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Soup Recipes

Soup Recipes

Go Green: Pickle Soup from Otto & Anita’s Schnitzel Haus

Otto & Anita’s Schnitzel Haus is a quaint family run Bavarian restaurant in historic Multnomah Village in Portland. Inside, you will find a plethora of delicious Eastern European Schnitzels, Krauts, Spätzles, and Bavarian baked goods, prepared by husband and wife team Chefs Otto and Anita Fennerl. Yesterday, we were delighted to find the original award winning pickle soup recipe in our email inbox, the creation of Otto, developed at his former restaurant by the name of Trianon.

Of note: do not fear the concept! This beautiful seafoam green soup has a smooth creamy base with a subtle refined tang of dill pickle flavor. Serve with a buttered warm bread and white wine, a spicy Gewürztraminer, or German beer.

Chef Otto’s Dill Pickle Soup
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter
3 oz. onion cut into julienne strips then into thirds
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup all purpose flour
4 cups water
1-1/2 cups marinade from pickles (pickle juice from the jar, strained)
4 large pickles cut into julienne strips, then into thirds (we love Bubbies pickles, found at Whole Foods)
2 tsp dried dill weed (or 2 tbsp of fresh dill)
1/2 cup of whipping cream
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
salt and ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Melt butter in large pot.
Add onion and saute until soft.
Add wine and continue cooking until almost all liquid evaporates.
Reduce heat and stir in flour, do not brown.
Combine water and pickle marinate.
Whisk into mixture all at once.
Increase heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until soup thickens.
Add pickles and dill.
Stir in cream.
Add poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.

Photo via Murry @Urbanspoon

Soup Recipes

Chef Jeffrey Fournier’s Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho Recipe

Ah summertime, we are so happy to finally see fresh beautiful local produce, especially tomatoes in season once again. Today we are celebrating the heirloom tomato with a fresh colorful chilled gazpacho recipe from Chef Jeffrey Fournier of 51 Lincoln restaurant in Newton MA. Enjoy and thank you so much Chef!

Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho
Chef Jeffrey Fournier

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 lbs of red heirloom tomatoes, save 2 for garnish and core and quarter the remainder
2 large white onions diced
1/2 of a large shallot, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
Half of a bottle spring water, or tap water
1/2 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 cucumber peeled
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 ears of corn, lightly blanched (alternatively you may also grill, boil, or use raw)
1 cup of cilantro leaves

Lightly blanch the corn by placing it in boiling water for 2 minutes, remove and place into a bowl of ice water for 2 minutes, set aside.

Place the diced shallot and onions in a saucepan pan with oil salt and pepper, sweat slowly until they are translucent. Remove from heat.

Add the tomatoes, diced pepper, and cucumber to the shallot onion mixture.

Puree in a blender with EVOO, vinegar, spring water, salt and pepper. Chill the pureed mixture for 1-2 hours. Serve in soup bowls and garnish with sliced tomatoes topped with corn and cilantro leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil.

We also have another mouth watering restaurant recipe from Chef Jeffrey, for Argentine Ribeye Steak, give it a view!

Soup Recipes

Chef Kevin Dundon’s Irish Cabbage Soup

Wondering what to feast on tomorrow night for St. Patrick’s Day? Give this authentic Irish recipe a try for a refreshing change:  it’s healthy and light cabbage vegetable soup thanks to Chef Kevin Dundon. Kevin is a famous Irish Tv personality, author, and Chef/Owner of the award winning Dunbrody Country House Hotel & Restaurant located in Wexford on Ireland’s south coast. Chef Kevin also has a strong presence here in the States as the Executive Chef/Patron of the Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant in Orlando’s Disneyland, receiving rave reviews on both Yelp and Open Table.  Thank you chef for the recipe, and wishing everyone a delicious St Patty’s Day!

 

Irish Cabbage Soup
Chef Kevin Dundon

Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1/2 green cabbage, thick stalks removed and shredded
* 1 leek, trimmed and sliced (visit the “how to chop leeks” video for tips)
* 2 potatoes, diced
* 8 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
* 120 ml/4 fl oz dry white wine
* 1 litre/1 3/4 pints kitchen vegetable stock or water
* salt and freshly ground black pepper
* fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs, to garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the onions, cabbage, leeks and potatoes, stirring to combine. Cover with a lid and sweat over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened but not colored.

Add the tomatoes to the pan, season to taste and allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in the wine and allow to reduce by half, then add the stock or water and bring to the boil. Reduce that heat and leave to simmer for 15 minutes until all of the vegetables are completely tender and the liquid has slightly reduced and thickened. Season to taste. Garnish with parsley and serve with warm bread.

PS:   Be sure to also check out our other delicious Irish soup recipe, a gorgeous bowl of green watercress and potato goodness.

