Soups and Stews Archives – Karyn's Kitchen

White Bean Soup with Ham is Comfort in a Bowl

After making a pot of white bean soup with ham, I offered to share some with a friend whose husband had been sick. Completely unprepared for the rave reviews that followed and questions about how to make it, I realized they haven’t been reading my blog. LOL.

When I told her I didn’t follow a recipe, she asked how I could ever make it exactly the same way again. Is that necessary? I’m sure I don’t often make anything exactly the same way twice. And unless I was running a restaurant where the same dish was expected to be served to the masses on daily repeat, I can’t imagine why I would want to.

As I began to explain my concept of intuitive cooking, she told me she wasn’t any good at that. I maintain that it can be learned. What you need to learn are concepts and principles, not exact measurements and ingredients. For example, a good soup starts with a good base. While you can always open a carton of stock, why not save money and make your own flavorful stock? Any time you’re cooking, and you trim the ends of vegetables that don’t make it into your finished dish, don’t throw them away. Put them into a sealable bag in the freezer. Same goes for bones/carcass. Unless you have time to immediately make stock with them, put them into the freezer for later as well. When the freezer bag is full of veggie scraps and maybe a couple of bones, you have free stock waiting to happen!

How to Make White Bean Soup from Scratch

Having soaked the white beans overnight and thawed the ham in the refrigerator that I had bought on clearance and frozen some time ago, I was in go-position for a delicious and satisfying white bean soup with ham. Dumping my freezer bag full of scraps into a stock pot and filling it with water, I put it on to boil. A couple of parmesan rinds lurking in the freezer joined the party. Whenever I’m making stock, my husband likes to peek into the kitchen and ask, “What are you cooking? Our laundry?” That always cracks me up. Yes, it looks like a big mess, but you’re going to strain it in the end, and it will taste amazing.

Meanwhile, put the softened white beans into another big pot with water and boil for 30 minutes. Drain and reserve. Chop an onion and mince some garlic. Chop some celery and the ham. How much? Depends on what you have going on in your stock pot. I knew that the lamb bones I was simmering along with onion ends, celery ends, carrot ends, snow pea ends, zucchini ends, lettuce ends, chard stems etc. would yield a very flavorful stock. So, for a pound of beans, I used:

7 ounces of ham, diced
half an onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 stalks of celery, chopped
dried sage
dried thyme

Heat some olive oil in a big pot and start cooking your onion. Let it start to get a little golden before adding the garlic, then the celery and ham. After cooking for a couple of minutes, pour some of the stock you’ve started through a strainer into the soup pot. Add the beans and be sure you have enough liquid to get them simmering without burning. You can continue to cook the stock and strain into the soup as time goes on. Cook the beans for another hour or so and then puree a cup or so of them to add some body to the soup. Test the beans and simmer until they are tender enough for your liking, perhaps 2 hours of total cooking time is a ballpark figure. Season with salt to taste.

In this case, I minced some additional garlic and parsley and stirred into the soup before serving. It adds an unexpected vibrant finish. How will you make a delicious white bean soup?

In case you hadn’t realized, beans are nutritious and full of fiber, while being easy on the pocketbook in these times of skyrocketing food prices. Experiment with pinto beans and others to enjoy a variety of flavorful, family-friendly meals.

How to Beat the Heat with Cold Beet Soup

If it’s good enough for a centenarian, this 3-ingredient cold beet soup is good enough for me!

What’s your favorite simple meal on a hot day? Cold beet soup is refreshing and couldn’t be easier to prepare. Michael’s parents love borscht, so I called to ask my mother-in-law how she makes hers. Chuckling, she answered, “I don’t make it. I buy it in a jar.” While I have no problem with that idea, I had some fresh beets that I wanted to use, so I decided to search for recipes online.

