Sunday Supper Soup…dare you to say that 5x fast.

Sunday just seems like a soup kinda day to me.  Especially when you and your husband are both fighting colds and it’s been snowing non-stop all weekend long.  Plus, soup is relatively easy to just throw together in the morning and then you just let it hang out on the stove for a couple hours and let it make your house smell all delicious and warm…before you know it, you’ve got dinner and leftovers for tomorrow already made.  We typically attend mass on Sunday evenings and we’re usually starving by the time we get home, so I always try to plan in advance so we have dinner waiting on us when we get home.  I love having a nice, homecooked meal that requires Gus and I to actually sit down at the dining room table for Sunday supper (confession: yes, this means that the rest of the week we’re usually eating dinner at the coffee table…because it has the best view of American Idol), but I always try and choose something that requires minimal effort on Sunday’s, as I’m all about that whole day of rest thing.  This also happens to be one of Gus’ favorite soups and one that I’ve never made before.  The soup by itself was pretty good…but once you had some grated Gruyere cheese and a handful of Garlic Parmesan Croutons, it made it pretty darn good.   And now my throat is feeling better, I’m all warm and toasty even if it’s 16 degrees outside, and I enjoyed a nice, well rested Sunday supper that didn’t include planning our dinner around our TV schedule. 

 

 

French Onion Soup

• 6 Sweet Vidalia Onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 cups Dry White Wine
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. Fresh Thyme, chopped
• 2 Bay Leaves (don’t forget to remove these later…biting into a big ole bay leaf is not delicious)
• 4 cups Beef Stock
• 4 cups Chicken Stock
• Couple shakes of Worcestershire Sauce
• Salt and Pepper to taste  (easy on the salt though…broth is salty enough and we don’t want our fingers so swollen tomorrow that our wedding rings don’t fit)
• handful of grated Gruyere Cheese (you could also use Swiss, Fontina, Provolone, etc…Gruyere is my favorite though, but it is a little pricey so hide the grocery bill from your husband till he tastes that $12 cheese…then he’ll be a Gruyere supporter.)
• handful of Garlic Parmesan Croutons (these are just too easy not to make…buy a baguette or just use some day old crusty bread…chop into large cubes, brush with melted butter, season with garlic powder, sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese and toast under your broiler on low till golden brown…you’ll never buy store bought croutons again.)

 

1. Melt the butter over medium low heat in a large dutch oven or stock pot.  Add the sliced onions and toss to coat with the melted butter.  Once onions are all coated, let them sweat and cook down for 15-20 minutes without stirring. 
2. Once onions have softened, continue to cook over medium low heat and stir occasionally until onions have turned brown and caramelized.  This should take about 45 minutes. 
3. Add the wine and vinegar to the onions and turn the heat up to high.  Allow the liquid to reduce to a syrup consistency.  Make sure you scrap up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  (brown bits = yummy in my tummy flavor)
4. Add the broth, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and Worcestershire sauce to the pot.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes – 1 hour. 
5. When ready to serve, remove the bay leaves from the pot and ladle soup into oven safe bowls.  Add a handful of croutons and grated cheese, then broil over low until the cheese is melted and bubbly. 

And the official, inaugural dish cooked in my maaahvelous Le Creuset is…

…Chicken Tortilla Soup!   I love a good bowl of soup in the winter time, and when you live in one of the most frigid places in the country, soup can not only be a meal, but also a supplementary heating device.  Seriously, I can keep our thermostat 5 degrees lower when soup’s on the dinner menu.  Gus and I fell in love with Chicken Tortilla Soup after spending 2 weeks in Nuevo Vallarta for our honeymoon, so I decided it would not only be a great winter meal, but also kinda romantic too.  One big collective, “awwwww”.  The substitutions to make this healthy and Daniella-ified were pretty simple and easy, yet still left us with a very flavorful, filling soup.  Sure, the honeymoon version was better but that’s due to a number or reasons… 1.) Full fat cheese, sour cream, and fried tortilla strips served on top…you have to indulge on the honeymoon right?!, 2.) Those Mexican chefs definitely know a lot more than me when it comes to authentic Mexican cooking, 3.) Piquillo Peppers.  They’re everywhere in Mexico, but I can’t find one stinking Piquillo Pepper in the 3rd largest city in America to save my life, and 4.) Everything just tastes better when you’re enjoying it with your brand spanking new husband.  Time for another “awwwww”.  Alright, alright, enough of the schmoopie talk. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Healthy (and romantic!) Chicken Tortilla Soup

• 1 lb. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 2 cans of Black Beans, drained
• 2 cans of Green Chilies, drained
• 1 can of Enchilada Sauce (I used hot, but if you’re a big ole wimp, then mild will suffice)
• 1 can of Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
• 2 cups of Chicken Broth
• 2 tsp. Cumin
• 2 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

Ideas for Toppings:

• Dollop of fat-free Greek Yogurt
• Chopped Scallions
• Handful of Whole-Wheat Tortilla Strips (Don’t reach for those evil Tostito’s!  Take 1 Whole-Wheat tortilla, cut into strips, lay flat on baking sheet, spray lightly with olive oil, bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes until they crisp up)
• Sprinkle of low-fat Cheese
• Slice of Avocado
• Squeeze of fresh Lime (sounds funny, but this is how they served it in Mexico and it was shockingly delish)

 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a baking dish with olive oil and lay the chicken breasts in the pan.  Season to taste and roast the chicken for 30-35 minutes, or until the juices run clear.  Once the roasted chicken has cooled, shred with two forks and set aside.
2. Coat the bottom of a stock pot or dutch oven (why helloooo, my lovely Le Creuset!) with olive oil and sweat the onions and garlic over medium heat.  Next, add in the green chilies and sweat those for about 30 seconds before turning the heat down to low. 
3. To the veggies, add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, and enchilada sauce.  Stir to incorporate the liquids then add the beans, shredded chicken, cilantro, and seasoning to the pot.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour, while stirring occasionally. 
4. Serve with your favorite assorted toppings…mine happen to include a dollop of fat-free Greek yogurt (I know I sound like a broken record, but this stuff makes healthy stuff taste oh-so-naughty), a sprinkling of diced scallions, toasted whole-wheat tortilla strips and a squeeze of fresh lime.  Ahhh, it’s *almost* like being back on the honeymoon.  Minus that whole it’s-negative-thirty-outside-and-we-have-a-foot-of-snow-on-the-ground part.