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Tricolore Soup

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

“Tricolore” refers to the three colors of the Italian flag, but this recipe has surprising choices for the red, white, and green—kidney beans, barley, and broccoli! Notes: Choose hull-less rather than pearl barley for better taste and more fiber. Always save and freeze Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds as they add great flavor to soups and stews.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup hull-less barley, uncooked
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound broccoli florets, coarsely chopped
  • 6 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • Optional: rind from a block of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • One 15.5-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • Fine sea salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

Step 1

In a medium saucepan, bring the barley and 4 cups of water to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until tender, an hour or more. When the barley is done, all the water should have evaporated. Check it regularly in case the water evaporates before the barley is cooked through.

Step 2

Heat a stockpot over medium-high heat. When hot, add the 3 tablespoons olive oil and the garlic. Sauté until the garlic softens. Add the broccoli, broth, and, if using, the cheese rind. Bring to a simmer and cook until the broccoli is tender, about 12 minutes. Add in the cooked barley and beans and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Serve with large shavings of cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. 

Yields 6 servings

Chicken Noodle Soup

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Often called Jewish penicillin, homemade chicken soup is soothing whether you’re feeling under the weather or just want to shake off winter’s chill. This recipe yields at least 4 quarts of stock and most of the fixings for a chicken soup dinner—that’s why I use a whole bird and not just parts.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds large carrots, trimmed, peeled, and cut into large chunks
  • 6 large celery stalks, trimmed and cut into chunks
  • 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
  • 4 parsnips, trimmed, peeled, and cut into large chunks
  • 4 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs 
  • 4 fresh dill sprigs
  • 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
  • 20 black peppercorns
  • One 4- or 5-pound chicken, quartered
  • One 12-ounce bag of egg noodles
  • Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Directions

Step 1

Place the vegetables and herbs in a large stockpot and add water to cover them by about 4 inches. Add the salt and peppercorns and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and cook at a low boil for 2 hours. 

Step 2

Add the chicken and cook for another 2 hours with the lid slightly ajar. The chicken should readily fall off the bones when done.

Step 3

Use tongs to transfer the carrots, parsnips, celery, and chicken to a large bowl; let cool slightly. Remove and discard the chicken skin and bones. Set the meat and vegetables aside. 

Step 4

Strain the broth to remove the herbs, any bits of onion, and peppercorns. Return 8 cups to the stockpot and keep warm. Let the rest cool to room temperature.

Step 5

Cook the egg noodles according to package directions. When ready, strain and divide among 6 soup bowls. Add some chicken and vegetables and ladle in broth. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Step 6

To store the rest of the stock: Ladle the room-temperature broth into freezer-safe containers. See Quick Kitchen Nugget in my weekly newsletter for removing fat if desired. Keep what you’ll use during the coming 7 to 10 days in the fridge and freeze the rest, labeling each lid with the contents and date.

Yields 6 soup servings plus 6 to 8 quarts of stock

Arroz de Mariscos

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This Portuguese specialty is a richly flavored seafood soup that often includes clams and mussels. Make it your own with your favorite shellfish—canned lump crabmeat or lobster chunks are wonderful in it. For a minimum of fuss, this version has shrimp and dry (or untreated) scallops. Carolino, a Portuguese rice, is traditional, but you can also use arborio—both are readily available online and in stores.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 red or orange bell peppers, diced
  • 2 serrano chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 4 large tomatoes, roughly chopped, or one 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 6 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon pimentón, more to taste
  • 2 cups Carolino rice
  • 4 cups seafood or vegetable stock, more as needed (see Note)
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 4 cilantro sprigs, trimmed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled
  • 1 pound dry scallops
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Step 1

Heat a large Dutch oven. When hot, add the olive oil and onions, and sauté until the onions become translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the bell peppers, serranos, tomatoes, and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes.

Step 2

Push the vegetables to the sides and add the tomato paste, cooking until it deepens in color and becomes fragrant, then add the pimentón and mix everything together. Add the rice, stirring to coat, and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the stock, wine, cilantro, bay leaves, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Immediately lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes (check after 15 minutes to see if more stock is needed).

Step 3

Stir in the scallops and shrimp; cover and cook for 10 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink and the scallops become opaque. Discard the cilantro and bay leaves, then ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkling with parsley and drizzling with olive oil.

Note: Make your own seafood stock by boiling the shrimp shells, 2 sliced carrots, 2 sliced celery stalks, 1 quartered onion, 2 bay leaves, and 6 peppercorns in 6 cups of water for 40 minutes; cool and strain.

Serves 8

Salmorejo

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This is a traditional cold tomato soup, often made with plum tomatoes, but don’t confuse it with gazpacho. The tomatoes are the stars of this show. It takes mere minutes to whip up.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 4 ounces crusty day-old bread, cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Pedro Ximénez sherry vinegar, more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste
  • 1/3 cup cold water if needed
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into chunks
  • 2 ounces serrano ham, cut into dice or strips

Directions

Step 1

In a high-powered blender or food processor, pulse the tomatoes and garlic until almost puréed. Add the bread pieces and let the tomatoes soften them for a minute. Add the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper and process until smooth. Add the water, if needed, to achieve the texture of cream of tomato soup

Step 2

Transfer to 4 bowls or wide mugs and top with equal amounts of hard-boiled eggs and ham.

Serves 4