Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo with Cayenne Corn Muffin Croutons

Gumbo with Cayenne Corn Muffin Croutons - Seriously Soupy

 

With Mardi Gras just days away I thought it was finally a time that I tried to make gumbo. More of a stew, this thick medley of chicken, shrimp and turkey (can also sub for andouille sausage) was a fun meal to experiment with whether you are in New Orleans or are just looking for a spicy and hearty soup to test out. Having never made gumbo before I looked at various recipes and took ingredients from each to craft my own Cajun treat. In addition to the various meats I added carrots, peppers - both red and green, onions, celery, okra, and chili and cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes that gave the soup a nice kick. For the corn muffins, I cheated and used a box but I added various spices (cayenne and chili pepper) in the mix for a spicy crouton that worked really well with this hearty soup.
 

Gumbo with Cayenne Corn Muffin Croutons

Ingredients:
2-3 cups of water  
2 chicken breast (boneless and skinless) 
1/2 pound of turkey meat
1/4 cup olive oil 
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
3-4 green onions, chopped up
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped  
2-3 carrots, chopped   
3 stalks celery chopped 

3 tablespoons of flour   

1/4 bunch parsley, chopped
1/4 bunch dill, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish 
1 (14-ounce can) stewed tomatoes with juice
2 cups frozen sliced okra
1/2 pound shrimp- (I used frozen shrimp)
2-3 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon chili pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Cut up the onions, green onions and garlic and add them to a medium-sized soup pot with some olive oil. Let cook on a low heat and cover. Cut up the peppers, celery, carrots, okra and add them to the pot, along with the flour, two cups of water, bay leaves, parsley and dill and stir together. Add the tomato sauce and cover. Let cook for 30 minutes. In a separate pot, cook the turkey with any leftover onions (about 15 minutes). Cut up the chicken and add it to the pot, along with the turkey, shrimp, salt, and pepper. Cover and let cook for another 45 to an hour minutes, checking on the gumbo periodically. Turn off the flame, serve and top with a corn muffin crouton.

How do you make your gumbo?
Seriously Soupy Serena

Soup Tour Recipes

Hand-Pulled Noodles - Image Credit: absolutechinatours.com

Today, myself and over 20 soup lovers are going to walk through the Lower East Side testing out hand-pulled noodle soups at Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles, Minestrone or Pasta Fagioli at Da Nico and some Matzo Ball Soup or Split Pea Soup at Katz's Deli. I'm very excited to host this walking tour with  Explorecation.com and in honor of the event here are three recipes of the soups that we are going to test out (hoping to have a hand-pulled noodle one up after this experience). If you can't make this one, there will also be a spring soup tour in April. Refer to Explorecation.com for more details. Happy weekend! 

Vegetable Wonton Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
4 cups of water
Bunch of Napa cabbage, chopped up
1 tablespoon of garlic, minced
1 bok choy, chopped up
Bunch of fresh spinach
1 can of mushrooms, chopped up
1 whole carrot, chopped up
1 stalk of chives, chopped up
1 stalk of scallions, chopped up
15 wonton wrappers (I used both Shanghai and Hong Kong-style wrappers)
2-3 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
2 teaspoons chili oil Salt to taste

Other Ingredients for Your Wonton's:
Shrimp
Pork
Tofu
Ginger
Oysters

Directions:  
Add water to a pot and start boiling. Chop up the garlic, scallions, cabbage and bok choy and add them to the pot, along with some flavorings (soy sauce, sesame oil and chili oil). Chop up the bok choy, cabbage, mushrooms and carrots very fine (this is for your wonton's). Open your wonton's and coat the rim with sesame oil and water add the filings in the center and flap the wonton forward, then scrunch up the sides and close -- be careful not to overfill. Place them in the boiling pot, along with the spinach and extra mushrooms and carrots. Wonton's should be finished cooking when they rise. Taste and enjoy! 

Vegetable Minestrone Soup
Ingredients:
3 cups of dry red beans, soaked for 4-5 hours
8 cups of water, approximately 2-3 cups for soaking
1 can of organic diced tomato sauce
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 head of broccoli, cut up
1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped up
1 zucchini, cut up
2-3 carrots, chopped up
1/2 box of elbow macaroni
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
bunch of fresh basil (about a handful)
bunch of fresh rosemary (about a handful)  
pepper and salt, to taste

Directions:
Let the dry beans soak for about 4 hours. When ready to cook, add water to a pot and let cook. Cut up the onions and garlic and add them to the pot, along with the beans. Cut up the veggies - zucchini, broccili, cauliflower and carrots, along with the tomato sauce and add them to the pot. Let cook for an hour, checking on the soup and stirring periodically. Add the seasonings (basil, rosemary, celery salt, salt and pepper) and pasta and let cook for another 30 minutes. Taste and enjoy!

