Beef and Barley Soup

This hearty soup is full of fork-tender beef, diced carrots, onions, cremini mushrooms and of course, barley. It's a delicious fall soup!

Beef and Barley Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

1 pound London broil, cut into 3/4-inch cubes 

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 

1 large onion, chopped 

1 medium carrot, chopped 

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced 

2 tablespoons minced garlic (from 4 cloves) 

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

3/4 cup dry red wine 

4 cups chicken stock 

3 cups water 

3/4 cup hulled or pearl barley, rinsed and drained* 

1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley 

Garnish: grated fresh horseradish 

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oil in a medium Dutch oven or a large pot over medium-high heat. Season beef with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, and cook onion, carrot, and mushrooms until golden, stirring occasionally, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Add garlic and tomato paste, and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and add wine. Return to heat, and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from bottom using a wooden spoon. Cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Return beef to pot, and add stock and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Add barley, and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover, and cook until beef and barley are tender, 20 to 25 minutes more. Stir in parsley. Divide soup among 6 bowls, and garnish with horseradish.

Source: Martha Stewart 

*If using pearl barley omit 1 cup of water in step four.

And for dipping...

Pastrami Tomato Cheese Sandwiches

I love these sandwiches! They're a family favorite. We start making them around Halloween and then whip them up every time we have a pot of soup bubbling away on the stove.

Pastrami Tomato Cheese Sandwiches

1 loaf french bread, sliced thick

2 lbs. Pastrami, thinly sliced

3-4 Tomatoes, sliced

Mozzarella or Monterey Cheese, sliced or shredded

S and P

Preheat oven to 325.

Butter top sides of sliced french bread and place on a baking sheet. Top bread with 2-3 slices of pastrami then a slice or two of tomato. Salt and pepper tomato. Top tomato with cheese and bake until cheese is melted and golden brown.

* I didn't add measurements to the recipe, as you can make as many or as little sandwiches as you want. 

But, if you have one loaf of french bread (not the skinny long loaves, unless you want to make mini appetizer-sized ones! Yum!) you'll need about 2 lbs of thinly sliced pastrami (I like peppered pastrami) and about 5 tomatoes. 

One medium sized bag of shredded cheese should be good or one block of cheese that you can slice/grate yourself. Just pile the pastrami on the buttered bread (two to three slices of pastrami), and add enough tomato to cover the top (one or two slices).

Snow and The Ultimate Chicken Pot Pie

Salt Lake got dumped on yesterday. It started snowing around 5:00 in the evening and didn't quit until about 5:00 in the morning. 

All that snow made me think of comfort food and one of the best comfort foods, is Ina Garten's delicious chicken pot pie. 

A hearty mix of juicy chicken, peas, sautéed onions and carrots are cooked in a rich, buttery broth. The creamy soup is topped off with a homemade pastry crust and baked until golden brown. This pot pie is amazing! Especially when it's cold out.


Use bone-in, skin-on chicken for more flavor (rotisserie would be tasty too and a lot quicker). I also add diced celery and a cup or so of frozen corn. I blanch the celery with the carrots and added them at the same time. As for the corn, I throw it in at the end along with the peas. I omit the pearl onions (because the recipe calls for two whole onions, plus 1 1/2 cups pearl onions! Overload!) But, if you love pearl onions, just cut the amount in half and that should be plenty.


To save time, buy puff pastry instead of making the crust from scratch. A nice salad with cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, chèvre and homemade ranch is a great accompaniment and really all that is needed since the soup itself is so filling. 


Oh, but don't forget a good bottle of wine!

Another thought...small, cubed, red potatoes(skin-on) would be very good. 1 1/2 to 2 cups perhaps. Adjust other ingredients accordingly.


Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

For the pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

White Chicken Chili

I made this soup for a Halloween party on Saturday. I made a double batch, which filled a large crock pot, and it was gone in about an hour!

Green chilies, chopped tomatoes, chicken stock, lime juice and jarred chili verde make up the flavorful broth. Chicken, onions, garlic and white beans make this a very hearty and tasty soup.

