Soups & STews

 
 

Flemish Beef Stew


4 pounds beef sirloin, sliced ½ inch thick

2 pounds large onions, thickly sliced             

½ cup flour                                              

½ cup cooking oil                                    

6 cloves garlic, crushed                           

2 1/2 cups beef broth                      

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

¼ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup chopped parsley

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 tablespoon salt

Ground black pepper

2 12-ounce bottles dark beer

    

        Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Cut beef slices into 1-by-2-inch pieces, dredge with flour, and brown in hot oil in a Dutch oven or large stew pot. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside.  Add onion and garlic to hot oil in pot and brown lightly; remove from pot and set aside.  Drain any remaining oil from the pot, and deglaze with beef broth. 

        Place the beef, the onion mixture, and the remaining ingredients in the pot and stir to combine.  Bake, covered, for 2 hours.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  For thicker stew, add cornstarch blended with beer or beef broth and simmer mixture for 3-5 minutes. 

        Makes 10-12 servings.

Garden Zucchini Soup

A delicious something to do with all that zucchini. 

If you’re not a cold soup lover, it’s good warm, too.


2-2 ½ pounds zucchini, thinly sliced

¼ cup thinly sliced shallots

¼ cup ( ½ stick) unsalted butter

2 teaspoons curry powder

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

     

        Saute the zucchini and shallots in butter for 10 minutes.  Add curry powder and chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.  Puree the soup in batches in a blender.  Return it to the pan, add the half and half, and season with salt and pepper.  Chill in refrigerator until cold.

        Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt and some snipped chives. 

        Makes 6-8 servings.

Many Bean, Beef, and Beer Chili


1 pound mixed beans, picked over and soaked overnight

6 ounces sliced bacon, diced

2 medium onions, diced

4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

¼ cup minced garlic

1-3 jalapeno chiles or chipotles, seeded and minced

1 ½ tablespoons each ground cumin, ground coriander, paprika, and chili powder

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 cans (28 ounces each) tomatoes packed in puree

1 bottle dark beer, plus more for thinning as needed

2 pounds lean ground beef, cooked and drained

     

        Rinse and drain the beans.  Place in a large pot and cover with fresh water.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer the beans until just tender, 1 to 1 ½ hours.

      While the beans are cooking, fry the bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  Add onions, scallions, and garlic to the bacon fat; sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the jalapenos and cook 5 minutes more.  Add seasonings and cook 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and beer, simmer over medium heat about 30 minutes.  Add the beef, and then the cooked beans and the bacon.  Thin the chili with more beer if it’s too thick.

        Serve, or simmer the chili over low heat up to 1 hour to blend flavors a bit more. 

        Makes at least 10 servings.

Smoky Pumpkin Soup

A warming and flavorful fall treat. 


6 slices bacon, diced, cooked crisp, fat reserved

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, sliced

¾ cup sliced scallions, white part only

1 15-ounce can pumpkin

4 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon curry powder

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Several parsley sprigs

2 cups half and half

Salt and pepper

Spiced pecans, commercially prepared or your own

    

        Warm reserved bacon fat and butter in a large soup pot.  Add onion and scallions and sauté over medium heat until golden brown.  Stir in pumpkin, chicken broth, bay leaf, sugar, curry powder, nutmeg, and parsley.  Bring to a simmer and continue simmering, uncovered, for 15 minutes. 

         Transfer soup in batches to a food processor fitted with a steel blade and puree.  Return to pan, add reserved bacon and half and half, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Simmer 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm, garnished with your favorite spiced pecans. 

        Makes 6 servings

Savory Vegetable Bean Soup


1. Saute for 5 minutes on medium low heat:              1 large onion, diced

                                                                                  3 cloves garlic, minced

                                                                                  2 parsnips, peeled and diced

                                                                                  2 carrots, peeled and diced

                                                                                  3 stalks celery, diced

2. Add:                                                                       7 cups chicken stock

                                                                                   2 cups tomato or V8 juice

                                                                                   1 cup red wine

                                                                                   1 15-ounce can tomatoes

                                                                                   1 cup cut green beans

                                                                                   1 cup peeled and diced butternut squash

                                                                                   1 teaspoon dried  sage

                                                                                   1 teaspoon dried tarragon

  1. 3.Bring to a boil on high heat, and then reduce heat to simmer 30 minutes.

4. Add:                                                                        1 15-ounce can beans, drained and rinsed

                                                                                    2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

                                                                                    2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Simmer another 5-10 minutes.

  1. 5.Season to taste with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne.

  2. 6.Finish with a dash of balsamic vinegar.

ALSO IN THE RECIPES ARCHIVE:

     APPETIZERS & FIRST COURSES    BEVERAGES    SALADS    PASTAS & RISOTTOS   

MAIN COURSES   VEGETABLES & SIDES    SAUCES    BREADS    DESSERTS  

Black Bean and Espresso Chili

A hearty vegetarian chili for a cold winter day


1/4 cup olive oil                              

2 large onions, diced                        

2 tablespoons instant coffee  or espresso powder                            

2 tablespoons chili powder             

2 tablespoons ground cumin           

1 tablespoon dried oregano                  

1 tablespoon cocoa                          

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes                    

2 tablespoons honey                                                          

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed & drained

1 cup water

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional as needed

1 teaspoon minced chipotle pepper

Large pinch of ground cinnamon


Assorted toppings: sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, shredded cheese, sliced jalapeños, shaved bittersweet chocolate

   

      Heat the oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the espresso powder, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cocoa.  Cook 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, honey, and garlic and stir to combine.   Bring to simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.

      Add the beans, water, salt, chipotle, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered until the chili thickens slightly, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Taste and add more salt as needed. 

      Place the toppings in individual condiment bowls. Ladle the chili into bowls and serve toppings alongside. Serves 4-6.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Stew with Mushrooms


3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat

Salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

12 ounces sliced or quartered mushrooms

1 large onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup chicken stock

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

½ cup Merlot or other dry red wine

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

    

    Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown it in 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet, then transfer the chicken to the insert of a slow cooker.  Add the second tablespoon of oil to the skillet, sauté the mushrooms and onion until they are lightly browned, and add them, along with the garlic, to the slow cooker.

    In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken stock, tomato paste, wine, tapioca, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.  Add this mixture to the slow cooker, stirring to combine.  Cover the slow cooker and cook for 7-8 hours on low heat.  Season the stew as needed with more salt and pepper, and serve it over warm mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta.

    Makes 6-8 servings.

Zona’s Basic Chicken Stock

Adapted from Zona Spray


6 pounds chicken bones or chicken parts

2 large onions, unpeeled, quartered

4 carrots, scrubbed and sliced

4 celery stalks, sliced

2 leeks, washed and sliced

1 head garlic, unpeeled, cut in half horizontally

2 bay leaves

1 large bunch parsley stems

20 whole black peppercorns

2 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme


Put all ingredients in a large (12 quart) stockpot.  Add cold water to cover by 3 inches.  Cook over low heat for 5 hours; stock should be barely simmering for the at least the last 3 hours of cooking.  Skim the scum as it comes to the surface.

Strain the stock through a colander, pressing on the solids to extract all the flavorful juices.  Strain again through a fine mesh sieve or chinois to remove all solids.

Cool and chill the stock for several hours or overnight.  Remove congealed fat from the surface.

Stock can be used, frozen, or reduced at this point.  The large quantity may make freezing inconvenient.  An easier way  to store stock is to reduce, or gently boil the stock until it is about one-tenth of its original volume.  Strain it again through the fine mesh sieve or chinois and freeze, leaving space in the containers for expansion.