Chicken & Sausage Summer Vegetable Soup

This soup is incredibly comforting and full of summer flavors, zucchini, corn, tomatoes and lots of fresh herbs combine to make you feel refreshed and satisfied. I know soup is not traditional during summer but as the days get shorter and the nights get cooler there is no reason you can't have a good soup, and you don't have to eat it piping hot. Its just as delicious room temperature. Zucchini, tomatoes and corn are still plentiful during September so feel free to wait a bit, to heat up your kitchen. I personally think this soup is so good that I ask: what's a little bit of perspiration?

I like to save all of my corn cobs, they contain a great "milk" that is sweet and wonderful and it flavors any stock beautifully. You can use them here or I like to save them up in a freezer bag all summer long and when fall and winter hit I use them to create corn chowders or other creamy soups....mmmmm! I top this soup with a sprinkling of sharp cheddar cheese and serve it alongside a nice bakery bread with butter. Its a perfect, completely balanced meal! I recently had a reader ask me for a zucchini recipe that is gluten free, so if you are avoiding gluten, skip the bread and this meal is perfect for you!*

This recipe serves 6-8.

Ingredients

1/2lb. sweet, pasture raised, Italian sausage, I get mine bulk without casing. If you get links just remove the casing and crumble.

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 pasture raised, bone-in, skin on, chicken thighs

2 Pints organic cherry tomatoes

1 Cup organic celery, chopped.

2 Medium, organic zucchinis, chopped.

2 Medium organic onions, chopped.

4 Cloves, organic garlic, chopped.

4 Ears corn, non-GMO, kernels cut from the cobs, cobs reserved.

1 Quart chicken broth, mine is organic and low-sodium.

1 Organic, fresh bay leaf

1 Bunch organic herbs, tied with kitchen twine, mine included: 1 sprig thyme, 1 sprig oregano and 1 sprig rosemary.

Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste.

1 Tbsp fair trade, organic, raw cane sugar

2 Cups sharp cheddar cheese, to garnish, optional.

Directions

In a large stock pot pour the chicken broth and add in the corn cobs, heat over high heat and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer while you do the next steps.

Brown sausage with olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat till browned and cripsy, about 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and sear, skin side down, and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Remove from the pan and place in the stock pot with the corn cobs.  Allow the stock to simmer, poaching the chicken about 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes to the dutch oven, that had the chicken and sausage, add more olive oil of necessary, cook till they are soft and easily burst and break apart, about 10 minutes. Add in all the remaining vegetables, garlic and herbs. Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium high heat till the vegetables have some color, about 6 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, remove the chicken and corn cobs from the chicken stock, discard the cobs. Remove the skin from the chicken and shred with two forks, discarding the bones.

Pour the stock into the vegetables along with the herbs and bay leaf. Scrape the bottom of the pot to get up the brown, stuck on bits. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and cook simmering for 20-25 minutes. Add in the sausage and chicken and cook for another 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and taste for seasoning, add in the sugar, salt and pepper if needed. Some tomatoes are sweeter than others so you may not need sugar.

Serve with a sprinkle of sharp cheddar cheese and enjoy!

*I am not an expert on gluten free food, I don't eat gluten free but I like to accommodate all eaters. I believe this recipe is gluten free but please check with an expert before making.

Turnip & Sunchoke Soup with Oxtail Broth topped with Garlic, Herb & Cheddar Croutons

This is the first of my, vintage recipe remakes. I bought some vintage cookbooks at a local book sale and they feature recipes from different time periods in US history. I was instantly fascinated and bought them all up, at ten cents each! This first recipe comes from the Early America cookbook. The early settlers had a wide variety of ingredients available to them. They used lots of wild game meat, wild poultry and lots of grains from the Native Americans, corn and pagstowr (a type of wheat) along with wild root vegetables.  I found this book and collection of recipes to be very heavy, meat dominated, dishes. Most homes did not have a way of preserving food so they did not cook with a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, except for root vegetables which are heartier and can be stored longer. Turnips would have been very traditional fare back in the Colonial period, like potatoes they can be picked and stored for the entire winter in a root cellar. This soup is hearty and humble, very typical of colonial cookery.

