Here is a wonderful update of an historic comfort food for many. Please, do not confuse this with your childhood version of tomato soup in that red and white can. Don’t get me wrong, I have great memories of that, along with a very basic grilled cheese. Growing up, that was a pretty standard Friday night dinner and I always enjoyed it.

This however, is a major step up in flavor and is a snap to make. Although this could be on the table in under an hour, active time to get this going is only about ten minutes,. This makes a great for a nice lunch or you could serve it alongside a simple grilled cheese and make it a dinner. If you are feeling creative, you could really amp things up and try one of my favorite grilled cheeses.

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. butter
large sweet onion, chopped
1 small garlic clove, smashed
1/2 cup white wine
3 – 29 oz. cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup light cream
handful of fresh basil
1/3 -1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar

DIRECTIONS
First, in a large pot, add the oil, butter, onion and garlic; sauté until the onions are translucent. Next, add the wine and reduce it by about half. No need to be precise here, just let it bubble for about 5-10 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer, add the tomatoes and chicken stock, and cook for another 30 minutes.

Next, add the cream and basil (reserve some for a garnish), then simmer for an additional ten minutes. Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender (and you should!), a regular blender would work, it’s just a lot messier.

Then, add the cheddar cheese and stir to combine. There should be enough residual heat to melt all of the cheese. It is essential that the heat is off when adding the cheese, otherwise, it will stick to the bottom of the pan. Season to taste with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. However, be careful with the salt, since the tomatoes have a fair amount of sodium on their own. Finally, serve with a sprinkle of fresh julienned basil and your favorite grilled cheese.

Additionally, if you have any good leftover bread, make some croutons to garnish the soup. I promise, you won’t be disappointed. Also, since I like a little bit of a kick, I often add a shake or two of crushed red pepper. However, that is definitely optional.

Need to make a very quick lunch, or a speedy dinner for that matter? You should try this recipe. It is about one of the quickest, tastiest soups and it’s added bonus is that it’s also quite healthy. A shout out to my friend Joanne, who’s recipe I have adapted this from. She served it with some grated cheddar cheese, a salad and some crusty bread, for a light dinner and we loved it, I think you will too.

INGREDIEENTS
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
pinch crushed red pepper
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 lb. spicy chicken sausage, sliced
28 oz. can whole tomatoes, crushed
1 16 oz. can white navy beans
16 oz. chicken broth
1 small bag spinach

DIRECTIONS
First, warm the olive oil in a dutch oven, then add the onion, red pepper, salt, fresh ground pepper and sauté until the onions are translucent. Then, add the sausage and continue to sauté for a few more minutes. The sausage that I used, with great results, is Trader Joe’s Spicy Jalapeño Chicken Sausage. There are so many good chicken sausages on the market, they are too numerous to list here. You decide which you prefer, chicken or pork. Personally, I keep trying to find healthier ways to prepare meals that don’t compromise flavor, thus the chicken is my first choice. Additionally, the more flavor in the sausage, the better flavors in the soup.

Next, add the tomatoes and beans, simmer for about five minutes more. Finally, add the chicken stock and spinach. Stir to combine well and simmer for another 10-12 minutes or until the spinach is fully wilted. That’s it, you’re good to go!

NOTES
Serve with your preference of grated cheese, (I’ve used parmesan and sharp cheddar, both are tasty) fresh crostini and a green salad.

Wonderfully soothing and cool, makes this recipe perfect for a hot summer day. Alternatively, even though the recipe calls for english cucumbers, this would also be a great way to use up your garden cucumbers, later in the season. Although I haven’t tried this with regular garden cucumbers, I can’t imagine them not being equally delicious. I will update when I have had a chance to try them myself.

INGREDIENTS
3 english cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 cup greek yogurt
3-4 scallions, sliced
3-4 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
1/2 clove garlic, minced, optional
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 cup chicken stock
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS
First, coarsely chop the cucumber halves and transfer to a large bowl and reserve a handful for garnish. Next, add the scallions, lemon zest and dill to the bowl, then stir to combine. Next, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, and garlic (if using) stir to combine and pour over the vegetables. Set the mixture aside, at room temperature, for about an hour; this will allow the flavors to develop.

Then, transfer the mixture to a food processor, blender or NutriBullet and purée until smooth. With the machine still running, slowly add the stock and continue until fully blended. You decide how smooth you would like your soup. Personally, I like it quite smooth and therefore use my NutriBullet and blend in two or three batches (if using the NutriBullet, just add the stock at the same time as the cucumber mixture). The difference when doing this is significant, the mixture has a wonderfully smooth and thick texture. Place in the refrigerator to chill, for at least one hour.

Finally, when ready to serve, pour the soup into a bowl and garnish with a few of the remaining chopped cucumbers and a small sprig of dill.

In the Italian world, this is better know as Pasta e Fagioli. Regardless of what you call this, it is a wonderful, hearty soup, that takes very little time to put together and tastes like you have spent hours making it. Needless to say, this is recipe that I always want to have in my repertoire. Tasty and not time consuming…how do you not love that? Ultimately, this is an excellent recipe and is authentic, quick and quite delicious. Please give it a try and let me know how you like it.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup canned white kidney beans (small white northern beans, navy beans, all work here…your choice)
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 oz. pancetta, minced
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 clove garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups San Marzano whole tomatoes, hand crushed
pinch of red pepper flakes or more, if you like a good kick!
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
4-6 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup (7 oz.) orecchiette, ditalini or other small dried pasta
freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
parmesan rind, if you have one in the freezer

DIRECTIONS
First, in a dutch oven over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Then, add the pancetta, onion and garlic to the pan and sauté slowly, stirring until the onions are translucent, about 10-12 minutes. Next, add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and salt & pepper to taste.

