Sausage and Barley Soup

I rarely expect both a view and good food when I dine. It's almost asking too much, isn't it? We found both at Altitudes restaurant on Grouse Mountain during our recent trip to Vancouver. It's perched at the top of the mountain with a view of the whole city below, plus the gondolas coming and going. Paul and I both ordered a certain soup on the menu, took a bite, looked at each other, and vowed to duplicate it at home.

This weekend we took our first stab at recreating it - and were even brave enough to serve it to company. It came out really well, and our guests even forgave us for serving them soup on a hot summer day.

We added our own twist with Andouille sausage for an extra kick and Swiss chard from our garden, which is doing awesome by the way. We harvested green beans, peas, chard, and 2 kinds of yellow squash this weekend. Woo hoo! Here's the soup recipe!

Sausage Barley Soup

4 cups homemade chicken broth
1 c. pearl barley
3 small links Cajun Andouille sausage, sliced into coins (we used Aidell's - highly recommended)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 c. chiffonaded Swiss chard
1/2 c. diced onion
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Bring the broth to a boil and add barley. Simmer until tender, about 40 minutes. Add in the rest of the ingredients and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Serve!

Two kinds of crookneck squash - smooth and lumpy

Portuguese Sopas

For Mother's Day, I made my mom one of her favorite dishes, a traditional Portuguese soup that we call sopas. This simply means "soup" in Portugese and isn't a very descriptive name, but as a child I had a different term for it. I called it "that soggy bread stuff". Needless to say, I was not a big fan back then.

Often made to serve a crowd, sopas consists of a slow-cooked beef and the broth it's cooked in, ladled over a slice of bread that's been topped with mint leaves. By the time it makes its way to your mouth, the bread has soaked up a lot of the broth and is usually kind of soggy, which didn't appeal much to my palate as a kid.

Now when I make my simplified version at home, each family member can add broth as desired and it always seems to go over well. The warm spices, crusty bread and fresh mint appeal to everyone with whom we have shared this dish. My version is Portuguese people-approved (by my mom and aunt) but less involved that the traditional way of preparing sopas. I don't use wine or marinate the meat, and I prefer a boneless roast to bone-on roast.

Portgugese Sopas

5 pounds beef chuck roast or beef rump roast
3-4 cups beef broth
4 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed
1 large Vidalia or yellow Spanish onion, thickly sliced
2 cups finely chopped peeled very ripe tomatoes or canned crushed tomatoes
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 2-inch piece of cinnamon stick
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. allspice
2 two medium bay leaves
¼ teaspoon cumin
Coarse salt
1 cabbage, cored and sliced in half (optional)
Mint leaves
Thickly sliced, day old crusty artisan bread

1. Trim the cut of beef and sprinkle with coarse salt.

2. Combine broth, onion slices, tomatoes, ketchup, tomato paste and spices in a large pot.
Sprinkle the salt over.

3. Place roast in the pan, making sure liquid comes half-way up the side of the roast. If not, add additional broth.

4. Cover pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and turning the meat occasionally, simmer until the meat is tender, about 3 hours. If desired, add cabbage and cook an additional 1/2 hr.

5. To serve, remove the meat and shred it. Place a thick slice or two of bread in each soup plate topped with a mint leaf or two. Ladle a generous amount of broth over the bread and top it off with pieces of meat.

Mushroom Barley Soup

Photo courtesy of Real Simple

Looking for a way to warm yourself as the weather becomes increasingly chilly? Here’s a hearty soup that is simple and inexpensive to prepare (no meat!) It freezes pretty well too.

One nice thing about making your own soup is that you can control how much salt you add. Regular canned soups can be astronomically high in sodium. Even if you don’t have high blood pressure, sodium causes bloating and nobody wants that. This particular soup also incorporates whole grains (barley, often available in bulk in grocery stores). I love to make a batch of homemade soup at the beginning of the week and eat it for lunch each day; or eat it for a couple days and freeze the rest for later, thus preventing “leftover burn out”.

