Escarole, Bean and Sausage Soup with Parmesan Cheese

I was so excited this month when I saw my Wegman's magazine arrive in the mail advertising pre-packaged, pre-cut escarole.  At the same time, I had my new issue of Cooking Light with a recipe that called for what else but....ESCAROLE!  So I figured we'd give it a shot. 

It was delicious. I don't know if it was the type of sausage we used (I think that had a lot to do with it) but it was so tasty.  It was italian sausage but I think Wegman's had pork rather than turkey and I think ours was 'spicy' rather than 'sweet'. So technically this recipe is supposed to be turkey but considering my love affair with pigs this tasted pretty delicious.  It was also ridiculously easy. Cook sausage and flavorings (garlic, fennel, onion) then throw in some broth and beans, cook more, then throw in the escarole until it wilts. So simple.  Escarole raw is a bit bitter, so you want to make sure it cooks down appropriately.  The parmesan is a must, it gave it this tangy bite on the end, and pre-chopped onion makes this super fast.  It's already in the book and we will be making this again. I think this will be great even in the summer since you're not slaving over a hot stove.

Only 2 people have rated this recipe so far. I haven't put mine in so I better get on that. But the two people gave this a 4 out of 5.  If you like beans, sausage and soup, this is for you. I'm sure if you used sweet links rather than spicy it will also be delicious.  I almost wish we were making this soup again this week, it was that tasty.


Recipe by David Bonom, Cooking Light, March 2011

Total: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups soup and 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese)

Ingredients

• 2  teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1  cup  prechopped onion
• 1/2  cup  thinly sliced fennel bulb
• 1  tablespoon  minced garlic
• 3  (3.2-ounce) links sweet turkey Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2  cups  fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1  cup  water
• 1  (15-ounce) can no-salt-added cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
• 4  cups  chopped escarole
• 2  tablespoons  grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, fennel bulb, garlic, and sausage; cook 7 minutes or until sausage is browned, stirring frequently to crumble. Add broth, 1 cup water, and beans. Cover; bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in escarole; cook 4 minutes or until escarole wilts. Divide soup evenly among 4 bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 230

Fat: 4.6g (sat 2.6g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.3g)

Protein: 17.9g

Carbohydrate: 15.5g

Fiber: 4.7g

Cholesterol: 49mg

Iron: 1.3mg

Sodium: 624mg

Calcium: 87mg

Spicy Coconut Shrimp Soup

This is another recipe that I have wanted to make for a while now.  Most of the ingredients we have on hand, so it was just a matter of getting the mushrooms and shrimp. 

We didn't make any changes to this recipe.  It turned out fantastic; sweet enough with the coconut milk but with a good mix between creamy and broth-y.  We used raw shrimp and added them in until they turned pink, but you could probably use pre-cooked shrimp.  In the future, I think we'll add a bit more red curry paste, since we like it spicy.  This lasted a few days in the fridge--just stir it up because the coconut milk can settle. 

As of today's post, twelve people gave this an average rating of four out of five.

Recipe by David Bonom, Cooking Light, March 2008

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

• 3 1/2  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1  cup  sliced mushrooms
• 1/4  cup  finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1  tablespoon  light brown sugar
• 1  tablespoon  fish sauce
• 1/2  teaspoon  grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4  teaspoon  red curry paste
• 1  cup  light coconut milk
• 1  pound  large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4  cup  thinly sliced green onions
• 2  tablespoons  thinly sliced fresh basil
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice

Preparation

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in coconut milk; cook 2 minutes or until hot. Add shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove pan from heat; stir in onions, basil, and juice.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 194 (25% from fat)

Fat: 5.3g (sat 3.3g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.9g)

Protein: 26.9g

Carbohydrate: 9.9g

Fiber: 1.4g

Cholesterol: 172mg

Iron: 3.8mg

Sodium: 878mg

Calcium: 85mg

French Onion Soup

It is a historic day for the SWTSIH blog, we finally found a good SOUP!  The french onion soup from cooking light is divine--so close to the original (trust me, we've had it in Paris)!  The recipe is very easy to follow but takes a few hours, so plan accordingly.  I made this when the hubs was sick with a nasty cold, and he sure felt better afterward! Its a soup that warms the soul on cold winter nights. I really don't see any reason why you shouldn't make this right now.

