CHILI RELLENO CHICKEN SOUP

In looking for recipes for the Motor Home I found this. I cook ahead and put in a jar to heat and eat on the road. It could also be served over rice. 

You can use the canned green Chilis if there are no poblano peppers in town...about a half of a big can of whole chilies. Chop. 

Ingredients:

5 poblano peppers
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
4 cups chicken bone broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
3 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Preparation:
Cut out seeds and then place peppers in a food processor or blender to finely chop. Set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and poblanos and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in chicken broth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add chicken pieces and continue to cook until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Add cream cheese and two cups of the cheddar cheese and whisk until smooth.
To serve, divide into 6 bowls and sprinkle each with 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese. 

I browned the chicken pieces first and removed from the pan than added back later in order. I don't like raw meat added to things. My own preference. 

I also added some big egg noodles to make it more hardy. Just put them in the last 10 minutes.   

POTATO SOUP/CLAM CHOWDER

I made a lot of different soups at the deli but I think Clam Chowder may have been the favorite. This potato soup is made the same way only without clams. It's not fancy and comes out very thick sometimes but you can always adjust the milk. Ron prefers it without the celery. 

1 lb. bacon, diced
1 large onion (2cups), diced
1 cup celery, diced
10 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced
8  cups chicken broth
1 quart heavy cream
White pepper
1 stick butter

In an 8 qt pot, put diced potatoes and chicken broth just to cover (add a little water if potatoes aren't covered).  Cook until potatoes are very fork tender. 

Brown bacon until crisp. Remove from pan. Add onion and celery to bacon grease and cook until translucent, drain grease and add to potatoes. Add cream and white pepper. 

Put in bacon bits if desired. If soup appear too thin, add some potatoes buds to thicken. If too thick add a bit more milk.  Stir in butter and let sit, covered, for awhile before eating, salt and pepper to taste (or refrigerate and reheat later).  Serves maybe 16

If you want clam chowder add a large #10 can of clams and its juice. (I don’t put celery in clam chowder. Hold back a couple cups of broth, then adjust liquid) 

You can leave the bacon out if you'd like.  Sauté the onions in the butter. Finish as above. 

CREAMY WILD RICE SOUP

A great comforting soup in the winter. Can be made with veggie broth to make Vegetarian. Experiment with the rice blends

1/2 lb butter

2 cups celery, chopped

2 big carrots, grated or chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1TBS whole thyme

1 1/2 cup flour

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup wild rice blend + 2 cups chicken broth 

1 quart half & half

Melt butter in soup pot. Add celery, carrots and onion. Sauté until all become limp and translucent (about 15 min.). Add thyme and flour stirring constantly until flour is mixed in good. Cook 3-4 min. Add 4 cups chicken broth and stir to break up lumps and combine well.

In smaller pan bring chicken broth to a boil. Add rice and simmer, covered, until done; about 20 minutes. Add to larger pot.

Let soup set overnight to combine flavors. When ready to serve, heat and add half & half.

CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP A'LA SNERPA

Snerp Whipple, a friend I took cooking classes with in the ‘70s, gave this recipe to me. It was a favorite at the Deli.

1/3 c Butter

8 oz Mushrooms, sliced

2/3 c green onions with tops

1/3 c Flour

2 cups Milk

1 cup chicken broth 

Stem and slice mushrooms. Chop green onions (both white and green parts). Melt the butter and sauté both mushrooms and onions for 10 minutes. Stir in flour. Remove from heat. Stir in milk and broth. Return to heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Serve sprinkled with white pepper. 4 Servings.

It can take some time to get this to a boil, but you have to stay with it. When it does boil, it comes fast and will go all over. Because it is a milk base, it will taste burnt if not stirred constantly

I never made just a little pot. Below is plenty for a crowd.

24-34  people 

1 # Butter

3 # Mushrooms

3 Bunches Green Onions

2 c Flour

12 c Milk

6 c Chicken Broth

CARROTT SOUP A'LA BENJAMIN

Benjamin Cunningham developed this recipe when he was 7 years old. He used the carrots in the neighbors (Linda Dunn) garden.He also experimented with the herbs from his Memos garden; lemon thyme, rosemary, chives and sage. He would like to be a chef, and own a “Soup” restaurant.

½ c diced Onion

1 TBSP Oil

4 Carrots, peeled and diced

½ c Red Bell Pepper, diced

1 tsp finely diced Ginger

1 tsp Celery Salt

3 c chicken broth (or Vegetable)

white pepper

In a non-stick, 2qt. saucepan, sauté onion in oil until it is clear. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan. Make sure vegetables are covered with the liquid. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer about 30 minutes, until carrots are tender. Cool.

With hand blender, wiz until vegetables are as small as you like. (You may add ½ c cream at this point if you want cream soup). Season with white pepper.

Low and behold, if he didn't meet a couple, while visiting the Sargents lake house, who had a restaurant in Reno that made primarily "SUP".

Christian and Kasey Christensen.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

When Harry and Lindsy were in college, they had French Onion Soup and Cheese Cake at every restaurant we went to, of course neither of them were paying the bill. This is the one I made at the Deli.

