Sunday Soup: Making Minestrone

Welcome to Sunday Soup. This week's special is minestrone.

Minestrone is simply an Italian vegetable soup which often includes pasta. My minestrone is never exactly the same each time; that’s a good thing.  What I’ve posted below are guidelines, recommendations. Use seasonal ingredients and leftovers. Be creative and have fun.

When we camp at TTITD, I make a version we call Playastrone, with canned veggies and beans instead of fresh veggies and pasta. When the smell wafts and unexpected guests drop by, I may ask if they have anything to contribute to the soup to stretch it. Canned corn, black beans...all gifts go in the pot. No one leaves hungry.

Both recipes serve 8 - 10 people.

Basic Minestrone 
Ingredients

• Greens: 1-2 bunches. I like kale and beet greens. Chard works, too. Spinach, meh – something about the metallic aftertaste I don’t care for in my soup.
• Mirepoix: about 1 1/2 c. chopped. equal amounts of red onion, carrots, celery. Red bell pepper too, if it’s available.
• Other veggies: roughly 4 cups chopped: wild or cremini mushrooms, green beans, a generous amount of fresh tomatoes (Roma or grape are my faves for this -- don't skip the tomatoes!), garlic, zucchini. If they're in season: fava beans, fresh garbanzo beans, green garlic, green tomatoes (they are mild and sweet, try it and see).
• Meat is optional, but we like it: leftover chicken or beef, or Italian sausage (precooked before adding to the pot)
• Fresh Italian herbs (or dried herbs if you don't have fresh): parsley, basil, rosemary, lemon thyme. about 1/4 - 1/3 chopped/fresh, about 2-3 T/dried. Use a light hand and taste as the soup brews. You can add but you can't take away.
• A starch component: tortellini or beans (garbanzo, cannellini, kidney are good; lima beans or black-eyed peas are not). or leftover potatoes. or diced winter squash. or all of the above.
• Broth: 8 cups for a big stock pot of soup.
• My secret ingredient: lemon or orange zest. Don't get crazy with this. Only use enough to "freshen" the broth.

Directions

1. Chop everything into bite-sized pieces. Lightly sauté the mirepoix in olive oil until they start to soften. Then add the garlic & tomatoes and stir a minute more. Burned garlic = bad.
2. Now add the other raw veggies, herbs, meat, and broth. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Veggies should be cooked enough, not to death.
3. Pile the leafy greens on top and simmer with the lid on the pot. Check periodically. Soup should be ready to serve in 5-10 more minutes.
4. What you do next depends on your starch component.
• If I have tortellini on hand (I do today), I’ll cook the pasta separately. I hate over-cooked pasta and it tends to absorb the broth if you store leftovers in the fridge overnight. Just ladle the soup over the pasta before serving. 
• If I don’t have or want pasta in the soup, I’ll add a can of beans to the pot. Or I’ll dice up a leftover baked potato or kabocha or butternut squash.  Or all of the above. Just don’t use yams or sweet potatoes please.
5. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper, and top with parmesan and fresh chopped Italian parsley.

Playastrone
Ingredients

• 2-3 diced red onions
• 2 diced green peppers
• 4 diced carrots
• 4 diced celery sticks
• 6 c. broth
• 28 oz. can stewed or diced tomatoes
• 15 oz. can each kidney, garbanzos, green beans
• 2-3 cans chicken
• 2 T. dried parsley
• 2 t. Italian seasoning
• 1 t. lemon pepper
• 1 t. garlic powder

Directions

1. Saute onion, peppers, carrots and celery over med-low heat until soft. 
2. Add broth, beans, chicken and seasoning. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Hint: Dice veggies at home, ziplock and store in the cooler.

The Sultan's Soup

I call this the Sultan’s Soup because it is incredibly luscious, fit for a sultan so to speak. It’s my favorite kitchen sink soup, i.e. made with ingredients I have on hand with no recipe in mind.  

While this recipe makes a big stock pot of soup, I don’t recommend cutting this recipe in half. This soup tastes better the second or third day, and freezes well.

Omit linguica if you don’t have it handy or you’re vegetarian.  Omnivores can certainly sub another lean spicy sausage. Elsewise, you may want to add sriracha to counterbalance the natural sweetness of the kabocha.

