Soups For The Soul And A Classic French Stew Recipe

Beef Bourguignon: A slow-cooked beef stew braised in red Burgundy wine with onions, mushrooms, carrots, and aromatic herbs, creating a rich and hearty flavor.

There’s nothing quite like a comforting bowl of soup to warm the body and nourish the soul. From hearty stews to delicate broths, soup has the power to evoke feelings of comfort, nostalgia, and culinary satisfaction. Simply put, good soup is a hug in a bowl.

Now, of course your neighborhood market has some ready made soups to choose from and you may already have a favorite.

However, if you compare store bought to home made soup, spoon for spoon, there’s nothing better than soup made from scratch in your own kitchen. (Or at least one that tastes like you made it from scratch.)

Keep in mind that there’s also nothing wrong with taking a few shortcuts. Wink, wink.

The first recipe can be fast and easy to prepare if you’re willing to take a little short cut. It’s definitely a South Texas favorite:

Texan Chicken Tortilla Soup

Most of the ingredients are pantry staples and if not, it’s time to restock.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of shredded chicken breast. (You can buy it pre-cooked and/or shredded)

32 ounces of chicken broth

2/3 cup ranch dressing

2 14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 package Taco Seasoning (You choose the heat)

1  14 ounce package frozen corn, Southwestern blend

For garnish:

2 large limes

2 cups of Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Crunchy tortilla chips

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook the chicken breasts, either on the grill or if already cooked, then shred the chicken. Put it aside.

  1. Add all of the ingredients, except for the garnish, of course, into a pot and place over medium-high heat and allow to come to a slow boil.
  2. Reduce heat to low. Cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.
  3. For the last 5 minutes of cooking time, remove the lid.

Note: Keep in mind, if it’s freezing outside, a friendly shot of Tequila amongst friends will warm you up! Don Julio Anejo is suggested.

Enjoy and let’s eat!

Asparagus Delight Soup

This is something a little different on a cold night or chilly afternoon.

It’s not as thick by not using heavy cream. Keep it simple with vegetables, seasoned broth and a few cheeses. Also, get some store bought  frozen “take and bake” French bread for dipping. Feeds 4-6

INGREDIENTS

2 bunches of fresh asparagus (about 2¼ pounds), bottom ends trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

 (HINT: Cut tips off for garnish later, place tips in ice water)

3 Tablespoons of unsalted butter

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth. Add salt and freshly ground pepper

to taste

2 Tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

( I always keep sliced quarters of limes and lemons in the freezer. They defrost quickly and can be used as needed.)

1 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 Tablespoon each of Italian seasoning, thyme, dill, and basil

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 10 minutes. Do not brown or over sauté.
  2. Add the chopped asparagus to the pot (minus the reserved tips in ice water), along with the chicken broth, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft
  3. Back to the iced tips. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the asparagus tips for a few minutes, or until tender-crisp. Drain the tips and then place them back in the bowl of ice water. This stops them from cooking further and makes them bright green. Once the tips are cool, drain them and set aside for the final garnish on top of soup.
  4. Purée the soup with a hand blender until completely smooth. (HINT: use a standard blender to purée the soup in batches, then return the soup to the pot.) Bring the soup back to a simmer and stir in the lemon juice and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season to taste…(HINT: If you like your soup thicker then simmer uncovered a little longer)

  1. Using a set of medium sized bowls, use a large spoon, slowly place soup into bowls.

NOW, place asparagus tips on top of each serving. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano, fresh herbs and a final squeeze of lemon juice.

  1. Time baked bread to be hot and ready.

Enjoy and stay warm!!

For this next recipe, let’s spice things up a bit, ya’ll!

Texan Cajun Shrimp & Fish Coubion Stew

Coubion is one of those true southern comfort food dishes. It’s like a Cajun fish gravy. Any thick fish that will not easily break apart can be used in this recipe. Remember, you control the spiciness of the hot sauce to suit your taste.

It’s no wonder there are so many Cajun culinary influences in Texas. After all, the east side of Texas from Texarkana all the way down to the tip of Port Arthur borders Louisiana. A lot of the original settlers of Texas came through the Bayou state on their way to the Lone Star state. It’s only natural that creole recipes and delicious border foods became a part of many Texans staple foods.

This is a hearty and simple dish with a serving size of 4-6.

Ingredients:

1 lb large shrimp, peeled, deveined

1 lb white fish, like cod, cut into chunks

4 cups chicken broth, low sodium

3 cups red salsa (mild, medium or hot. It’s up to you!)

