Cream of Celery Soup

Celery is a vegetable I have never particularly cared for.  I will use it as a base for soups & sauces - but there is something about it I always found slightly off-putting.  I know a lot of people who feel this way about tomatoes and I have always said they only feel that way because they have never had a real tomato - one straight off the vine.  I realized this might be part of the reason why I don't like celery - its such a common ingredient we have gotten used to it being in the stores year round but really - like most vegetables - its in season in summer and early autumn. 

So this week at the farmers market I saw fresh locally grown first-harvest celery and I have to say I barely recognized it.  It was a beautiful dark green - lush and leafy and still attached to its bulbous root.  I had to buy it, and decided immediately I would make this soup.  See - I used to hate fennel (or anything remotely resembling anise-flavor) too.  Then, my first (and last) time dining at a Michelin-star restaurant,  I had a Fennel Cream soup and I had a total flavor epiphany.  I think you could literally see the light bulb go on over my head and suddenly I got it.  Now I finally understood the beauty and subtley of that flavor - and all the delicious places it could go (it was the best soup I have ever tasted.  Really.). 

So now when I see a really beautiful ingredient I tend to gravitate toward a really simple cream soup.  This soup is light and fresh tasting and seems perfect for summer (it would be great for a harvest-time meal as well).  The pure celery flavor (which by the way, is not at all the same as when its that white watery stuff we use during the winter) just shines and tastes so fresh and summery.  With the gremolata it is over-the-top delicious - the bright crispiness of the herbs and lemon make such a perfect compliment.    I do realize the irony of a creamy soup recipe directly following my post saying I'm on a diet.  But here's the thing - simply leave out the cream (you can let people stir it into their own bowls if you like) and this is still a rich, satisfying and delicious soup.  The cream just gives it that extra something special.  That being said - about 3 cups (which I would call one main dish serving) of this is only 225 calories (but 24g fat if you are counting).


Cream of Celery Soup with Celery Leaf Gremolata
5 cups finely chopped celery
1 cup chopped celery leaf
2 medium onions, diced
2 cups diced peeled celery root (supplement with potato if your celery root isn't big enough)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs butter
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper
Olive oil (optional)

Gremolata:
1 Tbs celery leaf, finely chopped
1 Tbs flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbs lemon zest
1 small clove of garlic, finely minced or pressed

Heat butter in a heavy pot over medium heat.  Add celery, celery leaf, and onions.  Stir and cover and cook down until very soft and just barely beginning to caramelize - around 25 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  (This is a good time to make the gremolata)

Add celery root and garlic and stock.  Stir, raise heat and bring just to a boil then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for around 35 or 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper.

Turn off the heat and with an immersion blender blend the soup until no lumps remain.  Taste and season as necessary.  You can do this ahead and keep in fridge or freezer.

Stir in the cream and taste and season again if necessary.  Ladle into bowls and drizzle with a nice light & fruity olive oil and top with a spoonful (or to taste) of gremolata. 

Gremolata:  simply combine all the ingredients and mash together in a mortar & pestle or in a small bowl with the back of a spoon. 

Spring!

 Let me tell you, as much as I love it...cooking loses all of its fun when you are swollen up like the Michelin Man and your joints are aching at the end of pregnancy.   Its been six weeks since we brought the little bugger home, and I finally feel like I'm starting to be a human being again.  I can't wait to post some new stuff on here cause for some reason I love taking photos of the random things I cook and posting them on the internet (what?  we all need hobbies).  In the meantime though...here are few of my springtime-y favorites:

 Angel Food Cake with Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting

Lemon Curd

 Steamed Artichokes with Garlic-Lemon Butter

 Asparagus Soup

Strawberry-Lemon Cake

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

This is it.  The Soother of Souls, the Cure for the Common Cold (watch Mad Men?), The Comfort Food of all Comfort Foods.  If you have browsed around this blog much, you might realize I love to cook and eat all the good ol' American comfort foods: meatloaf, chili, lasagna, and lots and lots and lots of soup. 

And apparently, its like soup week or something around here.  I really cannot seem to get enough of it.  Its not just that I like eating it either - I love making soup.  Its something I can do with relative ease - its easy to plan for, easy to complete, easy to clean up and easy to store.  Is it because I'm pregnant that I find the need to absolutely fill my freezer to the brim with containers of soup?  Is this so-called nesting?  I have no idea but it has become a damn near obsession. 

I don't know if this one will make it to the freezer though, because its just too good.  Bowl after bowl-full.  There is just something about chicken noodle soup that makes you want to go back for seconds.  The broth is rich and strong but none of the flavors overpower the chicken.  Its hearty enough to fill you up after a long day working, chasing kids or cleaning house (or hopefully something far more exciting) - but its also mild enough to make a great warm meal when you are feeling under the weather.  And with the season changing and bringing lots of rain, I have a feeling there is going to be something going around before long.


Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
5 cups Chicken Broth or Stock
1 cup water
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 of a Celery Root, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup pulled/shredded Chicken breast
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1/2 cup finely diced carrot (about 1 carrot)
1/2 cup finely diced leek (about 1 small leek)
1/2 tsp dried Thyme
2 to 2 1/2 cups cooked pasta (I used Gemili - you could use Egg noodles, Linguine broken into bite sized bits, or whatever suits your fancy: here is a great guide to pasta shapes)
Salt
Pepper

Place the Broth, water, onion, 2 carrots, celery root, parsley and garlic in soup pot.  Season with salt if needed (it really just depends on your broth).  Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for around 30 or 40 minutes.

