Tag: soup

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Omni

Tuscan Chicken Soup

one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Tuscan Chicken Soup

Man, the soups are slaying this fall. This one is in the same category as the Zinger Chicken Soup, which is zestier, and Viking Lentil Stew, which is heartier. This one, above all, is warm. Just warm. Super freaking cozy while maintaining a light level of flavor profile intrigue. It’s a curious little sweater of a soup for fall and winter evenings that takes exactly 1 hour to get on your table.

⛄🔥❄️

what you need

1 quart (36 fl oz) chicken broth + 1 cup water

~3 small white or red potatoes, skinned and diced tiny

~3-4 carrots, skinned and diced tiny

2-3 cups swiss chard, washed and chopped coursely (without the stems removed)

1 tablespoon salted butter

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 yellow onion, diced tiny

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 lb fresh white meat chicken

1 can (8 oz) cannellini beans (or other white bean of choice)

zest from 1 full lemon

1 parmesan cheese rind

freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving

2 tablespoons olive oil per bowl for serving

how to make it

Method: stovetop

Utensil: Dutch oven or large cooking pot

Melt butter over medium heat in pot. Add diced onion, sauté for 2 minutes, then add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute more. Add the thyme, oregano, and crushed red pepper, and give it a good stir.

Place the parmesan rind, chicken broth, water, and whole pieces of chicken in the pot with a generous amount of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer with the pot covered for ~30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot to a cutting board and shred it with a fork. Then return it to the pot. Also remove the parmesan rind from the pot and throw it away.

Add the potatoes, carrots, and beans to the pot and simmer, covered, for an additional 2o minutes. At this point, kill the heat and add the lemon zest and swiss chard, stirring a bit, then covering the pot (without heat) for 5 more minutes.  

Note: at this point, you can add a splash of heavy cream of half & half if you want the soup truly creamy, but I find that the starch from the potatoes and the beans has thickened it to my particular liking. 

Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of really good olive oil per bowl (you should be able to see plenty of the little oil beads in the soup). Grate some fresh parmesan cheese on top and enjoy immediately.

more warm soups for winter
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Omni

Zinger Chicken Soup

one and a half slices chicken soup recipe easy thai spicy local
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Zinger Chicken Soup

one and a half slices chicken soup recipe easy thai spicy local

The origin of this soup is… Fridge Soup. Fridge Soup is soup I make at least once a week, sometimes at the end of a week, when the fridge is almost empty but the freezer is stocked with chicken broth because I bake so many chickens. Fridge Soup involves chicken stock and whatever happens to be in the fridge (and pantry). It is flexible. It is hearty. It is warming, calming, homey, and very, very low maintenance. At minimum, you need something like dried herbs, onions, carrots, garlic, a rice or a noodle, maybe some chicken or perhaps just some really nice beans. This particular Fridge Soup, though, came out really, really well. So well that the entire household agreed it deserved its own post. So here is it. I dub thee Zinger Chicken Soup, mostly because it blends thai flavors with Italian inspo super well in this spicy, zesty, fresh yet hearty soup like nothing I’ve ever quite tasted. If you want that specific experience, recreate the recipe precisely. If you just want to go the way of Fridge Soup, vibe on, my friend… vibe on.

what you need

1 lb chicken (a breast is fine)

1-2 cups cooked brown rice or wild rice, or 1-2 cups cooked pasta noodles of choice 

1 cup beans (like a great northern bean, a pinto bean, or a kidney bean – a can is fine, but if fresh, soak overnight)

1 cup finely chopped vegetables in the allium family (e.g., garlic, onions shallots, green onions, leeks)

1 large knob of fresh ginger, minced

the zest from 1 lemon

the juice from that same lemon

2 thai chilies or serrano peppers. minced

6-8 oz dry white wine

1-2 cups finely diced carrots, celery, and/or baby turnips 

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes 

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup parmesan cheese

8-10 cups chicken and/or vegetable broth (a mix of both is fine)

3 cups washed and trimmed kale, spinach, or swiss chard

3-4 tablespoons herbs of choice (e.g., herbes de provence, oregano, thyme, parsley, salt)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

how to make it

Method: stovetop

Utensil: Dutch oven or large cooking pot

Chunk your chicken and season it as you see fit (salt, olive oil, mustard, paprika, lemon juice, ???, get jiggy w it)

Place the olive oil in the dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken really well until cooked almost through. Remove from the pot and shred or cut into smaller pieces for the soup. Set aside.

