Can you think of anything better than crispy almonds and warm bubbling cheese? Serve this special soup with a dry red wine, a nice green salad, and a plate of marinated vegetables to round out the meal…

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 3 large cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 eggs
• 9 cups vegetable broth
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• 4 slices French bread
• 1/2 lb sliced Swiss cheese
• 1/2 lb sliced Provolone cheese

Prep

• Butter and toast the French bread under the broiler
• Mince or press the garlic
• Save 1 tablespoon of the almonds
• Spread the rest of the almonds in a shallow baking pan

• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes until light brown
• Remove from the oven and cool
• Finely chop the almonds in a food processor or blender
• Mince or press the garlic
• Beat the eggs

Directions

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the garlic for a minute or so.

Add the vegetable broth and the nuts. Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for about 15 minutes.  Turn off the heat.  Add the eggs and stir constantly.  Season with the sea salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into individual oven-proof bowls. Top each with a piece of French bread and a generous amount of cheese. Sprinkle with the reserved almonds. 

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Broil under low heat until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

Mom’s favorite lima bean soup always tastes like family, friends, and home. We usually serve it with a side of sweet childhood memories generously seasoned with laughter…

Ingredients

• 1 package dried lima beans
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion
• 1 celery stalk
• 2 fresh tomatoes
• 2 carrots
• Ham bone
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepperto taste

Prep

• Soak the lima beans in water overnight
• Drain and wash the lima beans. Then, drain again
• Chop the onion, celery, and tomatoes
• Peel and slice the carrots

Directions

Put the lima beans in a large pot. Cover with fresh water plus a little (about 5 cups). Add the ham bone and tomatoes. Simmer over low heat.

In another pan, melt the butter and sauté the onion, celery, and carrots until golden. Add to the soup.

Simmer, covered over low heat until the beans begin to break open and the soup starts to thicken.

Take out the ham bone. Cut off any ham still on the bone and return it to the pot. Heat through very gently. Season with the sea salt and pepper.

Peanuts and coconut milk make this soup sweet and savory at the same time. What an unusual and pleasing flavor…

Ingredients

• 3 shallots
• 3 scallions
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 5 tablespoons peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons coconut milk
• Chili powder to taste
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Prep

• Clean and chop the shallots and scallions

Directions

In a large pot, melt the butter and sauté the shallots and scallions until soft.  Add the tomato puree.  Season to taste with the chili powder, sea salt, and pepper.

Add 1 cup of the vegetable broth and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the rest of the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Add the peanut butter and stir in thoroughly.  Add the coconut milk.  Simmer gently for 10 minutes.  Stir in the lemon juice.

A combination of pinto, kidney, and white beans make this hearty soup a delicious main course when served with crusty bread and a fresh green salad…

Ingredients

• 1 cup each dried pinto beans, kidney beans, and white beans
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 medium onions
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 carrots
• 5 fresh tomatoes
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• Fresh parsley to taste
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Prep

• Rinse the beans and discard any moldy or misshapen ones, as well as, any stones

• Cover the beans with cold water and soak at least 4 hours or overnight
• Drain the beans and rinse again

• Finely chop the onions, celery, carrots and tomatoes
• Press or mince the garlic
• Chop the fresh parsley

Directions

In a large pot, sauté the onions in the butter for about 5 minutes until they start to soften.  Add the celery, carrots, and garlic. Season with the sea salt and pepper. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes. 

Add the drained beans, the tomatoes, the chicken broth, the water, the bay leaf, and the parsley.

Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium.  Simmer for about 1 hour or until the beans are tender. Do not let the soup boil.

Discard the bay leaf.  Using either a blender or food processor, puree half of the soup and return it to the pot. Stir through. Reheat the soup over a low heat. Taste the seasoning and add more sea salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

• If you like red wine, try adding a 1/2 cup along with the chicken broth and water

A pretty pureed pea soup….

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 medium onions
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 1/2 frozen peas
• 1 cup mint leaves
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Prep

• Chop the onions
• Defrost the peas
• Coarsely chop the mint leaves

Directions

In a large pot, cook the onions in the butter until soft.  Add the chicken broth and the peas.  Bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir in the mint and cool slightly. 

