Posole

With my husband's family being from Mexico there are a few dishes I've had to learn to make over the years.  I don't usually try and cook Mexican food at home because his Mother made the best dishes and there is no way in heck I can compete with that. So I keep it to only a couple of traditional dishes each year. One is Posole. There are not a lot of ingredients in Posole so its important to build flavor as you go along in the recipe.  I do a couple of things in my recipe that the other family members don't do, and I think it makes all the difference. My husband agrees. 

I use my vitamix to puree the chili's because I can get a smooth sauce.  If you don't have a vitamix use a blender or a food processor.

I use the full amount of chili in my recipe because we like a little heat. If you don't want the heat use the smaller amount. 

Meat: 
3 lbs pork butt 
1 1/2 lbs pork neck bones
1 white onion, cut into 4 pieces  
4 whole garlic cloves 
1 Tbsp whole peppercorns 
4 bay leaves 
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp salt

In a large stock pot add the meat cut into small chucks about 3 inches. Add the neck bones and cover it all with water. Add onion, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, cumin seeds, salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Skim off any foam.  Allow to cook at about 1 1/2 hours until the meat in tender and falling off the bone.   

Chili sauce: 
5 dried ancho chili's
Hot water
4 garlic cloves

Separate 5 dried ancho chili's by removing the stem, and separating the seeds from the chili.  In a bowl tear the chili up into small pieces and cover with a couple of cups of hot water. Allow to sit and soften for 20 to 30 minutes. When soft put into the vitamix, add 4 cloves of garlic, and puree until smooth. Set aside. 

Put the chili seeds into a small skillet and dry roast for a couple of minutes. Do not burn. Dry roasting simply brings out a little more of the flavor of the seed.  Put the toasted seeds into the vitamix and add a little of the meat broth, puree until smooth. Set aside. 

To build the soup: 
2 Tbsp canola oil 
1 white onion, finely chopped
2 tsp chili powder 
1/4 to 1/2 tsp chipotle powder 
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Ancho chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne powder 
2 tsp ground cumin 
2 Tbsp oregano 
1 6 pound can hominy, drained 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
2 tsp salt

In a large stock pot heat some canola oil, and the onion chopped fine. 
Cook on low heat until translucent.  Add the chili sauce and the seed sauce, stir well.  Add the chili powders (see below) and cook it all for about 10 minutes. 

For the chili powders measure all into a small skillet and toast slightly.  This will bring out some of the flavor, especially if your spices have been sitting around for awhile.  Add the toasted chili powders to the pot with the chili sauce.

To the stock pot add the cumin and oregano, hominy, the minced garlic, the meat, oregano, salt.    

Remove the meat from the broth and allow it cool so you can handle it.  Shred the meat and remove any bones or fat.  Strain the broth, then add the broth to the stock pot.  Cook on a low simmer for about an hour.  If there is not enough broth add some chicken stock until you get the desired amount of liquid.  

I then turn it off and I allow it to sit covered for a couple of hours to develop the flavors even more.  When I'm ready to serve it I reheat it. 

As your making the soup you must taste and adjust seasoning. You may need more salt.  It it's not spicy enough for you add some more chili.  We like ours flavorful but not hot. 

Serve with the following garnishes: 
White onion, minced 
Dried oregano
Cabbage, diced  
Lime wedges 
Radishes, sliced 

Miso soup with buckwheat, bok choy, shitake

I could live on soup.  It's warm, it's comforting, it's delicious.  You can make soup out of anything, and I can make a big batch of it and have it ready to eat for days.  You know my motto, cook once, eat twice! 

I have a gluten intolerance so I've been experimenting with grains.  Buckwheat is gluten free and it's a good replacement if you miss pasta like I do. And it's inexpensive. I go to the local Asian market and buy a package that contains about 7 or 8 bundles, which equates to enough for 7 or 8 meals, and it's only a few dollars. 

This soup takes some preparation so get into the kitchen and do all your chopping.  Once that is done it comes together very quickly.  For me it's always the washing and slicing and dicing that takes up so much time and energy.  I try to get his done early enough so that once we are hungry I can just get into the kitchen and this will be on the table in 10 minutes. 

This soup is aromatic and great for cold and flu season. The mushrooms and ginger are immunity building! 

