Zucchini and Quinoa Greek Lemon Soup

A fun, healthy take on the traditional Greek Lemon Chicken soup! The egg adds creaminess without too much unnecessary fat and the lemon gives such a fresh, happy brightness.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion - diced

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced carrots

3 green onions - sliced

Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

1 zucchini- chopped

4 garlic cloves - minced

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup quinoa

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 eggs

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 lemons - juiced

Parmesan

Feta

Parsley

Heat olive oil in a soup pot and add the yellow onion, celery, carrots, and green onion with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook until veggies are slightly soft - about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, garlic, bay leaf, and oregano with another sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook until slightly soft - about 5 minutes. Add the quinoa and stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until quinoa is cooked through - about 10 to 15 minutes. While quinoa is cooking, in a separate bowl add the eggs, lemon zest, juice, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Whisk together until smooth. When quinoa is cooked and soup is hot, add a couple of ladles of soup into the egg mixture and whisk together to temper the eggs. Add the egg mixture to the soup and stir together with two handfuls of Parmesan. Spoon into bowls and top with more Parmesan, Feta, and parsley.

Summer Squash & Parmesan Chowder

Think of your favorite chowder but full of end of summer veggies fresh from the garden. This soup gives both the lightness of summer and the heartiness of fall.

3 slices of bacon - chopped

1 tablespoon butter

1 onion - diced

4 garlic cloves - minced

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - minced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)

Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

1 pound yellow squash - cubed

2 ears corn - kernels shaved off the cob

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup of milk or half and half

1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan, plus more for serving

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Fry the bacon until crisp then set aside to drain on a paper towel lined plate. Add butter to the pot with the bacon grease and cook the onion, garlic, peppers, and thyme with a heavy dash of salt and pepper until translucent - about 4 minutes. Add the squash and corn with another heavy dash of salt and cook until squash starts to soften - about 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook for a few more minutes - this gets the raw taste out of the flour and thickens the soup. Add the stock and milk. Bring to a boil and simmer. When ready to serve, stir in the parmesan. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with more parmesan and bacon bits.

Shrimp ‘N Sausage Jambalaya Soup

Taking traditional, hearty comfort dishes and turning them into soups is one of my favorite ways to spin a recipe. If you love soup (and seafood) as much as I do, this “soupy” take on a classic Cajun dish will become one of your favorites this fall.

1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

1/2 pound unpeeled, tail-on shrimp

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 red or orange bell pepper - seeded + chopped

1 green bell pepper - seeded + chopped

1/2 pound fresh tomatoes - chopped

5 scallions - sliced, plus one for garnish

Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

4 garlic cloves - minced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 bay leaf

1/2 pound andouille sausage - sliced

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup uncooked white rice

2 tablespoons minced parsley

Sliced lemons, for serving

Bring 4 cups of water and the tablespoon of Cajun seasoning to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes or just until the shrimp turns pink and the tails curl. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp and set aside to cool. When the shrimp cool, peel them. Save the shrimp water - DO NOT DUMP - you’ll use it as stock later. This gives your soup the best fresh seafood taste - you don’t want to skip this part!

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers, tomatoes, and scallions with a heavy dash of salt and pepper. Cook until the veggies soften - about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook for one minute. Add the sausage and sauté for a few minutes. Stir in the tomato paste until combined. Pour in the chicken stock and 2 cups of the leftover boiled shrimp water. Add the rice and bring to a boil. Simmer until rice is cooked - about 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve in bowls, topped with the peeled shrimp, sliced scallions, and sliced lemons.

Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

If you’ve ever had a stuffed pepper, just imagine it in soup form - even more cozy and comforting. I include lots of Italian ingredients in this recipe to make it extra delicious!

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground meat of your choice

Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

1 onion - diced

1 red bell pepper - diced

1 orange bell pepper - diced

1 green bell pepper - diced

1 fennel bulb - stalks removed, diced

4 garlic cloves - minced

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flake

1 (28 ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

2-3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 1/2 cups cooked brown or white rice

*this amount is 1/2 cup of uncooked

3 cups spinach

2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

1 cup shredded mozzarella and/or Parmesan

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the meat with a dash of salt and pepper. Cook until browned - about 8 minutes. Add the onion, bell peppers, and fennel with a heavy dash of salt and pepper. Cook until all veggies are softened - about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and pepper flake - cook for one minute. Add the San Marzano tomatoes and mash them up with the back of a spoon. Add the tomato sauce and stock. Bring to a boil and simmer. When ready to serve add the cooked rice, spinach, and parsley. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve in bowls with lots of mozzarella and Parmesan! I do about 1/4 cup cheese per bowl!