Tomato & Yellow Pepper Gazpacho

Serves 6

This is big and bold and full of flavor and deserves to be made.

Ingredients

• 2 yellow peppers, seeded & cut into big chunks
• 4 medium ripe Roma tomatoes, quartered with just the stem end removed
• 2 long English cucumbers, or 1.5 medium ones - cut lengthwise and then into 1 inch chunks
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into big chunks
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce, I like Cholula
• 1 large bunch Cilantro or Parsley - no stems
• 3-5 ounces tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix - depending how thick or thin you like it
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil for serving

Directions

1. The key is to blend everything, so if you can fit everything in a processor or blender the first time, go ahead and blend until still a bit chunky
2. If you need to do it in 2 shifts, do that - eventually everything will fit for a final blend, but don't blend it too perfect - keep it a little chunky
3. Put in a bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil

White Bean Chicken Chili

We make this every year for Halloween because it's a nice change from regular chili and really delicious. Plus, it's perfect to put in a mug to eat while you are trick or treating - I mean while the kids are trick or treating.

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 4 cans Great Northern White Beans

• One 4 ounce can diced green chilies

• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken

• 2 teaspoons cumin

• 1 teaspoon cayenne

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 3-4 cups chicken broth

• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

• Chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Drain beans

2. In a medium pot, saute onions and garlic with oil until soft

3. Add remaining ingredients - using broth to make it as thick or thin as you like

4. Bring to a low simmer, turn down and heat through stirring well, salt & pepper to taste

5. Serve topped with cilantro

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Cucumber, Mint & Yogurt Soup

Serves 4

Every so often a little cold soup is a beautiful thing - especially this one.

Ingredients

• 2 cucumbers, peeled & seeded
• 1/2 cup mint leaves
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Olive oil, optional

Directions

1. Add cucumber, mint, milk and garlic to blender
2. Blend until smooth then pour into large bowl
3. Stir in yogurt, lemon juice and season with salt & pepper
4. Drizzle lightly with a really good extra virgin olive oil before serving

Avgolemono Soup

Serves 4

A wonderful little Greek soup - just like Mrs. Kronopoulos, the wonderful little Greek woman who used to make it for me.

Ingredients

• 6 cups Chicken broth
• 3/4 cup rice
• 3 eggs, beaten
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Parsly for garnish

Directions

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil, add rice and turn down to a simmer for about 15 minutes
2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and add lemon juice - stir to mix
3. This next part is IMPORTANT - - if you just pour the egg mix into the soup right now it'll turn to scrambled eggs, so don't
4. Take about a cup of the hot broth and slowly stir it into the egg mix - then slowly add one more
5. Now that the egg mix is hot enough, you can add it into the broth in the pot
6. Continue simmering until it thickens and is heated through and you're done
7. Serve with a little chopped parsley on top

Egg Drop Soup

Makes about 4 cups

Instant comfort. You could always add a little cooked chicken or some veggies - but you don't need to.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 4 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions for garnish

Directions

1. Beat eggs in small bowl - set aside

2. Heat the broth in a small pot and bring to a boil

3. Stir in soy sauce

4. Return to a boil then turn off the heat

5. While stirring soup in a fast circular fashion with a fork, slowly pour in beaten egg from about 4-5 inches above the pot

6. Continue stirring until egg gets all cool and kinda stringy, drizzle sesame oil and that’s it

7. Serve in a bowl with the green onions on top

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Crab Bisque

Serves 6

I like to make some and serve it in small espresso cups as an appetizer kinda thing

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups whipping cream
• One - 8 ounce can crab meat
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup sherry (or scotch - you choose)
• Parsley, chopped fine to garnish

Directions

1. Heat a pot large enough to hold the soup and melt the butter in it
2. Add onion and cook until soft
3. Stir in the flour a spoonful at a time to make a roux
4. Add the chicken broth and stir really well until there are no lumps from the roux
5. Add the whipping cream and crab
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste
7. Add sherry and cook until heated through
8. Garnish with a bit of chopped parsley to serve

Black Bean Soup

Serves 4 - 6

This is quick and easy but really good. Just be careful when you use the blender...

