Fagioli con Salsicce (Beans with Sausage) Soup

This time of year is usually perfect for soups and stews, however lately here in the sunshine state the weather has been more like burgers and salads!  With highs ranging in the upper 70’s and low’s hanging around the mid 50’s I've felt more like barbecuing then soup making.  So for my friends and family in the North, this one is for you!

Depending on what side of the Primal fence you’re on, you may or may not occasionally indulge in legumes.  MDA has offered their opinion on the matter and I too believe an occasional indulgence is just fine.  Plus, in my opinion, they provide a texture and thickness to the soup that you just can’t achieve without them.

This is probably my hands down favorite soup recipe, this one is a close second, but when it comes to something hearty and full of flavor it simply can’t be beat.  Sweet Italian sausage, tender cannelloni beans, fresh rosemary and a ton of garlic make this dish packed with flavor and pure comfort.  Carb lovers can boil up some ditalini pasta and serve alongside with some crusty bread but I prefer mine topped with fresh grated parmesan and a good glug of extra virgin olive oil.

Fagioli con Salsicce (Beans with Sausage) Soup
Serves 4-6

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
10 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
4 cups homemade chicken stock
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 cans cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons sherry (optional)

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy bottomed pot.  Add the sausage and sauté, breaking apart into small pieces until browned.  Remove sausage from the pan and reserve for later. 

Add the last tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and toss in the chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Create a little space in the center of the pan and add in the tomato paste, allow to cook for about 3 minutes or until caramelized.  Add in the garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant. 

Return the sausage to the pot and add the chicken stock, tomatoes, sherry (optional), bay leaves and beans to the pot. If you like a thicker soup, add one can of beans to the pot and crush the other with your hands into a paste.  The crushed beans will help make the soup thicker and give it a more creamy texture.  Reduce heat to low, partially cover and allow to cook for 20 – 30 minutes.  Remove the lid and adjust the seasoning with salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Serve in a large bowl topped with fresh parsley, parmesan cheese and a glug of good olive oil.

White Bean Chicken Chili

It’s finally here, at 1030a tomorrow the boy and I leave for the black sand beaches of Costa Rica and on Friday I will marry the man of my dreams. The last two weeks have been a whirl wind complete with one nasty cold, a bridal shower, a fun filled bachelorette weekend with my bestest friends and last minute packing. I apologize for the lack of posting but I think it’s safe to say those of you that have been through this before can empathize.

So before I go spend the next two weeks in the rain forest with little to no internet access I figured I would leave you with one of my favorite fall dishes, White Bean Chicken Chili. It’s hearty, it’s spicy, it’s down right delicious and I make it by the ton this time of year. While beans aren’t ‘technically’ Primal they are packed with protein and if you live an 80 / 20 lifestyle this is a dish you should definitely try.

White Bean Chicken Chili
Serves 6 – 8

2 bone in skin on chicken breasts, roasted and shredded
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 roasted poblano peppers, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon white pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
5 cups homemade chicken stock
2 cans cannelloni beans, rinsed
½ bunch cilantro, finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream

In a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add the butter, garlic, onion, peppers, spices and herbs and allow to cook until the onions are translucent. Add the chicken stock, shredded chicken, 2 cans of beans and chopped cilantro and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Cut the heat and add the heavy cream.

Serve in a large bowl topped with fresh cilantro, grated cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Tuscan Beef Stew

Since changing my diet over to the Primal lifestyle I’ve done my part to keep the majority of the posts on Dandy Dishes Primal and Paleo friendly.  But I’m leaving this one up to you, my fellow readers, to decide where this dish will fall.  Even Primal creator Mark Sisson admits to indulging in a glass of red every once and a while so I can only imagine he would approve of this beautiful free range chuck roast being slowly braised in half a bottle of it!

I think Beef Stew is one of those dishes that every family has a unique recipe for.  Almost all include carrots, celery and potatoes but the differences lie in the details.  I was inspired to make this dish after seeing an episode of Extra Virgin on Cooking Channel.  What I loved about it was the simplicity of the ingredients, and the fact that it was cooked in wine!  And even though the temperatures in Florida are hitting close to 100 and the same goes for the humidity, we still have our share of rainy days.  And to me there is something very comforting about a nice warm bowl of hearty stew on a dark and gloomy rain filled evening.  So the next time the rain ruins your Saturday evening plans make this Tuscan Beef Stew, throw on a little Thelonius Monk, down the rest of that bottle of red and enjoy!

