Cream of Potato and Onion Soup is a perfect addition to your Winter Recipes

Yes, as much as we hate to admit it to ourselves in the Northern Hemisphere, Winter is upon us; cold, damp, and snowy weather is the time to bring out the reinforcements of warmth with hearty soups and potage. Soups are so easy to prepare and the varieties are limitless, particularly when dealing with vegetables. This recipe for Cream of Potato and Onion Soup is sure to please every member of your family, rich and velvety accented with crispy fried chopped bacon and scallions. Whether served as a first course or the main event, this soup is a winner.

1 pound of cubed white potatoes
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup of chopped scallions
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
1/2 cup of chopped bacon (imitation bacon can be used for vegetarians)
1.5 cups of evaporated milk (12 oz.)
1.5 cups of chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of white finely ground pepper
2 pinches of nutmeg
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter

In a medium pot, saute the bacon over medium heat until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Next, add the white onion and saute over medium heat until onions become translucent. Add the diced potatoes along with the olive oil and continue to saute for about 6 or 7 minutes, stirring frequently. When the potatoes begin to soften, add the chicken broth and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan (to deglaze).

Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes, checking on it every 5 minutes or so. Next, add the evaporated milk, salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Stir so that ingredients are well mixed. At this time, you can use a hand held blender to puree the soup. If you don't have a hand held blender, use a food processor and pulse blend for a couple of minutes. You may add a bit more chicken stock if it seems too thick.

When the soup is well blended and velvety, add back the bacon as well as the parsley and stir well. Simmer for a couple more minutes and then taste for proper seasoning. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of butter until melted. Serve hot, adding some of the scallions for garnish and a small pad of butter. Serve with a hearty bread on the side. Enjoy.

Cream of Leek and Potato Soup done my way

There's something to be said about the marriage of leeks and potatoes. The two go hand in hand so well that it doesn't many ingredients to create a dish that is both savory and velvety to the tongue. In fact, if ice cream was a soup, it would be Cream of Leek and Potato. Am I right?

I present to you my version and recipe for leek and potato soup and I have kicked it up a notch with a topping of crisp chunks of fried bacon. Oh my gosh, the combination will totally send you to soup heaven. OK, we could sit here and continue talking about it, but why not prepare it and try it for yourself. Let's get started. This recipe will serve a party of 4 comfortably.

2 large leek stalks
3 medium Russet potatoes
2 large shallots
3 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable)
1 cup of half n half
4 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
4 strips of unflavored bacon

This soup is very simple to make and one that will probably get you the biggest raves from your dinner guests. As with every recipe, we must do all our prep work. Start by taking your leeks and cut off the root area and about 2 inches off the top. Now starting at one end, starting cutting slices about 1/8 inch thick. When finished, rinse them well in a large bowl to get rid of all the dirt there may be. Drain and set aside. Be sure to save some of the slices for garnish as pictured above.

Take the shallots and finely chop them. In a pot, heat the oil and melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and occasionally stir. Cook shallots for about 4 minutes until they get nicely translucent. Next, add the leeks and stir well, continuing to cook for about another 5 minutes.

While the shallots and leeks are cooking, peel your potatoes and dice them in 1/2 inch squares. Peel and with your knife, crush the garlic cloves. Add the potatoes and garlic to the pot and stir. Add your salt and pepper. Continue to cook a few more minutes and add the chicken (or vegetable) stock. Bring to a slow boil and stir occasionally. Lower heat to low and cover allowing to slow cook for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Next, add the half n half and remainder of the butter. Bring to a slow boil and taste for flavor. If you need a bit more salt, you may add it now. Continue to cook on low for about 5 more minutes. Using a food processor, begin to process 4 ladles at a time for 2 minutes for every 4 ladles. Transfer to a large bowl. When all the soup has been processed, return it to the pot and simmer for a couple of minutes. The soup should be completely smooth and velvety with no clumps.

Chop the bacon in small 1/4 inch slices and saute over medium high heat in a frying pan until it gets nice and browned. Remove and let set on a paper towel to degrease. Serve the soup with some of the slices of leeks and top with the bacon bits. Serve hot and enjoy. As a side, a nice French baguette and a tossed salad of mixed greens or frise will complement very well. Bonne appetit!

I offer my French Onion Soup as an apology for my absence...

