Good Morning.
I'm tired of waking up to more crummy news. I am happy that the days and nights are getting a bit cooler so I can open my windows, that my old house is now occupied by a nice young couple, and that my dog, at age ten, is a very close friend. I need the colors of autumn, a big sweater, and a rainy day once in awhile. I like simple at this stage of my life.
I also need soup and here are four possibilities for your review. They won't solve the world's problems but they'll bring
a few minutes of relief if you turn off the TV, put on some good music, and sit at a table with a nice hot bowl and a loaf of crusty bread.
We begin with Cream of Onion, a smooth, rich treatment quite different from the soup created by the French.
1/4 cup butter
5 large onions, chopped
5 cups beef broth
1 large potato, peeled and sliced
1 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp. white vinegar
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 cup Half and Half
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add chopped onion and saute until translucent. Add beef broth and sliced potato. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Puree everything in a blender, in batches if necessary. Return mixture to the pan and stir in the wine, vinegar, and sugar. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Now stir in the Half and Half. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Heat soup but do not boil. Serves 6.
Drink the rest of the wine with the soup. This assumes you are sharing your meal with at least one other person.
Moving along, we have Chicken Taco Soup.
3 large tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium white onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
8 taco shells, the hard, crunchy type
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups beef broth
1 cup dry red wine
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 lime, cut into wedges
Puree the tomatoes, onion, shallots, cilantro, and garlic in a food processor or blender until pretty smooth. Add this mixture plus everything else on the ingredient list except the taco shells in a soup pot and simmer for an hour and a half. During the last half an hour, add the taco shells you broke into pieces. Taste before serving and add salt and pepper if desired. Ladle
into bowls, garnish with grated cheese, and a squeeze of lime to finish off. Serves 6.
The biggest problem here is shopping for all the ingredients. Making the soup is a snap. I avoid supermarkets like the plague
and am fortunate that mine will deliver what I order on-line for a ridiculously nominal fee. They have yet to mess up an
order, imagine such a thing.
Perfect for months that end in BER, we have Butternut Squash Soup.
1 butternut squash
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
10 fresh sage leaves, crumbled
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line an oblong baking dish with aluminum foil. cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Put the squash halves cut side down in the pan and roast for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, scoop out the flesh into a bowl and set aside. In a soup pot, melt 1 tablespoon of butter, add the onion and carrot and saute for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the squash, water, and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Puree this mixture in batches in a blender. Return to the pot and thin with a little milk if it seems too thick. Taste and add salt and pepper. When ready to serve, melt the other tablespoon of butter in a small skillet, add the crumbled sage, and fry until crispy, about 2 minutes. Ladle the soup into 4 bowls, top with sage, and garnish with crumbled
goat cheese.
Serve this fabulous soup with apple or cranberry muffins and an icy cold beer. Iced tea season has passed although my husband drank it year 'round. You decide which sounds better with a big bowl of smooth, luscious butternut soup.
And finally, Crab Bisque.
3/4 cup chopped white onion
3 cups sliced fresh fresh white mushrooms, cleaned with a paper towel not washed
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 cups Half and Half
3 cups cooked crab meat, the real stuff coarsely chopped
1/4 cup dry sherry
Saute the onion and mushrooms in the butter in a soup pot for about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute.
Add the milk and cook until thickened. Add salt, pepper, Half and Half, and crab meat. Mix well and cook over low heat
until heated through but don't boil. In batches. process this mixture in your blender until smooth. Return to the pot, warm up, and taste to see if it needs more salt. Add sherry and stir for a minute. Serves 8.
You could substitute lobster if you were lucky enough to have a couple sitting around. If you use lobster, add just a touch of tomato paste. Serve with that crusty bread from the bread store unless you're the type who makes your own bread. I am not but I have a store within about a minute from the house. I believe I will order up my Stollen for Christmas. I just took out the dog and and it's cold enough to feel like snow. That will change, of course. In South Dakota, it's possible to use the air-conditioning and the heat in the same day. We call this climate change.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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