Brazilian Chicken Soup (Canja) for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays & Regional Recipes

Everything month when the country for the Regional Recipes event, hosted by my friend Joanne at Eats Well With Others is announced I have the same simple goals--I won't wait until the last minute to choose something to make and it won't be a soup. But come the end of the month, it happens--I am scrambling to make something and it is almost always soup. What can you do?!? Procrastination and soup are intertwined in my soul! ;-)


This month the country is Brazil and I am making a classic bowl of comfort: Brazilian Chicken Soup (or Canja as it is known in Portuguese). Basically it is a basic chicken and rice soup and something your Brazilian mom or grandma might make for you. This one comes from "Soup's On!: Soul-Satisfying Recipes from Your Favorite Cookbook Authors and Chefs" by Leslie Jonath and Frankie Frankeny. A great book by the way if you love creative soups from chefs like Mark Bittman, Alice Waters, Charlie Trotter, and more.

"Soup's On" says, "This chicken soup or canja, as it is called in Portuguese, is the Brazilian grandmother's cure-all. This recipe, by cookbook author and historian Jessica Harris, is adapted from her book Tasting Brazil."


Brazilian Chicken Soup (Canja)
From "Soup's On!" by Leslie Jonath and Frankie Frankeny

(Serves 6)

half a 3- to 4-pound chicken
4 medium, ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery with leaves, chopped (including 1 1/2 tablespoons leaves)
1 sprig fresh parsley, minced
3 large carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Place the chicken, tomatoes, onion, celery, and parsley into a large stockpot. Add 2 quarts water, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the broth is flavorful, about 1 hour. Remove the soup from the heat.

Remove the chicken from the stock and let it cool. When it is cool enough to handle, strip the meat from the bones. Set the meat aside and discard the bones and skin.

Put the cooking liquid and vegetables through a food mill (or you can use an immersion blender) to obtain a thick, rich chicken stock.

Return the stock to the pot, add the reserved chicken meat, carrots, rice, and 2 cups water to the pot. Place it on medium heat and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for an additional 30 minutes, or a bit longer if you like mushy rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.


Notes/Results: Simple but good, sure to make you feel better if you are sick, sad or tired and it makes your kitchen smell like home when it is cooking. I had a good, thick and hearty homemade chicken stock already in my freezer, so I started with the final steps, adding some chopped rotisserie chicken breast and adding a little celery to the carrot and rice mix. This was the perfect light dinner on a breezy night--perfect for the after-Thanksgiving detox. I would make this again.


Joanne will be rounding up all the Brazilian fare on the Regional Recipes site after the first of the month.

Due to the busy Thanksgiving holiday week, we are a little slower in the Souper Sunday kitchen today (actually kind of a nice little holiday break for me), ;-) but we still have some very delicious soups and a hearty sandwich to share--let's take a look.

Lovely Roz at la bella vita kicks us off with her mother's version of the Italian classic Minestra di Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Bean Soup) and says, "My parents may not have enjoyed abundance when they were growing up as children of immigrants, but their mothers kept the kitchen aromas filling their homes, as pots of soups or pasta simmered slowly on the stove. My father said they had Pasta e Fagioli soup nearly every night for dinner when my grandfather was a coal miner in the Midwest. Nothing represents love and comfort as much as a simple, hearty warm soup and some bread to sop it up with! Although this soup was considered the food of the poor, one certainly is never hungry after one full bowl; it is that satisfying. Plus soup is so restorative to our health and our souls!"

Always creative Reeni at Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice came up with a new way to eat spaghetti squash with her Spaghetti Squash and Mini Meatball Soup with Roasted Red Peppers. Reeni says, "The broth is drenched with the flavor of aromatics including onion, garlic, roasted red and green bell peppers. It is the perfect backdrop for the tender little orbs of mini meatball deliciousness and the squash spaghetti which makes up the bulk of the soup by adding great body and texture. My father was quite impressed with the entire concept and summed things up best when he asked "Who else do you know that is making spaghetti squash and meatball soup?" A quick Google search turned up nothing, making it a truly unique original that I hope I've inspired you to try!"

A win by her favorite college team is the inspiration for girlichef to celebrate with her warming Spartan (Green & White) Chili. She says, "My boys are Big Ten Champs!! Go Spartans!! Okay, we're tied for first, but I'll take it. This chili is perfect for a game day. We warmed up with a bowl while tailgating...and refueled with a bowl during half time. There's nothing a little GREEN and WHITE can't fix. Not today, at least. Serve topped with any or all of the garnishes. Keeps well in a warm crockpot all day long. Tastes even better after sitting (in the refrigerator) overnight and then re-heated! Go Green! Go White!"

