Curried Pot Sticker and Vegetable Soup

My friend Dan Clark has some fabulous recipes that he shares in an online recipe group I belong to. I've shared his chili mac in the past and make it whenever I need a cozy little taste of Tex-Mex cooking. But his recipes don't stop at Tex-Mex. This little jewel of his is Asian inspired and really simple in comparison to some of the Asian soups I've tried to make. If you like the flavor of curry, this is a soup for you. His soup has chicken and rice noodles, but I couldn't wait to make this and used what was in my freezer- Tai Pei frozen chicken pot stickers. It worked like a charm and I know the secret to this soup is the flavorful broth- so you could add rice, spaghetti or lots of veggies and you'd be happy with this bowlful of goodness. Ready to cook and get this on the table in about an hour? Let's go!

Curried Pot Sticker and Vegetable Soup
Inspired by Dan and Jerry
Serves 6

1 small onion chopped
1 T canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper (Dan uses 1 tsp)
1 T curry powder- I used McCormick regular (not spicy) curry powder, it sounds like a lot, but it is a curry soup
1-1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 dried Anaheim chile chopped
6 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup white wine
3 green onions sliced
3 cloves garlic chopped
3 celery stalks chopped
3 carrots chopped
12 frozen pot stickers
3/4 cup frozen peas
Garnish with cilantro

Prep your raw vegetables and dried chile.

 Combine all your dry spices.

In large soup pan on medium low heat, add the canola oil and onions. Soften (sweat) onions for a few minutes and add your spice mixture and stir the spices into the softened onions. Let cook a few more minutes until the aroma is permeating your kitchen. Add the wine, broth and the rest of the fresh vegetables and dried chile. Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat to a very low simmer.

Simmer broth and vegetables on stove top for 45 minutes covered. Now add the pot stickers, cook 5 minutes with lid on. Add your peas, cook another 2 minutes and your soup is done. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Super fabulous dish Dan and Jerry. Thank you both once again for inspiring me!

Rx from Dr Dalton: Amped Up Hot Asian Soup

This is a re-mix of an Asian soup that I made a few years ago that knocked the flu bug out of me like nobody's business. This year I feel a stronger medicinal soup is in order. I can't say it works yet as I've only had one dose, but have faith my friends, it's a delicious concoction of spices that will definately let you forget your ailments while you're enjoying it. And don't forget to use your napkin every few minutes- not to wipe your chin, but to blow your nose. It's better than any over the counter remedy I've found, and it's simple as simple can be. What would you expect from a cook with the flu? Get ready- it will be done in 30-40 minutes.

Amped Up Spicy Asian Potsticker Soup
Serves 3 or 4

32 oz low fat/low salt chicken broth
2 cups water
Zest of 2 limes
3 cloves garlic chopped or zested
3 T ginger chopped or zested
3 scallions chopped
3 T fish sauce
1 T Splenda no calorie sugar substitute
1 T soy sauce
2-3 Fresno chilis sliced in rings, seeds removed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Juice of 2 limes
4 oz mushrooms sliced (optional)
6 frozen chicken potstickers (I use the Tai Pei)
1/2 cup frozen peas

GARNISH
2 scallions chopped
Sambal Olek (Thai chili paste)
1 -2 T soy sauce
sesame oil

There is nothing difficult about making this soup. But you do have to infuse the aromatics in the store bought broth and water. That's the only time you have to think about anything. So prepare your aromatics- the ginger, garlic, lime zest and scallions.

Heat a medium to large saucepan with chicken broth and water and add the aromatics. Cook uncovered for about 15 minutes. You can smell the goodness already, right?

We don't want our broth to be clouded with pieces of ginger, garlic, scallions and lime zest so the simple solution is to strain them out of the broth and just enjoy the flavors they bring to the dish, Take a strainer and pour your broth into a separate bowl and discard the goop.

