Summer-like weather finally(!) arrived in northern Wisconsin this weekend, with temps “soaring” into the upper 70s. It was a perfect opportunity for the first gazpacho of the year. This Spicy Cucumber Gazpacho features a wealth of green vegetables and can be put together quickly. No cooking is required and all the ingredients can be dumped together into a food processor or blender for a soup that comes together in about 1 minute.
There are many variations on gazpacho, but this easy recipe for gazpacho is one of my favorites. It’s bursting with freshness and I love the cool flavors of the cucumbers fighting it out with the spicier jalapeno pepper and bit of hot sauce. If you prefer your soup mild, feel free to leave the jalapeno out – it will still be delicious.
And even if you think you don’t like cold soups, give this one a try. I bet it will change your mind about cold soups and give your something else to enjoy throughout the summer months.
Here in Wisconsin, the Bloody Mary cocktail is serious business. Many bars and restaurants fiercely defend their reputation for serving the “best” or “biggest” bloody in the area. Some of these cocktails are taken to such prodigious levels that the beverage becomes almost a meal in its own right. Overstuffed glasses brim with everything from hard-boiled eggs and cocktail shrimp to beef sticks and pickles.
With a bit of creativity you can customize the drink to your exact specifications, and that’s the inspiration behind this Bloody Mary chili.
Starting with a “base” of spicy hot vegetable juice, I toss in a handful of additional Bloody Mary ingredients, including celery, celery seeds, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish and pickle juice!
The result is a nicely balanced and delicious chili that has plenty of spirit and flavor.
Two, 15-ounce cans pinto beans, rinsed thoroughly with cold water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon pickle juice
Instructions
In a large Dutch oven, brown the sausage and ground beef or turkey over medium heat
Remove meat when cooked
Drain all but approximately 1 tablespoon of the fat and heat again over medium
Drop in the onions, celery and soup bone (if using) and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until vegetables turn soft
Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, celery seeds and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring frequently
Pour in 16 ounces of the vegetable juice and stir to remove any solid bits in the pot
Return the meat to the pot along with the remaining vegetable juice, tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce
Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour
Stir in the beans, horseradish, black pepper and simmer for 30 minutes more
Pour in the pickle juice, give everything a final stir and serve
3.2.2925
Looking for the perfect soup pot to cook up your next batch of chili? I recommend the Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. It comes in 11 different colors, and I was surprised at how cheap I was able to buy it from the listing on Amazon.
Ever wonder what to do with a pile of leftover mashed potatoes? Make soup, of course!
This Mashed Potato Ham and Cheese Soup is a very easy recipe to use up the stragglers in the refrigerator, including ham, cheese and corn. And it’s very versatile, too. If you don’t have ham, substitute chicken or bacon. The corn could be replaced with peas, broccoli or cauliflower – whatever you like.
Don’t let the simplicity of the preparation fool you. It is an excellent potato soup outright – rich, creamy and hearty.
In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the butter over medium-low heat
Stir in the onions and cook 5 minutes, or until soft
Add the garlic and ham pieces and cook 2 to 3 minutes more
Pour in the milk, half-and-half and chicken broth and stir
Add the potatoes and corn and mix well, until thoroughly incorporated
Stir in the the salt, pepper, paprika
Add the cheese and heat through until melted
Finish with a bit of chopped fresh parsley, a dusting of paprika and more cheese, if desired
3.2.2925
Looking for the perfect pot to cook up your next batch of soup? I recommend the Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. It comes in 11 different colors and is an excellent value for the price.
In my opinion, almost any recipe can be transformed into soup, often with just a simple tweak or two. For Sloppy Joe Soup, I take an old favorite and replace the bun with broth for a hearty bowlful of sloppy goodness. It couldn’t be easier!
In a Dutch oven or soup pot, brown the ground beef, onion and celery over medium-low heat until beef is cooked and vegetables are soft - about 7 minutes
Drain fat
Add mustard, sugar, Worcestershire, vinegar and ketchup and mix well
Pour in beef broth and bring mixture to a boil
Reduce heat and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
3.2.2925
Looking for the perfect pot to cook up your next batch of soup? I recommend the Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. It comes in 11 different colors and is an excellent value for the price.
Rich, creamy and slightly decadent, this cheesy broccoli cauliflower soup is nonetheless absolutely delicious and sure to impress your family and friends. If you like broccoli or cauliflower, then you’ll need no convincing here. But if not everyone shares your love of cruciferous vegetables, this is the soup to bring them on board. Serve this to those who say, “I don’t like broccoli,” or “Cauliflower is gross,” and get ready for a change of attitude!
