Guest Sunday Soup: Split Pea Soup

I love it when someone makes a Guest Soup and lets me have some, even when they don't know I am going to blog it. :-) And, when I get a Guest Soup, I do not always offer my opinion or rate it because I am rather content with just sharing the opinion of the cook(s) with you. But, I happened to have found this one something special...

My friends Bill and Sheila made a Split Pea Soup this weekend that I thought was the best split pea I've ever had (and that is not hyperbole). As Sheila put it, "Bill has never followed a recipe in his life. He did not even know we owned measuring cups and spoons." LOL But, she did her best to recreate the recipe for me, and I am happy to share it with you now... Enjoy!

Name: Split Pea Soup
Cooks: Bill and Sheila

The Recipe (in - mostly - Sheila's own words):

We made an amazing bone broth with an FFA chicken! Worth it!

In the Instant Pot, we put 12 oz of dried green split peas and 4 cups of the bone broth, salt, and pepper.  Pressure cooked for 20 minutes.

Bill immersion blended that until smooth and added one cup whole milk then chilled.

The next day…

We put mirepoix (one cup-ish of each - diced carrots, onions, and celery), 2 cups dried yellow split peas, and 4 cups water in the Instant Pot.

While that was under pressure for 20 minutes, we baked 6 pieces of bacon until crispy and cubed ½ of a smoked ham from Costco.

After the yellow pea batch was done, we put all the things back in a pot together with one more cup of milk and slow-cooked it for just an hour more so it all heated through, and then did one last check for salt and pepper.

*Pic 1 - Picture from when Bill and Sheila made it

So, Was It Any Good?:

When I talked to Bill about it before I was able to try it, he said it was really good. So, he liked it... But, since I got to try it too, I wanted to share my thoughts, with Bill and Sheila's indulgence, of course!

Yeah, it was great! As I said at the outset, this is (officially) the best split pea soup I have ever eaten!! It was deeply flavorful, full of more subtle flavors (e.g., smoke from the ham, earthiness from the peas, salty richness from the bacon, sharpness from the pepper, etc.) than I was expecting. The soup was also a panoply of textures thanks to the mirepoix and (delightful) chunks of meat; the large chunks of ham may have been my favorite part, each bite bursting with savory goodness. In short, if this soup was featured at one of my local restaurants, I'd order it each and every time I dined there!

Verdict: Loved it!! (5 stars)

Thanks, Bill and Sheila, for sharing a great recipe!

Sunday Soup #100: Creamy Seafood Soup (& SOUP SWAP!!)

#100!! That is a milestone, so I wanted to do something a little special for this one...

This past weekend, I hosted my first-ever Souper Sleuth Soup Swap, and it was a lot of fun! Six of my soup-loving friends made some of their favorite recipes and, along with their +1s, came over to our house to share their soups with the rest of us. Some of the great soups people prepared included a Creamy Chicken Soup (made by Christy), an Italian Sausage Soup (my contribution), a Pork & Beans Soup (with a slow-smoked pork shoulder; made by Bill), a Whole30 Chicken Chowder (made by Aimee), a Paleo Chicken Pot Pie Soup (made by Lisa), a Carrot Ginger Soup (which was delightfully spicy; made by Whitney), and a Creamy Seafood Soup (which I'll share with you in this post; made by Sam).

Everyone talked about their soups and gave us a little taste, allowing us to score and pick our favorites. Then we all swapped our recipes around, and everyone went home with five different quarts of homemade soup. It was a win-win-win!! (*The only fail was on my part, as I was so caught up in the fun that I completely forgot to take any pictures - except for the picture below of Becky's snazzy letterboard sign.)

The soup that was best-reviewed by all of our diners was a Creamy Seafood Soup, made by Sam Yip, scoring 4.5 out of 5 stars overall. So, for my 100th soup of this project, I think it is only fitting to share Sammy's recipe with you.

Sam's recipe is a variation of a Creamy Seafood Chowder recipe found at https://www.spendwithpennies.com/creamy-seafood-chowder/ (pictured below), and incorporated some different seafood variations that were super yummy! Sam added that, "This seafood soup is a delicious, creamy soup filled with shrimp, clam, calamari, crab meat, and fish. You can add additional seafood, like scallops, clams, and/or mussels in shell (cleaned)."

Pic 1 - https://www.spendwithpennies.com/creamy-seafood-chowder/

Sam's Version of the Recipe:

1/4 cup butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 cup flour
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1/2 cup corn
5 cups broth (seafood or chicken)
1/2 cup white wine
8oz white fish (e.g., cod, salmon, tilapia, haddock)
8 oz calamari, sliced
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 oz crab meat
6.5 oz canned chopped clams, drained
2 cups heavy cream
1 tbsp parsley

1. Cook onion in butter until tender. Add flour, Old Bay seasoning, and thyme and cook 2-3 minutes.

2. Add carrot, celery, corn, broth, and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes.

3.  Stir in seafood and cream. Cook until fish is fully cooked and flaky (about 8-10 minutes).

4. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

General Thoughts: This soup was very tasty! It was creamy and hearty, each bite chock full of different tastes and textures, which was a joy. The proteins were the real star, and the seafood flavor was excellent. It can sometimes be difficult to balance the cooking of a mixed-seafood soup, as shellfish can become rubbery and whitefish can become mushy if the chef does not find the right balance of heat and cooking time. However, Sam managed it perfectly in this recipe, and each individual protein was perfectly done.

Potential Improvements? This one was REALLY good already but, if I make it, I might try swapping out the calamari for scallops (true to my personal tastes). And, I'd love to see what it tastes like with a small shot of cooking sherry added to each bowl.

