Sunday Soup #64: Green Gazpacho

A hot summer evening, a friendly dinner party, a refreshing cold soup, and... MURDER?!?! Well, not premeditated, so maybe just a little attempted negligent manslaughter? So, lesson learned... When you are naming off ingredients in the soup, and you forget to mention one ingredient, and that is the one ingredient that your wife is very allergic to, so your wife then eats a bowl of it and spends the rest of the evening fighting anaphylactic shock, it can put a damper on the night. But, hey, the soup was great!!

This recipe came from: This recipe is not online; I got it from a terrific cookbook called "Paleo Soups & Stews: Over 100 Delectable Recipes for Every Season, Course, and Occassion" by Simone Miller (https://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Soups-Stews-Delectable-Occasion/dp/1628601078/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1532398987&sr=8-1&keywords=paleo+soups+and+stews)

*Pic 1 - From "Paleo Soups & Stews: Over 100 Delectable Recipes for Every Season, Course, and Occassion" by Simone Miller

First, the recipe (since you can't find it online):

• 2 English cucumbers (about 1.5 pounds), halved lengthwise and roughly chopped
• 1.5 pounds of green grapes, plus more for garnish
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and quartered
• 1 small shallot, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• Handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup salted roasted almonds, finely chopped, for garnish

1. Place all of the ingredients except the almonds in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until very cold.
3. Serve the chilled soup topped with sliced grapes, almonds, mint leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Variations from Recipe as Written: I made 1.5 times the recipe. I followed everything else exactly.

General Thoughts: We had friends over for a casual dinner party, and I was looking for something to serve as a unique side (along side a main course of carnitas). It was 90+ degrees outside, and I know I always say, "Hot soup is great, even on a hot day," but this time I thought a cold soup might be a cool, refreshing change of pace.

This recipe calls for common ingredients, none of which were particularly expensive, and the blender did most of the heavy lifting on the prep. However, despite the simplicity of the recipe, the end result was elegant, with a surprisingly complex flavor.

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

This soup was a perfect choice for the hot Summer day, and it delivered on its promise to be cool, crisp, and clean. I was able to taste almost every ingredient in each bite: the fresh cucumbers, the sweet grapes, the savory garlic, the creamy avocado, the smooth shallot, and the rich olive oil. It was beautifully balanced!

The consistency was also a nice surprise, as the dish felt more substantial than I expected from a blended soup. As I mentioned, I made it as a side dish (actually, more of a bonafide soup course, since the main course ran a little late), so we served it in smaller mugs rather than full bowls. So, while a big bowl of it would have gone down just as well, a mug-full perfectly hit the spot.

Finally, a quick note about the garnishes (the sliced cucumbers, halved grapes, almonds, chopped mint, and olive oil drizzle)... They weren't vital to the soup's taste, but they added a lot to the presentation, provided some texture variety, and contributed greatly to my enjoyment of the dish.

Potential Improvements? This recipe was REALLY good the way it was, but my audience made a couple of suggestions... Someone suggested possibly add a jalapeño or two (to keep with the green theme and add a little spice). Another guest thought that adding a bit more acidity in the form of some lime juice could be a positive change, too. I, myself, sprinkled a little smoked paprika over one of my bowls, which added some additional savory depth, but I realize that might not be for everyone.

Polling the Fam: I loved this one, pure and simple... One of my favorites so far, and I will definitely make it again! Becky ate her cup and said, "I liked it... It was much better than I thought it would be. Hey, is anybody else's throat starting to itch?" (*She is allergic to avocados. Oops.) Hunter did not care for it, saying it tasted like thin guacamole... I think the concept of a cold soup just threw him for a loop. Lisa said, "This is possibly one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth." Moving on... Jayson liked it. Ken liked. Kim liked it. Trevor liked it. Ashley liked it. Basically, unless you are my weirdo oldest child, everybody liked it (even my allergic wife). :-)

Verdict: Loved it! (5 stars)

Sunday Soup #63: Mexican Albondigas Soup

I love Mexican food! I mean, who am I kidding, I love most food... but I have a special place in my heart (and stomach) for Mexican cuisine. I have wanted to make an albondigas (i.e., Mexican meatball) soup for a while now, and I found this one that had the added bonus of being an Instant Pot recipe, so I figured I'd give it a go! Let's see how it worked out...

This recipe came from: https://www.rebootedmom.com/mexican-albondigas-soup-instant-pot-recipe/

*Pic 1 - https://www.rebootedmom.com/mexican-albondigas-soup-instant-pot-recipe/

Variations from Recipe as Written: I made one VERY important change to the posted recipe... I substituted Mexican chorizo for half of the ground beef (so, the meatballs included 1/2-pound ground beef and 1/2-pound chorizo).

