chicken stock – Oven Love

Curried Winter Soup with Carrot, Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash

Natalie — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 21:39:33 +0000

Oh hey, 2014!

How’s week one of the new year going for everyone? We are in hibernation mode here in Ohio, which has given me lots of time to reflect on what to do with my time in the next 12 months (or rather the next 5 months, since new babies have a way of shifting your priorities).

To help me get my head on straight, I have been going through Lara Casey‘s Make It Happen series; it’s a goal-setting series that I absolutely recommend. Especially if you’re like me, AKA you have a huge desire to get your act together for the new year but have no idea where to start. I’ve got a lot of ideas swimming around in this head and Make It Happen has helped me to organize it all. So, yay, new year! And hooray for a new recipe today! Finally got off my duff and picked up my camera.

This soup was inspired by a lovely lunch I had with my friend Jillian (see how awesome she is below) at Wheat Penny here in Dayton. We sampled a little cup of their curried carrot soup to start our meal; it was grand. I love that curry powder gives such a distinct, comforting taste but doesn’t make things too spicy. For my at-home version, I used all the orange veggies we had on hand- carrots, butternut squash and sweet potato. Pumpkin would also work well; you can use what you have in any combination.

This soup works for a whole variety of diets and is almost impossible to mess up. It would be great with some crumbled bacon on top, or even some homemade croutons. You could kick up the spice by adding some thai red curry paste, too.

And beyond tasting good, this soup has great nutritional benefits:

Healthy, filling fats
Cold/Flu-fighting onions, garlic and turmeric
Orange veggies filled with Vitamin A to boost the immune system
Bone broth; rich in gelatin, vitamins and minerals and anti-inflammatory

A special thanks to my sweet friends Jillian and Megan for making this post happen- they came over to my house today and did all my dishes PLUS cleaned my fridge! It was amazing, and it motivated me to pull out the camera and get this post up. A clean kitchen = no excuses for this lady. Thanks, girls- you are such a blessing to me! I am ready to re-pay you in soup.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Curried Winter Soup with Carrot, Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Soup, Main Dish, Appetizer

Serves: 8

Ingredients

a few tablespoons quality fat (grass-fed butter, ghee, coconut oil, lard, tallow)
2 medium onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
2 teaspoons sea salt
½-1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon turmeric (optional)
6-8 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large butternut squash; peeled, seeded and chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped (you can substitute more carrots or squash if you’re on GAPS or avoiding starches)
4-6 cups of bone broth (enough to cover the veggies in the pot)
plain whole milk yogurt, for serving (optional, you can substitute full-fat coconut milk if you’re dairy-free)

Instructions

In a large stockpot or dutch oven, melt down the fat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until they begin to soften. Add the spices and let cook a few more minutes.
Add the carrots, squash and sweet potato to the pot, followed by the bone broth. Add enough broth to cover all of the vegetables. Bring it all to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes. When the veggies are soft, use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth.
Serve warm with a generous drizzle of yogurt.

Chicken, Coconut and Lentil Soup

Natalie — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:45:00 +0000

I’ve got a thing for soup lately.

Maybe because it’s getting cooler, maybe because I’m trying to include more bone broth in my diet, maybe because you can just throw anything you want into a pot and call it soup.

And this soup is really about just that- throwing a bunch of semi-related ingredients into a pot and waiting until they magically melt together into something delicious. How does it happen?? You wouldn’t think all of this stuff would go together, but it does. It really does.

If you set out to make this, I beg you- please put your thinking cap/game face on at the grocery store and DO NOT forget the naan. It is essential. You will be super sad if you forget it which will put you in no mood to whip up some naan from scratch. Trust me.

Get the naan and make your soup. And then save me a bowl.