4 TBS Butter

2 TBS Vegetable Oil

2 # Onions thinly sliced

1 TBS Salt

3 TBS Flour

1 Qt Chicken Stock

1 Qt Beef Stock

8 Croutes

In soup pot, melt the butter with the oil. Add onions and salt. Cook uncovered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes, or until onions are a rich golden brown. SPRINKLE flour over onions and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a separate pot, bring the stocks to a simmer, then stir the hot stock into the onions. Return to heat and simmer another 30-40 minutes, occasionally skimming off the fat. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper.

Serve soup in bowls with a piece of toast (croutes) floating on top.

Croutes:

1 in thick slices of French bread

Olive Oil

Swiss cheese

Cut Garlic

Brush bread with olive oil and rub with garlic. Place a piece of cheese on each piece. Bake at 375* until cheese just melts.

6 servings

TOMATO HERB SOUP

50 oz Can Tomato Soup (no water)

2 qt Chicken or Vegetable Broth
1 can beef broth

1 c Diced Onion

1 c Diced Celery

1 c Diced Green Pepper

1 c Diced Carrot

2 TBS Oil

1 TBS Whole Thyme

1 TBS Whole Rosemary

1 TBS Basil

1Tbs Whole Dill

1tsp course ground pepper

Heat oil in bottom of large soup pot. Sauté, or sweat, vegetables until opaque, stirring constantly, 10 minutes. Add spices. Cook to release flavors, 2 minutes.

Add Soup and Broth. Bring to almost a boil, and simmer 1 hour.

Soup will cook down some, and flavors will blend.

For Creamy soup, put 2 cups less broth. Add 2 cups cream to final product. Let heat, but do not boil. Some grated lemon rind is good at this point also.

I kind of just throw spices in this, so use what you like. My girls hate rosemary. Instead of chicken, use beef broth.

This can be made vegetarian with veggi broth.

VELVET CHEESE SOUP

¼ # Butter

½ c grated Carrot

½ c chopped Onion

½ c chopped Celery

1/3 c Flour

4 c Chicken Broth

2 c Milk

3 cups Cheddar (12oz)

2 tsp Dijon style mustard

1 tsp Worcestershire

In a large soup pot, melt butter. Sauté carrots, onions, and celery until soft, but not brown 10-15 minutes. Add flour. Cook and stir until blended. Slowly add chicken broth, stirring until mixture comes to a boil, and thickens. Whiz (puree). Stir in milk, grated cheese, mustard and Worcestershire.

Simmer over low heat until soup is hot and cheese is melted. (If soup is not thick enough, add a few potato buds). Cover and let sit.

For cheesy herb soup, add a tsp thyme, tarragon, or oregano to the sautéing vegetables. I always do. You can add any kind of left over cheese, but the larger amount should be cheddar.

8 servings.

Potato Corn Chowder

A hearty potato soup with chicken and corn.

1/3 Cup Olive Oil

4 Large Chicken Breast cut into 1" pieces

1 Large Onion diced

52 oz can Chicken Broth or homemade broth

3 # Yukon Gold Potatoes quartered

1 16 oz Pkg frozen corn whole kernel

1 quart 1/2 &1/2

Heat olive oil in soup pot. Salt and pepper half the chicken pieces. Add to the pot, cooking fast, to brown both sides. Remove to a plate and cook second batch. Chicken should be brown on the outside and still pink in the middle. Refrigerate.

Add onion and cook until transparent. 

Add chicken broth to the pot, stirring to remove bits from bottom. Put potatoes, quartered and unpeeled, into broth, making sure there is enough liquid to cover. If not, add water to cover.

Cook potatoes on medium until fork tender. Add chicken,  corn and 1/2 & 1/2.

Turn to very low and simmer 30 minutes to blend flavors. Salt and pepper as needed.

You can cut 6 pieces of bacon into small pieces; cook; remove to chicken plate, and cook onion in bacon grease. Add bacon back in with chicken.

One of Jarrells favorites. Maybe 2nd to clam chowder. 

You can also leave the chicken out altogether.

I don’t peel Yukon golds. I scrub well. It’s your choice. 

SHRIMP GUMBO

•4 ounces vegetable oil

•4 ounces all-purpose flour (by weight)

•1 1/2 pounds raw,whole,medium-sized 31-50 count shrimp

•2 quarts water

•1 cup diced onion

•1/2 cup diced celery

•1/2 cup diced green peppers

•2 tablespoons minced garlic

•1/2 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomato

•1 tablespoon kosher salt

•1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

•1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

•1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

•2 bay leaves

•1/2 pound Andouille sausage, cut into 1/4" pieces and browned

•1 tablespoon file powder (or 2 lbs Okra)

Directions:

Make the Roux:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven and whisk together to combine. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process. 

While the roux is baking, de-head, peel and devein the shrimp. Place the shrimp in a bowl and set in the refrigerator. Place the heads and shells in a 4-quart saucepan along with the 2 quarts of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or until the liquid has reduced to 1-quart. Remove from the heat and strain the liquid into a container, discarding the solids.

Once the roux is done, carefully remove it from the oven and set over medium-high heat. Gently add the onions, celery, green peppers and garlic and cook, moving constantly for 7 to 8 minutes or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Gradually add the shrimp broth while whisking continually. Decrease the heat to low, cover and cook for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the shrimp and sausage and stir to combine. Add the file powder while stirring constantly.

Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes prior to serving. Serve over rice.

This is mostly Alton Browns recipe. A little time consuming, but, it is so worth it. Not too hot (spicy) like people expect Gumbo to be.