Leek, Asparagus, and Herb Soup

(From http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/leek-asparagus-herb-soup-recipe-5724)

• 1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium leeks (1 1/2 cups), trimmed, washed and finely chopped
• 2 clove(s) garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound(s) new potatoes, scrubbed and diced (about 10 cups)
• 2 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
• 1 pound(s) fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 1/2-2 cups)
• 2/3 cup(s) snow peas, or sugar snap peas, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh chives, divided
• 2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh dill
• 2 teaspoon(s) chopped fresh chervil, or flat-leaf parsley, plus some for garnish
• 2 cup(s) 1% milk
• 1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup(s) low-fat plain yogurt

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
2. Add potatoes and broth; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Increase heat to medium-high and stir in asparagus and peas; simmer, covered, stirring 2 or 3 times, until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon chives, parsley, dill and chopped chervil (or parsley). Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.)
4. Return the soup to the pan. Add milk and bring to just below a simmer, stirring, over medium heat. Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish each serving with a dollop of yogurt, a sprinkling of the remaining chopped chives and a sprig of chervil (or parsley).

Pho Tai

For the broth:
4 pounds oxtails; cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces and trimmed of fat
2 gallons cold water (approximately)
One 3-inch piece of ginger, unpeeled
1 large onion, halved and unpeeled
1/3 cup nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)
8 whole star anise pods
5 whole cloves
One 3-inch cinnamon stick, broken into 3/4 to 1 inch pieces
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
3 bay leaves


1 pound 1/4-inch rice noodles (I usually use Erawan Brand (three-headed elephant) "Oriental Style Noodle, Banh Pho," Size S" which is smaller than 1/4", you could also use size "M")
3/4 pounds filet mignon, trimmed of fat and very thinly sliced (or just use a good quality beef)


For the garnish:
2 bunches scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Thai basil leaves (found at Thai or Asian markets; you an subsititute regular basil if unavailable
1-1/2 cups mung bean sprouts
3 large limes, cut into wedges
Hoisin sauce (optional)
Sriracha red chile sauce (optional)
Chile-garlic paste (optional)
Sliced fresh hot chilies (optional)

Put the oxtails into a large stockpot and add enough cold water to cover the bones by 4 inches (about 2 gallons). Bring to a full boil and then immediately lower the heat to a simmer. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface.

Meanwhile put the ginger and onion halves on a greased baking sheet and place the sheet under the broiler, about 3 inches below the flame. Char the ginger and onion until they're lightly blackened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn them over halfway through cooking. When they're cool enough to handle, rinse the onion and ginger under cold running water, using a knife to scrape away some of the charred surface. Cut the ginger into 3 pieces and add it and the onion halves to the simmering broth, along with 1 tablespoon salt and the fish sauce (which doesn't smell as bad when it's added to other ingredients and cooked).

Put the star anise, cloves, and pieces of cinnamon stick in a small skillet and toast them over medium heat. Shake the skillet and turn the spices a couple of times until they're slightly darkened (3 to 4 minutes) and until you smell the aroma of their essential oils being released (which smells really good). Make a sachet d'épices -- put the toasted spices and fennel seeds in a small square of cheesecloth (or a large tea ball) and tie the bundle with a long piece of kitchen twine. Add the sachet and the bay leaves to the broth. Tie the end of the twine the pot handle -- that makes it easy to retrieve it after cooking.

Let the broth simmer uncovered for 4 hours, occasionally skimming any additional scum that may form. (This will make the house smell incredible -- the aroma will waft into every room. This makes pho a great dish to make when you're spending a leisurely day at home, or if you need to do housecleaning).

After 4 hours remove the sachet, onion, bay leaves and ginger from the pot and discard. Remove the oxtails from the pot and set aside. At this point I will usually filter the broth through a clean cheese cloth and seive to remove all extraneous material and scum and return resulting clear(er) the broth to the stock pot. Let the broth continue to simmer gently.

When the meat has cooled, pull it off the bones and chop it into small bits. Reserve the meat (or pitch it and ignore references to the cooked oxtail meat below) and return the bones to the broth. (This step will extract all the gelatin from the bones, making a very full-bodied stock, as well as extra flavor.) Continue simmering uncovered for about 1 more hour. Add more salt or fish sauce to taste as needed. By this time the broth should be incredibly flavorful and aromatic.

