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Several weeks ago, I received an e-mail from the Berkowitz family, which owns Legal Sea Foods, the East Coast restaurant chain. I’ve been to their King of Prussia location, where I enjoyed the best New England clam chowder this side of Boston, along with an array of fish and shellfish. The e-mail advised January is National Soup Month.
I cannot think of a better time to enjoy a big bowl of steaming hot, homemade soup. January is the coldest month of the year in our neck of the woods and soup is one of my favorites to make and eat.
My friend and mentor Barbara Kafka is an award-winning cookbook author. She believes food should be fun, tasty, easy to prepare and shared with family and friends. Last year she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the James Beard Foundation.
In the introduction to her book "Soup: A Way of Life," Kafka writes, "I almost always serve some kind of bread, whether it be a crunchy French loaf, an Italian peasant bread, an Indian flatbread or a tortilla. I need salad and I love wine. Good friends and laughter are the best seasonings."
Here are recipes from Kafka’s book:
Bourbon Corn Chowder
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 2-1/2 cups of canned creamed corn
- 1/4 cup of bourbon
- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, grated
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 to 3 drops of hot pepper sauce
- 1/2 cup of chicken stock
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream
Directions:
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring, for five minutes. Stir in the corn.
- In another small saucepan, heat the bourbon. Ignite it and let flame for one minute.
- Pour the bourbon, still flaming, over the corn mixture. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Heat through.
- Serves four.
Avgolemono
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of chicken stock
- 6 tablespoons of Carolina or other long-grain rice
- 8 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Stir in the rice and cook until tender, about eight to 10 minutes.
- Beat the yolks and lemon together in a large bowl.
- When the rice is tender, slowly ladle half of the hot broth into the yolks mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk the yolk mixture into the remaining broth and place over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, just long enough to thicken the soup. Do not boil. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Serves four.
White Bean, Chorizo and Broccoli Rabe Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 medium heads of garlic, peeled and smashed
- 8 cups of chicken stock
- 1 15-ounce can of small white beans
- 2 chorizo links, cut into thin coins
- 2 medium bunches of broccoli rabe, stems cut off, with tops and leaves only cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- In a medium stockpot, warm the oil over low heat. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent but not brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the stock and beans. Remove from the heat.
- In a large frying pan, cook the chorizo over medium heat, stirring until it changes color, about three minutes. Stir in the broccoli rabe, a handful at a time, and cook until wilted. Continue cooking and stirring until all of the broccoli rabe is bright green, about four minutes.
- Stir the broccoli rabe mixture into the bean mixture. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for five minutes. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Serves six.
Note from Phyllis: Kafka uses dry beans in this recipe, but I have had fine results using canned.
Spicy Peanut Butter Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, very finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- 2-1/2 cups of chicken stock
- 1 cup of peanut butter
- 1 cup of milk, light cream or half-and-half
- 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- 8 drops of hot red pepper sauce
Directions:
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the onion and chili powder and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and wilted, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Whisk in the peanut butter. Continue whisking until the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Simmer for five minutes.
- Serves four.
