52 Soups: Challenge Complete

Ok, so I've been slacking this month. So much for the "this year I resolve to blog more" deal.  January has come and gone and I still have a list of incomplete ideas that I've been meaning to write about.

                             

2013 was a pretty incredible year, and one thing that will forever set it apart from every other year in my life is definitely that I ate WAY more soup than I will probably ever eat again in a whole year.  The 52 Soup Project started out as a simple challenge.  Something that would get E and I in the kitchen together, learning new skills, using our new kitchen tools, figuring out how to be adults in our new grown up kitchen. What started out as just an idea to blog about turned into an amazing adventure.

Not only did we learn how to make some incredibly new things, I'm still amazed at the real way to brown onions for French Onion Soup and how to even fathom making Gumbo, but we also realized how much we love cooking, and how much we really love sharing our food, and ideas, with you.

I think the most exciting thing about the whole project has been watching everyone's reactions. At first our only readers were our parents, eager to help support and try out our ideas. But slowly, as the recipes got a bit more unique, and we figured out how to post it to the world, our readership grew. We'd get comments from people we work with, "When are you going to bring us some of that soup?!"  And the best is when we'd find out other people had tried our recipes and loved them too!

Since 2014 started, one of the weirdest things has been not having to post a soup every week. It's remarkably freeing and sort of sad all at the same time. Surprisingly, we aren't sick of soup. In fact, it's still one of our favorite things to eat. And we actually haven't made any of the same soups we made last year.... which means we've made over 52 soups in the last year and a half or so that we've been married!  That's more than most can say about the number of soups they have in a lifetime! :) So that's pretty neat.

And on to the next project?  We wanted to have a project up and ready to go for you by the new year... but honestly, we can't decide!! We've tossed around ideas for months and some nights we have trouble figuring out what to eat, let alone what sort of project to go with and commit to. Whatever project we will be...one thing we DO know... it will NOT be another "52" anything! While it was super fun.... we'd already be like 6 weeks behind AND really, a soup a week, or a _____ a week. That's a LOT!  We had fun with it, but we're not putting ourselves through that again.

So whatever we finally decide on, we'll keep you posted. It will be yummy, and fabulous, we just have to figure out what it will be.  Until then... happy 2014. happy February.

it's good to be back.

XO

Soup #52 / Pasta Fagioli

The last soup! It's hard to believe 2013 is coming to a close and we've made 52 soups! That's just craziness. This last one was one for the books, and definitely perfect as our last of the year!  This is a great recipe for emptying the fridge and still making an impressive dinner. 

What you will need: 

1 tbsp oil

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 brown onion, chopped

2 15-oz cans of diced tomatoes

4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

1 30-oz can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried parsley
2 cups of cooked elbow macaroni or shell pasta (cook ahead)
3 carrots, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese to top

How to make it:
In a large soup pot, heat the oil and add in the onion and garlic. Stir until slightly browned (about 3-5 minutes). Add in zucchini and carrots and stir together for about 1 minute. Add in diced tomatoes and juice, then chicken broth. Add in the parsley and oregano, salt and pepper to taste.

Allow the soup to simmer about 20 minutes. When the flavors are well mixed, add in the pasta and kidney beans. Cook for about 5 more minutes. Ladle into large bowls and serve with bread and butter - ENJOY!

The verdict: Success! It was a last minute recipe idea that, I think, really encompasses the idea of the whole project: that soups don't have to be hard, they don't have to be complex. They can be pure and simple, a way to use up the veggies in the fridge, and they are always welcome on our table!

What we'd do differently: I think I'd add in some more beans - just to make it more fagioli! Maybe some cannelini beans!

XO

Soup #51 / Casitas Soup

Yet another soup that E made for me after yet another long day at work. I think the best part of this project has been coming home to a hot delicious bowl of soup - and the fantastic husband who made it of course. This soup was inspired by Mexican Casitas soup with lots of broth and big chunks of meat and veggies. 

What you will need: 

8 cups of chicken stock

1 tbsp oil

1 lb stew beef

2 yellow squash, sliced in 1-2" chunks

2 white squash, sliced in 1-2" chunks

1 ear of corn, cut into large pieces (see picture)

1/2 head of green cabbage, cut into 4 large pieces 

1 brown onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped cilantro 

3 garlic cloves, halved

Salt and pepper to taste

Extra cilantro and lime to taste

How to make it: 

In a large soup pot, partially brown the stew meat in the oil. You don't need to cook it all the way through, just give it a head start. Add in a little salt and pepper for taste.  

Add in all the rest of the ingredients )squash, corn, cabbage, onion, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper, and chicken stock. Allow to cook for about 25-30 minutes, until the stew beef is fully cooked. Add in more cilantro, salt, and pepper to taste. 

That's it! Serve in bowls, garnish with cilantro and lime, and serve with mini quesadillas - enjoy!

The verdict: Success! I loved it and was even excited to eat the corn, which is not usually something I'm excited about. Everything was tasty and it was a simple, wintry treat!

What we'd do differently: Next time we'd like to use a different type of meat, maybe something bone-in. This might keep the meat a little tender. Otherwise it was perfect! 

