Broccoli and Cheese Soup

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It’s spring time here in Seattle, the temperatures are slowly moving up and the flowers are blooming. Not too long until it turns really warm and we start doing virtually all our cooking on the patio (I love grilling!).  But before that, I have a soup recipe to share with you, one of my favourites.

Broccoli is super healthy, tastes great and is often on sale, so I use it a lot here at home. This soup is not difficult to make, but you have to be careful when adding the cheese. It must be done slowly over medium heat to avoid it from separating. I normally use sharp Cheddar cheese for this recipe, but Colby or Monterrey Jack work will work as well. You can blend this soup before the cheese is added, strain it and return to the pot, or you can leave it a sit is, with pieces of broccoli in it. That’s normally how I do it. Serve it with toasted garlic bread.

 

Broccoli and Cheese Soup Recipe:

serves 4

You will need:

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 large cloves of garlic, pressed trough a garlic press

2 lb of broccoli florets

1 quart of water, or more as needed

Juice of half a lemon

2 cups of half and half cream

2 1/2 cups of shredded cheese (Cheddar, Colby or Monterrey Jack)

 

Melt the oil in a large pot and cook the onion until translucent. Add garlic and cook a minute more. Add 1/2 cup of the broccoli and sauté for about 5 minutes, until broccoli is tender but still firm. Remove broccoli from pan, leaving the remaining onion on the pot. Keep broccoli warm in a low over (200 degrees).

Place the remaining broccoli and water in the pot and boil for about 10 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. (see note)

Reduce heat to medium and add the half and half. Wait a minute until it starts to warm up again, then add the cheese slowly, stirring often, until all the cheese is melted and incorporated in the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the lemon juice.

Divide soup into four bowls and top each with a portion of the reserved broccoli. Serve immediately.

 

Note:

At this point, if you want  a smooth soup, blend it, strain it and return to pot. If you are ok with a chunkier, more rustic soup, simply continue with the recipe.

 

Enjoy it!

Creamy Tomato and Basil Soup with Walnut Pesto and Goat Cheese Crouton

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If you are looking for a light soup recipe, the kind that will help you keep up with your new year’s resolutions, you might want to skip this post. This is definitely not a resolution-keeping, weight-loss, figure-friendly soup. However, if you are interest in a creamy, indulgent, rich soup that reminds you of the best soups you tried at restaurants….then read on.

This soup is so rich that it’s intended to be served in small portions, like an appetizer. It is creamy and delicious and just what I crave on those rainy and grey Seattle days.  The walnut pesto and the goat cheese croutons (which aren’t technically croutons) are a perfect compliment to the soup. The pesto lends a fresh and garlicky touch and the goat cheese crouton gives tang and texture. I like using coarse cornmeal to coat the goat cheese because it gives it a wonderful contrast of textures with the soft cheese.

 

Creamy tomato and basil soup with walnut pesto and  goat cheese crouton recipe:

makes 6 servings

 

You will need:

 

For the tomato and basil soup:

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

3 cups of chopped tomatoes (use fresh when in season, otherwise use good quality canned)

3 cups of tomato juice

10 fresh basil leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

1 cup of half and half

4 tablespoons of butter

 

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot and cook the onions and garlic until they soften, about 10 minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes and the tomato juice and simmer for 20 minutes, until soup thickens slightly.

Blend the soup along with the basil leaves, return soup to pot and season with salt and pepper. With the soup on low heat, add the half and half and the butter, stirring until it’s all combined and the butter is completely melted.

 

Spoon soup into small bowls, drizzle with the walnut pesto and top with a piece of goat cheese crouton.

 

For the walnut pesto:

makes 1/4 cup

1 packed cup of fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

1 garlic clove

4 tablespoons of olive oil

4 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

 

Pulse the basil, garlic  and the walnuts in a food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle the olive oil (use more or less until you get the desired consistency, I like my pesto loose and more on the liquid side). Pour pesto into a small bowl, stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep covered and refrigerated.

 

For the goat cheese croutons:

makes 6 “croutons”

1  log of goat cheese (8 inches)

1/4 cup of coarse corn meal

1/2 tablespoon of olive oil

 

Place the cheese in the freezer for 10 minutes. Spread the corn meal in a deep dish.  Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet. Slice the cheese into 6 rounds, coat each piece with cornmeal and shallow fry it in the oil until golden, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer to a paper towel to dry.

