Carb Diva Vegetarian French Onion Soup

Years and years (and decades?) ago, when my husband and I were working together, we discovered a restaurant near our office that once a week served French onion soup. I had never heard of French onion soup until I saw it on the menu (my mom was a good cook, but not very adventuresome).

To say that it was a "new taste sensation" is a gross understatement. Never before had I experienced a simple meal with so much intense flavor and textures in one tiny bowl--the richness of the broth, the fragrance of the herbs and onions, the creaminess of the cheeses, and the crunch of the toasted croutons.

And so over the years, with much trial and error (emphasis on the latter) I developed a recipe that I really liked. But, that original recipe included beef broth--not a favorable ingredient when someone you love (my younger daughter) is a vegetarian. So about 20 years ago I began my quest to create that same wonderful rich-tasting broth without the use of animals.

Here's how to do it:

Vegetarian Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 red onions, thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Instructions

1. Saute the onions in the olive oil in a large saute pan or dutch oven over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until browned--about 30  minutes. (This first step requires a bit of patience. The onions need to caramelize low and slow to develop the rich, sweet flavor one associates with french onion soup. Hurry the process with high heat and you'll end up with bitter, burned onions. If you don't allow the onions to develop a deep golden color you'll end up with flabby, watery, and tasteless onions.)
2. Increase heat to medium-high. Add salt and pepper, wine, and tomato paste. Cook until wine is almost evaporated (about 5 minutes). Add water, tomatoes, and herbs. Bring to a boil and then cover; reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Stir in soy sauce. Discard bay leaves. We prefer to leave the tomato pieces in our soup, but you may strain the broth and discard the solids if you wish.

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OK, now you have the vegetarian stock. And you can use this for so many more things than French onion soup. So, keep this recipe in your back pocket (as my dad would have said) for future reference. But, if you want to proceed to turn this into Ooey Gooey Cheesy Goodness, simply add:

• 1 day-old baguette, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• about 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup Gruyere (or Swiss) cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush bread slices with olive oil and bake in the oven until edges are brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. When ready to serve, whisk the 1/2 cup Parmesan into your hot broth. It’s important to whisk in the cheese at the last minute, or else the cheese will fall to the bottom of the pot and burn. Ladle the warm soup into heatproof bowls, and lay a slice of the baked bread over each bowl. Sprinkle a layer of Gruyere cheese over the bread, and place the crocks under the broiler until the cheese bubbles and browns.
3. Yummmmmmmmmmm!

Photo Credit: Image by Sabine van Erp from Pixabay 

Italian Wedding Soup

Food and Wine Magazine

What's the Real Story of Wedding Soup?

There's a soup made of broth, vegetables, pasta, and teeny-tiny meatballs that we all know and love as "Italian wedding soup."

But why? Why it is called wedding soup?

Some say that, long ago, the soup was created as a hearty meal to fortify the bride and groom with enough strength and vigor to ensure a "memorable" night of wedded bliss. 

Although this story might be tantalizing, it is a misunderstanding of the Italian name: Minestra maritata, wedding soup, is a reference not to a matrimony of couples, but rather a blending or harmony of flavors. Savory bits of meat, salty broth, sweet onions, and bitter greens create a melange of tastes and textures that meld—or marry—together.
Originally this soup was not a sumptuous feast reserved for only the finest of occasions. It's actually a peasant dish made of broth, whatever leftover meats might be found (or none at all), and whatever bitter greens were in season. The Americanized version (the one we enjoy today) is a much heartier fare, bulked up with more vegetables and plump little morsels of pasta.

You don't have to eat at an Italian restaurant to get a good bowl of this soup, nor do you have to settle for second- (or third-) best from a can. You can actually make this at home. Let me explain to you each of the components and how they work together to make this "marriage" of flavors.

Let's get started.

