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This is the soup Collin and I made last weekend while I was in Cleveland. I know Lobster Bisque is typically blended but we didn’t have one on hand, still delicious. We bought most of the ingredients fresh from Cleveland’s West Side Market (Which is the place I’ll miss most since Collin is moving to Buffalo with me!) We made some other slight variations to the recipe (used scallions instead of parsley, added cheese, baked the lobster instead of grilling…etc) Here is the original:

Lobster Bisque

You Will Need:

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 4-6 Cloves of Garlic, Finely Chopped
• 1 Stalk Celery, Finely Chopped
• 1 Small Sweet Onion, Finely Chopped
• 1 Medium Tomato, Diced
• 1 1/2 – 1 3/4-Pound Lobster
• 2 Cups Whole Milk
• 1 Cup Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup Fish Stock or Clam Juice
• 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) Unsalted Butter
• 2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped
• 1 Tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, celery, and onion and cook, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside. 

Preheat a grill. Lay the lobster on its back on a cutting board. Make an incision down the center of the tail almost to the tip, without cutting through the shell; split apart the tail. Grill the lobster for 15 to 18 minutes, shell-side down, with the lid closed. Transfer the lobster from the grill back to a cutting board and remove the meat and tomalley. Discard the shell and set aside the meat.

Bring the milk, tomato sauce, cream, stock, and butter to a boil in the saucepan with the vegetables. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the lobster meat and tomalley and the parsley and pepper. Cover and simmer over the lowest possible heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until hot. Remove from the heat and ladle into bowls.

**We bought extra lobster (Chopped up one lobster and put it into the soup and split the other lobster tail in half - One side in each bowl for garnish….along with homemade crutons, cheese, and scallions)

Recipe Via: FoodGawker

Photo Taken by Me!

OR a soup that’s more healthy…

Creamy Broccoli Soup

You Will Need:

• 1 Head of Broccoli (1 Pound), Cut Into Florets, Stems Thinly Sliced
• 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Yellow Onion, Diced
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, Thinly Sliced
• 1-15 Oz. Can Cannellini Beans, Drained
• 2-1/2 Cups Chicken Stock
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste
• 1 Tbsp. Pine Nuts, Toasted
• Shaved Parmesan, For Garnish

Preparation:

Steam broccoli florets and stems until tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly. Reserve 1/2 cup florets for garnish.

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add beans and stock and bring mixture to a simmer. Remove from heat and add broccoli; puree in batches in a blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish each bowl with broccoli florets, toasted pine nuts, and shaved Parmesan. Serve Immediately.

Recipe Via: Whole Living

Even though it’s technically “winter” (in Buffalo), we have NO SNOW!! But I’ve been pretending we do, so I can make some winter-friendly recipes. Last weekend, Collin and I made a delicious Lobster Bisque! (I’ll post later). To continue to trend, I’m thinking some kind of soup this weekend as well.

This is one possibility….

Cheddar Bacon Ale Soup

(Serves 6)

You Will Need:

• 6 Thick-Cut Bacon Slices, Cut into 1/2 or 1 Inch Pieces
• 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1 Large Onion, Diced
• 2 Celery Stalks, Diced
• 3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup Pale-Ale
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Cups Whole Milk
• 2 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1-1/4 Lb. Sharp Cheddar, Shredded
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste
• Croutons (Optional, For Garnish)

Preparation:

Set a large saucepan over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until crisp, stirring occasionally, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain all about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot.

Add the butter and give it a minute to melt, then mix in the onion, carrots and celery. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Add the garlic, cooking just until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently (you’re just trying to get the raw flour flavor cooked off). Add the beer and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture forms a thick paste, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the Worcestershire sauce, milk and chicken broth until smooth. Increase the heat to medium-high and let the soup come to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and allow it to continue simmering for 10-12 minutes. Turn off the heat under the pot and puree the soup with an immersion blender (or, if you don’t have one, in a traditional blender - you’ll probably want to do it in 2 batches.)

Set the pan over medium-low heat and, stirring constantly, add the cheese a little at a time. Be careful not to allow the soup to boil. Continue until you’ve added all of the cheese and the soup is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with the bacon and croutons. 

Recipe Via: Williams-Sonoma