Tortellini Soup

When the weather gets cooler I tend to seek out more and more soup recipes. This particular one, Tortellini Soup, comes together quickly and got 2 thumbs up from the whole family. 

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Tuscan Sausage Soup

 It's been a minute since I've posted a recipe. This Tuscan Sausage Soup has all the right elements for a quick and easy weeknight meal, with only 9 ingredients. It's a perfect warm comfort food for fall or winter and can be lightened up from the original recipe (ie half heavy cream other half milk, more spinach, etc). Make sure you double the recipe and freeze the other half. Follow the link for more pictures. I finished my soup before remembering pics :)

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Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Even the biggest carnivore needs to take a break from meat sometimes right? In my opinion mushrooms are a great substitute for meat- maybe it's their chewy texture? One of my favorite restaurants in Anchorage (Moose's Tooth) served up a delicious Hungarian Mushroom soup. However, I didn't eat it much because I was always so stuffed with salad and pizza, but I loved it. So I decided to find a recipe and make it this weekend. I was thinking of a comfort/winter food, but Texas did not cooperate; it was hot and muggy. Oh well. It was still good I promise.

Here's the recipe. I used a mix of bella, cremini, and portabella mushrooms and also made a double recipe for the leftovers. Just go for the fresh herbs- it always pays off. I suggest pairing with some crusty bread with greyere cheese melted on top. Check out the pictures on the recipe blog because mine don't do it justice!

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Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

What? 2 recipes posts on the blog in the same week??! This is big. This is a sign that baby Paige is 6 months old and more regularly sleeping through the night, giving us more energy to devote to food rather than just viewing it as sustenance. Though we have found our favorite food pickup spot near our house to be Peli Peli Kitchen, a South African restaurant. Claire thinks they make a mean macaroni and cheese.

I will try to get better at taking pictures of the meals, but most of these recipes are accompanied by enviable pictures so I don't feel like I'm neglecting you too much :) This recipe includes a nice amount of veggies with the ease of one pot meal. I mean anytime you don't have to cook rice separately is nice too right? There's some spice to the dish because of the red curry paste.

Thai Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Recipe

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Wonton Soup

On occasion (ok fairly often) I get an "out of the blue" food craving. This week it was wonton soup. When I was a kiddo growing up in Newark, Delaware we would regularly get Chinese take-out from this place next to the Acme. (Do they even have Acme's anymore?? Do you know that's a grocery store??). Anyway one of my favorite things to get was wonton soup. However, I remember that there never seemed to be enough wontons in the soup... ever. But, if you made your own soup then you could make your own wonton to broth ratio. Bingo. Epiphany 20 years later.

So, I've never made wontons before. It's sort of like sealing an envelope. An envelope with deliciousness inside: ground pork, shitake mushrooms, cabbage, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, green onions, and ginger. 

My wontons looked challenged before a chicken broth bath, but they tasted great

Now check out this ratio...

This picture is a bit deceiving because the wontons float to the top when they're finished cooking. There is quite a bit of broth under there.

Serve it up with some chopped green onions and you have a meal.

Recipe adapted from Userealbutter. Check out her website for more on the wonton folding technique, etc. 

Wonton Soup

1 pkg wonton skins
1 lb. of dumpling filling
little bowl of water
4 quarts chicken broth
scallions, sliced thin (for garnish)

Plop a teaspoon of filling in the middle of a wonton wrapper. Using your finger, wet the edges of half of the wonton skin. Fold the wrapper in half on the diagonal and press the edges together. Push any air pockets out when you seal it. Wet one of the bottom corners and fold the wings in front of the wonton so that they cross at the corners. Press the corners together. Heat 2 or 4 quarts of the chicken broth in a pot until boiling (depending on the size of your pot). Add the wontons to the broth and let it return to a boil. Make sure not to crowd the wontons. If it’s a medium saucepan, then cook a dozen or so at a time. If it’s a large pot, cook 2 dozen or more. When the wontons float to the top, they are done. Sprinkle scallions in each bowl and ladle soup and wontons over the scallions. Serve immediately. Makes ~ 40 wontons. To freeze: place wontons on a baking sheet (make sure they aren’t touching) and set in freezer for 20 minutes or until the wonton wrappers are no longer soft. Put the wontons in a ziploc bag and freeze for up to a month. To cook, place frozen wontons in boiling broth (or water) and cook until the filling is done – should take several minutes longer than when you boil fresh wontons.

pork filling
1 lb ground pork
4 large napa cabbage leaves, minced
3 stalks green onions, minced
7 shitake mushrooms, minced (if dried – rehydrated and rinsed carefully)
1/2 cup bamboo shoots, minced

1/2 cup water chestnuts, minced
2 tbsp ginger root, minced
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp corn starch

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French Onion Soup

Good French Onion soup is just divine. However, a bad French Onion soup can make you lose faith and keep you from eating it for a long long time. Sort of like tequila... but that's entirely another story :)

I've tried to make a couple different recipes, but they were not quite perfect. This one basically is, so you should try it. I mean it's Julia Child's recipe, it must be perfection right?