Kim at Liv Life puts her Thanksgiving leftovers to good use with this gorgeous bowl of goodness and says, "With many of us here in America cooking Turkey, leftovers are another thing to be thankful for! Garlicky Tortellini Soup is a perfect vehicle for some of your spare turkey, and a simple, satisfying meal to toss together when you may not really feel like cooking. Filled with ingredients that you most likely have in your pantry or freezer, this fragrant soup goes together in record time, and if you make enough, will provide its own leftovers for another day." Kim's beautiful soup photo made the FoodBuzz Top 9 yesterday--Congrats Kim!

Speaking of hearty and gorgeous soups, Nicole at Cocoa and Coriander made a warm-your-belly, Bacon Tomato Soup and says, "I have had a recipe for Roasted Tomato and Smoked Bacon Bisque bookmarked since it first showed up on my Google reader. I decided to try and make it tonight because of the fact that I have bacon in my refrigerator for once, but I needed a simpler recipe (mostly because fresh tomatoes are way too expensive when they aren't in season). The version I adapted from is creamy in consistency but lacks the dairy that would make it a bisque. It is really just a simple tomato soup, but the bacon adds a nice smoky, saltiness. Matt made a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches that we cut into 1 inch squares and served on top of the soup. Perfect!"

Along with our soups, we have a made-healthier, but not necessarily better Fish Po'Boy sandwich from Michelle at Ms. Enplace. She says, "Most seafood po'boys are loaded with fried seafood and fatty tartar sauce. Mmmm...fatty tartar sauce. And if I want to keep you thinkin that I'm some hot little number (ha! sucker!) I need to lay off all that and eat like a grown up. So I decided to be sensible and lighten them up. I did this some time ago, but other more seasonal things kept cutting in line. That gave me time to think about what I've done. And learn my lesson ...which is not to mess with a good thing. Is it wrong to want a po'boy just for the tartar sauce?"

A few fabulous soups and even a sammie too--thanks to Roz, Reeni, Heather, Kim, Nicole and Michelle for joining in this holiday week. If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the guidelines and details.

Have a great week!

German Onion Soup (Ueberbackene Zwiebelsuppe) for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays & Regional Recipes: Germany

Yesterday I spent the morning making soups in a Hearty Ethnic Vegan Soups class, then I toted several quarts of said soups home (Tuscan Bean, Moroccan Red Lentil-Bean Stew, Mexican Black Bean, and Thai Vegetable Stew) and that afternoon made MORE soup. What possessed me to add to my soup collection? Well I procrastinated on Regional Recipes: Germany this month and since I love this monthly event and its host, the wonderful Joanne of Eats Well With Others, I decided to sneak in a German soup on the last day. Luckily, besides the Thai Vegetable Stew with its coconut milk, the other soups will freeze well, giving me a good variety of comforting soupy goodness for the next couple of weeks. ;-)

Looking online, there were a lot of hearty German soups to make, many with potatoes and cabbage, but this German Onion Soup or "Ueberbackene Zwiebelsuppe" (try saying that fast three times!) caught my eye. The author says, "Cousin to French onion soup, this light colored version deglazes the pan with white wine and uses chicken or vegetable broth as a soup base." I think of it as the younger, blonder, thinner cousin to French onion soup, and it is easy to make, delicious and not quite so heavy--all pluses in my book!

German Onion Soup (Ueberbackene Zwiebelsuppe)
By Jennifer McGavin, About.com
(Serves 4)

2 cups (4 medium or 2 large) onions, sliced
1 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 quart broth, vegetable or chicken
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Salt, if broth needs it, to taste
4 slices French bread or 1 roll cut into 8 slices
1/2 cup grated cheese, gruyère or gouda

Sauté onions in butter over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until they start turning golden brown. Stir occasionally. Add the white wine, then the broth, bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Grate some fresh nutmeg into the soup and add some pepper. Taste and add salt, if necessary.

While soup is cooking toast the bread slices.

To serve, scoop some soup into an oven safe individual bowl, add a slice of toast, sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over it and put the bowls on a cookie sheet or similar. Broil until cheese melts and turns and attractive brown. Be careful when serving and eating as the soup and the bowls are very hot.

