Soup

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

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  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups diced yellow onion
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
  • 1/2 cup corn, fresh or frozen
  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 28-ounce can crused tomatoes
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 5 ounces baby spinach
  • Additional broth, if needed.

Place all ingredients except for the spinach in a slow cooker and stir.

Cook on low for 8 hours. The sweet potatoes should be tender.

You can serve it right away or reheat it later. Just before serving, stir in the spinach until it wilts.

If the soup seems too thick. (This is especially likely if you are reheating it). Add more broth to achieve the desired consistency.

Serve with the topping(s) of your choice. Suggestions: Scallions, cheese, sour cream, avocado, chopped jalapeño, cilantro, crushed tortilla chips.

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Turkey Cheeseburger Soup

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Adapted from Skinnytaste One & Done by Gina Homolka and Heather Jones

My intention was to make a pot of this and freeze it for future meals. It was gone in 36 hours. Believe it or not, the secret is the cauliflower!

  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 wedge of cauliflower (1/4 of a large head or 1/2 of a small head), stem attached
  • 1 3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Press the Saute button on an electric pressure cooker. Add the turkey and brown the meat, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Drain the meat and transfer it to a dish.

In the pressure cooker (still on saute) melt the butter. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring, until softened. Add the flour, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Return the turkey to the pressure cooker and add the broth, potatoes and cauliflower. Stir.

Seal and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Quick release and open the cooker.

Transfer the cauliflower and 1 cup of the liquid to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the puree into the soup and stir well. Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

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  • 3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
  • 3 large carrots, sliced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, halved and sliced
  • 1 ½ pounds , boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 (14-ounce) can cannellini beans
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 2 handfuls of baby spinach, coarsely chopped
  • 2 packages (5.2 ounces each) Boursin cheese with garlic and herbs, quartered

Put first 7 ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 5 ½ hours.

Raise heat to high. Add peas and spinach. Cook for an additional 20-30 minutes.

Turn off heat, add cheese and stir until melted.

Rehfwitz Chicken Soup

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  • 4-5 pounds chicken parts
  • Leaves and small stalks from the inside of 2 bunches of celery, plus 2-3 big celery stalks cut into 2” pieces
  • 6-8 carrots, (peeled if you will be using in soup, otherwise just washed well) and cut into 2” pieces
  • 2-3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2” pieces
  • 2-3 onions peeled and quartered
  • 8 sprigs parsley
  • Some fresh dill (optional)
  • 1 Tbs. peppercorns
  • Kosher salt to taste

Cover chicken pieces with about 3 inches of water in large stock pot.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. As the water boils, scum will form. Skim it off and discard. This may take a while. Keep cooking until scum stops forming. The scum will not affect the flavor of the soup, but if not removed, it will make the broth cloudy. Add remaining ingredients; reduce heat and simmer, with the lid partially open, for 2 hours or so.

Remove chicken and vegetables and cool.

Strain stock using cheesecloth and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

Skim fat from the top of broth and discard or save to use in other recipes like matzo balls.

Separate chicken from veggies, bones and skin. Chicken can be shredded and added back to soup or saved for another purpose. You may want to slice carrots and add them back to the soup if you will be reheating it right away. If the carrots are too mushy, or if you are planning to freeze the broth before using, discard them with the rest of the veggies, bones and skin.

When ready to reheat the soup, add salt to taste. You may also want to add fresh carrots and/or celery, noodles, kreplach, or matzo balls.

Potato Leek Soup with Kale and Sausage

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Submitted by Jeanne Marshall.

  • 1 pound (4 links) of your favorite sausage (I like Salvadoran chorizo or Portuguese linguica – a little heat but not too much for kids) – you can substitute bacon here nicely or leave the meat completely out
  • 5 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into ~1-inch cubes
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into ~1-inch cubes
  • 2 cups kale
  • 32 ounces chicken broth (You can substitute w/vegetable broth if you prefer.)
  • 2 leeks, white & light green parts only, thinly sliced
  • 1 large shallot, diced (regular small onion can stand in)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • A few tablespoons olive oil (for sautéing the leeks and potatoes)
  • 1 cup cream, half & half, or milk (depending upon your desired caloric intake)
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Sauté the sausage (or bacon) and set aside to cool. Leave any oil in the pan and sauté the potatoes, leeks and shallots, adding olive oil if needed. Slice sausage into bite-sized pieces. When leeks have softened, add garlic. Add vegetable mixture to stock pot. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Lower temperature to medium and cover. Let cook for 20-30 minutes (until potatoes are tender) then add sausage and kale. Let cook for 5 minutes longer then add milk (or cream or half & half). Do not let it boil after adding the milk. Salt & pepper to taste.

