Homemade Soups

By Les Kincaid

Chase Away Winter Chills with a Warm Bowl of Homemade Soup. Here's a personal recipe compliments of Chef Les Kincaid. You'll find yourself enjoying food and wines on Les' Wines & Vines EACH Thursday evening and you get a BONUS...one of his personal recipes to warm you and yours at home whenever you want.

When it's cold outside nothing warms us up faster than a bowl of soup.  And if it's homemade, that makes it even better.  Whether it's hot or cold, the first course, or the centerpiece of a meal, soup has the power to soothe the soul. Enjoy crackers of crusty French or Italian bread with soup and you're in. Don't forget that great glass of wine too. Wine Is Food.

WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH RED SWISS CHARD

1 cup Great Northern beans

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 bunch (1/2 pound) red Swiss chard ribs and leaves, coarsely chopped

5 cups chicken stock

2 cups bean soaking water

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 whole bay leaf

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon finely ground pepper

3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Garnish:

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Soak beans overnight in cold water to generously cover; or do a quick soak by bringing beans to boil in water to cover, boiling 2 minutes, covering, and letting stand 1 hour. Drain beans, reserving 2 cups soaking liquid.

In a 6 quart soup pot, heat oil, add onions and saute over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots and saute another 3 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons of chopped Swiss chard ribs and add remaining Swiss chard to soup pot. Cook about 3 minutes, or until wilted.

Add chicken stock, reserved bean soaking liquid, beans, garlic, and bay leaf. Partially cover, and simmer about 1 hour, until beans are tender. Remove bay leaf.

Steam reserved Swiss chard ribs for 2 minutes in a pan of boiling water fitter with a steamer rack, or in a steamer. Remove and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process. Reserve for garnish.

Puree half the soup through a food mill or a food processor fitted with the steel blade; return pureed soup to pot containing remainder of soup. Stir in salt, pepper, and parsley. Taste for seasoning.

Serve soup garnished with Swiss chard ribs, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings 

Here is another fantastic dish

HUNGARIAN GOULASH

2 strips bacon
2 onions, medium dice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 garlic cloves
Pinch caraway seeds
2 tablespoons good quality sweet paprika (see cook's note)
2 cups warm water
2 cubes beef bouillon
2 whole tomatoes, canned
1 green bell pepper
4 or 5 medium/large potatoes
2 tablespoons sour cream, plus more for plating
1 pound prepared spatzle, as an accompaniment
Cucumber salad, as an accompaniment, recipe follows

In a cold, heavy 6 to 8-quart stewing pot, fry bacon over low-medium heat until fat is rendered, and then discard bacon slice.

Saute onions in the bacon fat for a few minutes; do not allow the onions to brown. If bacon does not provide enough fat, add a little olive oil to prevent the onions from sticking. When onions become glossy, add the beef, sauteing with the onions for about 10 minutes, covered, until the meat is browned.

Meanwhile, chop and crush the garlic with the caraway seeds; add to meat and onions. Remove pot from heat. Stir in paprika rapidly with a wooden spoon. Immediately after paprika is absorbed, add the warm water. The water should just cover the meat, leaving room for potatoes.

Add beef bouillon cubes. Cover pot and cook over low heat for about 1 hour.

While stew is braising, prepare the tomatoes by cutting into 1-inch pieces. Core green peppers and cut into strips. After 1 hour of braising, add the tomatoes and green pepper. Add a little more water, if necessary and a little more salt if you need it. Simmer slowly for another 30 minutes.

Peel potatoes and cut into bite-sized cubes and set aside in a bowl of water. Add potatoes, and cook another 30 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender and the goulash is done.

Once goulash is finished, dissolve sour cream and a little of the goulash sauce in a cup. Add to goulash, it should give a creamy consistency. Serve goulash with spatzle on the side, adding an extra dollop of sour cream to each plate.

Note: using good quality paprika is important. After about a year, paprika spice tends to lose its intensity. Use the best quality possible!

Cucumber Salad
2 cucumbers
Seasoned salt
1/2 onion
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon sweet paprika
Pinch dill, dried or fresh (optional)
Dollop sour cream (optional)

Peel and slice cucumbers very thinly. The side of a metal grater with the wide slots works best here, or you can use a mandolin. Place cucumbers in a flat dish and sprinkle throughout with salt, making sure that all the slices are salted. Leave to rest for 30 minutes. The salt will draw the moisture out of the cucumbers. Cut the onion into paper-thin slices and place in a container. Once the cucumbers have released water, use your hands to squeeze out the excess water and add to the onions. The cucumbers are supposed to be limp, but still crisp.

In a measuring cup mix vinegar, water, sugar and paprika to create vinaigrette. Pour over the cucumbers and onions and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 1/2 hours.

Cook's secret: make the cucumbers before the goulash and it will be perfectly marinated by the time you are done making the stew!

Serve with a sprinkle of dill and a little dollop of sour cream.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings