soup

KNR, p. 304 “Cauliflower Soup”

Cauliflower is in season and since we love it, we bought a bunch and started cooking. See the Roasted Cauliflower recipe here. Sometimes we serve the soup in bread bowls (the photo in the recipe section below shows a pretzel bread bowl) and sometimes in soup bowls with cornbread on the side. Either way, we enjoy it throughout January and February when the cauliflower heads are plentiful in the grocery and totally fresh.

Cauliflower Soup

Sheila & Charlie Kerrian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Equipment

  • 4 quart pot
  • Large food processor

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 cup chopped celery, 1/4" pieces
  • 1 cup chopped carrots, 1/4" pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 4 cups roasted cauliflower
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped green onion per serving for garnish
  • 1/2 teaspoon diced carrots per serving for garnish
  • pretzel bread bowls

Instructions
 

  • Use 4 quart pot.
  • Place avocado oil in pot on medium heat.
  • Add celery, 1 cup carrots, sea salt, garlic powder, and onion powder to pot.
  • Stir frequently and cook on medium heat until celery is translucent - about 10 minutes.
  • Add vegetable broth, stir, and bring to boil - about 5-6 minutes.
  • Add whole milk and simmer 10 more minutes.
  • Add roasted cauliflower and stir, reserving 1-2 florets per serving for garnish.
  • Heat through for 2-3 minutes.
  • Pour heated mixture into food processor and puree for 2-3 minutes until creamy.
  • Pour into bread bowls or soup bowls.
  • Garnish with green onion, diced carrots, and cauliflower florets and serve warm.

Notes

Add additional 20 minutes for prep if roasting cauliflower same day as making the soup.

KNR, p. 304 “Cauliflower Soup” Read More »

KNR, p. 272 “Tomato Basil Chicken Soup”

We love all kinds of soups, but don’t always have broth on hand to make the base for a hearty one. Here’s a recipe that uses a can of soup from the grocery store shelf as the already flavored base, but becomes a filling meal for 3-4 when the other ingredients are added. The prep is simple – takes only ten minutes. Then depending on whether you have a cooked chicken on hand or uncooked chicken cutlets, use a crockpot or a large spaghetti pot, it will take anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours to cook.

 

Chin Bawambi, a previous contributor to our recipes and an enthusiastic cook, often uses a crockpot and this recipe was devised with that in mind. The Kerrian kitchen doesn’t have a crockpot, but we found that a spaghetti pot worked well for us. We just had to watch it and stir more frequently. He promises that no bodies wound up on the floor in his kitchen either, while he worked from home and created this delicious meal.

"Tomato Basil Chicken Soup"
Author: 
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2-3
 
Ingredients
  • One can tomato basil soup, Progresso
  • 1/2 can Goya black beans (about one cup)
  • 1 pound uncooked tenderloin chicken, cut into one inch chunks
  • 1 teaspoon Montreal chicken seasoning
  • 6 baby carrots, cut into one inch pieces (about one cup)
  • 3 celery stalks, trimmed and diced, (about one cup)
Instructions
  1. Use a crockpot.
  2. Pour tomato basil soup into the pot, then add black beans.
  3. Place the uncooked chicken chunks on top of the black beans.
  4. Sprinkle the Montreal chicken seasoning on top.
  5. Add carrots and celery and stir entire pot of ingredients until mixed.
  6. Cover and cook at medium high heat for first hour, then drop to low for another hour, stirring every 30 minutes.
  7. Celery and carrots should be fork tender when done.
  8. Serve with garlic bread.
  9. Variation: Chin reveals that the recipe also works well with beef as the meat ingredient.
Notes
Tips:
If using a spaghetti pot on the stovetop, cover and cook on medium for the first half hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes. For the rest of the time, drop the temperature to low and simmer until carrots and celery are tender, stirring every 10-15 minutes.

If using a cooked chicken, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces, drop into the pot and mix with the other ingredients. Cook on medium heat until veggies are tender, about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

 

KNR, p. 272 “Tomato Basil Chicken Soup” Read More »

KNR, p. 255 “Easy Chicken Soup”

 

Honestly, it’s been odd doing the grocery shopping during this time of shortages. I head to the usual aisles for the produce and find a ready supply of celery and carrots, but not always potatoes of any kind. Fresh onions and garlic? None in sight for days. Our store makes rotisserie chicken every day, so when we can’t find raw chicken in the meat section, we grab a cooked garlic roast chicken which can serve four hungry people – more if you make soup with it.

 

We picked this soup recipe for Kerrian’s Notebook because the ingredients have been available every day, no matter which large grocery store we visit. We’ve made it several times during the last three weeks, so it’s definitely been taste-tested. Adjust the spices to your family’s palate.

 

"Easy Chicken Soup"
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 to 6 servings
 
Ingredients
  • 1 32ounce box of low sodium chicken broth (Swanson’s has a nice organic version)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1.5 cups sliced fresh baby carrots
  • 1.5 cups diced fresh celery, 1/4 inch pieces
  • 1 cup canned diced potatoes
  • 1/2 cup potato water from diced potato can
  • 1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 heaping teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 cooked rotisserie chicken
  • 1/2 cup canned young sweet peas
Instructions
  1. In large soup pot, sprinkle sea salt evenly on bottom of pan.
  2. Add carrots, celery, and one cup of the chicken broth, cover the pot and simmer on medium high heat until carrots and celery are tender, ten to fifteen minutes, stirring every five minutes.
  3. While celery and carrots are simmering, chop the rotisserie chicken into 1/2 inch pieces, (about 3 cups) and set aside.
  4. Reduce heat to medium, add diced potatoes, potato water, garlic powder, and onion powder to pot and stir.
  5. Add 3 cups chicken broth to the pot and stir.
  6. Add 3 cups chopped chicken to the pot and stir until well mixed.
  7. Cover pot and heat soup mixture for about ten minutes until it bubbles around the edges, stirring occasionally.
  8. Add peas to the pot, tossing gently, and heat another five minutes.
  9. Remove from heat and serve with crusty bread or crackers.

 

As with any home prepared food, the leftovers keep for up to four days in the refrigerator.

Good news: it can be frozen in individual portion containers, and freezing extends the shelf life for two weeks. So double the recipe and you’ll have enough for another night. You might want to add more chicken broth when reheating.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

KNR, p. 255 “Easy Chicken Soup” Read More »

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