SOUP RECIPES


Provencal White Bean Soup
(Judy)

The addition of herbs and tomatoes to white beans creates this unique soup. Serves 6-8


1/2 pounds White beans, soaked overnight
3 cups Water
3 cups Chicken stock
1 1/2 cup Tomatoes, diced
2 Tablespoons Garlic, diced
1 teaspoon Rosemary
1 Tablespoon Parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Thyme
1/4 teaspoon Sage
Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a large soup pot. Slowly bring to a boil, skimming any "foam" or fat that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are soft. Serve with crusty bread.

Nantucket Clam Chowder
(QVC)


1/4 lb bacon, finely diced
1 quart clams (littlenecks, cherrystones, or the larger chowder clams) with their liquid
2 cups water
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 lb saltine crackers, broken up well
2-1/2 lbs small-diced new potatoes
4 cups milk or half-and-half
4 t unsalted butter 
salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

In a large, heavy saucepan or stockpot, saute the bacon over medium heat, until as much fat as possible has been rendered and the meat is crisp cracklings. Remove the cracklings and reserve. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Take the clams out of their liquid and reserve the liquid. Rinse the clams in 2 cups of water. Then, strain the water and reserve. Finely mince the clams. Saute the onion and clams together in the bacon fat for about 5 minutes. Combine the crushed crackers with the clam saute. Add the clam liquid and the reserved rinse water. Then, put in the potatoes, and cook until tender (approximately 10-15 minutes). Add the cracklings back in. In a saucepan, heat the milk or half-and-half, but don't boil. Add it to the chowder when warm. Serve the chowder hot with a teaspoon of unsalted butter in each bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. Makes 8 servings.

Conch Chowder
(QVC)

Coconut milk is the secret to this one!
1/2 lb salt pork, sliced
2 onions, finely chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 pototoes, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs conch, pounded and cut into 1/2" cubes
2 13-14-oz. cans coconut milk
4 cups water
3 t salt
1/2 t freshly-ground black pepper
2 t dried thyme
4 bay leaves
2 Scotch bonnet peppers

In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, fry the salt pork slowly to render the fat. Remove the pork and discard. In the fat, saute the onions, celery, and carrots for about 5 minutes. Then, add the tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, and conch. Cook for another 4-5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until blended. Cover and reduce heat to low. Then, simmer for about 1-1/2 hours, or until the conch is tender. Add additional water if the chowder becomes too thick. Remove and discard the bay leaves and Scotch bonnet pepper before serving. Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Dumplings

1 1/2 cups flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
3 T milk
3/4 cup milk

Measure flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Cut in shortning thoroughly, until mixture looks like meal. Stir in milk.

Drop dough by spoonfuls into hot broth or hot meat or vegetables in boiling stew. Cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover; cook about 10 minutes longer or until dumplings are fluffy. 8 to 10 Dumplings.

Bacon Potato Soup
(Judy)


1/4 pound Bacon, diced
1/4 cup Celery
3 Leeks
2 T Flour
2 cups Water
2 cups Milk
2 medium Potatoes, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t Parsley, chopped

Slice the leeks lengthwise. Remove the root end and most of the green end. Slice the leeks across the grain and soak in water until needed. Add the bacon pieces to a heavy saucepan and cook until brown. Add the celery and leeks. Cook until just soft. Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes. Add the water and milk. Slowly bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the potatoes and simmer for 1 hour (or until the vegetables are tender). Check the seasonings. Serve warm, garnished with parsley. Serve this simple soup with hearty bread. Serves 4.

Fresh Tomato Soup

2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 t white sugar
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
2 T butter
2 T flour
2 cups milk

Simmer tomatoes, onions, sugar, salt and pepper. In another pan, melt butter. Stir in flour. Whisk in the milk and cook until thickened. Slowly add to tomatoes and gently heat. Serve hot

Vegetable Broth
(Judy)


1 gallon Water
2 stalks Celery, large dice
2 large Onions, large dice
3 Carrots, large dice
1 cup Tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup Cabbage, chopped
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
8 stems Parsley
1 Turnip, large dice
Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a large soup pot. Slowly bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 2 1/2 hours. Strain through a colander. Use as a soup base. Makes 1 gallon.

Autumn Vegetable Stew
(QVC)


1 small butternut squash, split and seeded
1 small acorn squash, split and seeded
1 small cooking pumpkin, top sliced off and seeds removed
3 turnips
2 sweet potatoes or yams
1 large parsnip
6 T butter
1 large leek, trimmed to include tender green, washed and julienned
1/4 cup flour
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, drained
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t ground allspice
1/2 t ground mace
2 t salt
1 t freshly ground white pepper
1 1/2 cups apple cider
2 tart apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place squashes and pumpkin, with cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Bake until almost tender, about 45-60 minutes. Remove and let cool. Then, remove skin and cut the flesh into 3/4" cubes. Place them in a large cooking pot. Peel the turnips, sweet potatoes, and parsnip. Cut into 3/4" cubes, and place in a large saucepan. Cover with 2 quarts of water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered, until almost tender (about 15 minutes). Drain and reserve the liquid. Add sweet potato mixture to squash. Melt 2 T of butter in a medium skillet. Add the leek. Cover and cook over very low heat until tender, approximately 10 minutes. Then, add it to the squash in the pot. Melt the remaining 4 T of butter in a small cast-iron skillet. Whisk in the flour, and cook over medium heat, whisking often, until you get a roux which is almost the color of the butternut squash (6-10 minutes). Add the roux to the vegetables. Then, add 3 cups of the reserved sweet potato cooking liquid. With your hands, squish the tomatoes to break them apart, and add them to the vegetables. Cover the pot and cook over low heat, carefully stirring occasionally, until the mixture is hot and the roux is incorporated (around 4-6 minutes). Add the spices, salt, pepper, cider, and apples. If stew is too thick, add more reserved sweet potato liquid. Cover and cook for 10 minutes more. Serve hot in tureen or casserole dish.

HOME/ VEGETABLE RECIPES