The first step of "sweating" the onions and the addition of the wine really elevate this recipe above the crowd. Next time, we're going to try the "optional" cognac for sure. I also recommend doubling this recipe if you're going to go through the effort.

French Onion Soup

3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
5 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar (to help caramelize the onions)
3 Tablespoons flour
8 cups beef, at a boil
1 cup dry white wine
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons cognac (optional)
6-8 slices of toasted French bread rounds
1 cups grated Gruyere cheese

Melt the butter and oil over low heat in a heavy soup pot. Stir in the onions, cover, and sweat until they are tender; this will take about 15 to 25 minutes.  Remove the cover, increase heat to medium, and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook 30-40 minutes, stirring often, until the onions have turned an even, very deep, golden brown. Sprinkle in the flour; cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes.

Off the heat, whisk in the boiling stock. Add the wine and rosemary. Season to taste. Place the pot back on the heat, bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer, partially covered, for 40-60 minutes or more, skim foam from surface as it appears.  Taste and correct seasonings. At this point you may set it aside, uncovered, until you are ready to serve.

When ready to serve, with the soup at a simmer, stir in the cognac. Turn on oven broiler.

Ladle soup into individual oven-proof bowls. Place a piece of toasted bread on top of sou sprinkle generously with grated cheese and place under broiler until melted and bubbly.

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Albondigas Soup

Did you know that "Albondigas" means meatballs? I didn't know what the word meant before tonight- I figured I needed to look it up before I recommended a recipe with that name :)

I found this recipe for Albondigas Soup in my Everyday Paleo cookbook and I kind of love it. The soup is a distant cousin of chicken tortilla, which is one of my favorites.

Basically you make the meatballs, then the broth, then cook the meatballs in the broth, then add a bunch of yummy toppings: cilantro, cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips, salsa, avacado, etc.

From Everyday Paleo

Albondigas (meatballs)

2 lbs grass fed ground beef

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tbsp ground cumin

2 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp black pepper (in the demo I said 2 tbsp but I meant 1)

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp sea salt

Soup

4 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot minced

3 garlic cloves minced

5 carrots chopped

2 1/2 cups shredded purple cabbage

2 1/2 cups fresh (not canned) diced tomatoes

1/2 to 1 full can of El Pato Jalepeno salsa (the small 7 oz can)

10 cups water

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp oregano

2 tsp sea salt (more or less to taste)

Enjoy!

 3 years ago: Weekend at Last

2 years ago: Meet Skeeter

1 year ago: Tour of Anchorage

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Moose's Tooth Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Moose's Tooth restaurant is probably Anchorage's best known eatery and rightfully so. Their unique, gourmet pizzas are the best I've stumbled upon and they also brew their own beer, a hard-to-beat combination. Because it's such a popular tourist destination, we often call ahead and pick up our order on the way home from work. Here's the usual: "1 Large Pizza, half Santa's Little Helper and half Avalanche. Also, a large mixed green salad with grilled chicken."

I have heard MT has a really good Hungarian Mushroom Soup, but I never seem to have room for soup with the usual pizza/salad. I haven't actually had the authentic MT soup, but I got curious when a friend told me you could find the recipe online. So I did. And then I made it.

I don't go vegetarian on meals very often, but this soup was tasty. I served it with some fresh kalamata bread and cheese. I plan to use cream cheese instead of milk/flour the next time I make this soup because the milk separated some when I added it to the hot broth. I also think it will make it a bit more creamy.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms, assorted variety and sliced
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk + 3 tablespoons flour (or 8oz cream cheese)
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onions in the butter for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 more minutes. Stir in the dill, paprika, soy sauce and broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. In a separate small bowl, whisk the milk and flour together. Pour this into the soup and stir well to blend. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, stir in the salt, ground black pepper, lemon juice, parsley and sour cream. Mix together and allow to heat through over low heat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not boil. Serve immediately.