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 - 3 ribs of celery, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Olive oil
• 4 cans black beans, drained and rinsed well
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 Tablespoon cumin
• Fresh lime wedges
• Sour cream
• Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions

1. Heat a skillet on the stove and add about 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
2. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook until softened (but don't let them brown)
3. Add the garlic and continue to cook
4. Add the cumin and heat until it becomes fragrant
5. Add the black beans and chicken broth and simmer for about 10 minutes
6. Place 3 or 4 ladles full of the beans without much of the broth into a blender
7. Cover and hold the top with a towel and puree the beans
8. Add the bean puree back into the soup and mix well
9. To serve put some soup into a bowl and squeeze a fresh lime wedge over the top
10. Add a spoonful of sour cream and sprinkle with a bit of the chopped cilantro
11. Stir it all together and enjoy

Potato Shrimp Soup

Serves about 4

You can do this with any soup - not just potato. You want to do it with corn chowder, clam chowder, black bean gumbo...whatever....just do it.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb frozen shrimp, thawed and shelled (31/40's are perfect)
• 2 cans ready to serve canned potato soup
• About 6 slices of ready bacon, cooked in the microwave
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Thaw the shrimp
2. In a small pan heat soup to a simmer over medium low heat
3. After taking the shells off the shrimp add them to the hot soup and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until shrimp turns pink and is cooked
4. Cut the bacon slices into small pieces
5. Spoon the soup with some shrimp into a bowl, sprinkle liberally with bacon bits and give it some freshly ground pepper to taste

The Worlds Freshest Pea Soup

Makes 4 - 6 servings

This is not that thick, army green gross stuff. This is fresh, bright and really delicious. But if you want the old-school version, I'm sure you can find it in a can in the back of an old supermarket somewhere...

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 - 2 ounce package of Ready Bacon, diced
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 - 16oz bag frozen peas
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Sour cream

Directions

1. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat, add oil and cook the red onion until very soft and beginning to brown slightly
2. Add bacon and continue to cook everything starts getting crispy
3. While that cooks, heat the chicken stock in a separate pot
4. Once it boils, add the peas and cook for about 2 1/2 minutes
5. Drain the peas (reserving the broth) and put into a blender and add just enough broth to cover
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste
7. Cover and blend until smooth
8. Add the whipping cream and continue blending until really smooth
9. Serve in a bowl and top with a spoonful of sour cream and some of the red onion/bacon mixture

Thai Curry Noodle Soup

Serves 4

This is easily one of Mrs Cooking Guy's most requested meals.

Ingredients

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 14-ounce can coconut milk

• 1/2 -1 tablespoon curry powder

• 1/2 tablespoon Asian chili paste

• 2 packs Ramen noodles, uncooked & without the seasoning pack

• 3/4 pound shrimp, raw, shell-off and de-veined (31/40’s or 21/25’s are great)

• 1/2 red pepper, diced small

• Green onions (scallions), cilantro and limes for garnish

Directions

1. Put broth, coconut milk, curry and chili sauce in a small pot and bring to a boil

2. Turn down to a simmer and add the noodles and shrimp

3. In about 4 minutes, the noodles will be soft, the shrimp will be pink and cooked - and you'll be eating like Thai royalty

4. In the meantime, cook red pepper in a little oil in a non-stick pan until softened and beginning to get a little color - set aside

5. Serve in a bowl and garnish with green onion, cilantro, diced red pepper and a squeeze of lime

Tomato Basil Soup

Serves 4

You can bust this out in about 3 minutes. And it's excellent cold or hot.

Ingredients

• One 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 6 large basil leaves
• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sour cream for serving

Directions

1. Put everything in the blender
2. Blend until smooth and a touch chunky
3. Top with a little sour cream and some fresh chopped basil - eat

Curry Pumpkin Soup

Makes 4 servings

Tis the season...the Fall season that is.

Ingredients

• 15 ounces canned pumpkin (just pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin seeds, dried
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Directions

1. Put pumpkin, curry paste, coconut milk and water in a pot
2. Stir to mix well and heat until simmering
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper
4. Meanwhile, heat pumpkin seeds and oil in a non-stick pan until slightly brown and season with salt
5. Serve soup topped with some of the seeds on top

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Chicken Noodle Soup

Makes about 12 servings

Chicken soup - the healer of all things bad. And if it isn't - is sure is still damn good...