You can use fresh or frozen broccoli and cauliflower with equally excellent results. Don’t worry about chopping the vegetables too fine if you plan to blend them later as this recipe suggests. The salmon seasoning might seem like an odd thing to include in a non-seafood soup, but it goes very well with cauliflower and rich, cheesy dishes. If you don’t have any on hand, feel free to substitute an equal amount of Old Bay, Cajun or creole seasoning. The lemon juice, added right at the end, helps temper the richness of the cheese and gives the finished dish a nice bit of brightness.
½ teaspoon Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Salmon Magic Seasoning
½ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups half-and-half
10.75-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
10.75-ounce can condensed cream of celery soup
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
In a large Dutch oven or stock pot melt the butter over medium heat
Stir in the onions and cook 5 minutes
Add the garlic, salmon seasoning, black pepper and cayenne pepper and cook 2 minutes
Drop in the broccoli and cauliflower and give everything a good stir
Pour in the broth, bring to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender
With an immersion blender, puree some of the vegetables, breaking up the larger pieces (this creates a more interesting texture and makes the soup easier to eat)
Pour in the half-and-half and cans of soup
Stir well to fully incorporate
Add the tabasco sauce and cheese
Keep stirring until cheese has melted into the soup
Pour in lemon juice and serve
3.2.2925
Looking for the perfect pot to cook up your next batch of soup? I recommend the Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. It comes in 11 different colors and is an excellent value for the price.
This simple oyster soup recipe calls for canned oysters, which are always in season, and can be put together in a flash. For canned oysters, I recommend Crown Prince Whole Boiled Oysters. Here in northern Wisconsin, fresh raw oysters can be difficult to find, but if you have access to fresh oysters use them. If you want to turn this soup into chowder; first, dice a large potato and cook it in the water mixture before adding the oysters, cream and crackers.
2 cups canned oysters (packed in water), drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup cream
6 saltine crackers crumbled
Additional saltine or oyster crackers for serving
Fresh parsley sprigs
Instructions
In a small Dutch oven or soup pot, add the water, butter, salt and pepper and bring to a boil
Add the oysters, crackers and cream and give everything a good stir
As soon as the mixture returns to a boil, take off heat and let sit for a minute, covered
Serve soup piping hot topped with some chopped fresh parsley, additional crackers and a dash of hot sauce, if desired
3.2.2925
Looking for the perfect pot to cook up your next batch of soup? I recommend the Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. It comes in 11 different colors and is an excellent value for the price.
Potatoes and corn are a classic pairing in chowder, featured in hundreds of home-style chowder concoctions. This simple chowder recipe features those two traditional ingredients and then ups the ante with the addition of sausage, celery and jalapeño pepper. Toss in a bit of seasoning, and you’ve got a hearty chowder that appeals to anyone craving a comforting a bowl of warmth on a cold afternoon or evening.
I made this rib-sticking chowder during the coldest weekend of the northern Wisconsin winter thus far in 2015. With evening temperatures falling to 18 below zero and daytime highs struggling to achieve positive numbers, the time was just right for hot and tasty soup. This easy chowder recipe is thick with vegetables and sausage and made rich and velvety by cream-style corn and evaporated milk. I use a standard breakfast-type sausage in this recipe, but you could easily use Italian sausage or bratwurst in its place.
3 potatoes, cut into ½-inch dice (I leave the skins on, but you can peel the potatoes if you prefer)
15-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed thoroughly with cold water
14.75-ounce can cream-style corn
2½ cups water
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
12-ounce can evaporated milk
Fresh parsley
Instructions
Put the sausage into a large Dutch oven or soup pot and cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until browned
Stir in the onions and celery and cook 5 minutes
Add the jalapeño and cook 2 minutes more
Drop in the potatoes and mix everything together
Stir in the Italian seasoning and black pepper to fully coat the vegetables
Pour in the water, salt and bring to a boil
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until potatoes are fully cooked
Add the whole kernel corn, cream-style corn and evaporated milk and stir well
Let simmer, covered for 5 minutes or so until the chowder is piping hot
Garnish with a dusting of freshly ground black pepper and chopped fresh parsley
3.2.2925
Looking for the perfect pot to cook up your next batch of soup? I recommend the Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. It comes in 11 different colors and is an excellent value for the price.
