soup – Page 2 – Tia Maria's Blog

January 22, 2015

Sopa de Feijão com Presunto – White Bean Pasta Soup with Ham

I made this soup with my leftover ham bone that I had frozen from Christmas. I always save any leftover ham for making soup, because it creates a rich flavorful broth, but you can substitute the bone with any meat bone, ham or even chicken. Making soup is pretty easy and allows you to be creative using your favorite vegetables and spices. In this recipe you can also substitute the white beans for any beans as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 Ham bone, or a small piece (1/2 pound of presunto cured pork)

6 cups of water

2 cups chicken broth

2 carrots (diced)

1 can or 2 cups of cooked cannelloni beans

1/2 pound of elbow pasta

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 small onion (diced)

2 cloves garlic (diced)

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

Black pepper to taste

2 cups any green cabbage (rinsed and finely chopped)

Instructions:

In a large soup pan, saute the onion for about 1 minute. Add the ham bone, bay leaf, and garlic and saute for a few more minutes.

Add the water, broth and seasonings. Simmer for about 45 minutes. Add the carrots, beans, pasta and cabbage and cook for about 15 minutes.

Taste the soup for saltiness. If you find the soup too salty add more water. If you prefer a thicker broth, smash half of the beans with a fork and let the soup cook for a few minutes to thicken. Remove from heat and let sit until ready to serve. The soup will thicken the longer it sits.

When ready to serve, shred the ham or presunto into small pieces and place into the bowls.

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April 3, 2014

Black Eyed Peas & Corn Succotash – Sopa de Feijao Frade com Milho

Black-eyed peas are very popular in Portugal and typically served with Bacalhau (dried salt Cod), stews, soups and in cold salads.

In the southern region of the Unites States, the dish “Hoppin John” is made with the peas, rice and pork.

This recipe for Succotash, (Narragansett language meaning; broken corn kernels) originates in the southern New England States.

This is a hearty chowder for your meatless days or perfect as a dip! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 large potatoes (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)

1 and 1/2 cups of frozen corn

1 and 1/2 cups of cooked Black Eyed Peas

1 medium onion (finely chopped)

1 stalk of celery (finely chopped)

2 cloves garlic (finely minced)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of butter or margarine

1/2 gallon of milk

1 pint of cream

2 bay leafs

2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

2 tablespoons of flour

Instructions:

In a large heavy soup pan, saute the onion, garlic, celery, and potatoes in the the olive oil and butter for about 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, bay leaf, and the broth and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the black eyed peas and corn and cook for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl mix the flour with the cream until it is dissolved. Add the milk and the cream to the soup and cook on low heat for at least 20 minutes stirring continuously until the soup is creamy and thick.

Add more milk for a lighter soup or add more flour for a thicker chowder. You can also use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables into smaller pieces.

If you want a thick style chowder for a dip, mash some of the beans and let it cook on low until it reaches your desired consistency.

Serve with Blue Corn chips, pita chips or crackers.

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February 24, 2014

Sopa de Grao – Chick Pea Vegetable Puree with Cabbage

(more…)

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February 19, 2014

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe is very easy to make despite having a lot of different ingredients.

I adapted it from the Pioneer Woman. She used tortillas in the soup instead of rice. If your family loves Mexican, they’ll go crazy for this soup! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cups of cooked boneless leftover chicken (shredded)

1 small onion (minced)

1 small red pepper (minced)

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 or 2 cups of crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup Hot Salsa

1 large can of black beans

1 cup of rice

10 cups of water

2 chicken bouillon cubes

2 tablespoons of corn flour (medium grind)

1 cup of corn (optional)

Topping suggestions:

Tortilla Chips

Shredded cheese

Sour cream

Salsa

Chopped tomatoes

Chopped onion

Avocado

Instructions:

Saute the onion, garlic, and peppers in the olive oil, in a large heavy soup pan.

Add the salt, pepper, spices, tomato paste, tomatoes, salsa, water and bouillon and let cook on medium for about 5 – 10 minutes for the spices to blend.