Tips: This is a great soup to make ahead and reheat. You may want to add fresh thyme sprigs or bay leaf to the soup. Remove before serving.


Notes/Results: Excellent--in fact, I think I like it better than French Onion Soup. It had plenty of flavor from the white wine and the homemade chicken stock I used. I also tossed in a bay leaf and some fresh sprigs of thyme from my herb garden as the recipe tip suggested. I removed the bay leaf but just pulled out the stems and left the thyme leaves in. I am not a huge nutmeg fan, but a little works well in this soup. For the toast I used a rosemary-garlic baguette and topped it with microplane-grated gruyère. Because the cheese was grated so finely it melted right into the bread which tasted great. Although it doesn't look like much cheese is on top, trust me there was plenty. My only oven-secure soup bowls large enough to fit bread in are pretty big, so this soup made two large servings. I would make this again.

It is standing room only in the Souper Sunday kitchen this Halloween, with I think one of our largest, if not the largest round ups to date. Many old friends and new are here with lots of delicious soups (and a few salads too), so let's get started!

Debbie from The Friday Friends is back with us this week and with a cheesy-chicken "Souper Soup" that is sure to cure your ills. Debbie says, "Today I felt so "blah" and stuffed up and achy, (and was tired of eating leftover Mexican food) that when my friend sent me this recipe for Souper Soup, I thought I'd have to try it. It was hot, soothing, quick, easy and good! It was just the comfort food I needed."

Carla from Recipe Addict is here this week with her favorite Bennigan's Potato Soup. She says, "This is soup that will make you want to lick the bowl. Go ahead, no one's looking. I am not going to lie to you, I have. It is that good. I first fell in love with it when we lived about two blocks away from a Bennigan's Restaraunt in Clearwater, Florida. Every time we went there this was the first thing I ordered. Even before I could decide what I was going to have to drink, I knew I was going to have a bowl of this delicious soup. And ever since I found this recipe I have been making this in large batches to keep in the freezer, for when I'm having a craving (which is frequently) for it."

We have several new faces and friends to welcome to Souper Sundays this week, starting with Ramona, The Paper Princess from Create With Joy. Here with a hearty Maple Beef Stew, she says, "This stew is as perfect for the cool crisp days of Autumn as it is for the bone-chilling days of Winter! There is something comforting in the knowledge that a nice hearty bowl of stew awaits you at the end of a long day. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Bon Appétit!"

Let's also welcome Nicole from Cocoa and Coriander: Nico's Tiny Kitchen, joining us for the first time from my old hometown of Portland, Oregon. Nicole used her leftovers wisely for this hearty Pulled Pork and Cannellini Bean Chili and says, "This chili was really spicy, so use fewer peppers and less chili powder if you're heat sensitive. I would say my heat sensitivity is pretty average but I can eat spicier dishes if they are also very flavorful. And this chili was very flavorful."

Another newbie making her first appearance is Kurinji of Kurinji Kathambam, blogging from India and with two healthy soups to share. About the first, this Mixed Vegetable Soup she says, "This is healthy soup because it contains several vegetables. Except brinjal and ladies finger, you can add any vegetables which children does not like to have. I came across this recipe in a cooking book."

Kurinji's second soup is this figure-friendly pressure cooker Clear Cabbage Soup about which she says, "If you intake this every morning instead of coffee, it will help you reduce your weight."

Another new face this week is Shruthi from Shrunil Flavors, blogging from Dallas, Texas. Shruthi has a revitalizing Mint Coriander Soup this week and says, "During my pregnancy, mom used to make soups and salads for me. This soup is extremely simple to do and tastier and ir just re-freshens after a busy day. Its also good to have during cold. It gives instant relief."

An old friend making her first visit to Souper Sundays is Simona from briciole, joining us from Italy. I know Simona through her participation in Cook The Books and I am excited to have her here today with a gorgeous Fava Bean Purée (Macco di Fave). Simona says, "I consider myself a minimalist in the kitchen, and this recipe appealed to me for its simplicity which does not come at the expense of flavor. In case you have never tasted dried fava beans, they are quite flavorful. And the peperoncino adds some heat to the macco."

