Tag: soup recipe

Creamy Leek & Chicken Soup with Barley

 

Creamy Leek & Chicken Soup with Barley

4 chicken bottoms
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
5 sprigs thyme
2 dried bay leaves
1 cup barley, rinsed
9 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 tsp umami seasoning (optional)

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side, remove from the pot. Add the leeks and saute until wilted and starting to brown. Add the garlic and stir to incorporate and soften. Add the wine and use a spatula to scrape any bits from the bottom of the pan while the wine cooks down and the mixture is creamy. Return the chicken to the bot and add the thyme, bay leaves, barley, and stock. Season with umami seasoning, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Bring the soup up to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 1 hour.


Related Recipes:

cream of chicken soup in bread bowls
cream of leek soup
grilled leeks with crispy panko
salmon en croute with creamed leeks

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Shawarma Soup for Otodah!

I was so honored to host Hadassa Goldberg, known as @therealhadassa, an incredibly talented, soulful and caring olah who has made it her mission to take care of our soldiers on the front lines, as well as their wives, who she calls Sheroes (SHE heroes!). To me, Hadassa is the original shero.

Even before October 7th, Hadassa had a passion for visiting and taking care of the chayalim, but over the past year +, she has been delivering hot meals, supplies, letters and love to the front lines, arranging food and care packages for army wives for Shabbat and holidays. Her number is on every army wives speed dial, and whatever is needed, she makes it happen.

She’s hosted tours of the South, danced with widows at the Nova site, and brought the Dance For Nova night of inspiration and dance all over the world, together with her friend Chana of HouseofLancry. I was honored to attend a recent Dance for Nova event with my daughter and it was the most beautiful, heartfelt and inspiring experience.

Hadassa’s latest project is the OTODAH food truck that will service soldiers year round! Soup in the winter, smoothies in the summer. As she says, it’s like gratitude has a pantry, wheels and a great playlist!

The food truck will drive to army bases that need that special hug, a taste of home, and we can all be a part of it!

To help get the word out about Otodah, I invited Hadassah to make soup together – a shawarma soup inspired by all the hot shawarma’s she has delivered to our soldiers! Kind of a like a chicken tortilla soup – only all things shawarma! It is truly a hug in a bowl and I hope I get the opportunity to cook it for the soldiers one day soon on Otodah!

Shawarma Soup

If you’re using this recipe, I kindly as that you send a donation to support Hadassa and the OTODAH food truck, in who’s honor I developed this dish.

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 jalapenos, veins and seeds removed, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp shawarma spice
8 cups chicken stock
28oz. diced tomatoes and their juices
4 boneless chicken breasts (untrimmed)
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
kosher salt, to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon
toppings: pita crisps (recipe follows), sumac onions (recipe follows), grilled jalapeno (recipe follows), prepared tahini, harissa, amba, lemon wedges, cilantro or parsley

For the Soup, heat the olive oil in a stock pot or Dutch oven, add the onions and jalapenos and saute until softened. Add the garlic and continue to saute for 1 minute. Add the shawarma spice (if the mixture is dry add another tbsp of oil) and saute until fragrant and lightly toasted. Add the stock and canned tomatoes and bring the soup to a simmer.

Add the chicken and chickpeas and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred apart. Return to the soup. Season with salt and fresh squeezed lemon juice.

To serve, ladle into bowls and top with the toppings of your choice.

Pita Crisps

2 pitas, split in half, cut into strips
canola oil, for frying
kosher salt, to taste

Heat canola oil in a frying pan and fry the pita crisps in batches until golden brown. Season with salt.

Sumac onions
1 small onion, thinly sliced (I like to use a mandolin)
1 1/2 tsp ground sumac
juice of half a lemon
kosher salt, to taste

Rub the mixture well with your hands and set aside to marinate until serving.

Grilled Jalapeno
1 jalapenos

Place the jalapeno over an open flame and char on all sides until the jalapeno has softened and the skin is blackened.

Hadassa’s bottom of the jar tahini

bottom of the jar of tahini
2:1 ratio of water to lemon juice
kosher salt, to taste

Add to the jar and give it a shake!

Related Recipes:

smashed shawarma pita
sheet pan shawarma
shawarma salad

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Hawaij Lentil Soup

You guys!! I couldn’t be more excited about this soup!! I was planning my Yom Kippur break-fast menu, and I always make soup, but I was bored of our minestrone that I make after every fast so I decided to change it up. Lentil soup felt like a good idea, but my traditional recipe is too similar to minestrone. I thought about my favorite soups and what I love about them, and my Yemenite chicken soup immediately came to mind because it’s a family favorite around here.  There is literally NOTHING like the smell of hawaij wafting through your kitchen, so…. I made hawaij lentil soup, inspired by Yemenite soup – loaded with carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, cilantro – and my unique addition, fennel! OMG it was DIVINE. You must try it for Chag!

Hawaij Lentil Soup

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, diced small
1/2 large bulb of fennel, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
10 cloves garlic, sliced
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tbsp hawaij for soup
1 large soft tomato, diced
1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed and drained
3 Yukon gold potatoes, diced
1 small bunch cilantro
8 cup vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add the fennel and continue to saute for another 2 minutes. Add the carrots and saute until softened. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant. Add the hawaij and stir to incorporate, then add the tomato paste and saute until darkened, 2 minutes. Add the tomato, lentils, potatoes, cilantro and stock and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, cover the pot and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.

Related Recipes:

lentil soup
Yemenite chicken soup
lemony hawaij chicken couscous soup

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Zucchini Basil Soup


I’ve dreamt about this day for a very very long time. In just a few short months, I’m officially going to add cookbook author to my resume! I can’t believe this is really happening, somebody pinch me! The truth is, this news isn’t exactly new. It’s been almost a year in the planning. But I’m finally able to spill the beans and share it with you all! My cookbook is being published by Artscroll Publications and is set for release in May 2018. It’s going to KNOCK YOUR FREAKIN SOCKS OFF!

