Soup Smorgasbord

I used to consider myself a soup person as opposed to a salad person. I know it's not really fair to pigeonhole, especially because I do enjoy salads. It's just, a lot of times I find myself choosing the soup. You know those restaurants that allow you a choice with your entree, soup or salad? I pick soup. Prix fix menus where the first course is between four mouth watering dishes? Soup please! The Panera mix-n-match menus where you pick a half a sandwich and a side salad or a cup of soup? You guessed it. Soup wins. I guess this is primarily in the fall and winter months, but even in the summer I'm partial to a bowl of clam chowder. Who doesn't love a warm comforting bowl of soup?

This fall my sister was adamant that I make Country Living's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. Soup from scratch was a new concept (hello, Progresso cans?) but if my little sister could do it, I was definitely up to the challenge. Growing up, my Mom used to make a mean batch from scratch. Leah said this tasted "just as good as Mom's". SOLD. She suggested using a 2lb chicken and it would take less time. Seeing as I'm not feeding an army or even a family of four, that sounded like a great idea. Click on the link above for the recipe, and see below for photos of the process!

My veggies are all prepped - we've got chopped onion, celery, leeks and carrots. Also on hand is some fresh parsley

That chicken actually happens to be 4lbs. They weren't sold in a size any smaller than that!! Either that or I hit Shaws on an off day.

The stock is simmering, it just barely fits!

Per the recipe website: slowly cooking a whole chicken, fragrant herbs, and fresh vegetables in chicken broth rather than water imparts a rich flavor to this soup. So true!

I recommend making this on the weekend. It's a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday when Fall hits bringing with it colder weather.

so so so GOOD. and leftovers for days.

When a friend sends me a recipe and tells me a certain dish is a must make, I am usually pretty good about following through and at taking a stab at it. Nacho Corn Soup will forever be a staple in my repertoire. I made this one last winter and again this past January. Thanks to Laura and Craig for finding and passing along.
At Haymarket they sell about 10 jalapenos for $1. The recipe only calls for one though.

Here we've got sliced (and de-seeded when necessary) red pepper, onion, garlic, tomato and jalapeno.

Under the broiler they go for 6-7 minutes on each side, the will become soft and achieve a nice char.

Once cooled, the roasted veggies get pureed in batches.

After a few more easy steps, voila!
I garnished my bowl with cilantro, avocado and shredded cheddar cheese.

A simple grilled tortilla on the side makes this the perfect meal. Mine has tomato, cheese and avocado.

No need to wait for the weekend with this one. The total process takes less than an hour.

I washed this meal down with a tall glass of 2% milk. A Coronas or Dos Equis would also pair quite nicely.

Sometimes I decide to find a recipe all on my own. And by on my own I mean consulting what was at the time, my one and only cookbook. You know the one - Everyday Food, Great Food Fast, from the Kitchens of Martha Stuart Living. Winter offered a Creamy Parsnip Soup.

First up are the leeks, sauteed in olive oil with salt and pepper. I think leeks are so pretty when they are chopped up.

Besides the leeks and parsnips, potatoes and apples are in the mix!

Everything has been peeled, roughly chopped and is now getting boiled until tender.

Then comes the fun part, pureeing in batches with the trusted Magic Bullet!

After that, the addition of heavy cream.
Give her a good stir...

Suminagashi! (The ancient art of Japaneese marbling.) My soup is now a legit art project.

I garnished this hearty, comforting bowl of soup with a sauteed leek and fresh ground pepper.

To make a complete meal, I paired it with a chilled Chardonnay and some buttered toast.

The soup was actually a lot sweeter than I expected. Parsnips have a subtle sweetness that definitely shine through. The apple adds sweet flavors as well.

It was delicious. I had it for lunch the next day with a tuna fish and arugula sandwich on toasted bread and an iced coffee.

Three very different types of soup, three delicious meals. If you try them out, let me know what you think! I know it was a super nice day today in Boston, not the most inspiring day for soups. However, if I know New England, spring is not necessarily right around the corner!!