Take a taste of the broth. I always do. So far, I've got an exotic flavor that appeals to me. Pour clear broth back in your cooking pot and add what you think fits into you flavor world. I like to add a little sugar (I use Splenda), fish sauce, chilis for heat, lime juice and soy sauce. Cook about 3 more minutes.Taste the soup again and see if you want another spice or flavor in there. I like Sambal Olek (but I save it for a garnish and it works great for me).

Now it's time to add the vegetables. Today I had sliced mushrooms and peas. Perfect for me, not so much for Dan Clark, but I think he could eat this soup sans veggies. I added the mushrooms and cooked them for 7 minutes. Then I added my beloved potstickers and cooked them for 5 minutes (covered). I then added the peas, cooked another 2 minutes and got ready to plate. Don't forget to add the Sambal, and as a decadent addition, the soy sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil. If my flu doesn't disappear soon, my next post might be an elixer that has root vegetables that you have to rub on your chest until spring. Lets hope it doesn't come to this.

On a happier note, doesn't this soup look divine?

Mexican Chicken Soup

I'm loving my internet cooking friends. Their recipes are tried and true and they are sure helping me out these days. I'm getting ready for the World Food Championships which is less than three weeks away and there is hardly any time to make dinner. But a gal's got to eat something other than desserts, right? So last night I made Laura Lynn Lopez's Mexican Chicken Soup and wowzer! is this a great recipe. She makes hers in a crock pot, but I put this together on my stove top in about 35 minutes. Here's the recipe with a few of my additions (and omissions):

Mexican Chicken Soup
Inspired by Laura Lynn Lopez
Serves about 6

2 Idaho potatoes peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie from my market)
1-1/2 cups frozen corn
1 can Campbells cream of potato soup
1 can Campbell's cream of chicken soup
1 4 oz can diced green chiles undrained
2 T minced fresh cilantro
1 package taco seasoning mix (I used Old El Paso Hot and Spicy)
3 cups chicken broth
8 oz sour cream (I omitted this ingredient but if I had some on hand I would have certainly used it)
4 oz jalapeno pepper Velveeta cheese cubed (I used the 2% plain because that's what was in my fridge)

Directions:
Cook diced potatoes for about 12 minutes on stove, starting potatoes in cold water. Drain and set aside. In large soup pot combine chicken, corn, both canned soups, chicken broth, cilantro, cooked potatoes and taco seasoning. Stir until heated and smooth. Now cook on low for about 10 minutes. Add your cheese and serve. Delish!

I just reheated this tonight and added some chopped bacon and home made corn chips as a garnish.
Thank you Laura, I love your recipes.  

Frugal

Last night I indulged in baked chimichangas, and tonight I used whatever was left over and put together a pretty fabulous soup. It's not too spicy, but it is super flavorful. I used the remaining brown rice, black bean and sirloin mixture. And then I decided that diced carrots and celery, chopped onion and a little more garlic would be nice. Some chicken stock and spices made an appearance in the pot, not to mention chopped tomatoes and leftover enchilada sauce. It's looks like a lot of ingredients, but it's a pretty quick fix considering you're using leftovers and opening cans and spice jars.

Chopped Sirloin, Black Bean and Rice Soup

Left over sirloin, bean and rice mixture (recipe posted last night)
1 T olive or canola oil- I used olive
1 small onion chopped
1 carrot diced
1 small celery stalk diced
1 large garlic clove minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional)
1 T cilantro
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Left over black beans mashed (last night I only used a cup)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (I use no salt added)
1 14.5 can fat free chicken broth
1/2 cup enchilada sauce (I use medium-heat Carlita)
Lime juice
Grated cheese (I used Sargento's 2% cheddar)
Sour cream  or yogurt for garnish
Diced avocado for garnish
Additional cilantro (I had no more so I omitted)
Sliced scallions for garnish (I had one left and am saving it for tomorrow)

Prep your vegetables.

In large soup pot on medium to low heat, add the oil. Then the onions, carrots and celery. Let these vegetables soften a bit and add the garlic. And then the spices- cumin, cayenne, cilantro, salt, pepper, ground chili and oregano. Turn heat to low, cover and let the flavors get to know one another.