Guess what? I had no idea how many different versions existed ranging from the simple cold beet soup I had envisioned to a hearty winter stew comprised of multiple ingredients. Because it’s known as an Eastern European dish, I decided to ask a friend whose mother was originally from Czechoslovakia, (an area that would now be considered part of Ukraine), if she made borscht. Her reply reiterated what I had already discovered, “Borscht means different things to different people.” Thankfully the way her mother makes it consisted of only 3 ingredients and was always served cold in the summer. Bingo! That’s the cold beet soup I was looking for.

How to Make Cold Beet Soup

It’s really no trouble preparing beets. Just remember to put on a dark apron to protect your clothes from any splatter. After cutting off the greens and reserving for another meal, scrub the beets with a stiff bristled brush under running water. I generally don’t find it necessary to peel them, but I cut away any particularly rough bits where the root meets the stem and scrape off any hairlike roots with a paring knife. After chopping them into quarters or smaller, put them into a saucepan with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil and simmer until fork tender. Chill beets along with their cooking water. Once cold, grate or chop strained beets in the food processor.

To serve, put some plain yogurt into a bowl. Then stir in the beets and reserved cooking water. Top with sauerkraut. I was told that in the olden days, they added lemon juice instead. The sauerkraut is a new twist that Miriam substitutes, and I think it’s great this way.

Ingredients for Cold Beet Soup:

boiled beets in their cooking water
plain yogurt or sour cream
sauerkraut or lemon juice

If you’re into dietary supplements, you know that beet powder has been heavily advertised in recent years. There is no question that beets are good for you. While I have no issue with supplements per se, I dislike the idea of superfood fads and marketing the idea of taking a supplement rather than eating what’s found in nature. If longevity is what you’re after, take a cue from the Blue Zones. Eat a balanced diet with a variety of fresh vegetables, fermented foods and exercise regularly. Miriam, who makes this cold beet soup is nearly 100 years old. She makes her own sauerkraut for this dish. I confess that mine was store-bought, but I do believe that beets and some probiotics can’t hurt!

How might you tweak this recipe for your family’s taste? My husband didn’t like the sound of borscht when I wanted to serve him some, but he was just fine when I put it into his morning Nutribullet along with some lettuce, a few radishes and a couple mandarin oranges. So, adapt and find what works best for you and your family.

If you’re looking for ways to sneak in some fresh beets for a meat eater, read Take Your Burger Further with This Surprise Ingredient. Small changes over time can have a big impact.

Chilled Vegetable Soup is the Easy, No-Cook Answer

What’s at your local farmers market that will inspire your chilled vegetable soup this season?

Who feels like cooking on a hot, summer day? Not me! A simple chilled vegetable soup is an easy, make-ahead solution. There are endless possibilities based on the fresh produce available to you. A staple in our household is gazpacho, of which there are many variations. I haven’t yet traveled to Spain to taste the most authentic pureed version. However, our family enjoys its own creation consisting of many diced vegetables. Feel free to make it your own and improvise according to your taste but be sure to prepare it ahead of time so that it has sufficient time to chill. This is one of those dishes that definitely tastes best the next day. Pat yourself on the back for eating your vegetables while enjoying a different texture than a salad.

Ingredients for Chilled Vegetable Soup:

64-ounce bottle of V8 juice
½ green bell pepper, diced
3 green onions, chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup fresh diced tomatoes
3 ribs of celery, diced
2 Persian cucumbers, diced
4 radishes, diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt to taste, (less than a teaspoon)

Directions:

Into a big pitcher that can be covered and refrigerated, put each of the finely chopped vegetables. Season with garlic, salt, cumin, olive oil, vinegar, hot sauce and Worcestershire as you build the layers so that the flavors begin to marry. Toss to combine and pour in V8 juice. Stir, chill for at least a few hours, and serve.

Serving Gazpacho

Preparing this chilled vegetable soup ahead of time means that it’s perfect for a picnic. It makes a delightful first course or an accompaniment to a sandwich or lox and bagels. How about making it a complete meal by adding some bay shrimp and avocado for protein and texture? How will you add your own unique twist? Let us know in the comments below and share how you have been developing your intuition in the kitchen.

Looking for more refreshing ideas this summer? Try Cold Soba for your next picnic.

