Blue Ribbon Ramen

Day 31: The Last (soup) Supper

A few months ago, after I had been laid off, my friend Margaret brought by an unemployment "care package". This basically consisted of a few snacks, a couple of bottles of wine, and two packets of Top Ramen. I don't actually think I can remember the last time I had Ramen and I thought it would be a brilliant way to end my 31 days without having to actually cook anything. Jay more or less refused to eat it, but I heated up a bowl for myself (Jay got himself some leftovers) and we sat down with a side salad for our last soup supper. As we ate I reviewed the ingredients of the Ramen and it occurred to me how simple it would be to to prepare without need of msg and corn protien and pondered if it would be better or not (lets face it, Ramen is good, it just feels wrong to eat 910 mg of sodium in one meal). I popped up mid meal to take on the challenge and quickly threw together a competing soup. Jay and I both thought it was much better and just as easy:

Blue Ribbon Ramen

1 serving

2 cups chicken broth

1 tsp dark soy sauce

4 oz somen noodles

5 frozen broccoli florets

salt to taste

Boil broth and soy sauce over high heat. Add noodles and broccoli and cook for 3 minutes until noodles are soft. Salt to taste.

Jay's review:

Top Ramen: 3 yums (out of 5!) Undergrad

Blue Ribbon Ramen: 4 yums (out of 5!) Grad

French Onion Soup

Day 30: Lets be honest, its cheese soup...

We are getting really close now and I knew before I reached the end I HAD to pay homage to that fancy restaurant staple, Soupe a l'Oignon au Fromage. I have to admit, I am not a huge fan of French Onion Soup. Don't get me wrong, I like onions and love cheese, but somehow I think I never could get that satisfied by such a simple yet rich soup. Something about the emptiness of the calories tends to make me sick to the stomach before I get full which is really never a good combination. That said I didn't try to alter the recipe to make it lighter or to make it more satisfying. I have never made it before and it's such a classic I felt like I didn't have adequate knowledge to start messing with a (generally acknowledged) good thing. I do have to admit that I made one (rather large) substitution. Classic French Onion soup is really simple: butter, onions, garlic, beef stock, salt, pepper. However given that Jay hasn't eaten beef in 10 years I didn't think it was a good idea to introduce it to his digestive system - too big of a risk to my night's sleep. Substituting chicken stock for beef stock REALLY alters the flavor but it had to be done. If you are a beef eater and want to make this recipe, I suggest using it. Otherwise I tried to use a selection of onions which I think made the soup sweeter. If that sounds good to you, go for it:

French Onion Soup

1/4 cup butter

3 large onions, sliced

2 large shallots, sliced

6 garlic cloves, sliced

1/2 cup white wine

6 cups chicken broth (or beef broth if you have the enzymes)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

12 slices french bread, toasted

1 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, sliced

Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, shallots and garlic and and saute until very tender and brown, about 45 minutes. Add wine and simmer 3-4 minutes. Add chicken broth and mustard and simmer for 20 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into ovenproof bowls. Top each with toast and cheese. Broil until cheese melts and bubbles.

Jay's review:

4 yums (out of 5)! Sweet!

Celery Root Bisque

Day 29: Celeriac? There's a pill for that...

Getting close, aren't we. This evening I wanted something with a very simple flavor to follow the complexity of yesterday's gumbo. My friend Heather, on one of our weekly walks around Greenlake a few weeks back, mentioned making celery root bisque the night prior and my interest was piqued. She sent along the recipe and I have been waiting for just the right night to prepare it. Tonight was the night. Celery Root, sometimes called celeriac (which sounds like either an infectious disease or the cure for one), is one of those bizarre vegetables 98% of us walk by without noticing it. Sitting innocently by the turnips and beets it somewhat resembles a hairy hand with the digits cut off. Yeah, it's ugly, really ugly. It has a mild celery smell and flavor, and is a little sweeter than celery. It is actually not the root of the celery we make ants on a log out of, instead it is a different kind of celery cultivated for the root. Unlike other root vegetables (potatoes, beets) celery root is relatively low in starch. You can eat it raw (like jicama) but also make soups and gratins out of it. I had never had it before tonight, and I was very pleased with the subtle smell that the cooking produced. The soup was very light, I would recommend it as a first course or along side a substantial side (we had garlic bread, yumm!).

Celery Root Bisque

2 tbsp butter

2 leeks, sliced and well rinsed

3 celery stalks, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/4 lb celery root (celeriac), peeled and cubed

3 small light skinned potatoes, cubed

splash of lemon juice

5 cup vegetable stock

1/2 cup lowfat milk

salt & pepper to taste

2 tbsp scallions, finely chopped

Place celery root and potatoes in cold water with a few drops of lemon juice. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add leeks, celery stalks, and garlic. Cook until leeks are soft, about 5 minutes. Add vegetable stock, celery root and potatoes (draining soaking liquid). Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat & simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Puree and bring the soup back up to heat. Add milk and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with scallions.

