Category: Soup

Cream of Leek Soup + Fresh & Easy Cookbook Review

I don’t know what’s taken me so long to make something from Leah Schapira’s fabulous cookbook Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking, but I’m so glad I finally did. It also gave me a chance to revisit the book and look at page after page of mouthwatering recipes and pictures. While the title “Fresh & Easy” refers to the recipes, it also reflects the cookbooks ease of use. Being a web designer by trade, I really appreciate a fresh and clean layout, and Leah’s book does a fabulous job of creating organized, easy-to-read meal plans for the everyday cook. With picture perfect menu’s, an informative guide to seasonal fruits & vegetables, as well as freezer tips and food pairings, “Fresh & Easy” is the perfect resource for busy moms and cooks.

One of the recipes that stood out to me was this cream of leak soup. While I usually make french onion soup for Shavuous, I find it quite heavy, so I was looking for something dairy, but lighter. While this is similar to a vichyssoise, the lack of potatoes and heavy cream keep it light – which I love. Of course I had to throw my own twist on it, so I made some crispy leeks for garnish.

Some of the other recipes I’m eyeing from Leah’s book include the gemelli basil pasta salad, butternut squash with grapes and shallots, red wine tomato sauce, Italian breadsticks, double chocolate pecan waffles, creamy thai chicken thighs, plum asian chicken, savory hamentaschen, peanut butter bars, cinnamon twists, cheese buns….(I better stop here before I type up the whole cookbook!)

Do you own the Fresh & Easy cookbook? What are some of the recipes you’ve tried? I’d love to hear from you!

Cream of Leek Soup
reprinted with permission from Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking by Leah Schapira of CookKosher.com

3 large leeks (white and light green parts only)
2-3 tbsp oil
1 small onion, diced
4 tbsp flour
2 cups pareve chicken stock (I used Imagine)
1/4 cup white wine
salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 cup milk

Method:

Slice the white and light green parts of the leek in half vertically (I seem to have misread this part and used the green parts too, oops!). Wash well and cut crosswise into thin slices. Heat the oil over medium heat and saute the leeks and onions for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add the flour, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat. Add white wine, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Add milk and heat thoroughly, taking care that the soup does not come to a boil.

Note: Puree if desired.


Crispy Leeks

1 leek, white and light green part only
canola oil

Method:

Slice the leek in half vertically and wash to remove dirt and grit. Dry well. Cut the leek lengthwise into thin strips. Heat up oil in a small pan and add leeks. Fry until golden and drain on paper towels.

1 year ago: mini zucchini muffins + Rivka’s pumpkin cake

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Wild Mushroom Barley Soup

I remember the first time I made mushroom barley soup. I was having a large group of people over for a simcha and I decided to whip up a batch of the hearty soup. Having never made it before, I underestimated how much the barley would expand. Lets just say it was more of a cream of barley soup than a mushroom anything. I have since learned my lesson and to be sure of myself, I cook the barley separately and add it the soup once it’s already tender.

But that’s not the only thing that makes this soup anything but average. Instead of serving up a bowl of soup with a puddle of grease floating on top (you all know what I’m talking about), I blend the soup using only half of the barley. Since my kids wouldn’t normally eat mushrooms, blending it makes for a perfect disguise and they don’t have to miss out on this delicious recipe. After blending, I add in the remaining barley for added texture in every bite.


Wild Mushroom Barley Soup

1 leek, ends trimmed and diced into rings
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, chopped
1 pkg crimini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
1 pkg shitake mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
1 pkg portobello mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
2 32oz. containers chicken broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp dried thyme (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, for sauteing
1 cup pearl barley, cooked (see note)

Method:

Add leeks to a bowl of water. Agitate the rings with your hands and mix to loosen sand and grit. Drain leeks and dry on paper towels.  Saute leeks, onions and garlic in olive oil. When they begin to golden, add carrots and then mushrooms. Saute for 5 minutes (add thyme if desired). Add chicken stock, soy sauce, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add half of the cooked barley and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Using a tongs, remove some mushrooms to use for  garnish. Then, blend the soup with a hand blender. Add remaining barley and simmer for 20 minutes. If the soup is too thick, add water until desired consistency is reached. Garnish with mushrooms.

NOTE: To cook barley, add to a pot with 5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain.

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Fire Roasted Tomato Rice Stoup

There is nothing more comforting on a cold winter day than a hot bowl of stoup. A stoup is a cross between a soup and a stew – it’s not quite as thin as a soup, but not quite as thick as a stew either. I don’t know about you but after 8 days of cooking and entertaining, I just don’t feel like sitting in the kitchen, even if it’s just to prepare dinner. That’s why I love this recipe. It’s an easy one-dish meal that is great for kids and extremely budget friendly. With fire-roasted tomatoes and franks, this hearty dish is reminiscint of summer bbq’s.

This recipe is currently featured in Bitayavon Magazine.

