Serves 4-6

1 head of cauliflower, cored

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 leek, white and light green parts, coarsely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

Kosher salt

1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped

3/4 cup dry white wine

4 cups chicken stock

3 thyme sprigs tied in a bundle, plus 1 teaspoon chopped

8 brussels sprouts, trimmed and separated into leaves

4 oz goat cheese

2 tablespoons chives, chopped

1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.  Cut 1/4 of the cauliflower into small florets.  Coarsely chop the rest.

In a medium soup pot, heat the olive oil.  Add the leek, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the potato, chopped cauliflower, and the wine.  Increase the heat to high and cook until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.  Add the stock and the thyme bundle and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.  Discard the thyme bundle.

Meanwhile, line a sheet pan with a piece of parchment.  At one end, toss the cauliflower florets with salt and drizzle with the oil.  At the other end, do the same with the brussels sprouts leaves.  Roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until lightly browned and tender.

In a small bowl, mix the goat cheese with the chopped thyme.  

Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until very smooth.  Stir in the cream and adjust the seasonings.  Ladle into bowls and top with the roasted cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and goat cheese and serve.

Note 01 - Oh my gosh, this is good.  Like really, really good.  Let's make this all the time.  And let's have roasted brussie leaves as a garnish on everything!!! Who's with me?!

Serves 4

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

6 shallots, sliced

6 garlic cloves, smashed

1 fennel bulb, diced 

2 rosemary sprigs

2 tablespoons preserved Calabrian chili peppers, chopped

1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup Italian white win

6 cups vegetable stock

2 cups dried cannellini beans, soaked for 6 hours and drained

Two 2-inch pieces Pecorino rind 

S&P

1 large bunch Tuscan black kale, chopped into 1-inch-wide pieces

1/2 cup grated Pecorino cheese

Juice of 1 lemon

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the oil, shallots, garlic, fennel, rosemary, and Calabrian chili peppers.  Cook for a few minutes.  Add the tomato paste and cook for  5-10 minutes.  Add the wine, vegetable stock, and the beans.  Bring to a simmer and turn the heat to low.  Cook, covered, for 1 hour.  

Remove the lid and simmer for 15 minutes.  The beans should be really tender.  Add the cheese rinds and check the seasoning.  Add the kale and cook for 10 minutes.  

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each bowl with cheese, a drizzle of oil, and the lemon juice.  Add more Calabrian chili if you want more heat.  Serve and enjoy.

Note 01 - What a lovely, comforting soup.  My beans were a teensy bit old, so I soaked them overnight; honestly they could have used more cooking time, so don't use zillion-year-old beans...or plan on simmering for a lot longer.

Note 02 - Pinot grigio is a basic bitch wine, isn't it?  Just medium in everything.  Whatever.  Who cares?  Use your basic bitch pinot grigio for the soup and enjoy the rest whilst simmering.  Not too shabby.

Serves 8

5 lbs chicken thighs

3 teaspoons Kosher salt, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped pancetta

1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon sugar

5 tablespoons butter, softened, divided

4 celery stalks, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 lb mixed mushrooms such as shiitake, wood ear, enoki, etc.

1 teaspoon dried thyme

3 cups dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock

2 rosemary sprigs

2 thyme sprigs

2 bay leaves

1 whole star anise

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Dry the chicken and season with 2 teaspoons of salt.  Set aside.

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the oil.  Working in about 3 batches, brown the chicken on all sides, about 6 minutes per batch.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the pancetta.  Cook, scraping up any browned bits, for about 3 minutes.  Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the garlic and stir until it smells great.  Sprinkle the sugar over the top, and 4 tablespoons butter, and stir well until the butter is melted.  Add the celery and carrots and cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and dried thyme, and cook, stirring gently until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add the vermouth, again scraping any additional brown bits that may have developed.  Stir in wine, chicken stock, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and anise.  Give it a bit more salt, too.  Add the chicken back and in bring to a simmer.

Stir together the flour and remaining tablespoon of soft butter with a fork until it's almost paste-like.  Add this to the Dutch oven and gently stir to combine.  Bake uncovered until the chicken is very tender and the sauce is reduced and thickened, about 2 hours, turning the chicken a few times.  Remove from the oven, let the chicken rest for 20-30 minutes, garnish with the parsley and serve.

Note 01 - Yowza, this was tasty!  But it wasn't as soupy or as stewy as I would like, so I think next time, I'd up the stock to 3 cups and keep the wine the same.

Serves 4

2 teaspoons canola oil

5 lemongrass stalks, center white parts only, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced

4 cups chicken stock

1-2 small red chiles

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and halved

2 green onions, chopped

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

1 lime

In a soup pot, warm the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the lemongrass and sauté for 3 minutes.  Add the ginger and cook for a minute.  Add the broth and 1 cup water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.  Add the chile and shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in the green onions and cilantro.  Squeeze in a bit of lime juice and serve.