Italian Wedding Soup

Step 1: Make the Meatballs

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound ground turkey (7 percent fat)
• 1/2 pound turkey sausage, casings removed
• 2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the ground turkey, turkey sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, cheese, cream, and egg in a large mixing bowl. Combine gently. (You might wish to use a fork, but I do it the old-fashioned nonna way, with my fingertips). Don't be too heavy-handed with your mixing or your meatballs will be tough.
3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and space them evenly on the pan (you should have about 48 meatballs).
4. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

Step 2: Make the Broth

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced (1 cup)
• 2 or 3 carrots, peeled and cut into small dice (1 cup)
• 2 stalks of celery tender inner stalks and leaves, cut into fine dice (1 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 10 cups homemade chicken stock

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over low heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring several times, until the onion begins to soften. Add the garlic and continue to cook until the vegetables begin to soften. Don't let the garlic brown; it will burn and become bitter.
2. Stir in the wine and increase the heat to medium. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated then stir in the chicken stock.

Step 3: Cook the Greens, Pasta, and Finish the Soup

Ingredients

• 12 ounces greens, washed, center ribs removed, and sliced into thin ribbons
• 1 cup small pasta such as ditalini

Instructions

1. Bring the broth to a simmer. Add the greens, stir and cover. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the greens are wilted and tender.
2. Add the pasta and continue to cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
3. Add the meatballs to the soup and simmer until heated, about 1-2 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

Yield: 8 servings

Goulash Soup



We are enjoying a beautiful "Indian Summer". The mornings are cool--it was 41 degrees F. this morning when I retrieved my newspaper from the front porch. This afternoon we have sunshine, beautiful clear skies, and mid-70's. The days are warm and sunny, but as soon as the sun begins to set, there is a chill in the air. It's time to make another pot of soup.

Today I'm remembering a recipe I've had for years and years (and years). It's called "Goulash Soup". Goulash (for the uninitiated) is a Hungarian stew of meat (take your pick), vegetables (whatever you have), and a healthy dose of paprika. Comfort food at its finest.

Goulash Soup

Ingredients

• 3 pounds beef for stew, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1/2 pound potatoes, grated (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 tablespoon paprika (I prefer smoked paprika)
• 1 tablespoon tomato sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 3/4 pounds potatoes, pared and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup dry noodles

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in 4-quart Dutch oven over medium heat; add about 1/3 of the beef to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until browned on all sides. Remove from pan and repeat with remaining beef. It is important to not crowd the pan. If the pieces of beef are too close together they will not brown properly--instead they will simply steam.
2. Add more oil to the pan as needed.
3. To the same pan stir in the onions and cook until onions begin to brown. Return browned beef chunks to the pan. Stir in remaining ingredients except diced potatoes and noodles. Heat to boiling; reduce heat and cover. Simmer 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Note that the grated potatoes will fall apart--they are intended to thicken the soup.
4. Stir in diced potatoes and noodles and continue to cook until potatoes and noodles are cooked through.

Photo Credit: Image by annaklein from Pixabay 

Red Pepper Fish Chowder



The Autumn Equinox has descended upon us with full furry. As I write, a cold rain is coming down in sheets and tree branches are flying past the windows (on the second floor of our house!) But for even this I am thankful. Today's storm means that I don't have to turn the sprinklers on the flowers I planted last week, I have many indoor projects that can now receive my undivided attention (two quilts and a basket of knitting yarn), and I have an excuse to prepare a big pot of fish chowder for dinner:

Red Pepper Fish Chowder

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 red onions, minced
• 1/2 pound button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 large red bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 2 cans chicken broth
• 1 pound new potatoes, scrubbed and diced (do not peel)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup sour cream (not the non-fat variety)
• 1 1/2 pounds white fish (such as cod or halibut)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup parsley, minced (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan. Add the onions, mushrooms, and red peppers. Saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add the diced potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Stir together the cornstarch, water, and sour cream. Stir this mixture into the hot broth, whisking constantly, until the broth begins to thicken.
4. Add the fish and simmer 5 minutes more or until fish is cooked. Stir in lemon juice. Ladel chowder into bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.

Photo Credit: Image by Jack Hernandez from Pixabay