Vegetarian Pho

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Six years ago I didn't know what Vietnamese food was.  I had never seen any Vietnamese restaurant in Brazil or anywhere else.  Andrew was the one who introduced me to this cuisine, and now we both enjoy going out for Pho and salad rolls. Since  not many Vietnamese restaurants serve vegetarian pho soup, I decided to make my own broth at home. It was easier than I thought. If you ever did a vegetable broth, than you can make veggie pho. Everything goes in a large pot for boiling, then strained and served over rice noodles and your favourite pho fixings.

Bonus points for this recipe for filling the house with wonderful aromas of anise, cinnamon and cloves.

 

Vegetarian Pho Recipe:

serves 4

You will need:

 

For the broth:

1 onion, peeled and halved

1 large piece of ginger

2 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 quarts water

2 small leeks, well washed

5  star anise

1 cinnamon stick

10 whole cloves

1 tbs coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon sugar (or to taste)

1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce (or to taste)

2 tablespoons of salt (or to taste)

 

For assembling the soup:

1 package of banh pho (rice noodles)

4 oz of canned straw or button mushrooms

8 oz of fried tofu pieces

1 tablespoon of canola oil

4 oz of fresh shitake mushrooms, sauteed in oil

1/4 cup of cilantro leaves, chopped

 

Fixings:

bean sprouts

Thai basil

sliced onions

green  or red pepper, sliced

lime wedges

hoisin sauce

 

Make the broth:

First, grill the onion and ginger on a a barbecue grill until charred. You can do this in the oven broiler as well.

Once the onions and ginger are browned, place all broth ingredients, except soy sauce, salt and sugar,  in a large pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook it over medium heat for about 45 minutes. Season with sugar, soy sauce and salt to taste. Strain the broth and return to pot. Keep warm.

 

Make the noodles:

Cook the noodles in boiling water for 3 minutes or until soft. Drain and rinse with cold water . Divide the noodles into 4 large soup bowls.

 

Assemble the soup:

Divide the tofu, canned mushrooms, shitake mushrooms and cilantro evenly among the 4 bowls. Ladle the hot soup over the noodles and mushrooms and top it with beans sprouts, Thai basil, onions and other toppings you might want. Enjoy it hot.

 

 

 

Cheddar Cheese and Beer Soup with Garlic Toast

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I had this recipe page in my pile of "to cook" for far too long. It is from an old issue of Real Simple magazine, and when I say old, I mean about three or four years, when I used to buy the magazines. I don't do that anymore, Andrew has convinced me that buying magazines is an expensive habit. Besides, many of the magazine's contents these days can be easily found on the web (in fact I found this recipe's link on the magazine site).

This soup was really good. I made it on a cold and rainy day and it felt like the perfect thing to have. I wanted to use some white sharp cheddar but couldn't find any so I made it with the yellow one, still sharp though. What I liked most about this soup is that it is kind of creamy because of the cheese, but it also has pieces of vegetables for you to sort of bite on. The beer taste is very subtle (use a very light beer, please), but you can certainly taste a little bitterness from it. It is a good combination. I hope you'll like it.

Cheddar and Beer Soup Recipe:

adapted from here

serves 4

You will need:

4 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1/2 onion, chopped

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup of all-purpose flour

2 cups of vegetable broth

2 cups of whole milk

1 12 oz bottle of light beer

3 cups of grated sharp cheddar

1 1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1 tablespoon of sugar

Heat a large pot over medium heat and melt butter. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and cook for another 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for a minute more.

Add the flour, stir quickly and add the broth. Keep stirring while adding the milk and beer. Bring it to a gentle boil, soup should thicken slightly. Add the cheese and season the soup the salt and pepper. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to dissolve the skin that forms on the surface.

Top it with come more grated cheese and serve it hot with garlic toasts.

Note:

To make the garlic toasts, place bread slices (any kind you want) in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 10 minutes. Remove and rub a peeled garlic clove on the toasted slices.

Caldo Verde

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When Cabral's fleet arrived in Brazilian lands some 500 years back, they brought along many things, like their cultural habits, language, religion and also their culinary traditions. They taught Brazilian Native Indians how to dress, pray, eat, talk and just "be civilized", among other things. In exchange, they got our lands. Not a bad deal, right?

