Feel-Better Chicken and Rice Soup with Sweet Potato - Bon Appetit

Bon Appetit's Feel-Better Chicken and Rice Soup with Sweet Potatoes

It's been cold. It's be raining. And it's time for soup!

I was down a YouTube rabbit hole recently and started watching a bunch of Bon Appetit videos. I love them - filmed in the test kitchen, these short videos have chefs with great personalities. My favorite series is Claire Saffitz making gourmet junk food like Oreos, Skittles, Instant Ramen (and bickers with Brad in the kitchen). Anyway, my second favorite is Andy Baraghani. He brings his own rice to make a Persian dish and made this delicious soup (watch the video)

Using the most basic of ingredients, you can make and serve this soup in an hour. And that's a Meyer lemon from my mom's tree.

  
There are 4 garlic cloves and 2 inches of ginger. Man, I love ginger in soup. I used two-ish chicken thighs.

One large sweet potato, with skin on, makes for a yummy change from a plain potato and the color is awesome.

Before serving, shred the chicken thighs with two forks. Super duper easy soup!

Right before serving, a couple tablespoons of lemon juice and soy sauce are added. Topped with cilantro, it's way delicious. I served this to a friend who liked it, and another friend made it and loved it. I've made it twice in 2019 and we're only at January 16 so it's hella good. I hope you make this!

Bon Appetit Feel-Better Chicken and Rice Soup

Chicken with Rice and Sweet Potato

Part of the Bon Appetit New Year's Healthyish series

Bon Appetit recipe link: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chicken-rice-soup

3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs (I used two plus a little thighs)
1/3 cup jasmine rice, rinsed (rinse until water runs clear)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2" piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
1/2 t kosher salt
2 small sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½"-thick rounds (I used one large sweet potato)
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice (I used Meyer lemon juice)
2 TBSP soy sauce
½ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large saucepan, bring chicken, rice, garlic, ginger, salt, and 5 cups water to boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered for 10-12 minutes, until chicken is firm
3. Add sweet potatoes to pan and cook over medium-low heat, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until soup is thickened and potatoes and rice are tender, 15–20 minutes longer.
4. Remove chicken and shred. Return the chicken to the pot.
5. Add lemon juice and soy sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Top soup with chopped cilantro

Makes enough for 2 large servings with leftovers.

Recipe by Andy Baraghani. Video with his amazing no-look chopping (I would be in the ER after trying that): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj2j_K8c7XE

Join Andy Baraghani in the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

Carrot Ginger Soup with Coconut Oil

Carrot Ginger Soup with Coconut Oil

Soup for you! You have to make this delicious and yet easy to make soup! It's super fast too...in 30 minutes you get soup! And it reheats nicely in the microwave so it's perfect to bring to work too. The carrots have a little sweetness, the sweet potato adds body, and the ginger gives it such good flavor.


And why is there a huge tub of Organic Coconut Oil in this mise en place? Well, the nice folks at Costco reached out to me and gave me a few items from the store. I haven't used coconut oil before so it was a treat to get this. My family has been a member of Costco since the Price Club days. There are so many things I buy at Costco - contact lenses, gasoline, tires for my car, blueberries, raspberries, that rotisserie chicken, photo center for prints, King's Hawaiian rolls, Nestle Chocolate Chips, hella oral hygiene stuff (Sonicare toothbrushes, floss and those little pick things for between your teeth...yeah, a little TMI there), paper towels, TP, dog beds for Cidney, televisions (I've bought three for my family over the years), and yes, on occasion, the famous food court's frozen yogurt, slice of pizza and a hot dog with sauerkraut (yes, ask for the sauerkraut - it's on their secret menu). I can go on and on... what are your favorite items at Costco?

I'm extra excited because my Costco is getting a bigger Costco! The Torrance Costco is always so busy - it needs more room. They are building a bigger Costco right next door to the existing one...with more parking! It will even have a car wash!

