Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Well the school bus is yet again holding me up in the mornings....yep fall is here. I just adore fall but I would have liked a little more summer. I recently saw on the news that every holiday weekend this summer was rainy!! Boo! Oh well, I'm burning my pumpkin spice candles, already made an apple pie from my parents' orchard and starting to make some nice hearty dishes for dinner. Bring on fall.

This is just the perfect soup to welcome fall. It is thick, rich, healthy and will keep everyone full. If I liked mushrooms I would have added them to this soup. They would probably go perfectly, so if you like the fungi toss them in. I make my soups really nice and thick so beware that the next day I usually have to add a little extra water or broth to loosen this up again. Give this soup a try when fall calls you to make some comfort food.

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup flour

6 cups chicken broth (homemade if you have it)

1 1/2 cups uncooked wild rice

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup orzo (I tossed this in on a whim, optional)

2 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken ( I used the left over chicken off a roasted whole chicken, then made homemade broth from the carcass.)

1 cup whole milk

Directions

1. Add olive oil to large, heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes. Then add the the flour and stir well. Let the flour cook for a minute or two. Slowly add the chicken broth a cup at a time, stirring constantly. Bring just to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer to let the soup thicken up.
2. Next, add the rice, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, thyme and ground black pepper. Simmer on low for about 30 minutes then add the orzo (if using) and simmer for another 25 minutes until rice is tender. When rice and orzo is tender, add the chicken and milk and allow to heat through. Serve with fresh parsley if desired.

Recipe by me.

Coconut Red Lentil Soup

This is another amazing recipe from Heidi Swanson and I am in love with it! It is pretty easy to make and the flavor is awesome. It is a great way to get all the flavor of a time consuming and labor intensive Indian curry in a hour with minimal effort. I like it served over brown rice and I love the sweet flavor bursts of the golden raisins so much that I recommend adding a little extra.

Ingredients

• 1 cup yellow split peas
• 1 cup red split lentils (masoor dal)
• 7 cups liters water
• 1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 tablespoons fresh peeled and minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 2 tablespoons butter or ghee
• 8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
• one small handful cilantro, chopped
• cooked brown rice for serving (optional)

Directions

Give the split peas and lentils a good rinse - until they no longer put off murky water. Place them in an extra-large soup pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the carrot and 1/4 of the ginger. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft.

In the meantime, in a small dry skillet or saucepan over low heat, toast the curry powder until it is quite fragrant. Be careful though, you don't want to burn the curry powder, just toast it. Set aside. Place the butter in a pan over medium heat, add half of the green onions, the remaining ginger, and raisins. Saute for two minutes stirring constantly, then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two more.

Add the toasted curry powder to the tomato paste mixture, mix well, and then add this to the simmering soup along with the coconut milk and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so. The texture should thicken up.

Serves 6.

Recipe by Heidi Swanson from 101cookbooks.com

Roasted Red Pepper & Chipotle Soup

Normally this type of soup contains cream to make it rich and creamy. I make this healthy soup velvety by using potatoes. It really does the trick and you don't miss the dairy. It is spicy and smoky and will really warm you up.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 teaspoon chipotle peppers in adobe, minced (heaping if you like it hot)
• 1 15oz can low sodium vegetable broth
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions

Char the red pepper either over a gas stove or under the broiler. Place blacked peppers in a air-tight container and set aside and allow to steam. Place a small amount of oil in a large sauce pan and heat over medium high. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft. Add the potatoes, minced chipotle peppers, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer until potatoes are soft. Meanwhile, remove the black skins and de-seed the red peppers. Dice and add to the simmering sauce pan. Simmer another 5 minutes. Using a stick blender or transfer soup into a blender, puree and serve.

Recipe by me.

