Sunday Soup #92: Slow Cooker Fall Harvest Pork Stew

Have you ever just gotten into a mood for a particular something... You know, when your stomach radios up to the brain and says, "Hey dummy, it's very Fall-like today, so we need a Fall soup to make it feel right." Don't judge me! LOL

Suffice to say, I was looking for another soup that screamed "Fall!" and stumbled across this Slow Cooker Fall Harvest Pork Stew recipe that looked interesting. I am not usually a fan of squash (a combo of taste and texture issues), but this one just seemed too interesting to pass up. Let's see how it went...

This recipe came from: https://slowcookergourmet.net/slow-cooker-fall-harvest-pork-stew/

*Pic 1 - https://slowcookergourmet.net/slow-cooker-fall-harvest-pork-stew/

Variations from Recipe as Written: I added an extra tsp of chipotle powder (because we like things spicy) and a tsp of smoked salt (because we like things smokey, and I thought a little more salt would help balance the sweetness of the apples/squash). That's it!

General Thoughts: Anytime a soup is bound for the slow cooker (aka, the Crock-Pot), it is probably going to be pretty easy to make. The prep for this one was, indeed, fairly simple, primarily because I used pre-diced carrots, pre-cut squash, pre-diced onion, and pre-cubed pork. The only prep that took me any real time was peeling and dicing the apples. This soup was also fairly economical to make, as all of the ingredients are fairly common and easy to obtain at your local supermarket.

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

The taste of this one was decent if a little bland for me. It was hearty, warm, and very Fall-like, so it fit the bill there. But, as the recipe stated, it was a little sweet (where I much prefer savory). The taste of the apples, squash, and carrots was pretty well-balanced with the pork, with none of the tastes overpowering the others. The broth was my favorite part, and it was what most reminded me of Fall; I could taste the apples, squash, and herbs in each bite. The pork was tender enough (I slow cooked it for eight hours) but not-yet falling apart. I think I would have preferred it to be even more tender, closer to a pork roast before it is shredded so that the pork almost melted in my mouth. Finally, I wish I could say this soup made me a squash lover but, sadly, squash remains my nemesis, as I had trouble getting past its texture in this recipe as well.

Potential Improvements? I'd, personally, swap the squash out for potatoes, but if squash is your jam, drive on! I'd love to see how this one tastes with a shot or two of apple cider vinegar to further cut the sweetness. And, I think I'd make it even a little saltier, possibly by way of marinating the pork in a complimentary savory mixture (maybe something like this one, from Ina Garten: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/herb-marinated-pork-tenderloins-recipe-1948375).

Polling the Fam: All in all, this was a decent Fall selection, and I'd make it again (trying some of my above potential improvements) if the mood struck me. Becky, who digs squash, really liked this one and wanted to go back for seconds (which is why I gave it 4 stars instead of the 3 it was destined for if I'd eaten it alone). Fox really didn't care for it, but that is not a surprise given its ingredients.

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)

Sunday Soup #91: Instant Pot Crack Chicken Spinach Soup

How does the classic literary quote go? "It was the best of soups, it was the worst of soups..." Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's accurate... 😆 Well, whether that's how it goes or not, that might be a good way to describe this past week's Sunday Soup. I wasn't specifically drawn to this one for any particular reason, but it looked yummy and was in the batch of choices I sent to my friend (and frequent dinner guest) Lisa for her to pick through. She picked it, we made it, now I get to review it... Check it out!

This recipe came from: https://www.eatwell101.com/instant-pot-crack-chicken-soup-recipe

*Pic 1 - https://www.eatwell101.com/instant-pot-crack-chicken-soup-recipe

Variations from Recipe as Written: We made 1.5x the recipe. We used regular chicken broth instead of bone broth. And, we added an extra cup of spinach, 1.5 cups of broth, and 1/2-pound of chicken (all because of package sizes).

General Thoughts: The prep (getting the ingredients in the Instant Pot, anyway) was very simple... The entire recipe only called for seven ingredients total, and some light spinach chopping was really the only real prep step required. We had to shred the chicken after it was cooked, but that was also a piece of cake using Lisa's favorite electric hand mixer method (similar to this one: https://food-hacks.wonderhowto.com/how-to/make-shredded-chicken-seconds-with-mixer-0172718/).

But, you may be saying to yourself, "Wait, that picture below does not look like an Instant Pot!" You are correct, Intrepid Reader, that is not an Instant Pot... Within 15 minutes of closing the Instant Pot and starting it on its way to High Pressure, it started flashing a "burning" warning and shut itself off. Hmm... I had never experienced anything like it. Sure enough, when I opened it, some of the chicken breasts appeared to have been starting to burn on the bottom of the pot. However, Lisa and I quickly pivoted and transferred the now-hot soup to a pot on the stove to allow the chicken to finish cooking fully. Thankfully, once we salvaged the Instant Pot situation, the rest of the cooking went off without a hitch!

