SOUPS - TUSCAN SAVORY SWEET POTATO SOUP

Tuscan Savory Sweet Potato Soup

 

Original Recipe Yield 8 servings

Ingredients

• 5 sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 quart half-and-half, or as needed
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Place the sweet potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two. Puree potatoes in a food processor or blender in batches until smooth. Return pureed potatoes to the large pot; set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook the onion in the hot oil until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook until completely browned, breaking the meat apart with the back of a wooden spoon as it cooks. Stir the garlic, mushrooms, and Italian seasoning into the sausage-and-onion mixture; continue cooking until the mushrooms are tender, another 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to the pot with the potatoes.
3. Place the large pot over low heat. Pour the half-and-half over the mixture, stirring to mix. Allow the soup to slowly heat until hot and to your desired consistency. Garnish with Parmesan cheese to serve.

SOUPS = TUSCAN GARBANZOS BEAN SOUP

TUSCAN GARBANZO BEAN SOUP

1/2 cup uncooked pasta ( Ditalini, small Elbow )

1 1/2 tablespoons liquid seasoning ( Italian or Tuscan )

1 small onion chopped small

3 garlic cloves, grated

2 teaspoons dry rosemary

1 carrot,chopped small

1 can garbanzo beans

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon Italian or regular dry seasoning

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cups water or vegetable bouillon

In a medium saucepan heat the liquid seasoning; add onion and garlic and cook 5 minutes.

Add carrots, bay leaf and cook 3 more minutes.

Add 3/4 can of garbanzo beans, rosemary,salt and pepper, paprika and red pepper flakes; stir well and cook 3 more minutes.

Add water or vegetable soup, stir and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 7 minutes.

Puree' vegetable mixture in blender or food processor or using a hot blender. Return to the pot and keep on low heat

In a separate pot bring some  water to boil and cook the pasta until slightly undone, drain and add to the simmering soup.

Add the remaining garbanzo beans to the soup, raise the heat to medium and cook 5 more minutes.

When serving top with grated cheese and fresh ground pepper.

SOUPS - STRACCIATELLA

STRACCIATELLA

Ingredients

48 oz chicken stock (homemade is best, but store bought is also fine)

3 fresh eggs

1/2 c. finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1/4 c. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

freshly grated nutmeg to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Bring the stock to a boil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. While it is heating, whisk together remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Once the stock is at a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and stir the broth in a clockwise direction. Slowly drizzle in the egg mixture and stir with the whisk 2 or 3 times. Let cook for 3 minutes, then serve with more freshly grated cheese if desired.

SOUPS - SEMOLINA DUMPLINGS

SEMOLINA DUMPLINGS

5 cups chicken bouillon

1/2 stick butter

     salt, pepper & seasoning to taste

4 eggs (yolks only )

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 cups semolina flour ( cream of wheat )

1 teaspoon dry parsley

In a medium pot bring 6 cups of water to boil, add 2 chicken cubes and cook until soup is ready ( about 5 minutes ), creating the chicken bouillon.

In a medium bowl, using a fork, mix the butter and egg yolks, add salt, pepper and seasoning and keep mixing;add grated parmesan cheese and semolina flour until you will have a dried dough ( if still wet add some semolina flour ).

Bring the chicken soup to boil, wet a teaspoon in the soup and spoon some of the mixture inside the soup

Keep adding until all the dumplings are in the soup

Cook for about 7 minutes, cut a dumpling in half and check if the inside is done: it may requires few more minutes cooking

Before serving, sprinkle some dry parsley on top