This recipe is so easy you can even screw it up as horribly as I did and it still turns out fantastic. I miscalculated the amount of beef broth needed and had to supplement with chicken broth.  So really I used half beef broth and half chicken broth and added 2 beef bullion cubes.  If you can screw it up that much and it's delicious, then it's a keeper. I may have added a little more onion but it was difficult to measure them into cups.

For servings, we used 2x the soup but only 1x the bread and cheese.

As of today's post 53 people gave this an average rating of 4 out of 5.

Recipe by Cooking Light, January 2005

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 4  cups  thinly vertically sliced Walla Walla or other sweet onion
• 4  cups  thinly vertically sliced red onion
• 1/2  teaspoon  sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  cup  dry white wine
• 8  cups  less-sodium beef broth
• 1/4  teaspoon  chopped fresh thyme
• 8  (1-ounce) slices French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 8  (1-ounce) slices reduced-fat, reduced-sodium Swiss cheese (such as Alpine Lace)

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions to pan; sauté for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in sugar, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium; cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high, and sauté for 5 minutes or until onion is golden brown. Stir in wine, and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and thyme; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours.
Preheat broiler.
Place bread in a single layer on a baking sheet; broil 2 minutes or until toasted, turning after 1 minute.
Place 8 ovenproof bowls on a jelly-roll pan. Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl. Divide bread evenly among bowls; top each serving with 1 cheese slice. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 290 (30% from fat)

Fat: 9.6g (sat 4.8g,mono 1.9g,poly 0.7g)

Protein: 16.8g

Carbohydrate: 33.4g

Fiber: 3.1g

Cholesterol: 20mg

Iron: 1.6mg

Sodium: 359mg

Calcium: 317mg

Apple-parsnip Soup

It's the soup of the week! It certainly feels like we're making a lot of soup lately; unfortunately this was another disappointment.  This is the apple parsnip soup in last month's issue of Cooking Light.  It seems like every cooking light apple soup recipe calls for curry powder which I don't understand. So we decided to skip the curry powder and add more nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger to this.  This also had way too much cardamom--all I could taste was cardamom. It seems like any recipe that calls for cardamom needs at least 2 days to marinate so the cardamom blends in better.

So, sorry to say, we will not be making this again. I had such high hopes for this, but they were not met. The search for good soups continue.  If you're planning to make this, I would say creme fraiche (or in our case, sour cream) is definitely needed as a garnish.

As of today's post, 6 people gave this an average rating of four out of 5.  I would give it a 2.  It could probably be better with some work, but I'd rather find a good soup recipe that doesn't need me to put my hard work into it.  I'm sure you could sub vegetable broth for chicken broth if you're a concerned vegetarian/vegan. 

Recipe by Kathy Ferrell-Kingsley, Cooking Light, October 2010

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  olive oil
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 2 1/2  cups  chopped peeled Pink Lady apple (about 1 pound)
• 1  tablespoon  curry powder
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1  teaspoon  ground cardamom
• 1  garlic clove, chopped
• 3 1/2  cups  chopped peeled parsnip (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 4  cups  fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1  cup  apple cider
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 8  teaspoons  crème fraîche

Preparation

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add apple and the next 4 ingredients (through garlic); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add parsnip, chicken broth, and apple cider; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until parsnip is tender.
2. Place half of parsnip mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat the procedure with remaining parsnip mixture. Stir in salt and pepper. Ladle about 3/4 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with 1 teaspoon crème fraîche.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 136

Fat: 5.6g (sat 1.6g,mono 2.6g,poly 0.6g)

Protein: 1.8g

Carbohydrate: 21.2g

Fiber: 4.2g

Cholesterol: 5mg

Iron: 0.7mg

Sodium: 381mg

Calcium: 30mg

Cauliflower-Apple Soup with Apple-Cider Reduction AND Buttermilk-Chive Biscuits

You know how Discovery channel does 'shark week'? Well this must be 'soup week'.  Here's another soup, but this one is warm; we made it last week. 

This calls for a lot of cauliflower (maybe a head and a half) but only one apple.  The preparation is very straightforward, made easier with a dutch oven and an immersion blender (thanks mom)!  

