White Bean Soup with Kale, Parmesan, and Bacon

Twelve  cups of chicken broth? I had to read that line twice when I planned a recent grocery list. Why would a soup need so much broth? But I soon realized the genius of it, mainly that you cook the rice in the soup instead of in a separate pot, melding flavors and reducing the dishes. You need all that broth for the rice to absorb, with enough left over for the soup. Other reasons to make this soup now: It has both bacon and cheese on top, but it counts as healthy because it has kale and carrots. It’s just the thing to ease you out of a rich holiday diet: A little indulgence, with leafy greens. And I can say with authority, having spent the last two days navigating downpours, that nothing is better than coming in from the cold and wet than a bowl of soup, the kind that can warm you down to your (frozen) toes.

White Bean Soup with Kale, Parmesan, and Bacon
Adapted from Bon Appetit

8 slices bacon
Olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 cups chicken broth
1 cup brown rice
1 bunch kale, leaves coarsely torn
1 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
Grated parmesan

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the bacon slices on the foil (make sure none are overlapping). Bake for 12 minutes. Drain the grease, then return the bacon to the oven for 5-8 minutes more (how long depends on the thickness of the bacon and how crispy you want it to be). Drain the grease again when done cooking. When the bacon has cooled a bit, crumble it into a small bowl.
2. Heat a little olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Combine the onion, carrot, and garlic in the pot; sauté for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the broth and the rice to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir in the kale and beans and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the kale is wilted. Serve the parmesan and bacon on top.

Fiery Without Flame: Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes

I don’t like to light my food on fire. I don’t care if it’s crepes suzette, or any number of traditional flambéed dishes. I think it’s an odd—and potentially dangerous—practice. Who decided that dousing your food in liquor and lighting it was a good idea? While I ponder the strangeness of our species’ cooking practices, let me share this brilliant recipe that, despite being given the option, I did not choose to ignite.

Here we are, in the cold of almost-winter, not a fresh tomato in sight (not one worth eating, anyways). Luckily, canned tomatoes step in when we need them, in this case to surround shrimp and feta in a cozy, simple dish that is perfect for those holiday-season nights when you’re burned out on cooking. I didn’t expect the dish to turn out quite so soupy, but I was actually so pleased that it did. It became a special tomato soup, with flavors cranked way past any tomato soup I’ve had before (but let’s face it, I mostly eat the stuff from a can. Sssh, don’t tell anyone).

The recipe headnote mentioned fire, but I thought Amanda Hesser was just referring to the pepper flakes. Maybe she was, but the final step in the recipe has you pour in ouzo, an anise-flavored liqueur from Greece. And then: “if desired, ignite it.” Nope, definitely not desired. First, there’s the aforementioned lack of interest in seeing my food in flames. Second, is ouzo something you can find at a local grocery chain? If not, it didn’t seem worth tracking down, and if I did get it, I’d probably end up with more than I needed, desperately trying to pawn it off on unsuspecting houseguests.

Luckily, this dish doesn’t need the liqueur at all. It’s hard to believe such intensely good flavors come from such a basic set of ingredients. The three main ingredients—shrimp, feta, tomatoes—go fantastically together, but it’s the oregano and red pepper flakes that elevate the dish, adding herbal depth and warm spice. There’s the unlikely addition of clam juice, but just go with it; I’ve found it essential in seafood stew. Next time I make this, I’ll probably stir in cooked brown rice, or serve it on the side, so I can stretch this goodness over multiple meals.

Wherever the holidays find you, in whatever emotional state, I wish you some quiet moments to give balance to the busyness. In such moments, dishes such as this one provide a kind of solace, or perhaps just a preamble to a big celebration. I wish us all joy wherever we can find it.

Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes
Adapted from The Essential New York Times Cookbook

1 cup brown rice (optional)
¼ cup olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
¼ cup clam juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ – ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 pound cooked shrimp, tails removed
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. If serving with rice: Combine rice and 3 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until the rice is tender and all of the water is absorbed.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large, oven-proof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, stirring often until lightly browned. Add the tomatoes and let simmer for 3 minutes, stirring often.
3. Stir in the clam juice, oregano, pepper flakes (use the larger amount if you want it spicy, the smaller for mild), and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the shrimp until well combined. Sprinkle the feta evenly on top.
4. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until bubbling.

