April 27, 2008

Bean and Herb Soup

This recipe derived from having a bunch of stuff I needed to use up: some shallots, some bottled garlic pesto, chicken stock, carrots, celery, and fresh dill. I improvised the following soup, which manages to be hearty and (nearly) vegetarian at the same time. (You could easily make it vegetarian by using vegetable stock.)

This soup would have been extra fabulous with a bit of grated pecorino romano or parmegiano reggiano on top, but we didn't have any.

Since this was an improvised dish, measurements are highly approximate.

The Ingredients



  • ~1 tbsp. olive oil

  • 4-5 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

  • 3 stalks celery, sliced

  • 5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

  • 1/3 cup dry white vermouth

  • 2 bay leaves

  • a generous palmful of dried sage

  • a somewhat less generous palmful of herbes de Provence

  • a sprinkling of fennel seed (optional - I love fennel, and tend to use it at the slightest excuse. Mr. Spaceling would be just as happy if I left it out next time.)

  • 3 cups chicken broth

  • 1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained

  • 1 can butter beans, rinsed and drained

  • a handful of chopped fresh dill leaves

  • 2 large spoonfuls of bottled garlic pesto

Continue reading "Bean and Herb Soup"

Posted by spaceling at 08:27 PM

Avgolemono Soup

Mr. Spaceling and I have been feeling under the weather. When you're under the weather, it's hard to beat chicken soup. Avgolemono soup is the queen of chicken soups. I used the recipe from Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World, with a couple of tweaks. To make the soup slightly more substantial, I poached some chicken thighs in the soup, and shredded the meat to put into the soup. I also used bulgur wheat instead of rice or orzo, because it was what I had on hand. It was nice, although I think bulgur doesn't expand as much during cooking as rice or orzo, so I think next time, I would add more.

The Ingredients

  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 1 carrot, sliced
  • 1 stick celery, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup rice, orzo, or bulgur
  • 6 chicken thighs, skin removed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. lemon zest
  • 3 tbsp. lemon juice, plus more to taste (this was the juice from about 2 and a half small lemons)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • a handful of chopped fresh dill for garnish

Continue reading "Avgolemono Soup"

Posted by spaceling at 08:21 AM