Swiss Chard Soup

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound kielbasa or other smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound Swiss chard or other greens, stems removed (reserve them) and greens coarsely chopped
2 red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
6 to 8 cups water or chicken stock
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup barley

1. In a large soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Brown the kielbasa, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Remove it from the pot. Pour off excess fat.

2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot. Cook the onion, carrots, and garlic, stirring often, for 8 minutes.

3. Coarsely chop the Swiss chard stems. Add them to the pot with the potatoes, water or stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.

4. Add the barley and cover the pot. Let the soup simmer for 1 hour.

5. Add the greens. Return the kielbasa to the pot. Re-cover and simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes or until the barley is tender. Add more salt and pepper, if you like.

Adapted from Marcia Priestley. Found in Boston Globe.

Chef Moo's Spanish Raspberry Mint Soup

1 12-ounce package frozen raspberries in syrup, partly defrosted
1 8-ounce lowfat raspberry yogurt
1 cup orange juice
1 scoop raspberry sorbet or a raspberry frozen fruit ice
1/2 - 3/4 tablespoon cinnamon, to taste
1 cup ice cubes
several mint leaves, for garnish
fresh raspberries, for garnish

Puree the raspberries, yogurt, juice,
sorbet, cinnamon, and ice cubes in
a food processor until smooth.
Chill for several hours.
Serve in bowls,
garnished with a mint leaf and
a raspberry.

Yield: Serves 4

Per Serving
Calories 170
Calories from Fat_0
Total Fat_0 g
Saturated Fat_0 g
Cholesterol_0 mg
Sodium_35 mg
Total Carbohydrate_40 g
Dietary Fiber_5 g
Sugars_32 g
Proteins_3 g
Calcium_10%RDA

Herb Chicken Stew

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon paprika
2 pounds boneless/skinless chicken, dark and/or white meat, 1/2-inch dice
Canola oil, to cook
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 onions, sliced
2 large carrots, peeled, 1/8-inch slices
2 ribs celery, sliced
3 large potatoes, washed, squared off, 1/2-inch dice (or 3 cups leftover cooked rice)
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ginger powder
8 sprays Fire Roasted Garlic Juice (Garlic Valley Farms 800-424-7990)
1 tablespoon coarse ground fennel
2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce
1 quart chicken stock




In a bowl, mix together the flour and paprika and dredge the chicken in the flour. Shake off excess flour.
In a stock pot on high heat, coat with canola oil and brown the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and remove the chicken.
In the same pot, brown the onions, carrots and celery. Season.
Add the potatoes, thyme, basil, oregano, ginger, garlic, fennel, soy and stock. Bring to a simmer.
Cook until potatoes are tender and stock is reduced by 15 to 20 percent, about 30 to 45 minutes. Check for seasoning.

PLATING: Serve in large pasta bowls with crusty bread.
BEVERAGE: Pinot noir
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

By Ming Tsai
as featured on the TV Food Network

Spring Vegetable Soup with Pistou

Spring vegetable soup with pistou

Serves 6

SOUP

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 spring onions or 1 large sweet onion, coarsely chopped
1 large bulb fennel, coarsely chopped
3 large carrots, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 cups water
1/2 pound baby red potatoes, quartered
1/2 pound green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large zucchini, quartered and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/4 pound sugar snap peas, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1. In a large flameproof casserole, heat the oil. Add the spring or sweet onions, fennel, and carrots. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and salt. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

2. Add the water and potatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn the heat to medium-low, and simmer the soup for 10 minutes.

3. Add the green beans, zucchini, white beans, and fresh peas, if using. Continue simmering the soup for 10 minutes.

4. Add the frozen peas, if using, and cook for 5 minutes more.

5. Stir in the sugar snap peas and cook for 2 minutes more.

PISTOU

1 packed cup basil leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil (for sprinkling)
Freshly grated Parmesan (for serving)

1. In a bowl combine the basil, tomato paste, and Parmesan and whisk until smooth. It may feel a little thick but that's OK.

2. Drizzle in the olive oil a little at a time, whisking constantly.

3. With a ladle, remove 1/4 cup of broth from the soup and whisk it into the pistou. Stir in another 1/4 cup broth.

4. Stir the pistou into the soup. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like. Ladle into large bowls and sprinkle with more olive oil and cheese.