Don’t have kabocha? I’m sorry. Yes, you can use any winter squash, but it won’t be the same, imho.

P.S. sorry for yet another cruddy pic. not a food stylist or photog. but I am a damn good cook.

Sultan's Soup
Ingredients

1 kabocha squash, thinly sliced and cut into 2-3” bits

Optional: 2 slices smoked applewood bacon, cooked and chopped.

1 red onion,  minced

2 T. olive oil

5 cups broth (chicken or veggie)

1-2 fresh (not pickled) jalapenos, minced

1 cup potato (I used garlic-braised fingerling potatoes leftover from the previous night’s dinner)

Fresh chopped herbs: Italian flat leaf parsley, cilantro (1/3 c. each)
Optional: 1/2 t. za'atar *

1/2 c uncooked red quinoa

1 can coconut milk

½ cup heavy cream

1 c. sliced linguica

Optional: dash of sriracha

Garnish with sliced scallions and cilantro

Directions

1. Slice the veggies. 
2. Saute the red onion in olive oil until it glistens.
3. Cook the smoked bacon separately and drain.
4. Add the veggies, linguica, quinoa, and broth to a stock pot and let the soup simmer until the squash and taters are tender.
5. At this stage, use a pastry blender to break up the squash. You could use a hand blender, but I prefer to preserve the texture of the quinoa and veggies as much as possible.
6. Add bacon, fresh herbs, coconut milk and cream. Let simmer on your lowest heat for 5-10 more minutes and then taste the broth. If it’s too sweet (totally depends on the kabocha), spice it up with a dash or more of sriracha.
7. Before serving, top with more chopped cilantro and scallions.
8. Mangia!

 It’s divine, right?  

* Za'atar is a middle eastern spice blend made with thyme, sesame seeds and sumac. I order online.

Ugly Soup for a sick “boy”

It looks a bit like chunky grey slop, but it tastes like a spoonful of heaven. This soup is mild and hearty, to soothe a body that hasn't eaten for over a day. Simple, fast comfort food.

Sauté a chopped red onion, a few cloves of garlic, ½ t Spanish paprika and 4 crumbled dry sage leaves in olive oil. Add 3 chopped russet potatoes and ¼ of a small kabocha, also chopped. Simmer in 4 cups of stock.

If you’re inclined, add 1 c. (cooked and chopped) lean meat to the simmering veggies – we had roast pork leftovers. Chicken would do nicely as well. Even fish, though I’d add that as last step.

When the taters are tender, stir in 1 cup milk, a pat of butter and a hearty grind of black pepper. The soup is unattractive, but yummy good. A bit bland for my tastes, but perfect for someone getting over the flu. If your tummy can handle it, add a fresh, minced jalapeno to the initial sauté, or spritz your bowl with sriracha.

We're having leftovers for brunch today.

Curried Kabocha Soup

This is perhaps the easiest soup to make EVAH. I oven-roasted a kabocha squash the other night. Although the skin is edible, I peeled most of it off for today’s soup. All told, prep was 10 minutes. And because I use a vegetarian “chicken broth” from New Leaf, the soup is vegan. Jim likes it anyway.

You may be tempted to substitute butternut or another winter squash for the kabocha, but the soup will not taste the same. IMHO, there is no substitute for kabocha. Try it and you'll see why.

Curried Kabocha Soup
Ingredients
1 medium kabocha squash
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 can coconut milk
1 fat teaspoon of powdered curry spices
4 cups broth

Directions

1. Roast the squash until tender. Let cool. Peel and remove seeds.
2. Saute the onion, pepper and spices in olive oil.
3. Add the broth and squash and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Puree with immersion blender.
5. Add coconut milk.
6. Serve.

We had leftover country potatoes from breakfast -- also seasoned with curry and red onions -- so I tossed those in.

Jim’s words: “oh man, this is incredible.” That's an understatement.

Asparagus Soup

Cream of asparagus soup for dinner. Divine. and simple: 3/4 lb. asparagus, chopped and simmered in 3 cups chicken broth with 1/4 cup chopped leek. Cook until tender, blend until smooth, add 1 c. milk, salt/pepper. Serves 4. Mangia.

