Souper Trooper

Thai Curry Soup Recipe Card

• 64 oz. Chicken Broth
• 32 oz. Water
• 6 tbs. Fish Sauce
• 4 tbs. Lime Juice (about 2 limes)
• 8 Kaffir Lime Leaves
• 6- 4” pieces of Lemongrass
• 4 Thai Chilies, chopped in half
• 20 oz. Coconut Milk
• 3 tbs. Curry Paste of your choice
• 2 tbs. Tom Ka Kai Paste 
• 5 tbs. Palm Sugar or Brown Sugar
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 1.5 lb Thai Eggplant (I love their crunchy seeds)
• 1.25 lb Baby Bok Choy
• .5 lb Shitake Mushrooms
• 4 Bell Peppers
• 1 Red Onion
• 4 large carrots
• 2 Chicken Breasts

Simmer all of the above ingredients on low for about 45 minutes.  Don’t worry if its really bad tasting at this point. It needs many more ingredients before it gets yummy.

Strain your broth to remove the lemongrass, lime leaves, and chilies.

To the broth add the coconut milk, curry paste, Tom Ka Kai paste, sugar, and salt.

Heat through and you have your base broth.  This is where your preferences come in.  Feel free to add or eliminate any vegetables of your liking.  If you are a vegetarian, leave out the chicken.

Add the vegetables that will take longest to cook first.  I add my carrots and eggplant first. Let them cook for about 5 minutes, then add the peppers, onions, and chicken.  Let this cook about 10 minutes.  Finally add the bok choy and mushrooms and let the soup simmer another 15 minutes or so, until all the veggies are just tender.  Don’t let them become overcooked.

Thai Curry Soup

64 oz. Chicken Broth

32 oz. Water

6 tbs. Fish Sauce

4 tbs. Lime Juice (about 2 limes)

8 Kaffir Lime Leaves

6- 4” pieces of Lemongrass

4 Thai Chilies, chopped in half

Simmer all of the above ingredients on low for about 45 minutes.  Don’t worry if its really bad tasting at this point. It needs many more ingredients before it gets yummy.

Some notes about ingredients you may not have any experience with.

1) Fish Sauce (Nam Pla)- Think of soy sauce…but made with fish.  Fish and water are allowed to ferment and then it is bottled.  It is an essential ingredient in many Southeast Asian cuisines.  There should only be 2-4 ingredients on your bottle of fish sauce. Fish and water are key while salt and sugar may be present.  Do not I REPEAT do no try a spoonful of fish sauce alone.  I have warned you.

2) Kaffir Lime Leaves- These are very aromatic leaved from a lime tree native to Southeast Asia.  They are a “double” leaf, meaning two leaves are attached at the base.  I have not found a suitable substitute for kaffir lime leaves, so try to hunt them down. I find mine at a Global Food Market, frozen. I know you can also order them online. 

3) Lemongrass- Lemongrass is a grass native to India and tropical Asia. It is widely used as a herb in Asian cuisine. It has a subtle citrus flavor and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh.  The stalk are woody and must be removed before eating.

Strain your broth to remove the lemongrass, lime leaves, and chilies.

To the broth add the following.

• 20 oz. Coconut Milk
• 3 tbs. Curry Paste of your choice
  (I used Panang curry paste this time.  I have used green curry and red curry in the past as well.  Play around and decide which curry you like the best.  I’ve found Green is my favorite)
• 2 tbs. Tom Ka Kai Paste
  (Tom Ka Kai Paste is a mixture of ginger, galangal, kaffir lime, lemongrass, and garlic among other things. I find it really amps up the soup.  If you cannot find this, the soup would be A-OK though)
• 5 tbs. Palm Sugar or Brown Sugar
• 2 tsp. Salt

Heat through and you have your base broth.  This is where your preferences come in.  Feel free to add or eliminate any vegetables of your liking.  If you are a vegetarian, leave out the chicken.  

Here is what I added.

• 1.5 lb Thai Eggplant (I love their crunchy seeds)
• 1.25 lb Baby Bok Choy
• .5 lb Shitake Mushrooms
• 4 Bell Peppers
• 1 Red Onion
• 4 large carrots
• 2 Chicken Breasts

The key is to cut all of your vegetables bite sized.

