Spicy Beef Noodle Soup

My family LOVES trying different ethnic dishes! Our travels are always tailored around food, and we’re especially drawn to all the different Asian cuisines.  Thai, Indian and Nepalese are among our favorites, as we just love the combination of all the different spices used to create these dishes.  I’m always so excited to get back home and try recreating the amazing food we’ve found on our trips!

This particular soup has so many of the flavors we love in a dish (garlic, ginger, miso, chilies), so when I read over the list of ingredients, I knew we were going to love it!  I was RIGHT!  The soup is SO full of flavor with just the right amount of heat. With plunging temperatures all around the country right now, this soup will definitely warm you up!

Spicy Beef Noodle Soup

adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 T canola oil, divided
• 2 lb. boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 ½ C chopped onions
• ⅓ C minced garlic (about 15 cloves)
• 1 T finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
• ¼ C sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste) See “Liz’s Tidbits” below
• 3 T white miso
• 1 ½ t gr. coriander
• 1 ½ t coarsely gr. black pepper
• 8 C unsalted beef stock
• 2T low sodium soy sauce
• 1 ½ T light brown sugar
• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
• 1 pkg. Thai rice noodles
• 4 (4-oz.) baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise
• ½ C sliced green onions
• ¼ C cilantro sprigs

Preparation:

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Brown half of meat on all sides being careful not to overcrowd. Transfer cooked beef to a plate and repeat procedure with 1 teaspoon oil and remaining beef.

Heat remaining 4 teaspoons oil over medium high and add onion, garlic and ginger.  Cook, stirring often until onion is almost tender, about 6 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, samba oelek, miso, coriander and pepper.  Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.  Add stock, soy sauce, brown sugar, and browned beef.  Bring to boil; partially cover and reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer.  Cook until beef is almost tender, about 45 minutes.  Add mushrooms; cover and cook until beef is tender, about 30 minutes.

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water.  Drain well.

Add bok choy to soup; cover and cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.  Arrange about ½ cup noodles and 2 bok choy quarters in each bowl.  Ladle about 1 ½ cups soup into each bowl, and sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon green onions.  Top with cilantro sprigs.

Liz’s Tidbits:

• Sambal Oelek is a ground fresh chile paste that has a good amount of spicy heat.  This recipe calls for ¼ cup (4 T), which, for my family, is perfect because we love spice, but depending on your preference/tolerance for heat, make adjustments to the amount you use.  I wouldn’t suggest leaving it out as I strongly feel it is a vital component of the flavor profile of this soup, but you could certainly reduce the amount you use without losing the flavor it lends to the soup.  I’d suggest cutting it in half to 2T the first time, and see how you like it.

If you like this recipe, feel free to Tweet it, Facebook it, or just email it by clicking the “share” button below. 🙂

Lemony Chicken & Spring Veggie Soup

I try LOTS of different recipes, and I find them in all kinds of places…magazines, cookbooks, friends and all over the internet.  Today, I’d like to share a soup I found over on  “The Cozy Apron“.   Not only is it delicious, but beautiful, too!  I think you’ll enjoy the blog.  I sure do!

Just click on the link above, and it will take you right to the recipe! Enjoy! 🙂

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

With cooler weather finally here, I’m all about that SOUP, ’bout that soup!) 🙂  I honestly don’t think there’s a soup I’ve met I didn’t like, but this has become one of my new favorites! Think chicken pot pie…but without the crust.  Tender white meat chicken, celery, carrots, peas…a hearty soup that’s great for cooler weather!

