Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (3 page)

Heat the EVOO in a soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the chorizo or other meat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the vegetables, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and cook for 7 to 8 minutes to soften, stirring frequently. Add the chickpeas and season with the paprika. Stir in the tomatoes, hot sauce, and stock. Raise the heat, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Place ½ cup of the bread cubes in each bowl and drizzle with EVOO. Ladle the rock soup over the bread and garnish with the chopped fresh herbs.

Cold beer, knocks 'n' brats. Nuff said. How 'bout dem Bears?

SERVES 4

Heat 1 tablespoon of the EVOO and 2 tablespoons of the butter in the bottom of a soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onions and potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Add the bay leaf, carrots, and cabbage. Cook for another 5 minutes, then season with the caraway, dill, and parsley. Stir in the beer and bring to a boil, then cook for 1 minute; stir in the mustard and stock. Bring to a bubble and reduce the heat to a simmer while you cook the sausage.

Place the knockwurst and bratwurst in a skillet with ¼ inch water and the remaining tablespoon of EVOO. Cook the sausage over medium-high heat until the liquid evaporates and the casings are brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Cut the sausages into 2-inch chunks.

Toast the bread and lightly butter it, then cut into croutons.

Ladle the stoup into 4 bowls and divide the sausage among them. Top with the croutons and serve.

The dumplings in this soup are not biscuit-based; it's store-bought gnocchi to the rescue! This super-fast, simple supper makes use of a classic combo of leek and potato in a fast version of an American classic.

SERVES 4

Trim off the top 3 to 4 inches of the leeks, as well as the roots. Halve them lengthwise and cut them into ½-inch half-moons. Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the leeks, separating the layers to release the grit. Wipe off your cutting board and drain the leeks in a colander, giving them one extra rinse. Dry on a clean kitchen towel. Thinly slice the celery.

Heat the EVOO over medium heat in a soup pot or a Dutch oven. Add the leeks and celery to the pot and season with salt and pepper, add the bay leaf, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes to soften. Add the stock and raise the heat to bring to a boil. Stir in the cream and reduce the heat to a simmer. When the soup bubbles, add the chicken and gnocchi and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. The soup will become thick like a creamy stew. Adjust the salt and pepper and stir in the parsley, paprika, and sherry. Discard the bay leaf. Serve the stoup immediately.

This super soup tastes like a double-stuffed baked potato with the works. We served it to our TV audience the day we took the show to Bryant Park in Manhattan and did the first talk-show broadcast on ice.

SERVES 4

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the cooked bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate and reserve.

While the bacon cooks, fill a bowl with cold water and add the leeks. Swish vigorously to release the grit, then lift out the leeks and dry on a kitchen towel.

Add the leeks and garlic to the bacon fat and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the thyme, paprika, and salt and pepper, then add the potatoes and stock to the pot and bring up to a bubble over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the potatoes until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. When the potatoes are tender, use a blender, a food processor, or an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.

Adjust the seasonings as needed with salt, pepper, and hot sauce, if desired. Serve the soup in a bowl or a mug topped with the two cheeses, the reserved bacon, a sprinkling of scallions, a dollop of sour cream, and a dash of paprika.

Smoky Tomato Soup with Mini Grilled Cheese and Bacon Sammies

Sammie nights are always fun; this one brings out the little kid in me.

SERVES 4

Heat the EVOO in a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the crispy bacon to paper towels to drain and reserve for the
mini grilled cheese and bacon sammies.

To the same pot, add the garlic, onions, celery, and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Scoop the veggies into a food processor, add about ½ cup of the chicken stock and the marjoram, and puree until smooth. If the tomatoes you are using are whole or diced, add them to the processor with the veggies and puree.

Return the pureed veggies to the pot, place back over medium-high heat, and add the remaining chicken stock, the crushed or pureed fire-roasted tomatoes, the sugar, and the smoked paprika. Bring the soup up to a bubble, stir in the cream, and keep warm over low heat while you make the sammies.