Chef's Notes Plus

How to Make a Hearty Vegetable Soup Without a Recipe

Hearty vegetable soups (broth + veggies + other ingredients, left chunky) are for more than the cold of winter, since they can showcase some of our favorite spring and summer veggies! Best of all, you don’t need a recipe to make a flavorful hearty soup, as long as you follow […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

How to: Make Chowders

Good chowders have a rich flavor, balancing the main flavoring ingredient(s) and supporting aromatic and finishing flavors, a velvety texture, and a lightly thickened consistency, similar to heavy cream. If you are making a shellfish-based chowder (clams, mussels, oysters, etc.), before beginning, steam the main ingredient in stock or water […]

Pantry, Soups and Stews

Ichi Ban Dashi

Makes 1 gallon A primary ingredient in Japanese cooking, dashi is a broth made by simmering flakes of dried bonito tuna (katsuobushi) with pieces of seaweed. Dashi is the base for miso soup, but is also a flavorful base for vegetable soups or brothy noodle dishes. You’ll find kombu sheets […]

Soups and Stews

Leek and Potato Soup

Ingredients 1 lb Yukon potatoes, diced 1 lb leeks, thinly sliced 2 quart chicken or vegetable stock 1 tablespoon kosher salt 6 tablespoons heavy cream 1 1/2 tablespoons minced parsley 1 1/2 tablespoons minced chives Directions Simmer the vegetables, stock, and salt together, partially covered, for 40 to 50 minutes […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Making Homemade Croutons

Some things are just better homemade, and croutons happen to be one of those things. Croutons and rusks (rusks = big croutons!) keep well for several days in an airtight container, so make a large batch if you have enough bread on hand. To make croutons, remove the crust from […]

Soups and Stews

Minestra Maritata

Makes 4 to 6 servings This is a typical dish of the Campania region in which the meat “marries” with the vegetables. The broth can be prepared a few days before the rest of the soup, making it a quick and easy spring time supper. Ingredients 8 oz pork ribs […]

Main Dishes, Soups and Stews

Minguichi (Chile and Cheese Soup)

Makes 6 servings This soup, from Michoacán in Western Mexico, is perfect at the end of summer when the tomatoes and corn are at their best, but it’s just as flavorful in the winter, and even quicker to make from canned tomatoes and frozen corn. If you wish, you can […]

Soups and Stews

New England Clam Chowder

Makes 8 servings Ingredients 3 dozen chowder clams 2 1/2 cups bottled clam juice, or as needed 2 slices bacon, minced 1 1/4 cups diced onion 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 cups diced yellow or white potatoes 3 cups heavy cream or half and half 6 tablespoons dry sherry, or […]

Soups and Stews

New Mexican Green Chile Stew

Makes 5 servings Ingredients 1 cup dry white beans, soaked in water overnight 1 3/4 lb pork shoulder, cut into large dice 1 quart chicken stock 12 oz Anaheim peppers 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups small-dice onion 2 tablespoon minced garlic 3 cups medium-dice russet potatoes 1 tablespoon […]

Soups and Stews

Pacific Seafood Chowder

Makes 8 servings This is a favorite cold-day recipe from The Cuisines of the Americas at The Culinary Institute of America. Use whatever fresh fish and seafood you’d like, including clams, mussels, lobster, or cod. Ingredients 3/4 cup dry white wine 1 sachet d’epices, including 1 crushed garlic clove, one […]