Ina Garten’s Summer Borscht

INA GARTEN’S SUMMER BORSCHT

5 medium fresh beets (about 2 pounds without tops)
Kosher salt
2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
16 ounces sour cream, plus extra for serving
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups medium-diced English cucumber, seeds removed
1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus extra for serving


Place the beets in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook uncovered until the beets are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the beets to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and also set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the beet cooking liquid, the chicken stock, sour cream, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper. Peel the cooled beets with a small paring knife or rub the skins off with your hands. Cut the beets in small to medium dice. Add the beets, cucumber, scallions, and dill to the soup. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Season, to taste, and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and an extra sprig of fresh dill.

Haylee’s Note:

I found a list of 100 foods to try before you die, and borscht was on the list.  I thought it was going to be nasty, and I was just going to eat it so say that I had, but it was actually VERY good!  So good in fact, that I would make it again!  You can find the original recipe HERE.

Fabio Vivani’s Cold Gazpacho

FABIO VIVANI’S COLD GAZPACHO

1 quart tomato juice

2 red bell peppers

1 green jalapeno

1 large English cucumber

20 leaves of fresh basil

pinch salt

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

6 Canned plum tomatoes

additional basil leaves for garnish

extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Pour tomato juice into a jar blender. Slice one red pepper, the entire jalepeno, and half of the cucumber, and add to blender. Add basil leaves, pinch of salt, and red wine vinegar.  Slice three of the canned plum tomatoes, and add to blender.  Puree until no chunks remain.  Transfer soup to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until ready to serve.  To serve, ladle soup into bowls.  Dice the remaining red bell pepper, cucumber, and plum tomatoes.  Chop basil for garnish.  Generously garnish each bowl with diced tomatoes, cucumber, basil, and red peppers.  Drizzle with olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Haylee’s Note:

My husband, Darin, saw this recipe on Yahoo.  When he told me about it, honestly I didn’t think is sounded very good, but I was AMAZED at how delicious it actually was!  I don’t think it gets much healthier, especially since we made our own tomato juice, and everything had JUST been picked out of our garden!  For the original recipe click HERE.

Soup in a Pumpkin

SOUP IN A PUMPKIN

10-16 lb. pumpkin
Butter
2 ½ c fresh white bread crumbs
½ tsp. pepper
2 c minced onion
1/2 c butter
1 Tbsp. celery seed
1/2 c. grated Swiss cheese
2 qts. Chicken stock
½ tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
1 c. heavy cream
¼ c parsley
1 c grated cheddar cheese

Cut lid off pumpkin. Remove seeds. Rub inside of lid with butter. Bake the bread crumbs in oven on a cookie sheet at 350 for 15 min. Sauté onions until tender. Add bread crumbs and celery seed and stir until covered completely and cook for 3 min. Pour into prepared pumpkin. Add cheeses, stock, and remaining seasonings. Place lid on the pumpkin, place the pumpkin on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 1 ½ hours, until pumpkin has softened. Bring the cream to a simmer then add to pumpkin. When serving, scrape the sides of the pumpkin with the ladle so that bits of pumpkin will be added to the soup. Serve with hot rolls and green salad. Makes 8-10 servings

Haylee’s Note:

One of my friends made this soup for me a long time ago, and I thought it was the BEST thing I had EVER had. After a few years, I tracked her down and got the recipe. I don’t know if I didn’t follow the recipe well, or if I just had pregnancy stomach, or if it just wasn’t as good as I remembered, but this recipe was only ok to me. However, I took the leftovers the next day, put it in the blender and tweaked it a little, and I LOVED it the second day. So, maybe play around with this one, and let me know what you think!

