Italian Wedding Soup (from Super Saturday)

(which we all now know means the marriage of perfect flavor!)

Submitted by Sister Twelves

(6 to 8 servings)

Meatballs:
½ lb ground beef
¼ c grated parmesan cheese
¼ c breadcrumbs (I used Progresso garlic & herb flavored)
1 egg
Salt and pepper (say 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper)

Directions:
Mix together gently with your hands and form into balls. Any size you like, but about a ½ Tbsp meat mixture is what we did Saturday. I used 1 Tbsp disher to measure and made 2 balls out of each. Bake in 350 oven for 20 minutes or until mostly done. Set aside until needed.

You can make as many meatballs as you wish. You can completely cheat and use frozen Italian style meatballs and I won’t tell anyone.


The Soup:

2 qts chicken broth or stock
1 medium onion – chopped
2 or 3 ribs of celery – chopped
1 c chopped carrot
3 c chopped kale or baby spinach (I used spinach on Saturday, but kale is more Italian)
1 c any really small pasta (I used D’Italini – which are little rings)
Cooked meatballs
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
In a little olive oil, sauté onion, celery, and garlic until soft. Put in a little salt and pepper. Add the stock and carrots and bring to a boil. When at a boil, add the pasta and lower heat to medium. Cook until pasta is al dente. Drop in meatballs and stir in kale or spinach. Heat through. Taste and correct seasonings. Serve!!

On Saturday, we garnished with grated parmesan cheese.

Corn Chowder (from Super Saturday)

Submitted by Sister Twelves

(serves 6 to 8)



Pot 1 (the bigger pot)
2 or 3 medium red potatoes cut into dice (I leave on skins).
1 medium onion – chopped
2 or 3 stalks celery – chopped
Water to cover
Salt and pepper to taste
2 c defrosted, frozen corn or 1 can of corn, drained

Pot 2 (the smaller pot)
4 Tbsp butter (I prefer unsalted and yes, I think butter is important)
¼ c flour
1 qt milk (I used 2%, but if you want it richer, you can use whole)
Salt and pepper to taste.


In pot one, toss in your veggies and just barely cover with water. If you wanted a richer soup, I suppose you could use broth or stock; I find this recipe plenty rich without stock. Add some salt and pepper to get the veggies started. Bring to a boil and then drop to a simmer and let simmer away until veggies soft but not overcooked (maybe 15-20 minutes).

A word about potatoes: substitute any waxy potato you like (White Rose, Yukon Gold, purple) – the standard Russet (or “Idaho”) potato makes fabulous mashed or baked potatoes, but will get mushy in soup.

In the meantime, in a smaller pot, melt your butter and then whisk in the flour. Add pinch of salt and pepper and let cook over medium low heat for a couple of minutes (to get out that raw flour taste). Gradually whisk in the milk until you have a medium white sauce. Taste and correct seasonings.

Add corn to larger pot and then check and correct seasoning. I always find I need to add more salt. Stir in the entire contents of 2nd pot without draining the vegetables. Stir and serve!

This is wonderful garnished with bacon or chives.

To turn this into the best clam chowder you’ve ever had, omit the corn and drain 2 cans of minced clams over the vegetables. Set the clams aside for later. Add a bottle of clam juice if you want it more “clammy.” Add water to just cover as before (but it will be less because you have some clam juice in there). Prepare the white sauce the same way.


Then after the two pots are combined, stir in the clams. Wonderful!

Pumpkin Soup (from Super Saturday)

Submitted by Sister Twelves

(serves 4 to 6)


Ingredients:
½ lb maple sausage (my original recipe says to use chorizo … switch it out!)
1 c pureed pumpkin (I use canned and 1 c is ½ of a 15 oz can)
1 qt chicken stock or broth
½ c chopped onion
½ c chopped celery (I forgot to put it in Saturday … use it or not as you choose)
2 small apples, cored and chopped (I leave peels on)
½ c cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In your soup pot, cook sausage until done; take out and set aside. Leave 1 Tbsp drippings in pan. Sauté onion, celery, and apple until tender. I would add some salt and pepper at this point. Add stock and pumpkin. Bring to boil then drop to a simmer for 10-15 minutes. Check and correct seasonings (this means taste and add more salt / pepper if needed). Puree mixture until thick and smooth – I used a stick blender, but your food processor or regular blender will work fine. Keep a towel over any appliance openings as hot liquids tend to explode. Return to soup pot if you didn’t use a stick blender. If the soup is not as thick as you want it, add some potato flakes or minute rice and let sit for a few minutes, then puree again. Stir in cream.


Stir in the cooked, crumbled sausage and serve! On Saturday, we garnished with roasted pumpkin seeds. If you use chorizo, some chopped cilantro on top would be nice.

Minestrone Soup

Submitted by Sister Brown (Recipe from Sister Keldsen)

3 14.5 oz cans stewed tomatoes (I blend them up)
4-5 cups water
2 tsp. beef or chicken bullion
1 8oz can tomato sauce
3 carrots - chopped
4 stalks celery - chopped
1 large onion - chopped
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 Tbs parsley
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Tbs honey
1 can green beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 3oz package cheese tortellini

1. Add the first 12 ingredients to a stockpot.
2. Bring to a boil then reduce to low and simmer 3-4 hours.
3. Add green beans, kidney beans and pasta. Cook until pasta is done.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Grated parmesan cheese on top is yummy.

Note: I have also made this in the Crock Pot.

Olive Garden Toscana Soup Recipe

Submitted by Sister Brown

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients:
3/4 cup onions, diced 1/8 inch
1 slice bacon, 1/4-inch diced (or I use the real bacon bits)
1 1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 ounce chicken bouillon
1 quart water
2 medium potatoes, cut in half length-wise, then cut in 1/4-inch slices
2 cups cavallo greens (kale can be substituted), cut in half, then sliced into 1/16-inch strips
1 1/2 cup sausage link - spicy, precooked, cut in half length-wise, then cut at an angle into 1/2-inch slices use I used spicy Italian sausage
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Fry Italian sausage and onions in a large pot. Drain. Then add the garlic and cook for 1 min.
2. Add bacon bits, chicken bouillon, water and potatoes; bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients then simmer for 5 more minutes and serve.

Alternate Directions:

1. Place sausage link onto sheet pan and bake in 300 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until done.
2. Place onions and bacon into 3 to 4 quart saucepan and cook onions over medium heat until the onions are almost clear. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add chicken bouillon, water and potatoes; bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients then simmer for 5 more minutes and serve.

Red Lentil Soup With Lemon

Submitted by Sister Cooper, taken from NY Times

Time: 45 minutes

3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of ground chili powder or cayenne, more to taste
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro.

1. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
3. Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
4. Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.
5. Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.

Yield: 4 servings.