Italian Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion sliced

1 small garlic chopped

2 carrots (optional)

10 meatballs freshly made or store bought

1 cup of orzo pasta or other small pasta 

1 large bunch of escarole or spinach 

4 cups of chicken broth

1 cup of water 

2 eggs

2 tbsp of parmesan

olive oil

Cook the onion and carrots, in a soup pot with olive oil. Add the meatballs and brown, then add the garlic so it does not burn.  Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil add the escarole and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Add water if necessary, bring to a boil and mix in the orzo pasta then cook for an another 8 minutes. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. In a bowl beat the eggs with the parmesan and while string the soup in a circular motion let the eggs drop very slowly into the soup to create strands or egg. Similar to those in Chinese egg drop soup. Cook for one extra minute.  Serve with extra Parmesan cheese on top. 

Tuscan White Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 onion chopped

1 carrot thinly sliced (use a mandoline)

1 small clove of garlic chopped (optional)

1 stalk of celery thinly chopped

1 large yukon gold potato cubed

2 cups of chicken stock

1 cup of cooked canellini beans, or navy white beans (see recipe in archive below or use 1 can of store bought beans)

1/2 a teaspoon of thyme (optional)

A few leafs of  fresh basil (optional)

1 cup of water

1/2 cup of of medium sized pasta ( macaroni or rotelli)

1 medium bunch of chopped escarole (or any leafy greens)

Olive oil

Cook the onions, celery, garlic, and potato in olive oil until slightly golden brown. Add the 2 cups of chicken broth, salt and pepper bring to a boil and then lower to medium. Cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked and very soft, try breaking them up a bit with a fork at this point (potatoes give this soup it's nice creaminess). Or use a hand held blender until you get a creamy consistency. Add 1 cup of water or less until desired consistency, bring back to a boil add the thinly sliced carrots and the pasta and cook  for 8 minutes or until pasta is almost al dente. Add the thyme, the cooked beans and the chopped escarole. Cook until the greens are wilted but still bright green. (You can add sliced and cooked Italian sausage to the soup if you don't want to make it vegetarian.) Season with  salt and pepper to taste. 

Next Day Roasted Chicken Soup

Ingredient:

1 shallot finely diced

1 clove of galic

3 carrots cut into rounds

1 left over roasted chicken with some meat left in it. 

1 zucchini sliced into moons (or swiss chard)

1/2 of brown rice (or barley, farro, noodles)

1/4 cub of white or black beans (optional)

1 spring of thyme (or some herbs de provence spice mix)

In a soup pot saute the shallot in olive oil, then add the garlic and the carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Add the left over chicken bones and meat and cover with water by two inches.

Bring to a boil and cook in medium low for 30 minutes. Add the rice and the beans and cook for another 40 minutes, or until the rice and beans are almost done. Take the chicken out of the pot, reserve the meat and discard the bones, put the chicken meat back in the soup pot.  (If using noodles, skip the beans and put the noodles in the pot at this point)  Add the zucchini, or cut green leafy vegetables and cook for 10 more minutes. Until the noodles are cook and the zucchini is cooked.  Adjust the salt and pepper. 

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash 

2 apples diced

2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth

2 tbsp of butter (or olive oil)

1 onion chopped

Grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Cut butternut squash in 3 pieces so it is easier to clean. Take away the side skin of each piece by running a knife along the sides and then take the seeds out from the center. Cube the skinless squash.  In a pot fry the onion until translucent, add the apple and the squash. Cook in medium heat for 20 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Let cool and blend with a handheld blender until very smooth. Adjust broth for a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with grated parmesan on top. 

Chipotle Chicken Stew

• Ingredients:
• 
  
• 4 tablespoons canola oil.
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsps of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (or 2 pickled jalapeno seeded and sliced)
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried cumin
• 1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
• 5 chicken thighs (or 3 cups shredded cooked chicken)
• Few dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup of red wine
• 3 to 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 lime
• 1 cup cooked brown rice (optional)
• Kosher salt
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. If using chicken thighs, season well with salt and pepper brown them until they have a golden color. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Add onion and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic  and sweat until soft and translucent, Add spices and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and aromatic. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Then mix in the chipotle peppers, tomatoes, chicken, Worcestershire, and stock. It's better to add half of the chipotle peppers first to see how spicy it is and then you can add more. 

Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes if using cooked chicken or 40 to 50 minutes if using chicken thighs.

Cut the lime in half, squeeze juice into the pot, and then add the juiced halves as well.

Add cooked rice and cook 5 minutes longer to warm rice through. (If using chicken thighs, you can add uncooked rice to the pot , 15 after you put the chicken back in, so it has enough time to cook) Season, to taste, with salt.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream and cilantro and pickled red onions (optional)

Minty Green Pea Soup

Ingredients

1 bag of frozen green peas

1 1/2 cups of vegetable stock

1 tbsp of mint

Parmesan (optional)

Mix froxen peas with broth in a bowl. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add chopped mint and use food blender to process into a smooth consistency. Serve with grated parmesan on top.

Verde Que Te Quiero Verde; Zucchini Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium onion chopped

1 clove of garlic

3 zucchinis sliced

2 cups of chicken stock

1 cup of fresh spinach (or 1/2 cup of frozen spinach)

1 tbsp of fresh basil

1/4 cup of cream cheese, or cream, or milk, or mascarpone  (optional)

Olive oil

In a soup pot sautee onion in medium heat for a few minutes, add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Mix in zucchinis and spinach and cover with stock. Cook until zucchinis are very tender and then mix in the fresh basil. Add cream cheese, or cream, this is optional, but it's richer with it.  Blend with a food blender until creamy and very smooth, check the texture, and add more hot chicken stock if you want. Salt and pepper to taste. This recipe freezes very well. 

Receta Inspirada por Garcia Lorca

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Federico_Garcia_Lorca