RECIPE: Bruschetta Soup

I love making pantry soups... and this one is super healthy! I bet you could walk to your pantry and make a similar soup.

But I have a flavor bursting tip... in a ridiculous moment of genius (I have one every decade or so) I used Trader Joe's bottled Bruschetta topping. Bruschetta (an italian/tomato-based topping for bread or lavash) consists of tomatoes, basil and garlic, as well as a little olive oil and salt. By using this jar I discovered the bruschetta topping was so packed full of flavor that I didn't need to use any additional dried herbs.


So, here's where I started...



Chicken broth, chicken, jar of bruschetta topping, carrot, celery, onion and corn (and the garlic and pasta is not pictured).


And for the close up of the star of the show...



And then it's time for the veg...



Diced onions...



Diced carrots and celery...



Saute until they are, well... sauteed.



In the last few minutes add the garlic, sauteeing until it is soft. It is at this point that the whole house starts to smell like dinner time... I blame it on the garlic.




Add the bruschetta mixture and the chicken broth, give it a stir and bring it to a boil...





The beauty of soups is that you can often take some very simple flavors... and when you add heat to them and allow them to hang out for a long time they create a flavor all their own. (Kind of like ol' friends!)







Don't forget to add the shredded chicken and the corn... cover and allow all of this to sit on the stove top, over low to medium-low heat, for at least 20-30 minutes.

And then about 10 minutes before you are ready to have dinner increase the heat to medium-high and add the pasta, and bring to a boil. Once the pasta is done you can dish it up!



This would be great with a panini... or all by itself is just fine too! Enjoy...




Bruschetta Soup
Recipe courtesy Lori Tisdale

Ingredients
1 whole rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 jar Trader Joe’s bruschetta topping
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small red onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup frozen corn, uncooked
2 quarts chicken broth
1 cup pasta (medium shells or macaroni)
Kosher salt/pepper

Instructions
Heat oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add onions, carrots and celery. Sauté veg until slightly softened, 3-5 minutes. Add pinch of salt and garlic, sauté for another 2 minutes or so.

Add bruschetta topping, chicken stock and corn. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes. About 10 minutes before ready to eat, raise heat to medium-high and add pasta. Cook until al dente. Taste for flavor. Add kosher salt/pepper is desired.




enjoy your time in the kitchen...

RECIPE: Lori's (award-winning) White Chili

Award-winning?! Yeah, it's THAT good! And it's not that difficult...


OK - so I've submitted it a few times into an annual party at my work. But I've only ever won 2nd and 3rd place. (Does that count?)


Here's where I start... tonight I cut my recipe in half.

Afterall, it's just the two of us...



But first let me show you this beautiful chicken ... this is one of the fine rotisserie chickens from CostCo. I've used my own chicken for this from time to time, but you do have to admit... their chickens are amazing!



So for the half-recipe I used just one half of the chicken... (the other half of the chicken is going in the fridge for tomorrow night's dinner).



But before I did anything with the chicken packaging I made sure to get all of this... good stuff!



Then I got to dicing and slicing... starting w/ the garlic...



I set the garlic aside. And diced up the onion. Into the pan go the onions...



Saute, stir, season...





I added the spices to the transluscent onions and allowed them to toast up a bit before adding the garlic...





Next I added the garlic...



And then the chicken and stock... bringing it to a boil...





Followed by the diced green chiles...





And the run-off juices from the rotisserie chicken... stir, simmer for a little bit. Add the beans...

It really IS that quick and easy...



A couple minutes before you serve, toss in the diced green onions and cilantro. This fresh addition at the very add just brightens up the flavor a bit... a tiny little scrumptious bit.



As you'll note, this is kind of a "soupy" chili. So if you prefer a thicker chili, check out the note below for a tip on thickening the chili.

You can thank me later...





