Tag: comfort food
Lentil Soup
Navy Bean & Sausage Soup
We have always felt that soup is a very underrated meal that is actually not hard to make
Not only does it fit the bill as a comfort food, it’s easier than you might think to develop a lot of flavor with just a few ingredients making this not only a delicious meal but one that’s not too bad on your budget
Another thing that makes soup a good choice is the Instant Pot
Using the pressure cooking and saute function makes soup a cinch
We are starting with 1 pound of dried navy beans
I like to give them a rinse in a strainer and pick through to make sure there is no grit or anything other than beans
Add the beans to the Instant Pot
Add water to the pot until it is around 2 inches above the beans
Using the saute function bring the beans to a rapid boil
Remove the insert with the beans and set aside
Allow the beans to soak in the water for 30 minutes
This can be done ahead of time
While the beans are taking a nice relaxing and warm bath, let’s work on the sausage
We are using 10 hot Italian turkey sausage links but you can use whatever sausage you enjoy
We are going to grill these but they can also be baked or pan fried as well
Preheat your grill to 400 F indirect heat
Place the sausage on the grill and cook 8-10 minutes
Flip the sausage and cook another 8-10 minutes or until just done inside
Remove the sausage and allow to rest 10-15 minutes before slicing
If you slice them right away they will lose all their juices
Once the sausage has rested slice them on a bias, add to a bowl and set aside
Now that our beans have had the rest they so desperately needed, let’s strain them out of the water
Dry out the insert and add it back into the Instant Pot
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil using the saute function
Give 1 onion and 2 garlic cloves a nice chop
Add the onion and garlic to the pot with a sprinkle of kosher salt, ground black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes
Cook 4-6 minutes while stirring occasionally
Add the beans in and stir to incorporate
Next we will need 8 cups of chicken stock
Click on our link to make Homemade Chicken Stock
Add the stock to the pot
Close the lid on the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes
After the 15 minute timer goes off you want to do a quick release and get the pressure out
The beans should be soft but with some texture to them
You don’t want them to blow apart
Next up, we will need 1 bunch of escarole
I love to use escarole as my leafy greens in a soup because it can stand up to the heat and retain some texture
It also adds great flavor
Make sure you give the escarole a good rinse to remove any dirt or grit
Remove and discard the white base
Give the escarole a chop
Add the sausage to the soup
Add the chopped escarole to the soup
Using the saute function, bring the soup to a rapid boil then switch to the lowest heat for saute and simmer the soup covered for 10 minutes allowing the escarole to cook and the flavors to meld
We have a regular pot lid but if your using the pressure lid ensure you have it set to venting so you don’t pressure cook
Houston we have soup!
Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed!!
Sprinkle with some freshly grated parmesan cheese
Serve a delicious bowl of soup and your family will be back for more!!!
Enjoy!!!
Simply Sundays! ~ Navy Bean & Sausage Soup
Ingredients
1 pound bag of dried navy beans
6 cups of water (or enough to cover the beans by 2 inches)
10 hot Italian turkey sausage links
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons of olive oil
8 cups of chicken stock
1 bunch of escarole
kosher salt
ground black pepper
crushed red pepper flakes
Directions
Add 1 pound of dried navy beans to a strainer and give them a rinse. Pick through to make sure there is no grit. Add the beans to the Instant Pot and cover with water up to 2 inches over the beans
Using the saute function bring the beans to a rapid boil. Remove the insert with the beans and set aside. Allow the beans to soak in the water for 30 minutes. This can be done ahead of time
Preheat your grill to 400 F indirect heat. Place the sausage on the grill and cook 8-10 minutes. Flip the sausage and cook another 8-10 minutes or until just done inside. Remove the sausage and allow to rest 10-15 minutes before slicing. Once the sausage has rested slice them on a bias, add to a bowl and set aside
Strain the beans out of the water. Dry out the insert and add it back into the Instant Pot. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil using the saute function. Give 1 onion and 2 garlic cloves a nice chop
Add the onion and garlic to the pot with a sprinkle of kosher salt, ground black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook 4-6 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add the beans in and stir to incorporate
Add 8 cups of chicken stock to the pot. Close the lid on the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. After the 15 minute timer goes off you want to do a quick release and get the pressure out
Rinse to remove any dirt or grit from 1 bunch of escarole. Remove and discard the white base. Chop the escarole. Add the sausage to the soup. Add the chopped escarole to the soup
Using the saute function bring the soup to a rapid boil then switch to the lowest heat for saute and simmer the soup covered for 10 minutes allowing the escarole to cook and the flavors to meld
Ladle the soup into a bowl and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese
Tools used to make this recipe
Architec Carving Board, Gripperwood
ZELITE INFINITY Chef Knife 8 inch
© Simply Sundays 2019
All rights reserved
Potato Leek Soup
As many of you probably know, the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker is all the rage right now
I love, love, lovity love my IP. It’s out on our counter at least 5 times a week making hard cooked eggs, mains, sides, yogurt… even dessert!
