Spicy Potato Soup

My mom and step-dad plant a ton of potatoes and onions each year, so we're always trying to find new ways to use them. I found this recipe on about.com. It uses spicy sausage, such as andouille or chirizo. Or if you don't like spicy sausage, you can used smoked.



Spicy Potato Soup
3 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2  cup chopped celery
16 oz spicy sausage
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried basil
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups chicken broth (or enough to cover potatoes and sausage)
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1. In large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and sausage. Saute until onions are tender and sausage is browned (if not pre-cooked).
2. Stir in flour until well-blended.
3. Add chicken broth, green onions, and spices. Stir until blended.
4. Add potatoes and simmer covered for about 25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
5. Stir in heavy cream and cook for another 2 minutes.

Pumpkin Soup

This recipe is best with a fresh, roasted pumpkin. I've included instructions on roasting a pumpkin at the bottom. If your pumpkin makes more puree than necessary for this recipe, simply freeze the rest. This soup freezes quite well, too. It's fabulous topped with a bit of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.

Pumpkin Soup
2 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 cups pumpkin puree
4 cups chicken stock, warmed
Nutmeg
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
Scallions

1. In large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute for about 5 minutes

2. Add thyme, tomatoes, and pumpkin puree. Bring to a simmer.

3. Stir in warmed chicken stock. Return to simmer. Cook 20 minutes.

4. Puree soup with blender. You may need to do multiple batches, depending on how big your blender is. I use a stick blender and it works beautifully.

5. Season soup with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. If you've never made this soup before, start with light seasoning, taste, and go from there. You don't want to over season your soup. 

6. Stir in cream and return to simmer for just a few minutes. 

7. Ladle soup into bowls and top with chopped scallions. Enjoy!

To roast a pumpkin: Preheat oven to 350F. Cut pumpkin in quarters and clean out seed and other goop. Use a glass baking dish or cover a metal baking dish with aluminum foil. To avoid stickage, brush a little oil or melted butter on the cut sides of the pumpkin and place the wedges face-down in the baking dish. Bake for about an hour or until the pumpkin is soft. Remove from the oven and let it sit until it is cool enough to handle. Remove the pumpkin skin and puree the pumpkin meat until smooth. Rinse and dry pumpkin seeds for use in Pumpkin Seed Brittle (recipe coming soon).

French Onion Soup

After a long hiatus, I am back with some tasty new recipes. I've made French Onion soup twice now, once last week and once this week. Why did I make it twice? The first time, I made an amazing batch. It was so delicious. I had a bowl and set aside some for my aunt (who is one of the better chefs in the family). As I was attempting to pour the rest into a storage container, I dropped the pot and it went all over the floor. Very depressing.


French Onion Soup
1/4 c butter
3 cups onions, thinly sliced (white onions work the best)
1 tsp sugar (omit if using a sweeter wine or onion, such as Vidalia)
7 c water
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 c red wine (I used port. Start w/ 1/2 c and increase wine to taste.)
4 cubes beef boullion
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme (or a sprig of thyme)
1 French baguette
8 slices of cheese (Gruyere is traditional. I used muenster and loved it.)

1. Melt butter in stock pan. If using sugar, add now. Cook onions over medium heat until they have sweated down and are nicely caramelized. This could take more than half an hour.
2. Add flour to onions and mix well. Deglaze pan with wine, then add water and bouillon. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for an hour. Taste periodically and adjust flavors accordingly.
3. Just before soup is ready, cut baguette into 1-inch-thick slices. Heat oven to 425F. Place cheese slices on top of bread and toast until cheese is melted and bread is slightly crispy. *
4. Ladle soup into bowl and place toasted bread on top. Enjoy!

*If you have ovenproof bowls, toast bread until lightly browned. Ladle soup into bowl, place bread on top, and add a slice of cheese. Bake for 10 minutes until cheese is just melted.