Three Signs It’s Time to Make Soup! – The Leaves are Changing Colors, The Days are Shorter, & It’s NEW FALL TV SEASON!
You know it’s soup season when…
1. The Leaves are Changing
2. The Days are Shorter
3. New Fall TV Season!!!
New Fall TV SHOWS based on some of my favorite books!
Happy Soup Season, & Happy Fall TV Season everyone! The leaves are changing colors, the days are getting shorter, and shorter, and colder, but I’ve still been excited for Fall for many reasons.
#1. The new SYFY TV series Reginald The Vampire based on Johnny Truant’s “Fat Vampire” novels begins TONIGHT! I can’t wait to see how they have adapted the novels to TV. From what I’ve seen, the series is set in a totally different setting, a younger crowd compared to the eBook series, but that’s OK! In honor of Reginald, I’ll be making Pizza tonight and serving it up with a cup of delicious soup! (You can read more about these series here.)
#2. I can now watch Interview with the Vampire new TV series on AMC based on late Anne Rice’s novel!
#3. It’s Soup Season!
Everybody knows Fall = Soup Season!
Soup Season is all year round for me! Some people only like soup during the colder months, and even then, some people (like my husband) don’t consider soup a meal.
So, in honor of Soup Season, here are links to three of my favorite soup recipes!
Soup Season – 3 of my favorite fall soup recipes
1. Sopa Tarasca
I found this soup while looking for ideas to use up the broth from black beans. I was surprised to find this delicious soup, Sopa Tarasca. Who doesn’t love soup with BACON in it? Read more about it here.
2. Instant Pot Chick Pea Soup
When I started using my Instant Pot, I learned how much better homemade beans were compared to canned beans. I was looking for more bean recipes to add to the collection and stumbled across Chickpea Soup with Lemon, oregano, and olive oil. It takes some time to simmer and thicken, but it’s soo worth it!
Instant Pot Chickpea Soup
Equipment
- Instant Pot or at least 6 quart pressure cooker
- knife
- large bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried chickpeas (I recommend soaking the beans for at least 15 minutes with 1/4 tsp baking powder. Then rinse.) I like Goya best.
- ¼ tsp baking soda Scant (optional) *
- 1 onion Large, diced
- 2 garlic cloves Diced, more or less!
- ½ tsp turmeric Turmeric is optional
- 7 cups water (Or vegetable/chicken broth) *Do not go over the fill line of your pressure cooker!
- ¾ cup olive oil Extra virgin recommended
- 2 tbsp dried oregano Can add more or less oregano, I like Mediterranean oregano.
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 lemon Zest & juice
Optional: garnish with lemon zest, a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream, a drizzle of olive oil and/or chopped fresh herbs. (Not included in nutrition facts)
Instructions
- Soak 1 lb dried chickpeas with 1/4 baking soda in several inches of water. Use a 2-quart bowl for at least 15 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the beans.
- Set Instant pot to sauté. Once hot, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, the diced onion, and 1/4 tsp salt.
- When the onions are soft, add the minced garlic, 1 tbsp oregano, and, if desired, the turmeric.
- Zest half the lemon into the instant pot. (Reserve the juice and the rest of the zest for later.)
- Add the rinsed, drained garbanzo beans and water to the fill line. Or about 8 cups of water.Do NOT go over the fill line!
- Seal the Instant Pot and set it to pressure-cook on High for 45 minutes. (I always turn OFF the keep warm setting.)
- When the timer is up, allow it to sit for five minutes then do a quick release.
- Stir in 3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil.
- Stir in 1 tpsp of dried oregano. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Now you will need to simmer and thicken the soup for about about 45-60 minutes, or until it is thick and creamy. Set your pot to sauté to simmer the soup. *If your IP will only sauté for 30 minutes, you will need to reset the timer when it runs out. Stir occasionally.
- Stir in a pinch of lemon zest, and juice of ½ lemon.
- Simmer for an additional 15 minutes to a half-hour, stirring occasionally, until the soup has thickened to your liking.
- Serve with your choice of garnish, I recommend lemon zest, red pepper flakes, Greek yogurt, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
- WHAT’S UP WITH THE BAKING SODA? I heard that baking soda added to beans during soaking makes them “more easily digestible.” If it’s true or not, I don’t know, but I believe the skins may have been more, tummy-friendly? I’m no doctor, but I think it makes them a bit more gut-friendly. Just my opinion!
- If you love this recipe, try my Sopa Tarasca Black Bean Soup!
Nutrition
3. Instant Pot Spinach and Meatballs
Remember the Nineteen eighty-something commercials about Campbell’s® Chunky® soup? “Soup That Eats Like a Meal®?” Well, this Spinach & Meatballs recipe, inspired by a family favorite, really is a hearty homemade soup, that even my husband says is an entire meal in a bowl! You can use homemade ingredients if you have time, however, if you use your instant pot, frozen spinach, and store-bought meatballs you can get this on the table on a weeknight! Don’t forget to top it off with freshly grated parmesan!
Almost Grandma’s Spinach & Meatballs
Equipment
- Instant Pot Or pressure cooker. Optional but the only way to get this on your table in under four hours!