Chicken, Coconut and Lentil Soup

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

adapted from Scaling Back and 101 Cookbooks

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: soup

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper cut into ½ inch dice
1 fresh jalapeno or serrano chili, finely chopped, including seeds (I used just ½ to keep the spice down)
1 tablespoon fresh peeled and minced/grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped/grated
1 tablespoon curry powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
⅓ cup tomato paste
7 cups chicken stock
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1 15-ounce can of chickpeas (or about 2 cups pre-soaked)
2 cups lentils (preferably red; I used green, which is what I had on hand)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving

Instructions

Heat the coconut oil in a dutch oven or large soup pan and add the onions, bell pepper and jalapeno and cook for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables have softened and start to take on some color.
Add the garlic, ginger, spices and tomato paste and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes until the mixture is toasty and fragrant.
Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, chicken, lentils and chickpeas and cook uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how soft you like your lentils.
At the end of cooking, add the lime juice to taste and adjust with more salt if desired. Serve the soup topped with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro and some extra limes on the side.

Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup

Natalie — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 17:18:00 +0000

[This post has been updated from the Oven Love archives.]

This soup is exceptional.

Exceptional!

It’s so good that every fall for the last four years, we’ve remembered it and had to have it again. You know how rare it is for me to make a recipe twice.. so I think this is going to be a Herr family favorite.

There is nothing more satisfying than a creamy soup on a cool night, am I right? The roasted garlic in this thing is no joke- so, so good- do not skip that step! If it weren’t for the garlic breath, I would eat a head of roasted garlic every. single. day. (TMI?)

The soup is filling as a meal all it’s own, but makes a great starter for a holiday spread as well. And I just love the roasted cauliflower florets on top with their cheesy, herbaceous flavor. Great presentation for company, but also a perfect supper to share with your family.

Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

via Martha Stewart Recipes serves 10-12 This recipe is for a crowd (think holidays)- but can be easily halved and it’s freezable, too.

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Soup

Serves: 12

Ingredients

3 heads garlic
salt and pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 white onions, peeled and thinly sliced
4 heads cauliflower, 3 cored and thinly sliced and 1 broken into florets
8 sprigs thyme, tied with twine, plus one tablespoon chopped (you can sub. 1T dried thyme)
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups chicken stock, plus more to thin, if desired
2 cups heavy cream, plus more to thin, if desired
2½ cups plus 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut off the tops of garlic heads. Place each on a piece of aluminum foil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap tightly in foil, and bake until garlic is very soft, about an hour. Let cool. Squeeze garlic from peel; set aside. Increase oven to 350 degrees.
Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large pot over medium low heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until soft but not browned. Stir in sliced cauliflower, thyme and wine. Simmer until wine is reduced by half. Add stock, bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove cover and simmer until cauliflower is soft, about 15 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
Remove thyme bundle and stir in cream and 2½ cups Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic. Puree with a stick blender or in batches until smooth. Thin with more stock or cream, if desired. Return to pot; keep warm on low heat.
Heat remaining ¼ cup olive oil over high heat in a saute pan until almost smoking. Add cauliflower florets, stirring until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer pan to oven and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in thyme, parsley and remaining 3 tablespoons Parmesan. To serve; ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cauliflower florets.

Sesame Quinoa with Chicken and Snap Peas

Natalie — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 19:24:00 +0000

I’m not sure what took me so long, but I am on board with this quinoa business.

I’m pretty late to the party, I know.

You might have seen the salmon/spinach/feta/quinoa concoction on MPMK last week?

Since I’m on this quinoa kick, I pulled up Jessica’s recipe (which I’ve had pinned for aaaaages) and had to make it happen.

(My sesame kick is a close second to my quinoa kick.)

The recipe was genius to start- all I did was add some snap peas, a teensy bit more soy sauce and another handful of sesame seeds and I was good. to. go.

I am not ashamed to say I scarfed this down in under five minutes.

Mostly because there was a little baby trying to pull it directly away from me and onto the floor, but also because it tasted amazing. Or as Elliott would say- “Mama, it’s dewishus!”

Sesame Quinoa with Chicken and Snap Peas

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

40 mins

adapted from How Sweet It Is

Author: Oven Love

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
½ tablespoon olive oil
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 cup sugar snap peas, rinsed and rough chopped
6 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons olive oil, for dressing
2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, for dressing
1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, for dressing (gluten-free if necessary)

Instructions

Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add ½ tablespoon of sesame and olive oil. Add in garlic and quinoa and stir to coat, then toast for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in chicken stock and increase heat to high, bringing the quinoa to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed and quinoa can be fluffed with a fork. Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.
Add in chicken, snap peas, green onions and dressing, tossing well to coat. Add in sesame seeds and toss once more. Top with more sesame seeds and serve.