I like to roast skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (olive oil, salt & pepper, bake at 400 degrees for about 40-45 minutes, then skin and shred the meat) for this soup.  I think the chicken just tastes better when cooked with the skin on and the bone in…I’ll roast two full trays of breasts and freeze the extra chicken for those times I want to throw together a pot of soup.  This is a hearty soup that’s sure to satisfy!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 heaping tablespoons flour
• 3-4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed ½ inch
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 heaping tablespoons Better than Bouillon
• ½ cup milk (see Liz’s Tidbits below)
• 2-3 cups roasted chicken, chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas

Preparation:

In a 4-quart Dutch oven or soup pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onion and celery and sauté 3-4 minutes or until onion is translucent.  Stir in flour and continue cooking about a minute to eliminate raw flour taste.  Slowly stir in chicken broth and Better than Bouillon.   Add potatoes, carrots, sage, milk, salt and pepper, stirring to combine.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook about 20 minutes until potatoes and carrots are done.  Add shredded chicken and peas, and cook another 10 minutes.  Serve with a good crusty bread and a nice glass of wine. Bon Appetit!

Liz’s Tidbits:

• Better than Bouillon is a favorite product of mine.  It’s like concentrated homemade chicken stock in a jar.  I add it to all my chicken based soups to boost the flavor.
• If you don’t mind the added calories, you can substitute the milk with half and half or whole cream for added richness.

Chicken Enchilada Soup-great for the slow cooker!

I’ve been seeing lots of slow cooker recipes come across my computer screen lately, and it got me to thinking that maybe my slow cooker could use some replacing!  I feel certain mine was given to me as a wedding gift, so that puts it in the ancient category!   With all the new technology, I figured there HAD to better ones out there, so with the help of Google and America’s Test Kitchen, I did a bit of research to find “the best” slow cooker on the market today.  If you’re interested in seeing which one now sits on my kitchen counter, click here.  After a quick trip to Bed Bath & Beyond, I’m now the proud owner of a brand spankin’ new slow cooker.  🙂

For some reason, I’ve always associated slow cookers with “bland” food, and since no one in my family is a fan of bland, maybe that’s why I didn’t use mine much.  But when BFFE (Best Friend from El Paso), Lisa, raved about this Chicken Enchilada Soup, I figured it was time to initiate my new piece of equipment!   While you can make this soup on the stovetop in about an hour and a half, you can also put it in the slow cooker and be WOWED when you get home from work and walk in the door! The house smells wonderful, and dinner is ready!  Bland, it is NOT! This soup is chock full of flavor and won the approval of both my guys!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Courtesy of Lisa Elbjorn

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 small green or red bell pepper, diced ( I used half green and half red)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (11 oz) Ro-tel diced tomatoes and green chiles (can use the HOT-habanero can for more heat!)
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 ¼ pounds boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup corn
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½  teaspoon Mexican oregano (crushed between fingertips)
• sour cream, shredded cheese,  and diced avocado for garnish

Preparation:

In medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions, peppers and garlic, and season with salt & pepper.  Cook until softened, stirring often, about 10 minutes.

To your slow cooker, add the Ro-tel, chicken broth, chicken, corn, black beans, chile powder, cumin, oregano, 1 teaspoon coarse salt (or ½ teaspoon fine salt) and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Mix in the cooked onions, peppers and garlic. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low for 5-6.  Remove chicken breasts to a cutting board and shred into bite-sized pieces, adding back to pot when done.

Serve garnished with shredded cheese (I used Monterrey Jack, but cheddar would be good, too), diced avocado and a dollop of sour cream.

ENJOY!

Easy Spicy Thai Chicken Soup

Thai food is a favorite around our house!  I love the flavorful harmony of Thai ingredients, especially in the soups. With the use of things like ginger or galanga, lemongrass, basil, lime and chili peppers, you get that sweet, spicy, salty, sour and sometimes floral combination that’s just delicious and very addictive!   If you’ve never experienced the aroma and flavor of kaffir lime leaves, you’re in for a treat!  I’ve prepared several thai chicken soups over the years, and tonight I decided to see if I could simplify one using an already-roasted chicken I had in my freezer.  Any time I can use a roasted chicken to get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes, I’m a happy girl!

