Review and a Giveaway of Tabatchnick's Soup Singles

Tabatchnick's Vegetable Soup

As you can tell, I love making my own soups and testing out new recipes. But there are times when it's nice to not to plan, chop or cook where I can sit back and simply enjoy other people's soup recipes. I recently had the opportunity to take a brief break from my soup-making adventures to test out Tabatchnick's unique line of convenient Soup Singles.

A family-owned company since 1905, all soups made by Tabatchnick are created in small batches using high-quality ingredients and filtered water that are also Kosher and BPA-free. After quickly heating up the soup (I used the stove top method - but the soups can also be microwaved or heated in an oven), my vegetable soup single, made with lima beans, green beans, corn, onions, tomatoes, peas, carrots and barley, was ready in less than 10 minutes and smelled pretty incredible. As an alternative to cooking at home, the soup had a fresh and creamy taste (although there was no cream) with a rich and hearty vegetable broth. This was something completely different from canned and other frozen soups that I have tried in the past, but rather, the Tabatchnick line was enjoyable and provided a perfect portion-size for my lunch. After further inspecting the nutritional information, I was also happy to see that the line wasn't high in sodium and sugar (which many commercial soups are) and contained water and vegetables as the primary ingredients - as opposed to artificial additives, salt, and sugar.

Soup Singles also includes Minestrone Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup, Split Pea, Barley and Mushroom, Vegetarian Chili, Southwest Bean, and Tomato and Rice that are available in most grocers.

The Giveaway:
Want to try these soups for yourself?

1. Fan Seriously Soupy on Twitter.

2. Tell me in the comments section what soups from the Tabatchnick-line you would like to try.

One winner will receive 3 coupons for Soup Singles by Tabatchnick (in the NY-NJ metro area) or coupons for general Tabatchnick products (winners outside of those areas) and an apron.

The winner will be chosen randomly on June 2nd! Good Luck!

Soup Review: French Onion Soup by Cook's Illustrated

French Onion Soup - Image Credit: Cook's Illustrated

Seriously Soupy's French Onion Soup

It has been awhile since my soup review post where I test out a popular soup recipe. Since I have been meaning to try a French Onion Soup but was unsure of the steps enough to 'wing-it,' I decided that this was the perfect time to try this recipe I have been eying from Cook's Illustrated. Described as the "Best French Onion Soup" and one that requires patience, I quickly learned that this wasn't the quick and easy soups that I was used to. With cooking time measuring in over 2.5 hours patience is definitely required, however, I wouldn't have known about all of the steps involved, so following the recipe was actually very helpful. Plus, the recipe was accompanied with step-by-step pictures on how to brown the onions, which made the process very easy. The recipe also suggested using yellow onions (Vidalia) and Swanson broth but I opted to use one with my of new favorite local brands - Brooklyn Bouillon. The recipe is definitely worth trying out, but be sure to carve out enough time for the preparation.

Soup Review: Sausage-and-Kale Soup by Martha Stewart

                      Martha Stewart's Sausage-and-Kale Soup                         

Seriously Soupy's Sausage-and-Kale Soup

                                                                

After this weeks lentil and apricot soup I had a heaping amount of leftover kale that I still wanted to make good use of. I discovered this sausage-and-kale soup from Martha Stewart's publication Everyday that would not only use the kale, but utilize other ingredients (onions, potatoes, red pepper flakes, olive oil) that I already had on hand. I loved how the recipe used a minimal amount of ingredients, as well as had a quick prep and cooking time that resulted in a hearty, yet spicy soup that was ready in less than an hour! While I was preparing it I thought it was odd that it did not require any salt or pepper (something I would never think twice about not adding), but the soup (and its combination of flavors) worked really well on its own, which didn't require any extra condiments. While enjoying this soup, I discovered (once again) that some simple ideas (making the soup a bit spicy with sausage and kale) can create a different taste combination by simply using ingredients in a new way. This nice kick, along with some simple ingredients can also easily be modified if you don't like sausage by adding another type of meat or made vegetarian by adding seitan, tofu, beans, or pasta, etc. Check out this spicy Martha creation and let me know what you think:

Sausage-and-Kale Soup
Recipe by Martha Stewart from Everyday
Try serving this hearty soup as the main course of a light meal.
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 50 minutes 

  Soup cooking with broth, potatoes, onions

Ingredients
Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 5 waxy potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bunch kale (12 ounces), stemmed and shredded
• 12 ounces smoked chicken sausage, cut into 1/2-inch half moons
  

Directions

1. In a large pot (6 to 8 quarts), heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook until soft, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add potatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. In a blender, puree half the soup. Return to pot; add kale and sausage. Simmer until kale is wilted, 10 to 15 minutes.

