Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

Beef Stifado

It is stew weather here .  . . cold, dark, and wet. I guess I shall be making stews for the next five months. ARGH

Oh well, the grill had a fine run and now it is time to start using the dutch oven more.

We had some great stews while we were in Greece so I looked to my Greek cookbooks first for inspiration. We decided to make a stifado (also spelled stifatho). These stews are characterized by pearl onions ... lots of onions ... often equal by weight to the main ingredient. And they're winter favorites.

Stifado dishes have been made and loved in Greece at least since the Middle Ages, when it is believed the word was first coined. They can be made with meat, poultry, seafood, game, or another vegetable as the central ingredient. The onions, wine or vinegar, tomato, and a selection of herbs and spices (often including cinnamon) create a flavorful base. Generally made on the stove top, there are a few stifado variations that can be made in the oven.

This beef stifado is one of the classics, and one of the easiest to make. This is one of those recipes where you dump everything into a pot and let it cook to create its own perfection. The recipe calls for beef, onions, garlic, wine, bay leaves, orange, tomato, and spices, and the result is delicious!

Beef Stifado

2 pounds of lean beef, cubed 
1 pound of pearl onions, peeled 
2 tablespoons  olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, peeled, halved
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 bottle full-bodied red wine
grated rind and juice of 1 orange
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
chopped flat leaf parsley to garnish 

Heat the oil in a dutch oven. Add the pearl onions and garlic, cook until they are soft (about 5 minutes). Add the beef to the dutch oven and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned on all sides. NOTE: if the meat is crowded i.e. individual pieces touching one another - it will steam and not brown. In this case cook the meat in two or three batches to ensure appropriate browning.

Stir in the cinnamon, cloves, cumin, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Pour in the wine, stirring any glazed bits from the bottom. Add in the grated orange rind, juice, and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then cover.

Cook in a preheated oven at 325 for about 1 1/4 hour. Remove the lid and cook for a further one hour. Stir the stew once or twice during this time.

Serve with boiled of mashed potatoes. Garnish with chopped flat leaf parsley.

Serves 6

Chicken Tomatillo Stew

It will be no surprise at all to anyone who has read this blog for more than a month or so that we love 'Mexican' food around here. If you're wondering why the quotations it is because of the fact that so much of what we think of as Mexican food isn't traditional at all. Nonetheless, it is likely to appear at our dinner table.

I saw this stew on Simply Recipes a month ago. Immediately I was smitten because it had so many of the fresh flavours we love about Mexican food - roasted tomatillos, jalapenos, and cilantro. YUM

I still hadn't used up the huge basket of tomatillos and peppers that I bought at the market so this seemed to be the perfect thing. Essentially this is a dry chicken saute to which you add an amazing fresh tasting sauce made from roasted tomatillos. This bubbles away on the stove filling the house full of tantalizing flavours for about 20 minutes.

Note: you can adjust the heat by leaving in the seeds of the jalapenos (HOT) or removing them and discarding them (less hot) prior to adding them. Of course, we leave the seeds in!

I served this over a Mexican rice dish I made from white rice, roasted corn, roasted poblano peppers, and sauteed onions. You certainly don't need to go to that trouble but the result was amazing!

If you're in the same situation I was and have an excess of tomatillos to use up you should give this one a try!

Thanks Elise for another amazing recipe!

Enjoy.

Chicken Tomatillo Stew

1 1/2 lbs tomatillos
1-2 jalapeño chile peppers, or 2-3 serrano chili peppers (include the seeds if you want the heat, remove them if you don't want the heat), stems discarded, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tbsp lime (or lemon) juice
Pinch of sugar
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cups tomatillo sauce
1 teaspoon dry oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped
1/2 cup packed chopped cilantro (about one bunch, rinsed and chopped, stems and leaves)

Make the tomatillo sauce. Remove the papery husks from the tomatillos and rinse well. Cut the tomatillos in half and place them cut-side down on an aluminum foil-lined roasting pan. Broil for 5-7 minutes until blackened in spots. Let cool enough to handle. Place the tomatillos, any juice they have released, chile peppers, garlic, salt, lime juice and sugar in a blender, and pulse until well blended. If you make ahead, refrigerate until needed.

