Guest Sunday Soup: Mexican Meatball Soup with Butternut Squash and Cilantro

Hi there, Souper Troopers...! I am very pleased to add an entry this week from my good friend, Nicole Perry, who tried a yummy new soup from Sun Basket (https://www.sunbasket.com/), a company specializing in delivering healthy, organic, paleo, and gluten-free foods and recipes to your home.

Name: Mexican Meatball Soup with Butternut Squash and Cilantro

Original Recipe From: A Sun Basket delivery received by Nicole

*Pics 1 & 2 - Provided by Nicole

Any Changes?: As I said when I've posted guest recipes from Nicole previously, she is a good cook and took some chances here that turned out well... Nicole said she used 2 tbsp of tomato paste, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 2 cups of chicken stock (because it did not seem like there would be enough broth otherwise), and 9 ounces of butternut squash. In addition, she liberally seasoned the meatballs with taco seasoning, was generous with the lime, and added avocado slices on top of the cabbage.

*Pic 3 - Picture from when Nicole made it

So, Was It Any Good?: Nicole reported it was VERY good! She mentioned that the squash absorbed the tomato paste, lime (from the cabbage), and taco seasoning (from the meat) to produce a wonderful taste fusion. In her own words: "The crunchiness of the cabbage, the juices from the meatballs and the nice burst of lime = Grand Slam! And the leftovers are stellar!!!!!!!!"

Verdict: Sounds like, it's a keeper!

Thanks, Nicole, for sharing a great recipe!

Sunday Soup #28: Slow Cooker Corn & Sausage Chowder

This recipe came from: http://www.scatteredthoughtsofacraftymom.com/2015/11/slow-cooker-corn-and-sausage-chowder.html

*Pic 1 - Picture from http://www.scatteredthoughtsofacraftymom.com/2015/11/slow-cooker-corn-and-sausage-chowder.html

My Variations from Recipe as Written: Like several of the other recipes I've made in this project, my biggest departure from the original recipe was to use an Instant Pot (electronic pressure cooker) to save time; instead of cooking 4-hours on High (or 8-hours on Low) in a standard slow cooker, I cooked it in the Instant Pot for 20-minutes.  However, making the recipe in a regular crockpot slow cooker, as prescribed by the recipe, would produce the same results. Other than that, just one other variation... The recipe author stated she used breakfast sausage, whereas I used hot Italian sausage.

General Thoughts: This soup was very easy to make (which is my favorite type of soup)! Once the sausage is browned, everything goes in the crockpot and automagically becomes a yummy tummy-filling soup (with the quick addition of some evaporated milk and cheese near the end).

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

But, of course, just because a soup is quick and easy to make doesn't mean it will be tasty... Luckily, though, this one delivered on taste too! It was creamy and hearty, with just enough corn flavor to satisfy corn chowder fans, without being overpowering. The potatoes were a big component, and the soup turned out more like a thick potato soup than a corn chowder, it seemed to me. However, naming choices aside, the sausage, corn, and potatoes blended well to produce a worthy comfort food.

If I make this soup again (which I definitely would), I'd like to try the author's suggestion to use breakfast sausage but, other than that, I think I'd leave everything else the same. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Polling the Fam: I really liked the flavor of this soup and would be happy to eat it again. Becky said she loved everything about it... except for the sausage. Becky is a big fan of corn chowder and actually thought the sausage prevented this one from being truly worthy of becoming part of our "normal rotation." Lisa liked it a lot and found it very rich and hearty (filling); a great soup for a cold winter's night! Lisa likewise wanted to try this one with breakfast (instead of Italian) sausage and suggested using two cans of creamed corn to really up the corn flavor. Andrew found the soup spicy (likely owing to the hot sausage) but not overpoweringly so, and he called it "Not my favorite ever, but very good overall." Hunter thought it was really good and especially enjoyed the corn, which he indicated by having three bowls! Fox (my extremely picky kid) tried it but declined to eat more than a couple of bites.

