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Benihana Onion Soup

Benihana Onion Soup from www.jasonscooking.com

Benihana Onion Soup from www.jasonscooking.com

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Until I met Michael, I had never been to a Japanese Steak House. By the time I realized that I’d never been to a Japanese steak house, I was probably 18 or 19 and I decided to never go to one and that would be an interesting thing about me. Many people were incredulous when I told them and they would invariably tell me that I should go and that I would like it. “Nah,” I would reply and that would be that.

Benihana Mike
Michael, his sister, and his brother-in-law celebrating birthdays at Benihana.

Then I met Michael…who LOVES Benihana. Specifically he loves the shrimp, the chicken fried rice, and the ginger dressing. Couple that with the fact that Benihana was the place that his family went when celebrating things and my days of “I’ve never been to Benihana” were over.

My first Benihana experience was before we went to a pottery painting place that I liked called Wired and Fired. It was a Something I Like + Something You Like evening. The food was fine (maybe a bit bland) and the show was entertaining and just like that I lost my status of Guy Who Had Never Been to a Japanese Steak House.

While the whole Thing isn’t my tokkuri of sake, I do like the sushi and the Onion soup is delicious! That brings us to today’s post (finally). Benihana Onion Soup is a pretty straightforward dish and a great example of less is more. You can whip up a batch really quickly and get more without feeling like a weirdo in the restaurant. It’s a light and simple soup that goes with pretty much anything.

The RecipeRecipe
Benihana Onion Soup
 
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Recipe type: Soup
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 3 Tbs Chicken Base (buy it near the bullion)
  • 8 Cups Water
  • 1 White Mushroom, Sliced very thinly
  • 4 Tbs French Fried Onions
  • 2 Green Onions, Sliced
Instructions
  1. Boil the water and chicken base in a medium pot over medium high heat for 30 minutes.
  2. Divide the French fried onions, the green onions, mushrooms and stock evenly between 4 serving bowls and serve immediately.
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

For chickenier flavor, substitute chicken stock for up to half of the water.

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

Use frozen chicken stock to whip up a batch of Benihana Onion Soup whenever you want one.

Fun FactsFun Facts

Gwen will eat chicken stock so this fits into the theme for the week. If you are a vegetarian who doesn’t each chicken stock, never fear. Better than Bullion makes No Chicken base too!

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Featured Main Dishes Michael's Favorites Recipes

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup from www.jasonscooking.com

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup from www.jasonscooking.com

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We just got back from Frozen Summer Fun LIVE! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (MGM) and it was great! Orlando is anything but frozen in the dead of summer so we went from hot to cold to hot to cold a lot over the weekend. As a result of this, Michael got sick almost immediately upon returning home. I think his sickness was caused by an abrupt separation from Walt Disney World but whatever…

Everyone knows that chicken soup is not only good for soothing a sore throat, but it’s also good for curing all kinds of ailments. With that in mind, I decided to pull out the soup pot a bit early this year and make a big batch of soup to put him on the road to recovery. Normally I would have saved this post for a little later in the fall but needs must when the devil drives.

Also – just the mention of Elsa’s name elicits screams and cheers from a large gathering of people. Anna gets polite applause but Elsa gets Michael-Jackson-in-the-80’s screams. Well played Disney. Well played indeed.

The RecipeRecipe
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
 
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Recipe type: Mains
Serves: 6 - 8
Ingredients
  • 2 tsp Olive Oil
  • 1 Onion, Diced
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 4 – 5 Ribs Celery, Chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 4 – 5 Carrots, Peeled and Chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 1 Stick Butter
  • ½ Cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1 lb Cooked Chicken Meat, Shredded (1 whole roasted chicken or 4 breasts)
  • 6 Cups Chicken Stock, divided
  • ½ Cup Half and Half (optional)
  • 4.5 oz Package of Wild Rice with Seasoning
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the onions, salt and pepper and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 - 3 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, and carrots and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Add the butter and cook until it melts completely. Once the butter has melted, pour in the flour and mix well. Cook for about 3 – 4 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste.
  4. Add the chicken, 6 cups of stock, and half and half to the pot and bring just to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 – 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the carrots start to soften.
  5. Add the Wild Rice with seasoning and cook for another 20 – 25 minutes until the rice has softened.
  6. Add salt and pepper to taste if needed.
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

If your soup is too thick when you’re ready to dig in, add some more stock. Similarly, add stock or water when reheating to get to your desired consistency.

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

Soups like this freeze beautifully in a zip-top bag. To reheat, simply put the frozen soup in a pot and slowly cook until it gets hot. Make sure you stir and flip the ice block frequently so that it doesn’t stick to the pot.

Fun FactsFun Facts

The classic combination of chopped onions, celery and carrots is called a mirepoix and is the jumping-off point for many soups and stews.

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Featured Jason's Favorites Main Dishes Michael's Favorites Recipes

Loaded Potato Soup

Loaded Potato Soup

Loaded Potato Soup

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I love potato soup but I always seem to miss potato soup day at restaurants. I decided that would not stand so I that I needed to make my own. This loaded potato soup recipe is filled with bacon and cheese and sour cream and is essentially mashed potatoes turned into soup. What’s not to like?!?

It’s almost August in Georgia so the last thing anyone is thinking of is hot potato soup. Normally I would wait until the fall to post this but my friends are having twins in a couple of months and I’m making this to feed their freezer for when the babies arrive. This is one of my favorite recipes and is the first thing I made for Michael – it’s also the first recipe of mine that I ever wrote down. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

The RecipeRecipe
Loaded Potato Soup
 
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Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4 - 6
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbs Olive Oil
  • 1 Medium Sized Leek (about 2 cups sliced)
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
  • ¾ tsp Salt, Divided
  • ½ tsp Cracked Black Pepper
  • 3 ½ lbs Baking Potatoes, Peeled and Cubed
  • 5 ½ Cups Chicken Stock
  • 4 Tbs Butter
  • 1 ½ oz Shredded Parmesan Cheese
  • ¾ Cup Sour Cream
  • 1 ½ Cups Buttermilk
  • 4 Pieces of Bacon, Cooked Crisp and Crumbled
  • 4 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
  • 2 Green Onions, Sliced Thin
Instructions
  1. Cut the leek down the center and wash each layer under running water and thinly slice into small pieces.
  2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, garlic 2 pinches of salt, black pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until they are bright green – about 2 – 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir to combine.
  3. Add the chicken stock, butter, and remaining salt to the pot. Cover and cook until the potatoes are soft.
  4. When the potatoes are soft, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the work bowl of a stand mixer. Do not discard the liquid.
  5. Turn the mixer on low to begin to smash the potatoes. Add the parmesan cheese and sour cream and mix thoroughly. You should have creamy potatoes.
  6. While the mixer is running, slowly add the buttermilk until it’s all combined. You should now have runny potatoes.
  7. Pour the potato mixture back into the pot with the reserved cooking liquid and mix thoroughly. You now have potato soup! If you want to thin it out more, add some chicken stock.
  8. Serve with a sprinkling of bacon, a bit of shredded cheese, and a smattering of green onion.
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a hand mixer or a hand-held potato masher. If you don’t have a potato masher, you should grab one at the grocery store while you’re shopping for ingredients.

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

This soup freezes really well (see the background comments above). Simply thaw and reheat in a pot over medium heat. If the soup gets too thick, add chicken stock to thin it out.

Fun FactsFun Facts

If you serve this soup cold, you have something very similar to vichyssoise. It’s better hot with cheese and bacon though!