It's a good day for soup

The skies are gloomy over Tampa Bay which means it's a good day for soup. Yeah, it's the Sunshine State but I look at this last gasp of cool as a gift before summer arrives full throttle.

Conventional wisdom says that soups have no place on the Florida table after about May 1, at which time the weather becomes soggy and hot and humid and gross. But with gas prices edging ever upward and groceries following, soup is an economical meal any time of the year. I mean, it's not like we eat cold dinners for six months out of the year.

I make a pot once a week and it lasts a couple nights. It's really such a comfort to have soup in the fridge when you're home late from work and school activities. My other trick is to buy some corn muffins (or makes some) and freeze them when I get home from the store. I pull them out in the morning before I head to work and we've got fresh bread at night.

This is a solid recipe from www.allrecipes.com. It can be made even quicker with a pound of cooked kielbasa or turkey sausage. I like to slice that cooked sausage and brown it anyway to impart more of the flavor into the soup. If I use turkey, then I switch to chicken broth.

Italian Sausage Soup 

1 pound Italian sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1 (14.5 ounce) can great  Northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 small zucchini, cubed
2 cups spinach - packed,  rinsed and torn
1/4 teaspoon ground black  pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a stockpot or Dutch oven, brown sausage with garlic. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.

Stir in beans with liquid and zucchini. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.

Remove from heat, and add spinach. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes.

Serves 6.

Source: www.allrecipes.com

Comfort and joy on Friday

Who doesn't love tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches? Dipping crusty bread oozing with melted cheese into savory soup is one of childhood's simple pleasures. And it doesn't end at childhood.

Make your sandwich with hearty whole wheat bread and a super sharp Cheddar, then serve it alongside a bowl of homemade T-soup. No, it doesn't all come out of a red and white can.

This recipe from Mark Bittman is simple and uses canned tomatoes, easier for us and sensible for Northerners who have a heck of a time getting their paws on good tomatoes this time of year. I'll make mine with dried thyme (since i have 3 bottles! why?) and pureed it at the end to make it super smooth. If you want yours chunky, so be it.

Just the thing to take the nip out of another chilly night. Have a great weekend.

Wintertime Tomato Soup
1 28- or 35-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, optional
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 quart (4 cups) stock or water
1/4 cup chopped parsley.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Drain tomatoes and reserve liquid. Halve them and put in a roasting pan; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons oil and the thyme, if using. Roast, turning once or twice, until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Use wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits from pan, adding a little liquid if necessary.

Put remaining olive oil in a deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add garlic and cook just until it begins to color, a minute or so. Add carrot and onion and cook, sprinkling with salt and pepper and stirring, for about 5 minutes. Stir in stock or water, along with contents of roasting pan and reserved tomato juice.

Turn heat to high and bring soup to a boil, then lower heat so it bubbles gently. Cover and cook until vegetables are very tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.

Source: Mark Bittman

A simple dinner for the new year

Happy Monday! I'm back at my work station from a week visiting my family out West. I will not bore you with tales of the fantastic grocery stores out there. It gets to be a broken record, doesn't it? I guess until Tampa Bay area shoppers demand more, we aren't going to get more. We've come a long way, but not really far enough. Enough said. Well, not quite. Read this food wish list for 2008 by me and my food writing colleagues at the Times. Really, we aren't starting off the year cranky, just hopeful. Please chime in with yours.

Despite being on vacation, I did some cooking, including trying out this recipe from my favorite Sunset magazine. The gorgeous photo is what convinced me, though the actual soup is more brothy.

I like Brussels sprouts, especially roasted, but this is another wonderful way to use them. You can substitute another cooked sausage for the andouille but you want something spicy. That's what gives the soup its zing. As is often the case with soup, it was even better on Day 2. The spiciness from the andouille had leached into the broth giving it lots of flavor. Big hunk of bread and a green salad.

This is a meal fit for Monday.

Brussels Sprouts and Sausage Soup

1 pound Brussels sprouts
3/4 pound andouille sausage
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 large red potatoes
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

Trim ends off Brussels sprouts, remove any damaged external leaves, and cut in half lengthwise. Set aside.

Remove casing from sausage and cut into 1/4-in.-thick slices. Put olive oil and sausage in a medium pot over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is well browned, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into roughly 1/2-in. pieces.