By Julie Riven
Found in Boston Globe

White Asparagus Soup

Yields 6 servings

Soup:
1 bunch leeks (white parts only, roughly diced)
2 small bulbs fennel, diced
4 bunches white asparagus, blanched
1 cup cream
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:
olive oil
black pepper
crisp pancetta or bacon

In a pot melt butter, and sweat leeks and fennel until translucent, about 7-8 minutes. Add flour and stir until all liquid is incorporated and the flour starts to brown slightly.

Add cream, milk, and asparagus, and bring to a boil, stirring to ensure flour does not stick and to ensure all ingredients become incorporated.

After mixture starts to thicken, about 5 minutes (mixture will coat the back of a spoon), remove from heat and cover with plastic wrap. Allow mixture to steep(rest) for 30 minutes.

After steeping, blend on high speed in a blender, then pour mixture through a strainer.

Pour into warmed soup bowls, and serve with a drizzle of olive oil, a few twists of freshly ground black pepper, and garnish with bacon or pancetta.

Here is the live video to making this soup.
http://kutv.com/video/?id=25057@kutv.dayport.com

Whatcha Got Coooking? Why Soups, of Course!

Hello soup-enthusiasts! Our menu for this week includes...

Parsley Soup
Pea Soup with Oysters and Pernod
Boston Bean Soup
Cheddar Cheese Soup &
Wild Mushroom Soup

Hope you enjoy! Have a great week.

Parsley Soup

Serves 4-6

1 litre/13/4 pints water
2 generous bunches of curly parsley
2 leeks, well washed, white part only
50g/2oz unsalted butter
1 medium to large potato, peeled and chopped
1-2 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
Sea-salt and freshly ground black pepper
1litre/13/4 pints chicken stock
150ml/5fl oz double cream

You will need a blender for this dish, it's far better than a Magimix which is not capable of puréeing so finely. Start by placing a large pot of well-salted water on to boil. Wash the parsley to remove any dirt from the stems (which can retain quite a lot of mud) and set one of the bunches aside for blanching. Chop the other bunch roughly.

In another large, heavy-bottomed saucepan melt the butter and add the chopped leeks. Sweat for 3 minutes or until just beginning to soften. Add the chopped parsley along with the potato and garlic and sweat for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and ground black pepper, and pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for around 20 minutes.

While this is cooking, drop the other bunch of parsley into the pan of boiling water. Blanch for 10 seconds. Drain and immediately refresh in a bowl of iced water.

When the potatoes are tender, remove the pan from the heat and purée in a blender in small batches, adding some of the blanched parsley in with each lot. You want it to be really smooth, so purée well. Once all the soup is puréed, return to the pan, place over a medium to low heat, stir in the cream, adjust the seasoning if necessary and then serve immediately.

Recipe by Skye Gyngell

Pea Soup With Oysters and Pernod

Time: 30 minutes

6 cups frozen petit pois (tiny peas)
1 bunch watercress, trimmed to 2 to 3 inches long
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 to 6 tablespoons Pernod
16 ounces shucked oysters and liquor.
1. In a pot, bring enough water to a boil to cover peas. Add peas, and return to a boil. Turn off heat, and add watercress. Cover, and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid.

2. Add half the peas to a food processor with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and process until puréed but still with bits in it. Spoon into a bowl, and set aside. Repeat with the remaining peas and oil.

3. In a pan, combine puréed peas and 2 cups pea cooking water. Season with salt and pepper; add lemon juice and 3 to 5 tablespoons Pernod. If desired, refrigerate.

4. To serve, drain oysters, and add to soup with 1/4 cup oyster liquor. Place soup over medium heat, and cook until edges begin to bubble and liquid is hot and oysters have plumped a little, a couple of minutes. Do not boil. Stir in remaining Pernod; adjust seasonings, and serve.

Yield: 7 cups.

Appeared in the New York Times

Boston Bean Soup

1 cup dried pinto beans, or 2 cans (15 oz. each) cooked pintos, drained
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 rib celery, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 can (15 oz.) reduced-sodium, fat-free beef broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions 1. If using canned beans, ignore this step.
If using dried beans, place in small Dutch casserole.
Add 3 cups cold water. Cover and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and soak 1 hour. Drain well.

