Home Shalom's Tom & Cabby Soup

(Sorry No Picture to Share)
This is a hearty and delicious soup, I have been fiddling with to get where I like it. It is warming and satisfying on cool days. Its easy to make got great flavor.

Serves 10-12

1 lb (raw) ground beef, lamb. turkey or venison (drained and crumbled)
1 large onion, chopped
1 head of cabbage, chopped
1T rapedura, sucanut, maple sugar or brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 gallon of chicken, turkey or veggie broth
3T Worcestershire sauce

9 peppercorns
3 bay leaves
12 all spice berries

2 6- oz cans of tomato paste

1. Put the first seven ingredients in the pot.
2. Make a spice pack or bouquet with a cloth tea bag, small piece of muslin tied, or tea ball and put the peppercorns, bay leaves and whole allspice in it and add it to the pot. ***
3. Bring the pot to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for one hour.
4. Remove the spice sack, give it a stir, making sure your meat is broken up into crumbles and your cabbage is tender.
5. Put your tomato paste into a medium bowl and dip a ladle into your hot soup to skim off a ladle or two of the hot broth. (It is ok if you get a few floaties) Put it in the bowl with the tomato paste and whisk until smooth then add to the pot and stir. (This incorporates the paste into the liquid without clumps in your soup pot.) Heat through and serve with crusty bread or sour dough.

***If you don't have whole spices or you don't have the means to make a spice pack - you can use ground spices directly in your pot 1/4-1/2 tsp of each (according to your taste) and just fish out your bay leaves before adding your tomato paste.

Home Shalom's Turkey Tortellini Soup

This soup was a real hit with family and friends. It think it quickly climbed to Ben's top 10 favorite soup list. (I make a lot of soup!) I felt like I cheated because of the "store bought" tortellini (that is something I haven't learned to make from scratch yet). You could also easily substitute ravioli in this soup for the noodle (it just might not hold up as nicely) or Gnocchi would also be quite nice. It is a very fast and easy soup to assemble but it is outstanding! Chicken broth and meat might be more acessible, but turkey will give it more flavor (in my humble opinion). My homemade canned turkey and broth make this a breeze! It is great to have the ingredients on hand for a quick meal for surprise company (or crazy days) it can stretch what you have made by adding another course or be a a meal unto itself and get raves. It is special enough for am Erev Shabbat Meal too. If you want to assemble it ahead for Shabbat it works nicely in a crock pot too. I just put my tortellini in when I turn it on the next day. This soup makes 3 quarts (about 8-10 servings) and multiplies easily for a crowd.

2 quarts of turkey broth (or chicken)
1 can (or pint) of diced tomatoes with juice
1 can (or pint) of collard greens* (or 1-2 cup fresh, steamed and chopped small)
1/4C grated REAL Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
10 oz package of cheese tortellini
1 pint of (cooked) canned turkey (or chicken) with broth, cut small (Or you can use left over cooked meat about 2 C chopped)

Dump it all into a pot and heat it up. YUMMO!!
* If buying canned greens, be sure to check the ingredients! Some companies like to put pork in with their greens - which is very common in the southern US. Not to mention preservatives..so shop smart. Mixed greens or turnip greens or kale work nicely too...collards are my favorite though.

Homemade Garlic Croutons

These croutons are so scrumptious! In the summer, they are a wonderful addition to salads. In the winter, they are simply delishious used to top soups (Especially French Onion Soup or Tomato Soup). It is a great way to use old bread. I like crusty loaves of French or Italian or Sourdough, but just about any bread will do! You might make a double batch so some actually make it to the table! :-) Just kidding...Or am I?

1/4 olive oil
4 cloves freshly minced garlic
2T fresh parsley, diced (or 2 tsp dried)
2T fresh basil, diced (or 2 tsp dried)
pepper to taste
10 thick slices of stale bread

Put oven on 350F. Combine the first 5 ingrediants in a bowl. Cut bread into fat cubes and toss in oil mixture. Bake on a cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes. Or you can fry the in a well oil skillet whcih is my favorite way to do it, because you get that grilled cheese effect with crisp out side soft inside.