Carrot Ginger Soup

This is a very basic recipe. Makes one serving. Follow the directions and proportions once, then consider the possibilities.

I enjoy this recipe as is, but also add curry spices and top with sauteed jalapenos. Or replace some of the water with coconut milk and top with cilantro rather than parsley. The key is to compliment the carrots, not overpower their flavor. (I love carrots in minestrone, but that's not a Carrot Soup, it's a soup with carrots in it.)

Unfortunately, I'm not sure which magazine this recipe came from; I've carried this clipping for years and can't match the font styles to food magazines we subscribe to. You'll find a myriad of variations on the Internets. If you come across this, please ping me so I can credit the source.

Carrot-Ginger Soup

Ingredients

• 2 t. mild oil or butter
• 2 T. each: diced onion and celery
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced (about a cup)
• 1 cup broth (vegetable or chicken)
• 1 T. orange juice
• 1 1/2 - 2 t. grated ginger
• 1 t. unsalted butter
• parsley, optional
• orange zest, optional

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion and celery. Do not saute. Cover and cook over a low heat until they start to soften.
2. Add carrots. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
3. Add the broth, OJ and ginger. Cover the pan and simmer until the carrots are completely tender, about 30 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Puree until smooth.
5. Pour into bowl, dollop with butter and lightly sprinkle with chopped parsley and orange zest.

Photo coming soon.

Beef Soup simmered in a Lemon Thyme & Fennel Broth with Cheddar Onion Drop Biscuits

I intended to make minestrone for dinner, but hadn't shopped accordingly. I love kale in minestrone, carrots, celery, cannelini. So I invented a soup using what we had on hand, which is how the best soups are made.

The house smells so good right now you could lick the air. The basis of the aromatic broth is lemon thyme and crushed fennel seeds. I happen to have lemon thyme growing in a pot on the porch. It's unlikely you'll find it in the grocery store, but regular thyme and a dash of lemon juice are a fair enough substitute. I also polished off the soup with a hearty squeeze of "lima dulce" or sweet lime, which we picked up at the farmers market last week. Another unlikely find at your local market, so freshly squeezed lime is fine.

Aromatic Beef Soup with Lemon Thyme and Fennel
Ingredients

• 2 c. cooked, cubed beef (leftover roast, for example)
• 1 med. red onion, chopped finely
• 3 fat cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1-2 T lemon thyme
• 1 T chopped fennel seed (not ground fennel seed)
• 2 T olive oil
• 5 cups broth (I use chicken broth)
• 1 c. uncooked rice (my choice: short grain brown rice)
• 1 c. frozen or fresh green peas
• optional: 1-2 T lemon and/or lime zest

Directions

1. Saute the onion and mushrooms in the olive oil. Add the garlic and fennel seed after two minutes.
2. When the garlic has softened, add the broth, thyme and beef.
3. Simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes, allowing the herbs to infuse the beef.
4. Add the rice. Continue to simmer until the rice is tender.
5. Add the peas. Cook only until they are tender, maybe one or two minutes more.
6. Serve with a fat wedge of sweet lime.

Cheddar Onion Drop Biscuits
Ingredients

• 2 c. flour
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 t. sugar (optional)
• 6 T. butter
• 1 c. plus 2 T. dairy (whatever you have on hand: milk/cream/buttermilk)
• 1 cup finely shredded cheddar or cheddar blend
• 1-2 scallions or small bunch of chives, sliced finely

Directions

1. Preheat the oven at 400 degrees.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.
3. Add the butter, cubed, and using a pastry cutter, blend it into the flour.
4. Add the scallions, milk and cheese. Mix only until blended.
5. You can spoon the batter onto a buttered cookie sheet or shape 6 chubby patties by hand.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are browned.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

I was cleaning off my desk and found this recipe scribbled on a yellow legal pad. This soup is one of our cool weather staples.

Use a good sugar pie pumpkin (as opposed to one of the tasteless behemoths sold for jack-o-lanterns) or substitute another orange-fleshed winter squash. Kabocha is my favorite. Butternut works, too.