2. In medium pan mix together beans, tomatoes, celery, onion, bay leaf and
broth. Cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are quite soft, 60 to 75 minutes for dried beans, 20 minutes for canned.
Let hot soup sit, uncovered, 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

3. Pureé half the soup in blender. Recombine with remaining soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 200 calories, less than 1 g. total fat (less than 1g. saturated fat), 38 g. carbohydrate, 12 g. protein, 13 g. dietary fiber, 287 mg. sodium.

Recipe by American Institute for Cancer Research

Cheddar Cheese Soup

Serve this soup with thin slices of buttered, toasted pumpernickel bread. Use a mild or medium cheddar cheese, preferably a well-aged one.

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup carrot, minced
1/2 cup celery, minced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 pound cheddar cheese, grated
Hot sauce or Tabasco
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Chopped chives for garnish (optional)


Melt butter in a heavy, medium-size pot over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, but not browned, about five to seven minutes. Sprinkle in flour and whisk well.

Turn heat up to medium-high and whisk in chicken broth, a little at a time. Bring heat up to boiling and cook until slightly thickened. Whisk in cream and heat until almost to the boiling point.

Reduce heat to low and stir in cheese a little at a time. When melted, add a dash or two of your favorite hot sauce or Tabasco. Season with salt and pepper. Divide soup evenly into four bowls. Top with chives before serving.

Serves 4.

Wild Mushroom Soup

3 ounces dried wild mushrooms (3 cups)
10 cups water, very hot
1 pound fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup fat-free half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
Parsley, finely chopped, for garnish, optional

Soak the dried mushrooms in the hot water for at least 30 minutes.

Drain the mushrooms through a double layer of cheesecloth, reserving the liquid. Pour the strained liquid into a large pot or soup kettle and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by one-half.

Meanwhile, wash the soaked mushrooms thoroughly, removing any sand or debris, then slice them in thin strips and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the sliced fresh mushrooms and half of the soaked dried mushrooms and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until they are soft.

Place the remaining half of the wild mushrooms in a blender container. Add the half-and-half to the mushrooms and puree. Pour the mixture into the mushroom liquid and mix well. Add the salt and the cooked fresh mushrooms, and again mix well.

To serve, reheat the soup to the desired serving temperature. Ladle 1 cup of soup into each of 8 bowls. Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of finely chopped parsley, if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

Approximate values per serving: 91 calories, 3 g fat, 8 mg cholesterol, 338 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 2 g fiber.

By Jeanne Jones, King Features Syndicate

This Week's Menu - Cold Soups

Hello everyone and to my new email subscribers. This week's feature is on cold soups. They've become more popular and are most often served in Spring and Summer when the months are warmer.

It is certainly not warm where I am living :-) But this is for those of you who may be entertaining in the upcoming months and would like something a bit different than the traditional faire. Whether you consider them a soup or as a dessert is up to you.

This week we have...

Chilled Buttermilk Borscht
Cucumber Mint Soup
Strawberry Soup
Cold Hungarian Cherry Soup
Creamy Blueberry Bisque

++++++++++++++++++++

Also here is a funny little video I found to entertain you http://www.gagfilms.com/Eggs.html

Chilled Buttermilk Borscht

For an extra bit of pizzazz, chill the bowls and soup spoons for several hours before serving this gorgeously colored soup. Invite guests to help themselves to the garnishes. Serves 8.

1 pound fresh purple or red beets, tops removed
1 tablespoon salt
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and minced
½ cup minced green onion
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons minced fresh dill
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup cooked, peeled and finely diced potatoes
1 cup sour cream or yogurt, for garnish

2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped, for garnishPreheat oven to 350 F. Scrub beets well to remove any soil or grit; peel beets. Place beets in a small lidded roasting pan with salt; add water to come halfway up the sides of pan. Cover and bake until tender (45 minutes to 1¼ hours, depending on size). Remove beets from oven and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, pour cooking liquid from beets through a fine sieve; pour strained liquid into large bowl. When beets are cool enough to handle, finely grate beets into their cooking liquid. Add cucumber, green onion, honey, vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the dill. Stir to blend, cover, and refrigerate until needed.

Shortly before serving soup, stir buttermilk and potatoes into beet mixture. Distribute among 8 chilled bowls placed on a tray for convenient serving. Pass sour cream or yogurt, chopped hard-cooked egg and the remaining minced dill at the table.

