Mexican Chicken Chili

I made this a while ago when I was not feeling well, as I wanted something warm and a bit spicy. I loved the complex flavors, the subtle spice, and the amazing flavor all the ingredients added! I used a recipe from Williams Sonoma for White Turkey Chili, but changed a lot of the recipe, so here it is. I wish I would have thought of adding some crispy corn stips...maybe next time!

Mexican Chicken Chili

1 Chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1Large Yellow Onion, diced
1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Pound Anaheim Chilies, roasted, peeled and diced
1 Jalapeno, seeded and finely minced
7 Cups Chicken Stock
3 Cans Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
1/3 Cup Fresh Cilantro, minced
Shredded Jack Cheese & Sour Cream for serving

In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil and fry the chicken until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side, remove and place on a plate. Add the diced onion, cumin, and garlic and saute until soft and just turning golden. Next add the anaheim chilies, jalapeno, and chicken stock, and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Remove the skin from the chicken and discard. Add the chicken to the pot and simmer until just tender, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from pan and cool slightly, shred chicken, discarding any bones, and add meat back to the pot. Next add the beans, oregano, and cilantro, and flavor with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low for about 30 more minutes so all flavors meld together.
Serve topped with jack cheese and sour cream.

Gary’s Tomato Soup

I had this soup at my friend Val & Gary’s house and immediately fell in love. I knew I had to have the recipe so I could re-create this masterpiece at home. It has the best flavor of any tomato soup I have ever had and a perfect thick creamy consistency you would never get from a store-bought soup. I know its summer and soup is the last thing you’re thinking of eating, but being in Portland we get a rainy chilly day once in a while even during the hottest parts of the year. I’m going to make this soup every time that happens and fix myself a nice grilled cheese to go along side. I know is seems strange to add pesto and parmesan to the soup, but it really adds a ton of flavor and finishes off the soup perfectly. Thanks for sharing your amazing recipe Gary!

Gary’s Tomato Soup

2 28-Ounce Cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (Muir Glen brand is always good)
½ Stick Unsalted Butter
1 Small Onion, finely diced
2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
2 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
½ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
½ Cup Heavy Cream
Salt & Pepper
Pesto & Parmesan Cheese, For Garnish

Drain the diced tomatoes in a strainer collecting the water/juice in a bowl. Push down with a large spoon to get them as dry as possible. Add water to the collected juice to make a total of 3 cups of reserved juice.
Melt butter in a 5 quart stock pot; add onion and sauté until just browning over medium low heat. Add the drained tomatoes, light brown sugar and tomato paste, cook for about 15-20 minutes to dry out and caramelize the tomatoes without burning them so they are a deep, dark red color.
Mix in the all purpose flour and cook for a minute or so to incorporate. Add chicken or vegetable broth and the reserved 3 cups of tomato juices, scraping the bottom of the bowl to release the browned tomato bits. Then add the cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes.
Turn off the heat, uncover, and carefully blend in the pot with a stick blender until as smooth as you like. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream. Turn heat back on and heat soup back to simmer then turn heat off.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with a dollop of basil pesto and a sprinkle of parmesan.

Hearty Beef Stew

I have posted a couple other versions of beef stew on here the last couple years, but this is my favorite recipe so far. I keep changing ingredients and trying to make it better and better and this batch came out pretty darn good. What did I do differently with this recipe? Well, I added a few things that I haven’t in the past, stewed tomatoes and wine. It’s a very simple recipe and all you really have to be careful with, is browning the meat. Just do part of it at a time so you get a good sear on the meat and also collect those golden nuggets of flavor on the bottom of the pan. Like most stew’s you do need to let it cook for several hours for all the flavors to meld together and for the meat to get tender. I always buy a chuck roast for stew and cut it into pieces instead of buying pre-cut stewing meat. This way I can trim the excess fat and know that I’m getting a good cut of meat.