The fact is that you cannot speak of Brazilian cuisine  without mentioning Portugal. Portuguese influence is quite strong inside Brazilian kitchens. We eat lots of cod (which the Portuguese taught us how to preserve in salt), we buy pasteis de nata at local bakeries and we love caldo verde.

Caldo verde literally means green broth. It is a very simple yet delicious soup made with a base of oil, water, onions and potatoes. To me this is one of the ultimate comfort foods. It is amazing how a few simple ingredients can make such a wonderful soup.The verde part comes from very thin stripes of collard greens. The soup is normally topped with pieces of linguiça, but here at home I have it vegetarian and add the meat only in Andrew's bowl of soup.   A quick look at the ingredient's list and one also notices that this is a very inexpensive dish to make.

 

The traditional way, with smoked Portuguese sausage

 

My vegetarian version, just omitting the sausage and adding a few crackers on the side

 

To most important element of  caldo verde are the collard greens, they must be slices ultra-thin. I put together a step-by-step with photos on how to prepare them, hope it helps.

Caldo Verde Recipe:

You will need:

2/3 cup (150 ml) olive oil. I used extra virgin because the oil plays a big part on this soup

1 large yellow onion, chopped

5 medium size  starchy potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 quart of water

2 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 bunch of collard greens, washed and thinly slices (see Preparing Collards instructions bellow)

Portuguese smoked sausage, or any sausage of your choice, cooked and sliced

 

1 - Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes or until  onions are soft.

2 - Add the potatoes, cook quickly for a couple of minutes.

3 -  Add the water and salt starting with 2 teaspoons and adding the rest if necessary at the end. Bring it to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are completely cooked.

4 - Blend the soup: there are many ways to do it. You can use an immersion blender  directly in the pot or you can transfer the soup in batches to a blender and blend it. If you like a chunky soup, leave some pieces of potatoes whole. What I do sometimes is to leave the soup simmering for long enough that the potatoes start to fall apart. You can add more water if you think it's too thick.

Taste the soup and adjust salt if necessary, add fresh pepper to taste.

Place a handful of collards on the  bottom of each bowl and pour soup. Make sure the soup is extremely hot, as it will flash cook the greens. Top it with the slices sausages, if using.

 

Step 1                                                                          Step 2

 

Step 3                                                                         Step 4

 

 

 Preparing Collard Greens for Caldo Verde:

First, wash and dry the leaves.

 

Remove the tough middle stem

Pile leaves and roll them like in the picture, making log shapes

 

Chop logs as thin as you can. On this case, there is no such thing as too thin. for this soup, I also like to run the knife once on the opposite direction, such as to chop the leaves, just to break them a little bit. It makes it easier to eat the soup, instead of long strings.

Chicken and Coconut Thai Curry Soup

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Here at home we just love Thai food. It is often our food of choice when dining out.  We like it so much that I had to learn to make it so we could have it at home anytime we want. This soup is one of our favourites specially during the cold months. It is actually pretty easy as long as you don't decide to make your own red curry paste. You can find red curry paste in pretty much any large grocery store these days,or at least any Asian market. It took a while for us to find a brand that we really liked, some were too spicy, some too strong. You have to experiment and find one that works for you. Once you do, making red curry dishes are a breeze.

I make a vegetarian version for myself by omitting the fish sauce and swapping the meat for tofu and mushrooms. 

I also make sure there is always a pot of fresh cooked rice to go with it.

This recipe makes enough for 4 soup bowls.

 

 

 Chicken and Coconut Thai Curry Soup Recipe:

You will need

2 teaspoons of vegetable oil

1 tablespoon of Thai red curry paste

4 cups of chicken stock

1 14 oz can of coconut milk

1 piece of ginger, peeled, about 2 inches

2 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken meat of your choice: breasts or thighs

2 teaspoon of brown sugar

2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon of fish sauce

Chopped vegetables such as carrots, broccoli and celery (see notes)

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro

1 small bunch of Thai basil leaves (see notes)

 

Cut the chicken meat into cubes of about 1 inch in size.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the curry paste and cook quickly for about 30 seconds without burning it. Add the stock, coconut milk and ginger and bring it to a boil. Add the chicken, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Add the sugar, lime juice,  fish sauce and vegetables. Turn heat up and cook until vegetables are just cooked but still crunchy, about 5 minutes.  Stir in basil leaves and pour into bowls. Top each soup bowl with cilantro and serve with rice.

