Soup or Chowder for a cold rainy day

Today is a cold rainy day, after reading the soup threads I decided to head off to the kitchen and make a pot of soup to help with this cold and rainy day.

Seafood Chowder

Chowder Base:

1/4 pound diced salt pork
2 large onions, peeled & chopped
2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
1 rib celery, sliced
1 cup water
2 cups clam juice or fish stock
3 cups potatoes, peeled & diced
1 TBSP parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf, broken in half
fresh gound pepper

Ingredients to finish Chowder:

1/2 pound bay scallops
1/2 pound firm white fish, cubed
1/2 pound crab meat
3 dozen oysters, coarsely chopped
4 cups light cream
Tabasco
2 TBSP butter

Cook the salt pork in a large soup kettle until the fat is rendered and the pork is crisp

Add onions, leeks, celery and saute 4 minutes

Add the remaining base ingredients, bring to a boil

Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender

Cool base and chill overnight if possible

Return pot to stove and bring base to a simmer

Add seafood including any oyster liquor and simmer for 3-4 minutes

Add remaining ingredients and cook over low heat until just heated through

Serve Immediately

Serve & Enjoy

Peanut Soup

1 Medium onion, chopped
1 Cup celery, chopped
1/2 butter
2 TBSP flour
2 Quarts chicken stock
1 Cup creamy peanut butter
1 Cup half & half
1/4 Cup chopped parsley
1/2 Cup salted peanuts, chopped

Saute onion and celery in butter until tender

Stir in flour, blend

Add broth simmer 5 minutes
Strain

To Broth blend in peanut butter, reduce heat and add cream

Simmer for 5-10 minutes

Serve with Parsley and chopped peanuts

delicious reading.

Cream of Shrimp Soup
This one is sort of "quick scratch", it is not all homemade but pretty close

3 (10 3/4oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
3 cups milk
1 bunch green onions, chopped
5 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 (3oz) can mushroom caps
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
dash of Tabasco
1 TBSP Worcestershire
2 pound smaller shrimps, cleaned & cooked
1/4 cup beer (drink the rest)
2 TBSP heavy cream

Combine soup and milk in large sauce pan, over medium heat

Add Onions, celery, mushroom caps and seasonings

Simmer for about 30 minutes (Do Not Boil)

Add shrimp & beer and cook until shrimps are heated through

add heavy cream during last 5 minutes of cooking

Serve and Enjoy

Corn Maque Chou or (Mock Shue) for yall non Cajuns

2 Sticks Butter
2 Large Onions, minced
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
4 Medium Ripe Tomatoes, cubed
1/2 Green bell Pepper, minced
1/2 Red bell pepper, minced
1 can rotel tomatoes
12 ears fresh corn
cajun seasoning
3 cups coooked white rice


Cut corn off the cob, first by cutting the "top" of the kernel off, then scrape the cob with the back side of the knife blade to get the milky part of the corn off the cob.

melt butter in a thick skillet (14" Cast Iron) with a lid.

Add corn, onion, garlic, celery, and cook over medium heat until transparent (about 5-6 minutes)

Add tomatoes, rotel, bell peppers, add water to cover and stir in about 2 minutes.

Add cajun seasoning to taste

lower heat and cover tightly, cook about 8 minutes more stirring 2 or 3 times.

Serve over rice

Since I don't have all the fixins for the seafood chowder (the one I really wanted to cook) I settled for the Corn Maque Chou. I am going to use some silver queen corn I froze this summer.

It snowed here today so I pulled some homemade chicken stock out of the freezer and a bag of mixed vegetables that I did in the summer. Soup was ready in 15 minutes!

It snowed? Damn! Do you have to torture me that way. It probably won't snow here till next month.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

It snowed? Damn! Do you have to torture me that way. It probably won't snow here till next month.

It probably won't ever snow here.

Could you send some snow to PA.PLEASE!!!

I had some terrific roasted pumpkin and curry soup at the Liberty Hall Inn in Pendleton, SC yesterday.

I don't have the recipe but it was delicious. I'd never had pumpkin soup before.

Thai Pumpkin Soup

1 shallot, chopped finely
2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter
1 29 oz can of pure pumpkin
1 can of lower fat coconut milk
2 cups of chicken broth(or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
2 tbsp. of brown sugar
1 tbsp of red thai curry paste(more or less, depending on your spiciness preference)
salt and pepper to taste
cilantro for garnish (optional)

Saute shallots in the olive oil over medium high heat. Add coconut milk, pumpkin, chicken broth, brown sugar, and curry paste. Mix well, making sure that the curry paste is fully dissolved and incorporated into the soup. Heat over medium heat for about ten minutes and then simmer for about 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cold, cruddy,rainy/snowy weather...especially for more than a couple of days in a row, will generate a desire for soup from me. High on the list of choices would be-

Split Pea, W/ ham pieces and some onion in it too. It should be thick..almost to the point of being able to support a spoon.

New England Clam/Seafood Chowder, Again Thick consistency, Use larger pieces of all additions (Potatoes,Onions, Scallops, Whole Clams,Fish pieces, other veggies) Enough Butter added to see yellow streams around the surface.

French Onion with the usual Cheese-Melted on top. LOTS of Broth and Onion pieces.

It is not quite the season, yet...But I can feel it coming!

Nice. I just made pea soup with ham yesterday.

Thanks for the pumpkin soup recipe, soozycue. Not only does that sound delicious, it sounds like something I can pull off with my rudimentary cooking skills.

My new favorite soup recipe is super simple and tastes like a Thai Coconut soup!

1 package of Chicken Ramen Noodles
1 can of chicken brother
1/2 can of coconut milk
Favorite vegetables (broccoli, spinach, asparagus, green onion)
Dried chiles

--

Boil broth and coconut milk and chiles
Add vegetables
When veggies are cooked, add ramen noodles and flavoring!