Get Your Ya Yas Out With Gumbo Ya Ya

Use up leftover turkey or chicken by making a delicious gumbo ya ya that will transport your taste buds to New Orleans.

Wondering what to do with leftover turkey or chicken? Pick off the remaining meat and boil the carcass for a flavorful stock to use as a base for gumbo ya ya. Grab a smoked sausage like andouille or kielbasa, a few vegetables and spices and you’re ready to go. Adapt according to ingredients you have on hand and start cooking a delicious gumbo ya ya without a recipe.

I had part of a roasted chicken left over, so I first picked off all the meat that I could and put that back in the refrigerator. Then I boiled the bones and carcass in water to make the stock for the gumbo. Zero waste cooking meant I ended up with about a quart of stock, which was just about right for the amount of roux that I made next.

Roux

When I first started making roux, which forms the base of the gumbo ya ya, I followed the slow method. I would combine equal parts of oil and flour and slowly stir with a wooden spoon over low heat until it reached the desired color of brown. While it’s easier to avoid burning it this way, it also requires continuously standing at the stove, stirring slowly for 45 minutes. A little tedious, which meant I didn’t want to do it very often.

Eventually, I learned from one of Paul Prudhomme’s cookbooks to do it faster. I did burn it once in the early days though, so although it’s my preferred method now, do proceed with caution. It’s no fun to have to throw it out and start over. Especially if you are making a fast roux, I recommend using a pot with rounded sides like this one, if you have it. Less opportunity for bits to turn black in the inside crease around the edge of a flat sided pot.

stainless steel round chef's pot on wooden board

Before you begin making the roux, make sure you have already chopped your onion, bell pepper and celery because you will need to add them to the pot to stop your roux from burning. Timing is crucial. (The amount of onion I used equaled about the same amount of bell pepper and celery combined. Here that meant one onion, half a bell pepper and two small stalks of celery.

In this case, I didn’t have much grapeseed oil left, so I measured that first to see how much roux I could make. You want an oil with a high smoke point. Olive oil will not do for this. I found that I had a little less than half a cup of oil, so I measured about the same amount of flour and put them both into my pot over high heat and whisked quickly for a few minutes until it turned dark brown like chocolate.

Then I immediately took it off the heat and added the chopped vegetables, continuing to whisk everything together. Returning the pot to medium heat, I cooked it for a few minutes before adding the chicken stock. Be careful here. Pour the stock slowly and away from you. It’s nice if it has had a chance to cool slightly also. You don’t want to burn yourself splashing hot oil and stock around.

Now you want to get this to a simmer and you can relax while you chop your sausage, if you haven’t already done so. You can add it to the pot before or after adding the stock. Then you can go get your spices to season the gumbo.

Karyn with a wide brimmed blue hat at Jazzfest — At Jazzfest in New Orleans, the best gumbo could be had at the fairgrounds

Spices For Gumbo Ya Ya:

1 or 2 bay leaves
cayenne (as much as your palate allows…I think I used about 1/2 teaspoon)
paprika
smoked paprika
French thyme
pinch of basil
pinch of oregano
a couple of cloves of garlic, minced
file’ powder (add at the end of cooking)

Once you have added all your ingredients, except the cooked chicken, you should let the gumbo simmer for a couple of hours. I needed to go out, so I put it into a slow cooker and let it cook on high for 4 hours. Half an hour before serving, I tasted and decided how much salt it needed and added the cooked chicken. Use all your senses to start cooking more intuitively.

Just before serving, stir in some gumbo file’ powder. I used about half a teaspoon. I forgot to add it once and it wasn’t the end of the world. So if you don’t have any, try it without. It does add a certain special something though.

This yielded 4 very generous main course servings. By the way, this is one of those things that tastes even better the next day. Make a great big batch and put some in the freezer for later. It’s a fantastic treat to give yourself a day off of cooking by planning ahead.

Serve with rice. White is traditional, but I usually use brown for everything. Pictured above, I used some brown rice that was left over from another meal.