Here are the Thai Eggplant

Baby Bok choy

Also, you want to add the vegetables that will take longest to cook first.  I add my carrots and eggplant first. Let them cook for about 5 minutes, then add the peppers, onions, and chicken.  Let this cook about 10 minutes.  Finally add the bok choy and mushrooms and let the soup simmer another 15 minutes or so, until all the veggies are just tender.  Don’t let them become overcooked.

And there you have it! Thai Curry Soup.

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Coming up

Thai Chicken Soup.

I am eating it now.

:-)

Fall Squash Recipe Card

1 small butternut squash

1 small turban squash

1 small sweet dumpling squash

8 cloves garlic

1 large yellow onion

1 granny smith apple

3 turnips

1 small can pumpkin

6 oz plain non-fat Greek yogurt

4 Tbsp. butter

1 bunch fresh sage

1/4 cup white wine

32 oz chicken stock (use veggie stock for vegetarian)

olive oil

salt

pepper

Goat cheese and pecans for garnish

1. Split squash in half.  Remove seeds. (Did you know you can roast squash seeds just like pumpkin seeds?!)
2. Peel garlic, but leave whole.
3. Peel onion and slice into 1/4” slices.
4. Peel turnip and slice into 1/2” slices.
5. Peel apple and slice into 1/2” slices.
6. Place squash, apples, onions, garlic, and turnips in large roasting pan, sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and half of the sage.
7. Roast the squash in oven at 350° until fork tender (about 1.5 hours).
8. Remove from oven and let cool.
9. Puree onions, garlic, turnips, apples, and remaining sage in food processor.
10. Melt butter in stock pot. Add onion puree and sautee for a few minutes. 
11. Add white wine, allowing alcohol to cook off.
12. Scoop out squash flesh and puree with chicken stock in small batches, add to stock pot.
13. Add can of pumpkin to stock pot.
14. Add Greek yogurt to stock pot.
15. Heat through on low or it will bubble and spit and burn you!
16. Salt and pepper to taste.
    
17. Top with goat cheese and pecans and serve!

Fall Squash Bisque

The other weekend I went home to my folks house and my mom made butternut squash bisque with squash she grew! It was delicious.  I knew I had to try and recreate something similar but healthier (I think she used a pound of butter!!).  Then I was at my local grocer and they had an awesome variety of squash. So I picked up some unusual varieties along with a butternut.  I also grabbed some turnips because I had them the evening before for the first time and LOVED them.  I thought their horseradishy spiceyness would go nicely with the sweetness of the squash. I picked up some granny smith apples for tartness too.

Recipe

1 small butternut squash

1 small turban squash

1 small sweet dumpling squash

8 cloves garlic

1 large yellow onion

1 granny smith apple

3 turnips

1 small can pumpkin

6 oz plain non-fat Greek yogurt

4 Tbsp. butter

1 bunch fresh sage

1/4 cup white wine

32 oz chicken stock

olive oil

salt

pepper

Goat cheese and pecans for garnish

Split squash in half.  Remove seeds. (Did you know you can roast squash seeds just like pumpkin seeds?!)

Peel garlic, but leave whole.

Peel onion and slice into 1/4” slices.

Peel turnip and slice into 1/2” slices.

Peel apple and slice into 1/2” slices.

Place squash, apples, onions, garlic, and turnips in large roasting pan, sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and half of the sage.

A quick tip for cutting herbs like sage, basil etc.  Take the leaves and stack them on top of each other.  Roll the leaves the short way so you have a little bundle.  Then slice across the grain of the leaves.  You end up with unbruised chiffonade of herbs!

Roast the squash in oven at 350° until fork tender (about 1.5 hours).

Remove from oven and let cool.

Puree onions, garlic, turnips, apples, and remaining sage in food processor.

Melt butter in stock pot. Add onion puree and sautee for a few minutes. 

Add white wine, allowing alcohol to cook off.

Scoop out squash flesh and puree with chicken stock in small batches, add to stock pot.

Add can of pumpkin to stock pot.

Add Greek yogurt to stock pot.

Heat through on low or it will bubble and spit and burn you!

Salt and pepper to taste.

Top with goat cheese and pecans and serve!

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Delay

Sorry for the delay on the Fall Squash Bisque recipe…it will be up tomorrow!  It has been a busy week here with the Cardinals in the World Series.