When sausage is browned, add bay leaves and caraway seeds to the pot. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add potatoes, broth, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Add Brussels sprouts. Partially cover pot and reduce heat to low or medium-low to maintain a steady simmer. Cook soup until potatoes and Brussels sprouts are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve soup hot.

Yield:  Makes 4 servings

CALORIES 344 (37% from fat); FAT 14g (sat 4.3g); PROTEIN 19g; CHOLESTEROL 35mg; SODIUM 1054mg; FIBER 8.1g; CARBOHYDRATE 40g

Source: Sunset magazine

Soup for what ails you

I'm sick. I'm also one of those people who come to work sick. You can hate me if you wish but I've got a lot to do. The worst was over the weekend and now I've got this barking cough. I sound like a seal when I cough. But when I talk, I sound like Brenda Vacarro for Playtex Tampons. Remember those TV ads? She had that super husky voice. It might sound sexy if people weren't worried I was passing along typhoid.

I don't need many excuses to eat soup but being sick is really at the top of the list. Here's a quick recipe for pasta e fagioli (pasta & beans). Say it pasta fazool. This one has greens in it which adds even more nutrition. Colds hate nutrition. Plus, all those red pepper flakes are sure to soothe my stuffy nose! (Too much information?)

See you back tomorrow ...

Pasta and Fagioli with Greens

2 cups tubetti or other small pasta
4 ounces pancetta (Italian bacon) or bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 cups chopped greens such as kale or spinach
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 can (14 ½ ounces) chicken broth
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained
½ cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Heat a large pan of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add pasta; cook according to package directions until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Drain; keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook pancetta in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until fat renders and meat is browned, about 6 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until it begins to color, about 1 minute. Add greens, stirring to coat with fat. Cover; stirring occasionally, until almost tender, about 20 minutes (if using spinach, the cooking time will be 5-10 minutes).

Add salt and pepper to taste; stir in the pasta, broth and beans. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add ricotta, stirring until mixture is creamy. Season with the red pepper flakes.

Serves 4.

Source: Chicago Tribune

It is finally cold outside!

Just before I sat down to blog, I was staring at the clothes in my closet and wondering if I actually have anything warm to wear. Weather lady says it's 53 outside ... yowza. Well, the long-sleeve black T-shirt (as opposed to the short-sleeve one) will have to do.

Enough with all the pretending from last week. It really is chilly outside this morning and that means my soup kick makes sense. Tonight is the perfect evening to wrap our hands around a warm bowl of soup. Get some crusty bread, maybe even make a salad.

Bundle up!

German Sausage Chowder

1 pounds fully cooked bratwurst, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 cups water
3 carrots, sliced
4 cups shredded cabbage
3 cups milk
3 Tbsp. flour
1-1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

In a Dutch oven or large stockpot, combine sausage, potatoes, onion, salt and pepper. Add water and carrots. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally; then reduce heat. Cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are nearly tender.

Stir in cabbage. Cook 10 minutes more or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the milk. In small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup milk with the flour and blend with whisk. Stir this mixture into the soup and cook on low heat, stirring frequently, until thickened and bubbly. Add cheese and cook and stir until melted.

Serves 6.

Source: Better Homes & Gardens

I'm pretending it's fall

I miss Sweet Week already. We'll do it again sometime.

We were totally duped last week with the sub-90s temps. I thought it was an early fall. Well, the weekend proved that false. Hot enough to fry a fritatta on the sidewalk.

I am going to crank up the ice cold air and make this chickpea stew anyway. I'll take the chill off the inside of the house!

Happy Monday!

Chicken and Chickpea Stew with Chorizo
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 DRIED Spanish chorizos (3-1/2 ounces total), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 can (28 ounces) no-salt-added whole tomatoes in juice
2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup packed cilantro, finely chopped
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
Lime wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof pot with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with the salt. Working in batches if necessary, cook the chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate.
   
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the onion and garlic to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender, about 7 minutes. 
   
Stir in the chorizo, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Stir in the tomatoes and juice, breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon. Add the chickpeas, half the cilantro and the chicken, and bring to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven. Bake for 25 minutes.
   
Stir in the corn, return the pan to the oven and bake until the corn is hot, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
   
Makes 6 servings

Each serving has: 454 calories, 19 g fat (4.6 g saturated), 34 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates (6.9 g fiber), 109 mg cholesterol, 981 mg sodium. Good source of: thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate, selenium, zinc .

