One thing I have noticed about living in different countries is what is easy to find and inexpensive in one place, may not be in another.
While in the UK and USA, cream of tomato soup is pretty easy to find pre-made and inexpensive, I find it is not the case in the smallish town where I live in Finland. Prepackaged soup (not powdered) is not necessarily that cheap. Additionally, I try to steer away from things that are unnecessarily sweetened, and I like to cook.
If anyone needs metrics on this, let me know, and I can provide them.
Mussel and Chorizo Soup
From Food & Wine magazine
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp. finely minced shallots
3 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
5 ounces dry chorizo, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)
2 medium carrots, finely diced
2 medium leeks, white and tender greens parts only, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large plum tomato, finely diced
1/4 tsp.
Original recipe yield: 8 (1 cup) servings
INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 leeks, bulb only, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (16 ounce) cans fat-free chicken broth
2 (16 ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
2 cups packed fresh spinach
salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic; saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, cannellini beans, bay leaves and cumin.
French Onion Soup
Modified from
Bon Appétit magazine and
Martha Stewart
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
6 onions (about 3 pounds), sliced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 bay leaf
3 springs fresh thyme
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry sherry
6 cups canned beef broth
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6-8 sourdough bread slices, toasted
8 ounces pecorino romano cheese, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 3 cups)
- Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot on medium-low heat.
Chicken Posole
From
Everyday Food magazine
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 cans (15 ounces each) white hominy, drained
6 3/4 cups shredded cooked leftover chicken
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Assorted garnishes, such as diced avocado, thinly sliced radishes, and crumbled tortilla chips (optional)
- Heat oil in a 5-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onions; cook until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, and oregano; cook, stirring constantly, until evenly distributed.
- Add 4 cups water, broth, and hominy. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until fragrant, about 30 minutes.
- Stir in chicken; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