- knife
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil To saute onions and garlic
- 1 onion Chopped
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 garlic cloves Minced, more or less depending on how much you like.
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 14 oz low sodium chicken broth Or homemade! If you have homemade stock it will make this even better! (If you are cooking on your stovetop, you may need an additional can since it will cook down.)
- 58 oz tomatoes San Marzano or x4 – 14.5oz cans Hunts Fire roasted.
- 24 oz chicken meatballs Or any frozen meatballs.
- 36 oz frozen spinach I used four boxes of frozen spinach. Four pounds of any spinach will do. If using fresh, add it after pressure cooking.
Optional
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese Grated or finely shredded. Asiago is also awesome, or a combination! Completely optional, but tops off the soup & makes it extraordinary!
- ¼ cup table wine (to deglaze the pot)
- 1 Parmesan rind Optional but adding a Parmesan cheese rind to soups gives it an amazing depth of flavor. Try it!
- ½ tbsp black pepper
- ⅛ tsp baking soda Optional, but you should try it! I think it reduces the acidity of the tomatoes slightly.
Instructions
- Have all your can's opened and ready to go. This entire recipe will fit in a 6 quart pot. Add olive oil to your Instant Pot, press sauté and set for ten minutes. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onion and sauté until soft. (Or use a stainless or non-reactive Dutch oven.)
- Add the garlic and tomato paste and continue stirring until the tomato paste starts to cook and darken. Stir constantly until fragrant. About a minute.
- Deglaze the pan with wine, chicken broth or some juice from the tomatoes and scrape the bottom of the pot to lift up any browned bits.
- Stir in four cans of tomatoes. Use a little broth to get the bits out of the bottoms of the cans and add the entire can of broth.
- Add 1 bag/box of spinach and press down into the soup.
- Add the entire bag of meatballs and press down into the soup. If using a pressure cooker, be careful to make absolutely sure not to go over the fill line!
- Add a parmesan cheese rind if you have one. Trust me, this adds a ton or flavor.
- Add one more bag/box of spinach. Press down if possible. Remember, if you are using the Instant Pot, be careful to make absolutely sure not to go over the fill line!
- Place lid on Instant Pot and set the valve to sealed position. Pressure cook for 12 minutes on high pressure. (Or simmer stirring frequently and gently for at least 1 hour on the stove or until tomatoes are cooked through and soup has reduced slightly. If you cook on the stovetop, you may need to add another can of broth.)
- When the timer goes off, wait five minutes, turn off Instant pot and do a quick release.
- Stir gently. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
- If the tomatoes are acidic, add a tiny pinch or about 1/8 tsp of baking soda and stir ->only use a tiny pinch.
- Turn Instant Pot on sauté for 30 minutes. Add in the final 2 bags/boxes of spinach. Periodically stir it gently.
- Serve 3 meatballs per person with the spinach and tomatoes. Top it off with a generous tablespoon of fresh grated or shredded parmesan cheese!
Notes
Nutrition
When I think of Soup Season, of course I also think about one of my favorite books by Howard J Reiss. The Year of Soup. I made a root vegetable soup recipe based on one of the descriptions in the book, but I’m still working to make it better. I may need to do another re-read and come up with a new recipe.
What are some of your favorite soups? I’d love to hear!
A fun recipe I came up with that was inspired by Fat Vampire Chronicles novel The Vampire Maurice is this delicious blood red sriracha glazed bacon! If you are watching either of the new books to tv series this fall, I’d love to hear how you are liking them in the comments below!
Sriracha Candied Bacon
Equipment
- baking sheet with rack
- cooking tongs
- foil
- small bowl
Ingredients
- ½ lb bacon Thick or medium thick sliced
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Alessi infused white balsamic vinegar Optional – can substitute with maple syrup. Any vinegar, like apple cider vinegar will do. I prefer white balsamic or raspberry-infused balsamic.
- 1½ tbsp Sriracha Optional. Or try 1 tbsp Gochujang
- ¼ tsp Lawry's coarse ground garlic powder with parsley Optional – just a pinch
- ¼ tsp black pepper Optional – to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a backing sheet with foil and place baking racks on top.
- Spray cooling racks with non-stick spray for easier cleanup.
- Line rack with the bacon in a single layer.
- Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. (For very thick slices flip after ten and bake another 5 minutes).
- Stir all the remaining ingredients together to form a paste/glaze.
- Remove pan from oven carefully, and spread a thin layer of the glaze all over the top of each slice with the back of the spoon.
- Bake for another 10 minutes. Rotate the slices around on the sheet if some slices get well cooked at the edges of the pan.
- Flip bacon over and spread more glaze over the slices. Continue baking, ten to fifteen more minutes, moving the slices around on the sheet and adding more glaze until they are cooked through and nicely browned. For crispier bacon, turn the oven up to 400°F for a few minutes. Total cooking time can range from 30-45 minutes depending on how thick the bacon is. Thin bacon is not recommended.
- Remove bacon slices to a piece of parchment paper to cool. Serve in whole slices, or cut in bite-sized pieces or in halves.
- Serve as an appetizer, or side!
Notes
Nutrition
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