Drain through a fine sieve and/or cheesecloth (reserving broth and straining out all the veggies and sediment).  Place the pulled chicken in the broth and cover and set aside.

In your soup pot, heat Olive Oil then add the diced carrot and leek, thyme and pinch or so of black pepper.  Saute for around 10 minutes - until the veggies get nice and soft and leeks are just starting to brown/caramelize.

Add half of the broth, cover and gently simmer for around 10  minutes.  Add the rest of the stock, pulled chicken and cooked pasta.  Taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary, then gently simmer for a few more minutes (don't let it cook too long, or sit for a long time after cooking, as the pasta tends to just soak up all that broth). 

Serve nice and warm, ladled into bowls with a pinch or two of chopped parsley.

Cream of Chantarelles Soup

Last year as Autumn approached - I found myself seeking after an idyllic autumn with cool deep forests, wild mushrooms, apple picking and American football games.  When I close my eyes I can almost smell the damp air and hear the red and golden leaves as they rustle in the breeze.  This longing has stayed with me for the entire year.   I am normally a summer girl, but all summer I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Fall.  The temperature has dipped here in Berlin after a very hot summer and now the most beautiful time of year - the cooler later part of summer and early warmer fall -  is here.

In fact, I knew it must be about that time when I started seeing large baskets of Chanterelles at the farmers market.  Here in Germany they apparently love their Pfferlinge, and the season (much like Spargel - or Asparagus -season) is opened with much fanfare by local markets and restaurants.   I find myself drawn to the large piles of fungus with their gorgeous golden hue, fan-like ridged appearance, and those tell-tale signs that they just made their way from the beautiful German forest - little clumps of moist black dirt, pine needles, and flecks of soft green moss.

Every year when I see them I want to do something special to highlight their unique flavor.  Of course, being me, I found myself drawn to making a rich, indulgent, and creamy soup.  This soup might be one of my favorites I have ever made - its practically obscene its so rich and flavorful.  The flavor of the Chanterelles is everything  - all the other ingredients serve to bring that to the front.  Its soothing and filling - and drizzled with a nice fruity olive oil and topped with some crispy-fried chopped Chanterelles it makes not only a delicious, but a gorgeous, main dish or first course.  The flavor of this soup is very simple and so greatly depends on the quality of the individual ingredients - use a flavorful stock and good quality wine and olive oil and you won't regret it.

Cream of Chanterelles Soup 
500g fresh Chatarelles, cleaned and coarsely chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I also have a really nice olive oil I brought back from Nice that I only use for drizzling - this is what I used to garnish the soup)
1 cup finely chopped onion (about half a large onion)
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 Tbs flour
4 or 5 Tbs sweet Red Wine (I used a Vin d'Pays that I am rather fond of -  and if I wasn't pregnant, I would have enjoyed a glass or three with the soup as well)
2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
1 cup 1% milk
1 cup heavy cream
Sea Salt
Fresh ground Black Pepper

First, prepare the Chanterelles.   Heat a large saute or frying pan over medium - high heat.  Once its heated, add a few glugs of olive oil (so it just coats the bottom of the pan).   Saute the Chanterelles in small batches (a large handful at a time - so they saute and don't steam - and seasoning each batch with a pinch of salt) until soft and browned.   Remove each batch with a slotted spoon to a plate or bowl and set aside.  On the last batch, deglaze the pan with just a small splash of red wine, scraping up all the brown bits and reserving with the rest of the chanterelles.

Reserve a small amount of the cooked Chanterelles (like a 1/4 to 1/2 cup) to use as a garnish - its nice to fry these a bit more as well, until nice and carmelized and a tad bit crunchy.  

Heat a large cast iron pot or stock pot over medium heat.  Add a glug of olive oil then the chopped onions and a pinch of salt.  Saute until soft and translucent and just beginning to brown around the edges - around 10 minutes.  Add the minced garlic and saute another minute more.  Add the cooked Chanterelles and stir to combine.

Stir in the flour so that it coats all the veggies, then add the Red Wine.  Stir vigorously and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan ( it will kind of become a bit of a goopy mess at this point).

Add the Stock and stir to combine.  Bring just to the boil, then reduce heat and let gently simmer, covered, for at least 10 minutes.    Stir in the milk and cream and taste - add salt and pepper as needed.   Let cook, uncovered,  over low heat (just below a simmer) for another 5 to 10 minutes - stirring frequently.    Taste again and season as necessary.

Remove soup from heat and let cool for a few minutes, then with an immersion blender, blend until smooth and thickened (you can use a regular blender, but take care not to burn yourself).    Taste again as sometimes once the soup is blended the flavors are slightly different.

Ladle into individual bowls and drizzle with olive oil and garnish with the fried Chanterelles.

Summer Minestrone Soup

I LOVE this time of year - late summer, as the temperatures drop and autumn fast approaches.  Everything is beautifully green in Berlin, there are breezy, sunny days mixed in with gray rainy ones - and the farmers market is still brimming with all that summer harvest.  Its the best of both worlds.   Its also a great time to make soup. 

I am a big fan of soup for a lot of reasons - its usually inexpensive, it freezes well, makes great lunches later on (either for yourself or to put in a thermos for kiddos), and it (usually) doesn't dirty a lot of dishes or require hours and hours of slaving away (in others words, its easy).  Its also the most comforting, soothing thing I can think of - no matter what the season.

