There’s nothing more frustrating than picking the perfect recipe, procuring the ingredients, tightening those apron strings, and then realizing you don’t have the right kitchen tools to finish the project successfully! Soups, chilis, and stews are warm and inviting but they require a lot of slicing and dicing so it’s important to be ready with the right machinery. Here are our Fab5 (Fab9 actually!) products for making the perfect pot of soup/chili/stew as well as a few of our favorite recipes:
Products:
The Pot:
Start with the LeCreuset Enamel Cast Iron Signature Round Dutch Oven with lid in the big 9 quart size. Don’t cheap out on this item! It will last forever and can be used for many different things. I (Jo) even travel with this item because it can be used for tons of yummy items: soups, stews, jambalaya, and really good french fries!
Knives:
These one-pot wonders require lots of slicing and dicing and having the right knives can make life so much easier. These from Global will last forever and never let you down. They have thin blades constructed from a single piece of steel and remain sharper longer. They are lightweight and the stainless-steel handles are molded for comfort and dimpled for safe grip. These sharp knives can help you mince herbs, slice vegetables, and cut meats easily and comfortably!
Soups require spices and it’s SO nice to have measuring spoons that fit into those spice bottles! These magnetic spoons let you use one spoon at a time and then they nest together for easy storage. Quickly grab the spoon you need without having to fumble with opening and closing a ring. You’ll wonder how you ever lived without them.
Measuring Cups:
I use these, not only to measure but as bowls to hold all those chopped items that may need to be added to the pot one at a time. They are dishwasher, freezer, microwave and preheated oven safe and the non-porous glass is BPA free, non-toxic and won’t absorb food odors, flavors, or stains. I even have the super sized 8-cup one that can be used as a mixing bowl too.
Ladle:
With a deep, rounded bottom, large soup ladles mean fewer trips from pot to bowl. This one is great for right or left handed users, has a comfy grip, and is dishwasher safe.
Blender:
Wonder how those yummy soups get so smooth? Once the soup is made, ladle it into the Vitamix blender and blend away to the consistency you desire. This immersion blender also does the trick but is not as effective as the Vitamix for really chunky soups.
Spices:
Good spices make all the difference! These Burlap and Barrel spices were recommended by FabLister Jeannie R. and all reports from users (and Chrissie) are five stars! You can buy them individually or they have a 6 or 9 pack Chili Collection with a variety of chilis and paprikas that are sure to spice up your life!
Storage Containers:
Soup recipes are great for doubling and some even taste better as leftovers. For storing and transporting soup, we like glass containers with lids that snap to form a tight seal. Glass containers allow you to see what’s inside, can go in the microwave and last longer than plastic. Look for containers with BPA-free lids.
Instapot:
An Instapot isn’t just a pressure cooker! It is a true multi-cooker that sears, browns and sautes, slow cooks like a crock pot, and fast cooks as a pressure cooker when you have the need for speed. If you want to slow cook a recipe or need a pressure cooker for a bean filled soup, the Instapot is your hero.
Now On To The Recipes!
Here are a few of our favorite soup/chili recipes. We love to double them up and then either freeze half to have a great meal on hand when needed, give some to a neighbor or friend, or just leave it in the fridge for the family to guarantee a healthy meal for a few days in a row.
- Chili With The Works: This is a go-to chili for Jo. It’s great for a big football game day party, for a cozy fall dinner with friends or just to have on hand for a meal with great flavor. Serve with some corn bread and maybe a salad and you are set to go.
- Lemony White Bean Soup with Ground Turkey and Kale: Chrissie doubled this one up just last week. Add extra red pepper if you want more spice and be sure to sprinkle lemon juice on it before serving.
- 30 Minute Turkey Meatball and Kale Soup – A lighter broth option. I prefer to make the meatballs on the smaller side.
- Sweet Potato Turkey Chili with Cilantro Oil and Pepitas – The entire thing is good and if short on time/ingredients just the Chili alone is also great.
- Lemon Ginger Soup:
FabLister Mary F. gave Chrissie some of this a couple weeks ago (btw how great a gift is that!!!) and IT’S SO GOOD (was also great with chicken added in). We don’t have a link so the entire recipe is below:
This recipe was originally a chilled soup, but I like it hot. This recipe serves 3. I usually double it (for about 6 servings).
Ingredients
2 tbsp. butter (or olive oil)
½ C chopped onion
1 pound carrots, peeled, chopped into ½” pieces
1 generous tbsp. fresh grated ginger (or diced into tiny pieces)
1/8 tsp. cayenne
Zest of 1 lemon
(2) 14 oz. cans low sodium chicken broth
Water as needed
Juice of 1 lemon (I do 1-½ lemons)
Salt to taste
2 tsp. minced fresh chives (optional)*
2 tsp. chopped candied ginger (optional)*
4 tbsp. tiny shrimp or lump crabmeat (optional)*
* I skipped these ingredients
Directions:
- Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in carrots, ginger, cayenne and lemon zest.
- Cook an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently to coat carrots with the butter and evenly distribute the ginger, cayenne and zest.
- Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a good simmer and cook until carrots are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Puree soup with an immersion blender or pour into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour soup into the same pot to warm (or use another pot if you are blending in batches). If it is too thick, add water in 1/4 cup increments until you have your desired consistency. (If you use a blender, add a little water (1/4-½ cup) to the blender, spin it again to catch all the remnants, and pour that into the soup pot.)
- Whisk in lemon juice, taste, and add salt if desired.
- If you would like the soup to be served cold, chill soup in an ice bath and refrigerate until completely chilled. It can be prepared the day before.
- If you would like the soup to be served hot (that’s my preference), then just warm soup gently until nice and hot and serve.
- Hot or cold, you can garnish with a sprinkling of chives and candied ginger to explode the flavor. Or if you want to dress it up even more, top it with chilled cooked shrimp or lump crabmeat.
Soup can be poured into containers to freeze and pull out later when needed.
6. Bonus: Mexican Tortilla South with Roasted Chicken – This one is a favorite of Chrissie and as it’s not linkable online any more, here is it written out (I double it):
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
Kosher salt and ground pepper
4 C chicken broth, low sodium
3 C shredded chicken (can use store roasted chicken to save time)
(1) 28 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
(1) 15 oz. can black or pinto beans, drained
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
½ C cilantro loaves, finely chopped
Tortilla chips or strips
1 avocado, cubed
½ C shredded jack cheese
Directions:
Put oil in pan, heat, add onions and simmer for 2 minutes
Add salt/pepper, garlic, cumin and simmer
Add stock, tomatoes – bring to boil over medium heat
Add chicken, beans, lime, cilantro and bring to a boil, and then simmer for 5 mins
Serve and add chips and cheese on top.