P.S. The only thing I modified was to hand blend the ingredients in the pot, as opposed to taking out half of the soup and pureeing it in a blender. I also ended up adding a little bit of water (about 1 cup), since I didn't feel like the consistency was soupy enough, at least for my standards.:)

Have you tried any Martha Stewart soup recipes?

Seriously Soupy Serena

Soup Review—Chilled Edamame Soup with Ginger Creme Fraiche by Nobuo Fukuda

So, it's 20 degrees out and dropping and what do I decide to re-create but a chilled soup!?!? Created by renowned Chef Nobuo Fukuda, maybe it wasn't the best soup to review given the current temps, but one that was intriguing for its simplicity and use of ingredients that I happened to have in the house, except for the crème fraîche (more on that later). 

My version of the soup came out very differently than Fukuda's. First of all, I couldn't find the crème fraîche, but there is a good reason for that. Apparently crème fraîche is widely available in Europe and very rare to find here, expect for specialty stores, which my local grocer is not. Instead, I opted to use a combination of heavy whipping cream and buttermilk (see recipe below) that was supposed to create a thick cream, but instead I ended up with a thin liquid that looked like skim milk? I also noticed that Fukuda's soup came out a light brown and smooth, while mine came out looking green and chunky. I think this is the result of not using as much chicken stock (I had two cups worth and used water for the remaining, or maybe it could have been because I did not let the onions "brown" enough?) Either way I would still recommend trying out this soup for its incredible rich and nutty taste, but perhaps next time I would test it out during a time when you actually need "chilling" out, like in the summer.

                              Chef Nobou Fukuda's Chilled Edamame Soup 

                                          photo by Cedric Angeles  

                                       

Seriously Soupy's Chilled Edamame Soup

Chilled Edamame Soup with Ginger Crème Fraîche

Recipe by Chef Nobuo Fukuda from foodandwine.com

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 2 cups frozen shelled edamame (10 ounces)
• Salt
• 1/4 cup crème fraîche (See subsituite recipe here, if you are unable to find creme fraiche)
• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

Directions:


1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Add 3 cups of the stock and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Add the edamame and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then puree the soup in a blender until very smooth. Transfer the soup to a bowl and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours.
2. Whisk the remaining 1 cup of chicken stock into the soup and season with salt. In a small bowl, combine the crème fraîche with the grated ginger. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with the ginger crème fraîche and serve.


Seriously Soupy Serena

Soup Review—Baked Potato Soup from Cooking Light magazine

Guest Reviewer—Theresa Valentine

 Baked Potato Soup

Back in action after the holiday eating season, and I don't know about you, but I am full, stuffed, and quite frankly done with the gorge. SO, I thought it would be nice to start things off on a lighter note with a soup review recipe from Cooking Light magazine. Reviewed by Theresa Valentine, the recipe is essentially about how to turn a delicious baked potato into even more delicious baked potato soup. Although, not a traditional light soup per-say (there's  bacon and cheese in here), the soup does use reduced fat versions of milk and cheese products, making it a hearty meal and one that can even be modified based on preferences-maybe substituting potatoes for sweet potatoes, reduced fat milk for non-fat, soy or rice milk, or grilled onions and croutons for bacon? It is all up to you, but this is sure a good base to test out a soup of this nature. Check out Theresa's soupy experience below, as well as the recipe from Cooking Light mag.

Seriously Soupy: Did you follow the recipe word-for-word?
Theresa Valentine: I did. Well, except for the onions because in my opinion there's nothing worse than thinking you're biting into a chunk of potato and it's a chunk of onion, yuck!! 

Seriously Soupy: How did you modify this?