Hearty Beef Stew

3 Pound Beef Chuck Roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Large Onions, chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
6 Stalks Celery, chopped
6 Large Carrots, peeled and chopped
6 Red Potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Cup Red Wine
1 28 Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes with juices
1 28 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce
6 Cups Beef Broth
Salt & Pepper
1 Tablespoon Dried Thyme
1 Tablespoon Dried Rosemary
4 Bay Leaves
Oil, for browning the meat

In a large heavy stock pot (at least 6 quarts or larger) over medium high heat add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan, heat until just smoking. Liberally season the meat with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown half of the meat stirring occasionally until a dark crust forms, remove from the pot, add more oil if necessary and finish browning second half of meat and remove from the pan. Next add the onion and garlic and cook until just starting to get tender, a few minutes. Add the celery and carrots and continue to cook until they are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Next, deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up all browned bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Add the potatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer on low stirring every 30 minutes until beef is tender, about 3 hours. Remove the bay leaves and serve with fresh chopped parsley as a garnish if desired.

Sopa de Fideo

My friend Silvia that lives in Bend came up to visit a couple weeks ago and prepared the most amazing Mexican Food! It was so much fun to learn some new recipes and not have to do all the cooking like usual. We had 8 people over for dinner and everyone left very fat and happy.
The menu included: Sopa de Fideo (Soup with Noodles), Carne de Puerco con Chile (Pork with Chile), Frijoles de Loya (Pinto Beans), two kinds of Salsa, Guacamole, and my home made Flour Tortillas. I will be posting all the other recipes very soon as well, except for the salsa, as it’s a “secret” recipe. I may share my version of her salsa though, as I wouldn’t want to keep everyone completely in the dark!
Thank you for sharing your recipes Silvia, and I sure wish you would let me share your Secret Salsa Recipe!

Sopa de Fideo

1 Bag Fideo Fino (Vermicelli) 6 ounces
¼ Yellow Onion
1 Clove Garlic
8 Ounces Tomato Sauce
3 Cups Water
1 Cup Beef Broth
1 Teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Lard (or Crisco)

In a large frying pan, heat the lard over medium high heat and fry the Fideo until golden brown, turning constantly as to not burn the noodles, remove and drain on a paper towel. In a large saucepan, combine the noodles and all other ingredients. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until reduced and thick and noodles are very tender. Remove the onion quarter and season to taste with more salt if needed.

Potato Soup

I used to make potato soup with just onion, milk and potatoes…this recipe is has evolved dramatically, and so has the flavor. I love the subtle onion taste that the leeks leave, and with the addition of the celery and carrots, it really kicks up the flavor dramatically. On top of this, when you cook the vegetables in chicken stock and then puree them into a nice thick creamy soup, it makes it simply sinful. This recipe is a little unusual for potato soup, but I must insist on the use of the carrot and celery as it adds so much flavor, although it does change the color from a perfect creamy white to a lightly yellow tint, it’s worth the sacrifice. If you want a more hearty soup, skip the blender and serve it as a rich, chunky vegetable soup.

Potato Soup

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Leeks, thoroughly cleaned green parts remove, and finely chopped
3 Carrots, peeled and diced
3 Celery Stalks, diced
2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
6 Russet Potatoes, skinned and cut into ¾ inch cubes
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
8 Cups Chicken Stock (Or vegetable stock for a vegetarian soup)
Salt & Pepper
2 Cups Heavy Cream
Bacon, for garnish (optional)

In a large stock pot over medium high heat add the olive oil and leeks and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Next add the carrots, celery, and garlic, and a good pinch of salt and pepper, continue cooking until just softened, about 5 minutes more. Next add the potatoes, thyme, and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, turn down heat and continue to cook until all the vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes or so. Remove the soup from the heat and use a stick blender to puree the vegetables into a fine smooth soup. Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer, season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, pour into bowls and add a generous amount of crispy bacon bits. If you are making this a vegetarian dish you can garnish with some fresh green onion, chives, or thyme.

Quick Chicken Soup

I came down with a cold last week and had a sudden craving for homemade chicken soup. When I used to live near my parents my mom would always whip up a batch of chicken soup and bring it over to me when I was sick so I wouldn’t starve, aren't mom's the best?
Not feeling well I just didn’t have the energy to roast and boil the bones and veggies to make a rich hearty broth like I usually do so I was brainstorming what I could do to get the same flavor, which let me to a scavenger hunt through my pantry…It was a huge success! I found a jar of turkey gravy base from Williams Sonoma and I thought to myself, why not give it a try? It added that bit of richness you can only get from boiling the bones and vegetables for hours, and it took only minutes to whip up. I also used a roasted chicken from the deli so this really is the perfect soup to make when you’re in a rush or not feeling well.