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

It was my turn to host ladies night and I decided to make Chicken Tortilla Soup with all the fix'ins. The toppings may quite possibly be as important as the broth itself. Toppings included avocado, grated cheese, sour cream. red onions. cilantro, and tortilla strips.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Adapted from C.I.

Tortilla Strips:
8 corn tortillas (6 inch), cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt to season

Chicken & Soup Broth:
2 split bone in chicken breasts (about 1 1/2lbs)
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 large onion, peeled and cut in half
2 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
8 to 10 sprigs fresh cilantro
1 sprig fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt to taste

Tomato Soup Base:
2 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered
1/2 large onion, peeled and cut in half
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and halved
2 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cayenne pepper
1 cup red, yellow and/or orange bell pepper, diced

Garnishes:
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 avocado, diced
1 cup shredded chedder or Cotja
chopped red onion (rinsed under cold water or vinegar will dilute potency!)
fresh cilantro leaves
sour cream

FOR THE TORTILLA STRIPS: Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread tortilla strips on rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with oil and toss until evenly coated. Bake until strips are deep golden brown and crisped, about 15-20 minutes, rotating pan and shaking strips (to redistribute) halfway through baking time. Season strips lightly with salt; transfer to plate lined with several layers paper towels.

FOR THE CHICKEN & BROTH: In a large pot, bring chicken breasts, broth, 2 onion quarters, garlic cloves, cilantro, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer chicken to large plate and allow to cool. Once cool, shred chicken into bite sized pieces and discard bones. Leave the broth in the pot with solids; set aside.

FOR THE TOMATO SOUP BASE: Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves, and jalapeño in food processor until smooth. Heat oil in Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering; add tomato/onion puree, salt, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and diced bell peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture has darkened in color, about 10 minutes.

Place a large mesh strainer over the Dutch oven and carefully strain the chicken broth into the tomato mixture. Discard any solids caught in the mesh strainer. Bring the soup to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer to blend flavors, about 15 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. To serve, place portions of tortilla strips in bottom of individual bowls and ladle soup into bowls; pass garnishes separately.

I found a cute Christmas card craft project on Pinterest. I didn't prep anything beforehand, so there was definitely some improv going on, but overall I think they turned out pretty cute! 3D trees with bows...

3 years ago:  Heading West

2 years ago: Chicken of the Sea

1 year ago: Manly Kinda Thing

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Thai Lemongrass Soup

We've had a subscription to Cooks Illustrated magazine for a couple years now and absolutely love the mix of recipes, tips, and reviews. However, it can be a real chore to find an old recipe within a large stack of magazines. So, we recently switched to the online version. What's the verdict? To be honest, I really miss the paper copy waiting in the mailbox. I always feel guilty when I see a new issue lying on the counter and I haven't tried any of the recipes. A big perk of the online C.I. website is the "searchability"; Ross wanted Thai, I wanted soup, with chicken, so whela! This recipe for Thai Lemongrass Soup came up. It's not something I would normally pick out, but I'm sure glad we did because it was really good (and ranked high on Ross's effort vs reward matrix)! Too bad my pictures aren't more convincing...

Coconut milk, mushrooms, lemongrass/cilantro infused broth, mmmmmmmm

Toppings: Limes, cilantro, green onions

Served with Basmati rice.

Here's the recipe, Curtesy of C.I. Magazine:

INGREDIENTS

• 1teaspoon vegetable oil
• 3stalks lemon grass, tough outer leaves removed, bottom 5 inches halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise
• 3large shallots, chopped
• 8sprigs fresh cilantro leaves, chopped coarse
• 3tablespoons fish sauce
• 4cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2(14-ounce) cans coconut milk, well-shaken
• 1tablespoon sugar
• 1/2pound white mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and sliced on bias into 1/8-inch-thick pieces (see illustration below)
• 3tablespoons fresh lime juice from 2 to 3 limes
• 2teaspoons red curry paste (Thai)
• Garnish  
• 1/2cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 2serrano chiles, sliced thin
• 2scallions, sliced thin on bias
• 1lime, cut into wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until just shimmering. Add lemon grass, shallots, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon fish sauce; cook, stirring frequently, until just softened, 2 to 5 minutes (vegetables should not brown). Stir in chicken broth and 1 can coconut milk; bring to simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until flavors have blended, 10 minutes. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer and discard solids in strainer. Rinse saucepan and return broth mixture to pan.
2. 2. Return pan to medium-high heat. Stir remaining can coconut milk and sugar into broth mixture and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms, and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer pink, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove soup from heat.
3. 3. Combine lime juice, curry paste, and remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce in small bowl; stir into soup. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro, chiles, and scallions. Serve immediately with lime wedges.
   
