Chicken Noodle Soup
A great soup has to have a great broth, and this one is delicious. The original recipe called for making the stock from roasted chicken wings, but drumsticks were much cheaper and yielded so much meat that we didn’t have to cook meat separately for the soup.
Spatchcocked Turkey Stock
For Thanksgiving this year we spatchcocked a turkey two days in advance and brined it in buttermilk. It was delicious, and had the added benefit of giving us time to make this homemade turkey stock in advance, which we then used in Day-Before Gravy (trying to simultaneously make gravy and get the meal on the table is quite stressful for me, so making it in advance is key!).
This recipe includes instructions for browning the raw turkey parts, unlike most recipes that assume you’ve already roasted your turkey.
Pressure Cooker Ham Hock & Bean Soup
If you serve ham at the holidays, don’t discard the ham bone — it beautifully flavors beans and soups, and this easy pressure cooker recipe is a great way to take advantage of it. After the craziness of the holiday, you can put the soup on, put your feet up, and get ready for some comfort food.
Ribollita
This year for book club, my choice was The Italian Party, a novel set in 1950s Sienna and “teeming with seduction and spycraft.” My menu was inspired by food from the book and centered on this Ribollita, a stew of kale, tomatoes, and beans, thickened with day-old bread. It’s a recipe and style of cooking thought of as “poor cooking” and making the most of what you have, but it was a beautiful dish to serve to friends with wine, Cacio e Pepe, and delightful discussion of a great story.
Simple Butternut Soup
Roast a halved butternut squash, lightly seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and then blend it in a food processor with a bit of chicken broth, miso paste, and a small amount of butter. It’s warm and satisfying, perfect for a cozy lunch at home.
Jamy’s Thai Chicken Soup (Chicken Khao Soi)
Poach chicken thighs in a broth of homemade curry paste, coconut milk, and chicken broth, add egg noodles and fish sauce, and top with onions, bean sprouts, cilantro stems, chili oil, and lime wedges.
Serve with an Austrian Grüner Veltliner.
Laure’s Crab & Corn Chowder
Vacationing with my cousin Laure usually means you’re in for some amazing food. Last week we stayed with her and her husband, Tim, in a cabin in Grand Teton National Park. Our first dinner at the cabin was this delicious and easy chowder, which smelled so good that a red fox peeked in the sliding glass door to see what was cooking.
Pork Ramen
This is described as the “everyman’s ramen.” The broth of apples, garlic, ginger, onions, and pork comes together in a few hours. Maruchan ramen, found in every grocery store, is fine, but quality noodles make a big difference.
Slow Cooker Ham Bone & Beans
Simmer onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, and a ham bone in broth in the slow cooker for hours.
Slow Cooker White Bean Soup
This soup of garlic, onion, celery, carrots, navy beans, bay leaf, and rosemary makes getting through the winter a little easier.