XO

Soup #50 / Grandma's Cold Remedy Soup

The other day E looked at me and said, "after making all these soups, I don't know why I never thought to make the soup that my grandma used to make me when I was sick." We started talking about it with the family and my mom said that her grandma used to make this soup too. It's one of those comfort foods and so the other day he made it for me after a long day at work and let me tell you, it instantly made me feel better! 

What you will need: 

1 tbs olive/grapeseed oil

1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)

6 cups chicken broth (veggie broth works too)

2 tbsp dried mint (and more to taste)

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup mini-star pasta

How to make it:

In a medium pan, heat oil. Add in tomato sauce. cook tomato sauce, stirring regularly until the color changes to a brighter orange-red (about 5 minutes). Add in 4 cups of chicken broth, stirring in slowly. Also add in the garlic, let it simmer for a few minutes to let the flavors marry. Add in the star pasta and last 2 cups of broth. Allow to cook until pasta is ready. When the pasta is almost fully cooked, add in the mint and cook for about 5 minutes. When ready, ladle into bowls and enjoy!

The verdict: Success! It was just the thing I needed to make me feel better after a long day at work. It's got a familiar taste that just hits the spot on a cold and long day. 

What we'd do differently: To quote E, "Absolutely nothing, it's a perfect recipe! Grandma doesn't make mistakes!"

XO

Soup #49 / Keshkeg or Herisah

The alternative title for this post is "what do to with all that leftover turkey after Thanksgiving" because this is the one thing I look forward to, actually more than regular turkey itself. This is really more of a porridge than a soup (yes, Goldilocks style), but it's a traditional Armenian dish that is one of our comfort foods. My family calls it Keshkeg (pronounced "kesh" like "Ke$ha" [ugh] and "keg" like a beer keg) and E's family calls it Herisah (pronounced "hair-ee-sah" to the best of my transliterary abilities). Whatever you call it, it's thick and delicious topped with a pat of butter (or drenched in it) a little salt, pepper, and the most important ingredient: cumin. There are a few ways to make this dish, but what I love is that we make it in the crock pot which makes life that much easier. 

Before I start in on the recipe here's what you're going to need to do. Use the turkey carcass, wings, and extra bony/meat bits and boil them down. Allow to cool. Reserve the liquid for broth and remove the turkey meat from the bones (carefully so you get nice, clean pieces of meat) and shred the meat into pieces.  

What you will need:

1 crock pot/slow cooker

shredded turkey meat (see above)

reserved turkey broth 

4 cups of pelted or hulled wheat

salt

pepper

cumin

butter

How to make it:

The night before you're ready to make this dish, prepare your turkey and broth as mentioned above. Also, place your wheat in a large bowl and fill with water (about two inches over the wheat). Allow the wheat berries to soak over night. Or, if you skipped this and you want to make this all right now because you can't wait to see how delicious it really is, you can place the wheat in a pan and cover with water, then bring it to a boil for about 15 minutes, turn off the heat and allow it to sit for two hours. That speeds up the process a bit. 

When you're wheat is ready, put it into your crock pot, add in the shredded meat, and top with enough broth to cover the wheat above by 2 inches. Save any extra broth to add in later. 

Turn your crock pot on low and allow it to cook for 8 hours. Yes. 8 hours. That means you can put this on early morning, go get some shopping done, enjoy a good book, take a walk, go to the movies, do something fun with your family, and when you come home 8 hours later, you'll be just about ready for dinner. If you are home, you will want to stir the soup every 30-60 minutes once it's hot and continue to add broth as needed. This is to ensure the best results, though to be honest, the last two years we turned it on and left the house for about 10 hours and came home to amazing soup. 

When the keshkeg is ready, it should have a porridge like look, sort of like thick oatmeal.  Use a spoon to stir it vigorously, whipping it a bit. If you still have big thick chunks of meat or big wheat berries, you may want to use an immersion blender or hand mixer to mix it all up a bit til it's more porridge like. Add in more of the broth if you'd like. Give it a taste and add in salt and pepper to taste.  

It smells amazing and now you're ready to eat. Dish it up in large bowls, topping each with a pat of butter and a dash or two of cumin to taste. Enjoy!  It's a great thing that this recipe makes so much, because you're sure to want seconds and maybe thirds. And lunch for the rest of the week.

The verdict: Success! We love this dish and look forward to making it every year. 

What we'd do differently: Hech! (which means "nothing!" in Armenian) we love it just the way it is!

* on a side note, if you don't have a turkey carcass and bits left, you can make this soup with chicken as well. Next time you grab a rotisserie chicken from Costco,Albertsons, Zankou, etc, save the bones and meaty bits and make this!

Let us know what you think - we'd love to hear how you Keshkeg experience is!

XO

Soup #48 / Pumpkin Soup

When I first thought about making soup for Thanksgiving, it seemed a little daunting... 15 guests, a ton of food, and we're going to serve soup too? It seemed like a lot, but on the other hand, we've made 47 soups already this year, this is the biggest meal we're going to put together all year, and we're NOT going to have soup? I mean, it's kind of our thing now, right? Fortunately, my sweet friend Nicole sent me this simple recipe and it worked perfectly. I made it the day before and reheated it up just before everyone came. We served it up in small dishes as an appetizer and it was a hit!

