'Tis the season!
The coats, hats, scarves are out!
We have had flurries, snow and frost.
The sun sets before I leave work.
Soups for dinner!
Did I say, I love soup-dinners? Not only do they warm your core and all those senses numbed by the cold and gray, but they can be incredibly flavorful and healthy. I have been craving chili for a while and first decided to make a white chili-soup (Rachel Ray would call it a stoup) with chicken sausage. While I was at it, I picked up a can of red kidney beans to give my soup a bit of color. Trader Joe's had cheap jalapenos, and I thought, "Sure!" The lemons looked incredibly fresh and plump and I love citrus. By now it's no longer a chili, but who cares?
When I went to the kitchen to begin cooking, I realized, I forgot to pick up stock. I was in no mood to get into the car and drive to Whole Foods then. I decided to take a chance and skip the stock. Live a little, you know?
2 links of chicken chorizo (can use pork/regular), about 0.6 lb
1 can red kidney beans
1 can cannelloni (or any white) beans
3 jalapenos sliced into 1/4 inch thick rings (adjust according to taste)
1/2 cup onions finely diced
4 cloves garlic finely diced
1 tsp cumin toasted
1 cup water
1 lemon juiced and zested
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
In a dutch oven, warm the oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add the chorizos. Brown on all sides (mine usually curl up, so I end up browning on three sides) in medium-high heat. They don't have to cook all the way through. After you are happy with the brown and crispy skin, take them out and let them rest. Slice the chorizos into discs when you get a moment. In the same pot, add the onions with a pinch of salt. Let them sweat in low-medium heat. Turn the heat up and cook until golden brown.
While the onions saute, toast the cumin in a dry skillet. Be careful, cumin toasts quickly. Once the cumin is dark brown and fragrant, add to the onions. It doesn't really matter at what time-point you add the cumin (I think). Also while the onions cook, drain and preserve the liquid from both the bean cans. Grind about half the cannelloni beans with a bit of the the liquid to make a coarse paste.
Once the onions get the beautiful golden brown color, add the garlic. Cook for about two minutes, stirring frequently. Once the garlic is fragrant, cook for about 30 more seconds. Cooking the onions and garlic well releases fragrance and adds depth of flavor to the food. Add the beans. Cook for about two minutes.
Add the ground beans, the preserved liquid from the beans and one cup water. The bean mush does wonders to thicken the soup and you won't miss the stock at all. Turn the heat up to high to bring the liquids to a boil. Add the discs of sausage, a dash of red pepper flakes and lemon zest to the boiling pot of goodies. Mix everything, wait for a boil and turn the heat down to low.
Cook for about 15 minutes and add the jalapenos. Cook for about 10 more minutes or until you get your desired consistency. Remember, this soup is going to thicken once it cools because of the bean mush. Add the lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper, and taste for salt before you take the soup off the heat.
I garnished the soup with a bit of cilantro, because I love cilantro and it augments the flavors of jalapeno and lemon. It also adds the burst of bright green. I am bragging, but this soup was a feast in a bowl. The combo of beans adds great depth of flavor and texture to the dish. Good food is like classical music. Often it is simple, often it is complex; at the same time. I would serve this soup with a simple veggie stir-fry, good music and probably a bottle of red for a warm and cozy night in.
The coats, hats, scarves are out!
We have had flurries, snow and frost.
The sun sets before I leave work.
Soups for dinner!
Did I say, I love soup-dinners? Not only do they warm your core and all those senses numbed by the cold and gray, but they can be incredibly flavorful and healthy. I have been craving chili for a while and first decided to make a white chili-soup (Rachel Ray would call it a stoup) with chicken sausage. While I was at it, I picked up a can of red kidney beans to give my soup a bit of color. Trader Joe's had cheap jalapenos, and I thought, "Sure!" The lemons looked incredibly fresh and plump and I love citrus. By now it's no longer a chili, but who cares?
When I went to the kitchen to begin cooking, I realized, I forgot to pick up stock. I was in no mood to get into the car and drive to Whole Foods then. I decided to take a chance and skip the stock. Live a little, you know?
2 links of chicken chorizo (can use pork/regular), about 0.6 lb
1 can red kidney beans
1 can cannelloni (or any white) beans
3 jalapenos sliced into 1/4 inch thick rings (adjust according to taste)
1/2 cup onions finely diced
4 cloves garlic finely diced
1 tsp cumin toasted
1 cup water
1 lemon juiced and zested
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
In a dutch oven, warm the oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add the chorizos. Brown on all sides (mine usually curl up, so I end up browning on three sides) in medium-high heat. They don't have to cook all the way through. After you are happy with the brown and crispy skin, take them out and let them rest. Slice the chorizos into discs when you get a moment. In the same pot, add the onions with a pinch of salt. Let them sweat in low-medium heat. Turn the heat up and cook until golden brown.
While the onions saute, toast the cumin in a dry skillet. Be careful, cumin toasts quickly. Once the cumin is dark brown and fragrant, add to the onions. It doesn't really matter at what time-point you add the cumin (I think). Also while the onions cook, drain and preserve the liquid from both the bean cans. Grind about half the cannelloni beans with a bit of the the liquid to make a coarse paste.
Once the onions get the beautiful golden brown color, add the garlic. Cook for about two minutes, stirring frequently. Once the garlic is fragrant, cook for about 30 more seconds. Cooking the onions and garlic well releases fragrance and adds depth of flavor to the food. Add the beans. Cook for about two minutes.
Add the ground beans, the preserved liquid from the beans and one cup water. The bean mush does wonders to thicken the soup and you won't miss the stock at all. Turn the heat up to high to bring the liquids to a boil. Add the discs of sausage, a dash of red pepper flakes and lemon zest to the boiling pot of goodies. Mix everything, wait for a boil and turn the heat down to low.
Cook for about 15 minutes and add the jalapenos. Cook for about 10 more minutes or until you get your desired consistency. Remember, this soup is going to thicken once it cools because of the bean mush. Add the lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper, and taste for salt before you take the soup off the heat.
I garnished the soup with a bit of cilantro, because I love cilantro and it augments the flavors of jalapeno and lemon. It also adds the burst of bright green. I am bragging, but this soup was a feast in a bowl. The combo of beans adds great depth of flavor and texture to the dish. Good food is like classical music. Often it is simple, often it is complex; at the same time. I would serve this soup with a simple veggie stir-fry, good music and probably a bottle of red for a warm and cozy night in.
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