Nothing is more warming than the one-pot wonders we refer to as soups and stews. Use one pot, double the recipe and have enough to last for two meals. And if you are lucky, there will even be some left over to freeze for a future craving! It doesn’t get any better than this.
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
EASY BEEF BURGUNDY STEW
SERVES 6–8
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
2 onions, peeled and chopped
4 whole carrots, peeled, halved, and sliced into ¼-inch slices
1½ pounds mini round potatoes, or 3 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups unsalted beef stock
2 cups red wine, preferably pinot noir, optional
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, 8–10 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add butter to pot and melt.
Season beef with salt, pepper and paprika. In same pot, sear the beef chunks until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Depending on size of pot, you may need to work in batches. Do not crowd the pot as beef will not brown.
When all beef chunks are seared, add bacon back to the pot, along with onions, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, garlic, tomato paste and flour. Stir well and scrape up any pieces that may be sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add stock and wine and stir again to combine. Add bay leaves and thyme on top. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 1½ hours or until beef is tender. Remove bay leaves and thyme and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve in individual soup bowls, garnished with parsley and accompanied by crusty bread.
Chef’s Tip
Using wine in cooking. When a recipe calls for wine and that is not an option for your family, stock is always an excellent substitute. As a rule of thumb, use beef stock as a substitute for red wine and chicken or vegetable stock as a substitute for white wine. Additionally, in making soups and stews, always try to use stocks instead of water for a heartier flavor.
Mixed Beans & Ham Soup
Photo by Michael Phillips
SERVES 6–8
1 pound (16 ounces) mixed dried beans, soaked and liquid discarded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled, halved, and cut diagonally into ¼-inch slices
2 stalks celery, diagonally sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 cups unsalted chicken stock (more if needed)
2 bay leaves
2 cups diced ham
1 large zucchini (or 2 small), quartered and sliced into ¼-inch slices
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch, red pepper flakes
2 cups packed fresh spinach (or kale)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Grated Parmesan, for garnish
Soak dried beans for two hours then drain the liquid, according to the Chef’s Tip below. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Saute onions, carrots and celery until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add beans to pot. Add stock and bay leaves. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1–1½ hours until beans are tender. Add ham, zucchini, tomato paste, tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme and red pepper flakes. If needed, add more stock at this time. Stir well to combine and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in spinach. Serve garnished with parsley and Parmesan.
Chef’s Tip
Quick soaking method for dried beans. Sift through beans to remove any debris or stones. Place beans in a pot and cover with water, at least 2 inches above beans. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off heat. Cover pot and let sit for 2 hours. Drain and continue with recipe.
Chicken, Mushroom & Potato Stew
Photo by Gina Moore
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ pounds chicken breast or thighs (boneless and skinless) cut into bite-size pieces
1 large onion, diced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3 carrots, peeled, halved and cut diagonally into ½-inch slices
1 pound mini potatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups unsalted chicken stock
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Pinch, red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add chicken and cook until mostly cooked through. Add onion and cook until translucent; add mushrooms and continue stirring until cooked. Add carrots, potatoes, garlic, stock and tomatoes. Stir to combine and add bay leaves, salt, pepper, pepper flakes, oregano and thyme. (Ingredients should be covered by stock.) Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water and stir into stew mixture. Continue to simmer until desired thickness. Stir in parsley and serve.
Chef’s tip: To make this a soup instead of a stew, omit the cornstarch. Add ½ pound rotini or your favorite pasta. Cover and simmer an additional 7 minutes or until pasta is cooked. Add additional stock, if needed, to thin out the consistency.
Minestrone with Sausage and Pasta
Photo by Iuliia Nedrygailova
SERVES 6–8
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled, halved, and cut diagonally into ½-inch slices
2 celery stalks, sliced diagonally
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
1 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans, drained
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
4 cups unsalted beef broth, plus more if needed
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Pinch, red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 ounce piece of Parmesan cheese rind, for thickening and flavor, optional
6 ounces cavatappi or favorite small pasta
Grated or shaved Parmesan, for garnish
In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat, cook sausage until all pink is gone. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Drain excess grease except for 1–2 tablespoons. (Or add olive oil, if needed.) Add onions, carrots and celery and cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Return sausage to pot and add tomato sauce, beans, tomatoes, broth, salt, pepper, pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, rosemary and Parmesan rind. Stir well, lower temperature and simmer for 30 minutes. At this point, if adding pasta, add 1–2 cups additional stock. Add pasta and cook 8 minutes or until pasta is done. Remove Parmesan rind and rosemary sprig. (It’s okay if needles have fallen off rosemary sprig into the soup.) Serve in individual soup bowls sprinkled with lots of Parmesan cheese and crusty bread on the side.
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