Polling the Fam: This was a 5-star soup for me, all the way. There were a lot of diners at the Soup Swap (obviously), and I did not parse their individual comments. But, this one was universally enjoyed by everyone who likes seafood, earning an average score of 4.5 out of 5 stars overall. I also ate it leftover, and it was still great!

Verdict: Loved it! (5 stars)

Guest Sunday Soup: Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup

Hi there, Souper Troopers...! Another great guest soup this week, this time by one of my best friends, Lisa... We go to the same gym, and we both got involved in an 8-week fat-loss challenge, so we are eating a little healthier right now. Specifically, we tend to eat "paleo" (a style of eating associated with clean foods and low-carb intake, recognized as an effective way to reduce overall body fat) when we are on challenge, which led Lisa to WHOLE30 (with some help from her nutrition guru, Kim). This soup is featured in the WHOLE30 Cookbook (by Melissa Hartwig), but also happens to be found online. Thanks to Lisa for making a soup and sharing her impressions and advice with us on this recipe!

Name: Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup

Original Recipe From: https://whole30.com/2016/12/whole30-cookbook-1/ (WHOLE30 Cookbook by Melissa Hartwig)

*Pic 1 - Picture from https://whole30.com/2016/12/whole30-cookbook-1/

Any Changes?: Lisa made this recipe as-is, but for two small alterations... First, she doubled it. Like me, Lisa has a family that likes to eat, and we never mind leftovers, so making double is always an option! She was also out of fresh thyme, so she used freeze-dried instead (not usually a big deal; freeze-dried is normally better than the regular dry spice).

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

So, Was It Any Good?:

Best to let Lisa tell you about the soup in her own words: "I feel like the flavor is a little boring - like it's missing something (salt maybe... but I didn't want to get heavy handed). It tastes good, but I think it needed a different meat; I used plain ground pork (per the recipe), but I think a sweet Italian sausage would be better... I wasn't put off by all the Kale (eye roll ... boys!).  I used grated Parmesan to garnish, but I think a shaved parm would have been better.  I also missed bread. :(  It was super easy to make, and I would make this again no problem."

How did the rest of her family like it? "Jayson said there was too much kale (he suggested I use only 1/4 the kale called for by the recipe). He said the flavor was good, but it needs more cheese (on top). Not a favorite, but he would eat it again. Andrew also said too much kale, good flavor, not a favorite, but he would eat it again."

Verdict: So, it sounds like, if you are of a mind to eat healthy and don't have a kale allergy, this soup is a keeper. But, if you are "a boy," and the thought of kale conjures images of a malnourished rabbit, then definitely consider Lisa's suggestions to make this one a winner!

Thanks, Lisa, for sharing a great recipe!

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!

Guest Sunday Soup: Creamy Potato Bacon Soup

Hi there, Souper Troopers...! I am very pleased to add an entry this week from my good friend, Nicole Perry, who made a great potato soup recipe from the Red Apron Girl website.

Name: Creamy Potato Bacon Soup

Original Recipe From: http://www.redaprongirl.com/cream-bacon-potato-soup/

Nicole texted me looking for a good bacon potato soup. In the past (pre-blog/soup project), I had made this one and really liked it, so she decided to give it a whirl... and she crushed it!

*Pic 1 - http://www.redaprongirl.com/cream-bacon-potato-soup/

Any Changes?: Nicole is a good cook and did some cool things with this recipe... Her most significant modification was that she added celery and carrots, sauteing them with the bacon before adding the mixture to the soup. Her family, like mine, struggles to keep veggies in the dinner lineup, so this was a perfect addition, and it added to (rather than detracted from) the soup's flavor, which is always the goal!

*Pic 2 - Picture from when Nicole made it

So, Was It Any Good?: Nicole reported it was a hit! Her family dug it, and when I asked her how it was, on a scale of 1-10, she said, "10!" Better though (in my book, anyway), is that she reported it was even better left over, the next day. I am a sucker for a soup that is just as good leftover as it was fresh... soup is the gift that should keep on giving all week!

Verdict: Sounds like, it's a keeper!

Thanks, Nicole, for sharing a great recipe!

Guest Sunday Soup: Chicken Tortilla Soup from Sunset Magazine

Here's my soup!!!

Name: Chicken Tortilla Soup from Sunset Magazine

Original Recipe From: http://www.myrecipes.com/m/recipe/tortilla-soup-4

The Story: I made this years ago & got from the magazine. This year, I was looking for a good Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe online & remembered this one - but no longer had it! I searched for it & was so happy to have found it again online!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼
A few slight deviations this time:
- I used canned tomatoes w/ garlic (Italian style) by accident. It was still yummy.
- I used about 8 cups of regular broth (not low sodium). The rest I did use low sodium.
- I used a bit less than a TBSP of salt when adding seasonings.
- I used red chili flakes (not sure if that's the same thing as what's called for.)

Toppings we used:
-cilantro
- avocado (buy at Trader Joe's - 99 cents & always perfect!!)
- shredded Monterey Jack
- chips from Trader Joes (we love these- pictured)
- Plain Greek yogurt

In the past I have done these & it's still good:
- used lemons instead of limes - used a small can of tomato only
- I never make my own chips or strips :)
- cheddar is a good topping too
- La Vic's hot sauce if we have it, or any other hot sauce

Our thoughts: We love this soup! It's good year round. It isn't spicy unless you add a hot sauce. It's full of flavor even though it's quick to make. The kids love it & my mom in law enjoyed it too. It's really easy to make & one recipe will feed us (fam of 4) for @ least 2 meals.

This ones a keeper & I'm happy to share with Ryan & all of his soup fans!! Enjoy!

-Aimee Brown