As the broth nears completion, soak the rice noodles in cold water for at least 20 minutes. Nicely arrange the sliced scallions, cilantro, parsley, Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and sliced chiles on plates -- these garnishes will be served along with the pho.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the drained rice noodles. Give the noodles a quick stir and cook until tender but firm, about 1 minute only (don't let the noodles overcook, or you'll be left with a pile of stringy gummy paste). Drain the noodles immediately. Warm 6 large bowls by rinsing them with hot water and divide the noodles among the bowls.

Just before serving, return the broth to a full boil. Arrange the slices of raw beef and pieces of cooked oxtail meat over the noodles in each bowl. Carefully ladle the boiling broth over all; the raw beef should be submerged in the broth, and the heat from the broth will quickly begin to cook it. (I like pulling it out when medium rare, and setting some of it aside.)

Serve immediately, along with a platter of garnish for each serving. The technique is for each person to season his or her individual bowl of pho, adding fresh herbs as you go along (keeps the flavor bright and fresh, particularly for the cilantro), more or less chiles, sauces, etc. You keep building as you go, and each bowl is tailored to your own individual taste. (It's fun to eat this way, too!)

Yield: 16 cups of broth; serves 6 as a main course

Panera Bread broccoli cheese soup

From Elizabeth.
Recipe from www.cdkitchen.com
Ready in: 30-60 minutes

Ingredients and directions:

1 tablespoon butter, melted
½ medium onion, chopped

Sauté onion in butter. Set aside.

¼ cup melted butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups half-and-half

Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half. This is called making a roux.

2 cups chicken stock

Add the chicken stock whisking all the time.
Simmer for 20 minutes.

½ pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree.

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

Notes:
I used ~2/3 lb broccoli (fine) and only ~4 oz cheese (could stand to increase to 6 oz next time). I used a sprinkle of nutmeg, but it didn't need it and would be slightly better without. I didn't add any salt. With this level of cheese, it probably needs some salt added. Dairy was all 1% milk; broth was 1 c. Trader Joe's broth and 1 c. Penzey's. I didn't simmer the liquids for long, but I probably cooked the vegetables longer than the instructions said.

Split pea soup

• 1 lb split peas
• 8 c. water
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ~1 tsp parsley
• ham hock
• salt/pepper to taste

Heat to boiling; reduce heat; cover. Cook ~60 min.

Notes:
Trying to make it more flavorful... I'm making a half recipe. Before doing anything else, I sauteed ~1/3 an onion, chopped, in ~1/2 TBS butter, added 2 garlic cloves, crushed, added 1 handful carrots, chopped very fine, and added a sprinkling of celery flakes. I sauteed all this for a bit, added a slice of ham, chopped, added the split peas, and sauteed it a little more. Then I added the water and other stuff. I reduced the onion powder to 1/4 tsp (for a half batch), omitted the garlic powder and ham hock, used 1/4 tsp pepper, and used ~1/8 tsp salt.

Provencal Vegetable Soup: Soupe au Pistou

(From http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/wolfgang-puck/provencal-vegetable-soup-soupe-au-pistou-recipe/index.html)

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium leeks, dark green parts trimmed and discarded, light green and white parts thoroughly washed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 8 cups chicken stock
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon whole black and white peppercorns
• 4 small sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 small sprigs fresh parsley
• 12 green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice

Pistou:

• 6 medium garlic cloves, peeled
• 6 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 4 to 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 30 fresh basil leaves, washed and dried

Goat Cheese Croutons:

• 6 to 8 slices French bread, about 1/4-inch thick
• Olive oil
• 6 to 8 ounces fresh creamy goat cheese

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and saute just until they start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute about 1 minute more. Add the carrots and celery and continue sauteing until the vegetables deepen in color but have not yet begun to brown, 3 to 4 minutes more. Pour the stock into the pan, bring it to a boil, and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Sprinkle in a generous pinch of salt.

Tie the peppercorns, thyme, and parsley in a square of cheesecloth, securing it with kitchen string. Add this bouquet garni to the pan. Stir in the beans, zucchini, summer squash, and tomato. Continue simmering until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the Pistou: Put the garlic and tomatoes in a blender or food processor with about 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Begin processing. With the machine running, add the basil leaves, and then pour in enough extra-virgin olive oil to make a smooth, thick, but fluid paste. Transfer about 2/3 of the paste into a serving bowl to pass alongside the soup.

Make the Goat Cheese Croutons: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush the bread slices with olive oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and turn on the broiler. Spread 1 side of each crouton with goat cheese and put it back on the baking sheet. Broil until the cheese is warm and slightly bubbly, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

When the soup is ready, stir the remaining pistou into the saucepan, ladling some of the hot broth into the blender or processor bowl to swirl and rinse any pesto clinging inside into the pan. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with a little more salt.