 

Fire Roasted Tomato Rice Stoup

1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp tomato paste
3 cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp basil
2 bay leaves
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 pkg cocktail franks or 4 franks diced into 1/4″ rounds
1-2 cups precooked or leftover rice

Method:

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until golden. Add tomato paste and continue to saute until it gets pasty and the bottom of the pot begins to brown. Add canned tomatoes and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove cover from pot and using a hand blender, blend the mixture until pureed but slightly chunky. Add chicken stock, brown sugar, basil, bay leaves, salt, pepper and franks. Bring soup to a boil and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves and add rice. Cook for a few minutes until rice is soft and fluffy.

NOTE: The rice will expand considerably after warming. Add one cup at a time until you reach desired consistency. Two cups of rice will thicken the soup and turn it into more of a stew.

TIP: Sauteeing tomato paste mellows it’s flavor and cuts the acidic taste.

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Bubby’s Cabbage Soup with Flanken


Succos is one of my most favorite times of year. I love the smell in the air, the breeze in my hair, the fall harvest and the brilliant autumn leaves. The crisp air is the perfect backdrop for this warm, hearty soup. With cabbage, apples, tomatoes, onions and flanken in a sweet tomato broth, this bowl of goodness is sure to be a star at your Yom Tov table. The more you cook this soup, the better and thicker it becomes, so don’t mind rewarming it for several meals!

Bubby’s Cabbage Soup with Flanken

1 medium head of cabbage, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 green apples, peeled and diced or grated
2 soft tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 pieces flanken
2 marrow bones
3 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
7 canfuls of water
1/3 cup sugar, or to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon

Method:

Add all ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for a few hours, until the broth has thickened and the meat has softened.

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Asian {Bigger} Bowl Soup


When it comes to food, we’re texture-people in my house. I’ve got no use for a hand blender ‘cuz my husband and kids will not touch those creamy-as-baby-food soups. I’m good with any soup, but if it’s a family affair, I have to scoop out half of the vegetables before I puree, and add them back to the pot. There has got to be a “bite” in there, otherwise it just doesn’t fly. Asian big bowl soup has become a family favorite. I like to call it “Bigger” bowl because I load the soup up on tons of extras for some serious crunch and flavor. We especially love the addition of water chestnuts and bamboo shoots strips. They stay amazingly crunchy, even after sitting or rewarming!

I love making this soup for Shabbos on these late Friday nights. We don’t end up making kiddush until sometime after nine (more like closer to ten), and my husband and I are half-asleep at the table. The soup covers both the 2nd and 3rd course, being chock full of chicken, pasta and vegetables in a yummy broth. I have one big bowl of the stuff and I am ready for bed!

I found the original recipe in Susie Fishbeins’s Kosher by Design Short on Time cookbook (the only one I really use from her collection). I’ve adapted it to include lots of different veggies. Usually, I just go through my vegetable bin to check what’s on its way out. Since the veggies are going into a soup anyway, it doesn’t really matter if they aren’t fresh. Go ahead and use whatever suits your taste. You can also experiment with pasta in this dish. I’ve used linguini, udon noodles, even rice! It’s a “big bowl soup” after all, so go ahead and fill it up!

NOTE: Since we are lightening up this week, I have to mention that you can definitely leave out the ramen noodles. They are fun, and my kids love them, but for DH and I, we skip the extra calories.

Asian Bigger Bowl
adapted from Kosher by Design, Short on Time

10 cups chicken stock
3 tbsp soy sauce
1.5 tbsp mirin rice cooking wine
1 pkg chicken breast (about 4 pieces) cut into thin strips
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 can sliced bamboo shoots
1 can bean sprouts
1/2 head green cabbage, sliced
1/2 bag shredded carrots
1 package mushrooms, cut into thick slices
1 handful snow peas, ends trimmed
3 scallions, cut into 3″ pieces
ramen noodles, or pasta/grain of choice

NOTE: alternatively, you may use one can of mixed chinese vegetables (usually includes chestnuts, bamboo shoots, sprouts and baby corn) if you find that 3 cans is too much.

Method:

Pour chicken stock into a pot. Add soy sauce and mirin and bring to a boil. Add chicken, chestnuts, shoots and sprouts. Simmer for 5 minutes, mixing the chicken so that the pieces don’t stick together. Add the cabbage and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and add carrots, mushrooms, snow peas, and scallions. Leave the pot uncovered for a few minutes while the vegetables become crisp-tender. Serve immediately, or leave pot uncovered until it cool so that the vegetables remain tender.

I like to cook up the ramen noodles separately, so that they are not left as mush inside the pot (if they sit too long, they get kind of gross). To do this, boil the water and add noodles, discarding the flavoring packet. As soon as the noodles begin to soften and break apart (about 1.5 minutes), remove them from the water and reserve in a plastic container. They will finish cooking when you add them to the hot bowl of soup.

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