SOUPS

FRENCH ONION SOUP 

(tweaked version of French Onion Soup VII on Allrecipes.com - one of my favorite sites!)

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 tablespoons butter or oil
• 5 onions (3 yellow, 2 Vidalia/sweet), sliced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cup white wine (Chardonnay)
• salt and pepper to taste
• slices baguette
• shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1.                      Melt butter or oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Saute onions until deep brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in broth and wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper.

2.                      Toast baguette slices

3.                       Ladle soup into bowls. Top each bowl with a slice of bread, and sprinkle with cheese. Place under a hot broiler until cheese is melted and slightly browned (r in the microwave!)

GREEN CHILE STEW

Best when using fresh roasted chiles during Hatch chile season in August!

6 servings

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 pounds / 2 cups Hatch green chiles
• 1 serrano chile pepper, diced
• 2 golden (look like small red but more golden) potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 2 cans vegetable broth
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Heat the olive oil in heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, carrot, celery, potatoes, cumin and oregano. Cook and stir for 5 minutes.
• Add in vegetable broth, green chiles, Serrano chile and tomatoes. Boil then reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 45 minutes.

 

La Madeleine's Tomato-Basil Soup

This is supposedly the actual recipe!

• 4 cups fresh tomatoes, cored, peeled, and chopped (8-10) or canned whole tomatoes, crushed
• 4 cups tomato juice (or part vegetable stock)
• 12-14 basil leaves, washed fresh
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or more to taste
• 1/4 lb sweet unsalted butter
• salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• lemon juice (optional)

Directions

1.      Combine tomatoes, juice/and or stock in saucepan.

2.      Simmer 30 minutes.

3.      Puree, along with the basil leaves, in small batches, in blender, food processor (or better yet, one of those handy hand-held food blenders, right in the cooking pan). Return to saucepan and add cream and butter, while stirring, over low heat. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with your favorite bread.

Notes:
1.   I've also used milk or half and half in place of cream to make it less fattening. :)