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Saturday, February 24, 2018

Soups


UNSTUFFED CABBAGE ROLL SOUP
 all the great flavors of traditional cabbage rolls, without all the fuss.  
MY CHANGES ARE IN ALL CAPS - WHICH I MADE ON THE FIRST TRY AND LIKE IT JUST FINE WITH MY CHANGES.
PROBABLY WON'T EVEN TRY THE ORIGINAL RECIPE - I WAS MISSING A LOT OF THE INGREDIENTS - BUT WANTED TO TRY A SLIGHTLY EASIER VERSION

Ingredients
1 lb. extra lean ground beef I used 96% lean - OR NOT LEAN AND ADD 1/3 LB GROUND PORK
1 medium yellow onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
5 cups chopped green cabbage about half of a medium sized head
4 cups 32 oz. low-sodium beef broth - OPTIONAL - I DIDN'T HAVE ANY SO JUST USED WATER AND IT WAS FINE
I ONLY USED ENOUGH WATER TO NEARLY COVER THE CABBAGE
3 cups tomato sauce (24 oz.) LARGE CAN FIRE ROASTED TOMATOES
1 cup shredded carrots - OPTIONAL - I DID NOT USE THEM
1/2 cup uncooked white or brown long grain rice - OPTIONAL - BUT IT WOULD BE GOOD - IF YOU LIKE RICE
2 dried bay leaves
3 tbsp. packed brown sugar --ONLY 1 TBSP
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice  - ESSENTIAL
I ADDED A FEW SHAKES OF WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

Instructions
1. In a large soup pot, add the beef and place over medium-high heat. Break it apart with a wooden spoon. Add the onion. Cook about 8 minutes until the beef is brown, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the garlic. Stir and cook 1 minute.
3. Add the cabbage, beef broth, tomato sauce, carrots, rice, bay leaves, brown sugar, salt, oregano, and pepper.
4. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to simmer and cover the pot. Cook until rice is tender (25 minutes for white rice and 45 minutes for brown rice).
5. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice. Let the soup rest uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken up before serving. Remove the bay leaves before serving.


2 comments:

  1. Broc Cheese Soup NYTimes
    INGREDIENTS
    6 tablespoons unsalted butter
    1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
    2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
    Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
    2 pounds broccoli, florets with stems peeled and trimmed to 3 inches
    ¼ cup all-purpose flour
    3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
    2 cups half and half
    8 ounces very sharp Cheddar, grated, plus more for the top
    ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

    Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes.


    Add broccoli, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is bright green and slightly tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a large cooking spoon, transfer broccoli mixture to a medium bowl and set aside.

    Heat remaining 3 tablespoons butter in the same pot over medium heat (don’t worry about any remaining broccoli bits). Add flour and whisk constantly, cooking until the mixture has turned a pale golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

    Gradually whisk in chicken broth until no lumps remain (it’ll thicken considerably at first), followed by half-and-half. Bring to a simmer and stir in cheese, nutmeg and all but 1 cup of the reserved broccoli mixture.

    Reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid has thickened and reduced by about 1/4 and the broccoli is completely tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
    Using a hand blender, purée the soup to desired consistency. (Some like to leave bits of broccoli in there. It is up to you how smooth or chunky the soup is.)

    Alternatively, transfer to a blender and purée to desired consistency.
    Season soup with salt and pepper, and divide among bowls. Top with remaining 1 cup broccoli, more Cheddar (if you like), and lots of freshly ground pepper.

    Optional additions: 1 tsp Colman's English Mustard and 1/4 red pepper flakes.
    Bacon

    added a few handfuls of fresh spinach and a little parsley towards the end of the cooking process. It made the soup look bright green. I also added a can of white beans to make it more substantial/nutritious. Neither spinach nor beans affected the taste much.

    Angostura Bitters really help bring it alive.

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  2. Gnocchi Chicken Soup
    Ingredients
    3 tablespoons butter
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 cup onion diced
    1/2 cup celery diced
    2 garlic cloves minced
    1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    2 cups half-and-half
    1 14 ounce can chicken broth for a thinner soup use 2
    1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
    1 cup shredded carrots
    1 cup fresh spinach leaves chopped
    1 cup diced cooked chicken breast I used rotisserie
    1 16 ounce package potato gnocchi on the pasta isle
    salt and pepper to taste

    In a [url:1]large pot[/url] add butter and olive oil. Over medium high heat sauté onion, celery and garlic until tender. Add the flour to create a roux and cook for another minute.
    Slowly add the half and half and chicken broth and stir until it starts to thicken. Add the thyme, carrots, spinach, chicken and gnocchi. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until gnocchi is cooked and soup is thickened. (If you want a thinner soup add another can of chicken broth.) Salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

    ReplyDelete