Pho

PHO

1 roast (beef or pork)
2 quarts chicken stock
1 onion, quarted
2 ounces whole star anise pods
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced thin
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 1/2 pounds dried flat rice noodles

TOPPINGS:
sriracha hot pepper sauce
hoisin sauce
thinly sliced red onion
chopped fresh cilantro
bean sprouts
sweet Thai basil
thinly sliced green onion
limes, quartered

Directions
Place the all ingredients except for the noodles in a Crockpot. Cook for 6 hours.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Soak the rice noodles in water for about 20 minutes, then cook in boiling water until soft, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Shred the roast or slice it paper thin. Place some noodles into each bowl, and top with beef and ladle boiling broth over the beef and noodles in the bowl. Serve with hoisin sauce and sriracha sauce on the side. Set onion, cilantro, bean sprouts, basil, green onions, and lime out at the table for individuals to add toppings to their liking.


Haylee’s Note:
I took 2 Pho recipes and combined it into this one. If you want to try a more mild pho you can use Rachael Ray’s recipe, or you can find some that are even more authentic using ox tail. We really like this dish. It was really fun to try all the different spices. It was such an interesting combination of flavors, but it really worked! We will be making this again soon! Enjoy!

Black Bean Soup

BLACK BEAN SOUP

1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 larch green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 can diced tomatoes with juices
1 can diced green chilies
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 can chicken broth
4 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

Saute onion, peppers, and garlic with the oil until tender. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and cilantro.

Haylee’s Note:
I got the beginning of this recipe off of the can of tomatoes. But, I usually am not a good recipe follower, so this is what the recipe turned into. The original doesn’t call for green peppers, chicken, cheese, or cilantro. And it calls for less cumin, and also calls for red wine vinegar. We LOVED this recipe! My parents came down last night and tried it, and now dad wants the recipe so they can have it again tonight!! Defiantly a winner!! Give it a try!! Delicious!!

Egg Drop Soup

EGG DROP SOUP

4 cups chicken broth (divided)
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 eggs
1 egg yolk

Reserve 3/4 cup of chicken broth, and pour the rest into a large saucepan. Stir the salt, ginger and chives into the saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the remaining broth and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk together using a fork. Drizzle egg a little at a time from the fork into the boiling broth mixture. Egg should cook immediately. Once the eggs have been dropped, stir in the cornstarch mixture gradually until the soup is the desired consistency.

Haylee’s Note:
I couldn’t believe how easy this recipe was!! It was so good too!! The only thing I did differently was to stir in the cornstarch mixture before adding the eggs. For the original recipe click here.

Split Pea Soup

SPLIT PEA SOUP

1 lb (2 1/4 cups) green split peas
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 large potatoes pealed and chopped
Salt and Pepper
Splash of Worcestershire sauce

Boil split peas for 1-2 hours until soft. Boil the rest of the vegetables until soft. Puree all ingredients in blender until smooth. Season to taste.

Haylee’s Note:
This soup is really easy, and delicious on a cold day with a warm slice of homemade wheat bread! My family also likes to add ham, me not so much. But, we did add a little sour cream to ours and that was a tasty change!

Grandma’s Mushroom Soup

GRANDMA’S MUSHROOM SOUP

Saute:
1 lb. mushrooms
4 tbsp. Butter

Add:
3 tbsp. flour
2 c. 1/2 and 1/2
2 cans chicken broth
Onion salt
2 pkg. cooked wild rice
Salt and pepper

Haylee’s Note:
So really, this soup is AMAZING!!! But, how can in not be with all that butter and half and half!! Mmmmm!! YUM! Try it! I know you’ll love it!

White Bean & Chicken Soup

WHITE BEAN AND CHICKEN SOUP

1 lb chicken, cut into small cubes
1 can diced Green chilies
olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
2 cans white kidney or navy beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups chicken broth

Toppings: Shredded cheese, sour cream and minced fresh cilantro

Sauté chicken and green chilies over medium heat, until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the chicken and chilies into a 3 quart slow cooker. In the same pan used to cook the chicken, sauté the onions, garlic and Jalapeno. Sprinkle in the oregano and cumin. Cook for 1 or 2 min, until the onions are tender. Place into the slow cooker. In a small bowl, mash 1 cup of the beans, then stir in 1/2 cup broth, stir until blended. Add to the slow cooker with the remaining beans and broth.
Cover and cook on low for 3 1/2 hours. Stir before serving. Sprinkle on your choice of toppings.

