April, 2015 | eSoupRecipes

Ever wonder what to do with a pile of leftover mashed potatoes? Make soup, of course!

This Mashed Potato Ham and Cheese Soup is a very easy recipe to use up the stragglers in the refrigerator, including ham, cheese and corn. And it’s very versatile, too. If you don’t have ham, substitute chicken or bacon. The corn could be replaced with peas, broccoli or cauliflower – whatever you like.

Don’t let the simplicity of the preparation fool you. It is an excellent potato soup outright – rich, creamy and hearty.

Mashed Potato Ham and Cheese Soup

  • 1 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 cups cubed ham
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup half-and-half
  • 1 cup chicken broth/stock
  • 4 cups mashed potatoes
  • 1 cup corn (frozen, canned or fresh)
  • ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Fresh parsley
  1. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the butter over medium-low heat
  2. Stir in the onions and cook 5 minutes, or until soft
  3. Add the garlic and ham pieces and cook 2 to 3 minutes more
  4. Pour in the milk, half-and-half and chicken broth and stir
  5. Add the potatoes and corn and mix well, until thoroughly incorporated
  6. Stir in the the salt, pepper, paprika
  7. Add the cheese and heat through until melted
  8. Finish with a bit of chopped fresh parsley, a dusting of paprika and more cheese, if desired

 

Here in Wisconsin, the Bloody Mary cocktail is serious business. Many bars and restaurants fiercely defend their reputation for serving the “best” or “biggest” bloody in the area. Some of these cocktails are taken to such prodigious levels that the beverage becomes almost a meal in its own right. Overstuffed glasses brim with everything from hard-boiled eggs and cocktail shrimp to beef sticks and pickles.

With a bit of creativity you can customize the drink to your exact specifications, and that’s the inspiration behind this Bloody Mary chili.

Starting with a “base” of spicy hot vegetable juice, I toss in a handful of additional Bloody Mary ingredients, including celery, celery seeds, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish and pickle juice!

The result is a nicely balanced and delicious chili that has plenty of spirit and flavor.

  • 1 pound ground beef or turkey
  • 1 pound ground sausage
  • 1 beef soup bone (optional)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon celery seeds
  • 46-ounce V8 spicy hot vegetable juice
  • 28 ounces diced tomatoes
  • Two, 15-ounce cans pinto beans, rinsed thoroughly with cold water
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon pickle juice
  1. In a large Dutch oven, brown the sausage and ground beef or turkey over medium heat
  2. Remove meat when cooked
  3. Drain all but approximately 1 tablespoon of the fat and heat again over medium
  4. Drop in the onions, celery and soup bone (if using) and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until vegetables turn soft
  5. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, celery seeds and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring frequently
  6. Pour in 16 ounces of the vegetable juice and stir to remove any solid bits in the pot
  7. Return the meat to the pot along with the remaining vegetable juice, tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce
  8. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour
  9. Stir in the beans, horseradish, black pepper and simmer for 30 minutes more
  10. Pour in the pickle juice, give everything a final stir and serve

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In my opinion, almost any recipe can be transformed into soup, often with just a simple tweak or two. For Sloppy Joe Soup, I take an old favorite and replace the bun with broth for a hearty bowlful of sloppy goodness. It couldn’t be easier!

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar (white or apple cider)
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 1 quart beef broth
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  1. In a Dutch oven or soup pot, brown the ground beef, onion and celery over medium-low heat until beef is cooked and vegetables are soft – about 7 minutes
  2. Drain fat
  3. Add mustard, sugar, Worcestershire, vinegar and ketchup and mix well
  4. Pour in beef broth and bring mixture to a boil
  5. Reduce heat and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally

 

I love lentils and lentil soup, but after a while I get tired of the same old-same old and know it’s time to mix it up.

The plan?

What better way to perk up lentils than to bring in the flavors of Ethiopia, one of the world’s most ancient cuisines?

Butter made better

This Spicy Ethiopian Lentil soup’s base flavor begins with a spiced clarified butter called Niter Kibbeh. You can purchase Niter Kibbeh online or at an African grocery, but it’s more fun and satisfying to make your own. This gorgeous, golden-yellow elixir is deliciously aromatic and seductive. I couldn’t help taking the lid off the jar and passing it back and forth with my wife, each of us inhaling deeply as if the Niter Kibbeh were some fresh blossom of spring. There is clarified butter and then there is Niter Kibbeh. It is amazing.

But what about the spicy?

What gives this soup its kick is the use of Berbere (pronounced bear-bear-EH). Berbere is a signature spice mix of Ethiopia with a rich, reddish color.  It consists of numerous spices including allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, nutmeg, paprika, black pepper and cayenne pepper. The latter is usually the primary ingredient, which gives Berbere its fiery character.

This Berbere recipe from Chef Marcus Samuelsson is a very good one. Otherwise, you can purchase a ready-to-go Berbere spice mix online.

Let’s begin with the Niter Kibbeh!

Spicy Ethiopian Lentil Soup with Niter Kibbeh

  • 1 pound unsalted butter
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2-inch piece ginger, minced
  • 2-inch cinnamon stick
  • 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
  • 3 cloves, whole
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  1. Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and place in a medium saucepan
  2. Melt the butter over medium heat
  3. When the butter is foamy white on top, add the remaining ingredients and mix well
  4. Turn the heat down to low and let the mixture simmer untouched for about 45 minutes
  5. Eventually, the solids will collect on the bottom of the saucepan
  6. Line a colander with four folds of wet cheesecloth and pour the mixture through it into a heat-proof bowl or saucepan
  7. The liquid should be clear and free of any solids. If not, pour through cheesecloth again.
  8. Discard the solids and cheesecloth
  9. Allow the liquid to cool; then transfer to a clean jar – you will get about 2 cups of Niter Kibbeh
  10. When refrigerated, the Niter Kebbeh will become solid and is good for about 3 months

Now, onto the Spicy Ethiopian Lentil Soup!

