Ultra-Satisfying Chicken Noodle Soup
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, 1 large onion, chopped, 3 large carrots, chopped, 4 stalks celery, chopped, 1 tablespoon minced garlic (4 cloves), 2 bay leaves (remove after cooking), 3 sprigs fresh thyme or use 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs (4 or 5 thighs), 8 cups chicken stock or broth, low sodium (I used veg broth), 5 ounces egg noodles (or pasta of choice), salt and pepper, to taste, 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped, water or more stock, as needed.
Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring every few minutes until the vegetables begin to soften; 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook, while stirring the garlic around the pan, for about 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a low simmer. Taste the soup then adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Depending on the stock used, you might need to add 1 or more teaspoons of salt. Submerge the chicken thighs into the soup so that the broth covers them. Bring the soup back to a low simmer then partially cover the pot with a lid and cook, stirring a few times until the chicken thighs are cooked through; about 20 minutes. If, during this time, the broth seems low, add a splash more stock or a bit of water. Turn the heat to medium-low. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate. Stir the noodles into the soup and cook until done, 6 to 10 minutes depending on the type of noodles used. While the noodles cook, shred the chicken into strips or dice into cubes. Slide the chicken back into the pot and then taste the soup once more for seasoning. Adjust with more salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in the parsley and serve.
Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring every few minutes until the vegetables begin to soften; 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook, while stirring the garlic around the pan, for about 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a low simmer. Taste the soup then adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Depending on the stock used, you might need to add 1 or more teaspoons of salt. Submerge the chicken thighs into the soup so that the broth covers them. Bring the soup back to a low simmer then partially cover the pot with a lid and cook, stirring a few times until the chicken thighs are cooked through; about 20 minutes. If, during this time, the broth seems low, add a splash more stock or a bit of water. Turn the heat to medium-low. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate. Stir the noodles into the soup and cook until done, 6 to 10 minutes depending on the type of noodles used. While the noodles cook, shred the chicken into strips or dice into cubes. Slide the chicken back into the pot and then taste the soup once more for seasoning. Adjust with more salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in the parsley and serve.
Mexican tortilla soup
inspired by my favourite Mexican, Maestra Castañeda <3
I made this soup with 4 cups of veggie broth rather than chicken broth. Grill 10 ripe Roma tomatoes in oven until the skin blisters. Remove and set aside. Brown one large onion, chopped and 1 tsp of minced garlic till caramelized. Add the broth and tomatoes. Simmer on low till flavours marry. In a pot, boil an ancho chile till soft and remove seeds (these are spicy). Add chile to soup and continue to simmer. Season with salt and pepper (I love my food on the saltier side). Add 1 tsp parsley and 1 tsp oregano. To thicken the broth, cut up in strips 2 small corn tortillas and add to soup. Once all ingredients are softened, pour into blender and blend until smooth. To serve, ladle soup in your favourite bowl, add corn tortilla chips - I added a lot as you can in the pics (link below where to purchase). Make sure there are tortilla strips on top of soup so it stays crunchy. Top with feta cheese, avocado and garnish with cilantro. You can add a dollop of sour cream to top off the soup. This soup is AMAZING. Gracias, Maestra.
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMmyUyae58zqm90HfA3OLRZRjTAh7BDhpN4U9H31iAPRUTdaV58h4dhMFiD40-M9g?key=WlRPajRDbi1JSlBsLXpGV0ptWlk0NUgxWXdPWVB3
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMmyUyae58zqm90HfA3OLRZRjTAh7BDhpN4U9H31iAPRUTdaV58h4dhMFiD40-M9g?key=WlRPajRDbi1JSlBsLXpGV0ptWlk0NUgxWXdPWVB3
Roasted butternut squash soup
Cut 2 butternut squash and remove seeds. Place on baking tray. Drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper and brown sugar on them. Bake till soft and last 5 min, broil to brown and caramelize the squash. In a large pot, brown onions and minced garlic. Add 1 tbs turmeric and 1 tbs cinnamon. Add 8 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Remove skin off squash and cut into pieces. Add to broth. Simmer till flavours marry (30 minutes). Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream to soup. Blend soup in blender till smooth. Serve with a tbs of heavy cream and chopped parsley.