Ingredients: 

2 tbsp olive or coconut oil 
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger 
4 scallions
3 garlic cloves, minced 
4 oz shitake mushrooms 
1 small sweet potato 
4 oz buckwheat noodles 
1 baby bok choy 
1 handful sugar snap peas 
1/2 cup white miso 
Lime wedges 
coarse salt

Peel and very finely mince the ginger. 

Slice the scallions and separate the white and green parts.  You will use the white parts to saute into the soup and green parts as a garnish when its done. 

Mince the garlic. 

Clean and slice the mushrooms. 

Peel the sweet potato and cut into 1 inch cubes. 

Wash and slice the bok choy into 1 inch slices.

Prepare the sugar snap peas removing any strings.

Dissolve the miso in a small amount of hot water so its ready to pour into the soup.

Cut the limes in wedges. 

In a medium pot heat the oil, add the ginger, scallion whites, and garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Do not burn the garlic.   Add the sweet potatoes and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender about 6 to 8 minutes.  

Meanwhile cook the buckwheat noodles according to package directions.  Pour into a colander and allow to drain well. 

To the soup add the bok choy, mushrooms, peas, cook 1 minute.  Reduce heat to low and add the miso.  You  never want to boil miso.  Cook one minute more keeping the veggies crisp tender.

To serve:  Put noodles into the bowl, add some of the soup, top with the scallion greens and a wedge of lime. 

Serves 4.

Lentil Soup with Sweet Potato and Kale

After the holidays my husband and I went on a cleanse.  While juicing was one of the main foods we consumed, we also wanted to make sure we were eating clean nutritious food. This was one of the recipes I made to ensure that we were getting whole organic food, low in fat, high in protein and fiber and loaded with vitamins and minerals. 

This soup can be made with water or vegetable stock.  It has plenty of flavor with the water, but I've also made it with vegetable stock and it boosts the flavor. 

Ingredients:
1 tbsp coconut oil  
1 onion, finely chopped 
5 to 6 carrots, small chop
2 celery ribs, small chop 
3 garlic cloves, minced  
2 cups red lentils, rinsed  
2 tsp ground cumin 
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chipotle chili 
1/2 tsp turmeric 
8 to 10 cups of water 
1 sweet potato
1 bunch black kale
salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot heat the coconut oil, then saute the onions, celery and carrots until slightly soft. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add the spices and stir constantly to slightly toast and they release their fragrance. This will only take a minute. 

Add 6 cups of water, salt and pepper, bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the sweet potato and kale, and an additional amount of water to get it to the consistency you want.  Cook another 10 to 15 minutes.

Adjust seasoning and serve.

White Bean and Kale Soup

I'm always looking for ways to incorporate kale and other healthy greens into dishes at home so I thought I'd try this soup.  It seemed pretty simple, with very few ingredients, and so when I tasted the final result I was pleasantly surprised. It's quite tasty!  

I started out with dry beans because they were $1.69 for the pound I used in the recipe and along with $1.99 for a brunch of kale this is an inexpensive pot of soup to make, and that makes me really happy. This will make 4 entree portions.  

You can use canned beans if you don't want to go through the soaking process. Just reduce the cooking time. 

When it comes to the herbs I like to use a whole large sprig to get the flavor into the soup, then remove it at the end prior to serving. 

Ingredients: 
1 pound of dried Great Northern beans 
2 applewood smoked bacon slices, cut into small dice
1 large white onion, cut into small dice  
6 garlic cloves. minced  
6 cups low sodium chicken stock 
2 cups water
1 large sprig fresh thyme
1 6 inch sprig fresh rosemary
1 Parmesan cheese rind
1 tsp salt  
1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped 

Rinse and pick through the beans, then put them into a soup pot and cover with water. Soak overnight.

In the morning, drain and rinse the beans.  

In the soup pot, saute the bacon until brown.  Then add the onion and saute until soft, approximately 6 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute a couple minutes.   Add the beans, the stock, water, herbs, cheese rind, and salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for one hour.  Add the kale and cook an additional 15 minutes.    

Remove the herb sprigs and cheese rind to serve. 

Serve with some crusty toasted bread.

