Soba Noodle Soup

Now that you have some homemade fish stock...what do you do with it? Just like other homemade stocks, fish stock can be used in any recipe you want. When making rice for seafood dishes, like gumbo or paella, use fish stock instead of water. It is also the perfect base for seafood soups or stews to provide a deeper level of flavor and depth than water alone.

I had some leftover ingredients laying around, so I created my own simple soup from vegetables and soba noodles. It is like a cross between miso soup and ramen noodles. The use of both yellow and green onions created a bold taste that mellowed the fish overtones in the stock. I rehydrated a few shiitake mushrooms to supply the umami taste and texture I love in Asian dishes. Soba noodles cook faster than pasta, so this soup is quick and simple, and it provides a healthy meal masked by delicious taste.

Soba Noodle Soup

Printable Recipe

5 shiitake mushrooms

1/4 cup hot, filtered water

1 cup fish stock

1 cup filtered water

1 small yellow onion, sliced into rings

1 green onion, medium chopped

1 bundle soba noodles

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp ground ginger

In a small bowl, add the shiitake mushrooms and hot water to allow the mushrooms to rehydrate for 15 min (or you can skip this step by using fresh shiitake mushrooms).

In a medium pot over medium heat, add the fish stock and water, bringing it to a simmer. Add the onion rings and cook for 5 min. 

Next add the shiitake mushrooms, and ingredients of green onions through ground ginger, allowing it to cook for 5 min. Dish up and enjoy immediately.

~Yields 1 large serving.

~Original by Brie.

Rustic Cauliflower Soup

A strange breeze blew into town this past weekend. It must be a sign autumn will be arriving shortly. Not quite yet, but soon enough. I welcome the hot weather to stay as long as it likes, but I am partial to autumn. The summer zombies lose their stupor from being miserable in the heat, whereas I've been frolicking in the haziness. Everyone seems to be more comfortable and in a better mood overall, making them easier to be around. Autumn is like my slow cool down from the summer until I go into hibernation since I dislike the cold so much.

The peculiar wind put me in a changing mood, so I decided to go ahead and make an autumn-like soup a little early. I have plenty of milk laying around for a great soup base and all it needed were some spices and veggies thrown in the mix. The process was still simple and lazy like summer, but the warm flavor and texture feels like autumn.

The soup ended up with quite a pleasant Indian-esque flair with the spices. The soup had an extra layer of warmth of mild spiciness from the ginger and peppers. Enjoying both whole and puréed cauliflower was a real treat since I rarely purée any dishes; however, the soup can be left whole or completely puréed to match your favorite soup texture. But the overall balance of flavors was a true melody from a handful of simple ingredients you're likely to have in your cupboard and a quick way to enjoy a little comfort.

Rustic Cauliflower Soup

Printable Recipe

2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large leek, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, diced

1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1 tbsp curry powder

1/2 tbsp ground coriander

1/2 tbsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp celery seeds

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

4 cups raw milk

1/2 cup chicken broth

4 cups cauliflower

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat and then add the olive oil. Add the onion through ginger and sweat for 10 min, stirring occasionally. Next add all the spices of curry through celery seeds, stirring well, and cook for 3 min.

Add the flour and mix until incorporated.

Next, add the raw milk in 1 cup increments every minute (as to not chill the soup), stirring slowly. Then add the chicken broth and cauliflower. Bring the soup to a boil, stirring constantly so the raw milk does not scald on the bottom, and then lower the temperature to a simmer. Allow the soup to reduce for 30 min, stirring occasionally.

Finally, carefully purée half the soup in a blender for 5 seconds, then stir back into the soup. Garnish with crème fraîche and green onions if desired. Serve immediately.

~Yields 2 hearty servings, or 4 small bowls.

~Original by Brie.

Avocado Soup with Lobster Tail

A few months ago Kylene gave me a lobster tail she caught down in Key West, FL. She takes an annual trip down south with her husband and they graciously let me enjoy a taste of their bounty. I had been saving it to use in a dish where the flavor could come through and not be lost. Lobster, especially lobster caught by a friend, is too special to be drenched in a cream sauce or diced into a cheesy mess of an entrée. I found a recipe for avocado soup haphazardly while browsing for recipes and thought this would fit perfectly. The sweetness of the lobster tail cut through the richness of the soup. After tasting I decided these two complimented each other very well. I tasted more of the chicken broth rather than the avocado strangely. However, this soup is quite rich, so I would not recommend eating it alone as a meal. It would fit nicely with a spicy arugula and fruit salad.

Avocado Soup

Printable Recipe

lemon
2 avocados
2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream

cooked lobster tail, sliced
olive oil

Preparing an avocado:

Using a knife, cut the avocado lengthwise around the entire fruit. Separate the avocado halves by twisting slightly and then pull apart.

Sink the knife into the pit, twist, and then pop the pit out.

Take your thumb and loosen the avocado fruit from the skin by rotating the avocado half around to separate.

Preparing the soup:

Squeeze the lemon juice into a bowl.

Cut the avocados into small cubes and place in the bowl with the lemon juice.

Mash the avocado well and then place into a pot. Add the chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste.

