From early October through April, there is almost always a pot of chicken soup in my fridge. I always start it the same way, with a mirepoix of celery, carrot and onion. The recipe varies dependent upon what veggies and which shape noodles I add into the mix. Sometimes I prepare it without the tomato sauce. This is an incredibly flexible recipe. Sometimes I just call it my “Everything but the kitchen sink chicken soup!”

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Get out your biggest soup pot, your cutting board and all the vegetables in the fridge. I use one large onion, one half a stalk of celery (chopped up it equals about 1 cup) and an equal amount of chopped carrots.

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Hope this post finds everyone relaxed, content, and carefree on this beautiful fall day!  It’s been getting a bit cooler around here (FINALLY!) and we decided to make some delicious soup today using seasonal ingredients.

This recipe can be adjusted for any season. The key step is truly the sauteeing of the vegetables, which brings out their flavor and makes the soup’s flavors have more depth.

Seasonal Soup

4 garlic cloves, chopped (or more, depending on taste)
2 shallots, diced
5 or so celery stalks, sliced
1 leek (slice lengthwise and rinse with cold water–use only the white to light green section. Then dice!)
9 medium carrots, sliced
1 tbsp. fresh thyme
1 can white beans
1 can black beans
bag of frozen corn
Two 32-oz cans of chicken broth
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp olive oil
Chopped cilantro or parsley, for garnish

1) Sautee 1 tsp. salt, celery, leeks, shallots, and garlic in olive oil for about 15 minutes until transluscent and aromatic.

2) Add chicken broth and 4 cups of water (this makes a HUGE pot of soup!).

3) Bring to boil; add carrots, thyme, beans. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.

4) Add frozen corn last, so it remains a bit crunchy.

5) Simmer until carrots are done: not crunchy, but not soggy either!

Serve topped with chopped cilantro or parsley.

And there you go…a delicious, heartwarming, yummy soup for those cool autumn days. It’s also super easy to reheat, so this meal could last 2 people a few days!

Add whatever veggies you like or are in season: we’ve added zucchini, acorn squash, cabbage…whatever suits your fancy!

What’s your go-to meal during the cooler months?

Much love,

-B

There are a plethora of recipes for roasted chicken. I loosely followed this Double Herb Roasted Chicken recipe from MyRecipes.com.  Roasting chicken is very easy and economical.  One chicken provides two meals for two (perfect for newlyweds) or one meal for four (perfect for two couples).  You can also use the leftovers to make homemade chicken noodle soup!

A few tips for a the perfectly roasted chicken:

• Before seasoning, rinse the chicken and then pat dry.  Dry skin equals better roasting.
• Don’t be afraid to season (outside, under the skin, in the cavity).
• Cook at 450 degrees for the first 30 minutes, and then reduce to 350 for the remainder of the time.  This seals in the flavor and creates a crispier outside.
• Remove the skin equals removing fat.
• Use a broiling pan for crispier potatoes and a lower fat dinner.

Any other chicken roasters out there?

This is one of my all-time favorite soups!  It’s different in that it uses evaporated milk, plus it’s super easy!

Here is what you’ll need:

• Approx. 1 lb of either cooked chicken or turkey
• 2 cans chicken broth
• 1 can evaporated milk (not sweetened)
• 1 box of Wild Rice (I like the fast-cook kind)
• 1/2 of a white onion
• 1 stalk of celery (or more, if you prefer)
• 2 to 3 carrots (or more, if you prefer)

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The weather is COLD and what better way to celebrate with an easy peasy Tomato Soup.  Tweaked from this recipe,

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2 (15-ounce) containers, chicken or vegetable stock/broth
1 (28-ounce) can concentrated crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream (can substitute fat free half and half to make it much lower in fat)
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 white onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
20 leaves fresh basil, cut into chiffonade, for garnish

Saute onion and garlic in medium saucepan over moderate heat.  When onions are translucent, add broth and tomatoes. When soup bubbles, stir in heavy cream and reduce heat to low. Season with a little salt and pepper and simmer gently 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. With an immersion blender, puree soup. Serve bowls of soup with basil chiffonade.

You can see from the comments on the Food Network site that this recipe is easily tweaked to your individual taste.  We served with grilled cheese sandwiches.

A.

One of my favorite parts of Everyday with Rachel Ray is the Take 5 Recipe.  In the October issue, she included a fabulous recipe for French Onion Soup.  I was immediately sold!

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2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
1 cup dry red wine
29 oz of beef broth (2, 14.5 oz cans)
4 thick slices Swiss cheese
2 cups seasoned croutons

In a deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and softened, about 15 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Pour in the beef broth, lower the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes; season with pepper. Preheat the broiler. Divide the soup among 4 ovenproof bowls, then top each with one-quarter of the croutons and a slice of cheese. Set the bowls on a rimmed baking sheet and broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden, about 1 minute.

My review:
The picture doesn’t lie.  This has a LOT of onion in it.  If you are cooking for people who don’t love onions, you could probably get away with one onion.  The flavor is deep and hearty, mostly because of the red wine.  It’s the perfect soup for Sunday evening cooking.  Skip the croutons and add a good chunk of hard crusted bread and it becomes even more filling!