Our final newbie of the week is Brenda from Sense of Home blogging from the Northern Plains of the U.S. and here with a warming bowl of Clam Chowder. Brenda says, "This is a hearty, stick to your ribs soup. A half bowl fills me up. I believe this soup would also be good without the clams, just call it potato soup. We don't have fresh clams, we are way to far from the ocean for that. The canned clams are ok, but certainly fresh would make this clam chowder taste even better. You could use skim milk to lighten the soup up, but why would you want to ruin that rich flavor. Really, keep the full flavor and eat half a bowl."

The lovely Debby from a Feast for the Eyes made a colorful Roasted Carrot & Ginger Soup this week. She says, "Speaking for my husband, he asked me what was in the soup. He said it had delicious flavor, but he questioned if it was really carrot soup. He said it was sweet, creamy and flavorful. He ate two bowls, as did I. This is guilt-free soup, because it's creamy without any kind of heavy cream added. The balance of ginger was very subtle. The natural sweetness of the carrots was the star, but you could taste a mild heat of the ginger as you swallowed."

Donna from My Tasty Treasures is here with a fast and easy Hearty Chicken Vegetable and Noodle Soup and enthuses, "Are you a busy mom? Do you have no time to make homemade soup? Need the PERFECT recipe for an after work meal that is down to your soul satisfying? OK then this is for you! This soup, OMG, what can I NOT say about this soup? It comes together QUITE simply, and the taste is utterly fantastic!! Warm, liquid comfort in your bowl in a matter of 30 minutes!! Easy, peasy, people."

It is nice to have my friend Christine from Kits Chow back this week and with a soul-filling stew-like Cottage Pie, Pâté Chinois. Christine says, "You'll never find Paté chinois on a menu in a Chinese restaurant. Pâté Chinois is a popular Québec dish, a gratin of meat topped with mashed potatoes. A British person taking a bite of Paté chinois would recognize it as Cottage Pie or Shepherd's pie. ... Whatever its name, it is perfect, comfort food and just the thing to eat on a rainy day in Vancouver."


Fall means I get to see Pam from Sidewalk Shoes pretty regularly at Souper Sundays--always a treat! Pam has a White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup to share and says, "Whenever I have kale, I make some variation of this soup. It’s never the same, and it’s always good. For this version: some sausage, white navy beans, kale, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, a few fresh bay leaves, a couple sprigs of fresh rosemary, and salt and pepper. That’s it. I dumped it all in the slow cooker (except for the kale) and went about my day. About an hour before serving, I stirred in the chopped kale."

Erin from EKat's Kitchen made soup to share this week and says about this Savory Harvest Veggie Stoup, "This has just been one of those weeks. Craving soups, pastas, and all those delicious foods that scream comfort and cooler weather. It was cooler, but it's back in the 70s here in Southern Colorado. No matter. This is one of my favorite recipes, and I don't make it that often, though now I've learned more about what my slow cooker can do, it may be a more common dish at our house!"

My fabulous friend Heather of girlichef makes it very clear she doesn't want to be a vampire, especially after eating this enticing Garlic Soup. She says, "I love popping one of the cheesy croutons into my mouth when it is permeated with the garlicky broth. If you've used a good bread and toasted it until it was very crunchy, the croutons will hold that liquid inside while still staying crusty around the edges...aaaahhhhhhh. Vampires can't do that." So true girlichef! ;-)



Soup-loving Gwen from Simply Healthy Family is back for her second Souper Sunday week with a zesty bowl. Gwen says, "My mom and I used to go to Olive Garden to have soup and salad for lunch. Pretty much the only thing I've ever had at Olive Garden was their Zuppa Toscana and house salad. Of course over the years their soup has consisted of more broth and less filling and flavour.So, of course I started making my own. It's more flavourful and healthier and my whole family can enjoy Zuppa Toscana in the comfort of our home for much less than it costs to eat out. Who takes 4 kids out to a restaurant anyway?"

Slow cooker guru Zibi from Fresh Slowcooking has a pretty fall-inspired Not Too Sweet Potato and Apple Soup to share this week and says, "This sweet potato, apple and carrot soup is seasoned with cinnamon, cloves and fennel. Hot, spicy and comforting — but definitely not too sweet to enjoy a whole bowl. The carrots, and fennel not only reduced the sweetness of the soup, they added their own delicate flavours to mix. This soup makes an amazing winter appetizer or lunch."

Megha from Live to eat!!! has both a soup and a salad to share this week. About her warming and uniquely-spiced Pumpkin & Carrot Soup--Spiced with Cinnamon & Wasabi, she says, "Halloween is tomorrow and even I wanted to contribute to the blog stream by dishing up some hot soup. It is also the time to eat and share good food."