A new partner for grilled cheese: Potato soup

Like many famous pairings—fries and ketchup, apple pie and ice cream, and so on—grilled cheese and tomato soup can’t seem to get away from each other. And why not? It’s a superb combination: the melted cheese, the soup bursting with tomato flavor. But if you read this post’s title you already know I have other things on my mind. I have nothing against tried and true matches, including grilled cheese and tomato soup. This post doesn’t derive from necessity or rebellion, but from a craving for a grilled cheese sandwich on the night I’d already planned to make potato soup.

Potato soup isn’t complicated; it’s a simple meal, one that warms you up slowly, in a comforting way, rather than all at once with a kick of spice (ahem, chili). It’s pared-down chowder, without clams or heavy cream to weigh it down (but if you’d prefer that, here’s an excellent recipe). The recipe suggested toppings—bacon bits, green onions, and cheddar—but I knew such a basic soup still needed a strong counterpart that would add an assertive side to the meal without scaring the soup away. Crackers or pita triangles wouldn’t cut it. I recalled from the night before that we had a large block of cheddar in the fridge, and I decided I couldn’t have so much cheddar at my disposal and not make grilled cheese.

The soup was a snap: the potatoes cook in the microwave; then you chop the potatoes, sauté a little onion, and add milk, broth, and flour; simmer; and stir in the potatoes. While the soup is simmering away, you can cook the bacon and slice the green onions (I left out the extra grated cheddar from the sandwiches for the soup, but with grilled cheese sandwiches on the side it’s not really necessary. Yes, even I have my limits). Making the grilled cheese is quick, too: I used two vital tips from Ruth Reichl’s “How to Make a Better Grilled Cheese” on Gilt Taste: butter both sides of the bread, and grate the cheese, rather than slicing it, for faster, more even melting. In my impatience—I mean, efficiency—I put the sandwiches in an oven-proof skillet and broiled one side, then flipped the sandwiches and broiled the other. It’s a risky method, because broiling happens quickly, but  watch it carefully and it shouldn’t be a problem.

While it contains no cream, the soup isn’t watery; the milk, with help from a little flour, thickens it just enough. Sure, it’s not as rich, but that’s not a bad thing. You’re left to enjoy the mingling of milk and broth, which creates a savory, smooth background, infused with the subtle heat of the onions which, if cooked only a little at the beginning,  preserve just enough of their crunch. The potatoes crumble with the touch of a spoon, and absorb the flavors of the broth and onions. I’m pretty sure I don’t have to tell you how good grilled cheese sandwiches are.

Famous food duos get that way for a reason, and I’m not suggesting grilled cheese be forever parted from tomato soup. Convention is comforting, especially in hard times and cold winter nights. But convention, even when it comes to grilled cheese and tomato soup, should never be the last word.

Potato Soup
Adapted from Cooking Light

Notes: If you make these baked potatoes and have leftover potatoes, you can use them to make this soup. The toppings are also the same, which makes planning meals and grocery shopping that much easier.
This makes enough for about four people to have for dinner. If you want leftovers, double it.
The soup tastes even better the next day, after it’s set overnight in the fridge and had even more time to thicken.

4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ cup diced white onion
1 ¼ cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups 1 percent milk
¼ cup sour cream
6 slices turkey bacon or regular bacon
Grated cheddar, for garnish
Diced green onions, for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Poke holes in potatoes with a fork. Place on a microwave-safe plate and cook on high for 15 minutes or until tender. Cut in half and allow to cool. Cut potatoes into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
2. While potatoes are microwaving, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add broth. In a separate bowl, combine ½ cup milk with flour. Add to pan along with remaining milk. Bring to a low simmer, stirring often. You might be tempted to turn up the heat, but keep it at medium to avoid scalding the milk. Let simmer for 1 minute, then remove soup from heat. Add sour cream and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cook the bacon in the microwave or in a pan, until crisp. Break into small pieces.
4. Add potatoes to soup, stirring to combine. Serve soup with bacon bits, cheddar, and green onions.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Sliced bread
Melted butter (how much depends on how many sandwiches you want to make. Remember, a little goes a long way)
Grated cheese (orange cheddar, white cheddar, or colby are good options)

1. Set the oven to broil. Spread both sides of each bread slice with a bit of melted butter. Place half of the slices on a cookie sheet or in an oven-proof skillet. Top each bread slice with grated cheese. Place the remaining bread slices on top.
2. When the broiler is ready, broil the sandwiches. When the side facing up is lightly browned, flip the sandwiches; they are done when both sides are lightly browned. I have found that about 45 seconds per side works best, but your broiler might be different. Monitor carefully and always err on the side of too little time.