In a food processor or blender, puree the soup in small batches.  Strain and return to the pot.  Stir in the cream.  Gently heat through.  Do not boil.  Season with the sea salt and pepper.

• To serve cold, cover tightly and chill well in the refrigerator

Lentil Soup with Sausage

This nutritious soup pairs lentils and sausage together for a hearty and filling weekday supper. Serve with a crusty brown bread and some lightly steamed vegetables…

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 oz dried lentils
• 1 medium onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 leek
• 2 medium potatoes
• 4 links hot Italian sausage
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• Marjoram to taste

Prep

• Rinse the lentils

• Soak the lentils overnight in 4 ½ cups cold water
• Drain and rinse

• Chop the onion coarsely
• Mince or press the garlic
• Wash and trim the leek carefully.  Cut it into thin rings
• Peel and dice the potatoes

Directions

Put the lentils in a large pot, and cover them with 4 1/2 cups cold water.

In a small pan, melt the butter and cook the onion and garlic until soft. 

Add the onion and garlic to the lentil pot, along with the potatoes and leek.  Slowly bring the water to a boil.  Reduce heat. Cover tightly and simmer for 1 hour.

Brown the sausage links and slice into 1 inch pieces. Add the sausage links to the lentil pot.  Season with the sea salt, pepper, and marjoram to taste.

Cover tightly and cook for 15 minutes over low heat.

• For a thinner soup, add more water to the pot.

Carrot Soup with Lamb

Carrots and lamb pair up in this unusual version of carrot soup. Make this on a weekend when you have time to let the stock simmer. The delicate flavor of the stock is well worth the effort of making your own…

Stock

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless lamb cubes (2 lbs on bone)
• 12 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 large onion, carrot, and celery stalk
• Fresh thyme to taste

Prep

• Clean and quarter the onion, carrot, and celery stalk
• Chop the fresh thyme

Directions

In a large pot, brown the lamb cubes. Drain off the fat.  Add the water, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and thyme. Season with the sea salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours.

Turn off the heat. Remove the bay leaf and vegetables and throw away.

Remove the lamb and cool slightly. Cut it into bite sized pieces. (If you used meat on the bone, remove it from the bone and, then, cut it into bite sized pieces.)

Put the stock in a bowl and place in the freezer for about a half hour, so that the fat will harden. Skim the fat off of the stock. Return the stock and the lamb to the pot and set aside.

Soup

Ingredients

• 3 medium onions
• 1 lb carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Fresh parsley and thyme to taste
• 1 cup heavy cream or half and half
• 1 egg
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Prep

• Clean and coarsely chop the onions
• Clean the carrots and cut in half and, then, slice lengthwise
• Clean and dice the celery
• Chop the parsley and thyme but keep separate

Directions

In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery for five minutes. Add to the soup pot. 

Season the soup with the sea salt and pepper. Add some of the parsley (but keep some for garnish.) Cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender.

Remove the carrots from the pot along with two cups or so of the soup. In a blender or food processor, puree the carrots and the 2 cups soup in small batches.

Beat the egg and cream together. Add to the carrot puree. Return the mixture to the soup pot. Mix thoroughly and heat over low heat. Do not boil the soup. The soup will thicken as it cooks. If it get too thick, thin with a little milk.

Garnish with the parsley.

What can be better on a cold winter night than Mom’s beef stew? Basic, warm, and comforting...

Ingredients

• 2 small soup bones with marrow
• 2 1/2 lbs cubed beef
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 3 lbs carrots
• 6 medium potatoes
• 4 small onions or 3 medium ones
• 3 tablespoons shortening
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Prep

• Peel and cut the carrots into quarters
• Peel and cut the potatoes into eighths
• Peel and quarter the onions

Directions

In a large pot, brown the cubed beef in the flour and shortening.  Drain. 

Add 2 quarts warm water, the stewed tomatoes, and the soup bones. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Add the carrots and more water if you needed to cover the carrots. Simmer for another hour.

Remove the bones. Add the potatoes and onions. Add more water if you need it to cover the vegetables. Season with the sea salt and pepper. Simmer for another 35 to 40 minutes.