Soupified is back with a new recipe, a special request from James. He also selected the beer used in this recipe, which was a hefeweizen (German wheat beer). To give this soup a little more body, I added a package of frozen broccoli florets. Bring beer and milk to room temperature before cooking, this will make it easier to bring the soup back to a simmer after adding ingredients. The beer may foam when added to the soup, but will eventually incorporate with the soup.

Pre-shredded cheese can be dry and difficult to melt. Buy a brick of cheese and shred it yourself just before adding to the pan. The cheese will be softer, which is also better for topping hot soup!

Beer Cheese Soup
adapted from Cooking Light

4 1/2 cups less-sodium chicken broth, divided 
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp unsalted butter 
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 package (10 oz) broccoli florets, thawed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 1/2 cups 2% milk
12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1 (12 oz) can or bottle of beer
freshly ground black pepper (optional) 

Simmer 2 cups of chicken broth with potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cook 15 minutes of until potatoes are tender. Transfer potato mixture to a blender, removing center piece of the blender lid to allow heat to escape. Secure lid on blender and place a clean towel over the opening to avoid spills. Blend until smooth and set aside. 

Over medium heat, melt butter in a large stockpot. Add onion and carrot, saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic to pan, cook about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add remaining 2 1/2 cups chicken broth and broccoli, bring to a boil. 

Whisk together flour and milk, then slowing whisk into stockpot. Cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add potato mixture, shredded cheese, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and salt. Stir to combine. Add beer to pan and bring to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes or until cheese has melted. Garnish with black pepper, if desired. 

Above: Broccoli and carrots add body to the soup, along with some healthy vitamins.

This recipe originally came from Real Simple magazine, though I made a few adjustments. What better to compliment South African wine than with some local cuisine? To be honest, I am not sure how authentic this recipe really is, as African is one global cuisine of which I know the least. This soup, however, is an all-in-one dish of substance: vegetables, protein from peanuts and peanut butter, and grains. The peanut butter ups the calorie content, making it heavier than most soups, but offers a vegan stew that really sticks to your ribs (yes, pun intended).  

The original recipe called for chicken stock, which I substituted with Simple Garlic Broth. Another vegan option would be vegetable stock. Because I used garlic stock, I omitted the garlic in this recipe. If you are using chicken or vegetable stock, also add 1 clove of minced garlic and 1 tbsp of oil to saute. I also used diced tomatoes with basil and oregano for an earthier flavor.

African Peanut Stew
adapted from Real Simple

1 (28 oz) can chopped tomatoes (do not drain)
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
3 large carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
4 cups garlic broth
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup uncooked white rice
6 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

In a large stockpot, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, carrots, peanut butter, broth, vinegar, salt, and cayenne pepper. Whisk together over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Add rice and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Ladle into bowls and top with green onions and peanuts.

The New York Times recently ran a recipe for “a simple broth with a mild kick,” full of heart-healthy garlic. The recipe looked like a great vegan alternative to chicken stock, so I decided to give it a try. The recipe is very simple, but a bit time consuming as the broth needs about an hour of simmering time to develop flavor. Aside from being a vegetarian option for preparing soup, this recipe also gives you complete control of the fat and sodium content (no mystery “msg” ingredients here). In total, I used less than 1/2 of a teaspoon of sea salt (a little salt is required to bring out the taste of the broth, as is a small amount of fat from the olive oil).  

The recipe called for a bouquet garni, which is basically herbs tied together with kitchen string and allowed to simmer in a dish to impart flavor. By tying the herbs together, it makes them easier to find and remove before serving. Since the broth already needs to be strained, I skipped that step and just tossed the herbs into the stock pot. Smashing the garlic cloves slightly allows the flavor and healthy benefits to steep into the broth, but do not chop or the broth will be too strong.

Simple Garlic Broth
adapted from the New York Times

5 cups water
2 heads garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 fresh bay leaf
2 fresh sage leaves
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
salt, to taste

Separate garlic cloves and smash each one slightly. Peel garlic cloves and cover with water in a large stock pot. Add olive oil and herbs. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce heat and simmer, covered tightly, for 1 hour. Remove from heat and strain, discarding herbs and garlic. Add salt, about 1/4 or 1/8 of a teaspoon at a time, whisking and tasting between additions.

If not using immediately, allow to cool to room temperature before storing, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Yeilds about 1 quart of garlic broth.

Instead of discarding the garlic, consider using in another recipe. The softened cloves will mash into a paste and would be great to mix into mashed potatoes or hummus.

Here is a global twist to an old classic, pairing traditional Asian cuisine flavors with simple ingredients like chicken and pasta. This recipe is from Cooking Light magazine, and makes a great side for a vegetable stir-fry. Please enjoy the next recipe for Soupified.

To prepare lemongrass, peel the outside layer away and discard. Smash the ends (a meat tenderizer works well) to release the oils and infuse the flavor into the stock. You only need to pound lightly and do not break the stalk, as you will need to remove before serving.

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup
adapted from Cooking Light

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp minced garlic, 5-6 cloves
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, peeled and smashed
2 cups water
2  (14 oz) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1  lb chicken breast,  cut into bite-sized pieces
4  oz  uncooked angel hair pasta
1/2  tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, and lemongrass; saute 3 minutes. Add water and broth; bring to a boil. Add chicken and pasta; cook 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from heat; stir in remaining ingredients. Let stand 5 minutes. Discard lemongrass.

Using the Google News search function (from this Econofest post), I found this soup recipe from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. A healthy vegetarian recipe, most of the ingredients for this soup are pantry staples and inexpensive produce. In the article, it is suggested that a serving of this soup only costs $1.29 if you already have the spices and olive oil on hand. If you have a perfectly stocked pantry, however, it will cost even less! It seems appropriate to debut the new Soupified project with a budget-friendly recipe to close out Econofest.

Please enjoy this spicy and savory soup offering, chocked full of warmth and goodness. Each serving has plenty of protein as well as tons of veggies, making it a wonderful meal in a bowl.

Gypsy Soup
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

2 tbsp olive oil
2 sweet yellow onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
dash cayenne pepper (about 1/8 tsp)
1 can (14-16 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (15 oz) chick peas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 vegetable bouillon cubes, dissolved in 4 cups water

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, sweet potato and celery, and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in bell pepper and spices. Saute another 3 minutes. Add tomato, chick peas, and vegetable stock. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Above: Sweet potaoes, celery, garlic, and onions, chopped and ready to become soup.

Above: Paprika, turmeric, dried basil, cinnamon, and a dash of cayenne pepper give the soup its spicy warmth and smokey flavor.