Note 01 - A refreshing starter soup

Serves 8

2-3 lbs beef chuck roast

S&P

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

3 celery stalks, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup pearl barley

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 beef bouillon cube

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

1 thyme sprig

1 rosemary sprig

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 bay leaves

S&P

6 cups beef broth

Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces and season with S&P.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the beef on all sides.  This will take several batches.

Place all the remaining ingredients in a slow cooker.  Add the beef and stir.  

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Check the seasoning and serve.

Note 01 - A tasty treat to fortify oneself against subzero temps on the way to a hockey contest!

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallot lobes, minced

2 thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

1 pound baby spinach

4 cups chicken stock

Kosher salt

1/2 cup crème fraîche

In a small soup pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the shallots and herbs and sauté for 2-3 minutes.  Add the spinach and stir to wilt the leaves.  Pour in the stock and season lightly with salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes.  Remove the bay leaf.

Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth.  Season to taste.  Ladle into bowls and spoon a dollop of crème fraîche in the center and serve.

Note 01 - Oh man, the day was:  early meeting with The Big Shots → rush to the airport → slightly delayed flight → pop in at home for a hot second → drive to the office → then return home.  If there ever was a day for a low-effort soup, this is it.

Note 02 - What a lovely color on this soup, and who doesn't want a bit of green in January?  The flavor is light and delicate.  But I think I prefer Anna Thomas's Green Soup or Green Soup with Mushrooms.  Just a bigger body and bigger flavor.

Note 03 - Amanda Hesser gives us a recipe for crème fraîche, but I wasn't able to make it, what with the work travel and all.  She says all you need to do is put 2 cups of heavy cream in a plastic container, stir in 2 tablespoons of buttermilk, cover, and let the container sit on the counter for 24 hours.  Stir once more and refrigerate.  It'll keep in the refrigerator for two weeks.  Will it be better than the store-bought stuff?  Dunno, but I want to give this a shot in the future.

Work travel is getting in the way of making soup.  But I'm out there searching for the businesswoman's lunch special!

Serves 6-8

10 cups homemade chicken stock

3/4 cup orzo

4 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork

Juice of 3 lemons

Zest of 2 lemons

1 cup coarsely chopped chicken

1 lb baby spinach

S&P

In a stockpot, bring the stock to a boil over high heat.  Add the orzo and cook for 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions.  While stirring constantly, drizzle in the eggs and continue stirring for at least 30 seconds or until the eggs cook into threads.

Add the lemon juice, zest, chicken, and spinach and season with S&P.  Return to a boil.  Immediately remove from heat and serve.

Note 01 - Whelp, turns out I had to travel again for work.  It was positively providential that this was the scheduled soup because it came together in a breeze before starting the workday.  And not a bad soup for breakfast.  I sprinkled it with a few red pepper flakes in an attempt to make the photo more appealing and give the soup a bit of zing.

Note 02 - This was my first time using Chris Young's recipe for chicken stock.  The only adaptation I made was first removing 1 cup of chicken to use for the soup.  It generated 9 cups of stock, and it was easy, fast, and totally worthwhile.  This is my new go-to.  Thank you to my bro-in-law for recommending it!

Note 03 - LOL at the Fancy Airport Lounge for serving this same soup on the same day.  What were the chances?

Serves 4

Red Curry Paste

1 lemongrass stalk

1 shallot, peeled

2 red chiles, seeded

6 garlic cloves

5 lime leaves

Cilantro stems

2 tablespoons gochugaru

1/2 teaspoon mace

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon coriander

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup fish sauce

Soup

1/2 cup neutral oil

4 frozen lobster tails, thawed and split in half

1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems separated

1 bunch green onions

1 knob ginger, peeled

6 garlic cloves, peeled

Red curry paste from above

6 cups chicken stock

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1 red onion, diced

6 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and diced

S&P

1 13.5 oz can coconut milk

3 limes

To make the red curry paste:

In a blender, combine all of the ingredients.  Blend until smooth.  Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the soup:

In a large pot, warm the oil over high heat.  When hot, add the lobster tails, cut side down, and sear.  Once seared, remove and let cool.

In a blender, combine the cilantro stems, green onions, ginger, and garlic.  Blend until as smooth as possible.

In the same pot used to sear the lobster over medium heat, add the vegetable paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Once most of the water has cooked off, add the red curry paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  Add the carrot, red onion, and mushrooms.  Season with S&P and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the lobster meat from the shells.  Add the shells to the simmering soup.  Dice the lobster.

When the soup has simmered and the carrots are tender, remove the lobster shells, add the lobster meat and the coconut milk.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Check the seasoning.  Roughly chop the cilantro leaves and add to the soup.  Juice the limes and add that to the soup, too.  Serve immediately.

Note 01 - This blender is really coming in handy.  A food processor just won't cut it.

Note 02 - Yowza this is a great soup!  Kind of a pain for a weeknight unless you've already made the red curry paste.  Also, Matty Matheson says that you can get away with a minimum of 3 tablespoons of the paste.  It wasn't super hot, but that could really vary depending on the chiles.  Anyway, I added the entire amount.  So bright, so many great Thai flavors.