Matzoh Ball Soup  

Part One—Chicken Stock 
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken cut into 1/4's (I used a small organic chicken)
1 large pot almost completely filled (75%) with water
4 carrots
2 stalks of celery, cut up
2 small parsnips or 1 large parsnip, cut up
1 small yellow onion, diced into small cubes
1 small bunch of dill tied tied together with white thread
1 small bunch of parsley tied together with white thread
Approximately 2 tablespoons of salt, tasting throughout the simmering process, adding more if needed

Directions:

Fill up a pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and cover. While that is cooking cut up, tie the thread around the dill and parsley, and the clean the vegetables. When the water/chicken starts to boil, clean any bubbles or dirt that acclimates to the surface. Add all of the vegetables and the salt to the pot. Set to a very low flame and allow the water to simmer slowly for two hours. Periodically check the pot and taste the concoction, adding salt if needed. After three hours let the vegetables sit in the pot until they cool. Discard all vegetables except carrots. Depending on when you are making the matzo meal you may need to keep your broth in the fridge or remove the vegetables and place the pot  immediately back on the heat as the matzo balls are added.

Part Two—Matzoh Ball Mix

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 cup matzoh meal
• 1/2 teaspoons of salt
• 2 tablespoons of cold seltzer

Directions:

In a medium-sized bowl mix eggs and oil with a fork, but do not beat the mixture. Add the matzoh meal, salt, seltzer, and mix together.  Cover with aluminium foil and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Start your pot of broth again and bring it to a slight boil. After 20 minutes remove the matzoh from the fridge and wet hands. Make the balls and place them in the boiling pot.  Lower the flame, cover, and cook for 40 minutes. Remove the matzoh balls and broth with a spoon, place into a soup bowl, and enjoy!

Turkey Barley and Sweet Potato Soup

Amazing Delicious Turkey Barley and Sweet Potato Soup by Skinny Kitchen

One of the greatest aspects about working on Soupy (other than making the soups themselves) is the amazing opportunity to meet - both in person and online - so many passionate home cooks and chefs. One blogger that I have admired and really hope to meet one day is Nancy Fox. As the creator of Skinny Kitchen, a website devoted to healthy eating and cooking tips, Nancy creates weekly recipes that include Weight Watchers points, a list of healthy alternatives and nutritional information so that you can compare recipes. For this guest post, Nancy shared her Amazing Delicious Turkey Barley and Sweet Potato Soup recipe that uses turkey instead of chicken, celery, carrots, sweet potatoes, onions and pearl barley to create a full-bodied soup with great texture. I hope you enjoy this delicious and easy-to-prepare soup and stay tuned for more contributions from Nancy in the next couple of weeks.

Guest Post: by Nancy Fox of Skinny Kitchen

 
Amazing Delicious Turkey Barley and Sweet Potato Soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time:  1 hour

Ingredients:
1 (32 ounce) container reduced-sodium chicken broth (we like Swanson’s Organic reduced-sodium.)
1(14oz) can reduced- sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup dried pearl barley
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon from a jar)
1 ¼ cups carrots, sliced
1 cup celery, sliced
1 cup onions, chopped (~1 small onion)
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (~2 sweet potatoes)
1 ½ cups cooked turkey breast (skin removed), diced
Fresh ground pepper to taste


Instructions:
1. In a large pot add the chicken broth and barley.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. In the meantime, in a pan add the olive oil, garlic, carrots, celery, onions,  and  sauté until vegetables are soft (~ 5 minutes)
3. Add the sautéed vegetables to the broth.  Cook uncovered for 30 minutes
4. Add the sweet potatoes and season with pepper.  Continue to cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
5. Stir in the cooked turkey and cook 10 minutes longer.
Makes 8 cups

Food Fact:

Barley dates back to the Stone Age.  The ancient Greeks relied on barley to make bread and athletes attributed much of their strength and physical growth to their barley rich diet.

Healthy Benefit:

Pearled barley in high in cholesterol- lowering fiber and is low in fat.  A single serving offers 11% of the RDA of iron and has a fair amount of folate and niacin.

Shopping Tip

You can find dried pearl barley in the supermarket aisle with the dried beans.


Substitution Tip:
If desired, substitute chicken for the turkey.

Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS 4

SKINNY FACTS: for 1 cup
162 cal, 2g fat, 10g protein, 26g carbs, 5g fiber, 418mg sodium, 5g sugar

FAT FACTS: for a regular cup of Turkey, Barley and Sweet Potato Soup
260 cal, 8g fat, 10g protein, 26g carbs, 4.8g fiber, 1074mg sodium, 5g sugar

Skinny Kitchen is your fun guide to healthy yet decadent-tasting foods. Each week we share skinny recipes, cooking tips, food finds, nutrition facts and WW POINTS on every recipe. Join Nancy Fox for the recipes and more at http://skinnykitchen.com/.