What you will need:

2 -2-3 pound pie pumpkins (or 1 -4-5lb pumpkin)

4 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 medium sweet onions, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp dried sage

3-4 dashes of cayenne pepper

32 oz of vegetable stock. 

salt, pepper, and cinnamon to taste

2 tsp olive or grape seed oil

How to make it:

Cut your pumpkin(s) in half and core out the inside of the seeds and guts (save the seeds for cleaning and roasting later to top off your soup or just snack on). Roast them face down on a baking sheet or pizza stone at 400 degrees F. for about 40 minutes, until fork tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Scrape out the pumpkin flesh and discard the skin. 

In a large soup pot, heat your oil and saute the carrots and onions. Add in the sage, cayenne. Saute until the carrots are semi-tender and the onions begin to turn golden. Add in the veggie stock, pumpkin, and cook until the carrots are almost mushy. Add in salt, pepper, and cinnamon to taste. When you've got it tasting just right, turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly again. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.  

Serve in a small dish, garnishing with roasted pumpkin seeds and a dash of cinnamon. Enjoy!

The verdict: 

Success! Everyone loved it and was so eager to be trying one of our soups! It was really awesome to be sharing our soups with the family in such a big way. 

What we'd do differently: 

I think it would be fun to try it out with a little cream, but overall it was really tasty the way it was! 

XO

Soup #47 / Carrot & Coconut Soup

I've been wanting to make this soup ever since I saw it posted last week on Tracy Shutterbean's site. It just sounded so yummy. So yesterday when I was working late at work E asked me what I wanted for dinner.  I sent over this recipe and was so excited when it was waiting and ready for me when I got home. We had ours in small bowls, topped with Sriracha, with a side of potstickers - yum! P.S. This is the second soup recipe I've tried from shutterbean.com  (here's the first)- you should totally check her site out - it's pretty, fun, and has AMAZING recipes! Thanks Tracy Shutterbean!

What you will need:

4 tbsp butter (unsalted)

1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped

1 brown onion, chopped

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 can (15 oz) of unsweetened coconut milk

1 tbsp sambal oelek (thai chili sauce)

Salt and pepper to taste

Sriracha

How to make it: 

In a large pot, melt butter on medium heat, adding in carrots and onion as it is melting. Stir frequently, and cook until the carrots are soft and the onions are translucent. Add in the broth, coconut milk and sambal oelek. Add salt and pepper. 

Cook together and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow the soup to simmer about 40 minutes until the liquid has reduced down a bit and you have soft, tender veggies. Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly. 

Transfer soup to a blender, or use an immersion blender to puree the soup to the desired consistency. Return the soup to the pot and reheat, adding water to thin, or reducing slightly to thicken, as desired. Add salt and pepper again to taste. Ladle into bowls and add a dash of sriracha for extra heat. Enjoy!

The verdict: Success! The sambal oelek added more heat than I had anticipated, so it was a little hot for E, and just right for me. I still added sriracha (i ate the photo bowl) and that might have been a bit too much (i also had chapped lips that were burning and making me regret every bite!), the spice is an awesome compliment to the soup. I loved the flavor the coconut milk added to the soup and would def. make this again, maybe as an appetizer in shooters. Also, totally going to put this out there - it made an awesome dipping sauce for our pot stickers!

What we'd do differently: E might tell you that he would rather skip the coconut milk, or maybe less sambal oelek. I say more carrots. It may have been that our carrots were sitting in the fridge too long, but I felt like they weren't as flavorful in the soup as I had imagined. Overall, I loved it!

XO

Soup #46 / White Bean and Mushroom Soup

Soup, soup, and more soup. At least the weather has been forgiving and making it bearable to be turning on the oven and stove to make some yummy dinner treats, but not so cold that we can't turn on the BBQ and grill up something good too. I wish there was a sweet or savory story that went behind this soup, but I was heading to the market and before I pulled out of the driveway I scanned over my "recipes to try" board on Pinterest and found this recipe, that I decided to follow to make our dinner.  It was a little different since it involved roasting the veggies, and the blender, and the pot, but it was fairly simple and quite tasty. 

What you will need: 

8 oz of baby bella mushrooms, halved or quartered (your preference)

1 large sweet onion, quartered

3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

2 tbs oil - olive or grapeseed

2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried sage

32 oz of chicken or vegetable stock

2 - 15 oz cans of white beans, not drained (I used cannelini)

salt and pepper

How to make it: 

First off, preheat your oven to 450 deg F. In a mixing bowl, add your onions, mushrooms, garlic, and oil. Toss in the sage and 1 tsp of thyme (save the other tsp for later), and a dash of salt and pepper. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix all the ingredients thoroughly, until the veggies are well coated.  

Spread the veggies out on a cooking sheet, separating the mushrooms on one side, and the onions and garlic on the other. Roast for 10 minutes, stir them around, and then cook for another 15 minutes. When they are done, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool.

In the mean time, in a large pot on medium heat, add your beans (with liquid) and stock, salt and pepper to taste, and the other 1 tsp of thyme. Bring the pot to a simmer. Now remove 2 cups of beans with a slotted spoon, and about 1 cup of the liquid and place them both in the blender along with the onions and garlic (save the mushrooms on the side, do not blend). When this mixture is smooth and pureed, add it back to the stock and beans in the pot. Stir until it is well blended. Then add in the mushrooms and return the pot to medium low heat to warm until serving temperature. Serve as a side or a main course - goes great with garlic bread for dipping!