   
   3 years ago: Duetchland Countdown
   2 years ago: Birthdays
   1 year ago: Many Birthdays

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Albondigas (Meatball) Soup

I was pa-rousing one of my "healthy" cookbooks and this recipe caught my eye. I'm not really sure why, but it did.

And I made it.

And it was delicious.

Ross thought so too, so it must be true, right?

It's got some heat to it too! Top it with freshly sliced avocado and you won't be disappointed.

I don't really have a great picture of the final product. That's the problem when cooking! It's hard to take a time out for pictures...

Here's the recipe!


Albondigas Soup
Adapted from Everyday Paleo

Meatballs
2 lbs 93/7 ground beef
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sea salt

Soup
4 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot minced
3 garlic cloves minced
5 carrots chopped
2 1/2 cups shredded green and/or purple cabbage
2 1/2 cups fresh (not canned) diced tomatoes
1/2 to 1 full jar of salsa
10 cups water
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp sea salt (more or less to taste)



1 year ago: Date Night
2 years ago: Cold Weekend When you're Camping

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken tortilla soup is one of my favorites, but it can be mediocre at restaurants (especially outside of Texas). 

Now I've found my favorite version to make at home (thanks Pioneer Woman!), but there is definitely a way to take your soup to the next level! It's all about the TOPPINGS! Picture a buffet line for the top of your soup. Genius I say.

Chicken tortilla soup, right out of the pot.

 Toppings! Avocado, cheddar, Monterrey jack, homemade tortilla strips, cilantro, red onion. We also had salsa and sour cream.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Recipe from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Diced Onion
• 1/4 cup Diced Green Bell Pepper
• 1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
• 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 4 cups Hot Water
• 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
• 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
• 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches
• _____
• FOR THE GARNISHES:
• Sour Cream
• Diced Avocado
• Diced Red Onion
• Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
• Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
• Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.
Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.
Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.
Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed---add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.
Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)

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Seafood Cioppino

After ordering Seafood Cioppino in restaurants enough times, I decided it was time to try my hand at it myself. Afterall, we gotta work down a pretty big stock of frozen halibut in our freezer. I picked this Cioppino recipe and made a couple of modifications, mainly because we forgot clam juice at the grocery and I wasn't about to make another trip. We also omitted scallops because they didn't look all that great at the store.

Cioppino is a tomato based seafood stew, best served with crusty bread. This variation was chock full of white flakey halibut, big ole prawns (aka shrimp), white wine, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, and yes-- clams. I consider myself a pretty adventurous eater, but I'm not much for mussels, oysters, or clams-- so I modify. In this case, the modification was that Ross got all my clams. Done.

If you're feeling cold (-5 today!) or you love seafood, then you should try your hand at a cioppino!

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Smokey Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup

Do you like to eat soup when it's cold outside? Do you have a bunch of sweet potatoes on your counter that need to be used? Is your favorite color orange? Thing for bacon?

Whatever the reason, you should make this soup because it's really good. Even if you can't think of a reason, you should still make it. It's Yum. For real.

Smoky Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup

Recipe taken from THIS blog.

2 strips applewood bacon, diced small

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium bulb shallot

2 medium leeks, wash and sliced

½ medium onion, roughly chopped

2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

1 teaspoon crushed (or ground) coriander seed

1 teaspoon cumin 

1 medium apple, seeded and chopped, I used a Gala apple but Braeburn, Honey Crisp or Granny Smith would work as well

½ pound carrots, roughly chopped

2 large, about 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

2 quarts low sodium chicken broth

½-1 medium canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, use these judiciously, they are quite hot and spicy, you might want to start with a half, taste and add more if desired - if you don't like things spicy at all, just leave them out

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

fresh mozzarella balls, for floating on the top

fresh chives or parsley, for garnish

toasted salted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds, for garnish

1. Sauté bacon in a large pot until most of the fat has been rendered and bacon is golden and crispy. Remove bacon, drain on a paper towel and set aside.

2. Add garlic, leeks, shallots, onion and ginger, coriander and cumin to the bacon fat and sauté on medium-low until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add apple, sweet potatoes, carrots and broth and simmer, uncovered, until all veggies are very tender, about 35-40 minutes.

