Sunday Soup #19: Pork and Poblano Stew

This recipe came from: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pork_and_poblano_stew/

*Pic 1 - http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pork_and_poblano_stew/

My Variations from Recipe as Written: I used two chipotle peppers in adobo, instead of just the one for which the recipe called; I need my spice! And, I left the pork shoulder bone in the pot while it cooked (after I had trimmed off all the meat I could get for the stew, of course), and it imparted a lot of flavor! Finally, the recipe called for the cook to salt the pork as it's seared, so I used some mesquite smoked salt that I had on hand for that purpose, rather than just plain old salt.

General Thoughts: This was another one of those soups that I was worried about when it was cooking. The pork and all the spices seemed spot on... But, I am generally not a fan of corn in my soups, and I really don't care for sweet potato in anything. However, I am glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised! The corn provided some needed texture, and the sweet potato gave the soup a nice creaminess and did not taste overly "sweet potato-y" at all.

*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when I made it

Be warned, this soup took a little longer to prepare than some of the others I've posted, but that is not necessarily a bad thing if you have the time... You could cut down on prep time by using a pre-cooked or pre-smoked pork shoulder, but I am afraid the flavor would not be quite as good, particularly as you would not have a bone to add to the pot either. Using the raw pork shoulder as I did, prep took me about 90 minutes (but I tend to take my time and meander a little bit, so you might be able to knock it out faster).

This stew was somewhat reminiscent of my favorite soup, pozole, owing primarily to the pork and the cumin, but that is where the similarity ended. Where pozole gets very aggressive with the spices and relies on add-ins and garnishes to put it over the top, this pork stew features its core ingredients (the well seasoned pork, the onions/garlic, the sweet potato, and - yes - even the corn) to shine. As you can see in my picture above, I did garnish with sour cream (as suggested by the recipe) and tortilla chips, which were both delish, but it really didn't need much more than that to be super solid.

I will say that even with the two chipotle peppers in adobo, the soup was not really spicy, and I needed something a little more to "kick it up a notch." I settled for pouring some of the vinegar out of a jar of jalapeno peppers into my bowl, and it was perfect!

Polling the Fam: I rather enjoyed this stew and would definitely look forward to making it again. Becky thought it was very good and said it was her second favorite so far (behind only Sunday Soup #18: http://soupersleuth.blogspot.com/2016/10/sunday-soup-18.html).  Hunter likewise really enjoyed it and said he would absolutely want to have it again.

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)

Sunday Soup #18: Oktoberfest Stew

This recipe came from: https://thecozyapron.com/oktoberfest-stew/

October just started, which means cooler weather and... Oktoberfest! So, I thought this Sunday I'd hunt for a promising German soup. Enjoy!

*Pic 1 - Picture from https://thecozyapron.com/oktoberfest-stew/

My Variations from Recipe as Written: I doubled the recipe. I used 32oz of smoked sausage instead of the 28oz a double batch called for. Instead of a full head of cabbage, I used a large package of pre-shredded angel hair white cabbage I found in the produce section; this sub was GREAT because each "piece" was of a size and shape that somewhat mimicked sauerkraut, and I would highly recommend it if you try this recipe! I used whole caraway seeds instead of ground caraway (because the store did not have ground). I used garlic salt instead of plain salt.

General Thoughts: This soup was terrifically warm and hearty, filling and satisfying. The flavor was excellent, as the broth picked up the fat from the sausage, the flavor from the fragrant onions and garlic, and bulk of the cubed potatoes. I was a little worried that some in the group I served (my best friend and wife, in particular, who are usually anti-veggie) would balk at the amount of onions and cabbage in the recipe, but they turned out so tender and flavorful, Jayson and Becky loved it!

*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when I made it

One of my favorite things about this soup was the little "edge" it got from the minor flavor ingredients: caraway, German beer, and being finished with the parsley and apple cider vinegar. It did not end up tasting like sauerkraut, so no worries on that front, but the way the flavors combined gave it just enough hints of vinegar, rye bread, and German lager that if you added an accordion and a tuba, you'd swear you were in Bavaria!

A special nod this week, too, for Becky, who made some Savory Scones with Gruyere, Prosciutto, and Green Onion (http://kitchenconfidante.com/savory-scones-with-gruyere-prosciutto-and-green-onion-recipe; seen in the my picture above) that were out of this world good and a perfect compliment to this soup.

I could go on, but I'll let what others said about the soup speak for it instead.

Polling the Fam: I know sometimes these reviews seem like hyperbole and that I rave about most of the soups I make. However, I try to review each recipe in comparison to the others, and I tend to pick soups that look yummy and like something we'd like (based on its ingredients, etc.), so it is inevitable that I like more than I dislike. With that said, this soup was DEFINITELY better than the Wonton Soup I made last week, which was also quite good and easier to make. But, this German soup is the real deal, and I'd definitely make it again. I had the pleasure of cooking for everyone else this week, too, so happy to have many opinions... Hunter said it was great and definitely one of his favorites of the whole soup project.  Becky not only thought it was good, but confirmed it was definitely her favorite so far. Lisa said it was really, really good and that she enjoyed it. Andrew used adjectives fantastic and superb, and he only got to eat the leftovers, a day late, so it is (apparently) good on multiple days. :-) And, Jayson loved it and said he wanted to eat more, but he was just too full after one big bowl and several yummy scones.

Verdict: Loved it! (5 stars)