Brrr, it’s cold, Louisville. And it seems like the winter weather is here to stay.
If you’re looking for something to warm you up, here are seven soup and chili recipes, including butternut squash soup, corn chowder and white chicken chili, from the Courier Journal’s extensive archive.
Stay warm!
Butternut squash soup
Courtesy of Garage Bar, 700 E. Market St. Serves 6 to 8
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7 pounds butternut squash (1 big one or 2 small), peeled, seeded and diced
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1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
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1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
In a pot, combine onion, garlic, salt and oil. Sauté on low heat until the veggies start to turn translucent (about 3 to 5 minutes). Add water, butternut squash, thyme, crushed red pepper, bay leaf and water. Bring to a simmer. Simmer on low for about 30 minutes, until the squash is very soft (when it falls apart by pushing it with a spoon).
Remove thyme and bay leaf. Add honey and apple cider vinegar. Purée with a stick blender or tabletop blender.
Serve topped with your favorite fresh herbs and a touch of cream.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Courtesy of the now closed SET at Theatre Square. Makes 12 8-ounce portions
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2 stalks celery, large diced
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2 carrots, cut into coin shapes
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2 and 1/2 ounces chicken base
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2 boneless chicken breasts, steamed, cooled and picked
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3/4 tablespoon dried thyme
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3/4 tablespoon dried rosemary
Steam celery and carrots. In a large pot, add chicken base, water, chicken, celery and carrots. In another pot, cook the noodles al dente. Shock them in an ice bath. Add the noodles, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper to the pot. Cook half an hour on low heat, stirring frequently.
Coconut curry soup
Courtesy of the now closed Lilly’s Bistro. Serves 6 to 8
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3 14-ounce cans coconut milk
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1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
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1 avocado, peeled and diced
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1 tablespoon chopped mint
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1 tablespoon diced red pepper
Simmer together the first five ingredients for 15 minutes. Add the fish sauce. In a bowl, combine the crab, avocado, lime juice, mint, cilantro and red pepper. Top the soup with the mixture.
May be served hot or cold.
Mary’s Fresh Corn Chowder
Courtesy of the now closed Atlantic No. 5. Serves 8 to 10
A cup of Corn Chowder from Atlantic No. 5, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018 in Louisville Ky.
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4 to 6 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced
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1 quart heavy whipping cream
Shuck and de-cob the corn. Place the corn in a zip lock bag or a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use. Place the cobs in a soup pot. Cover with water and place over medium heat on the stove. Chop the onions. Refrigerate the onions. Place the onion peelings and trimmed ends in the pot with the corn cobs. Add the carrot and celery to the pot. Bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer. Cook gently for about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and cool somewhat or refrigerate overnight. Eventually, you will strain off the liquid and retain it. Discard the vegetables. You have now made vegetable broth.
Place butter in the same soup pot (you don’t have to wash it since the soup is going to be cooked in the same pot). Sauté the chopped onions in the butter until translucent and soft. Don’t allow the onions to brown. You want the soup to be very pale.
Add the potatoes to the onion and butter mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add enough of the broth to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook until the potatoes are just tender. Add the corn and heavy whipping cream. Heat gently, stirring often. The soup is ready to season and eat when it is piping hot.
Mince the rosemary and thyme. Taste and adjust to your liking. You can use more broth to thin out the soup if too thick.
Schimpff’s Confectionery chili
Courtesy of Schimpff’s Confectionery, 347 Spring St., Jeffersonville, Ind. A party-size recipe for 55 1-cup servings
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5 16-ounce cans Busch’s Best Mild Chili Beans (pinto beans in chili sauce)
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2 15-ounce cans Hunt’s tomato sauce
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2 cups Bloemer’s chili powder
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4 ounces Bloemer’s chili base
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1 pound spaghetti noodles
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2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
Peel the onion and cut into four pieces. In a food processor, process the onion into pieces that are about 1/8-inch thick. In a large skillet, brown the hamburger with the onion. Drain hamburger; return to pan with all the other ingredients except the spaghetti. Add one gallon of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Cook one hour, stirring occasionally.
While the chili is cooking, boil the spaghetti in another pot. Drain spaghetti. Add to the chili. Let simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt to taste.
Tuscan chicken soup with white beans and pasta
Courtesy of The Cafe, 731 Brent St. Makes 10 servings
Tuscan chicken soup with white beans and pasta at The Cafe in Louisville’s Paristown neighborhood.
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4 15-ounce cans Great Northern white beans
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1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
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1 cup yellow onion, diced
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1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
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1 cup fresh tomato, diced
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2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
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1 pound diced cooked chicken breasts
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1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Cook ditalini pasta in boiling salted water to al dente. Drain and set aside.
Drain and rinse beans.
Combine chicken stock, beans, granulated garlic (or garlic powder) and bay leaves in large stock pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer while you prepare the rest of the soup.
In a large skillet, heat olive olive over medium heat and, when shimmery, add onions and celery and sauté for 3-5 minutes; add fresh minced garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender.
Add tomatoes and parsley into skillet; mix thoroughly, then add to stock pot. Add chicken and herbs to stock pot and simmer 1-2 hours. Add cooked ditalini pasta and serve.
White chicken chili
Courtesy of Varanese, 2106 Frankfort Ave. Serves 12 to 16.
White chicken chili at Varanese.
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2 and 1/2 pounds chicken, cooked and diced
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1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
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2 tablespoons chili powder
In a large stockpot, add oil, garlic, onions, celery and peppers. Cook the vegetables until soft. Add chicken stock and beans. Simmer until beans are near tender. Add the meat and simmer until beans are completely tender. Add cream, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Make a roux by mixing together the butter and flour over medium heat. Whisk the roux until the chili reaches the desired consistency.
Serve with cornbread, if desired.
Reach features editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@courier-journal.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: soup, chili recipes from Louisville restaurants to try this winter