soup

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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Creamy Chicken and Brie Soup

I’ve been in the midst of a torrid love affair this winter. And if you haven’t noticed, the subject of my devotion begins with “s” and ends with “oup.” [Look at that big hunk of burning love up there.] Truth be told, I’ve fallen deeply in love with creating soup recipes. Dare I say I’ve been enjoying making soup more than cookies? It’s sort of true. But we all know I’m dramatic. And I change my mind more often than my socks. Really. If you’ve been reading closely, you couldn’t miss it. Chicken Chickpea Soup and Easy One Pot Tortilla Soup made it on the list for the top viewed dinner recipes of 2010, and they are now two of my favorite recipes – I’ve already made both of them three times. That says a lot for someone who hates to make the same recipe twice. And this soup isn’t far behind. It should go without saying that I love brie. We have enough cheese in our fridge to feed a small country, which may be a sin… but surely a delicious one. And it has been well over a year since I made a creamy, cheesy soup. In my [...]

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Easy One Pot Tortilla Soup.

Yesterday I got an intense craving for tortilla soup. It was my first attempt at making it, and to ensure that it would be delicious, I added a big spoonful of sour cream. Because cream makes everything better. Last night Mr. How Sweet asked me if this was made with low-fat heavy cream. Oxymoron, much? Tortilla soup is one of my all-time favorite soups. It’s warm with a kick, and topped with melty cheese and crispy tortilla strips. It’s tastes like an enchilada in a bowl. Do you know who else loved tortilla soup? Mother Lovett. Except she called it “tor-rillo” soup, pronounced exactly as it’s spelled. As in, “ehh… are you going to the store? Get me some of that torrillo soup. Put it in a big white hickey, not a little one.” For the record, said “hickey” was a plastic container from the hot bar. I like to throw a few tortilla strips into each bowl of soup, as well as garnish it with toasted whole wheat tortillas. It’s easier, healthier, and quicker than frying tortillas. And it is still delicious. It adds a crispy, crunchy texture that is mandatory for my soup sanity. The best part about [...]

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Chickpea Chicken Soup.

Welcome to one of the easiest and tastiest soup recipes you will ever meet. Any soup that begins and ends with bacon has to be fabulous, no? And aside from the minimal amount of bacon grease and the few slices of bacon swimming throughout the soup, this is a quick and healthy meal. The entire thing took about 45 minutes from start to finish, and the bacon produced an outrageous amount of flavor. It is also packed with quite a few veggies too. A few more than I would like, but the soup ended up being so incredible that I slurped up every last drop. Sometimes veggies are worth it. Not often, but sometimes. Almost always when bacon is involved. If you have chicken on hand, it is a big one-pot meal. Those are the best, aren’t they? Packed with protein and fiber too. And it’s another non-boring chicken dish! It really doesn’t get much better than this. I didn’t have high expectations for this soup… in fact, I didn’t really have any expectations. I figured it would be an interesting experiment and a great way to use up the vegetables I had before they went to see the light [...]

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Easy 5 Step Chili.

Looking for something to eat with your cornbread? I have just the ticket! I have a confession when it comes to chili. I never, ever, ever use a recipe. Not even my own recipe. I just throw everything together, taste test, and season according to my tastebuds’ liking. I used to think that chili was very time consuming and complicated. It doesn’t have to be. Delicious chili can be made easy! Step 1: Chop your veggies. For super simple chili, I usually go with one medium onion, 2-3 cloves of garlic, and one small red pepper. You don’t need the peppers, but make sure you use the onion and garlic. Step 2: Saute your veggies in a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. This only takes about 5 minutes. You want the onions and garlic to be soft and fragrant. Step 3: Add your meat, if any. This can easily be made into 4 step chili if you leave out the beef. We continually change it up, using ground beef or turkey, buffalo, or even chicken. Just depends on how we are feeling. Or how hangry Mr. How Sweet is. Step 4: Add your canned goods. This [...]

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Harvest Apple Soup.

This is the first year that I’ve bought these adorable little pie pumpkins. I think they are so much cuter than those other small decorative pumpkins. I didn’t want to butcher them, but I sacrificed two for this soup. I realize that there is a whole slew of you out there that is sick of seeing pumpkin. I won’t lie. I’m a little sick of it too. But this soup doesn’t need pumpkin. I simply used the pumpkin shells as a vehicle for the soup. And I didn’t want to waste some of the pumpkin that I scooped out, so it got pureed in the soup. But the best part of the soup is the apple and the squash. I suspect that some sweet potatoes would be a delicious addition as well. I baked the pumpkin for a few minutes to soften up what was left inside, but not too long so it would still be firm enough to hold the soup. I wasn’t sure if I would love this dish, but it was fabulous. The apple adds a bit of sweetness and I loved the addition of the sage. Sometimes I am scared of fresh herbs, like sage, because [...]

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Moroccan Vegetable Stew.

Something weird is happening. I have come to enjoy a few vegetables, all in their charred-til-you-get-cancer and roasted-til-the-sugar-comes-out state after oven or pan roasting, and with lots of salt. Mr. How Sweet says anything tastes like a french fry when drenched in salt. He isn’t necessarily wrong. So, these… things that I’ve been eating are weird ones. Brussels sprouts, green beans, kale – I mean I don’t know anyone who likes those vegetables. At least, not anyone in my real life. (As opposed to my fake life?) I don’t know who I am. I don’t know what’s happening. I’m scurrrred. I wanted to freak myself out even more, so I made this vegetable stew. No biggie. I’ve been able to eat veggies in stew for a few years. But this was moroccan vegetable stew. I mean, cinnamon in soup? I wasn’t sure if I could hang. Lots of weird spices + many vegetables = me shakin’ in my booties. Plus, it also called for ground coriander, and I only had these ugly, little unground balls. That just meant I got to go to work with my mortar and pestle. I ground these up using lots of elbow grease. Holy fragrant! [...]

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Spicy Avocado Soup with Crunchy Croutons.

I’m still not sure if cold soups are my thing. But I’m never one to turn down food. I just couldn’t help myself when I saw a similar recipe. And since avocados are fairly affordable ’round these parts right now (read: I don’t need to sell my first-born child for one), I have collected every recipe I can possibly try. Sometimes I forget that Mr. How Sweet isn’t an avocado fan. Instead of kicking him out of the house when he starts to bad-mouth my green lovers, I just throw some raw meat at him. That usually shuts him up. Meat of any kind is his friend. My only problem is that I have become a bit greedy with the avocados. I have been buying 2 or 3 at a time simply because they are only $1.99 a piece instead of $3.99 a piece. I know, it sure sounds like my money tree is flourishing, doesn’t it? I put said avocados in the cupboard, or on the windowsill or even behind our bar to ripen. And then I forget about them. I usually rediscover them once they are covered in mold and gray fuzz. Similar things happen in my dark [...]

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