


Time: 30 to 40 minutes
2 tablespoons butter
4 ounces bacon, chopped, optional
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium celery rib, chopped
2 12-ounce bottles Brooklyn Local 2, Westmalle Dubbel or another beer in the Belgian dark-abbey-ale style- we used Westmalle Trappist Ale, but we would recommend a lighter ale if you want a less bitter, beery taste
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon mustard- we used a spicy Polish mustard called Kosciusko mustard- yum!
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Chopped fresh cilantro or chives for garnish
The magik ingredient: TONS OF CHEDDAR CHEESE:
3. Toss together the cheddar and cornstarch. Add the cheese mixture to the soup a handful at a time, stirring all the while, until it’s well incorporated and the soup is smooth. Serve hot, garnished with the herb. We served the soup with some toasted potato bread and just a taste of left-over beer! Bon soup apetit!
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
* This soup ends up tasting strongly like the beer. If you aren't a big fan of the taste of beer, but are still interested in the soup, Judy and I strongly recommend that you use a lighter beer and less of it. Substitute stock for some of the beer.
Vegetarian Phở (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)
Serves 3
Broth
1 large onion, peeled and halved
a few chunks of fresh ginger root, around 2 inches each
3-inch cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
6 cups unsalted vegetable stock
4 teaspoons soy sauce
6 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
Noodles
1/2 pound dried flat rice noodles (known as bánh phở; use 1/16", 1/8", or 1/4" width depending on availability and preference). We weren’t able to find these, so we used vermicelli rice noodles, which worked just fine.
Toppings (optional)
Protein such as fried or baked tofu, bean curd skin, or seitan , mushrooms , vegetables such as bok choy, napa cabbage, or broccoli.
Garnishes
1/2 onion, very thinly sliced , 2 scallions, thinly sliced, 1 chile pepper (Thai bird, serrano, or jalapeño), sliced, 1 lime, cut into wedges, 1 cup bean sprouts .
Large handful of herbs: cilantro, Thai basil, culantro/saw-leaf herb
Hoisin sauce, sriracha (optional)
Char onion and ginger over an open flame (holding with tongs) or directly under a broiler until slightly blackened, about 5 minutes on each side. Rinse with water.
Dara and I charred them over the stove flame, which was kind of fun, like S’mores-making. However, it would probably be faster to broil ‘em.
In a large pot, dry roast cinnamon, cloves, and coriander over medium-low heat, stirring to prevent burning. When spices are aromatic, add vegetable stock, soy sauce, carrots, and charred onion and ginger.
Bring broth to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Strain and keep hot until ready to serve.
For the noodles While broth is simmering, place noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Let stand for 20-30 minutes or until tender but still chewy. Drain. (If soaking does not soften the noodles enough, blanch them in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds.)
For the toppings (optional) While broth is simmering, prepare toppings as desired – slice and cook tofu, lightly steam or blanch vegetables, etc. Toppings should be unseasoned or only lightly seasoned so as not to interfere with the flavor of the broth.
To serve
Divide noodles between three bowls. We added some of the vegetables that had been boiled in the broth too. They were tasty, and we just hate to waste!
Arrange toppings over noodles. Ladle about 2 cups of broth into each bowl. Serve with garnishes on the side, which diners should add to taste. Be happy because you are eating delicious, nutritious soup.
Alright soup lovers, sorry for such a long delay between soup blog entries. Social work school is really kicking our asses. But have no fear, we have not forgotten the therapeutic value of soup and friendship!
While Dara and I have bonded through our love of soup, there’s another tasty food item that comes a close second in our hearts: dumplings! Or ‘dumpers,’ as Dara affectionately refers to them. There is no finer soup experience than combining the love of both into an Asian-inspired dumpling soup extravaganza. We used a miso paste base for the soup, then plopped our exquisite veggie dumpers into the broth after we steamed them. Dumpling soup, food of the goddesses…
Dumpling dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4-1 cup boiled water
Put flour in a bowl and make a well in the center. Stir the flour while you add the water in a steady stream. Keep mixing until you have a shaggy dough.
Knead the dough to bring it together into one large ball.
Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead it for a couple of minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Seal the dough in a zip-lock
We got this dumpling dough recipe from http://www.houseofannie.com/make-dumpling-skins-from-scratch/
After you’ve rolled out your dumpling dough, let your soup base brew for a bit.
Miso soup:
3 sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1/2 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
minced ginger
water
miso paste
Heat some canola or peanut oil in a soup pot, then add your sliced carrot and ginger. Saute for a five minutes, then add the scallions and mushroom. Heat these together for a few more minutes, then add water. We suggest about 6-8 cups, depending on how much miso paste you want to add. We ended up using about 6 tbsp of miso paste, but if you’re nervous about it being too strong, start with a couple of tbsp and gradually add more until the soup tastes flavorful to you.
Dumpling filling:
1 chopped red onion
1 cup chopped green or white cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup chopped shiitake mushroom
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
rice vinegar to taste
soy sauce to taste
tiny pinch cayenne pepper
While soup is simmering on low heat, you can prepare your dumpling filling. Put about 2 tbsp oil (we used peanut) in a wok or large frying pan. Stir in all the chopped vegetables except for the cilantro. Saute on medium high heat until vegetables are soft, about 10-15 minutes. Add sesame oil, rice vinegar (we used about 2 tsp), soy sauce, white pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Time to stuff!
Time to steam!
There are a couple of methods you can use for steaming your dumpers. If you don’t have a bamboo steamer, you can lightly fry your dumpers in a frying pan for a couple of minutes until bottoms are brown, then add about ¼ cup water, covering and steaming until transparent and water has evaporated.