Soups

Breakfast Soup

Leave a comment

Breakfast SoupOne of the first things I made when doing the Spring Clean Eats challenge, was Breakfast Soup.  I’ve seen some other paleo folks have soup for breakfast and the idea intrigued me.

I didn’t want anything too heavy, like a stew, and I didn’t want anything that was going to be loaded down with protein and veggie.

I wanted a light soup with some protein, a little veg, and lots of flavor.  I started thinking about how to approach this and decided that egg drop style soup seemed like it fit the bill.

I played around with the recipe and now have a new favorite way to eat some eggs and veggies in the morning.

Breakfast Soup is quick to make and perfect for those mornings when you might be feeling a little sluggish or chilly days when you don’t want to get out of your PJs.

If you like savory breakfasts, this soup will hit the spot!

Andrea’s Breakfast Soup

  • 4C Chicken Stock
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp Soy Sauce**
  • 1/2tsp Garlic Powder
  • Large Handful (or about 2C) of Spinach, finally chopped
  • 3 Green Onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 Eggs, Whisked

In a large sauce pan, bring the stock up to a simmer.  Add in the soy sauce and the garlic powder.  Then add in the spinach and allow to cook until the spinach is fully wilted.  Start whisking the soup with a fork and slowly drizzle in the eggs.  The eggs will puff and cook immediately.  Continue until all the eggs are in the soup. Bring soup back up to a simmer.  Remove from heat and ladle into soup bowls.  Garnish with green onions and serve immediately.

Serves two.

**If you want to make this completely paleo, substitute coconut amnios for the soy sauce.

You decide how much soy sauce or coconut amnios you want to add.  I usually do 1/4 tsp but you can do up to 1/2 tsp without overpowering the soup too much.  Feel free to add in a few drops of fish sauce as well!  Or toss on some chopped cilantro as a garnish for extra kick.

We love this soup, it has a comforting quality to it and makes us feel energized.  It’s a soup that will stick with you and not leave you feeling hungry after an hour.

If you’re looking for something new to try for breakfast, go for soup!

Ham Hock Bean Soup

Leave a comment

Bean SoupGrowing up I didn’t really like beans.  The only beans I really willingly ate were green beans.

My mom and dad loved bean soup and they would eat it often for lunch during the winter months.  As a kid, I couldn’t wrap my head around the concept of bean soup.

Who wants to eat a huge bowl of only beans?

The answer now is me! I love beans as an adult and make up big batches of them to have on hand.  Cooking beans in a slow cooker is a breeze and it’s much cheaper to buy dried beans over canned beans.

Since the weather is turning colder, I decided to tackle making some bean soup from scratch starting with cooking up the beans.

I recently saw this recipe from Lori over at Fake Food Free where she used a wheat beer while cooking her beans.  This sparked the idea to use some beer while cooking up the beans for this soup.

Andrea’s Ham Hock Bean Soup

For The Beans

  • 1lb Navy Beans
  • 1 Large Smoked Ham Hock (or 2 if you want more ham)
  • 1/2 Large Onion, cut into chunks
  • 1 Bottle Dark Beer, (I used New Belgium’s 1554)
  • 10C Water
  • 3 Cloves of garlic

The day before you make this soup, soak the beans in water for 24 hours.  Drain, remove any debris and add the beans to the slow cooker.  Add in the ham hock and the remaining ingredients.  Cook on high for about 6-8 hours or until the beans are soft to the bite.

Remove the ham hock and drain the beans.  Be sure to save the liquid from the beans, you’ll need this for the soup (plus you just made awesome ham hock stock).

Once the ham hock cools, shred and set the meat aside.