Sort of Gumbo

Here's the soup recipe I mentioned yesterday. There are a lot of variations of gumbo but this one is very liberal. Since gumbo means okra in a West African language, there really should be some in the soup. This one has none, which suits one person in my family just fine. He leaves the little green wheels in a heap at the side of the bowl anyway.

Whatever it's called, this soup has good flavor. I made it on Sunday and we at it Monday night. Isn't soup always better the next day? I might be tempted to call it a Chicken and Sausage Chowder. I added a a rinsed and drained can of Northern beans to give it more body.

Make sure when you make the roux (that's the flour and oil mix) that you let it cook until it turns the color of peanut butter. I made this soup in my much beloved Le Crueset pot which conducts heat really well and it took about 25 minutes. You have to keep stirring it, though I prepped my veggies while the roux was cooking and looked frequently. Be very attentive the last five minutes. As soon as it reaches the right color dump the veggies in to cool it down and keep it from burning.

The roux is the key to this soup. It adds a rich and nutty flavor that stands up well next to the bold sausage.

Cheers!

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cooking oil
3/4 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, any fat removed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
8 ounces cooked smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 black pepper
Hot cooked rice

For roux, in a medium heavy saucepan stir together flour and oil until smooth. Cook and stir constantly over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir constantly about 15 minutes more or until a dark, reddish brown color is reached. Stir in celery, onion, green pepper and garlic; cook for 5 minutes more, stirring constantly.

Add chicken, sausages, salt, red pepper and black pepper to the saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, about 1 hour or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Remove chicken pieces and when they are cool enough to handle, shred and return to pot.

Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more or until heated through and serve in bowls with rice.

Serves 8.

Source: Adapted from Simple Secrets for Everyday Cooking from Better Homes and Gardens.

Pretend It's Not Hot. Eat Soup.

I married a man who like soup. We have a son who likes soup. Doesn't matter to them that it's 95 degrees, 100 percent humidity. Everytime we go out, they order soup before the meal. Choice of soup or salad with the meal? They'll have the soup.

I don't come from a soup family. We never had soup, unless it was Campbell's minestrone or chicken noodle. And that was for lunch. Even now, I don't cook a lot of soup. I think they hate me for it.

Oh, I do make a killer gumbo and a fantastic clam chowder. Both take a lot of time. Here's a recipe I think they'll like that is good weeknight fare. Make sure to buy the lower sodium mushroom soup, plus drain AND rinse the corn to get rid of extra salt. To make it a wee bit creamier, I'll sub low-fat milk for half the water.

I found this recipe at www.mom-mom.com. See you back tomorrow for Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday. 

Turkey Meatball Soup

1 pound ground turkey
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cube beef bouillon cube
1-1/2 cups water
1 can (10.75 ounce) condensed cream of mushroom soup
4 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn, drained

Mix together the ground turkey, egg, onion, garlic salt, and pepper. Form meatballs.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown meatballs in oil. Transfer meatballs to a paper towel to drain.

In a soup pot, boil water and dissolve the bouillon cube in the boiling water. Stir in the undiluted mushroom soup. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and corn. Add the meatballs to the soup, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, and simmer 25 to 30 minutes.

This stew is a star

Chris Sherman says the basics of ratatouille are simple to master,  and it works perfectly as a side dish or a main course. Check out his stew recipe.

Souped up soup

It's gorgeous outside this morning. Clear and cool ... I wish I could bottle it for August. Hope your weekend was good; mine was kind of lazy. I guess it's nice to have that every once in a while.

This recipe for jazzed-up split pea soup comes from Carol Mighton Haddix, the food editor of the Chicago Tribune. I think it's pretty clever. It's colder there than it is here but everyone's gotta eat!

Jazzed-Up Split Pea Soup with Cheddar Crisps
1 tablespoon butter
2 shallots, minced
1 cup cubed cooked ham
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 can (14 ½ ounces) heat-and-serve split pea soup (not concentrated)
4 slices French baguette
¼ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper or paprika

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat; add shallots. Cook, stirring until softened, 5 minutes. Add ham and curry powder; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in the soup. Cook until hot and flavors blend, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place bread slices on a baking sheet. Mound one-quarter of the cheese on each slice; sprinkle with red pepper. Bake in oven until cheese melts and bread is crisp, about 5 minutes. Pour soup into two bowls. Top each with 2 of the cheese crisps, or serve the crisps on the side.