Quick Chicken Soup

1 Large Yellow Onion, diced
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
4 Carrots, peeled and sliced into thin pieces
4 Stalks Celery, sliced
1 Teaspoon Salt & Pepper
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme

1 16 Ounce Bag Frozen Corn
4 Cups Chicken Stock
1 16 Ounce Jar Turkey Gravy Base
2 Cups Water
1 Roasted Chicken, skinned and meat cut into small pieces

Heat a dutch oven or stock pot over medium high heat and add a little vegetable oil. Next add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery, salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme and continue to cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the corn, chicken stock, gravy base and water. Bring to a simmer and turn the heat down to low and simmer until the carrots and celery are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken and stir to incorporate, adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper and serve.

Corn Chowder

I have been loving all the sweet fresh corn that is available and decided to make a yummy corn chowder. It’s been very unusually cold and rainy here in Portland so this is the perfect thing to make to warm you up. The only thing I hate about this recipe is cutting the kernels off the cob, it’s messy and kind of a pain, but well worth the effort. I just used a very large bowl and tried to keep the mess contained as much as possible. I was on a total corn kick when I made this and made a sweet cornbread to go along side of the chowder.

Corn Chowder

1 Stick Butter
1 Large Onion, diced
2 Small Carrots, peeled and diced
2 Stalks Celery, diced
2 Russet Potatoes, Peeled and diced
¼ Cup Flour
6 Cups Chicken Stock
10 Ears Corn, husked and kernels removed
2 Cups Heavy Cream
Salt and Pepper
Fresh Thyme

In a large stock pot melt butter over medium high heat, add the onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes and cook until softened. Next add the flour and cook until fragrant, but do not brown, about one minute. Pour in the chicken stock and turn down to a simmer and cook until potatoes are very soft, about 10 minutes. Using a stick blender puree the vegetables to create a smooth thick stock. Next add the corn and cook until tender, about 10 more minutes. Pour in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a sprig of fresh thyme.

Miso Soup

The other day it was a bit chilly here in Portland and I wanted something warm and yummy for dinner. That thought led me to the kitchen, I opened the cupboard and then shut it thinking I hope there is something in the fridge to eat because there is nothing here, well I was welcomed by a very empty refrigerator, but low and behold there was my miso paste! Whenever I’m at the Asian market I pick up a container of miso paste, it keeps forever, it makes delicious soup, and it’s really inexpensive. After my amazing find in the back corner of my fridge, I once again scoured the cupboard to see what I could doctor up the soup with and I just happened to have a few dried shitake mushrooms, a handful of rice noodles and a package of dried seaweed, hurray, dinner was officially started. This is such an easy soup to make, and you can really add anything you like or just add a bit of miso paste to water and have a very simple, but yummy meal.

Miso Soup

4 Cups Water
½ Cup Miso Paste
Handful Rice noodles
6 Dried Shitake Mushrooms
Dried Seaweed (a little goes a long ways!)
Anything else you like…scallions, tofu, shrimp…

Soak the rice noodles in hot water for a few minutes to soften, drain and rinse with cold water, keep in water so they don’t stick together. Soak the dried mushrooms in a bowl with hot water until reconstituted, about 5 minutes, drain, remove stems, and cut into thin slices.
Bring the water to a boil, turn off heat and then add miso paste and stir until completely dissolved, add all other ingredients and stir again to incorporate them into the soup. Place into 4 small bowls, for a starter, or a large bowl for dinner.
I also love to add a little siracha, and rice vinegar to my soup, but that’s just me…so do what you like!

Cioppino

I had never heard of Cioppino until a couple of years ago when I had it at my friend Nan’s house on Christmas Eve. I was a little skeptical about a fish stew, but was pleasantly surprised by the amazing flavor of this dish. It wasn’t fishy at all and the combination of the fennel, white wine, and fish with an underlying tomato flavor was to die for. This was my first time making this and I over-cooked the salmon and halibut a bit, but it was otherwise very yummy. I think I will add some scallops next time too.

