves 4-6 4 slices of bacon 1 small onion, diced 1/2 red pepper, diced 2 cloves of garlic, minced 2 teaspoons flour 1 cup of diced potatoes (2 yukon gold potatoes worked) 4 cups of fresh corn cut off the cob (this took 7 medium cobs for me) 2 cups of chicken stock 2 1/2 cups milk 1/4 cup cream or half and half 1/2 pound of raw peeled and deveined shrimp 1/3 cup barbecue sauce salt & pepper Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the bacon slices and cook until crispy and golden brown. Remove bacon and let drain on a paper towel. Add onions and peppers to the pot with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Whisk in the flour, cooking for 1-2 minutes or until flour becomes golden in color and smells a bit nutty. Add chicken stock, potatoes, and corn. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes. While soup is simmering (or before or after or whenever is [...]

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Spring Chicken Soup.

I’m not really quite sure how to say this, so I’m just gonna run with it. I actually wanted to eat asparagus. For the first time ever, I wanted to taste something green and stem-like with little weird cowlicks at the top. That’s a lot of vegetables up there, in case you didn’t notice. I wanted this asparagus in soup. I had visions of it’s pointy little heads swimming in broth, drizzled with olive oil and blanketed with parmesan cheese. I didn’t want to eat it in the way that you want to eat green stuff because it’s May and sandy summer shores are quickly approaching and it would be waaay too hot to trample the beach in old college sweatpants. Not sexy.   I wanted it because I thought it sounded good.   Whateverthatmeans. So I chopped some onions and some mushrooms and even carrots and the asparagus and got some chicken and cute, tiny noodles and lots of cheese. And I sauteed most of that stuff in bacon grease. Oh yeah… there’s that. See? Always a silver lining here.   It was delicious. It warmed my soul, which was definitely needed since it’s been raining here since I [...]

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