But this isn’t a sales pitch, so let’s make some soup!
I generally try to make recipes based on what’s in season. I was at our local farm market in the produce department and there were like a hundred leeks on display
Well maybe not 100 but there were a whole lot. Decision made. Potato Leek Soup
Some may say that the origin of leek soup is from France, but my Irish Mom, Mary Margaret would beg to differ
You’ll need 3 leeks, 5-6 potatoes (about 2 pounds) 2 garlic cloves and 2 slices of bacon
Slice the bacon into 1 inch strips
Choose the Instant Pot saute function and when hot, add the bacon
Saute until the bacon is browned and crispy then move to a paper towel lined bowl. Don’t wash the IP insert, we want this great bacon-y flavor
Thinly slice the garlic and the white/light green parts of the leeks
Simply Sundays note: slice the leek lengthwise first and rinse off any fine silt and dirt before slicing
Add a splash of olive oil to the bacon fat in the instant pot and once hot, add in the leeks & garlic
Saute for about 10 minutes or until the leeks are softened
Add in 6 cups of broth and bring to a boil, still on the saute function of the pot
Peel and cube the potatoes and add to the instant pot along with 3 bay leaves
Stir, place the cover on the pot, make sure the knob is on seal and set manual cook for 8 minutes. Keep in mind, with 6 cups of liquid, it will take a few minutes to get up to pressure. Use the quick release once completed
Remove and discard the bay leaves and using an immersion blender, blend to the desired consistency. Sometimes I blend it completely smooth, other times I leave some chunks for texture. Whatever the whim of the day is…
Drizzle in about a half of a cup of heavy cream or half & half and stir
Season to taste with kosher salt and serve garnished with the crumbled bacon and fresh chives
Enjoy!
Simply Sundays! ~ Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
3 leeks, rinsed and sliced
5-6 potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cubed
2 garlic cloves
2 slices of bacon
Tablespoon of olive oil
6 cups of broth (chicken or vegetable)
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup of heavy cream or half & half
Kosher salt, to taste
Crumbled bacon and fresh chives for serving
Directions
Slice the bacon into 1 inch strips; choose the Instant Pot saute function and when hot, add the bacon
Saute until the bacon is browned and crispy then move to a paper towel lined bowl. Don’t wash the IP insert, we want this great bacon-y flavor
Thinly slice the garlic and the white/light green parts of the leeks
Add a splash of olive oil to the bacon fat in the instant pot and once hot, add in the leeks & garlic; saute for about 10 minutes or until the leeks are softened
Add in 6 cups of broth and bring to a boil, still on the saute function of the pot
Peel and cube the potatoes and add to the instant pot along with 3 bay leaves
Stir, place the cover on the pot, make sure the knob is on seal and set manual cook for 8 minutes. Keep in mind, with 6 cups of liquid, it will take a few minutes to get up to pressure. Use the quick release once completed
Remove and discard the bay leaves and using an immersion blender, blend to the desired consistency
Drizzle in about a half of a cup of heavy cream or half & half and stir
Season to taste with kosher salt and serve garnished with the crumbled bacon and fresh chives
Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Cooker
KitchenAid 3-Speed Hand Blender
Architec Carving Board, Gripperwood
Pyrex Prepware 1-Cup Measuring Cup
Anchor Hocking 8 Cup Measuring Cup Glass Batter Bowl with Spout
© Simply Sundays 2019
All rights reserved
Irish Lamb Stew
Tender lamb & vegetables braised with Guinness stout make this Irish inspired stew rich and comforting
One of our favorite comfort foods has to be stew
Hearty, warming and filling what’s not to like?