For The Soup

  • 1/2 Large Onion, chopped
  • 3 Large Carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 4C Navy Beans
  • 4C Ham Hock Stock
  • 4C Chicken Stock
  • Pinch of salt and ground black pepper
  • 2tsp Ground Garlic
  • 1/2tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1TBSP Olive Oil for sauteeing

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat and add in the onions and carrots.  Sautee for about 5-7 minutes until everything starts to soften.  Add in the seasonings and stir.  Add in the stocks, the beans, and the ham. Stir and then add in the Worcestershire sauce.  Bring to a simmer and simmer for about an hour or until the carrots are cooked through.  Stirring occasionally.

Once the soup is ready serve with cornbread or biscuits and enjoy!

Bean SoupThis soup was everything I hoped it would be.  The dark smokey beer paired perfectly with the ham hock.  If you want, you can sub out some of the stock in the soup with another bottle of the beer.

Yes this took all day but it was totally worth it.  You can break this up and cook the beans one day and the soup the next.  Or you can freeze the cooked beans and shredded ham hock so that they are ready when you would like to make this soup.

I think the addition of maybe some greens would be great in this soup and I might do that next time.  Perfect soup for a chilly fall day.

You’ll have more ham hock stock then you’ll need for the soup so keep the leftovers for other uses or freeze to save for later.  And keep that bone so you can make more stock with it later!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

American Heart Association’s Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook

2 Comments

I love my slow cooker and use it all the time.

Fall and winter mean soups, stews, chilis, and roasts! And that means it’s the busy season for my slow cooker.

It has already seen a ton of action and we are only a month in to fall!

When I was approached by Crown Publishing to review their newest cookbook for the slow cooker, I jumped at the chance!

The American Heart Association’s Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook is featured with 200 recipes that are geared towards a healthy lifestyle and diet.  They are easy to put together with ingredients that you’ll already have on hand.  Everything from roasts to shrimp and grits are featured in this cookbook.

Since we’re right smack in the middle of fall, I went with a soup recipe to try out.

Jamaican Bean and Vegetable Soup

Recipe from AHA’s Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook

Reprinted with permission

  • 2 1/2 cups Fat-Free, low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 15.5oz Can No-Salt-Added Red Kidney or Black Beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 14.5oz Can No-Salt-Added Diced Tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 Medium Sweet Potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 2 Medium Carrots, cut crosswise into 1/4-1/2 inche pieces
  • 1/2 Medium Red Bell Pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 Medium Onion, chopped
  • 2 Medium Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

In the slow cooker, stir together all the ingredients.  Cook, covered, on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

I put this soup together in the morning to let it cook while Scott and I headed out for a nice hike.  We were gone all afternoon and came home to dinner ready and the house smelling amazing!

The soup was flavorful and full of warm spices to heat us right back up!

One thing that I loved about this cookbook is that the recipes can be easily adapted to what you have on hand.  I didn’t have plain diced tomatoes but I did have some with green chilis added.  That gave a nice little extra kick to the soup.

Some of the recipes do take some extra prep work or some extra work to finish them off (like making a gravy or sauce) but all of the recipes are easy to assemble and will help you learn how to utilize your slow cooker even more!

Disclaimer: I was provided this cookbook from Crown Publishing to review.  All opinions are my own.

Coconut Shrimp Soup

2 Comments

I had some cans of coconut milk in my pantry that needed some attention, so I started experimenting around with them these past few weeks.

After seeing coconut milk used in a soup on Chopped, I decided that was going to be my experiment.

I had some cabbage that also needed to be used and thought a soup based off of that with some shrimp added in would make for a great weeknight dinner.

I used what I had on hand and ended up with a really great soup!  One that Scott seemed to love and wants more of in the future.  I love when that happens.

Andrea’s Coconut Shrimp Soup

  • 3/4lb Raw, Deveined Shrimp (or about 18 shrimp of 23/count size), Shell and Tail Removed
  • 1/2 Medium Sized Cabbage, finely sliced
  • 2 Large Carrots, finely chopped
  • 1 Clove Garlic, grated
  • 1/2C Coconut Milk (Full Fat Please, from a can)
  • 6C Chicken Stock
  • 1tsp Soy Sauce
  • 1/2TBSP Chili Garlic Sauce
  • 1/4tsp Tumeric
  • Juice and Zest of Half a Lime
  • Olive Oil for Sauteeing
  • 5-6 Green Onions, chopped

In a large soup pot, add in about 1/2TBSP of olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Add in the carrot and cabbage and saute until the cabbage starts to cook and become translucent.  About 10-15 minutes.