Costco's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil makes your kitchen smell very tropical when you are cooking with it. (By the way, you may read about me hatin' on the coconut, but I only hate the coconut strands and flakes because they feel like dental floss. I love coconut flavored stuff.) Coconut oil has no cholesterol and can be used in place of oils and butter. It has a low melting temperature so although it is solid, it melts really quickly in your pan. I'm excited to try some new recipes - including a cake where the coconut oil replaces butter, and coconut oil popcorn! I'll post those when I attempt them!


The Carrot Ginger soup is so easy to make, and it takes about 30 minutes total!! You just saute the shallots and ginger in coconut oil, then put in the carrots, sweet potato and water. Cook until tender and then go crazy with your immersion blender!

This recipe can be vegan if you skip the optional yogurt or sour cream topping.
~ mary

P.S. NPR's Planet Money Show (my favorite!) did a great piece on the history of Costco and membership shopping. You should listen to it - it's very interesting!

FCC Disclosure: Costco gifted me Virgin Coconut Oil. Opinions are my own. Dude, I love Costco. 

I used Young Ginger I purchase from the Torrance Farmer's Market. It comes with big stalks and you can boil the leaves to make tea (photo from 2012 on the left). Young Ginger isn't as fibrous as regular ginger, and it is much more mellow than its older sibling. I love young ginger! It's only available for a short time so I buy a bunch and freeze it. NPR wrote a piece about young ginger you might want to read...and try to find some!



Carrot Ginger Soup
Adapted from: Martha Stewart Carrot Ginger Soup
Makes 6 cups, about 8 servings

1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon or more minced ginger (I used young ginger that isn't as strong so I used a little more)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
4 cups water
Sea salt
Optional: Yogurt or sour cream

1. In a medium post, melt coconut oil and then add shallots and ginger. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes.
2. Add carrots, sweet potato, water and a 1 teaspoon sea salt.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, until the veggies are cooked and tender.
4. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. You can also use a blender to puree the soup. Add salt to taste.
5. Serve soup with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.

Spiced Sweet Potato Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing - Day #28 of I Like Big Bundts

Spiced Sweet Potato Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing 

Dude! It's Day #28 of I Like Big Bundts! The Food Librarian brings you 30 Bundts in 30 Days. National Bundt Day is right around the corner. Monday! Do you have a Bundt in the oven? (Hum...that sounds kinda personal.) Let me just say that I hope you make a Bundt to celebrate National Bundt Day!

Today I have the perfect Bundt for Thanksgiving or after Thanksgiving. Every grocery store is going to sell yams and sweet potatoes for pennies, so pick up some extra to make this yummy bundt.

Last year, I made a sweet potato bundt that used grated, raw sweet potatoes. This recipe from Bon Appetit uses cooked, mashed potatoes. Kirbie from Kirbie's Cravings suggested making this Bundt.

You need about 2 medium sized red sweet potatoes to make 2 cups. I bought some “white” and “orange” (often called a yam) sweet potatoes but ATE them instead of saving them for this recipe. I love sweet potatoes! So, this recipe ended up with one orange flesh and one white flesh.

Thanks to my friend JustJenn for making this logo!

The glaze is a slightly caramelized brown sugar topping. You boil butter, brown sugar and cream in a pot for 3 minutes. Pour over powdered sugar and whisk together. You are supposed to wait 15 minutes for it to cool off to the right consistency…but I needed to get to work so I threw it over an ice bath and kept whisking.

You should try this recipe! The cake is really good. Soft and not too sweet (my favorite). And if you have leftover yams/sweet potatoes this Thanksgiving, you have a good home for them.

If you make a Bundt for National Bundt Day, I'll send you a JustJennDesign's I Like Big Bundts button! Head over to JustJenn's site for her free shipping (ends on Sunday)! They are small and stylin'.