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large, thick-bottomed pot on medium high heat until almost smoking. Pat dry the cubed chicken parts with paper towels. Sprinkle salt and pepper over them. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, and adding more olive oil when necessary, brown the chicken pieces on two sides. When you place the pieces in the pan, make sure there is room between them (otherwise they will steam and not brown), and don't move them until they are browned on one side. Then use tongs or a metal spatula to turn them over and don't move them again until they are browned on the other side. Do not cook through, but only brown. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan and lower the heat to medium. There should be a nice layer of browned bits at the bottom of the pan.

Add the onions to the pan, and a tablespoon or two more olive oil if needed (likely). Add ground cumin and coriander. Cook a few minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are softened and the browned bits from the chicken have been picked up by the onions and are no longer sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant.

Add the browned chicken, the tomatillo sauce, chicken stock, and oregano to the pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add the cilantro to the stew in the last minute or so of cooking.

Serve over white rice, accompanied with sour cream if needed to offset the heat from the chiles. The stew will thicken as it cools.

Sunday Slow Soupers - Cream of Artichoke Soup

I can't believe that today is the last day for the Sunday Slow Soupers. We started off on November 23rd with an amazing Chestnut and Porcini soup and finish today with Ida's Cream of Artichoke. Over the past 22 weeks we have journeyed through a variety of cuisines and many of us have tried soups that we would never have made otherwise. Unusually, all of the soups were delicious - given the nature of taste you'd think that there would have been at least one that went down the drain! :-)

It has been a great and rewarding journey for the home cook!

We both liked today's soup. Because we're watching our fat in-take I didn't use cream at all - instead I replaced it with 1 % milk. I also cut the butter back by 2 tablespoons (used 1 tb). We thought that the finished soup was fine without the added fat.

Some of the other 'soupers' have commented that the soup had a 'tinny' taste from the canned artichokes - using frozen artichoke hearts would solve this. I did find that the 'canned artichoke' taste came through . .  if I could find frozen artichoke hearts here in Canada I might try them!

Cream of Artichoke Soup

For 4 to 6 servings:

3 tb butter
4 tb minced shallots
1 and a half tp flour
3 and a half cups chicken stock
3 1 lb cans of artichokes (drained)
1 cup half and half
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a skillet over med heat,allowing it to brown just lightly. Add shallots and saute briefly till softened . Stir in flour and cook 2 to 3 min.

Heat stock or chicken broth in a 2 qt. saucepan.Add flour mixture, stirring constantly.Cook over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 3 to 5 min.

Puree artichokes in food processor or blender. Add thickened chicken stock and half n half. Blend thoroughly about 30 seconds.

Season with salt and pepper. Serve Hot or Cold.

Sunday Slow Soupers #21: Gulaschsuppe

Wow - here we are at week 21 of our explortion of soups. This week Kaydee transported us to Barvaria with this amazing goulash soup.

This recipe is from The New German Cookbook by Jean Anderson and Hedy Wurz.

I followed the recipe with two exceptions . . . one planned, the other not. I added some green pepper (planned).

Then I had a wee problem with the paprika. I had a container that mom brought home for us from her trip to Hungary. It had two packages in it, not being able to read Hungarian I couldn't tell which was the hot paprika and which was the sweet . . . they both tasted fairly similar. I discovered that they most definitely were not! . . . apparently I added two tablespoons of the HOT stuff!

 Gulaschsuppe

2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into bite-sized cubes (a little more doesn't hurt)
3 tablespooons butter
2 medium-size yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet rose paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups cold water
2 cups rich beef broth (homemade or canned)
2 medium-size potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Variations: You could add small strips of green pepper and/or a can of tomatoes. To make it spicier, add some red pepper flakes.

This recipe makes 6-8 servings. It is really better made the day before and reheated. (Skim the fat off the top before re-heating.)

Brown the beef in two tablespoons of the butter in a large heavy kettle over high heat. Transfer the beef to a bowl using a slotted spoon.