Nutrition information per serving: 533 calories, 40 percent of calories from fat, 24 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 98 mg cholesterol, 46 g carbohydrates, 35 g protein, 1,256 mg sodium, 3 g fiber

It's cold. Eat soup.

It's supposed to be freezing tonight. LIterally. Make soup ... and this one is particularly warming and rib-sticking.

Bundle up!

German Sausage Chowder
1 pound fully cooked bratwurst, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups water
3 carrots, sliced
4 cups shredded cabbage
3 cups milk
3 tablespoons flour
1-1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
In a Dutch oven or large stockpot, combine sausage, potatoes, onion, salt and pepper. Add water and carrots. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally; then reduce heat. Cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are nearly tender.

Stir in cabbage. Cook 10 minutes more or until vegetables are tender.
Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the milk. In small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup milk with the flour and blend with whisk. Stir this mixture into the soup and cook on low heat, stirring frequently, until thickened and bubbly. Add cheese and cook and stir until melted. Serves 6.

Really easy soup

Okay, color me stupid but I love this soup and so does my son. Make it tonight and serve it with a refrigerated biscuits and a green salad.

Ready?

Campbell's bean and bacon soup with sliced pre-cooked kielbasa. We've even used Healthy Choice fat-free varieties. Not kidding, it's really good.

And while you're at the store picking up a couple cans, get the ingredients for Savory Bread Pudding with Candadian Bacon, Wild Mushrooms and Feta Cheese. This is a good brunch recipe that I think would be great for a Friday night supper. It's from a cookbook called "Seduced by Bacon."

Sensing a theme today? Everything tastes better with bacon ...

Savory Bread Pudding with Candadian Bacon, Wild Mushrooms and Feta Cheese.
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon white pepper or to taste
3 cups stale firm-textured multigrain bread, torn into 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced wild mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
5 ounces sliced Canadian bacon, finely chopped (1 cup)
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon or parsley
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. In a large bowl, beat the half-and-half, milk, eggs, salt and pepper together until smooth. Add the bread and let stand for 15 minutes to absorb the liquid.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic and thyme and saute until the onion is lightly browned, 6 to 7 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan occasionally.

Combine the mushroom mixture, Canadian bacon, feta and tarragon with the bread, gently turning until just blended. Do not overmix. Scrape into the baking dish and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle on the grated cheese; return the dish to the oven and bake until the top is puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Remove and let stand for a few minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Serves 4 to 6.

Per serving (based on 6 servings): 271 calories, 15 grams protein, 17 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 15 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 144 milligrams cholesterol, 1,044 milligrams sodium
From "Seduced by Bacon."

One Word: Leftovers

Hope you all had a merry day yesterday. I did. I, probably like many of you, feel like food shouldn't be my big priority today. Slimfast for Breakfast and brought one for lunch too.

If you don't have stacks of leftovers in the fridge and feel like cooking at all, today is the day to whip up a pot of the Zero Point Weight Watchers garden vegetable soup. Why wait until Jan. 1 (or 2) to cut back? Besides, you've got 5 days to shimmy into that little black dress for New Year's Eve!

Cheers!

Weight Watchers Garden Vegetable Soup
2/3 cup sliced carrot
1/2 cup diced onion
2 garlic cloves
3 cups broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
1 1/2 cup diced green cabbage
1/2 cup green beans
1 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1. In a large saucepan, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, saute carrot, onion, and garlic over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add broth, cabbage, beans, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and salt; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered about 15 minutes or until beans are tender.

3. Stir in zucchini and heat 3-4 minutes. Serve hot.

More soup, chicken this time

It's still a bit nippy out so tonight begs for something warm. Make life really easy on Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday by adding chunks of roasted chicken to canned minestrone soup. I think Progresso makes a yummy one.

Ladle the soup with chicken into big bowls and sprinkle with good quality Parmesan cheese (you know, the kind that doesn't come in a cardboard box).

A hunk of chunky bread and dinner is done. Easy is good.

Soup tonight!!

Okay, good people. Tonight may be the night to make a pot of soup. Cold front is coming through right now. In fact, it's getting darker and darker outside. BRRRRRR!

By Wednesday it should be back into the 80s so take advantage of the chilly weather now. This is a simple recipe for clam chowder that I think brings a lot of flavor for not much time in the pot. It is thickened at the end by melted butter mixed with flour; not exactly diet fare but the added richness is worth it. Especially on a night like tonight. (Make sure to heat it long enough so the flour cooks and doesn't taste raw.)

