Pasta E Fagioli

SERVES 8
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes

This comforting Italian soup is best when made with authentic Parmesan and a full-flavored extra-virgin olive oil. Ditalini, orzo, and stellini are all small pastas that would work well in this soup.

• 4 ounces bacon (4 slices), chopped medium
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed
• 3½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2½ cups water 
• 8 ounces small-shaped pasta (1½ cups) (see note above)
• ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
• Extra-virgin olive oil (for serving)

1. Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Stir in the onion, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, beans, broth, water, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

2. Stir in the pasta and cook until just slightly underdone. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual bowls with grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil before serving.

To Make Ahead

This soup can be prepared through step 1, cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Reheat over low heat before proceeding with step 2.

Test Kitchen Tip: AVOIDING THE MUSH

Adding pasta to a simmering soup can be tricky, so we recommend that once you add the pasta to this soup, you watch it closely to make sure it doesn't overcook. The pasta will turn mushy and give the soup an unpleasant texture if simmered for too long.

White Bean Chicken Chili

White Bean Chicken Chili

5/2024 from Uncle Butch

- 2 pk McCormick Seasoning

- 2 lbs pulled chicken

- 2 c water or broth

- 3 cans Northern Beans

- 4 oz mild diced green chiles

Cauliflower Soup

From America's Test Kitchen Season 14: Let’s Start with Soup

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

For a creamy cauliflower soup without cream, we relied on cauliflower’s low insoluble fiber content to produce a velvety smooth puree. To ensure that cauliflower flavor remained at the forefront, we cooked the cauliflower in seasoned water (instead of  broth), skipped the spice rack entirely, and bolstered the soup with sautéed onion and leek. We added the cauliflower to the simmering water in two stages so that we got the grassy flavor of just-cooked cauliflower and the sweeter, nuttier flavor of long-cooked cauliflower. Finally, we fried florets in butter until both browned and used each as a separate, richly flavored garnish.

Serves 4 to 6

White wine vinegar may be substituted for the sherry vinegar. Be sure to thoroughly trim the cauliflower’s core of green leaves and leaf stems, which can be fibrous and contribute to a grainy texture in the soup.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 head cauliflower (2 pounds)

- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

- 1 leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin, and washed thoroughly

- 1 small onion, halved and sliced thin

- Salt and pepper

- 4 1/2 – 5 cups water

- 1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar

- 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pull off outer leaves of cauliflower and trim stem. Using paring knife, cut around core to remove; thinly slice core and reserve. Cut heaping 1 cup of 1/2-inch florets from head of cauliflower; set aside. Cut remaining cauliflower crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices.

2. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leek, onion, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; cook, stirring frequently, until leek and onion are softened but not browned, about 7 minutes.

3. Increase heat to medium-high; add 4 1/2 cups water, sliced core, and half of sliced cauliflower; and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add remaining sliced cauliflower, return to simmer, and continue to cook until cauliflower is tender and crumbles easily, 15 to 20 minutes longer.

4. While soup simmers, melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter in 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add reserved florets and cook, stirring frequently, until florets are golden brown and butter is browned and imparts nutty aroma, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and use slotted spoon to transfer florets to small bowl. Toss florets with vinegar and season with salt to taste. Pour browned butter in skillet into small bowl and reserve for garnishing.

5. Process soup in blender until smooth, about 45 seconds. Rinse out pan. Return pureed soup to pan and return to simmer over medium heat, adjusting consistency with remaining water as needed (soup should have thick, velvety texture but should be thin enough to settle with flat surface after being stirred) and seasoning with salt to taste. Serve, garnishing individual bowls with browned florets, drizzle of browned butter, and chives and seasoning with pepper to taste.

TECHNIQUE

CREAMY BY NATURE

Most soups made from pureed vegetables contain cream for a simple reason: to mitigate the effects of insoluble fiber. All vegetables have both soluble and insoluble fiber, but only the soluble kind fully breaks down during cooking, which contributes viscosity to the soup. Insoluble fiber remains intact, and the best that the blades of a blender can do is break it down into smaller bits. But cauliflower has a leg up on other vegetables. It’s very low in overall fiber—and only half of it is insoluble. This means that cauliflower is easily pureed into a silky-smooth soup with no cream at all.

