4 Chapter 4 – Soups and Stews

Minestrone Soup

Anita Miller

     I’ve made this minestrone recipe probably 100 times.  The original recipe is from the Chicago Tribune, but I’ve modified it over the years.  It’s easy and can be changed to include whatever veggies you like.  The secret to good minestrone is putting a couple parmesan rinds into the soup when it cooks.  I also love to put a couple dollops of pesto on top after it’s spooned into the bowl.

Ingredients

• 1 Tb. olive oil
• 3-4 carrots sliced
• 1 fennel bulb diced
• 1 onion diced
• 1 Tb. tomato paste
• 1 large can chopped or whole tomatoes (broken up – fun to squish these!)
• 1 bunch of dinosaur kale (aka Lacinto kale) torn into pieces (stems discarded)
• 1 large box of low sodium chicken broth
• handful of frozen haricots verts
• 2-3 sliced zucchini
• 1 can white beans drained and rinsed
• 1-2 parmesan rinds
• Handful of spaghetti about 3/4” in diameter broken into roughly 4” lengths
• Additional water to fill the pot (may or may not be needed)

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot and then add the carrots, fennel and onion.  Sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes but do not let the vegetables brown.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients.
3. Bring to a slow boil, then turn to simmer for about 30 minutes.
4. Serve with homemade or store bought pesto.

*

Lemony Dill Chicken Soup

Katherine Hunter

     I love this dish because it reminds me of Greek chicken lemon rice soup without the eggs. I regularly eat this soup – it’s warming and refreshing at the same time while being very easy to make. Since I’ve eaten it so often during “stay at home” orders, I jokingly refer to it as my quarantine soup.

Ingredients

• 2 c. carrots, chopped to bite size
• 2 stalks celery, chopped to bite size
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cartons chicken broth
• 1 c. shredded chicken
• 1 Tb. chicken soup base
• Juice from 2 lemons
• 1 c.chopped fresh dill
• 1 c. orzo or other small noodle
• 1 tsp. oil
• 1 pat of butter

Preparation

*

Sausage and Pepper Soup 

Prep: 15 minutes                           Cook time: varies by method used                                      Serves: 8                                Calories: 240

Ingredients

*

Salmon Chowder

Julie DeCock

     This recipe is a combo of a few recipes I found online and had plenty of time during home-sheltering to adapt.  Like many people, I spent much of the first, cold months of isolation making and experimenting with soups.  This was my favorite among the new ones I tried and/or tweaked.

Ingredients

• 4 strips bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1-2 Tb. butter
• 1/2 c. celery (diced)
• 1/2 c. carrot (diced)
• 1/4 c. onion (finely chopped)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 2/3 c. chicken broth
• 2 c. potatoes (diced)
• 12 to 16 oz. fresh salmon (diced, or canned flaked salmon)
• 1 c. frozen peas (thawed; optional)
• 2 c. half-and-half (or whole milk)
• 2 c. cheddar cheese (shredded)
• 1 Tb. fresh parsley (chopped)
• Kosher salt (to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste )

Preparation

1. Cook the bacon in a deep skillet or soup pot.  Remove bacon. Add butter to bacon fat to measure about 3 tablespoons. Add celery, carrot, and onion and sauté, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes on low-medium heat, until celery is tender.  Stir in the flour until well blended.  Stir in chicken broth and add potatoes. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.
2. Cover and simmer, stirring frequently, for 15 to 18 minutes, or until potatoes and carrots are tender.  Add the salmon and peas; cook, stirring, for 2 to 4 minutes, or until the peas are tender and salmon is cooked through but not overcooked.
3. Add half-and-half or milk, along with the cheese and parsley. Taste test and season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Stir while cooking until cheese is melted and the soup just begins to bubble.

*

Quick & Easy Veggie Soup
 

Carly Ubersox

     In our family, we have several different palates to please, and this flavorful, comforting soup is a favorite with kids and adults alike. It is flexible, easy and comes together in about 30 minutes. It has been a sanity-saver recently, because when you are limited in produce availability, and leaning on pantry staples, this soup makes the most of what you have on hand. It feels good to still be able to serve something healthy!

