More Soup For You!

I'm totally on a soup kick right now. I didn't plan on having three blogs in a row on the subject but, who doesn't love a warm bowl of comforting goodness when there's a chill in the air and snow on the ground? I found this recipe for Baked Potato Soup on AllRecipes.com. It's one of my favorite places for recipes online because there are tons of reviews, it crunches the numbers for you if you want to change the amount of servings, and if you register you can save your favorite recipes in a neat little recipe box. The recipe is just as easy as it is tasty.

Tortilla Soup: Holy Chipotle!

I spend a ton of time with the Food Network chefs. They come in to my home, tell me stories about the dishes they make, and I feel like I have a special relationship with each of then.

Rachael Ray was one of my favorites to begin with. Her food is fun, not overly complicated or fussy. I have a few go-to recipes that came from Rachael's kitchen.

Rach also gave* me her cookbook 365 Days No Repeats, and I must admit I made a few recipes from there and I don't love all of them. Some fell a little bit flat in the flavor department, so you have to take her recipes with a grain of salt (literally!). Don't skimp on any ingredient that adds flavor and definitely taste it and add more seasoning as needed.

I was browsing some of her recipes online when I saw this one: Chicken Tortilla Soup with Chipotle and Fire Roasted Tomatoes

First reaction, Yumm-O! Quick, get out the EVOO and the Official RR Garbage Bowl** and let's get cooking. Not that easy, I went to three different grocery stores until I finally found the star ingredient: chipotle in adob0. I had never used it before but seen it on Food Network many times. It kind of reminds me of roasted red peppers, but in a spicy brown adobo sauce. I was looking for a jar but it actually comes in a little can. I found it in the Mexican section at the Commissary at Fort Lee. The Commissary always has good international ingredients, probably because military families who have lived overseas have some diverse tastes. Sad news is, you have to have a military ID or be with someone who has one to make purchases.

Now that I had successfully hunted down the chipotles I was ready to get cooking! Once I had the soup going I realized without the toppings and chiles it was basically just some canned tomatoes and some poached chicken. Yumm-O? More like Lame-O! Those peppers better be good.

I started with one (Rach called for two) because I am a pansy when it comes to spicy stuff. Wow, the soup tasted awesome! I added a couple big spoonfuls of the adobo sauce and the spice level was perfect. The flavor sort of reminds me of cumin, smokey and flavorful but not overly hot. My whole family loved it. For a minute there my parents were actually happy that I am temporarily crashing their empty nest. You must try this recipe! And check back here to see what I decide to do with the rest of the chipotles in adobe!!

* OK, so maybe my mom gave it to me, but my story is more fun.

** I don't actually own the Official Rachel Ray Garbage Bowl, but I've seen them in stores and it makes me chuckle that someone would actually buy a garbage bowl.

French Onion Soup: The Adventures of Super Chopping Girl

If French Onion soup is on the menu, I will probably order it. The sweet onions and beefy broth are delicious, but we all know it's the melty cheese on top that makes it so irresistible. This baked cheesey delight has been on my list of food to cook for awhile now, and with the cold weather rolling in it got bumped to the top of the list.

Most cooks dread chopping onions, I actually look forward to it. I shared with my Mom that I would be making FOS and she advised me to use the food processor. I ignored this comment because I love to chop. Also, unlike most mere mortals, onions don't make me cry. Seriously, ask anyone who's seen me in the kitchen.

I perused a few recipes, and watched this video of Alton Brown making FOS. I acquired a few onions, 2 vidalias and 2 red onions at the store the day before, so I was shocked when he said to use 8 onions! Wow, no wonder mom wanted me to break out the food processor. Chopping eight onions might even make Super Chopping Girl tear up. I compared AB's recipes to some I found online, and discovered that most averaged about 1 large onion per serving. So I could make enough for everyone in my house with just 3. Here's the recipe I followed.

I cooked the onions for about an hour. The recipe said 45 minutes, but after that amount of time the onions didn't look as brown as AB's onions. After another 15 minutes. I still wasn't satisfied, but I was also sick of babysitting the onions. I moved on to the next step, finished cooking the soup and put it in the fridge so I could construct the bowls of bread and cheesy goodness the next day.

I followed AB's advice for assembling the bowls and they looked awesome if I do say so myself. I grated asiago on top of the croutons, then topped them with 1 slice of provolone and 2 slices swiss each.

Final verdict: I was happy with the way my cheese and croutons turned out, but the soup, not so much. Cooking the onions took forever and they didn't even taste that good. With all the hassle and a mediocre result, I don't think I would make this one again. I'd be better off going to Panera. But if you do feel the need to try FOS on your own, don't forget these important tips:

- Cook the onions to a deep dark brown, at least 1.5 hours!

-You need about 1 large onion per serving.

-Use sweet onions: vidalia, red or a combination of both.

- If onions make you cry, a food processor is probably a good idea.

This picture turned out quite artsy don't you think? There might be hope for my food photography.