Geneva's Ultimate Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 4 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon Hungarian sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup skim milk
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 ripe tomato
• 1/2 Hungarian wax pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup light sour cream

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the onions in the butter until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes more. Stir the dill, paprika, soy sauce, and chicken broth into the mushroom mixture; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
2. Whisk the milk and flour together in a small bowl. Stir the mixture into the soup. Add the tomato and Hungarian wax pepper. Return cover to the pot and simmer another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Mix the sour cream into the soup and continue cooking and stirring until the soup has thickened, 5 to 10 minutes more. Remove the Hungarian wax pepper and tomato and discard before serving the soup.

Tex-Mex Turkey Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 4 cups water
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup salsa
• 4 cups shredded cooked turkey
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 (14 ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
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• Toppings:
• 6 cups corn tortilla chips
• 3/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced onions and cook until onions begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
2. Stir in water, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, salsa, shredded turkey, parsley and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until bouillon cubes dissolve. Add black beans, corn, sour cream and cilantro. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Serve soup with crushed tortilla chips, chopped green onion, shredded cheese and additional cilantro and sour cream.

French Onion Soup Gratinee

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large red onions, thinly sliced
• 2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
• 1 (48 fluid ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 sprigs fresh parsley
• 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 thick slices French or Italian bread
• 8 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese slices, room temperature
• 1/2 cup shredded Asiago or mozzarella cheese, room temperature
• 4 pinches paprika

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in salt, red onions and sweet onions. Cook 35 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized and almost syrupy.
2. Mix chicken broth, beef broth, red wine and Worcestershire sauce into pot. Bundle the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf with twine and place in pot. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard the herbs. Reduce the heat to low, mix in vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep over low heat to stay hot while you prepare the bread.
3. Preheat oven broiler. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and broil 3 minutes, turning once, until well toasted on both sides. Remove from heat; do not turn off broiler.
4. Arrange 4 large oven safe bowls or crocks on a rimmed baking sheet. Fill each bowl 2/3 full with hot soup. Top each bowl with 1 slice toasted bread, 2 slice Gruyere cheese and 1/4 of the Asiago or mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle a little bit of paprika over the top of each one.
5. Broil 5 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. As it softens, the cheese will cascade over the sides of the crock and form a beautifully melted crusty seal. Serve immediately!

Cream of Spinach Soup

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine water, bouillon, and spinach. Bring to a boil, and cook until spinach is tender.
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Season with minced onion, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in spinach mixture.

Split Pea Soup

Split peas are an excellent source of protein, folate and fiber. Add some vegetables and a few thick slices of bread for dunking, and you've got a deeply satisfying meal that's low in fat and high in nutrition.

To Soak or Not to Soak

It's true, soaking peas overnight in water shortens their cooking time. But soaking isn't entirely necessary. Split peas cook relatively quickly. Unsoaked peas take from 1 to 2 hours of simmering; soaked peas take about 40 minutes. Also, the only difference between yellow and green split peas is color.

• Split peas absorb lots of water as they cook, so check the soup often and add liquid as needed.
• The peas only need to be cooked until they are tender. But if you like a smoother, creamier texture, cook them longer until they soften and fall apart.
• If you like really silky soup, take the extra step of pureeing the peas once they have softened. This is a great job for your immersion blender if you have one, but you can also do it in batches in your regular countertop blender.

Fill 'er Up

• Ham, bacon, and sausage all go exceptionally well with peas. One of the most traditional ways of making split pea soup is to flavor it with ham bones. Most recipes include onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. In the herb department, bay leaves, thyme, mint, marjoram, rosemary, and parsley are all delicious additions. If you like to flavor your soup with tomatoes, lemon juice, vinegar, wine or any other acidic ingredients, wait until the end of cooking to add these, or else the acid will prevent the uncooked split peas from getting soft. 

Finishing Touches

• When the peas are soft and the veggies are cooked, stir in your favorite seasonings and keep on tasting until it's just right. We like to add salt, freshly cracked black pepper, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Ladle the piping hot soup into big bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt, some minced fresh parsley or mint, and a few crispy croutons. 

Super Soup

Ingredients

• 2 turkey legs
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 1/2 cups diced potatoes
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 pound processed cheese, cubed
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
• 4 cups water

Directions

1. Boil turkey in water until tender. Cut up meat, and add back into turkey broth.
2. Add onions, potatoes, carrots, and celery. Boil until tender.
3. Add frozen vegetables, and cook 15 minutes more.
4. Stir in cream of chicken soup and cubed cheese. Cook over medium-low heat until cheese melts, stirring often.

Absolutely Ultimate Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 cups chicken stock, or enough to cover potatoes
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 3 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until done. Remove bacon from pan, and set aside. Drain off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease.
2. In the bacon grease remaining in the pan, saute the celery and onion until onion begins to turn clear. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cubed potatoes, and toss to coat. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Return the bacon to the pan, and add enough chicken stock to just cover the potatoes. Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender.
3. In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream, tarragon and cilantro. Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir the cream mixture into the potato mixture. Puree about 1/2 the soup, and return to the pan. Adjust seasonings to taste.