My version of this soup is a little more modern, I use a combination of Japanese white turnips and sunchokes. The white turnips are in season during spring, and they are sweet and a little spicy. They pair nicely with the sweet and nutty sunchokes. I made a homemade broth with local, pasture raised oxtail, one of my favorite stock bones, its full of marrow and makes such a rich and delicious beef stock. The traditional recipe calls for a milk slurry to thicken the soup, I chose to use a potato to thicken the soup because it adds more vegetables, rather than just adding in flour. I also chose to puree the vegetables and then add a bit of pasture raised whole milk at the end, to get a silky and creamy soup, so you wouldn't miss the cream. Traditionally this soup was served in a tureen, ladled over a piece of stale bread. I am not a huge fan of soggy bread, I don't do it for french onion soup either. I chose to make homemade garlic, herb and cheddar croutons that were just amazing. They gave a necessary crunch and they mirrored the herbs and garlic, that were in the soup, just perfectly! A sprinkling of fresh cut garlic scapes and we have some amazing soup people!!

This recipe serves 6-8.

Ingredients

Broth

1 Pasture raised oxtail, mine was a little over 1 pound.
Water
2 Organic celery stalks, cut in half.
2 Organic carrots, cut in half, no need to peel.
1 Small onion, cut in half.
2 Cloves organic garlic, cut in half.
1 Tbsp peppercorns
1 Bunch organic thyme
2 Sprigs organic rosemary
2 Fresh, organic bay leaves
Olive oil, for searing the oxtail.

Soup

3 Cups homemade oxtail broth
12 Organic, white Japanese turnips, cut into 4's.
2 Organic sunchokes, chopped small.
1 Organic potato, chopped small.
1 Onion, diced.
4 Cloves organic garlic, minced or grated.
1 Sprig organic thyme, leaves only, chopped.
1 Sprig organic rosemary, leaves only, chopped.
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.
1 tsp Fresh grated nutmeg
1 Tbsp pasture raised butter
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Cup pasture raised whole milk
1 Tbsp, per bowl, fresh chopped garlic scapes or chives, optional.

Croutons

1/2 loaf thick bakery bread, I used a locally made white boule, feel free to use anything you have. You will need about 3 cups of bread cubes.
1 Tbsp pasture raised butter, melted.
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Sprig fresh organic thyme, leaves only, chopped.
1 Sprig fresh organic rosemary, leaves only, chopped.
1 Tbsp organic dried basil
3 Organic garlic cloves, minced or grated.
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.
1/4 Cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated. I used Cabot, all the profits go back to the farmers and they use local dairy.


Directions

Broth

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Salt and pepper the oxtail, sear and brown on all sides, about 3 minutes a side. Add in the vegetables and herbs and saute for 3 minutes. Add in enough water to cover all the ingredients in the pot, about 4 cups. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 1 hour. Turn off the heat and let cool. Drain through a fine mesh over a large bowl. discard the veggies and herbs, reserve the oxtail and liquid. When it has cooled, skim off any fat and discard. Set aside.

Soup

In a dutch oven or large stock pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Saute all veggies and herbs (not nutmeg) with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook till soft, about 10 minutes. Add in the reserved oxtail and the oxtail broth, you need 3 cups of broth so if your broth reduced too much just add in water, I had plenty of broth. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the oxtail, you can discard it at this point or give it to a dog. Blend the soup in batches in a blender till smooth, you want to be very careful when blending hot soup, do not fill the blender more than half way and open the top vent on your cover for steam to escape. I cover it partially with a rag so that it doesn't splatter when you first turn it on. I put each batch of smooth soup into a large bowl till I have the soup pot empty, then I put the whole bowl of soup back in the pot. Return the soup back to the pot and turn the heat on low. Add in milk and nutmeg, taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Turn off when the soup is heated through, about 3 minutes.

Croutons

While the soup is cooking, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place your cubed bread onto a baking sheet.

In a small bowl mix butter, olive oil, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Drizzle over the bread and mix with your hands to coat all the bread evenly. Bake till golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Top with the cheddar cheese and bake for another minute to melt the cheese. Remove from oven.

To serve the soup, ladle soup into a shallow bowl. Top with croutons and fresh chopped garlic scapes or chives and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Early America Cookbook.