3. Add chipotle and puree, using a stick blender or regular blender. If using a regular blender, let it cool a bit and then blend in batches. (For safety, remove cap from hole in lid, and cover with a dish towel or several thicknesses of paper towel to prevent splattering.) Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

4. Garnish with fresh mozzarella. I like to use the little balls of fresh mozzarella (one per serving unless you have the teeny tiny ones, then use 2-3 per bowl) - I put them on a dinner plate and partially melt them in the microwave (just 8-10 seconds) before floating them on top of the soup. Sprinkle the chives, sunflower seeds and reserved bacon on top of the melted cheese.

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Not at Olive Garden BUT...

With the colder weather upon us and the pretty Fall colors, I was feeling the need to make some soup.  When I saw this soup I thought it looked a lot like the yummy soup that I remember eating at Olive Garden. However, I've not eaten at a Olive Garden in over 5 years, so I really have no idea how close this recipe is. But I can tell you that it's easy to make and quite good.

Disclaimer: I apologize for the lackluster photograph, darkness is upon us and my kitchen lighting is not kind to food. I was also too lazy to go get my flash because the soup smelled so good.  

Swiss Chard, White Bean, and Sausage Soup.

Swiss Chard, White Bean & Sausage Soup

adapted from White Bean and Escarole Soup via Food Network
Prep Time: 25 minutes    Cook time: 30 minutes    Level: Easy    Serves: 6

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 ounces pancetta or prosciutto cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 – 4 fresh thyme sprigs, whole
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 head Swiss chard, (about 1 pound) trimmed, washed, and coarsely chopped
• Two 15 ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes w/basil, garlic and oregano (with juice, preferably no salt added)
• 5 cups chicken broth, preferably low-sodium and MSG-free
• 5 Italian sausages, pan-cooked cooked or grilled and chopped (we use Johnsonville brand)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat, add the pancetta, and saute for about 5 minutes. When the meat is browned and crisp, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot. Add the onion and saute until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, fresh herbs, and pepper flakes; saute for 2 – 3 minutes more. Add the Swiss chard, stirring for 2 minutes more until wilted. Add the beans, tomato, broth, cooked sausage and salt to taste; bring to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Stir in the reserved pancetta and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with your favorite bread.

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Everyone has a favorite type of soup. Or soups. Mine favorites used to be New England clam chowder and Mom's homemade potato soup. But alas, tastebuds evolve and change. Enter chicken tortilla and black bean soup. When these items are on a restaurant menu, 9 times out of 10 I order a cup. However, I get frustrated with the amount of sodium restaurants dump in the soup. So I prefer to make my own.

I have been on the quest for THE Tortilla Soup recipe. Have I found it? Possibly. We'll put it this way, this is the closest I've come so far. Toppings are crucial, so don't even think about skipping them. Avocado, red onions, cheese, cilantro, and a small dallop of sour cream. We also added some cayenne pepper to kick it up a couple notches.

Here's the recipe courtesy of Pioneer Woman.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Added by Ree on January 8, 2011 in Main Courses, Poultry

Prep Time 10 Minutes Cook Time 1 Hour30 Minutes

Servings 8

Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-½ teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Diced Onion
• ¼ cups Diced Green Bell Pepper
• ¼ cups Red Bell Pepper
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
• 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 4 cups Hot Water
• 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
• 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
• 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches
• _____
• FOR THE GARNISHES:
• Sour Cream
• Diced Avocado
• Diced Red Onion
• Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
• Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
• Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed—add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)

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Hey Frenchie...

Here's the scene: It was a cold, rainy day in Berlin and we stumbled upon this great restaurant off the Tourist trail. We had the most AMAZING French Onion soup. In Germany?? I know... but it was great. It may have been the cold, dreary weather and the soup just did the trick, but that is not how my taste buds remember things. We have tried to recreate the soup a couple times, but to no avail. Till this recipe! This is one of the best French Onion Soups we've made. Good quality cheese and bread make such a difference. The fresh thyme was a nice addition also. It was so yum!

I see you...

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Soft Spot

Everyone has their favorite kinda soup and there are days you just crave it. Black bean soup and chicken tortilla soup are my personal favorites. Ross really enjoys chili and gumbo. Today, my craving won. We had Ellie Krieger's Tomato-Tortilla Soup for dinner. Of course we added shredded chicken to it. Huebel's go a meal without meat? I don't think so.

The soup grew on me as I ate it. It's not a traditional Mexican chicken tortilla soup- it has more of a tomato taste. The recipe also has you puree the liquid, making it a thicker, smoother texture than most others I've had. I was sure to make lots more corn tortilla strips than the recipe called for. Can't skimp on those!

Here's a couple of Natalie and Kunal's engagement pictures I swiped from Facebook...

Perfect!! I'm so excited for them!! EEEEEEEEEE!

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