TECHNIQUE

VARY COOKING TIME TO COAX OUT CAULIFLOWER’S DIFFERENT FLAVORS

While developing our recipe for cauliflower soup, we discovered that cauliflower’s flavor changes dramatically depending on how long you cook it. Shorter cooking times bring out its cabbage-like flavors, while longer cooking times turn it nuttier and sweet. Too much cooking drives off all its flavor. To bring the full spectrum of possible flavors into our soup, we cooked some of the cauliflower for 15 minutes and the remainder for 30 minutes.

15 MINUTES: The punchy, cabbage-like taste and the sulfurous odor of a compound known as carbon disulfide are dominant.

30 MINUTES: Carbon disulfide dissipates, allowing the sweeter, nuttier flavors of other substances known as thioureas to break through.

60 MINUTES: After an hour, nearly all the flavor has dissipated, leaving the cauliflower bland and flavorless.

Kickin Chili

Published on Emerils.com (https://www.emerils.com)

A hint of cinnamon and dark beer gives this chili a distinctive taste. Try using Negra Modelo dark beer from Mexico. Since this makes a big batch, it's perfect for a party or game-day tailgating!

Yield

About 5 quarts, 12 entree-size servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 pounds ground beef
• 4 cups chopped yellow onions
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons Essence
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 4 12-ounce bottles dark beer
• 2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes, crushed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
• 1 ounce (1 square) unsweetened chocolate
• 6 cups cooked red kidney beans (see Note) or four 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese, for garnish
• 1 cup finely chopped green onions, for garnish
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over high heat. Add the beef and brown well, about 10 minutes. 

Add the onions, chili powder, cumin, Southwest Essence, cayenne, cinnamon, crushed red pepper, and bay leaf and cook, stirring often, until the onions soften, about 8 minutes. 

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

Add the beer and cook until the foam subsides, about 1 minute. 

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, brown sugar, and chocolate to the pot. Stir well and bring to a boil. 

Reduce to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent the chili from sticking to the bottom of the pot. 

Skim off as much fat as possible. 

Add the beans, return to a simmer, cover, and cook until thickened, about 1 1/2 hours longer. 

Serve with the cheese, green onions, and cilantro alongside as garnish.

Note: To make 6 cups cooked red kidney beans: Soak 1 pound dried beans for 6 hours or overnight. Drain the beans and place them in a large saucepan. Add water to cover by 2 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until just tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

Cooking Method: Simmering

Effort Level: Simple

Source URL: https://www.emerils.com/126568/kickin-chili

Tomato soup

Sauté about 6 cloves of smashed garlic with a roughly chopped onion. Add 2 cans of whole tomatoes and their liquid and seasonings (oregano, thyme, salt). Manual, high pressure, 10 minutes. Quick or natural release. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Add fresh herbs, salt, and pepper to taste. —Courtney Schley

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound hamburger or turkey burger
• 1-2 Tablespoons taco seasoning (more or less to taste)
• 1 pkg ranch dressing
• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped finely
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 15 oz can black beans, drained
• 1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained
• 1 15 oz can pinto or white beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
• 1 15 oz can corn
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup salsa (fresh is best)
• 1 bag corn chips or nacho Doritos

Directions:

1. Brown hamburger in a large pan over medium heat. Add in the onions, bell peppers and saute for a few minutes.
2. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can add a little water if it starts getting too thick. If you have more time let it simmer longer. You could also put this soup in a crock pot and let cook on low for several hours.
3. Top with sour cream and cheese. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

White Chicken Chili

INGREDIENTSNutrition

SERVINGS 5UNITS US

• 11 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 11 medium onion
• 1 1⁄21 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 11 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 22 (15 1/2 ounce) cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 11 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
• 11 teaspoon salt
• 11 teaspoon oregano - Or I used Cumin and coriander
• 1⁄21/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄41/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 11 cup sour cream
• 1⁄21/2 cup whipping cream
• 2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chilies

DIRECTIONS

1. In large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil til chicken is no longer pink.
2. Add beans, chilies and seasonings and chicken broth.
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer (uncovered) for 30 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and whipping cream.
6. Serve immediately.

Potato Soup

6-8 potatoes, peeled
2 small onions, chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery
3 cubes chicken boullion
1 tbs parsley flakes
5 c water
1 tbs salt
pepper to taste
1/4 c margarine
1 (13 oz) can evaporated milk

Cut potatoes into bite-size pieces. Put all in crock pot except milk.  Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours or low 10-12 hours.  Stir in milk during last hour.  Thicken with corn starch or flour to your preference.


From Kelly Johannessen
12/2012