Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Well happy New Year! A little late, I know, but ... better late than never, right? Anyhoo, I hope your 2013s are off to a fantastic start, and that you had wonderful holidays. I know that I've been absent from my little corner of the blog world these last few months, and while I'd love to say "I'm back!" I just can't say that yet. I hope to be - and soon! - but for now my sporadic visits are all I can commit to. I do sincerely appreciate those who continue to visit!

That being said, I knew I had to post this recipe when a) John asked me to make it twice...in one week, and b) several people at work commented on it smelling so good as I reheated it for lunch!

So, first things first, if you don't like cauliflower, you will probably still like this soup. John is not crazy about cauliflower, but says that it was so creamy and tasted nothing like cauliflower (though we couldn't figure out what it did taste like). The best part...there is no dairy in this (unless you add a little shredded cheese at the end...so worth it for my dairy-eating friends)! Roasting the cauliflower adds an incredible flavor and texture to this soup, and you will not believe how creamy it is, without one bit of cream or milk.

Please just take my word - and the fact that I am writing a post after such a long absence just because this is so tasty! - and make this. It's super healthy, low calorie and absolutely delicious!

Creamy {Dairy-Free!} Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Serves 4-6, depending on portions

Lightened-Up Broccoli-Cheese Soup

Oh The Pioneer Woman. Her recipes kill me. One because they are so tasty, and another because they are not always the lightest. Most of the time, I just go all out for it and make it. But I've been really trying to eat healthier and not indulge too much lately (or so I say until you see one of my next posts...).

Well, I decided that I wanted some warm and creamy soup, but I wanted to lighten it up a bit. So that I did. And guess what? It tasted great! I was so proud of myself. Not to mention I decided that I wanted to make it in a bread bowl. Not just any bread bowl, but pretzel rolls from Trader Joe's. Yummy! John loved it, and we enjoyed our leftovers (eating some now!).

So go ahead and indulge a bit. I won't tell anyone. ;)

Lightened-Up Broccoli-Cheese Soup
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp; Adapated from The Pioneer Woman
Serves 4-6, depending on portions
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Ingredients: 
*1/2 onion, diced
*2 tbsp. butter
*2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. flour 
*2 cups milk (I used 2%)
*1 cup half-and-half 
*2 heads broccoli, cut into florets 
*1 pinch nutmeg 
*1 1/2 cups grated cheese (I used sharp cheddar & white cheddar) 
*small dash of salt (more if needed) 
*pepper
*splash of chicken broth, if needed for thinning

Preparation:

*Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, then add the onions. Cook the onions for 3 to 4 minutes.

*Sprinkle flour on top. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute or so, then pour in milk and half-and-half.

*Add nutmeg, then add broccoli, a small dash of salt, and plenty of black pepper.

*Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.

*Stir in cheese and allow to melt.

*Taste seasonings and adjust if needed.

Then either serve as is, or mash it with a potato masher to break up the broccoli a bit, or transfer to a blender in two batches and puree completely. (If you puree it in a blender, return it to the heat and allow to heat up. Splash in chicken broth if needed for thinning).

If you serve it in a bread bowl or pretzel roll, just scoop out the insides (not too much or it will leak!) and pour! You can also throw it in the oven under the broiler to make it a little bit firmer and toasted. I just left it as is. 

Prep time: diced onion, broccoli, and cheddar

onion, butter and flour

Plus milk, half and half, broccoli and spices...note how much broccoli is actually in there

After cooking for about 20 minutes it's time for cheese! (and broccoli cooked down!)

Trader Joe's pretzel roll

soup in the pretzel roll!

sooo yummy! take that Panera!

Tomato Artichoke Soup

Thank you pinterest! I ordered some of Patachou's Tomato Artichoke soup a few weeks ago, but I let the hubby finish it because I wasn't feeling too well. Fast forward to 4 hours later and all I could think of was having some of this soup. A quick pinterest search came up with this recipe, courtesy of A Couple Cooks.

Now, I'm sure it wasn't actually as good as Patachou's (how could it be?), but John swears it was! (Sweet hubby = lucky girl, I know!) I absolutely loved this soup. It was the perfect blend of creamy and tangy. Top it with grilled cheese croutons, and, oh my. I definitely ate way, way too much of it! Eh, oh well. It was totally worth it. :)

Tomato Artichoke Soup
Recipe by A Couple Cooks
Serves 4-6, depending on portions 
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Ingredients:
*28 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I used two 14oz cans)
*15 oz can artichokes, rinsed and drained
*1 cup water (I decided to use low-sodium vegetable broth instead)
*1 cup milk (we were out, again, so I used part heavy cream part water)
*2 tablespoons butter
*1 large onion
*1 clove garlic
*3 bay leaves 
*1/2 teaspoon oregano
*1 teaspoon basil 

Preparation:
*Chop 1 large onion and 1 clove garlic. 