Add the beans, rice, corn flour and chicken and cook for about 20 minutes on medium low heat stirring once in a while so the corn flour does not stick.

Do you notice the Gonsalves brand of corn flour?

Taste the soup and add more seasonings to your taste. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes on low heat. The soup will thicken as it cooks so you may need to add more water if you like a thinner soup.

While the soup cooks, prep the toppings. You can add as many as you like to your taste.

The soup was a big hit last night! Enjoy the recipe!

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January 30, 2014

Caldo de Camarao – Shrimp & Vegetable Bisque

I learned this recipe for Caldo de Camarao, many years ago from a Portuguese Chef named Jose.

He was a great chef, with a wonderful soul, but like many chefs, he was quite temperamental in the kitchen!

Although the recipe is simple, it requires many steps in the preparation, but trust me it’s worth it.

My family likes it pretty hot and spicy so be sure to use the Piri Piri to your taste.

The broth is made from the Shrimp shells which gives this soup a rich flavor.

Please note that some people use a tomato based broth, but I don’t use them in my recipe.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 pounds raw shrimp (30 to 40) per pound

1 large onion (chopped)

4 large carrots (peeled)

2 stacks of celery (peeled)

8 cups of water

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 shrimp bouillon cubes

2 tablespoons of butter

2 teaspoons of paprika

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of white pepper

1 to 2 teaspoons of Piri Piri or Tabasco sauce

½ cup of Vinho Verde or white wine

3 Portuguese rolls to make croutons for garnish

1/2 cup of cream (optional)

2 tablespoons of flour (optional)

Chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Peel and devein the shrimp and save the shells. Rinse the shells and put the shrimp aside.

In a large stock pot add the 8 cups of water, the shrimp shells, ½ of the onion, celery, carrots, salt, pepper, and the shrimp shells and cook for 30 minutes.

Strain the broth, and throw away the cooked shrimp shells. Put the carrots, onions and celery back into the broth.

Puree the soup with a hand blender until the soup is creamy. Strain the soup through a fine strainer to catch any shells, or vegetable threads.

Place the soup on stove on low heat.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, saute the remaining onion in the olive oil and butter until translucent.

Add the shrimp, the bouillon, wine, paprika, Piri Piri or Tabasco and cook for a few minutes.

Remove ½ of the cooked shrimp and set aside.

Add the remaining shrimp and sauce to the soup pan and puree until you get a creamy consistency.

Cook soup for on low for 10 minutes.

Chop the reserved cooked shrimp into 2 pieces and add to the soup. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes.

Taste the soup and add more salt and white pepper to taste.

If you like a creamy style soup, make a slurry by mixing the cream and flour in a small bowl.

Temper the cream with a few tablespoons of the soup and add it during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Make the croutons:

Slice the Portuguese rolls into small ¼ inch slices.

Coat with butter and garlic. Toast in broiler until golden brown.

Sprinkle with desired seasonings and set aside for garnish.

Serve the soup in bowls with one slice of the toasted Portuguese croutons in the center.

Add a few pieces of shrimp in each bow. Add the cilantro or parsley as garnish if desired.

Notes:

Always save your shrimp shells that you have left over from your recipes for this soup. Rinse the shells, pat dry and place them into freezer bags to make shrimp and seafood stock.

Serves 8-10

Photo credit: http://receitasfantasticas.net

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January 15, 2014

Watercress Soup – Sopa de Agriões

This soup is easy to make and takes only 30 minutes to prepare. It’s loaded with vitamins and low in calories!

I suggest you cook the soup ahead of time and add the watercress just before serving to retain it’s beautiful green color!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 large carrots (chopped)

2 cups of butternut squash (chopped)

8 cups of water

1 large onion

1 scallion

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 teaspoon of butter

1 scallion

1 small bunch of watercress

Instructions:

Cook all of the ingredients except the watercress and butter in a medium soup pan until the vegetables are tender.

Remove the pan from the burner and add the butter. Remove the scallion and puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.

Place the soup back on the burner on low heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Taste the soup and add more water or seasoning if desired. Add more water if you find the soup has thickened to much.