Add the left over rice, bean and sirloin combo and mix with the vegetables. Then add the mashed black beans and combine. Now it's time to give this aromatic mixture a bath. Add the broth, diced tomatoes, and enchilada sauce. Let simmer, covered on low about 15 minutes.

While soup is simmering, make Lynn Socko's crispy tortilla chips. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees, line a baking sheet with foil and dust with cooking spray. Slice 3 or 4 six inch tortillas into quarters. Place chips on prepared foil, give them a spritz of cooking spray and sprinkle with Mrs Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning Blend. Bake 6-7 minutes.

Soup's done. Chips are done. To each bowl of soup, add some grated cheese, a squeeze of fresh lime juice and any of the garnishes suggested, but certainly don't leave out the homemade chips. They're super yummy and fabulous for scooping out the melted cheese and all the other goodies in the soup.

Is It Soup Yet?

Remember that commercial? It was years ago, it was Campbell's and it was ever so comforting. My mom used to make a mushroom and barley soup that I absolutely adored- chock full of vegetables, aromatic, and when she made it, it always reminded me of that commercial. But ours was home made. Unfortunately she never gave me the recipe. So this weekend I decided to do my best to recreate this soup. And I did it!

Barley, Mushroom and Vegetable Soup
Inspired by Elaine Dalton

3/4 cup barley
2 T olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
4 small carrots diced, 1/2 inch
2 stalks celery diced 1/2 inch
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
8 cups of liquid- I used three 14.5 oz cans of fat free chicken broth and water
3/4 cup split peas
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
8 oz button mushrooms sliced

In medium size pot cook barley according to package directions (usually about 45 minutes). While barley is cooking, begin the soup prep.

In large pot on low heat, add olive oil, chopped carrots, onions, celery, garlic and Old Bay Seasoning. Cover and sweat the veggies until soft (8 minutes or so) stirring occasionally. When veggies are soft, add chicken broth and water, bring to a boil and add split peas. Bring back to a boil, lower heat and simmer covered for 45 minutes.

Add salt, pepper, and mushrooms and simmer 15 minutes more. Add cooked barley, stir and serve. This recipe makes 4-6 servings. Enjoy.

It's soup now and dinner is ready. I had some fabulous rosemary-infused artisan Italian bread on hand, so I grilled it, placed it on top of my steaming bowl of soup, and enjoyed this tasty bowl of goodness just like I used to in mom's kitchen.

Umm-Umm Good

In all my years of cooking, I have never attempted to make split pea soup. I love it out of a can, but really, how much extra salt does a body need? My mom used to make it and it seemed like it took forever. The rinsing and soaking, and whatever other rituals she used to go through kind of turned me off to preparing it from scratch. Well yesterday I was in the market doing my weekly dash down the aisles and I picked up a bag of split peas, got home, chopped some veggies and within the hour had a steaming, delectable pot of soup that I'll certainly make again, and again, and again. It was just so easy.

Turkey Bacon and Split Pea Soup

Serves 4

2 tsp canola oil

2 carrots diced

2 ribs of celery diced

1 cup onions diced

3 slices turkey bacon diced

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

6 oz dried split peas

1 14.5 oz can low sodium, fat free chicken broth

4-1/2 cups water

In a colander, rinse peas under running water and check for any stones or debris that may be hidden. I didn't find anything, but it's good to check. Set aside.

Heat oil in large pot over medium to low heat. Add onions, carrots, celery and bacon. Add salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables and bacon soften but do not brown (about 10 minutes). Add chicken stock, water and split peas and bring to boil. Cover pot, lower heat to simmer and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with croutons for garnish.

Re-mix: Since this was my first time making this soup, I took the simple route and didn't add any exotic seasonings. Next time I will add a 1/2 teaspoon of cumin for a bit more warmth, and a dash of ground cayenne pepper for some heat. Tonight I reheated the soup and enjoyed it with a grilled brie and pepper jelly flat bread sandwich. Umm-umm good.