. . .And Yet Another Zuppa Toscana Variation

I'm sure getting lots of mileage from the one or possibly two times I ordered the Zuppa Toscana at the Olive Garden 15+ years ago! Sometimes it just works that way with those of us who are diehard 'foodies' You try something and just have to break it down, and analyze it so you can recreate it on your own whenever a crazy craving hits. And for me, every time I make it it's slightly different from the last!

This happened also after my first experience with Gazpacho at La Paella, a Spanish restaurant south of Madison, Wisconsin that's no longer in operation. Their's was different from most in that, in addition to the usual tomato, cucumber, onion, garlic, etc., it had carrot, vinegar and a couple other unique ingredients. It was the best ever! I'll work on more Gazpacho again this summer. But, for now. . .it's Zuppa Toscana time! 

Heat a little EVOO in a heavy pot, then add:

1# pork sausage
1 lg. purple onion
~ use only 1/2c chopped fine right now

Saute these together until lightly browned.

Next the following sliced or chopped vegetables go into the pot:

1-2 lg. carrots

the rest of the purple onion
4 colorful -seeded- mini peppers
2 baby bok choy - white parts only for now
1-1/2# scrubbed potatoes - I don't peel mine
the sliced bok choy green tops
a bunch of dinosaur kale - take out the rib and slice

Sauté all this only until steamy and sizzling. Add 2c fresh cold water. Simmer a half hour, then stir in:

Several tablespoons of Better Than Bouillon - chicken or vegetable flavor. Also, (a couple bay leaves, dried oregano, marjoram, rosemary -or- a generous amount of some good Italian Seasoning) black and red pepper, granulated garlic and garlic salt. Add more water.

Next, add 2-3 drained-rinsed cans of your favorite beans, 3 tablespoons of finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes and all or part of a 22oz. jar of Alfredo sauce. Add more water again if needed and check the flavors until you feel they're right. Simmer another half hour or so to blend the flavors and throw in some chopped, fresh parsley now if you want. This is great on a chilly Winter day. By itself or with a simple, fresh green salad and some crusty sourdough garlic bread. . .Lin

Scotch Broth - Lamb and Barley Soup

1¼# of lean lamb

1-2T avocado oil

1-2t white balsamic vinegar

1 lg. purple shallot

1-2t Rosemary Seasoning *

4 med. carrots - scrubbed

1½c chopped celery and tops

¾c long cooking pearl barley

1-2T flour

2-3 quarts water

3 bay leaves

1 lg. purple shallot 

1 sweet yellow pepper

Vegetable Better Than Bouillon

Trim the fat off the lamb then cut the meat into small cubes.  Put in a 4-5 qt. pot with the oil, vinegar, minced shallot and Rosemary Seasoning.  Sauté and stir until the meat begins to brown.

  

Add the chopped carrots, celery, barely and continue to stir and cook until everything's sizzling.  Sprinkle on the flour and stir it in.  Pour in the water, a little at a time. Add bay leaves, rough chopped shallot, slice-chopped pepper, stir to combine everything, cover and simmer on low a half hour.  Check flavor, and make any corrections.  Soup will be ready when celery and carrots are tender and the barley is just a little chewy.

Mmmmm. . . Soup's On! . . Lin

Healing Bean and Root Vegetable Soup

¾c dried cow peas~

~or other small beans

Rinse the beans and pick through them, discarding any split, abnormal beans, or tiny pebbles. (unless you're going for a vegetable version of Stone Soup 😉 )  Put beans into a 2qt pot and cover with about 3" of water.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  Shut off, cover and remove from the heat to sit and soak.

3 stalks of celery

5 lg. cloves garlic
1# fresh asparagus

2 med. carrots

1 purple onion

1 golden beet

1 turnip

4 lg. radishes

4 mini peppers

2T garlic sea salt

1T+ Italian seasonings

1T+ fresh ground pepper

2T Tuscan flavored olive oil

1 28oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 15oz. can of corn ~ optional
3 Rose red potatoes

celery tops

This is a nice, slow-putzy recipe - taking about 4 hours from start to finish.  Perfect for a chilly, winter day when you'll be at home, cleaning, doing laundry, reading, spending time on 'house things'.

In a 5qt. pot, combine the large group of scrubbed vegetables; that you've sliced, diced, or chopped, according to the size you want them in the soup; with the oil.  Saute' these over low heat, just until they sizzle.  Add 2c of the bean water and simmer 20 minutes.  Add the last group of ingredients and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes, then shut off the heat and cover.  Bring the beans back to a simmer for another 10 minutes, then turn off the heat.

After an hour, check the beans again and continue to repeat the cook-soak process, if necessary, until they're almost tender.  Mine were ready now.  Check the vegetables to be sure they're cooked enough, but not much beyond crisp tender.  Add the beans, more bean water or vegetable stock, check the flavors and season accordingly.  This is great just as is if you're keeping an eye on your carb intake, but would also be wonderful with some jalapeno cornbread or crusty buttered Italian bread or French baguettes.  Bon Appetit!

NOTE:  This starts out as a very healthy soup, but it's good to remember that water-soluble vitamins; Vit. C and all the B vitamins; are destroyed when heated, so try to keep cooking time minimal.  Potatoes always cook fast.  Even though mine were pretty chunky, I had them in the first group of ingredients.  They cooked too fast and got mushy, so I put them in the second group for the recipe.  The asparagus didn't cook quite enough. 😕 They were originally in with the tomato group, so I relocated them to the first group for your instructions.  Ahhh, trial and error sometimes!  Lin