Immunity Boosting Mushroom Soup

Mushrooms have been used for thousands of years both as food and for medicinal purposes. The Pharaohs prized mushrooms as a delicacy, and the Greeks believed that mushrooms provided strength for warriors in battle. The Romans regarded mushrooms as a gift from God and served them only on festive occasions, while the Chinese treasured them as a health food.

Shiitake mushrooms have been used for centuries by the Chinese and Japanese to treat colds and flu. Lentinan, a beta-glucan isolated from the fruiting body of shiitake mushrooms, appears to stimulate the immune system, help fight infection, and demonstrates anti-tumor activity.

Now if a food has that kind of effect on the body don't you think we should be eating it on a regular basis?  Of course we should. With that in mind I made a batch of mushroom soup.  Here is the recipe. 

Ingredients
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 jalapeno, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
2 bunches scallions, green and white part sliced, reserve 2 tbsp for garnish
1 lb shiitake mushrooms, sliced
3 quarts low sodium chicken stock
2 tbsp tamari
1 block silken tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups shredded carrots
freshly cracked pepper

In a large pot heat the grapeseed oil, add the jalapeno, ginger and all but 2 tbsp of the scallions.  Saute for about 1 minute.  Add the mushrooms and saute about 2 minutes until softened. 

Add the stock, bring to a simmer and cook uncovered about 5 minutes to reduce by 20%. Add the tofu and carrots and cook gently for 2 minutes until the tofu is heated through. Season with pepper.  

Ladle into bowls and garnish with reserved scallions.

A word about chili's.  Most jalapenos are mild but by adding the seeds you get a little more heat. Test the heat by tasting a small piece.  If too hot for you, cut back on what you add to the soup.  If you want more heat add more chili, or a hotter variety of chili.  I like a slight heat, I want to know it's there, but I don't want it to be so hot that I can't enjoy it fully. Use your best judgement.

My suggestion would be to make a pot and serve a cup full for dinner everynight until it's gone. 

White bean and broccoli soup

I don't know what it is about soup but I seem to make it often.  I guess it's that it is so very satisfying, easy to make, and can be chock full of nutrients.  So here I go again.  This one is a compromise between my husband and me.  I love white beans, and he loves broccoli, so we combined the two. This recipe is simple to make and can be done on a busy weeknight. It only takes a few minutes.  

Ingredients:
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced or minced
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained, or other white bean
2 1/2 cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock
Salt and Pepper, to taste 


Garnish:
Save a few small pieces of broccoli
Shaved Parmesan
Pumpkin seeds

In a large saucepan heat water until boiling and cook broccoli for about 3 minutes. Drain and set aside. Save a few small pieces for the garnish.

In a medium pot heat the oil, add the onion and garlic and cook on medium for about 5 to 8 minutes just until they are translucent.  Add the beans and stock and bring to a simmer.  Allow to cool slightly.

In a vitamix or blender add the white bean mixture and the broccoli, salt and pepper and blend until creamy.  Pour back into the pot and reheat to serve.

Top with saved broccoli pieces, a few pieces of shaved Parmesan, and some toasted nuts.   Sesame seeds are also good in this dish.

We eat this as a main dish as you can have a good sized bowl, along with some  toasted bread or crostini. Or it could be a first course for a larger dinner.  

Escarole Soup with meatballs

I am having a love affair with escarole.  I finally found a local store that carries it and I have been trying it in everything I can think of.  Many years ago I had a fantastic soup and I finally got around to making it myself.

The basis of this soup is the chicken stock and therefore make sure you use the very best stock.  Either make it yourself or buy a brand that you know you love the taste of, otherwise the soup will be disappointing.  I conducted a taste test of chicken stock and was shocked at how different they all tasted. I used to pick up any old brand, but no more.  For this soup I used Wolfgang Puck brand, it is more expensive than all the others.  Of course! But it makes all the difference in the finished product.

Ingredients:
1 lb. organic ground beef
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for topping 
1/2 cup grated pecorino, plus more for topping  
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, 1 minced and 1 sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten
Sea Salt
Pepper, freshly cracked
1 large head escarole, cored and cut into 2" pieces
8 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup cooked brown rice

To make the meatballs:  in a large mixing bowl combine the beef, bread crumbs, Parmesan, pecorino, Italian seasoning, 3 heads of minced garlic, 1 minced onion, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, egg, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Form into 1" meatballs and chill.

