Fix, Freeze, Feast - Kati Neville [52]
TO COOK ONE ENTRÉE
1. Completely thaw one entrée in the refrigerator.
2. Bring vegetable juice mixture to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add seafood and continue simmering until seafood is thoroughly cooked, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve over rice.
This soup is ideal for lunch. Forget canned and condensed—make the real thing for yourself and taste the difference. —LT
CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP
MAKES ABOUT 10 CUPS
2½ POUNDS FRESH WHITE MUSHROOMS, CLEANED AND SLICED
½ cup (1 stick) butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups heavy cream
3 one-quart or 2 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled
1. Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add flour; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer. Add broth, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring, until soup is smooth and has thickened, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in cream. Cool.
2. Divide cooled soup evenly among the freezer bags.
3. Seal and freeze
TO ENJOY
1. Completely thaw one bag in the refrigerator.
2. Reheat soup in a medium saucepan over low heat.
CHICKEN BROTH IN A VEGETABLE SOUP?
We love the flavor of chicken broth, but you can make this or any of our other meatless soups vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken or beef broth.
The amount of Roma tomatoes called for in this recipe matches the package sizes offered in warehouse clubs. The flavor of this tomato soup is unique, I found, and I wanted to be sure to share it with our readers. We’ve made only minor changes to Carol Costenbader’s original recipe in The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest. —KN
TOMATO-BASIL SOUP
MAKES 3 ENTRÉES, 4 SERVINGS EACH
½ cup (1 stick) butter
3 cups chopped onion (about 3 medium)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
3 pounds Roma tomatoes, chopped
8 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon lime juice
Pinch of sugar
¾ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Zest of one orange
3 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled
1. Melt butter in a stockpot over low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 15 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, lime juice, and sugar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir in basil and orange zest.
2. Let soup cool slightly; transfer to a food processor and purée. Cool completely. Divide cooled soup evenly among the freezer bags.
3. Seal and freeze.
TO COOK ONE ENTRÉE
1. Completely thaw one entrée in the refrigerator.
2. Reheat soup in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
RESOURCES
Carol’s book has several other recipes that use warehouse-size packaging. Try her Barbecued Beef Jerky and Lemon-Pineapple Preserves, for example. Carol also devotes a chapter to home-freezing techniques, with in-depth discussion of how to prepare fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs for the freezer. Her book, like many listed in the resources section (page 241), is a good companion to ours.
If you’re an onion lover, this soup is for you. I like to freeze this in complete packages: soup, bread, and cheese. That way, I don’t need to have anything particular on hand when I want to serve it. —LT
FRENCH ONION SOUP
MAKES 5 ENTRÉES, 4 SERVINGS EACH
10 POUNDS ONIONS, PEELED AND CUT IN HALF
½ cup olive oil
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 9 cloves)
1 tablespoon black pepper
5 cups shredded Swiss or Gouda cheese (about 1¼ pounds)
20 small slices French bread, toasted
10 one-gallon freezer bags, label 5
5 sandwich bags
ON HAND FOR COOKING EACH ENTRÉE
4 cups boiling water
1. Place onion halves cut side down and slice into ½-inch strips.
2. Heat oil and butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 hour. Reduce heat if onions begin to brown. Add bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and pepper; cook, stirring, 10 minutes longer. Cool.
3. Divide cooled