Spicy Ethiopian Lentil Soup with Niter Kibbeh

  • 1 cup lentils, rinsed thoroughly in cold water
  • ¼ cup Niter Kibbeh
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Berbere
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • ½ cup tomato paste
  • 15-ounce canned tomatoes, diced
  • ½ teaspoon Himalayan Pink salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  1. Melt the Niter Kibbeh over medium heat
  2. Stir in the onions and cook 4 minutes
  3. Add garlic, Berbere, cumin, paprika and cook 1 minute
  4. Mix in the lentils and stir to coat with the onion-spice mixture
  5. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil
  6. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 30 to 40 minutes, until lentils are cooked
  7. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and let simmer another 10 minutes
  8. Season with salt and pepper
  9. Top with a spoonful or two of thick plain yogurt

Looking for a bulletproof soup that’s quick and easy to make?

One that has depth of flavor but doesn’t take all day to create?

This Easy Chicken Salsa and Corn Soup can be put together and on the table in 45 minutes.

It’s the perfect go-to on a busy weeknight when you want something hearty and delicious. Even better – leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch.

If you have boneless chicken breasts, thighs or tenders, then you’re on your way. Is there a jar of salsa in the cupboard? A carton of chicken broth or stock? A can of corn?

I bet you have onions and garlic – you better!

Excellent! Pull out your soup pot and start chopping.

I like the flavor of a salsa verde (green salsa) for this soup and recommend either Frontera Tomatillo Salsa or Arriba! Fire Roasted Mexican Green Salsa. But you could easily substitute your favorite tomato-based salsa and have excellent results.

 

  • 1 pound boneless chicken, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 quart chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 15-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed in cold water
  • 2 cups green salsa
  1. Heat the olive oil over medium in a Dutch oven or soup pot
  2. Add the onions and cook 5 minutes
  3. Stir in the garlic and cook 2 minutes
  4. Drop in chicken and sprinkle with chili powder
  5. Pour in the broth, corn and salsa and mix well
  6. Bring to boil; reduce and simmer for 25 minutes until chicken is done

This soup is great garnished with cheese, cilantro, sour cream and/or jalapeno peppers
 

Kharcho is something of a national dish in the Democratic Republic of Georgia. The country doesn’t get a lot of food props but I’m predicting that Georgian cuisine will be a hot item in the next year or two. The flavors are both familiar and foreign but different enough to have a real identity. Kharcho is a terrific introduction to the culinary approaches of Georgia.

Kharcho is a meat soup (beef or lamb) with rice that is thickened with crushed walnuts and finished with a bevy of fresh herbs. If you think using walnuts in soup is weird, one bite of Kharcho will change your mind. The walnuts give the broth additional richness and body and really complete the soup. This recipe calls for 1/4 cup crushed walnuts, and I think you’d be fine using a bit more if you want your soup on the thicker side.

The recipe is essentially the same as the one for Kharcho (Georgian Beef-Walnut Soup with fresh herbs). After looking at several versions of Kharcho, this one had the greatest appeal and gave me the opportunity to use two of the more exotic ingredients in my cupboard: fenugreek powder and tamarind paste. Many recipes offer substitute ingredients for hard-to-find items, but I strongly advise purchasing fenugreek and tamarind paste. Fenugreek powder has a very dusty texture, much like turmeric powder, but it smells almost like maple syrup. It’s different than any spice I’ve used before. Tamarind has a citrus-y sourness that does a remarkable job of both bringing out the flavors of the tomatoes here as well as providing a bright accent that couldn’t be matched using lemon juice, for instance.

The main difference between my version of Kharcho and the one mentioned above is minor: Instead of cooking a single piece of beef, like a brisket, in broth; I used stew beef, two beef soup bones and added a couple bay leaves. This is an herb-y soup, and a great way to combine your favorite bunches of herbs into one dish. Cilantro and parsley are traditionally used, and other herbs such as dill, tarragon or mint are often included, too. I chose a trio of cilantro, parsley and dill and had fantastic results. Although tarragon or mint would also be great.

This is a spectacularly good soup and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Kharcho – Georgian Beef Walnut Rice Soup

  • 1 pound stewing beef
  • 8 cups beef stock
  • 2 beef soup bones
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 15-ounce can tomatoes, chopped
  • 1⁄4 cup basmati rice
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon dried mint
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon ground fenugreek
  • 2 teaspoons tamarind paste, diluted in ¼ cup hot beef broth
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1⁄4 cup walnut pieces, crushed in mortar and pestle
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh herb mixture of approximately equal amounts of cilantro, dill and parsley
  • 3⁄4 cup chopped fresh herb mixture of approximately equal amounts of cilantro, dill and parsley
  1. Put the beef bones and beef into a small soup pot
  2. Pour in the broth, toss in the bay leaves and bring mixture to a boil
  3. Reduce heat and simmer, partly covered, for about 1½ hours
  4. Remove the soup bones, beef and bay leaves
  5. Allow meat to cool and then cut into bite-sized pieces
  6. Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven or soup pot melt the butter over medium heat
  7. Stir in the onions and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent
  8. Mix in the flour and stir for a minute more
  9. Add ½ cup of the hot beef stock and stir into the onion mixture
  10. Spoon in the tomato paste and tomatoes
  11. Pour in the remaining stock, add the rice and reduce heat
  12. Simmer soup, covered, for 10 minutes
  13. Add the remaining ingredients, except herbs, and simmer 15 minutes
  14. Take the soup off heat and dump in ¼ cup of the fresh herb mixture
  15. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes
  16. Stir in the salt and remaining ¾ cup herb mixture and serve