Back to the pot. Go in with the white wine and fully deglaze the pan. Add the butter, alliums, peppers, ginger, red pepper, lemon zest, herbs, and salt, and give it a good solid sauté for a minute or two. Then add the carrots/celery/turnips, along with some more salt and black pepper, and soften for a minute or two more. 

Once everything is softened, add the broth and the beans. If the beans were raw, at this point you’ll need to cover the pot and boil steadily for 40-50 minutes or until the beans are soft. If the beans were from a can, you can keep the boil to around 15 minutes. 

Add the chicken, rice/noodles, and kale/chard, and boil steadily for another 10-15 minutes until everything is fragrant and combined. After the soup is mostly composed, kill the heat. Into the steaming soup, add the heavy cream (slowly so it does not curdle), the parmesan cheese, and the lemon juice. Stir to combine. 

Ladle into 2-3 bowls, top with fresh chives or parsley, a glug or two of olive oil, and more parmesan cheese. Serve on its own or with very crusty, hearty bread.  

impromptu soup
Categories
Omni

Moroccan Tagine

one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Moroccan Tagine

I have been SO excited to release this post!!! Why? Because this is your new weeknight dinner. It will impress your family, fill your stomach, warm your heart, and make your house smell like North African spices. I started making tagine [pronounced tah-jeen with a soft ‘j’] years ago when I first moved to DC and came across a tagine (distinction below) in World Market. I was instantly and aesthetically intrigued, and purchased the thing on the spot not having a clue what I would do with it. Well… figured that one out. A tagine is the OG slow cooker.  And whatever you put inside – lamb, chicken, chickpeas, rabbit, potatoes – you will taste the spicy exoticism. If you don’t have a tagine, no worries. You can make it in a Dutch oven, stovetop or, yes, in a slow cooker. And before you think this is just chicken slow roasted in tomato sauce… keep reading…

For reference, the clay pot pictured above (the vessel) is a tagine. What is pictured below it is the deliciousness you are about to create in said vessel, which also happens to be called tagine. Both the pot AND the dish are called “tagine.” A tagine (the vessel) is a clay or ceramic pot. A tagine (the food) is a stew. Both of these items are native to North Africa (think Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), but this cooking style is traditionally Berber and has its counterparts in both Cypriot and Ottoman cuisine.  In Cypriot cuisine, it is called the tavas and in Ottoman (present-day Turkish) cuisine, it is called testi.

In the traditional Berber implementation, a fire is made in a hole in the ground, the clay pot nestled inside, buried, and left for many hours. Upon return, the meat and vegetables inside have become a hearty stew and the meat is super tender (see? slow cooker…). In traditional Ottoman cuisine, the clay pot is made and preliminarily fired before the meat and vegetables are added. Then the clay pot is sealed (with more clay) and placed in the fire for several hours like a kiln. To extract the food, the pot is broken (often tableside for showmanship), and its contents poured onto a bed of rice. The streets of Turkey brought me this Ottoman delight in 2014, well after I tasted Moroccan and Algerian flavors in 2011. One of the best meals I have ever had in my life was rabbit plum couscous (made in a tagine) in central Morocco (the blue city, to be precise). While the cooking methods are similar, the tastes can vary drastically due to the spices! An exemplar Moroccan spice blend is pictured below. Cloves, fennel, anise, fenugreek, caraway, cardamom, turmeric, and saffron could just as easily find their way into the mix. As we move further east from the Berber origins, Lebanese (deep red) or Turkish (purple) Sumac may make an appearance. 

This has always been a personal fascination of mine… how culinary traditions jump borders. For example, German schnitzel is Argentinian Milanesa is American Country Fried Steak (well, almost). Similarly, almost every Eastern European country, to include Greece and Turkey, has its own version of borek (baked, fried, cheese-filled, spinach-filled, meat-filled… recipe coming eventually). Borek is not too dissimilar from the Latin empanada (which varies drastically from country to country –  baked, fried, with potatoes/peas/carrots, with egg/olives/raisins, with cheese, without cheese). 