Toss all the ingredients in crock pot, set the timer and you're done! Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

White Chicken Chili
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound boneless chicken breast; skin removed, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can tomatillos (about 16 ounces), drained and cut up
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 can chicken broth (1 1/2 cups)
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chile peppers, not drained
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano flakes
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans great northern beans, drained
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Preparation:
In a large skillet add olive oil and heat on medium high until hot. Add diced chicken and saute for 5 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan. Place all ingredients, except cheese, in a crock pot and cook for 8 hours. Top each serving with a little shredded cheese. Serve white chicken chili with tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream, and condiments of your choice. Serves 6 .

My Notes:
I used one 16 oz jar of green chili verde in place of the canned tomatillos (I couldn't find them at the store). The soup turns out pretty runny, so about an hour before I served it, I scooped out a cup of broth and whisked in 2 tablespoons of flour. I added a little more broth and whisked until smooth and then stirred this roux back into the pot. This thickened it up and made it the perfect consistency. I also added salt to taste.

One last quick tip. I used an already cooked rotisserie chicken that I shredded in place of cubing and cooking chicken.

Fall Day Comforts

The day started off a bit dreary in Salt Lake. Cloudy gray skies, thunder cracking in the distance with impending rain. It was the perfect atmosphere to make soup! I went for simple and comforting and choose a tomato based vegetable soup. I didn't follow a recipe, I just used what I had on hand and tossed it all in a crock pot.  Sometimes these are the best kinds of soup!

And of course I needed something sweet and comforting to go along with my chilly day soup... So, I made Big Soft Ginger Cookies. These cookies are so yummy! They're loaded with fragrant fall spices and they are absolutely heavenly warm from the oven. They also make the house smell delicious!

With a chill in the air, you can't go wrong with a bubbling pot of soup, a nice loaf of crusty bread and some freshly baked ginger cookies.

Soup
To my crock pot I added:
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (15oz) cans chopped tomatoes with juices
2 cups water (or stock)
1 can garbanzo beans (or white beans)
1 can red kidney beans
6 celery stocks, chopped
1 1/2  cups baby carrots, chopped
1 cup frozen peas (added towards the end)
1 cup frozen corn ( added towards the end)
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
2 tsps. parsley
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basi
pinch cayenne

I threw all the ingredients in a crock pot (except for the peas and corn which I added the last 15 minutes) and set the soup to cook for six hours. Stir soup occasionally and add more liquids if needed. Also, taste before serving and add salt or more seasonings to taste.

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

For your dipping pleasure...

Baking Powder Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in milk until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead 15 to 20 times. Pat or roll dough out to 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with a large cutter or juice glass dipped in flour. Repeat until all dough is used. Brush off the excess flour, and place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges begin to brown.

* * * * * * * *

Instead of sour cream, I served non-fat greek yogurt on the side. It was a great substitute for sour cream (if you're putting a dollop on your soup).

 The kiddos got cheese quesadillas for dipping.

Refrigerator Soup

For this soup, I rummaged around my refrigerator and was determined to use up all of our leftover food and items that would soon be expiring. We had an un-opened package of turkey that was good for a few more days...so I centered my dish around that. We also had celery, frozen broccoli and corn. And in the pantry, we had cans of white beans, tomatoes, chicken stock and a box of wild rice. So, I decided to make a wild rice and turkey soup...

Here are all the spices I threw in it.

This actually turned out amazing! It was like minestrone soup on steroids. Super flavorful and really hearty. Loved the combination of veggies, rice, turkey and spices. My husband and I chowed down on this and even our 10 month old and 4 year old ate their fair share.

Below is a guideline of what I did. Take a peek in the back of your refrigerator and pantry and use what you have.

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup (/stew)

1 pkg. ground turkey

1/2 tsp cumin

pinch of red pepper flakes

pinch of salt

***

1 box Near East, Long Grain and Wild Rice (use seasoning packet too)*

1 (14.5) can chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (14 oz) can white beans

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 small onion, chopped small

1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli

3 celery ribs, diced

1/4 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp dried Italian herb blend

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried chives

1/2 tsp ground beef bouillon

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a pan, brown turkey with cumin, red pepper and salt. Cook until turkey is no longer pink.

In a soup pot add the rest of the ingredients* and stir to combine. Add in turkey mixture and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Taste and season as necessary.