Basic Ingredients In Addition to Spices:

oil
flour
chicken or turkey meat
chicken or turkey stock
andouille sausage
onion
bell pepper
celery

Understanding basic proportions means you can cook intuitively without a recipe. In this case, using my available ingredients, I combined a half a cup each of flour and oil to make roux for a quart of stock. Obviously, a cup each of flour and oil would be enough for 2 quarts of stock for the consistency I enjoy in gumbo ya ya. More roux would yield a thicker gumbo. Less roux for a thinner one.

For more inspiration from New Orleans, please read Keen on Easy Red Beans and Greens next.

Cold Somen is the Perfect Summer Meal

Cool off tonight with this easy, refreshing noodle dish.

Whenever it’s hot and humid outside, I think of my Japanese grandfather putting a cold washcloth on top of his head while he repeated the words, “becha becha”. Apparently that referred to the humidity and feeling sweaty and sticky, which prompted him to request cold somen (thin Japanese wheat noodles) for lunch. I still find that summer meal refreshing and it brings back memories of Ojiichan.

somen on a bamboo mat served with sauce in wooden bowls and garnishes on a white platter

You can buy dried somen and the appropriate “tsuyu”, or sauce in a Japanese market. However, I prefer to make my own sauce eliminating the MSG. It’s easy to do with the right ingredients. Here’s what I found on https://www.japanesecooking101.com/:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin
1/4 cup sake
handful of bonito flakes

Briefly boil the ingredients listed above and then strain out the bonito flakes. Combine one part of this sauce with 2 parts water.

I happened to be out of sake, so I used a dry white wine instead. It worked for my taste. After straining out the bonito flakes, I chilled the sauce to serve with cold somen.

This is an easy meal that’s quick to prepare because the only cooking involved is boiling the somen. The noodles are so thin that they cook very fast. Once tender, drain and rinse under cold water. Arrange them in serving sized bundles and top with ice if desired. Pour cold sauce into individual bowls. Technically speaking, I suppose you would call this soup, but I think it’s a great summer meal.

somen, veggies and fish in a wooden bowl. julienned cucumber and carrots in small bowls on a white platter.

I decided to garnish with some raw veggies. My julienne peeler made quick work of shredding cucumber and carrots. Chopped up some napa cabbage and green onions as well. The cold smoked ahi with sesame seeds provided even more flavor and protein to round out this cool and refreshing dinner for a summer evening. What do you serve on a hot day that brings back fond memories? Salad is a no-brainer. Learn how to make a miso based dressing to take it to the next level with Asian flair.

Mushroom Barley Soup: Make It Your Own

This soup is a satisfying vegan meal anytime!

I suppose you could say that we have moved out of soup season already, but I could personally eat soup just about any time…especially if mushrooms are involved. I was so excited that I was able to get some barley at the market the other day because they had been out for a while and I was craving mushroom barley soup. Good timing too because my freezer bag of vegetable ends was full and ready to be turned into a rich, fabulous stock.

You don’t have any vegetable ends, you say? Store bought stock works just fine. I have made a habit of tossing the ugly ends of carrots, celery, onions, beet stems etc. into a bag in the freezer when cooking just for this purpose. No waste and it tastes great! Once you have a bag full, simply fill a big pot with water and let it bubble away while you go about your business. Nothing technical here. You do have good water, right? In case you’re still buying bottles, you might consider simplifying your life.

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Making Mushroom Barley Soup

What kind of mushrooms should you use? That’s up to you. I had a pound of crimini that I quartered and tossed into a big pot with some hot grapeseed oil to sauté. Once they had gotten a head start, I added some sliced shitake and cooked until tender. Salt and Herbs de Provence are all I decided to season them with before adding my strained vegetable stock and a cup of barley. Covered and simmered for about 25 minutes until the barley was tender. Taste and add salt if needed. What other herbs might you use? French thyme is great. A friend of mine puts dill in hers. Experiment and tell me what you like best.

mushroom barley soup in a white bowl with a slice of rye bread on the white plate underneath. A white bowl in the background is filled with celery salad next to a glass bottle of oil, a head of garlic and an orange napkin

Vegan and gluten-free, full of flavor and texture. I dare you to tell me this soup is not a meal. Feel free to add some chicken or plant based protein of your choice. How will you make it your own?

