Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Soup

Here in Northern California I think we skipped straight from summer to winter. One week the temperatures where in the 80s, the next in the 50s. {I know most of you don't consider that winter temperatures, but for us that is cold!}

My favorite thing to make when the temperatures drop is a large pot of soup to warm up chilly bodies. Plus, soup recipes always seem to make enough for plenty of leftovers -- one thing I'll never complain about!

Today's recipe is perfect for lunch, dinner, and snacks in between. A cheesy soup with plenty of protein packed in by adding chicken to the mix. Toss in broccoli and you practically have a one pot meal!

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Soup 

adapted from a recipe by Six Sisters' Stuff

 

2 - 2 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts, diced after cooking

onion, diced

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c. butter

1 c. flour

8 c. reserved chicken broth

2 heads of broccoli, heads cut off into bite size pieces

1 1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. garlic powder

1 t. black pepper

1/2 t. cayenne pepper

1 c. whole milk

5 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated (not packed)

Ahead of time, fill a large stock pot half full with water and place your chicken breasts inside. Boil over high heat for about 30-40 minutes, until cooked through. Reserve water to use as broth and allow chicken to cool.

Heat butter over medium high heat in a large stock pot. Add onion and garlic, cooking for about 5 minutes until onion is softened. Add in flour, stirring well so that is does not burn to bottom of the pan, for about one minute. Slowly add in chicken broth, stirring well after each cup addition. Throw in diced chicken and broccoli, along with the spices and salt. Bring to a slow boil and cook for 30 minutes.

Add in milk and cheese, stirring until cheese is melted in.

Makes about 6-8 servings as a main dish.

Wonderful served with sourdough bread or multigrain crackers.

Return: French Lentil Soup

Folks, we've returned. I know you probably thought this site was defunct, one for the cyber graveyards, but, c'mon, I wouldn't leave you like that! :)

I've been in a whirlwind of activity these past few months, preparing for our wedding, celebrating THE BEST day of my life marrying my best friend, and enjoying our honeymoon adventure in Europe.

But now we're back to 'every day reality,' hitting the road running. Settling into our new apartment, job searching, cooking, baking, creating....oh, how I've missed it.

Europe was unusually cold this year. As I mentioned in my previous post, we've had spring-like weather in California starting in December. Not so in other parts of the world. Rome experienced snow this year -- first time in 26 years. It snowed there on our wedding day, so we didn't actually witness the snowfall, but we were tempted to start a snowball fight at the Vatican when we arrived, upon discovering large piles of snow in St. Peter's Square.

Even Barcelona forgot about its Mediterranean climate and decided to head north for the winter. Luckily, we brought along our heavy, warm coats. Although both of us have lived in locations with chilly winter weather (Virginia and Michigan), it was still a bit of a shock to the system being acclimated only to mild temperatures thus far this winter.

And then, it was 75 degrees Farenheit when we hit the tarmac back in California. I was a tad disappointed as I had a small collection of soup recipes I'd been itching to try. But Mother Nature did a 180 the past few days, and we've been thrown back into winter for a bit with a smattering of rain and hail. Ready to make the most of it! :)

Soup's on!

French Lentil Soup

Adapted from epicurious.com

2 c. onions, diced

1 c. carrots, diced

1 c. celery, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 T. olive oil

1 1/4 c. lentils, rinsed and drained

1 - 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes

4 c. vegetable broth

1 t. oregano

1 t. basil

salt and pepper, to taste

grated parmesan cheese (opt.)

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic, stirring frequently, cook until browned - about 15 minutes.

Mix in lentils, tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Mix in spices and turn down to medium-low; cover. Allow to simmer on stove for about 40-45 minutes, until lentils are softened. (Add extra liquid as needed.)

Serve warm with grated parmesan cheese.

French Onion Soup

We finally had a bit of winter weather here in Northern California this past week. Perhaps we'll be able to hit the slopes now on real snow. Although.....it has come back around to high 60's, Spring-like weather within 24 hours, so it will probably be melted before I can hit 'publish' on this post.

The day of heavy rains, I pulled out all the stops on my comfort food inclinations. Much tea was consumed. Grilled cheese sandwiches. Crockpot stew accompanied by warm French dipping bread. French onion soup with lots of gooey cheese.

This was my first encounter with French onion soup. Stephen's been talking about it every time there is a drop of rain from sky. After 48 hours non-stop, it was time.

Caramelized onions steeped in a rich beef broth, topped in a generous layer of cheese-covered bread. It doesn't get much better than this. Well, maybe enjoying it in a Paris bistro. But this is considerably less expensive....

