Soup Season: Delicious Sausage, White Bean and Escarole Soup Recipe

I love soup. There's hardly anything I like more than a warm bowl of something hearty when it is cold outside. This time of the year, a big pot of soup is the perfect way to feed a big crowd and this recipe for Sausage, White Bean and Escarole soup is not only fast, it is also very affordable. For game day or Winter Olympics viewing parties, you can serve this with a salad and some toasty garlic bread and you're all set!

SAUSAGE, WHITE BEAN AND ESCAROLE SOUP

Serves 6-8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds of spicy or mild Italian sausage, removed from casing

1 medium yellow onion, diced

5 carrots, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

5-6 whole canned tomatoes plus 1/2 cup of juice from Italian canned tomatoes

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

splash white wine (or any) vinegar

1 cup white wine (optional)

5-6 cups low sodium chicken broth 

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

2 cans cannelini beans (white pinto beans, Great Northern beans)

2 cups escarole, chopped

Parmesan for garnish

Tabasco-optional

In a large Dutch oven, over medium high heat, brown the sausage, removed from the casing. Once the sausage is nice and brown, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan; drain on paper towels. Reserve. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan. Let the oil get hot and add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook 3 minutes or until softened. Let the vegetables get nice and soft, stirring occasionally, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic. Cook one minute more. Add the sausage back to the pot. Add salt, pepper, and thyme. Add the tomatoes by crushing them with your hands into little pieces. Add the juice from the tomatoes, vinegar, Worcestershire, and the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook and stir for about 1-2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, beans and escarole. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook 10 minutes more. The soup is ready to serve when the escarole is wilted. Serve with toasty garlic bread and garnish with grated Parmesan.

Metropolitan Cooking Show Houston Recipes: Butternut Squash Soup and Caramel Apple Crostata

I had such a great time at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show this past weekend in Houston! American Idol winner Taylor Hicks and I were together again for this event and it was so much fun... a little singing and a lot of cooking in the Celebrity Theater. It was an Alabama meets Texas weekend since The University of Alabama played Texas A & M that Saturday in College Station, Texas. I think half the state of Alabama was in Texas... I was actually escorted across the Texas state line by four Alabama Football team buses along with four Alabama State Trooper vehicles... quite a welcome to the Lone Star state. During the show, I made my favorite fall recipes: a yummy Caramel Apple Crostata and delicious Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. The recipes are posted below!

 

I was also asked to come up on stage and make a cocktail recipe with none other than Paula Deen. It was her first pulic appearance in months so it was pretty incredible to be there and be part of it. No matter what anyone says of Paula Deen, it is my humble opinion that she got a raw deal from the media and from the public who did not take the time to find out the facts before they reacted and convicted Paula in the press. She asked the public for forgiveness for her words; who does not deserve that? Paula Deen remains an icon, a true steel magnolia. Paula's life story is inspiring. She gives me hope for my own food career. If you watched Food Network Star, you know that her story has always been an inspiration to me. We chatted a bit and made her cousin Johnnie's sangria recipe. I was very honored and grateful to her for the opportunity. The recipe is below... perfect for a wedding shower, a girl's night party... light and delicious but it packs a punch!

Cousin Johnnie's White Sangria with Peaches Recipe from Paula Deen

2 cups diced ripe peaches

1 bottle dry white wine, chilled (I would use Sauvignon Blanc)

3/4 cup brandy

3/4 cup Grand Marnier

1 tablespoon sugar

1 bottle Ginger Ale, chilled

Put the wine, brandy, Grand Marnier and sugar in a pitcher. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Put 1-2 teaspoons peaches in stemmed wine glasses. Fill half full with the wine mixture. Top off each glass with a little ginger ale.

MARTIE'S ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP RECIPE

Category: Soup

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Depending on portion size, this serves about 8

2 (4-5 pounds) large butternut squash, halved and seeded
2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
5-7 cups low-sodium chicken broth (depending on how thick you want the soup
¼ cup organic maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper

Dash cayenne pepper (I use a couple of big dashes but I suggest you do one, taste and then another if you want more heat)
½ cup heavy cream (more if you like, and I always like!)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 425 F. Brush insides and outsides of squash halves with 1 T of oil and place, cut sides up, on a sheet pan or roasting pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until the squash is fork tender. Remove from oven and cool to touch.

Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot. Cook the onion until softened. Use a spoon to scoop out the squash from the peel and add to onion.  Stir in the first 4 cups of chicken broth a little at a time. Simmer, about 20 minutes, adding more chicken broth as necessary to keep the soup from becoming too thick.  Add the maple syrup, salt and both peppers. Whisk in the cream. Add parsley. If you like your soup with some texture, stop here.  I like this soup really smooth so I use an immersion blender to make it velvety before I add the heavy cream. Just before serving, stir in a tablespoon or two of butter. I find it makes the soup even more velvety and delicious.

RUSTIC CARAMEL APPLE CROSTATA RECIPE

Skill Level: Moderate

Category: Dessert

Prep Time: 20 minutes plus 1 hour chill time for the dough

Cook Time: 22-25 minutes

This may be my favorite recipe. You can’t believe how fast and easy you can make a pie; something I grew up eating after every meal. I have used just about everything inside of the crust but just make sure the dough is well chilled and the filling is not too juicy or it won’t hold together.

INGREDIENTS

Pastry

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated or superfine sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 pound (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, diced

3 tablespoons ice water plus 1/2 teaspoon more,  if dough seems dry

Filling

11/2 pounds apples (3-4 large semi-tart apples work best)

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground  allspice

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced into small pieces

Egg Wash

1 egg, beaten

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

For the pastry,place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine the dry ingredients. Add the butter, a little at a time, pulsing between additions until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube-stop the machine just before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and form into a round. Don’t over handle or over mix because your dough will be tough. Wrap the round with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When you are ready to make the crostata, flour the board and a rolling pin; roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Wrap it over the rolling pin and transfer it to a baking sheet.

For the filling, peel, core, and cut the apples. I like the look of slices- I usually slice a small apple into 8 slices. Put the apple into a bowl and toss with the lemon juice and the lemon zest. Next, add the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Add the cold butter. Mix all of the ingredients together until the apples are well coated. Turn the apples out onto the crust, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border all the way around.  Gently fold the border over the apples to enclose the dough, pleating it to make a circle. Finish with the egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar before baking.

Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Allow to cool slightly. Just before serving, drizzle with caramel sauce; you can make it or purchase.

HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE

Ingredients

nocoupons 1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions: Put the sugar in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat until the sugar melts and turns a light golden brown color. Add the butter. Swirl the pan to incorporate the butter into the sugar. Watch carefully because it will burn. Bring to a boil until it becomes a light medium brown, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Sugar is very hot so be very careful. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the cream and the vanilla. Return to low heat and simmer until the sauce is smooth and thick. Serve it warm, or add another 1/4 cup of heavy cream and serve room temperature.

Serves 5-6 depending on how large you cut the slices.

Party with a Purpose: VSA Alabama Acoustic Soup

I had such a good time judging the soup-off for the 5th Annual Acoustic Soup in my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama! Great soup, great music, and a wonderful cause... VSA Alabama.  

We've been talking about how much fun hosting a SOUPer Bowl Showdown for Super Bowl Sunday would be. Well, tonight's party was just that! Eighteen top restaurants and caterers battled it out for best soup. Here was the lineup:

 AVO: Laksa, B&A WAREHOUSE: Potato Ham, BARKING KUDU: French Roux Gumbo, BISTRO PROVARE: Roasted Corn Chowder, BISTRO V: Chicken Andouille Gumbo, CENTURY RESTAURANT AT THE TUTWILER: Roasted Chicken Gumbo, CHEF U: Kohlrabi Ham Hock Soup, CRAZY CAJUN: Seafood Gumbo YaYa, JACKSON'S: Roasted Tomato Soup, LITTLE SAVANNAH: Chocolate Soup, LUCY'S COFFEE & TEA: Cheatin' on Winter Pea Soup, MAFIAOZA'S: Pasta Fagioli, MICHAEL'S STEAKS & SEAFOOD: Tequila Lime Chicken, OLEXA'S CAFE:Tomato Basil Bisque, TRATTORIA CENTRALE: Creamy Mushroom, WYNFREY HOTEL: Spicy Italian Lentil and Grilled Butternut Squash