Mushroom Barley Soup

1 cup barley
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced
kosher salt and black pepper
1 large carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
20 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
5 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (about 8 sprigs)
sliced sourdough or other country bread, toasted (optional)

Directions

In a medium-size pan, bring the barley and 4 cups of water to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender, 30 to 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook until the onions have softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the carrot and celery and cook, covered, for 6 minutes more.

Add the mushrooms, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, covered, until they release their juices, about 4 minutes.

Add the broth, bay leaves, and thyme and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Stir in the cooked barley; remove and discard the bay leaves. If desired, season with additional salt and pepper and serve with the sourdough toast.

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

Nothing says autumn like squash. As a child in the 80's, I only had a vague idea that the squash was edible and not just something used for decoration. Lately, however, squash has been getting a lot more attention, as seasonal eating has grown in popularity.

I decided that a butternut squash soup would be the perfect post-pumpkin patch meal last night. I took a cue from fellow Sacramento-area blogger Simplyrecipes and borrowed her recipe for Butternut Squash Apple Soup. It sounded like a great excuse to use my newest kitchen tool, a handheld immersion blender, which excels at blending chunky soups into a smooth puree.

I was a little wary that the soup might taste like baby food! But I liked the contrast of the savory aromatics, the sweet squash and sour apple, and the smooth texture. We ate it with rosemary bread and a mixed green-pear-toasted walnut salad. It was the perfect October meal!

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 rib of celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 Tbsp butter

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, chopped

1 tart green apple, peeled, cored, chopped (squash and apple should be at a 3 to 1 ratio)

3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth if vegetarian)

Pinches of nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper

Combine butter, onion, celery, and carrot in large saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes. Add squash, apple, and broth. Bring to boil. Simmer for 10 minutes or until squash is soft. Puree. Add spices to taste.

Alton Brown's Vegetable Soup

I have already explained my love for food celebrity Alton Brown in the past (specifically, back when I went a little biscuit crazy). This week found me singing his praises yet again when I tasted the following recipe for vegetable soup. My whole family was shocked at how much flavor can be found in a pot of just vegetables in broth, essentially, perked up with a squeeze of lemon at the end.

This recipe makes a lot, and is fantastic for lunch leftover purposes. This soup actually tasted better on the second day, and kept well for several days in the fridge. Long live Alton!

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped leeks, white part only (from approximately 3 medium leeks)

2 tablespoons finely minced garlic

Kosher salt

2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds (approximately 2 medium)

2 cups peeled and diced potatoes2 cups fresh green beans, broken or cut into 3/4-inch pieces

2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth

4 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes

2 ears corn, kernels removed

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup packed, chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 to 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the leeks, garlic, and a pinch of salt and sweat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes and green beans and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tomatoes, corn kernels, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add the parsley and lemon juice. Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Serve immediately.

Lentil Soup

When studied abroad in France, my roommate and I lived with a little old lady in an apartment just down the street from the Bastille. Every night, we ate a traditional French dinner prepared by our host, usually consisting of an entree of some kind, a salad dressed with homemade vinaigrette, a selection from a cheese plate, and usually fruit for dessert.

There was only one dish she prepared that I didn't care for, a casserole of ham and lentils. I have tried to like lentils over the years to no avail, which is a shame because they are dietary superstars, being rich in many vitamins (especially folate and iron), fiber, and protein.

This week, I found a recipe for lentils that was actually really delicious - and there's nothing fancy, complicated or expensive about it. It's just a simple soup with a few common vegetables and herbs, spiked with vinegar at the end to bring out the flavors.

Lentil Soup

From Allrecipes.com

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 cups dry lentils

8 cups water

1/2 cup spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

kosher salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired.

The Best Homemade Tomato Soup

Sometimes I have technical difficulties when taking pictures of food. A photographer I am not. I am limited by an ordinary camera and my apartment's general poor lighting. Still, I do make an effort to capture an image of the food I make, although it often fails to convey the goodness thereof.