To make soup:  In large stock pot add 1/4 cup of the olive oil, 2 heads of minced garlic, 1 sliced onion, and saute until lightly browned about 10 minutes.  Add escarole and allow to wilt.  Add stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium low and add meatballs.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook about 20 minutes until cooked through.  Be gentle so as not to break up the meatballs.  Remove from heat.  Add the cooked rice and serve.  Top with additional grated cheeses.

Note:  If you don't have Italian seasoning, use a combination of oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram.

Butternut Squash Soup

As usual, when Fall has arrived I start wanting soup.  Lots of soup. I love it for dinner. It is warm and comforting and can be very nutritious. 

I usually buy butternut squash soup but this year I decided to try and make my own.  I looked at several recipes and then took what I liked and made up my own.

This recipe makes 8 servings which is a lot. The nice thing is that you can have it for a dinner party if you are having several people over as it is a great first course.  Or simply keep it in the fridge for a few days for dinner and lunch.  A cup for lunch with a grilled cheese sandwich is not bad.  Doesn't that remind you of your childhood?   

Ingredients:
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 celery ribs-diced small
2 carrots-diced small
1 medium onion-diced small 
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 pound potato-peeled and coarsely chopped
2 medium granny smith apples-peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 pound butternut squash - peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 cups water
Optional garnishes:  bacon bits, sour cream, green apple slices

Cook celery, carrot, onion in oil until softened but not brown. 

Add cinnamon and stir for 1 minute.

Add squash, potato, apple, stock, water, salt, and pepper.  Simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree all in batches in blender.
Put back in pot to rewarm as needed.
If it is too thick simply add more stock or water.
Serve hot with desired garnish.

Corn Soup

Don't let the simplicity of this soup fool you.  It is full of corn flavor.  You can kick it up a notch by using the cobs.  I give you the info at the end of this post.  

Fresh summer corn.  I could eat it everyday.  It is so sweet, and with a little butter and salt, oh my. So simple and so good.  But I digress.  Back to the soup.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter
One small onion, diced
2 cups water
4 ears fresh corn
1/2 cup grated potato
Salt
1/2 to 1 cup Milk, or other milk like product



Shuck the corn, remove the silk, and slice off the kernels.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan melt the butter and add the onions.  Cook the onions over low heat until soft, but do not brown.  Add the grated potato, water, corn and salt and cook 10 minutes or until corn and potato are cooked through.   Cool briefly.  Puree 2/3 of soup in blender then add back to the pan.  You want the soup to be smooth but still have some whole kernels.  Heat through on low heat, add some milk to desired consistency, do not allow to boil.  Add salt to taste.   Serve hot.

The grated potato will help make the soup richer and thicker.

If want more potato in the soup, cut up one potato into small 1/2 inch cubes.  Boil in hot salted water in a separate pot.  When potatoes are done, drain, then add to soup.  Cooking time will be about 10 minutes.

You can also add herbs to this dish;  parsley, basil, tarragon, chives, or dill.  Take your pick.

 I have to say that I like it plain.  It's summer in a bowl.

If you want even more flavor, but a little more work,  you can kick it up a notch.  Take the cobs and put them into 2 cups of water and allow them to simmer away for about 15 minutes.  Then remove the cobs and discard and use that water for your soup.  There is so much flavor in those cobs, might as well extract as much as possible.   

Cantaloupe Soup

This is a simple cold soup that is perfect for a warm summer day. 

The other day I ran into the grocery store to pick up something and found myself standing in front of a bin of cantaloupes on sale for 99 cents each.  Such a sweet deal but what could I do with them?  I mean a girl can only eat so many pieces of cantaloupe.  I bought a few and came home to go through my recipes.  I then remembered a chilled soup I had made many years ago that was so good and fit the meal, a warm summer night having dinner outside on the balcony with a glass of wine in my hand.  Ahhhhhh.

When you make this be sure to make it before you want to serve it because it needs to be chilled until it is very cold. 

