Soup or Stew?
Posted on 17 November 2008 by joy
What do you want for dinner, soup or stew? Yes, I ask the hard hitting questions. Soups are served as a lovely first course. Think creamy pumpkin soup or summer pea soup. Not exactly the kind of food that will fill your tummy and stick to your ribs. If you’re looking for something to enjoy when the air gets nippy and you’re in need of some comfort and a blanket, stews are the way to go. Grab a heavy bottom sauce pan or your trusted crock pot, some fresh vegetables, meat and potatoes, and dinner will be a one pot cinch.
Here are some of my favorite Fall Stew Recipes.
Brunswick Stew
Gourmet January 2008
- 1 (3-pound) rabbit or chicken, cut with a cleaver through bones into 2-inch pieces
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
- 1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving juice, and chopped
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen corn
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen lima beans
Pat rabbit dry and sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
Whisk together flour and cayenne in a shallow bowl, then dredge rabbit in flour, shaking off excess.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide 6- to 7-quart heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers. Brown half of rabbit, turning once, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pot and brown remaining rabbit; transfer to plate.
Add remaining tablespoon oil to pot along with onion, bell pepper, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.
Add bay leaf, broth, tomatoes with juice, and rabbit with any meat juices from plate and bring to a simmer. Simmer, covered, 50 minutes.
Stir in corn and lima beans, then simmer, uncovered, until stew is slightly thickened and vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf.
Chili Con Carne with Cheddar and Chili Biscuits
Gourmet February 1990
For the shortcake biscuits
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
- 1/4 pound sharp Cheddar, grated coarse (about 1 1/2 cups)
- four 2-inch pickled jalapeño chilies, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves)
- 1 cup sour cream
For the chili con carne
- 2 large onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 carrots, sliced thin
- 3 pounds boneless beef chuck, ground coarse in batches in a food processor or by the butcher
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon crumbled dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
- two 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
- 1 1/4 cups beef broth
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- a 19-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 green bell peppers, chopped
Make the shortcake biscuits
Into a bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt, add the butter, and blend the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the Cheddar and the chilies, add the sour cream, and stir the mixture until it just forms a soft but not sticky dough. Knead the dough gently 6 times on a lightly floured surface, roll or pat it out 1/2 inch thick, and with a 3 1/2-inch cookie cutter cut out 6 rounds. Bake the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet in the middle of a preheated 425°F. oven for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they are golden.
Make the chili con carne
In a kettle cook the onions in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are softened, add the garlic and the carrots, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chuck and cook it over moderate heat, stirring and breaking up any lumps, for 10 minutes, or until it is no longer pink. Add the chili powder, the cumin, the paprika, the oregano, and the red pepper flakes and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, the broth, and the vinegar, bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer it, covered, stirring occasionally, for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the meat is tender. Add the kidney beans, the bell peppers, and salt and black pepper to taste and simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until the bell peppers are tender.
Arrange a biscuit, heated and split, on each of the 6 dinner plates, spoon the chili con carne over the bottom half, and cover it with the top half of the biscuit.
White Bean, Butternut Squash, Kale and Olive Stew
Bon Appetit January 1996
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 large onions, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 3 1/4- to 3 1/2-pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 red bell peppers, seeded, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups canned vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 large bunches kale, thick stems trimmed, leaves cut crosswise into 2-inch strips
- 1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage
- 5 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained
- 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted, halved
- Freshly grated Romano cheese
Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add squash; sauté Add bell peppers and stir to coat with onion mixture. Add broth. Cover and simmer until squash is just tender, about 10 minutes.
Mix kale and sage into stew. Cover and cook until kale wilts, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add beans and olives and stir until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer stew to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle generously with cheese.
