Comfort foods come in many forms. Baked pasta dishes such as ziti and Bolognese sauce, classic macaroni and cheese with a crisp breadcrumb topping or a bowl of hearty soup and substantial sandwich along side.
Such was a class I taught last week - three soups, two sandwiches, one salad. I paired a simple to prepare tomato-artichoke soup with a grilled chicken panini, stuffed with provolone cheese and roasted red peppers on a ciabatta roll; a cream of two mushroom soup (porcini and white button) paired with a simple arugula - Gorgonzola - pear salad; and finally a Tuscan minestrone with basil-spinach pesto;
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and a NY style Reuben packed with thinly sliced corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and homemade Russian-style dressing in a grilled caraway rye bread sandwich.
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There are days when a bowl of soup and a sandwich, or just the soup and a loaf of artisan bread are sufficient for a Saturday afternoon bite, a quick meal to prepare in less than an hour. Soups are satisfying. That’s all there is to it. No one doesn’t like soup. No one I have met, anyway.
The tomato-artichoke soup took about 10 minutes to assemble, 30 to simmer. Dinner!
A little more involved was the mushroom soup, having to soak the dried porcini mushrooms for about 20 minutes, then chopping and dicing and pureeing.
Probably the most diverse was the Tuscan minestrone - laden with pancetta, Savoy cabbage, carrots, celery and tomatoes. Great northern beans add more protein. No pasta in this dish. But there is no rule which prohibits the addition of a cup of ditalini (small tubular shaped pasta) or acini de pepe (little peppercorn shaped pasta) towards the end of the cooking process. As I told my class, “There are as many versions of minestrone as there are Italians.” Be creative. Be the master of your own minestrone.
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Here are a few recipes to savor these last few days of winter and into spring. All are easy to follow, and best of all, easy on the clock and pocketbook. Soups…something for everyone.
TOMATO ARTICHOKE SOUP with Cheese Herbed Croutons
4 T. butter or olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 T. minced garlic
1 tsp. dried thyme
15 oz. can artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped, drained
28 oz. can chopped tomatoes, with juices
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup sour cream
In a large saucepan, heat butter or olive oil and sauté the onion for 5 minutes until soft.
Add the garlic and thyme and sauté another minute. Add the artichoke hearts, tomatoes, chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Cover; simmer for 30 minutes. Add the sour cream, stir well and simmer for 5 more minutes. Taste for seasoning. Serve with herbed croutons.
Serves 8.
Cheese Herbed Croutons:
4 cups cubed Italian or French bread
¼ cup olive oil
2 T. dried Italian seasoning or herbs de Provence
1 cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese
In a bowl, combine all ingredients; toss well. Spread out on a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet and bake for 10 –12 minutes, until cheese is melted and bread is toasted.
Tuscan Minestrone with Pesto
¼ cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
¼ lb. pancetta, finely chopped
2 T. chopped garlic
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 T. chopped fresh rosemary
4 cups Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
4 cups white beans (cannellini) (2 x 15 oz. cans)
4 cups canned Italian tomatoes
2 cups water
salt and pepper taste
In a saucepan, heat olive oil and sauté the onion until soft. Add the pancetta, garlic, carrot, celery, zucchini, rosemary and cabbage. Simmer on low for 5 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes, water and salt and pepper. Cover; cook on low for 30 minutes.
Pesto:
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup olive oil
2 T. pine nuts
¼ cup grated Romano cheese
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth.
Add a few tablespoons to soup just before serving. Makes about 1 cup pesto.
To make a ribollita: bring soup to a simmer, add 4-6 cups toasted cubed Italian bread. Turn off heat and allow to the soup to sit for 1 hour and the soup will thicken. Serve with a fork, if needed with lots of grated cheese on top. This is a minestra – a hearty soup.
CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP
1 cup dried mixed mushrooms or other dried mushrooms (shiitake, porcini, etc.)
2 cups boiling hot water
4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 pound sliced white button mushrooms
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ cup flour
2 cups whole milk
Garnish: ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, 8 oz. sour cream
.For dried mushrooms: in a bowl, combine the dried mushrooms and 2 cups hot water. Let the mushrooms and water sit for 10-15 minutes.
In a large stockpot, heat butter and sauté the onion, carrots, and button mushrooms for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Stir in the potato, garlic, thyme salt and white pepper.. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add the ¼ cup flour, 2 cups whole milk and whisk until thickened slightly.
Add the rehydrated mushrooms and liquid to the pot. Stir; cover; simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking on bottom of pot. Transfer the entire pot of soup, in batches, to a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth and place back in saucepan. Taste for seasoning. Add more whole milk, about ½ cup at a time, heating after each addition. Serve with chopped parsley and a dollop of sour cream on top. Serves 6-8.
