Cooking for Seven

It’s that time of year again: time to pull your warm clothes out of storage; time to cozy up in a fuzzy blanket with a good book and a cup of tea; time to look longingly at your skis; time to warm your chilly fingers by cradling a steaming bowl of soup in your hands.

This soup is absolutely amazing. It’s so flavorful, yet so simple. The blend of herbs is perfect, and the dumplings add a little something special.

This is one of Reuben’s favorite soups. I was introduced to it while we were getting to know each other. One evening his family invited me over for supper, and they served this scrumptious soup. Reuben requested that I make it for him, and his family very obligingly gave me the recipe. Here it is for you to enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Soup with Dumplings

Printable page | Serves 3-4

For the soup:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar (I use demerara or maple syrup)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• dash each- garlic, basil, oregano, thyme.
• 2 cups tomato juice or diced canned tomatoes (I use a cup of each)
• 2 cups cold milk

1) Sauté onions in butter. Blend in the flour, sugar, salt, pepper & other seasonings.

2) Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the tomato juice. Return to heat & bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Stir hot tomato mixture gradually into the milk. Return to saucepan & heat to almost boiling.

For Doodles:

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons water
• flour as needed (I used a bit over 3/4 cup)

Mix the ingredients together to make a very thick batter. Drop the the batter by teaspoonfuls into the almost boiling soup, coating the spoon with hot soup each time so the batter doesn’t stick to the spoon. Turn off the heat & cover until serving time.

I thought it might be fun to start a series on Cooking for Seven where I share a photo of my lunch on the same day each week. I’m not promising that I’ll be able to hit EVERY Tuesday. But I’ll sure try!

Here’s my lunch #1: Chicken, corn, and black been chili with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

What did you have for lunch today? Describe it in the comments or share a photo!

Having lived in Minnesota my whole life, I’ve become quite accustomed to temperatures that dip well below freezing for months on end; to drifts of snow several feet high. Do I bemoan my fate and pine for summer? Not at all!

I love being able to stand by the fire, pull on warm socks & sweaters, and enjoy a bowl of steaming soup.

Here’s a recipe that’s sure to keep you cozy. Not only by it’s thermal heat - the spicy jalapeño peppers will keep your taste buds hopping!

Notes: I added my own spin to this recipe. We had some fresh ginger in the refrigerator, so I added a tablespoon or so. I thought the amount of spicy heat was perfect, but if you prefer a milder flavor simply leave out the jalapeño peppers and reduce the amount of curry powder.

The original recipe suggest that you serve the soup with jasmine rice. The soup was wonderful on its own, though I would like to try it with rice or rice noodles.

Coconut & Chicken Curry Soup

Adapted from a recipe by Katie Goodman

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 3 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks
• 1/2 of a large onion, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk, full fat
• 2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 jalapeño, seeded, minced
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 small green bell pepper, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
• 1/2 cup unsweetened chipped coconut
• 2 cups freshly cooked jasmine rice (optional)

Directions:

1) Heat the olive oil in a medium sized soup pot over medium heat. Add the chicken to the oil, season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until cooked through and golden. Remove chicken and set aside. Sauté the onion, adding more oil if necessary, until tender.

2) Return the chicken to the pot with the onions. Add the ginger; cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, curry powder and jalapeno. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add bell pepper and cilantro and simmer an additional 3 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3) Optional: Spoon rice into 4 bowls. Top with a ladle or two of soup. Garnish with additional cilantro and a sprinkling of shredded coconut. Serve.

Makes approximately 6 servings

Check out my guest post over at the Tasty Kitchen Blog this week: Outrageous Garlic Soup. And make the soup. It is amazing.

Here was an happy accident:

I asked Dad what he would like for supper. His answer: soup. What could be easier, eh?

I knew that one of Dad’s favorite soups is cream of broccoli, and I was pretty sure I could find some broccoli in the freezer. The catch? The the broccoli was FREEZER BURNT. One floret had turned a weird orange color and it all smelled horrid. Blech.

And so, instead of panicking, I quickly decided to make up a new recipe. That is how this soup was born.

Please do not be scared by the stick of butter included in this recipe. It is necessary. So very necessary. You can add any spices you like, but I found salt, pepper, and parsley sufficient. Also, any type of sausage may be used. I like spicy Italian.

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Sausage and Potato Soup

Printable Page

Ingredients:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• 3 medium russet potatoes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons parsley
• 2 1/2 teaspoons flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage, cooked until no longer pink

Directions:

1) Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until transparent. Add the garlic, potatoes, salt and pepper, and parsley and cook 3 more minutes. Stir in the sausage.

2) Add the flour and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk. Bring to a boil and simmer just until the potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Serves approximately 4-6 people