Italian Cowboy French Onion Soup

Sandra's recipe is submitted for the Chopped Challenge Round Two Main Dish Basket including the following items:

Theme: Italian Chuckwagon

Cowboy Style Pinto Beans

Biscuits

Angel Hair Pasta

Prosciutto

BONUS ITEM: Peperoncini Sotto Aceto

First, I was a customer of The Six O'Clock Scramble, and then I became friends with Aviva Goldfarb, the owner. Eventually I became a recipe tester. And that’s just what I was doing on a recent Saturday night. As I read through Aviva’s recipe, I knew two things. I knew the recipe would be a hit (it was) and I knew I could change a few things around to make it into a soup I could use for Linda Mire’s Chopped Challenge for 37 Cooks, which is exactly what I did. Both recipes are delicious. If you want to, you can omit the beans, bread, cheese, and pasta in these soups and you will have yourself a very flavorful, very low-calorie vegetable soup to keep in the refrigerator to use as a quick snack. You can always add the omitted ingredients back to turn your snack time soup into a meal.

Enjoy these two soup recipes!

Italian Ribollita Soup

from The Six O'Clock Scramble

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling, if desired

1/2 red onion, finely chopped (1 cup)

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic, about 3 cloves

2 Tablespoons flat-leaf Italian parsley, minced

28 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes, with their liquid

14.5 ounces cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups Italian bread, preferably stale, or use whole wheat or whatever you have, chopped or torn

4 cups fresh spinach or stemmed and chopped kale

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the oil, and when it is hot, add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic and parsley and sauté the mixture until the onions start to brown.

Add the tomatoes, beans, zucchini, salt, and 2 cups water, or enough to just cover the vegetables. Cover, bring to a boil, uncover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bread and spinach, and continue to cook, partially covered, for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally so the bread doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Serve immediately, topped with the cheese, if desired, or refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.

Scramble Flavor Booster: Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes with the garlic; serve with freshly ground black pepper or hot pepper sauce.

Italian Cowboy French Onion Soup

by Sandra Simmons

adapted from the soup listed above

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 red onion, finely chopped (1 cup)

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic, about 3 cloves

2 Tablespoons flat-leaf Italian parsley, minced

28 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes, with their liquid

14.5 ounces Ranch Style beans, drained and rinsed

1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups fresh spinach

Angel Hair pasta, cooked and drained (optional)

4 biscuits, cut in half lengthwise
fresh mozzarella, sliced

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, for serving
fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the oil, and when it is hot, add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic and parsley and sauté the mixture until the onions start to brown.

Add the tomatoes, beans, zucchini, salt, and 2 cups water, or enough to just cover the vegetables. Cover, bring to a boil, uncover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the spinach, and continue to cook, partially covered, for 10 more minutes. Add the cooked pasta (optional) and remove from the heat.

Preheat the broiler. Place heatproof individual serving size bowls on a rimmed baking sheet. Add the soup to each bowl. Add one-half biscuit to each bowl and top with enough slices of fresh mozzarella to completely cover the top of the soup and the biscuit. Put under the broiler until the cheese is melted and a little browned in spots, 5-7 minutes. Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan and a little chiffonade of basil.