Well, I must give all of my followers a big apology for my absence these past 3 weeks. I have been heavily involved with work and consequently have neglected this site that so many of you love. I am planning to better manage my time and devote regular hours during the week for updates and posting of new recipes. I hope that you all understand and that you can forgive me. With that said, I am presenting a brand new posting that I think you will love, Soupe a l'Onion (French Onion Soup).

My recipe for French Onion  Soup was recently served to my dinner guests who gave it rave reviews. They agreed that it was the best they had ever had. Perhaps my secret ingredient made all the difference. Read on and find out more.

This is probably one of the easiest soups to make and certainly one that will impress your dinner guests as it always does with mine. Soupe a l'Onion as it is called in France is a wonderful dish that doesn't call for a laundry list of ingredients or numerous steps in preparation. Most important, it doesn't take all day to make. Don't get me wrong, great Chefs will painstakingly take the time to make their beef stock from scratch; however, today there is wonderful pre made beef stock (or broth) available in your neighborhood market. Make sure that you purchase a good quality stock for this recipe as it will make all the difference if you choose not to make your own from scratch. One important thing that I should point out is the day before you make this savory dish, purchase a French Baguette and cut it in 1 inch pieces. Allow the bread pieces to dry in a paper bag overnight.

I mentioned earlier that in this recipe, there is a secret ingredient added that will take your French Onion Soup to a whole new level. Well, the suspense will be held no longer..... add 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce to your beef stock and you won't believe the difference it makes, guaranteed! OK, here's what we need for a serving for 4 dinner guests:

4 large yellow onions, roughly chopped
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 French Baguette (previously cut in 1 inch pieces and dried)
12 to 16 oz. of grated Gruyere cheese (do not substitute)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
48 oz of beef stock (or broth)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce
parsley for garnish

Have all your prep work done ahead of time as usual. This shouldn't take much time at all. In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, shallots, and garlic and saute, stirring frequently until onions are nicely translucent and beginning to caramelize. This enhances the flavor of the onion.

Now add the beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and slow cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, covered. Add your desired black pepper and taste to check for salt content. If you want it saltier, add a bit of it as well.  Preheat your oven to 425.

Gather 4 individual oven safe soup tureens and ladle enough of the soup to fill each tureen to 3/4 full. Add a layer of the bread, then a layer of the grated cheese. Finally, add a few more pieces of the bread at the center and finish off with additional grated cheese. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes. For a finishing touch, set on broil for about 3 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish each tureen with some chopped parsley and serve hot.

A wonderful salad of greens tossed in a light French vinegrette dressing will make a wonderful compliment to this dish, along with a slightly chilled white Burgundy wine. Enjoy.

Ashe Anar Soup - I Did It My Way

One of the things that I want to accomplish in this blog is to introduce you to new dishes and how to use ingredients that you are familiar with in a way that you might not be so accustomed to. This week it's pomegranates. Pomegranates are an interesting fruit, one of the few fruits where you eat the seeds and throw out everything else. But it has a variety of uses, I found out. Earlier in the week, I used pomegranate to make a cranberry sauce and this weekend I was thumbing around and found that it can be used in making soups. One of these is Ashe Anar, also called The Pomegranate Soup. I want to share this recipe with you; however, I want to make a couple of changes from the traditional recipe.

First, I am using ground lamb instead of ground beef. You could also use lamb shanks as well. I think lamb adds a richer flavor to this soup and combines very well with pomegranate. Second, I am using yellow lentils as opposed to split peas. Let's face it, the yellow lentils go great with lamb and yet they don't overpower the other ingredients as much as split peas might. I also have read that beets and their flowerettes are used. Since I don't like beets, I decided to use baby zuchini with their flowerettes attached. Other than that, the traditional recipe remains intact. I'm sure you're either getting tired of turkey leftovers or you've run out of ideas on what to do with those leftovers. This will give you a nice break. Here's what we need:

Have A Bowl Of Lentils - It's The Perfect Season

Legumes, as dry beans are called, are a wonderful staple during this time of year. They are an incredible source of protein.  lentils, with 26% of their calories coming from protein, make them the 3rd highest level of protein by weight of any plant based food source. Lentils originated most likely from the Near East. It is a major food item in vegetarian cultures such as the Indian Sub Continent. With vegetarian in mind, I have come up with a perfect recipe for lentils that I believe is lip smacking for all you meat eaters as well. This recipe is very easy to prepare and execute. Here are the ingredients you'll need:

