How to Host a Soup Swap

I. LOVE. SOUP. 

It tastes great, but mostly it makes me feel comforted and nourished. I love the process of making soup and sharing it with others, but I also love it when someone else makes it for me. Can soup be classified as a love language? I think the answer has to be: yes.

After getting to know our neighbors a little more shortly following our move, it was decided that a Soup Swap needed to happen. I’ve done one other Soup Swap with my book club back in Colorado a couple years ago. It was great- we tasted lots of soup, took home our own to freeze or enjoy during the week, and enjoyed plenty of wine and conversation. My only complaint? It felt a little complicated for something that was supposed to make life a little easier. 

Rather than follow the script for a typical Soup Swap party, I decided to simplify it as much as possible. Guests arrived with their chosen soup already portioned out for the people attending the swap. Instead of sampling everyone’s soup, I made something simple for dinner (bolognese + creamy polenta) and asked everyone to bring an appetizer, wine, or something sweet to share. We ate but didn’t leave stuffed. And our arms were full of soup to nourish us through the week! This was especially helpful for me because I was preparing for a week of my husband being out of town. I totally didn’t do that on purpose.

Or did I?

Anywho…

The evening was relaxed. We laughed until we cried and talked about tough parenting moments that seemed abnormal until presented to a group of moms who had been there too. We enjoyed connection and conversation over a shared meal that we could, in a way, bring home with us in the soup we swapped. It was lovely. 

Here is a little rundown of how we did it in case you feel like you’d like to swap some soup with people you love. You can *of course* make this as fancy or as simple as you like, but this should give you a good place to start so you can make the event your own. 

Materials:

• Guests will need to bring their soup portioned out for the number of people at the swap. I suggest using large mason jars because they are so easy to fill and transport and they are earth-friendly. Gallon sized freezer bags also work. 

• Bring a reusable bag to bring your soup home in at the end of the evening. 

At least 1 week in advance:

• Make sure your guests know what to bring for sharing at the Soup Swap. Appetizers? Salad? Dessert? 

• Find out if anyone has food allergies and make sure everyone is aware. 

• Ask guests to print (or email) their soup recipes to include with their jars at the party. 

• Let guests know that it is easiest to bring soup cooled! 

• Plan what you will serve for dinner at the swap.

Night of the swap:

• If you feel like it, whip up a fun cocktail to serve. Pro tip: use mismatching glasses so no one loses theirs! 

• Have the table set and ready.

• Have space for appetizers ready.

• Have space for jars of soup.

ENJOY! 

Healthy Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder with Hatch Chiles

When we lived in Japan, there was something we called a "vegetable vending machine" just down the street from our apartment. It was made up of little cubbies that were always filled with vegetables that had been grown on the very same block. You had to take you yen- usually 50¥ or 100¥- and place it in the money slot on the door holding the produce you wanted. Once you paid, the door would unlock and you could take your reusable bag, plop the freshly picked vegetables in, and be on your merry way. I used to go see what was there, enjoying the short walk in our peaceful neighborhood, pondering what I would make for dinner that night. We don't have "veggie vending machines" here in Denver, but we are lucky enough to live just down the street from a couple markets that source local, Colorado-grown produce. The other day, I went to my favorite market with my mom to pick up some Hatch chiles and came across some beautiful ears of corn. The kernels were bright yellow, plump, and just begging to be added to a chowder recipe. So, slow-cooker corn chowder with hatch chiles was born! We may not have been able to experience the Japanese vending machine, but at least it conjures the memory.

Maybe I should start my own vegetable vending machine.

Maybe not.

My slow-cooker has been a doing a lot of work lately so that I can have dinner on the table when my work day is done without adding extra dishes or too much time to my schedule. It was kind of amazing having the kitchen completely cleaned just as the soup finished cooking. This would be a perfect back-to-school recipe for those busy nights when you want something comforting but healthy for your family!

So...maybe it was the thoughts of Japan that took made me do this...but I used Japanese dashi in place of vegetable or chicken stock in this recipe. Dashi, the base for well-known miso soup, is made with smokey, dried fish flakes called katsuobushi. They have a smokey flavor that is reminiscent of bacon. And what is a common ingredient in chowder? BACON. So, I used dashi to not only add a lighter flavor but to cut out some of the fat bacon would add to the recipe. It was BRILLIANT. Of course, if you don't want to make dashi, or don't have the time, that's totally fine. I've given some suggestions in the notes below for alternatives. If you can take the 20 or so minutes it takes to make dashi, give it a try! Here's the recipe that I use:

Japanese Dashi Stock

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups water
• 1 4 inch square piece of kombu
• 1 loosely packed cup katsuobushi

Instructions

1. Place the water in a 2 quart saucepan along with the kombu. Place the saucepan over a medium flame and heat until small bubbles just begin to rise to the surface.
2. Remove the kombu and discard. Bring the water to a boil, scatter the katsuobushi over the water, and allow the flakes to simmer in the water for 2 or 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow some of the flakes to fall to the bottom of the pan (this should take about 2 minutes).
3. Pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for about 5 days or use immediately.

Notes

Dashi keeps for about a week in the refrigerator and can be used to flavor soups, sauces, and more. Think outside the box of Japanese recipes and see how you can use it in your everyday cooking!