The verdict: Success. It was a different flavor - I don't normally cook with a lot of thyme, so that was very bold in this soup, and took a few bites to get used to, but overall it was pretty tasty and light. 

What we'd do differently: I think I would skip adding the thyme into the broth next time, since there's already a lot on the veggies. Also, I specifically used a sweet onion for this recipe, but I feel like it could use the sharpness of a regular brown onion, so I would try that too. 

Enjoy!

XO

Soup #45 / Lentil Soup

I've been meaning to make this soup for a while and been putting it off for a few weeks. It was an easy go-to sort of soup that I could put together if I needed it.  But the thing is, we haven't been cooking much lately. I don't know if it was burn out from the summer soups, or just getting tired out, but it seems like we've been relying on one soup a week and the eating out. Pizza, sushi, burgers, too much! It's all good stuff, don't get me wrong, but I miss our whole cooking. So this soup started out as a "well, I guess if we have to..." and turned into something delicious that I'm so happy I made. It's simple, flavorful, and healthy! After just a spoonful I felt like my body started to remember what veggies are and remembered how much I love cooking at home. This is a big batch of hearty soup that will last you a few days if you're a small family of two like us, or will leave a big family with full tummies wishing there was more.  Oh, and we can thank my mama for the recipe inspiration!

What you will need: 

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

5 carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds

6 ribs of celery (at least three from the leafy middle), chopped

1 cup of brown lentils

1/2 cup of barley

1 15 oz can of diced tomato

Bullion or salt and pepper

Water

How to make it:

In a large soup pot on medium high heat, add in your chopped onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Add about 1/2 cup of water. Cook the veggies, stirring often as if you were sauteing them (conversely, you could saute them instead by adding about 2 tbs of oil and stirring the veggies until they are cooked and slightly browned, but I was going to the lighter, oil free version). When there are yummy scents coming from the steam and the onions are clear-ish, go ahead and add in the lentils and the barley. Stir together and add in the diced tomatoes.  Now add about 8 cups of water and chicken or veggie bouillon to taste (I think i added about 2 tbs of chicken powder bullion.  You also can skip the bouillon and just add salt and pepper to taste if you prefer). Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium high and allow to simmer for about an hour, until your lentils are soft and your barley is fluffy. Serve in large bowls and enjoy!

How simple is that?!

The Verdict: Super success! When I was making it, I tossed in the tomatoes and immediately everything smelled like ketchup and I thought that I had ruined my soup. Fear not though, it all worked out in the end and the flavors married well. I loved adding the barley in there for a little but different texture and fill.

What we'd do differently:  I bought sbaby bella mushrooms to slice up and add in, but totally forgot about them. I'd like to add them in next time.

XO

Soup #44 / Butternut & Acorn Squash Soup

Since we're all about the seasons, we have to have a super fall sort of soup. Nothing else quite speaks to the season the way that squash does. E and I totally scored this whole bunch of squash for way cheap and now we have made soup of it. The recipe was from this site and it was WAAAAAY good!

What you will need:

1 small butternut squash, halved and seeded

2 acorn squash, halved and seeded

2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

4 oz low fat cream cheese

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Cinnamon to taste

How to make it:

Before you start cutting and seeding your squash, preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Bake your squash halves face down on baking sheet or pizza stone for 45 minutes or until fork tender. When finished, allow them to cool until you can scoop out the pulp and discard the skins. 

In a pan on medium heat, melt the butter and saute your onions until they are tender and clear. 

In your food process, most likely in batches, blend together the squash pulp, onion and butter mixture, brown sugar, broth, and cream cheese until you reach the desired consistency. When blended, return to the pan and re-warm, adding in pepper and cinnamon. Serve in small bowls and enjoy!

The verdict:

Success! In fact, we made this a few days ago and I just enjoyed another bowl before writing this. It was definitely rich and creamy and sweet, but delicious in small portions. 

What we'd do differently:  

I would really like to try subbing the cream cheese for some Greek yogurt, obviously to cut the calories, and to cut the richness a bit. Oh, and a touch of salt on top makes each bite that much better.

XO 

Soup #43 / Brussel Sprout & Tomato Basil Puree

After a long day at work, what is better than pulling into the driveway and smelling something amazing that's being cooked up for dinner?  Knowing that it's coming from your kitchen, that's what! E surprised me on Saturday with a deliciously healthy dinner - and a soup! This one is simple and basic, and totally vegan and completely yummy. It has a surprising texture to it, almost like there is farina or cous-cous, or some kind of grain, but in the end it's just the essence of the Brussel sprout. Regardless, it's super tasty and easy to make. 

What you will need:

Approximately 1 cup of brussel sprouts, chopped. 

2 tomatoes, diced

3 large fresh basil leaves

1 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup of water

immersion blender/food processor

How to make it:

in a medium pan, on medium heat, add in your chopped brussel sprouts and about a 1/4 cup water. Allow the leaves to steam until the leaves are bright green. Remove the leaves and dump the water out. In the same pan, warm your oil and add in your two chopped tomatoes, cook until they become mushy, and then add in the brussel sprouts and garlic power, the salt and pepper to taste (or just a dash here, a dash there. You can totally skip it if you'd like). Continue to cook for another minute.