Ingredients:
1 cantaloupe
zest of 1 orange
juice of 3 oranges
zest and juice of 1 lime
dash or two of cinnamon
mint for garnish

Cut, seed and chop the cantaloupe and put into a vitamix or blendar.  Add the zest, juices, cinnamon and puree until very smooth.  Chill well.  Serve with a sprig of mint.

Option:  if you want a soup that is a little more creamy you could add some greek yogurt. I personnally perfer the fruit only option.  It's clean and crisp.

Miso Soup

The benefits of fermented foods has been on the radar of health conscious folks for many years now.  We are just beginning to understand the benefits of these foods in our overall heath.  They can help reduce cholesterol levels in our blood and they strengthen and support our digestive and immune systems.  If you would like to read more about these foods check out www.mercola.com.  Dr. Mercola has some good information on his web site about this.

With that in mind I have longed to try and get some fermented food into my daily diet.  I have found it to be somewhat difficult as some of the items don't sound all that appetizing to me.  I have, however, had a fascination with miso and every time I have miso soup or something served with miso I think I need to learn how to make this part of my regular cooking regime.  I decided to finally do it and bought some white miso and started messing around with recipes.  So far I tried making a salad dressing but it left something to be desired......I still need to work on that one before I share it with you.  My favorite so far is the miso glaze I make for roasted salmon.  Yum!  And all those health benefits.  I also tried this miso soup, which is fast and easy so I wanted to share it with you.

This can be an all vegetarian dish with the use of vegetable stock and tofu.  The miso and edemame actually contain enough protein that the tofu is not needed but adding it makes the soup a little heartier although this soup is light and so I would serve it as a first course.

Serves 6 to 8
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch chard, chopped
2 quarts vegetable or chicken stock
2 medium carrots, chopped
4 ounces buckwheat noodles, broken
1 cup edamame
1/2 cup white miso
2 scallions
optional: 1 cup cooked chicken or tofu

Prepare the chard by removing the large stalks then dicing the remainder into large chunks. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot, add the leeks and garlic and saute for 3 minutes.  Add the chard and saute for 5 minutes, then add the stock.  Bring to a boil.  Add the carrots then reduce the heat to a slow simmer, do not boil, until carrots are tender about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile bring a pot of water to the boil and cook buckwheat noodles according to package directions, about 3 minutes.  Break the noodles up so that when you eat them they will stay on the spoon. Drain noodles and run under cool water to stop the cooking process.   Add to the stock pot.

Measure the miso into a bowl and take 1 cup of the cooking liquid and add to it.  Stir it until it is Incorporated and then pour it all back into the stock pot.

Add the chicken or tofu and cook only to heat through, about 2 minutes.  Serve immediately with sliced scallions as garnish.

Asparagus Soup

When asparagus is in season it's a good time to buy it because it is inexpensive. And we all need inexpensive right now!  I try to find as many recipes as I can with seasonal items. I love asparagus and buy it when I can and most times I roast it in the oven with olive oil or I blanch it and then drizzle it with a vinaigrette.

This soup is thick and rich.  The potato gives it a smooth creamy consistency. Roasting the vegetables adds another layer of flavor. I would suggest serving a small amount as a first course. A large bowl can serve as a full dinner and I love that it contains lots of fiber.

Ingredients:
3 pounds asparagus
2 cups yellow onions
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
4 ounces potato (or tofu)
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable stock)
3 Tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds (or pine nuts)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Trim the ends from the asparagus to remove the tough ends. Put on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then salt and pepper and mix up to coat evenly.

Chop the onion into a large rough chop. Put on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil then salt and mix up to coast evenly. Make sure the vegies have plently of room around them so the entire peice gets roasted. Do not crowd them.

Bake both pans 20 to 30 minutes turning one time until onions are caramelized and asparagus is cooked through.

Meanwhile cut potato into small pieces and put in pan of water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes or until cooked through and soft. Drain.

In a blender add the onions, asparagus, potato, and chicken stock. You might need to cut the asparagus into smaller peices if you are using a standard blender. I have a Vitamix and I put whole peices in it with no problem. Blend until very smooth. If too thick add more broth. Salt and pepper if needed.

Can be served hot or cold. Serve with toasted pumpkin seeds on top. It is also nice to drizzle a little more olive oil over the top. Pine nuts are also a good choice.