Jay's Review

4.0 yums (out of 5)! A light potato soup!

Mulligatawny

Day 27: When the English Ruled the World

When I sought out recommendations mid month a few people suggested I make Mulligatawny which lead to the inevitable question: "What's mulligatawny?" I had never had it, nor could I even imagine what flavors it might involve. Thank you information-super-highway. Through it I learned that Mulligatawny, an Indian spiced soup (usually involving chicken), is actually of Anglo-Indian Origin. During the British Raj, it was created by Indian servants to serve during the soup course, as soup was not a traditional Indian dish. Like many soups I have cooked over the past month, it has no distinct recipe, but is generally a curry flavored soup. This recipe was adapted from a vegetarian recipe I found online here. I stayed pretty close to the recipe as I really had no basis for comparison. I was not that impressed, while it was good, it was not special. I would definitely recommend adding chicken, or if you prefer a vegetarian meal, perhaps some Indian paneer would make the dish more exciting:

Mulligatawny

3 tbsp canola oil

1/2 large yellow onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, with seeds, minced

2 tbsp curry powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp turmeric

1/2 large yellow onion, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 large carrot, diced

3 small white skinned potatoes, cubed

1 red pepper, diced

6 cups vegetable broth

2/3 cup yellow peas

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

salt to taste

lemon juice to taste

Combine first 8 ingredients in the bottom of your soup pot and mix thoroughly into a paste. Cook over medium low heat until very fragrant, perhaps 6-7 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until peas are cooked through. Puree soup with an immersion blender or food processor. Add yogurt and salt and add lemon juice to taste. Serve with naan for a filling and rich meal.

Jay's review:

4 yums (out of 5!). Tastes like an Indian restaurant smells.

Borscht!

Day 20: Blood Red

So vampires are all the rage these days, right. And what looks more like eating blood soup than beet soup. And what's a better way to prepare beets than that classic communist concoction, borscht! The best part is I didn't even have to make it. Maybe its cheating, but after 19 days of cooking soup I was glad to have a night off. Our friend Leah (the in shape one) invited us over to borscht night and it was a surprising treat. Sweet and savory, bright and warm its no wonder 300 million people survived on it. This recipe is from the cookbook, The Soup Bible:

Borscht!

1 onion chopped
3 cups peeled, chopped beets
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 large apple, diced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil

2 1/4 quarts stock
1 tsp ground cumin
Punch of dried thyme

1 bay leaf

Lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the chopped vegetables and apple in a large saucepan with the butter, oil, and 3 tbsp stock. Cover and cook slowly for about 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Stir in the cumin seeds and cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining stock, thyme, bay leave, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the soup to a boil, cover the pan and lower the heat to a slow simmer. Cook for 30 minutes. Strain the veggies and reserve the liquid. Process the vegetables in a food processor until smooth. Return the processed veggies to the rinsed pan and add reserved stock and reheat. Check seasoning and serve with a garnish of sour cream.

Jay review:

4 yums (out of 5)! Much better than FD&C Red No. 32!

Curried Carrot Soup

Day 19: Holy Carotene, Batman!

Tonight, Jay and I watched Julie & Julia and have both decided that while Julia is pretty damn cool, Julie left us unimpressed. No need to trash talk her (there has apparently been well enough of that over the blogosphere in general) but what did impress us was that she cooked 524 French recipes in 365 days and somehow managed to retain a full time job and not get fat. I mean, seriously. If I cooked and ate like that I would probably weigh 365 lbs at the end of the 365 days. So no Pâté de Canard en Croûte for us, instead we have soup. Yes, more soup. Today its more carrot soup, this time an Indian spiced carrot soup. To come up with this recipe I combined about three - two of which were sent by friend Erica (keep em coming guys):

Curried Carrot Soup

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp ginger, minced

2 tbsp curry power

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp coriander

a pinch to 1 tsp red pepper flakes (depends on the spice in your curry)

1/2 granny smith apple, diced

3 cups carrots, peeled and sliced

4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup milk or nonfat plain yogurt

1 tbsp lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot heat ghee over medium heat and add onions and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add spices, ginger, garlic and apple and cook for 4-5 minutes longer until everything is evenly browned and the spices are aromatic. Add carrots and broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes until the carrots are very soft. Take off heat and blend soup with an immersion blender or food processor. Add milk, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. I served with naan - recommended.