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

It tasted pretty good... It was VERY hearty, creamy, and bacon-y, all of which hit the spot. The cream cheese in the broth made it smooth and delicious, and I found myself wanting more. In fact, that was everyone's biggest comment: it was not nearly brothy enough! It was thick and felt very "heavy" (due to all of the creamy cheese and chicken), feeling more like a dip or a chili than a soup. It makes me wonder how it would taste poured over the top of a baked potato? I am betting, super yummy!

This soup also seemed to be missing enough spice and had a uniformity of flavor that, although tasty overall, made it a little boring. The bacon was a good start but, after that, there wasn't much flavor variation, as the spinach did not really announce itself (we chopped it rather than leaving the baby spinach leaves whole) and the chicken just took on the flavor of the cheese.

In the end, this one seemed like a promising start/base, but I'd definitely want to make some significant changes if I made it again.

Potential Improvements? My suggested changes for this one are numerous and were supported by almost all of my guests for this one... First, it needed more spice and something to diversify the flavor profile; I think I'd like to try adding a can of Ro-tel Diced Tomatoes with Chiles (they make them with Green Chiles, Chipotle Peppers, Serrano Peppers, and Habanero Peppers, so pick your poison!) to provide both taste and texture upgrades. Next, it definitely needs more broth and probably had too much chicken. So, looking at the original recipe, I'd likely double the amount of broth (to 3 cups) and reduce the amount of chicken by 1/4-to-1/2 a pound overall. Finally, I'd probably increase the amount of spinach by at least another cup.

Polling the Fam: I thought it was tasty and that it had good potential, but if I make it again I'll make all the changes noted above. Becky thought it needed more broth, less chicken, and more spice, but she also thought it was a good base. Jayson echoed that it was tasty but needed more broth and spice. And, Lisa thought more broth, less chicken, less bacon (heresy!), more spinach, and adding some onions would be the winning combo.

Verdict: It was okay. (3 stars)

Sunday Soup #90: Basler Mehlsuppe (Basel Flour Soup)

This week, I learned that I am headed to teach a class in Switzerland early next year... So, naturally, I started researching Swiss food! There were plenty of references to fondue and sausage, of course, but I was surprised to find that Switzerland has quite a soup culture, as well.

A classic Swiss soup, traditionally served around Fasnacht (better known to English speakers as Carnivál or Fat Tuesday, marking the start of the Lenten season), is called Basler Mehlsuppe (or, Basel Flour Soup). In the city of Basel, in particular, they host a Carnivál parade at 4 a.m. on a Monday before Lent (usually in February or March), and the Mehlsuppe is eaten in the morning after the parade. There are several versions of the origins of this particular tradition, but the website https://www.helvetickitchen.com/recipes/2016/2/15/baslermehlsuppe presents this version: "The most common origin story involves a chatty cook who burnt the flour for the soup during preparation. Instead of starting again, the mistake was added to the dish and met with great success."

Although it is currently November, I'll be headed to Switzerland around Lent next year, so I thought this would be an interesting recipe to try. :-)

This recipe came from: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/13219/basler-mehlsuppa/

Variations from Recipe as Written: None.

General Thoughts: This soup was extremely easy to prepare and inexpensive to make, requiring only eight ingredients (most of which I - and probably you - regularly keep in the pantry). Slicing one onion, shredding a bit of cheese, and toasting the flour was really all it took! As written, the recipe seemed to make about four servings, so you may need to double or triple it if making for a crowd.

*Pics 1-4 - Pictures from when we made it

This soup was interesting in that, despite the simple ingredients, there were a lot of different tastes (and textures) going on. The toasted flour was the real star, adding a rich, comforting taste that was fairly unique. The gruyere was also important as it added some saltiness and creaminess to the soup. I could definitely taste the red wine but found myself wishing that flavor was even a bit stronger. Sadly, the overall taste profile was a little bland, but that could be helped by being a bit more aggressive with the salt, pepper, and wine.

The texture was also a little odd... The thick wheat bread the recipe called for at the bottom of each bowl was alternately mushy and firm/spongy, as well as having some whole grains that made it "feel" and taste a little nutty.

I think this one is a bit better suited to being a side dish than a main course, particularly since it did not contain any protein. And, in the end, other than the unique toasted flour, there seemed to be little difference between this recipe and a middle-of-the-road French onion soup.

Potential Improvements? There was quite a bit to improve on with this one, in my opinion... If I make it again, I will likely swap out the wheat bread for a slice of sourdough. In addition, some more salt and pepper, a bit of rosemary or thyme, and a couple of extra splashes of red wine would serve to give the dish some additional flavor.

Polling the Fam: I thought it was not bad, overall, but I'd probably not make it again except as a side dish or for a theme meal, and then only with my above-noted changes. Becky was turned off by the nutty taste and odd texture of the wheat bread. And, Fox said he really didn't care for it, also primarily due to the bread.

Verdict: Not a fan. (2 stars)