The deliciousness of this tomato soup could not be capture by a photo. It bears no resemblance to the Campbell's soup version. It is the perfect texture and boasts an awesome flavor that far outshines its humble appearance. I call it a perfect way to use up the last of summer's tomato crop. You can also freeze those tomatoes and they will work in this recipe equally well.

Note: This recipe is dairy-free, and if you substitute vegetable broth, it could be made to be vegetarian.

Garden Fresh Tomato Soup

4 c. chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 c. chopped onion
4 springs fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. dried basil
2 c. chicken broth
2 T. butter
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. white sugar

In a stockpot, over medium heat, combine the tomatoes, onion, spices and broth. Bring to a boil, and gently boil for about 20 minutes to blend the flavors. Remove from heat, remove thyme springs and discard. Blend mixture in blender or with an immersion blender.

In the now empty stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour to make a roux, cooking until the roux is a medium brown. Gradually whisk in a bit of the tomato mixture, so that no lumps form, then stir in the rest. Season with sugar and salt, and adjust to taste.

Potato, Leek and Fennel Soup

Today, I want to share a very autumn-appropriate recipe for Potato, Leek and Fennel Soup. In France, it is known as vichyssoise and served cold, but it's also perfect for eating hot on a cool night. I loved the aromatics that filled my kitchen as I sauteed the leeks and fennel, and the creamy consistency of the finished product. Amazingly, there is no dairy in this soup - instead, a final trip to the blender gives the soup its smooth texture. I paired a bowl with a slice of rosemary bread from a bakery and went to "it's-almost-fall" heaven for a minute.

Potato, Leek, and Fennel Soup
from The Bon Appetit's Fast, Easy, Fresh cookbook

2 T. butter (1/4 stick)
2 c. sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only)
2 c. sliced fennel bulb, fronds chopped and reserved for garnishes
4 14-oz cans low-salt chicken broth (or substitute homemade)
2 lbs. red-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 4 cups)

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and fennel and saute until leeks are translucent, about 7 minutes. Add broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer soup until potatoes are very tender, about 25 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return to pot. Rewarm soup if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls; garnish each with reserved fennel fronds if desired.

My Favorite Black Bean Soup (so far....)

We are always thrilled to find tasty meatless dishes, and this soup was a huge hit for us. Not only is it quick to prepare (ready in under 30 minutes) and delicious (great combination of spices), but the colors are just gorgeous. Black, yellow, green, red juxtaposed together make this dish beautiful and healthy as well. What more can you ask for? Besides a side of corn bread...

My Favorite Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or substitute cooked dried beans- we did)
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
½ green bell pepper, chopped
½ red bell pepper, chopped
14 oz. can low sodium chicken broth
14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. pepper
dash red pepper flakes

Preparation:

Cook onion and garlic in oil in a large soup pot until tender. Mash about half of the beans using a fork, and add to the pot, along with the remaining whole beans, corn, bell pepper, chicken broth, and tomatoes.

Stir in seasonings. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer the soup for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove bay leaf and serve. Serves 4-6

Ode to the Sacramento Soup Nazi

Today, nearly a year since I wrote this review on Yelp, I wanted to share a memory of the most unique, wonderful daytime dining experience I have had in this city...

It was a cloudy, drizzling April morning and I finally had the day off. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it - finally try La Bonne Soupe Cafe, after reading many positive reviews on Yelp. With the restaurant's limited hours of operation, I work too far away to make eating there a possibility under normal circumstances. So, I planned my trip carefully, parking at the Westfield parking lot, walking 2 blocks or so to the restaurant, and arriving right about the time it opens, just a little before 10:45am, before the lunch rush.

The Frenchman does carry somewhat the air of the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld. He's a little abrupt, but I merely found myself marveling at his presence of mind with a line so long and only him to man the station. He created each sandwich as carefully and attentively as if there had been a single customer in line.