1 cup hot (or regular) tomato sauce (try Goya, for hot)

¼ cup flour

¼ cup parsley, minced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

½ onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons butter, unsalted

4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Creole seasoning

1 Tablespoon black pepper

½ Tablespoon garlic powder

½ Tablespoon onion powder

½ Tablespoon paprika

½ Tablespoon chili powder

Green onions to garnish

Hot cooked rice

Hot sauce to serve

Instructions:

Mix seasoning blend together and set aside.

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to pan over medium heat.

Add bell pepper, onion, and celery to pan and sauté 5 minutes.

Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Season with 1 tablespoon of seasoning mix, blend well.

Add butter and remaining olive oil to pan.

Stir in flour and cook for 5 minutes to slightly brown the flour.

Add broth, tomato sauce and red salsa to pan.

Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes on low, uncovered.

Season fish and shrimp with seasoning mix and set aside.

Add fish to sauce, cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.

Add shrimp and parsley to sauce and stir gently.

Cook shrimp 7 minutes.

Serve over hot, cooked rice and garnish with green onions.

Don’t forget the hot sauce!

Enjoy with an ice cold Shiner Bock (Texas side), or a Yuengling Black and Tan (Louisiana side)

Bonus:

Here are a few Cajun words for you and friends to learn over dinner…

Allons [Ah-loh(n)]: Let’s go.Ça c’estbon (Sa sayboh(n)):That’s good.

Joie de vivre [Jhwa da veev]: Joy of living

Next up, tender, fall apart chunks of beef are simmered in a rich red wine gravy that would have made Julia Child proud. Here, the beef is seared on the stovetop and then simmered for several hours in the oven until it’s incredibly tender and falls apart at the touch of a fork.

What’s the difference between Beef Bourguignon and Beef Stew?

From the ingredient list to the cooking process, there are a lot of similarities between these two cozy stewed beef dishes. The main difference is that beef Bourguignon uses a full bottle of red wine for the sauce, whereas beef stew calls for little to no wine. Additionally, beef

Bourguignon also typically includes bacon, pearl onions, and mushrooms.

Beef Bourguignon

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces bacon, (five to six slices) roughly chopped

1  (3 pound beef chuck roast, trim off the fat)

1 large carrot, sliced

1 large yellow onion, diced

6 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

1 pinch coarse salt, or more, to taste

1 pinch ground pepper

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

12 small pearl onions, optional

1 bottle dry red wine like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or a

Chianti – for a milder sauce, use only 2cups of wine

2-3 cups beef stock (if using 2 cups of wine, use 3 cups beef stock)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 beef bouillon cube

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped,

2 bay leaves

1 pound fresh, white mushrooms, quartered

2 tablespoons butter

Serving Options:

Egg noodles or mashed potatoes, crusty bread

Traditional stove top and oven method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or heavy based pot. Sauté the bacon over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until crisp and browned. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large dish and set aside
  3. Pat the beef dry with a paper towel; sear in batches in the hot oil/bacon fat until browned on all sides. Remove to the dish with the bacon
  4. In the remaining oil/bacon fat, sauté the carrots and diced onions until softened, (about 3 minutes), then add 4 cloves minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Drain excess fat (leave about 1 tablespoon in the pan) and return the bacon and beef back into the pot. Season with 1 or 2 teaspoons of coarse salt and a teaspoon of ground pepper. Sprinkle with flour, toss well and cook for 4-5 minutes to brown.
  5. Add the pearl onions, wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Then add the tomato paste, bouillon and herbs. Bring to a simmer on the stove.
  6. Cover, transfer to lower part of the oven and simmer for 2 hours, or until the meat is fall apart tender (adjust the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly.)
  7. In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, prepare your mushrooms. Heat the butter in a medium-sized skillet/pan over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds), then add in the mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, while shaking the pan occasionally to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Once they are browned, set aside.
  8. Place a colander over a large pot. Remove the casserole from the oven and carefully empty its contents into the colander (you want to collect the sauce only.) Discard the bay leaves.
  9. Return the beef mixture back into the dutch oven or pot. Add the mushrooms over the meat.
  10. Remove any fat off the sauce (if any) and simmer for a minute or two, skimming off any additional fat which rises to the surface.
  11. You should be left with about 2 ½ cups of sauce, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly. If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock. If the sauce is too thin, boil it over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until reduced to the right consistency.
  12. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper, if desired. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
  13. If you are serving immediately, simmer the beef bourguignon for 2 to 3 minutes to heat through. Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.
  14. To serve the following day, allow the casserole to cool completely, cover and refrigerate. The day of serving, remove from the refrigerator for at least an hour before reheating. Place over medium-low heat and let simmer gently for about 10 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.