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Use an immersion blender or food processor to puree soup.  Add in the 1/2 cup water as needed to thin the puree out to desired consistency. Re-heat if necessary and enjoy. E served it up with steak and potatoes (he's that kinda guy) and it paired nicely!

The verdict: 

Success! It was simple and delicious which is a double win in my book. It was full of flavor and I love the tricky texture the brussel sprouts added. 

What we'd do differently:

It was still a little thick, I would try to thin it out, maybe by adding one more tomato. I think it might taste good with some onions as well, but that might ruin the simplicity of it. 

Enjoy!

XO


Please let us know if you've tried one of our soups, or if you have a soup you'd like us to make! We'd love to hear from you!

Soup #42 / Kreplach, our attempt

When I was a kid Christmas Eve was always so magical. We would get dressed up and go to church, see our friends and be a part of this amazing service. And then we would go out to eat. Being that it was Christmas eve, it was slim pickings for dinner because, well, everyone was closed. Everyone except Jerry's Famous Deli. So we would celebrate Christmas Eve with family and friends at a Jewish deli, eating the most delicious Kreplach soup. Since then, I've found my favorite Kreplach joint - a non-Jewish, Jewish deli in Glendale, and I've turned my husband on to the amazingness of these meat filled dumplings.

So, on thinking of what soups to make now that the weather is cooling off, I've realized this soup had to be on the list. Now, I've been crazy busy with work and so has he, so while reading recipes, I learned you can sub out making your own dough, and use wonton wrappers. So, naturally, I wanted to time save.

Below is how to make what I made. Which is, a form of Kreplach, I suppose, though I am not Jewish and can only compare this recipe to Jerry's, Billy's, and Canter's. All I can say is it doesn't, really compare, that is. But it did taste good, and it was a solid, time consuming attempt after a very long day at work, so it deserves to be posted. This was made following this recipe. If you've never had Kreplach soup before, I highly recommend you try this recipe FIRST, and then head over to Billy's Deli on Central in Glendale (by the center theater) and be amazed.

Kreplach Soup (our attempt)

What you will need:

1 packet of wonton wrappers (keep refrigerated until you need them to avoid sticking)
2 tbsp vegetable/grapeseed oil
1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tbsp dried parsely
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Already made Chicken/Veggie soup to add your kreplachs to
1 egg
Flour for your work space.

How to make it:

In a skillet on medium heat, warm your oil. Add in the onions and saute until clear and lightly browned. Remove the onions from the skillet with a slotted spoon or fork, retaining some oil in the pan. Add your ground beef to the same pan and cook until browned, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, and using the end of the spoon to sort of "mash" the meat into smaller pieces. When the meat is finished, add the onions back in and continue to cook for another minute or two to let the flavors mix. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl, mixing in the parsley, salt, and pepper. Allow to cool until it is warm to the touch.

Now for the wrapping...
Flour your clean work surface and open your wonton wrappers. Crack and egg into a small bowl and mix with a fork as if to make scrambled eggs. This will be the glue that holds your Kreplach together. In the mean time, place your soup or broth or whatever you will be adding your kreplachs to (we used boxed chicken stock and added in some celery and carrots. The veggies will be cooked and soft by the time you add in your dumplings) on the stove in a large pot on medium -low heat. You will want the soup to be boiling by the time you are ready to add the kreplach in, but you don't want it to be boiling for so long that there is no more soup left.

Back to the kreplach - Place one wrapper in front of you on your floured surface so it looks like a diamond facing you. Place a small flatware teaspoon sized scoop of the meat mixture onto the middle of your wrapper. Dip your finger into the egg "glue" and rub some egg on two adjacent sides of the diamond so they are wet but not gooey. Fold the "dry" side of the wrapper over onto the "wet" side, and press gently so the sides seal together. Make sure to close up the dumpling completely, otherwise, broth will get in and the kreplach will pop when you cook it. Set your dumpling aside to dry, and continue until you have finished your meat mixture, or until you have made enough dumplings. We found that making that many was too much, and we had to cook a few batches separately. If you have enough kreplach and more meat left over, you can save it for tomorrow, re-season it and make tacos!

When your kreplachs are finished, ensure that your soup is boiling on the stove. When it is, place your dumplings into the soup (be sure not to overcrowd them!). Partially cover the pot and allow them to cook for about 15-20 minutes, and say a prayer that they'll stay as kreplachs and not giant wonton noodles with tiny meat balls (which is what we got).

When time has passed, turn off the stove and serve up your soup. Even if they burst open, don't be disappointed, it happens. Close your eyes and enjoy a spoonful...it's still yummy!!

The Verdict:
Success?  It was a tasty soup but a long process, especially after having worked all day. And then the end result was not quite (or anything) like we had anticipated. BUT! And that's a very important but... it tasted pretty good... and we actually ate it for a few days after (like I said we had a LOT of kreplachs to cook). So all in all I guess it really was a success.

