75 Delicious Low-Carb Recipes You Can Make In Under An Hour

Condensed Cream Of Mushroom Soup Makes The Best Green Bean Casserole

Green bean casserole, like Christmas, typically comes but once a year, although it generally makes its appearance on the Thanksgiving table instead where it's ... Well, not exactly everyone's favorite. In fact, quite a few people feel that it's the worst Thanksgiving side. Still, there are many who do enjoy it, whether for tradition's sake or because they genuinely enjoy verdant legumes cooked in soup. It could also be that they only really like the crunchy fried onions on top -- us too, though we typically just pick them off and eat them sans casserole.

Recipe developer Laura Sampson, who is a fan of green bean casserole, makes the stuff in a slow cooker because, as she says, "I always run out of oven room on Thanksgiving." Her casserole calls for condensed cream of mushroom soup, as many such recipes do. While her choice is Campbell's, she gives the okay to use a generic or another brand, although she does point out that the soup used needs to be condensed instead of a ready-to-eat variety. As she notes, "You're thinning it down with milk." So an un-condensed soup, she says, "would be a different consistency" and your casserole might wind up being a mushy mess. If all you have on hand is mushroom soup of the soupy variety, though, you can still use it as long as you reduce or omit the evaporated milk. All in all, you'll need just two cups of liquid for the casserole.

Read more: 16 Little-Known Facts About Salt

ingredients for green bean casserole - Laura Sampson/Mashed

Okay, so we all understand the importance of maintaining the proper consistency when it comes to swapping out ingredients, but sometimes such substitutions are necessary or at least desirable. Not everyone is a fan of store-bought soup, after all, since it may contain a bunch of dubious ingredients -- Campbell's brand of cream of mushroom soup, for example, is made with soy protein isolate, monosodium glutamate, and "modified milk ingredients," whatever those may be.

If you'd rather have a cream of mushroom soup substitute with recognizable ingredients, you can always DIY one by combining one part each of butter and flour and two parts each of broth and milk. White sauce is another alternative (in fact, that's pretty much what we've described above, with the addition of broth), as are sour cream and cream cheese. As an FYI, the contents of a 10.5-ounce can measure approximately 1 ⅓ cup.

While none of these substitutes are mushroom flavored, you can always stir in some mushrooms along with the beans if you feel they're an integral part of the casserole. Cream of mushroom soup itself isn't all that mushroom-heavy, though, so there's a chance you won't feel the fungi's absence too deeply. Instead, just throw on an extra handful of crunchy onions and call it good.

Read the original article on Mashed.

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Transform Asian Kitchen Staples Into An Umami-packed Vegetarian Soup

This image released by Milk Street shows a recipe for Miso, Shiitake Mushroom and Kimchi Soup. Credit: AP

It's a common misconception that the best soups require long ingredient lists and hours of simmering. In fact, just a handful of high-flavor items can be transformed into an umami-bomb of a soup in just 45 minutes. In this recipe from our book "Cook What You Have," we get the job done thanks to just a few high-impact Asian pantry staples. The soup has three sources of umami — mushrooms, miso and kimchi. Dried shiitake mushrooms contribute to the soup in two ways. Rehydrating them in hot water renders them soft and supple while infusing the soaking water with flavor. We slice and sauté the mushroom caps until browned, along with fresh ginger and garlic. We also mix the mushroom-infused water with store-bought chicken or vegetable broth to give it a deep, earthy note.

Meanwhile, white miso adds gentle richness and a mellow, nutty sweetness, and kimchi brings a funkier fermented flavor, sharp acidity and a gentle heat.

Be sure to scrape up any browned bits when you add the broth to the mushrooms — browning equals flavor, and you don't want to leave any stuck to the pan. Use low-sodium broth, as miso and kimchi can be quite salty.

If you like, you can make the soup more substantial by stirring in cooked shredded chicken near the end of simmering, or keep things vegetarian. Finish with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, and garnish with freshly sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

MISO, SHIITAKE MUSHROOM AND KIMCHI SOUP Start to finish: 45 minutes

Servings: 4 1 ounce (12 to 14 medium) dried shiitake mushrooms

2 cups boiling water

This image released by Milk Street shows a recipe for Miso, Shiitake Mushroom and Kimchi Soup. Credit: AP

2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 quart low-sodium chicken broth OR vegetable broth

¼ cup white miso

1 cup cabbage kimchi, roughly chopped

4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Toasted sesame oil, to serve In a small bowl, combine the mushrooms and boiling water. Cover and let stand until the mushrooms are fully hydrated, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms; reserve the water. Trim off and discard the mushroom stems and thinly slice the caps.

In a large saucepan over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the broth, the mushroom liquid and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits, then cover, reduce to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, about 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the miso and ¼ cup of the hot broth until the miso is dissolved. Stir the miso mixture and kimchi into the broth. Return the soup to a simmer over medium-high, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat. Serve sprinkled with the scallions and drizzled with sesame oil.

Optional garnish: Soft- or hard-cooked eggs, halved OR toasted sesame seeds OR both

EDITOR'S NOTE: For more weeknight-friendly recipes, go to Christopher Kimball's Milk Street at 177milkstreet.Com/ap.

'Soup'-er Soups: Fountain Of Juice's Flavorful Chicken Tortilla Soup Tastes Great - And Is Good For You

Locals say the soup is one of the best around - and it certainly lives up to its reputation.

MACON, Ga. — February's cold temperatures have us searching for comfort foods.

What's better than a hot bowl of soup?

If you want to try some "soup"-er soups in central Georgia, one chicken tortilla soup is making Maconites smile.

Fountain of Juice serves up homemade food daily, and has been serving Macon since 2007. Locals say their chicken tortilla soup is one of the best around - and it certainly lives up to its reputation.

It's packed with flavor -  topped with avocado slices and a lime, and served with a fluffy, flakey jalapeno cornbread muffin.

Whether a cup or a bowl,  the soup is a favorite at the popular North Macon lunch spot.

Owner Natasha Phillips says their customers inspire them to keep Fountain of Juice running.

"We definitely have a following, and that's why we're here. We, you know, couldn't do it without our customers, we appreciate and love them so much and it's what makes us get up everyday and keep going," she said. 

She says she has always been a foodie, and she loves to make dishes that make people smile.

"We love good food, I come from a family of foodies and Italian heritage and its all about the food in Italy...And the same applies here. Its the way I was brought up, and when we started Fountain of Juice we were missing this niche, you know, the healthier alternatives and all natural alternatives," said Phillips. 

She said they grew from a once 500 square foot operation into a 4500 square foot empire. People clearly love the all natural approach, and folks flocked in during my time at the restaurant. The pickup line for online orders was soon out the door. 

Lots of folks got soup to go, and the chicken tortilla was a popular hit. 

But the chicken tortilla isn't the only thing on the menu - the restaurant serves up a variety of different options every day. 

"The chicken and wild rice soup is super popular, the turkey chili - we literally have a following for that, we make it every single Friday, vegetable soup...We always run two soups in the wintertime and we have vegetable soup every day. Cream of mushroom, classic chicken and noodle, broccoli cheddar, we do it all," said Phillips. 

If you want to try some of the soup selection for yourself, you can find Fountain of Juice on Forsyth road in Macon across from the Museum of Art and Sciences.

They are open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.M. To 8:30 p.M. 

Don't forget! If you want more soup content, stay tuned each Tuesday this month for more "soup"-er soup suggestions!

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