French Recipes Soup Recipes

Pumpkin Cardamom Soup from Chef Franck Salein

This beautiful and simple pumpkin soup features a hint of cardamom, and the end result has the delightful appearance of a cup of cappuccino.   This chef recipe video is brought to us from our friends at Gourmandia, and features French Chef Franck Salein and a translator.  Chef Franck is from Les Sources de Caudalie, a gorgeous four star hotel, vino-therapy spa (hot springs infused with grape vine minerals!), and a gourmet restaurant located in the Bordeaux region of France.

Read on for the video and the recipe Continue Reading

Italian Recipes Soup Recipes

Onion, Pancetta and Wisconsin Parmesan Cheese Soup

Brrr….it’s getting chilly here in Colorado, and we have nothing but soup on our minds.   From the kitchen of Master Chef Tom Catherall, his Italian restaurant recipe is a complete meal by itself:  simple, savory, and very comforting.  This Tuscan soup is made with onions, leeks and pancetta, and is topped with rustic crunchy garlic bread and shaved Wisconsin Parmesan cheese.   It serves approximately 4 people,  or 2 very hungry people!   We served the soup and toast alone, but it would be great with a salad, steamed greens, or roasted vegetables.

Read on for the recipe Continue Reading

Italian Recipes Soup Recipes

Tuscan Comfort, Chef Jody Adam’s Acquacotta Recipe

Buttero, painting by Giovanni Fattori, public domain image

Acquacotta or Acqua Cotta in Italian literally translates to “cooked water”.  From Italy, it is a soup with origins from the rural area of southwestern Tuscany and morthern Lazio known as Maremma. It began as a peasant soup for cattle and sheep herders known as “buttero”, who threw whichever fresh seasonal vegetables they had into hot water.  As such, this one pot meal has many variations, many of which include a poached egg and a side of crusty rustic bread.

Our version of Acquacotta today comes to us via our friends at Great Chefs, and is demonstrated by chef Jody Adams.  Jody won a James Beard “Best Chef” award in 1997, and previously was named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs” in 1993.  Currently, Jody’s delicious edibles are being consumed by the lucky patrons of Rialto restaurant in Cambridge, MA.

Chef Jody’s comforting Acquacotta consists of a porcini mushroom Marsala broth served over polenta and Pecorino Romano cheese, and topped with a poached egg and truffle oil.  If you love this dish as much as we did, please consider purchasing Chef Jody’s cooking videos on DVD at Great Chefs.

[pro-player width=’550′ height=’353′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xOZ6zpYPmE[/pro-player]

Read on for the recipe Continue Reading

Culinary Events Soup Recipes

Cream of Aspragus and Crab Soup, and the Great American Dine Out


Did you know?  You can dine out guilt free, and help to fight child hunger at the same time.  The Great American Dine out begins today, and from September 20-26 2009, selected participating restaurants will donate a portion of their proceeds to Share our Strength, which assists community programs that provide help to children at risk of hunger.  Their accomplishments to date are very impressive, click here to view their grants at work.  Please consider helping them reach their goals.  To find out which restaurants in your area are participating, simply enter your zip code here.

Chef Aaron McCargo Jr is a strong supporter and the official spokesperson for Share Our Strength.  His love for all things culinary began at age 4, when he learned to bake using his sister’s Easy Bake Oven. A graduate of the Atlantic Cape Community College’s Academy of Culinary Arts, Aaron worked for several east coast restaurants, and is currently star of the Food Network Show Big Daddy’s House. In addition to serving as chef spokesperson for Share our Strength, Aaron regularly speaks to youth at community schools and events to illustrate that they too can succeed.  In his honor, Camden NJ Mayor Gwendolyn Faison presented Aaron with  keys to the city in 2008 and designated September 25 as Aaron McCargo, Jr. Day.  In our featured chef recipe today, Aaron rewards Dineout supporters with a comforting Creamy Asparagus and Crab Soup.   Eat out this week, and make the soup next week!

Read on for the recipe Continue Reading

Soup Recipes

One Pot Wonders, Beef and Stout Stew

Some days it’s nice to simply fix it and forget it!   The Publick House in Brookline, MA is a pub style restaurant known for their extensive collection of Belgian beers, served both on tap and also prepared in the food.   From this Boston area legendary restaurant we present the energetic chef Brent Mimeault , who shares his delicious hearty beef stew with the addition of a malty stout in our featured video.   This meal would be perfect for a hungry Super Bowl football crowd, served with grilled bread and frosty beer!

Read on for the recipe!