What we would do differently:
Uh.... not use wonton wrappers. I want to go speak with the cook at Billy's and find out the secret to their amazing dough-ball-ness that surrounds their kreplach. It's just that good. We would definitely do this again with perhaps a more authentic recipe, or at least one that resembles something we're familiar with in the kreplach realm. And definitely make our own dough next time.

Enjoy!
XO


Please let us know if you've tried one of our soups, or if you have a soup you'd like us to make! We'd love to hear from you!

Soup #41 / Buttered Yellow Squash Puree

This soup came after a long day of not wanting to make another soup. All the ideas I was coming up with seemed too complicated or just not very exciting. That's when E remembered the simple pureed soup we tried at Cabbage Patch in downtown LA. He said, "I think we're going about this soup thing all wrong," can you tell we've eaten a lot of soup lately?  So we decided to keep it simple. Although, we didn't make it as plain as just a veggie puree because, well, while we love the taste of yellow squash, we don't love it to the point of wanting to slurp it out of a spoon with no other flavor. So here is our Buttered Yellow Squash Puree. Simple, and surprisingly delicious. Pairs perfectly as a side dish to warm and gooey sandwiches!

What you will need:

2 yellow squash, cut into 1 inch pieces (you should probably cut out the seeds, though we didn't and it was just fine)

1 tbsp butter

1/2 large onion, finely chopped

3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:

Melt your butter in a medium sauce pan. Add in your onion and stir, cooking until onions are clear. Add in your squash pieces and 1/2 cup of broth. Mix together and then cover your pan, allowing the flavors to cook together and the squash to steam. Allow it to cook for about 5 minutes until your squash is fork tender. Turn off the flame. 

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to your desired consistency. Add in salt and pepper to taste and voila! One pureed soup, coming right up. 

The verdict:

Success! and lesson learned. You don't have to have some long, drawn out, complicated plan for making some soup. You'd think I would have figured this out after the first 40 soups, but I guess not. Thanks to E we discovered a quick way to add a veggie into our dinner and another way to cook up those squash!

What we'd do differently:

I thought about adding in a  dash of sugar (maybe brown sugar) to the onions when they are sauteed in butter, giving it a sweeter taste. I think it might be interesting to try it out and see what happens. 

ENJOY!

XO

Soup #40 / Tomato & Tortellini Soup

This soup was inspired by this Spinach and Tortellini Soup from Shutterbean.com. It looked amazing and I had everything I needed in my fridge and cupboards, except for the the spinach. I had some kale I was going to sub in instead, but turns out it had gone bad while we were out of town. Typical. I made the soup without the spinach, expecting it to be lacking, and was pleasantly surprised when it was just perfectly tasty, so I have dubbed it "tomato & tortellini soup." This has to be one of the most simple soups I've made, with the most flavor. 

What you will need: 

1 tbsp oil (we used grapeseed)

1 onion, coarsely chopped)

4 cloves of garlic, crushed/finely chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

15 oz can of diced tomato with juice

32 oz chicken or vegetable stock

1 package of frozen tortellini (we used the kind from Costco)

salt and pepper

How to make it: 

Heat your oil on medium high heat in your soup pot. Add in your chopped onion and brown for about 3 minutes. Add in your garlic oregano and basil. Continue to cook for a few minutes until everything is well incorporated. Now stir in the canned tomato and juice and add the stock. Mix well and cover the pot, bringing it to a boil.  When your soup is at a boil, add in your frozen tortellini and cover, allowing them to cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until all the tortellinis float up to the top. Add salt and pepper to taste and voila - you're done! Serve with Parmesan and crushed red peppers and it's easy-peasy and oh-so tasty. 

The Verdict: 

Like I mentioned before I totally thought the lack of greenery would leave the soup lacking over all, but this soup was a SUCCESS. E kept tasting it and saying, "wow this is really good!" And really, isn't that why we all love cooking in the first place?

What we'd do differently: 

I think I would still like to try this with spinach or kale, just to compare and get the full effect, but all in all, I will definitely be making this one again!

ENJOY!

XO

Soup #39 / Sicilian Pasta and Broccoli Soup

In keeping with the theme of our trip, we wanted to get back into our soups with an Italian flare. I made this soup the day after we came back (a week ago today) but haven't had the time to sit and get it posted. Being that we'd just been away for almost 2 weeks, and had almost nothing in our fridge, I needed to make something simple and comforting to get rid of that post-plane hope-it's-not-a-cold feeling. This soup was perfect and came from our new "Sicilian Cooking" book we bought after our cooking class. In Italy they don't use shell shaped noodles, or if they do, they don't let tourists know. But we only brought home spaghetti and fettuccine style noodles, so the shells in the cupboard would have to do. 

Sicilian Pasta and Broccoli Soup

What you need: 

6 oz of pasta

1 bunch of broccoli - chopped with large stems off, cut into about 1cm pieces

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

water

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:

Soak your chopped broccoli for about 30 minutes in water. Then drain and boil it in salted water for about 10 minutes (the cookbook reads "plenty of salted water" use enough for the broccoli and the pasta, as you'll be cooking the pasta in there too!). In a separate pan, brown your garlic in oil and pour it over your broccoli. Add in your pasta to the boiling water and cook for another 10 minutes or until pasta is cooked completely. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Parmesan cheese on top and a side of bread and butter. 