For a large selection of delicious salad dressings, visit A Dressing a Day Challenge

White Chili - Crockpot

This a is family favorite at our house. If you come around our place often...then you are sure run across this soup being served for a fellowship meal or visit. This recipe serves 8, but I always increase it to fill my biggest crockpot. One of the nice things about crock pot meals for company is that you can have the kitchen all cleaned up before they arrive. (Clean counters are one of most favorite things ever!) You don't have to bustling in the kitchen when they arrive...its ALL DONE!

3- 15 oz cans of White Beans, drained
8 oz of Chicken Breast*, (cooked or uncooked) cubed or shredded
1C chopped onions
1 1/2C red bell peppers (or orange and yellow)
1 small can of chopped green chilis
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tsp gr. cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dr. oregano
4C chicken broth (or more)

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheddar and tortilla chips

Put all the ingredients in the crock and cook on LOW 8-10 hrs or High 4-5 hours

Ladle into bowls, with a dollop of sour cream, a small handful or cheese and crushed tortilla chips on top.

Stuffed Sweet Pepper Soup

Have you ever had stuffed bell peppers? YUM! My mom used to make them when our garden was in full harvest in the summer time. This is version of that in a soup! So if you had a bumper crop last summer and froze them or you know a friend with a green house - you are going to enjoy this soup! It is another one of our family favorites! They always want seconds. I just make a BIG pot of this. But if it this too much for you, you can cut the recipe in half or freeze some for another day. It does freeze well. Makes 1 gallon, about 16 servings.

1 pound gr beef

2 quarts water (8c)

1quart tomato juice or canned tomato sauce

3 large, red bell peppers, chopped

1 1/2 C Chili Sauce

1C raw long grain rice +

2 ribs of celery

1 large onion, diced

2 tsp browning sauce (optional)

3 tsp chicken bullion

3 garlic cloves, minced

In your large soup pot, brown beef. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 1 hour or until the rice is tender.

Quite nice with crusty bread!

Enjoy!

Parmesan Potato Soup

This is Ben's favorite potato soup. This soup is packed with flavor because it is LOADED with herbs and Parmesan cheese. You gotta use the real Parmesan - the good stuff - please don't use that stuff in the green can (The Californian in me is cringing at the thought!) I know parm isn't cheap, but this soup is in the lick the bowl category...so go ahead and splurge! I am showing you two ways to make this soup. The stove top method is fast, but it requires pre-baked potatoes, so you need to think ahead for that. I usually make baked taters earlier in the week and make extra for my soup a few days later. However, the crock pot version doesn't require them to be pre-baked. So you have that flexibility with this recipe.

This soup serve 10-12. I like to serve this soup with crusty sour dough bread or crust garlic bread.

4 medium Russet Potatoes, peeled and cubed (pre-baked for stove top version or raw for crock pot version)
3/4C chopped onions
1/2C butter
1/2C flour (i use wheat)
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
4 1/2C chicken broth
6C Parmesan cheese
milk
1/4 tsp of each of the following:
celery salt
garlic powder
onion salt
pepper
sage
thyme

Stove Top Version:
1. Measure all the seasonings and put into a cereal bowl, mix and set aside.
2. In dutch oven on the stove top saute onion, butter. Add flour and seasonings and stir. Gradually add the broth, while stirring, then bring to a boil.
3. Add (cooled) cooked potatoes and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat and simmer
4. Add milk and cheese and heat through.

Crock pot Version:
1. Do Steps 1& 2 above.
2. Put raw potatoes in the crock pot and cover with the above broth mixture.
3. Cook on High for 1 hour than turn on low for 4-5 hours.
4. Add milk and cheese, heat through and serve.

Chinese Cabbage Soup

This is a unique and simple soup that is light and easy to make. I love bokchoy and always love to find new ways to use it. I got this recipe a while back from a one of my Bragg's Cookbooks, that hold lots of little treasures. They are a bit "California Fruity", but hey.... :-) This is is a nice quick meal to make on erev or it can be warmed the next day.

1 pound beef, sliced in thin strips

6c water

6C beef broth

about 2-3 lbs of bokchoy (Chinese Cabbage) or green cabbage, coursley cut

1-3T minced fresh ginger

1. In a soup pot, bring water, broth and meat to boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
3. Add ginger
4. Add cabbage and cook and wilted. (The chinese cabbage cooks a little quicker than the green.

