Okay class, we’re doing a little Soup Math today. Nothing too difficult, but it helps me make my point!

If you think about Chicken Rice soup as a formula:

[Chicken + Rice + Button Mushrooms] = Chicken Rice Soup

then you’ll see how a few simple substitutions gets you to this NEW soup!

[Smoked turkey + Barley + Shiitaki mushrooms] = New Riff on Chicken Rice Soup

This is what I mean when I talk about “riffing off of a basic recipe.” You break the recipe down to it’s basic elements and then play with substitutions, altering flavor and texture till you find a combination you like. This is a good example of making just enough of a change from the old standby to be interesting but not so much as to be unrecognizable.

See what you think – or better yet, create your OWN riff on the original!

Smoked Turkey, Shiitaki & Barley Soup

Serves: 5

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons olive oil
4 ounces smoked turkey, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 cup diced sweet onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced celery
3-4 oz. thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
4 1/2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add turkey, onion, carrot, and celery, and saute 5 minutes till meat is lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Add mushrooms, cook 2 minutes or until tender.  Add water and rest of ingredients and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes or until barley is cooked.  Discard bay leaf before serving.

I have tested FOUR soups this week and my family is still speaking to me! In fact, they’re loving these new soups and are already asking when we can have them again. I love it when that happens. Cooking is much more fun when the people you’re cooking for are delighted with the end result!

This chowder is a great weeknight choice because it is takes so little time to make. Plus,  the ingredients are easy to find even in the dead of winter. My kids adore shrimp, but if you’d rather use chicken in this, you could easily substitute chicken that you’d pre-cooked and diced. If you go that route, add the chicken at the same time as you’d add the shrimp and just heat it through.

Shrimp & Corn Chowder

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 bunch green onions
3 cups diced red potatoes
3 cups fat free, less sodium chicken broth/stock ( I like the Pacific Foods brand)
1 (16 ounce) package frozen white corn, thawed
3/4 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Directions

1.  Remove green tops from onions. In one pile, chop white and light green portions and set aside. In another pile, chop dark green parts of onions. (You’ll use both.)

2.  Combine diced potatoes and chicken broth in a medium saucepan; bring mixture to a boil.  Cook for 5 minutes, add corn and sliced onion.  Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes.

3. Place 2 cups potato mixture in a blender (or bowl of immersion blender), and process until smooth.  Return to pan, and stir in shrimp.  Cook for 3 minutes or until shrimp are done.  Just before serving, stir in dark green onion tops, cream, and lemon juice.  Garnish with freshly ground black pepper.

When January rolls around, everyone I know is torn between their desire to lighten things up food-wise and their yearning for the warm, comforting dishes that are the hallmark of winter. I think soup strikes the perfect balance.

Done well, soup is a satisfying meal that won’t break the bank on calories or fat. A pot of simmering soup on the stove makes me feel like everything is right with the world. So this month, I’m bringing you a soup series on the blog. Try a different one every weekend – enjoy the chopping and simmering and especially the amazing aromas that will fill your kitchen.

We’re starting with French Onion Soup, which I remember ordering in restaurants when I was a child. I loved how the cheese melted over the sides of the crock and the slice of bread soaked up the broth. I still do. But most of the time, French Onion soup is overly salty and dripping with cheese. This version uses low-sodium beef broth and just enough cheese to give you the authentic experience without going over the top.  Enjoy!

It’s January. Soup’s on.

French Onion Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon butter (or olive oil)
5 medium onions (a mix of yellow and red is ideal), sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
6 cups low-sodium beef broth (I like the Pacific Foods brand)
1/2 cup dry red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot)
4 or 5 sprigs fresh thyme
Freshly cracked pepper
4 slices of baguette or sourdough bread
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
Chopped parsley (optional)

Directions

1.  Heat the butter in a large stock pot over low heat.  Add the onions and salt.  Cover the pot and cook the onions over VERY low heat until very soft and caramelized, about 30 minutes.  (Most of this time they can be left unattended if the heat is low enough.  Check on the onions every 10 minutes or so to stir.)

2.  Add the bay leaves, broth, wine, and thyme.  Simmer on low heat for at least 15 minutes.  Season with pepper.  Discard the bay leaves.

3.  Preheat the broiler.  Divide the soup among 4 oven-proof bowls.  Top each with a slice of baguette and some cheese.  Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 3 minutes. Garnish with additional fresh thyme leaves or chopped parsley.