Kalamata Olive Bread with Gorg & Walnuts

Kalamata Olive Bread with Gorg & Walnuts

Friday, October 9, 2009

Soup Scoop

Here's the scoop. Stock your pantry. Stock your fridge. You can make a delicious and nutritious soup right off the shelf in a snap!

Here's what's usually in stock in Katie's Passion Pantry:

Dei Fratelli whole canned tomatoes (Fioretti family favorite)
Swanson 100% Fat Free Chicken Broth (Fine Cooking Magazine's Taste Test Winner)
Vegetable broth
Beef broth
Beef and/or Chicken Stock
Star brand porcini mushroom cubes
Dried porcinis
Dried peppers (like Ancho and Guajillo)
Canned beans ~ cannelini, light and dark red kidney, garbanzo, red, black, pinto
Dried pasta ~ many shapes and sizes to suit all of my soup moods
Rice ~ Arborio, Carnaroli, long grain
Olive Oil ~ Filippo Berio is my everyday go-to olive oil, but I am constantly experimenting with other brands for various uses ~ I don't use the extra-virgin for everyday cooking.
Fresh garlic
Onions ~ red, sweet, yellow, cippoline
Shallots
Potatoes
Dried Beans
Dried Split Peas
Dried Lentils

Katie's Passion Fridge Staples

Eggs
Carrots
Celery
Various greens like kale, escarole, arugula or spinach
Cheese (endless varieties but always a hard grating cheese like Grana Padano, Parmaggiano Reggiano or Romano ~ save the rock-hard rinds and toss them into your soup pot to add richness and delicious flavor

I made this wonderfully delicious potato soup for Mark & I a week or so ago from what I had on hand and I swear, it's one of our all-time favorites. Peasant food is where it's at. You don't need to be fancy to eat well. That's for sure. My dad always says that if you have potatoes and eggs, you will never go hungry.


Potato Soup with Arugula

This is so easy, I can hardly call it a recipe. It's just so basic. Here's what you'll need:

Butter
Onions
Fresh Sage
Potatoes
Chicken Broth
Arugula (or spinach or any green of your choice!)

Toss a few tablespoons of butter into your favorite soup pot. Melt and add a few sliced onions. Sweat the onions until they begin to soften. Add some chopped fresh sage. I'm lucky enough to still have fresh sage in the garden. Add cubed potatoes (I used around 5 medium russet potatoes) and about 6 or 8 cups of chicken broth or a combination of chicken and vegetable broth. Simmer until potatoes are tender. Check for salt and adjust seasonings by adding kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. When the potatoes are tender, add the arugula (or spinach) and stir. The greens will quickly wilt and become tender. If you don't overcook, they will remain a beautiful bright green. Serve with freshly ground black pepper, a crumble of cheese if you like (farmer's cheese pictured) and a swirl of olive oil if you like. Honestly though, the basic flavors of this soup are delicious without adornment.

Watch for upcoming posts about Ribollita with Lacinato Kale and an incredibly delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup with lots of garnishes and tons of flavor. Both delicious. The tortilla soup was such a treat that I didn't take the time to photograph it before we dove in. Sad, but true. I guess I'll have to make it again for a photo shoot. Oh darn, I guess we'll suffer through it. LOL.

So, here's the scoop on soup. Stock well to eat well. Keep it simple. Enjoy the most simple foods from the earth and you can't go wrong! Mangia Zuppa!

Love & The Soup Scoop,
Katie

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MORE 4 U

From here, you can continue scrolling down to check out some of my favorite dishes and KPK highlights.

For more posts (articles), recipes, stories and pictures, you can scroll up (in the right column under "What You Missed") and click on 2008, 2009 2010, 2011, 2012 or 2013. As of June, 2013, there are are total of 139 posts in KPK. You can spend more time here when you know where to look, right?! Another way to enjoy my kitchen is to click on any items of interest in the section entitled "Passion Posts", also up above in the right column.

Love, Katie ~ I am so glad you're here! Stay awhile!

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