And now, here is the recipe for my slow-cooker corn chowder with hatch chiles.

PS: If you can't find hatch chiles, you can use pablanos or another mildly spicy green chile. Just be sure to remove the seeds!

Healthy Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder with Hatch Chiles

Serves 6-8

Total time: 5 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 3 or 4 large hatch chiles, roasted, skin and seeds removed, diced
• 1 lb red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into cubes
• 4 cups dashi stock (vegetable or chicken stock are fine too...see note)
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels from about 3-4 ears of corn
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 scallions, sliced
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, plus more to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and hatch chiles to the pan and cook until the vegetables are just softened, about 4 or 5 minutes.
3. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a 6 quart slow-cooker.
4. Add the potatoes to the slow-cooker, along with the dashi. Cook on high heat for 4 hours or on high for 8 hours.
5. Add the corn kernels to the pot and cook an additional 30 minutes.
6. Whisk the buttermilk with the flour until very smooth and add to the soup. Allow to cook for 5-10 minutes until thickened slightly and heated through.
7. Stir the scallions into the soup, season with seasoned salt, and serve immediately.

Notes

You can use vegetable stock or chicken stock instead of dashi, but you'll want to add at least one slice of smokey bacon when you cook the veggies to get that smokiness. For a little more flavor, you can also add shredded sharp cheddar cheese just before serving.

Roasted Carrot Soup with Tillamook Greek Yogurt

I'm learning that this time of year is a little crazy here in Colorado. One day it is a bright, sunny 70 degrees and the next brings piles of wet, heavy snow. I kind of love it. I'm a winter girl who loves being cozy in the house with something delicious cooking on the stove or in the oven. But I also get to the point where vitamin D is a necessity. And it must be in the form of beautiful, hot rays of real live sunshine.

Spring in Colorado also means that crazy hot weather is not far behind. Last year it was far too warm to use the oven in our house. (We have a tiny swamp cooler that barely keeps half of the house at a comfortable temperature.) So, I'm trying to get all the oven time that I can under my belt before it's too much to bear. This means baking buttermilk drop biscuits, Irish soda bread, and roasting lots of vegetables. This soup was the result of a big sheet pan of carrots, onions, and garlic that I drizzled with honey and roasted for about an hour. Everything was perfectly soft and golden brown with a honey glaze that gave a subtle sweetness to offset the rich roasted flavor.

I simply took the roasted vegetables and tossed them in a pot with some chicken stock (just like I do for my Butternut Squash & Coconut Soup). After it all simmers together for about 10 minutes, I take my immersion blender and transform it into a creamy, luxurious soup that is perfect with a dollop of creamy Greek yogurt and a few fresh thyme leaves. It's just so. darn. easy.

Can we talk about Greek yogurt for just a moment? I love it. I eat it pretty much every day. So when I got the chance to get a first taste of Tillamook's new Farmstyle Greek Yogurt I was thrilled. I used the 0% Farmstyle Greek for topping this soup and it is creamy and rich and has no hint of being fat free. Check out my Instagram feed for more photos of the flavors I'm trying. They've all been such a treat! My favorite so far is...wait for it...CINNAMON HAZELNUT. Perfect.

Tillamook is a well-known brand. I probably don't have to tell you how delicious their cheese is...right? You've had it, right? RIGHT? If you haven't you're going to need to fix that. STAT. Since they are new to the Greek yogurt scene, here are some delicious details...

About Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt

·         Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt is made with no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, no artificial sweeteners, no high fructose corn syrup and with the highest quality milk from cows not treated with artificial growth hormones.

·         Tillamook Farmstyle Greek is a thick, creamy and less tart yogurt made with buttermilk cultures, while providing 14g of protein per serving.

·         To make their better tasting Greek distinctively ‘Farmstyle’, Tillamook slow churns farm fresh milk with seven active yogurt and buttermilk cultures.

·         Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt is made with fruits and nuts locally sourced from the Pacific Northwest

·         To find out where to buy Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt readers can use the handy ‘Where to Buy’ tool - http://www.tillamook.com/where-to-buy.html?product=yogurt&variety=all&size=all&zip=

Roasted Carrot Soup with Tillamook Greek Yogurt

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into wedges
• 1 head of garlic, cut in half crosswise
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.
2. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
3. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with the spices, honey, olive oil and a bit of salt and black pepper.
4. Spread the vegetables onto the baking sheet in a single layer. If you need to, use two baking sheets so the veggies aren't crowded.
5. Roast the veggies for 45 minutes-1 hour or until nicely softened and golden brown. Stir every 20 minutes to ensure even cooking and to avoid burning the honey.
6. Take the garlic and squeeze the cloves out into a soup pot. (To make sure the garlic skin doesn't make it into the pot, squeeze the cloves into a separate bowl first, then transfer to the pot.)
7. Add the rest of the vegetables and the stock to the pot and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
8. Use an immersion blender and blend until the soup is nice a smooth. Alternately, you can work in batches, pureeing the soup in a blender. Be very careful as hot liquids may explode out the top of the blender.
9. Add the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
10. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with a dollop of Greek yogurt and some thyme leaves.