I love soup! I always have. I may have been born with a “soup” spoon in my mouth.

I love all kinds of soups and there’s nothing I like better than having a big pot of soup simmering on the stovetop all afternoon as the temperatures are dropping outside. It gives the entire house a cozy feeling and it makes me want to curl up in my favorite chair and look through my favorite magazines. Relaxation at its finest.

This week in Kentucky, we are experiencing an unusual blast of winter weather—even a few snow flurries!  This is almost unheard of considering that winter officially begins in a little more than two months.  So when I heard that there was going to be a shift in temperatures, my mind immediately shifted into soup mode!

My slight obsession with soup is not a new thing.  Some of my favorite meals growing up involved a bowl of soup...my everyday favorites included Campbell’s Chicken Noodle, Tomato, and Vegetable ABC soups. These canned soups were quick and easy and oh so delicious with a grilled cheese sandwich and some crackers!  My Dad did not cook often because he was on the road with his job but, when he did, it was always something amazing.  One of his specialties is Potato Soup.  He is a Southern cook through and through, and I am positive that his culinary skills came directly from his mother.  My grandmother, Mammy, is also the inspiration for so many of my recipes.  What made Dad’s Potato Soup so yummy had to be the bacon grease he used as the base of the soup after frying up bacon pieces to top the finished product.  Back in those days, whole milk, real butter, and cheddar cheese were mainstays in recipes.  No skim milk or margarine would ever do! The funny thing about this soup that I used to beg him to make is that I am really not a big fan of potatoes.  In fact, I almost never eat them. But Dad made this soup so flavorful, I suppose I overlooked it.

As I started cooking and experimenting with recipes, ingredients, and flavors, soups were a natural starting point.  One of my passions in the kitchen is using the freshest ingredients and those that are in season.  This time of year is the perfect time to hit your local farmers market or other local marketplaces in search of the vegetables that are available now.  Two of my favorite fall soups are Pumpkin Soup and Butternut Squash Soup.  These are also found already chopped and ready to use.  I highly recommend this shortcut. These soups highlight two perfect fall vegetables that are very similar in texture and taste. Each brings to the pot a unique flavor.  The pumpkin has a creaminess and slightly sweet flavor, while the winter squash has a similar sweet, nutty flavor that makes a perfect canvas for soup.  Spicy ingredients like cumin and hot pepper flakes balance its sweetness and I top it off with—you guessed it—smoky, crumbled bacon. Sometimes I think I get more excited about the toppings for my soups than the soups themselves.  I always look for something that will complement the flavors in the soup without overwhelming it.  Texture is also important so crunchy croutons or seeds make a perfect choice.  More often than not, I pull in some element of the soup itself like spicy, toasted pumpkin seeds for pumpkin soup.  Be curious and creative!  

Another one of my favorites, which is a tremendous hit with my whole family, is Crab Chowder with Corn. The inspiration for this rich, delightful soup comes from our family vacations.  Both of my parents are native North Carolinians and we would travel there often throughout the years.  Asheville was the first city where we would usually stop after crossing through the mountains.  It quickly became one of my favorite destinations and I love going there—even for a day or two. We almost always spend the night there on our way to Hilton Head or Charleston.  One one of these stops, we discovered the Corner Kitchen in the Biltmore Village and I naturally ordered soup. Their Crab Chowder with Corn was a game changer for me. It was so delicious that I raved on and on about it. The chef came out and spoke to me about it and he very graciously shared the recipe with me. It also never hurts to ask! I may have adjusted a little of this or that but I have shared my interpretation of this rich, creamy chowder with you at In the Curious Kitchen.

Speaking of adjusting recipes, one of my earliest culinary experiences in my kitchen involved experimenting with recipes and making them my own. I would typically take the concept and note a few of the key ingredients and build my own recipe from there. Recently, I was thinking of ways to use a few of my products in new recipes when I stumbled across a Beer Cheese Soup recipe I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to use my Beer Cheese in a new and different way.  Using ingredients that I picked up at Findlay Market, I began working on a curious twist to this new recipe.  I thought I would share the process with you. 

After reading through the recipe I found online, I decided immediately to change it up a bit.  The original recipe involved making a beer cheese.  I took out that bit of work by just substituting my beer cheese.  The original recipe called for jalapeños but the produce manager at ETC at Findlay Market suggested using poblanos for a less intense punch—and to add a bit of a smoky, mellow flavor.  It also called for green bell peppers but, you guessed it, I decided to use red, yellow, and orange bell peppers instead.  My first attempt was good.  I loved the texture and the flavor was okay—but it needed a little something else.  So my second attempt, I added more beer (always a good decision.)  I thought about what flavor factor I was looking for and decided that a darker, Dunkle beer would do the trick.  I can report that it made all the difference in the world. I am sharing the recipe below and I encourage you to try it out—and make your own curious twists. I hope you will share your thoughts and ideas with me.

In the Curious Kitchen Beer Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

3 stalks celery, fine dice

1 medium yellow onion, fine dice

1 each small red, yellow, and orange bell pepper, fine dice

3-4 fresh garlic cloves, minced (use more if you like garlic)

1-2 pablano pepper, fine dice

Bacon, six slices, diced into chunks

½ cup all purpose flour

3 - 4 tablespoons butter

2 containers In the Curious Kitchen Beer Cheese

2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade but any quality stock will work

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup whole milk

1 can dark beer. I used a Dunkle.

Garnish with Rye or Pumpernickel Croutons, Green Onions, grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese, and Crispy Bacon Crumbles.

Instructions:

1. Cut Bacon into about 1-inch pieces and render in a large stock pot, stirring frequently.  Remove when Crispy.  Drain bacon on a paper towel and save to use as a topping for the soup. Save about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease in the bottom of the pot.

2. Chop all vegetables and set aside to use when assembling the soup. Mince the garlic cloves.  

3. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers to the bacon grease in the stock pot.  Cook until tender (about 8 minutes) but stir frequently to make sure they do not cook too quickly. Add the poblano peppers and garlic, continue to sauté for about 3 minutes. 

• When vegetables are tender, add butter, sprinkle flour over the veggie mixture, stirring to make a light brown roux.  This will take about 5 minutes.  Watch carefully to make sure the flour does not get too dark.  When the desired color is achieved add the beer cheese and stir until combined. 
• Stir in chicken stock, whole milk and cream.  Simmer until slightly thickened.
• Add additional beer and continue to simmer until the soup thickens slightly.  You can add beer or additional stock
• Add Beer or additional stock to thin the soup if it becomes too thickened.

As I mentioned, this recipe is a work in progress. It’s delicious but I am sure I will adjust it as I make it again. Do not be afraid to experiment with flavors that you like or that you think would add to this recipe. 

So as fall fades into winter, experiment with your favorite soup recipes.  I have never met a soup I didn’t like—they are all M’m! M’m! Good!

Cheers!

MK