Half Assed Kitchen

Carrot ginger soup

This is our new favorite soup. We made it for the first time last night and couldn't stop raving about it (modest, aren't we?) This soup. This soup! It's an amazing combination of butter, white wine, lemon juice, carrots, lots and lots of ginger, and other things too.

It can be served hot or cold. It's zesty and complicated and comforting. And it's pretty inexpensive to make a big vat. The only drawback is that there's some chopping to be done. But it's worth it. It's WAY worth it.

Here's what you need and how you do it

6 Tablespoons butter or margarine

1 large onion

1/4 cup fresh ginger, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 to 4 cups chicken or veggie stock

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup milk or cream (optional)

1 pound carrots (we used four big ones), peeled and chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon curry powder

Salt and black pepper to taste

Fresh parsley or chives for garnish

Melt butter in soup pot. Add onion, ginger and garlic and sauté for 15 to 20 minutes.

Add stock, wine, milk or cream (if using) and carrots. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered over medium heat until carrots are very tender (about 45 minutes).

Puree soup in a blender or food processor.

Season with lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley or chives. Serve hot or cold.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Mexican meatball soup

We somehow lived 40 deprived years before trying, in Southern California last week, Mexican meatball soup. It is otherwise known as Albondigas and is a light broth with veggies, rice and, of course, meatballs.

We came home to Seattle and started experimenting.

You can use store-bought, pre-made meatballs. We would've, except we had some extra time on our hands and wanted to make them from scratch (crazy, we know).

The following recipe assumes you're making them yourself, but feel free to cut as many corners as you can.

Here's what you need and how you do it

1 lb. ground beef, pork or dark turkey or chicken

3/4 cup flat-leaf parsley or cilantro

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 egg

6 cups chicken or beef broth

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

Olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 Tablespoon garlic, minced

2 carrots, chopped

1 green bell pepper, diced (optional)

Cumin, salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup rice (not quick-cooking)

Mix ground meat, parsley or cilantro, bread crumbs and egg in a large bowl. Make into walnut-sized balls and drop into skillet coated with olive oil. Brown over medium-high heat, turning once or twice to get all sides.

Meanwhile, sauté onions, garlic, carrots and bell pepper in olive oil in stock pot or large sauce pan. When vegetables are soft, add broth, tomatoes, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to boiling, add rice. Bring to a boil again, then simmer over medium-high heat. Add meatballs to broth where they'll finish cooking.

Simmer until rice and meatballs are done.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Black bean soup

We're truly sorry that every other Half Assed Kitchen post is about soup. But, the soup? It's just so easy to make and so good to eat in winter.

This bean soup is a recipe we threw together, earlier in the week, out of lack of creativity and desperation to get dinner on the table.

We ended up falling in love with our little formulation, so we decided to share it.

Here's what you need and how you do it

1 medium onion, minced

1 celery stalk, chopped (optional)

Olive or canola oil

2 cans black beans (with liquid)

32 ounces chicken or veggie broth

1 14-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes

1-2 cups ham, cubed (optional)

1 Tablespoon cumin

1 Tablespoon thyme

1-2 Tablespoons balsalmic vinegar (adds a lot of flavor, don't skip)

Salt and pepper to taste

Sour cream

Sauté onion (and celery if you use it) in olive oil over medium heat. Add black beans, broth, tomatoes, ham, cumin, thyme, balsalmic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Let simmer, covered but vented, for at least an hour. Preferably two.

Spoon into bowls and top with sour cream.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Detox leek and potato soup

 

If you're like us, you've been eating a lot of heavy food to beat back the winter blahs. 

Our leek-potato soup, something we threw together on a whim one night last week, is perfect for a January lunch or light supper (or both). It's savory, zingy and comforting all at once. It made us feel nourished without weighing us down. It made us feel clean.

Here's what you need and how you do it

6-8 cups chicken or veggie broth (preferably organic, if you want to get the full detox effect)

Olive oil

2 leeks, sliced up to dark green parts (discard the dark greens)

2 handfuls potatoes (we used french fingerlings), cut into bite-sized pieces

2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced

2 Tablespoons fresh flat-leafed parsley, chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)

Salt and pepper to taste

In large pot, sauté leeks in olive oil for several minutes over medium heat. When softened, add broth, potatoes, rosemary, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper.

Bring to a low boil and cook about 25 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.

Serve with whole grain bread and sliced apples.

(This also makes a nice side dish for a heartier entrée.)

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here.

Greek lemon and rice soup

This soup is tangy and velvety smooth with white rice for texture. The flavor combination is groan-worthy and it is filling without being too heavy.

Also known as Avgolemono, this recipe consists of only five essential ingredients. You can keep it simple or dress it up a little with fresh or dried herbs.

Here's what you need and how you do it

8 cups chicken or veggie broth

3/4 cup white or orzo rice (not Minute Rice)

3 eggs

1 lemon

Salt

Pepper (optional)

Fresh parsley (optional) (nice addition)

Thyme (optional)

In a large saucepan or stock pot, bring broth to a boil. Add rice and cook covered for 20 minutes over low heat.

In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Add yolks and lemon juice, beating well. Spoon a small amount of the warm broth (1 cupish) into the egg mixture, continue to beat while adding the broth to prevent eggs from solidifying. Then add the entire egg mixture into the rice and broth in the saucepan. Heat through and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often. Add salt, pepper and thyme to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley.

