Soup Recipes...
Vegetable Soup with Herb Butter Balls
Portuguese White Bean & Fennel Soup
8 Cups chicken broth
1 can stewed tomatoes, Mexican style
1 can corn
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 T. lime juice
3 T. cilantro
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 chicken breast halves, cooked and diced
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
Garnish:
chopped cilantro, grated Monterrey Jack or cheddar cheese, finely diced
jalapenos, sliced avocado
Combine all soup ingredients and simmer 30 minutes. Serve with garnish of choice.
3 leeks, sliced
5-6 white potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. salt and ground pepper
1 T. olive oil
1 cup half and half
1 T. butter
Heat oil in a 6 qt. pan.
Add leeks and onion. Cook 5 minutes over medium heat. Add
stock, potatoes, salt and pepper. Cook until potatoes are fork tender,
about 5-6 minutes.
Pour into food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
Return to pan, stir in half and half and butter. Heat, stirring constantly,
until steaming. Garnish with thinly sliced leek greens.
Makes about 6 servings.
Vegetable Soup with Herb Butter Balls...
1/2 lb. asparagus
1 medium sized carrot
2 small white potatoes
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 T lemon juice
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions (including tops)
Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus; cut spears into 1/2 inch pieces. Cut carrot into small pieces; peel potatoes and cut in 1/2 inch cubes.
Add stock and lemon juice to a pan and bring to a boil. Add potatoes; reduce heat, cover, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add carrot and cook 4-5 minutes more. Add asparagus and onions; cook until tender.
Makes 4-5 servings
Herb Butter Balls...
In food processor blend 1/4 cup unsalted butter until smooth. Add 2 tsp. chopped parsley and any other herb of choice: tarragon, basil, chives, or rosemary. Shape mixture into a ball and float in ice water until firm. Cut ball into 15-16 equal portions. Using your hands, shape portions into balls and chill again in ice water.
Pass Herb Butter Balls at table to drop into each soup bowl.
Portuguese White Bean & Fennel Soup...
1 lb. white beans
3 T. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large fennel bulb with stems and foliage chopped, reserving 4 T of leaves
and several sprigs for garnish
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. fennel seed
2 tsp. crushed red pepper
7 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 lbs. white potatoes, cubed
3/4 lb. precooked sausage, sliced
1/2 cup dry sherry
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Rinse beans, discarding any that are shriveled or discolored. In a large soup pot, heat the oil and saute the onions, garlic, and fennel until slightly softened (about 10 minutes). Add the bay, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper, beans, and stock. Bring to a boil; turn off heat and allow to stand covered for 1 hour.
Return to boil; reduce heat
and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Add the potatoes and cook 10 minutes.
Add the sausage and cook another 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Add the sherry and about 4 T. chopped fennel leaves, salt, and pepper
to taste. Garnish with fresh fennel sprigs.
Serves 8