I know there’s so many recipes on the internet for matzo balls and they’ll all create a little different texture but I had a lot of trouble finding one in grams/weight instead of cups which just does not work for me now that I’m in Europe so this is my eventual take on matzo balls. Unlike my grandmothers recipe they only take about two hours to come together also and you’ll get a medium dense but still buoyant ball. You can experiment with flavors but personally I think they should just taste like they do. If you have schmaltz definitely use that but olive oil or vegetable oil also both work.
Continue readingCategory: soups
Recipe: Chickpea Soup
This really hearty and delicious stew is great for a cold day or any occasion. You can make this ahead of time without the noodles and just add them as you’re warming it up (if you’re using thin vermicelli style noodles). This is basically minestrone but with slightly different flavors and chickpeas instead of beans in case you need a little variety in your life.
Continue readingRecipe: Lasagna Soup
I love lasagna as much as the next person but it is a production. Sometimes you just don’t want to put in the effort but you still want something that is vaguely lasagna-like and this fits the bill really well. You don’t have to use ground meat (I used ground chicken) but if you skip it I’d definitely add some lentils just to round out the soup. Also the original recipe had a genuinely distressing amount of cheese and I’ve cut that down to about 1/3 in this version and I couldn’t imagine adding more, but you do you.
Continue readingRecipe: Tuscan Soup
Originally I was supposed to use white beans in this soup but I only had chickpeas on hand and those worked just fine. When I made this a second time I did use the white beans which were just as good but I also chopped the chard much finer which is my best suggestion otherwise this absolutely delicious soup is not to be missed. I wouldn’t skimp on the heavy cream it is what takes the soup over the top. I found this soup to be too filling for extras but no one would complain if you made a nice bread with it I’m sure.
Continue readingRecipe: Squash-Carrot Soup
Technically you don’t have to roasted the squash before you make this soup but the flavor is much richer if you do and it’s easier to cut squash up if you roast it first. You can absolutely used pre-cut squash and roast that also. This soup is a real warm winter treat and can be topped off with crushed nuts, breadcrumbs, or grated cheese. Paired with a nice roll or a salad it can easily be a full meal.
Recipe: Vegetable Soup
I suspect that the reason I loved this soup so much is because I used homemade stock but sometimes a simple vegetable soup on a cool day is just exactly you need. This one is built with simple vegetables and flavors without any noodles or rice so you just get 100% vegetables all the time (and I suppose some beans too, if you’re feeling it).
Continue readingRecipe: Ash Reshteh
I’d never heard of this soup before making it but it’s apparently very popular in Iran. I can’t say my version of it is particularly authentic or even if it got the spirit since I’ve never had it before but I can say that it was out of this world delicious. I had to use egg pasta and yogurt in place of the standard reshteh and kashk which probably completely the changes the dish but even if you can’t find those the substitutes still make a great tasting dish.
Continue readingRecipe: White Bean Soup
You can make this soup extra creamy either by adding more potato chunks and/or by blending as much or as little of the soup as you like. The soup itself has a really simple taste and it pretty satisfying stick to ribs making it a perfect soup for any chilly day. As a bonus it’s made of ingredients that are cheap most of the year and are generally in my pantry so it’s perfect for a last minute meal.
Recipe: Sopa di Fideo
This soup is really light but filling. It’s basically a tomato soup with noodles but because you toast the noodles beforehand they have this perfect texture with just a bit of bite on the outside. It’s perfect with a nice thick bread or roll. I like texture in my soup so I add chopped vegetables to the base but if you want less work you can simply make this with canned tomatoes and a good instant stock base.
Recipe: Tofu Laksa
I’m a big fan of spicy soups and this one is great with a really hearty spicy base and a lot of crunchy tofu and vegetables and noodles to make it extra delicious. You can add anything you like in including meat or seafood but I was in a crispy tofu mood when I was making it.
(You can make this ahead of time by keeping the pan fried tofu separate from the soup until serving so it doesn’t get soggy)