Shrimp, Chicken & Sausage Gumbo over Bulgur & Couscous

This is my husband's most favorite dish, if you asked him he would say it without hesitation or thinking. I learned how to make this dish when I lived in South Carolina. I spent about 5 years of my young adult life just waiting tables at a fabulous steakhouse and laying out on the beach on my days off, I miss it sometimes. The steakhouse had some Louisiana touches all throughout the menu, and seafood gumbo was a personal favorite of mine. The broth is thick, rich and spicy almost like a gravy and it coats every morsel of meat just beautifully. Usually its served over a bed of white rice but I like to mix it up and serve it over a whole grain like bulgur wheat, whole wheat couscous or even quinoa is wonderful, and I love the texture contrast!

I love to use a combination of meats because each one offers something different to the dish. Spicy, smoked andouille sausage is a classic in the dish and I would never leave this out. It is a smoked sausage, much like kielbasa but very spicy and very rich in flavor, you can substitute kielbasa if you cannot find the andouille. I also love to use shrimp because they are a "two for one" item in this dish. What I mean by that is, I use both the shrimp and the shell for the dish. I always get the shrimp with the shells on and then I make my own shrimp broth with them. This adds quite a bit of depth to the overall broth and I love how much money you save making your own broth! Plus shellfish broth is hard to come by, I only know of one place that sells it where I live. Lastly the chicken I like because it adds great meaty, chunkiness to the soup but again "two for one;" the bones of the chicken add to the flavor of the broth and season the soup even further. I find that anything that uses bones is going to be amazing and this dish is no exception! I do want to note; making soup is all about layering flavors and to do that it takes time, quite a bit of time. This soup takes about 3 hours to make so give yourself plenty of time when making it. Its so worth it!

This recipe serves 6-7 as a main dish.
Adapted from Emeril's version of chicken and andouille sausage gumbo.

Ingredients

4 Bone-in, skin on, pasture raised chicken thighs.
4 Pasture raised chicken legs or wings.
2 tsp Paul Prudhomme red fish magic blackening seasoning, any blackening seasoning or smoky grill seasoning will work.
1 lb large, wild caught, shell-on, shrimp, devein and wash, reserve shells.
1 Cup canola oil or tasteless high heat oil.
1 Cup unbleached, organic, all purpose flour
2 Organic onions, chopped.
4 Stalks organic celery, chopped.
1 Organic green bell pepper, seeded and chopped.
4 Cloves, organic garlic, chopped.
Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste.
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4 Links pasture raised, andouille sausage or other smoked sausage, chopped into round slices.
2 Bay leaves
10 Cups homemade shrimp stock, see recipe below, you can substitute chicken broth for this.*
1 Cup Trader Joe's 10 minute bulgur wheat
3/4 Cup whole wheat couscous
2 Cups organic chicken stock, or homemade if you have it.
Fresh organic chives, for snipping over the top.

Directions

Make sure your chicken parts are completely dry. Sprinkle the chicken parts with the blackening seasoning, salt and pepper. Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat and add in the oil. When the oil is hot, add in the chicken, slowly, skin side down. Cook for a few minutes on each side till they are deeply browned. Turn down the heat to medium and remove the chicken to a plate. Add in the flour and whisk till combined and soupy.

Cook the flour and oil for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally (you will smell when you need to stir, it gets a very nutty, burnt smell). You want a deep dark, chocolate colored roux. Once you have gotten this color add in the onions, celery, green bell pepper, garlic,salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, stir to coat everything. Cook for 10 minutes or until the veggies are soft.

Add in the sausage, bay leaf, chicken parts and stock. Scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the burnt on stuff, this is flavor. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for an hour and half, uncovered.

After an hour and half turn the heat off and remove the chicken pieces. With two forks pull the meat away from the bones and shred the meat. Add the meat back to the pot with the uncooked shrimp and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes, this will cook the shrimp, gently without overcooking them. Taste soup for seasoning, you may need to add salt.

While the soup is sitting bring the chicken stock and bulgur to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer, covered for 10 minutes, after 10 minutes add in the couscous and turn off the heat. Leave the pot covered for 4 minutes and then fluff with a fork.

To serve, make a bed of bulgur and couscous and ladle the soup over top. Top with chives and enjoy!

*Homemade Shrimp Stock

3 Quarts water, about 12 cups of water.
2 Organic carrots, cut in half, no need to peel.
2 Organic stalks celery, cut in half.
1 Onion, peeled, cut in half.
Reserved shrimp shells
1 tsp black peppercorns

Place all ingredients in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and reserve liquid.
You need 10 Cups for the recipe, so if it boils down too much just add chicken stock or water to the recipe.