Tuscan Beef Stew
Serves 6

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
2lb boneless chuck roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cups of a good, dry red wine.  Something you would enjoy drinking, I recommend this.
1 bunch of fresh thyme, stems removed
3 medium tomatoes, quartered
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

Heat a large heavy bottomed stock pot or dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add the olive oil, onion, carrot and celery and sauté until golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Add the beef and sauté until the meat is seared and browned on all sides, about 5 – 7 minutes.  Add the wine and the thyme and bring to a boil.

Drop the heat to low and add the tomatoes, season well with salt and pepper.  Cover and simmer for 2 hours giving it a stir every 15 to 20 minutes.

I served this along side mashed sweet potatoes but next time I think I will cube them up and add them directly to the stew.  If adding potatoes, about an hour and a half into the cooking process, add the cubed potatoes and continue cooking for another half hour or until the potatoes are fork tender.  Serve in a big warm bowl and garnish with the parsley.

Homemade Tomato Soup

I know it’s a little weird, posting up a soup recipe at the beginning of summer.  I mean heck, here in FL my temperature gauge read 90º at 830am this morning!  But for me summer means two important things…mainly it’s time to begin sipping ice cold beverages while listening to Marley on a sun drenched beach, but it also means its tomato time :)

How many of you, like me, love this fruit like no other?  I remember eating them like apples when I was a kid and even today one of my favorite snacks is sliced tomato wedges with a sprinkling of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.  Sadly my growing experience has been quite unsuccessful so I tend to rely on my local farmers market for the freshest beauties I can get my hands on.  And in a pinch, when you need to whip up dinner fast I always have a couple cans of organic, chopped tomatoes in my pantry.

Monday night the boy was feeling a little blah and I was trying to muster up the energy to do anything after my new workout, so I whipped up an old comfort food staple…Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup.  Well, Grilled Cheese for the boy and more like Tomato Soup and cheese slices for me.

This recipe is quick, darn tasty and simply tastes of summer.  It contains ingredients most cooks always have on hand and is on the table in 20 minutes or less.  So next time you’re feeling a little under the weather, or just not wanting to exert a lot of energy in the kitchen, give this spin on an old comfort staple a try.

Homemade Tomato Soup

Serves 4

1 14oz can of organic chopped tomatoes, drained and juices reserved

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup homemade chicken stock

¼ cup fresh chopped basil leaves

¼ cup half and half

Preheat your oven to 450º and line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Open a can of tomatoes and drain, reserving the juices.  Place the drained tomatoes on the foil lined baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Toss into your preheated oven and roast for 15 minutes. 

While the tomatoes are roasting, in a large saucepan over medium low heat, add the ¼ cup of olive oil, diced onion and garlic cloves.  Cook for 10 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent.  Remove the tomatoes from the oven and transfer them to the pot with the onions and garlic.  Make sure you get as much of the charred bits and as much of the juices into the pan as possible.  Add the chicken stock and the reserved tomato juices and cook for another 5 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped basil and ¼ cup of half and half.  Using a hand held immersion blender, food processor or plain old blender puree the mixture until it becomes a soup like consistency.  You can also take this a step further and pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, but I prefer mine with little bits of tomato and basil.  Return the pureed soup to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top and alongside your favorite melted cheese creation for dunking.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I know parts of the country are still dealing with snow, and a lot of it! Here in Florida the temperatures couldn’t be more fabulous, high 70’s / low 80’s during the day and a low hanging somewhere around the mid 50’s in the evenings. I had my first beach day of 2011 last Saturday at Anna Maria Island and I cannot wait to get my toes back in the sand.

Now that those of you freezing your butts off officially want to strangle me, don’t think I haven’t been thinking of you! There are few things as comforting as a warm mug of cocoa or a nice hearty soup on a cold day. And while I haven’t brought you a cocoa recipe (note to self, write a cocoa recipe) I have brought you probably the best chicken noodle soup I have ever tasted. No lie, seriously, even if you think you don’t like half the ingredients listed do yourself a favor and MAKE THIS SOUP! Example, I loathe mushrooms, each and every kind too. Portobello’s, chanterelle’s, button’s…you name it I’ve tried it, and I hate them all. They’re slimy and they’re a fungus, and there is nothing you can do to change my mind. However, they lend an amazing depth of flavor to almost any dish. So while I may cook with them, I just push them to the side when it comes time to eat. So if you’re a mushroom hater like me, I encourage to throw them in there anyway…just chop them up really, really fine so you don’t feel the slimy things crawling down your throat.

On a side note, this soup freeze’s beautifully! Make a big pot for dinner tonight and store the rest of it for when Mother Nature is wreaking havoc yet again or for when you’re feeling a little under the weather. You won’t be disappointed. Just be sure to leave out the noodles and cream. After you reheat just bring it to a simmer and add them then.

Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves 6 – 8

Now it goes without saying, any soup is going to be better when it’s made with homemade chicken stock. You can find my recipe here, but if you’re in pinch boxed low sodium broth will work as well.

12 cups homemade chicken stock or low sodium broth
2 to 3 cups of shredded pre-cooked chicken
*time saver tip, use a store bought rotisserie chicken
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery, don’t forget those leafy green tops!
1 cup sliced Portobello mushrooms (or chop those suckers up really, really fine like me)
3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary
1/3 cup cooking sherry
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 ½ cups dry egg noodles
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot bring 12 cups of stock or broth to a boil, add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Toss in the chopped celery and cook for another 5 minutes. Throw in the egg noodles and cook according to package directions, about 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the shredded chicken, mushrooms, sherry, parsley, rosemary and heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve along side and big loaf of warm, crusty french bread.

Spicy Shrimp and Noodles

If you can’t tell, I’m on a soup kick lately. In Florida there are really only a few months out of the year where you can actually eat soup without breaking a sweat. With cooler temperatures headed this way and a newly functioning stove top (that’s a story for another day) I’m breaking out my enameled cast iron pot and cooking up a storm. Soups, Chili’s, Stocks…you name it, this week I’m all over it!

When I first spotted this recipe in a magazine I envisioned a strong fish stock with big punches of ginger and a kick of heat from the chili paste; however after making it I found the flavors to be pretty mild and surprisingly sweet. The cilantro and lime brighten the sweetness of the shrimp and the chili paste brings just enough heat to make things interesting. If you’re a seafood lover like me I recommend trying this dish soon, start off with a teaspoon of chili paste then bump up the heat to your liking. I made a lot of modifications to the original recipe mainly using egg noodles instead of rice sticks, broccoli instead of snap peas and omitted the onion completely. So be creative and feel free to make this your own…omit the shrimp and use shredded chicken instead, or use rice instead of pasta. Next time I’m thinking bean sprouts and extra firm tofu. Point being experiment in your kitchen, every recipe can be tweaked to your liking.

Spicy Shrimp and Noodles
Serves 4

1 pound fresh shrimp, deveined and peeled with tails on
1 8oz bottle of clam juice
1 cup chicken stock
1 ½ cups water
Fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 2 pieces of ¼” diameter coins
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
2 teaspoons chili paste (I ended up using a tablespoon and it was just enough heat for me) or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup egg noodles
Fresh cilantro and lime juice for garnish

Remove shrimp tails and add to a medium sauce pan. Add clam juice, water, chicken stock and ginger to the pot with the shrimp tails and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Pass liquid through a strainer and reserve for later.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Toss in the bell pepper and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant. Now pour in the reserved fish stock and bring to a simmer. Add the shrimp, chili paste, salt and egg noodles then cover and allow to cook 7 minutes or until noodles are almost done. Remove the lid and toss in the broccoli florets and cook an additional 3-5 minutes until the pasta is fully cooked and the broccoli is tender.

Serve in bowls garnished with fresh cilantro leaves and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Zuppa Toscana

Its official, I’m in love with this soup and I have been for years. A former co worker and I would make weekly visits to a certain restaurant just for this one dish. But this week I didn’t feel like leaving my house, well more like I didn’t feel like leaving my yoga pants, so I decided to make my own version. And I’ll be darned if it wasn’t as good or even better! For me there aren’t many things better then some warm toasty bread and a good soup to dunk it in. And this one just so happens to bring together everything I love in one big bowl. Potatoes, bacon, heavy cream and enough veggies to make you think it’s good for you. It’s important to mention that this makes a LOT of soup but no worries, it freezes beautifully. So with cooler temperatures looming do yourself a favor and make a batch of this soup tonight, and don’t forget the bread for dunking!

Zuppa Toscana Soup
Serves 8

1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed (I used chicken sausage cause it’s leaner)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 strips of bacon, chopped
1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups of homemade chicken stock (if store bought, make sure it’s low sodium)
2 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
3 large Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into half moons
4 cups Kale, washed and stems removed
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium skillet over medium heat, add sausages to pan. With a wooden spoon begin breaking up the sausages into bite size pieces. Add 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (or more if you really like it hot) and cook through. Remove pan from heat and drain off all the excess grease from the pan. You can do this by tossing the whole mixture into a fine mesh strainer or using paper towels. I go the strainer route, it’s quicker and easier. This step is essential so that you do not end up with what looks like an oil spill over the top of your soup. Not pretty to look at and definitely not good to eat!