Serves with sourdough bread, warm and pillowy. And turn on the heat.

Clam Chowder
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (10 ounce) cans minced clams, drained with juice reserved
1 quart half-and-half cream
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

In a blender, combine onion, garlic and enough water to make a smooth paste. Set aside.

In a large pot, combine potatoes, celery, salt, pepper, onion mixture and juice from clams. Augment with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, 20 minutes.

Stir in half-and-half and sugar. Combine melted butter and flour, then whisk into soup. Cook and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in clams and adjust seasonings.  Serves 6.

Source: www.allrecipes.com

It's fall ... make soup

The air was so cool and fresh this morning that I got to thinking about soup. So I sprang up and ran for my Gourmet because I remembered this recipe and wanted to share it. (I am so lying. There was no springing.) When I looked at it a week ago, I though "ugh, it's too hot." Today, though, it feels like fall. (Well, I haven't been outside since 7:45 a.m. so it might just be hot.)

Anyway, make this. Before it gets hot again.

Quick Minestrone Soup
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed in a garlic press
4 ounces chopped kale (or other fresh green) (6 cups)
1 (1-lb) bag frozen mixed Italian vegetables such as zucchini, green beans, cauliflower, and broccoli
1 (14 1/2-oz) can "petite" diced tomatoes in juice
1 cup ditalini pasta or small elbow macaroni
5 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (42 fl oz)
2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (19-oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Accompaniment: grated parmesan

Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add kale and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Add frozen vegetables, tomatoes with juice, pasta, broth, water, salt, and pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, transfer half of beans to a wide shallow bowl and coarsely mash with a fork or a potato masher, then stir mashed and whole beans into soup and simmer, stirring occasionally, until soup is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings.
Gourmet
October 2006

Another Rachael Ray cookbook

My gosh, is this girl busy. Rachael Ray has another cookbook, "Express Lane Meals" and that is the source of Pappa Al Pomodoro, a recipe for Tuscan stale bread soup. I think her nationally syndicated talk show begins Sept. 18.

I love bread soup and bread salad. I wrote a story on bread salads a few years ago and included a comment from someone who said that the Italians use their bread even as it stales. It's not that it's no good anymore, it's just good for another use. That's a good lesson for us ... save that stale bread for bread crumbs, too.

This recipe calls for ciabatta, also known as slipper bread, because it sort of resembles a shoe. It's become popular these days with Wendy's serving sandwiches on ciabatta rolls. I think even the Publix in-store bakeries are making the chewy bread. If you can't find, use a hearty French bread.

Pappa Al Pomdoro

1 loaf chewy bread, such as ciabatta
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 sprig fresh rosemary
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small onion
1 cup chicken stock
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 cup fresh basil, about 20 leaves
Salt and black pepper
Freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano or grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Chop about 2 cups (a couple of small mounds) of the bread and reserve the rest to pass at the table.

Heat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add about 1/4 cup of the olive oil, then add the sprig of rosemary and the garlic. Peel and halve the onion, and, using a box grater or other hand-held grater, grate the onion directly into the soup pot.

Saute the mixture for 5 minutes, then remove the rosemary stem. Add the chicken stock and the tomatoes and bring it to a bubble. Add the bread chunks and stir until the bread has melted into the soup, which will make it thick. Tear or shred the basil and stir it into the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste and ladle the soup into bowls. Top it with and extra swirl of olive oil, 1 tablespoon per bowl, and lots of shaved parmesan or grated pecorino romano cheese.

Potato meets soup

A creamy-cheesy potato soup goes great with a fresh green salad. Use lots of crunchy vegetables to provide the crisp yin to the soup’s smooth yang. Baked Potato Soup 5 large baking potatoes, baked (see note) 1/4 cup butter or margarine 1 medium onion, chopped 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 quart half-and-half 3 cups milk 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese 8 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Peel potatoes, and coarsely mash with a fork.
Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion and saute until tender. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Stir in potatoes, half-and-half, and next 3 ingredients; cook over low heat until thoroughly heated. Top each serving with cheese and bacon.

Makes about 12 cups.

Note: To bake potatoes in the microwave, prick each several times with a fork. Microwave 1 inch apart on paper towels on HIGH 14 minutes or until done, turning and rearranging after 5 minutes. Let cool.