This soup is even better the second day. To dress it up, swirl a spoonful of crema fresca or creme fraiche -- both milder than sour cream, which I don't personally like -- on the top, and sprinkle with parsley.

Curried Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
2 lbs/ 4 c. cooked pumpkin (about a 4 lb pumpkin)
1 med. onion, finely chopped
2 shredded carrots
2 T. olive oil
2 Red Delicious apples, cored, peeled and diced
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced (if you prefer, use yam or sweet potato)
1 large clove garlic
1 T. curry ...make sure your spices are fresh or make your own curry powder*
2-3 c. chicken or vegetable stock
orange zest (optional)
crema fresca or creme fraiche
parsley

Directions

1. Wash the outside of the pumpkin. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. If you have room in your oven, bake the pumpkin whole. I don't so I chop it in half and put each half, face down, on a cookie sheet. Either way, poke holes in the pumpkin with a skewer or knife so steam can escape. You really don't want the pumpkin to explode in your oven.


• Bake the pumpkin until tender, about 60-90 minutes. When it's cool enough to handle, clean the seeds and any pulp, and peel the skin. Rough chop the flesh and set aside.


3. While the pumpkin bakes, saute the onion in the olive oil in a stock pot until semi-translucent. Add the curry powder, carrots and garlic and continue to saute, stirring frequently, until onions and garlic are soft.
4. Add the chicken stock to the pot, along with the potato, apple, and pumpkin. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. If you're using orange zest, add it now.
5. Use a hand blender to puree the soup. Or let it cool and use your blender or food processor.
6. Serve warm, with a swirl of crema fresca and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

* You may prefer to make your own curry blend. There are recipes online. This one is basic, this one slightly different.

Cioppino

Cioppino is a seafood stew which supposedly originated in San Francisco. It's surprisingly easy to make, involves little prep, and takes very little time to cook. It's essential to use fresh seafood and fresh herbs.

I've included a clip of Bobby Flay's Cioppino Throwdown with Phil DiGirolamo from Phil's Fish Market in Moss Landing. Bobby says the key ingredient in the tomato base is anchovies (he actually uses anchovy paste). Phil says it takes about an hour for the tomato base to cook.

My version, which serves 2-4, is simpler and faster to make, and in my opinion, is just as tasty.

Cioppino

Ingredients
1 dungeness crab, or 2 snow crab legs
12 mussels
1/2 pound sea scallops
8 large shrimp
8 clams or can of minced clams (add juice too)
4 baby squid (cleaned/sliced)
1/2 lb. firm white fish, like cod or red snapper, cut into chunks
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped onion or shallots or leeks
1 c. chopped tomatoes
1 finely chopped anaheim pepper
1/2 c. grated carrots
1 T olive oil
3 c. fish or chicken stock
1 c. white wine
1 T. fresh thyme
1 T. basil
cayenne or crushed red peppers

Directions

1. Lightly saute onions, garlic, pepper, tomatoes for two minutes.
2. Add broth, wine, fresh clams (if using canned, add in step 4) and crab. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
3. Add mussels and thyme, cover and simmer until mussels and clams have opened.
4. Add scallops and fish, cover and simmer for 1 minute.
5. Add sliced squid; cook about 30 seconds.
6. Top with croutons and enjoy.
   
   

Gazpacho

Too hot to cook? This is the perfect meal. Going camping? Blend and chill ahead of departure. When you're done setting up camp, all you have to do is take this out of the cooler and pour dinner.

This recipe is inspired by the BEST gazpacho at the Redwood Forest Restaurant in Chico.

Gazpacho
Ingredients
1 cucumber
1/2 medium red onion
1/2 c. green pepper
2 large plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 c. finely chopped cauliflower
1/2 pound mushrooms
1 bunch fresh spinach
1 heaping T. fresh basil
1/2 t. garlic
1 t. black pepper
3/4 t. crushed, dried thyme
1/4 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground sage
6 T each: olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice
3/4 t. tabasco or sciraca
2 cans (46 oz. size) V-8 juice (or Spicy V-8 and leave out tabasco)*
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

* or substitute your homemade veggie juice

Directions
1. Finely chop vegetables or pulse BRIEFLY in food processor (still chunky), then remove to a large bowl.
2. Add all seasonings, sauce, and juice. Stir well. Chill. Suggestion: Let flavors combine for at least 3 hours before serving.