Texas Red Chili

Unfortunately, I do not have any photographs to go with this post. I made this chili for a chili cook off party on Saturday and had about an hour to do it, so no time to stop for photos!  This chili turned out really well though. It has a nice balance of smoky heat, sweet, and garlic.  It is also pretty light for chili since its base is mostly tomato sauce/juice and the vegetables. Next time I would probably add one other variety of chili in though, just for kicks.

Because this is a Texas style chili, there are no beans.  I generally don’t like beans in my chili anyway, so this style is right up my alley.  If you LOVE beans though, feel free to toss in your favorite cooked variety at the end.

5 dried chipotle peppers, soaked in 1 cup boiling water (reserve liquid)

6 oz chipotle in adobo, pureed

2 lbs round steak, cut into 1/2 in. cubes

6 slices thick cut bacon, sliced into 1/2 in.strips

3 large vidalia or sweet onions chopped (about 3.5 cups when chopped)

2 green peppers chopped (about 2 cups chopped)

2 serrano peppers, finely minced (Be sure to wash your hand well after chopping peppers. Even then some of the heat will remain, so don’t rub your eyes by accident)

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. chili pepper

1 tsp. cumin powder

2 tbsp. molasses

3 tbsp. brown sugar

50 oz canned diced tomatoes, and juice

2 tsp. cider vinegar

Salt to taste

1) In a large dutch over, brown your beef, about a 1/3rd at a time. See my previous ramblings about  Browning Beef.  Transfer the browned beef into a large crockpot.

2) Add sliced bacon to dutch over and cook over medium-low heat until it starts to brown and render its fat. 

3) Add the onions, garlic, green peppers, and serrano peppers and a good dose of salt (about 1 tbsp.), stirring occasionally. Cook until vegetables are soft and onions start to become translucent. 

4) While onions are cooking, remove chipotles from water and remove stem and seeds.  Blend chipotles and water they were steeped in until smooth.

5) Add pureed chipotles in adobo and the chipotles you just pureed once the vegetable are soft.

6) Add diced tomatoes and their reserved liquid.  (If there isn’t enough liquid in the tomatoes, or you just prefer a soupier type chili, add a cup of water.)

7) Add cider vinegar, brown sugar and molasses. Salt to taste.

8) Transfer this mixture in with beef in crockpot. Stir.

9) Cook on high without the lid for 2 hours, then turn to low.

10) Top with sour cream or greek yogurt, cheese, and green onions if you wish.

Coming soon!

Squash Bisque using these pretties

Texas Chili (NO BEANS!)

Beef Stew Recipe Card

Beef Stew

1. 1.5 lbs Sirloin
2. 2 Tbs. Olive Oil
3. 64 Oz. Beef Broth or Beef Stock
4. 1 Cup Water
5. 1 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
6. 1 Clove Garlic
7. 1 Bay Leaf
8. 1 Sprig Rosemary
9. 1 Medium Yellow Onion
10. 1 Tsp. Sugar
11. 1/2 Tsp. Pepper
12. 1/2 Tsp. Paprika
13. Dash of Nutmeg
14. 6 Large Carrots
15. 4 Cups Yukon Gold Potatoes
16. 16 Oz. Mushrooms (button or portobello)
17. 2 Tbs. Butter
18. 5 Tbs. Cornstarch
19. Green Onions (optional)

• Slice your meat into small cubes/rectangles.
• In a large stock pot, heat your olive oil.
• Once your oil is hot, but not smoking brown your meat.
  
• Next, add to the meat your beef broth/stock, water, Worcestershire Sauce, garlic, bay leave, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, nutmeg, and rosemary.
• Bring to a low simmer and let cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
• While the meat and broth are simmering peel and chop your carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes.
• After the 1 hour and 20 minutes has passed, remove the rosemary, bay leave, and garlic clove.
• Add the carrots and potatoes. Cook for another 1 hour and 20 minutes or so on a low simmer, until the carrots and potatoes are tender.
• Heat up a large skillet on medium high heat.
• Add your butter and when it starts to bubble toss in your mushrooms. Brown mushrooms.
• To thicken your stew measure out 1 Tbs of cornstarch in a bowl. Add a ladle of hot broth from your pot and whisk until smooth.  Add the cornstarch slurry to the stew pot, and mix well.
• Repeat until your stew is think enough for your liking.
• Mix in your sauteed mushroom.
• Serve