Given the diversity of this dish and its multicultural origins, it is like almost everything I make – flexible. You can make it your own. You can also eat it on Monday with chicken, on Wednesday with lamb, and go vegan on Saturday – versatile. I’ve provided a base ingredient list and a base recipe below, with instructions for how to make it stovetop or in the oven. If you love it as much as I do, a simple tagine isn’t hard to come by. No, it isn’t technically required… but neither are sprinkles. For testing purposes, however, your Dutch oven or a large stovetop pan will suffice. Truth be told, I typically make it stovetop unless it’s for presentation. The quickest, weeknight version is made in the oven. Don’t be alarmed by the length of the ingredients list – it is mostly spices that you already have in your pantry.

You can serve this over rice or over couscous, or even just with the stewed potatoes all mashed up if you wanted to. 

what you need

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (2 cups for the stovetop version; 1 cup for the oven version)

1 cup dry couscous or rice

4 chicken pieces (drumsticks or thighs work best, but breasts cut into chunks work as well). You can also use rabbit meat, chunks of lamb loin, or a can of chickpeas for a vegan option.

fresh cilantro, coriander, or parsley

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground turmeric 

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more if you prefer your tagine super spicy)

2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil

1-2 tablespoons honey

1/2 onion, thickly diced

1 whole, small lemon, washed and cut into wedges with seeds removed

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 can crushed or diced tomatoes

1/4 cup golden raisins or diced dried apricots

1/4 cup sliced almonds, cashews, or pine nuts, roasted

(optional) 1/4 cup green peas

(optional) 1/2 cup green olives, pitted and sliced in half

(optional) 2-3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

(optional) 1 16oz can of chickpeas

My favorite: I prefer a chicken drumstick tagine made stovetop with golden raisins and lemon wedges, with or without the chickpeas, topped with toasted almonds. The golden raisins, lemon, and almonds are what make the dish. 

how to make it (stovetop method - recommended for best flavor)

Mix the dry spices together and set aside (cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and cayenne pepper).

Prepare the protein. Heat olive oil or ghee over high heat in Dutch oven or large pan on the stove. Brown the chicken on all sides, about three minutes on each side, and sprinkle with salt. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Add onions to the pan and sauté until softened, about 1 minute. Add sliced garlic and grated fresh ginger and cook another 30 seconds, taking care not to burn the garlic. 

Make the tagine. Reduce heat to low and add tomatoes, chicken broth, honey, drained chickpeas (if using), green olives (if using), lemon wedges, and golden raisins to the pan. Stir in the spices and bring to an extremely low simmer. Nestle the chicken back into the stew, cover, and cook on the lowest possible setting for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until chicken becomes extremely tender. Check the stew once every 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally to ensure there is enough liquid and nothing is burning. If the liquid dissipates, you can add about 1/2 cup of water. About 45 minutes out, throw in the carrots so they stay a bit firmer. You can do this with half of the lemon slices as well if you choose. 

Notes on cooking time: 1 hour is plenty sufficient for chicken breast or rabbit, but this dish is more delicious with bone-in chicken drumsticks or thighs.  These will do better with a 2-3 hour cooking time to ensure it is extremely tender. Lamb will benefit from the 2-3 hour cooking time as well. I will be posting a second rabbit couscous recipe down the road with a different set of ingredients.

Serve. While the tagine is cooking, make the rice or couscous according to instructions on the package, and roast the nuts in the oven as well. When the stew is ready, spoon rice or couscous into a bowl and spoon the tagine over top. Garnish with a lemon wedge, fresh cilantro or parsley leaves, and toasted nuts. 

how to make it (Dutch oven or tagine method - recommended for speed)

Preheat oven to 350 or 200 (see notes below). Mix the dry spices together and set aside (cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and cayenne pepper). 

Make the tagine. Place chunked meat in tagine or Dutch oven and nestle vegetables (carrots, chickpeas (if using), onions, and lemon around the meat). Top with sliced garlic, grated ginger, golden raisins, and green olives (if using). Sprinkle with spice mixture. Pour 1 cup of chicken broth and can of diced tomatoes over the mixture, secure the lid, and place in the oven.

