Four soup recipes

BABCHA'S BEET SOUP

Serves 8 to 10.

Note: From Paul Kaminski of Golden Valley. "This recipe is my Polish babcha's, my grandmother's," Kaminski told the crowd. "It's like a borscht. It's a freaky, almost pink color, but try it, you'll like it." Kaminski prefers to make his own stock (from beef and pork) and uses Reames Homestyle brand frozen egg noodles -- which taste like homemade -- available at most supermarkets.

• 2 quarts beef stock (see Note)

• 9 medium-size red beets, scrubbed, unpeeled and sliced

• 3 to 5 carrots, scrubbed and chopped

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley

• Several sprigs of fresh dill

• 4 eggs

• 2 pints sour cream

• 1 (16-oz.) pkg. egg noodles (see Note)

Directions

In a large pot over high heat, combine stock, beets, carrots, onion, vinegar, parsley and dill. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour. Strain and discard vegetables and herbs, reserving stock. Return stock to pot over low heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and sour cream. Slowly stir egg-sour cream mixture into stock and cook until soup slightly simmers; do not allow stock to boil.

Meanwhile, prepare egg noodles according to instructions. Stir cooked noodles into soup, season with salt and serve.

Nutrition information per serving (of 10):

Carbohydrates 36 g Saturated fat 12 g Calcium 150 mg

Protein 13 g Cholesterol 170 mg Dietary fiber 1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable, 2 bread/starch, 1 lean meat, 4 fat.

LENTIL AND SWEET POTATO SOUP

Serves 6.

• 1/2 lb. applewood-smoked slab bacon, cut into 1/2-in. pieces

• 2 c. thinly sliced carrots

• 2 c. coarsely chopped leeks

• 2 c. coarsely chopped onions

• 3/4 to 1 tsp. curry powder, or more (see Note)

• 11/2 lb. sweet potatoes

• 2 herb sachets (see Note)

• 2 c. (about 12 oz.) green lentils

• 8 c. chicken stock

• 1 to 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

• Cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions

In a large pot over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve. Remove all but 3 tablespoons bacon fat.

Add carrots, leeks, onions and curry powder to pot, stirring to coat. Season with salt, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, peel sweet potatoes, then trim and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place sweet potatoes, 1 sachet and 2 teaspoons salt in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer and cook until sweet potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain (discarding sachet) and spread sweet potatoes on a tray to cool.

Remove sachet and discard. Add vinegar to taste to soup, then add sweet potatoes and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with bacon and cilantro garnishes.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 410 Fat 14 g Sodium 480 mg

Carbohydrates 54 g Saturated fat 5 g Calcium 105 mg

Protein 22 g Cholesterol 18 mg Dietary fiber 11 g

THAI CHICKEN SOUP

Serves 4.

Note: From Chris Foss of Minneapolis, who was drawn to this recipe after a colleague was raving about it a week before the party. "She said it was the best thing around, and she's a fab cook, so I figured it should be this year's entry to the Soup or Bowl. As with most recipes, I didn't follow it to a 'T.'" One of the biggest changes: an additional 1/2 cup of coconut milk (the original recipe calls for one 15-oz. can). Green curry paste and rice noodles (also called rice sticks) can be found in the Asian section of supermarkets. Adapted from Food Network Magazine.

• 1 tbsp. butter

• 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, very thinly sliced against the grain

• 1/8 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil

• 1 onion, thinly sliced

• 2 garlic cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp. green curry paste (see Note)

• 23/4 c. (22 oz.) coconut milk (shake can before opening)

• 1 tbsp. fish sauce, plus more to taste

• 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced

• 4 oz. thin rice noodles, broken into pieces (see Note)

• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice, plus more to taste

Directions

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add chicken and sauté until cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a plate and cover.

Increase heat to high, add white wine and lemon juice and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until all of liquid is reduced, about 5 minutes, scraping brown bits from bottom of pot.

Add vegetable oil and warm. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and curry paste and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer ingredients to large pot. Add chicken broth, coconut milk and fish sauce; bring to a boil. Add bell peppers and noodles and simmer until the noodles are al dente, about 3 minutes. Add chicken (and any juices) and simmer until warmed, about 3 more minutes. Stir in lime juice. Taste, add more fish sauce and lime juice, if desired, and serve with cilantro garnish.

Calories 380 Fat 24 g Sodium 380 mg

Carbohydrates 24 g Saturated fat 18 g Calcium 34 mg

Protein 19 g Cholesterol 39 mg Dietary fiber 3 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 11/2 bread/starch, 2 lean meat, 31/2 fat.

TOMATO-ORANGE SOUP

Note: From John Sweet of Golden Valley, who encountered this soup 15 years ago at Lucia's Restaurant in Minneapolis, and immediately loved it but never saw it again. "I met Lucia [Watson, the restaurant's owner] two years ago and told her how much I loved that soup, and she looked at me like I was crazy; she had no memory of it," he told the crowd. "So I looked for a recipe, and here it is." Adapted from Elephants Delicatessen in Portland, Ore., and the Washington Post.

• 1/2 c. red onion, finely chopped

• 4 tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro leaves

• 2 small oranges (such as a Clementine), segmented and finely chopped

• 3 c. freshly squeezed orange juice, divided

• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

• 2 (28-oz.) cans diced tomatoes

• 1 tsp. freshly chopped thyme

• 2 tsp. sea salt

• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 1 c. heavy cream, plus extra for garnish

Directions

In a small bowl, combine red onion, cilantro and chopped oranges and reserve.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring 1 cup of the orange juice to a simmer and reduce to approximately 1/2 cup, stirring occasionally to avoid scalding. Remove from heat and reserve.

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and sauté until onions are translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add tomatoes (including juices), thyme, salt, pepper and baking soda. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

Return soup to pot over medium heat. Stir in reduced orange juice and remaining 2 cups fresh orange juice and cook until soup reaches a low simmer. Stir in cream and cook for 2 minutes. Serve with a drizzle of cream and a dollop of onion-orange garnish.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 375 Fat 28 g Sodium 1,285 mg

Carbohydrates 30 g Saturated fat 18 g Calcium 145 mg

Protein 4 g Cholesterol 85 mg Dietary fiber 4 g