Place a large stock pot over medium heat. Toss in the bacon and cook through, add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the chicken broth and water and allow the liquids to come to a boil. Throw the lid on to save some time. When everything has come to a boil toss in the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Add in the heavy cream, sausage and kale and cook for another 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

* This is a pretty thin soup so if you’re like the boy and prefer your soups a little more creamy, mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch with 2 tablespoons of water. Add this in after you add the heavy cream, sausage and kale and allow it to simmer for 5 – 7 minutes. The soup will thicken the longer it simmers.

Homemade Chicken Stock

So a few posts back when I made those Chicken Soft Tacos with Tomato Corn Pico, I reminded you to SAVE THOSE BONES! when you were through picking that carcass clean. At any given time I have a ‘bone bag’ in my freezer containing all the bits and pieces of my left over whole chickens, thighs and legs I make throughout the month. All those bones are thrown into a large freezer proof Ziploc and tossed in cold storage for use at a later date. Then about once every 2 months I open my freezer and realize it’s turning more into a graveyard then it is a storage device for my food. So I break out the cast iron dutch oven, make a trip out to the garden for some fresh herbs and toss in whatever decaying vegetables I may have lying around begging to be used and create the most delicious, savory chicken stock you will ever taste! Forget that stuff in the cardboard box with its loads of sodium and an artificial flavor, once you realize how quick and easy this is you’ll never purchase it again. Also this stuff freezes beautifully! Storage containers are easily stackable and keep for months. Portion them out in 2 cup intervals and when the time comes you can have the most flavorful soups and chili’s you have ever made…and just in time for football season! (let’s go Buffalo!)

Homemade Chicken Stock
Yields about 6 cups

1 whole chicken carcass (or a collection of thigh and leg bones)
1 whole onion, unpeeled and cut in half
4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled and smashed
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 whole bay leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary (or 1 tablespoon dried)
1 bunch fresh thyme (or 1 tablespoon dried)
2 or 3 carrots, unpeeled and chopped in half
2 or 3 stalks of celery, chopped in half with the leaves

And here’s the beauty of this stock, for example in the above picture I was fresh out of celery and carrots so I skipped them, no big deal! Don’t have any thyme, throw in some Italian seasoning. Like a little kick, put in a dash of cayenne pepper or if you like it sweet, a dash of saffron. You get the idea, experiment and make it your own!

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot or dutch oven. Pour in enough water until the chicken is covered by about an inch. Pop on the lid and heat over medium heat until boiling, after 2 minutes reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. The longer the better as it extracts more flavors from the bones and the veggies.

Strain the veggies and the bones from the stock and allow stock to cool. Pour into storage containers and place into refrigerator for 2 hours or allow to cool overnight. When you remove your containers from the fridge you will notice that a little fat has risen to the top of your stock. With a large soup spoon skim the top layer of the stock and discard as much of the fat as you can. Place storage containers in the freezer or they can be left in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Remember this recipe around Thanksgiving time when you are ready to chuck that turkey carcass in the trash. Save those bones and make some savory turkey stock to keep you warm during those winter months. Hopefully Florida will be a little warmer this year ;)

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Yeah it’s the middle of summer, and in Florida most evenings its still over 100 degrees when it comes time to start dinner and the last thing you want to do is make a hot steamy soup. But there are those nights when the storms roll in and the thunder begins to clap and all you can think of is throwing on a pair of sweats and snuggling on the couch with a good movie and nice bowl of comfort. And for me, comfort involves thick, creamy soups. The great thing about this recipe is that almost everyone has all the ingredients on hand, so when the storms start rolling in you can whip this soup up in no time and spend the rest of the evening vegging on the couch.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Serves 4-6

½ package of thick cut bacon (about 5 slices)
2 tablespoons reserved bacon drippings
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 lbs red potatoes washed well and chopped into 1 inch pieces. Leave the skins on!
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
32 oz low sodium chicken stock (homemade if you have it)
½ pint heavy cream
½ stick butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheddar cheese and chives / scallions for garnish

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat, slice bacon into ¼ pieces and sauté until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings from the pot. Add onions to bacon drippings and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the fresh thyme and cut potatoes to the onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes allowing the potatoes to get evenly coated with the onions, garlic and herbs. Add enough chicken stock to the pot to just cover the potatoes. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes become fork tender.

Mash potatoes roughly with a fork or potato masher. Scoop out half the mixture and puree in a blender until smooth then return to pot. If you have an immersion blender even better, just give the soup a few pulses. You want a creamy soup but still a nice bit of chunky potatoes for texture.

Add butter and heavy cream to pot. Stir to combine and season to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more chicken stock until you have your desired consistency. Stir in half the bacon and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve in large bowls garnished with sharp cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon and fresh chives or green onions.