Butternut Squash Soup

I truly love the fall season the weather, the leaves and the seasons available produce. Especially the different varieties of squash. Some of my favorite soups are fall soups. As you can tell by my recipe list I love making soups probably one of the reasons I love this season just so that I can make soups! We did eat a lot of soups growing up there were a lot of mouths to feed on a struggling immigrants budget.  My mom could take anything and make a delicious healthy meal. Here I show you a very easy and fulfilling tasty Butternut Squash soup.

Ingredients

I medium sized butternut squash or

4 pkgs frozen cubed butternut squash

1/4 cup olive or coconut oil (melted)

Sea salt sprinkled

Black pepper sprinkled

Granulated garlic sprinkled 

Onion powder sprinkled

Rosemary lightly sprinkled

4 cups stock chicken or vegetable 

1/4 cup half and half

Place squash on baking sheet sprinkle your spices and drizzle with oil. Roast in oven set at 375 for 20 minutes if using frozen, if using fresh 40 min or until it is soft and pierce able with a fork.

Remove and place in a pot add 4 cups of  stock, bring to a boil, next with an immersion blender, or place in a blender and blend until smooth. If you are using a blender place back in pot.

Season to taste (salt/pepper). Now mix in half and half.  

My garnish was caramelized onions (optional)

Enjoy!

Buon Appetito 

Lucia 

Clean out your fridge Vegetable Soup (Minestra)

Periodically I have an over abundance of produce in my refrigerator, some weeks I cook less often than others because of birthday dinners, family get togethers or eating out too often...I remember my mom doing this with leftovers just throwing stuff in a pot with some small pasta and creating a delicious meal...


Nothing I mean nothing got wasted in our house growing up for two reasons: one being there were always at least 10-15 people at the table several times a week and food went fast.  The other reason was I grew up with a dad that lived and served in WWII and food was rationed in Sicily so we were not ever allowed to throw away food, waste food or leave food on our plates (my waist and hips thank him profusely for that..Sarcasm


This soup is loaded with nutrients health in a bowl, low in calories and very filling. The key to making any really good soup is two things: the sautéing the aromatics (your base garlic, onions, celery, carrots) and using bay leaves (I prefer fresh ones) but the dried will work as well.  This produces a soup that you say WOW this is really good!!




Ingredients




2-TBSP Refined coconut oil, or 1/4 cup olive oil
4-Celery Stalks chopped
1-Medium Yellow Onion peeled and chopped
2-Large Carrots peeled and cubed
4-Garlic cloves minced
4-5 Yukon gold potatoes or what ever you have peeled and cubed if you use bigger potatoes then only 2
1 Head of Bok Choy washed and chopped or what ever you have in fridge!!
2 Bay Leaves
Sea Salt and Pepper (to taste)
2-32 oz Containers of Vegetable broth or water.



Directions




In a large soup pot heat oil over medium heat add your celery, onion, carrots, bay leaves and garlic.  Saute for approx. 10 minutes until they have softened a bit and the bottom of the pot gets a little brown (creates flavor) then add your potato, bok choy, salt and pepper.  Any vegetable that you pick you want to add in the beginning if it has a hard stem, and add any leaves towards the end so they don't completely break down in the cooking process (this is what I did when I added the bok choy).
Now add your broth or water. If you are using water be sure to add enough salt, the vegetable broth will have sodium(salt) in it, so you will use less if you use the broth. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce heat to simmer and cook for 45 minutes to one hour, it depends on the veggies used taste for doneness, and adjust seasonings.

Now at this point you could add some small pasta orzo, ditalini or just a huge hunk of Italian bread.  I would cook the pasta separately if you wanted to add it, the starch of the pasta thickens the soup if you cook it in there. 


Ladle into your bowl and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of grated cheese....

Escarole Soup (Zuppe di Scarola)

Escarole is similar to lettuce but in the chicory/endive family...not as bitter though. You can eat it raw, but I never have.  I grew up eating this leaf cooked preferably in a soup.  This was a weekly meal especially in the winter, my mother made this with Chick peas/Garbanzo beans most of the time or just plain as I have shared here.  It wasn't my favorite thing to eat as a child, my favorite part was dipping the bread into the salty olive oily broth (I think all ate when escarole was on the menu). Now as an adult I love to make it for my family and I have experimented with different ways of making it interesting, it is not a fan of my daughters but my husband LOVES it and will ask often for it if I have gone for a while with out making it!! This is a quick nutritious vitamin packed meal. High in vitamin A, C and has some calcium benefits...and of course fiber!! There are so many different ways to make this soup, adding northern beans, sausage, mini meatballs the list is endless. This recipe is a basic starter.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil


3 Garlic cloves minced


1 Large head of escarole washed well and chopped


1-2 Large Roma tomato chopped


Salt and black pepper to taste


4 cups of Chicken Broth (Purchased or homemade stock)


Serve with Crusty Bread and grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and tomato saute until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the escarole and saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt. Add the chicken broth. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with grated cheese over each bowl. Serve with crusty bread.

Lasagna Soup

This soup is Aaa-mazz-inggg....you will crave it after you have tried it once. It was assembled after having left over noodles from making a Lasagna.  I had seen a similar recipe a while back and of course had to play around and make it my own...who ever thought of this is a genius. It is a wonderful way to use up the broken noodles, sauce and cheese mixture or you can just make from scratch as in the recipe below!! This can be made with any kind of sausage and meat..chicken, turkey, and gluten free noodles. Get creative!!



