From Pen to Pan: Soups

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Courtesy of Logan Payne

Soup: It’s what winter craves. And what better way to begin February than with a steaming bowl of happiness. This week, our editors took a gander at making a soup worth talking about.  First, Logan shares her father’s classic Cioppino recipe which, although a slightly longer process and more costly recipe, is well worth the time and the price.  Colleen on the other hand, takes a well-needed staple and creates a quick version that  tastes gourmet, but only take minutes to make. Bon appétit!

Logan’s Father’s Classic Cioppino

When chilly temperatures hit early last week, all I craved was a bowl of steaming seafood stew that was sufficiently spicy, without burning my tongue off. In the past, my father has made bouillabaisse for family celebrations in the winter months, so when he came home from Seattle, the first thing we did was make a pot of cioppino. This recipe is a little bit more on the expensive side due to the wine and the seafood, but keep in mind that the better the seafood, the better the soup. In other words, don’t buy cheap, frozen seafood. The flavors won’t soak in and add to the soup as much as fresh seafood will. Also, if you don’t like some of the seafood my dad and I used, feel free to use your favorites instead.

Ingredients:

1 can diced tomatoes

1 yellow onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, diced

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces bottle of clam juice

2 bay leaves

Pinch of oregano

Pinch of ground pepper

Pinch of paprika

2 dashes of Tabasco sauce

1 bottle of dry white wine

One-half pound of large shrimp

1 pound of mussels

1 pound of clams

One-half pound Alaskan cod

Directions:

1. In a large pot, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until onions are clear.

2. Stir in celery, wine, diced tomatoes, clam juice, spices and bay leaves into pot. Simmer on low heat. Be sure not to boil.

3. As the soup simmers on the stove, clean the beards off the mussels and let the clams soak in cold water in order to keep them fresh. Slice the cod into one-inch thick pieces.

4. Once your seafood is cleaned, sliced and soaked, stir into the broth mixture and turn up to medium heat and simmer until the mussels and clams open.

5. Soup is best served with a side of slice bread so broth can be soaked up.

Colleen’s Quick and Classy Chicken Noodle Soup

We have all been at that point where we are sick and crave nothing more than a simple bowl of soup. But instead of automatically turning to the canned goods aisle the next time you have a stuffy nose, try making this classic yourself! It’s easier than one might think, plus you can control the amount/variety of noodles, chicken and vegetables.  Truly, 15 minutes well spent.

 Ingredients:

1 whole pre-cooked chicken

1 bag frozen vegetables

1 pack noodles (shorter, smaller noodles are recommended)

1 can chicken broth (low sodium)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, pour water, a bit of oil and a dash of salt on stove at high heat.  Once water is boiling add noodles of choice.

2. While noodles are cooking, place another pot on low heat on stove.  Pour chicken broth in, and dilute as desired.

3. Take frozen vegetables and thaw by running them under hot water. Once thawed, add to the chicken broth, stirring occasionally.

4. Place chicken on plate, and pluck meat from the bones. Add desired amount of meat to the chicken broth mixture.

5. Once noodles are done, strain them and run cold water over them to make sure they don’t stick together.

6. Add noodles to chicken broth mixture, and stir occasionally until all ingredients are added.

7.  Add a dash of salt, and voila!