Seasonal Flavors Recipes: Bisques and Chowders
St. John’s and MVP Health Care’s Seasonal Flavors cooking demonstration and educational series on September 22 featured “Bisques and Chowders.” Attendees had the opportunity to taste delicious recipes as shared below.
Be a part of our next session and enjoy Seasonal Flavors firsthand. To RSVP for our next Seasonal Flavors event, visit stjohnsliving.org/embrace-series.
Clam Chowder
Yields: 6 servings
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 bay leaf
4 cups low sodium seafood stock
1 cup skim milk
3 cups diced white potatoes
1 16-ounce container chopped fresh clams (plus their liquid), thawed if frozen
Snipped chives for garnish
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown, 3 to 6 minutes. Sprinkle flour, thyme, pepper and bay leaf over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Add seafood stock and skim milk; bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly.
Stir in potatoes and bring just to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
Add clams and cook, stirring frequently, until cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve topped with chives, if desired.
Nutrition Information: 256.1calories/serving, 8.1 g total fat (1.0 g saturated fat, 5.0 g monounsaturated fat, 1.0 g polyunsaturated fat), 26.5 g total carbohydrates, 3.0 g fiber, 36.5 mg cholesterol, 390.7 mg sodium, 19.6 g protein
Recipe courtesy of Eating Well
Creamy Tomato Bisque with Mozzarella Crostini
Yields: 6 servings (about 1½ cups each)
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
¼ cup white rice
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
½ cup silken tofu
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
6 ¾ -inch thick slices baguette, preferably whole-grain
3 Tablespoons shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in broth, water and rice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is very tender, about 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Stir tomatoes, tofu and vinegar into the soup. Remove from the heat and puree, in batches, in a blender. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Return the soup to the pot and reheat over medium-high heat, stirring often.
Meanwhile, top slices of baguette with mozzarella and place on a baking sheet. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top each serving with a cheesy crostini.
Nutrition Information: 218 calories/serving, 8.0 g total fat (1.0 g saturated fat, 4.0 g monounsaturated fat, 2.0 g polyunsaturated fat), 31.0 g total carbohydrates, 4.0 g fiber, 3.0 mg cholesterol, 355.0 mg sodium, 8.0 g protein
Recipe courtesy of Eating Well
Spinach and Goat Cheese Bisque
Yields: 8 servings (about 1 cup each)
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
2 Tablespoons plus 2 cups water, divided
1 Teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh
1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced
2 Tablespoons Marsala
4 cups vegetable broth, store-bought or homemade
24 cups gently packed spinach (about 1 1/4 pounds), any tough stems trimmed
Pinch of cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (2 ounces), plus more for garnish
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
Soup croutons for garnish (see below)
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add 2 tablespoons water and thyme and cover. Cook, stirring frequently until the pan cools down, and then occasionally, always covering the pan again, until the onions are greatly reduced and have a deep caramel color, 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 cups water in a large soup pot or Dutch oven; add potato. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until very soft, 12 to 15 minutes.
When the onions are caramelized, stir Marsala into them; add them to the pot along with broth. Return to a simmer. Stir in spinach, cayenne and nutmeg; cover and cook, stirring once, until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat, stir in goat cheese, butter and 1 tablespoon lemon juice; allow the butter and cheese to melt. Puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth or in a regular blender in batches (return it to the pot). Serve garnished with a large soup crouton and crumbled goat cheese, if desired.
Nutrition Information: 125 calories/serving, 7.1 g total fat (3.2 g saturated fat, 2.4 g monounsaturated fat, 0.6 g polyunsaturated fat), 12.0 g total carbohydrates, 3.5 g fiber, 11.0 mg cholesterol, 193.3 mg sodium, 4.8 g protein
Recipe courtesy of Eating Well