What Vegetables? Tortilla Soup

A coworker brought this delicious tortilla soup to a potluck and I fell in love with it. I hate cauliflower and was so impressed that I was devouring it, "What do you mean there is vegetables in this?" This is basically nothing but pureed vegetables with a Mexican flare and thickened with tortillas. I have slightly adapted it and you should feel free to change it up to suite your own tastes or to use up any vegetables you have on hand. The soup is wonderfully savory and has a little kick of spice to it too. The garnishes really make the dish and it's fun to see your diners make their bowl of soup their own. I like mine with shredded cheddar, avocado, and few dashes of hot sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped. You can substitute an onion if leeks aren't available.
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled but left whole
• 5 mild chili peppers (Anaheim, Poblano, Pasilla), charred over flame or under broiler, then chopped
• 6 cups chicken broth
• water
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped with large stems removed
• tortillas - 2 medium flour or 4 small corn, toasted in oven and crushed into small pieces. You can also use a handful of tortilla chips instead if you have that on hand. 
• salt to taste
• milk (optional)
• garnish ideas: shredded sharp cheddar cheese, chopped avocado, sour cream, tortilla strips, and/or hot sauce.

1. Heat oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks, carrots, celery, and garlic, and saute until fragrant and start to soften. 
2. Add in peppers and saute another 5 minutes. 
3. Pour chicken broth over vegetables and increase heat to high until it boils. Decrease heat to medium simmer ad add cauliflower. Add water if needed to cover the cauliflower completely. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until cauliflower can be easily pierced with a fork. 
4. Add cilantro and tortillas. Using immersion blender, puree until smooth.
5. Season with salt. If soup is too spicy you can add a cup or 2 of milk to decrease the heat.
6. Serve with garnishes. 

Copy Cat: The Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana

I sometimes get a crazy craving for the endless soup, salad, and bread sticks at The Olive Garden. We used to drive 45 minutes one way just for the Zuppa Toscana, but then I discovered how easy it is to duplicate at home. Neither Jimmy or I could tell the difference between the home-made version and the real thing, and it was delicious on this cold, wintry Friday night at home!

Despite it's name, this soup is not really Tuscan at all except for the kale, but it tastes great anyway. Who wouldn't love a soup with Italian sausage, potatoes, and kale in a lightly creamed onion and garlic broth? 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 1 white onion, small dices
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 5 cups water
• 2 russet potatoes, skin intact, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced 1/8 inch thin
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Remove sausage from casing and crumble. Cook through and set aside. 
2. In large pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil.
3. Add chicken broth and water, and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce to a simmer and add potatoes cooking until done. 
5. Add sausage and kale, and let simmer for 5 more minutes. 
6. Stir in cream and season well. 

Apple-Cheddar-Squash Soup

I love when a dish screams the season of its ingredients. This soup is all about the fall with it's apples and butternut squash, and I especially enjoy it during cold, wet weather. Apples, cheddar, and butternut squash may seem like an odd combination, but it works and does so amazingly well. This soup is savory, but has a hint of sweetness and is bright in flavor. Served with some crispy prosciutto (Italian bacon), it goes great as a brunch dish too.

If you aren't familiar with prepping butternut squash, it is important to know that it can cause "contact dermatitis" for many people. This is a minor skin allergy caused from contact with the flesh of the squash. If you experience this, just apply Cortisone cream and it should clear up in a day or so. If you have sensitive skin, you may just want to take the precaution of wearing latex gloves. Many places sell butternut squash already cut into small squares, but you'll pay a lot less if you buy a whole one and prep it yourself.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 russet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 3 medium apples (any kind, but nothing too tart, i.e. no Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and cut into small cubes
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 oz prosciutto, sliced thin

1. First cook the prosciutto. You can fry it up like bacon on the stove top, but you will need to add a little bit of butter to the pan first. What I like to do is bake it though. Place on wire rack over a sheet pan and bake at 400 until crisp. Set prosciutto aside. 
2. Heat butter in large soup pot. Add squash, potato, and apples and saute until everything starts to soften. 
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and add flour, stirring well. Cook for 3 minutes. 
4. Add chicken stock and water. Liquid should just cover the the veg. Increase heat and bring to a boil. 
5. Reduce heat back down to a low simmer and cook until squash and potato is fully cooked. 
6. Puree soup using an immersion (stick) blender. Add cheese and milk and stir well. 
7. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls garnished with crispy prosciutto. 

Mac N Cheese Soup

Mac n cheese soup might be my ultimate comfort food. I came up with this recipe while experimenting with cheese soups (Guinness and Irish cheddar, yum! but I digress) last year and it is always a hit with kids and adults alike. Plus it does't pack as many calories and fat as it's lighter in cheese and pasta than the regular mac n cheese, and I sneak in some pureed vegetables too.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups mirapoix
• 1/4 cup flour
• salt
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups low fat milk
• 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or whatever kind of cheese you want)
• 1/2 lb elbow macaroni, cooked

1. In soup pot, melt butter and sautee mirepoix until tender. 
2. Stir in flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add in chicken stock and (increase heat) bring to a low simmer. Soup should begin to thicken. Keep at a low simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. 
4. Remove from heat and add in milk and cheese. Puree with immersion blender. Season to taste.
5. Stir in macaroni and serve.

Bacon and Corn Chowdah

This isn't just any ol' corn chowder (pronounced "chowdah" if you're from Boston, but I'm not); this is corn chowder done my way: with bacon. And it's delicious, if I do say so myself. I grew up in a farming town where there was lots of corn and I love eating fresh corn in the summer. Use fresh corn if you can get it, but frozen corn will be great too. Just don't use canned corn or it will be mushy.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz bacon, a little goes a long way
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 large (or 2 small) potato, peeled and cut into medium-small cubes
• 2-3 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups fresh sweet corn, cut off the cob - frozen is okay too
• 1 cup milk (I used unsweetened soy milk)
• 6 oz sharp cheddar, grated
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cut bacon into penny-size pieces and cook in soup pot until crispy. Remove bacon and place over paper towel to absorb excess grease.
2. Leaving bacon grease in pot, add onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until soft.
3. Sprinkle in flour and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add potato and chicken broth, and cook until potatoes are tender.
5. Add milk and corn and bring up to a low simmer. Cook for 3 minutes, but do not let it come to full boil.
6. Stir in cheese and allow it to melt. Also add in the cooked bacon. Using immersion blender, blend to desired chunkiness. I blended about half so it's creamy and still pretty chunky.
7. Salt and pepper to taste.