Frigid conditions have gripped New York this week. Snowy too. Days are getting shorter and nights longer. Winter is here. So what am I thinking we should have for dinner? Soup. The ultimate in comfort food.
Nothing beats a steaming bowl of hot soup on a cold winter day. It’s also the cure for anything that ails you. Just ask my mother.
Serve soup with a warm piece of crusty bread and, voila, a complete meal. Another great thing about soup is that it’s even tastier the following day. My son loves to heat up a cup after a long day of school. It’s not only delicious but nutritious too. So here are a few of my favorites. These are easy recipes that fill your kitchen with wonderful aromas but more importantly are chock full of flavor, color and texture.
Baked Caramelized Onion Soup with Gruyere Croutons
2 tbs canola oil
9 Cups (approx 4 large) Vidalia or Spanish onions, thinly sliced
3 tsp sugar
3 cups chicken stock and 3 ½ cups beef stock or 6 ½ cups chicken stock
salt and pepper, to taste
Croutons
4 ½ inch thick slices of baguette
1 clove garlic, split
1 cup gruyere cheese, grated
1. Heat oil in a pot over medium high heat.
2. When hot, add the onions and mix well
3. Place wax paper over the onions to cover them (allowing the onions to sweat) and cover with a lid.
4. Cook slowly for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are very soft.
5. Remove the paper and stir in the sugar and cook until the onions take on a light brown color and are caramelized (approx 20 minutes). Watch carefully during this process and remove the pot from the heat frequently while you stir the edges into the mixture.
6. Add the stock.
7. Simmer covered for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Preheat oven to 250 degrees and bake the baguette slices until lightly toasted.
9. Remove the croutons and rub with garlic.
10. Place a crouton for each serving in a deep ovenproof bowl and ladle the hot soup over the croutons.
11. Divide the cheese into 4 equal portions and sprinkle each bowl and place under the broiler until the cheese is browned and sizzling.
12. Serve immediately.
Tortilla Soup
6 – 6” tortillas
6 Tbs olive oil
6-8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups onions, finely chopped
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp coriander
½ tsp cayenne (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes, drained
8 cups chicken stock
1 package frozen corn
1. Cut tortillas in ½” wide strips. Saute in 4 Tbs oil until lightly brown and crisp. Set aside on paper towel when done.
2. In a pot, heat the remaining olive oil. Brown garlic.
3. Add onions, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Stir until soft.
4. Add salt, tomatoes, and 1/3 of tortilla strips.
5. Add broth and cook for 25 minutes.
6. Add corn. Cook 10 more minutes.
7. Serve with extra tortilla chips and condiments.
Condiments
Avocado or guacomole
Monterey jack cheese, shredded
Sour cream
French fries (a.k.a. ‘chips’ in other countries) are a huge favorite around the globe, but they often come with a high health price tag. Deep fried and covered in salt, they aren’t so good for a body, but cooked with less oil and a controlled amount of salt, their true flavor and healthful attributes, like potassium, iron, vitamin C and fiber, can shine through.
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