Notes on cooking time: If you are making a quick weeknight meal and are using diced chicken or rabbit breast, you can get away with cooking this on 350 for 1 hour. If you have the time, aim for 2-3 hours on 200, checking once at the 1 1/2 hour mark to ensure there is still enough liquid. 

Serve. While the tagine is cooking, make the rice or couscous according to instructions on the package, and roast the nuts in the oven as well (or quickly under the broiler when the tagine comes out). When the stew is ready, spoon rice or couscous into a bowl and spoon the tagine over top. Garnish with a lemon wedge, fresh cilantro or parsley, and toasted nuts (almonds work especially well).

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Omni

Red Thai Curry

one and a half slices red thai curry soup simple recipe spicy
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Immunity Spiced Red Thai Curry

one and a half slices red thai curry soup simple recipe spicy

Guys, if there is a punch to be packed, this soup is packing it. This has everything you need to fight wintertime illness and boost your immune system, plus so much spice it’ll make you sweat, cry, and generally celebrate being alive. This is the stuff of morning face ice plunges, heavy weight workouts, and apple cider vinegar shots. But way more delicious. The best part is that it comes together in one pot on any weeknight. Yep, this weeknight meal is here to stay, and it is absolutely perfect to fight that February chill. This is your new chicken noodle soup.

🌶️🌶️🌶️

what you need

1 red bell pepper, cut into small slices

1 small yellow onion, cut into small slices 

1 pound fresh chicken breast, cut into medium-sized chunks

2 tablespoons fresh turmeric root, grated

2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, grated

4 cloves garlic, grated or thinly sliced

3 tablespoons red curry paste (choose a spicy one!)

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon black pepper

the juice from half a fresh lime

5 cups chicken broth (or 4 cups chicken + 1 cup water)

Almost 1 whole can coconut milk (I like the SIMPLE kind without guar gum or other stabilizers)

1 small package (2 servings) rice vermicelli noodles

1 handful fresh Thai basil and/or cilantro

salt to taste

how to make it

Method: stovetop

Utensil: Dutch oven or large cooking pot

Season chicken with salt and pepper, and brown the chicken chunks in the cooking pot over medium heat until golden. Remove from pot and set the chicken aside. 

Throw in some olive oil, coconut oil, or ghee to the bottom of the pan, and add the onion and bell pepper, stirring until they begin to soften, ~2 minutes. Throw in the ginger, turmeric, black pepper, and  curry paste, stirring continually for an additional 1 minute. Before anything burns, deglaze the pot with the chicken stock and add the chicken back in.

Bring mixture to a rolling boil. Add in the coconut milk, fish sauce, and lime juice, and continue to boil softly (may want to reduce the heat a bit, but keep it bubbling). 

After 10 minutes at a soft boil, add the rice vermicelli, pulling it apart in the pot using a fork or chopsticks. Depending on the brand you select, it should take around 5 minutes to soften and cook through. Check for taste and add salt if needed. When it is ready, use tongs to divide the vermicelli between two bowls. Ladle the soup on top of the noodles. 

Top copiously with the Thai basil and/or cilantro, and a squeeze more lime if you prefer.  
you know i love asian food
Categories
Veggie

Asparagus Lentil Soup

oneandahalfslices recipes healthy local clean green eating eats
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Asparagus Lentil Soup with Spicy Pepitas

The Hearty One

This is the third soup recipe in the March Festival of Soups! (inspired by Green Kitchen Stories). And it is The Hearty One (Find The Cozy One and The Best In Show here). This one is the most elaborate but it also may be the most worth it if you’re into a wicked interesting flavor profile and a little meat on your bones (figuratively speaking – the protein in this soup is lentils). With some unique flavors and a burst of freshness that screams spicy, hearty chimichurri, this is just what the late Spring chill ordered to nudge the vibe towards summer and keep out the late-seeping cold. 

what you need

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 bunch fresh asparagus

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 fennel bulb, diced

1 handful of spinach or dino kale

2 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the topping…

1 cup brown or puy lentils, boiled until al dente

1/2 cup raw pepitas

1 bunch parsley (flat or curley)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 green chili, minced

