Potato-Onion Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

Potato-Onion Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

In its fancier forms a chilled soup made from potatoes and leeks is called vichyssoise.  Leeks are hard to come by in the United States and require a lot of trimming and rinsing to prepare them for kitchen use.

This humbler and warmer potato-onion soup fills you up and is easy to prepare.

You will need an immersion blender to prepare this soup.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

-2 tablespoon olive oil

-2 large peeled and chopped onions

-1 teaspoon dry garlic

-3 large peeled and chopped Idaho potatoes

-1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth

-32 ounces water

-1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence seasoning

-1 pint cream

Steps:

1-Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes in a soup pot.

2-Add potatoes, chicken broth, water, and Italian seasoning to the soup pot.

3-Bring soup to a boil and let it boil for 30 minutes.

4-Remove soup from heat and let cool.  Insert the immersion blender and purée the soup till smooth.  Stir in the cream and mix.

5-Ladle soup into individual bowls and reheat in the microwave.

Serve with your favorite toast.

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France


Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

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Split Pea Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

Split Pea Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

I use a little chopped prosciutto at the end of cooking to add flavor to this high-fiber and high-flavor soup.  Sometimes I add cooked rice to the finished product to obtain a grain-legume combination, which according to Indians and vegetarians is a protein combination.  In any case, it tastes good.

You will need a crockpot to make this recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

-1 cup dry split peas

-8 cups water for soaking peas overnight

-8 cups water for cooking peas + more as needed

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1 large peeled and chopped onion

-1 teaspoon dry garlic

-1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth

-4 slices chopped prosciutto

Steps:

1-Soak split peas overnight in water.  They will triple in size usually.

2-Drain and rinse the split peas the next day.  Place the split peas in the crock pot along with the onions, dry garlic, chicken stock, and water.

3-Cover the crockpot and turn the heat on to high.  Let cook for 10 hours or until the split peas are soft.

4-Turn the heat off and let the soup cool.  Insert an immersion blender and purée the soup till smooth.  Stir in the prosciutto.

5-Reheat the soup in individual bowls in the microwave and serve.

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books 

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Pumpkin Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

Pumpkin Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

I make this soup all year round.  I have made it from scratch beginning with baking a pumpkin just so I know how to do it, but it is much easier to make with a canned pumpkin purée.

This is a savory soup, which tastes good with the addition of sautéed onions as a garnish, but they are not necessary.

You will need an immersion blender to make this dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1 large chopped onion

-1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée

-1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth

-1 pint heavy cream

Steps:

1-Sauté the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes in a soup pot.

2-Add the pumpkin purée, chicken stock, and water to the soup pot.

3-Bring the soup to boil and let boil for 15 minutes.

4-Remove the soup from the heat and let cool.

5-Insert the immersion blender and purée until smooth.

6-Reheat the soup and add cream.

Serve with your favorite toast.

Bon Appétit!

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France


Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

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Oyster Stew Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

Oyster Stew Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

My Wisconsin ancestors ate oyster stew on New Year’s Eve made with fresh oysters shipped in from the East Coast. 

I taught myself how to make oyster stew when I lived in Stuttgart, Germany during what I called polar vortex winters whooshing down from the Arctic.  I had to make my oyster stew with canned oysters, but still thought it tasted pretty good in Germany’s dark winters.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1 large chopped onion

-1 teaspoon dry garlic

-1 peeled and chopped Idaho potato

-2 (8-ounce) cans oysters – juice separated from oysters

-2 (32-ounce) containers seafood stock

-1 pint cream

-oyster crackers (optional)

Steps:

1-Sauté onion and garlic in a soup pot for 5 minutes.

2-Add potatoes, seafood stock, oyster juice, and potato cubes to the soup pot.

3-Bring soup to a boil and let boil for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

4-Remove the pot from the heat and add the cream and oysters.

5-Bring soup to a boil again and let boil 5 minutes.

Serve with oyster crackers.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

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Mushroom Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

Mushroom Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

Quinoa flour has all the amino acids that make up protein, which is why many people consider it a complete protein in plant form.  It triples in size when cooking.  I add milk or cream to my soups for calcium.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1 tablespoon butter

-1 large chopped onion

-1 teaspoon dry garlic

-2 (4-ounce) cans mushrooms

-1 (32-ounce) container beef broth

-32 ounces water

-1/4 cup quinoa flour

-1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Steps:

1-Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil and butter in a soup pot for 5 minutes.

2-Add mushrooms and their juice, beef stock, water, and quinoa flour to the soup pan.

3-Bring soup to a boil and let it boil for 30 minutes.

4-Remove from heat and let it cool.

5-Insert and immersion blender and purée the soup until you have a smooth consistency.

6-Ladle soup into individual bowls.  Top with cheese and cook in a microwave for 1 minute to melt the cheese.

Serve with toast and roasted tomatoes.

Bon appétit!

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

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