Chickpea and Spinach Soup

This is a great tasting and super healthy soup I got out of a new cookbook I recently purchased called The Anti-Cancer Cookbook by Julia B. Greer, MD, MPH. In this cook the author explains the benefits of each recipe. For example, the spinach contains magnesium, calcium, potassium, and many vitamins as well as the antioxidant lutein. The chick-peas are loaded with fiber and are protein-rich. She also adds that this recipe's folate (spinach) and fiber (garbanzo beans) may help prevent ovarian and colon cancer. I also love the ingredient are all staples in my pantry.

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1/4 cup shallots finely chopped (I used 1/2 medium sweet onion)
  
• 1/3 cup celery, diced
• Pinched red pepper flakes
• 4 cups fat-free, low-sodium vegetable stock
• 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, not drained
• 1-1/4 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 cup tomatoes, diced (or 15 oz can, not drained)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped (I used 5 oz frozen spinach, half a box)
• 
  

Directions

1. Place a large soup or stock pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Add garlic and shallots (onions) and saute 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Add celery and red pepper flakes and continue to saute another 1 to 2 minutes. Add vegetable stock, rosemary, chickpeas, rice, tomatoes, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer about 30 minutes. Pour about half of soup into a blender and puree (I use a stick blender, easier). Return puree to pot. Season with salt and black pepper as desired and add spinach. Simmer on low heat 6 to 7 minutes. Serve hot.

Recipe from The Anti-Cancer Cookbook by Julia B. Greer, MD, MPH

Chicken and Dumplings

This recipe is really good. The flavor is perfect and the dumplings are very tender. This is the second time I have made this within a week because I made it for our Harvest Party and it went so fast that some of my family requested I make it again so they could try it. The first time I made it I took some short cuts and recommend that if you are short on time. I bought a rotisserie chicken and chicken broth from the store which saves a lot of time. Yesterday I had more time and I did the whole thing from scratch. It takes about 3 hours but most is inactive time. Both versions turned out very good. A few things I have noticed about this recipe is that is says the "Supreme Sauce" should be able to coat the back of the spoon. Mine never got that thick and don't think it needs to be. Also, unless you are using a pot with a lot of surface area you will have trouble not crowding the dumplings. I actually think there may be too many dumpling so you can either not add as much or just don't worry about it. Mine were crowded but I stirred them gently to make sure they all got cooked. With the first batch that I made I had transferred the soup into a crockpot and added the dumplings right before serving but it was not hot enough to cook them quickly so I ended up putting the whole pot into the oven and baking it. The dumplings all rise to the top so it turned into more of a chicken pot pie than dumping but it was still very delicious and the dough was still very tender.

Ingredients

Serves about 6

Roasted Chicken:

• 1 (3-pound) whole chicken
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
• 1 lemon, halved and juiced; halves reserved
• 1/4-cup fresh chopped herbs such as thyme, parsley and rosemary
• 1 onion, halved
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• Fresh whole herbs, such as rosemary, thyme and parsley sprigs

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity of the chicken and discard. Rinse the chicken under cold water, inside and out. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Season the body and cavity of the chicken generously with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, mash together the butter, lemon juice, and chopped herbs. Rub the herbed butter all over the chicken, as well as under the skin. Put the lemon halves, onion, garlic, and whole herbs inside the chicken cavity, for added flavor. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Place the chicken, breast side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Roast for 1 hour until the meat is no longer pink. When cool enough to handle, shred the meat, discarding the skin and set aside. Reserve the bones for chicken stock.

Chicken Stock:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 carrots, cut in large chunks
• 2 celery stalks, cut in large chunks
• 1 onion, halved
• 1 garlic bulb, halved
• Reserved chicken bones
• 2 quarts cold water
• 4 sprigs fresh parsley
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves

To prepare the stock, coat a large stockpot with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the vegetables and saute for 3 minutes. Add the reserved chicken bones, water, and herbs; simmer for 1 hour. Strain the stock to remove the solids and set aside.

Dumplings:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk

To prepare the dumplings: sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs and milk together; pour the liquid in the dry ingredients and gently fold. Mix just until the dough comes together, the batter should be thick and cake-like.

