soup

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Simple Clam Chowder

Posted on by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

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Today is National Clam Chowder Day.  My parents have a house in Rhode Island and every summer when we go visit it’s tradition for us to eat a lunch of clam chowder and clam cakes.   While traditional Rhode Island clam chowder has a clear broth, we prefer the New England style, like this one, with a milk base.  Below is a recipe for clam chowder that I have made twice now, and I rarely repeat recipes!

Simple Clam Chowder
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, January 2008

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
2 (6 1/2 ounce) cans chopped clams, undrained
2 1/2 cups diced, peeled, baking potatoes
2 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup flour

Directions:

1.  Add olive oil to  a Dutch Oven or large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, salt, thyme and garlic, cooking approximately 4 minutes until tender.

2.  Drain the clams, reserving the liquid.  Add the reserved liquid, potatoes, clam juice and bay leaf to the pot, bringing to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  Discard the bay leaf.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the milk and flour until smooth.  Add the flour mixture to the pot; bringing to a boil.  Stir constantly for approximately 10 – 12 minutes, until thick.  Add the  clams and cook for 2 more minutes.

Manhattan style, New England style, Rhode Island style……what kind of clam chowder do you like best? …..Or do you not like it at all?!!! 

 

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Tortellini Soup with Artichokes

Posted on by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

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Soup. It’s what’s for dinner.  Nothing beats soup on a cold day, and here in New York we’ve been experiencing lots of cold weather!  In honor of National Homemade Soup Day, we are sharing this recipe for Tortellini Soup with Artichokes.  To be honest, the kids did not enjoy this soup.  We think there were too many ingredients in it that they didn’t like.  We were happy enough with them eating the tortellini and the accompanying bread.  Since the adults enjoyed it a lot, we thought it was worth sharing!

Tortellini Soup with Artichokes
Recipe adapted from foodiecrush

Ingredients:
6 cups vegetable broth
16 oz. package frozen tortellini
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
15 oz. can chick peas, rinsed and drained
15 oz. can artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups baby spinach

Directions:
1.  Pour broth into a Dutch oven or stock pot and bring to a boil.

2.  Add the tortellini and sun dried tomatoes, cooking until the tortellini float to the top, approximately 3-4 minutes.

3.  Reduce the heat to low and add the chick peas through red pepper flakes, cooking for 2-3 minutes.

4.  Add the spinach and cook until wilted.

2

As Seen on Pinterest: Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup

Posted on by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup

With winter in full force here in New York, I have been looking for hearty soup and chili recipes.  Before long, warmer weather will be arriving and we won’t want to think of eating a warm bowl of anything!  While perusing Pinterest I saw this recipe and thought it sounded like something the family might eat.  The kids can be a bit picky when it comes to eating soup…..our son doesn’t really enjoy eating it, unless it’s the packaged ramen kind that we stopped buying.  So, it was a bit surprising when he ate two bowls of this soup.  My mouth dropped in surprise when he asked for seconds!  If you like baked potatoes with all the fixings, then this soup is for you!

Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup
Recipe slightly adapted from Cooking Classy

Ingredients:

  • 3 to 3 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 medium potatoes, 8 – 9 cups)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 3 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 8 oz bacon, cooked and diced or crumbled
  • 4 green onions, diced

Directions:

1.  In. a 6 or 7-quart slow cooker, add potatoes, onion, vegetable broth, evaporated milk and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on HIGH heat for 4 hours or LOW heat for 8 hours.

2. Ladle 2 cups of soup mixture from slow cooker into a liquid measuring cup and set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. While whisking, slowly pour 2 cups of reserved soup mixture from measuring cup into butter mixture (it will thicken quickly). Pour butter mixture into slow cooker and stir to blend. Use a potato masher to break down potatoes into smaller pieces or use an emulsion blender to puree. Cover and cook on HIGH heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Turn off  slow cooker and stir in sour cream. Serve warm topped with cheddar, bacon and green onions.

2

Creamy Parsnip Soup

Posted on by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

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January has a wealth of month long food related celebrations including being National Soup Month.  Soup is perfect for the cold winter days we’ve been experiencing in New York recently. In honor of National Soup Month, I made a Creamy Parsnip Soup.   Parsnips are cream colored root vegetables that are closely related to carrots. They have a sweet, nutty flavor and are high in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.  Parsnips, like other root vegetables, are in their peak season Fall through Spring.  We rarely cook with parsnips and the kids did not remember ever trying them, when we told them we were having Creamy Parsnip Soup.  The below recipe uses parsnips, apples, potato and leeks, all of which are in peak season, which makes this a seasonally appropriate soup.  The apples and parsnips give the soup a sweet flavor.  While the kids didn’t love this soup, they both finished their serving.  The adults thought this was tasty.  We served this soup with Italian Herb Muffins to round out the meal.

Creamy Parsnip Soup
Recipe slightly adapted from Every Day Food, November 2005

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound prepared sliced leeks (2 cups)
1 pound parsnips, trimmed, peeled, and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium baking potato (about 1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1.Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup to garnish soup.

2.Add parsnips, apples, potato, broth, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

3.Use a stick blender to puree the soup until smooth. If you don’t have a stick blender, working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth and return to the pot. Stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with Leek Garnish.