Category Archives: soup recipes

bowl of beans, sausage and chard

Beans, Sausage and Chard

april 3, 2020

bowl of beans, sausage and chard

Our wonderful public radio station asked me recently on Instagram “What is your favorite snow day meal?” Even though it was spring and not a snowflake in sight (or hindsight, darn it) I did not hesitate when I answered  Beans and Greens. Truthfully, if the thermometer read triple digits, my answer would be the same. We all need a little extra comfort in these trying times, and it’s time to recast that original recipe with some nice sausage for an extra filling and homey dish that can both feed a crowd or dwell faithfully in your freezer for when you need a culinary hug.

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closeup of butternut black bean soup

Butternut Black Bean Soup

january 23, 2020

closeup of butternut black bean soup

The enjoyment of eating soup can be likened to the development of a good friendship. Things are lovely in the beginning and as time passes the relationship takes on depth from shared experiences. You would not immediately bond with most potential friends and you would not fully appreciate the complex flavors of soup until some time has passed and the taste blooms into something wonderful. Continue reading

Crab Corn Chowder

Crab Corn Chowder

august 14, 2019

Crab Corn Chowder

In Virginia and Maryland, the blue crab capitals of the Eastern seaboard, there are two types of crab aficionados.  Those who grab a pile of crabs, spread them out on newspaper and then pick for hours on end. And then there are those like me who like our crabmeat in a nice little tub labeled “jumbo lump”. Continue reading

hot and sour scallop soup

Hot and Sour Scallop Soup

april 24, 2019

hot and sour scallop soup

 

Soup is one of those meals enjoyed year round, with seasonal ingredients and temperatures to suit the weather. In summertime, Cucumber Vichyssoise is green and cooling. Autumn calls for Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Cider and Chipotle Spice and winter brings big steaming bowls of White Bean and Cabbage Soup. Spring soups are less heavy, more on the broth spectrum, with light veggies and bright herby flavors. Such is today’s Hot and Sour Scallop Soup, as incendiary as you like with hot pepper and fresh ginger. Continue reading

beans and greens

Beans and Greens

march 6, 2019

beans and greens

Southern comfort food means a big old pot of beans simmering on the stove. And an even bigger pot of slow cooked greens. This recipe combines the two and adds potatoes for good measure, because potatoes are the universal symbol of comfort with any meal.

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Chicken Noodle Root Vegetable Soup

january 23, 2018

chicken noodle root vegetable soup

Nothing is more comforting in cold and flu season than a hot, steaming bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup. Snow days beg for soup, as do those days when your head is clogged and your body aches. You needn’t be ill, however, to appreciate hot soup! Winter is that season for something that tastes like you, or someone, cooked all day to make that special dish just for your nourishment and pleasure. Continue reading

White Bean and Cabbage Soup

january 14, 2017

white bean and cabbage soup

Last weekend Richmond enjoyed the first snow day of winter. The silence was magical and holiday decorations still up were given the seal of authenticity with caps of fluffy snow and dangling icicles. Snowmen appeared as kids and grownups alike frolicked in yards and parks. Snow ice cream recipes were traded and the desserts were devoured and pronounced the best ever because it was so very cold. Continue reading

Gingered Carrot Soup

march 25, 2016

gingered carrot soup

When I was a kid cook, my parents bought two thin volumes we considered exotic at the time : cookbooks for German and French fare, with unusual ingredients not found in the States. Never a big cooked carrot fan, I nonetheless made Potage Crecy from the French book, a creamy carrot and potato soup, and got hooked. There followed attempts at whole chicken cooked in a pot with wine and tomato, German fish and mussel chowder and braised cucumber with sour cream. The only miss was liver dumplings from the German cookbook; the family dog became the recipient of that recipe.

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Pear Cheddar Chowder

december 4, 2015

pear cheddar chowder

 

Some of the best meals are eaten with a spoon. Pureed soups are great, and thick chunky chowders are even better. I make so many soups that I rarely order them in restaurants, but if a well populated chowder presented itself, I would reconsider. Especially if it contains cheese.

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zucchini cilantro soup

Zucchini Cilantro Soup

september 4, 2015

zucchini cilantro soup

 

This time of year may have you wondering what to do with all that zucchini on the counter, some as big as rolling pins. You may have grown it in your garden, or your neighbors may have gifted you with their excess. Have you exhausted all your options? Consider this versatile soup. It can be served chilled, at room temperature or lightly heated.

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