Add the rest of the butter to the kettle, then the onions (and green pepper if added), and saute for about five minutes. Add the garlic near the end.

Return the beef to the kettle, add the paprika and thyme, and cook together over moderate heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.

Add the water and broth, bring to a boil, adjust the heat to simmer, cover and cook 45 minutes.

Add the potatoes. Re-cover and simmer 45 minutes longer, until beef and potatoes are tender. Stir in the tomato paste, salt and pepper, heat through, and adjust the seasonings if neeeded.

Sunday Slow Soupers # 20 - Hot and Sour Soup

Here we are at week 20 of our soup exploration. Some might be getting soup overload by now but not us. Each of the recipes so far has been so very unique and different that it is impossible to get bored with it. This soup recipe, posted by Annie,  was a perfect example of this.

Whenever I eat out at Chinese restaurants one of the things that I like to order is the hot and sour soup. I have been wanting to try making it at home for some time. One of the reasons I like this soup is because of the contrast of flavours that is so characteristic of Asian cooking.

Annie was great at providing the various modifications that she makes to the recipe. We followed the recipe as printed and added a few things based upon her suggestions: sliced shitake mushrooms, a small handful of bean sprouts, a handful of baby spinach leaves, and some strips of carrot.

Because I knew that actual cooking time for this soup was short I made sure that everything was sliced, diced, and ready in prep bowls before I turned on the stove. Once I started the actual cooking it took less than 15 minutes to  come together - you have to love that!

I found a tip on-line for ending up with thin filaments of cooked egg rather than great big clumps of it. The secret is in pouring it into the simmering soup THROUGH a slotted spoon. You end up with small strips of cooked egg just like at your favourite Chinese restaurant.

Enjoy!

Hot and Sour Soup

Two 13-3/4 ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
Three slices of fresh ginger root

2 tablespoons tamari or dark soy sauce
1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil (more or less)
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 cup bamboo shoots
1/2 cup of firm tofu, diced into small squares

one egg lightly beaten

Garnish

1 or 2 scallions, including greens, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

Bring the chicken stock and the fresh ginger root to a slow boil for two or three minutes.

Remove the ginger slices and discard. Turn the heat down slightly.

Add the rest of the liquid ingredients, the sugar, and the white pepper. Simmer for about five minutes and then taste to make sure it’s hot and/or sour enough. Adjust as needed.

Add the bamboo shoots and the tofu. Stir gently.

Bring the soup to a slow boil again and quickly add in the lightly beaten egg while stirring. Remove the pot from the heat immediately and continue to stir to break up the egg pieces. Garnish and Serve.

Annie's Suggested Variations . . .

I always leave the egg out.

Sometimes I use Pacific brand Mushroom broth or Vegetable broth instead.

I use low sodium Tamari (brand: San-J)

Sometimes I use Sriracha hot sauce instead of the hot chili oil.

Other things I might add:

Garlic
Fresh baby spinach leaves or other green leafy thing
Sliced mushrooms
Water chestnuts
A can of stir-fry vegetables with baby corn
Mung bean sprouts
Snow pea pods

Sunday Slow Soupers #19 - Coconut Curry Chicken Noodle Soup

This week the Sunday Slow Soupers, a group from the slow travel community who have been exploring the world of soup since last November, were transported to SE Asian by Marta. She discovered this recipe in the NY Times when she was studying and becoming familiar with the food in Malaysia in preparation for her recent trip there (she is featuring some fabulous photos on her blog right now).

If you don't have a well-stocked 'Asian pantry' you'll be able to find most of the ingredients are available at Asian grocers. The SE Asian curry spice mix might be a a bit more challenging to find. We ended up using a yellow curry paste which worked very well (although because it is more concentrated it adds more 'zing' than the curry powder might). The Kaffir lime leaves are option and could be a little hard to come by. They are worth finding since they do add an amazing citrus note to the curry. Many Asian shops either have them fresh or in the freezer department. You can also order dried Kaffir lime leaves which would work well in the soup recipe.