Add in the grated garlic and sautee for about a minute.

Add in the chicken stock, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and tumeric.  Stir and bring mixture up to a simmer.

Simmer soup for about 15 minutes to let the cabbage cook down a little further and to cook the carrots.

Add in the coconut milk, and green onions, and stir.  Then add in the shrimp and stir.  Cook for about another five minutes or until shrimp are pink, curled, and cooked fully.

Add in the lime zest, and lime juice, and stir.

Spoon soup into bowls, serve, and enjoy!

 

Makes enough for three large servings.

Cilantro would be a great addition to this soup but I didn’t happen to have any one hand.  Next time though!

This soup was flavorful and very filling.  The tumeric gives it a lovely color and a slightly floral flavor.  The lime brightens everything up!

Next time I make this, I do think that I’ll add in more shrimp and a little more coconut milk.  This was my first time playing around with coconut milk in soup so I didn’t want to over do it.  We love shrimp and can never have too much.

I’m already thinking about what other things I can add to this soup and when I’ll be able to get more coconut milk!

Have fun guys and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Crab Chili

Leave a comment

I’m not sure what I was doing when I thought of it, but the idea of crab chili popped into my head and I knew I had to run with it.

When I experiment either things turn out like I had envisioned or they go the complete opposite.  Still tasty just not what the original image in my head looked like.  This crab chili is the perfect example.  I’m still tinkering with it and plan on trying to make the version that I had in my head, but for now this is a winner.

It’s spicy with a good heat and mellow sweet crab to balance it out.

Andrea’s Crab Chili

  • 16oz Lump Crab Meat, rinsed and checked over for shell
  • 1 Green pepper, chunked
  • 1/2 Large Onion, chunked
  • 1 Jalapeno, chunked
  • 1 Fresno pepper, chunked
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 4 1/4C Chicken Stock
  • 2 15oz Cans of Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 14.5oz Can of Diced Tomatoes with Chilies
  • 1 6oz Can of Tomato Paste
  • Big pinch of Salt and Pepper
  • 2tsp Chili Powder
  • 1/2tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 2TBSP Olive Oil for Sauteeing

In a food processor, add in the peppers, onion, and garlic and pulse until they are broken down and finely chopped.

In a large soup pan, add in the oil and heat over medium heat.  Add in the veggies and season with salt and pepper.  Satuee for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add in the chili powder and the smoked paprika and stir.

Add in the tomato paste and stir.  Allow that to cook for about two minutes and then add in the diced tomatoes.  Stir and add in the chicken stock, slowly.  Now add in the beans and bring the mixture up to a simmer.

Simmer for half and hour to 45 minutes.  Add in the crab and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve!

I didn’t remove the seeds from the fresno and jalapeno chili, and whew it was hot!

Keep in mind my heat tolerance is low so this to me was over the top hot.  Scott thought it was fine, so it’s up to you and how spicy you like your chili.

This kind of took us by surprise.  Crab chili? We weren’t sure how it was going to work out but it tasted amazing.  Spicy tomato based chili which is a familiar taste paired with sweet crab stops and makes you think for a minute.

Does this go together?

Yes it does!

Add in a cold beer (A hoppy one would be great, or Dortmunder Gold by Great Lakes would be a good choice as well), and some oyster crackers and you’ve got a party.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

French Onion Soup For Two

4 Comments

I adore French Onion soup. It’s warm and loaded down with caramelized onions. It’s got bread that helps thicken it up and then it’s topped with melty cheese. Plus served to you in a little crock pot! Can it get any better?

