Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3 lbs. ripe tomatoes, cut in half
• olive oil
• 2 c. yellow onions, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 (28 oz.) can whole plum tomatoes, with juice
• 4 c. fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1 t. fresh thyme leaves
• 4 c. chicken or vegetable stock

Start by preheating the oven to 400° and spraying a large, rimmed sheet pan (or two) with cooking spray.

Next, so that they roast better, you want to give all of the tomato halves a good squeeze over a bowl (or trash can) to remove most of the wet, seedy pulp.  Don’t worry about getting it all; we just want to ditch some of that moisture so the tomatoes roast instead of steam.

Put the squeezed tomatoes in a big bowl and toss with about 1/4 cup of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Then, spread them out over your sheet pan(s) in one layer, but don’t crowd them.  Leave a little space between them, again, so they roast better.  Put them in the hot oven and roast for 20 minutes or so. After 20 minutes, they should be shriveled and starting to blacken in places.  Toss the garlic in a splash of olive oil and sprinkle it on the tomatoes.  Roast another 10-15 minutes or until the garlic has lightly browned (be careful not to burn the garlic).  If you can’t fit all the spaced-out tomatoes on one pan, you’ll want to roast them in batches.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, sauté the onions in a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, until translucent.

Lastly, to the pot, add the roasted tomatoes, canned tomatoes, red pepper flakes, basil, thyme, and chicken/vegetable stock.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for about an hour.

After simmering, taste for salt and pepper and add if desired.

To blend the soup, the best (a.k.a. least burn-yourself-with-hot-soup) way is to do it right in the pot with a stick, or immersion, blender.  If you don’t have one of those, carefully transfer a couple cups at a time to a regular blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, pour into a large bowl or container, and continue until you’ve blended the whole pot.

Serve hot or cold, with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and some Cheesy-Italian Buttermilk Quick-bread.

The post Roasted Tomato Basil Soup appeared first on Homestead.org.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3 lbs. fresh asparagus, bottoms trimmed
• 2 medium yellow onions (about 2 cups, chopped)
• 2 T. butter
• 6 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4 oz. 1/3-less fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 c. fat-free half & half
• 2 T. fresh lemon-thyme (if available), or
• 1 T. lemon zest and 1 T. thyme
• White pepper and salt, to taste

In a heavy 4-5 quart pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add the chopped onion.  Stir to coat the onion with butter, sprinkle in a pinch of salt, and reduce the heat a little.  Cover the onions, but stir them every few minutes until golden and lightly caramelized.  That’ll take about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the tops off the asparagus (about ½ to 1 inch) and set aside.  Cut the remaining stalks into 1-inch pieces.

Once your onions are tender and golden, add the 1-inch stalk pieces to the pot and cover with the chicken broth.  Add the lemon thyme (or regular thyme and lemon zest), white pepper, and salt.  Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer until the asparagus is very tender.  I let mine go for about 30 minutes.

While that’s going, make a small bowl of ice water, and put on a small saucepan of water to boil.  You only need a few cups to blanch the asparagus tips.  Salt the water well (Chef Mario Batali recommends enough salt as to make the water taste like seawater when cooking pasta.  I follow this same rule when blanching veggies), and bring to a boil.  Drop in the tips and boil for just a couple minutes to bring out the bright green of the tips and to soften them just a bit.  With a slotted spoon or the like, transfer the tips into the ice water to stop the cooking and preserve the beautiful color.  Drain onto a cloth or paper towel.

Back to the stove, remove the pot from the heat; add the softened cream cheese and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, a regular blender or food processor will also work.  Just be sure to go in small batches to accommodate your particular machine and divide the cream cheese between the batches.  And be careful of (very) hot splashes.

At this point, you can either stir in the blanched tips, save them to garnish each bowl, or divide them for both.  Served hot or cold, this tasty soup is sure to become a regular in your recipe rotation.  Makes about 12 servings.

Looking for more low-calorie soups? Try this Detox Cabbage Soup.

