(Usually) Tortellini Soup

Fall has come, although we're having quite the Indian Summer here.  It was in the low 90s here today!  That said, I've been inside most of the day working on my sermon and doing laundry.  The glamorous life never ends!  I knew I needed something simple, filling, and super-tasty for supper, and if I could eat off of it for a few days, all the better.  I had been thinking about my tortellini soup and thought that would hit the spot so that's what I made.  Ok, ok, so I actually made raviolini soup since that's what I had, but you get the gist, y'all.


This soup is so simple and so good.  Tweak it to your liking.  It's very easy to make it vegetarian, and you can add some kind of meat to make it heartier.  It's a winner for your recipe repertoire.  I didn't have a recipe the first time I made it so I just threw together what looked and sounded good.  Baby spinach adds nutritional value and tastes great in the soup.  Sautéing the onion until it is translucent adds a lovely depth.  I like to add a handful of grated cheese so I try to keep the salt in the rest of the recipe to a minimum.  Want it spicy?  Crushed red pepper flake does the trick.  (I generally do a palmful.)

The best part?  It'll taste even better the next day as the flavors meld.  Nom nom nom.

Without further ado, here's the recipe for (Usually) Tortellini Soup:

• 1 carton unsalted chicken or veggie stock (I like Kitchen Basics)
• 1-14.5 oz can Italian style diced tomatoes (basil, garlic, oregano)
• up to a 9 oz package of tortellini, raviolini, or other small stuffed pasta (I generally use cheese but will try some meat varieties as the weather cools, and I generally recommend using about 2/3 of the package so you have more broth.)
• 1 palmful each dried basil, oregano, and crushed red pepper flake, adjusted to your taste preferences
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 bag baby spinach, using as much as you'd like
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt, adjusted to your taste
• grated cheese, if desired (I like parmigiano)

In a minimum 3 quart pot, saute the diced onion in the olive oil over medium heat until it is translucent.

Add the stock, then tomatoes, herbs, and crushed red pepper flake.  Give it a taste before adding the salt, then taste again after adding the salt to see if you need more.  Add the spinach to your liking, then cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Give the broth a taste again, adjusting your seasonings as necessary.  Add as much pasta as you'd like out of the package, then cover and let cook for the recommended cooking time on the package, generally 3-5 minutes.

Ladle into bowls and serve with the grated cheese on top.  Mangia!

Potato Soup

Certain weather just calls for certain foods.  Today was cool and rainy, and I thought, "Aha!  Potato soup day."  It had been some time since I had made my potato soup, and I needed something warm, substantial, and comforting.  This fits that description nicely!  It's a pretty easy soup as well, and there's more than enough to share or freeze, making it a good company soup or make-ahead meal.  There are basics: potatoes (go figure), onion, a bit of butter, a bit of olive oil, some milk or cream, and cheese.  Other than that, you can play with it to your heart's content.

Have fun!

Potato Soup a la Anne Lane
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- about 6 Yukon Gold potatoes, each about the size of your fist (or my fist, since it's not that big), diced-- you can use them peeled or unpeeled, but I like them unpeeled
- 1 carton good chicken or veggie stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1- 8 oz. block good cheddar cheese, as sharp as you like it, chopped into small pieces (I use Cabot's Seriously Sharp White Cheddar-- yum)
- about 2 tbsp milk or cream
- bacon bits and extra cheese to top, if desired


In a Dutch oven or good sized pan (I used a 4 qt pan), heat the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat until the butter has melted and everything's bubbling.  Add the diced onion, sautéing until translucent.

Add a bit of your stock and deglaze the pan, scraping the pan with a nylon or silicone spatula or spoon to get the browned bits up into the stock.  Add the rest of the stock, then add your potatoes.

Season with some salt and pepper.  Don't go overboard as the flavors will concentrate.  Give the pot a good stir, then set your timer for 30 minutes and let the potatoes, onion, and stock cook so that the potatoes get tender.