Cucumber Mint Soup

2 medium cucumbers, peeled and finely shredded.
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 cups lowfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint or 1 1/2 teaspoons crumbled dry mint
White pepper, to taste
Sprigs of fresh mint, for garnish

Toss the shredded cucumbers with salt,
place in a colander, and set aside to
drain for 10 minutes.
Mix the garlic with the yogurt.
Press the last of the juice out of
the draining cucumbers and mix the
cucumbers with the yogurt and garlic.
Add the chopped mint and the pepper, then stir.
Cover and chill.
Serve in cold individual bowls,
garnished with sprigs of fresh mint.

Yield: 4 servings

Per Serving
Calories 70
Calories from Fat_10 (14%)
Total Fat_1 g
Saturated Fat_0.5 g
Cholesterol_5 mg
Sodium_220 mg
Total Carbohydrate_10 g
Dietary Fiber_less than 1 g
Sugars_7 g
Proteins_5 g
Calcium_20%RDA

Recipe by Stonyfield Farm

Strawberry Soup

1 package (10 ounces) frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed
2 teaspoons sugar, or more to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup strawberry yogurt
8 ounces champagne

Purée the strawberries in a
blender or food processor.
Add the sugar, lemon juice, and
almond extract, then the yogurt and champagne.
Blend until very smooth.
Chill for at least 3 hours.
Serve cold in small dessert dishes
or cups with saucers.

Yield: 6 servings

Per Serving
Calories 80
Calories from Fat_0
Total Fat_0 g
Saturated Fat_0 g
Cholesterol_0 mg
Sodium_30 mg
Total Carbohydrate_12 g
Dietary Fiber_1 g
Sugars_11 g
Proteins_2 g
Calcium_6%RDA

Recipe by Stonyfield Farm

Cold Hungarian Cherry Soup

This dish is a true Hungarian rhapsody. In eastern Europe it is most often served before the entree. If you find it too sweet as an appetizer, it makes an elegant dessert course.

2 pounds fresh cherries, pitted and stemmed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup heavy cream
Sour cream or plain yogurt for topping
Orange or lemon zest or mint sprigs for garnish (optional)

Combine cherries (reserving a few for garnish if you like), lemon juice, cinnamon, 2 cups water, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil and cook about 10 minutes until cherries are very soft. Mix cornstarch with remaining 2 tablespoons cold water until dissolved. Add to hot soup and cook, stirring, for one minute. Purée mixture in a food processor or blender; refrigerate overnight or until chilled. Stir in heavy cream. Serve in individual soup bowls topped with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt. Top with a few cherries, zest, and/or mint sprigs.

Serves 4 to 6.

Creamy Blueberry Bisque

2 cups blueberries
2 cups water
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 cups plain yogurt
1 cup apple juice
Plain yogurt for garnish

Reserve a few blueberries for garnish.
Place the remaining berries, water, sugars,
cinnamon, and lemon in a saucepan.
Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, then drain
through a sieve, pressing on the solids.
Chill the sieved liquid.
Just before serving,
whisk in the yogurt and apple juice.
Garnish each serving with a spoonful
of yogurt and a few of the reserved berries.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Per Serving
Calories 130
Calories from Fat_0
Total Fat_0 g
Saturated Fat_0 g
Cholesterol_0 mg
Sodium_55 mg
Total Carbohydrate_30 g
Dietary Fiber_2 g
Sugars_28 g
Proteins_4 g
Calcium_15%RDA

Recipe is by StonyField Farm

This Week's Soup-aholic Menu

Hello and welcome! Here are your 5 new recipe selections for the week.

Dilly Tomato Soup
Italian Bean Chowder
Colorful Chicken N' Squash Soup
Asparagus Soup with Red Pepper Cream
Passover Fava Bean Soup

I wanted to take the time to wish you all a Happy Easter and as I will be observing the holiday I will not be making a post until the following weekend as I know many of you will be busy with family or traveling.

Image by Allposters.com

Dilly Tomato Soup

3 cups peeled and diced fresh tomatoes (or one 28-ounce can)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/3-1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
3/4 cup half and half cream
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste
Ground pepper to taste

In a large kettle, mix all the ingredients except cream, parsley, Parmesan Cheese, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until tomatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Add the cream, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes longer and serve. Serves 6.