1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt + 2 tablespoons more of olive oil

how to make it

Chop the asparagus into 1/2 inch slices, setting the tips aside for use in the topping. Chop the garlic, onion, and fennel, and sauté in the olive oil for 5-7 minutes until soft. Add the spinach, vegetable broth, salt, pepper, and lemon juice, and bring to a little rolling simmer. Let it summer on low for 15 or so minutes while you make the topping…

Set the oven to broil. Toss the pepitas in olive oil, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and salt, and spread onto a  baking sheet. Broil until brown but not burned, removed, and let cool for 10 minutes. Blanch the asparagus tops and chop the parsley finely. 

Toss the blanched asparagus tops, parsley, minced chili pepper, olive oil, and cooled pepitas together into a mixture. Return to the simmering soup, remove from heat, and transfer to a blender. Blend on high for 5-7 minutes or until smooth. 

Pour into bowls and top with pepita mixture. Mix olive oil with Greek yogurt into a crema, and additionally top with the crema. Serve immediately. 
More Soup!
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Veggie

Warm Garlic Almond Soup

one and a half slices green kitchen stories garlic almond soup recipe
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Warm Almond Garlic Soup with Parsnip

The Cozy One

This is the second soup from The Great March Festival of Soups (inspired by Green Kitchen Stories). This soup is by far the coziest. The olive oil (provided it is good olive oil), grapes, and pistachios really do something special. And I do not recommend skipping the cayenne. This truly is a cure for the common cold and chilly weather. It’s a hug in a mug. It’s like fleece-lined mittens. It’s early spring. 

what you need

3 white root vegetables: parsnips, white potatoes, and/or celeriac

1 garlic bulb (~10 cloves)

2 cups boiling water

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup of almonds, blanched

1 onion

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 bunch of red seedless grapes, halved

1/4 cup roasted and salted pistachios, chopped 

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

olive oil, black pepper, and cayenne for serving

how to make it

Preheat oven to 400. Cut parsnips and onions into roughly same-sized chunks. Peel and halve the garlic cloves. Toss in olive oil and spread into a baking pan lined with tinfoil. Bake on 400 for ~20 minutes until the vegetables become soft. 

In the interim, blanch the almonds (60 seconds in boiling water). Remove the skins and place the blanched almonds in the blender with the water and vegetable broth. Pulse and then blend on high until you’ve made a crude almond milk. 

Add vegetables, thyme, vinegar, and salt to the blender and blend on high for two rounds of ~3-4 minutes for maximum smoothness. If you really want to smooth it out, you can add a couple glugs of olive oil while blending. 

Adjust spices for taste and pour into bowls. Soup should be very warm to hot. Drizzle with olive oil. Top with halved red grapes, toasted pistachios, cracked black pepper, and a few dashes of cayenne for extra spiceness. 

The Festival of Soups
one and a half slices green kitchen stories soup recipe collaboration

Green Pea Mint Soup

It’s cold. And it’s the time of year when everyone in Northern Virginia wishes they did not live in Northern Virginia. March drags on forever, and just when you think you’ve made it to spring, Easter is chilly and there is sleet on Mother’s Day. This is the all-star springtime soup. This green pea minty soup basically has a salad on top and the crema can get really creative. So break out the wasabi, the green vibes, and the blender. Best part is this thing takes all of 20 minutes to make. It is bright and vibrant; perfect for Easter, perfect for Spring. You’re welcome.

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March 19, 2023 No Comments
oneandahalfslices recipes healthy local clean green eating eats

Asparagus Lentil Soup

This is the third soup recipe in the March Festival of Soups! This one is the most elaborate but it also may be the most worth it if you’re into a wicked interesting flavor profile and a little meat on your bones (figuratively speaking – the protein in this soup is lentils). With some unique flavors and a burst of freshness that screams spicy, hearty chimichurri, this is just what the late Spring chill ordered to nudge the vibe towards summer and keep out the late-seeping cold. 