Haylee's Note:
I got this recipe from Ok, Maybe Just a Sliver and we absolutely loved this recipe!! We didn't put the jalapeno in because I didn't have any, and we only topped with cilantro, but this was one of my favorite soups!! Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
3 tbsp. butter
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. beef broth
1 can corn
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp fresh cilantro
1 can tomatoes
1 (12 oz.) can tomato paste
3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 c. shredded Colby jack cheese
Salt to taste

Sauté onion and garlic in butter. Put all remaining ingredients together in a pot. Cook until warm. You can add tortilla strips into your soup or put them on top of your soup. You may also enjoy topping your soup with sour cream, cilantro, cheese, and more tortilla strips.

Haylee’s Note:
I had never made chicken tortilla soup before, and I LOVED IT!!! I saw 3-4 recipes that looked interesting, combined them and this is what I got. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Beef Stew

BEEF STEW

2 tbs. flour
1 1/2 c. water
2 beef bullion cubes
1 lb. beef stew meat
2 potatoes (pealed and cut in large bite pieces)
4 carrots (pealed and cut in large bite pieces)
2 onions chopped
1 can corn (drained)
1 can green beans (drained)
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 package beef gravy mix

Combine flour, water, and bullion cubes in crock pot. Add seasonings and vegetables. Cook in crock pot for 4-8 hours. Right before serving, mix in gravy mix. Serve warm.


Haylee’s Note:
I just made this recipe up. I think that there are probably better stew recipes out there, but I was really happy with the way it turned out for my first time making stew. I also just used cut up roast beef left over from Sunday dinner. You would probably want to cook your meat in olive oil before putting it in the crock pot if you are doing it fresh. My mom had beef stew every Monday growing up (using the leftovers from Sunday dinner) I think that is a great idea, because Darin and I always have lots of leftovers when we make a roast.

Hamburger Soup

HAMBURGER SOUP

1 lb hamburger
1 1/2 quarts water
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. potatoes
1 c. cabbage shredded
1/2 tsp pepper
3 carrots
1/2 c. celery
1 qt. tomato juice
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tbsp salt

Brown hamburger. Drain. Cut all vegetables bite size. Put everything together in a big pot. Cook 2 hours. Remove bay leaf.

Haylee’s Note:
Growing up I HATED this soup, but now I LOVE it! I didn’t have tomato juice when I made this last time so I just used a can of whole tomatoes and chopped the tomatoes a little smaller. I really liked it that way too!! Chunks of tomato are always good! This bowl of soup is delicious on a cold winter day, or in Bountiful, a snowy day in April!!

French Onion Soup

FRENCH ONION SOUP

2 can beef bullion
1/4 c. carrot
2 sprigs parsley
1/8 tsp. thyme
1/4 c diced onion
1/4 c celery
1 sm. Bay leaf

3 c. sliced onions
2 tbsp butter

Boil and simmer first 7 ingredients for 30 min. Strain and keep only the broth. Saute sliced onions and butter for 30 min. Add sauté onions to broth. Add consommé and 1 tsp Worcestershire. Simmer 30 more min. Sprinkle with mozzarella and garnish with fresh parsley. (You can also put a piece of toasted bread and melted mozzarella on the bottom.)

Haylee’s Note:
I LOVE this soup!! But, note for those breastfeeding—the baby will not like this soup the next day!! My mom likes to put a piece of cheese on toast at the bottom of the soup, and I don’t like the soggy bread, so I just do it on the side. But I do like the melted mozzarella on top! Enjoy!

Chili

CHILI 1 lb. kidney beans softened 2 lb. can pureed tomatoes 1 lb. browned hamburger 2 med. Onions chopped 1 can pork and beans (opt) 2 cloves minced garlic Salt and pepper 2 tbs. chili powder 1/3 c. brown sugar Brown hamburger and onions. Add all other ingredients in a Crockpot. Cook on low for 10-12 hours or high 5-6 hours. Haylee's Note: This is a really yummy chili! It is really easy too!