Porky Pasta e Fagioli with Homemade Ham Broth

This is one of my most favorite soups; pasta e fagioli. It was traditionally made with just white beans and pasta at its humble beginnings. My version, however, has lots of meaty goodness in the form of pasture raised pork, ham and sausage to be exact! This makes for an incredibly hearty soup that is a great, one-pot meal any night of the week. Its super easy to whip up and you can use any combination of ingredients that you have on hand or that are your personal favorites. This recipe also uses a homemade ham broth, made from a leftover Easter ham bone and trimmings that I froze for a later use. What is more loving and delicious than a huge pot of homemade soup? Nothing in my book! My family devours this soup all week, sopping up the broth with local, brick oven Italian bread and we sometimes even fry and egg and put it over top for a pasta e fagioli breakfast...oh yes!!

There is a base recipe and sofrito (aromatic seasoning mixture) that I always follow when I make pasta e fagioli. No matter what other things I decide to change up in the soup the base is always the same. I always start with onion, garlic, carrot and some type of pasture raised pork, I call this my sofrito. The other ingredients that are always present in my pasta e fagioli or my base are white beans and pasta, of course that is what pasta e fagioli means in Italian after all. My version does not use tomatoes at all; I call it a "blonde" version because of the color. It comes out a beautifully golden and its just perfect if you ask me!

This recipe makes about 6 or 7 servings.

Ingredients

1/4 Cup good quality olive oil, for cooking
2 Links of pasture raised, hot, Italian sausage, casing removed and crumbled.
1 Pasture raised, smoked ham steak, or leftover ham from a spiral, smoked ham (2 cups), cubed.
2 Cans organic white beans, drained and rinsed, I used Divina white beans in vinaigrette* please see note on the bottom.
1/4 Cup white wine or white wine vinegar, to deglaze the pan.
2oz Your favorite small pasta, I used an organic, semolina spiral shaped noodle.
5 Organic carrots, peeled and diced
1 Large onion, peeled and diced
4 Cloves organic garlic, minced or grated.
4 to 6 Cups homemade ham broth, recipe follows, you can use chicken broth in place of this.
1 Tbsp dried, organic oregano
1 Tbsp dried, organic thyme
1 Tbsp dried, organic basil
2 Organic bay leaves, dried or fresh.
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.
1 Parmesan rind, optional, I keep my parmesan rinds. I place them in a plastic baggie in the freezer and add them to broths or stews.

Directions

In a dutch oven or heavy bottom pan over medium high heat saute the sausage with a drizzle of the olive oil (not the whole 1/4 cup just enough to get the browning started, about 1 Tbsp). Brown on all sides, about 5 or 6 minutes and remove from pan, set aside.

Next brown the ham the same way with a bit of olive oil till browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.

Turn the heat down to medium and add in the remaining olive oil, onion, carrots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and saute till they are soft, about 5 or 6 minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine or white wine vinegar and cook till all liquid is gone, about 2 minutes. Add in all dried herbs and bay leaves. Add in the white beans and add the meats back into the pan. Give it a stir to combine.

Pour in enough broth to cover everything, I needed about 4 cups you may need more or less depending on the size of your pan or how "soupy" you like your soup. I like mine a little more like stew so I added just enough liquid to cover everything. Put the parmesan rind in, if you are using, it will melt in. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat cover and simmer  for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes add in the pasta and 2 more cups of warm ham broth. Cook long enough for the pasta to cook, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and taste for salt and pepper. Serve my favorite way: in large bowls with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, sprigs of fresh oregano, snips of chives and some great crusty bread for sopping!

Ham Broth

In a very large stock pot place a ham bone with about 1lb of ham meat. I used the fatty parts, the trimmings as well as some of the meat right next to the bone for my pound, it doesn't have to be exact. My ham bone and meat was smoked. I also put in 3 bunches of scallions, greens and white parts, 2 whole onions cut in half, 1 head of garlic cut in half, 3 carrots cut in half, 1 Tbsp of black peppercorns and 1/4 cup of honey, unless your ham had a glaze then omit this. There is no need to trim or peel any of the vegetables it will all get strained at the end. Cover everything with enough water so that its all submerged.

