French Onion Soup

Photo- Zig Hampel

Now that it's getting a bit colder out, I've been craving French Onion Soup! I don't eat beef stock, so this is not quite as sweet as traditional French Onion Soups. I actually prefer the chicken stock, but I may be biased! The key here is the slow-cooked onions... they're a game changer!

- 6 onions, quartered and sliced
- olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 4 bay leaves, snapped in half
- 6 springs fresh thyme
- salt
- pepper
- 1/2 bottle red wine
- 3 heaving tsp of flour
- 2 quarts chicken stock (or turkey, if available)
- 1 baguette, sliced
- 1/3 lb Gruyere, sliced

1. To caramelize the onions, grease the bottom of a slow cooker with olive oil. Add the onions, and drizzle roughly a 1/4 c of olive oil on top. Mix them around so the onions get nicely coated. Slow cook for 12 - 14 hours. I do this overnight, stirring the onions around every couple hours until I go to bed, and then stirring again first thing in the morning.

2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the caramelized onions, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the wine and boil the wine off for about 10 minutes, until it has all simmered off. Sprinkle flour around the mixture. Combine well.

3. Preheat the oven to broil.

4. Add the broth, one cup at a time, bringing to a boil after each cup. When it has all been added, let it simmer for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and the thyme.

5. Broil the baguette slices topped with cheese until the cheese melts and the toast browns around the edges.

6. Serve in a bowl or mug topped with cheesy toasts. Pairs well with wine, both red and white.

Minestrone Soup

This is my grandma's Minestrone Soup recipe and it's got pretty much every vitamin you'll ever need in it. I usually only make it a couple times a year since it freezes well and is a great soup for when you're fighting a cold!

- 1/2 c olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 c chopped onion
- 1 c chopped celery
- 4 Tbsp chopped parsley
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 10 1/2 oz vegetable broth, undiluted
- 9 c water
- 1 c coarsely chopped cabbage
- 2 carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 c green beans
- 1 c peas
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp sage, chopped
- 1 lb kidney beans, cooked
- 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 c elbow macaroni
- Parmesan cheese slices, to top the soup
- Baguette, if desired

1. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the garlic, onion, celery, and parsley. Cook until soft.

2. Stir in the tomato paste, broth, water, cabbage, carrots, salt, papper, and sage. Mix well. Bring to a boil, and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook slowly for 1 hour.

3. Add the kidney beans, zucchini, and macaroni. Cook 10 - 15 minutes, until the macaroni is tender.

4. Serve hot topped with Parmesan cheese and a side of baguette!

Z. Hampel

Quick 'n Dirty Hot and Sour Soup

Looks kind of strange, tastes awesome

This recipe is based on a traditional San Francisco Chinatown recipe for Hot and Sour Soup. The full recipe is a bit laborious, but I adapted this one for cold days when you don't have time to do a lot of fiddling around. I have yet to find something that does more wonders for a cold than this soup!


- 4 c low sodium chicken broth
- 5 oz sliced water chestnuts
- 5 oz sliced mushrooms
- 1/4 head of green cabbage, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp minced or grated ginger
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp chili oil or 1 small hot pepper, minced (optional)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 pack firm tofu, cut into small cubes
- 3 green onions, chopped

1. In a large pot, bring the stock to a boil.
2. Add the water chestnuts and return to a boil.
3. Add the mushrooms, cabbage, garlic and ginger. Return to a boil.
4. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 c of the soup. Return to the pot. Stir to incorporate.
5. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, soy sauce, white pepper and chili oil. Combine well and add to the soup. Stir and cook for another 3 minutes.
6. Trickle the egg into the soup. Add the tofu and green onions. Stir to incorporate.
7. Serve hot, over rice noodles if desired. Pairs well with green tea. Enjoy!