Sausage Bean Soup

This is palate-friendly soup...

Such a tasty, semi-spicy (but not hot-spicy) soup--a spin-off of a Mexican black bean soup.

Place a bowl of this steaming soup before you, and your nose will be greeted with the aroma of tender mixed vegetables, zesty cumin, savory oregano, and just a hint of some spicy, somehow-sweet whole cloves. This soup has an agreeably pungent yet smooth taste. It's wholesome and filling, with a variety of textures (crisp corn kernels, soft beans, luscious tomatoes) and colors. This soup is just plain tasty, and you should try it.

Soup == Inexpensive: I like that homemade soups are (generally) an inexpensive food. I can make a significant amount, serving some immediately and freezing the rest for a rainy day.

Chicken stock: For this soup, I use homemade chicken stock, which is low in sodium. If you use the canned/boxed variety, or if you mix up some water with bouillon, you may not need the added salt the recipe includes.

Sausage: I use about 1/2 of a Bob Evans Original Recipe Pork Sausage roll. When I first made this soup, I cooked all the sausage, crumbling it, to use some in an omelette. I saved the rest and made this soup the next day. I assume that a different type of meat could be used (or no meat at all), but the sausage flavor is definitely distinctive--it's a key component.

Drain the tomatoes: You'll notice in the recipe that I say to drain the can of diced tomatoes. This action is important--the excess liquid is unnecessary for the soup. Don't overdo it: all you need to do is empty the can into a mesh strainer over the sink. Tilt the strainer and shake it just slightly. Don't smash the tomatoes. Allow the obvious juice to drain out. Then transfer the tomatoes (and any juice that's left with them) into the pot. This process should only take a minute.

Sides: Biscuits or rolls.

Toppings: Plain yogurt or grated/shredded cheese.

Sausage Bean Soup
Estimated Total Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4 - 6

Ingredients

• 1 large onion
• 1/2 large bell pepper
• 3 medium carrots
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup cooked and crumbled sausage
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 4 cups chicken stock (low sodium)
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• Freshly-ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
• 1 can (15.5 oz) kidney beans
• 1 can (15.5 oz) black beans
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• Plain yogurt (optional garnish)

Instructions

1. Rinse and dry the onion, bell pepper, and carrots. Peel the carrots if desired. Dice the onion, and halve then dice one half of the bell pepper. Thinly slice the carrots. Set aside.

2. Rinse and dry the fresh cilantro. Chop it small, then set it aside.
3. In 5-quart stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, carrots, whole cloves, and kosher salt. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring often.
4. Add the cooked and crumbled sausage, and heat for 6 minutes until vegetables are becoming tender.

5. Stir in the frozen corn, and heat it for 2 minutes. Stir often.

6. Stir in 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Add  the minced garlic. Break the bay leaves in half, and add them to the pot. Stir in the ground cumin, dried oregano, celery seed, and several twists of freshly-ground black pepper. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring often.

7. Add the freshly-chopped cilantro.

8. Stir in the rest of the chicken stock (4 cups total). Drain and gently rinse the kidney beans and black beans, and add them to the pot. Pour the can of diced tomatoes into a strainer/colander and discard the juice that readily drains from them. Transfer the diced tomatoes to the pot. Stir.

9. Turn heat to medium-high. Heat until the soup begins to simmer.
10. Cover and cook on low for about 20 minutes.

11. Remove the bay leaves and whole cloves (if you can find them) before serving the soup. Do not eat them.

12. Serve with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt, if desired.

Enjoy!

Pasta With Creamy Corn

Corn plus chicken broth and a tiny bit of cheese equals an excellent alternative to Alfredo sauce...

Use corn and chicken or vegetable stock to create a pasta sauce that is nutritious and delicious.

I got the idea for this type of sauce from a Rachael Ray Show episode. "Brilliant," I thought. So I decided to try something like it a few weeks ago. Such a tasty meal that was! And it's relatively simple to concoct. Don't let the long list of instructions in the recipe worry you. When I write the recipes I post, often I will go into the details of the process because I want it to be easy to follow for  readers, including those who don't often read recipes (there's a common lingo for typical recipes that isn't necessarily intuitive to everyone).

This meal consists of three main parts:

   1. Long pasta (fettuccine, linguine, or spaghetti).
   2. A corn-based creamy sauce.
   3. Vegetables and optional meat.
The supporting acts in this show are the herbs and a little bit of cheese.

Pasta: I recommend you avoid angel hair pasta because the sauce and vegetables will overwhelm such a thin pasta. Most other long (but thick/wide) pastas will work very well: I used a mix of linguine, fettuccine, and spaghetti because I only had small amounts of each. Substituting short-cut pastas like fusilli, orecchiette, farfalle, or another type that will hold the sauce and vegetables well would probably be a good variation. I have not yet tried that.