We've made this before, but I think we liked it better the first time. Either that or we've just found better soup recipes since then.  

The apple cider reduction makes this soup look very classy; my picture does not do it justice.  You definitely should use Madras curry powder for this recipe, regular curry powder just won't do.  

As of today's post 4 people rated this a 4 out of 5.   We served it with the Buttermilk Chive Biscuits which were FANTASTIC!  I'm a big fan of the sour cream, cheddar buttermilk drop biscuits (See Heaven and I love pigs) but these were equally great.  I was able to whip them up very quickly since I had all of the ingredients in house and chives on the porch (thanks mom for the chives).

As of today's post, for the biscuits, 14 people rated them 4 out of 5. I would give them a 5.

Recipe by Jackie Mills, Cooking Light, December 2008

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1  cup  apple cider
• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 2  cups  chopped onion
• 2  teaspoons  Madras curry powder
• 1  teaspoon  chopped garlic
• 6  cups  cauliflower florets (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 5  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1  Gala apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1/3  cup  half-and-half
• 2  teaspoons  fresh lemon juice
• 3/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)

Preparation

1. Bring the apple cider to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook until cider is reduced to 1/4 cup (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat, and cool to room temperature.
2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add curry powder and garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add cauliflower, broth, and apple; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender.
3. Remove pan from heat; cool 5 minutes. Place half of cauliflower mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining cauliflower mixture. Return to pot. Stir in half-and-half; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Remove from heat; stir in juice, salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Ladle about 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; drizzle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cider reduction. Garnish with coarsely ground pepper, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 98 (24% from fat)

Fat: 2.6g (sat 1g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.3g)

Protein: 4.2g

Carbohydrate: 16.1g

Fiber: 3.8g

Cholesterol: 4mg

Iron: 1mg

Sodium: 450mg

Calcium: 52mg

 

Buttermilk Chive Biscuits

Recipe by Cooking Light, December 2003

Yield: 20 biscuits (serving size: 1 biscuit)

Ingredients

• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1  tablespoon  baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  cup  chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4  cup  low-fat buttermilk
• 1  large egg
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh chives

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine buttermilk and egg; stir in chives. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, and stir just until moist.
Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface; knead lightly 5 times. Roll dough to a 1/2-inch thickness; cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter. Place dough rounds, 1 inch apart, on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Note: To maximize the number of biscuits, gather the dough scraps after cutting and gently reroll to a 1/2-inch thickness. A light hand with the dough will ensure tender biscuits.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 74 (33% from fat)

Fat: 2.7g (sat 1.6g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.2g)

Protein: 2g

Carbohydrate: 10.2g

Fiber: 0.4g

Cholesterol: 17mg

Iron: 0.7mg

Sodium: 199mg

Calcium: 56mg

Golden Peach Soup with Shrimp and Crab Seviche

Isn't this like the prettiest dish you've ever seen?! Look at all the great colors!  We made this back in August, while it was still ridiculously hot here in the nation's cap, so it may not be a great choice now unless you live in a tropical climate.  It's a cold soup, and I don't think you can make it a 'warm' soup now that it's cooler.  But if you're ok with having cold soup in this weather, I highly recommend it.  We made this the week after making the Avocado-Buttermilk soup, and while that one is our favorite, this soup is a close second.  It's not as creamy as the other since there is no buttermilk, but the delicate peach flavor with the seviche is really awesome.

We followed this recipe exactly.  As of today's post 4 people rated it a 5 out of 5 (I was one of the four).

Recipe by Amelia Saltsman, Cooking Light, June 2010

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• Seviche:
• 8  ounces  chopped cooked shrimp
• 1  cup  fresh lime juice (about 6 large limes)
• 4  ounces  lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
• 3  tablespoons  finely chopped red onion
• 3  tablespoons  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1  tablespoon  minced seeded jalapeño pepper
• 1  tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• Soup:
• 3  pounds  peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped
• 1/3  cup  fresh lime juice (about 2 large limes)
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  cup  finely chopped red onion
• 1/4  cup  matchstick-cut radishes
• 1/4  cup  minced red bell pepper
• 3  tablespoons  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1  tablespoon  minced seeded jalapeño pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  fine sea salt
• Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Preparation