Italian Bean Chowder

Serves 12

1 lb. dried Great Northern beans
4 qts. water
3 Tbsps. olive oil
2 cups finely chopped cooked ham
1/4 lb. tasso, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cooked rotini
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Rinse dried beans in a colander, picking over for pebbles or discolored beans. Place beans and water in a large Dutch oven and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover pot and let beans soak for 1 hour. Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet; stir in ham, tasso, onion, celery and garlic. Simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring. Add meat mixture to beans after they have soaked; season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 1 hour until beans are tender. Remove 1/2 cup beans with slotted spoon and mash; return to pot. Add cooked rotini right before serving.
To serve: Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each individual serving.

Approximate values per serving: 279 calories, 9 g fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 17 g protein, 32 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 150 mg sodium.

Colorful Chicken N' Squash Soup

A Taste of Home Prize Winning Recipe

Ingredients:
1 broiler/fryer chicken (4 pounds), cut up
13 cups water
5 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 10 cups)
1-1/4 pounds fresh kale, chopped
6 medium carrots, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
3 teaspoons salt

Method:
Place chicken and water in a soup kettle. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken from broth. Strain broth and skim fat. Return broth to the pan; add the squash, kale, carrots and onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and cut into bite-size pieces. Discard bones and skin. Add chicken and salt to soup; heat thorough.

Asparagus Soup with Red Pepper Cream

Ingredients
2 1/2 litres chicken stock
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 leeks, the white local variety
2 medium-sized potatoes
450g asparagus (the fatter the better)
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For red pepper cream:
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 shallots (peeled and sliced)
2 red peppers or capsicums (diced)
2 red chillies (pounded)
100 ml chicken stock
Salt to taste
A little black pepper

Method
For chicken stock:
Simmer 1 1/2 boneless chicken breasts, skinned, with 4 litres water for an hour. You should get at least 3 litres of chicken stock.

For asparagus soup:
Split the leeks into two and slice. Cut off the hard ends of the asparagus and slice. Peel and dice potatoes. Heat olive oil in a deep pan till medium hot, add the leeks and stir till they are soft. Don't let them burn. Add the hot chicken stock, potatoes, garlic and a pinch of salt. Let it simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the asparagus and boil till soft, about seven minutes. Add salt and black pepper. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend till smooth. Set aside.

For red pepper cream:
Heat olive oil in pan till medium hot. Add shallots and red peppers and stir till soft. Add ground chillies. Add chicken stock, bring to boil and cook for five minutes. Add salt and black pepper. Pour into a blender and blend till smooth. Drizzle the red pepper cream over the asparagus soup and serve. (Drizzle in concentric circles round the soup, then use a barbecue stick, dredging from the centre, to form a design.)
You could also sprinkle fried bacon crisps (beef or pork) round the soup.

Passover Fava Bean Soup

If you can't find fresh fava beans, substitute frozen baby lima beans. Add more or less liquid, depending on how thick you like soup; you can substitute chicken stock for some of the water.

12 to 16 first-course servings

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 to 1 pound short ribs cut as flanken*
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large tomato, cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 to 6 cups water
4 medium potatoes (any kind), peeled and diced
3 pounds shell-on fava beans (about 12 ounces shelled) or 16 ounces frozen lima beans
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch stemmed cilantro, with few sprigs reserved for garnish
Directions:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown for 3 to 5 minutes, then turn and brown for 3 to 5 minutes on the second side. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.

Reduce the heat to low and add the onion and tomato to the saucepan. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Add the water (to cover), potatoes, beans and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low or low and return the meat to the pan. Cover and cook for about 1 hour or until the meat is tender.

Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside. When it has cooled, trim any excess fat and cut meat into bite-size pieces. Discard the bones.

In a food processor or blender, combine the cooked vegetables with the cilantro. Puree in batches until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Return the mixture to the saucepan and add the cooked meat. Heat through over low heat and adjust seasoning to taste. (The consistency should be like a cream soup or pea soup.)

Divide the soup among individual bowls and garnish with reserved cilantro. Serve hot.

Flanken is short ribs cut across the top, like Chinese ribs. You can ask a butcher to cut the short ribs this way.

Recipe Source:
Adapted from Rockville cook Stella Ymar. The Washington Post.