For almost my entire life, my only exposure to Minestrone soup, however, had been from those infamous red and white cans.  No disrespect, but that stuff is just plain awful - and as a result I had gone most of my life thinking I hated Minestrone soup.  Oh how wrong I was.  Minestrone, it turns out, its probably one of my favoritist things ever.  It combines some my favorite things (veggies, beans, pasta) into one of my favorite dishes (soup).  Its easily adapted for any season and it makes a hearty, filling and super healthy meal.  This particular Minestrone has skyrocketed to the top of my all-time-favorite soups list - the broth is intensely flavored, earthy from the beans (and their cooking liquid), but also a bit sweet from the leeks and zucchini.  Its a perfect meal for a rainy late August or early September day. 

Summer Minestrone Soup
(adapted from Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food)
225g dried beans (like Borlotti or Cannellini - I used a kind that were labeled Marmor beans and that I had honestly never seen before.  They worked wonderfully) - this yields around 675g (3 cups) cooked beans.  
Olive Oil
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 5 stalks fresh)
1 bay leaf
2 tsp salt
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup water
1 small leek, diced
2 medium Zucchini, diced (roughly 3 cups diced)
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 cup frozen chopped spinach (or of course fresh if you have it - I keep frozen on hand all the time so I prefer not to buy something new)
225ml (1 cup) bean cooking liquid (or more if necessary)
1 or 2 cups cooked pasta (I used an artisan over-sized macaroni to provide a contrast to all the small veggies - I loved it.  However, anything from vermicelli to penne to regular macaroni would taste great). 

First, prepare your beans (this is something I have usually done days before and keep on hand in the fridge or freezer).  It is an important step in this soup however, because much of the amazing, unique flavor from this soup comes from using the bean cooking liquid.

Soak the beans overnight and drain.  Put in a large stockpot or dutch oven with plenty of water (at least a few inches over the level of the beans).  Add a bay leaf and bring to a boil.  Skim off the foam, then reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for 1 to 4 hours depending on your beans (I usually find I need at least 3 hours).  Just taste the beans to know when they are done.  Add salt at the very end and let cook for a few minutes more.  Make sure to let beans cool in their liquid or their skins will peel off (if you are storing them, also store them in their cooking liquid).  Be sure to reserve a few cups of the cooking liquid for use in the soup (though I found the amount I stored the 3 cups of beans in to be just about the right amount).

In a heavy bottomed stock pot or french cast iron pot (my preference for making soup) heat a few Tbs olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and carrots and cook for 15 minutes or until tender.

Add the minced garlic, thyme, bay leaf and salt.  Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add the chicken or vegetable stock and water, cover,  and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat back to medium, then add the leek and let cook, covered,  for another 5 minutes or so.

Add the zucchini, tomatoes and spinach and cook (again, covered or I found I lost too much of the broth) for 15 minutes.  Add the cooked beans and bean cooking liquid.  Taste and season with salt if necessary.  Cover again and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.  If the soup is seeming a bit crowded/thick, add more water or bean cooking liquid to your taste (if its the opposite uncover and let simmer for a few minutes to boil-off some of the liquid).  Add the cooked pasta, let cook for just another minute or two and ladle into bowls to serve.  You could garnish with Parmesan cheese or croutons but I found it to be filling and perfect just on its own as well.

Roasted Chicken and Homemade Broth

In the category of simple cheap food, I think the roasted chicken reigns supreme.   You can use the meat from the roasted chicken for one nice (and healthy and inexpensive) Sunday supper (maybe with mashed potatoes and a flavorful gravy from the drippings) - or you can use the meat over a weeks worth (or more!) of meals (like soups, enchiladas/burritos, salads, sandwiches etc).  Then, of course, you can make chicken stock with the carcass.   

If you are a person who really likes soup - you realize how important good stock or broth is (as well as to add flavor to any number of dishes - like rice pilaf).  While I often use vegetable stock, I do like to use chicken stock as well - especially since I have been pregnant and have been looking for ways to get more protein into my diet (and when making things like Chicken Noodle Soup, well...its kinda required).   I personally think the best chicken stock ever comes from the carcass of a roasted chicken - it gives it a deep rich flavor that I find to be delicious.

Roasting a chicken is one of those things I think everyone should know how to do.  Its so simple-  and even fairly quick compared to a lot of other meats.   You can eat the whole chicken for a nice meal, or once the chicken is done cooking and resting, pull all the meat off the bone and freeze it in individual portions to be used in recipes later on.  After the meat is off the bone, I place everything in a stock pot with just a few veggies (preferring to give a strong pure chicken flavor) and make broth.  Then, whenever I need a single chicken breast for a recipe, or a cup of chicken broth - I have it on hand.  This one chicken cost me 6 euros - but it gave give me 5 cups meat and 9 cups broth.  That is what I would call a good deal.

Roasted Chicken
(this fantastically awesome method came from Zuni's Cafe via Smitten Kitchen)

1 whole chicken (normal sized - not bigger than like 4 lbs or 1.8kgs), rinsed and patted dry (make sure its very dry)
Salt and Pepper

Take your very dry chicken and season liberally allover with salt and pepper, including a bit in the cavity (I would add - if you are using the chicken right away as a whole meal, you could add additional seasoning as well - like honey butter or herbs - if you felt like it, but even keeping it very simple it ends up being very flavorful).  

Allow seasoned chicken to rest for at least a couple hours or up to 2 days in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 475 F / 246 C

Use a shallow roasting pan that is just barely larger than the chicken (I used a round cake pan - you could also use a skillet or something similar). Preheat the pan with the oven.

Place chicken breast-side up in the pan (it will sizzle). Place in center of oven and watch until it begins to brown (around 20 minutes). Adjust temperature if necessary (if it takes too long to brown increase or if it starts charring or smoking, decrease).