I chose the goat cheese with olive and roasted pepper (a daily special) and the cream of vegetable soup, then sat down at a table and perused one of the books on the bookshelf about the meaning of names as I enjoyed the most perfectly crafted lunch I've had in ages. The sandwich consisted of a good baguette (crispy on the outside, soft on the inside) filled with lettuce, tomato, mild, creamy goat cheese, just one olive and one red pepper, both cut in half, and a few secret sauces that linger in your mouth throughout the day like a haunting melody. The key here is quality over quantity, in true French style. What vegetables were in the cream of vegetable soup? I neither know nor care. Perfect temperature, perfect spices, perfect blend of flavors.

My meal at La Bonne Soupe Cafe was more than a lunch. The food and ambiance transported me back to a Parisian cafe in springtime, flooding me with memories of a study abroad long ago. Would that I could return daily. Alas, I shall await my next day off.

Awesome, Easy Veggie Recipe: Black Bean Soup

Photo courtesy of Cooking Light

We did it! My husband and I joined the Meatless Monday movement 2 weeks ago by pledging to go meatless once a week for all 3 meals. This week, with carnivorous leftovers in the fridge from Saturday night that begged to be eaten for lunch on Monday, we decided it was more economical to do our meatless day on Tuesday.

Since we are in the infant stages of our experience, we are still on the lookout for good vegetarian recipes. Today we made a delicious Black Bean Soup, served with cornbread. We started with dried beans, soaked them overnight, and let them cook in the slow cooker all day. They came out fantastic! I didn't feel deprived in the slightest, and this recipe simple and perfect for working people. Enjoy!

Note: I substituted a jalapeno for the serrano chile, as I didn't want it too spicy. Also, didn't bother with the cilantro - I'm not a huge fan.

Black Bean Soup

From Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black beans
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 serrano chile, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Preparation

1. Sort and wash beans; place in a large bowl. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; cover and let stand 8 hours. Drain.
2. Combine beans, broth, and next 5 ingredients (through chile) in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 10 hours. Discard bay leaves. Stir in juice and salt. Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle each with 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro. Top each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Portuguese Green Soup (Caldo Verde)

My husband and I both found ourselves sniffling today. We both had a few long, exhausting days this week that left us fighting off colds. Fortunately, my weekly menu announced that today was the day I had planned to make soup using the homemade chicken broth I froze a couple of weeks ago.

I don't know how big of a difference in flavor the homemade broth made, but this was an amazing soup. I've made several soups over the course of the past months, and this has been my favorite thus far.

I pumped up the heat to clear our our sinuses and used hot linguica, a dash of red pepper, and some mild Spanish paprika. I also substituted kale for the collard greens - it's in season and very good for the body! Gotta get those dark leafy greens in somehow and this is the tastiest option I've found yet. You can tweak this recipe too, just so long as you make it - you won't regret it! (Recipe comes from "The Bon Appetit Fast, Easy, Fresh Cookbook".)

Portuguese Green Soup (Caldo Verde)

2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch collard greens, center stems cut away, leaves thinly sliced
1 lb. fully cooked spicy sausage (such as linguica, andouille, or hot links), cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds
5 3/4 c. low-salt chicken broth
1 3/4 lb russet potatoes, peeled, diced
1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute until onion is soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add greens and saute until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add sausage and saute 5 minutes.

Simmer soup uncovered until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer 2 cups soup (without sausage) to processor. Blend until smooth; return to pot and bring to simmer. Mix in crushed red pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Makes 4 main-course servings.)

Busy Cook's Homemade Chicken Broth

Every professional chef I’ve ever encountered touts the flavor and quality of homemade stock/broth as superior to the store bought, canned version. It’s really not a complicated thing to make broth from scratch after you serve a roast chicken for dinner. The problem for me, however, is that I seldom find myself at home for at least 3 hours to tend a simmering pot.

