Jens Soup Recipes

JEN'S BORSCHT WITH BEEF

Steps:

• Combine soup bones and water in a large pot; bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer for 4 hours.
• Remove soup bones and meat from pot; set aside until cool enough to handle. Skim fat from the surface of the broth. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, beets, onion, garlic, salt, paprika, and ground black pepper to the broth. Bring broth again to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 1 hour more.
• Pick meat off soup bones and add back to soup. Discard bones and fat. Stir cabbage, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste into the soup. Continue cooking at a simmer until the cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes.

JENN'S EGG FLOWER SOUP

Steps:

• Pour chicken broth into a large saucepan. Stir in salt, ginger, chives and water chestnuts.
• Bring to boil.
• Add frozen peas and carrots.
• Cook until the peas and carrots are no longer frozen.
• Reduce heat to medium.
• In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and water until smooth.
• Whisk the 3 eggs well. Drizzle egg through a fork into the broth mixture.
• If your heat is not at least at medium you will make scrambled eggs and if you do not pour through a fork it will be clumpy.
• Once the eggs have been added, stir in the cornstarch mixture gradually unitl the soup is your desired consisitency.
• I like my soup only somewhat thickened. "Dropping" the egg is easier if you have two people. One to stir the soup while the other person pours the egg through the fork into the soup.

CHEF JOHN'S JUST CORN SOUP

Steps:

• After cutting corn from kernels, scrape the cob using the dull side of the knife to collect the sweet milky liquid at the base of the kernels. Toss corn kernels to separate them and make sure no corn silk remains.
• Place half of the the kernels in a saucepan and half in the bowl of a blender. Add cold water to the blender. Blend on highest setting until completely smooth, 1 or 2 minutes. Pour mixture into saucepan containing the rest of the corn. Place pot on medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. When mixture begins to simmer, stir and reduce heat to medium-low.
• Continue to simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to lowest setting and add butter. Using an immersion blender, mix soup in several pulses until butter emulsifies into the soup and mixture comes together and looks creamy, about 30 seconds.

JEN'S PRESSURE COOKER POT ROAST

Steps:

• Season roast with salt and pepper on all sides; coat roast with flour (reserve leftover flour for gravy).
• Melt shortening in a pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Brown roast on all sides in hot shortening. Sprinkle onion soup mix over the roast. Pour in at least two cups of water; use 1 to 2 cups more if the beef is a tough cut or to reach the minimum amount recommended by the pressure cooker's manufacturer.
• Seal the lid and bring the cooker up to full pressure over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, maintaining full pressure, and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Release the pressure and test for doneness; the meat should be fork-tender. Add potatoes and onions, making sure the vegetables are submerged in the cooking liquid. (You may need to rearrange the roast on top of the vegetables or add more water.) Seal the lid and return the pressure cooker to full pressure.
• Reduce heat to low, maintaining full pressure, and cook for 10 minutes. Release the pressure; transfer meat and vegetables to a serving platter.
• To make gravy, bring the cooking liquid to a boil. Whisk reserved flour into 1/2 cup cold water; whisk the flour mixture into the boiling broth. Cook until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Serve gravy with pot roast and vegetables.