Souper Bowl (heh heh)
So yesterday my girls gathered at my house for our annual Super Bowl
Party/Christmas gift exchange. It was a great time. I got some
really lovely gifts and everyone seemed to like the ones I'd gotten
for them.
I made two soups for the occasion, and now I bring you the recipes!
First is a new one that Mom made over Christmas, and which was such a
big hit there that I made it for the party, where it was ALSO a huge
hit. It's delicious and very easy. It has a base that's essentially
a mirepoix, but heavier on the carrots.
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
4 cups finely chopped carrots
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped onion
4 tbsp butter
2/3 cup flour
64 oz chicken stock
2 packages pre-made long grain & wild rice (see note below)
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, precooked and diced
1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
salt and pepper
Saute the carrots, onions and celery in the butter until soft (note: I use frozen mirepoix veggie mix for this, it's exactly the same thing and saves you tons of chopping time). Add
flour and combine to make roux. Slowly add the chicken stock,
whisking so it thickens evenly. Add the rice and chicken, combine
well. Add cream, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes. You can
add more chicken stock or flour to adjust the consistency. It'll be
pretty chowder-like.
Note: My mother recommended the pre-cooked Uncle Ben's long grain and
wild rice in the pouches that you just heat up, but I couldn't find
any, so I just bought two boxes and cooked them myself ahead of time.
That worked fine, although I didn't quite use all the rice. Also note
that the recipe calls for heavy cream but both Mom and I used
half-and-half and that worked fine too.
Also note that these quantities are actually a double batch, so half
the quantities if you want to make less soup.
Second is one of my family's all-time favorite classic soups:
Hungarian Ghoulash soup, which I think my mother may have invented,
although I could be wrong about that. It's very easy and hearty and
makes a lot. Great reheated, too...in fact it's almost better
reheated. It's beef and tomato based, and those things always taste
better the longer they've cooked and when reheated.
Hungarian Ghoulash Soup
2 lbs ground sirloin (90/10 at least)
1 cup chopped onions
8 cups beef stock (don't use bouillon cubes, the granules are okay)
16 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
16 oz tomato juice plus extra
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups diced potatoes
2 cups chopped cabbage
2 cups dry macaroni
salt and pepper to taste
Brown the ground beef with the onions. Don't drain it. Add
everything else EXCEPT the macaroni; bring to a boil and simmer for at
least two or three hours. You're going to need quite a bit of salt
with all that beef and tomatoes and vegetables. An hour before you're
ready to serve, add the macaroni and stir occasionally until it's
ready.
You can add additional beef stock and/or tomato juice during cooking
if you like, if things get too thick or to alter the flavor.
Party/Christmas gift exchange. It was a great time. I got some
really lovely gifts and everyone seemed to like the ones I'd gotten
for them.
I made two soups for the occasion, and now I bring you the recipes!
First is a new one that Mom made over Christmas, and which was such a
big hit there that I made it for the party, where it was ALSO a huge
hit. It's delicious and very easy. It has a base that's essentially
a mirepoix, but heavier on the carrots.
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
4 cups finely chopped carrots
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped onion
4 tbsp butter
2/3 cup flour
64 oz chicken stock
2 packages pre-made long grain & wild rice (see note below)
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, precooked and diced
1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
salt and pepper
Saute the carrots, onions and celery in the butter until soft (note: I use frozen mirepoix veggie mix for this, it's exactly the same thing and saves you tons of chopping time). Add
flour and combine to make roux. Slowly add the chicken stock,
whisking so it thickens evenly. Add the rice and chicken, combine
well. Add cream, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes. You can
add more chicken stock or flour to adjust the consistency. It'll be
pretty chowder-like.
Note: My mother recommended the pre-cooked Uncle Ben's long grain and
wild rice in the pouches that you just heat up, but I couldn't find
any, so I just bought two boxes and cooked them myself ahead of time.
That worked fine, although I didn't quite use all the rice. Also note
that the recipe calls for heavy cream but both Mom and I used
half-and-half and that worked fine too.
Also note that these quantities are actually a double batch, so half
the quantities if you want to make less soup.
Second is one of my family's all-time favorite classic soups:
Hungarian Ghoulash soup, which I think my mother may have invented,
although I could be wrong about that. It's very easy and hearty and
makes a lot. Great reheated, too...in fact it's almost better
reheated. It's beef and tomato based, and those things always taste
better the longer they've cooked and when reheated.
Hungarian Ghoulash Soup
2 lbs ground sirloin (90/10 at least)
1 cup chopped onions
8 cups beef stock (don't use bouillon cubes, the granules are okay)
16 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
16 oz tomato juice plus extra
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups diced potatoes
2 cups chopped cabbage
2 cups dry macaroni
salt and pepper to taste
Brown the ground beef with the onions. Don't drain it. Add
everything else EXCEPT the macaroni; bring to a boil and simmer for at
least two or three hours. You're going to need quite a bit of salt
with all that beef and tomatoes and vegetables. An hour before you're
ready to serve, add the macaroni and stir occasionally until it's
ready.
You can add additional beef stock and/or tomato juice during cooking
if you like, if things get too thick or to alter the flavor.