Shrimp & Corn Chowder

This corn and shrimp chowder is made extra hearty by the use of potatoes and extra delicious by the flavor of bell pepper and leaks. The combination of flavors adds depth and will definitely impress all of your dinner mates. This is a great way to use up the last of the fall root vegetables coming through your kitchen.

Recipe yields 6 servings

Ingredients
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 small leeks
1 large baking potato
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups corn kernels (I used 4 ears of corn)
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 sweet orange pepper
1 lb medium shrimp, cleaned with the tails off
1 tbsp lemon juice
Dash of hot sauce

Peel and dice the potato into small cubes. Thinly slice the leeks, removing the rough green part and discarding.

Remove the corn kernels from the ears of corn (if you are using fresh).

In a large stock pot, melt the butter and add the leeks. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are fragrant and softened.

To the pot, add the potato, corn and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer, cooking for 15 minutes. Be sure to stir the pot occasionally!

Thinly slice the orange pepper.

Combine the half-and-half and cornstarch in a small bowl and slowly add to the pot, stirring it in as you add it to avoid clumping.  Add the peppers and the Old Bay seasoning and return the pot to a simmer.

Add the shrimp and stir until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Cut the heat and stir in the lemon juice and hot sauce. Give it a taste and add another dash of hot sauce if you prefer a little more kick. Remove to serving bowls and enjoy!

Kale & White Bean Soup

Another hearty and warming soup to add to your fall/winter arsenal. This soup is packed with nutrients from the kale and has plenty of protein to fill you up from the beans. The soup comes together in less than 30 minutes, so it is a perfect pick-me-up for a cold Sunday afternoon.

Recipe yields 8 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 medium yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
2 carrots
8 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you want to make this vegetarian)
2 cans Cannellini beans
1 large bunch kale
4 medium tomatoes (I used a mix of red and orange for an array of colors)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Chop the onion and carrots and mince the garlic. Add to the pan with a drop of olive oil and cook until softened. Toss in the bay leaf.

Add the stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Roughly chop the kale and rinse the beans. Dice the tomatoes. Lower heat to a simmer and add kale, beans and tomatoes.

Simmer for 20 minutes to allow the kale to soften. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Cut the heat and stir in the grated cheese.

Ladle into serving bowls and serve with extra cheese for topping. Enjoy!

Stracciatella Soup with Ditalini

This simple Italian egg soup is such a great staple during the colder months. You can add little pasta as I did, or even add in orzo for a different twist. In a sense, it is close to the Chinese egg drop soup, but with some Italian flare. It is very easy to make and can come together in a snap.

Recipe yields 6 servings

Ingredients
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 large eggs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp basil
5 oz baby spinach
1/2 lb Ditalini pasta

Add the chicken broth to a large pot and bring to a boil. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and basil. Lower the heat on the broth to medium and slowly stir in the egg mixture. Continuously stir the broth and the eggs will be pulled in to create thin strands.

Add in the spinach and cook until lightly wilted. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Ladle into serving bowls and top with extra Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Potato & Leek Soup

Soup season has returned! There is no rule that says you can't enjoy soup all year long, but there is always something special about enjoying a warm bowl of soup on a cool, fall night. This potato and leek soup is the perfect mixture of heartiness and lightness. The potatoes pack their usual heavy punch, but they are outbalanced by the lighter flavors from the leeks.

Recipe yields servings 6 servings

Ingredients
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 large leeks, white stems only
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ground thyme
1 quart small potatoes (I used Nicola from the crop share)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Cream and parsley for seasoning, if desired

To a large stockpot, melt the butter. After thoroughly rinsing the leeks, finely slice the white stems only. Remove and discard the dark green leaves. Add the leeks to the melted butter and saute for about 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.

Add the chicken broth, bay leaf and thyme to the pot and bring to a boil. While the liquids are heating up, peel and finely dice the potatoes. Try to make them as even sized as possible, but they don't need to be perfect.

Add the potatoes to the pot and keep the heat high until the liquid reaches a rolling boil. Add a pinch or two of salt and pepper at this stage, and we can adjust the taste later on. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the potatoes to be cooked through and soft.

Remove the bay leaf, and using an immersion blender, blend together the soup until it is creamy. You want to remove all chunks and traces of potato and leek. It should be nice and smooth. Once everything has been blended together, give the soup a little taste to determine if it needs anymore salt or pepper and adjust accordingly. If your soup is too salty at this point (lets just say you didn't listen when I said 'unsalted' butter) you can add a drop of chicken broth to balance it out. Make sure it is low sodium chicken broth, or you might just be adding more salt!

Spoon the soup into individual serving bowls and top with a drop of cream and some freshly chopped parsley for added flavor (plus it makes it look fancy!). Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken and Corn Chowder

This corn chowder is so delicious. It is light enough to be perfect for a cool, spring evening. But, at the same time, hearty enough to fill you up. The red pepper and jalapeno give it a nice kick and deepen the flavor delivered from the corn. If you are looking for a nice combination of flavors and textures to try tonight, I highly suggest you mix up a pot of this chowder for dinner.