2 cups of French lentils (they're more round and stay firmer than flat traditional ones)
1/2 cup of long grain wild rice
4 cans of vegetable stock
1 med red onion, chopped
1 med yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced (that means chopping them into tiny tiny pieces)
2 med carrots sliced lengthwise and then chopped
6 med white or dark mushrooms, cut in halves and then sliced
2 med ripe tomato, chopped, seeds and all
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Dijon style mustard
1 tbsp tomato paste (I buy a tube and store it in the fridge and use it when I need a little)
1/4 cup of olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

As always, get all the vegetables prepped and other ingredients together. In a pot, add 1/2 of the olive oil and heat over medium. Add the onions, garlic, and carrots, and saute, stirring frequently. Continue to saute until onions are translucent and just beginning to brown at the edges, usually a few minutes. Now add your mushrooms and tomatoes and stir well. Add the lentils, stir, and saute for a minute. Next, add the rice and stir well for another minute. Now, add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then add the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste. Stir well so that all ingredients are well incorporated into the vegetable stock. Decrease heat to low, cover, and slow cook for 1 hour. Stir occasionally during the hour.

After an hour, add salt and pepper to taste and add the parsley. Cover and continue to cook for 15 more minutes. Your lentils and the rice should be ready now. Taste for doneness and if desired, you may slow cook for an additional 15 minutes, but I don't think it'll be necessary. Before serving, take the rest of the olive oil and stir it into the lentils. Remove from heat and let stand in the pot for about 5 minutes. Serve with a nice loaf of warm potato bread or some slices of old fashion hearth. Finish off in the French fashion with a nice chilled salad of Romaine leaves in a light vinegrette. Bon Appetit !

The Best Split Pea Soup You'll Ever Taste

There are few things that comfort me more during the cold Autumn and Winter months than my split pea soup. I have been making it for years and it just doesn't get any better. What's wonderful is how simple it is to make such a delicious dish so healthy and warming. I'm so convinced that you'll agree that I've decided to share my recipe with you. OK, here's what we need:


4 cups of split peas (2 lbs)
3 cans of chicken stock
2 cups of water
1 cup of half n half
1 1/2 cups of dry white wine
1 large smoked ham hock (2 lbs)
4 thick strips of bacon, chopped

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 large shallot, finely minced
1 large carrot, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt
1/4 cup of olive oil

Start by preparing your ingredients before you start cooking. With a sharp knife, cut deep slits into the ham hock. Doing this will bring out the flavors of the ham hock while cooking. Chop the bacon and saute in a frying pan on medium high until semi crisp. Remove, let the bacon sit on a paper towel. Take 1/2 cup of the white wine and deglaze the pan. Set aside. Chop your vegetables as instructed above.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Saute the garlic, onion, and shallots until translucent. Next, add the wine and stir, continuing to cook for a minute or so. Next, add the carrots and celery, stir and saute another minute or so. Now add the chicken stock and water, stir and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add the ham hock, continuing to cook covered for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the ham hock and set aside to cool. Now add the split peas, stir and bring back to a boil. Cover and continue to cook on low. When ham hock has cooled enough to the touch, begin to debone, removing excess fat and cutting the meat in 1/2 inch pieces. Once that's done, return meat and bone to the pot, cover and continue to slow cook for about an hour, stiring every 10 minutes so peas don't stick to bottom of pot.

After an hour, the split peas should well be on their way to producing a nice creamy consistency. Now add the sauteed bacon and the juice from the deglazed pan. Stir and taste for flavor. At this time you may add the garlic salt, salt, and pepper. Stir and while stiring, slowly add the half n half, making sure that it is well blended. You may, if you wish, take 2 cups of the soup and puree it in a food processor and add it back to the pot. Continue to slow cook, stiring frequently, for another 20 minutes. Make sure you don't forget to stir frequently, as this is the time when the split peas can begin to stick at the bottom and if not attended to, can burn.

When finished, turn off the burner and set the pot aside for about 5 minutes to cool a bit. Serve in a bowl and sprinkle with minced parsley and a little grated parm or swiss, along with a couple of slices of old fashion crusty hearth bread. Enjoy!