Serves 8-10

Home Shalom's Hot Dog Soup - Crock

This soup is made with organic all beef hot dogs, that skinless or lamb cased to keep Biblical Kosher. You can use any appropriate sausage in it's place. It is nice with crusty bread or cornbread, but is hearty enough that it doesn't "need bread" to make a meal. My kids LOOOOVE this soup. This soup serves about about 12 it is easy to reduce if its too much, by lessing the broth and beans and potatoes.

1. Soak 1-2 lb dry white beans* over night and drain. (or use 6 cans)

2. Put the following ingredients in the crock pot:

1 pound hot dogs, cut into chunks
3-4 medium potatoes, chopped small
1/2 tsp pepper
3-4 carrots, sliced 1/2 inch
Soaked or canned beans
2T dr parsley (or 1/2C fresh added at the end of the cooking time)

salt and pepper to taste

3. In a skillet, saute 1-2 chopped celery, chopped, 1 chopped onion, 3T butter until translucent. Than add 2T flour and mix well and slowly pour in about 1/2C chicken broth to create a gravy like consistency. (The French call this melted butter and flour base, a roux - pronounced "roo". It is a wonderful method to start scratch soups, gravies and sauces of all kinds!) Pour this sauce over the ingredients in the crock pot.

4. Pour 8C + chicken broth over the everything in the crock. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 6 hours or until beans are tender.

* You can sub pinto beans or make a mix. I just prefer the white in this recipe.

Mixed Dry Bean Soup

This is an economical, easy, hearty, delicious comfort food right from the pantry! Most often you see ham bones or pork used as bases for hearty bean soups. However, I have been tickeled to discovered that beef soup bones make a WONDERFUL base for bean soups!

2C Mixed dry beans of choice
1Qrt of water
1 beef soup bone*
1 onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp chili powder
1T lemon juice
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C lentils (optional)

1. Soak your beans overnight in cold water with at least 2" water over the top of you beans. (6+ hours) OR Boil for 2 minutes, cover and remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour and proceed.

2. Put all the ingredients in the crock and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW 8-10.

3. Remove the soup bone and scrap off any meat that might be left on it. Give the dog the bone. :-)

Serves 8-10

* If you don't have a "soup bone" take a bone out of a roast with about an inch or two of meat around it and cook the roast as a boneless roast (or cut in it into pieces for stew or other dish) in the next couple of days. We buy our beef from a farmer, so we always makes sure we keep the soup bones. You could ask a butcher for soup bones too...they are cheap and make wonderful soups and stews and beans.

Cream Corn and Onion Soup

This is a very tasty and hearty cream corn soup! It makes 6-8 big bowls.

6 onions, minced

6 C corn

2T butter

2T flour

4C chicken broth, divided

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1C cream

1. Put corn, onions, salt, pepper and 3C broth in the crock

2. In a saucepan, melt butter, add flour saute on medium until it turns slightly brown. Then add 1C broth, mix than add to crock.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours. 1/2 hour before serving add cream and mix.

We love it chunky, but if you want a little creamier soup, you can dip your immersion blender in the pot for a couple seconds. If you would like a puree...you can blend the whole pot!

Home Shalom's Sweet Potato Soup

You can use yams, winter squash for this recipe too (acorn, delicata, pumpkin, etc.). It is delicious! An immersion blender is a WONDERFUL tool for making cream soups and pureed soups right in the pot which they cook. It is also a wonderful too for thickening soups, by blending part of the soup So much easier (and safer and less dishes) than doing in it the blender. If you puree hot foods in a blender, either let it cool first (and reheat to serve) or do it in very small batches leaving a vent in the top...otherwise it might explode (It may pop the blender top off and sprays hot soup all over you and the kitchen. Speaking from experience.) Needless to say...I love my immersion blender now. :-) You can also mash this with a potatoe masher. The consistancy isn't as smooth, rather more "rustic" but it is still quite tasty. You can make this one the stove in a flash too in the time it takes to for the potatoes to boil to soft, then blend and season and soups on!

Notice I do not tell you how many potatoes (sorry!), if you fill a large crock (5-6qrt) half full of chunks, use the first measurement of seasonings. If you fill it to the brim double that. Let your finger dip guide you after that. :-)

Sweet Potatoes
1-3C or water (or veggie or chicken stock)
1/8-1/4 tsp gr cloves (to taste)
1/8- 1/4 tsp dr. nutmeg (to taste)
salt to taste

Milk or cream to taste (or more water or stock)

Put potatoes and water and salt in the crock and cook on high for 3 hours. Mash or puree potatoes, season and add milk to desired consistancy.

