Soup’s On!

RING THE DINNER BELL WITH HEARTY BOWLS FOR CHILLY DAYS

BY JENNIFER BAJSEL

CAULIFLOWER BISQUE

SERVINGS: 8 | PREP: 20 MIN. | COOK: 1 HR. | TOTAL: 1 HR. 20 MIN.

INGREDIENTS: 2 heads cauliflower | 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided | 1 medium yellow onion, diced | 2 garlic cloves, minced | 4 cups chicken broth | 1 cup heavy cream | Pinch of nutmeg | 1 Tbsp. Kosher salt | ¼ tsp. white pepper

DIRECTIONS: PREHEAT oven to 350° degrees. REMOVE green leaves from the head of the cauliflower. PLACE the cauliflower in a baking dish and add ½ inch of water to the bottom of the pan. COVER with foil and steam for 30 minutes. REMOVE the pan from the oven and drain the water. DRIZZLE the cauliflower with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and return it to the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until golden brown. DICE the onion and mince the garlic while the cauliflower is in the oven. HEAT a stockpot on medium heat. ADD the remaining 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. ADD onion and garlic. SAUTÉ until softened. ADD chicken broth. KEEP some cauliflower florets for garnish. ADD the remaining cauliflower to the stock pot. USE an immersion blender to blend the soup until creamy. ADD heavy cream, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. REDUCE the soup to a thick bisque texture.

TIPS & TRICKS: You can place the onion, garlic, and cauliflower in a regular blender (if you don’t have an immersion blender) and add stock. Blend until smooth. Then return the mixture to the stockpot on the stove and follow the remaining directions.

HAM & POTATO CHEDDAR SOUP

SERVINGS: 8 | PREP: 15 MIN. | COOK: 20 MIN. | TOTAL: 35 MIN.

INGREDIENTS: 2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced | 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil | 2-3 carrots, sliced | 1 medium onion, diced | 2 Tbsp. butter | 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour | 4 cups chicken broth, divided. | 1 cup heavy cream | 1 Tbsp. mustard powder | 2 tsp. thyme | 1 tsp. salt | 1/4 tsp. white pepper | 1 cup sharp shredded cheddar | 1 cup ham, cubed | 4 green onions, sliced

DIRECTIONS: PEEL and dice potatoes. PLACE potatoes in a large stock pot, cover with cold water. BRING it to a boil and cook until softened. DRAIN and set aside; dice the onion and carrots. DRIZZLE olive oil into a medium stockpot and add onions and carrots. COOK until softened. ADD butter to the stockpot and

sprinkle in flour, stirring to form a paste. ADD 3 cups of chicken broth and heavy cream. ADD spices. BLEND cooked potatoes and the remaining 1 cup of broth in a blender until smooth. ADD to the soup mixture. BRING to a simmer, stirring occasionally. STIR in cheddar cheese and mix until melted. Reduce the heat and add cubed ham. SIMMER for 5 minutes until warm. LADLE soup into serving bowls and garnish with green onion.

TIPS & TRICKS: Instead of boiling potatoes, peel, cube, and roast the potatoes (tossed with a little oil, salt, and pepper) at 400° until golden. Roasting caramelizes the edges and brings out their natural sweetness.

LASAGNA SOUP

SERVINGS: 12 | PREP: 15 MIN. | COOK: 30 MIN. | TOTAL: 45 MIN.

INGREDIENTS: 1 ½ lb. ground beef | ½ lb. mild Italian sausage | 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil | 1 medium onion, diced | 3 garlic cloves, minced | 6 cups beef broth, unsalted | 1 (15 oz.) tomato sauce | 1 (15 oz.) diced tomato | 3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped | 2 tsp. basil | 1 tsp. fennel seed | 1 Tbsp. Kosher salt | ½ tsp. black pepper | ½ package (8 oz.) lasagna noodles, broken in pieces.

DIRECTIONS: COOK ground beef and sausage in a large pot over medium-high heat until browned. DRAIN grease and remove meat from the pot. DICE the onion and mince the garlic while the meat is browning. ADD onion and garlic, sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. STIR in tomato sauce, diced tomato, spices, and broth. Return meat to the pot. BRING to a boil, then add lasagna noodles pieces to the pot. REDUCE the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender. To serve, ladle the hot soup into bowls, add mozzarella, and parmesan to garnish.

TIPS & TRICKS: You can use any pasta shape, such as bowtie or Sfoglini. Pasta will continue to absorb sauce over time. It’s okay to add more broth or tomato sauce to achieve a soup-like consistency if it gets too thick, check seasoning levels.

ABOUT OUR CHEF

Jennifer is a private chef in Dallas, TX, with a passion for home-cooked meals with a global influence.

In addition to cooking, she hosts an Italian cooking show on national streaming television. To follow

her, go to JenniferBajsel.com or find her on Instagram @JENNIFER_BAJSEL