 

Notes:

  If I am making this soup just for Andrew, meaning that there will be left overs, I add just enough vegetables for one serving and then add more when it's time to reheat the soup. This way the veggies stay crunchy and retain their colour too. The same goes for the basil leaves.

Pea and Mint Soup

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I hate to waste food. It is just not right, in any level you can think of. So do you remember my pea and mint bruschetta from our Christmas party? This soup is the result of the leftover pea and mint mix I ended up with in my fridge.  This is more of an idea than a recipe itself, since I used whatever I had in my fridge that I thought it would work here.  To make a soup,one needs a base of onion and vegetables, a liquid and a flavour (in this case, mint and peas), and you have soup!

I chose to puree part of the soup only. I started blending the vegetables and realized that maybe I wanted to see some carrots, peas and have a little more texture.

So here you are, a soup made from party leftovers and freezer staples. Is there a better type?

 

Pea Mint Soup Recipe:

Most soups start with a mix of onion, carrot and celery. In this case I used one of each, chopped.

I had about 1 cup, give or take of pea and mint mix left from the party, otherwise use frozen, thawed  peas  and some mint leaves (I also added extra peas, about 1/2 cup, to total you'll need 2 cups of peas)

First cook the onions in olive oil until translucent, add the carrots and celery, cook for another couple of minutes. Add the peas, or in my case the pea&mint mix I had left over. Add enough broth (I used vegetable) and simmer. Add a splash of milk if you want it creamy (cream will work too). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

If you like, blend the soup to the consistency you prefer.

 

	I added some peas at the last moment so they would retain their shape and nice green colour.

Shitake and Soba Soup - a Holiday Detox

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I don't know about you, but I am feeling the need for some healthier, lighter food. I have been eating so much sweets, baked goods, pastries, chocolates, I actually cannot remember when was the last time I had a salad for lunch . It seems like the Holiday Season is a great excuse to eat anything you normally wouldn't on a daily basis... and not feel really guilty about it, after all, it is the Holiday Season....

So I decided to make something that didn't call for half a stick of butter, heavy cream or melted chocolate in the ingredient's list... I settled for this soup which is easy to make, satisfying (as most soups are) and the ingredients are most likely to be pantry/fridge staples, at least here at home. I really like Asian soups, they are so warming and healthy, and making them at home gives me the freedom to adapt to my vegetarian needs.

I used dried shitake mushrooms that I re-hydrated by soaking in warm water, but fresh ones would have been great too. This recipe makes enough for two people, or two bowls of soup.

Shitake and Soba Noodles Soup Recipe:

Adapted from here

What I used:

5 dried shitake mushrooms

soba noodles

1/4 cup of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, finely chopped (or shredded if you don't like the pieces on your soup)

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of chopped garlic

1 small carrot, cut into matchsticks (or shredded if it's easier for you)

1 green onion, sliced

Soak mushrooms in warm water for about 30 minutes. Remove stems and slice caps in half. Set aside.

Cook soba noodles according to the package directions and run under cold water. Set aside.

In a medium size pot, combine soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, garlic and mushrooms. Add about 1 cup of water, bring it to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes or until mushrooms are soft and cooked.

Place some noodles on the bottom of two soup bowls, pour half of the broth (make sure it is very hot). Top it with carrots and green onions.

	The stems from shitake mushrooms are very tough and can be hard to remove. Try using a pair of kitchen scissors to help you with the task.

I am submitting this recipe to this month's Weekend Wokking hosted this month by Palachinka.

The round-up is January 4th and the secret ingredient is Mushrooms.

French Onion Soup

Pin It French onion soup is always welcome here at home, I make mine with lots of layers of flavour. I don't skimp on good butter, I use lots of fresh herbs and I buy some good cheese. It's my strategy to make Andrew enjoy this vegetarian soup without feeling like a vegetarian... I find that a lot of meat eater are like that, they may even like something, but if you "label" it as a vegetarian dish they suddenly loose interest.
This recipe is my version that makes 2 - 4 servings, depending on the size of your bowls...and your appetite...