Continue Reading

Soup Recipes

Classic Comfort: New England Clam Chowder

Sorry Manhattan style, your thin tomatoey broth just can’t satisfy our wintertime hearty comfort food cravings, New England wins our hearts every time.   And here’s a bit of clam chowder trivia for you: in 1939, the state of Maine introduced a law to ban the addition of tomatoes to chowder, considering the act to be a rude gesture against the original legendary recipe!

Chef and fromager Tood Jasmin shares his favorite recipe for a rich classic New England style clam chowder in this video.   The recipe can be found here. We recommend skipping the diner style hexagon crackers and serving it up with a nice warm buttered baguette.    Enjoy!

Soup Recipes

Split Pea Soup with Chef Jason Hill

A 9 hour drive in the Colorado mountains is a humbling experience. On the way home, driving through intermittent snowstorms, icy roads, and several “almost” accidents, thanks were given, once again. Thankful that the little Mazda in front of us swerved off to the right on the ice. Thankful that the rock split the windshield towards the bottom , not affecting visibility. Thankful for our sweet, silly, family. And thankful that, after all is said and done, the drive was worth it. Wandering off in thought from the sleepy ipod audiobook, our thoughts turned to warm comfort food, in particular, soup, served with an equally comforting piece of baguette. What do we still have at home? What could we create? The beauty of soup is that all that is required is a creative mind and a few ingredients, it’s like art in a pot!

Tonight we chose pea soup with our baguette, and to stir your creative visions we bring you this video from chef Jason Hill, serving up a piping hot classic split pea recipe. Ingredients include: 1 lb of dried split peas, half an onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 2 cloves of garlic, bacon, a bay leaf, chicken stock or bullion mixed with water, and whatever your inventive mind desires to add. You could substitute ham for the bacon, or easily make the soup vegetarian by omitting the meat.

French Recipes Soup Recipes

French Onion Soup

Autumn has arrived in full swing and we find ourselves betraying our favorite summer foods like a wicked adulteress. We’ve been ditching salads, ignoring the barbecue, and even walking away from one of our best friends, sushi. Instead, our fickle appetites have found a new love, warm and hearty comfort foods. This week our new love is soup, and today, we have a crush on French onion soup.

Made of beef broth, onions, croutons, and cheese, this ancient soup has enjoyed a rebirth beginning in the 1960’s when French food came into vogue in America (I believe we were late to the party!).

Where did it come from? Although onions have always been a staple among poverty stricken diners since ancient Roman times, ironically French onion soup was presumed to have been invented by French royalty, King Louis the XV. The story is that, in his hunting lodge, alone with only onions, butter, and champagne (poor thing), he created the world’s first French Onion Soup.

We love this version by Chef John in this video, and you may find his full written recipe here.


French Onion Soup from Foodwishes on Vimeo.

Do you have a favorite version of French onion soup? Do tell! Post your link or recipe in the comment section below!

Soup Recipes

Creamy red pepper soup with Chef Giada De Laurentiis

Born and raised in Rome, Food Network star Giada’s unpretentious family style italian cooking is as genuine as her smile.

In this video, Giada prepares a simple creamy roasted red pepper soup with made with potatoes, mascapone cheese, and fresh croutons.

Visit Giada on the Food Network here for the written recipe.

A bit of red pepper trivia: The green peppers you buy are actually the red variety, simply picked before they have ripened to red. This explains why they are sweeter and more expensive than the green bells, as the farmers need to tend the crops for a longer period of time. The harvest time is typically late summer and autumn. The ripened red peppers are more nutrient rich, having 9 times the antioxidant carotene and twice the vitamin C of green peppers.

When choosing red peppers, look for those that feel heavy, have a wrinkle and blemish free skin, and a strong healthy stem. Select organic peppers if possible, as bell peppers are one of the most heavily fertilized vegetables.

Soup Recipes Thanksgiving Recipes

Butternut squash and apple soup with Chef Keith Snow

Although winter squash can be purchased year round in markets, now is the peak squash season for most of us with gardens. When harvesting winter squash, look for heavy squash with a skin that is glossy and free from cuts or soft spots. Most winter squash (with the exceptions being acorn, dumpling, and delicata) will benefit from a curing stage, which is simply a room temperature storage for ten to twenty days.

Winter squash is high in vitamins A, C, potassium and fiber, as well as the antioxidant lutein.

(As with pumpkin, the seeds of most winter squash can be roasted for an excellent snack! Known as Pepitas in Mexico, you can make these by rinsing the pulp from the squash or pumpkin seeds and allowing them to dry. Add butter or oil to a skillet on medium low heat, add the seeds, chopped chipotles or chipotle powder, and a dash of brown sugar, and stir frequently for about 5 minutes until the seeds puff. Serve with salt and a squeeze of fresh lime. )

Now onto the recipe! Chef Keith Snow from Harvest Eating shows you how to make a hearty butternut squash soup using apples, chicken stock, fresh nutmeg, celery, and onions, garnished with chopped chives.

