Sunny's Kitchen (13 page)

3
Make the eggs (optional).
In a small pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter without browning it. Crack 1 egg in the center and raise the heat slightly. Cook until the white is set and the yolk is still runny, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat the process for the rest of the eggs.

4
Finish the soup.
Add the beef and scallions to the pot and stir until the beef is almost cooked through. Depending on how thin your beef slices are, this should take 4 to 6 minutes. Serve hot in a soup bowl topped with an egg, if using, and some Thai basil, cilantro, bean sprouts, and a lime wedge on the side. Add these garnishes to the bowl as you eat the soup or all at once, squeezing the lime juice over the top and stirring it in.

 

tips!
Broth is important to use here instead of stock. Stock is made with veggies, bones, and trim. Broth is made with the same including actual pieces of meat. Broth has a slightly richer flavor, which is perfect for this minimal ingredient soup.
•
Swap shredded rotisserie chicken and chicken stock for the beef and beef broth to change this to a chicken soup.
•
If you’re planning to enjoy this on a second or third day, store the noodles in a separate airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator. Then, when making future servings, add them back to the soup halfway through the reheating process.

i
think I had potatoes every way you can have them when we lived in Germany—even something called
kartoffel küchen,
or potato cake. It was like a coffee cake topped with tons of streusel, but the cake part was potato based. German food really is all about meat and potatoes. Because of that and likely the DNA from my dad, I’m a real meat and potatoes girl and truly love a good potato soup. I’ve had some gloppy ones and still devoured them because I just truly love potatoes. This is how to make a sack of potatoes look good and taste delicious.
SERVES 4 TO 6

1
Crisp the bacon.
In a large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon until the fat is rendered. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel–lined plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.

2
Sweat the veggies.
In the same pot, add the butter, onions, leeks, a nice pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until the onions and leeks are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, mustard, and thyme and cook until the garlic is tender and the pot smells good, 6 to 8 minutes.

3
Finish the soup.
Add the potatoes and stock. Raise the heat and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, 14 to 16 minutes total. Remove the thyme sprigs. Turn off the heat and blitz with an immersion blender, leaving a few chunks. Stir in the heavy cream and return the heat to low, cooking for just a few minutes more to reheat the soup. Serve warm, garnished with scallions and the reserved bacon.

i
nstead of chicken soup for my soul, I do chowder. Chowder is fun because it can have plenty of personality and chunky goodness. That means less detail on the chopping and more detail on the chomping. Chunks of juicy dark meat, plump hominy kernels, and knobs of potato all fighting for room on my spoon with each scoop is why I love this recipe. And the secret is out: dark meat is really flavorful. Not only is this soup comforting, but it also comes together faster than old-school chicken soup, and if you’re under the weather, that means less time outside of your blanket cocoon.
SERVES 4 TO 6

1
Prepare the chicken.
Cut the flaps from the thighs and cube the meat, leaving some meat on the bone. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and all the oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and the oil hot, add the thigh bones and cubed meat. Brown on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer all the meat, bones included, to a plate.

2
Sweat the veggies.
Reduce the heat slightly and add the onion, thyme, bay leaves, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic smells great but isn’t browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

3
Build the soup.
Stir the chicken and bones back into the pot and add the stock. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the potatoes, hominy, and another pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes more, depending on how small you chopped them.

4
Finish the soup.
Use tongs to fish out the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. In a small bowl or plastic bag, make a paste with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the flour. Reduce the heat and add the milk, cream, and flour paste in bits. Bring the soup to a simmer and stir to make sure the flour paste breaks up as the soup cooks. When the soup thickens, 6 to 8 minutes, taste and season with salt if needed. Serve with bones included in the bowls for nibbling and a wedge of lemon to spritz over the soup.

a
lthough canned tomato soup has been the de facto spouse of grilled cheese for years, have you looked at the sodium content on those cans lately? I sure never thought about it as a kid, devouring this combo on many occasions while watching an after-school special on TV. So I say give this a go; a homemade soup is easy and tastes way better, plus you might have leftovers—more than I can say for the can. Pair this with my
Pepper Jack Grilled Cheese
, or my
Maple Bacon and Chicken Quesadilla
.
SERVES 4 TO 6

1
Sweat the veggies.
In a stockpot over medium heat, combine the olive oil, onion, thyme, paprika, serrano pepper, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook until the onion is tender but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste, stirring to coat everything in the pot. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the paste turns a deep red color, 8 to 10 more minutes.

2
Cook the tomatoes.
Add the tomato chunks and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring the tomatoes to ensure a bit of that moisture evaporates, but they don’t burn. Cook this way until the tomatoes are tender and the skins are peeling off, about 5 minutes.

3
Finish the soup.
Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for just 10 more minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and, using tongs, remove the thyme. Using an immersion blender, blitz the soup in the pot, leaving a few chunks of tomato for texture. Return to low heat and slowly stir in the cream. Serve warm.

 

tip!
If using a blender, remove a few chunks of tomato from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Blitz the remaining soup in batches, filling the blender only a third of the way with soup. Any more than that and the blender could burst with pressure upon blending. Be safe! It’s hot! Return the blended soup and reserved tomato chunks back to the pot and serve warm.

i
do believe chili can cure a cold just like chicken soup. In Detroit, snow always seemed so sudden and brutal, laying a blanket of white over the city. At the first snow, I’d hop in my truck and circle the parking lot of the National Coney Island diner, waiting for a plowed parking space. I ordered the same thing every time: “Large fries and bowl of chili with onions, cheese, and mustard, please.” I make a number of chilis and this one’s a favorite. It’s already chunky from the beef, and then in a moment of fall inspiration I glanced at a butternut squash and decided to give it a try. The squash soaks up the flavor and adds texture in this chili. It’s hearty and it’s perfect to make a day before the big game or at the first sign of a cold spell.
SERVES 6 TO 8