When Scott and I were dating, I would order this soup as a starter whenever I saw it on the menu.  It wasn’t the best “date” soup to be eating but Scott never minded me slurping away or when I had cheese dangling from my chin.

He’s a keeper!

Once I started making it at home, I stopped getting it out at restaurants.  For some reason I have not made this soup in ages and recently decided that I needed to change that.

My version is not traditional at all but it gets the job done.  When I’m craving French Onion soup, this is where I turn.

Andrea’s French Onion Soup For Two

  • 1QT Beef Stock
  • 1/3C Merlot (or another dry red wine)
  • 2-3TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 1/2 Medium Onion, sliced thin
  • 1 Large Shallot, sliced thin
  • 2C Frozen, chopped greens
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Large Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
  • Dash of Sage
  • Sprinkle of Garlic Powder
  • Olive Oil for sauteeing, about 1-1 1/2 TBSP
  • 1/2 of a baguette
  • Olive Oil for baguette, about 1TBSP
  • Swiss Cheese Slices, about four thick slices
  • Chopped Parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice baguette on an angle and place on a baking sheet either lined with parchment paper or silipat.  Brush slices with a bit of olive oil and place on baking sheet.  Slide baking sheet into oven and bake until the slices are toasty and golden in color.  May take between 7-10 minutes.  Keep an eye on them so they do not burn.

Heat a soup pot over medium heat and add in the olive oil.  Once that is heated, add in the onion slices and the shallot.  Stir, add in salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Stir again and reduce heat to medium low.  Cook onions and shallot for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  They will soften and start to caramelize.  Once they have reached a nice light brown color, add in the sage, garlic powder and stir.  Add in worcestershire sauce, and stir. Cook for two minutes. Add in the merlot and stir.  Let cook for about three minutes.  Then add in the beef stock, the greens, and bring up to a simmer.  Simmer the soup for about 20 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, prep your soup crocks.  Brushing the tops of them with a bit of oil will help keep the cheese from sticking too much to the outside.

Once soup has simmered, ladle soup into the soup crocks.  Add in a few of the toasted baguette slices and top with slices of swiss cheese.

Place crocks on a baking sheet and very carefully place in the oven.  Let heat just until the cheese is melty and bubbling.  About 5-10 minutes.

Very carefully remove from oven and very carefully place soup crocks on a small serving plate.  Sprinkle tops with chopped parsley and add a few more baguette slices on the side.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

It was a cold Saturday afternoon and this soup made the perfect lunch.  It was warm and very filling!

Swiss cheese isn’t traditional but it was what I had on hand at the time.  I have made this with a lovely aged provolone as well, which gives the soup a nice little sharp bite to it.  The swiss was very creamy and melted perfectly over the crock.

The addition of the greens is because I wanted this soup to have a vegetable added to it, but not something that would over power or take away from the main flavor.  The greens gave it a little more umph and a little more balance.

Parsley on top just because it makes for a nice garnish!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Chicken Curry Stew

3 Comments

Curry spice is something that I’m still experimenting with. There are many different kinds of curry spice which create different flavor experiences. My current favorite I’ve been using for a while but I just purchased a new flavor to try out.

Kitchen fun! And sometimes I can be a spice dork.

The first time I ever had curry was when I had some of Whole Food’s chicken curry salad. I fell in love with the first bite.

I have been fiddling around with it and using it in different ways to make it a central flavor of a meal.  This dish was a total kitchen experiment and ended up not even being close to what I originally had in mind.

However it turned out amazing and I was beyond happy with the results.

I originally thought this was going to be like a rich sauce that some chicken thighs would simmer in then I discovered I didn’t have any chicken thighs but only some bone-in breasts.

Doh!

Simmering the breasts in something, I wasn’t sure how that would work out.  Breasts sometimes don’t want to play nicely that way and they can be particular. I decided to throw caution to the wind and just roll with my idea.  It constantly evolved the entire time I was making it and the end result was a hearty and flavorful stew.

