Anybody Else Craving Soup?

Season 7 Episode 6 of the Seinfeld Series

Netflix recently added the Seinfeld series to their viewing docket. (no, I did not cancel my subscription) This was a show that Dan and I enjoyed early in our marriage. We have been quoting the show for many years. I can honestly say that I did not love every single episode and they took things too far and quite inappropriate in some of those shows but as a whole it was quite enjoyable.

My favorite episode from the series is The Soup Nazi. When I was in culinary school I contemplated a soup kitchen type café as one of my big projects for one of my classes. We had to make a business plan with full equipment lists, vendors we would order from, and menus and full recipes for that assignment. I built soup, bread, and salad into my menus. Several of my menu items were soups mentioned in that Seinfeld episode. I also volunteered during their annual Empty Bowls charity event while in school. I loved the varieties of soup each team came up with.

I do have a deep love for soup and its wonderful medicinal, nourishing and comforting value. I am still trying to build my soup repertoire. I don’t think you can have too many soup recipes or eat soup too often. I would eat it every day if my people would not ask for other things. LOL

As I have moved toward a more autoimmune paleo friendly diet I find that soup is a really good staple for better gut health. It restores the tummy and fluids to the body. It is warm and comforting when I am having hard flare days. It is something I can make quickly in my Instant Pot with a minimum of effort. After the rich foods of the holiday season I crave the simplicity of soup to recover from those kinds of meals. Since Thanksgiving I have been craving soup a lot. I thought I would share some recipes I am trying right now. I am not trying to reinvent the wheel with this one so these are not my recipes. These are from like minded sources that have moved to a more AIP diet themselves. They have helped me to find ways to alter my more traditional soups to be more AIP friendly, too. I hope to share some of those altered versions of mine in the near future but for today here is what I am making during the in-between season before Christmas and New Year’s Day meals happen. I will mark the recipes as (AIP) next to those for you but everything else is more of a standard recipe for each particular soup.

Photo by Anna Bratiychuk on Unsplash

• Tortilla Soup from Lisa Fain @HomesickTexan or IP Chicken “no tortilla” Soup but you can add Paleo Tortillas for Paleo/AIP version if you really want or can have Cassava tortillas
• Mulligatawny from Jo Cooks or Mulligatawny (AIP, Paleo, Vegan friendly) from Rally Pure
• Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup (this one has a lot of variations listed) I sub cassava orzo for regular pasta orzo.
• Chicken and Rice Soup variations from Carlsbad Cravings (I love her site!)
• Chicken, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup – for my Dairy free version I just sub a can of coconut cream and a bit of arrowroot to thicken for the dairy and cheese.
• My Own Kitchen Sink Minestrone (pasta free)
• Chicken Posole Verde (@HomesickTexan) or “Pozole” Verde (AIP/Paleo)
• Ginger Apple Pumpkin Soup (AIP, Vegan, Paleo friendly)
• Cock-a-Leekie Soup from Mary Berry
• Potato Leek Soup from Julia Child
• A really delicious Vegan Black Bean Chili
• Giada De Laurentiis Italian Wedding Soup
• Tom Kha Gai Soup – Chicken Thai Coconut Soup (Paleo)
• I am a huge fan of Lisa Burns’ Corn Chowder with bacon (the link is to her cookbook because that is where the recipe lives). When I am on AIP and cannot have corn this From Scratch Salmon Chowder is mild enough for me (don’t love seafood soups much) when I am craving the creamy chowder.
• The Real Food Dieticians is a huge favorite site for me…. they have a great extensive list of Whole30 Soups and Stews and Chilis to try. The Healthy Hamburger Soup is a big hit in our home.
• A great list of freezable soups from This Pilgrim Life (Lisa Burns)

I am making a list of soups from my own stash to share with you all for the month of January. I might start early but here is what I am working on…

• Chicken and Dumplings
• Jambalaya
• Turkey Chili
• Beef Vegetable
• Basic Chicken and Rice
• Chicken Noodle
• Chicken Pho
• Split Pea and Ham Soup

Do you have a favorite soup you make often in the winter time? Do you have a favorite website you use to find great recipes? Please share in the comments below. I am always looking for great food sites and recipes.

Hoping you all are safe and warm!

Happy Eating!

~Leann

Looking for Instant Pot Recipes?

Do you own an Instant Pot? I am now the owner of TWO… a six quart and a three quart. We have recently been gifted a hand me down RV trailer from my MIL. I bought the smaller one for the trailer when we travel but find myself using it in my home, too. They are so super uncomplicated and great for getting meals on the table quickly. With a little bit of reading and maybe some youtube videos you can be on your way to dinner on the table in no time by tonight.