Baked Potato Casserole

Natalie — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:53:00 +0000

We planted potatoes in our garden again this year.

A LOT of potatoes.

Anyone want some potatoes??

I feel like I’m saying “this-is-what-we-are-doing-with-our-garden-surplus” over and over again on this blog, but it’s usually when we have giant piles of produce on our counter that I have to be creative and come up with new recipes.

With a big pile of spuds staring me down, I got a craving for some baked potatoes. We planted Yukon golds in our garden, which are lovely in taste and texture but not excellent for baking, so I had to come up with another plan.

Here’s the procedure: steam the potatoes and broccoli, fry the bacon, cook the onion and garlic, combine it all with some spices and cheese and bake until nice and bubbly. Pretty straight forward. Don’t forget the smoked paprika- it takes the dish to another level, trust me.

This would be a great side dish, but we actually ate it as our main meal. We should have added a salad to make it a more balanced dinner, but let’s face it: we just wanted to stuff our face with gooey, cheesy, bacon-covered potatoes. And hey! The broccoli’s in there- that’s good for you. You can leave it out if you want, but then you should definitely eat a salad. I mean, really.

This isn’t exactly health food, but it’s way better for you than say, a baked potato from Wendy’s. So I think you can still feel good about it. I mean, I do. I’m all about some good fat. I better end this post before I go on a grass-fed, pastured meat tangent or talk about how you need lots of good fat to make better breast milk. You guys are just here for good food.

And this stuff is good.

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

Ingredients

4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped into small florets (about 2-3 cups chopped)
8 slices bacon
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chicken stock
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups (150 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup (100 g) parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions

Place a steaming basket in a large pot and fill with 1-2 inches of water. Place pot on to boil. When water is boiling, add the potatoes and steam (covered) for 5-6 minutes. Add broccoli to the potatoes and steam for an additional 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a 9×13 baking dish. (You can butter/spray it now, but I like to use the paper towel with the bacon fat later.)
Meanwhile, fry the bacon until just crisp. Remove the bacon, drain on a paper towel and chop into small pieces, setting 2 tablespoons aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in your frying pan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the mixture begins to brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the potatoes and broccoli, paprika, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
Mix in half of the cheeses and the bacon (except for the 2 tablespoons you set aside). Pour the mixture into your baking dish and top with the remaining cheeses. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and serve hot.

Turnip and Potato Soup with Smoky Cheese Toasts

Natalie — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:49:00 +0000

We are experiencing a crazy March heat wave down here. I am not ready for summer.

I mean, come on.. I’m not done making soup yet!

We got a big bunch of turnips last week from our farmer. At that time, it wasn’t 85 degrees, so this was the perfect lunch. I used my typical method for making smooth vegetable soups- saute some onion, add the veggies with broth and any seasonings, simmer until the veggies are tender and then puree with a stick blender. Works every time.

The soup is simple in flavor- make sure you season it well with salt and pepper or it could turn out quite bland. I made the cheese toasts on a whim- the smoky taste goes great with the simple soup.

I hope you get to try this out before it’s too hot! Or just bookmark it for next year.. it seems weird to eat turnip soup with a tank top on.

Turnip and Potato Soup

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

1 hour

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 medium/large turnips, peeled and cubed
3 medium/large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
a few sprigs fresh thyme
a few sprigs fresh rosemary
5 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a stockpot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, 1-2 minutes. Add turnips, potatoes, thyme, rosemary (tie them together with twine if you want the removal to be easier) and stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer until vegetables are tender, 20-30 minutes. Remove the thyme and rosemary stalks. Turn off the heat and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Season well with salt and pepper and serve warm.

Smoky Cheese Toasts

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Side Dish

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 slices sourdough bread
2 tablespoons butter, softened
½ cup gruyere cheese, shredded
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Turn the broiler on high. Mix butter, cheese, paprika, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Spread the butter mixture onto the bread. Broil for 2-4 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t burn. Serve warm.