Pisole

This vegetarian soup is quick, easy, good, and healthy. What more could you want? It does have a bit of spicy heat, so it's not ideal for most kids. The ingredient list makes this soup look daunting, but there is only a small amount of chopping, a quick saute, lots of opening cans, and dumping. The original recipe included pork. If you want pork, coat some pork pieces in flour and saute then in oil before you add them to the soup. This was my recipe originally, but my sister Julie has probably made pisole 50 times more then I have. So, maybe it's Julie's recipe now? This soup freezes well. Hominy is sold in the Mexican food section of the supermarket. There is yellow and white hominy. I've never noticed a difference in taste. I usually get one can of each to make the soup more fancier. I serve this with whole grain cornbread muffins. I don't speak Spanish, and this may or may not be misspelled.

PISOLE

INGREDIENTS

¼ c vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 c)

1/4 c carrots, chopped

1/4 c celery, chopped

1 clove garlic, pressed through a garlic press

1 T chili powder

2 cups cooked pinto beans (or just use one can)

2 15 oz cans hominy, drained

¼ c chopped greed chilies or green pepper (or just use one can)
1 15 oz can chopped tomatoes

4 c vegetable (or chicken) broth

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 ½ tsp dried oregano leaves

1 small onion chopped (about 1/4 c)

¼ c snipped cilantro

Saute 1/2 c onion, 1/4 c carrot, and 1/4 c celery until tender. About a minute before the onion/carrot/celery mixture is done, add the garlic and chili powder. Saute one minute. Add all the remaining ingredients except onion and cilantro. Heat to a boil, reducing heat . Cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 c chopped onion and cilantro.

Tomato Soup from Canned Tomatoes

I don't know if it's Campbell's tomato soup has changed or if my taste has changed. But,is seems as if the Campbell's tomato soup is a whole lot sweeter then it used to be. It also tastes a whole lot like corn syrup. I've mused over the idea of making soup from canned tomatoes for a few years. Then I came across this post with general instructions. I had to give it a try. This is the recipe I came up with.
See also my recipe for tomato soup from fresh tomatoes.

Tomato Soup from Canned Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS
oil to saute
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
3 14.5 oz cans tomatoes
1 15 oz can vegetable or chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1 tsp honey
2 c milk

In a dutch oven, saute onion and garlic in oil over medium high heat until soft. Add tomatoes, broth, salt and honey. Simmer 45 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Add milk. Heat until warm. Serve. You can freeze leftovers.

Fresh Tomato Soup

The reviews for this soup have varied from "I don't like tomatoes, but I really like this soup." to "We made it and we thought it was terrible. We had to really doctor it up." Fresh tomato soup is a staple at my house. Or it was until they closed the local green house that grew fresh tomatoes. I miss you greenhouse. This recipe originally called for a cup of cream added after you blend the soup, and then bringing the soup back to a simmer. I don't think it needs the cream, but feel free to add it if you like. If the soup isn't quite right, try adding more salt. With tomato recipes (like salsa) the fix is usually to add more salt. I like to freeze this soup in single serve Ziploc containers. The soup in the picture was frozen in a Ziploc container. I tried to make the picture fancy by adding cheese to the soup. Turns out cheese does not float.

Fresh Tomato Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 T olive oil

½ medium onion, chopped

¼ tsp pepper

8 tomatoes (2 ½ lbs), chopped

4 c water

1 tsp salt

1. Sauté onions in olive oil in a soup pot.

2. Add the tomatoes and pepper, and cook 20 minutes on low. Add water and salt.

3. Cook 40 minutes uncovered.

4. Blend in batches in a food processor or just blend with an immersion blender.

Ginger Carrot Soup

Sometimes I make this soup and I think it's the perfect delicious healthy spa style meal. Other times I just think it's just OK. The cashews are good in here even though they seem weird. I've made it without the dried mint before and it still worked. You can serve cornbread with this soup for a healthy lunch.

GINGER CARROT SOUP

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs carrots

4 c water

1 T olive oil

1 ½ c chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T grated ginger

1 ½ tsp salt

1/4 tsp each:

cumin

ground fennel

cinnamon

all spice

dried mint

3-4 T lemon juice

1 c toasted cashews

1. Cut carrots into 1-inch chunks. Put in a medium sauce pan with water and salt, cover, bring to a boil. Simmer until very tender. (10-15 minutes)

2. Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add onions and saute over medium for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, salt, and spices. Turn heat to low and continue to saute 8-10 minutes until well mingled and onions are very soft. Add lemon juice.

3. Puree everything (including cashews) in food processor in batches. Rewarm before serving. Alternatively, blend with an immersion blender in the saucepan off heat. Pass buttermilk for drizzling. (Optional) Cashews only keep for a day or so in the fridge before getting soggy. This soup will not freeze.

Pumpkin soup

I don’t like pumpkin pie, but I like this savory pumpkin soup. This recipe is from the Food Network.