Cream of broccoli soup
- 2 onions diced
- 1 tbs minced garlic
- 3 carrots, peeled and cubed
- 1 large head of broccoli (about 3 cups)
- 2 cups chicken or veggie broth
- 2 tbs flour
- 1 cup cream (you can do 1/2 milk, 1/2 cream)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese to garnish
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- olive oil and butter to saute veggies
- salt and pepper to taste
Tom Kha Gai - Maenam inspired coconut soup
Ingredients:
Combine the mushrooms, shallots, lime leaves, lemongrass, chopped ginger and galangal root, coconut milk and cream, salt, bird's eye chili, lime juice, chili paste, fish sauce and oil. Let simmer for an hour on low. Before serving, remove the lime leaves and lemongrass. Drizzle fresh lime juice on your soup and enjoy! This soup is very filling and a little goes a long way. The recipe above is for 8 people.
- coconut cream (3 cans)
- coconut milk (2 cans) (Tip: Apparently, the coconut milk and cream is tastier when it comes in tetra packs - Osaka only carried the canned - next time I shall try the tetra pack)
- 150 g galangal and ginger (finely chopped) galangal looks like ginger - I added both bec I love ginger in everything
- 25 lime leaves
- 3 minced shallots
- 5 lemongrass stalks
- juice of 4 limes
- pinch of salt
- depending on how much heat you like, add bird's eye chili (I used 4 in a big pot) - the heat is in the seeds, so you may want to remove seeds if you don't like it too spicy.
- cilantro handful chopped to add at the very last moment
- mushrooms galore: I used Shiitake, King Oyster, Enoki and Eryngii (my large Le Creuset was full of mushrooms)
- fish sauce (4 tbs)
- 2 tsp chili oil to drizzle on top
- chili paste (2 tbs)
Combine the mushrooms, shallots, lime leaves, lemongrass, chopped ginger and galangal root, coconut milk and cream, salt, bird's eye chili, lime juice, chili paste, fish sauce and oil. Let simmer for an hour on low. Before serving, remove the lime leaves and lemongrass. Drizzle fresh lime juice on your soup and enjoy! This soup is very filling and a little goes a long way. The recipe above is for 8 people.
Vichyssoise
Ingredients:
- 3 tbs garlic, salted butter
- 5 or 6 leeks depending on size (bulbs only, sliced thin and thoroughly washed)
- 4 or 5 large potatoes depending on size, cut into small pieces, cooked and peeled
- 4 cups veg broth
- 1/4 cup heavy whipped cream
- dried thyme and marjoram (1/2 tsp of each)
- salt and pepper to taste
Cook the potatoes and leeks in the broth. Salt and pepper to taste. Blend till smooth. Pour back into pot and add dried herbs. Add butter and whipped cream. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley.
- 3 tbs garlic, salted butter
- 5 or 6 leeks depending on size (bulbs only, sliced thin and thoroughly washed)
- 4 or 5 large potatoes depending on size, cut into small pieces, cooked and peeled
- 4 cups veg broth
- 1/4 cup heavy whipped cream
- dried thyme and marjoram (1/2 tsp of each)
- salt and pepper to taste
Cook the potatoes and leeks in the broth. Salt and pepper to taste. Blend till smooth. Pour back into pot and add dried herbs. Add butter and whipped cream. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley.
Chicken Tortellini Soup
- boneless, skinless chicken thighs (8 pieces)
- one large onion chopped and caramelized in olive oil
- 3 large carrots and 5 or 6 celery stalks chopped up
- 4 or 5 sprigs of thyme
- chopped cilantro to garnish
- Cooked cheese Tortellini 2 cups
- 6 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
- one tbs salted butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- juice of one lemon and one lime
Sauté onions in olive oil and remove from pot when they are caramelized. Sauté chicken thighs on both sides until they are golden. Remove from pot and set aside. Sauté chopped carrots and celery till tender, add onions and broth. Add chicken thighs. Cook for at least 30 minutes. Remove chicken once more and cut into bite size pieces. Put back into the pot. Add butter, thyme, lemon/lime juice and season to taste. In a bowl, place cooked tortellini and pour soup over the pasta. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Soup E Jo (Cream of barley soup)
- olive oil
- 1 onion large, chopped finely and caramelized
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1/2 cup barley
- 2 cups leeks chopped
- 1/2 cup carrot grated or cubed
- 1/4 cup celery chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
- Béchamel sauce: 2 cups milk, 1/8 cup all purpose flour, 1 tbs unsalted butter (mix ingredients cold so that the flour does not clump)