When the potatoes are good and tender, use either a potato masher (for a chunkier texture) or an immersion blender (for a velvety texture) to get them to the consistency you prefer.  Swirl in your milk or cream and your cheese.  Stir and adjust seasonings.  Let this simmer for a couple of minutes to make sure the cheese melts, then give it a good stir to blend.

Serve in bowls with your preferred toppings.  I like some bacon and extra cheese personally.  This makes about 6 decent servings.

Enjoy!

Egyptian Red Lentil Soup

I have always loved lentils. Among my early memories, I remember my mother serving us lentil soup, which I devoured. In the years that have followed, I have learned that there are different types of lentils, with different qualities. While living in New York City, I came upon red lentils and decided I needed to cook with them. They were too pretty to leave in the store!

With some help from the Google, I came upon a recipe on the blog Dove's Eye View, which came from Claudia Roden, an Egyptian Jewish food writer now residing in Britain. I have tweaked it slightly, something to which this recipe lends itself very easily. Play with it. I have in the past used chicken stock at some times and veggie at others, with bouillion cubes at others. If you're not concerned with making this vegan, the addition of some rinds of parmigiano reggiano is quite tasty. Make it your own!

And without further ado, here is my basic recipe:

- 1 large onion, chopped as finely as you can get it (I generally can't get it too fine, thanks to the tears!)

- 1 3/4 cups red lentils

- 7 1/2 cups meat or chicken or veggie stock or water (if you use the water, add a couple of bouillion cubes for flavor as you will need it)-- I've used the Kitchen Basics line of unsalted stocks, and their veggie stock gives this a lovely, deep color.

- salt and pepper, to taste

- 1 tsp cumin

- juice of 1 lemon

- about 2 tablespoons of olive oil (more if you'd like to drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top)-- you can also do half olive oil, half butter

Using a minimum 2 1/2 quart pot, add the olive oil or olive oil/butter to the heated pot. Add the chopped onion and saute until it is translucent.

Add the liquid, lentils, and salt and pepper. Bring up to a simmer, then cover and let simmer on low for 30 minutes, or until the lentils have mostly fallen apart.

Check for seasoning, then add the cumin and lemon juice. Serve!

Makes 6 servings.

Matzo Ball Soup

Today is a beautiful day and not really soup weather, but I have been craving matzo ball soup. Since it is Passover and Maundy Thursday, this is an appropriate choice. I do not make mine according to a kosher recipe, but I love it. It adds a few elements for some flavor that really make it comforting and delicious to me! Remember that the beautiful thing with soup is that you can tweak recipes according to your own personal preferences, adding or subtracting ingredients as you like. Get the basics down, and you can make soup out of whatever is in season and what you want to eat.

Matzo Ball Soup, a la Anne Lane

- 1 package matzo ball mix or matzo meal (you'll need a can of plain seltzer if you use the meal)

- 1 quart chicken stock (Kitchen Basics is a great brand, and they also make an unsalted stock, which is great if you're cooking for someone on a sodium-restricted diet)

- 1 small onion, chopped as fine as you like

- 1 stalk celery, chopped as fine as you like

- 1 carrot, chopped as fine as you like

- olive oil (enough to saute the veggies in, which should be about 2 tbsp. or 2 turns around the pan)

- crushed red pepper flake, to taste (I find a very small palmful--equal to about 1 tsp. or so-- works well, and crush the flakes in your palm to release more of the flavor.)

- salt and pepper to taste

- a couple of pieces of the rind of parmigiano reggiano cheese (This might sound odd, but oh, does it add some great flavor!)

Start by making the matzo balls according to package directions, cooking them in salted water if desired. You can also cook them directly in the chicken stock, which is what I have done.

Saute the chopped onion, carrot, and celery in the olive oil until the onion is translucent and the carrot and celery have brightened in color. This should take no more than about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, crushed red pepper flake, salt, and pepper (and parmigiano reggiano rind, if using), and bring to a simmer. Add the matzo balls. If they are uncooked, you'll know the soup is done when the balls float, which takes about 15 minutes. If using cooked matzo balls, let the whole thing simmer for about 15 minutes any way. Simmering the balls in the soup allows them to take on more of the flavor of the chicken stock.

Serve in bowls, and enjoy.