Pumpkin soup

INGREDIENTS

2 T oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 apple, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon sage leaves
2 cups pumpkin puree
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a stockpot over medium heat, melt butter and saute onion, carrot, apple, and sage until all are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add pumpkin puree and puree the entire mixture with a immersion blender (or food processor or blender). Add the chicken stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the milk and simmer for 5 more minutes, lowering the heat if necessary so it does not boil. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Lentil Soup

This is easy, healthy and good soup. If you don't believe me, check out the video. This recipe originally used 2 T olive oil, but I cut it down to 1 T. I like to freeze this in single serve Ziploc containers, that way you can grab one for lunch. I let people add the vinegar themselves. I think the soup is good with or without vinegar. The recipe calls for green lentils, but any color lentil is fine. Lentils are sometimes labeled as Dal, which is the Indian name for lentils. They are with the other dried beans in the supermarket. This recipe is from "Laurel's Kitchen".

GREEN LENTIL SOUP

INGREDIENTS

2 cups uncooked lentils

8 cups vegetable stock or water

½ onion, chopped

1 small carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 small medium potato, chopped

1 T olive oil

2 bay leaves

1 ½ to 2 tsp salt

2 tsp red wine vinegar (optional)

Pick over and wash lentils.

Mix all ingredients except vinegar in a soup pot and cook until lentils are very soft, about one hour. Stir in vinegar at end if using.

Black bean soup

This one is popular in my house too. I’ve never actually made it with the ham (vegetarian sisters), but I’m sure it’s good. I always make the chipotle recipe. Chipotles in adobo sauce are sold in a can in the Mexican food section of the supermarket. Chipotles are smoked jalapeños. You can freeze leftover chipotles. On a waxed paper lined cookie sheet, place the chipotles, separate from each other with a bit of sauce added to each pepper and freeze. When frozen, wrap excess waxed paper around each one and put in a Ziploc bag to freeze. I freeze this soup single serving Ziploc containers. If you make this with mixed beans, collard greens (or other greens) are good with it. But, collards turn to mush in the freezer. The black bean soup recipes are from America's Test Kitchen.

BLACK BEAN SOUP

INGREDIENTS

BEANS

1 lb (2 c) dried black beans, rinsed and picked over

4 oz ham steak, trimmed of rind

2 dried bay leaves

5 c water

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 tsp table salt

SOUP

3 T olive oil

2 large onions, chopped fine (about 3 cups)

1 large carrot, chopped fine (about ½ c)

3 medium celery ribs, chopped fine ( about 1 c)

½ tsp salt

5-6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed

½ tsp red pepper flakes

1 ½ T cumin

6 c low sodium chicken broth

2 T cornstarch

2 T water

2 T juice from 1 to 2 limes

GARNISHES

lime wedges

minces fresh cilantro leaves

finely diced red onion

diced avocado

sour cream

1. For the beans: Place beans, ham, bay leaves, water, and baking soda in a large saucepan with tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; using large spoon, skim scum as it rises to surface. Stir in salt, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer briskly until beans are tender, 1 1/4 to 1 ½ hours (if necessary, add another 1 cup water and continue to simmer until beans are tender); do not drain beans. Discard bay. Remove ham steak (ham steak darkens to color of beans), cut into 1/4-inch cubes, and set aside.

2. For the soup: Heat oil in 8-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking; add onions, carrot, celery, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic, pepper flakes, and cumin; cook, stirring occasionally until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in beans, bean cooking liquid, and chicken broth. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors, about 30 minutes.

3. Finish the soup: Ladle 1 ½ cups beans and 2 cups liquid into food processor or blender, process until smooth, and return to pot. Stir together cornstarch and water in small bowl until combined, then gradually stir in about ½ of the cornstarch mixture into soup; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, to fully thicken. If soup is still thinner than desired once boiling, stir in remaining mixture into soup; return to a boil to fully thicken. Off heat, stir in lime juice and reserved ham; ladle soup into bowls and serve immediately, passing garnishes separately.

BLACK BEAN SOUP WITH CHIPOTLE CHILES

The addition of chipoltle chiles in adobo-smoked jalapeños packed in a seasoned tomato-vinegar sauce-makes this a spicier, smokier variation on black bean soup.

Follow the recipe for black bean soup, omitting red pepper flakes and adding 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chilies in adobe plus 2 tsp adobo sauce along with chicken broth in step 2.

12(or however many) BEAN SOUP

Use a bag of mixed beans in place of black beans. If not freezing can add collard greens or other greens.

Potato Soup

This is a real crowd pleaser. From Epicurious.

POTATO SOUP

INGREDIENTS

4 1/2 pounds russet (baking) potatoes (about 4)

3 1/2 cups chicken broth (2 cans)

6 slices of bacon

1 onion, chopped coarse

12 mushrooms, chopped coarse

2 cup milk

8 oz cream cheese, cut into bits and softened

In a kettle combine the potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch Pieces, with the broth and simmer the mixture, covered for 20 Minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Remove the kettle from the heat and in the kettle mash the potatoes with the potato masher. Whlie the potatoes are cooking, in a large skillet cook the bacon over moderate heat until it is crisp and transfer it to paper towels and drain. Crumble the bacon into ½ inch pieces and reserve it. Add the onion and mushrooms to the fat remaining in the skillet and cook mixture over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the onion is softened. Add the reserved bacon and the onion mixture to the potato mixture. Stir in the milk, the cream cheese, and salt and pepper to taste, and heat the soup over moderate heat, stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the soup is combined well (do not let the soup boil).

Makes 4 ½ cups, serving 4 to 5.