1. To prepare seviche, combine shrimp and 1 cup juice in a medium bowl; chill 1 hour. Add crab; toss gently to combine. Drain thoroughly; return shrimp and crab to bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons onion and next 4 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt). Chill at least 30 minutes or up to 6 hours.
2. To prepare soup, combine peaches, 1/3 cup juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place half of peach mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed peach mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining peach mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup onion and next 4 ingredients (through 1 tablespoon jalapeño). Cover and chill 30 minutes.
3. Arrange 1/4 cup seviche in each of 8 small shallow bowls; ladle about 1/2 cup soup around seviche. Sprinkle evenly with sea salt; garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 139

Fat: 3g (sat 0.3g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.4g)

Protein: 10.2g

Carbohydrate: 20.6g

Fiber: 2.8g

Cholesterol: 53mg

Iron: 1.3mg

Sodium: 391mg

Calcium: 32mg

avocado-buttermilk soup with crab salad

Can you think of the most unexpected meal you thought you would hate but ended up loving? For me it's this one right here, Avocado-buttermilk soup with Crab salad.  I was very wary about this recipe. A cold soup? Crab without the delicious accompaniments of breadcrumbs and egg?  It's green?  This recipe definitely highlights the old saying 'don't judge a book by it's cover'.  It may look appetizing to some of you and it piqued my interest but I didn't have an appreciation for this until I made it.  

So what does it taste like? If you're a guacamole fan, you are going to fall in love with this.  The soup itself tastes just like guacamole.  It doesn't call for cilantro and my other half really wanted to throw some in just so we could call it 'guacamole soup'.  The topping is delicious as well--the serving of crab for each portion is much larger than I thought it would be.  We felt full after one bowl (though it was so good that my fiance had to eat more).   The crab salad was a delicious citrus bite, which cooled off the spiciness of the dish.  And let me tell you about the chives!  Luckily, the chives in our urban garden are doing wonderfully, so we were able to use them in this dish.  The chives absolutely make this.  It's the most unexpected but perfect compliment to the flavors in this meal. Whatever you do, DO NOT SKIP THE CHIVES!

By now you've come to expect that we used the whole serrano chili, which we did, but you should probably seed it if you don't like spicy.  Other than that, we made no changes to this recipe.  I used the same buttermilk as a few posts back, it keeps fine in the freezer.  

In terms of left overs, since there is no lime juice in the soup, i'm not sure how long it would keep before the avocados brown.  We had a little leftover and ate it the next day and it was still green.  I'm not really sure this is a concern though because it is so tasty leftovers won't last that long.


As of today's post 5 people gave this an average rating of 4 out of 5 (someone gave it a two, i'm not sure what they were thinking).  

Please, if you like guacamole, I urge you to make this. I know the thought of cold green soup isn't appetizing, but you will not regret it.  Everyone will think you are a 'top chef' cheftestant if you serve this at a dinner party!

Thanks to my family for these incredible soup bowls!

Recipe by Ann Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light, August 2010

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3/4  cup  fat-free buttermilk
• 1/2  cup  chopped fresh tomatillos
• 1/2  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3/8  teaspoon  salt
• 2  ripe peeled avocados, pitted
• 1  serrano pepper, seeded
• 1  small garlic clove
• 2  tablespoons  minced red bell pepper
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh chives
• 1  teaspoon  fresh lemon juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  grated orange rind
• 8  ounces  lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed

Preparation

1. Place first 7 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.
2. Combine bell pepper and remaining ingredients; toss gently to combine. Spoon about 3/4 cup soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 1/3 cup crabmeat mixture.
Wine note: The fresh and healthful ingredients of Avocado-Buttermilk Soup with Crab Salad scream California--or, specifically, California chardonnay. The full body and supple texture of a well-balanced wine like Bogle Chardonnay, California 2008 ($11), permit it to partner with the creamy soup and sweet shellfish, while the wine's tart apple flavors and lively finish cleanse the palate for the next delicious bite. --Jeffery Lindenmuth

Nutritional Information

Calories: 252

Fat: 16.3g (sat 2.6g,mono 9.8g,poly 2.3g)

Protein: 16.9g

Carbohydrate: 12.4g

Fiber: 5.7g

Cholesterol: 44mg

Iron: 1.5mg

Sodium: 540mg

Calcium: 107mg