** Cabbage Soup with Bacon
** Bean & Ham Soup (& Senate Bean Soup)
** Vegetable, Basil and Garlic Soup
** Leek and Potato Soup
Cabbage Soup with Bacon
Ingredients
1-Lb. Slab Bacon, cut into 1 by 1-1/2 Inch pieces.
3 quarts Water
1 large head Savoy Cabbage
3 Carrots
2 Turnips or Rutabaga
2 Leeks
5 Potatoes (firm, medium size)
1 large Onion
1 Clove
1 Tbs. Suet or Bacon Fat
Coarse Salt
White Peppercorns
Thick slices country-style Bread or good quality artisan French
Procedure
** Fill a large saucepan with the Water, and add the Bacon. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes, skimming off the foam.
** Peel off Cabbage outer leaves. Rinse and quarter the head, and place in a saucepan of boiling water. Blanch for 5 minutes. Remove and drain.
** Trim and thoroughly rinse the Leeks. Peel the Carrots and Turnips. Cut the Carrots, Turnips, and Leeks into large pieces.
** Add the Carrots, Turnips and Leeks to the saucepan with the Bacon.
** Peel the Onion and stick it with the Clove. Add to the saucepan along with the Suet.
** Bring to a boil and generously sprinkle with salt, add a few white Peppercorns. Cover and let simmer gently for 25 minutes.
** Peel and quarter the Potatoes. Add Potatoes to the pot and let simmer, covered, 20 minutes longer or until the potatoes are tender.
** To serve, place a slice of Crusty or Toasted Bread in the bottom of soup bowls. Ladle the soup over the top and serve.
Bean & Ham Soup
It’s a Navy Bean, Vegetable and Ham soup. I serve it with toasted cheese sandwiches of dark bread & cheddar cheese. The recipe includes the option of adding Mashed Potatoes making it ‘Senate Bean Soup’ served in the US Senate.
Ingredients
1-Cup Navy Beans (rinsed & soaked overnight in cool water)
1- Meaty Ham Bone or 2 Ham Shanks (can also use 3-Ham Hocks)
1-TBS Butter
1-1/2 Cups Onion, chopped
1-1/2 Cups Celery, sliced
4-Cups Water or Chicken Stock
3/4-Tsp dried Thyme, crushed
1/2-Tsp Salt or 1-Tsp Sea Salt
1/4-Tsp Pepper, ground
1-Bay Leaf
2-Cups Carrots, peeled & diced
2-Cups Rutabagas, peeled & diced (can use Parsnips)
1-Cup Mashed Potatoes
Procedure
** Drain the White Beans thoroughly
** In a Dutch-Oven add the Butter and brown the Ham Bone or Shanks over medium heat until browned on all sides.
** Add the Celery and Onion, and stir until softened.
** Stir in the Navy Beans, Thyme, Salt, Pepper, Bay Leaf, and Water or Stock.
** Bring to boiling, reduce heat and simmer 1 to 1-1/2 Hours or until beans are tender.
** Remove Ham Bone or Shanks, let cool, strip meat from bone, and chop meat. Discard bones and Bay Leaf.
** Slightly mash Beans in Dutch-Oven. Insert a wooden spoon into the pot and press the Beans against the sides of the pot until most are partially mashed.
** Stir in Carrots and Rutabagas to Pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until veggies are tender. About 15 minutes.
NOTE: At this point, if you want to make a Senate Bean Soup, add the Mashed Potatoes.
** Stir in the Meat until heated through.
Serve with Toasted Cheese Sandwiches using dark bread of choice.
Vegetable, Basil and Garlic Soup
This soup is a meal, thick and rich to which a garlic, basil, olive oil and tomato mix (a Pistou), is added at the last moment.
Ingredients
1/2-Lb. Pinto Beans (rinsed & soaked overnight in cool water)
1/2-Lb White Beans (rinsed & soaked overnight in cool water)
1/2-Lb Green Beans
6 Carrots
2 Medium Potatoes
1 White Onion
1 Leek
2 Zucchini
3 quarts Water
1/2-Lb pork rind
Salt & Pepper
4-Oz. shell-shaped Pasta
Coarse grated Parmesan and Gruyère cheeses
Pistou (make in advance)
2 tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded, chopped & drained
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup packed basil leaves (chopped)
Process Garlic, Oil, pinch of Salt in processor until finely chopped. Add Basil and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and hand blend in with Tomatoes.
Procedure
** Drain the Pinto and White Beans thoroughly.
** Trim and string the Green Beans and cut into 1/2-inch lengths.
** Peel and dice the Carrots, Potatoes, and Onion.
** Trim ail but the white part of the Leek, rinse thoroughly, and dice.
** Rinse the Zucchini and dice ((do not peel)
** Place Water in a large stock pot, add the Pork Rind and bring to a boil, skimming off the foam. Season the pot with Salt and Pepper.
** Add the Beans and Diced Vegetables and simmer over low heat for 2 hours.
** 15 minutes before the soup has finished cooking, add the pasta and cook until tender.
** Turn the hot soup into a soup tureen, removing the pork rind.
** Add the Pistou mixture and mix well.
** Cover the tureen and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
** Place the Parmesan and Gruyère in separate bowls and pass to sprinkle over the soup."
Leek and Potato Soup
This is a first course Hot Soup with chunk Leeks and Potatoes in a clear broth. It can easily be made into a cold Vichyssoise if you Puree the Veggies, and add Cream to the final simmer before chilling.
Ingredients
4-Leeks (well cleaned & diced)
1-Lb White Potatoes (peeled & diced)
2 -TBS unsalted Butter
6-1/2 Cups light Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock
1-1/2 Tsp Coarse Salt & Pepper to taste
5- TBS Crème Fraiche or Table Cream
Procedure
1.) Bring Stock & Salt to a boil in a saucepan
2.) In another saucepan melt the Butter, add the Leeks and simmer until softened.
3.) Pour in the boiling Stock (1), add the Potatoes and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
4.) Stir in the Cream and some pepper, cook 4 to 5 minutes more and serve.
Notes: Serve with French bread and garnished with a few pieces of Cooked Bacon (tied in the center like Bow Ties)
For Vichyssoise, puree the cooked Veggies then add 1-Cup Heavy Cream in place of Crème Fraiche before chilling.
