Goulash Soup Recipe
2 lbs beef, cut in 1 inch cubes
3-4 tbsp vegetable oil
4 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 c red wine
5 cups chicken (or beef) broth
2 tbsp Hungarian paprika
1 bay leaf
1 tsp caraway seeds
salt & pepper to taste
4 medium potatoes, cubed

1. In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium high heat and add one layer of meat and brown well on all sides. Take your time and do not crowd the pan.  Remove to a plate and continue with the remainder of the meat.  You will need to add a little more oil to the pan as you continue.  This should take a good 15 minutes or longer to brown all of the meat.

2. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and saute until they are translucent, about 8-10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.  Stir in the tomato paste until well incorporated.

3. Deglaze the pan with the wine and stir until incorporated.  Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get up all the tasty bits.  Add the meat back to the pan, along with the chicken broth, paprika, bay leaf and caraway seeds.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir often.

5. Add the potatoes and simmer for an additional 30-45 minutes.  Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Note: I used a combination of sweet and hot Hungarian Paprika, 1 tablespoon of each.

Note 2: There is much more liquid than you see in the images… it just doesn’t photograph well as a soup.

Cream of Broccoli and Zucchini Soup

1 lb broccoli
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed and rough chop
4 c chicken stock (low sodium)
1/2 lb zucchini, cut into 1 inch rounds
3 tbsp basil, chopped
1/4 c half and half (optional)
salt
pepper

1. Cut the broccoli florets into large (about 2 inch) pieces.  Peel the stalk and cut into 1 inch pieces.

2. Heat olive oil and butter in a heavy bottom pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes, until translucent.  Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring often for another 2 minutes.

3. Carefully pour the chicken stock in and bring to a simmer over medium high heat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the broccoli stalk, lower heat to medium low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the florets and simmer for another 3-4 minutes.  Remove 1-2 florets to garnish the finished soup and set aside.  Add the zucchini and simmer until everything is tender, another 5 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and very carefully, puree the hot soup, preferably with an immersion blender.  If you do not have an immersion blender, use a regular one, but only fill 1/2 way, and do not seal the top when pureeing.  Instead, cover with several layers of kitchen towels.  Otherwise, you will spew hot soup around the kitchen!  After the soup is smooth, add the basil and puree a little more to incorporate the basil into the soup.  Stir in the half and half and check your seasonings. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

Makes 4-6 Servings

Matzo ball is one of my favorite soups, and I seek out Jewish Delis for that reason.  However, many of the delis that serve matzo ball soup clearly make their soup with a soup base or prepared stock.  You can tell by the flavor and color.  If it is very yellow in color, you can be sure there is something else in it other than chicken.  I made my soup from scratch… chicken, veggies and water.  No base, no stock.. no chemicals.  It might have been the best Matzo Ball Soup I’ve ever eaten… if I must say so myself!  I used the same recipe I use for chicken noodle soup and cooked the matzo balls separately.  I prefer to make the stock the day before and refrigerate overnight to remove the fat.  You’d be surprised how much fat comes from a chicken!

Chicken Stock Recipe

1 whole chicken, about 5 pounds
2 medium onions, cut into large chunks
4 celery ribs, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1 tbsp black peppercorns
3 stalks parsley
1 stalk rosemary (optional)
1 stalk thyme (optional)

1. Place chicken, onions, celery, carrots and peppercorn into a large stock pot. Fill with enough cold water (about 6 quarts) to cover everything.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Once the liquid is simmering, reduce heat to medium low and simmer covered for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and very carefully, remove the chicken from the pot.  Let cool for about 20 minutes until you can handle it.  Remove all the meat from the bones and return the chicken bones to the pot.  Refrigerate the meat until ready to finish the soup.

