10 Super Soups for the Super Bowl

Image from Gridskipper.com (I know, I know the Bears didn't make it in)

It's that time of year again - Super Bowl!! -  where legions of fans gather together to eat, scream at the TV, bump chests, and eat some more. Ok, so I know this event is much more than that, but as a confused observer I am a bit ignorant in the ways of football, which basically means that I don't know what the heck is going on. No worries, the rules are explained to me time-and-time again and I still glaze over, but that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy the communal aspect of having friends together (even if it is to scream at a TV) and, of course, the food! Greasy, uncomfortably filling, and generally unhealthy, super bowl parties seem to be lacking one major component to complete the festivities (at least in my world) and that of course is soup! Having soup at your super bowl party will start the evening off on a semi-healthy note (stop laughing) and not just include chili (although this is also an option and can even be made healthy and yes, even vegan). I am working on a super bowl soup recipe for Friday's post that I promise won't be a standard offering. Until then, here are some other soups that you may want to feature (or bring) to your next soup (er) bowl party:

10 super soups for the super bowl
1. Super Bowl Sunday Soup from Red Velvet Cafe-A hearty beef stew complete with a heaping dose of veggies and spices. Takes some time to prep (seven hours!), so be sure to factor that into your day.
2. Meatfree Super Bowl Chili from Starting Over-Utilizing various beans (black, garbanzo, kidney,  and vegetarian baked beans), this meatless chili was cooked in a slow cooker, which I'm sure could be modified into a pot. The recipe also includes corn, celery, bell peppers, and various spices to complete this filing meat-free chili.
3. Super Bowl Chili (with Meat) from That's So Yummy-Of course most super bowl parties don't feel complete without meat chili, and this one from That's So Yummy does not mess around. It is complete with ground beef, beans, and bacon (yes, bacon) that is sure to satisfy even the hungriest football fanatic.
4. Broccoli and Cheese Soup with Soymilk from Curious Eats- Start your party off with this healthier version of a broccoli and cheese soup that uses soymilk and reduced fat cheese.
5. Pace Picante Chicken Tortilla Super Bowl Soup from Cookie Girl-Using Pace Picanta salsa, this recipe is essentially a chicken soup with a twist. Top it off with Cookie Girl's homemade tortilla chips for a perfect pre-game side.
6. Cajun 15 Bean Soup from The Bear Brunch-A soup of 15 beans and sausage is surely a scrumptious meal to complete any super bowl party. The recipe also includes onions, garlic, tomatoes and lemon to complete the soup.
7. All Veggie Vegetable Soup from Eat At Home-Even all veggie soup can be enjoyed on the Super Bowl. This one includes five veggies that can be modified based on your preferences and even includes a cornbread and cheddar muffin recipe to accompany this healthy soup.
8. Baked Potato Soup from Raising Little Women-Potato Skins, Potato Chips, and Potato Skins-potatoes are a major par of the Super Bowl. Why not switch things up a bit by having your potatoes skins in soup?
9. Potato and Leek Soup from Seriously Soupy-Shameless Self-Promotion? Maybe, but this potato and leek soup is so easy to make and gives potatoes a subtle boast with onions, cream, and whole leeks.
10. Spicy Roasted Corn from Seriously Soupy-Yet another SS soup. I love this one for its spicy kick and of course of the yummy roasted corn. Double or even triple the amount of corn in the recipe since this one is suited for one, and adjust the amount of spices and salt by tasting it as you go.
11. To come on Friday...Stay Tuned!

What are some of your favorite super bowl soups?
Seriously Soupy Serena

Potato and Leek Soup

A darker, but still delicious potato and leek soup

For this weeks soupy I created a potato and leek soup. A much loved soup and one that I have tried many times, but never created myself I thought it would be interesting to test out and quite frankly I was craving a hearty and classic winter-type soup such as this one. Overall it was pretty easy and took a lot less time than I thought, especially since I was really just softening the potatoes and the leeks and adding the appropriate flavors. I also ended up with a darker version of a potato and leek soup (see pic that sort of looks like a pea soup), which I later learned that most potato and leek recipes don't encourage the use of the darker stems (top part) of the leeks, which I did. This resulted is a different twist on the soup, but still remained consistent to the general idea of a potato and leek soup, or rather a my own leek with some potato soupy. Here's how to make it:

Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients:

3 cups of vegetable broth
2 cups of water
1 cup of heavy cream
5 leeks, thinly cut up (using whole leek, including dark part)
1 yellow onion, chopped up into small squares
3 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cut into squares
1 green onion, thinly cut up
1/2 clove of garlic, chopped up
salt and pepper, to taste
Servings: 6

Directions:
Add the broth and water to a pot and set to a medium heat. Chop up the leeks and the onions into thin slices and the place it into the slightly boiling pot. Peel the potatoes and cut them into squares and place them in the pot, along with the scallions and the garlic (about 20 minutes later). Cover and let cook for 30 minutes. Place a fork through the potatoes, if soft add heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Blend together with a hand blender, where you should end up with a puree. I found that my mixture was way too thick, so I ended up adding 1/2 cup more of water and a splash more of heavy cream. Remove from the heat and serve in your soupy bowls. Enjoy!

P.S. As I mentioned in the intro I used all parts of the leek, including the darker part (top), but many recipes only suggest using the lighter part (bottom), which would make the color significantly more lighter and close to the look of a potato. I liked how this tasted more leek-based than potato, but again that is your preference and really you can do whatever you like when you are creating your own variation of a soup.

Seriously Soupy Serena