Ingredients:

vegetable stock
barley
mushrooms
grapeseed oil
herbs such as Herbs de Provence
salt

I love whole grains of all kinds. What else might you do with the barley? Read Please Feast In Peace for more vegan, gluten free inspiration.

Get In the Loop With Splendid Broccoli Soup

Instead of letting produce go to waste, make a big pot of vegetable soup.

Apparently I have developed a reputation for zero waste cooking. So when a friend dropped off a bag full of broccoli that needed to be eaten yesterday, what could I do? Clean it, trim it and make soup, I decided. My anchor ingredient had been provided.

Broccoli soup in an orange bowl on a white platter served with a corn quesadilla topped with tomato slices. Broccoli florets and whole tomatoes lay beside them.

My Process

I figured onions and garlic would be a good start, so I chopped some up and got them cooking in a large stockpot with some olive oil. I was considering adding some carrots for more flavor, but then I decided they would muddle the color and I didn’t want brown broccoli soup, so I skipped them. On the other hand, I had an abundance of potatoes and they could add some body to the soup without harming it aesthetically. So I peeled and cubed a few potatoes and put them into the pot with the broccoli and enough water to cover them. I would have used some stock if I had something handy, so a parmesan rind from my treasure chest of freezer flavor gems joined the party for more flavor.

Broccoli, potatoes, onions, garlic and water in a stockpot

I planned to puree the soup after the vegetables were tender and add a touch of cream at the end. While it cooked, I looked in my spice cabinet and mused what else might enhance the flavor. Something verdant, but what? Mint? Why not? I have a big container of it, so I poured a generous amount into my palm and put that into the soup along with some salt. Simmered until the vegetables were soft enough to puree in the food processor, which required ladling many batches into the work bowl. If I had an immersion blender, this would have been the time to use it!

Finishing Up

I had a little cream that I whisked into the pureed soup at the end. After cooling and refrigerating in containers, I will put some in the freezer for later. I may dress it up with fresh herbs when serving or melt some cheese into it. Maybe I’ll spoon some yogurt on top. What ideas might you come up with?

Broccoli, onions and garlic on a wooden cutting board

Once again, my objective is not to provide a precise recipe to follow. My hope is that you continue to develop your intuition in the kitchen and create something delicious with whatever you have on hand and practice zero waste cooking. Below are the ingredients I used.

Ingredients:

broccoli
potatoes
onions
garlic
parmesan rind
salt
mint
cream
water, vegetable stock or chicken stock

In the mood for broccoli now, but looking for something more filling? Try my suggestion for Broccoli Beef.

Quick! Read the Scoop On Split Pea Soup

Look to the pantry and freezer for a simple and satisfying meal.

Are you a fan of split pea soup? I never was until I started making my own. I think it requires a heavy dose of an herbal quality. My favorite blend is Herbs de Provence. Rosemary and thyme will do if you don’t have the former, but nothing beats Herbs de Provence, which you will always find in my treasure chest of flavor gems to season simple meals.

Keep split peas in the pantry and whip up a big batch anytime. They don’t require soaking, but they need a few hours to cook. Leftovers taste even better and also keep well in the freezer for later.

I start with chopping up an inch of bacon from my collection of freezer flavor gems. It’s totally fine to make it completely vegetarian, but I enjoy it with a little bacon if I have it on hand. After browning that in a large pot, I add a large diced onion and a few chopped carrots and minced garlic. After cooking for a few minutes, I add chicken or vegetable broth and a couple of cups of peas along with the Herbs de Provence. A cup of peas to a quart of liquid seems about right to me. You can start with less liquid and add more if you see fit as it cooks down. Simmer covered, stirring occasionally for about 3 hours or until the soup has reached your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Is this soup a meal? Served with a hunk of bread, my husband thinks so. Serve a salad on the side to round it out. It doesn’t get much easier than this, folks! Simple meals are the best!