Ta da! Easiest soup for one!

One of my faves this time of year is Chicken Tortilla soup. I love it.

Last weekend during our annual Miracle on Main Street festivities I made this wonderful Beef Taco Soup for everyone to enjoy.

The day was perfect for a hearty soup (34 degrees, snow changing to sleet to rain ALL DAY)

Beef Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef
1 cup diced onions
4 cups chicken stock
1(14 ounce)can Diced tomatoes
1(15 ounce)can whole kernel corn
1(15 ounce) can black beans, undrained
1(16 ounce) can chili beans, undrained
1(4 ounce) can diced green chilies
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 Cup Masa Harina
3/4 cup water

Saute ground beef and onions together until meat is browned and onions are tender, drain fat from pan

Combine meat and onions in stockpot with remaining ingredients, except for masa harina and 3/4 cup water

Simmer for thirty minutes to blend flavors

Stir together masa harina and water to make a smooth paste

Gradually stir masa paste into soup

Cook and stir soup until slightly thickened

Serve with corn or tortila chips, shredded cheddar cheese (or pepper jack), sour cream

Another winner to add to my "CajunKing"recipe collection...Thanks, Don!!

I will be making French Onion soup this week as I have an abundance of onions. I will post a recipe as soon as I make one up. I still have to make a batch of beef stock from all of the bones in my freezer.

David O.

Great ideas CK and all! Now, what to make???
Joe

I was making room in my freezer for the 5 gallons of smoked turkey stoc and 3 gallon ziplocks of smoked turkey, I came across some red snapper filets from a trip earlier to MB, FL.


ZESTY SNAPPER CHOWDER
4 Medium Boiling Potatoes 3 Saffron Threads (Optional)
3 TBSP Olive Oil 2 Large Onions, chopped
5 Cloves Garlic, minced 1 (28 oz) Can Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp Chili Powder 1/2 tsp chipoltle powder
1 1/2 Cups Tomato Sauce 8 Cups Fish Stock or water
2 Pounds Red Snapper, cut into chunks
salt and pepper pickled Jalapeno

Put potatoes in medium pot and add cold salted water to cover
Bring the water to boil, and cook until tender
Remove from water, let cool slightly
Peel and cut into 1 inch cubes
Place the saffron in a small bowl with 2 TBSP warm water, stir and set aside
While the potatoes cook, warm the oil in a larege saucepan over medium high heat
Add onion saute until translucent, add garlic and tomatoes saute for 5 minutes longer.
Stir in the chili powders and cook for 1 minute.
Pour the stock over the vegetables for about 15 minutes
Add the fish, potatoes, and the saffron with liquid
Simmer covered for 10 minutes
Season with salt and pepper
Serve hot garnished with the pickled jalapenos

You all have posted some really good recipes. I have a favorite soup but unfortunately I don't remember the recipe. I would make Beer Cheese Soup at this restaurant back home and serve it in bread bowls. That's the soup I would have on cold days. It makes me home sick just thinking about it. If anyone has a wonderful recipe for this soup please post it. I would love to try it on one of our cold days, though they are far and few between around here.

Cheftaz1978

Killermichael - sent me this pix of his supper Chicken Tortilla Soup

I could almost smell it, Today is a perfect soup day, rain/sleet/snow last night, cold today

quote:

Originally posted by CajunKing

Since I don't have all the fixins for the seafood chowder (the one I really wanted to cook) I settled for the Corn Maque Chou. I am going to use some silver queen corn I froze this summer.

Do you live near the ocean so you get fresh fish? I live in Portland Maine. My fish chowder is a cholesterol killer.

Haddock fillet
crabmeat as much as you wish
scallops
lite cream
real butter
potatoes
onions
bacon

you put diced potatoes covered in enough water and cook, when they are near done, you add the fillet of haddock try to keep it as whole as possible and add scallps as well. While the fish is cooking, brown some bacon and saute the chopped onions in it until translucent. Add to fish when cooked and at that time also add the crab. Put in as much lite cream as you wish and a stick of real butter. Salt and pepper as liked. Put in fridge overnight. This is important. Then rewarm slowly so as not to burn on bottom, add crackers of choice. there ya go. This is a pretty traditional chower and no more spices are needed other than s & p. the bacon gives it a nice stase instead of salt pork, I learned that from a fisherman who makes this while out at sea. I think leeks would be as good as onion. I would not put any other herb or spice in this, cause it wouldn't be a traditional Maine chowder then, at least not what the "oldtimers" call traditional. Proportions of each ingredient is not important in my opinion, as taste varies, some would want more potato, some more crab etc. But be sure not to serve until it's been in fridge all night.

This sounds wonderful and I am going to make some early this fall.

quote:

Originally posted by soozycue520

Thai Pumpkin Soup

1 shallot, chopped finely
2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter
1 29 oz can of pure pumpkin
1 can of lower fat coconut milk
2 cups of chicken broth(or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
2 tbsp. of brown sugar
1 tbsp of red thai curry paste(more or less, depending on your spiciness preference)
salt and pepper to taste
cilantro for garnish (optional)

Saute shallots in the olive oil over medium high heat. Add coconut milk, pumpkin, chicken broth, brown sugar, and curry paste. Mix well, making sure that the curry paste is fully dissolved and incorporated into the soup. Heat over medium heat for about ten minutes and then simmer for about 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2ifbyc

I am land locked, but my father lives down on the gulf, so he fishes and freezes thing for me then i have what i need through out the year, headed down next week for a fill up of grouper, shark, snapper and bay scalops

your chowdah recipe looks very tasty, may have to experiment when I get back