Ingredients

• 1 whole raw chicken (with bones & skin for flavor) cut into it's parts

• 3 celery stalks, cut into 2 inch pieces

• 1 large onion, cut into big pieces

• 2 carrots, cut into big pieces

• 3-4 stems of thyme (or about 1 teaspoon dried)

• 3 ounces 'fine' egg noodles

• Chicken broth/stock, optional

Directions

1. Put chicken in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil

2. After about 20 minutes, skim off the icky foam that floats to the top

3. Turn down to a simmer and cover

4. After 60 minutes, add the veggies and the thyme - put the lid on and simmer for another 30 minutes

5. Remove from heat and strain - putting the liquid and the vegetables back into the pot

6. Separate the chicken from the bones & skin, cut or shred into bite sized pieces and put in with the broth

7. Bring the broth back to a simmer, add in the egg noodles then cover and cook until noodles are done - about 15 minutes

8. And because I always seem to run out of broth before the 'stuff', I add another 2 to 4 cups chicken broth to bulk it up a bit

Cioppino

Serves 2-4

Think fish stew - unless that sounds gross. Then just think super delicious seafood in a glorious, rich tomato broth (which is basically a fish stew)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes (preferably San Marzano if you have them)
• 2 ounces Stu's 'This is Bloody Mary' or substitute with:
• 1 ounce Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 ounce hot sauce, juice from 1/2 lemon and 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 pound raw large shrimp, peeled - about a dozen
• 1 pound sea scallops - about 10
• 3/4 pound mahi mahi, halibut or red snapper - cut into big bite size pieces
• And of course you can always add clams, mussels, lobster (raw) cut into pieces - anything you like
• To garnish - chopped cilantro & green onion

Directions

1. Put a large pot over medium heat and add oil, onions & garlic
2. Cook slowly until onions have brown lightly and softened
3. Add tomatoes - squishing to break them up as you add them to the pot, then add Stu's (if using) or the Worcestershire, hot sauce lemon juice & chili powder - stir well
4. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and put the lid on - cook about 20 minutes
5. Open lid and add seafood, then return lid and cook until done, roughly 10 to 15 minutes
6. Serve by topping with cilantro & green onions

Posole with Kale

Serves 4ish

Think vegetable soup - but better I think. Hominy is just giant softened kernels of corn. And don't forget the lime juice at the end - it makes it.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon, sliced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• One 29 ounce can hominy, drained
• 15 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 7 ounce can diced green chilies
• 1/2 teaspoon each Mexican oregano & cumin
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups chopped kale
• Limes for garnish

Directions

1. Cook bacon until about 1/2 way done, remove most of the grease (leaving about 1 tablespoon) and add onion
2. Cook until softened, add garlic and cook another minute
3. Add everything else except salt, pepper & the lime and simmer over medium heat about 20 minutes
4. Season to taste with salt & pepper, ladle into a bowl and serve with lime squeezed on top

Cheater Chicken and Dumplings

Serves 6 people

Unless you're already a grandma, this'll for sure make you feel like one. 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 sticks celery, diced

• 1 1/2 cups diced, carrots

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 3 tablespoons dry Vermouth

• 1/4 cup flour

• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth

• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 cups deli-roasted chicken, shredded

Dumplings:

• 3/4 cup flour

• 2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 cup milk

• large pinch dried thyme

• Kosher salt and pepper to season

Directions

1. Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat and add celery, carrot, onion - cook for 5 mins until softened

2. Add garlic, and when fragrant, add a little salt & pepper - stir well

3. Then add vermouth and cook until mostly evaporated, a couple minutes

4. Sprinkle flour over the top and mix until it's dry and crumbly

5. Add broth a cup at a time stirring well to make sure it’s smooth

6. Add the thyme and cooked chicken bring to a simmer & cook until thickened and heated though, about 10 minutes

7. While it heats put flour, baking powder and thyme in a large bowl, season with salt & pepper and mix well to combine

8. Add the milk and mix until just enough for it to come together to a loose wet dough

9. Drop spoonfuls (about a tablespoon and a half) on top of the chicken mixture but keeping them from touching too much, bring to a slow simmer and put on the lid cook about 10 minutes

10. Serve and enjoy.