Zuppa Toscana Soup

My friend Kristen was expecting her second child.  After her appointment with the OBGYN about 4 weeks before her due date her husband took her to lunch at Olive Garden; all you can eat soup, salad and bread sticks.  Kristen talked about how good the Zuppa Toscana Soup was.  

After the baby was born, I brought over dinner and some soup that they could have for the next few days.  I remembered how much she liked the Zuppa Toscana, so I scoured the internet trying to find a recipe that was close to the Olive Garden soup.  Kristen raved about the soup, so I've looked no further.  I have to be honest I never had this soup at Olive Garden, so I have to take Kristen's word that it's just as good.  

Thom and I love this soup its rich and a meal all by itself.  Enjoy with a crusty loaf of french bread or some soft garlic bread sticks.   This version is made with heavy cream.  But I've also made it on the lighter side with turkey sausage, fat free half and half or even coconut cream. It's always good!!!

Ingredients:

1-pound Italian ground sausage, lighter version use turkey sausage

4-6 russet potatoes cut into bite size cubes

1 onion diced

2 Tablespoons minced garlic

6 cups chicken broth

4 cups chopped kale 

2 cups heavy cream

2 Tablespoons flour

Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup real bacon pieces for garnish

In a large pot sauté sausage until brown, with a slotted spoon transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.  In the same pot add onions and sauté until soft, add garlic and cook another minute.  before adding liquid add in flour to the onions, continue to cook for a minute or two.  Add broth, potatoes, salt and pepper, bring to boil until potatoes are tender.   Stir in kale and heavy cream, add the sausage.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.   

Serve and garnish with bacon bits.

Tortilla Soup

 

Ingredients:

2 Chicken breast cooked and shredded (I use a store-bought rotisserie chicken) 

3 cloves garlic - minced

1 medium onion - chopped

1 can chopped green chilies, or 1 jalapeno diced (depending on your personal preference)

1/2 cup chopped roasted bell pepper

2 - 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes with chili

2 cups water

2 1/2 cups of beef broth

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 Tablespoon chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce   

1 1/2 cups frozen, fresh or 1 can corn

1 14 oz. can pinto beans (rinsed)

1 14 oz. can black beans (rinsed)

Sauté onion, jalapeno, and garlic in 1 tablespoon of oil until onions are soft.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes season with salt and pepper to taste.   Serve soup with your choice of toppings:

Tortilla strips/chips, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, wedges of lime.

Basque Vegetable Soup

When my brothers worked at the BSA camp at Silver Lake during the summer the rest of the family sometimes visited them. When we did my dad liked to take us all to dinner at a Basque restaurant in Gardnerville.   That was my introduction to Family Style Basque food, bowls of a cabbage vegetable soup, French bread, salad, pickled tongue, beans, French fries, and your choice of an entrée, steak, chicken, fish, or lamb and for dessert a simple scoop of ice cream. 

When Thom and I moved to Delano my dad asked us to find a Basque Restaurant. We asked around and "Woolgrowers " in Bakersfield was a favorite of many, owned and run by a local family.  We tried a different Basque Restaurant a few times but finally decided that Woolgrowers for us was the best.  We always had a meal at Woolgrowers when Mom and Dad came to visit.   We had many celebrations there and it's still one of our favorite places to go.

One issue of our local newspaper published the recipe of the soup from the Woolgrowers Restaurant.  I've kept the newspaper clipping and have made this soup many times.  I love to serve this soup with a simple salad, iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion, thin sliced green bell pepper and a dressing of red wine vinegar and olive oil, salt and pepper.   If I have time I will marinate the tomato, onion and pepper with the vinaigrette at least an hour, makes all the difference with the salad.   The restaurant serves the soup in a large family style bowl with beans (pinto), French bread and butter.

Ingredients

3 carrots, chopped

3 large potatoes, diced into small cubes 1/4 inch squares

2 leeks, chopped

1 small cabbage, chopped

1 small can tomato sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon chicken base

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp thyme

10 cups water

Sauté onion in a little olive oil until soft, add all chopped vegetables to a large pot.  Add in chicken base and water, tomato sauce, thyme and salt and pepper.  Simmer for 2 hours

Serve with French Bread, simple salad, and your choice of entrée.  For a more traditional Basque dinner, serve in courses, soup, then salad with marinated tongue, and then the entrée with French fries, green beans and of course as much of the soup, salad and bread as you want.