Verdict: Liked it.  (4 stars)

Bonus Sunday Soup: Japanese Clear Onion Soup

I debated whether or not to post this one today as well, but I made it on the same Sunday as I made the Guinness Soup, so I figured I might as well post it as a bonus soup this week. If you're looking for the main Sunday Soup this week (Quick and Easy Guinness Soup), you can find it on my Facebook wall or on my blog here: http://soupersleuth.blogspot.com/2017/03/sunday-soup-27-quick-and-easy-guinness.html.

This recipe came from: http://www.livingchirpy.com/2015/japanese-clear-onion-soup/

*Pic 1 - Picture from http://www.livingchirpy.com/2015/japanese-clear-onion-soup/

My Variations from Recipe as Written: Instead of the 2 diced onions, 2 diced celery stalks, and 2 peeled/diced carrots called for in the recipe, I sautéed 6 cups of a pre-diced fresh onion/celery/carrot mix, available in the produce section at the grocery store, in sesame oil. And, instead of fresh green onions (which definitely would have been preferable but accidentally got left on the shopping list), I used dried scallions.

General Thoughts: Japanese Clear Onion Soup, even when made at our favorite Japanese restaurants, is basically just broth that is "bammed" up a bit with some mushrooms.  So, I wasn't under any illusions that this recipe was going to be much more than a savory, low-fat, low-cal mixture that I could heat up when I felt hungry between meals, or I wanted to give my tummy something warm. But, even in that respect, this recipe barely delivered...

*Pic 2 - Picture from when I made it

If you examine the recipe, you'll see that one of the final steps is to remove all the veggies (i.e., onions, celery, and carrots) from the soup after simmering (before adding the scallions and mushrooms). Okay, fine, but if you don't have some other use for the (cooked) vegetables, it would be a huge waste of both food and money.

And, to my additional disappointment, in the end, the amount of soup produced by this recipe (yes, I know I only added 6 cups of broth) was somewhat disappointing (at least, what I would consider much less than four servings).  I suppose I could have doubled the recipe, which I do with many of the soups I make, but that would mean doubling the cost to make it, which would not be a great trade in this case.

Polling the Fam: The taste was okay, but not remarkable. If you are looking for a passable Japanese Clear Onion Soup that reminds you of what you get at a Japanese restaurant, this would do it for you, but this soup was really a poor value when you compare how much it made to what it cost to make.

Verdict: Disappointed. (1 star)

Sunday Soup #27: Quick and Easy Guinness Soup

Ah, it was Saint Patrick's Day weekend this past Sunday, so I thought I'd play along and make an Irish-themed soup.  I was trying to decide between a Dublin Coddle Stew (which intrigues me, so I may still make it) and this Guinness Soup.  Since Becky was going to make a shepherd's pie as the main course, I went with the Guinness Soup, as it seemed better suited to being a soup course and part of a larger meal.

This recipe came from: http://www.theseasonedmom.com/guinness-soup/

*Pic 1 - Picture from http://www.theseasonedmom.com/guinness-soup/

My Variations from Recipe as Written: None

General Thoughts: Let's start with the prep... The name of this soup is "Quick and Easy Guinness Soup" (you know I like "quick and easy"!), and by the limited ingredients list, I felt sure I'd get what I bargained for with this one. But, despite the straightforward ingredients list (only the onions had to be chopped and the cheese grated), prep and cook time together were almost one hour and 45 minutes, by my watch. Not a deal killer, particularly if it delivers on taste, but this long is often more time than I am looking to devote to a soup that will serve as a side dish (if I don't already know that it is universally beloved).

The ingredients, I am happy to say, came together well... The onions were mild and softened easily, the Texas Toast (call me a skeptic, but I don't think this ingredient is authentically Irish) packed a huge flavor punch, and the Irish cheddar cheese stole the show with its sharp and salty profile. However, unfortunately, it turned out a bit shorter on the Guinness taste than I had hoped for.

*Pics 2, 3, & 4 - Pictures from when I made it

Don't get me wrong... The soup, overall was good. But, it was no better than a decent French Onion Soup, having swapped the normal provolone/swiss/parmesan cheese with Irish cheddar and the French bread with Texas Toast in this version, of course. And, truth be told, I have had French Onion soups that I liked much better than this one.

