Submitted by Vaiano Trattoria
7160 Douglas Boulevard, Granite Bay, 916-780-0888, vaianotrattoria.com

•    4 tbsp. olive oil
•    1 yellow onion, chopped
•    3-4 stalks celery, chopped
•    2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
•    ½ head green cabbage, cut into ½” pieces
•    2 zucchini, chopped
•    1 can cannellini beans (or other bean of choice)
•    3-4 potatoes, chopped small
•    1-2 bunches leafy greens (green chard); or 4-6 cups pre-chopped spinach, chard, or kale mix
•    3-4 cups vegetable stock
•    Salt & pepper, to taste

In a medium-large stockpot, sauté onions, celery, and carrots with olive oil. Once simmering, add cabbage, zucchini, beans, potatoes, and leafy greens. Add vegetable stock, followed by salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Adjust seasoning.  

CHEF’S NOTE: This vegan minestrone is one of the easiest, most forgiving soups to make (you can use any veggies you have on hand); the hardest, most time-consuming part is cutting the vegetables!

Submitted by Placerville Public House
305 Main Street, Placerville, 530-303-3792, placervillepublichouse.com

•    2 tbsp. olive oil
•    1-2 yellow onions, small dice
•    4-6 stalks celery, small dice
•    3-4 carrots, peeled and small dice
•    6-8 beer brats, sliced
•    2 tbsp. garlic, minced
•    2 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
•    1 tbsp. fresh thyme
•    2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
•    12 oz. beer (hoppy not bitter)
•    1-2 lbs. mushrooms, sliced or rough chop
•    4 quarts beef stock
•    2 bay leaves
•    1 ½ cups pearl barley
•    Salt & pepper, to taste

Sauté onions, celery, and carrots in oil until soft and translucent. Add brats, garlic, and herbs and sauté for 2-4 minutes. Add flour to absorb the oil and beer to deglaze the pan; simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook 2-4 minutes, followed by stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then add barley. Cook until barley is soft (about 30-45 minutes) and remove bay leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste.

CHEF’S NOTE: This soup can be made into a vegetarian Hop ’N‘ Mushroom soup by omitting the brats, adding more mushrooms, and using vegetable stock.

Submitted by My Thai Kitchen
1465 Eureka Road, Suite 140, Roseville, 916-781-7811, eatatmythaikitchen.com

•    1 can (about 2 cups) coconut milk (we recommend the brand Mae Ploy)
•    1 cup water
•    1/3 cup tamarind paste
•    3 tbsp. lime juice (about 2 limes)
•    ½ cup white sugar
•    1 ½ tbsp. salt
•    ½ cup fresh galangal, sliced thin
•    ½ cup lemongrass, sliced into 1” pieces
•    6-7 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half or 2-3 pieces
•    1 medium-sized chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
•    5 oz. white mushrooms, cut in half
•    1 small yellow onion, sliced thin
•    2 green onions, sliced thin, to garnish
•    Fresh torn cilantro, to garnish

In a medium pot, heat coconut milk, water, tamarind paste, lime juice, sugar, salt, galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves; once boiling, add chicken, mushrooms, and onions. Cook for 6-7 minutes, or until chicken is done. Garnish with green onions and cilantro.

CHEF’S NOTE: In Thai, “tom” is boil, “kha” is galangal, and “gai” is chicken, so tom kha gai literally translates to “boiled galangal chicken”; to make the soup vegetarian, substitute the chicken with tofu or add more veggies.

Recipe from Rocker Oysterfeller’s
564 Main Street, Placerville, 530-295-9408, rockeroysterfellers.com

•    ½ cup chicken fat or neutral oil + 2 tbsp. neutral oil
•    1 cup all-purpose (or gluten-free) flour
•    3 stalks celery, small dice
•    1 yellow onion, small dice
•    6 green bell peppers, small dice
•    1 ½ tbsp. garlic, chopped
•    1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
•    1 tsp. sweet paprika
•    ½ tsp. celery seed
•    1 tsp. dried thyme
•    1 tsp. ground coriander
•    1 ½ tsp. dried oregano
•    ¼ tsp. cayenne
•    ¼ tsp. ground cloves
•    ¼ cup white wine
•    2 quarts chicken stock
•    1 bay leaf
•    ½ bunch fresh thyme
•    2 lbs. boneless/skinless chicken thighs
•    2 Andouille sausage, cut into 8-10 pieces (per sausage)
•    2 cups okra, cut into ¼” rounds
•    2 tbsp. Louisiana-style hot sauce
•    1 ½ tbsp. kosher salt

Melt the fat/oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add flour and stir constantly, allowing the flour to toast until it’s dark brown but not burnt. Immediately add celery, onions, and bell peppers; stir frequently for 4-5 minutes, making sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Add garlic and spices; stir for another minute. Add white wine, followed by the chicken stock (1 cup at a time to avoid clumps of flour). Bundle the fresh thyme and bay leaf tightly together with kitchen twine and add to the pot. Bring mixture to a simmer and then reduce heat to low, maintaining a slow simmer and not a fast boil. Immerse chicken thighs into the liquid and simmer for 30 minutes.  

Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil, and cook sausage until caramelized on all sides. Remove sausage from pan using a slotted spoon, allowing the oil to drain off.

Break up the chicken thighs with the back of a spoon (or remove from the gumbo, shred, and return to pot). Add the cooked sausage, okra, hot sauce, and salt. Simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning; serve over steamed long-grain rice.

CHEF’S NOTE: Gumbo is best eaten a day later, after the flavors have melded together.