Category: Soup Recipes

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Thai Butternut Bisque

Thai butternut soupThis recipe can be doubled for a crowd and just gets better with time. Make it a day or two ahead of your next party. Can be made vegan by substituting vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

  • ~4 lb. butternut squash (weight in store not after prep)
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion – chopped
  • 1 can (13.5 oz coconut milk)*
  • 2 t. Minced garlic
  • 4 heaping T. creamy peanut butter (Adam’s all natural is full flavored)
  • 4 cups chicken stock (= one 32 oz. carton at the store)
  • 2 t. Salt
  • 1 t. Ground cumin
  • 1 t. Ginger powder
  • 1 t. Ground coriander
  • 1 t. Smoked paprika
  • ¼ t. Ground cloves

Directions

  • Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
  • Turn face-down into a 9″ x 13” baking dish and bake at 350 for 1 hour, 15 minutes until a fork easily pierces the skin. While squash bakes, you can make proceed with step 3.
  • Heat olive oil in large stock pot and add chopped onions, then caramelize the onions on low-medium for 15 minutes (keep covered and stir occasionally).
  • During the last 2 minutes, stir in the garlic and spices with the onions.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Remove squash from oven and allow to cool 1 hour or until you can handle it comfortably.
  • Working in batches, scoop squash from the skin with a spoon and transfer it to a blender.
  • Fill blender halfway and pour stock over squash to cover and then blend until smooth.
  • Keep repeating this process and add the onions and garlic mixture to blender as well.
  • Pour the blended squash back into the stock pot and add the can of coconut milk. If your blender needs a little more liquid, you can mix the coconut milk in with the squash as you’re blending to keep the mixture moving (it will be pretty thick!)
  • Reheat blended soup on medium and stir in the peanut butter until smooth and incorporated.
  • Serve soup with crusty artisan bread like a harvest loaf or your favorite kind.
  • Optional: garnish with a dollop of sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro

* You’ll want the rich kind of coconut milk (not lite version) with the thick coconut cream on top.
I like the one from Trader Joe’s. Chaokoh brand is also excellent. Enjoy ?

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Turkey Bone Broth Soup

turkey-both-broth-soup-2016_picmonkeyedThis batch of soup actually contains bones from chickens and turkeys that I collected over the recent months. I have about two freezer bags full of both bones and vegetable trimmings like celery and carrot ends, green onion ends and parsley stems. I try to squeeze the air out every time I reseal the bag to keep the ice buildup down as the air at the beach is moist.

I put them in a stock pot and cover them with water added very little salt and pepper and cook them for 24 hours. The next step is to pour off the broth through a colander and into a bowl so that all of the bone and vegetable mass is strained out. I do set aside the bone/vegetable leftovers taking out all of the large pieces and picking through the remaining meat to return to the stock.

I bring the stock back up to a boil and add the following chopped vegetables one and 1/2 onions, one bag of carrots, one entire head celery 1/3 of a bunch of parsley, choppped salt and pepper thyme and chicken bouillon to taste. On the side I cook four cups of brown jasmine rice separately and I only added 3 of the cups of cooked rice that at the very end before serving. Careful, the rice will soak up some liquid.

The turkey meat was very lean and there was not much fat so I added a small amount of olive oil. In addition I included 1/4 cup of malt vinegar to extend the flavor pallet. You always have to be careful with the amount of vinegar that you add to recipes, go slowly and taste frequently as you can’t take it back out once its added.

You had better be prepared to either store a large amount of soup , give it away to friends and family, or have a large party.

  • 1-1/2 large yellow onions chopped
  • 1 bag carrots, peeled and cut into coins
  • 1 head celery, sliced thin to cook quickly
  • 3 cups brown jasmine rice, fully cooked
  • 1 tbsp. dried thyme
  • 5 tbsp. (heaping) of Knorr chicken bouillon
  • 1 cup chopped fresh parsely
  • 1/4 cup malt vinegar (could be apple cider vinegar as well)
  • Salt and pepper to taste