Then, simmer for about 20 minutes. Do take the time to do this 20 minute simmer, as a result, it really concentrates the flavors, gives the soup depth and that is what you want for a tasty, end product.

Next, add the beans and stock (add more stock if you prefer a soupier consistency) and then, simmer for another 30 minutes. Above all, do take the time for the simmering, it definitely makes a big difference in the final flavor.

Then, add the pasta to the soup and simmer until the pasta is done, about 10-12 minutes. At the same time, add the parmesan rind, if you are using it. he timing here depends on the pasta shape and make sure you check the directions on the pasta that you choose.

Finally, when ready to serve, ladle the soup into a bowl, sprinkle with freshly grated cheese, and serve with a crusty bread or some homemade crostini and a simple salad.

To be honest, this was never a soup that I ever wanted to try. I had a very good friend that made it fairly often and tried to get me to give it a whirl. Each time, I thanked her and politely declined. Somehow, the army green color was a real issue for me.

However, eventually I felt pressured to finally try it. I was visiting a friend in Vermont for the weekend and the verbal buildup to “I have an incredible lunch for you, your going to love it” led me to cave and finally try it. The buildup to the lunch was significant and I was quite excited, after my long drive, until of course, she told me what it was! I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I wouldn’t even try it…that the color was a COMPLETE turn-off. So, I did what any gracious and grateful guest would do, I tried it. Guess what, I loved it! So, sometimes you just have to be pushed, shamed, pressured into putting your preconceived notions aside and just TRY IT!

It also doesn’t hurt that this recipe could not be simpler and a definite must when you have a leftover ham bone. It’s delicious, healthy, quick, and a wonderfully hearty soup, perfect for a cold winter’s day. Please give it a try.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. dry green split peas
6 cups chicken broth
1 ham bone or as a distant second choice, a small ham steak
1 each small onion & medium carrot, diced
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
First, sort and rinse the dried peas. Next, in a 6 quart pot, combine all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer until the peas are tender, about 30 minutes.
When cool enough to handle, cut and dice the meat off of the bone. Do add more water if you find the soup too thick for you taste. Finally, top with fresh croutons, if desired and serve with a piece of crusty bread.

NOTES
This recipe makes quite a large quantity and thus makes it great choice for the freezer. Although it freezes exceptionally well, it does thicken a bit and all you need to do is add a bit of water, to the consistency that you prefer and serve as indicated above.

Remember Gourmet magazine? Well, this is adapted from one of their recipes, way back in 1999! Even after all these years, this is still a favorite in my house.

It is hearty, delicious and pretty darn simple to make. Everything goes into the pot, with only minor chopping and you walk away, for an hour. The brown rice is essential here because its heavy, starchy texture holds up to the hourlong cooking and breaks down a bit to produce a pleasing texture, that adds great body to the soup.  Additionally, it doesn’t hurt that the brown rice also has better nutritional value than white rice. Although you  might be tempted to use white rice, know that the white rice would break down and become too mushy; not the greatest texture.

Since the bulk of the “work” is deboning the chicken, you could make this even easier by just using chicken breasts. However, I think, if you have the time/patience, the whole chicken imparts much more flavor.

INGREDIENTS
1 large onion, roughly chopped
4 large celery sticks, cut into 1/4″ slices
3-4 medium carrots, cut into 1/4″ slices
1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 -4 lbs.
1 cup long grain brown rice
1/3 to 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 Tbs. kosher salt
fresh ground pepper, to taste
3-4 quarts of water

DIRECTIONS
First, combine all ingredients in a 6 quart pot. Then, add the water to the pot, bring to a boil. Occasionally skim off any fat or scum, as  it comes to the top. Then, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for an hour.

Remove the chicken from the pot. When it’s cool enough to handle, remove the meat, discard the skin and bones. Then, shred the chicken with two forks and return it to the soup. The shredding gives the soup a more pleasing texture than just solid chunks of chicken.

Then, check for seasoning, add more salt and pepper, if needed, add a sprinkling of chopped flat-leaf parsley and serve. This makes quite a bit of soup and worth noting then, that it’s a great to stock the freezer with.  Which then comes in handy when you need a quick lunch, a sick day or just a cold day, when a warm bowl of soup soothes the soul.

Please wipe away any comparisons to that well known canned soup from our childhood days, this could not be more different. Celeriac (also known as celery root) and fresh celery infuse this soup with a very intense and soothing flavor.

Although served hot, I find it delicious cold as well, which makes it a great choice for lunch on a hot summer day. Also noteworthy, this is about as low calorie as you can get, with fewer than 50 calories per serving,  yet it is delicious and satisfying, now that is a great combination!

INGREDIENTS
1 large leek, cleaned and roughly chopped
6 celery ribs, preferably with some leafy tops attached, roughly chopped
1 small celery root, (about 1/2 lb.), peeled and diced
4-5 cups chicken stock
fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup chives, chopped

DIRECTIONS
Combine the first four ingredients in a heavy 4 qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. Then, partially cover and simmer until the celery root is completely tender and breaks apart easily. This should take 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your celery root dice.

Transfer the soup to a food processor, blender or use an immersion blender and process until totally smooth. Personally, I use a NutriBullet and find that it does the best job. It totally breaks down the fibers and emulsifies into a beautiful, thick soup. It does such a good job, that it is hard to believe there is no cream or potatoes for thickening.

Celery is very stringy, so regardless of what device you use, err on the side of more blending to ensure that you have broken down any and all stringy pieces. Return to the saucepan, check for seasonings, reheat and garnish with the chives.

NOTES
I do not add any salt since the celery itself is naturally salty. You may add if you like, but I have found even a small amount of added salt was too much, so just be cautious with it.

Whether you prefer it hot or cold, try it as a worthy alternative for chicken soup when you aren’t feeling well.