Soup at Panera

Is there anything more comforting than a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup?  I can't think of any other food that says "mom" more than this does.

As you all well know, I love soup, I make a lot of soup, and I consume a lot of soup because (with the possible exception of a chocolate chip cookie), nothing says comfort like a steaming bowl of soup.  It can chill you on a hot day, calm you on a stressed day, warm you on a cold day, and a hearty dose of chicken soup has been known to cure ills.  Unfortunately I don’t always get a chance to make a nice pot of soup, which is where Panera comes in.  A veritable port in a literal storm, Panera came to my rescue after a frantic day of shopping when I was desperate for wholesome, delicious fortification.

The beefy, rich onion soup is one of my favorites.  The croutons, made with a variety of their own tasty breads, are an excellent addition, and something that I'm going to try in my own French Onion Soup, replacing the baguette.

It’s always nice to go to Panera with friends who don’t mind if you take a small (okay, rather large, if you must know) tasting of their soup, or at least don’t complain when you do.  How else can I try all of their offerings on the same day, other than getting a carryout (something I often do)?  It should pain me to say that the soup at Panera is as good as the soup that I make at home –  I like to consider myself the soup queen – but instead I simply appease myself with the comfort that if I’m too tired to make my own soup, Panera is there to pick up the slack.  Sitting by the fire (yes, my Panera has a fireplace), sipping a hot bowl of soup – from an edible bread bowl, no less – provides strength and stamina on even the most difficult days.  So, during this particularly stressful time of the year, allow me to encourage you to stop in and have some (as well as a sandwich, salad, and mocha latte), and then please your family as well by grabbing a bag of freshly made bagels or pastries on your way out.

On the chance that you are unfamiliar with their offerings, here is what awaits you (on the designated days) when you walk in the door.  I dare you to pick a favorite.

French Onion

Sliced onion sautéed in sweet butter and seasonings, gently simmered in a light beef broth with essence of tomato, topped with our homemade croutons and Asiago-Parmesan cheese. Served daily.

Broccoli Cheddar

Chopped broccoli, shredded carrot and select seasonings simmered in a velvety smooth cheese sauce. Served daily.

Low-Fat Vegetarian Black Bean

Plump black beans simmered in a spicy vegetarian broth with onion, red bell pepper, garlic and cumin. Served: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday

Baked Potato

Home-style cuts of russet potato simmered with select seasonings and smoked bacon in a rich cream sauce flavored with spring onion and snipped chives. Served Monday & Wednesday.

New England Clam Chowder

Chopped sea clams, diced potato, celery, onion& traditional seasonings, simmered in a rich, creamy broth. Served Friday.

Low-Fat All-Natural Chicken Noodle

Fresh vegetables and tender all-white chicken breast simmered in a delicately seasoned chicken broth with traditional egg noodles. Served daily.

Vegetarian Creamy Tomato

Vine-ripened pear tomatoes pureed with fresh cream for a velvety smooth flavor accentuated by hints of red pepper & oregano, topped with our Asiago croutons. Served daily.

Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice

Long grain and wild rice, celery, onion, carrot and diced chicken simmered in chicken broth embellished with cream and select herbs. Served Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday.

Low-Fat Vegetarian Garden Vegetable with Pesto

A low-fat vegetarian soup with diced tomatoes, sliced zucchini, yellow beans, fresh Swiss chard, cauliflower, bell peppers and pearled barley in a tomato broth. Garnished with a dollop of nut-free basil pesto. Served Monday, Wednesday, Friday. 

Now the disclaimer – Yes, I was compensated for writing this post by the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program, but you know what, it wouldn’t have mattered.  I’ve been going to Panera since the day it opened its doors.  It used to be the favorite gathering place for us harried mothers after dropping our kids off at preschool.  We’d sip coffee and nibble pastries while commiserating on the fact that some of us had yet to comb our hair, brush our teeth, and one of us (I won’t say who) was still wearing her bedroom slippers.  It has the feel of a neighborhood gathering place and never disappoints.

Photos by Pattie Tierney and Christopher Brunner

This post is linked to:
Mosaic Monday

Found it in the Fridge Frittata

I was left with an oddball assortment of ingredients after yesterday’s Mushroom Brie Soup, so I decided to use them up and rid the various bins of other small bits by making a Frittata.  A frittata is a very quick and easy dish to prepare.  Essentially it’s a baked omelet -- the filling is really up to you -- but I find the secret to a really great frittata is topping it with lots of creamy cheese.

Found it in the Fridge Frittata

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
8 ounces of button and Portobello mushrooms (any combination),

 thinly sliced 
1 medium fresh poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, 

thinly sliced into strips
1 medium leek, thinly sliced

½ large zucchini, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 large eggs 
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
4 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed, cubed.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat oil in a medium nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, until just soft, about 5 minutes. Add poblano and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms and poblano are lightly browned, about 5 minutes more. Add leeks and zucchini, season with salt and pepper, and sauté an additional 3-5 minutes. 

Whisk eggs and cumin in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour eggs evenly over vegetable mixture and, using a heatproof spatula, carefully disperse ingredients to cover the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle Brie over top. Cook until bottom is set, about 2 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, about 9 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit 2 minutes. 

Run heatproof spatula around edge of pan to release frittata. Slide frittata onto a warmed plate and cut into wedges to serve.