2. Gently simmer soup for 2 hours.  Be careful not to let come to a boil, or the stock will be cloudy.   Stir every once in while to ensure nothing sticks.  During the last 20 minutes, add the fresh herbs.  Remove from heat and strain the stock.  I strain it thorough cheesecloth, to make sure the stock is clear, but it is not necessary. Discard the bones and vegetables.  Cool down (I put the pot in the sink filled with ice water) and then refrigerate overnight.

Makes about 4 quarts of chicken stock

Matzo Ball Recipe (from Streit’s Matzo Meal box)

1 c Streits Matzo Meal
4 large eggs
1/4 c oil or melted margarine
1/4 c water or seltzer
1 ts salt
pinch ground pepper

1. Beat eggs. Add water, oil, salt and pepper.  Mix well and add Matzo meal and stir thoroughly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Partially fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Moisten palms with cold water and form mixture into balls, about 1 inch in diameter.  Drop matzo balls into boiling water.

3. When all the matzo balls are in the pot, reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for about 30 minutes or until done.  Remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.

Makes 10-12 matzo balls

Matzo Ball Soup Recipe

1 recipe chicken stock from above
3 carrots, thinly sliced
3 ribs celery
cooked matzo balls
reserved chicken from above, shredded into bite size pieces
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
salt
pepper

1. Remove cold chicken stock from the refrigerator.  Gently spoon off the fat that accumulates on top and discard.  Bring to a simmer over medium high heat.  Add carrots, celery, matzo balls and a teaspoon of salt, pinch of pepper and reduce heat to low.  Let simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Add reserved chicken and let simmer for a few minutes to heat through.  Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.  Stir in parsley at the end.

Makes a huge pot of soup, about 10 servings

Lemony Potato Soup Recipe

2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
3 carrots, peeled and grated with the large holes of a box grater
1 onion, finely diced
1 box (48 oz) chicken broth
1 pound potatoes, peeled and large dice (I used large red skin)
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 c parsley, chopped
salt
pepper

1. Heat butter and oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the grated carrot and onion and saute for about 5 minutes.

2. Add chicken broth, potatoes, and a little salt and pepper.  Bring just to a simmer, and reduce heat to medium low.  Let simmer until potatoes are fully cooked, but not mushy.

3. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, sour cream and parsley.  Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.  Keep in mind the chicken broth may be salty before adding more salt.

Makes 6 Servings

Note: You can also use an immersion blender for just a few seconds to slightly puree and thicken the soup naturally.

Most people don’t know what fennel is… I actually had someone stop me in the grocery store, asking me what this strange bulbous veggie in my shopping cart is. It seems people either love or hate fennel. It has a slight licorice flavor, and a wonderful crunch when eaten raw. Its fabulous thinly sliced in a salad. This soup has a combination of carrot and fennel, but the fennel definitely plays a supporting role in this soup, as the sweet carrot flavor really shines. Give fennel a chance!

I will warn you, however, this soup tastes (and is) very healthy. Although I liked the soup, Stephan didn’t care for it, and said it tasted like baby food! Gotta love brutal honesty!

Carrot and Fennel Soup Recipe

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced; fronds reserved and chopped
1 ½ lbs. carrots, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4-5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
¾ tsp. salt, or to taste
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp lemon juice, to taste
2 Tbsp. crème fraîche, or more to taste (or sour cream)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a large, heavy saucepan, warm oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for a few minutes. Then add the fennel slices, and cook, stirring, until softened. Add the carrots and garlic, and cook for another minute or two. Pour in 4 cups chicken broth (if, after puréeing, you feel that the soup is too thick, you can add the final cup, but it’s better to err on the side of adding too little at first), and season with salt. Simmer, covered, until the carrots and fennel are very tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Remove the soup from the heat, and stir in the orange juice and reserved fennel fronds. If you have an immersion blender, purée the soup directly in the pot; otherwise, transfer it in batches to a food processor or blender, puréeing until smooth. Stir in the crème fraîche and lemon juice. Taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve warm.

Makes 6 Servings

Note: I reserved a little of the fronds, chopped it very fine, and added it just before serving as garnish.