Kaffir Lime Leaves have distinctively shaped "double" leaves

Spicy Thai Chicken Soup

Serves 4-6

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 roasted chicken
• 2 cans lite coconut milk (NOT Coco Loco)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
• 8 kaffir lime leaves (can substitute lime zest if necessary)
• 4 tablespoons fish sauce
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar (can substitute brown sugar)
• 4-6 thai bird chilies (more or less depending on heat preference)
• 8 large slices galanga (can substitute fresh ginger)
• 1 small head of Napa cabbage, sliced or shredded
• 1 can straw mushrooms (usually found in the oriental section)
• 6-8 thai basil leaves, more for garnish (use sweet basil as a substitute)
• Fresh cilantro & thai basil, chopped, for garnish

Preparation:

Remove chicken from bone and cut into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

Place coconut milk, broth, lemongrass, galanga, kaffir lime leaves, sugar and chilies in pot over high heat.  Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, add chicken, cabbage, mushrooms, basil, fish sauce and lime juice, and simmer 15-20 minutes.  Ladle into bowls, and garnish with cilantro, basil and lime wedges, if desired.

Liz’s Tidbits:

1. You can always substitute ginger for galanga, brown sugar for coconut palm sugar and lime zest for kaffir leaves, but if at all possible, try and find the Thai ingredients.  If you can’t find them locally, you can always order them online.  I keep kaffir lime leaves and thai bird chilies in my freezer.  They keep for a very long time!

2.   Thai bird chilies are VERY HOT! Since everyone in my house likes things spicy, I like to slice mine in half lengthwise before adding to the soup.  If you like it really spicy, try slicing the chilies into little pieces, and then float some extras in your soup just before serving.

Turkey Vegetable Soup…Quick, Easy and Great for the Holiday Madness!

Lately, life has been hectic around our household.  While I usually look forward to getting home, pouring a glass of wine and trying some new recipe, lately just getting dinner over with is all I can think of.  That’s when I turn to this soup.  It’s easy…it’s full of flavor…it’s healthy..and most of all, IT’S QUICK!   My grocery store not only carries the whole roasted chicken, but also a roasted turkey breast, and that’s what I like to use in this soup.  There are also several items that I always have on hand in my pantry so that at any given moment, I can throw together a great pot of soup: onions, garlic, chicken broth, canned tomatoes, orzo pasta (or any small shaped pasta) and canned cannellini beans. I also like to keep small bags of frozen veggies in my freezer.  For this soup, I like to add green beans, but you could also add green peas, or use your imagination and add whatever veggies you happen to like and have on hand.  If you want to take this soup to the next level, make the Pistou and put just a small spoonful in the middle of each bowl of soup.  Pistou is the French version of pesto, but made without nuts.  It will add a delicious punch of flavor to this soup! Served with a hunk of good bread and a nice glass of wine, who’s to say this isn’t a gourmet meal?  Bon Appetit!

TURKEY-VEGETABLE SOUP

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large onion, chopped (3/4 cup)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 (32 oz) cartons chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons  “Better than Bouillon“ (chicken flavor)
• 1 medium can tomatoes, chopped with juice
• 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2  teaspoons dried thyme, crushed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or to taste)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups chopped turkey (can also use roasted chicken)
• 2 medium zucchini, chopped (2 1/2 cups)
• 1 (10 oz) package frozen green beans
• 1/2 cup dried orzo pasta

PREPARATION:

In a 4-quart Dutch oven or soup pot, cook and stir onion over medium heat about 4 minutes or until onion is translucent.  Add garlic, stir and cook about a minute more.  Add broth, Better than Bouillon, tomatoes, cannellini beans, thyme, salt, red pepper and bay leaves.  BTB (bring to boil), RTS (reduce to simmer), cover and cook 30 minutes.

Stir in turkey, zucchini, green beans and orzo pasta.  Cover and simmer about 10 minutes more or until pasta is tender.  Remove bay leaves.

Meanwhile, prepare Pistou. To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Top with a dollop of Pistou and, if desired, shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Pistou:

In food processor or blender, combine 2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves, 2 T Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 2 T olive oil, and 6 cloves of garlic, halved. Cover and process or blend until finely chopped. Add enough additional olive oil 1-2T to thin mixture to desired consistency.