Supreme Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4-1/2 cup flour
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish
• Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

To prepare Supreme Sauce: In a Dutch oven, melt butter and heat oil over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, garlic, and bay leaves. Saute until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes to cook the flour and remove the starchy taste. Slowly pour in the chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.

Let sauce simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Stir in heavy cream.

Fold the reserved shredded chicken into the sauce and bring up to a simmer. Using 2 spoons, carefully drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dumpling batter into the hot mixture. The dumplings should cover the top of the sauce, but should not be touching or crowded. Let the dumplings poach for 10 to 15 minutes until they are firm and puffy. Season with freshly cracked black pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Recipe from Tyler Florence of the Food Network.

Minestrone with Orzo

So as you can see I'm very much into the soups lately. I think that even though my crocuses have come and gone it still feels very much like winter. This is a great, hearty soup packed with vegetables that will see you through until spring.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 1/2 pound (about 1 1/4 cups) dried white beans such as Great Northern, picked over and rinsed
• 2/3 cups orzo pasta
  
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 rib of celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 1 zucchini, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch slices then halved
  
• 1 yellow squash, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch slices then halved
  
• 1/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound boiling potatoes
• 4 cups shredded green cabbage (preferably Savoy)
• 1/2 pound kale, rinsed, drained, stems discarded, and the leaves chopped (about 6 cups)
• a 28-ounce can tomatoes, chopped coarse and drained well
• 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (preferably low-salt)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  
• sea salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions

In a large bowl let the white beans soak in enough water to cover them by 2 inches overnight or quick-soak them. Drain the white beans, in a saucepan combine them with enough water to cover them by 2 inches, and simmer them, uncovered, adding more water if necessary to keep them barely covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they are tender. Add the salt and simmer the white beans for 5 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and let the white beans stand, uncovered.

In a heavy kettle add the oil and cook the onion until it is softened. Add the carrots, the celery, and the garlic and cook the mixture, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the zucchini, the green beans, and the potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the cabbage and the kale and cook the mixture, stirring, until the cabbage is wilted. Add the tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes and simmer the soup, covered, for 1 hour.

Drain the white beans, reserving the liquid, in a blender or food processor purée half of them with 1 cup of the reserved liquid, and stir the purée, the remaining white beans and the orzo into the soup. Simmer the soup, uncovered, for 15 minutes, thin it if desired with some of the remaining reserve liquid, and season it with salt and pepper. The soup may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Reheat the soup, thinning it with water as desired. Serve with crusty bread.

Recipe adapted from Gourmet

Corn Chowder

I love few things more than a thick creamy chowder with lots of cream...but not really something one can have too often for obvious reasons. This is a very easy and healthy recipe for a thick, creamy and satisfying chowder.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 5-6 medium sized potatoes (I used red)
  
• 1 15 oz. can corn with liquid
  
• 1-2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk (you could use milk)
  
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
  
• 1 teaspoon paprika
  
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions

Cut the potatoes into quarters and boil until soft, about 10 minutes. Puree the potato, with the skin on, in a food processor. Stir in the almond milk, as well as the seasonings. Add the potato mixture to a large sauce pan as well as the can of corn with liquid. Heat to desired temperature and thin with water if necessary.

Recipe inspired by The Summertree Cafe

Lentil Soup

The majority of the Christians world wide are observing Great Lent. For Orthodox Christians like me that means no meat, dairy, and a few other things. We basically become vegan for forty days. For the next few weeks I will be sharing some great lenten (vegan) meals starting will a hearty bowl of lentil soup.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 2 tablespoons oil (I used peanut)
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• celery stalks, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 pound lentils
  
• 11 cups low-salt vegetable broth
• 2 tsp thyme
  
• 2/3 cup dried multi grain elbow pasta
  

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and saute until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils and mix to coat. Add the broth and stir. Add the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls, and serve.

Recipe modified from Giada De Laurentiis