Andrea’s Chicken Curry Stew

  • 4 Bone-in Chicken Breasts (skin on too!)
  • 3 Carrots, peeled and chunked
  • 1 Green Pepper, chunked
  • 1 Jalapeno, seeded
  • 2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 Small to Medium Onion, chunked
  • 1C Peas
  • 3TBSP Flour, Heaping
  • 4C Chicken Stock
  • 2tsp Garlic Powder
  • 2tsp Curry Powder
  • 1tsp Soy Sauce
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1C Unsweetened Coconut Milk
  • Olive Oil for sauteeing

In a large soup pot, add in some olive oil (2TBSP) and heat over medium heat. Lightly sprinkle the chicken breasts with some salt and pepper. Add to the pot and gently brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat and set aside. Add in all of the veggies except for the peas.  Sautee for about 3 minutes then seasoning with all of the seasonings, including the soy sauce. Cook for about another 3 minutes. Add in the flour and stir, cook for about 2-3 minutes.  Slowly add in the chicken stock and stir, making sure to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Once all the stock is added, place chicken breasts into the pot as well.  Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 20 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked through. Depending on how big the breasts are, will determine cooking time.

When the chicken is cooked, remove from pot and set aside for a few minutes.  With an immersion blender, lightly blend the soup. Not too much, you don’t want the soup to be pureed. You want it to be chunky and thick.  Once the soup is blended, remove skin from chicken and start to shred the chicken.  Add the shredded chicken back into the soup along with the 1C of peas. Add in the coconut milk as well.  Bring back to a simmer and cook for about another 10 minutes.

Dish into bowls and serve!

This stew ended up having a really rich and deep flavor to it that I relate directly with the bone-in chicken.  Having the skin and bones provided an extra boost of flavor to the stew that wouldn’t have happened if I used boneless and skinless chicken.

The peas were a last minute addition, I thought they would provide a nice pop of color to an otherwise monotoned looking dish. Plus they added in another layer of texture and taste.

I was so in love with this stew, I had it two days in a row! Perfect for rainy and damp spring evening.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Cauliflower Chowder

10 Comments

I was prepping things for dinner one day when Scott told me that somehow in his daily internets hopping, he stumbled upon The Pioneer Woman’s cauliflower soup and it sounded good.

Mind you, he didn’t read the ingredients, he just looked at the finished product.

I instantly responded because I had just been thinking of making a cauliflower based dish but wasn’t sure how receptive Scott would be to the idea.  Not that he’s picky, he’s a great eater and will not shy away from a veggie meal. But I wasn’t sure if an entire meal based on cauliflower would win him over.  Since he seemed interested, it wasn’t long before I made us some chowder!

I bumped up the veggies and added in some beans making this a really hardy soup.  I used the same approach as making a potato soup.  Plus I’ll take any opportunity to bust out the immersion blender!

Andrea’s Cauliflower Chowder

  • 1 Head of Cauliflower, chunked
  • 2 Large Carrots, chunked
  • 2 Cloves of Garlic
  • 1/2 Large Onion, chunked
  • 1 1/2 QT of Chicken Stock
  • 2 Cans of White Beans (I used Great Northern), drained and rinsed
  • 2C Corn
  • 4 Huge handfuls of Baby Spinach
  • Big Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
  • 1/2tsp of Smoked Paprika
  • Olive oil for sauteeing, about 1/2 to 1 TBSP
  • Crumbled bacon, chopped green onions, and shredded cheddar for garnish.

In a large soup pot, add in oil and heat over medium heat.  Drop in carrots, garlic, and onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add in the red pepper flakes and smoked paprika.  Stir and allow to sautee just until the onions start to get soft.  The add in the cauliflower and stir.  Sautee for about another minute or two.  Add in the chicken stock and bring up to a simmer.  Let cook until the cauliflower and carrots are cooked through.  About 20 minutes.  Once the veggies are cooked through, with your immersion blender, start to blend the soup until it’s creamy. Reduce the heat to low while you do this.  Add in the beans, corn, and spinach and bring the soup back up to a simmer.  Cook until the spinach is wilted and the beans are heated through, about 10 minutes.