About her Japanese Tofu Salad (Shiraae), Megha says, "There are times when you want to eat lite after all the binging you have been doing on weekends. Here is a one meal with all the nutrients that you would require. Shiraae is an easy to prepare Japanese salad with mashed tofu; seasoned with sesame paste. I have used substitutes to bring the salad as close to the original."

Janet from The Taste Space made a colorful Yam, Zucchini & Chickpea Salad and says, "First, I roasted the yam until soft and sweet. Roasted zucchini was also added, which added a nice lightness to the salad. Next, I pan-roasted my chickpeas. I can not get over how wonderful pan-roasted chickpeas are, creamy, nutty and flavourful.Next, the simple dressing was a winner. A bit of lemon with a dash of tahini. Creamy, nutty, full-bodied flavour that worked so well with the yams, zucchini and chickpeas. A delicious, healthy, satisfying salad."

Finally Lana from Bibberche joins us again with a unique Lentils and Plantain Salad from the blog Forks, Fingers, Chopsticks and about which she says, "Everything seemed weird when I read the recipe. But, again, everything made sense. I served it as a side dish to some tasty enchiladas, and after some raised eyebrows trying to ascertain if the ingredients worked, a thumbs up appeared, reassuring me that this dish was a winner."

Yowza--My soup bowl and salad plates runneth over today! So many delicious-looking dishes my mouth was watering as I did this round up. Many thanks to everyone who joined in today and welcome again to all of our new faces.

If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Japanese Clear Soup with Carrot and Daikon Flowers for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays (& Regional Recipes!)

This Clear Soup with Carrot and Daikon Flowers is from the book, "At the Japanese Table: New & Traditional Recipes" by Lesley Downer. Usually when I make Japanese soups, I go for the thicker, heavier ones, but this one was so pretty, I had to try it. Since Regional Recipes, the monthly event hosted by my good friend Joanne of Eats Well With Others, is focused on Japan this month, the timing was perfect.

About soups (shirumono), in Japan, the book says, "Soups are an essential part of the visual feast that is Japanese cooking. There are two main types, clear soups, which are served at the beginning of a meal, and thick soups, usually made with miso, served at the end." And, "The first course to appear in a grand banquet is clear soup (suimono), a miniature flower arrangement floating in a delicate translucent broth."

Downer says "This is a classic and beautiful clear soup, in which the elements--noodles, red and white "flowers" and a touch of brilliant green watercress--compliment each other in color, texture, and taste."

Clear Soup with Carrot and Daikon Flowers

"At the Japanese Table" by Lesley Downer

(Serves 4)

4 oz egg somen noodles

1 medium carrot, peeled

2-inch slice daikon radish, peeled

1 bunch watercress

5 cups Dashi--see recipe below

3-4 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 1/2 Tbsp sake

1 1/2 Tbsp mirin

1/4 tsp salt

Preparation: Noodles: Separate the noodles into 4 bunches and tie each bunch securely at the base with thread. To cook, bring plenty of water to a rolling boil in a large saucepan. Add the noodles, bring the water back to the boil, then top it up with 1/2 cup cold water. Repeat this procedure 2 or 3 times until the noodles are al dente. Rinse them in cold water, drain and set aside.

To make carrot and daikon flowers: cut the carrot into an even 3-inch cylinder. Make 5 symmetrical V-shaped cuts all the way down the cylinder and round them off to make a petal shape. Then cut off 1/2-inch slices of carrot to make flowers. If you like, you can pare away part of each petal to make a more realistic flower. Repeat with the daikon to make 4 daikon flowers. Then simmer the carrot and daikon flowers in water or dashi until tender; drain .

Watercress: Separate watercress into bunches of 4 or 5 stalks each; cut off the long, tough stems. Blanch them in rapidly boiling water for a few seconds until wilted, then drain and set aside.

To Cook: Bring the dashi just to the boil. Turn the heat to low and season with soy sauce, sake, mirin, and salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required.

To Serve: Warm 4 soup bowls, then arrange a bunch of noodles, a carrot flower, a daikon flower, and a bunch of watercress in each. Carefully ladle in enough hot dashi to fill the bowls 3/4 full and serve immediately.