Bring everything to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for one and half hours, uncovered.

Strain everything through a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl, reserving the broth. Use immediately or place in the fridge, discard the fat from the top of the cooled broth.

This will make about 6 to 8 cups of broth.

*I used the Divina white beans in vinaigrette, they are sold in bulk and are in a very flavorful oil marinade. If you can find these or you chose to buy them online, by clicking the link, I used 2 cups of them with some of the oil. You can use more or less of the beans it won't ruin your soup, it all just depends on taste. I happen to love a very "beany" soup!

A soup like this is not the work of one man. It is the result of a constantly refined tradition. There are nearly a thousand years of history in this soup.
                                
                -Willa Cather

Chunky Tomato & Herb Soup with Spinach, Walnut Pesto

This recipe was inspired by a little American bistro that I used to frequent in Myrtle Beach, SC. The tiny place was locally owned and they had the best chunky, tomato soup. It was sweet, fresh, full of herbs, and loaded with huge chunks of juicy tomatoes. Even though the soup was chunky, it was still luxuriously silky; just an incredible bowl of soup. We moved away from SC to NY and I began a mission to recreate this soup! Besides we have 5 months of snow here. You are bound to want a huge, pipping hot, bowl of soup at some point. I love to use fresh tomatoes when I can, but in the winter, when soup is the best they are definitely not in season so I opt. for organic canned ones. My favorite canned tomatoes are Muir Glen, they are not overly tinny, which can happen with canned tomatoes, and I love the affordability. For a quality canned tomato they are always my go to. I often freeze or can my own tomatoes when I can, but this doesn't always happen, hey I am not perfect. I have made this soup in a few different variations (chipotle, roasted garlic), but this particular recipe is my absolute favorite one. It's loaded with fresh herbs such as; oregano, thyme, basil and garlic. These herbs go so well with the sweet, creamy tomatoes, it's like eating pizza soup!

Let's talk about soup toppings! I just love making a humble soup look like a 4 star dish by garnishing it with some gorgeous toppings. Some of my favorite toppings for tomato soup are: a dollop of mascarpone cheese, shredded mozzarella, crumbled goat cheese, fresh toasted bread crumbs or a homemade pesto, like the one pictured above. This pesto is spicy, and melts beautifully into the soup creating an even deeper herb flavor. I make my pesto for this soup with super healthy and unique ingredients. First, instead of an all basil base, I sub in half spinach. I find that an all basil pesto can overpower the other flavors in the tomato soup, and who doesn't want to pack in the nutrients when they can; spinach is a huge bang for your buck in the health department! Pine nuts can be very expensive so I substitute with heart healthy walnuts. The walnuts are not only super healthy, but they are slightly more bitter and "meatier" than the pine nuts which gives the pesto a really rich taste. This pesto recipe is great on anything, and can be frozen for up to 6 months. Feel free to make a huge batch when basil is at it's peak and freeze it for use all winter long!

So, as you can see, there is absolutely no need to open a can of tomato soup when you can make this incredible homemade one in 20 minutes. It's lower in salt, it's healthier, super delicious and completely luxurious. Your family will feel like they are eating at an American bistro without even leaving home. Serve this satisfying soup with a grilled cheese or small salad and you have a great, easy and healthy meal that is full of antioxidants!

Ingredients

Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Cloves organic garlic, minced or grated.
1/2 Onion, diced
2 Tbsp organic tomato paste
2 (14oz) Cans organic, fire roasted tomatoes, I use Muir Glen.
1 Cup vegetable broth
2 Tbsp fresh, organic thyme, leaves only, chopped.
1 Tbsp fresh, organic oregano, leaves only, chopped.
7 Fresh, organic basil leaves, roughly chopped.
1 tsp fair trade, organic raw cane sugar
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.
1/2 Cup pasture raised 2% organic milk, I like my soup very chunky and thick, use more if you like a thinner consistency.

Pesto

1 Cup fresh, organic basil leaves
1 Cup fresh, organic spinach leaves, preferably baby spinach.
3 Organic garlic cloves, chopped roughly.
1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 Cup walnuts, raw and unsalted.
1/3 Cup parmesan or romano cheese, grated.
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.

