Creamy Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (50g)

• 2 pounds mixed mushrooms such as button, cremini, portabello, or shiitake (1kg), sliced

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 8 ounces; 225g)

• 4 medium cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons flour (45g)

• 1 cup milk (235ml)

• 5 cups (1.2L) chicken stock

• 2 bay leaves

• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until tender. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are well-browned, about 12 minutes total. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add flour and stir. Slowly stir in 1 cup of broth at a time, mixing well. Add bay leaf, pepper, salt and thyme, then bring to a bare simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

2. Remove bay leaves . Blend soup with an immersion blender until it's a mostly smooth consistency, leaving some small chunks of mushroom. Stir in cream and milk. Taste and add salt, as needed.

Creamy Corn, Zucchini, and Bacon Chowder

Creamy Corn, Zucchini, and Bacon Chowder

5 strips thick cut bacon, chopped

2 tablespoons salted butter

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 ½ medium zucchini or yellow squash, chopped (about 2 cups chopped)

3 cups yellow corn kernels (frozen)

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

red pepper flakes, to your taste

2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups chopped)

kosher salt and black pepper

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup whole milk or heavy cream

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup shredded gouda cheese

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1. 1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and reserve for topping. If there is an excess amount of bacon grease, remove all but 1 tablespoon of grease.

   2. To the pot, add the butter, onion, and zucchini and cook another 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add the corn, garlic, thyme, paprika, and a big pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook another 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and broth. Cover, and bring the soup to a boil, simmer 10-15 minutes, until the potato is soft.

   3. Transfer 1/2 of the chowder to a blender and blend until mostly smooth. Return to the pot. Stir in the cream, honey, and both cheeses, and cook 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the chowder thickens slightly. Stir in the chives and remove from the heat.

   4. Ladle the chowder into bowls and top with bacon, additional cheese, and any fresh herbs you love most. I use basil, thyme and oregano. Enjoy!

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Mushroom Bisque

 

Bacon Cheddar Gnocchi Soup

 Bacon Cheddar Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients

• 8-10 slices Bacon
• 1 Tablespoon Butter or Olive Oil
• 1 large Onion (diced)
• 4 large Carrots (peeled and sliced into small pieces)
• 4 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder (or 4 cloves minced garlic)
• 1/4 teaspoon Dried Thyme
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
• 16 ounces Gnocchi
• 2 cups Heavy Cream or Half-n-Half
• 2 cups Cheddar Cheese
• Green onions

Instructions

1.                 Cook bacon. Once cooled, cut into small pieces.

2.     Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the butter. Add onions and carrots in butter or olive oil and cook until until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add chicken broth and let simmer.

3.     Once the vegetables are soft and tender, reduce heat to medium-low and add heavy cream of half-n-half and all of the spices. Let simmer until it starts to reduce slightly. DO NOT let it boil or it may clump when the cheese is added.

4.     Add the grated cheese in increments so that it doesn't clump. Let the cheese completely melt. Stir in gnocchi and cook for 2 minutes. Taste for seasonings and add more salt and pepper as needed.

5.     Add the bacon pieces. Serve with green onions, grated cheese, and bacon.

 

Clam Chowder

Clam Chowder

• 6 strips thick-cut bacon, can sub salt pork
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce, or ½ tsp tabasco sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups Half and Half
• 2 chicken bouillon cube
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 ¼ lbs. potatoes, see notes
• 3 (6.5 oz. cans) chopped clams, juices reserved

• ½ teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon EACH: dried thyme, salt
• 1/8 teaspoon EACH: smoked paprika, pepper

Cook the bacon in a 4.5-quart soup pot slowly over low heat. (I cut my bacon in half, it’s easier to fit it in the pan and have it cook evenly.) While the bacon cooks, measure out remaining ingredients. Once the bacon is cooked, set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Chop once cooled and reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings.

Wipe any dark spots from the pot but leave as much bacon remnants as you can, as that will add flavor to the soup. Add reserved bacon drippings and butter to the pot over medium heat and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the pot. Add the diced onions and celery. Toss to coat and soften for 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Cook for 1 minute.

Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes stirring continuously, until the raw flour smell is gone. Add the chicken broth in small splashes, stirring continuously, and wiping the pan “clean” again as you do so. Add the half and half . Stir in the chicken bouillon- and add the bay leaf. Add the juice from the canned clams to the soup, but don’t add the clams yet. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer, so that it’s just gently bubbling. Simmer for 20 minutes, partially covered. Stir occasionally as it cooks.

Peel and dice the potatoes and add them to the soup. Bring back to a very gentle bubble and let the potatoes cook through for 20-25 minutes, until fork tender. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the clams and let them heat through, about 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Garnish with chopped bacon.

 

https://thecozycook.com/clam-chowder-recipe/