Vegetarian French Onion Soup Recipe:

2 large yellow onions, sliced thin (I use a mandoline)
2-3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1/4 cup white wine
1 qt (32 oz) good vegetable broth
salt and pepper
Day old bread
Gruyere cheese, grated

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until they are soft and brown, stirring every once in a while. When the onions are done and looking brown, add the thyme and the wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and then add the broth. If you like your soup thick, leave it like that, if you want to thin it out a bit you can add some water. Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer the soup for about 10 minutes. Ladle soup into oven proof bowls. Place a slice of bread over it and top it with the grated cheese. Bake it in a hot over (400F) until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.




This is my entry for this month's No Croutons Required Event, hosted by Lisa's Kitchen which asked us to make a hearty vegetarian soup that warms the soul and the tummy. I think this one fits the bill!

Hungarian Sour Cherry Soup

Pin It This soup is wonderful. I tried it first in Hungary, then later in my mother-in-law's home in Canada. The colour is so beautiful and the taste is really unique.
I took a look at many different websites and blogs, looking for an authentic recipe. I finally picked this one from saveur.com.
I had a hard time finding jarred sour cherries. I got morello cherries which I found at Trader Joes. Some recipes called for fresh cherries, which I think would make this recipe more time consuming.

This is not a sweet soup. There is no sugar in the recipe at all. It's a bit tangy, which it's what makes this soup so nice in my opinion. You could still serve it for dessert I guess, but I like it as a snack in a hot afternoon.

Hungarian Sour Cherry Soup Recipe:

1 24 oz jar of morello cherries with their juices
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 slice of lemon
4 oz sour cream

Mix all ingredients except the sour cream, bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until the cherries are soft. Remove from heat.

Separately, mix 1/4 of the hot cherry liquid with the sour cream. Stir mixture into soup and chill it.


Note: I made half of the original recipe. It yields two good servings or maybe 4 small ones. The recipe at saveur.com also tells you the substitutions necessary if you decide to use fresh cherries.


This is also my entry to no croutons required, which this month is inviting us to try salads and soups using fruits.

Summer Gazpacho Soup

Pin It I decided to make gazpacho soup because I know that Andrew likes it. He ordered it on the day of our wedding in Hawaii. I like it as well, but it took me a few trials to get a recipe just right for my taste. I adapted many recipes together and came up with this one. There are several variations of gazpacho soups, this is the one I make most of the time. It uses a lot of olive oil which gives the soup a lovely sweetness that balances the acidity of the tomatoes. Use the best olive oil you can and you won't regret.

The measurements for this soup are flexible and you should adjust them to your own taste. For instance, more bread and the soup will be thicker, less vinegar and it will be sweeter, more or less cucumber, etc. The sweetness of the tomatoes will also play a role on the final taste of the soup, if the tomatoes are not too sweet, use less vinegar.

Lastly, I have to say that this recipe is quite messy to prepare, but it also makes a lot of soup, and you can keep it in the fridge for a week.




Gazpacho Recipe:
makes about 3 quarts (3,5 liters)

You will need:

1 cup tomato juice, preferably home made
1 (2-inch) piece baguette, crust discarded and torn
12 very ripe medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped (plus 3 more for the tomato juice, if making it at home)
1 English cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 cup sherry vinegar (or use red wine vinegar - less than 1/4 cup)
1 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil

For garnishing (optional):
1/2 English cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 small sweet white onion, finely diced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
Croutons

Start by making the tomato juice, if making it yourself. Blend 3 tomatoes and strain it to get 1 cup of juice. You can also do this in a juicer.
In small bowl, pour tomato juice over bread and let it soak until very soft, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Add tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, 2 teaspoons of salt, and paprika and puree until very smooth. You may need to do this in batches if your blender is not very large.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids to extract all liquid. Discard solids, return liquid to blender (or you can use a food processor) and add the vinegar. With motor running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream, then blend until fully incorporated.
Transfer gazpacho to airtight container and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. before serving.
To serve, pour soup into chilled bowls, grind some fresh pepper over the soups, top with your choice of toppings and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil.
Enjoy it!