Souper Cook-off Recipes

The Winners!

Marci & Keith Monteith's Cold Strawberry Soup
(From "Simply Scrumptious Tea Room Emporium" in Eureka Springs, Arkansas)

1 quart fresh or frozen strawberries (they used frozen)
1  12 oz. container thawed Cool Whip
1 pint sour cream
2 small containers strawberry yogurt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar

Purée strawberries in food processor or blender.
In a large bowl add remaining ingredients to strawberries and mix well.  Chill at least 4 hours.
Serve in cold bowls or cups.
Garnish with strawberries and a mint sprig if desired.


Ala' Chez Joyce Blackwell's
Mushroom Soup with Chestnut and Roasted Fennel
(Original Recipe Food Network Recipe by Tyler Florence)

6 small fennel bulbs, stalks removed, halved lengthwise, save some of the fennel fronds
  (Looks like dill weed) for garnish
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 bunch fresh thyme sprigs, leaves stripped from stem or 1 tsp dried
3 pounds mushrooms in total, wiped of grit and coarsely chopped
I used a combo of as many types as I can find in the stores; button, cremini, oyster,
  Chanterelle, shiitake, portabella, porcini, hen in the woods, etc.  the original only called
  For 3 types, 1 lb each.
1 pound cooked chestnuts ( at Trader Joe's year round).
3 quarts chicken stock ( use vegetable stock for vegetarian friends).
1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Put the fennel halves, cut-side up, in a baking dish and drizzle with enough olive oil to come up half way ( no more than a cup);season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.  Roast for 30-40 minutes or until completely tender.  The roasted fennel is the base of the soup, so it's important the flesh is soft enough to be cut with a spoon.  Reserve until ready to serve.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium flame, add onion and garlic.  Sauté for 4 minutes until translucent.  Toss the thyme into pan along with  the mushrooms, season with salt & pepper.  Cook, stirring for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mushrooms give off their liquid.  Add the chestnuts and cook for a few minutes more until they have some nice color on them.  If desired, remove  about 1 cup of the mixture and chop it a bit more finely to save as a garnish for soup.

Pour the stock into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and purée the soup until completely smooth, using a handheld immersion or regular blender.  Stir in cream to make soup even richer, and simmer gently for 5 minutes.  Taste for salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls garnishing each serving with a bit of the reserved chopped mushrooms and chestnuts and a sprig of the fennel frond.