Laissez les bons temps rouler! It’s Soup Off.
It was fitting that the “Show Us Your Grits! Gumbo” reigned as champion over this year’s inferno Soup-Off Krewe. The second annual soup-cooking contest was held on Fat Tuesday, and once again competition was heated. Seven infernites vied for the crown, but Robert Barnett won by a landslide for his New Orleans’ staple. The entire inferno staff also donated items for this year’s Playing With Fire competition beneficiary, Hope House.
2012 Soup Off Results
1st Place – Robert Barnett
2nd Place (tie) – Liz Cunningham and Amanda Dent
3rd Place – Dan O’Brien
Liza Livingston
Colleen Radish
Michael Overton
Soup Off Recipes
Show Us Your Grits! Gumbo
Made by Robert Barnett
3 boudin sausages - casing removed
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 onion chopped
1 yellow bell pepper chopped
2 celery stalks
8-10 cloves garlic sliced
1 chicken boullion
1 shrimp boullion
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
5 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 can tomato paste
1 tablespoon filé
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 pound of shrimp
1 large tablespoon chipotle puree
2 smoked andouille sausages chopped finely
1 pound of crab
1-2 pounds cod
Instructions:
To make the roux, add olive oil and butter to a pre-heated pot set on medium. Stir in flour – one tablespoon at a time, making sure it's well incorporated into oil (no lumps) before proceeding. Once all flour has been added, stir until roux is nice golden brown.
Add chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper to the roux, and sweat for about 10 minutes or so until translucent.
Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, water, (chicken, shrimp) bouillon, bay leaves, chipotle paste, thyme, red pepper flakes, filé, dried parsley, and sliced garlic. Simmer this mixture for about 30-45 minutes until the color has deepened to a reddish brown.
Add andouille and boudin, then simmer for another 15-20 minutes.
Add cod (make sure to break it up into small flakes), then add crab. Cook for another ten minutes.
Add shrimp and cook for about five minutes. Let it rest for about ten minutes, then serve
Winter Squash Soup
Made by Liz Cunningham
2 pounds butternut squash
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery chopped
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic minced
6 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon of pureed chipotle peppers in adobo
Salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. whipping cream
Toppings:
Small tub of sour cream
Chopped fresh cilantro
Additional pureed chipotle peppers in adobo
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds and strings. Use 2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat insides of squash. Lay face down on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. The thin part will cook in about 30 min. Cut off that part and return the rest of the squash to the oven and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer or until a toothpick glides in easily.
Use the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil to sauté carrots, celery, and onion in a medium-sized stockpot until tender. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and chipotle seasoning and cook two minutes more. Remove squash from over and let cool. Scoop meat into the stockpot with the chicken broth. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Blend the soup either with an immersion blender or by placing small batches in a blender. Right before you serve, add whipping cream and heat to almost boiling. Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, and chipotle peppers.
Serves 8.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Made by Amanda Dent
Four large bone-in chicken breasts
1 onion, 5 celery stalks, and 4 carrots - chopped in chunks
Water (6 or 7 quarts)
Black peppercorns
Two heads of garlic
Generous amount of Kosher salt
Spices: cumin, chili powder, Aleppo pepper flakes, Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Dried black beans – soaked and cooked but firm
Red and green bell peppers
Fresh corn
Garlic
Spices
1 can of fire-roasted tomatoes
1 can of chilis
Toppings:
Tortillas
Queso fresco - shredded
Limes
Fresh cilantro
Jalapenos
Mexican crema
Stock:
Throw chicken breasts, onion, celery, carrots, water, peppercorns, garlic, kosher salt, and spices into a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, then simmered for about four hours. Keep tasting and adding spices as you go. Remove the chicken breasts and let them cool. Strained the soup and placed it in the refrigerator. Tear off pieces of the chicken in bite-sized chunks. Place both chicken and stock in separate containers and refrigerate for a night.
Soup:
Sautébell peppers, corn, and garlic in olive oil. Add to your stockpot along with your chicken, stock, blackbeans, garlic, spices, canned tomatoes, and chilis. After scooping up all the fat deposits in the stock, throw everything into a stockpot and let it simmer for about an hour.
Cut tortillas into strips and toast in the oven for about 15 minutes (or until crispy). Top with tortillas, or if desired, queso fresco, lime juice from fresh lime, fresh cilantro, sliced jalapenos, or Mexican crema.
Avgolemono Soupa
Made by Dan O’Brien
1 4-pound chicken
2 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
1 small sliced onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup rice, or 3/4 cups orzo (We used orzo.)
Black pepper
4 eggs
2 tablespoons cold water
Juice from 1 to 2 lemons
Instructions:
Cut up chicken coarsely, cover with water, and heat gradually to its boiling point with onion and celery. Cook until chicken is tender, about 1.5 hours, adding salt at the halfway point. Remove chicken and set aside on warm platter. Strain broth. Bring back to boiling, and stir in rice or orzo. Cover and simmer over moderate heat until tender. Salt and pepper to taste.
Cool the soup slightly, then blend with Avgolemono per instructions below:
Avgolemono:
Separate eggs. Beat egg whites until stiff. Blend in egg yolks, then add water and lemon juice, beating until thick. With ladle, add a small amount of hot broth to the egg mixture, blending quickly. Pour this into the soup and stir well. Salt/pepper all to taste, and serve immediately.
Black Bean Soup with Chipotle Chilis
Made by Colleen Radish
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
1 medium-sized red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium-sized green bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 16-ounce package dried black beans (soaked overnight)
2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles
7 cups chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Garnishes:
Sour cream
Plum tomatoes
Lime wedges
Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and both bell peppers and sauté until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cumin, stir 1 minute. Transfer mixture to 6-quart slow cooker. Add dried beans and chipotles, then 7 cups chicken stock. Cover and cook on high until beans are very tender, about 6 hours. Transfer 2 cups bean mixture to blender; puree until smooth. Return puree to remaining soup in slow cooker. Add canned beans. Stir in lime juice, salt, and pepper. Cook on low for 1 hour.
Ladle soup into bowls. Spoon sour cream into each bowl. Sprinkle with tomatoes and lime and serve.
Creamy Tomato-Parmesan Soup
Made by Liza Livingston
2 (14-ounce) cans Italian plum tomatoes, undrained
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plush extra for garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 bag Caesar parmesan croutons
Combine all ingredients except cheese and croutons in a food processor. Pulse until mixture is smooth. Pour mixture into a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated. Stir in cheese and heat until melted. If desired, garnish with extra basil and croutons.
Serves 4.
Hot Wing Soup
Made by Michael Overton
1 whole onion rough chop
2 stalks celery rough chopped
salt
pepper
4 cloves of garlic diced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 ounces roughly chopped baby porcini mushrooms
2 cans chicken broth
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup brown sugar
Half a bottle of hot sauce
A shot of inferno vodka
Small handful of fresh cilantro
1 stick unsalted butter
Sauté onion and celery in 2 tablespoons oil olive oil till softened, then add garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, and mushrooms. Cut 2 pounds of chicken tenderloin into 1-inch sections. Coat in a mixture of hot sauce and cornstarch in a skillet with a little oil. Add to soup. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with blue cheese crumbles and sour cream.