Jay's review:

4 yums (out of 5)!. He doesn't want to add anything else (it is day 19)

Pasta e fagioli

Day 16: Fagioli Again

A rainy Seattle day combined with finally getting to those domestic tasks I have had on the to do list meant I wanted something really simple and basic for this meal. Pasta with beans (pasta e fagioli) is a traditional meatless Italian soup that is hearty and cheap. This variation did not include tomatoes, instead relies on the strong flavor of rosemary and garlic. It turned out quite nicely along side a rosemary loaf from Essential Baking Co:

Pasta e fagioli

2 cups dried white beans (great northern or cannellini), soaked overnight

6 cups water

1 head garlic, whole, top 1/2" cut off

3 fresh sage leaves

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 large carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups dried whole wheat pasta (rotini or elbow)

2 tsp dried rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

In a pot bring 6 cups water, soaked beans, the head of garlic, and sage leaves and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 1-1 1/2 hours until beans are fully cooked. Turn off heat and allow beans to rest in the water while you do the remaining. In a soup pot heat olive oil and cook onions, celery, carrots and garlic until onions are translucent. Add rosemary and cook 2-3 more minutes. Add broth and pasta and bring to boil. Simmer until pasta is cooked. Add beans and cooking liquid. Take off heat, salt and pepper to taste.

Jay's review:

4 yums (out of 5)! Beans and pasta = great!

Creamy Potato Soup with Roasted Garlic

Day 13: Simple Soup

Lucky number 13 is a simple and filling potato soup. I looked for recipes for an interesting potato soup (anything not potato leek soup) and was let down by my options. I knew I wanted something smooth and comforting so I decided to try my own thing. What I came up with was a simple potato soup that relies on the strong flavor of garlic, in this case, the roasted variety. I kept the soup purposefully simple to let the roasted garlic stand alone. I intended on making it with a hint of rosemary, but getting home discovered we were out. So instead I used thyme, which turned out well. I think either would work just fine. I served with a side salad and warm and grainy bread.

Creamy Potato Soup with Roasted Garlic

2 med heads garlic

2 tbsp+ olive oil

1 tsp dried thyme (or rosemary)

1 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme (or rosemary)

1 med onion diced

3 stalks celery, diced

6 cups diced light skinned potatoes

6 cups vegetable broth

1 cup lowfat milk

salt and pepper to taste

Slice off the top part of each head of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and dried thyme. Wrap in aluminum foil and place in a 450 degree oven for 45 minutes. In a soup pot over medium low heat cook onions, celery, and fresh thyme in 2 tbsp olive oil slowly until onions are just starting to caramelize. Add potatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring thoroughly. Add broth and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until potatoes are very soft. Remove from heat.

Remove garlic from the oven when cloves are soft and golden brown. Remove cloves from skin and add to soup. Using a food processor or immersion blender blend soup until smooth. Add milk and season to taste with salt an pepper.

Jay's review:

4 yums (out of 5). Rosemary might be nicer...

Curry Noodle Soup

Day 12: #27

So eleven days in I really wanted to cover my proverbial bases. Brainstorming, Jay and I figured we would try a Thai style soup - something a la my absolute favorite # 27 from Mae Phim. #27 is, I think, some version of heaven. It is also very rich. So when I made it I tried to make it a little less so, and add some veggies for some degree of nutritional value. We went to the new QFC in our hood, which didn't have a great selection of Asian style noodles, so we ended up with a Japanese style somen noodle. I think I would have preferred it with a wider udon. Other than that it turned out well, just the right amount of spice and flavor but not nearly as rich as the original #27:

Curry Noodle Soup

1 medium onion, 1/4 minced, the rest diced

2 tbsp ginger, minced

3 lemongrass stalks, the bottom 4 inches minced

3-6 tbsp good quality yellow curry paste (amount will vary depending on quality and type - look at the instructions on your curry paste for typical coconut milk/paste ratio)

2 cups vegetable broth

4 cups light coconut milk

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 block nigari tofu (any extra firm tofu will work, chicken might be nice as well), cubed

1 tbsp canola oil

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 carrots cut on the bias into 1/2 inch pieces

2 small jalapeno or thai peppers, seeded and minced

10 oz. udon, soba, or rice noodles, cooked

2 green onions, thinly sliced

good quality chili paste to taste (optional)

In a soup pot heat 1/4 cup vegetable broth over medium high heat. Add minced ginger, lemongrass and onion for 3-4 minutes until just cooked. Add curry paste and mix thoroughly. Add 2 cups of coconut milk and, whisking thoroughly, heat to a boil. Add remaining coconut milk, remaining broth and fish sauce. Heat to a simmer and add cubed tofu. Simmer while you prepare the rest.

In a wok, heat canola oil over high heat. Saute each of the veggies (remaining onion, carrot, bell pepper and jalapeno) one at a time until just barely soft. As the veggies are cooked add them to the curry broth pot.