You will note quickly that this soup is more Thai than Malaysian because of the ingredients, although in fairness the ingredients and recipes are pretty common throughout the region. The foods of SE Asian are famous for the layers of flavours and textures - sweet, salty, spicy . . . crunchy and soft. In fact, often you'll experience all in the same bite!

To quote the article from the NY Times:

The first hit from any curry noodle soup is visual: steam rising from a gilded broth, dotted with burnt-orange oil, flecked with red from dried chilies and brown from warm spices like cinnamon, cumin, black pepper and coriander seed. The next is olfactory, as the perfumes of ginger, lemon grass, fresh curry leaves, lime leaves and turmeric kick in. And the rest involve inordinately elevated levels of flavor (recipes often call for huge handfuls of curry powder and paste), a riot of textural contrasts and the primal satisfaction of the slurp.

You might be tempted to skip the toppings for this soup - DON'T! They add considerably to the depth of flavours and textures - especially the fried shallots (I just fried them in a bit of peanut oil in the bottom of a small pan. It wasn't deep frying but it worked.)

Coconut Curry Chicken Noodle Soup (Curry Mee)
Time: 45 minutes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced lemon grass or pale green cilantro roots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dark red chili paste, such as sambal, more for serving
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken thigh or breast meat, thinly sliced and cut into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons curry powder, preferably Malaysian, Thai or Vietnamese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup half-and-half
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar, more to taste (we did not use regular sugar, instead we used Palm sugar which is common in SE Asian cooking)
About 12 kaffir lime leaves or curry leaves, fresh or frozen (optional)
8 ounces dried thin rice noodles (bun or vermicelli), or other Asian noodles such as udon or lai fun
Salt to taste
1 cup bean sprouts
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 scallions, cut into thin rings
2 shallots, thinly sliced and deep fried in vegetable oil until brown (optional)
Quartered limes for serving.

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion, ginger and lemon grass and cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Do not brown; reduce heat if necessary. Add garlic and chili paste and stir until fragrant. Raise heat, add chicken and stir-fry one minute. Add curry powder and paprika and stir to coat. Then add coconut milk, half-and-half, chicken stock, turmeric, fish sauce, sugar and lime or curry leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook rice noodles in boiling water according to package directions (about 4 minutes). Rinse and drain.

Taste broth and adjust seasonings with salt and sugar. Divide noodles into large soup bowls. Bring broth to a boil, then ladle over noodles. Top with bean sprouts, cilantro, scallions and fried shallots, if using. Pass limes and sambal at the table.

Yield: 4 main-course servings.

Note: To make this rich soup more substantial, boiled potatoes are sometimes added to the simmering broth and cooked until very soft.

Sunday Slow Soupers # 18 - Carrot Orange Ginger Soup

Here we are, week 18 of making soup. What an odyssey. I can't believe that I have been making soups since November; who knew that there were so many soup recipes out there? Who would have guessed that we still get excited about the prospect of our Sunday lunch - soup and a panini.

This week's soup was chosen by Debrah. This is what she posted in the soup makers thread:

"It's been favourite for at least 20 years. I used to make this when I was doing location catering for film and tv production in Eastern Canada and it was a guaranteed winner for the segment of the cast and crew who liked healthy and tasty! It tastes so rich and creamy but has no added fat - no butter, cream, cheese, etc.! (what's a little olive oil between friends!) This would be suitable for two for a meal or four for an appetizer."

I have been looking forward to making this soup since Debrah first posted about it. I still remember the day, way back in the 1970s, when mom had to make this soup for her Gourmet Club. I was allowed one taste - enough to develop a life-long craving. This soup is a staple of many cooks - Wolfgang Puck, Julia Child, Martha Stewart, the Silver Palate ladies. . . .  I like this soup so much that I pay $ 14 for a container of frozen soup made by my favourite Italian food shop in Stratford.

Well, I won't be doing that any longer because it is easy to make and I have a great recipe. Debrah's recipe is easy to follow and comes together quickly. You won't need to add a thing to this soup as it is as perfect as can be!

Enjoy.