Iciban Dashi (Dashi 1 or Light Dashi)

(Makes 5 Cups)

1 piece (4-6 inches) dried kombu, wiped

2-3 packets (0.175 oz each) dried bonito flakes

Put 5 cups cold water into a large saucepan, add the kombu and heat slowly, skimming off any scum that forms on the surface. Just before the water boils, remove the kombu. Raise the heat and just as the water starts to boil again, throw in the bonito flakes. Bring to a full boil, then immediately remove the pan from the heat and allow the flakes to settle. Strain gently through muslin (do not squeeze).

Notes/Results: This is a very delicate and tasty soup that makes a great starter or is perfect for when you want something really light but comforting. It seems like there are a lot of steps but they come together easily and fairly quickly. I made my dashi stock the day before and did everything else as I was waiting for the stock to reheat and the noodles to cook. My vegetable flower cutting skills will not win any awards--my cuts are too big and my only carrot in the drawer was small and "wonky" on one side, but it was fun to try and I think makes a pretty presentation. I would make this soup again, especially if cooking a Japanese meal (or grand banquet!) ;-)

Joanne will be rounding up all the Japanese dishes at the Regional Recipes site after the end of the month, so go by and take a look.

Let's visit the Souper Sunday Kitchen and see who is here this week.

Here with a hearty Crab & Corn Chowder is Lauren from Healthy. Delicious. who says, "Is there anything as comforting as a big bowl of nourishing soup after a long day? Not in my book! One of the first soups that I make every fall is crab and corn chowder. We look forward to it all summer! Sweet end-of-summer corn pairs perfectly with smokey poblano peppers and spicy Old Bay seasoning to make a deeply satisfying meal (especially when you serve it with cheddar & green onion biscuits)."

Pam from Sidewalk Shoes adapted the Barefoot Contessa's Mexican Chicken Soup to add to girlichef's Tortilla Soup challenge and says, "I don’t know what I like more, the soup, or the accompaniments. It’s really the perfect soup. Warm and flavorful, but then fresh and tasty with the cool avocado, sour cream, cheese and cilantro. The changes I made: used a leftover rotisserie chicken carcass – with the breast meat still attached, made the soup in a slow cooker, and added some fresh cilantro at the end with the avocado, sour cream, and cheese. I just love the pop of the fresh cilantro."

Reshmi from A Feast for the Eyes and Stomach is back this week with a filling, exotic Moroccan Meat Soup with Red Lentils and says, "A rich and healthy soup enriched with vegetables like potatoes, carrots, lentils and Meat. Its a complete meal in itself,very simple to prepare, and goes extremely well with a piece of bread or rice. I would say its a "must try" recipe for meat-lovers."

Joanne from Eats Well With Others, my not-so-crazy-about-soup friend, does like stews, like this gorgeous Homemade Italian Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Lentil Stew. Joanne says, "Stews have a pretty high positive predictive value when it comes to diagnostic tools. They sit on the stove, simmering away. Perfuming your entire apartment with their luscious scent. And you sit at your desk, ostensibly studying but most probably watching Glee. Or the Real Housewives of New Jersey Reunion. Depending on just how trashy you feel at the moment. Sniffing away. Your stomach growling with reckless abandon.You become inured to the smell after a while, your olfactory receptors adapting so that they don't get overly stimulated and burned out. But every once in a while they recharge. You get a whiff. And think. Damn that smells good."

Tanvi from Sinfully Spicy made this savory Mahi Mahi Soup and says, "A very simple recipe with day-to-day spices from the pantry but everything comes together very nicely and gives the soup a great taste. Pair up the fish with veggies of your choice and don’t forget a squirt of lemon coz lime juice brightens up the taste, especially of seafood.I recommend adding ginger because it adds up a lot of fresh & spicy flavor.I think that mahi mahi is a really good choice for this soup because of the moist flesh and the mild taste.However, go ahead and experiment with spices and fish varieties! It is incredibly easy to make, given how tasty the results are."

Reeni of Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice made this lovely and unique Vermicelli Noodle Soup with Meatballs: Fideos con Albondigas and says, "Whole chile peppers simmer away in a freshly pureed tomato broth to give this soup outrageous flavor. The vermicelli is also cooked right in this spicy sauce where it imbues itself right into the noodle. The meatballs are simply seasoned and simmered separately in water which later gets mixed into the tomato broth to finish the soup. You might think the meatballs would be the star of the show here. But truly the chile peppers fill that role. Without them this soup is nothing."