Sauce: The sauce includes two cups of frozen corn kernels and some chicken or vegetable stock--all whipped up in a blender until creamy. It's easy. Just be sure the blender lid is securely in place before you start the blender. I recommend covering it with your hand to hold it in place, just in case. (Note: I used 1 cube of chicken bouillon dissolved in 1 cup of water to make the broth.) Late in the making of this dish, you'll add 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. The cheese contributes just enough extra flavor and some added texture.

Vegetables: There are few limits to the types of vegetables that would do nicely in this dish. I used corn, scallions, and red bell pepper. That's simple enough (and there's a heap of flavor in just that combination). Other options include green bell pepper (or peppers that aren't so mild as bell peppers, if you'd like to heat things up a bit), carrots, red onion, peas, green beans, broccoli, or spinach. You can steam them (for instance, if you use peas or green beans) or saute them (chopped carrots, red onion, and spinach would do well sauteed) to soften them up nicely. Just watch the amounts you use, being sure that the ingredients will be sufficiently coated (to your taste) with the creamy corn sauce.

A note about the meat: I heated up some mini (3-inch diameter) round slices of ham--till they were lightly brown--then I chopped them up and added them to the sauce. I found this added a nice savory taste and pretty color to the dish. For a vegetarian version, though, you can certainly omit the ham (and use vegetable stock instead of chicken broth). If you want to make it extra meaty, you could use a mix of meats like cooked bacon (about 4 slices--discard the drippings, or reserve about one tablespoon as a substitute for the olive oil used for sauteing), browned ground beef (about 1/2 cup), cooked chicken (about 1/2 cup, shredded or cubed), Canadian bacon (about 5 slices), or even sliced sandwich meats (several thin slices can be heated, in a way similar to the instructions below). Or use just one meat from that list.

Spices and Herbs: This meal is surprisingly flavorful--the corn has such a nice, sweet, almost buttery flavor, and the scallions and peppers enhance the dish with their savory flavor and tangy sweetness. The three spices listed below blend together well. However, you can also experiment with other spices (in small amounts) like oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, cumin, or rosemary.

Side ideas: Garlic bread, steamed broccoli, or a salad.

Pasta With Creamy Corn
Estimated time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound (about 2" diameter, held in a fist) long pasta (like linguine, fettuccine, or spaghetti)
• 5 mini round ham slices (optional)
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock (option: dissolve 1 chicken bouillon cube in 1 cup water)
• 5 cups frozen corn kernels (about a 2-pound bag)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch scallions (about 6 stalks) (note: scallions are sometimes called green onions)
• 1/2 large red bell pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Place a large pot of water on medium-high heat to bring to a boil for cooking the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, heat the mini ham slices in another pot over medium heat for 3 minutes.

3. Turn over the ham slices, and cook them for another 3 minutes--or till slightly brown--then transfer them to a cutting board and remove the pot from the heat.
4. While the ham slices are cooking, measure the broth/stock and microwave it for 30 seconds. Having it warm is helpful when blending the frozen corn.

5. Pour 1/2 cup of warm broth into a blender. Add 2 cups of frozen corn kernels to the blender, then pour the remaining 1/2 cup of broth on top of the corn.

6. Blend the corn and broth until the mixture is creamy. Set aside.

7. Slice the scallions:
First: Cut off and discard the root ends, about 1 inch off the green ends, and any tough sections of the green stalks.

Second: Cut each stalk in two, separating the dark green, hollow section from the light green and white solid section.

Third: Thinly slice the scallions, cutting the hollow green sections slightly wider than the light green and white sections.

8. Chop the red bell pepper half into small chunks.

9. Return the large pot (used for the ham) to medium heat.
10. Add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil to that pot.
11. Add the sliced scallions and red bell pepper and cook about 5 minutes, stirring often.

12. Add 3 cups frozen corn to the pot. Stir.

13. Stir in the dill weed, thyme, and basil. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. The corn will brown somewhat. Stir frequently to prevent burning.

14. Meanwhile, once the pasta water reaches a boil, add the pasta and stir occasionally. Cook the pasta till al dente, then strain it, running it briefly under cold water (to prevent strands from sticking together). Set the strainer inside the pasta pot, if possible, and cover to retain some of the heat.
15. Cut up the browned ham slices and add the pieces to the pot with the vegetables after they have cooked for 10 minutes. Cook the mixture for another 5 minutes.

16. Stir in the pureed corn sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute.

17. Stir in 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.

18. Add the pasta. Turn off heat. Combine thoroughly with tongs or a pasta spoon.

19. Season the final product with salt and pepper, if desired, when it's on your plate. Top it with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!