To serve place a 1/2 cup noodles at the bottom of a bowl. Ladle curry broth and veggies over until covered. Garnish with green onion and chili paste (if desired).

Jay's review:

4.0 yums (out of 5). A thicker noodle would have made this even better. Nice.

Miso Soup with Sweet Potato Dumplings

Day 6: Mee-so Yummy!

After having the leftovers from the chicken and dumplings last night for dinner, I was craving something light and healthy for tonight's soup. Nothing is lighter than the brothy earthiness of a simple miso. That said, miso alone does not sustain, so I set about finding a recipe with a little more "there" there. On Epicurious, I found a recipe for White Miso with Sweet Potato Dumplings, which appealed two me. However, I much prefer yams to sweet potatoes and white miso, as commented in many reviews, Is far too light of a miso to compete with the flavor of either.

Miso is made from the fermentation of rice, barley, and/or soybeans, the most common varieties being white, red, barley, and soybean. Red miso is made from white rice, barley, and soybeans and is red to brownish. Red miso is high is protein and is strong in flavor. White miso is made of rice and a small amount of soybeans. It tastes the sweetest on account of a high carbohydrate content. Barley miso has no rice and is made from barley and soybeans. It has a very dark color, is saltier than other miso, and is very rich in taste. Soybean miso is made only from soybeans and is reddish-brown and somewhat chunky.

I used barley miso, frankly because it is what I have, but I also prefer barley miso because of its strong flavor and beautiful brown color. I think red miso would work well with this soup as well if you prefer a less rich flavor. In addition I added some ginger to the dumplings and altered the soup ingredients. All in all I would say this soup followed the concept of the Epicurious recipe, but varied pretty widely in its execution. I served with steamed edamame.

Miso Soup with Sweet Potato Dumplings

2 large garnet yams, cooked, peeled, and mashed

1 tbsp canola oil

1 medium shallot, minced

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 in fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

12 wonton wrappers

2 cups sliced bok choy

2 carrots, diced

1/2 cup dried sliced shitake mushrooms

5 cups water

2-3 tbsp brown miso paste (depends on your miso paste)

1 tbsp soy sauce or to taste

2 scallions, thinly sliced

In a skillet heat oil and cook shallots, garlic, and ginger for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute more. Combine with mashed yams and salt and pepper filing to taste. To make dumplings, drop a heaping teaspoon into the center of one wonton wrapper, moisten the edges and draw the corners together pressing the seams together. Set aside.

Boil 5 cups of water, using 1 cup of boiling water cover the dried mushrooms and set aside. Add miso to the remaining water. Add soy sauce to taste and set aside, keeping it warm. In another pot place vegetables, dumplings, and a small amount of water. Boil for 4 minutes or until dumpling wrappers are translucent. Remove mushrooms from soaking liquid and add soaking liquid to miso. Serve by dropping a few dumplings and veggies in the bottom of a bowl and cover with broth. Garnish with scallions and serve.

Jay's review:

4 yums (out of 5). Dumplings rock!

Tomato Soup with Parmesan Crisps

Day 2: Warms the Belly

Tonight I went with a classic. Mostly it was an excuse to use my new immersion blender, but regardless no one can deny the perfection of tomato soup on a cold January day. I had never made tomato soup before from scratch so I relied heavily on this recipe from Epicurious:

Cream of Tomato Soup with Souffleed Cheese Toasts

I did make a few changes, and instead of serving with the souffleed cheese toasts (though they do sound good) I served with more carb-conscious parmesan crisps (which I will admit, I saw last week on the fourth hour of the Today Show - yes the one with Kathy Lee and Hoda - yes this is what one does when one is unemployed). I was pleased with the results. I served with a simple side salad for a meal on the lighter side.

Tomato Soup with Parmesan Crisps

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion minced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery chopped

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 28 oz can whole tomatoes with juice

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 cup lowfat milk

salt to taste

coarsely ground black pepper to taste

Parmesan Crisps

1 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

1 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp salt

In a large pot melt butter over medium heat and add olive oil. Saute onions and celery about 2 minutes. Add garlic, basil and oregano and cook until onions and celery are soft, about 3-4 minutes more. Add flour and baking soda and stir thoroughly. Add whole tomatoes, crushing them in your hands as you add. Add tomato sauce and broth. Bring to a boil stirring occasionally. Simmer 20 minutes partially covered. Blend soup with either an immersion blender or food processor (return to pot if using a food processor). Add milk and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to warm while you make the crisps.

For crisps, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Using a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet with parchment paper make small mounds (about 3 tbsp each) on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden. Allow to cool on the pan.

Serve soup with a whole crisp or break the crisps up and use as "croutons".

Jay's review:

4.0 yums (out of 5) w/ croutons. 3.5 yums w/ out. Mighty tasty.