Snow Day

Bitter, cold weather has prompted my family to nag and drop hints about soup. Potato soup was mentioned, as was the Haitian soup giraumon. I thought we should have a sort of fish stew like cullen skink but couldn’t bring myself to buy the dried out, freezer burned fish on offer in the grocery stores. Pistou was a passing thought but what really happened was that I looked in the fridge/freezer and pantry and, using what was on hand, made a Mexican-like soup.

If you start by sauteing onions, garlic, celery, leeks and carrots, after that you could add chopped up red squirrel, possum, dog and/or cat; they’ll still eat it. I learned this from my mother :D

Lucky for them, the freezer is overflowing with normal meat ;)

Mexican-Like Soup

1 Spanish chorizo sausage, sliced

3 tbsp butter

1 each, small yellow onion and small purple onion, halved then sliced

3 large garlic cloves, slivered

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 large leek, halved vertically, then sliced

4 thin, whippy carrots, halved vertically, then sliced

1 tbsp Mexican chili powdeer

1 tbsp oregano

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 tsp coriander

1 lb cooked ham, cubed

4 cans chicken broth

4 cups water

1 can pinto beans

2 cans white hominy

Cheddar cheese

Scallions, sliced

Brown the chorizo slices in a large skillet to remove some of the fat. Place on paper towels to drain, then wipe the skillet out with more paper towels.

Melt the butter in the skillet, then add the onions, garlic, leek and carrots, then saute until the onions are soft; about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, oregano, cumin, coriander and continue to saute for about 2 minutes.

Place the vegetable mixture into a stock pot, then add the reserved chorizo, ham, chicken broth and water, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the pinto beans and hominy to the stock pot and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls, then top with the cheese and scallions.