Episode 2 - The Rum Show

Roxanne told David she'd make him a carrot cake for his birthday. She decided to kick it up a notch and add rum. Then she got carried away cooking with the golden elixir. The recipes for this show include Rum Carrot Cake with Rum Cream Cheese Frosting, Almost Bermuda Fish Chowder, and Rum Sticky Buns.

Rum Carrot Cake

Ingredients:
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
1/4 c. dark rum
1 tsp. grated lemon or orange zest
16 oz. grated raw carrots - about 4 cups
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 inch bundt pan or 10 mini bundts. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
2. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat sugar and oil with electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat for 2-3 minutes. Add rum and zest.
3. Stir in flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time. Using a spatula, add carrots and walnuts, and mix until well blended.
4. Turn batter into prepared pan(s). Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool in pan. Remove cake from pan and frost.
   

Rum Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 Tbsp. butter, softened
3 Tbsp. rum
1 box (16 oz.) confectioners' sugar

1. Using an electric mixer, blend cream cheese and butter until smooth, then add rum.
2. Add sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Drip frosting over cooled cake.
   

Rum Sticky Buns
Ingredients:3 lbs. frozen bread dough, thawed OR homemade dough,
depending on how much time you want to invest

Topping:
1 1/2 c. pecan halves
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. dark corn syrup
1/2 c. rum
1 c. butter

Filling:
1/2 stick butter, melted
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
6 Tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1. Make topping:
a. Butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Cover bottom of dish with the pecans.
b. In a high-sided saute pan, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter, and over low heat, whisk until melted and smooth. Turn heat up and add rum and bring to boil, stirring continuously. Boil for one minute while whisking constantly. Pour mixture over the pecans. Set aside.

2. Make filling:
a. Melt butter and set aside.
b. In a small mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, sugar and cinnamon.

3. Assemble sticky buns:
a. Roll 1 lb. dough into 12 by 16-inch rectangle.
b. Brush with melted butter.
c. Sprinkle with filling mix.
d. Roll dough from the long side, like a jelly roll.
e. Cut into 8 two-inch sections and place in baking dish cut side down.
f. Repeat with the other 2 lbs. bread dough.
g. The rolled buns will be snug but there should be (a little) room for the dough to rise. Cover the dish with a towel or foil and set in a warm place for about 20 minutes.
h. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the buns are toasty and the rum syrup is bubbling.
i. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then carefully invert the buns onto a cookie sheet or large serving platter. Best served warm.

Almost Bermuda Fish Chowder
Ingredients:Stage one:
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 leek (white and pale green parts only), chopped
2-3 carrots, shredded
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3 T. olive oil
4 c. low sodium chicken broth
3 c. water
1 T. each of whole allspice and peppercorns, plus 1 bay leaf, tied in a cheesecloth package
4 c. diced potatoes
Stage two:
2-3 lb. firm, cleaned white fish such as cod or snapper (about 6 fillets)
1 (28 oz. can) crushed tomatoes in puree
1-2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves or 1/4 t. ground thyme
1 tsp. paprika
Stage three:
2 T. lime or lemon juice
2 (6.5 oz.) cans of chopped clams with juice
1 lb (about) medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 T. Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1/4 cup rum
Final touches: 2 T Sherry pepper sauce **, chopped parsley

** Sherry Hot Pepper Sauce: Before cooking, marinate 1-2 minced scotch bonnet peppers in 6 oz. sherry. The longer they sit, the spicier it gets. Set aside.

1. Stage one: In a 6-quart wide heavy pot , saute onion, bell pepper, leek, carrots, and garlic in olive oil over moderate heat until translucent, stirring frequently. Stir in stock and water, drop in spice cheesecloth packet, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add potatoes. Simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes.
2. Stage two: Add fish fillets, canned crushed tomatoes, thyme, paprika and hot pepper sauce. Simmer 20 minutes.
3. Stage three: Add clams, shrimp, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and rum. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Stir in Sherry pepper sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.