Cioppino

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 onion, chopped

3 large shallots, chopped

2 teaspoons salt

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

1 cup oyster stock
4 cups chicken stock

1 bay leaf

2 pounds manila clams, scrubbed

1 pound mussels, scrubbed, debearded

1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 1/2 pounds assorted firm-fleshed fish fillets such as halibut or salmon, cut into 2-inch chunks

Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and salt and saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and 3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and saute 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add tomatoes with their juices, wine, oyster and chicken stock and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 30 minutes.

Add the clams and mussels to the cooking liquid. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and fish. Simmer gently until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, and the clams are completely open, stirring gently, about 5 minutes longer (discard any clams and mussels that do not open). Remove bay leaf. Season the soup, to taste, with more salt and red pepper flakes.

Recipe from FoodNetwork.Com

Jen's Blackout Lamb Stew

Only Jen could pull this look off!
Yummy!

My nick-name for this stew is “black out lamb stew” because when I went to my friend Jen’s house for dinner the electricity was out. Thank goodness she had a gas stove! I brought over some candles and lanterns and another friend brought over an ipod player that was battery powered. It was so much fun hanging out in the candle lit house sipping wine and having a good time. I believe it is the first time I have ever been disappointed to have the power come back on. The funny thing is when the power did come on we immediately turned the lights off and pretended it was still out. Jen was a trooper and prepared the meal wearing her camping headlight, in case you were wondering what the heck the picture was. I hope to have another black out party soon!
Now for the food…I can’t ever get enough lamb and was so excited when I got invited over to Jen’s for lamb stew. This is a very healthy recipe and has a ton of flavor. The combination of the potatoes, lamb with the veggies and rosemary, delicious! I never thought of adding collard greens to a stew, but loved the texture, color and flavor they brought to the dish, and they don’t get soggy like a lot of other leafy greens would. I made my new favorite no-knead bread to go with the stew, and we had Williams Sonoma peppermint brownies and ice cream for dessert. Thanks for the delicious and fun night Jen!

Jen's Blackout Lamb Stew

1 Pound Lamb, fat removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tablespoons flour
¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
½ Teaspoon Pepper
½ Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
6 Cups Vegetable Stock
3 Large Carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 –inch thick slices
2 Large Celery Stalks, cleaned and cut into ½-inch thick slices
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
5 Red Potatoes, cleaned and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary
2 Tablespoons Italian Parsley, minced
5 Large Collard Green Leaves, roughly chopped

Mix flour, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt together and toss with lamb to coat. In large stock pot heat olive oil over medium high heat and brown lamb. Add stock, carrots, celery, garlic, potatoes, and rosemary, cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 40 minutes or until vegetables are cooked and meat is tender. Add parsley and collard greens and continue to cook uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Clam Chowder

I was a little nervous making clam chowder for Christmas, as I have never made it before, but it turned out really yummy. I pretty much made my potato leek soup, and doctored it up a bit and added some clams, and voila, it was perfect. I would have used fresh clams, but they were extremely expensive, so I opted for the canned version. I don't like how a roux makes soups pasty, so I pureed 1/3 of the soup to make it thick, and a little yellow because there were carrots in there. If you want a true white clam chowder, I would add a roux, or some corn starch mixed with a bit of milk.

Clam Chowder

½ Stick Butter
3 Leeks (white and light green parts), cleaned and chopped
6 Stalks Celery, chopped
6 Carrots, Peeled, cleaned and diced
8 Medium Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced
2 Teaspoons fresh Thyme Leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
1 Jar Clam Juice, 8 ounce
1 Quart Chicken Stock, 4 cups
4 Cans Chopped Clams, 6 ounces
3 Cups half & half

Melt butter in large stock pot. Add leeks and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper and sauté for 10 more minutes. Add the clam juice and chicken stock, bring to a boil, and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
Puree 1/3 of the mixture with an immersion blender, or food processor and add back to the pot. Add the clams, with juice, and half &half and heat gently. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, serve with fresh thyme.

Gumbo

I love gumbo and this version captures all those yummy southern flavors. This would be a perfect dish to serve for a dinner party or on a cold winter night. This is a pretty time consuming recipe, it took about 3 hours, so make sure to plan ahead when serving this dish. I like gumbo served on its own, but you could always serve it over rice, which is the most popular way to serve this dish. This makes about 6 quarts of gumbo, so please use a large enough dutch oven!