Serves 6

All-purpose flour for dusting

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

1 tablespoon heavy cream

S&P

3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Olive oil

6 tablespoons butter

3 leeks, white and green parts, chopped

2 fennel bulbs, cored and chopped

3 cups carrots, peeled and chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tarragon, chopped

1/4 cup Wondra flour

1/2 cup sherry

7 cups chicken stock

1 3-inch parmesan rind

10 oz frozen peas

1 cup frozen pearl onions

1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.  Lightly dust a cutting board and rolling pin with AP flour.  Unfold the puff pastry, lightly dust with AP flour, and lightly roll to smooth its folds.  Use cookie cutter to cut 12 rounds and place on prepared sheet pan.  Whisk the egg with the heavy cream and brush the tops of the rounds.  Sprinkle with S&P and set aside.

Place the chicken on a sheet pan, rub with olive oil and season with S&P.  Roast for 30 minutes until the chicken reaches 165ºF.  Set aside.  When cool enough to handle, cut into bite-sized pieces.  Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven.  Add the leeks, fennel, and carrots and sauté for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender but not browned.

Stir in the garlic and the tarragon and cook for 1 minute.  Sprinkle the Wondra flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the sherry, chicken stock, S&P, and the parmesan rind.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.

While the soup simmers, bake the puff pastry croutons for 8-10 minutes until puffed and golden brown.

After the soup simmered, add the chicken, peas, and onions.  Return to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and remove the parmesan rind.  Add the parsley and check for seasonings.  Serve hot topped with puff pastry croutons.

Note 01 - Let me first offer a caveat:  do I think I know more than Ina Garten?  Of course not.  But the puff pastry croutons she uses are too big.  I have a tiny biscuit cutter, and that made for a much better crouton experience.  The puff pastry doesn't cut well with a spoon so these should be bite-sized.  And come on, we're using boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  

Note 02 - Also, cream sherry?  I don't care for the stuff, and I love sherry.  So I opted to use what I like to drink.  Bonus, pour yourself a glass whilst cooking.  I had a bottle of amontillado sherry open so that's what I used.  Generally I prefer amontillado for after dinner and fino before dinner, but any time is the right time for sherry!  Yes, I understand that using a dry sherry dramatically changes the flavor profile.  And I'm happy about it.  (As an aside, maybe it's a little apropos that I made this on the eve of MLK Day.  Did you know that MLK's drink of choice was cream sherry?  At least according to Harry Belafonte's memoir.  He kept a bottle on hand for MLK.  So maybe we should all keep an open mind on cream sherry while we work to end white supremacy.)

Note 03 - Anyway, I really enjoyed this soup.  It's a tasty bowl of comfort on a chilly winter's night.

Serves 8

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

6 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

4 lb pork shoulder, cut into bite-sized pieces

16 oz jar roasted green chiles

4 oz roasted and peeled jalapenos

1 white onion, 1/2 roasted and 1/2 chopped

5 garlic cloves

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

3 cups chicken broth

2 teaspoons cumin

1 tablespoon chicken bouillon

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 lb meaty tomatoes

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 bay leaves

Flour tortillas, Mexican rice, and refried beans for serving

Combine the flour, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the pepper.  Dredge each piece of meat in the flour mixture and set aside.

In a blender, combine the green chiles, jalapeno chiles, roasted onion, garlic, cilantro, chicken broth, cumin, chicken bouillon, and the remaining black pepper.  Pulse until everything is well blended and set aside.

In a large pot over high heat, warm the vegetable oil.  Sear the pork in batches until browned on all sides.  Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Add the chopped onion to the pot and sauté for a few minutes.  Add the tomatoes, pepper mixture, and oregano, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pot.  Taste and add salt if needed.

Return the meat and any accumulated juices to the pot and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat the the lowest setting and add the bay leaves.  Cover and cook for at least 2 hours until the meat is tender.  Remove the bay leaves.

Note 01 - For convenience and availability reasons, I subbed a few ingredients.  The recipe originally called for 10 Anaheim peppers, roasted and peeled; I had a jar of Hatch green chiles.  And I used jalapenos from this year's garden instead of serrano chiles.  Who wants to roast serrano chiles?  I did roast half the white onion though.

Note 02 - I did it!  I finally bought a blender!  And yes, it really makes a difference.  Plus it's one of those that has its own self-cleaning cycle.  What a function I didn't know I needed!

Note 03 - This is GREAT!  Lots of wonderful flavor, thick and hearty, all the things you want in wintertime.  The serrano chiles would have added more heat, which would have been nice, but still.  This one is a keeper.

Serves 6-8

1 lb dried garbanzo beans

1 dried guajillo chile

2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste

3-4 cups vegetable broth

1 head garlic, peeled and minced

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 cup fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup olive oil, plus more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

Soak the dried garbanzos overnight in a large pot of water.  In the morning, drain the beans, discard the water, and rinse the beans.  Remove the stem and the seeds from the guajillo chile.