*In a large soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons butter.  Sauté the onions, garlic, and 3 bay leaves until the onions are translucent.


*Chop the artichokes into smaller pieces. In the soup pot, add the artichokes, tomatoes, water (or broth), oregano and basil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add a little brown sugar if it tastes too bitter (mine did so I added 1-2 tablespoons).

*Using a blender, blend the soup to a smooth consistency. Add milk (or cream and water mixture). Top with a little parmesan and serve immediately. Maybe with some grilled cheese sandwiches. :)

onions, bay leaves, butter and garlic cooking

the broth and tomatoes I used

simmering for 10 minutes

hello soup!

Plus grilled cheese croutons :)

tomato artichoke soup plus parmesan-crusted zucchini sticks

 

French Onion Soup

So recently I've been on a Pinterest binge. I decided I need to take more advantage of the wonderful cookbooks I was given for our wedding. As such, the past few posts have been from the great cookbook The Newlyweds' Cookbook. This is another recipe from that cookbook!

To be honest, I've never been a huge fan of French onion soup. I've always found it to be too salty or just blah. So, when the hubby was feeling sick and said French onion soup sounded good, I was happy to help him but a little...eh.

Turns out? I started feeling more "eh" than he did, and I was so glad I had this soup to eat while I was getting back to my best self! Since I used non-sodium beef stock I was able to add enough salt for me preference. Not only that, I used sweet onions instead of regular onions.

And. This. Was. Good! We ate it for every meal! I'd like to think it's not just because we were both feeling a little under the weather. This was the best French onion soup I've had. And John too, according to him! He told me not to be offended or stop believing him when he told me I made "the best" of something because it happens so often. (Awww! Extra hubby points!)

PS: I made a few modifications to the recipe (as usual!). My version is below.

Ingredients:
*3 tbsp unsalted butter
*1 tbsp evoo
*4-5 sweet onions, thinly sliced
*2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
*1 tbsp all-purpose flour
*1 quart beef stock
*2 3/4 cups dry white wine
*1 bay leaf
*2 sprigs thyme
*1 baguette, or other white bread, sliced
*Gruyere cheese, freshly grated
*salt and pepper

Preparation:
*Put the butter and oil in a large saucepan (I used a stockpot) and melt over medium heat. Ad the onions and cook over low heat until soft, 15-30 minutes (recipe called for 15-20, mine took about 25-30).

*Add the garlic and four and cook, stirring for about 1 minute.

*Add the broth, wine, bay leaf and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then lower the heat and simmer very gently for 20 minutes.

*Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. At this point, the soup will be cooked, but standing time will improve the flavor - at least 30 minutes.

*Before serving, preheat the broiler (500 degrees for me). Put the baguette slices on a baking sheet and top with shredded Gruyere cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and bread is toasted.

*To serve, reheat the soup (if cooled), then ladle it into bowls. Top with toasted baguette and cheese slices. Serve immediately.

Softening onions

Bad picture of the soup right after everything mixed!

Just the soup

Yummm!

Bread, cheese and brothy soup!

Best ever.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

I was reading my friend good friend Jourdan's blog - she also has found a love for cooking and domestic life! - and saw this yummy recipe for homemade creamy tomato soup (original recipe from Our Life in the Kitchen).  While my body hates me for loving tomato soup - heartburn alert! - I just can't get enough of a really great tomato soup. With a few modifications, this one definitely did the trick. It was such a rich and creamy soup and perfect with grilled cheese. John loved it and told me to add it to "the rotation" of his favorite dishes. I hope it warms a rainy day in your house too! :)

Ingredients:
*1 1/2 pounds fresh roma tomatoes, quartered (9 tomatoes in my case)
*1/2 large yellow onion, diced
*less than 1/4 cup Arborio rice, uncooked (I found it on the bottom shelf of the rice section & this is the rice usually used for risotto)
*low sodium chicken stock (or vegetable broth for you vegetarians!), ~26 oz (I used a whole container of Swanson's version but wish I would have used 1 cup less. I'd pour out one cup and then pour in the whole container)
*olive oil
*2 good pinches of crushed red pepper flakes
*3 small garlic cloves, minced
*fresh basil leaves, ~6
*1/4 cup half and half (1 part heavy cream with 1 part skim milk)
*seasoning: dried basil, salt, pepper
*good pinch of brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons

Preparation:

*Heat a few tablespoons (a few good drizzles) of olive oil in a large stock pot. Add diced onion and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until browned.

