Last year on my Facebook page, there was a lively discussion on whether to enjoy soups during the summer. I’m not sure anyone convinced anyone else to see their point of view, but it was a fun few days reading everyone’s opinions.
Warning: Here’s another “when I was growing up” story. My parents, along with my paternal grandmother, had a huge garden each summer.
It seemed every year, I waited forever on those delicious ears of Silver Queen corn, Better Boy tomatoes, Rattlesnake green beans and Mississippi Purple Hull peas to be ready. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the yellow crookneck squash, zucchini and okra. The potato growing was left to my grandmother’s expertise. It seemed everything would ripen at the same time.
Yes, we did enjoy that homegrown food, but an incredible amount of hard work went into those gardens. My mother would have an assembly line for canning and freezing the vegetables. During those hectic weeks of the harvest, her organizational skills would make the Birds Eye frozen foods division envious.
Somehow, she always managed to pack the freezer and can dozens of quarts of vegetables. She did all this in an un-air-conditioned kitchen in Alabama in the unbearable heat of July and August. In the middle of all that hard work, she would take a few select ears of corn, along with “dead ripe” tomatoes, and begin her pot of vegetable soup. All the other vegetables made their way into the pot, and the result was better than anything Campbell’s has ever sold! All that to say, I am a fan of summer soup.
With the invention of the Instant Pot, we can enjoy soup year around in a matter of minutes. The recipes I’m sharing today are from their Instantly Delicious cookbook. These soups are perfect for summer without heating up your kitchen.
CALDO TLALPEÑO
The heat from the chipotles, the crunch of the radishes and the yummy queso fresco combine to make this a fresh tasting summer soup.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup ¼-inch diced onion
1 cup ¼-inch diced carrots
3 large garlic cloves minced
1 (14 ½ oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 large chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
4 ½ cups chicken stock
1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained
½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded, cooked, boneless, skinless chicken
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 ½ cups cubed queso fresco
1/3 cup thinly sliced radishes
1 medium avocado, sliced
Lime wedges
Tortilla chips
Place the olive oil in the inner pot of a 6-quart Instant Pot and press “Sauté.” When the oil is hot, add the onion and carrots. Cook, constantly stirring, just until the onion begins to soften. Turn off the cooker. Add the garlic; cook, constantly stirring, 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and chipotle chiles, scraping with a wooden or plastic spatula until the bottom of the pot feels smooth. Stir in the chicken stock, garbanzo beans, Italian seasoning and salt.
Lock the lid; turn the Pressure Valve to “Sealing.”
Pressure cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Use Quick Pressure Release. Stir in the chicken and cilantro. Turn off the cooker. Let stand until thoroughly heated. Ladle the soup into large shallow bowls. Sprinkle with the cheese and radishes. Top with the avocado slices just before serving. Add a lime wedge to each serving to squeeze into the soup. Serve with tortilla chips.
SUMMER BRUNSWICK STEW
This version is lightened up to enjoy any time of year. I used Sticky Fingers Carolina Style BBQ sauce. Use your favorite brand. Thanks to my local favorite, Rack-It Up BBQ, for the perfectly smoked pork.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced peeled tomatoes
2 cups fresh butter peas
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1 lb. pulled BBQ pork (without sauce)
1 to 1 ½ cups BBQ sauce
Salt and black pepper
Place the oil in the inner pot of a 6-quart Instant Pot. Press “Sauté.”
When the oil is shimmering, add the onion, and cook, constantly stirring with a wooden or plastic spatula, 5 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic; cook, constantly stirring for 30 seconds. Turn off the cooker. Add the broth, scraping with the spatula until the bottom of the pot feels smooth.
Stir in the tomatoes, peas, corn and potatoes. Lock the lid; turn Pressure Valve to “Sealing.” Pressure cook (high pressure) for 5 minutes. Use Quick Pressure Release. Add the pork and 1 cup of BBQ sauce. Turn off the cooker.
With the lid off, press “Sauté” and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring often. Stir in up to ½ cup additional BBQ sauce to taste, if desired. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
MINESTRONE
This is one of my favorite soups, winter or summer. You can use either spinach or kale for the greens. Don’t neglect to add the Parmesan cheese for topping.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 large garlic clove, minced
6 cups chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz.) can dark red kidney beans, undrained
4 cups peeled and coarsely chopped tomatoes
2 medium celery stalks, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
½ cup uncooked elbow macaroni
2 teaspoons dried basil, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
5 cups packed coarsely chopped spinach or kale
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Place the oil in the inner pot of a 6-quart Instant Pot. Press “Sauté.” When the oil is shimmering, add the onion. Cook, stirring often, 5 minutes or until the onion is tender but not brown. Add the parsley and garlic. Cook, constantly stirring, 30 seconds. Immediately add the chicken broth and beans.
Stir in the tomatoes, celery, carrots, zucchini, macaroni, basil, salt, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper. Turn off the cooker. Lock the lid; turn pressure valve to “Sealing.” Pressure cook (High Pressure) for 6 minutes. Use Quick Pressure Release.
Press “Sauté” and add the greens, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the soup just comes to a boil and the greens wilt. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan.
Laura Tolbert, also known as Fleur de Lolly, has been sharing recipes, table decor ideas and advice for fellow foodies and novices on her blog, fleurdelolly.blogspot.com for more than eight years. She won the Duke Mayonnaise 100th Anniversary nationwide recipe contest for her Alabama White BBQ Sauce. She also is a Kansas City BBQ Society Certified Barbeque Judge. You can contact her at facebook.com/fleurde.lolly.5, on Instagram and fleurdelolly@yahoo.com.
FLEUR DE LOLLY ON FOOD: From the summer garden to the soup pot – Gadsden Times