Carrot Orange Ginger Soup

1 large onion , diced
3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
3" piece of ginger root, finely diced(you can use more or less depending on preference)
8 large carrots, diced
1 large tetra pack of chicken or vegetable broth (if you use cans, you'll need between 1 and 2 cans, depending on how thick you want your soup)
1 1/2 cups orange juice

Saute onions, garlic and ginger in olive oil on low heat to soften and start to caramelize for only 10 minutes. Put in carrots and saute for 5 minutes to bring out the sugars. Add enough broth to cover the carrots and simmer till carrots are tender.

Remove from heat, place a small amount of broth and all of the carrots into blender and puree until smooth. Pour back into pot, add orange juice and rest of broth (or water) until you get the thickness consistency you desire.

Carrot Orange Ginger Soup

1 large onion , diced
3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
3" piece of ginger root, finely diced(you can use more or less depending on preference)
8 large carrots, diced
1 large tetra pack of chicken or vegetable broth (if you use cans, you'll need between 1 and 2 cans, depending on how thick you want your soup)
1 1/2 cups orange juice

Saute onions, garlic and ginger in olive oil on low heat to soften and start to caramelize for only 10 minutes. Put in carrots and saute for 5 minutes to bring out the sugars. Add enough broth to cover the carrots and simmer till carrots are tender.

Remove from heat, place a small amount of broth and all of the carrots into blender and puree until smooth. Pour back into pot, add orange juice and rest of broth (or water) until you get the thickness consistency you desire.

Sunday Slow Soupers # 17 - One of Each Soup

It was Jan's turn to select the soup recipe this week. I'll admit to being skeptical when she posted her recipe for One of Each Soup - it contained a banana! Imagine, a banana in a soup! What will they think of next?

Of course, being the superficial food snob that I am I was immediately calmed by the fact that she said the recipe came form Gourmet magazine. She could have posted a recipe for Alpo on toast and if she had said it was from Gourmet I would have gladly tried it. Dear lord - one day I shall pay dearly for the therapy to deal with my many 'issues'.

Anyway, I digress.

This was really, really good soup. First - about that banana - you could hardly taste it in there. Those of you who don't like bananas or are squeamish about the thought of a banana in your soup bowl instead of your cereal bowl - rest assured, you'd never know it. This is a light tasting soup with a delicious hint of curry.

I followed the recipe as printed except for the cream - I used 1 % milk - it might not have been as rich as the fine folks at Gourmet magazine created but it wouldn't clog my arteries either.

Perhaps the best thing about this soup was the ease with which it comes together, I started at noon and before 1 we were eating lunch. I sure appreciated that!

Enjoy.

One of Each Soup

Jan writes: Originally, this curried soup was served cold. Given the winter chill in the air, however, we tried it hot and discovered it to be even better.

Ingredients
1 large boiling potato (1/2 lb), peeled and coarsely chopped (I use Yukon Gold)
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 celery heart (inner pale stalks with leaves), coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 large apple (preferably Granny Smith), peeled and coarsely chopped
1 firm-ripe banana, coarsely chopped
1 pint chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream (I use whole milk)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 rounded teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives (I have used chives or cilantro or a mixture)

Preparation:
Simmer vegetables and fruits in broth in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, covered, until very tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in cream, butter, curry powder, and salt and heat just until hot (do not boil).

Purée soup in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Thin soup with water if desired and serve sprinkled with chives.

Cooks' note:
· Soup can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.

Sunday Slow Soupers # 16 - Winter Minestrone Soup

For week 16 of soup our soup exploration there was some confusion over which recipe we were doing. Given that we have been serving up soup for the past 16 weeks I think getting this far without a hiccup was amazing. In the end, Shannon saved the day (as she always seems to do) with a recipe for Minestrone from the January Gourmet magazine. I had never tried making Minestrone before so I was happy to give it a go.

The article provides some excellent advice:

Patience is the key to this soul-satisfying soup chock-full of winter greens. Its depth of flavor comes from cooking the soffritto—a mixture of pancetta, onion, celery, carrots, and the ribs from the chard—for a good 45 minutes and from browning the tomato paste. The result is so savory that there’s no need for broth; water, canned tomatoes, and a parmesan rind work beautifully. And because this soup must cook slowly, don’t worry about prepping all your vegetables before you begin—you can simply chop as you go.