Gumbo

3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 pound spicy Italian sausage

1/2 cup flour

6 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic minced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

3 stalks celery chopped

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish 4 cups beef stock

1 (14-ounce can) stewed tomatoes with juice

2 cups frozen sliced okra

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, then remove. Sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of margarine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. Let the roux cool.
Return the Dutch oven to low heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons margarine. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 10 minutes, the roux will become quite thick, add more butter if necessary. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, to taste and the 1/4 bunch parsley. Cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add beef stock, whisking constantly. Add the chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add tomatoes and okra. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Just before serving add the shrimp, cook until shrimp just turn pink and are cooked through, garnish with chopped parsley.

Potato Soup

I love potato soup and especially love how easy it is to prepare and how few ingredients it takes. I have also added ham or bacon to this recipe which makes it even better. If you have a little sour cream and chives, that makes the perfect complement!

Potato Soup

6 Potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes

1 Medium Onion, chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

6 Cups Chicken Stock (I use Pacific Brand)

2 Cups Half & Half

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

In large stock pot, heat oil over medium high heat, add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, add garlic and continue to cook two more minutes. Next add chicken stock and potatoes, turn heat to medium and cook until potatoes are very soft, about 30 minutes.
Puree mixture in blender or food processor until smooth, return to stock pot. Stir in half &half and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat over low heat until ready to serve.

Beef Stew

There is nothing better than a piping hot bowl of hearty stew on a cold rainy day. This recipe provides just that, and can easily be served as a meal on its own. I merged my recipes for boef bourguignon, and pot roast to come up with this tasty stew and it turned out perfectly. It’s even better the next day as all the flavors blend together.

Beef Stew

3 Pound Pot Roast, fat and gristle removed, and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 Large Yellow Onion, chopped into medium sized pieces
1 Pound Crimini Mushrooms, washed and cut in half if small, quarters if large
4 Stalks Celery, cut into ¼ inch thick slices
5 Carrots, peeled and cut into ¼ inch thick slices (on a diagonal)
3 Tablespoons Double Concentrated Tomato Paste
2 Cups Dry Red Wine, I like to use Chianti
4 Cups Beef Stock (Pacific brand has the best flavor)
2 Cups Chicken Stock (Pacific brand has the best flavor)
3 Bay leaves
1 Teaspoon Herbs de Provence
Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 Tablespoon Gelatin
½ Cup Cold Water

In large dutch oven heat oil in pan until it starts smoking. Add half of the beef cubes sprinkle generously with salt and black pepper and cook until seared and browned on all sides, about 4 minutes, remove and set aside. Add more oil if need and brown the rest of the beef cubes, remove and set aside.
Add Onion to pan and reduce heat to medium high, continue cooking until onion is lightly browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue cooking until lightly browned, about 5 minutes longer. Add tomato paste and celery; continue to cook an additional 3 minutes.
Turn heat up to high and add wine, cook on high while scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan until wine reduces by half. Now add the seared beef cubes, beef stock, chicken stock, bay leaves, and, herbs de provence.
Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for one hour. Add carrots to the pan and continue to simmer uncovered for an additional hour. Dissolve gelatin in cold water and add to stew just before serving. This will add an additional thickness to the stew. Adjust flavorings with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Vegetable Tomato Soup

This is my favorite soup and I make it all the time to take to work for lunch. I also make this for my friends if they are sick.

Vegetable Tomato Soup

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Large Sweet Onion, Diced

4 Stalks Celery, Cut into ¼” slices

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Pepper

½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin

1 Pound Carrots, Peeled and cut into¼ “ slices

1 Pound Frozen Corn

1 Pound Frozen “Frenched” Green Beans

6 Cups Beef Broth

1-28 Ounce Can Crushed tomatoes

1-28 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce

Heat a 8-10 quart stock pot over medium high heat, add extra virgin olive oil, onions, garlic, celery, salt pepper, and cumin, cook until onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer 30-45 minutes until vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper to desired taste. I often add a teaspoon or two of beef demi glace to heighten the complexity and flavor of the soup. If you like a little kick, a small amount of curry powder is also really yummy. Best Served with a grilled cheese sandwich, crackers, or parmesan croutons.