Winter Soup

Winter is holding on for at least another month.  So stay warm and make some homemade soup.  And don’t forget the homemade croutons.  I have crouton recipes below, but change up the bread if you want to.  Almost any bread can be used to make croutons – like pita, English muffins, ciabatta bread, French bread, or whole wheat.

It’s been a long cold winter.  Hang in there.  The marshmallow peeps have made it to my grocery store.  Spring can’t be far away.

Chorizo Black Bean Soup with Victoria Taylor’s Smoky Paprika Chipotle Seasoning

Preparation time: 15 minutes/ Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

For Soup:

• 1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb cured chorizo sausage, casing removed and chopped
• 1 small Spanish onion, chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cubanelle pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 tbs. Victoria Taylor’s Smoky Paprika Chipotle Seasoning
• 3 cans (15 oz) black beans, drained
• 3 cups chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste

For avocado cream:

• 2 ripe avocados, pit removed and halved
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 lime, juice and zest of
• ½ cup chopped cilantro

Pour extra virgin olive oil into a large saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Add the chopped chorizo to the pan and cook until crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the chorizo from the pan and set aside.

Add onion, garlic, pepper, Smoky Paprika Chipotle Seasoning and salt and pepper to the pan and cook 5-6 minutes, until the onions are tender. Add the black beans and chicken stock to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.

Thicken the soup by ladling 2 cups into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Return soup to pan. Add chorizo back into the soup

For the avocado cream, place the avocados, sour cream, lime zest and lime juice into a food processor. Process until smooth.

Serve the soup topped with a scoop of avocado cream and sprinkled with cilantro.

Recipe note and Serving Suggestions:

For an even spicier soup use jalapeno or Serrano peppers instead of the cubanelle peppers.

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Victoria Taylor’s Cinnamon Chile Rub

This soup will certainly warm you up on these cold winter nights.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves 8

• 5 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 lb.), cored and seeds removed
• 1 cup coarsely chopped white onion
• 1 large clove garlic
• ½ cup cilantro, loosely packed
• 1 Tbsp. Victoria Taylor’s Cinnamon Chile Rub
• 5 cups 100% fat-free chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded chicken (See Tip)
• 1 can (15.25 oz.) corn kernels with liquid
• Garnish with Victoria Taylor’s Baked Tortilla Strips, avocado and dollop of sour cream, (optional)

Place tomatoes, onion, garlic and cilantro in blender; process until smooth. In large saucepan over medium heat add tomato mixture and Cinnamon Chile Rub; stir and cook 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, chicken and corn to saucepan. Simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls, top with tortilla strips, avocado and sour cream, if desired.

Recipe note and Serving Suggestions:

To prepare shredded chicken, place 2 chicken breasts, about 12 ounces, in saucepan. Cover with water and allow to simmer 1-2 hours until tender and able to shred with a fork.

Pasta Fagioli With Victoria Taylor’s Sicilian Seasoning

Preparation time: 20 minutes/ Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

• 4 oz Pancetta, minced
• 1 large onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large carrots, ½ inch dice
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 Tbs. Victoria Taylor’s Sicilian Seasoning
• 1 can cannellini beans (14 oz)
• 1 can cannellini beans (14 oz), mashed
• 1 lg. can (28 oz) plum tomatoes
• ¾ cup tubetti pasta
• Parmesan cheese for garnish, grated
• Italian Parsley for garnish, coarsely chopped
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Sauté pancetta until crisp and set aside. In the same pan, sauté the onion, carrots, and garlic for 5 minutes. Stir in the Sicilian seasoning. In a large soup pot, combine the pancetta, onion mixture, chicken broth, whole and mashed cannellini beans, and tomatoes.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Add the pasta and cook 10-12 minutes until just cooked. Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Some More Recipes!

Click Here for All Purpose Homemade Chicken Stock with Victoria Taylor’s Herbes de Provence

Click Here for Spicy Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Victoria Taylor’s New Orleans Seasoning

The perfect add-ons to your Winter Soups!

These accompaniments will complement any soup and can be stored in an air-tight container for several weeks.

Corn Tortilla Strips

The perfect topping to a bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup with just a hint of spice.

• 6 corn tortillas (6-inch diameter)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon Victoria Taylor’s Cinnamon Chile Rub

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Brush one side of each corn tortilla with lime juice. Sprinkle with Cinnamon Chile Rub. Stack tortillas; cutting through stack, cut into ½-inch strips. Arrange in single layer of flat baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and crisp.

Mediterranean Croutons

• 5 cups French bread (about half of a 16 oz. loaf), cut into ½-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Victoria Taylor’s Mediterranean Seasoning

Preheat oven to 375ºF. In large food-safe plastic bag or bowl, combine bread cubes with oil to coat; add Mediterranean Seasoning. Toss until well combined. Arrange in single layer of flat baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Top warm soup, or a salad with croutons.

Spicy Rustic Croutons

• 4 slices whole-wheat country bread, crusts removed
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 tablespoon Victoria Taylor’s Sicilian Seasoning

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Tear bread into ½- to 1-inch pieces. In large food-safe plastic bag or bowl, combine bread pieces with butter to coat; add Sicilain Seasoning. Toss until well combined. Arrange in single layer of flat baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Top warm soup with croutons.

Baked Tuscan Croutons

Pairs nicely with a bowl of warm soup, or even a Caesar salad.

• 4 cups baguettes, white sandwich bread or English muffins, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Victoria Taylor’s Tuscan Seasoning
• 3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In large food-safe plastic bag or bowl, combine bread cubes with oil to coat; add Tuscan Seasoning. Toss until well combined. Arrange in single layer of flat baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven; toss warm croutons with cheese right after baking. Top warm soup, or a salad with baked croutons.

One Response to “Winter Soup”

1. Ganaay ka ras says:

   July 6, 2010 at 8:01 am

   Chiken Pakora is one of the dishes which usually served in Middle East. Pakistan, india, Bangladesh… Chicken pakora is easy to make, and its tasty and delicious food. Chicken Pakora, try this dish at home and you will love it