The problem most people have expressed to me about trying an Instant Pot is that they are afraid of pressure cookers. If you grew up in a home where your mother or grandmother had that giant pot on the stove that had a rattling lid and constant hissing and steam flowing out of it I get that. My grandmother cooked her black-eyed peas in one all the time when we went to visit. It freaked me out! LOL I literally thought it would explode and some of the old style pressure cookers did and were more dangerous. The new IP designs will not do that. They are super safe if you pay attention to the instructions. They are literally foolproof!

Once I had my first IP I decided to dive in with a cookbook. I try to eat mostly paleo and AIP. My first cookbook was one I found from Jennifer Robins. She is a paleo chef. She has a great blog and sends out menu and recipe newsletters once a month. Her first IP book is Paleo Cooking with Your Instant Pot. It is SO SO SOOOOOO GOOD! I have used many recipes in this cookbook and they have all been delightfully successful with my family. My family doesn’t even know I am feeding them “healthy” with these recipes.

She did a second book for the IP that has a more budget friendly focus. I, honestly, did not find the first cookbook recipes unaffordable. The second book is great, too. The book is entitled Affordable Paleo Cooking with Your Instant Pot.

For my third book I opted for a more family friendly but not highly paleo or aip friendly. Lisa Burns has a great cookbook that has a lot of basics for using the Instant Pot. She has bone broth, boiled eggs, yogurt making, and a lot of really tasty recipes to nourish the whole family. Her cookbook is called Family Meals from Scratch in Your Instant Pot. You should also check out her blog and Instagram accounts. You can find her at This Pilgrim Life and @thispilgrimlife

All of the cookbooks above have ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and desserts. There is no shortage of ideas for your Instant Pot if you just look. There are all kinds of YouTube Channels, cookbooks, blogs and social media accounts you can find with a simple search or hashtag (#instantpot). I just thought I would share my favorite books. The IP brand also has a lot of different kinds of cookbooks I have seen at Costco, Walmart, BN, Sam’s Club and more.

Do you have a favorite IP recipe? Blog? Cookbook? Please share with us if you do. Drop a comment below to let us know.

My Irish Beef and Veg Stew

This is one of the simplest stews I have ever made but it is so rich and hearty and perfect for those colder months but since I made it in March and life has been upside down a little lately I am posting late.  Bookmark it for next winter if you like or just make it no matter the temperature outside right now.

The ingredients are easy to find and very affordable…

Ingredients:

A medium onion diced

 

4-5 large carrots peeled and chopped

 

2-3 large potatoes peeled and chopped up

 

2 lbs of stew meat from the butcher department in your local grocery store – cubed in bite sized chunks

 

I typically wind up with stew meat from the store that is larger chunks than I want so I just use my kitchen scissors and make them all smaller pieces so they are easier to eat.

I saute all the “aromatics” – onions and sometimes I add garlic (a few cloves).  Once the onions are translucent I add the meat to brown it thoroughly.

When the meat is browned I add the carrots and potatoes and a little bit of water to the pan and then throw a lid on it to “steam” the veggies to soften them a bit.  That takes about 10 minutes or so.  Remove the lid and add salt and pepper and then the beef broth.  If the 32 ounces of broth don’t cover then add enough water to finish covering the whole thing.

You will use ALL 32 OUNCES…

Now you just let it simmer on a medium temperature.  Just keep an eye on it to make sure it does not cook down too much.  If you need to add a little more liquid before it is done then please feel free to do so.

You will know it is done once the carrots and potatoes are softened and fork tender.  It is at this point that I add my thickener if I need to… 1 part thickening agent to 2 parts water and then add it in.  This is called a slurry…. 1 Tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch to 2 Tbsp room temperature water… mix together and then poor into the broth.  Once this is added then you let it simmer a few more minutes until you notice it is thickening.

You are ready to eat…. we served our stew up with a slice of Irish Soda Bread…. I shared the recipe here for that.

Peasant food at it’s finest…. hope you enjoy!

Here is the recipe again for you…

Ingredients:

A medium onion diced

4-5 large carrots peeled and chopped 

2-3 large potatoes peeled and chopped up

2 lbs of stew meat 

Instructions:

Saute the onions until translucent.

Add the meat and brown it thoroughly

Add chopped carrots and potatoes and a little bit of water.  Put a lid on and let them steam a few minutes to soften a little.