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 5 min. Add the cream and cook until desired thickness is reached. (If you desire a smooth soup, use an emulsion blender before serving.) Ladle the soup into bowls. Cut the lobster into pieces and place on top of the soup. Drizzle olive oil for garnish.

~Yields 2 servings.

~Adapted from Blog Well Done.

Simple Lentil Soup

I'd like to stir the pot a little and get some feed back from readers about a hot topic: soaking vs not soaking lentils.

The cooking community seems to disagree over the issue of whether to soak lentils. Many feel it is unnecessary to soak lentils beforehand due to several varieties swift cooking times. I, however, think soaking is a necessary step for grains, beans, and legumes - henceforth written as seeds - for multiple reasons. While this is not an exhaustive list of reasons for sprouting seeds, those listed below are some of the more important.

~ The main reason sprouting seeds is necessary is for the digestion of nutrients. It seems pointless to consume seeds if your body is unable to absorb anything nutritious. Seeds can be difficult to digest due to the presence of anti-nutrients, like phytic acid, in the hull; they prevent the absorption of minerals in our digestive systems, resulting in deficiencies for those who rely on alternative protein sources. This can contribute to health problems such as anemia and osteoporosis. Sprouting greatly reduces the presence of anti-nutrients, making digestion of seeds much easier, and increasing the amount of vitamins and minerals absorbed. In fact, non-soaked lentils are deficient in methionine and cystine, but once sprouted they contain sufficient levels of all necessary amino acids.

~ Slowly bringing the seeds back from a dormant state helps retain a large portion of the vitamins and minerals. Sprouting not only produces necessary nutrients, it maintains needed levels that are otherwise lost through rapid and/or high heat cooking methods.

~ The germination process of soaking seeds promotes the release of enzymes. This breaks down complex sugars, which greatly reduces any unpleasant side effects of digestion. Even if you are not as intrigued by the nutrient absorption process as I am, surely less gas would be appealing to anyone.

~ Lastly, purchasing dried seeds is more economical, and allows you to have greater control over the needed firmness of the seed in the cooking process.

Quick soaking methods are accessible, however, I do not use these practices. The rapid boiling simply cuts down on cooking time instead of encouraging sprouting and retaining necessary nutrients. I would encourage you to take the time in planning a meal with seeds to allow for the long soak method.

I also want to stress the need for organic seeds. Too often, companies will bleach the seeds during processing (not including the probable toxic environment they were grown in) which will prohibit or cancel out the nutrients within. Organic dried seeds are not grossly expensive, so it is worth finding available varieties to use.

Lentils are a great food staple as they have limitless possibilities. I already hold food and cooking in high regard, so it should come as no surprise I am fascinated with the process of sprouting seeds, which is another reason I love using them. The ability to take what appears to be lifeless and watch it spring forth and come alive is magical. All it takes is time and water. It's amazing.

If you look closely at the photo above, you can see the lentils have very small white shoots that appeared during their soak in water. This is important to ensure the sprouting process was successful. You don't have to stop the sprouting process so early either. The water can be changed every 12 hours until the sprouts have reached the desired length for any dish they'll be used in, or even eaten raw.

In preparing the soup, allowing the lentils to soak longer will do no harm, and will in fact permit the seeds more time for sprout growth. Lentils do not have a strong flavor naturally, just a mellow earthy taste, so the addition of spices is key. Leeks collect sand as they grow, so be sure to cut off the dark green leaves and the bulb, then slice lengthwise in half and soak in cool water. Afterward, give the pieces a good rinse before chopping up for the soup. It is important to add the salt at the end of the cooking process as to not toughen the lentils. Vegetable broth can also be used instead of water to provide richer flavor. The soup should cook for a total of 30-40 min, so adjust the cooking time if all ingredients are prepped beforehand.

Simple Lentil Soup

Printable Recipe

 

28 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes

3 1/2 cups brown lentils

4 cups water + 1 cup water

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp olive oil

3 large stalks celery, roughly chopped

2 leeks, roughly chopped

1 portobello mushroom cap, roughly chopped

3 cups fresh spinach, thoroughly washed and rinsed

1/4 cup 2% milk

1 tsp salt

Prep: Pour the dried lentils onto a smooth surface and remove any stones and wrinkled/broken lentils. To soak, use a large glass bowl which will allow for the expansion of the lentils.

24 hours before cooking the soup, soak the lentils in cool water, covering the lentils with at least 2 inches of water. After 12 hours, drain the water and replace with warm water.

Just before cooking, drain and rinse the lentils.

Cook: In a large pot, pour in the tomatoes and bring to a low boil on medium heat, then stir in the lentils. Add 4 cups of water, garlic, and all spices (except salt) stirring well and continue to cook at a low boil. In a small pan, add the olive oil and sauté the celery until soft and translucent, then add to the soup. Next add the leeks and portobello mushroom cap, allowing the soup to cook for 10 min. Then add 1 cup water and the spinach leaves, stirring slowly until the leaves have wilted. Finally add the salt and milk, mixing everything together, and remove from heat.

~Yields approximately 6 servings.

~Original recipe by Brie.

Feel free to add your opinions, tips, or leave any questions in the comments.