Directions

In a sauce pan, over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil and saute garlic and onions with salt a pepper till translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add in tomato paste and cook for one minute. Add in canned tomatoes and vegetable broth. Cook for 15 minutes on medium low heat, stirring occasionally.

Ladle half the soup into a blender, do not fill the blender more than half full and leave the top open slightly. The heat will make the top blow off if you fill it too high and do not let the steam escape. I put a dish towel over top to keep it from splattering. Blend on low till the steam escapes and then turn up to high until it is smooth. Add it back to the pan. Add in herbs, cane sugar and salt a pepper to taste. Cook for 3 minutes. Add in milk and whisk to combine, remove from heat and serve with a dollop of pesto on top or whatever you favorite topping happens to be! I have been known to get crazy and fry and egg and put it on top of my soup too!!

Pesto

Add all ingredients except olive oil, salt and pepper, into a food processor. Pulse till it resembles wet sand. With the food processor on lowest speed drizzle in olive oil slowly and process till it is smooth. Turn off the processor and taste for salt and pepper. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze the pesto; I like to freeze mine in a flexible ice tray. I spoon in about a Tbsp in each ice cube, freeze and then pop the cubes out and store in a freezer bag for up to 6 months. I thaw them in the fridge before use, or use directly from the freezer when throwing them in at the end of a soup or sauce. Some recipes I have seen over the years say not to add in the cheese if you are freezing but I have never had a problem with this, so feel free to do either/or.

Spicy Miso Broth with Shitake Mushrooms & Wild Greens

I have been drinking miso broth for a while now and I absolutely love it.  It's salty, and, because it's fermented, has quite a tang to it. I buy a locally made one called South River Miso. They make it the old fashion, Japanese way and I am a big fan, click the link to check out their beautiful website! They make quite a variety of miso, ranging in flavor from sweet white (mild) to 3 year dark brown. This particular recipe uses the sweet white miso which is their most popular flavor and even my two year old loves it. Fermented foods are incredibly healthy for you, they aid in digestion, weight loss and populating your gut with good bacteria...YUM! They can be used in a variety of ways from straight simple broths to flavoring your marinades and sauces. This time of year (spring in NY) the mushrooms and wild greens are plentiful so I am always finding ways to use them. This broth is choc full of them along with other typical Asian flavors such as: garlic, scallions & ginger, all personal favorites!  I used dandelion greens in this recipe but a bok choy or even fresh basil would be delicious here as well.

Let's talk spice!! Siracha is a personal obsession and I am completely addicted.  From eggs to pasta & this broth I cannot get enough.  It's garlicky, spicy and adds a lot of flavor apart from the heat.  There are lots of different kinds and they contain a lot of nasty ingredients if you aren't careful.  I use a local one made in Brooklyn called, Jo'sjo's Siracha; you can order it on Etsy and I believe she carries it in some supermarkets. You can also make homemade siracha, but if you are totally not into going any of these routes and you want to still spice your broth naturally, I suggest just using red pepper flakes.

This recipe serves 1 but feel free to double/triple/quadruple.

Ingredients

1 Heaping Tbsp of your favorite miso, I used South River Miso.

1 1/2 Cups water, I filled up my favorite soup mug and then poured it into the pot so I knew it would fit.

2 Shitake mushrooms, chopped, mine were no spary, locally grown.

2 Organic scallions, whites only, chopped.

1 Organic clove garlic, minced or grated.

1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated.

1/4 Cup organic or wild greens, chopped, I used dandelion greens.

1/2 tsp fish sauce, there is no substitute for this so leave out if you can't find it.

1 tsp siracha, use more or less depending on your spice tolerance level.

Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.


Directions

In a sauce pan add in all ingredients and stir to combine.  Heat over medium heat till it comes to a simmer.  Simmer for 5 minutes and then serve in your favorite mug or bowl.

Yes it's easy as that, and so incredibly delicious!

I have found that, with very few exceptions, families, which make a practice of serving miso soup daily, are almost never sick.... I believe that miso belongs to the highest class of medicines, those which help prevent disease and strengthen the body through continued usage...Some people speak of miso as a condiment, but miso brings out the flavor and nutritional value in all foods and helps the body to digest and assimilate whatever we eat.... 
-Dr. Shinichiro Akizuki, director of St. Francis Hospital, Nagasaki, The Book of Miso