You will need to email me: (1) Link to your blog post (I will use one photo from your post for the round-up) or (2) One JPG photo if you don't have a blog, (3) Your name (that you want published on the blog) and title of your Bundt (4) Mailing address for the button (including your full name for mailing). You have until Monday, November 22nd to send me the information, so feel free to post on actual National Bundt Day (Nov 15th). Please don't rummage through your archives for an old Bundt, you need to bake something fresh for National Bundt Day to qualify for the button (doesn't have to be a new recipe, just something made this month please :) Your family, friends and co-workers will thank you! :)


Need Bundt recipe ideas?
I Like Big Bundts 2009 (30 different recipes listed here!)
I Like Big Bundts 2010

Whoo hoo! Two more days! Come on back tomorrow for another Bundt - mary the food librarian

Recipe:
from Bon Appetit November 2000 (on Epicurious)
Spiced Sweet-Potato Cake with Brown Sugar Icing


Notes: I added the vanilla when I added the eggs, not after the flour mixture. As I mentioned, I had one cup each of white and orange flesh color sweet potatoes.

Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt - Day #4 - I Like Big Bundts

Day 4 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes

It's Day 4 of my Bundt crusade with a Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt. And today, it's all about Paula. No, not the self-medicating former American Idol/Lakers Girl Paula, but Paula Deen.

Paula is always entertaining. I probably won't make most of her food, but I do like her sweet demeanor and I just love her sons. They are too cute, and really devoted to their mama.

Just remember:
This Bundt has VEGETABLES in it. And the walnuts? A superfood.

Just forget:

This Bundt is from Paula Deen so bring out the butter and sour cream!

Logo design: JustJenn of JustJennDesigns

Paula suggests pecans, but I used chopped walnuts in the yummy middle layer. It has brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon. The batter comes together quickly and gets layers between the Cinnamon Ripple. Easy peasy, no?

Paula has a rum glaze, but I drizzled powered sugar and milk glaze.

This is a Big Bundt. Really, did you expect anything less from Paula?! :) Make sure you are using a 12 or 14-cup Bundt pan. It is a moist cake with a fun, really sweet layer in the center. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea or just a fork.

I've been getting question about the consumption of my Bundt adventure :) I've been passing them around at my and nearby libraries, family, friends and tomorrow, a neighbor. I hope you make and share a Bundt!

See you back here tomorrow and every day from now til National Bundt Day (November 15th) for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

Recipe:
Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt from Paula Deen website, Cooking with Paula Deen, Sept/Oct 2006

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
Day 2: Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
Day 3: Pumpkin-Apple Spiced Bundt

Sweet Potato (not) Pumpkin Biscuits - Tuesdays with Dorie

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, Erin of Prudence Pennywise selected Sweet Potato Biscuits, page 26 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours. Be sure to check out Erin's blog...it is lively and fun!

I messed up and ATE my sweet potato. Yes, I ate it! I had baked some up for a Bundt and wasn't thinking when I was seduced by the fall scent of fresh yams/sweet potatoes (I forgot which ones I purchased!) and ate the remaining sweet potato.

So, I used leftover canned pumpkin instead. I made 1/4 of this recipe.

They were easy to make, but I think I should have added more sweetness to the mix. Dorie's recipe uses canned sweet potatoes, but I was going to use fresh. Since sweet potato is sweeter than pumpkin (as the name implies...hee hee), I should have added more sugar.

I didn't have a biscuit cuter and since I'm pretty square, I made them in my likeness. Yes, nerd biscuits by someone who ate her ingredient.

I'll have to try these again with the proper ingredients and cutting utensils. In the meantime, why don't you go visit some fellow Tuesdays with Dorie bakers and see how they made out?

And if you have time, visit the rest of my blog for my crazy baking adventure. I cannot lie. I Like Big Bundts and am making 30 Bundt cakes leading up to National Bundt Day, November 15th. Today, I'm posting a Sweet Potato Bundt from Paula Deen!

Recipe:
Sweet Potato Biscuits, page 26, Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.
Erin's blog of Prudence Pennywise