Savory Snowman Soup

Snowbert - Snowberta - Snowthirda

It’s a snowy blustery day here in western Montana, but it’s January 30th and this is the first real snow we’ve had since the first of the year.  It’s a perfect day for Savory Snowman Soup!

Savory Snowman Soup is something I made to peek the curiosity of young and picky eaters.  How could they turn down Snowman Soup?  Unlike the recipes for hot chocolate on the internet that call themselves by the same name, this is a “real” savory soup.

This soup starts with a rich chicken broth. I always make broth from the carcass of my roasted Hutterite chickens because this is another whole meal you would throw away if you don't get this last bit of goodness out of it first.  If you do this too, it’s ok to add the little bits of meat you pick off the bones to the soup. You can also use canned stock or broth or Better than Bouillon vegetarian no-chicken to make the broth if you prefer.

Savory Snowman Soup

Cutting carrot noses.

 
6 cups Chicken stock or broth
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic mashed and minced
½ teaspoon thyme
2 cups finely diced potato
2 cups carrots peeled and julienne cut
15oz can of black beans rinsed well and drained
4 oz can diced mild green chilies (optional)
1 pint half and half
Salt and pepper to taste

Dice your onion and sweat it in the olive oil for a few minutes until it becomes translucent.  Add the broth and other ingredients, except the beans and half and half, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.  

Snow Bunnies love Snowman Soup

If you would prefer a slightly thicker soup, you can add a few mashed potato flakes or mix a couple tablespoons of organic cornstarch with a little water and stir that into the soup and let it cook for a few minutes to thicken.

Next, add the well rinsed and drained black beans and the half and half.  

Grammie's Snow Bunnies

Taste the soup for seasoning and get ready to serve to curious onlookers.  You can garnish with a little chopped greens if you prefer and a nice accompaniment is soft bread sticks for dipping.

Stay warm and Enjoy!

Garden Freestyle

Today's bounty

Wandering through the garden each morning with an eye toward what will be for dinner is one of the great pleasures in life.  Gardens often offer up bountiful surprises in some years and disappointment in others.  Zucchini seems to be one of those bountiful crops and so I ponder new ways to use this beautiful vegetable.

I love soup and it's something we sometimes don't think about as a summer meal, but this one will surprise you with it's light, savory, fresh from the garden flavor.

Garden Freestyle - Soup
 This recipe makes a good sized pot of soup and the variations are endless.

Start with:

Saute the onions in olive oil until translucent

3 quarts of chicken stock (you can use Better Than Bouillon Chicken or Veggie for the stock if you wish) 
2 cups onion chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves of garlic minced
8-10 slices of bacon cooked, drained, chopped
2 cups half and half or heavy cream


From the garden - co-op - farmer's market:
4 - 5 cups chopped zucchini (1" pieces) or cauliflower or cabbage or a combination
4 cups chopped kale or chard or spinach or a combination
1/2 - 1 cup of chopped fresh herbs - usually basil and thyme, sometimes a little oregano or sage. If you don't have fresh herbs, use about a teaspoon each of dried basil and thyme.

I wash, stack, and roll the kale and basil leaves and slice them.

If you have a few potatoes, a little corn or peas, let your intuition and garden dictate what you will make today.  I've tried a number of different combinations, but my favorite is still just the zucchini and kale which are always abundant.  The amounts are just guidelines.  If you chop up 5 zucchini and get 6 cups, use it, it's no problem with this Freestyle soup.


Step 1 - cook the bacon and set it aside to cool, drain, and chop

In the pot ready to simmer.

Step 2 - saute the onions in the olive oil until they become mostly translucent
Step 3 - add the garlic, chopped veggies, and the stock
Step 4 - add the bacon (additional meat is optional - in this photo you see a little chicken that I picked from the bones when I made my stock from a chicken carcass. 
Step 5 - add the herbs and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 15-20 minutes depending on the veggies you

are using.
Step 6 - stir in the half and half or heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve this Garden Freestyle soup for lunch or dinner with a crusty bread if desired. 

If you have left overs, they get even better the next day as the smoky flavor increases.  This is an amazingly delicious light summer soup, made with the freshest ingredients your garden or farmer's market can offer!

Enjoy!