Go To Post »
April 10, 2023 No Comments
one and a half slices green kitchen stories garlic almond soup recipe

Warm Garlic Almond Soup

This is the second soup from The Great March Festival of Soups. This soup is by far the coziest. The olive oil, pistachios, and grapes really do something special. And I do not recommend skipping the cayenne. This truly is a cure for the common cold and chilly weather. It’s a hug in a mug. It’s like fleece-lined mittens. It’s early spring. 

Go To Post »
March 24, 2023 1 Comment
Categories
Veggie

Green Pea Mint Soup

one and a half slices green kitchen stories soup recipe collaboration
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Green Pea Minty Soup with Wasabi Crema

The Best in Show

It’s cold. And it’s the time of year when everyone in Northern Virginia wishes they did not live in Northern Virginia. March drags on forever, and just when you think you’ve made it to spring, Easter is chilly and there is sleet on Mother’s Day. Here at OneandahalfSlices we decided to combat the cold with what shall now be known as The Festival Of Soups. Three soups were made in one day, leftovers studied, and the all-star recreated three times in the subsequent 10 days. This, my friends, is the all-star. This green pea minty soup inspired by Green Kitchen Stories stole the show. It basically has a salad on top and the crema can get really creative. So break out the wasabi, the green vibes, and the blender. Best part is this thing takes all of 20 minutes to make. It warms up well so you can make it the night before a dinner party. And if you want to make it a meal with some protein, grill a couple prawns or top with some shrimp sauté. It is bright and vibrant; perfect for Easter, perfect for Spring. You’re welcome. 

what you need

1 yellow onion

2 cloves garlic

1 package (~16oz) frozen peas. Alternatively, fresh peas would be ideal.

1 can (~12-13oz) simple, full-fat coconut milk

12-13oz (~1 1/2 cups) vegetable broth

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

10+ sprigs of fresh mint

1 tablespoon coconut oil (or oil of choice)

olive oil for serving

Microgreens such as microarugula for serving  

(optional) 1 tablespoon wasabi paste 

(optional) cayenne and black pepper for serving

🥬🌼

🌷🥬

💐💐

how to make it

Heat coconut oil on medium heat in a large saucepan on the stove. Do not heat super hot – this is a slow roll / low burn recipe. Warm. Not hot. 

Slice garlic and dice onions, adding them to the pot and stirring until they become translucent, ~5 minutes. Add peas, mint, coconut milk, vegetable broth, and a little salt. Bring to a very low simmer for ~2-3 minutes. Do not boil. 

Remove from stovetop and pour soup into blender. Blend on high for a good while. The more you blend, the smoother your soup will become. I left mine on high for two rounds of ~3-4 minutes. The blending also makes it a little foamy. 

If you want to make crema for serving: Mix Greek yogurt with 2-3 tablespoons good olive oil. Add nutmilk, milk, or water to thin it out so it is drizzle-able. You can substitute the olive oil for wasabi paste if you prefer wasabi crema.

Pour into bowls to serve immediately. Soup should be very warm but not hot. To serve:

  • Drizzle with good olive oil
  • Drizzle with crema
  • Sprinkle with cracked black pepper and/or cayenne
  • Place a heaping mound of microgreens atop the soup
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Veggie

Vegetable Stew and Simple Croutons

oneandahalfslices winter root vegetable stew recipe croutons hearty winter
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Winter Root Vegetable Stew with Easy Croutons

oneandahalfslices winter root vegetable stew recipe croutons hearty winter

I was today-years-old when I discovered croutons. Obviously, I’ve had a crouton before but I’ve certainly never made one or put them in anything. Well that’s all about to change. Before any of you get intimidated and think that a garnishment like a crouton is far too fancy for you to whip up on a weekday soup night, let me explain exactly how unfussy and zero frills this whole crouton business is. Before I began preparing the stew this afternoon, I took a brief moment of silence for all the two-day-old loaves of bread I have chucked in the past decade. Aside from fantasizing about all the fall of soups in which these croutons are to find themselves in short order, this winter root vegetable stew is precisely the thing your overflowing CSA bag calls for. When you’ve got too many turnips, carrots, potatoes, and a sack full of random winter greens, this is the soup you make. If you need the extra carb, add barley. And if you can’t live without meat, add chicken. Otherwise, enjoy as is… and don’t skip the croutons. I channeled major #fallvibes by serving this up with a batch of my Autumn Sangria. 🍷🍊🍷

what you need

2-3 shallots or 1 yellow onion, crudely diced

3 cloves of garlic, crudely minced

1 tablespoon course sea salt

2 tablespoons thyme

3 tablespoons olive oil 

2-3 potatoes of choice

1 turnip

4-5 carrots

1 bunch swiss chard or kale

(butternut squash, sweet potato, parsnips, celery, and other root vegetables also welcome)