Acini Di Pepe Chicken Soup -- Mmm Mmm Home Made

I recently discovered Acini Di Pepe pasta and fell in love with these little dots of goodness. I began to experiment with them in my recipes and found they were very versitle. One of those recipes is perfect for those rainy Autumn days and I would like to share it with you. It's called Acini Di Pepe Chicken Soup (oddly enough). OK, I could have come up with a fancier name; however, I'll let these little pasta pebbles speak for themselves.

I want to let you know that this soup is made from scratch, right down to the chicken stock. Don't be scared away, however. There is nothing complicated about this soup. It is simply a hearty and warming soup, perfect if you're fighting a cold; it will surely snap it out of you. This recipe comes in two parts. First, we have to make our chicken stock and second, we proceed with the soup. Let's start with the chicken stock. I will not complicate the making of this stock, as I like to keep it simple. You will need:

One fresh whole chicken (cut up, but don't include the breast)
10 cups of water
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 teaspoon of sage

In a large pot, add the chicken, water, and herbs, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let cook covered for about an hour or until chicken falls off the bone. Remove the chicken and set in a bowl to cool. Using a tightly woven strainer, strain the chicken stock into another pot. Continue to heat on low setting.

Once the chicken has cooled enough for you to handle it, begin to debone, discarding the skin and fat and adding the meat to your stock. Now get your ingredients together for the completion of the soup:

1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 minced garlic cloves
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups of Acini Di Pepe pasta (can be found in most supermarkets)
1 1/2 cups of peas
1 teaspoon of Dijon style mustard
1/2  teaspoon of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper

Add all the ingredients to the stock, except the pasta. Stir and mix well, then taste for flavor. If you like it a bit saltier, go ahead and add more salt. Cover and slow cook for about 20 minutes. Then add the pasta, stir and cook covered for an additional 15 minutes. Check pasta for doneness, check for flavor and if satisfied, shut heat off and set aside covered for 5 more minutes and serve. I think you will really like this chicken soup. Have it with a nice crusty baguette of French bread and enjoy!

Cream of Vegetable Potage... A New Twist on Vegetables

I made this soup yesterday and it took me back to when Mom used to make it when I was a kid. It still stands the test of time as one of my all time favorite soups. Mom still makes it to this day. It makes for a wonderful lunch alongside a grilled Swiss and Ham sandwich on a cold, rainy Autumn day while watching your favorite Soap Opera. OK, so you've got a cold and that's why you're home on a Wednesday, stay with me here.

Potage is a French word that comes from the midieval Old French "pottage", which translated to "potted dish". This is not to be confused with porridge which is something very much different and made with grain. Potage is made with fresh vegetables and can also include meat. The method is to slowly boil fresh vegetables until a knife can easily run through a carrot or potato. The vegetables are then removed and pureed in a food processor. Slowly, the vegetable stock is then poured into the food processor and blended until a smooth consistency is achieved to suit your taste. As a final touch, the potage is then returned to the stove and brought to a simmer, all the while adding 1/2 cup of cream and a tablespoon of butter. That's how you make this hearty and warming French soup. You can also cook stew meat or boneless chicken legs or thighs with the vegetables. That all goes into the processor and gets pureed with the vegetables.

In the potage pictured, I chose only vegetables, so this is very safe for vegetarians. Here are the ingredients we need to make this very simple and delicious soup:

5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut in halves

6 large carrots, peeling still on, cut in 2 inch slices

1 large white onion, diced

4 stocks of celery, cut in 2 inch slices

6 white mushrooms, left whole

1 large red tomato, quartered

4 large cloves of garlic, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

1 teaspoon Dijon style mustard

salt and pepper

6 to 8 cups of water (or enough to cover vegetables by one inch)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon of butter
3 tablespoons of olive oil

1/4 cup of parsley, chopped

In a pot, heat oil on medium heat. Saute the onions and garlic for about 3 minutes, then add the rest of the vegetables and saute for a few more minutes, stirring. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and slow cook for about 40 minutes or until vegetables can easily be pierced with a knife. Salt and pepper, add the tomato paste and Dijon mustard and stir to blend well. Taste for flavor.  If you're happy with the flavors, remove all the vegetables and bring them into the food processor. Puree the vegetables until they are very smooth. Add some of the vegetable stock while processing. Keep adding the stock until a smooth and thick creamy mixture is formed. Now slowly add and pulse the cream and the butter. When fully blended, add the potage back onto the stove and warm back up. Serve and enjoy :)