After 30 minutes or so, flip the bird over. If the pan is nice and hot, the bird is browning on top and is dry, it shouldn't stick. Roast for another 20 minutes or so, then flip back over to re-crisp the breast for about 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size of your chicken.

Remove from oven and turn off heat. Place chicken on a large plate or platter (unless I am using the chicken whole right now, I actually use the stock pot I will make my stock in). Remove any clear fat from pan drippings, leaving the rest. Slice the skin between the body and legs of bird, then tilt to drain juices into the pan. Add a tbs or 2 of water to the pan and swirl with the hot drippings (I only do this step if I am using the drippings for a gravy instead of the stock).

Break chicken into pieces after it has cooled for about 10 minutes, and allow to cool to a temperature where you can safely handle the chicken with your hands.  Remove skin from bird, then slice or pull meat off the bone (which is easy to do since its virtually falling off the bone already).  I remove both legs and wings first, and set aside.  Then I slice both breast halves off the bone - I either leave them whole or shred them depending on how I plan to use them later.  Then I work my way around the rest of the bird, carefully removing the meat with my fingers, separating out any bone, cartilage and fat as I go.  I place the meat in labeled freezer bags (ex: "1 cup pulled chicken"and the date) to store.

Homemade Chicken Stock
1 whole chicken carcass, including skin and any remnants of meat on the bone and drippings from roasting pan.
1 large onion, peeled and cut into fourths
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into large pieces
1 whole garlic clove
Couple pinches whole mustard seeds
2 bay leaves
12 cups water

Add everything to a large stock pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to low simmer and cook for one to two hours (I check on it every 30 minutes or so, tasting as it goes to see how much longer it needs).

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer (then strain again through a cheesecloth for a really clean stock).  I freeze in 1 to 3 cups increments in glass jars or tupperware containers (don't forget to label with a date!).   I just skim the fat off the top when I defrost - when its about half way defrosted (so still partially frozen and quite cold) its pretty easy to just scrape/skim any congealed fat off the top.

Easy Corn Chowder

Phew.  July was harsh, and I have to say - I'm kinda glad its over.  You may have noticed I didn't post the entire month - and it mostly because it was too damned hot to cook.  I mean, it was too hot to even throw together a salad - it was pracitaclly too hot to even eat.  Berlin had record breaking temps for much of July - it was upwards of 98 degrees (hovering around 40 Celsius)  for what felt like, at the time, forever.  I have no air conditioning - and really neither does anyone.  Not the taxi driver, not the bus, not the store, not the doctors office.  There was no escape and I am not gonna lie, it kinda felt like hell.  So, I spent the whole month gnawing on pieces of fruit, drinking large glasses of ice water, and sitting in front of two large fans with ice packs on my face.

Normally I am not such a wimp about the heat - I grew up in Houston, Texas for crying out loud and survived two years of life in Phoenix, Arizona and four months in India with the heat generally not making me want to kill myself.  In fact, I used to kinda like the heat.  It was different this time though, cause I'm pregnant.  Which is another reason I didn't cook a damn thing all month.  Because really, with blinding nausea and an aversion to seemingly all food, all I wanted to eat was cold cereal and peaches with plain yogurt. 

However, sanity has been restored to the universe.  The beautiful Berlin summer is here - blue skies with the occasional rain and temps more around 78 -  and my pregnancy symptoms are starting to fade. So now I can actually enjoy some of the beautiful summer food I have been seeing all over the place - like Corn.  I re-entered the kitchen with a super quick and easy soup (take that heat! soup!) which I had been craving like nobody's business.  Decent fresh corn is not as readily available in Berlin as it is in the States (you can find it, but I couldn't on the day that I decided I must have this soup)...so I had to use canned.  But no matter - you should use fresh sweet corn from the cob and your soup will be all the better for it - but in the meantime know that this is a great recipe that can be made year round with canned or frozen corn as well.   Its cheap and quick and filling and makes a great late summer meal.


Simple Corn Chowder
1 small onion, minced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 medium stalks celery, diced
about 4 cups corn kernels - either fresh, frozen, or canned
2 1/2 cups 1% milk
2 slices bacon (or more if you really feel like it - you could do a slice per serving.  this recipe probably makes 4 to 6 servings depending on how big you make them)
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

In a blend, blend half of the corn and 1 cup of the milk until smooth.  Set aside.

In the bottom of a large dutch oven, cook the bacon until crispy.  Remove and set aside.

Add the diced onion, pepper and celery.  Add a bit of salt.   Cook over medium-low heat until the onions are translucent and the veggies are all soft.   Add the rest of the corn and cook for another couple of minutes.

Add the blended corn mixture and the rest of the milk.  Slowly stir in the shredded cheese until all combined.  Taste and add salt and pepper to your taste. 

You can either serve it as is - thick and chunky or you can blend it to your preferred consistency with an immersion blender.  I blended it just a tad once it was all done, but still left it fairly chunky and thought that combined all the flavors really well (especially the celery). 

Crumble the cooked bacon over each bowl and enjoy :)

Spicy Chicken & White Bean Soup

 I think most people who know me know that I really really love spicy food.  I love chili peppers in all their forms and many flavors - I love preparing food with them and I love eating them.  In fact, my amazing friends got together for my birthday and gave me a gift basket full of jalapenos, habanero peppers and an awesome variety of hot sauces and spice rubs.  Awesome friends right?   Well the whole thing got me hankerin' to cook some really spicy food- and for some reason I have been especially craving Posole like we used to get at the little hole in the wall Mexican restaurant behind our apartment in Phoenix, Arizona.  