5-6 cups vegetable stock

(optional) 1/2 cup raw barley

For the croutons:

6-7 pieces of old, crusty, hearty bread, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

1/2 cup olive oil

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons dried rosemary

1 tablespoon salt

how to make it

In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the shallots and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes, careful not to burn the garlic, and add the thyme and salt. You can also throw in some red pepper flakes if you want a little bit of spice. Once the mixture is aromatic, you can add the vegetable stock, stir it well, and bring it to a gentle boil.

Preheat the oven to 350. While waiting for the soup to boil, dice your root vegetables of choice, in this case, potatoes, turnip, and carrots. Add them to the soup, cover, and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes. Throw in the barley as well, if using. Pro tip: If you want to add a bit of depth to the flavor, throw in the rind of a block of parmesan cheese. Just don’t forget to take it out before you serve!

While the soup is simmering, cut your winter greens into thin strips. When potatoes are soft, uncover the soup, bump the heat back up to a gentle boil, and add the greens. They will only take 5 to 10 minutes to wilt.

In the meantime, toss your bread with the olive oil, cheese, rosemary, and salt. I find it makes sense to add the olive oil in stages to avoid it being immediately absorbed into the top layer of bread. Once the croutons are prepped, spread them out on a baking pan and bake in the oven on 350 for 15 minutes. Finish the croutons with two to three minutes under the broiler.

Ladle up a bowl, top with croutons, and enjoy the coziest meal you’ll eat this winter. 

Soups Begging for Croutons
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Omni

Katsu Ramen

one and a half slices authentic katsu chicken ramen recipe
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Chicken Katsu Ramen

You all know that 2021 was the year of the Ramen for me… I discovered it in the summer of 2020 (thanks Christian and Hadlee 💜) and set to work recreating less sodium-intense, more veggie-friendly versions at home. Taking the extra step to make the chicken katsu isn’t as straightforward as the veggie ramen but it does add another dimension which is very much appreciated on cold winter nights or crisp spring evenings. I adapted this from Half Baked Harvest who has tons of quick, Asian-inspired dishes that cycled through my kitchen at the end of last year. 

what you need

4 garlic cloves, minced or grated

2 shallots or 1/2 onion, minced 

1 ginger knob, minced or grated

1 cup mushrooms of choice, thickly diced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup miso paste of choice

2 tablespoons fermented chili paste 

6 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup soy sauce

Ramen noodles of choice

4 cups spinach

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil

2 soft boiled eggs, halved

garnish: diced green onion

🍜

4 small chicken cutlets (if your chicken breasts are thick, it is important that you slice them smaller)

1 cup Panko

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

dash of salt, to taste

dash of cayenne pepper or paprika, to taste

1 tablespoon oregano

how to make it

Place garlic, shallots, ginger, and pepper flakes in a large pot with a tablespoon of oil over medium heat and sauté until fragrant. Add in the mushrooms and sauté another minute. 

Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, and soy sauce, and heat until steaming. At that time, add in the miso paste and the chili paste and bring to a gentle boil. Boil for approximately 10 minutes. Taste for flavor but, at this point, you shouldn’t need salt. 

As the broth gently boils, mix all the ingredients together with the Panko and bread your  chicken. You can use an egg to adhere the crumb mixture to the chicken but I prefer not to. Fry the chicken cutlets in oil over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side, remove to a cutting board, and cut the katsu into strips. 

Returning to the broth, add the spinach, noodles, and sesame oil, and simmer another ~5 minutes until the noodles soften. Alternatively, you are welcome to cook your noodle separately and pour the broth over them. 