Put the beans back into the pot along with the chile and 12 cups water.  Simmer the beans over medium heat until they are tender, about an hour.  Skim off any foam that forms on top.  Add 2 teaspoons salt when the beans are done.   Give it a few minutes and taste for salt again.  Discard the chile.  Add the vegetable broth; the beans should be swimming in a generous amount of broth.

To serve, place a heaping teaspoon of garlic in each bowl.  Ladle on a big scoop of beans and at least a cup of steaming hot broth.  Then toss in a rounded tablespoon or more of parsley, 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, and the same amount of fruity green olive oil.

Note 01 - This is a weird little adventure.  Tasting each element individually was intriguing at first and then kind of annoying.  And I...think I'll just stick to eating hummus with veggies.  Which got me to thinking that maybe this would be better "constructed."  So I added in the garlic, lemon juice, and a bit of olive oil and took to it with the immersion blender.  I stirred in some of the parsley and seasoned with a bit more salt.  And THAT result was not any better and not worth keeping.  Save yourself the time and skip this soup.

Serves 4-6

2 tablespoons butter

1 lb carrots, peeled and diced

2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 large leek, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

S&P

4 cups chicken stock

2/3 cup heavy cream, plus more for serving

1 teaspoon tomato paste

Chopped fresh chives for garnish

In a Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-low heat.  Add the carrots, potatoes, and leek.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5-8 hours.

Stir in the nutmeg and S&P.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to purée the soup.  Whisk together the heavy cream and tomato paste until smooth and stir it into the soup until well incorporated.  Reheat and allow the flavors to blend for a few minutes.

Serve drizzled with a bit of cream and topped with chives.

Note 01 - My goodness this is a delightful little soup.  If you're ready to spruce up your usual potato leek / potage parmentier), the carrots add flavor, color, and a bit of extra body.  And it's a great idea for a weeknight.  Will be making again and again.

Serves 8

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon black pepper

14 oz canned diced tomatoes

3 cups vegetable broth

1 cup red lentils, rinsed

1 13-oz can coconut milk, whisked well

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Red pepper flakes and lime wedges for serving

In a Dutch oven, warm the oil over medium-high heat.  When the oil is shimmering, add the onion and carrots.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, ginger, salt, cumin, turmeric, and pepper.  Cook until it smells great, about a minute.

Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, broth, and lentils.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low and stir in the coconut milk.  Cover and simmer over low heat, undisturbed, until the lentils are cooked through, about 30 minutes.  Stir in the lime juice and cilantro and check the seasoning.  Serve with red pepper flakes and lime wedges.

Note 01 - Ah, it feels good to be caught up.  Two soups in one night - what a treat!  And this is lovely and refreshing.  A real taste treat.  I almost always have the ingredients on hand, so this will get added to the list of what-to-cook-when-I-don't-feel-like-cooking options.

Serves 6

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 white onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cups frozen corn

3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano

2 tablespoons butter

8 oz brown mushrooms, sliced

S&P

1/2 cup crema

Queso fresco for serving

In a Dutch oven, warm the oil over medium-low heat.  Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 8 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute more.  Raise the heat to medium and add half the corn and chiles and all of the chicken stock.  Bring to a simmer and add the oregano.  Cook uncovered until the corn is tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from heat and purée using an immersion blender.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat.  Add the remaining corn, chiles, and the mushrooms.  Season with S&P and cook for 10 minutes.  The mushrooms should have released their liquid and started getting a bit brown.

Add the mushroom mixture to the soup along with the crema.  Stir well and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes to meld the flavors.  Checking the seasoning.  Ladle into bowls and crumble the queso fresco atop and serve.

Note 01 - I used poblanos from this summer's garden that I roasted and froze.  And this soup was done in no time!  And it's really, really good.  I wasn't sure about the flavor combo, but it all works.  My poblanos had a smidge of heat which made me want to make this soup all over again with hotter chiles.  Has anyone bred a really hot poblano?  I think I'm gonna hit the internet hard for a hot poblano to grow this season.  Imagine fajita night with hot poblanos!  Extra sizzle!  I'm on a mission...

Serves 4 (what?!)

1 lb ground beef

8 oz ground veal

8 oz ground pork

2 eggs

1 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for serving

1 cup bread crumbs

7 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus more for serving

S&P

Olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 red bell peppers, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

28 oz can diced tomatoes

2 quarts beef stock

2 bay leaves

2 cups ditalini

Extra-virgin olive oil

In a large bowl, add the ground meats, eggs, parmesan, bread crumbs, 3 teaspoons of the garlic, the parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and plenty of pepper.  Combine by hand until fully incorporated.

Line a baking sheet with foil.  With lightly oiled hands, roll the meat mixture into 4 softball-sized meat balls.  Place on the baking sheet and set aside until ready to roast.

Preheat oven to 500°F.