This pumpkin soup recipe brings together the homey and familiar taste of pumpkin with the heady flavors of curry powder into an easy-to-make dish that can be easily tweaked to your liking. Don’t be put off by the jalapeno pepper – it provides a very subtle heat but more of a clean taste than anything. The toasted pumpkin seeds add a rich and meaty flavor. Don’t skip this step as these seeds are utterly delicious. Any leftovers will quickly be munched up!
Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the pumpkin seeds
Stir seeds for about 3 minutes, until they give off some aroma and start to glisten. It's OK if some get a bit dark - that's added flavor! Just be sure the seeds don't burn - that's not flavor!
Remove the seeds and set aside to cool
How to Make Curried Pumpkin Soup
Melt the butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven or soup pot
Toss in the onions and curry powder and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until onions start to soften
Stir in the garlic and jalapeno pepper and cook for another 2 minutes
Add a bit of chicken broth if necessary to deglaze the pot
Add the pumpkin and stir to incorporate
Pour in the chicken broth, add salt and bring the soup to a boil
Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes
Stir in the cream and get soup bowls ready
Serve topped with pumpkin seeds and freshly grated Parmesan cheese and nutmeg
3.2.2925
Looking for the perfect pot to cook up your next batch of soup? I recommend the Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. It comes in 11 different colors and is an excellent value for the price.
I went to the grocery last weekend and purchased some rotisserie-roasted turkey breast at the deli. The turkey was cut in 1/4-inch-thick slices and looked like the perfect mate for some bread loaded up with my favorite fixings. After bringing it home, I couldn’t wait to make a turkey sandwich. I opened the refrigerator and grabbed everything I needed – loaf of pumpernickel rye bread, a wedge of extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, Dijon mustard, alfalfa sprouts and a jar of pickled jalapeno peppers. Everything went to the counter and I dropped two pieces of bread on a plate, shook the mustard up and gave each piece of pumpernickel a generous squirt. With a butter knife, I spread the Dijon evenly over the bread right to the edge of the crusts. I then shaved off some cheddar and placed the cheese atop the mustard and plopped several chunks of turkey over one half. A liberal blast of ground black pepper went onto the bird and then I placed three large jalapeno slices and a nest of sprouts on top of it all. Lone bread slice brought down to cover it all and dig in. My initial reaction was mixed. The tangy mustard and cheese tangled with the crisp spiciness of the jalapeno and the subtle crunch of the sprouts in perfect harmony, but the turkey was not ringing any bells. In fact, it was dry and not giving up much flavor so I decided to make soup out of the remainders. That was a good call.
Turkey soups are all the rage right after Thanksgiving, when we’re all looking for ways to use up the oftentimes ample leftovers from the roasted bird. But there’s no reason to limit yourself to turkey soup once a year; nor do you have to cook a whole turkey to make this soup. And even though my rotisserie turkey proved to be disappointing on a sandwich, it made for an awesome turkey noodle soup.
This is a very easy turkey noodle soup recipe; however, my secret here is to first saute the veggies in duck fat, which gives this soup a huge boost of poultry flavor. If you don’t have duck fat, you can substitute butter or olive oil. But you really should get a jar of duck fat and give it a try. It makes everything from roasted potatoes to soups like this one even better. I’ve had great success using Rougie Duck Fat, an excellent product from Quebec, Canada. I keep it in the fridge and pull it out whenever I need to take things to the next level. You can buy duck fat online here.
This is a recipe for chili very similar to what I ate at home and at my grandparents’ table while I was growing up in Ohio during the 1970s. There are probably a thousand different versions of this mildly spiced chili that were made in homes all across the Midwest during the decade of leisure suits – and chili like this is still being made today in small-town diners and kitchens across the nation’s breadbasket. It is a very basic bowl, with ground beef, kidney beans and tomatoes serving as the foundation with just enough chili powder sprinkled in to make it “chili” without making it spicy. This is a great chili con carne for kids or anyone with a low heat tolerance.
One 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed thoroughly
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1½ teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf
Instructions
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat and brown the beef, onion and pepper
Drain excess fat and add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for 1 to 1½ hours, adding water if needed
Remove bay leaf and serve with saltine crackers and any toppings you like
3.2.2925
Looking for the perfect pot to cook up your next batch of soup? I recommend the Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. It comes in 11 different colors and is an excellent value for the price.