This post is linked to:

Wow Us Wednesday

Mushroom Brie Soup

I am a nut for soup, you all know that I am.   As I mentioned on the O-P Facebook page the other day, in this household we actually have a Soup du Jour.   Today it was Mushroom Brie Soup, a recipe that I adapted from one that appeared in the St.  Louis Post-Dispatch a couple of weeks ago, and is served at a restaurant called The Daily Bread in Kirkwood, MO.   I added twice as much of the leeks as called for, and pumped up the dry sherry just a bit.   It only made four servings, so the next time I make it (and I will!) I’m going to double, or maybe triple the recipe.

Mushroom Brie Soup

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

½ cup chopped leek, white and light green parts only

1 teaspoon minced garlic

¾ cup chopped portobello mushrooms (excluding stems)

¾ cup chopped button mushrooms (including stems)

1/3 cup dry sherry

¼ cup flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups water

1 ½ cups whole milk

1 ½ cups half-and-half

1 tablespoon chicken base (such as Better Than Bouillon)

2 1/8 ounces brie, rind removed, cubed

In a large pot, melt butter on medium heat.  Add leeks, garlic and mushrooms, and sauté until mushrooms shrink to half their size.  Add sherry (it will sizzle) and cook down until mixture reduces by a third.  In a small bowl, whisk water into flour, salt, and pepper to form a slurry.  (Strain out any lumps, if needed.)  Slowly pour slurry into the pot, whisking all the while.  Add whole milk, half-and-half and chicken base and bring just to a simmer over low heat.  Remove from heat, stir in brie until melted.

This post is linked to:

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Is it just me, or are the holidays flying by even faster than in years past? I thought that, surely, with Thanksgiving so early this year, I’d be able to just cruise through given that extra week of time.  No, not the case;  I’m as frantic and frazzled as ever, but perhaps a lot of that has to do with the continuing care I’ve been giving my mom, the support I’ve been giving my dad, and taking on twice as many tasks as usual.  But I digress.  Thank goodness for two able-bodied sons!  Number two son came by last week with some wreaths – a story in itself that I soon hope to be able to tell you – this week, number one son came by and helped me begin decorating (yes, I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve only just begun).  I provided him with dinner and asked what he’d like to have.  Bless him, he wanted something simple, and chose the Slow Cooked Spicy Kielbasa.  When offered a choice of desserts between the tried and true Chocolate Stout Cake and a new recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cake, he chose the latter.  Always up for a challenge, I was happy to comply.  The cake, surely meant for the breakfast or brunch table, was quite tasty and really did have the taste and near texture of a cinnamon roll.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup granulated sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 cup whole milk

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

4 Tb. butter, melted

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, room temperature

Filling:

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 T. flour

2 T. cinnamon

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

5 T. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

  

Preheat oven to 350°F.

With an electric handheld or stand mixer, mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined, slowly blend in 4 T. melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9"x9” baking pan.

In a large bowl blend the 2 sticks of softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nuts until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoon and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center. Place powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This post is linked to:

On the Menu Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Wow Us Wednesday

Foodie Friday

Sweets for a Saturday
Sugar and Spice

Pasta e Fagioli

Pasta e fagioli, a meatless Italian peasant dish literally means "pasta and beans."  It is traditionally made with cannellini beans, but I prefer to enhance the flavor with a mixed bean medley, and toss in a wider variety of vegetables. It's a wonderfully hearty, delicious meal that is oh so satisfying after a day of holiday shopping. Pair it with a crusty roll and a glass of Chianti.

Pasta e Fagioli

2 tablespoons olive oil 3 stalks celery, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 large zucchini, cubed 1/2 package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained 1 T fresh parsley, chopped 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups homemade chicken stock (can use vegetable)

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 (14.5 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 cup ditallini pasta

1 12.3 oz. package Melissa's Six Bean Medley

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook celery, onion, garlic, zucchini, parsley, Italian seasoning, and salt in the hot oil until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and spinach, and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes.  Add pasta and cook 10 minutes until pasta is tender.  Stir in beans and mix well.  Heat through, taste for additional seasoning, and serve topped with grated Parmesan. This recipe can be halved, and freezes beautifully. This post is linked to: On the Menu Monday

Cream of Chestnut Soup

‘Tis the season of chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping…well you know the rest.  In this regard, I’m wondering just how many of you have actually tasted a chestnut.  I know I hadn’t, so this year was determined to see what the fuss was all about.  I didn’t attempt to roast them, no I decided to take the easy route with packaged chestnuts and turn them into a decadent starter course for a holiday meal, hence this soup.  The recipe is from an old issue of Southern Living magazine and it is quite tasty.  Chestnuts have a very earthy taste along with their special nuttiness, and a hint of sweet.  A dollop of sour cream, crumbled bacon, and dried tart cherries make an exceptional topping.

Cream of Chestnut Soup

3 T. butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1/4 cup Marsala wine

6 cups vegetable broth

2 6.5 oz. packages Melissa’s Chestnuts 

(Whole Peeled & Cooked)

1 sprig fresh thyme

1/3 cup half-and-half

 

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add onion, celery, and carrots, and sauté 8 to10 minutes or until tender.

 

Add Marsala, and cook 2 minutes, stirring to loosen particles from, bottom of pan.  Stir in vegetable broth, chestnuts, and thyme.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until chestnuts are tender.  Discard thyme.  Let cool slightly (about 10 minutes).

 

Process soup, in batches, in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Return to Dutch oven.  Stir in half-and-half and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook over low heat, stirring often, 5 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.  Serve with desired toppings.

This post is linked to:

Seasonal Sunday

On the Menu Monday