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  When hot, add the onion, bell peppers, and jalapeno and cook until a little soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the remaining garlic and sizzle until it smells great, about a minute.  Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more.  Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juice, beef stock, and bay leaves.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat slightly, and simmer for 15 minutes.

When the soup starts to simmer, roast the meatballs in the oven for about 10 minutes.  Give them a turn and cook for another 5 minutes.  The meatballs should be starting to brown all over.

Remove the meatballs from the oven and drop into the soup.  Simmer for about an hour.  Add the ditalini and simmer until the pasta is al dente, using the time on the package.  Check seasoning and add S&P if needed.

Remove the bay leaves.  Place meatballs into 4 large bowls, ladle the soup all around, and garnish with extra-virgin olive oil, parmesan, and parsley.  Serve.

Note 01 - I worked way too late on Monday to make a soup.  I don't think I've ever pushed a soup to the next day, but here we are.

Note 02 - OK, these are novelty meatballs are a bit silly.  A golf ball-sized meatball would do just fine and still feel oversized for the soup.  And then maybe we wouldn't need to simmer everything for a friggin hour.  Also, let's up the zing on these meatballs next time - some dried oregano, red pepper flakes, maybe even a bit of fennel.  Broth is super tasty, though.

Note 03 - Let's talk about serving size.  As written, this is 4 massive servings.  Simply massive.  8 servings is more accurate.

Work's got me bustin' my hump.  Finished too late to make soup; Monday's soup is getting moved to Tuesday.

Serves 8-10 (approximately 8 oz each)

For the Broth

5 lb chicken parts, preferably thighs

2 large veal bones

2 large onions, peeled and halved

6 celery stalks, cut into thirds

2 parsnips, peeled and cut into thirds

5 carrots, peeled and cut into thirds

2 bay leaves

1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley

Kosher salt, to taste

16 cups water

For the Soup

6 carrots

6 parsnips

2 large green onions

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

2-3 teaspoons high quality chicken soup base or bouillon

Kosher salt, to taste

In a large stockpot, combine the chicken parts, veal bones, onions, celery, parsnips, carrots, bay leaves, parsley, and salt.  Pour in the water.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 8 hours.  Add more water if the liquid becomes too thick.

In a colander set over a large bowl, drain the broth.  Discard the solids and return the broth to the pot.

Peel and julienne the carrots and parsnips.  Julienne the green onions.  Bring the stock back to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add the carrots, parsnips, green onions, parsley, dill, and soup base.  Boil for 10-15 minutes.  Season with salt and serve.

Note 01 - I had to use beef bones instead of the veal bones (see Day 03).  And I added about 6-ish cups of water.  The first 3 cups I added after about 4 hours.  The second addition was around 6 hours.  And this stock was golden and rich - in color, in flavor, aroma.

Note 02 - I should have been more prepared for how sweet the end result was, what with all the carrots and parsnips.  I think I want something a bit more savory than sweet, and I think I even went shy on a parsnip or two.  This was an all-day affair, but also kinda fun and comforting.

Serves 10-12

For the Consommé

4 1/2 quarts water

1 white onion, peeled and halved

1 head of garlic, peeled

2 tomatoes, halved

5 bay leaves

3 tablespoons salt

5 lb chuck roast

2 lb beef short ribs

For the Adobo Sauce

22 New Mexico peppers, cleaned, deveined, and seeded

2 pasilla peppers, cleaned, deveined, and seeded

5 chile de árbol peppers, stems removed

7 garlic cloves, peeled

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

2 teaspoons whole peppercorns

2 teaspoons Mexican oregano

2 teaspoons cumin seed

2 teaspoons dried thyme

5 cloves

1-inch piece of cinnamon, broken into smaller pieces

4 bay leaves

1-inch piece of ginger, peeled

4 tablespoons white vinegar

For Serving 

Rice and beans or

Tortillas

Shredded queso Oaxaca

Freshly squeezed lime juice

Chopped white onion

Chopped cilantro

In a large stockpot over high heat, combine the water, onion, garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Add the chuck roast and short ribs and simmer for 20 minutes.  Skim any scum that rises to the surface.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for an hour.

Meanwhile, make the adobo sauce.  In a small saucepan, add the chiles and cover with 3 cups boiling water.  Simmer until soft, about 5-10 minutes.  Set aside.

In a small frying pan over low heat, toast the garlic until fragrant.  Set aside.

In the same frying pane, toast the sesame seeds until golden and set aside.  Toast the peppercorns, oregano, cumin, thyme, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaves for 30 seconds.  Add everything to a spice grinder and process until smooth.

In a blender or food processor, combine the chiles, their soaking liquid, garlic, spice blend, ginger, and vinegar and blend or process until smooth.  Strain if needed.

Remove the onion and garlic from the simmering soup.  Add the adobo sauce and add a bit of salt if needed.  Cover and simmer for another 90 minutes or until the beef is tender.

Remove the beef.  When cool enough to handle, shred, discarding bones and any fat or gristle.  Remove the grease from the consommé.  Reserve some for tacos.  Return the shredded beef.  Serve as is and/or make birria tacos.