The post Skinny Cream of Asparagus Soup appeared first on Homestead.org.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 T. oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 c. (one 32-oz box) reduced-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable)
• 1 1/2 c. sweet kernel corn, fresh, frozen, or canned
• 2 c. whole milk (plan to use 1 c. at a time)
• 1/3 c. flour
• 2-3 T. fresh parsley, minced (dry is fine, too)
• 1 T. salt
• 1 T. black pepper
• 1/2 t. garlic powder
• Possible toppings: bacon, scallions, sour cream, cheese

Start out by dicing your onion and putting into the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Saute the onions until they are lightly golden, about 10 minutes.  Keep an eye on them, stirring every few minutes, while you peel and dice your potatoes.

Put the potatoes in the pot with the onions and add the chicken broth.  If the broth doesn’t cover the potatoes by about an inch, add a little more broth or water to fully cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Next, pour in the milk, corn, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Mix the other half of the milk with the flour, making sure there aren’t any lumps.  I find a whisk—or even better—shaking it in a bottle or jar works best.  Stir that mixture into the pot and return it to a simmer for another 5-10 minutes to thicken.

At this point, your Potato Corn Chowder ready to top with whatever your little heart desires, or to be served up just as it is.  Of course, almost all soups taste even better the next day, so cozy up to a bowl, or four, this weekend.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

The post Potato Corn Chowder appeared first on Homestead.org.

The recipe is simple and forgiving, making exact ingredient amounts unnecessary.  Each cook can adjust the recipe to suit their individual taste and pantry.  This version makes a large pot, about 2-3 quarts.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1/2 to 1 pound of pork (beef or chicken also work well)
• 1-2 T. cooking oil of your choice
• 2-4 T. tomato paste
• 3-4 medium-sized beets (think baseball)
• 1 medium onion
• 2-3 medium-sized carrots
• 1-2 potatoes, peeled
• 1 small head of cabbage
• 8-10 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 t. dill (fresh or dry)
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1-2 t. sugar
• 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sour cream for topping

First, trim and peel the beets and place them in a large pot covered by 3-4 inches of water.  Boil them until fork-tender, remove from water, and set aside to cool.

While the beets are boiling, also get your pork going in a smaller pot, covered with water.  Simmer until cooked thoroughly.  Set aside to cool.  Pour the pork water into the larger beet-water pot and return to a low boil.

While the beets and pork are cooling, thinly slice the cabbage (as one would for cole slaw), dice the potato(es), and add to the beet water.  Allow to slowly boil until cabbage and potatoes are tender.  Once those are cooking, shred or dice your pork, add to the cabbage/potato pot.

As the cabbage and potatoes are cooking, dice your onion and grate the carrots.  Sautee them in cooking oil until tender.

Back to your cooled beets: grate them and set aside.  When the onions are translucent and the carrots are soft, add a couple tablespoons of tomato paste, a sprinkle ( a teaspoon or so) of sugar, and a few splashes of apple cider vinegar.

Next, add the grated beets.  Then, sprinkle in a teaspoon or so of dill.

Give it a taste.  Add any more tomato, sugar, vinegar, or dill if you feel it’s missing something.  Again, this recipe is very forgiving.  So long as you go easy on the sugar, you’ll be fine.  This is also a good time for a little salt and pepper.  Just remember: you can always add more of something, but you can’t take it out.

Let the beet/onion/carrot mixture sautee for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle, then transfer to the big pot with the rest of the ingredients and your bay leaves.

You’re almost finished at this point.  Just one last, crucial ingredient: garlic… and lots of it.  Very-finely mince, or ideally, press 8-10 cloves of garlic and add it to your pot.  Give it a final stir, put a lid on it, and turn off the heat.  The longer you can let the borscht sit, the better, but I try to shoot for at least an hour.

Now you’re ready to serve it up in a bowl, mug, or martini glass.  Add salt and pepper to taste, top it with a dollop of sour cream, and accompanied with some fresh, hearty bread or crisp, green salad.

Love soup? Try this Chicken Pot Pie Soup, its fantastic!

The post Traditional Russian Borscht appeared first on Homestead.org.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or finely sliced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 leeks, white & green parts chopped and thoroughly cleaned
• 2 carrots, cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1 T. dried thyme
• 1 t. parsley flakes
• 1 t. dried basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 T. nutritional yeast
• 1/2 t. paprika
• 1/4 t. cayenne pepper, (optional)
• 1 lb. green cabbage, roughly chopped
• 8 c. water, vegetable broth or bouillon
• 1-2 t. kosher salt*

In a large Dutch oven or an Instant Pot, heat the oil over medium heat, and add the onions, carrots, and celery with just a pinch of salt. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until the onions are soft.