(We actually use yams and sqaush in this more often than sweet potatoes because they seem to be cheaper.)

Taco Chili - Crock

1 pound of ground beef, browned*
2 cans of diced tomatoes or salsa
2 cans of beans (or 3C cooked)
1 bag of frozen corn
1 envelope of taco seasoning (1.25 oz ot 2 T of homemade)
1/2 can of diced green chilies (the small can) (This is not needed if you use salsa)(May like to add dr. cumin too)

Put all the ingrediants in the crockpot stir and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

* This is also quit good with leftover cooked chicken instead of ground beef.

Serves 6

Serve with nacho chips, cornbread or rice. Also very tasty if topped with sour cream, shredded cheddar, sliced black olives and shredded lettuce. (But not necessary - just use what you have on hand.)

This recipe will double in a large crock pot to serve 12 or so. (The things you serve it with or top it with, the further it goes.)

You can do this without browning the meat first too. Just break the meat up small in the bottom of the crock and mix it up well with the other ingrediants (to prevent meat blobs). You can use the seasoning directly in the meat to help dry it up to crumble it easier. Cook it on High for this amount of time or extend the cooking time longer (8-10 hrs)

4 Season Tomato Soup - Crock

I like to call this 4 Season Soup because it is has attributes which make it nice for all seasons. In the Summer or Spring when it is warm (or hot) it is a delightfully light soup which is delicious served at room temp or even fridge-cold! It is tasty with tea sandwiches or cold veggies or crackers. It doesn't create much heat in the kitchen to make (while you are out side!) and when the tomato harvest is plentiful, you can use your 'maters right from the garden! (YUM!) But in the winter time, fall and winter (or early spring) when it is chilly and your body tell you it needs something heartier to sustain it. You can easily convert this soup into a warm hearty one: Turn the crock on High than gather your ingredients and cut up an onion. Now toss your onion, oil and garlic in the crock with 1/4 flour and saute for a few minutes. Than add remaining ingredients. This will thicken the soup. OR You can add a 1/2C raw rice. When you puree it at the end, this will also thicken the soup. OR you can add left over cooked rice (or other grain) at the end after you have pureed the soup. My family's favorite accompaniments to this soup in the winter are grilled cheese sandwiches, Garlic Toast or Cheese Quesadillas. Another variation for winter is to add 2C of milk before serving or top with shredded cheese in the bowls. No need to buy that commercial stuff anymore! You can make this nutrient dense and delicious food (easily) from scratch without the yucky ingredients of the commercial stuff! In the winter, you also have the pantry convenience of canned tomatoes!

This recipe make a big crock of soup. You could cut it in half. (But it does freeze well!) Don't fuss with chopping things too fine, because you will puree this soup in the end.

2T oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves or garlic, crushed

upto 1C of chopped carrots

2 pounds + of fresh tomatoes, chopped (or 2-3 cans)

2 cans tomato paste

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tsp Italian herbs (I like to sub dill sometimes too!)

veggie, garlic or chicken broth to fill the remainder of the crock (or clean water)

2T honey (optional)

Put all ingredients in the pot. Cook in High 4-5 hours or Low 8-10 hours

Puree with a hand blender in the crock or let cool and puree in small batches in a blender and reheat of serving hot.

salt and pepper to taste (Add further goodies if you desire.)

Salmon (or Tuna) Chowder

I had a girlfriend email me today, asking if I had any ideas of how to use up some cans of salmon she had. It just so happens I did! :-) This is also an easy recipe that makes a nice one pot Erev Shabbat Meal...so I thought I would post it instead of just emailing it to her. (It is also nice reheated on warm in the crock pot for the next day!) This is a wonderful alternative to "New England Clam Chowder" for those of us who choose to eat Biblically.

Salmon (or Tuna) Chowder

This recipe serves 6 (we double it)

2T butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 large potato, diced

3 stalks of celery, chopped

3T flour

3C milk

2 cans of tuna or salmon (6 1/2 oz)

4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded (1/2 C)

1tsp thyme

1 tsp dillweed

1 tsp dr. parsley

• In a large pot melt butter, saute' celery, onion and potato until tender.
• Mix milk and flour together in a measuring cup, then add to the pot.
• Cook on medium to bring to a slow boil, stirring all along, until thickened.
• Add tuna cheese and seasoning. Heat through on med-low about 5-10 minutes.