Spaghetti Soup

SPAGHETTI SOUP

4 c. water
4 oz. uncooked spaghetti broken in small pieces
1 (26 oz) can spaghetti sauce
1 lb ground beef
onion
seasonings, as desired

Brown and drain beef with onion. Add Italian seasonings and others and desired. Miz water, spaghetti, sauce, beef, and seasonings. Cook 10-20 min.

Haylee's Note:
My friend Nannete made this for me after Matthew was born. I don't think I would have ever made this without trying it first, but it was REALLY good! I thought it was just going to be like runny spaghetti, but it was actually really a soup, and very good! I will be making this soon!

Kim Chi Stew

KIM CHI STEW

Boil for 10 minutes:

2 c. Water
2 c. Kim chi
1 tbs. red pepper flakes
1/2 tbs. fish salt
1 can of tuna fish (drained)
1 tbs. sesame oil

Last couple of minutes drop in:
1 package tofu cut up into big chunks.

Serve warm over rice.

Haylee’s Note:
This is one of our absolute favorites! I love this because there are so many variations that you can do with Kim chi stew! We like to make a pot of the kimchi and put it in the middle of the table, and everyone gets a bowl of rice. Then, you pick up a piece of Kim chi from the pot, and fill each piece with rice.

Darin has also made a yummy kim chi soup with coke and brown sugar. You can also try adding other veggies in if you’d like. Play around with it! Yum!

Miso Soup

MISO SOUP

3 cups water
3-4 tbs. miso paste
5 chopped green onions
tofu (optional)

Boil water. Add paste and mix. Add tofu and onions. Serve warm.

Haylee's Note:
Darin makes this and it is SOOO yummy!! This is a Japanese soup that Darin had on the mission often. Darin does different variations with this soup such as adding honey, soy, etc. You can play with it and see what you like. I also have found a recipe that uses dashi soup stock instead of water. I'd like to try that! I really like it best with the tofu, but we didn't have any tonight. It was still tasty! Enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Soup

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

1 chicken carcass
6-7 c. water
2 tbs. chicken bouillon
1 c. cut up chicken breast
1 c. cubed carrots
1 c. cubed celery
1 c. cubed onions
2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp parsley
1 tsp thyme
Homemade noodles (See recipe)

Boil chicken carcass in water for 30 min. Add bouillon, vegitables, and spices. Cook until carrots are tender. Add chicken and homemade noodles. Cook for 5 more minutes. Add more seasoning to taste.

Haylee’s Note:
This soup is really yummy!! I also love how healthy/easy it is! This is a yummy way to use the “whole” chicken! We made this after buying one of those $5.00 Costco chickens. My dad makes this soup a lot after Thanksgiving—but obviously turkey noodle instead of chicken noodle! It is perfect on a cold day like today!

Homemade Noodles

HOMEMADE NOODLES

1 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 beaten egg
3 tbs. water

Mix dry ingredients first. Add beaten egg and water. Kneed until you get a smooth dough. Roll out as thin as you can and cut into long thin strips. Boil with soup.

Haylee’s Note:
I use this with my chicken noodle soup!! It is my favorite!

Easy Tomato Soup

EASY TOMATO SOUP

1 onion
1 tbs. butter
1 can whole tomatoes
1 can tomato soup
Salt
Pepper
1/4 c. cream cheese (softened and cut up in small cubes)
1/4 c. milk

Sauté chopped onions in butter. Add cream cheese. Drain can of tomatoes and cut in quarters. Add soup, milk, and tomatoes. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Haylee’s Note:
This makes your regular can of tomato soup a lot better. It is really fast and easy, but it is really good! My mom made this imitating soup kitchen’s tomato soup! It is one of my favorites! I especially love it with a grilled cheese sandwich!