Heat a grill pan to medium.  Dip a tortilla into the grease and place in grill pan.  Flip the tortilla once it blisters.  Add some queso Oaxaca.  When the cheese has melted and the tortilla has crisped, add beef with a bit of the consommé, lime juice, onion, and cilantro.

Fold in half and serve alongside more consommé.

Note 01 - That's it, I'm buying a blender.

Note 02 - Ugh, I wanted to love this.  But something's missing.  Is it me?  Is it the recipe? I'm not sure.  The end result was kind of a bummer, especially because I was so excited.  So excited that I even put myself on an early flight home.  Maybe I shoulda just slept in.

Still out of town for work, so not able to make a soup.  Shoulda registered 30daysofsoup.org, too.

Serves 4-6

8 slices thick-cut applewood smoked bacon

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 small onion, chopped

1 lb Brussels sprouts, halved

1 russet potato, peeled and cut into small pieces

S&P

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

4 cups chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, fry the bacon for about 3 minutes per side.  (The bacon will not be fully cooked, and you'll likely have to do this in batches.)  Transfer to a foil-lined sheet pan.  Brush one side with maple syrup.  Bake until fully cooked, about 8-10 minutes.  Let cool, crumble into bite-sized pieces, and set aside.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and return the pot to medium-high heat.  Add the onion, brussies, and potato.  Season with S&P.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8-10 minutes.  Add the garlic and thyme and cook for an additional 2 minutes.  

Add the broth and increase the heat to high.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the brussies are tender, about 8-10 minutes.  Let cool a bit and then purée with an immersion blender.  Season with S&P and serve topped with bacon pieces.

Note 01 - I love  brussies but hate maple.  Here in this soup, I don't enjoy brussies as well as when they're roasted but tolerate maple when it's lightly brushed on bacon.  All in all, the soup is good; if you're tired of soups made with other brassicas, you'll probably find this to be a nice change of pace.

Note 02 - I had to travel for work in the afternoon.  How lucky that the planned soup was quick enough to be made before starting work in the am.  And even luckier that it had bacon, so it could feel a little breakfasty.  I think soup is perfect any time of the day, but I recognize that some might need a little bacon-or-other-breakfast-meat persuasion.

Serves 4-6

2 green onions

3 cups beef broth

2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

Salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2-4 baby bok choy, quartered

1/4 lb brown mushrooms, thinly sliced

5 oz soba noodles

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Hot sauce for serving

Thinly slice the green onions.  Separate the dark green parts from the light green and white parts into 2 piles.  Set aside.

In a medium pot, combine the broth, 3 cups of water, the ginger, garlic, and the light green white parts of the green onion.  Bring to boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat to low and cover.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Strain the liquid.  Discard the solids.  Return the broth to the pot.  Season with a bit of salt and keep warm.

In a frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil.  Add the bok choy and the mushrooms and sauté, stirring frequently, until starting to brown and soften.

Return the both to a boil and add the soba noodles.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes.  Add the bok choy, mushrooms, and soy sauce and stir well.

Serve, garnished with the dark green onion slices and a goodly amount of hot sauce.

Note 01 - Work is stressful and time-consuming these days, so it was nice to have a quick soup after a long day.  And the mushrooms are clutch in this soup.  This seems like a good soup to do when you don't feel like cooking but must.

Serves 6-8

4 large ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded, and torn into large pieces

1 2/3 cups boiling water

3 lb chicken thighs

S&P

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon Mexican oregano

6 cups chicken broth

1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

2 29 oz hominy, drained 

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Lime wedges for serving

Place the chiles in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over them.  Cover and soak for about 25 minutes until they're soft.  Transfer the chiles and liquid to a blender and purée until smooth.  Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.  Set the purée aside.  Discard the solids.

Season the chicken with S&P.  In a large Dutch oven, warm the oil over medium-high heat.  In batches, brown the chicken on both sides, about 5 minutes per.  Transfer to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion.  Sauté until softened.  Stir in the garlic, cumin, and oregano and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Raise the heat to high and add the broth.  Bring to a simmer and scrape up all the browned bits at the bottom.  Add the chicken, their juices, the tomatoes with their juices, and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer until the chicken is tender, 40 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a bowl.  When cool enough to handle, shred the meat.  Stir the chicken, hominy, and chile purée into the pot.  Simmer for 15 minutes to blend the flavors.  Season with S&P and add the cilantro.  Serve with lime wedges.

Note 01 - This is a really enjoyable soup.  I think next time, I might try a blend of chiles for bigger flavor with a bit more zing.  Like a guajillo and ancho combo?  Or guajillo, ancho, and Hatch?  Not sure.  But regardless, this soup is one worth keeping in the rotation.