If you want a smooth soup, put batches of the potato/leek mixture into the blender before adding sausage and kale (or use a stick blender directly in the pot).

Acorn Squash Soup

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Adapted from foodnetwork.com.

  • 3 whole acorn squash, approximately 8 cups when cooked
  • 6 shallots, 3 diced, 3 left whole and peeled
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
  • 1 Tablespoon freshly cracked pepper, plus more for seasoning
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 4 cups low- or no-sodium vegetable stock ( I like Kitchen Basics brand unsalted) or chicken stock
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried “rubbed” sage
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan
  • Optional toppings:  Black pepper, Drizzle of olive oil, French fried onions, pepitas, additional grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the squash in half, on the equator, and remove seeds with a spoon.  Cut a flat spot on each end, so the squash will sit still.  Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange the squash, cut side up, on the baking sheet.  To 3 of the squash halves, add a peeled shallot.  To the other 3, add 2 garlic cloves in each.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in the hot oven until very tender and starting to caramelize and collapse, about 1 hour.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  When cool enough to handle, remove the squash from the skin.  Discard skin.  Reserve the roasted shallots and garlic with the squash.  All of the preceding steps may be done ahead.

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and 2 Tablespoons butter over medium-high heat.  When the butter starts to foam, add the raw diced shallots and sauté until the start to caramelize, about 5  to 6 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of the stock and stir to detach bits of onion from the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the reserved squash, roasted shallots and garlic and then the remaining stock.  Stir to combine, then puree with a stick blender.  The mixture will be very thick.

Add the cayenne, white pepper, and sage.  Stir in the cream and Worcestershire sauce and heat slowly over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.  When the mixture comes to a slow simmer, stir in the Parmesan and turn heat to low.  Serve with topping(s) if desired.

Serves 8-10.

Josh’s Chicken Stock Soup

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What to make for your sister when she is sick.  Submitted by Joshua Hurwitz (age 8).

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
  • 1 large stalk celery, washed and sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon dried red onion (or 1/2 small onion, chopped)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • 8 ounces medium egg noodles, cooked, in salted water, according to package instructions

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add carrots, celery and onion if you’re using fresh onion, if not, wait to add dried onion.  Cook 5 minutes or so, until vegetables start to get tender.  Add garlic and dried onion (if using) and cook, stirring one more minute.  Add chicken stock and parsley.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer 20-30 minutes until vegetables are soft.  Put cooked noodles in individual bowls and pour soup over noodles.

Serves 6.

Chunky Potato Soup with Dill

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From Gourmet Magazine, February 2008, credit was given to Ruth Cousineau.

  • 2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 1/2 pound russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter
  • 4 cups water or chicken stock
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons chopped dill

Cook vegetables in butter in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot, covered, over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown and stick to bottom of pot, about 15 minutes. Add water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer 3 cups soup to a blender with milk and blend until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return to pot, then stir in dill and salt and pepper to taste.

Rehfwitz Basic Smooth Lentil Soup

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You can skip the last step if you prefer your lentils whole.

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 small onions, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 pound brown lentils
  • 2 quarts vegetable or chicken stock or broth
  • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with liquid
  • 2 teaspoons (or more) dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons (or more) dried basil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add onions and garlic.  Sauté until tender.

Add carrots and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add lentils and stir for about 1 minute.  Add stock, tomatoes, and seasoning.

Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 45 minutes.  Use an immersion (stick) blender to blend until smooth.

“Cream” of Carrot Soup

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From The Occasional Vegetarian by Karen Lee with Diane Porter.

  • 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (about 2 medium), cleaned before chopping
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cups chopped unpeeled carrots
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 cups vegetable stock or stock of your choice
  • 2 Tablespoons minced fresh dill

In a large, heavy-bottom pot, sauté the leeks in the olive oil over medium-low heat until they’re wilted, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the carrots, sugar, parsley, salt and pepper.  Stir.

Add the stock and turn the heat to high.  Bring the soup to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer the soup until the carrots are soft, about 15 minutes.

Lift out the solids with a wire strainer of slotted spoon and put them in a food processor with a little of the liquid.  Puree.  Return the carrot puree to the pot, add the dill, and stir.  Serve hot.

Can be refrigerated for two days.  Reheat before serving.

Serves 6 to 8 as a first course.