Soup-Chefs

Soup is the single, graduate student's friend.  It's hard to mess up (this is when we knock on wood), chock full of vegetables, and best of all, kind to the wallet.  So as soon as Seattle's seasonal bipolar disorder kicks in and long sunny days are replaced with a cool, lingering drizzle, the stockpot comes out and this girl's soul gets a little warming.


The comfort of a steaming bowl of fresh, homemade soup is second to none.  The first bowl of leftovers is still delicious.  But somewhere around bowl four, the delicious soup turns, well, redundant.  Enter: Amy and her genius idea.

The soup was planned...the ribbons were not!

Amy is a dear friend with whom I share many laughs, secrets, and good times.  Most importantly, Amy and I share a love of good food.  Since she and I were both planning batches of soup for the weekend, Amy concocted the brilliant idea of a soup swap.  Her minestrone soup and my spicy southwest soup swapped hands, and I am afraid they might never look back.


Spicy Southwest Soup with Chicken Andouille and Chickpeas
(Adapted from: Bon Appetit, March, 1995)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound chicken andouille sausage, casings removed, crumbled
1 onion, diced
3 large carrots, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

8 large garlic cloves, minced
14 oz. can diced peeled tomatoes with juices
2 thinly sliced seeded jalapeño chili
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 14 oz. cans garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Heat olive oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic until translucent about 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and jalapenos and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add turkey sausage and sauté until sausage is golden brown and cooked through, breaking up sausage with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices, ground cumin and thyme and simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garbanzo beans and chicken broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer soup 15 minutes. Stir in fresh lemon juice. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. This soup would be delicious with chopped fresh cilantro and sliced avocado as a topper.

The time has come

Yes, it is time.  Time to join the 21st century. Time to give back to the world of internet cooking from which I so happily take.  Time to keep track of recipes and adventures.  And, really, time to commit to the inevitable truth: I never stop thinking about food.

Welcome to my kitchen, friends.  Now, we're in it together.