General Thoughts: While the cooking on this one was a piece of cake (thanks to the Instant Pot), the prep was a little involved... I had some awesome help from my friend Lisa, who did all the chopping/dicing, so that was nice, but mixing and rolling the meatballs was a chore. Now, you might be saying to yourself, "Well, yeah dumbdumb, rolling meatballs is a chore." But, in my defense, the chunks of onion and green pepper, along with the wetness of the chorizo, made it difficult for me to get dense, consistent meatballs.  Those of you pro meatball-makers out there may have some tips for us to use in the future, but I did the best I could with these. They still came out okay (even if they weren't perfect). :-)

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

The taste of this one was solid overall. It didn't scorch my taste buds, as I left it somewhat mild to better appeal to the non-fire eaters in the group, but the tastes blended well. It turned out like a yummy Mexican vegetable soup, with rice and meatballs. The meatballs themselves were yummy, but a little unremarkable, particularly considering they were half chorizo. I expected to get a big hit of chorizo taste in each bite (of both the meatballs themselves and the soup overall), but it was subtle.

The rice was an important ingredient in making this a hearty selection, as it would been a bit thin without it. But, what the rice did not help with was the texture. While the texture wasn't a bad thing, per se, it was a little uniform and lacked variety. The rice was soft, the veggies were soft, the meatballs were soft... So, completely palatable, but in need of some textural diversity to make it more interesting.

Potential Improvements? Next time, I think I'll go for a smaller dice on the onions and peppers in the meatballs. Although it did not call for it, using cheese as a garnish would add some stringy, salty goodness that would just enhance the flavor. And, as Jayson specifically mentioned, making some crispy tortilla strips to go on top (and add that needed texture component) would be great!

Polling the Fam: I liked this one and, with the suggested improvements, I'd make it again. Becky was not very brave and only tried one bite of a meatball, but said the texture turned her off. Jayson said he really liked the whole thing, calling it one of the best soups he's eaten for this project. He said the hint of spice as just perfect, and he suggested cheese and crunchy tortilla strips as improvements. Micah said she liked it overall, but the flavor was strong and needed something to cut it.

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)

Sunday Soup #62: Bacon, Shrimp, and Corn Chowder

My best buddy, Jayson, and I both enjoy seafood soups, but our normal family dinner crew includes others that are anti- anything that comes from the water. This weekend, though, those that normally object were either missing or eating something different, so I was free to pick a seafood soup that looked yummy. But, how did it go?

This recipe came from: https://theblondcook.com/bacon-shrimp-corn-chowder/

*Pic 1 - https://theblondcook.com/bacon-shrimp-corn-chowder/

Variations from Recipe as Written: I actually make a few alterations to this one... I made 1.5 times the recipe. I used an extra slice of bacon. I used an extra half-pound of shrimp. I used "Better Than Bullion" to supplement the chicken stock (because I needed 4.5 cups, but stock is normally sold in 4-cup sized boxes). I added two tablespoons of Lawry's Seasoned Salt to the pot to kick up the flavor. And, instead of adding the bacon and the shrimp to each bowl as it was prepped, I just added the shrimp and bacon back to the pot once the rest of the broth/soup was finished.

General Thoughts: This soup was fairly simple to put together... Lisa helped me by dicing the bacon and chopping the onions, but that was only real pre-prep work required. The rest was just the usual cooking steps...

I noted that this was one of those recipes that came out looking much less "polished" than the pictures from the website. It did come out very chowder-y, which was good, but it wound up looking a bit rougher and more stew-ish than the pristine bowl of chunky, creamy perfection they depicted in the staged photos. I think this was partly due to the use of the immersion blender, which made the corn and onions a little ragged. But, as with most soups (imho), the taste was more important than how it looked...

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

When I first tasted a spoonful of the soup out of the pot, it was actually a bit bland. That surprised me, as I thought the amount of bacon I'd fried up would have added more salty, savory flavor to the mix. I could taste the paprika and the thyme (the most forward flavors were the thyme and the shrimp), but it definitely needed a kick... Ideally, I would have preferred a cajun seasoning or some Old Bay, but I had Lawry's Seasoned Salt to hand, and that did the trick.

This soup turned out a little thinner than I expected, but it was still hot and hearty. Each bite was savory (thanks to the Lawry's) and had a piece of tender, yummy shrimp (which reinforced my choice to add the extra half-pound of shrimp). I was also a bit worried about textures and consistency, but those fears were unfounded, as it wound up close to feeling like a chunky shrimp stew that went down easy.

Potential Improvements? I think substituting Old Bay seasoning or something like Tony Chachere's creole seasoning would have been better than Lawry's. Adding potatoes would definitely have been a plus, as well as some Italian sausage or chicken (to make it a meat trio - shrimp, bacon, and sausage or chicken) and provide some additional bulk and flavor.

Polling the Fam: For me, this was another of those soups that would have wound up at 3.5 stars, but I am confident with the improvements I suggested it would be a solid 4. I'd definitely make it again. Jayson thought it was good but thought it was missing a little something too, suggesting potatoes and some chicken or sausage to help flesh it out. Hunter also liked it overall, and agreed on the potatoes, but said it wasn't his favorite soup I've ever made.

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)