Hominy is a key ingredient in Posole though, and since that is not readily available I substituted white beans and I thought it turned out positively fantastic (though definitely not Posole).  The cilantro, lime, cumin and chili pepper are pretty much a win-win-win-win combo every time no matter how you prepare them.  I was a little worried this would even be too spicy - especially as I sat and watched the bright red chili collecting in the little pools of oil on top of the soup as simmered.  My fears were unfounded though - it ended up being just right for us and we easily polished off a whole big bowl each (with 2 servings left to keep in the freezer for later - score).

This soup could not be easier or faster - especially if you already have pulled chicken in your fridge or freezer.    Simply throw some chicken, stock, beans and seasonings together and in about 15 minutes you have an amazingly flavorful soup.  Its also really, really cheap - again, especially if you are using homemade stock and are savvy about buying your spices (buy in bulk, and often Mexican or Asian food stores have them for much cheaper).  You can dress it up with garnishes like sour cream, avocado and tortillas but even without all that this soup packs a serious punch.  Fast, healthy and cheap and full of flavor - I think this just became one of my new favorite standbys. 

Spicy Chicken & White Bean Soup
2 cups cooked pulled chicken (roughly 1 chicken breast)*
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup water - if necessary
1 tsp ground california chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (you can increase to 1/2 if you didn't already cook the chicken in cayenne like I did)
2 tsp ground cumin powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano (you can of course use any oregano if needed)
juice from 1 lime (like 1/4 cup juice at least)
2 cans (400g or 16oz) white beans, drained 
1/2 cup salsa verde (Mexican tomatillo salsa) (buy the little cans in the mexican foods section, they are really cheap, or if you have your own even better)
1 tbs olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, plus a few leaves to garnish
optional:  sour cream, crema, or yogurt for garnish

Combine chili powder, cayenne, cumin, sea salt and oregano (hey this is basically my go-to 'taco seasoning').  Toss pulled chicken in the spices until its well coated.  Lightly mash half of the beans with a large spoon or potato masher.

Heat olive oil in the bottom of a heavy stock pot over med-high heat.  Add chicken and lightly brown (takes about 2 minutes).   Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer.

Add  the beans and salsa verde and lime juice and stir to combine.  Taste and season if needed or add water if it seems it needs more broth or if the spice is too intense for your tastes.    Let simmer for about 10 minutes until the starch from the beans makes it thicken slightly and all the flavors have had a chance to combine.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Garnish with sour cream, crema or yogurt and a few fresh cilantro leaves.  Would also be amazingly fantastic with some corn tortillas torn up and tossed in, or even with some polenta or brown rice (if you find the spiciness too intense for your tastes - these are also good options to help you mellow it out).  Sliced up avocado would be amazing in this as well. 

*I often have pulled chicken in my freezer from when I make chicken stock (I roast the chicken, pull the meat off and pull it apart - easier to do if you slow cook it but not hard either way) then I make broth with the carcass.  Obviously I don't always have this, and you probably don't either.  In that case: take one boneless, skinless chicken breast and place it in a small sauce pan of boiling water (you can season/substitute with wine, beer, cayenne pepper, salt or just about anything you can think of...for this I added some cayenne pepper to the water).  The water should not entirely cover the breast.  Reduce heat to med-low and simmer for just about 5 minutes (10 max) maybe turning once or twice.  Let rest and cool a bit, then holding the breast down lengthwise with one fork, pull at it with another so the chicken strings off.  The whole process should only take like 10-12 minutes or so tops :)

Asparagus Soup

Asparagus season seems so short and fleeting that I rarely do anything with asparagus other than roast it in olive oil or grill it. Both of those are delicious, sure, but I was getting a bit bored of the same old thing. Not to mention I kinda got excited when I saw the asparagus at the store and may have bought a little too much of it.

I had intentions of making this a fancy white asparagus soup, and drizzling some fancy herb-infused olive oil over it that I brought back from Nice. The thing is, I didn't have enough white asparagus and why go buy more asparagus when I have like 3 more lbs of the green stuff sitting in the fridge? I have always wanted to make asparagus soup and I am so glad I did. It has a subtle, delicate asparagus flavor and is the prettiest shade of spring green. I wanted to eat the sauteed asparagus tips I made for the garnish like popcorn too.


Truly this soup was delicious. It tastes great with some whole grain bread and as I was eating it I couldn't help but think how tasty a scoop of brown rice or maybe even bulgur would be stirred into it as well. It freezes and refrigerates really well - in fact it might be even better the next day. Its great for lunch, a small simple dinner, or would make a lovely first course at one of those fancy sit-down dinner parties (you know, the kind I have never had).


Asparagus Soup
based loosely on Alice Waters' recipe in Chez Panisse Vegetables

500g (1 bunch or 1 lb) White Asparagus, peeled and chopped
500g Green Asparagus, chopped reserving all of the tops
1 HUGE Leek (or 2 normal ones), chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped (all told I had about 3 1/2 or 4 cups chopped leek & onion)
2 potatoes, peeled and diced (medium-ish ones will do)
a few sprigs thyme (or a tsp or two dried)
bay leaf
olive oil
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock (in actual fact I used turkey stock and that was good too)
water (as needed)
salt and pepper

In a medium saucepan heat the stock to a low simmer, add the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and chopped asparagus and simmer for 15 minutes or just until the asparagus is getting soft.