Like all good recipes that follow traditional Italian techniques the ingredients are simple . . there aren't a lot of herbs added to provide flavour. The flavouring comes from the slow cooking of the various ingredients. Take the time to really cook the veggies and to caramelize the tomato paste - i will make the world of difference in the taste!

Winter Minestrone Soup

1/3 lb sliced pancetta, chopped
3 medium red onions, chopped
4 celery ribs, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch Swiss chard
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice
1 qt hot water *note - the instructions call for adding 3 qt hot water. I went with the three and it was fine
5 cups coarsely chopped cored Savoy cabbage (6 oz)
5 cups coarsely chopped escarole (1/2 lb)
1 piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (about 3 by 1 1/2 inches)
1 (19-oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
cooked ditalini pasta tossed with oil (optional) (I used tiny bow ties)
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Cook pancetta, onions, celery, and carrots in oil in a wide 7- to 9-qt heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, while preparing chard.

Cut out stems from chard and chop stems, reserving leaves. Stir chard stems into pancetta mixture with garlic, 1 tsp salt, and 3/4 tsp pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender and begin to stick to bottom of pot, about 45 minutes total. (Set aside chard leaves.)

Push vegetables to one side of pot. Add tomato paste to cleared area and cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Stir paste into vegetables and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. (Paste may stick to pot, but don’t let it burn.)

Stir in tomatoes with their juice, breaking them up with a spoon, then add hot water (3 qt), scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pot.

Bring to a simmer. Stir in cabbage, escarole, and parmesan rind. Simmer, covered, until greens are tender, about 40 minutes.

Coarsely chop chard leaves and stir into soup along with beans. Simmer, partially covered, 10 minutes. Discard rind. Season soup with salt and pepper. If using ditalini, stir in just before serving.

Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and serve.

Sunday Slow Soupers # 15 - Lentil Soup

Week 15 of soup or soup exploration . . . AKA the week Kim forced me to eat a lentil for the first time in my life. In the interest of proper bibliographical credit it must be pointed out that this recipe is from Kim's mother actually. Like all good recipes from mom or grandma it is simple to throw together and uses ingredients that aren't exotic (therefore no need for a $ 95 shopping trip to Wholefoods).

There are lots of recipes for lentil soup out there. many call for soaking those lentils overnight and other 'exhausting' steps. Not this one. Dump everything in pot and cook. That is it. Really, does it get any easier than this?

I discovered that lentil soup has been around for years. Lentil soup is mentioned in the Bible (not that I have ever read it): In Genesis 25:34, Esau is prepared to give up his birthright for a pot of fragrant red lentil soup (a "mess of pottage") being cooked by his brother, Jacob. The ancient Greek playwright, Aristophanes, mentions lentil soup in his plays and describes it as the "sweetest of delicacies."

Lentil soup was once a food for the poor. Today, it is recognized as highly nutritious and provides a good source of protein, fiber, iron and potassium.

There you go - good, healthy, easy to make soup.

Oh yes, Kim, thanks for breaking my 44 years without ever eating a lentil 'run'. It was a good run but like all good things, had to come to an end.

Enjoy

 

Lentil Soup

Recipe By :Kim's Mom

1 Cup Lentils
4 1/2 Cups Chicken broth/stock (I use the fat free stuff)
2 1/2 sprigs parsley -- snipped
1 bay leaf
12 ounces tomato -- crushed (I use canned)
2 stalks celery -- chopped
2 sticks carrot -- sliced
1 onion -- chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 teaspoon thyme (dried)

1. cook until vegetables are tender, 1 1/2 - 2 hours

Seriously, that's how my mother gave it to me. But basically, she just throws it all into a pot, brings to a boil and then lets it simmer. I often double it and freeze it.

Note - because I have an aversion to following recipes as printed . . . I sauteed the celery, carrots, onion, and garlic in olive oil until softened. I dumped in the lentils to coat them and then followed the recipe as printed. :-)