Hot Soup!

I hope wherever you are it is warmer than where I am.  Atlanta has had this amazing stretch of arctic like weather…and we don’t deal with it well.  I have not gotten my morning walk in for over a week due to temperatures in the teens.  I’m hoping for warmer air soon.

In the winter I usually have a soup dinner every week to 10 days.  I think there are a variety of benefits – its easy; its usually economical; it gets my kids eating vegetables they might not eat if served individually and it just feels good!  I’ve done two soups recently that both turned out well and I have them below.  The Chicken Corn Chowder easily made enough for two meals or to freeze.  The tomato was just right for 4 full bowls along with some crusty rolls.  I would recommend them both and I think you will enjoy.  If you have someone at your house that doesn’t like Blue Cheese – try the  tomato soup anyway….it really just gives it a nice flavor and I used a mild blue.  You could not really distinguish the taste.  I love blue cheese and would actually go for a stronger variety of blue next time.

Cheddar, Chicken and Corn Chowder

3 slices bacon, diced

1 cup chopped onion

½ green bell pepper, chopped (I used red)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 cups chicken stock

1-1/2 cups unpeeled cubed red potatoes (about 2 medium)

1-1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 cup seeded, peeled chopped tomato

½ cup grated cheddar cheese

¾ teaspoon salt (I used more)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp.  Transfer bacon to a plate leaving 1-tablespoon drippings in Dutch oven.  Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add stock and potatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes  Stir in the corn.

In a bowl, blend flour and milk.  Stir into soup.  Increase heat to medium-high and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low and add chicken, reserved bacon, tomato, cheese, salt and pepper.  Simmer uncovered until flavors are blended and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes longer

This was published in “The Big book of Soups and Stews”

Spicy Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup


"Michael Symon's Live To Cook" by Michael Symon

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:


2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red onion, finely chopped


Kosher salt


4 garlic cloves, sliced


1 28-oz can San Marzano tomatoes, with their juice


1 1/2 cups Chicken Stock


3/4 cups heavy cream


2 tablespoons sriracha sauce


1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves


1/2 cup Roth Kase Buttermilk Blue cheese ( I could not find and used a mild, creamy blue)

Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and a three-fingered pinch of salt and sweat for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sweat for 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, their juice and the stock and bring to a simmer. (I added a little more salt here too). Add the cream, sriracha sauce, and oregano and simmer for 45 minutes.

Pour the soup into a blender, add the blue cheese, and blend until smooth, working in batches if needed.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot, taste, adjust the seasoning if necessary, and reheat to serve. The soup will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for a few days.

If you are like me and didn’t know what Sriracha sauce was, it is a spicy Asian sauce, similar to Tabasco.  I could not find it (but am still looking after I read the great reviews online so I’ll keep you posted), therefore I used Texas Pete which I had in the cabinet. 

Both of my kids and Greg l loved this soup …. It will definitely go into the “soup rotation”… I hope you enjoy.