Soup Recipes

SIMPLE YET ASTOUNDING PUMPKIN SOUP

There are a variety of recipes for pumpkin soup, some are quite simple to prepare, some come with a splash of spice, all of them tend to be perfect for that simple dinner party you have in mind, a great way to entertain those taste buds for you and you guests.
When we think of pumpkins, we tend to think of pumpkin patches, pumpkin pie, Fall, Halloween, here is a recipe that will spice up your taste buds, any time of the year!

INGREDIENTS:

2 15oz CANS OF PURE PUMPKIN (found in any grocery store, anytime!)

4 CUPS OF WATER

1 CUP HALF AND HALF

1 GARLIC CLOVE, PRESSED (if you don’t have a garlic press, mincing will work as well.)

¼ CUP PURE MAPLE SYRUP

4 TBSP. BUTTER, UNSALTED

½ TSP. CHINESE FIVE SPICE POWDER (Recipe is attached below)

4oz FRESH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS, STEAMED AND SLICED


GET READY!

In a large saucepan, combine pure pumpkin, water, half and half and pressed garlic. Bring to a light simmer over Medium to High heat. Make sure to whisk often, and keep a close eye on the mixture..
Whisk syrup, 2 tbsp of butter, and five spice powder. Simmer for 10 minutes, while continuing to whisk often.
Season with salt and pepper if preferred.
While your mixture continues to simmer, take the remaining 2 tbsp of butter, and melt in a medium skillet over Medium to High heat.
Add mushrooms, sauté for ten minutes, or until tender.
Sprinkle soup with mushrooms
SERVE!

This recipe makes 6 individual servings. It is recommended to serve in separate bowls before adding the mushrooms.





NOTES:

This soup can be prepared one day in advance if preferred. Cover and chill, when ready to serve, bring to a simmer before serving.

If you’re having trouble finding the Chinese five spice powder, finding the ingredients for it at the market should not be a hard job, and neither should the preparation, here are the simple steps to creating your own five spice powder!

PREPARING FIVE SPICE POWDER

When thinking about this certain type of Chinese mixture, people tend to assume that only five spices are used to create this recipe, this is not entirely true. It is said that the five spice powder represents the five elements for balance: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Metal. These five elements are used in order to balance our inner life energy, also known as our Chi.
It is recommended that you use whole spices, instead of already ground because it tends to hold in the flavor instead of simply drowning it out.

INGREDIENTS:

1oz STAR ANISE

1oz CINNAMON

1oz SICHUAN PEPPERCORN

1oz CUMIN SEEDS

½ oz CLOVE

¼ oz CORRIANDAR SEEDS

A pinch of Black Cardamom simply for taste, always optional.

Over medium heat, roast each spice separately until odorous. Each spice may take different amounts of time to roast, so it’s best to use separate pans. When each spice is cooled down to room temperature, grind each spice in grinder, again separately, then blend all spices together in a large bowl.
Good to go!








Chicken soup: for more than just your soul, for your heart as well.

We all know that chicken soup is one of the most traditional and popular soups among soups. This is the type or recipe mother’s love to use when that nasty cold or flu emerges, and it seems nothing else will help for that sore throat or stuffed nose.

INGREDIENTS:

1 TBSP OLIVE OIL

1 WHOLE CHICKEN, BREASTS REMOVED

2 ONIONS

2 QT. BOILING WATER

2 BAY LEAVES

1 LG. CARROT

1 CELERY STALK

½ TSP. DRIED THYME

¼ C. FRESH PARSLEY LEAVES

SALT AND GROUND PEPPER (TO TASTE)


GETTING STARTED:

Dice onions
Peel carrot and cut into ¼ in. pieces.
Cut celery into ½ in. pieces.
Mince Parsley leaves.
Cut breasts from chicken and set aside
Cut remaining chicken into small pieces, and set aside.


START COOKING!

Heat oil in large soup pot, or large sauce pan. Once oil is heated place chicken breasts in the pot, and sauté until light brown, roughly 5 minutes. Remove chicken, and set aside.
Add half of the diced onions into the pot and sauté until onions appear to be clear, 4-5 minutes. Take onions from pot and set aside.
The remaining part of the chicken needs to be cut into small pieces, and cooked for 8-10 minutes, or until the pinkness had subsided.
Place onions back into the pot, cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
Add boiling water, chicken breasts, 2tsp. salt and bay leaves. Stir, and cover, simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken breasts are cooked all the way through.
Carefully remove chicken breasts from broth, and set aside.
Skim the fat from the broth, and set aside
Be sure to reserve 2TBSP of fat for the veggies.
Sauté reserved fat with remaining onions, celery, and carrots, sauté for 5 minutes.
Remove bones and skin from chicken breasts
Shred chicken and add to the pot.
Add thyme and remaining broth
Simmer until veggies are tender
Use salt and pepper to season
Garnish with parsley
Serve

**Another tasty variation that would make this soup even more dazzling would be to add noodles or pasta shells. Simply place simmer them with the veggies, and cook until tender. **