Meanwhile, in a large stockpot stew the leek, onion, and potato in a few Tbs olive oil and a bit of water until the veggies are very soft. (you know I was thinking, garlic wouldn't be bad in this either, I might try that next time)

Add the broth and asparagus and simmer all together (uncovered) for about 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Allow to sit (the soup thickens and flavor intensifies as it cools) for 20 minutes or so before serving.

In a small frying pan heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add the green asparagus tips and saute until they begin to turn a golden brown. Remove from heat immediately. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with the asparagus tips.

White Bean and Butternut Squash Soup

Hey, did you know there are these awesome things called Cookbooks? No - really - they are full of awesome recipes and instruction and tips and sometimes even really amazingly gorgeous photos or illustrations. I guess you probably knew that - but evidently I have been living under a rock. While I was in the US over the holiday however, I visited the cooking section of Borders and almost couldn't leave. If there wasn't a weight limit on my baggage I might have left that store with an empty bank account.

As it was, I got just a few books that really stood out to me. But just one of them has stolen my heart. There is just one that I have now read through twice - one that has in the space of just a week or two improved my cooking skills and inspired me to eat so much better and cook more at home - and that one is The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters. Now, you may know all about this wonderful lady already, but I am new to all this foodie stuff and had no idea what I was in for (you can read all about her and her work here). This book has wonderful instruction on how to do just about all the basic cooking from scratch you would ever want to do - laid out so its simple and easy to read and helps you incorporate it into your normal cooking routine. Its full of great recipes (that truly are simple and accessible) that are fit for every season and are written out in wonderful step-by-step way - not to mention that include important details to let you understand the cooking process being used and how to vary the recipe. Without a doubt, I think everyone should have this book.

This soup recipe was one that jumped out at me to try first simply because I already had so many of the ingredients on hand and I love soup - and of course it didn't disappoint. It is warm and rich and soothing, not to mention hearty and satisfying. It is indeed so simple, but it all comes together in a perfect combination of textures and flavors. It was the perfect meal for a cold snowy day in Berlin.

White Bean and Butternut Squash Soup
from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters
Soak in water overnight:
1 cup (225g) dried white beans

Drain and put into a large pot with:
3 cups (675 ml) chicken stock (I used vegetable stock)
4 cups (900ml) water

Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the beans are tender. Start checking after 45 minutes (it took mine more like 2 hours, which means I used more liquid than she called for also). Season to taste when cooked.

Heat in a heavy-bottomed pot:
2 tbs olive oil or duck fat (I used olive oil)

Add:
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used 1 very large onion)
3 or 4 sage leaves
1 bay leaf

Cook over medium heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in:
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-cm cubes*
Salt

Cook for 5 minutes. Drain the beans and add 1.35 liters of their cooking liquid to the squash and onions. Cook at a simmer until the squash starts to become tender. Add the beans and keep cooking until the squash is very soft. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

VARIATIONS:
-Serve hot soup over thickly sliced country-style bread that has been brushed with olive oil and toasted until crisp and golden brown. (I did this, it was delicious)
-Use other varieties of winter squash such as acorn, onion squash, the green Crown Prince squash and gem squash (which is the size of a tennis ball).

*In another part of the book, she instructs that a butternut squash (and most squash) can be peeled using a normal swivel-headed vegetable peeler. It worked pretty well for me - not as easy as peeling a carrot - but it worked.

Homemade Vegetable Stock

If you spend a few minutes looking around this blog, you might notice I make a lot of soup. Not only that, it seems like every recipe I make - be it soup or rice pilaf or you name it - requires chicken or veggie stock. This week, as I am planning my Thanksgiving preparations I realized I will probably need stock for just about everything I plan on making.

In the US, it never even occurred to me that I could make my own - it was just too easy to pick some up at the store (regardless of the extra cost) and I never really put any thought into the benefits of making my own - or the harm in buying it pre-made. Pre-made stock here is rare and expensive in Germany, so when I moved here I really had little choice but to figure out how to make it myself. Turns out, making stock at home is ridiculously simple and easy. I struggled the first few times I made it - it would be bland or watery - but I finally figured out exactly what works best.
Making your own stock means you get to control what goes in it - the types of vegetables and seasonings as well as the amount of sodium and fat. I have almost always preferred to use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock because it is lower fat, lower sodium and doesn't require consumption of an animal that is already grotesquely over-consumed. This broth is completely fat free and can be totally sodium free as well, if you choose (I chose to just add about one teaspoon of salt to the whole pot). It packs a ton of strong roasted veggie flavor - just like the stuff I used to buy at the store - and it cost me roughly 3 euros for eight whole cups of stock. Um, hello I used to pay 4 bucks for half that amount!!


Homemade Vegetable Stock
12 cups water
about 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 kilo carrots, chopped and not peeled
1 large yellow onion, quartered
1 large purple onion, quartered
1 lb/large bunch celery, coarse chopped (leaving the tight little leaves on)
5 or 6 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
2 bay leaves
pinch mustard seeds
salt

Put all the cut up vegetables (I don't roast the garlic, but that is up to you) in a roasting pan and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes at 400 F/200 C - until carrots just start to caramelize and peppers are just starting to get black spots (you don't want them overly charred, just barely roasted).

Remove from oven and transfer to a large stock pot. Add the garlic, black pepper, bay leaves and mustard seeds and a pinch or too of salt (optional).

