We had these for dinner tonight and I remembered how many of you have asked for the recipe. The base for these two soups is basically the same, and you can use it as a creamy soup base for just about anything you can think of. Be creative! I'm brewing a recipe in my head for a creamy artichoke shrimp soup... Anyway, here is how you start:
2 to 3 cups cubed potatoes
1/2 medium onion
2 cloves fresh chopped garlic
1 chicken bouillon cube
salt and pepper to taste
place all ingredients in a saucepan and cover with water (just above potatoes, don't fill up the pot). Boil until potatoes are fork tender. While this pot is cooking make a bechamel in a large soup pot:
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3 to 4 cups milk
On medium heat melt the butter and add flour. Whisk until creamy. Stir for 60 to 90 seconds to cook the flour or it will taste raw. This butter flour mixture is called a roux. Slowly add milk while whisking. It will become thick and look like you ruined it-- don't worry! As you add milk and stir it will thin out. Just make sure you don't add the milk too fast or it will be lumpy. Remember also that this mixture will not come to its full thickness until it boils. Once it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon you are ready to move on. Season it at least with salt and pepper, and anything else you are using to flavor your soup.
Add the potato/onion/garlic mixture, liquid and all. For a richer, creamier soup you can add 1/2 to 1 cup of heavy cream. This creamy potato mixture is your base. Now it's time to add other stuff! This is the part where you can get creative.
Clam Chowder:
1 can clams (I like minced, my mom uses whole, you can use either or a combo)
3/4 cup diced celery
black pepper
For the clam chowder, you can add the celery to the pot with the potatoes and onions in the beginning. Also, add some of the clam juice to the water for extra seafood flavor. Yum! This recipe also calls for extra black pepper for added bite. I personally love this soup with cornbread. Add the clams at the last minute-- you just need them to warm up and flavor the soup, cooking them too long makes them chewy.
Cheesy Potato:
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 cups medium to sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup asiago cheese
1/3 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
2/3 cup heavy cream
You definitely want the cream for this one. Make sure the cheese is well melted before serving. I love this soup-- it's a great comfort food and has a light kick. I recommend serving this with garlic croutons.
Get creative with soup. It's an easy food and great for the winter. I love to make huge batches and freeze them for lunches. When reheating these you may have to add some extra milk. Try replacing clams with corn and carrots for an easy corn chowder. Or replace the potatoes with chicken and canned green chilis in the cheesy soup for a chicken fiesta soup. Add broccoli instead of potatoes for a broccoli cheese soup. I love shrimp chowder too-- just add baby shrimp and cocktail sauce instead of the clams. Or use chicken, mushrooms and rice instead of potatoes and clams. The possibilities are endless! Enjoy!
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