Serves 8

3 15-oz cans cannellini beans, drained

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 15 oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes, chopped

2 cups ditalini

2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley

In a blender, purée 2 cans of the beans with 1 cup of water.  Set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic.  Once the garlic is sizzling, sprinkle in the flour.  Let the flour toast for a minute but not color; then ad 3 quarts of water, the rosemary, salt, and red pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil and add the tomatoes and the bean purée.  Simmer until the soup thickens and is creamy and flavorful, about 30 minutes.

Add the ditalini and the final can of beans and simmer until the pasta is cooked.  Stir in the parsley and serve.

Note 01 - More beans, less pasta!  Also, I think I forgot the instruction to purée the beans with a cup of water.  The soup took a bit to thicken, even without that extra cup of water, so maybe this step is unneeded.  Anyway, this soup grew on me.  I think next time - 4 cans of beans and 1 cup of pasta.

Serves 6

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, halved and sliced

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2 cinnamon sticks

4 star anise pods

2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons sugar

Kosher salt

2.5 lb chicken thighs

8 cups chicken stock

3/4 lb dried flat rice noodles

For serving

Bean sprouts

Thinly sliced jalapenos

Lime wedges

Fresh Thai or sweet basil, cilantro, and/or mint leaves

Sriracha sauce

Hoisin sauce

In an Instant Pot, warm the vegetable oil.  Add the onion and sauté until soft.  Add the fish sauce, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, five-spice powder, coriander, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt and stir for 30 seconds.  Add the chicken thighs and chicken stock.  Seal the lid and pressure cook on high for 20 minutes.

Release the pressure.  Remove the chicken thighs to a bowl.  When cool enough to handle, shred into bite-size pieces.

Line a fine-mesh sieve with cheesecloth and strain the cooking liquid into a bowl.  Discard the solids.  Return the strained liquid and the shredded chicken to the Instant Pot and cook on low to warm through.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat.  Add the rice noodles and cook until just tender, according to package instructions.  Drain.

Divide the noodles among individual bowls and top with the hot broth and chicken.  Top with desired toppings and serve.

Note 01 - Not bad for a quick noodle soup! I halved the amount of sugar, and even that I could probably do without.

Serves 6-8

2-ish lbs veal stew meat, cut into bite-size pieces

1 cup flour generously seasoned with S&P

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large fennel bulb

1 large onion

3 garlic cloves

6 large portobello mushroom caps

3 cups merlot

3 cups chicken stock

1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes

1 cup crushed tomatoes

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Optional garnishes

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Fresh basil leaves

Dredge the veal pieces in the seasoned flour.  Shake off the excess.  In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil.  Once hot, sear the veal in batches until brown on all sides.  Remove to a plate.  This will take about 2 min per side and about 4 batches for 2-1/4 lbs veal.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit.

Dice the fennel and onion and mince the garlic.  Reduce the heat on the Dutch oven to medium and add the fennel, onion, and garlic.  Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Meanwhile, dice the mushrooms.  Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the browned veal, merlot, stock, stewed tomatoes, canned tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano, basil, and fennel seeds.

Stir well and bring to a simmer.  Cover, place in the oven, and bake for 3 hours until the veal is soft and tender.

Remove from the oven and discard the bay leaves.  Add the vinegar, season with S&P, and serve.

Note 01 - The TLDR on this one is that it's too tomatoey and all around disappointing.

Note 02 - Finding the veal was a giant pain.  I started at a reputable, well-stocked butcher because, in addition to the stew meat, I need ground veal and veal bones for upcoming recipes.  The butcher looked at me like I was nuts and told me the ground veal was the best he could do.  Sigh.  Local Grocery Chain #1, Store #1 was out of veal stew meat.  Whole Paycheck I don't think even carries veal.  Butcher behind the counter at Local Grocery Chain #2 also looked at me like I was nuts.  But at Local Grocery Chain #1, Store #2?  Success!  These milk-fed bastards better be worth it.

Note 03 - Sadly, they are not.  At least in this recipe.  But I will say this - even the raw pieces seemed lighter and more delicate than any beef stew meat I've cooked.  And the house smelled amazing.  Moreover, what a gift Marjorie Druker gives us by only calling for 3 cups of merlot instead of the entire bottle, leaving a little more than an ounce of wine to enjoy!  But ugh, stewed tomatoes.  Admittedly I haven't had them since I was a kid visiting my grandparents who ate them straight up.  They were gross then, and I'm blaming them as the villain in this recipe, overpowering aforementioned milk-fed bastards.  Oh well! 

Serves 4-6

7 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided

1 lb meaty tomatoes, halved

1 white onion

2 garlic cloves

4 hot Hatch peppers, cleaned and deveined

2 chipotle peppers

7 cups of water, divided

1 tablespoon chicken bouillon

2 teaspoons tomato bouillon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 lb ground beef

Salt to taste

2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

7 oz uncooked fideo cut pasta

1 handful cilantro, chopped

Garnishes

Tostadas

Freshly squeezed lime juice

Queso fresco

Avocado

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 6 tablespoons of oil.  Once hot, add the tomato halves, cut-side down, and cook for about 4 minutes.