It’s no surprise that I’m avid cookbook collector, and something I see a lot in kosher cookbooks is the same traditional recipes made over and over again, with slight tweaks and changes. I can’t give away my cookbook theme quite yet, but let me just say, there’s going to be something for everyone. The cookbook will have fresh, new recipes that you haven’t seen before, and there’s going to be a mix of healthy recipes, indulgent recipes, everyday recipes, holiday recipes, quick and easy recipes, and slightly more gourmet recipes. The book will have some of your favorite recipes from the blog (about 20%), but mostly brand new recipes that you’ve never seen before (80%!). I’ve been testing and retesting recipes for months, and as I near the end of the testing stage, I’m going to move on to recipe writing and photography. I’m both nervous and excited for this huge undertaking, but mostly I’m anxious to share it all with you!

I’m going to do my best to keep things exciting here on the BIB blog, but if I don’t post as much as usual, just know that it’ll all be worth it in the end. I’ll keep you posted with more details as they become available!


Zucchini Basil Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 large zucchini, roughly chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
salt & pepper, to taste
handful of fresh basil
fresh basil or arugula, pine nuts and sundried tomatoes, for garnish

Method:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, saute until translucent. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the zucchini, stock, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the zucchini is tender. Add the basil and puree with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. You can adjust the consistency by adding water, if needed. Serve and garnish with greens, pine nuts and sundried tomatoes.

Related Recipes:

spinach white bean minestrone with zoodles
roasted tomato soup
roasted butternut squash soup

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Spinach Matzo Ball Minestrone Soup

I’ve been making the most incredible spinach matza balls since forever. It’s always been my little secret for taking traditional chicken soup from classic to over-the-top and with the holiday of Shavuot approaching, I wanted to put a festive spin on another classic recipe – minestrone.

I’m a huge fan of classic minestrone soup because I feel like it has something for everyone. And when you’ve got picky kids, you need a soup like that! It’s got potatoes for my daughter who won’t eat colored vegetables, pasta for my son who’s a pasta-holic, beans for my husband who loves protein-filled legumes, and plenty of basil and oregano for a pizza-style flavor that everyone loves!

I’m always switching up my minestrone soup to make it more fun – like that time I lightened things up by omitting the potatoes and added zoodles instead of pasta. I’ve also added shredded mozzarella and alphabet pasta along with the zoodles because I’m the best. mommy. ever. But this time, this time I’m going festive and sophisticated for the upcoming holiday with an Italian twist on the classic – chicken noodle matzo ball soup.

Nothing screams holiday more than matzo balls, and I have to admit, that while I’m normally a do-it-yourselfer, made-from-scratch kind of girl, I have a weakness for matzo ball mix. I don’t need any seltzer tricks and I don’t have to worry about sinkers vs. floaters because Lipton’s kosher matzo ball mix comes out fluffy every time! Now of course I have to give it the do-it-yourselfer-touch, so I add in the spinach because it’s so beautiful, so festive, and so irresistibly delicious!

Julienning the veggies adds another layer of finesse, and using a julienne peeler, one of my all-time-favorite kitchen utensils, makes it a cinch! With these simple changes, hearty minestrone is elevated to a sophisticated holiday-worthy creation that’s great for kids and adults alike. Just ask my daughter – she had three bowls for dinner (and she hates spinach!)!

It’s hard to believe that Shavuot is just 24 days away, and with Pesach Sheini this weekend, there’s no better way to celebrate than with a fun twist on a matza ball recipe.

But Passover IS in fact behind us, and with the holiday of cheesecakes and roses coming up soon, lets brush up on some favorites. Shall we?

Shavuot recipes abound here on BIB, so you can get your menu started by browsing through my Shavuot category or skim through the recipes in my index. It’s so hard to pick favorites (can you have a favorite child?!) but I can never get enough of harissa, feta & zaa’tar, I’m obsessed with this salad dressing (I make it all summer long!), these make the best gluten-free no-guilt appetizers, and this is the most elegant seasonal dessert you’ve ever seen. Oh, and lets not forget this insane recipe that went all-out viral when I made them back in 2013.

I think we’re off to a good start my friends. And I’ve got even more amazing things coming. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, happy matzo ballin’!

Spinach Matzo Ball Minestrone Soup

1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large stalk celery, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
1 large zucchini, julienned
3 heaping tbsp tomato paste
1 28oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
8 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste
1 packet Lipton matzo ball mix
2 eggs
1 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup chopped spinach (squeeze thawed frozen spinach to measure 1/4 cup)
6 oz. fine egg noodles, cooked according to package directions

Method:

Saute onion, garlic and celery in olive oil until translucent. Add tomato paste and saute until aromatics are fragrant and evenly coated. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, stock, salt and pepper. Stir to combine the ingredients and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, prepare the matzo balls. Mix 2 eggs with 1 tbsp of oil in a bowl. Add the matzo ball mix and spinach and stir with a fork until evenly combined. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Add the julienned carrots and zucchini to the soup. With wet hands, form matzo ball batter into small balls and place in the soup. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with egg noodles.

VARIATION: I use this julienne peeler to easily create matchsticks. If you don’t have one, you may dice the carrot and zucchini and add to the pot after you saute the onion, garlic and celery. After several minutes, add the tomato paste and continue as above. Cook the soup until the vegetables are tender before adding the matza balls.

This post was sponsored by Lipton Kosher. All opinions are my own. 

Related Recipes:

roasted tomato soup with muenster breadsticks
spinach white bean minestrone with zoodles
classic minestrone soup
cabbage soup with matzo meatballs

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