Cover with the water then put the lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and allow to boil/simmer for around one to one and half hours.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer (or through cheesecloth if you want a really clean stock). At this point I will reserve the carrots to use in dog food (taking care there are no onions mixed in with them)(I can't stand letting any food go to waste). Let it cool and transfer to containers to freeze - I generally will freeze in one cup increments in small plastic containers, though sometimes I will do 3 or 4 cups in one since this is a good amount to defrost for soup. Make sure and label it, 5 months from now you might not remember what it is (though mine never lasts that long).

This recipe yielded me 8 cups of good strong vegetable stock.

Classic Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Its amazing to me, even now, that I even wanted to make this soup - never mind the fact that I had been seriously craving it ever since we had our first snow (whimper) and never mind the fact that I absolutely loved it. Cause see - I used to hate broccoli, and I used to especially hate this soup.

As an adult, I have come to appreciate broccoli - even love broccoli. At some point in time, I even came to love Broccoli Cheddar soup. I think the first time I really gave it a chance was during my summer working at Quiznos. You would think having to take large frozen containers of this soup and defrost it every morning and stir it every hour and serve it to a million and one people would actually make me hate it. But somehow it had the opposite effect and my horizons were broadened (I know I know, at a fast food restaurant!).

Of course, I have since learned that Broccoli Cheddar Soup can be a million times better than that stuff I had to take out of the freezer every morning, and it doesn't have to be complicated either. This soup is absolutely perfectly delicious. Not only that - it is super simple to make and doesn't have any heavy cream or "real cheese" (as we lovingly call the blocks of processed gooey orange stuff). It is filling and comforting and only requires a few inexpensive ingredients, which might just make it the perfect comfort food.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
1 head of Broccoli (approx 500g) chopped into very small florets
2 to 4 Tbs butter
1 medium onion, finely diced (about 2 cups diced onion)
3 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
salt and fresh coarse-ground black pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk (I used 1.5 percent)
1/2 cup flour
3 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, finely shredded (do not use pre-shredded cheese!!)

In a heavy stockpot, melt the butter on medium heat. Add the diced onion and a couple pinches of salt and saute until the onions are very tender and just beginning to brown - around 10 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and plenty of black pepper and let cook for about one minute. Stir in the broccoli and let cook for another minute or so.

Add the broth and raise heat just a tad, stir well then cover and let come to a slow boil. Let simmer, covered, for around 5 to 10 minutes or until broccoli just starts to become tender.

Whisk the flour into the milk, making sure no clumps or grains remain. Slowly stir this into the soup. Reduce heat to medium-low and continuously stir until soup has gotten nice and thick - around 3 to 5 minutes.

Reduce heat again, to low, and stir in the cheese by the handful, stirring until all the cheese is melted into the soup. Taste and salt/pepper as necessary (or even more cheese!). Stir over low heat for just a minute or two more, then serve warm :)

PS - this was about the 10th time I tried making a broccoli cheese soup, each previous time being a total disaster, even when following someones recipe - grainy, too watery, cheese doesn't melt well, not broccoli enough, not cheesy enough and on and on. I finally figured out that simple is best, cheddar cheese is best, flour and milk are essential to get the right texture, and using pre-shredded cheese will result in a horrible grainy disgusting mess. You know, just to keep it real. But hey, I am learning!

The Perfect Autumn Chili

This is Autumn in a bowl - the perfect thing to fill up on after a cold, crisp day raking leaves or visiting the apple orchard. The type of thing you want to eat after a long evening trick or treating or after sitting through extended regulation, in the rain on the cold metal bleachers as you watch your team pull out a win.

It is packed full of flavor from chipotle and ancho chilis. It is full of heartiness and nutrition from the black beans, kidney beans, and pumpkin. And it has a deep richness from the chocolate, espresso and dark beer. Its spicy and hearty, simple and inexpensive - all the things a good chili is supposed to be.

It has a lot of ingredients - but most of them are your average pantry staple making this pretty easy to prepare. It is also relatively healthy and low fat compared to your average chili. It is great over a baked potato, polenta, or rice. You can top traditionally with sour cream and shredded cheese if you like - I recommend trying shredded monterrey jack or crumbled cotija as an alternative to cheddar.



Hearty Autumn Chili
with pumpkin, black beans, and chocolate

1 large onion, chopped
1 heaping tsp. cumin seeds
5 cloves garlic, pressed
2 heaping tsp cumin powder
1 heaping tsp coriander
1 tbs dried chopped oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chili paste (see below)
1/4 cup espresso
.5 Liter dark beer
6 cups cooked black beans
2 cups cooked pumpkin puree
2 cans tomato chunks or diced tomatoes
1 cup water from soaking ancho chilies
50 g unsweetened chocolate
1/2 tbs cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 big tbs tomato paste
16 oz Kidney beans (drained)
salt (to taste)
olive oil

Chili paste:
2 big tbs chipotle paste (to make this, I take one small can of chipotles in adobo, remove all the seeds from the peppers (except for maybe one), and blend it up in a blender, sauce and all. I keep this in my fridge or freezer at pretty much all times. I find if I don't remove the seeds, its way too hot)
2 large dried ancho chilies, soaked in a cup or so of water for at least 30 minutes
1 tbs of the soaking water

First, make the chili paste. Take the soaked ancho chilies, remove the seeds, and chop up. In a blender or food processor, combine the chipotle paste, chopped ancho chilies, and a tbs of the soaking water. Pulse it until it is fairly smooth. Scrape it out into a small bowl and set aside.

Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy pot. Add onions, season with salt, and saute over medium heat until they start becoming clear (around 5 minutes) and add cumin seeds. Cook another 5 minutes or so (don't let onions brown).

Add garlic and let it saute for around 1 minute, then add cumin powder, coriander, dried oregano and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine and let cook for a minute or two more. Add espresso and stir.