Ladle the soup into individual heated serving bowls. Float a crouton in the center of each bowl. With a spoon, drizzle a little more pistou over the crouton and soup in each bowl. Serve immediately, passing more pistou alongside for each person to add, to taste.

Notes:

I made this once, sans croutons. I definitely used fresh tomatoes but cut back drastically on the amount. Maybe 2 fresh tomatoes for the whole recipe?

Aztec Soup (aka Tortilla Soup)

(From http://www.netcooks.com/recipes/Soups/Aztec.Soup.html)

• 1 quart chicken broth
• 2 tomatoes, roasted and peeled
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 small white onion
• 2 quajillo chiles, seeded and soaked in hot water 15 minutes
• 4 epazote leaves (optional)
• 4 corn tortillas
• shredded cheese
• sliced avocado
• Mexican crema or sour cream
• oil as necessary

Put the tomatoes, garlic, onion, chiles, and epazote in a blender with just enough of the chicken broth to allow the blades to move and make a smooth puree. Heat about 1 Tbls. of oil in a medium saucepan and fry the puree for about 15 minutes. Add the remainder of the broth and cook another 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.Cut the tortillas into Frito-size strips and fry them in oil until crispy; drain on paper towels. Serve the soup garnished with the tortilla strips, cheese, avocado slices, and cream. Shredded, cooked chicken may also be added as a garnish.

Comments:
I made this once. The flavor was decent, but the broth was very thin. I have a better recipe somewhere. The tortillas don't need any oil to fry if using a non-stick pan.

Clam Chowder

• 1 onion, chopped
• some celery flakes (or fresh celery, chopped)
• 2 c. potatoes, diced
• 13 oz. (2 cans) clams, with juices
  
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1/4 c. flour
• 4 c. milk (or 1 c. of that can be cream if you have it on hand)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 TBS red wine vinegar (or red wine, or vinegar, or whatever you feel like adding)
  

Drain juice from clams and pour it over onions, celery, and potatoes. Add enough water to barely cover. Cover and cook until potatoes are mashable. Meanwhile, melt butter, add flour, and stir until smooth. Stirring constantly, add milk and cook until smooth and thick. Add salt and pepper. When the vegetables are ready, mash them with a potato masher. Add white sauce, clams, and vinegar to vegetables. Quickly bring to a simmer again, and then it's done.

Cream of Leek Soup

• 2 leeks, chopped (white parts, yellow parts, and a little of the better looking green parts)
• 1 potato, chopped
• 1 c. milk
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 TBS flour
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 c. water
• 2 chicken boullion cubes
  

Put leeks and potato in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Cover the pan and simmer for 20 min. Melt butter in a separate pan and stir in flour. Add milk gradually, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, allow to thicken slightly, and remove from heat. Add pepper. Heat the 1 c. water and dissolve boullion cubes in it. After leeks have simmered, blend or food process into a slurry. Combine milk mixture, leeks, and boullion. Bring to a boil briefly.

Chicken and chickpea soup

• 2 TBS butter
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 sprig fresh marjoram, finely chopped
• 12 oz chicken breast, diced
• 5 c. chicken boullion (and/or broth)
• 12 oz can chickpeas, drained
• salt
• pepper
• teaball with dried parsley, thyme and rosemary (bouquet garni) (or could use fresh)
  

Melt margarine in large pan. Add scallions, garlic, marjoram, and chicken. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat for 5 min. Add chicken boullion, chickpeas, and bouquet garni. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 2 hours. Remove bouquet garni.

Comments:
Yummy!

Midwest Corn Chowder

• 1 10-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn
• 1/2 c. cubed, peeled potato (1/2 medium)
• 1/2 c. chopped onion (1 medium)
• 1/3 c. water
• 1 tsp instant chicken bouillon granules
• 1/8 tsp white or black pepper
• 1 1/2 c. fat-free milk
• 2 TBS non-fat dry milk powder
• 2 TBS all-purpose flour
• 1/4 c. fat-free milk
• 1 TBS cooked bacon pieces

1. In a large saucepan, stir together corn, potato, onion, water, chicken bouillon granules, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes or just until the corn and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the 1-1/2 cups milk.

2. In a small bowl, stir together dry milk powder and flour. Gradually stir in the 1/4 cup milk until mixture is smooth. Stir milk-flour mixture into corn mixture in saucepan. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. To serve, ladle into soup bowls. Sprinkle with bacon pieces. Makes 4 side-dish servings.