Next, add the leeks and garlic and sauté them for a couple minutes before adding the thyme, parsley, basil, paprika, cayenne, yeast, and bay leaf. Lastly, add the cabbage and your broth or water. *If you’re using broth or bouillon, taste for salt before adding 1- 2 teaspoons.

If using an instant pot, set it to Manual for 15 minutes and then do a quick release after it’s finished.

For a regular pot, bring it to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the cabbage is to your desired tenderness.

As with all soups (like this Skinny Cream of Asparagus Soup), it’ll be even better the next day… and the next day…

The Magic of Bone Broth

The post Detox Cabbage Soup appeared first on Homestead.org.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 1/2 lbs. beef stew meat (or whatever lean cuts are on sale, cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 1 large yellow or white onion, diced, about 2 cups
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 carrots, cut into ½-inch pieces, about 2 cups
• 1-2 celery stalks, cut into ½-inch pieces, about 1 to 1 ½ cups
• 1 lb. (4-6) red potatoes, diced
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• ½ to 1 c. frozen (or fresh) peas
• 2 T. beef-flavored Better than Bouillon, plus 2-3 cups water (or 6-8 c. beef broth)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 T. Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Cooking oil

In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat a couple tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat.  Add half of the beef and cook until completely browned.  Remove from the pan, add a little more oil and repeat with the second half. Cooking the meat in two batches allows it to cook more evenly, getting nicely browned, whereas cooking the all of it at once creates too much moisture and the meat will steam instead of sear.  You want nice, dark browning on the meat, and on the bottom of the pan.

Once the meat is done, lower the heat to medium, add another couple tablespoons of oil and add the onions and a sprinkle of salt.  Cover the pot for 2-3 minutes allowing the onions to sweat, helping to release some of that yummy color from the bottom of the pan.  Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula, getting as much of the brown as you can, then add in the beef, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, tomatoes, bouillon and water (or broth), bay leaves, and Italian seasoning.  Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a very low simmer.  Cook on low until the potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes.  Taste for salt and pepper and add however much you like.  Serve immediately or let sit on the stove below a simmer to allow more flavor to develop.  Refrigerate (or freeze) leftovers.

Try it with a slice of Whole-wheat Irish Soda Bread.

The post Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup appeared first on Homestead.org.

Here’s what I used:

• 3-4 T. olive oil
• 1 large carrot, cut into bite-sized pieces of your choice; I chose half-moons
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 celery ribs, sliced into ¼ to ½-inch pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• About 8 c. chicken stock (or vegetable), you’ll need more or less depending on the size of your veggies
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 can diced tomatoes (you can also use fresh)
• 1 handful each of green and wax beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces of your choice; I chose half-moons
• 1 summer squash, cut into bite-sized pieces of your choice; I chose half-moons
• 8 leaves of kale, destemmed and cut into thin strips
• 1 can white kidney beans
• 1 T. fresh oregano leaves, minced
• 10-15 fresh basil leaves, cut chiffonade or minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 c. ditalini or other small pasta
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese for topping, optional

Once all of your veggies are prepped, the hardest part is over.  Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven and add the onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper.  Sauté over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, until the veggies are softened.  Next, add enough broth to cover the veggies by about an inch.  Turn the heat up to high and add the tomatoes, green and wax beans, zucchini and squash, white beans, kale, oregano, basil, and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until the veggies are almost as soft as you like (the carrots will stay hard longest); for me, this was about 15 minutes.  If you want to freeze the soup, do so and add the pasta when you reheat it, otherwise, it’s likely to get overdone and mushy.  If you’re serving right away, add the pasta in the last 10 minutes or so of cooking.  Cook until al dente and remove from the heat.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese if you like and dig in!

You might also like Lasagna Soup.

The post Savory, Summer Minestrone appeared first on Homestead.org.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3 T. unsalted butter
• 2 onions, chopped (about 4 c.)
• 3 lbs. carrots, washed and cut into (approximately) 1-inch pieces
• 6-8 c. low-sodium chicken stock (or vegetable if you prefer)
• 3T. fresh, grated ginger
• 2 c. heavy cream, half and half, or even fat-free half and half (If you really want to cut the calories, use milk, or omit altogether)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional toppings: scallions, sour cream, Crème fraîche, or fresh parsley

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add the chopped onions and a pinch of salt.  Cook the onions until soft and translucent, about 7-10 minutes.