This is a especially nice served with a crusty bread, herbed bread, or garlic toast.

Momma's Garlic Broth

Garlic broth is one of those "go to" things in our house when colds/flues come a knocking at our door. I have a scratchy throat today and a pot on the stove! Fresh garlic is something I always keep on hand. I discovered this broth when I was a vegetarian living in San Fransisco (another life time ago!) It cooks up surprisingly sweet (like roasted garlic), not spicy like one might think. I realized I never shared this on the blog, so here goes:

Garlic Broth

A generous hand full of garlic cloves, sliced or roughly chopped *(to better clarify - try a handfull of garlic for a 2qrt pot, increase accordingly to the size of the pot.)

A pot full of filtered or purified water (*A stainless steel pot is preferred. I would never use aluminum, or Teflon!)

Put your ingredients in your pot with clean water and bring to a boil.

Turn down to a low simmer and cover (this helps trap you volatile oils and nutrients, always cover you pot!) How long is up to you. The longer the better, as it extract more goodness from the garlic. You can turn the heat off and let is steep covered too, if you can't tend to the stove. I would do this a minimum of 30 minutes, but you could do it several hours if you wanted to really attack a strong cold hard.

That's it! Sip it as often as you can. Best to sip it while warm, as warming liquids are more restorative to the body. (not real hot, just real warm to room temp) If you store your broth for another time you may refrigerate it for about a week or so or freeze it or can it. It is so easy to make though...I find I just make is as needed.

Optional variations in or a combination - but again not necessary:

Splash of Olive Oil

Squeeze of Lemon

Parsley (fresh or dry)

Fresh Ginger

A Bay Leaf

Onions (a well known decongestant!)

Greens (super food!)

salt and pepper to taste

This is a very tasty broth to use as a base for your every day cooking too! So I encourage you to use it in place of any chicken or vegetable broth in a recipe. I think you will be very pleased with it!

* A garlic peeling tip: To get the skin of the garlic clove take a wide knife (like a chef's knife or similar) and lay it on its side and push or pound firmly on the side of the knife blade with your fist side or palm to "smash" the glove. (It doesn't really smash the glove.) It releases that papery skin easier than trying to peal it off. Or you can cut off the bottom tip of the clove where the skin is attached and this makes it much easier to peel too.

La Heim! (To Life!)

Summer Tomato Soup (Crock Pot)

I have planted a huge crop of tomatoes this year in my attempt to can and dry them for the year's needs. (Chopped, pasta sauce, salsa, paste, dried tomato and tomato powder, etc) I also thought it would nice to try a "summer soup" in the crock pot. It can be cooking over night and chillin' in the day, tossed in cooler for a picnic or pulled out of the fridge for a quick summer meal. This is what I came up with and it is delicious. It can be served hot or cold, with or without milk or thickened for a heartier winter style soup.


1-3 cloves of garlic crushed (to taste, we like 3)
2T of Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
up to 1C carrots diced, shredded or grated
2T honey (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp dried Italian herbs of choice - to taste (or 2T fresh)
2 pounds+ chopped tomatoes with juice
2 cans of tomato paste
Enough broth to fill the pot (vegetable, beef or chicken all work)

1. Saute onions, carrots, oil and garlic in skillet on med or Crock pot on High (crock takes a while skillet is fast, but makes an extra dish!)
2. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on High 4-5 hours or Low 8-10.

When ready to serve use a hand blender to puree in pot or carefully poor in blender in small batches, leaving air flow, because it can "explode" in blender because of being hot. You can also let cool some if you are planning to serve cold.

This is delicious, flavorful and light soup for summer. But if you want to make thicker/heartier for the winter months, just add 1/4 C flour and a little more oil (or butter) to the first step, after the onions have softened. Then slowly add some broth to the skillet and mix. Then add it to the crock with the remaining ingredients.

If you would like a "Cream of Tomato Soup", just add 2C of milk, half and half or cream (depending on how rich you want it) to your soup before serving.

For the warm versions, shredded cheese is also a delicious addition at the table!

Celery, or other veggies are also delicious additions to the flavor in place of or addition to carrots. Zucchini may thicken it a little. That is what's great about soup, its so hard to mess up! :-) Enjoy!