My partner in crime for the night was my friend and rockstar cheesemaker, Tasia Malakasis of Belle Chevre. You've probably read some of my recent ravings about her deliciously yummy breakfast spreads. Anyway-- we got to sample every single soup at least once! And some, we had to try twice. We really took our job seriously... it was so difficult to select a winner because there were so many excellent soups!!

THE WINNERS! 

I had my favorites narrowed down to a top five going in to the final judging: The Wynfrey Hotel's Spicy Italian Lentil, Michael's Tequila Lime Chicken, Crazy Cajun's Seafood Gumbo YaYa, B&A Warehouse's Potato Ham, and the Chocolate Soup from Little Savannah topped my list. Tasia had her own favorites. We compared notes and decided that we could not name just one! Our winners:

JUDGE'S FAVORITE: TEQUILA LIME CHICKEN by Michael's Steak & Seafood

HONORABLE MENTION: CHOCOLATE SOUP by Little Savannah

BEST TABLETOP DISPLAY: Olexa's Cafe, Cakes, & Catering

Guests were given a guitar pick when they arrived to vote. The soup with the most picks won the audience favorite.   

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD: Wynfrey Hotel's SPICY ITALIAN LENTIL SOUP

VSA is a wonderful organization; they are dedicated to serving children and adults with disabilities and chronic illnesses through the arts. They provide therapy through art to many individuals, schools, hospitals, and other organizations. The national organization was founded by Jean Kennedy Smith and offers visual arts, drama, creative writing, drumming and rhythm, creative movement, music therapy, and art therapy programming. It's a wonderful cause and I am thrilled to have been asked to be a part of it all.

***Big shout out to Michael, Tiffany, Tiffany, and Megan for the wonderful experience!

Visit the VSA Alabama website to see all they do for those with disabilities.

Soup Showdown Recipe: Vickie's Golden Cheese Chowder

For our Souper Bowl Showdown for Super Bowl Sunday, try this Golden Cheese Chowder recipe from Vickie, one of our Facebook friends! I tried it and thought it was really good. I used 1/2 white cheddar and 1/2 sharp cheddar for the cheese and added a little goat cheese (I had some in the fridge so I used it up) but I think any cheese combination would taste pretty good. Try it and let us know what you think!

VICKIE'S GOLDEN CHEESE CHOWDER

3/4 Cup Butter or Margarine

1/2 Cup all purpose flour

4 cups Milk (warm)

4 Cups (1 lb) shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

3 Cups Water

4 Medium Potatoes, peeled and diced

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup diced onion

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 cups diced, cooked ham

Hot Sauce (to taste)

Melt butter in heavy 2 quart saucepan over low heat and add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute; Stir constantly. Gradually stir in warm milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. Add cheese, stirring until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine water, vegetables, salt and pepper in a 5 quart Dutch oven; heat to boiling. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in all other ingredients. Cook over low heat until thoroughly heated (DO NOT BOIL). Makes 12 to 14 servings.

Vickie's note: The better quality cheese you use, the better the soup will be. Sometimes I substitute beer for some of the water and bacon for ham.

Soup Showdown Recipe: Don's Favorite Black Bean Soup

I really love it when the boys get in on the act... here's a great recipe adapted by another friend from back in the day! Love it! See Don's ** notes at the end with the adjustments he'd make next time. You might want to go ahead and try it that way. Make this one and let us know!! Thank you, Don! Hey, and A+ on the photo styling!

Don's Black Bean SoupDON’S FAVORITE BLACK BEAN SOUP

Ingredients
10 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheddar, for garnish

Directions
Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.

**If I make this again, I will substitute Smoked Kielbasa for the bacon, and cut back on the cilantro just a little. PS, I stole this from the food network (but since i am modifying it, i can now put a claim to it???