Next, add the carrots, ginger, and broth to cover the carrots plus about one inch.  Bring to a boil and cook until the carrots are soft, about 20 minutes.

Your soup is basically done at this point, except for one final step: blending.  To avoid burns from splashing boiling-hot soup, turn the heat off and let the soup cool, uncovered, for at least 10 minutes (I usually wait 20-30).

Add the cream and, with a blender, immersion (stick) blender, or food processor, blend the soup until it is fully smooth and velvety.

And that’s it; wasn’t that easy?  And isn’t it beautiful?

If you love carrots, try my recipe for Balsamic Roasted Carrots.

The post Carrot Ginger Soup appeared first on Homestead.org.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 ½ c. chopped celery
• 1 c. chopped green bell pepper
• 1 c. chopped onions
• 1 c. chopped mushrooms, stems finely diced
• 1 chopped poblano pepper (about 4 inches long)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 28-oz. cans whole plum tomatoes, smashed by hand (the fun way) or cut up
• 3 16-oz. cans red kidney beans (2 cans rinsed and drained; 1 not rinsed or drained)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 12 oz. beer (I use a simple light beer, but choose what you like)
• 1/2 c. cashew halves and pieces, plus extra for topping
• 2 T. chili powder
• 1 T. fresh snipped parsley
• 2 t. salt, plus a pinch
• 1 ½ t. basil dried, crushed
• 1 ½ t. ground cumin
• 1 t. allspice
• ½ t. black pepper
• 1 ½ t. oregano
• ½ t. hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)
• ¼ c. red wine vinegar
• 1-2 bay leaves
• Shredded Swiss, cheddar, or mozzarella cheese for topping

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the celery, onion, peppers, onion, and a pinch of salt and sauté until the onions are translucent.

While your veggies are cooking, measure out all our spices into a small bowl or plate.  There are a lot of them and this is a good way to keep track of what you’ve already used, before it’s dumped into the pot, thus, too late.  I also put the raisins, red wine vinegar, and hot sauce into a small bowl together just so the raisins can begin to absorb the liquid.

Once the veggies are ready, I pour the sauce from the tomatoes over them, and then squeeze each tomato into the pot, breaking it apart into nice, big chunks.  You can also cut them up or use a potato masher, but where’s the excitement in that?  Next, add the beans, spices, raisins, vinegar, and hot sauce.

Mix everything together well and bring it to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours.  Then, add the beer and cashews and return to a boil.  Reduce the heat, and simmer covered for another 30 minutes or so.

Serve topped with cheese and cashews, and enjoy your Veggie-Beer Chili!

Chicken Poblano Soup

The post Veggie-Beer Chili appeared first on Homestead.org.

Here’s what you’ll need (makes about 8 servings):

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 2 c. onion, diced
• 1 c. poblano pepper, diced
• 1 can (10 oz.) Rotel tomatoes and green chilies (chunky style, if you can find it, or use your home-canned version)
• 8 c. reduced-sodium chicken stock
• 2 T. cooking oil
• 1 ½ T. cumin
• 1 T. chili powder
• 1/3 c. fresh lime juice
• ½ c. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• Salt to taste

First, heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the onions and a pinch of salt.  Cook the onions for 5-10 minutes until lightly caramelized and tender (be careful not to burn them, but if you have a little brown on the bottom of the pan, don’t worry, that’s good stuff).

Next, add the poblano and a cup of the broth and deglaze the pan by scraping up those brown bits.  Add the rest of the broth, lime juice, spices, cilantro, and the whole chicken breasts.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

Poach the chicken for 40 minutes or until it pulls apart with a fork or tongs.  Remove the chicken to a bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes or until it is cool enough to handle.  Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and return it to the pot.

Simmer for another 20 minutes (or longer) and serve alone with your favorite topping(s).

Slow-cooker White Chicken Chili

Carrot Ginger Soup

The post Chicken Poblano Soup appeared first on Homestead.org.