Place noodles and broth in your serving bowls, adding to each bowl a halved egg and two chicken cutlets, sliced. Garnish with diced green onion and toasted sesame seeds and serve warm. 
Give Me Thai, Stir Fry, Ramen, Rice
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Veggie

Vegetable Soup

vegetable soup recipe simple weeknight one and a half slices
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Easy Vegetable Soup

one and a half slices vegetable soup easy recipe

***update! For the original tomato-y, Minestrone-esque recipe, keep scrolling. Here is the latest variation on the theme which is more like a chicken noodle-style soup.

Sauté some combination of shallots, onions, sliced garlic, and celery in olive oil until soft. Season generously with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Throw in a tied bundle of herbs and a bay leaf. Add 6 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, 1 chicken bullion cube, and 1/2 cup white wine, and bring to a rolling, generous boil for ~10 minutes. At this point, you can add some combination of: diced carrots, small diced potatoes, yellow or white lentils, peas, or any other vegetation that gives you pleasure. Simmer, covered, for 45-60 minutes. When you’re 10 minutes out, throw in some super thin or large wavy egg noodles. Serve hot, spicy, and comforting.

🥣
vegetable soup recipe simple weeknight one and a half slices

So… for those who follow the blog, you know that last weekend was luxurious. I mean, decadent to the point of “oh my gosh, all I want is a large bottle of water and some mashed potatoes” on Sunday afternoon, decadent. We also had about 10 million vegetables in the fridge from the CSA that we hadn’t touched (this time of year provides an overload of sweet potatoes and other root vegetables). So we decided to throw together a soup with… whatever was left in the fridge. With this recipe, literally anything goes. Whatever you’ve got in the fridge. Whatever is left over. It can be vegan/vegetarian or use leftover meat. It can be super starchy and hearty, or lighter and more vegetable-forward. In any form, it is simple, warming, and humble – a subtle reminder that we are fortunate to be able to indulge in anything more than this on a regular basis. This was how people cooked 200 years ago in America… in Italy, in France, in Morocco. Peasant food. Make-it-through-the-winter food. I am just as appreciative for dishes like these (and beef stew, and homemade beans, and tagine) as I am for Pot Roast and Pavlova. Also, if anyone else spent their childhood at Medieval Times, this is totally the soup they serve!

how to throw this one together

(everything in bold went into my soup)

Broth 

Place 6-8 cups of water, 2-3 chicken or vegetable bullion cubes, and 1 16oz can of chopped tomatoes in their juices into a large pot stovetop. This will be your soup base. Now you’re going to want to season it.

Let’s go with 2 cloves of garlic, sliced; 2 shallots, diced (or an onion); a handful of chopped parsley from the garden; and a bundle of errant thyme and rosemary sprigs from the fridge. Diced celery will also go nicely. Season generously with salt, and less generously with black pepper and red chili flakes (unless you’re like the Piemaker and would prefer to chop up the world’s hottest pepper and throw that in there as well). Lemon zest would also be cool.

Bulk

Here you have several options for how to expand your soup. An Italian version would have you add noodles – I am partial to those extra wide egg noodles. You could also throw in some fresh barley (another favorite, but we were out), brown rice, and/or potatoes. If you go with brown rice, I suggest cooking it separately and pouring the soup over it at the end. Everything else can be thrown right into the pot as it simmers away on medium heat.

I chopped up 4-5 small potatoes from the CSA and also added about 1/2 cup of lentils I had lying around. We also threw in a can of pinto beans, but it could have just as easily been red beans or kidney beans. Now is the time to add leftover chicken or sausage you may have if so inclined. 

Vegetables 

Lastly, send in the veggies after your soup has come to a healthy simmer for about 20 minutes. Also, keep the lid on as much as possible so the liquid doesn’t evaporate.

I added chopped carrots, additional celery, additional onion, and a handful of brussels sprouts that were leftover from the whiskey pairing event last weekend. You could also add a deep green like swiss chard or kale.

And that, my dear friends, was it! Lid on, heat low, simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours. Serve with crusty bread, or over rice, or just by itself. We are having the leftovers tonight with a batch of fresh cornbread… because Monday.    

Other Soups