Turn off heat, ladle up into bowls, and enjoy!

I topped the soup with bacon, green onions, and cheddar. Reminiscent of a baked potato style soup.  The cauliflower provides a lovely base while the beans and corn provide a nice texture. The spinach keeps the soup from looking drab and it’s always great to add another veggie into the mix when you can.

If you don’t have an immersion blender, a regular blender will do just fine. You may have to blend in batches though and be careful with the hot soup!

If you are looking to keep this veggie, then I would use some veggie stock or no-chicken broth in place of the regular chicken broth.

The toppings take the soup over the edge and are a great finish!

As with all my soups, this makes a lot! We had enough for two meals plus a small lunch.  This soup is even better the next day when all the elements have had a chance to sit and mingle with each other.

Do you like cauliflower? Would you try a cauliflower based soup?

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!


Summer Corn Chowder

11 Comments

If you’ve been reading OHC for any length of time, you know that one thing I love is soups.  To widen that category out, I love soups, chilis, and stews so much that I could probably eat them everyday and be fine.  Give or take a few super hot summer days where all I want to eat is ice cubes, of course.

I’ve been experimenting with fresh corn a lot this summer.  While corn on the cob will always be a favorite, fresh corn can be used in so many other applications that it’s almost mind boggling. I have found it incredibly fun to do different things with the corn I’m getting from the farmer’s markets this year.

Once you remove the corn from the cob, it can be used in salsas, salads, or just satueed up in a touch of butter.  Each experiment always leads to the next one and then the next one.

Rose had created a corn chowder this summer and it looked delicious.  Scott has had corn chowder as an appetizer on occasion when we’ve gone out to dinner.  I knew that I could create a lovely corn chowder recipe full of veggies and accentuating the fresh summer corn.

Andrea’s Summer Corn Chowder

  • 1 1/2 – 2QT of Chicken Stock
  • 4 Ears of Corn, remove the kernels from the cob. Yields about 4C of corn.
  • 4 Carrots, chunked
  • 1 Large Zucchini, chunked
  • 1/2 A Medium Onion, chunked
  • 1 Green Pepper, chunked
  • 1 Chipotle pepper + 1TBSP of Adobo Sauce
  • 1 Garlic Clove
  • 1 Large Baking Potato (Russet, Idaho), cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 15oz Can of White Beans (Great Northerns or Cannellini)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 2 1/2tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1tsp Chili Powder
  • Olive Oil for sauteeing and roasting potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil, spray with olive oil or nonstick spray.  Place potatoes on the baking sheet, lightly toss in some light olive oil and sprinkle with a touch of salt and pepper.  Bake until they are crispy on the outside, about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven.

In a large soup pot, heat some olive oil (about 2 TBSP) over medium heat.  Add in the onion, carrot, zucchini, garlic, and peppers.  Sautee for about 2-3 minutes just till they start to soften.  Add in half the corn and stir.  Add in the chicken stock and half of the roasted potatoes.  Bring to a simmer and simmer until all the veggies have cooked and are soft.  Carrots take the longest.  Once all the veggies have cooked, turn heat to low and with an immersion blender, blend the soup until the veggies break down and the soup starts to become creamy.  Add in the beans along with the rest of the corn and potatoes.  Bring back up to a simmer and cook just till the potatoes and beans are warmed through.

Ladle into large soup bowls and serve immediately!

I was extremely pleased with the way this chowder turned out!  It was creamy and thick without me having to add any heavy liquid or thickener.  Hooray for immersion blenders!  I love that it was smooth but still had the texture of the corn, potatoes, and beans tossed in at the end.  I didn’t want to make a super creamy soup, I wanted something hearty and where you could see the main ingredients so you knew what you were eating.