* I cooked my rice in a rice cooker until al dente and then added it. If you want to just add the rice and seasoning packet with the rest of the ingredients and save a dirty pot, add 2 cups of water to the soup.

Crockpot Chili

Curl up with a warm bowl of chili.

Saute coarsely chopped green peppers and onions with

fresh minced garlic.

Add cooked hamburger (or meat of your choice like sausage or ground turkey)

Pour in crushed tomatoes and kidney beans and white beans.

Spice it up with a melody of seasonings

And don't forget plenty of chili powder!

Mix it all up in a crock pot. Set the timer and enjoy the aroma of this wonderful chili simmering away.

Crock pot Chili

2 small green peppers, coarsely chopped

2 small onions, coarsely chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb hamburger or other ground meat

1 (28 oz) can tomato puree

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 can red kidney beans, drained

1 can white kidney beans, drained
3 T Chili powder

2 T Cumin

1 T Ground coriander

Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

In a large skillet saute peppers and onions, 7 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add to crock pot. In same skillet, cook hamburger until no longer pink. Add to crock pot. Pour in tomatoes and beans. Add seasonings. Stir and set crock pot timer.

Check the chili periodically and stir. About a half hour before I serve it, I taste for seasonings and usually sprinkle in a little more chili powder, cumin, coriander and salt if needed. Sometimes I'll add one or two fresh chopped tomatoes at the end for texture.

If you're cooking the chili all day and it starts to thicken, you can add beer or water or chicken stock as needed. You can substitute the hamburger with shredded chicken, ground turkey or mix of hamburger and sausage. They're all tasty.

Settling in with a Bowl of Warm Soup

As the weather cools down and Halloween approaches, I thought I would share some of my favorite fall soups. My family and I have made these numerous times and they are always delicious and satisfying.

Chicken Pot Pie
Recipe, Ina Garten

This is the ultimate comfort food. This soup is sooo good. The creamy broth is rich and buttery and the shredded moist chicken gives it an amazing flavor. For Halloween, I'm going to make a pot of this, but add egg noodles and leave off the pastry top for a silky chicken noodle soup.

Jalapeno Avocado

If you would like this recipe, request so in the comments section.

This recipe comes from a local restaurant in Utah called Hell's Backbone Grill. I've never been, but my sister-in-law and her husband make the trek every year just to enjoy of bowl of this soup. It's thick and gets it's deep flavor from the roasted tomatoes, jalapenos and avocado.

Taco Soup

I had the pleasure of tasting this soup at one of our cooking club soirees. The toppings make this, so make sure to have plenty of sour cream, bacon, cheese and chives.

Roasted Tomato Basil
Recipe, Ina Garten

Roasting the tomatoes in the oven adds a delicious depth of flavor. The tomatoes become slightly sweet and caramelized.

Chicken Tortillia Soup
Recipe, Williams-Sonoma

This soup is amazing. It has great flavor from the ancho and anaheim chili peppers. The peppers can be found in any super market. The creamy queso fresco melts into the broth and the avocado served on top is very tasty. The salty, crispy tortilla chips just adds a nice crunch. There is so much dimension to this soup and all of the flavors and textures are well balanced.

Broccoli and Corn Chowder

Chunks of broccoli, cubes of potato, and crispy corn are simmered in a creamy herb broth. This is a very hearty soup, or more aptly stew. The original recipe called for cooking bacon in a pan and then sauteing an onion in the rendered fat, but I decided to fore go the bacon and cook the onion in a little butter instead. The soup did need a boost in flavor, so I added extra dried herbs and seasonings like garlic salt and cumin. Just a pinch and dash of each. I think the bacon gives it a depth of flavor that you need to replace if you leave it out.

I like to use the stalks of my broccoli. I just peel off the outer layer with a veggie peelers and then chop them small so they cook evenly with the florets. The stalks have great flavor and it's so much waste if you just throw them away.