Heather of girlichef tried her hand at a Filipino classic dish, Kare Kare and says, "Back to the present day...in my very own kitchen...the smells of friends home some twenty years ago...are bubbling away in the pot in front of me. Who would have thought that fermented shrimp, tail, peanut butter, vegetables, and stomach lining could all go into a pot together and come out with a taste so silky, deep, and delicious? Not me. Now I know different... Kare Kare is a traditional Filipino dish that is served on special occasions or for Sunday dinners. Although, I'm sure it's okay to eat it other days of the week."

Megha from Live to eat!!! made a healthy and colorful Moroccan Beet Appetizer Salad and says, "Moroccan salads play a big role in Moroccan cuisine, and most families serve them almost daily. Garden-fresh vegetables might be peeled and chopped before being tossed with a vinaigrette, or they might be cooked with spices and olive oil to make dip-like salads. Most salads can be refrigerated for 2-3 days."

Janet from The Taste Space has two salads to share this week. The first is this Almond Broccoli Crunch Salad, about which she says, "There are many recipes for broccoli salad. It is delicious. But I haven’t made it yet. I find I get turned off of recipes when I know exactly what goes inside. Bacon and mayo are delicious, but I just don’t cook with them that often. This is why I perked up when I saw a mayo- and bacon-less broccoli salad on 101 Cookbooks. There are many different crunchy aspects to the salad; tender-crisp broccoli, crisp apple pieces and toasted almonds. The magic ingredient was probably the crispy onion. They were crunchy and added a unique flavour."

Janet's second salad is this Apple, Pomegranate, and Arugula Salad with Apple Cider-Honey Vinaigrette, and she says, "This salad features a crisp, sliced apple, with crunchy toasted almonds and juicy pomegranate seeds over a bed of arugula. I used baby arugula which wasn’t that peppery, but arugula would work well with the sweet apple-laced vinaigrette. Another option I might entertain next time is a pomegranate vinaigrette with pomegranate molasses, but I liked the focus on apple."

Amritha from AK's Vegetarian Recipe World has a nutritious Sprouted Green Gram / Whole Moong Salad and says, "Its a great salad. I never thought sprouted green gram would taste so good. I get so excited when I see the sprouts from the green gram. It gives me a great satisfaction when we eat this salad. I feel as though we are having one bowl full of only fiber and nutrients. My mom sometimes would just pick hand full of fresh sprouted green grams and stuff it inside our mouth even before making the salad. That time though I ate it, I used to complain. But now I realize how good it is for our body."

Tigerfish from Tezcape- An Escape to Food used her leftover Japchae (Korean Sweet Potato Starch Noodle Salad) to fill tortillas for these Veggie Burrito Tortilla Wraped Japchae and says, "I did ask about Japchae leftovers the last time. Some of you were near spot-on, for example, on using the leftover as filling for spring roll. You are right on using it as filling - not spring roll but burrito. It is not salty. It does not feel heavy on the stomach. Makes you full, but a feel-great fullness. A perfect lunch on the go. A budget-friendly BYO lunch. A good-to-go kid's lunch box burrito."

A new friend and a new face to welcome to Souper Sundays is Erin from EKat's Kitchen with some hearty Portobella Black Bean "Salad" Sandwiches. Erin says, "Several years ago I saw a recipe somewhere for Bean and Portabella burgers. I couldn't find the recipe again, but knew that I wanted to make some today. I love mushrooms and I love black beans. Though what I ended up with wasn't burgers, I got some delicious sandwiches." (BTW: Erin has a fun Friday Potluck blog event at EKat's Kitchen that you should check out!) ;-) Welcome Erin!

So many terrific recipes again this week! Thanks to everyone who joined in and welcome to our newbie this week, Erin. If you have a soup, sandwich, or salad that you would like to share--just click on the Souper Sunday logo for all of the details.

Eat Local Challenge Update: As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I am taking the Eat Local Hawaii Challenge this week from today until Saturday. Since today's soup was already made and consumed yesterday, I will start sharing my all-local food recaps and recipes tomorrow. I did get all stocked up with local ingredients at the farmers market, Kokua Market co-op and Whole Foods yesterday. Today's breakfast? A completely local smoothie with honeydew melon, GMO-free papaya, frozen apple bananas, Waimanalo honey, Naked Cow Dairy yogurt and some mint from my container herb garden. Delicious! Next up lunch/brunch which will involve eggs, Tuscan kale, herbs and Naked Cow Dairy butter and Hawaiian sea salt.

Enjoy your week!