In the end, I wound up with a perfectly acceptable, yet unremarkable, onion soup variation that took quite a bit of time to prepare.

Maybe I should have made the Dublin Coddle Stew first?

Polling the Fam: As I mentioned, particularly in light of the time it took me to prepare it, I was kind of "meh" about this soup overall, but I'd definitely eat it again if someone else prepared it.  It just would not be something I talked about after the meal was finished... Hunter ate it as well and said he really enjoyed it, but agreed that it was basically just onion soup. Becky will be eating left over, so she can add her comments below, if she chooses.

Verdict: Not a fan. (2 stars)

Sunday Soup #26: Chile Verde Pork Pozole

One of my best friends, Lisa, cooked with me this week, which is always a treat!

This recipe came from: http://hispanickitchen.com/recipes/chile-verde-pork-pozole/

*Pic 1 - Picture from http://hispanickitchen.com/recipes/chile-verde-pork-pozole/

My Variations from Recipe as Written: We made quite a few alterations to the recipe as written this week, primarily in how we cooked things... As written, this recipe stated it would take almost four hours to prepare, but I wanted to shorten that considerably, to make it viable for most people that don't want to spend an entire half-day cooking.

As a start, we doubled the recipe (to feed two families). We also used two Instant Pots (https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=lp_3031632011_1_1?srs=3031632011&ie=UTF8&qid=1489443737&sr=8-1) to speed the cooking (particularly of the meat and hominy).  We added the pork (3 pounds in each Instant Pot), onion, garlic, salt, water, and hominy and set them on "Manual" for 50 minutes. Once that time was up, we allowed the Instant Pots to come to normal pressure on their own, then added the Mexican Oregano and Cumin, brought each Pot back to a bowl (we used the Saute setting, uncovered), then unplugged the Pots and were ready to serve. We also used several different garnishes (see the last picture below) than those strictly suggested by the recipe.

Another big change, for the pork, we used the same marinade (combining ½ TBSP garlic salt, 1 TBSP cumin, 7 TBSP water, 1 TBSP liquid smoke, and 1 TBSP lime juice) that I created for my pork in my own family-favorite pozole recipe and marinated the pork for 24 hours before preparation.

General Thoughts: Despite the changes we make in the cooking process, the total time invested in the preparation of this soup was still significant. For example, I spent a couple of hours total between prepping and roasting the peppers and the tomatillos; we doubled the recipe, remember, so I ended up hand-roasting 12 poblanos, 4 serranos, and 12 tomatillos. More on this later...

First, let's talk taste...

*Pics 2, 3, & 4 - Pictures from when I made it

The soup was really good! It was filling and flavorful, and the pork (owing to both the marinade and the cooking method) was tender, succulent, and so tasty.  The tomatillo flavor shined throw, giving the soup a tangy lightness that offset the heavier pork. It shined with authentic Mexican flavors, and the spice level was perfect. Right out of the pot, it was a little thinner than I was expecting, but (with the addition of some cotija cheese, crumbled tortilla chips, and angel hair cabbage to my bowl) the soup turned out to be quite hearty and filling.

However, despite the great taste, I am not sure I would make it again, on account of the large amount of time spent in prep work and cooking (even with our shortcuts).  But, with that said... Lisa and I thought we could make a few more changes that could make the "juice worth the squeeze" (so to speak).  For example, we could have used canned fire-roasted chiles and canned tomatillos to avoid the time and trouble spent roasting and de-skinning the fresh peppers, or de-husking and roasting the tomatillos. We could even try using a fire-roasted tomatillo jarred salsa, if we could find one that was not overly vinegary.  We both also agreed on two other alterations for next time: adding the Mexican Oregano and Cumin at the beginning (i.e., placing everything in the Instant Pot up front) and cooking it all together; and, using only 8 cups of water (instead of the 10 we used in each pot when it said "8-10 cups of water").