Add your salt and pepper and incorporate.

Add you beef broth and enough water to cover the stew ingredients.

Cook on medium heat until veggies are fork tender.

Add your slurry (cornstarch or arrowroot – instructions above)

Cook about 10 minutes more to make sure broth has time to thicken.

Serve with soda bread or another favorite bread and/or a salad or fruit on the side.  

Baked Sweet Potato “Fries”

These are so simple to make!  I basically peel the outer skin off and then halve the potato to give an easy flat surface to the bottom for easy accident free cutting.

I cut them into very large “matchsticks” or fries.

I toss them well in olive oil or melted coconut oil and then lay them out on a baking sheet.  This particular baking sheet is a Pampered Chef baking stone from my old PC business days.  😉

I spread them out evenly so they bake thoroughly and then I sprinkle with Kosher salt.

I bake them at about 400 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes until they are done completely (soft inside and a bit crispy around the edges)

This is a family favorite!  I use all varieties of sweet potatoes and it works well for all. The cooking times vary depending on the potato type but they are all delicious… orange, white, Japanese, yams, etc…

Baked Plantains

Plantains have quickly become one of my favorite Paleo foods.  I eat them nearly every day for either breakfast or lunch.  They are easier to find here because they are pretty popular with the Mexican and Cuban cultures in the area.  They are super easy to use.  You can use them when they are more green for a more savory flavored side item.  They resemble the taste and texture of potato at this stage but I like them dark… super ripe… like below.  That is when they cook up with a sweet flavor.  They are easy to prepare.

I start by chopping the ends off….

Then I take the knife and cut a slit all the way down… top to bottom, in the skin and peel it back.  It should come off easily when they are ripe like this.  It is harder to peel a green plantain.  If it is overripe it sticks to the plantain a little and you might have to use a knife to get stubborn spots off.  This one worked perfectly.

Once it is peeled you just chop it in 1/2 inch to 1 inch segments or you can cut them lengthwise like “fries” if you want.

One plantain gives you a good hearty serving but you can share if you like.  I don’t share often.  LOL

From here I place them on a pan and drizzle olive oil or melted coconut oil over the top.  You can toss them in oil before you put them on the pan, too, if you like.

I add a little salt… I use Kosher salt or Himalayan Pink Salt.

I cook them in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  You can flip them halfway through if you like to get them golden with crispy edges on each side.

They are a nice addition to burgers or other grilled meats or you can cook them up with breakfast instead of potatoes if you like.  I often eat these with a homemade sausage and a side of spinach or a serving of hash with an egg on top for breakfast.  For lunches I will have meatballs or a paleo sausage and some roasted broccoli with them.

You could also do this entire process in a skillet with coconut oil and just fry them.  Just keep an eye on them because the sugar in the plantain caramelizes quickly and they will need to be turned to cook both sides evenly.

If you can find them in a market near you I encourage you to try them.  They are a nice change of pace from the regular fare of potatoes or other starches you might use often.

I will share a great recipe for green plantains soon!

Chicken Pineapple Cilantro Meatballs

These meatballs are moist and lightly sweet with lots of flavor!

These are super simple to make.  The ingredients are all paleo and Whole30 friendly, too.

INGREDIENTS:

•  1lb ground chicken (leaner is better)
• 1/4 cup chopped pineapple (do not use raw… use some from a can of processed with natural juice – no sugar added)
• 1/8 cup chopped cilantro (or a little more if you like)
• 1 Tbsp Coconut Aminos
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup almond flour (the chicken is very moist so if you need to add a little more feel free)
• pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together until fully combined.  I shape them and put them on a sheet pan with parchment paper so they don’t stick.  I bake mine at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden and done throughout.

I buy the canned pineapple chunks and just cut it smaller for this recipe

I use a scoop to make the meatballs uniform in size.  This one is from my Pampered Chef Consultant days but they are easy to find in most stores that sell kitchen gadgets.

I got 16 meatballs from the one pound of chicken using a smaller size scoop.

Above is the uncooked version and below is after they come out of the oven.

Let them cool and then they are easily stored in a freezer friendly container in the freezer for up to about 3 months.  I just pull out three or four to have with lunch when I feel like a quick make ahead meal.  They pack great into a lunchbox and heat up quickly for meals at work or on the go.

They are moist enough but I will be working on a sauce to go with them soon.  They have quickly become a favorite lunch item for me while on my recent Whole30.

Feel free to share this recipe but please remember to give credit when you do.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and I would love to hear from you if you try it!