Ingredients

Base veggies

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• 1 leek, halved lengthwise and chopped into halfmoons
• 1 small onion, any variety, diced
• 4 carrots, cut into coins
• 3 celery stalks diced
• 4 garlic cloves (or more to taste), minced

Any combination of the following add-ins

• 1 red and/or yellow pepper, diced
• 1 c. of fresh or frozen green beans, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 zucchini, sliced into halfmoons
• 1 c. fresh mushrooms, any variety, sliced

Pantry items

• 2 Tb. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. each of any dry Italian spices you like (oregano, thyme, basil, or a combo of these works well)
• 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes (with basil or fire-roasted, either one works here)
• 4 c. stock of choice (veggie to keep it vegan, chicken stock if you’ve got it)
• 1 (14 oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14oz.) can cannellini or red kidney beans or both, drained and rinsed

Finishing touches 

• Squeeze of lemon -OR- splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar
• Fresh flat leaf parsley, about a handful or so, chopped
• 1 c. or so chopped Lacinato or curly kale (optional, you can also use baby spinach)
• Parmesan and/or cooked noodles for serving
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Coat the bottom of a large stock pot with EVOO, turn to medium heat. Add leeks, onions, carrots and celery. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until soft and translucent. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about a minute. Toss in any of the vegetable add-ins and sauté until just cooked through, about 5 minutes.
2. Add dried spices and toast them in the mix, then stir in tomato paste until combined and heated through, a minute or two. Add crushed tomatoes and stock, season with salt and pepper again, then simmer gently for 20 minutes.
3. Add beans, lemon OR vinegar, and fresh parsley. If using kale or spinach, add it now, stir and simmer for a few minutes until greens are wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve with noodles, parmesan.

Lisa Levine

*

Hearty Tortellini Soup

Karen Bailey

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 Tb. butter
• 2 cans chicken broth 13 1/2 oz
• 1 8 oz. refrigerated package of cheese tortellini
• 1 (10 oz.) frozen package spinach, thawed or not
• 2 (16 oz.) cans stewed tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 can Great Northern white beans, drained
• Optional: cooked Italian Sausage ( as much as you like)

Preparation

1. Sauté garlic in butter.
2. Add the broth and tortellini and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Add everything else and simmer for 15 min or longer.
4. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.
   

   ---

*

Sopa De Pollo (Honduran Chicken Soup)

Karina Glover

     Growing up, I would watch my mom make The most delicious food that I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. Everything she made, she made with love for me and my brothers and sisters and anyone else who entered our house. Of all of the meals that she would make, her sopa de pollo comforted me the most.

Fast forward many years, and I make it with love for my husband and my son and anyone who enters my house. The included picture is the pot of soup which I made as a thank you for everyone who helped us move to Evanston. It was the last meal that we ate before moving up here to start a new adventure.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 Tb. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 bag of baby carrots, chopped
• 1 packet of Sazón Goya
• 2 tsp. adobo seasoning
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 lbs. chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 32 oz.  chicken broth
• 1 yucca root, chopped in ~2” segments, and cut in half
• 5 small potatoes
• 8 oz. frozen corn, or a few cobs of corn
• 2 zucchini, cut into 1/2” rings
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 1 tsp. Tapatio

Preparation

1. Sauté the first five ingredients until the veggies are cooked down.
2. Add sazón, adobo, and salt. cook until fragrant.
3. Add chicken and brown.
4. Once meat is browned, add broth. Stir and let come to a boil.
5. reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
6. Add potatoes and yucca.
7. Bring back to boil then lower to simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Add the corn, zucchini, cilantro, & Tapatio (taste to make sure there is enough seasoning) and let it simmer for 5 more minutes.
9. Serve over fresh rice.

*

Lentil Soup

Jessica Carravallah & Ivan Home

     This is our favorite comfort food. Ivan likes it served over pasta, the Italian way. Jessica likes it with crusty (preferably homemade) bread to dip in it. It is good on cold rainy Midwestern days.

• 1-2 tsp. oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2-3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 c. cubed potatoes (optional)
• 1/2 Tb. salt
• 2 tsp. pepper
• 3-4 cloves garlic (or more!)
• 1 lb. lentils
• 8-10 cups vegetable or chicken broth (You can also replace 2 cups of liquid with 1 can of diced tomatoes for more flavor)
• 2-3 tablespoons total of any combination of spices: oregano, sage, rosemary, and/or a soup/vegetable pre-mixed spice blend, or whatever flavors you like in soup
• 1 tsp paprika or turmeric, optional
• 1 – 1½ c. spinach or kale, chopped (optional)
• Squeeze of lemon or splash of vinegar (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a soup pot.
2. Over medium/low heat, add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until the onions are translucent.
3. Add the potatoes (if including) and garlic, and let heat until you can smell the garlic, about 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the salt, pepper, and the spices you are using and stir. Do not be stingy with the spices or salt; there is not a lot of flavor in lentils without them.
5. Add the liquid. You’ll need to add more if you are including the potatoes, and if you want a more liquidy soup. Less liquid will make it thicker.
6. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and let simmer for about 45 minutes, until the carrots (and potatoes) are cooked through.
7. You can eat it at this point, or if you want to thicken the soup, take the lid off and let simmer for another 20-30 minutes. If using spinach or kale, stir them in here.
8. Let it cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. The longer it sits the better the flavor is; including after being refrigerated as leftovers, so make sure you leave enough to eat the next day.
9. Serve with pasta, or bread. Squeeze in a wedge of lemon or a splash of vinegar, especially if you are eating it the next day.