I also discovered that the soup gets better in a day or two.  That's a good reason to make it ahead of time, which is perfect if you serve it at a dinner party. Anything you do ahead is helpful in my book.

Minestrone Soup with Sausage and Tortellini

It's flavorful and filling. It's a meal in a pot.

It's been raining a lot in California and that's when I pull out the warming winter recipes. I recently made a big pot of minestrone soup but instead of all keeping it all veggies I added some sausage and cheese tortellini.



What you are going to need:

• Olive oil
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 to 4 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 to 3 medium size medium zucchini, diced
• 1 1/2 cups green beans, sliced
• 5 cups beef stock
• 4 cups water (approx)
• 1 35 oz can Italian plum tomatoes, crushed
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• Salt and pepper, freshly ground
• Outer rind of Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 1 14 oz can cannellini beans, drained
• 6 ounces dried cheese tortellini
• Freshly grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano cheese

Directions: in a large soup pot, saute the whole sausage in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook them only until slightly underdone as they will cook more in the soup. Remove from the pan and set aside. Once they are fully cooled slice them.

In the same pot add the chopped onion. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the sliced carrots, potatoes, zucchini, and green beans cooking 2 to 3 minutes between each addition.


Add the beef stock, water, canned tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt and pepper to taste. A word about the water. Add enough to make it a fairly thin soup because later when you add the tortellini they will suck up a lot of the broth. Add the cheese rind to the center of the pot, cover and cook for 2 1/2 hours on a slow simmer.


15 minutes before serving add the sliced sausage back in, then the beans and the tortellini. Again if the soup gets too thick add a little more water. Heat this for 15 minutes or until the tortellini is done.

Serve in large bowls with freshly grated cheese on top. A nice hunk of bread with this soup and you have a very hearty meal.


I have learned after making this soup many times that adding the pasta early will make for a mushy soup as the pasta will fall apart.


Hint: When ever I have rind left from Parmesan, or other hard rind cheeses, I save it. I keep it in a Ziploc bag and use it for soups and stews or pot roasts. It adds a wonderful flavor and it is usually something that is thrown away.

This soup is very satisfying. The men in your life will love it.

White Bean Soup with Sausage

Nothing is more satisfying than homemade soup during the cold winter months. I like the fact that when I make a big pot of soup I always have some left over to freeze. On those busy nights when I don't have the time, or energy, to cook I just pull it out of the freezer and dinner is ready in minutes.

Beans are inexpensive and a good source of protein. You could make this soup without the sausage but......I have a husband and what man does not like a big hunk of meat in his soup?

Ingredients:

2 lbs of smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1 1/2" pieces

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/3 cup shallots, minced

3 garlic oves garlic, minced

2 cups dried white beans

1/4 cup fresh thyme sprigs

1/4 tsp pepper

2 (14) oz cans chicken stock

Salt to taste

2 cups water

Soak the beans in a large pot of water overnight. The next day cook the beans for 1 hour. They should be slightly undercooked so they finish cooking once the soup is assembled. Drain the water off the beans.

In a large pot add half the oil and saute the sausage until brown on all sides. You want some carmelization on the pan to enhance the flavor of the soup. Remove the sausage from the pan to a separate dish and hold. Add the other half of the oil to the pot and saute the shallots and garlic, slightly browning. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot including the beans and the sausage. Allow to simmer slowly on top of the stove for about an hour. Taste and adjust seasoning. It will likely require salt at this point. If the soup looks like it is too thick simply add a little water.

For the thyme I cut sprigs off my plant in the garden and throw them in the soup. I don't bother stripping the thyme off. Once the soup is done I pull the sprigs out prior to serving. I feel that I get the supple flavor of the thyme without it being over powering. When serving the soup you can also drizzle it with some good quality olive oil. I like to serve this soup with some multi grain bread and a spinach salad.

Lets talk cookware for a moment. I have an 11 quart Le Creuset dutch oven that is absolutely my favorite piece in my kitchen. In my younger days I used whatever cookware I had on hand. As my cooking skills improved I realized the importance of having high quality equipment in the kitchen. Investing in a few key items has made a huge difference in the enjoyment of cooking in addition to the end product.