Recipes for Love

Perfect Egg Drop Soup

To most people, soup tends to be a wintertime comfort food. Contrarily, I love soup at any time of the year.  It is my specialty, my favorite thing to cook and to eat.  Egg drop soup is one I especially love at springtime, when tender green onions are in season, and you can sometimes even find fresh peas at the produce stands.  I've experimented with adding the egg to this soup using a variety of methods, and have found this to give me the thin silken threads of cooked egg that I really like.

Perfect Egg Drop Soup

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
4 cups good quality chicken broth, such as Pacific brand
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/2 tsp fresh minced ginger, or 1/4 tsp dried
1/4 tsp chili oil (or to taste)
2 tsp soy sauce
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 TB chopped fresh cilantro (or equivalent frozen)
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1.  Heat oil over medium heat in a medium sized soup pot.  Add green onions, and saute until soft, about 3-4 minutes.  Add broth and bring to a boil.
2.  Stir in water chestnuts, peas, ginger, chili oil, soy sauce, and pepper.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.  Stir in lime juice and cilantro.
3.  Now it is time to add the beaten egg.  Turn the burner to the soup off.  Place a hand held strainer, fork, or flat grater over the rim of the bowl that contains the beaten egg.  Hold it about 10 inches above the soup pot. Slowly pour the egg in a thin steady stream through the strainer or fork into the soup, using your other hand to vigorously stir the soup with a spoon.  The egg will cook instantly, forming thin, feathery shreds.  Serve immediately.

This is a really very versatile soup.  Experiment with the flavors, adding more or less soy sauce, fish sauce, chili oil or hot sauce, perhaps add some spicy Thai basil.  Vary or substitute some of the veggies, considering perhaps thinly sliced carrots, chopped shiitake mushrooms, or some bean sprouts as a garnish.  Serve as a starter to a stir fry dinner, or pair with an Asian cabbage slaw for a complete main course.  Yum! 

Sausage Kale Soup

Chris and I love to eat at Olive Garden restaurant, but the only thing we ever order is soup, salad, and breadsticks.  We only order their Zuppa Toscana.  A few years ago I tried my hand at recreating the recipe.  I just made it again tonight, and this time it tasted virtually the same.  Enjoy!

Sausage Kale Soup

1 lb ground hot Italian pork sausage
4 strips bacon, chopped finely
1 med white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 dried sage
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste (I used about 1/4" each)
1/4 dried red pepper flakes
2 lg Russet potatoes, scrubbed well, sliced into 1/4" rounds
4 cups good quality chicken broth
1 cup water
1 cup cream
1-2 cups kale, tough stems removed, leaves torn into small pieces

1.  Brown sausage in a medium frying pan.  Drain fat; set pork aside.

2.  Meanwhile, cook bacon a large stock pot over medium heat.  Add onion; cook until softened (approx 7 minutes), stirring occasionally.  Add garlic, sage, salt & peppers; cook another 2 minutes, stirring.

3.  Stir in potatoes.  Cover, cook over med heat until potatoes start to soften, approx 5 minutes.  Uncover, add stock and water; bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover.  Simmer until potatoes are cooked through, approximately 8 minutes.

4.  Uncover, stir in sausage and cream.  Cook another 3 minutes, or until heated through (do not boil).

5.  Stir in kale, cook approx 2 minutes or until softened.

Serve soup immediately, with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese as a garnish.

I like to serve this with a tiny loaf of sourdough bread - brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt; wrap in foil and heat in a warm over for approximately 10 minutes.

Bowtie, Chicken, & Cannellini Bean Soup

This cooked up in about 20 minutes, when I thought I had nothing to cook with.  This is a great way to use up any leftover cooked chicken, or even bacon (I had a couple slices left from going out to breakfast earlier).  Enjoy!

(I have photos, but they aren't with me right now, so I'll update the post when I can with a picture for you!)

Bowtie, Chicken, & Cannellini Bean Soup

1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
½ red onion, diced finely
¼ - ½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp dried or 1 T fresh Basil
¼ tsp dried oregano
4 cups good quality chicken broth
2 cups water
Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
8 oz Bowtie pasta
1 can cannelloni beans, rinsed & drained
2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled or minced
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup frozen spinach
½ cup whipping cream

1.  Heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add garlic, cook 1 minute or until fragrance (careful not to burn).  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

2.  Add red pepper flakes, basil, and orgegano; cook, stirring, about 30 seconds.

3.  Add chicken broth and next 6 ingredients (through chicken), bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes.

4.  Stir in spinach and whipping cream, until heated through (do not boil).  Adjust seasonings, if necessary, the serve in heated bowls with garlic bread.  Yum!

This cooked up in about 20 minutes, when I thought I had nothing to cook with.  This is a great way to use up any leftover cooked chicken, or even bacon (I had a couple slices left from going out to breakfast earlier).  Enjoy!

(I have photos, but they aren't with me right now, so I'll update the post when I can with a picture for you!)

Bowtie, Chicken, & Cannellini Bean Soup

1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
½ red onion, diced finely
¼ - ½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp dried or 1 T fresh Basil
¼ tsp dried oregano
4 cups good quality chicken broth
2 cups water
Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
8 oz Bowtie pasta
1 can cannelloni beans, rinsed & drained
2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled or minced
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup frozen spinach
½ cup whipping cream

1.  Heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add garlic, cook 1 minute or until fragrance (careful not to burn).  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

2.  Add red pepper flakes, basil, and orgegano; cook, stirring, about 30 seconds.

3.  Add chicken broth and next 6 ingredients (through chicken), bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes.

4.  Stir in spinach and whipping cream, until heated through (do not boil).  Adjust seasonings, if necessary, the serve in heated bowls with garlic bread.  Yum!