Soups and Stews

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Soup
I love cleaning out my pantry. Since I’m vertically challenged and my pantry extends about 2 feet over my head, I tend to forget about the extra cans of beans, tomatoes and corn I set aside months earlier. And with a pending move to Peru on the horizon, it was time to take a look at what was hiding up there. Click here for recipe.

Seafood Soup
So quick, so easy. This soup assembles in minutes and is chock full of protein and nutrients. A couple of tips here: The clam juice is key here – it adds a lot of flavor; also, you can use frozen fish and shellfish, just make sure it’s uncooked and has thawed completely before adding to the soup. Click here for recipe.

My Favorite Chicken Soup
Ok, this recipe is NOT for the “wham, bam, thank you, m ‘am” kind of cook. It takes a while to build layer upon layer of flavor, so I usually make this soup on a day when I have back-to-back clients. I’m in the house, I can check on the progress in between sessions and it’s ready for dinner with a yummy tuna sandwich on the side. I try to make enough to freeze one or two containers of the stock to use down the road, but sometimes it’s just too good to make it to the freezer. Click here for recipe.

Matzoh Balls
The key is chicken fat. Skim it from the top of your stock and, if you’re not using it right away, freeze it. If you’re adding matzoh balls to your soup, click here for the recipe.

Ribollita (Tuscan Bread Soup)
The first time I had ribollita (the best Italian bread soup EVER) I was in Lucca, one of my favorite Tuscan towns, eating everything I could get my hands on. And even though I was thoroughly enjoying this soup in the middle of August, I couldn't help but salivate over the idea of making this on a cold winter's night back home in D.C. Click here for recipe.