Slice half of the white onion.  Add the sliced onion and garlic cloves to the frying pan and cook until the onion is translucent, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the Hatch and chipotle peppers and cook until soft, about a minute.  Add two cups of water.  Turn off the heat, cover, and allow to stand for at least 10 minutes. 

Transfer the mixture to a blender.  Add the chicken bouillon, tomato bouillon, cumin, and pepper.  Blend on high until smooth.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm the remaining tablespoon of oil.  Chop the remaining half of the white onion.  Add the chopped onion and the ground beef and a bit of salt.  Brown the beef until no trace of pink remains and move to a bowl.

In the same large pot, add the remaining 1/4 cup of oil.  Once hot, add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to toast but not burn the pasta.

Return the ground beef to the pot and add the tomato broth and the remaining 5 cups of water.  Bring to a simmer and add S&P to taste.

Reduce the heat to very low and add the chopped cilantro.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft.

Garnish as desired and serve.

Note 01 - Claudia tells us to use Roma tomatoes, but here in January, the available Romas are usually tasteless garbage.  So get about a pound of whatever tomatoes look best.  The meatier your tomato, the sturdier your broth.

Note 02 - I need to pull the trigger and buy a blender already.  A food processor just isn't powerful enough to purée through the chili skins.  Or hell, even the tomato skins.  The finished product had an unfortunate bite here and there with some skin bits.  But even so, this is a hearty and homey treat!  And, obviously, get the chiles in whatever heat level you prefer.  I used hot chiles, and the soup was nicely warm throughout; next time I may up the chile ante to get it really zippy.

Serves 10-12

For the Mushroom Stock

1/2 oz (15 g) dried porcini pieces

10 cups water

1 large onion

1 garlic clove

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

2 leeks, green part only

4 oz (120 g) brown mushrooms

3 carrots

3 parsnips

1 turnip

3 stalks celery

6 big branches flat-leaf parsley

6 big branches cilantro

6-8 sage leaves

Handful of dill

3-4 thyme sprigs

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste for the broth and finished soup

Several peppercorns

For the Soup

2 lbs (900 g) fresh or frozen porcini

6 oz (170 g) brown mushrooms

2 large yellow onions (700 g)

3 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons dry sherry

1/2 cup (120 ml) dry red wine

Freshly ground pepper

Cayenne

Prep the mushroom stock:

Boil at least 1 cup of the 10 cups of water.  Pour the boiling water over the dried porcini and soak for at least 30 minutes.

Peel and chop the onions and garlic.  In a very large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat.  (I used a 5-quart braiser.)  Cook the onion and garlic until the onion is golden, about 20-30 minutes.  Slice the leek greens and the mushrooms.  Peel and slice the carrots, parsnips, and turnip.  Slice the celery.  Add the vegetables to the skillet and cook everything together for another 20 minutes.

Transfer the vegetables to an 8-quart stockpot.  Add the herbs, salt, and peppercorns.  Add the remaining water.

Drain the porcini, reserving the soaking liquid.  Wash the mushrooms carefully and thoroughly.  Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter.  Add the porcini and strained liquid to the stockpot.

Simmer the stock for an hour.  Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids.  Taste the stock and season with salt, if necessary.  You should have about 9-10 cups of stock.

Make the soup:

If you are using frozen porcini, defrost slowly and reserve any liquid they release.  Strain the liquid through a coffee filter.

Thoroughly clean the porcini.  Trim off any woody parts.  Slice the porcini thinly.  

Clean and trim the brown mushrooms and slice them thinly.  Peel the onions, quarter them lengthwise, and slice them.  Peel and chop the garlic.

Heat a very large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil.  When the butter has melted, add the sliced onions and a big pinch of salt.  Reduce the heat to low and cook the onions slowly, stirring occasionally, until they are a deep golden brown, about 45 minutes.  If they darken too quickly, you can stir in a tablespoon of water.  Deglaze with 1 tablespoon of sherry.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat.  When the butter has melted, sauté the garlic for a minute or two, just until it begins to color.  Add the sliced brown mushrooms and a big pinch of salt.  Cook until they give up their excess water, about 8 minutes.  Add the porcini and cook until nicely browned, stirring frequently.  This will take about 30 minutes.  Deglaze with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sherry.

In a large soup pot, warm the mushroom stock.  Add the reserved liquid, mushrooms, onions, and red wine.  Simmer the soup, covered, for 20-30 minutes.  Taste the soup and season with S&P and a bit of cayenne.  Serve piping hot in wide soup bowls.

Note 01 - Anna Thomas says she likes to use the wine she plans to serve with dinner for the soup. I used a Touriga Nacional from CA, and what a treat it was!  She also says you can deglaze with cognac if you prefer.  Given the option, I'm almost always going to opt for sherry.  It's really important to pour a glass of sherry for yourself whilst preparing the soup.  I know that's stating the obvious and all, but still.  Fino sherry during meal prep!  Amontillado sherry as a wrap-up drink!  Fortified wines to fortify us against darkest winter!