Recipe yields 6 servings

Ingredients

2 slices bacons

1 medium yellow onion

1 jalapeno

1 russet potato

1 small red bell pepper

3 cups corn kernels

1 tbsp thyme

2 cups milk

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups Rotisserie chicken

Prepare your mise en place by dicing the onion, jalapeno, potato and red bell pepper.

In a large stock pot, cook the bacon until crispy and all the fat has rendered out. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate.

Drain fat from the pot, leaving behind about a tablespoon. Add onion, jalapeno, potato, red pepper and corn to the fat. Saute for about 5 minutes or until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and add the thyme.

Puree about half the mixture using an immersion blender. 

Shred the rotisserie chicken into bite sized pieces.

Add milk, chicken broth and chicken to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.

Transfer to bowls and serve. Enjoy!

Kale and White Bean Soup

In the early days of spring we still have those days that there is a chill in the air. This is the perfect soup for those nights. It is a light soup that is filled with ingredients to feed your hunger, such as the beans and the kale. Kale seems to be the hot topic lately in the health food world because it is filled with so many nutrients. This soup is a great way to incorporate kale into your diet. If you do not like kale, you can switch it out for escarole or spinach or any other green of your choice.

Recipe yields 6 servings

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 medium yellow onion
6 cups vegetable broth
15 oz. tomato puree
15 oz. can Cannellini beans
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1 tsp basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 cups chopped kale leaves
Parmesan cheese, for topping

Mince the garlic and chop the onion.

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add your garlic and onion and saute until fragrant. Watch to make sure it does not begin to brown.

Add the vegetable broth and tomato puree and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat to a simmer and add the beans and the rice along with the basil, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Once the rice is tender, add the kale and stir it together. Cook for another minute or so to allow the kale to wilt.

Transfer to serving bowls and top with a spoonful of grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Creamy Broccoli Soup

I clearly have soup on the brain this week, so what better way to round it out than with my creamy broccoli soup. This recipe was shared with me by a dear friend and it has been a winter staple ever since.  What I love about this soup is it's versatility. You can easily swap in some cauliflower to blend with the broccoli for added flavor. Personally, I like to mix a large handful of shredded carrots into my bowl. What do you prefer? If you have any variations you like, I would love to hear about them. Leave me a comment below!

Recipe yields 8 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion
6 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes (swap in vegetable stock to make this vegetarian!)
8-10 cups chopped broccoli flourets
1 tsp salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 medium carrot
1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a large soup pot, melt your butter and add your chopped onion. Cook 2-3 minutes until tender.

Add your water and bring to a boil. Add your bouillon cubes and stir until completely dissolved. Return the water to a boil. Add your chopped broccoli and salt. You can cut the pieces into any size as you will be pureeing them later on. Cover the pot and steam for 8-10 minutes or until broccoli is soft.

Using your KitchenAid Immersion Blender (or a regular blender) puree the broccoli so there are no chunks or pieces remaining.

In a small bowl, whisk together your flour and heavy cream. Make sure you smooth out all the clumps of flour now because it will be nearly impossible to find them all once you add it to your soup.

Add the heavy cream mixture to the soup and return to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. In the meantime, shred your carrot.

Add your carrots and freshly ground black pepper to the pot. Stir it around and give it a taste. Adjust your salt and pepper, as needed.

Ladle into a serving bowl and top with a swirl of heavy cream and a spoonful of shredded carrots. Serve & enjoy!

Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

Growing up, at the first sign of sickness, it was always straight to the chicken soup. In my mind, chicken soup could cure anything from a stuffy nose to a sore throat. With all the nutrients from the vegetables and protein to give you strength from the chicken, a hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup covers it all, and warms up your insides in the process. You are going to love this soup because it is easy to make a big batch, it has a lot of flavor from the different spices and it is hearty and filling. With all the coughing and sneezing going on, play it safe and cook up a large pot for precautionary action.

Recipe yields 8-10 servings

Ingredients
1 lb chicken breast
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups celery
1 large yellow onion
2 cups carrots
4-5 cloves of garlic
8 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups dry pasta (any size or style you prefer)

Lets start out with our mise en place. First cut your celery into a medium chop.

Next, chop your onion and toss it in the bowl.

Finally, chop your carrots and mince the garlic. In the bowl they go.

Add the olive oil into a large stock pot. Heat it up and throw in your bowl of veggies. Stir so all the veggies get a nice coat of oil. Put on a lid and sweat the vegetables for 8 minutes or so on medium high heat.

While the veggies are sweating, cook your chicken. Coat a skillet with non-stick cooking spray and sear on both sides. Cook 4-5 minutes each side until chicken is cooked through.

Cut the chicken into bite sized cubes and set aside.

Mince the rosemary leaves.

Add the chicken stock and rosemary to the pot. Bring it to a rolling boil and stir for 5 minutes. Lower heat to a simmer.

Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch or two of salt and cook the pasta. Cook to al dente as it will continue to cook once added to the soup.

Toss in the noodles and chicken and stir. Let simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Ladle into a serving bowl and enjoy!