Add the cooked black beans and combine. Stir in the chili paste, then pour in the beer. Let foam subside then stir to combine everything well. Stir in pumpkin, then tomatoes (with liquid) and the water from the ancho chilies. Stir everything well and let it heat up for a few minutes.

Stir in the pieces of unsweetened chocolate until they are melted and combined, then the sugar, vanilla, and tomato paste. Cover and let simmer on low heat for around 3o minutes.

Add kidney beans, then honey, then slowly stir in the cocoa powder. Stir up every thing real good, then let it simmer on low heat for around 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt (or additional chili paste or cayenne pepper if you want more heat) as necessary.

Wild Mushroom & Leek Soup

As an artist, I am always thinking about the things that are catching my eye - those things that are a source of inspiration to me at the moment. It may be colors, patterns, or light at a certain time of day.

Right now, its Autumn that is inspiring me. Specifically - a sort-of storybook idealistic European Autumn with dense, fragrant woodlands full of changing leaves, cool brisk breezes, and warm sunlight peeking through the trees. Everything is beautiful shades of brown, taupe, burnt orange, mustard yellow and sage. In this idealized Autumn scene I have a basket in my hand and I am collecting blackberries, chestnuts and wild mushrooms.

Naturally, all those delicious wild mushrooms would just love to be a warm and soothing soup. A soup enjoyed in an over-sized arm chair in front of the hearth, a soft afghan over my lap and a good novel in my hand.

This recipe really fit that bill. It is low-fat yet still very rich and filling and right now with all the mushrooms in season its easy on the pocket book as well. This makes a great main dish but would also be a beautiful first course at a dinner party (followed of course by things like roasted pumpkin, sweet corn and warm apple and pear desserts).


Wild Mushroom & Leek Soup
350 g Chanterelle Mushrooms, chopped (about a cup and half)
350 g Baby Bella/Cremini Mushrooms, sliced (about 5 or 6 cups after sliced. These are just called Brown mushrooms in Germany)
2 large Leeks, chopped - white parts only (about 3 and half cups after chopped)
5 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon dried chopped Rosemary
1 teaspoon dried chopped Thyme
3 Tbs flour
1/2 cup Red wine
2 cups Beef or vegetable broth
3 cups water
1/2 cup 2 percent milk (you can of course use cream instead - just use much less and add it just as you are taking the soup off the heat. Or you can just leave this out and make this vegan as well)
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper


Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks and season with a bit of salt. Let saute for around 10 minutes or so. Add the baby bella mushrooms and let saute for around 3 minutes. Add Chantarelles, herbs, garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and let saute for another 3 to 5 minutes.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir until combined and coating all the vegetables. Add the red wine and let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the broth and water. Raise heat until soup just comes to a boil, then reduce and let simmer uncovered for around 30 minutes. Stir in the milk and let simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Serve warm.

I topped this with caramelized shallots and Chantarelle mushrooms, which gave it a little something extra. Would also be good with toasted hazelnuts and a thick hearty whole grain bread to soak up the broth.

Simple & Spicy Black Bean Soup

I love cheap and easy recipes. Like, more than any other kind of recipe. I like to make things that cost next to nothing, feed me multiple times, and can be made all in one pot with only a handful of ingredients.


And lets face it, just about everyone right now is trying to learn how to be a bit more frugal, right? Whether you are facing a lay off or are just trying to pay off loans or are saving for a rainy day, its nice to not spend all of your cash on food. I love food - cooking is one of my main hobbies - but I still wish I could spend less money on it. And most days I don't really feel like spending any effort on it either.


This is one of the mains reasons I love both beans and soup. Beans are cheap and versatile, there are like a million different kinds, and soup goes a looong way. I like to make a large pot of soup and freeze all the excess in individual sized containers for fast and easy meals later on. This is one of my brainless week-night go-to soups - its ridiculously simple using just a few ingredients from my pantry (which makes it that much easier on the cash flow) and easy to make and clean up. Its just a simple thick and slightly spicy soup; you can dress it up with sour cream or crema, cotija cheese, rice or polenta, and it can stay in the freezer for up to six months.


See HERE for some of my other favorite soup recipes.

For more info on beans, including tidbits on nutrition, frugality and preparation and storage - check out this awesome post on Phytophiliac.

Black Bean Soup
1 lb black beans, soaked overnight
1 large yellow onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tbs lime zest
3 tbs cumin
1 tbs chili powder
1/2 tbs cayenne
1/4 cup lime juice
1 heaping tbs sliced pickled jalapeños (of course you could use fresh peppers instead - but I tend to just use things I always have in my pantry, and this is one of those things)
4 cups chicken or veggie stock, 2 cups water
olive oil
salt and pepper

In a large stock pot, heat a few tbs olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and saute until soft - around 10 minutes. Add the garlic and lime zest and saute until fragrant, around 1 minute. Add cumin, chili powder, cayenne, jalapenos, and lime juice. Let combine for around 30 seconds. Add the black beans and toss together.

Add the liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer, uncovered, for around 3o minutes, then cover and simmer for another one and a half hours or until beans are very soft and liquid has reduced somewhat. Stir occasionally and keep an eye on it - sometimes you might need more water. (I know this sounds like a lot of cooking time, but you can just get it simmerin' and then go about your business)

Taste and season as necessary. Blend with an immersion blender (or in a blender in batches) until smooth. Serve warm with any of the following: baguette, polenta (my favorite), a scoop of rice, sour cream or crema, fresh cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese. So many ways to liven it up :)