*When onion is almost done cooking, add minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and pinch of brown sugar. Mix around and allow to cook for another minute or so.

*Add quartered tomatoes and chicken stock. Make sure you add enough so that it just covers the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Then add rice and simmer, on low, uncovered, for another 15-20 minutes until rice is cooked through.

*Once rice is cooked through, add in about 6 torn basil leaves and stir. (This is when I decided it was too brothy and removed about a cup of the broth, being careful to keep in the tomatoes and basil. This is also why I suggest using one less cup to begin with, but it's your choice. I like thicker tomato soup.)

*Transfer mixture to blender and blend until smooth. Return blended mixture to pot and add half and half, stirring well. Add a teaspoon (or more) of salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper (or more) and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Stir well.

*Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches and garnish with fresh basil! Yum! :)

Browned onion. I like to make sure mine is really browned so that the onion stays sweet.

Adding in tomatoes.

The chicken stock I used. Again, I recommend using a cup less than the whole container.

My interpretation of "less than 1/4"

Looking a bit too brothy for me. Time to remove a cup - without removing tomatoes or basil leaves or rice, a tricky endeavor!

Yum :)

Grilled cheese - in the panini maker! = perfect for dipping in your soup

A closer look at the consistency of the soup.

Vegetable Soup with Chicken and Cheese Tortellini

 
This recipe came from one of my good friends, Jourdan. Within a week of posting this recipe on her blog (www.jourdanleigh.blogspot.com -- check it out!), two of her friends (me included) tried out this recipe. The result was amazing. Warm, comforting, yet light at the same time. It is a very healthy meal and you didn't feel like that while eating it at all. Adding the tortellini and chicken (Jourdan's idea!) made it a hearty meal that was awesome for leftovers all week - - yay for "free" lunch!

*Original recipe from Good Stuff Maynard 

Ingredients:

*Diced chicken breast (1-2)
*1/2 cup sweet yellow onion, chopped  (or, Jourdan used red onion while I used regular white onion)

*2 carrots, coarsely chopped

*2 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped

*4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

*6 cups of vegetable or chicken broth (I used reduced sodium chicken broth from Swanson)

*1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes (I used the no salt added variety)

*handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped (1-2 teaspoons dried)

*1 teaspoon of oregano

*salt and pepper, to taste

*2 small zucchini, chopped into bite size pieces

*1 small yellow squash, chopped into bite size pieces

*13 oz frozen cheese tortellini (I could only find a 16oz frozen ricotta-stuffed tortellini and it was fantastic)

*3 cups sliced fresh spinach (about 3 ounces)

*Asiago cheese, shredded (or grated Parmesan was what we had)

*olive oil

Preparation:

*Place the olive oil in a large pot oven over medium heat. Add the chicken, onions, carrots and celery then cook 4-5 minutes or until chicken is cooked and veggies are softened. 

*Add the seasonings and garlic then stir constantly for 60 seconds before adding the tomatoes and broth. Cover and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.

*Increase the heat to medium high, then add the tortellini, zucchini and squash. Cook for 10 minutes or until the tortellini is cooked through. 

*Stir in spinach and simmer, uncovered, until spinach is wilted and all vegetables are tender, about 1 minute longer. 

*Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Asiago cheese.

*Note: If not serving immediately, add the spinach just before serving to retain the bright color and prevent overcooking.

Jourdan went so far to be inspired to make some toasted bread to go with this soup. She used Jimmy John's loaves while I grabbed a loaf of French bread while I was at the store. To add this delicious bread to the soup follow the instructions below.

Ingredients:
*French bread or another loafed bread, sliced
*olive oil
*salt
*pepper
*low-fat ricotta (though I'm sure regular would work fine)
*herbs (I used the "Herbs Provence" from my spice rack) 


Preparation:
*Lightly brush each slice of bread with olive oil (both sides) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
*Place bread slices onto preheated grill pan (mine was on medium to medium-high). Toast each side until golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside. 
*While bread is toasting, mix desired amount of ricotta cheese with herbs. Sprinkle and taste to achieve desired ratio and flavor.
*When bread is done, lightly cover each slice with herbed ricotta and dip in soup. Delicious!!

Prepping for olive oil, salt, pepper and herbed ricotta

Herbed ricotta with "R" serving spoon :)

Toasting the bread

Dinner time! John absolutely loved this bread and dip. He has since requested we buy 4 loaves to make more of it for every meal!