[pro-player width=’550′ height=’353′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkVzExp8428[/pro-player]

Chef Snow does have a full written recipe for butternut squash soup on his site which you can view here, which is slightly different from the video recipe.

We’ve transcribed the video recipe instructions as follows:

Butternut Squash Soup

1/2 diced onion
1 small diced apple
1 stalk of celery chopped
2 cups of water
fresh nutmeg, one pinch
raw butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 garlic clove chopped
(optional: 1 tbs fresh ginger grated)
organic heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup
2 cups of organic chicken broth
3 tbsp of organic butter
chopped chives for garnish
salt
pepper

Melt butter in a saucepan, add the chopped celery, onion, garlic, ginger if desired (optional), salt, and pepper. Sweat this mixture over medium low heat while stirring for approximately 5 minutes. Add the diced apple and squash, water, and chicken stock. Simmer the mixture for 20 minutes until the squash is softened. Add the cream and a pinch of nutmeg, taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Use a stick blender, and blend until smooth. Ladle into bowls, and add a dollop of chopped chives for garnish.

Asian Recipes Fusion Recipes Indian Recipes Soup Recipes

A Warm and Delicious Coconut Shrimp Soup with Chef Vik Lulla

As the nights are getting cooler, we’ve decided it’s time for a soup recipe category!

Here we start off the fall season with Chef and owner of Chinese Mirch restaurant in NYC, Vik Lulla.  In this video he makes a coconut infused shrimp soup with rice noodles and cilantro, a broth that not only tastes exotic and delicious but it also smells wonderfully fragrant.  This soup is a fusion of Indian and Chinese cuisine, and is brought to us from Real Meals Tv.

Recipe adapted from the video:

Coconut Infused Shrimp and Noodle Soup
Via Chef Vik Lulla

Ingredients:
Lemon
Thin rice noodles
4 Sprigs of Cilantro
2-3 Large Shrimp, butterflied with tails removed
¼ tsp. Coriander Powder
¼ tsp. Curry Powder
12 oz. Fish Stock
½ cup Coconut milk
¾ oz. White Vinegar
1. Add the stock to a very hot wok (or sauté pan).
2. As it begins to simmer, add the rice noodles and the shrimp.
3. Allow the shrimp to begin to curl into themselves. Add the cilantro,
breaking it roughly just before dropping it in.
4. Add both the coriander and curry powder.
5. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer the whole broth for 1-2
minutes.
6. Add white vinegar and a squeeze of lemon to taste.
7. Garnish with cilantro, fried shallots and a lemon wedge

French Recipes Soup Recipes

Easy Vichyssoise

vichy

Via Wikimedia Creative Commons,Hotel de Ville, Vichy

What is Vichyssoise exactly? Originating in France, it is a hot or more commonly served cold soup made with potatoes, leeks, chicken stock, cream, and onions. As with most creamy French dishes, it has no lumps or rustic characteristics, and is blended to a creamy smooth texture. It’s name is derived from the town of Vichy in central France. Pronounce the word as “vee-shee-swahzz”.

Steve Dolby, a musician and with 16 years of working in Europe as a restaurant chef, created this video featuring his take on the classic soup. His version is rustic and chunky as opposed to the traditional French versions. Visit his Facebook page here to connect with him.

Vichyssoise
Chef Steve Dolby

Ingredients:

extra virgin olive oil
2 cups of vegetable stock
2 sliced medium leeks
1/2 of a medium onion, diced in small pieces
2 tbsp flour
Milk
a dash of heavy cream
3 medium red potatoes
salt and ground pepper

Slice the leeks and place in a bowl. Add the diced potatoes to bowl. Peel and slice the potatoes about 1 inch thick, cut into small cubes. Add the potatoes to a bowl of water to prevent browning if not using immediately. Blanch the potatoes in bowling water for 1 minute, remove from water and put aside. In a soup pot, add olive oil, and add the leeks, onions, and salt. Cook covered over low heat for about 6 minutes stirring occasionally. After the 6 minutes, stir in the diced potatoes. Stir in the flour, and continue to stir over low heat for 5 minutes. Now add the cream and the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a dash of cream, more salt and pepper if needed, and a pinch of sugar to taste. Garnish with sliced leek if desired. To serve warm, serve with warm baguette slices, or refrigerate for several hours and serve chilled.

WWJCD? What would Julia Child do? Her traditional creamy French version is published in her cookbook “The Way to Cook”. “Here is the mother of the family in all her simplicity. You’ll note there’s no chicken stock here, just water, leeks, potatoes, and salt in the soup base. However, you may include chicken stock if you wish, and you may certainly include milk. A bit of cream at the end is a nourishing touch, but by no means necessary.