Wash and cut off the thick stems from the watercress and add to the soup.

Cook on low heat for 5 minutes and serve.

If you’re serving the soup later, add the watercress and heat up the soup for a few minutes.

Photo soup image credit: http://vitamina-abc.blogspot.com/2012/06/sopa-de-abobora-com-agriao.html

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January 2, 2014

Chicken & Jasmine Rice Soup

Chicken and Jasmine Rice Soup is comfort food in simplistic form. The fragrant and nutty taste of the Jasmine rice in a chicken stock infused with garlic and scallions gives this chicken soup a Thai – Asian inspired taste.

This soup is will calm you and your tummy after a night of partying or when cold and flu season arrives!

Ingredients:

2 pieces of skin on, bone in chicken (leg or thigh)

1 and 1/2 cup of Jasmine rice

8 cups of water

2 stocks celery chopped

1 stock celery finely chopped

1 small onion chopped

3 cloves of garlic

1 to 2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 sprigs parsley

1 tbsp of chopped parsley for garnish

1 or 2 finely sliced scallions

crushed red pepper flakes optional

Instructions:

In a medium soup pan, place the water, seasonings, garlic, onion, 2 stocks celery, 2 sprigs parsley and bring to a boil.

Add the chicken and cook for about 45 minutes on medium heat.

Remove the chicken and the parsley from the pan and set aside.

Bring the soup to a boil and add the rice. Cook the rice for about 20 minutes on medium and reduce heat to low.

Remove the chicken meat from the bones and chop into small pieces. Add the chopped chicken to the soup along with the remaining chopped celery.

Cook for about 10 minutes on low heat. Taste the soup and add more salt if needed. If the soup has thicken to much for your taste or if it’s too salty add one or two cups of boiling water.

When soup is done, add the chopped parsley and scallions. Enjoy!

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March 13, 2013

Canja – Portuguese Chicken Noodle Soup

Big Fat Portuguese Wedding Soup

When I first saw the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” with my friends many years ago, they laughed hysterically at the quirky customs, the outrages family members and the huge bridal party.

Although I did love the movie, I found nothing strange about it since I had lived through many of the same big crazy weddings many times.

In fact, I’ve probably been to over 100, “Big Fat Portuguese Weddings.” Some I attended as a guest, while others, as a waitress during my teenage years.

There is a large close knit Portuguese community in my hometown. It seems that there is literally a Portuguese wedding every week during the summer months where everyone is invited!

Lists of the 300-500 guest’s addresses are handed down from generations to the next who follow the same traditions, customs and even serve the same menus.

A recent email request for the chicken soup that is served at Portuguese weddings brought back the memories from weddings attended long ago and the soup that is still on the menu.

An abundance of food is very important for any Portuguese wedding. Generally, the menus consist of a wide range appetizers such as Bolinhos de Bacalhau (Cod Fritters), Rissois de Camarao (Shrimp Turnovers), Folar (Meat stuffed bread) Roast Suckling Pig, Shrimp Cocktail, Cheese, Fruit, Presunto and other cold cuts, a soup course; Caldo Verde (Green Soup) or Chicken Noodle Soup, a fish course which varies from; Seafood Paella, Fish Fillets with Shrimp Rice or Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa (Salt Cod Casserole), and a meat dish with either; Roast Pork Loin, Roast Beef, or Steak.

Later in the evening a buffet is served similar to an “Italian Venetian” hour with many of these same items along with other traditional classics such as Feijoada (Bean stew), Dobrada (Tripe), and many other classic desserts and pastries to many to mention.

Here’s my recipe for “Portuguese Wedding Soup”. It contains a secret ingredient used by some of the caterers.

Keep it a secret if you wish, it’s up to you! Enjoy!

