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Thursday, December 13, 2012

Hot Wing Soup

In the time that I have been a food blogger, I have learned that some recipes just aren't meant to be adapted.  Some recipes are just perfect the way they are.  Or in this case, sometimes the amount of the ingredients are perfect just the way they are.  Let me explain:

I'm pretty sure I've talked about the fact that Chris is very sensitive to textures. So, when I saw this recipe that Chris at Nibble Me posted (and what a genius idea by the way), I was a bit hesitant to make it.  Why, you ask?  Because the thickening ingredient in this soup is bread.  Yep, as strange as it might sound to some of you, it's true.  I convinced myself that I could keep Chris from finding out and he'd eat the soup and love it.  While at the store that day, I needed to pick up extra bread just for this soup, so while standing next to the bread in the bakery department, I blurt out .. "well, I need one loaf to use in the soup".  I immediately realized what I had said and wished more than anything to be able to take it back.  Chris gives me a puzzled look and says.. "bread IN the soup?"  The puzzled look turns to disgust and now I know I'm in trouble.  By the time we got home, I had once again convinced myself I was still going to make this soup, I would just use less bread, that way it wouldn't be so obvious and Chris would hopefully eat it.  Well, I'm hear to say, even slimming the amount of bread down by a cup changed the whole entire thing. Oh sure, the flavors were still there, but the consistency was not and that is what I was looking for - something a little thicker, heartier... something with substance!

In the end, the flavor was so kick-ass that Chris agreed to let me try and make the soup as it should have been made.......    neither of us were disappointed this time!

Hot Wing Soup
Slightly adapted from Chris at Nibble Me This
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
5 cups Italian bread cubes, no crust
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
1/4 cup finely diced celery
salt
1/2 Tablespoon paprika
4 cups chicken broth
12 oz beer (Chris used dark beer, I used a light beer)
2 Tablespoons hot sauce (I used Frank's - but be careful, this adds a lot of heat to the soup)
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (because I'm not a huge fan of blue cheese)
**Garnish:  chicken wing meat, celery leaves, goat cheese or blue cheese crumbles

Directions:
Preheat a heavy bottom stock pan or Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add 3 Tablespoons of butter.  Once butter is bubbling hot, add the bread cubes and quickly toss to coat evenly.  Season with a bit of salt and pepper and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 5-7 minutes.  Remove from pan.

Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the now empty pot.  Saute the celery and carrot until tender, about 8 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken broth, beer, paprika, hot sauce, goat cheese and the croutons you just made.  Bring to a simmer and cook until the bread begins to bread apart - about 5-6 minutes.  Use an immersion blender to blend to a smooth consistency.  Bring soup back to a simmer for 3 more minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.  Garnish with chicken wing meat, more goat cheese, and celery leaves if desired.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Creamy White Chicken Chili
Two Years Ago:  Every Chip Cookie

17 comments:

Unknown said...

so funny!... firstly the soup looks fabulous and if the ingredients are anything to go by then it's sure to taste amazing... secondly, it is so funny about texture... The Viking cannot abide anything that has an odd texture which is why I think he didn't really like much seafood before he became a veggie... they're simply children these men of ours...

Yenta Mary said...

Oh, the picky ones ... oy! Sometimes you're accommodating; sometimes you just want to make it, serve it, let them taste it with no preconceived notions! This is inspired ... :)

StephenC said...

I can see Chris standing next to you at the market, his texture radar turned on. The talk bubble would say, "I can tell Jenn is planning to pull the bread over my head." There are many of us out here who will eat his portion of anything you make.

Cranberry Morning said...

If I were not avoiding gluten, I would definitely make this recipe! Sounds delicious, and gluten-free bread would just not cut it.

Funny how some people have an aversion to texture, isn't it, for I love texture! lol

Debra Hawkins said...

My husband loves wings so much, I think he would love the flavors in this soup.
My husband's best friend won't eat anything with cream cheese, sour cream, olives, tomatoes or cream of anything in it. I have stopped telling him what is in things until he tries it. :)

Andrea the Kitchen Witch said...

Yum this sounds good! It's soups like this that make me really want an immersion blender. :)

Jean | Delightful Repast said...

Oh Jenn, I've got one of those tiresomely-funny-about-textures kind of husbands, too! I can just see his look of disgust there in the bread aisle! Anyway, looks like great minds think alike - I've been on a soup kick this week myself.

Big Dude said...

In the time I've been an engineer, I've believed recipes were meant to be followed exactly and only since reading how you real cooks do it have I been willing to consider adapting one - it's hard to undo years of training, but I'm getting there.:-)

Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) said...

I'm so glad the story had a happy ending and everyone liked the soup. It sounds very interesting. I'm bookmarking to try in the future.

Mary Bergfeld said...

All's well that ends well! The soup sounds scrumptious and I'd love to try a bowl of it. I'm glad to hear that everyone was happy. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

Angie's Recipes said...

A beer soup...how interesting! Bet it's very delicious!

Pam said...

I was eyeing that recipe too... it looks like I need to make it!

Knatolee said...

What a great idea! I grew up in Toronto, which of course is about two hours from Buffalo, home of the infamous wings. I would love to taste those flavours in a soup!

Georgia | The Comfort of Cooking said...

This looks so delicious, Jenn! My husband and I would both go nuts for this soup. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!

Chris said...

That is the funniest thing I have read all day. Glad you tried it again!

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness it sounds wonderful - all that beer and hot sauce and blue cheese - yes please!
mary x

HB said...

Ah! Chicken wing soup. It looks delicious jenn.

I've used all kinds of crazy things to thicken soups, from crackers and cheese to tablespoons of raw flour so bread doesn't scare me!
Besides, we put bread in French onion soup and it's delicious, albeit it is left intact.

Xx