Hungarian Potato and Sausage Soup

There’s nothing better than a hearty soup to chase away the chill of a cool autumn day. This soup is the perfect fall comfort food. The savory flavor from smoked sausage and the earthy sweetness from onions and cabbage are balanced perfectly with a splash of vinegar and a bit of sour cream, all brought together by soft and tender potatoes--the only way this gets better is serving it with a nice hunk of buttered, crusty bread.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 6 ounces smoked Hungarian sausage, sliced into rounds

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 5 cups chicken broth, or more to taste

• 2 cups chopped green cabbage

• 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

• ½ cup sour cream, or to taste

• 2 tablespoons sliced green onion, or to taste (Optional)

Directions

• Step 1

  Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add sausage and cook and stir until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove sausage to a bowl, leaving behind any butter in the pot.

• Step 2

  Toss onion into the pot with 1 teaspoon salt. Cook and stir until onion just starts to turn translucent and picks up a brown color from the meat juices in the pan, 4 to 5 minutes. Add flour; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and paprika; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute, being careful not to burn the paprika.

• Step 3

  Stir in 5 cups chicken broth. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally so flour does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Stir in cabbage and cook until it just loses its stiffness, about 2 minutes. Stir in potatoes and bring back to a simmer. Add black pepper, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf, plus a splash of chicken broth if desired. Bring back to a simmer.

• Step 4

  Stir soup and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are very soft and tender, about 30 minutes. Add sausage and vinegar and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt.

• Step 5

  Remove from heat and ladle into bowls. Garnish with sour cream, green onions, and cayenne pepper.

Tom Ka Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup)

Ready in 35 minutes. A broth of coconut milk and lime juice is seasoned with ginger root and cayenne pepper, with strips of white chicken, fresh cilantro, and chopped scallions.

Ingredients

• ¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken meat

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk

• 2 cups water

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root

• 4 tablespoons fish sauce

• ¼ cup fresh lime juice

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

• Mushrooms

Directions

• Step 1

  Cut chicken into thin strips and saute in oil for to 2 to 3 minutes until the chicken turns white.

• Step 2

  In a pot, bring coconut milk and water to a boil. Reduce heat. Add ginger, mushrooms, fish sauce, lime juice, cayenne powder and turmeric. Simmer until the chicken is done, 10 to 15 minutes.

• Step 3

  Sprinkle with scallions and fresh cilantro and serve steaming hot.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Easy and delicious, low-carb, no-dairy, cauliflower soup. Hit that thing with some hot sauce, if you like.

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, sliced, or more to taste

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped

• salt and ground black pepper to taste

• ¼ cup raw cashews

• 1 tablespoon tahini

• ¼ avocado

Directions

• Step 1

  Place cauliflower florets into a bowl of lightly salted water and soak for 20 minutes.

• Step 2

  Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.

• Step 3

  Broil in the preheated oven until brown on top, 20 to 30 minutes.

• Step 4

  Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic in the hot oil until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add broth, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Let simmer until cauliflower is ready.

• Step 5

  Stir cauliflower into the broth with cashews and tahini. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Add avocado and blend using an immersion blender. Serve.

Boilermaker Tailgate Chili

This is the chili recipe for football games. I always prep and cook the chili the night before and then reheat the next day. This is a combination of many different tomato-based chili recipes. Good luck and enjoy.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef chuck

• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage

• 3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained

• 1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce

• 2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice

• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped

• 3 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

• 2 peppers green chili peppers, seeded and chopped

• 1 tablespoon bacon bits

• 4 cubes beef bouillon

• ½ cup beer

• ¼ cup chili powder

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon white sugar 

• 1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips such as Fritos®

• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

• Step 1

  Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.

• Step 2

  Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chili peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

• Step 3

  After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.

• Step 4

  To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese.

Lentil Soup

Hearty lentil soup, chock full of veggies and very yummy. Serve with warm cornbread.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

• 2 cups dry lentils

• 8 cups water

• 1/2 cup spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons vinegar

• salt to taste

• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.

2. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender.

3. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.

4. Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes.

5. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour.

6. When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts.

7. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired.

Simple Tomato Soup

This recipe is so easy and delicious. It's easily made vegan (if you use margarine instead of butter or 2 tablespoons of olive oil), ready in 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 onion, thinly sliced

• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

• 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes

• 1 cup water

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 pinch red pepper flakes

• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed

• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and cook onion and garlic until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes, water, sugar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, celery seed, and oregano.

3. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender.

5. Reheat soup until warm and season with more salt and pepper if desired.