Portuguese Wedding Soup

Ingredients:

3 lb fresh Chicken (whole or cut into pieces)

12 cups water

1 large chopped onion

2 large celery stalks

2 large carrots

2 cloves garlic (peeled)

3 sprigs parsley

1 tbsp salt

1 /2 tsp freshly cracked pepper

1 – 1/2 cups ORZO pasta (or white rice)

(1/2 tsp crushed pepper flakes optional)

Instructions:

In a large stock pot, place the water, onion, 1 stalk of celery, 1 carrot, salt, 2 sprigs parsley and garlic and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and let it cook on medium for 2 hours. (If desired: remove one chicken breast after 1/2 hour of cooking time, remove bones, dice the meat and reserve for later).

After 2 hours remove the chicken and vegetables. Strain the soup through a strainer to remove any scum or fats. *Note: (Discard the chicken and vegetables since they have lost their nutrients and con not be re-used). Place the pan with the broth back on the stove and bring to a low boil. Slice remaining carrot and celery into desired small slices.

(TOP SECRET-Restaurant TIP: For an even more Chicken flavored soup, add 1 or 2 KNORR Chicken Bouillon cubes to taste)…HUSH.. HUSH!!

Add the ORZO or rice to the soup and cook on medium for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the diced carrots, celery and the reserved diced chicken to the soup and stir.

Let the soup cook on medium for additional 10 minutes. Remove the soup from heat. Season to taste by adding more salt if needed and add the fresh black pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley.

(*Note: – Some people like to add 1 mint leaf as garnish instead of Parsley) (*Note: Add crushed red pepper flakes to kick up the soup if you want a little heat. The crushed red pepper is great to relieve nasal congestion, but do not give to your younger children).

Serve, or store in refrigerator after the soup cools. Enjoy!

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October 13, 2011

Butternut Squash & Carrot Soup

Harvest Butternut Squash & Carrot Soup – Western Mass Women Magazine

by Maria Dias, Contributing Writer

I love the beauty of the fall harvest season in Western Mass. Soon, I’ll be following my family’s tradition by making our annual trip to the local farms in the Hadley area where I buy my Potatoes and root vegetables that I use all winter long.

Did you know that you can store potatoes and butternut squash to last through the winter? Just place them into a brown paper bag or cardboard box and store in a cool basement, or in your garage. (Be sure the temp doesn’t reach freezing.) My favorite winter vegetable is butternut squash because it’s so versatile and it stores so well.

I always have some on hand for Thanksgiving to make this easy and delicious butternut squash soup.

I’m sharing the recipe with you today because I know you’ll love it and it will become your fall tradition like mine.
There are many reasons to add butternut squash to your daily diet.

Butternut Squash
Low in calories: One cup of raw butternut squash only has 63 calories.
Dietary Fiber: There are 3 gr. of dietary fiber in every serving.
Vitamin A: One serving has 298 %of your daily recommended value.
Vitamin C: One cup serving has 50 % of your daily recommended value.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Fights high cholesterol and high blood pressure
Minerals: One serving has 14 % of your daily recommended value of manganese, 12 % of magnesium and 14 % of potassium.

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April 21, 2010

Seafood Corn Chowder

This week, I was craving a clam bake at one of my favorite restaurants; Jasper White’s Summer Shack which makes the best Lobster in New England. His lobster bake is served with 1 whole lobster, steamers, potatoes, corn on the cob, a hard boiled egg, and Portuguese Linguica…. It’s a classic New England clam bake.

Since summer is still months away, I decided make Seafood Corn Chowder to satisfy my craving.

I’ve created this chowder by combing two soups; the classic corn chowder, with my favorite soup, Lobster Bisque. The first time I tried the bisque it was served with a sniffer of brandy on the side and from that day on, I was hocked!

So, I gave this soup a Portuguese ethnic twist by using the classic Portuguese Brandy, 1920 which tones down the sweetness and gives this soup a mellow…smooth taste! Save some brandy to have with an espresso for dessert.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 lb bay scallops

1 lb shrimp (cut into small pieces)

1 lb chopped clams ( canned if desired)

1 lb lobster cut into pieces (if desired)

1 med onion (chopped)

1 clove garlic (chopped)

1 stalk celery(chopped

2 scallions9 (chopped)

1 lb carrots (chopped

1 16 oz bag frozen corn