Lasagna Soup


INGREDIENTS

for the soup:
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage (remove from casing) or ground beef
3 c. chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1  28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
8 oz.  Lasagna, Malfada, or fusilli noodles broken up
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cheese Topping:
8 oz. ricotta cheese
1/2 c. grated Romano cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley

PREPARATION

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, or ground beef breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese topping. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, grated Romano cheese, salt, pepper and parsley.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheese topping in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

This could be made Gluten Free with rice lasagna noodles.

Servings: about  8

Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup-  The story told is that Italians eat this at weddings, that can’t be further from the truth, I’m Italian and I have never eaten this soup at any Italian wedding here or in Italy.  The soup gets it’s name because of the Italian description of the soup.  The ingredients marry well together, the meat, vegetables and broth,  hence the name Italian wedding soup.  Yes, it is true how these ingredients together make the perfect marriage.  I crave this soup on a regular basis, it is the most satisfying yummy meal that nourishes and warms the soul…

Serves 4, total prep and cook time 40 minutes

For meatballs:

1 lb Ground (Beef , Turkey or Chicken)

1 Egg

¼ c Bread crumb

¼ grated pecorino Romano cheese

½ c finely chopped onion

1 clove finely chopped garlic (1 tsp)

1 tbsp Parsley

1 tsp kosher or sea salt

½ tsp black pepper

For Soup:

2-32oz boxes of chicken or vegetable broth or 8 cups of homemade broth

1 pkg of fresh baby spinach leaves

1 Bay leaf

2 Carrots peeled and diced (optional)

2 Yukon potatoes peeled and diced (optional)

Directions:

Combine beef, egg, bread crumb, grated cheese, onion, garlic, salt and pepper  in a bowl and combine well. Bring broth to a low rolling boil, roll mini meatballs and drop into broth one at a time OR Updated : bake mini meatballs at 350 for 15 minutes to set them then add to soup.  Then add your carrots, potatoes and bay leaf. Simmer for 20 minutes, REMOVE bay leaf, discard and add spinach.  Turn burner off and cover. At this time you could add any small pasta if you choose, cook this separate and combine with soup.  Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and grated cheese.

Ribollita

I love fall, it is my favorite time of year.  As the cool weather approaches I find myself spending more time than usual in the kitchen and I enjoy trying out and developing new recipes.   Soup is my favorite thing to eat. I am always making new soups, taking old recipes and improvising with new ingredients.  This soup is similiar to pasta e fagioli, but without the pasta and adding in some protein and is very quick and simple to assemble and prepare.

"RIBOLLITA" is a famous Tuscan soup a hearty potage made with bread and vegetables.  There are many variations but the main ingredients always include leftover bread, canellini beans and inexpensive vegetables. Its name literally means "reboiled". Like most Tuscan cuisine, the soup has peasant origins. It was originally made by reheating (ie. reboiling) the leftover minestrone or vegetable soup from the previous day.

3 garlic cloves, minced or leave whole

1 small onion, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 celery stalk diced
4-6 ozs. of chicken, turkey or italian pork sausage removed from casing and rolled into mini meatballs (size of a quarter)
½ cup olive oil
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (15-ounce)cans cannellini or great northern beans, drained

2-3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf

Sea salt and crushed red pepper to taste

1 bunch of greens your choice of  (escarole, kale, spinach), washed and roughly chopped
½ loaf of Italian bread, cut into 1-inch squares and slightly toasted

 grated Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)

Directions:

•    Chop the celery, onion and carrot.

•    In a large pot, sauté the garlic, onion, celery, carrot and sausage in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
•    Add the tomatoes with their juices, the beans, broth, rosemary, bay leaf and salt and pepper.
•    Simmer, covered, for one hour
•    Add the greens and cook for 10 more minutes.
•    Remove the bay leaf, stir in the bread and serve, drizzled with the remaining olive oil and sprinkled with Pecorino Romano cheese.

Pasta e Fagioli Zuppa (Pasta and Beans Soup)

These cold and snowy days I tend to want to hibernate in the house and cook a slow, comforting meal. Using the grill is not an option, considering there is still snow and ice on it and makes it very unappealing. So I settle in and search the recipe cards in my head and up pop soups, stews, chili, meatloaf, and oven roasted meats.  The things that get better as they slowly cook marrying all the flavors.  I stop at one of my all time favorites a simple rustic all in one meal! And this one does not need all day cooking. These are basic kitchen staples ingredients that should be kept in your pantry or fridge at all times! so that you can throw this together at any time.

Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Beans)

3 cups canned Great Northern Beans (with liquid),
or dry beans(you can follow cooking directions on package)

1 celery stalk with leaves, chopped

2 garlic cloves, whole

1 large bay leaf

1/2 Tsp fresh rosemary, or 1/4 tsp of dry

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup of diced tomatoes in juice

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth

kosher or sea salt

pinch of crushed red pepper

8 oz of any small pasta,
 or spaghetti broken up into small pieces (cooked according to the directions)

sprinkle of grated romano cheese

Directions: Cook the celery, garlic, bay leaf, and rosemary in olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes. You could discard the garlic once it is golden (I keep it in), then add the tomatoes, broth, red pepper and salt to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes.

add the beans with their liquid, bring to a simmer, now mash some of the beans with the back of a big spoon.

Now add your cooked pasta and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove and discard bay leaf.

Tips: if you would like it a little thinner add additional water or broth don't forget to adjust the seasonings as well.

Serves 8

I like to serve this with huge crusty slices of Italian Ciabatta Bread and a salad.
 I grill huge slices of the bread in the oven and then rub with a garlic clove, drizzle with olive oil, oregano and sea salt