Chicken Chili
Recipe courtesy Lori Tisdale

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 whole chicken, pulled from bones (CostCo rotisserie chicken is my personal favorite!)
1 medium onion, diced
6-8 cups chicken broth
8 ounces diced green chiles
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 - 15 oz. each cans cannellini beans, drained
Salt/pepper to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Pinch cayenne pepper
scant ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
4 green onions, diced

Instructions:
Heat oil in large stock pot over medium heat. Sauté onions until translucent. Salt slightly while sautéing. (Note: If you are using uncooked chicken, add now. Continue to stir until all pink is gone from chicken.) Add garlic in the last minute of cooking and saute until soft.

Add cumin, red pepper flakes, oregano and cayenne. Stir spices in with onions. Let them hang out for a few minutes. This will allow them to roast just slightly and bring out more flavor.

Stir in broth, and bring to a simmer. (Note: If you are using already cooked chicken, add it now.) Simmer 10-15 min. Stir in beans and simmer 5 min. This can be eaten now, but the longer you cook it the better it tastes. Reduce heat and cover.

About 5 mins before serving add about half of the cilantro and green onions, stir well. Dish up and garnish with some of the remaining cilantro/green onions.

Optional toppings: grated monterey jack cheese, tortilla chips, etc.

Serves 6-8



And here's a tip from Lori...
For a thicker consistency, dissolve 2 large handfuls of corn tortilla chips in some of the chicken broth (about 2 cups). Bring to a boil, stir well until most of the chips dissolve. Add mixture to pot with the rest of the chili.



enjoy your time in the kitchen...

RECIPE: Spicy Chicken Soup

Today I'm home with a cold... I've got the sniffles, the sneezes, the sore throat, the puffy/watery eyes ... the whole enchilada...

So, I knew it was time to make the spicy chicken soup. In our household this is also known as the “when-you-have-a-cold-and-want-to-open-the-sinuses soup”. It's spicy... just what the Dr ordered.

But first let me ask... when writing a food blog how does one finely walk the line between today's necessity (a remedy) and keeping the post savory... especially when it comes to THIS topic?!

Well, read on if you want.

Here's where I started...




And as most soups start... saute some onion. This will start the layering process.



About a minute before the onions are ready, add the diced garlic...



... the garlic is then followed by the chicken, which I've cut into 1" pieces...



Toss the chicken with the onions and garlic and allow to cook.



Toss in the ground cumin, thyme and salt/pepper mixture to coat the chicken while cooking...



Toss the chicken until completely cooked ... and while you're waiting set out the beans to drain off some of the canning juices. I used Trader Joe's "Cuban Style Black Beans"... they are flavored slightly and have more heat in them than the regular canned black beans. (I just wanted more heat.)

You can use your favorite type... I won't get upset. I promise.



Then start adding the other flavors... the tomatoes...



Next the green chiles and corn...



Followed by the chicken stock...



Stir in the beans...



Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes...



Bring to a boil, stir it well and reduce to a simmer...



Place a lid on the pot and allow the soup to simmer for at least a half hour...



When you're ready to eat dinner... or you just can't stand sniffling any longer... add the noodles (or rice), bring to a boil again and allow the pasta to cook.



Tonight I was just having a bowl or two... not the whole pot... so I spooned some out into a smaller pot and brought it to a boil. I tossed in the pasta and allowed it to boil until the pasta was cooked.





And then it was ready. I served up the soup, wrapped myself in a blanket and sat down to watch another tv show...




Now if I could just get over this cold... I'm running out of tv shows.




Spicy Chicken Soup
Recipe courtesy Lori Tisdale

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2-3 large garlic cloves, finely diced
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 quart chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes, fire roasted is preferred
1 can black beans, drained
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup frozen corn
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt/pepper

Optional: add egg noodles or rice at end, allow to boil enough to cook rice or noodles before serving

Instructions
In a large stock pot allow onion to saute in hot oil until translucent. In the last minute or two, add diced garlic and chicken. Add cumin, thyme and salt/pepper to taste. Stir well. Cook until chicken is done.

Add tomatoes, chicken stock, black beans, green chiles, corn, red pepper flakes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium-low. Cover. Allow to simmer for at least 20 minutes. But, the longer it cooks on a simmer the better the flavors have a chance to “marry”.



enjoy your time in the kitchen...