This soup was very tasty. The broccoli was slightly crisp and the corn and potatoes gave it a great texture. I picked up a loaf of fresh rosemary bread and it was so good dipped in the broth. I would make this again and maybe next time try adding some cauliflower. I think that would go well with the broccoli.
Recipe is from Marthastewart.com

Quick Noodle Soup

Kaia was asking for "Nu Nu's" today, and she said absolutely "no mac n' cheese, mommy". So I searched the cupboards for some chicken nu nu soup, but came up empty handed. Not wanting to get ready and pack up Kaia to go to the grocery store, I decided to make some myself. I had some raw pasta and chicken broth, so I got to work.

Here's what I came up with:

4 cups chicken stock
1 chkn. bouillon cube
1 tsp. corriander
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 carrots, diced small
2 celery ribs, diced small
1 chicken breast
1 1/2 cups pasta noodles
1 T butter
1/2 cup peas
Salt and Pepper

I brought the broth and bouillon cube to a low boil and added the carrots and celery. I added the pasta, corriander, garlic salt and a few cracks of pepper and cooked until the noodles were done. While they were cooking away, I pounded out the chicken, then quickly fried it until cooked through and cut it into Kaia-sized pieces. I added the chicken, a pat of butter, the peas and a little salt and pepper to the broth, gave it stir and ladled it into a Dora Bowl. It turned out pretty good for a spontaneous soup and Kaia ate every drop.

Jason even tried it and decided he wanted a whole bowl. I thought it was really good too.

Amazing Chicken Taco Soup

I love soup and I have to say, this is one of my favorites. My friend Dana made a pot of it for an April Fool's Cooking Club at my mom's house and I think I had thirds. The flavor of the soup was amazing and the sour cream and crumbled bacon topping made it even better.

Recipe coming soon.

Here it is: Thanks Dana.

Adapted from Paula Deen

Dana’s Taco Soup

The recipe is simple and not always the same....
I usually use what I have at home.

Brown 1lb of ground beef in a soup pot (I use ground turkey). Add 1 can of corn, 1 can of beans (pinto, chili, kidney..use what you have). 1 can tomatoes (chili ready, del monte diced zesty...again whatever you like) the above cans are usually about 14.5 oz sizes if you like it spicy, add one can rotel tomatoes and green chiles let this come to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, then add 1 package hidden valley ranch dressing mix and 1 package taco seasoning and let cook for about 5 to ten more minutes.

Top off with things like sour cream, chives, cheese, corn chips, tortilla chips, bits of bacon, whatever floats your boat.

*Do not drain the cans, use all of the liquid. If you like it to be more brothy you can add water or beef or chicken stock.

You can add more cans of anything or omit anything you do not like. I usually use two cans of almost everything because I have an army to feed. Play with it and see what you like. It is also usually better the next day reheated because the flavors have had more time to mix together.

Jalapeno, Avocado Soup

I saw this photo and immediately thought of all the Merrills and all the dinners we had together up at the Maryfield house.

This is such a unique and delicious soup. I would never think to put avocados in a soup, but it really adds a nice creamy texture. This recipe comes from With a Measure of Grace: The Story and Recipes of a Small Town Restaurant . This soup reminds me of my in-laws Tara and Shane, as they were the ones who discovered it and they have traveled all the way to the restaurant just for a bowl. It also now reminds me of Tiffany and her scorchingly good version she served to us at a family gathering :)

The Ultimate Chicken Pot Pie

This is the most delicious pot pie I've ever made or tasted. It's a hearty mix of juicy chicken, peas, sautéed onions, and carrots with of course some butter and heavy cream for riches. It's a bit of work, but worth it if you have the time. The recipe can be found by clicking here. Use bone-in, skin-on chicken for more flavor. I also add fresh, diced celery and a cup or so of frozen corn. I blanch the celery with the carrots and add them at the same time. As for the corn, I throw it in at the end along with the peas. I omit the pearl onions, because the recipe calls for two whole onions, plus 1 1/2 cups pearl onions, but I would suggest just adding half the amount of pearl onions for they are quite tasty. To save time, buy puff pastry instead of making it from scratch. A nice salad with cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, chèvre and homemade ranch is a great accompaniment and really all that is needed since the soup itself is so filling. Oh, but don't forget a good bottle of wine. Cheers.

Another thought...small, cubed, red potatoes(skin-on) would be very good. 1 1/2 to 2 cups perhaps. Adjust other ingredients accordingly.