TV: I replaced the whole onion with onion and garlic powders, which gives it a nice flavor. I also usually throw the bacon and all cheese into the soup at the end instead of putting it in each individual bowl...it doesn't look as pretty that way, but it's still tasty :) 

Seriously Soupy: How did it taste?

TV: It is basically tastes like the goodness of a baked potato with all the trimmings! Pretty much a hearty and filling soup that's not super fattening.

Seriously Soupy: Was it difficult to prepare?

TV: It's pretty easy to make except for the whisking of the milk and flour, which I am apparently bad at because when it comes time to clean the pot there is always burnt flour on the bottom.  

Seriously Soupy: How long did it take to prepare?

TV: It doesn't take too long except for the baking of the potatoes which takes an hour, after that it maybe takes about a 1/2 hour to peel the potatoes and put it all together. 

And now on to the recipe!

Baked Potato Soup recipe from Cooking Light magazine.

All the flavors of a loaded baked potato come together in this rich, creamy soup.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups soup, 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons onions)

Ingredients:

• 4  baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 2/3  cup  all-purpose flour
• 6  cups  2% reduced-fat milk
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1  cup  reduced-fat sour cream
• 3/4  cup  chopped green onions, divided
• 6  bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°. Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash. Discard skins. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Sprinkle each serving with cheese, onions, and bacon.

Well, there you have it-a simple and easy to prep potato soup. I cover these reviews every Monday and I would love to hear about your experiences with professionally developed recipes from chefs. And even better, please include pics of your soupy journey, so that they could be featured in an upcoming soup review article.


Seriously Soupy Serena
seriouslysoupy@gmail.com

Chocolate Soup with Carmelized Bananas—Follow-up

Since last weeks review of Jacques Torres' Chocolate Soup I received several e-mails from readers who were intrigued by this unique soupy, and one eager reader (Theresa Valentine) who actually tested out JT's recipe. Ms. Valentine had an interesting experience with the dessert soup, along with some modifications - no meringue (she said she wussed out), as well as using three different types of chocolates (didn't have enough of the bittersweet), where she ended up with a soup that tasted like a "hot chocolate with bananas." Her experience also pretty much summed up my own sentiment that "the bananas tasted mushy and weird." However, like me she wants to try it out again (perhaps with another type of fruit?), and now with the carmelization under our belts it is certainly possible. Check out our recent Q & A session:

Seriously Soupy: How was the carmelization process? Did you find it difficult?

Thersea Valentine: The caramelization was kind of a pain, but apparently that is partly my lack of knowing that you are supposed to use a wooden spoon while doing it as opposed to the metal i used (and subsequently threw out due to stuck caramel) and despite following the directions my bananas still turned out mushy.  So it kind of felt frustrating after all that to have banana mush. I also think that I cut the bananas too small...i had to throw out a spoon that got carmel coated and wouldn't come off :) 

SS: Was it hard to find the ingredients?

TV: The ingredients were easy to find as I already had most of them in my kitchen already.  So that was a big plus that there was nothing exotic in this soup.

SS:  Why did you use three types of chocolates and which ones did you use? 

TV: I had to use three different kinds of chocolate since i didn't have enough bittersweet, but it ended up making the flavor really good. I used Ghiradelli bittersweet (4 oz bar), Hershey's special dark (4.25 oz bar) and 3 cubes (1 oz each) of unsweetened Bakers chocolate. I'm guessing the use of the dark chocolate probably made mine a bit sweeter than yours probably turned out.

SS: What did you think of the overall process?

TV: The soup itself was a piece of cake, just milk and chocolate.  The caramelization was a little hard but I suppose if it hadn't been my first time doing it ever and had known what I was doing it would've worked out better.  I couldn't be bothered with the meringue because I already know I suck at making those and I'm low rent, I don't need the fanciness :)  I'd make it again but might try figuring out a different fruit or something to go in the bananas place

SS: Where there any nuts in the soup?
 
TV: No. I'm thinking someone knocked nuts in your soup and won't fess up :)

Thanks Theresa! To learn more about T, check out her photography on flickr under her monker diabolic scheme (a.k.a turtlevr's).


Seriously Soupy Serena