Polling the Fam: I really liked the flavor, and would happily eat it again, but I feel like I had to work too hard this time for how good it tasted. But, with the alterations above, I'd definitely give it another go.  Jayson, said he really liked it also, and said the pork was the star, but suggested it might have been just a little too salty for him (with the cotija cheese he added to his bowl, at least). Lisa enjoyed it, but she and I agreed on the needed changes to make it worth it. The boys, Andrew and Hunter, both really enjoyed it, with Hunter saying it was almost as good as the red pozole I made in the crockpot earlier in this project (see Sunday Soup #10 - *Note: That one was a whole lot easier to make!).

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)

Sunday Soup #25: Tom Kha Gai

I am back from my three-week vacation in Asia (China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Japan), feeling rested and refreshed.  So, I thought that, this week, I'd try to give you an authentic taste of Southeast Asia (which is also ubiquitous at the many Thai restaurants here in the Central Coast of CA)!

This recipe came from: http://www.daringgourmet.com/tom-kha-gai/

*Pic 1 - Picture from http://www.daringgourmet.com/tom-kha-gai/

My Variations from Recipe as Written: I doubled the recipe. I used ginger instead of galangal... For you purists, I am well aware that galangal is the most authentic way to go; in fact, it is hard to even call it a real Tom Kha Gai without the galangal.  But, I don't have an Asian market convenient to my home, so I used fresh ginger root. I used roasted shredded chicken from the deli (because I am into easy!), and I had to choose between using dried Thai basil or fresh "regular" basil, so I chose to use the fresh (always!). I used king oyster mushrooms (although white button, cremini, or straw mushrooms would also have done the trick - not shiitake). I left the seeds in my Thai chilis rather than seeding them.  I also added three sliced green onions to the pot, just because I like them. :-)

General Thoughts: Although I am a big fan of Asian soups, and I have made several that turned out well, I was worried about making a Tom Kha Gai. Why? Well, it is my favorite variety of Asian soup, and it is so common in restaurants in the United States.  Tom Kha Gai has a very distinct taste; when it is done right, the eater definitely knows it, but the opposite is also true - if you get it wrong, it is really wrong! Plus, I had just eaten it in Thailand, where it was born, and it was out of this world! So, I was worried that any recipe I tried at home would not measure up...

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

I am happy to say that my fears turned out to be unfounded!

The soup was hearty, owing to the chicken, and provided a pleasant variety of textures in each bite (although, I did have to remove the fresh lemongrass and ginger slices, both of which won't hurt you but are quite tough if you try to chew them). Using unsweetened coconut milk gave the soup the perfect creaminess without being overly sweet or coconutty. And, Thai chilis, being naturally quite spicy, were prescribed by the recipe in the perfect proportion, giving the soup a very manageable mild chili heat (with the occasional small spike, if you happened to bite directly into a piece of the chili), but not enough to bother even those that prefer their food on the milder side.

A quick note about Asian fish sauce... If you are making an Asian soup and the recipe calls for fish sauce, even if you do not like fish or seafood normally, GO FOR IT! In general, Asian fish sauce does not create a fish flavor in a non-seafood soup, but rather imparts a very important flavor profile to the dish overall. My wife abhors anything from the sea (e.g., fish, shrimp, seaweed, etc.), but she thought the soup was very good (even after I told her it contained fish sauce).

Polling the Fam: I really liked how it came out, and I would have been satisfied if I had been served this creation at a Thai restaurant here in my hometown. Not 100% authentic, but if you are looking for a solid Tom Kha Gai that is a crowd pleaser and gives you an authentic Thai taste, this it! Although I was nervous about what Becky would think, she really liked it (after picking out the mushrooms, of course, of which she is never a fan).  She said the heat was perfect, the flavor was great, and we should put it in our regular family rotation.  Hunter, likewise, really enjoyed the soup; he is normally a fan of Asian soups but had never had Tom Kha Gai before.  Lisa, to whom I sent a soup care package and who ate it for lunch today (Monday) leftover, said, "It was really good!! The broth was super flavorful with heat but not crazy... yum!" So, I think we found another 100% winner...

Verdict: Loved it. (5 stars)