Ingredients:

split peas (about one cup to one quart of liquid)
chicken or vegetable stock
bacon
onions
carrots
garlic
Herbs de Provence

Ready for another satisfying meal of legumes? Watch Lentils and Rice Partner for a Pantry Party.

Intuitive Cooking? How To Do It

Intuitive cooking leads to satisfying simple meals.

Pondering what to do with some ground turkey, I developed a taste for a meatball soup…Italian wedding soup would be good, but I didn’t have any fresh greens or the little pasta balls. Looking at the vegetables in my refrigerator, I realized I had a head of cauliflower to be used. That would do nicely in a soup, the king of simple meals, in my opinion. I had some chicken/lamb stock that I had frozen. What else would give these anchor ingredients some more flavor? Cheese is always a welcome companion to cauliflower, so it was time to pull out a parmesan rind from the freezer. Now we had a direction in which to go.

Cheesy cauliflower meatball soup in a white bowl

After sautéing a diced onion in a stockpot with olive oil, I added my concentrated stock along with some water and my parmesan rind to boil while I prepared the other ingredients. I wanted to give the parmesan a head start on flavoring my broth before adding the other vegetables because I don’t want them to get mushy by overcooking, just soft enough.

For the Meatballs I Used:

1 lb ground turkey
one egg
panko bread crumbs
minced dried onion
garlic powder
dried sage powder
a pinch of paprika/turmeric/cumin blend
salt

To the Soup I Added:

Cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
chopped carrots
chopped celery
chopped beet stems
dried basil
dried oregano
dash of Worcestershire sauce
tomato paste
a little frozen spinach added at the end for color

Do you think soup qualifies as a simple meal? Served with “a hunk of bread”, my husband thinks so. We sprinkled the top of this with more parmesan and it was comfort in a bowl. Two days later, the leftovers were even better for lunch. Yes, soup that has a chance to allow its flavors to marry is wonderful!

Ready for more soup inspiration? How Are You Using All Those Extra Potatoes?

Ban the Chill With Wicked Quick Pantry Chili

Easy, quick chili recipes begin with a well stocked pantry.

Do you like chili? You could roast some fresh chilis and let a pot simmer all day, but for an every day meal, I often make an easy, quick chili from mostly pantry ingredients. There are endless recipes, but here are basics. Experiment and find your own favorite combination.

2 bowls of chili with black beans served with bread and butter

Ingredients

ground turkey, beef, elk, wild boar or other game meat
diced onion
minced garlic
chopped bell pepper
canned tomatoes
kidney beans or black beans or other beans or a combination thereof
corn
canned chipotle
garlic
cumin
paprika
smoked paprika
oregano
chopped jalapeno
cayenne

Aside from the onion and garlic, which I consider to be pantry staples anyway, everything listed above was either from the freezer or from a can or jar. If you didn’t have fresh onion or garlic, you could make do with dried.

Start by browning the meat and then add the onions, garlic and jalapeno. Add the bell pepper and tomatoes and season to taste while cooking. If using corn, add it near the end. Canned beans also just need to be heated through near the end.

Use just about any kind of meat or beans that you have. Want to make a vegetarian version? Add more veggies (corn, zucchini etc.) and a can of refried beans to thicken it up. Want it soupier? Add more tomato or tomato sauce and/or beef broth or other stock.

What about chili fries? Leave out the beans and top your favorite fries with chili and cheese. Did you decide what to cook for dinner tonight? So easy and quick!

For a unique dining experience and interesting selection of chilis and game meats, we love visiting Cold Spring Tavern in Santa Barbara. Until we can travel there again, we’ll be content with the memories.

A man sitting in a dimly lit dining room in front of a wood burning stove surrounded by a stone mantel

For more comfort in a bowl inspired by memories, please read Gumbo Ya Ya next.