French Onion Soup

3 large onions, finely sliced

2 T. olive oil

dash of sugar

2-4 cloves of garlic, minced

4 c. beef stock

1/3 c. dry red wine

1 bay leaf

1/4 t. dried thyme

salt and pepper, to taste

slices of French bread

1/2 c. grated Gruyere or other Swiss cheese (I used Jarlsburg)

Heat olive oil in a deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute for about 30-40 minutes, adding sugar after about 10 minutes to aid in the caramelization process. Watch them carefully, stirring every few minutes to ensure they don't burn. Scrap up burnt bits from the bottom, as these greatly enhance the flavor of the soup. The onions are done when they are soft and browned. Stir in garlic, cooking for about 1 minute to unlock the flavor.

Pour in beef stock and red wine. Mix in thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Allow it to cook for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using oven-proof bowls or ramekins, pour a serving into each bowl. Top with a piece of bread (or a few if it is a small baguette) and sprinkle a generous helping of cheese on top. Place in oven about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Enjoy with additional bread to soak up the delicious broth and a glass of the leftover red wine.

We ate leftovers the next day with grilled cheese sandwiches...mmmm, yum!

Red Lentil Lemon Soup

Still in recovery mode from Thursday? 

I know I am.

That's why I went on the healthier, lighter side today and made this tasty soup.

This is the soup that finally came to be after that mishap last week. You didn't think I would give up on it, did you?

It was worth the wait.

The flavor of this red lentil soup is unique. It uses a combination of turmeric, cumin, mustard seed, cilantro and lemon. Seemingly wacky combination, but not in the least bit odd together.

I love the flavor, especially topped with Greek yogurt. That ingredient is a must.

Takes about 20 to 30 minutes to prepare and is even better the second day so be sure to make plenty.

You'll find the recipe over at 101 Cookbooks.

Happy Mistake: Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

"I need red lentils for the soup. There are the red lentils. Oh, they're so vibrant! They almost look like they're glowing. Well, I've substituted the dark ones before. There probably isn't much of a difference in flavor....why are you so intimidated by the bright ones?!?"

This was what was going on in my cerebral cortex as I was scanning the bulk bins at the grocery store. Despite the whole debate going on in my head, guess what I didn't buy.

Lentils.

I bought green split peas.

And what's worse, is that I didn't realize this until after I had purchased the other ingredients for the lentil soup, was gathering everything to cook, rinsed off the peas, placed them in the water and was about to stick them on the stove to boil.

All of a sudden, I had a revelation.

"Those aren't lentils."

Wow, Laurel, wow.

I got a phone call.

"How's dinner coming along?"

"I'm not sure."

"Huh??"

"There will have to be a Plan B because I failed to buy the main ingredient for the soup. I bought split peas."

"You can always make a substitution."

Great diversion, rescuing the floodgates from spillage.

Substitution it is.


The lentil soup recipe I was going to use is from the lovely Heidi Swanson over at 101 Cookbooks. I quickly researched a split pea recipe on her blog and stumbled upon this. Thankfully, everything I needed for that recipe was on hand as well. The lemon juice and zest really give it a wonderful zing that excites your tastebuds for something as simple as split pea soup. She has some of the best soup recipes, all vegetarian. Be sure to check them out as the rainy season descends upon us.

Soup's On!

I have been patiently waiting for the arrival of Autumn. The aromas, the flavors, the warmth of Fall foods produce a great sense of comfort I look forward to as the days cool and shorten.

It's been slow arriving this year. We've been 'enjoying' an Indian summer here with several days in the triple digits last week. (Spare the air days at the end of September?!) We've been taunted by cooler evenings, but the days have remained warm.

I've been flipping through my cookbooks over the past few weeks, dog-earing delicious soup recipes. Waiting, waiting, waiting.....

Yesterday, it arrived. Between the clouds and my cold, the time had finally come for some good, ol' fashioned soup-making.

Although this recipe is enough to feed a family of 12, this is not a problem if this does not fit your family profile. Just freeze the remainder or host a dinner party. Your friends will thank you, I promise.

This soup is very easy to cook, although preparation time is about 30 minutes. A sharp knife will ease the process.

Vegetable Soup

adapted from French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano

2 potatoes

1 onion, peeled and quartered

2 garlic cloves, peeled

salt and pepper, to taste

4 leeks

1/2 small cabbage

3 celery ribs

2 turnips

4 carrots

4 T. butter

2 c. canned whole or chopped tomatoes

2 sprigs of parsley

basil (fresh is best, but I used dried)

2 bay leaves

Peel, wash, and chop potatoes. Place in small pot with onions, garlic and salt and pepper. Cover with water and boil until tender. Drain and set aside.

Wash other vegetables and chop them. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in an 8 or 15 qt. pot. Add vegetables and 'sweat' them for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add tomatoes, potatoes, onion and garlic, and cover with water. Place parsley, basil and bay leaves in pot, stirring in. Cook until all vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes). Remove the bay leaves. Drain and reserve the liquid.

Puree the cooked vegetables in a food processor. (I used a blender which caused the soup to be a bit thicker in the final analysis.) Use the reserved liquid to thin out your soup. (I didn't use much because I like a thicker soup.)

Adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Before serving, add a dollop of creme fraiche. Can be enjoyed hot or cold.