Soups

A great bowl of soup can be a meal or a prelude to dinner.  I’m lucky to have been given some great soup recipes.  I’m always looking for more so please send them to me.  I’ve learned making a great soup takes time and effort.  The aroma emanating from the kitchen while cooking is magic.  I hope you enjoy these soups as much as I do.

HUNGARIAN MUSHROOM SOUP

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

INGREDIENTS:

4 Tbsp. butter

2 cups diced onions

1 pound fresh button mushrooms, sliced (reserve and sauté 1 cup for garnish)

2 tsps. dried dill weed

1 Tbsp. Hungarian sweet paprika

1 Tbs. low sodium soy sauce

2 cups vegetable broth

2 Tbsps. cornstarch

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tsps. lemon juice (fresh squeezed best)

1/4 cup chopped parsley (fresh)

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Melt butter over medium heat in a 5-quart dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot.  Add onions and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and translucent.  Add in the mushrooms and cook 5 minutes.  In a small bowl, whisk together the corn starch and milk until completely blended; stir mixture into the soup until incorporated.  Place the cover back on the pot and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes.  Sir in the sour cream, lemon juice, parsley, salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.  Simmer for another 3 minutes or so over low heat until warmed through.  Do Not Boil.  Serve in bowls and garnish with sautéed mushrooms, a dollop of sour cream, and additional parsley.

NOTES:

Garnish: sautéed sliced mushrooms, fresh chopped parsley, dollop of sour cream

Serve with crusty bread.

Always keep soup at a gentle simmer.  Never bring to a boil.

ENJOY!

 

Ellen’s Creamy Asparagus Soup

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. green asparagus

1 large onion

3 Tbsps. unsalted butter

5 to 6 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cut the tips from 12 asparagus stalks.  Cut remaining cleaned asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.  Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in heavy pot over low heat, stirring, until softened.  Add asparagus pieces; salt and pepper to taste then cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.  Add 5 cups of broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is tender 15 to 20 minutes. While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, approximately 3 to 4 minutes, the drain well.  Puree soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl.  Return mixture to pan.  Stir in heavy cream, then add more broth to thin soup to desired consistency.  Season with additional salt and pepper.  Bring soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon of butter.  Add lemon juice and garnish each serving with asparagus tips.  Note:  This soup keeps, covered and chilled 2 days.  If making ahead of time, add the last tablespoon of butter and lemon juice after reheating.

ENJOY!

 

KAREN’S FLORIDA BEST EVER MUSHROOM SOUP

 

Karen’s Best Ever Mushroom Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 large Onion – diced

1 package white button mushrooms – 10 oz sliced

1 package baby portobello mushrooms – 10 oz sliced

10 stalks fresh thyme – leaves removed

1 cup vegetable broth

1 tsp cornstarch

1 cup whole milk

1 dried bay leaf

1/2 tbs coconut aminos – liquid aminos as an alternative

1/2 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp garlic

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add the diced onions.  Allow to sweat while slicing the mushrooms.  About 5-7 minutes.

Move onions to the sides of the saucepan and add mushrooms, allow to cook 5 minutes uncovered.

Stir the onions and mushrooms together.  Add fresh thyme and allow to continue to cook, at least 10 minutes.

You will notice a substantial amount of water has come out of the mushrooms, and they are reduced in volume by half.

Add the bay leaf, the salt and the liquid aminos to the mushrooms.

Stir the 1 tbs of cornstarch into the vegetable broth.  add mushrooms and stir.  Add milk.

Allow to cook for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste

and add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

NOTES:

This soup is amazing the next day as well and can easily be doubled or tripled.

To make the soup creamier, you can blend half the soup in a high-speed blender (be careful, it’s hot).

To thicken the soup even more, you can add a can of drained white beans or boiled potatoes.

A mixture of cremini (baby portobello) and white button mushrooms are best.  However, you can use all cremini or all white button mushrooms if you need to.

If you don’t have fresh thyme, you can use 1 tsp of dried thyme.

ENJOY!

 

STUFFED PEPPER SOUP

Stuffed Pepper Soup

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 pound Italian sausage

3/4 pound lean ground beef (I like a lot of meat in this soup)

1 small onion finely chopped

1 yellow pepper finely chopped

1 red pepper finely chopped

1 orange pepper finely chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

4 cups beef broth

2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 can (14.5 ounce) salsa style chopped tomatoes

3/4 cup uncooked quick cooking rice (jasmine will do nicely)

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat brown the Italian sausage and ground beef.  Break it up as you are cooking it.  About halfway through the browning process add the chopped onions and peppers; stirring several time.  In the last minute of browning time reduce heat to medium low and add minced garlic; stirring constantly.  Drain any excess grease.  Add beef broth, chicken broth and salsa style chopped tomatoes and bring to a simmer.  Simmer gently for 15 minutes or so until peppers begin to soften.  Add the rice and stir to coat.  Cover and cook very gently for another 5 to 7 minutes until rice is tender.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with fresh baked bread and butter.

ENJOY!