We are taking this stew to the next level and making an Irish inspired stew with lamb and Guinness Stout
We are using lamb shoulder chops which is usually a cheaper cut of lamb
That is because typically it is a tougher cut which makes it perfect for a stew
As it braises it will become very, very tender
Now you can have the butcher cut up lamb stew meat for you but we are going to process this ourselves
We are starting with 12 bone in lamb chops
Remove the meat from the bones and trim off any excess fat
Try to cut the meat into even sized cubes
This yielded around 2 1/2 pounds of lamb stew meat
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat
We are going to sear the lamb in batches, so add some into the pot and sprinkle with kosher salt and ground black pepper
Brown the stew meat on all sides then remove and set aside
Repeat until all the meat has been browned
It’s ok to have small brown bits of meat stuck to the bottom of the pot
That will just add in flavor later on
Comfort food, especially stews are so fantastic because you continuously add in layers of flavor
The first layer was the searing of the lamb
Now we are going to start on the next layer of flavor
We will need 3 slices of bacon, 1 onion and 3 garlic cloves
Peel and chop the onion and garlic
Cut the bacon into small pieces
Reduce the heat to medium low and add the bacon to the pot
Cook 6-8 minutes stirring occasionally, until the bacon is brown and rendered
Next add in the onion and garlic
Stir to combine
Cook 4-6 minutes stirring occasionally until the vegetables soften and onion starts to become translucent
Next, we will need 1/4 cup of flour, one 14.9 ounce can of Guinness Stout (I did say Irish stew), 6 cups of beef stock, 2 tablespoons of Gravy Master, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce, 1 sprig of fresh rosemary and 1 sprig of fresh thyme
Click on our link to make Homemade Beef Stock
Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour and stir to combine
Deglaze the bottom of the pot with the Guinness and stir it up breaking up the browned bits on the bottom (this will help flavor the gravy)
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer cook 5-6 minutes to cook the alcohol off
Next, add in the Gravy Master and Worcestershire Sauce and stir
Add in the beef stock and stir to combine
Put the meat back in with any pan juices that have collected
We tied the rosemary and thyme together with a piece of butcher string just to make it easier to remove the stems later on
Add the sprigs to the pot and cover
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes stirring occasionally
While that’s cooking lets get the next 2 ingredients ready
We will need 4 red potatoes and 4 carrots
Leave the skins on the potatoes
Peel the carrots and remove the ends
Give everyone a chop trying your best to keep the pieces as even as possible
After the 45 minutes are up add the potatoes and carrots to the pot and stir to combine
Cover and bring to a boil reduce to a simmer and cook 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender
We might be breaking a bit of tradition here but I cannot have stew without mushrooms
We are using 10 ounces of Baby Bella mushrooms that have been wiped clean of any dirt
Give the mushrooms a slice
Add these to the stew
Now this time I know I’m breaking tradition
My wife and daughter just love pearl onions (or “Pearled” onions as my daughter used to call them)
So I’m adding in 1 cup of frozen pearl onions
Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes
Remove the stems you tied together of the rosemary and thyme
Next we will need 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley that we will chop
This will add a bright freshness to the rich stew
Remove the stew from the heat
Taste and re-season the stew with kosher salt and ground black pepper as needed
Add in the fresh chopped parsley
Dig into a warming hearty bowl of Irish Stew!
Enjoy!!!
Simply Sunday! ~ Irish Lamb Stew
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds of lamb stew meat
2 tablespoons of olive oil
kosher salt and ground black pepper
3 slices of bacon
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup of flour
one 14.9 ounce of Guinness Stout
6 cups of beef stock
2 tablespoons of Gravy Master
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
1 fresh sprig of rosemary
1 fresh sprig of thyme
4 red potatoes
4 carrots
10 ounces of Baby Bella mushrooms
1 cup of frozen pearl onions
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley
Directions
If butchering your own lamb shoulder chops remove the meat from the bones and trim off any excess fat. Try to cut the meat into even sized cubes. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat
Sear the lamb in batches. Add some into the pot and sprinkle with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Brown the stew meat on all sides then remove and set aside. Repeat until all the meat has been browned
Reduce the heat to medium low and add 3 slices of chopped bacon to the pot. Cook 6-8 minutes stirring occasionally, until the bacon is brown and rendered. Next peel and chop 1 onion and 3 garlic cloves and add them to the pot. Stir to combine. Cook 4-6 minutes stirring occasionally until the vegetables soften and onion starts to become translucent
Sprinkle the vegetables with 1/4 cup of flour and stir to combine. Deglaze the bottom of the pot with the Guinness and stir it up breaking up the browned bits on the bottom (this will help flavor the gravy). Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer cook 5-6 minutes to cook the alcohol off
Next add in 2 tablespoons of Gravy Master and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce along with 6 cups of beef stock and stir to combine. Add the meat back in with any pan juices that have collected. Tie 1 sprig of fresh rosemary and 1 sprig of fresh thyme together and add them to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes stirring occasionally
Leave the skins on 4 red potatoes and chop. Peel and remove the ends from 4 carrots and chop. After the 45 minutes are up add the potatoes and carrots to the pot and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil reduce to a simmer and cook 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender
Wipe any dirt off of 10 ounces of Baby Bella mushrooms and slice. Add these to the stew along with 1 cup of frozen pearl onions. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes
Remove the stew from the heat. Taste and re-season with kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Remember to remove the stems from the rosemary and thyme you tied together earlier. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley and serve
Tools used to make this recipe
ZELITE INFINITY Chef Knife 8 inch
ZELITE INFINITY Boning Knife 6 Inch
Architec Carving Board, Gripperwood
OXO Good Grips Flat Wire Whisk
Royal Classique 10 Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons Set with Silicone Handles
Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Anchor Hocking 8 Cup Measuring Cup Glass Batter Bowl with Spout
© Simply Sundays 2018
All rights reserved