If you want to make this a serious entrée: Add bits of cooked, shredded chicken breast or smoked salmon.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here.

Mulligatawny

We'd never heard of mulligatawny until a year or so ago. And now that our ears are perked to the dish, it seems we're noticing word of it everywhere. For good reason. It's a thick, spicy, meaty soup that is impossible to get enough of. Believe us when we say that once you've tried it, you'll crave it.

This recipe was inspired by Cooking Light and it does require chopping several vegetables. We think chopping blows, but we'll do it for the right dish. Overall, we spent no more than 25 minutes prepping for this dish.

Here's what you need and how you do it

Olive or canola oil

1/2-1 pound boneless, skinless chicken (this a great use for a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken), shredded or cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup apple (we used Braeburn), peeled and chopped

3/4 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup carrot, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

2 Tablespoons flour

1 Tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (less if you don't like much spice)

1/4 teaspoon salt

32 ounces chicken broth

1/3 cup mango chutney (can substitute apricot jam)

1/4 cup tomato paste

Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Heat oil in dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until done. Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat more oil in same pan. Add apple, onion, carrot, celery and bell pepper. Sauté five minutes. Stir in flour, curry, ginger, crushed red pepper and salt. Cook for a few minutes. Stir in broth, chutney and tomato paste. Bring to a boil.

Add parsley and chicken back into pot and let simmer for a while.

Makes about 4 servings.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Tortilla soup

Tortilla soup is an easy, super-tasty option for dinner. It's the next best thing to snapping your fingers and finding a full meal on your table. Half of the ingredients are canned and all you need to chop is an onion. Which, in our (cook)book, is a successful recipe. Because we hate to chop.

Here's what you need and how you do it

1 medium onion

1 teaspoon garlic (we use the pre-minced variety, as if you didn't know)

Olive oil

4 cups chicken broth

1 28-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes

1 can black beans

1 can corn or 1 cup frozen corn

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/2 to 1 packet taco seasoning (we like Simply Organics Southwest Taco)

5 to 6 flour tortillas

Juice from one lime (optional)

Pinch of chili powder (optional)

Green onions, chopped (optional)

In a stock pot or large sauce pan, saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, black beans, corn, chicken and taco seasoning. Rip 3 or 4 of the tortillas into bite-sized chunks and add to soup. Heat all ingredients through. At the end, squeeze in lime juice and stir.

If you want to get fancy: Cut remaining tortillas into strips and spread flat across a cookie sheet. Spray with olive or canola oil, then sprinkle with chili powder and bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Heap on top of soup with green onions.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here.

Noodle soup for needy people

Okay folks, this soup is fabulous. It takes a bit more effort than dumping a can of broth into a sauce pan, but not a whole lot more. And it's soooo savory. The ginger, brown sugar and cilantro complement each other to a tee.

This recipe came from Nigella Lawson's Express cookbook. And it's brilliant. Should we stop raving now?

Here's what you need and how you do it

4-6 ounces Udon noodles (spaghetti would also work fine)

3 cups chicken or veggie broth

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 star anise (and if you're like me, you're all star a-what? You can get it bulk in many grocery store spice sections. You can also skip it.)

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

3/4 cup bean sprouts

3/4 cup sugar snap peas

3/4 cup shiitake (or crimini) mushrooms. Buy pre-sliced if you can.

1/2 cup bok choy whites (thinly sliced)

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro

1 chicken breast, thinly sliced (can also use pork, beef or tofu), cooked

Cook noodles. When done, drain and split between two bowls.

Fill a saucepan with stock, soy sauce, sugar, star anise and ginger. Bring to a boil. Add the veggies and chicken. Remove star anise. Pour stock/veggie/chicken mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Split pea soup

We hope our friend, Heather, can forgive us for posting her grandma's split pea soup recipe for all the internet to see.

But it's just SO good. We had to.

We did. We had to.

Here's what you need and how you do it

1 pound split peas

1 package ham hocks

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots, grated

4 celery stalks, chopped

4 bouillon cubes

12 cups water

Salt, pepper to taste

Throw it all in a pot and simmer covered for 2 to 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.

Simmer vented for approximately 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.

Remove ham hocks. Let cool. Trim fat and cut up ham. Return meat to soup. Discard the rest.

Unless you use low sodium bouillon (which we recommend), you won't need salt.

Squash soup for dummies

There's nothing like squash soup for dinner on a crisp, autumn evening.

This is a super easy recipe with 3 major ingredients. And yeah, it looks a little like baby food. But it's delicious! Promise.

Here's what you need and how you do it

1 acorn squash

2-3 cups of warmed chicken broth

One head garlic

Olive oil

Thyme

Salt

Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds and bake, meat side down, in a shallow pan of water for 45 minutes to one hour.

About 30 minutes into the baking of squash, cut off the top of garlic head, place garlic on aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in the foil and roast in oven until soft.

Pour chicken broth into blender or food processor. When squash is cooked, scoop out meat and add to blender. Squeeze out about half of roasted garlic and add to blender (save the rest of garlic, mix with salt and butter and serve on warm french bread).

Add thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Blend. Serve. Mmmm.

*This goes nicely with the Chipotle Chicken Salad.*