by on January 27, 2014   •   23 Comments Soups/Stocks/Stews

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham

So you cook a Sunday ham, and are left with the bone. That night the temperature plummets (yet again), your kids get sick, and your husband is about to leave on business for a few days. Then, you realize there is no other alternative than to make split pea soup and plenty of it to last into the week.

That was my thought process last Monday. This soup saved dinner, and a few lunches, while we were housebound, nursing fevers and the sniffles. It came together quickly – a literal dump and stir of ingredients in the slow-cooker – and simmered all day while we snuggled under quilts and read books.

While my boys may have been initially put off by the colour, their spoons were scraping the bottom of their bowls before long. Split pea soup just feels right this time of the year, especially when paired with skillet cornbread.

[Read more…]

by on December 26, 2013   •   21 Comments Soups/Stocks/Stews

Creamy Broccoli Spinach Soup

I love the stretch of days between Christmas and the New Year. The holidays slow down again and there is a lot more time for relaxing and enjoying the family at home.

There is also a lot of time for eating and snacking . . . perhaps a little too much time! If you’ve already eaten as many candy canes and sweet rolls as I have this holiday season, this Creamy Broccoli Spinach Soup will help get you back on track.

[Read more…]

by on September 20, 2013   •   30 Comments Soups/Stocks/Stews

7 Fall Soup Recipes

This morning I gathered a jar of lentils, a few carrots, and a leek for the beginning of an autumn soup.

I rummaged in the freezer for a jar of dark chicken stock, and snipped a few sprigs of thyme from the garden. The boys have the day off of school and we’ll enjoy a simple French lentil soup for lunch.

It certainly is the perfect season for summering a soup. If you’ve never made soup from scratch, there’s no better time than the fall, when all the root vegetables come into play, the garlic is firm and young and ingredients like corn, tomatoes and zucchini are still in abundance.

The body craves this nourishing bowl of vegetables, simmered in a savoury broth, and accompanied by favourite side such as skillet cornbread or whole wheat buttermilk rolls. In fact, I think I better go mix up a batch of those rolls right now.

Here are some of my favourite recipes to get you started.

[Read more…]

by on August 26, 2013   •   32 Comments Soups/Stocks/Stews

Harvest Corn Chowder Recipe

Corn is at its absolute peak right now, and we’ve been taking full advantage of the season. Last week we blitzed about thirty cobs to get a small part of the harvest packaged and in the freezer.

The boys -and Clara, as she is 18 months-going-on-eight-years and must be involved in anything we do – shucked, and I removed the kernels with my nifty trick involving a bundt pan and a chef’s knife.

If you’re wondering what do to with corn, aside from rolling it in butter and sprinkling it with salt, I may have a few good ideas. But first, you need to add todays harvest corn chowder to your weeks’ menu plan.

[Read more…]