I purposely wanted the zucchini and carrots to also show through because it gives the chowder a bit of color here and there.  The chipotle pepper and sauce give a nice heat to the background but not too much!  If you wanted to add some hot sauce on top, you totally could.  Or maybe some shredded cheddar?

If you think the chowder is too thick, add in a bit more stock until it becomes the consistency that you like.

The chowder can easily be made veggie and vegan friendly by using veggie broth or No-Chicken chicken broth instead of the stock that I used.  I’m willing to bet this would also be tasty with a few ounces of beer tossed in there.

I like roasted potatoes over potatoes cooked in the soup because I think with roasting they get more depth of flavor.  They also tend to bring a nice texture to recipes and keep their shape more than potatoes simmered in with the liquids.  If you don’t want to roast the potatoes, that’s perfectly okay!  Still only use half when you start cooking and allow the mixture to simmer till the potatoes are cooked through and fork tender.

When it comes to soups and the like, my motto is Go Big or Go Home.  Meaning, I make A LOT.  This soup is no exception and it makes a good amount.  All my soups and things freeze extremely well and reheat well.  So all leftovers can be frozen and saved for another time.

The chowder takes advantage of the sweet summer corn found at the farmer’s markets and turns it into a soothing comforting meal.  A meal that feeds the belly and feeds the soul.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Asian Noodle Soup

6 Comments

I believe that some of the best recipes are ones you just have to create on the fly, not really knowing what you’re doing and hoping for the best.

Scott always talks about those big noodle bowls that you sometimes see at Asian restaurants and how delicious and yummy they look.

“I can make that for you.  What do they taste like?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well what’s in them?”

“I don’t know.”

“Haven’t you had one before?”

“No. I just think they look good.”

“I see.”

Not much info to work with but I decided to try and find out what I could do.  Scott was not feeling well one day and I decided to make him some “Asian soup”.  I put a bunch of stuff in a pot, added noodles and it was fantastic.  We’ve been having Asian Noodle Soup ever since when want some veggies or if Scott’s allergies are bad that day.

It’s evolved over time.  Me finding new ingredients or adding in different veggies but the core has stayed the same and we love it.

Andrea’s Asian Noodle Soup

  • 1 10oz Package of Ramen noodles
  • 1/2 Large onion, chopped
  • 4 Carrots chopped
  • 5 Kale leaves, stems removed and chopped
  • 3 Baby bok choy, chopped
  • 1 Small head of broccoli
  • 2 Quarts of Chicken stock
  • 2tsp Soy sauce
  • 1TBSP Chili Garlic Sauce
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1tsp Smoked Paprika
  • Drizzle toasted sesame oil (or regular sesame oil)
  • Olive oil for sauteeing

In a large soup pot, drizzle some olive oil (about a TBSP) and heat over medium heat.  Add in the onions and carrots and stir, covering them with the oil.  Season with S&P, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.  Allow to sautee for about 5 minutes, then add in the garlic chili sauce and stir.  Add in the soy sauce and stir.  Slowly add in the chicken stock and stir.  Add in the kale and broccoli florets.  Drizzle in the sesame oil and stir.  Bring soup up to a simmer and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Add in the bok choy the last few minutes of cooking as it doesn’t take long to become tender.

About 10 minutes before serveing, cook the ramen noodles in a large pot of boiling water.  They only take a few minutes to cook.  Drain and place back in pot.

To serve, in a large soup bowl, spoon in some noodles then pour the soup on top.  Serve and enjoy!

Scott loves a ton of noodles with his soup.  He then adds in some Sriracha and slurps to his hearts content.

I have made this soup with shredded cabbage as well and that works really well.  I have made the soup without broccoli and without the garlic chili sauce.  It’s a pretty basic soup that is really versatile and will take on whatever you decide to toss in there. I’ve even added in shrimp for a little extra fun.

I like my soup just as soup and save all the noodles for Scott.  It works just as well that way and still hits the spot as a great soup.

Have fun guys and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!