The verdict: 

Success. I mean, I have nothing to compare this to, but it's just a simple and clean flavor. Perfect for someone getting over or fighting off a cold. It wasn't overly flavorful, but it worked, and considering there wasn't much to it, it was quick to whip up in a flash. 

What we'd do differently:

For the sake of flavor, if we make this dish again, I will probably use broth instead of water... or some bouillon. Chicken or vegetable will work, it just needs to be taken up a notch!

ENJOY!

XO

Soup #38 / Minestrone

In preparation for our journey to Italy, we bring you Minestrone soup. No recipe was followed, this delicious soup came straight from Chef E's brain. Molto  Molto Buono!

What you will need: 

1 bag of dried beans
8 oz mini shell noodles

6 carrots, peeled and chopped

4 ribs of celery, chopped

2 sweet peppers, chopped

1 onion, diced

1 package (4-5) Italian sausages (mild or hot to your preference - we used mild)

2 15oz cans of diced tomato

6 cloves of garlic, chopped/crushed
6 cups of water
1 tbsp oil

How to make it:

In a large pot of water cook your dried beans until soft and cooked through. If some of them are almost soft but with a little hard center, it's OK. It will finish cooking later on. E let the beans boil for about 2 hours. Drain beans, rinse, and set aside.

Slice sausages into 1 inch pieces. In a dutch oven or large pot, heat 1 tbsp oil on medium high. Cook the sausage, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are evenly browned. Add in your diced onions and continue to cook until they're evenly browned. Next, add in the chopped celery, carrots, and peppers and top with the two cans of diced tomato (with juices).  Allow the veggies to cook and simmer together until the carrots and celery become soft.

Now add in the beans, and add about 6 cups of water. Lower heat to medium-low, cover, and allow to cook. In a separate pan, cook you pasta noodles.  When they're ready, strain the water out and add them to your soup. Allow to cook another 5 minutes or so until everything is incorporated.
Serve into hearty bowls with a side of fresh bread and butter and a large glass of red wine. ENJOY!

The verdict: Delicious. I love coming home to E cooking up a storm in the kitchen, because I know that's when dinner's going to taste really good. This one didn't let me down!

What we'd do differently:  Honestly, I can't think of a thing except to be hungrier when I sit down to eat it!

XO

Soup #37/ Japanese-Style Tofu & Udon Soup

It's officially starting to feel like fall and (sort of) getting me back into the soup-making mood. This one was very easy to make and very tasty, perfect for an Asian-style night in. 

What you will need: 

8 cups chicken broth

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp sesame oil

5-6 slices of fresh ginger

1 package of udon noodles

1 cup shredded carrots

3 heads of baby bok choy (chop off the bottoms and separate the sections)

1 cup chopped mushrooms. 

1 small can of bamboo shoots

1 package of firm tofu, cut into small pieces. 

How to make it:

hint: Prepare all your ingredients ahead of time to make this easier. Place a pot on medium heat, add in your broth, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and fresh ginger.  Toss in the carrots, mushrooms and bamboo shoots. When the broth is starting to bubble up but not quite at a boil, add in your tofu. 

Bring the soup to a boil and add in your noodles. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. When the noodles are soft but not fully cooked through, add in your baby bok choy. Continue to cook until noodles are ready and bok choy is wilted but still bright green. 

Ladle into bowls, top with Sriratcha (if you'd like!) and enjoy!

The verdict: Success! It didn't quite turn out as planned, and the udon noodles weren't like the udon noodles you order up at the local sushi shop, but over all it was a delicious and easy to make dinner. We bought some pre-cooked-just-heat-'em-up veggie egg rolls from Fresh and Easy and made a night of it!

What we'd do differently: I think I'd probably follow a recipe!  This was a good soup, but not what I was hoping for. I'd like to find a more traditional udon soup recipe to get that nummy udon taste.  Until then, we'll keep calling it "Japanese-style" soup. 

XO

Soup #36 / Mushroom, Barley, & Kale Soup

 

So, I mentioned in my last post that it's been hotter than Hades around here. Thankfully, I think LA is starting to get the memo that today is the first day of fall. Yesterday we had an overcast morning and all E and I wanted to do was snuggle up with a cup of tea and watch movies. Of course, that didn't happen, but I at least a soup was created and now I can get back on the band wagon with you all about it. This recipe is a spin off this one from my mom's blog, and it was a soup-er success. Wow... I just did that.

What you will need:
8 cups of chicken broth (plus another 4 to add if you like a more brothy soup)
1 8-oz carton of sliced mushrooms
about 15 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 tbs olive or grapeseed oil
1/2 cup of white wine
1/3 cup of pearl barley
1 bunch on kale, coarsely chopped with the thick veins removed
Salt and Pepper to taste
                                                               

How to make it:
In a large soup pot, add your 8 cups of broth and you barley. Place on medium-low heat with the lid on and allow to cook for about 20-30 minutes, or until the barley is soft.