Stylish Bowls for Soup

It really doesn't matter how you 'ladle up' your bowl of soup. You can eat it out of an old coffee mug or even a paper cup and your soup will still taste delicious - but sometimes it's nice to have a versatile and cool-looking bowl that is a great for entertaining or to step up the decor in your kitchen. From kid-friendly bowls to those suited for more elegant affairs, I've found five interesting soup bowls to mix up your collection.

The Toddler-Friendly Boon Catch Bowl

1. Boon Catch Bowl - Featuring a built-in spill catcher and suction cup, the Boon Catch Bowl is designed for messy Toddler-eating that works by keeping the bowl firmly planted in one place. I love that it is free of BPA, PVC and Phthalates and soft so you don't have to worry if it (or your toddler's soup) ends up on the floor.

Soup Bowls by Ayda Anlagan

2. Pretty Soup Bowls - Created by Ayda Anlagan, a London-based industrial designer, these unique artistic bowls were created to illustrate the issue of food wastage in the domestic environment that includes a fishing scene, a child playing, and various quotes. I love their chic and modern appeal that would be great for a fun dinner party.

Kai Serving Bowls from Crate & Barrel

3. White Kai Noodle/Soup Bowl- As part of the Kai Serving Bowl Series, this modern Asian soup bowl includes two cutout handles for a bamboo chopstick. These porcelain white bowls are also  dishwasher-, microwave- and oven-safe.

The Husque Bowl

4. Husque Bowl - Designed by Marc Harrison, the Husque Bowl is made in Australia from macadamia nuts shells whose shape is also inspired by the same nut. The bowl also has a clean finish that is stained with a yellow, white, or black resin.

Farmhouse Double-Handled Bowls by Williams-Sonoma

 5. Farmhouse Double-Handled Bowls - Created by Williams-Sonoma, these double-handled rustic bowls are sized to serve hearty portions of soups, chowders and chili. Since they are made out heat-resistant stoneware, the bowls can also be used for baking casseroles, pot pies and individual portions of macaroni and cheese. The set of four is also microwavable and dishwasher safe.

Soup to Meal Ideas with the Original SoupMan

Sometimes having a bowl of soup just isn't enough but soup being so versatile makes it easy to add heartier ingredients like some rice, pasta, vegetables or extra protein to make a healthy bowl of soup more filling. The Original SoupMan (yep, I'm talking about the SoupMan from Seinfeld) also thought of a unique way to transform soup into a main course by adding some pasta, stir-fry vegetables, beef, chicken and seafood to his popular line of frozen soups. A quick way to not only get a hearty dose of nutrients from the soups themselves, the price tag is just right to feed a family (each meal averages about $5) that also includes delicious options like Macaroni & Cheese with Broccoli, Seafood Pasta, Chicken Vegetable and Rice, Italian Wedding Parmesan Linguini, and Spicy Beef and Tomato Pasta to make your soup bowl all the more interesting.

Spicy Beef and Tomato Pasta

Seafood Pasta

Macaroni & Cheese with Broccoli

Soup to Meal Ideas with the SoupMan:

Macaroni & Cheese with Broccoli:
1 lb of macaroni elbows ($1.59)
1 Original SoupMan Broccoli & Cheese Soup ($3.49)
For $2.54 each you can have Macaroni & Cheese with Broccoli for two or more

Seafood Pasta:
1 lb. of pasta of your choice ($1.59)
1 Original SoupMan Seafood Bisque ($4.49)
For $3.04 each you can have Seafood Pasta for two or more

Chicken Vegetable and Rice:
16 oz. of rice of your choice ($1.00)
1 Original SoupMan Chicken Vegetable Soup ($3.49)
For $2.25 each you can have Chicken Vegetable and Rice for two or more

Italian Wedding Parmesan Linguini:
1 lb. of linguini ($1.59)
1 Original SoupMan Italian Wedding Soup ($3.49)
2 Tablespoons on aged parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top ($2.99 for 8 oz. container)
For less than $4.00 each you can have Italian Wedding Linguini with Parmesan for two or more

Spicy Beef and Tomato Pasta:
1 lb. of pasta of your choice ($1.59)
1 Original SoupMan Tomato Basil Soup ($3.49)
1 lb. of Lean Ground Beef ($1.89)
1 Teaspoon of red pepper flakes ($.99 for 2.12 oz. container)
For $3.98 each you can have Spicy Beef and Tomato Pasta for two or more

* For a healthier option, substitute regular pasta for whole wheat pasta and white rice for brown rice