It Never Rains in California

This was the view from our kitchen this morning.  We here in San Diego are in for 6 straight days of rain.  After years of drought, I think we will have our water problems solved for the moment, although there will be problems with this much rain in a short period of time.
And, as usual here at Casa Phillips, it's time to make some soup.  Soup is one of those delicious foods that soothes your insides when your outside is cold and wet.  Today it's minestrone.  Minestrone is different in every part of Italy--literally it means 'without stock' and many cooks in Italy make theirs with water instead of broth, adding rinds from Parmigiano Reggiano and lots of herbs to the pot.

Mine began with sweet Italian sausage in my Cuisinart Multi-Cooker.  If you have a slow cooker, this is a great way to make soup, just set it and forget it.  In the Multi-Cooker, you can saute everything then turn it to slow cooker and you're done.  If you decide to use another protein, chicken, or pancetta will work here.  Or you can make this vegetarian by using olive oil to saute and then vegetable broth for the liquid.

Brown the sausage and remove any excess fat

Next in is the battuto; onion, celery, carrot and some tomato

Saute everything until the onion begins to soften

I add stock, and this is my go to when I don't have homemade, it's a concentrate so you can add as much as you like with water

Parmigiano Reggiano rinds (cut into cubes) zucchini, and some leftover green beans go in

1/2 a head of escarole, cleaned, and then cut into 1/2-inch ribbons---this is about 4 cups

Four hours on high

Minestrone

Serves 6 to 8

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

3 carrots chopped

4 ribs celery, chopped, including the leaves

1 tablespoon dried sage leaves (or rosemary or thyme)

1/2 cup canned chopped tomatoes

8 cups broth or water

3 medium zucchini, cut into dice

Rind of Parmigiano Reggiano cut into small pieces

1 cup green beans, ends snipped, and cut into 1-inch pieces

One 14.5-ounce can small white beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups chopped greens (I used escarole, but chard, or kale, or spinach works here)

salt and pepper

Grated Parmigiano Reggiano for garnish

In a Dutch oven, cook the sausage until it is no longer pink.  remove any excess fat from the pan, add the onion, carrot, celery and sage leaves, saute for 5 to 6 minutes until the onion is softened.  Add the tomatoes, and saute another 2 minutes.  (If you are using a slow cooker, saute everything, add it to the slow cooker, then proceed)

Add the broth, zucchini, rind, beans, and greens, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low in the slow cooker.  Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with additional grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.  

Cook's Note:  If you want to add pasta, cook it first before adding it to the pot since it will absorb some of the liquid.  

Cook's Note 2:  Instead of canned beans you can add lentils or split peas (about 1 cup) not only do they add bulk, but they also thicken the soup.

Soup is a great way to use up leftovers, too.  That leftover rotisserie chicken would be perfect in this soup, or any leftover vegetables from other dinners can be tossed in.
Ciao for Now.

Rainy Day Soup

Today dawned cold, windy and rainy here in San Diego, and it was one of those days where you just want to snuggle under the covers and let the day go by.  I have been suffering from allergies for the past week, with thick pollen coating everything here, my sore throat was in need of some serious comforting soup. 
I hopped into the car when there was a break in the rain and headed to Specialty Produce to pick up a few goodies for the soup, and then headed to Mona Lisa for some fresh Italian egg noodles for the soup and a loaf of crusty bread. 

Rainy Day Chicken and Noodle Soup
Serves 8

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 medium carrots, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
8 cups chicken broth 
One bunch Swiss chard, stalks removed, and cut into thin ribbons
rind from Parmigiano Reggiano cut into cubes
1/4 pound cooked pasta (about 1 cup cooked)

In a large saucepan, or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high heat, and add the onion, thyme, carrot, and celery, sauteing the vegetables until the onion is softened.  

 Add the chicken, and cook until the chicken is browned on all sides. 

Add the tomatoes, and saute for another 2 minutes, until the liquid in the pan has absorbed. 

Add the broth, Swiss chard, and rind from the Parmigiano, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, until the chard is tender. 

Cook's Note:  Always cook pasta before adding it to soups, otherwise it will soak up all the broth.
Instead of pasta, cooked farro is another alternative.  
Do-Ahead:  This soup is really better the second day, and can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 4 days.  Before serving, stir in the noodles, and bring to serving temperature.  Serve the soup garnished with grated Parmigiano if desired. 


Of course, no one would think from these photos that it was raining or cold here today; that's San Diego, almost perfect weather!   

Enjoy your evening!

Blustery Days Call for Soup

Yesterday was cold, rainy and windy here; the perfect day to make some soup.  I'm a fan of wild rice, and usually cook up batches and freeze them for just this sort of occasion.  Dr. C and I sat down to a lovely bowl of creamy chicken and wild rice soup last night and it was food for the soul, full of chunks of chicken, wild rice, flavored with thyme and a few vegetables it made the wild weather outside seem to calm down and it warmed us up!  I sat at my desk yesterday wearing a long sleeved T-shirt, sweater and polar fleece, and woolly socks, and still didn't feel warm till I ate this soup.  The soup is certainly open to interpretation, you can add your favorite veggies, leave out the mushrooms, and can leave it meatless if you would like, but make it for the ones you love, they will love you for it!
Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup
Serves 6 to 8

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, or olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup petite size frozen peas, defrosted
1/4 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
2 cups cooked chicken, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a 4-quart soup pot, melt the butter, and saute the onion and thyme together for 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent.  
2. Add the mushrooms and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to soften.  
3.  Add the celery and carrots, and saute another 3 minutes, to soften the vegetables.  
4. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring for 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth and stir until the mixture comes to a boil.  (If you would like to cook this in the slow cooker, at this point, transfer the mixture to the slow cooker and add everything except the cream; add the cream just before serving.  cook the soup on high for 2 hours, low for 4 hours)
5. Add the peas, corn, rice and chicken, and stir to blend.  Add the heavy cream, and cook until the soup is at serving temperature (about 5 minutes)  Season the soup with salt and pepper, and serve.  

Voila!

Today was a gorgeous day; after the rains, the sun shines on everything and you can see forever; it's a great day to live in San Diego!