In a pan, add you 2 tbsp of oil and heat on medium-high heat. Add your mushrooms and saute them until they are brown and soft all over, about 5-10 minutes. Add in the sliced garlic and continue to saute. You want the garlic to start to leave a brownish residue on the pan as it continues to cook out the water. When the garlic and mushrooms are tender and you have a brownish residue, add in your white wine.  Use a wooden spoon to scrape off the brown residue and stir it in with the mushroom and garlic mixture. Continue stirring and allow the mushrooms and garlic to cook until the white wine has mostly reduced out. Turn off your heat.

When your barley is ready, add your mushroom and garlic mixture to the soup pot. Continue to cook for about 10-20 minutes, allowing the barley to continue to fluff out and the flavors to marry well. Add in the kale and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the kale has softened. Add salt and peeper to taste. Serve and enjoy!

Side note: If your barley has fluffed out majorly and you prefer a more brothy soup, add in some more broth when you mix the mushroom and garlic in to the soup. Allow it to all cook together. This will give you more broth and stretch your soup if you need to feed more than 3-4 people.

The verdict:
Being totally honest, it's been a while since I made soup. It's not that I've just made them and forgot to get them posted... we've really been slacking. This was the perfect soup to get us back in the game.  It's hearty and tasty and light and the flavors remind you of why you love soup in the first place.  This one was a success. We cooked it at home and took it over to E's grandma, sister and uncle for dinner along with some grilled chicken. It was a healthy and satisfying dinner and everyone enjoyed it.

What we'd do differently:
If I was making this soup again just for E and I, I wouldn't add the extra 4 cups of broth. Our soup looked super tasty and had a good balance when we first made it, but we needed it to stretch for dinner for 5, so we added more broth, which really diluted it down. If you're making it for more people and adding the extra broth in there, I would try adding a 1/2 cup or maybe...MAYBE...3/4 cup of barley, depending on how much you want in your soup. It really fluffs up and takes over, so use caution. But we diluted ours a bit much and I think we could have thrown in a bit more barely for everyone.

ENJOY!
XO

Soup# 35 / Cucumber Soup

This recipe was a find from E.  We were looking for something cool to enjoy in this ridiculous heat (isn't Fall supposed to be on it's way?), and he found this recipe. While we had to actually turn on the stove and cook things, but it was pretty quick and the end result was pretty tasty.

What you will need:
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 tbsp green onion - finely chopped
2 tbsp margarine
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp enriched farina (cream of wheat)
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp dried mint
salt to taste

How to make it:

In a large pot on medium heat, melt the margarine and cook the green onions until soft. Add in the cucumbers and red wine vinegar, stir well. Stir in the broth and farina and add salt to taste. Mix in the dried tarragon. Allow the soup to simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until the cucumbers are soft. I feel like it's important to mention here that if you taste the soup...it may not really taste that great. Just trust the soup. It gets better.

Transfer the soup into a blender and puree. When done, transfer soup back into a pot. Place your sour cream in a bowl and temper the soup and sour cream together. Then pour your tempered sour cream-soup mixture into the soup and keep stirring until well mixed.

Dish your soup into small bowls, top with dried mint, and serve warm. Or you can mix in the mint (it really makes all the difference) and chill the soup to enjoy on these crazy hot end of summer days.

The Verdict: Success! Like I mentioned above...I had some serious concerns about this one as I was cooking it. And even when it was done it tasted better but still felt like it was lacking something. But then E... with his fine tuned taste buds... suggested the mint and the soup was complete. It reminds the both of us of Tahn Abour, but less creamy, and lighter over all.

What we'd do differently: Once we realized the similarity to Tahn Abour we were curious to use yogurt instead of sour cream to see how the flavors would merge together. We also enjoyed our soup luke-warm (that's what happens when you have to photograph your food), and I think it would be even better if it were cold!

Enjoy! XO

Soup #34/ Slow Cooker Beef Stew

This soup is awesome because really, it's just so easy to make. Which is really what makes slow cookers so ridiculously fabulous in the first place. This soup, adapted from Southern Food, will feed a family AND keep them happy - you're welcome. ;)

What you will need:

2 lb beef (stew meat) - cut into 1 inch pieces. 
3 red potatoes - cut into pieces
3 white potatoes - cut into pieces
4 carrots - peeled and chopped into rounds
4 ribs of celery - chopped 
1/2 bag (8 oz) frozen peas
1 large brown onion
3 cups beef broth
2 tbsp Jack Daniels Whiskey
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp water

How to make it:

Combine beef, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and peas in the crock pot/slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine beef broth, Jack Daniels, oregano, paprika, parsley, salt and pepper and mix together. Pour this mixture over the veggies and beef in the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours.   Now go run all your errands, paint the house, do your thang, whatever that might be, and then come back. 

Now mix the cornstarch and water together in a bowl until smooth. Add into the stew and now cook on high for about 20-30 minutes. Mix well and serve with bread for dipping (only because that sounds so good!). 

The Verdict: Success! E has been wanting to make a beefy stewy type meal for a long time, and I think this definitely lived up to his expectations. 

What we'd do differently: Honestly, our broth really didn't thicken up too much, and maybe working a bit more to get that consistency just so would be something to work on, but over all, it was a super tasty dinner. Also, maybe marinading the meat prior to adding it into the soup (maybe with the Jack Daniels?) might be a good idea, but definitely not necessary. 

Enjoy!
XO