If you’re busy like me, I hope you’ll like my recent discovery from my "Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook", which allows you to make broth overnight without worry in your slow cooker. After I made the roast chicken a few weeks ago, I stuck the carcass in a large Ziplock bag and froze it.

Last night around 6, I took it out and placed it in my slow cooker to let it defrost. At about 9:30pm, I used the following recipe and cooked the broth overnight. Then, this morning before work, I drained the gorgeous, golden, rich broth into a bowl and refrigerated it. Tonight, I skimmed the fat off the top, and drained it more thoroughly using cheesecloth and a fine mesh colander (I found that the colander alone wasn't as effective as I wanted at reaching a clear broth free of floaties). Finally, I froze the broth in 2 bags that can be easily used later for soups and other wonderful recipes. As Julia would say, "Bon.... Appetit!"

Slow Cooker Chicken Broth

1 chicken carcass
1 carrot, cut into chunks
2-3 celery stalks, with leaves, cut into chunks
1 yellow onion, quartered
A few springs of parsley, stems attached
A few peppercorns or ground pepper

Salt to taste (optional)

1. Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker, except salt. Add cold water to cover by 2-3 inches. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour.

2. Skim any surface foam with a large spoon. Cover, turn the cooker to LOW, and cook for 6 to 16 hours. If the water cooks down below the level of the ingredients, add a bit more boiling water.

3. Uncover and let cool to lukewarm. Set a large colander lined with cheesecloth over a large bowl and pour the broth through to strain. Press on the vegetables to extract all the liquid. Discard the vegetables, skin, and bones. If desired, reserve the meat for soup, salad or another purpose. Taste the broth and season with salt if needed, or wait to salt until you are using the broth. Refrigerate.

4. The broth is ready for use and can be refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to 2 to 3 days. Or remove the congealed fat from the surface and pour into airtight plastic freezer storage containers, leaving 2 inches at the top to allow for expansion. Freeze for 3 to 4 months. Whether refrigerated or frozen (and defrosted), make sure the broth is brought to a boil when using it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving has arrived, and with it, delicious fall flavors. The night before Thanksgiving, my mom and I always get together to bake pies. This endeavor has evolved over the years, although we still use Libby's recipe from the back of the can of pumpkin. (What? I still find it to be the best tasting recipe. Maybe that's just because I grew up with that taste? Also, I am in the camp of cooks who prefer recipes that use evaporated milk vesus condensed milk, which I feel adds an odd flavor.)

Growing up, my mom used frozen pie crusts, which I always thought to be chalky and flavorless. I usually ate around it in order to reach the irresistible pie filling. In college, I learned how to make decent pie crusts from scratch, and after I taught her this skill, we never went back to frozen. (Although I am still open to experimentation when it comes to crust. The best I've made so far combines shortening and butter. If anyone has an excellent crust recipe or secret, please share!)

Our family can be rather competitive when it comes to baking. One year, my brother (who also loves to cook) and I held an apple pie cook-off, which was officially declared a tie. Our two recipes were so different, it was like comparing apples and oranges- although we were really comparing apples and apples. This year, we are baking traditional pumpkin as a joint effort, and, since my brother claimed the apple, I am going to do a pear pie with a streusel topping. The recipe needs to be tweaked a little, but I will post it later.

In the meantime, we celebrated the holidays at work yesterday with our annual Pumpkin Potluck. Every dish revolves around the surprisingly versatile squash we so often relegate to pies only. My contribution was the following smooth, delicious soup. If you like mushrooms, you will love it! There's nothing better than a hot bowl of comforting soup when the weather is cold and damp. Enjoy!

Curried Pumpkin Soup

½ lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
½ c. chopped onion
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
½ tsp. curry powder
3 c. vegetable broth
1 can (15 oz.) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 T. honey
½ tsp salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Ground nutmeg

In a large saucepan, saute the mushrooms and onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour and curry powder until tender. Stir in flour and curry powder until blended. Gradually add the broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the pumpkin, milk, honey, salt, pepper and nutmeg; heat through. Serves 7.