Soups & Salads

Contribution by the Notre Dame Parent Community

“The family remains the basic unit of society and the first school in which children learn the human, spiritual and moral values which enable them to be a beacon of goodness, integrity and justice in our communities.” -Pope Francis

Parents play an integral role in the education and development of children. We are indeed the first educators of our children. Soups and salads are often referred to as the first course of a meal, setting the tone for the flavors to come during the next courses. Soups fill your soul with comfort and warmth. A homemade soup is a labor of love. So much time is spent cutting, chopping, and prepping the ingredients, followed by hours of simmering until every ingredient comes together in palatable perfection. As parents, we spend years nurturing and nourishing our children as we prepare them for the world ahead. We are so fortunate to have our daughters attend the Academy of Notre Dame. Here, the nurturing and caring of our daughters’ spiritual and moral development continues during their Middle and Upper School education.

According to National Geographic, a salad bowl is a metaphor for cultural diversity. In this metaphor “immigrants retain their cultural identity in their new home.” A burst of flavors and nutrients from colorful vegetables, fruits, legumes, proteins and seasonings come together in the salad bowl. All these different flavors coexist together in the salad bowl. At Notre Dame, parents, students, teachers and staff, all from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, come together creating a stunning new burst of flavors.

Enjoy the recipes from the first course of Soups and Salads. Let them remind you that our first priority as parents is to nourish our daughters’ minds and spirits as they continue their journey through ND while becoming diverse citizens of the greater world community.

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Sunshine Salad

I fell in love with this salad years ago, and ever since, it has been one that I make over and over again! This salad is so easy and great for entertaining; make all the components ahead of time and assemble before your guests arrive. You can also add protein to this salad to make it more of a meal.

Ingredients:

Dressing:

• ¼ tsp garlic powder • ¼ tsp celery salt • ½ tsp tarragon • 1 tbsp dijon mustard • ¼ tsp cinnamon • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar • ½ cup olive oil • ¼ cup sugar

Salad:

• 1 head of Bibb or Boston lettuce • 1 head of Romaine lettuce • 1 bag of pre-washed baby spinach • 1 can of mandarin oranges, drained and rinsed • 1 scallion • 1 pint of strawberries, sliced • 1 pint of raspberries

Spiced Pecans:

• ½ cup of chopped pecans • 2 tbsp butter • ½ tsp ground cloves •

Contributor:

Mrs. Katie Bellopede

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Directions:

• Wash, trim and dry lettuce leaves. Rinse mandarin oranges.

Thinly slice scallion. Rinse, hull and slice strawberries. Rinse and dry raspberries. Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl, add dressing and toss lightly. • Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight-fitting lid.

Blend well. Salt and pepper to taste. • In a small sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add ground cloves to melted butter and heat until aromatic. Add chopped pecans and sauté until warm and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Once pecans are cooled, sprinkle over salad.

Soups & Salads

Classic Mexican Tortilla Soup

This authentic Mexican Tortilla Soup recipe, adapted from Rick Bayless, is the best chicken tortilla soup that I’ve ever had. Bright and acidic with smoky and spicy undertones. The trick? A flavor-packed soup base made from toasted dried chiles and fire-roasted tomatoes. Top with chopped avocado, cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, and a squeeze of lime juice and serve as a healthy main course.

Ingredients:

• 2 large dried ancho chiles (*see notes) • 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 1 large yellow onion, medium dice • 4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped • 2 quarts (8 cups) low-sodium chicken broth • 1 bunch (12 ounces) collard greens or curly kale, roughly chopped into bite-sized pieces • 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes • Kosher salt • Freshly ground black pepper • Juice from half a lime

Toppings:

• Fresh lime wedges • Tortilla chips, crushed • Freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese • Diced ripe avocado • Fresh cilantro leaves

Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 45 minutes

Soups & Salads

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Directions:

• **Using metal tongs, toast the chiles carefully over an open flame (using a gas burner–or alternatively, in a dry skillet over medium heat) until they are pliable, slightly blistered, and very fragrant. Set aside on a cutting board to cool. Cut in half, and scrape out and discard the seeds and stems. Cut the chiles into smaller pieces and place in a high-powered blender, along with the fire-roasted tomatoes and their juices. Set aside. • Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion and a large sprinkle of kosher salt. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring continuously, until fragrant. Remove from the heat. • Transfer the cooked onion and garlic mixture to the blender with the chiles and fire-roasted tomatoes. Puree the ingredients together, scraping down the blender if necessary, until the chiles have been fully integrated and the mixture is completely smooth and dark orange-red in color. • Return the empty soup pot to high heat. Once the pot is very hot, add the pureed tomato chile mixture all at once–it should sizzle immediately when it hits the pan. Continue to cook over high heat for about 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the mixture thickens and concentrates substantially. It will splutter and bubble a bit. Once ready, the mixture should be slightly darker in color and resemble the thickness of a loose tomato paste. • Add the chicken broth to the pot and combine thoroughly using a spoon or whisk. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and allow the broth to lightly simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season the broth with salt and pepper. If the broth tastes at all flat, you most likely haven’t added enough salt. • Over low heat, add the chopped greens and stir until fully incorporated. Allow the greens to cook at a low simmer for about 5-7 minutes, or until they are very tender. Add the chicken and stir to distribute. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes over very low heat, stirring once or twice, until the chicken has just cooked through (this will not take long, so watch the pot carefully to avoid overcooking it). Just before serving, add the juice of half a lime. Taste once again, seasoning with additional salt and pepper if necessary. • Serve hot and garnish with toppings (or alternatively, place desired toppings in the empty soup bowls and ladle the soup directly over them).

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Kyle’s Gumbo

Although I’m not from New Orleans, my family and I embraced all aspects of this culture. I grew up listening to the wonderful music and eating the amazing food from this unique city. To this day, the smell of this gumbo takes me back to my childhood and warms me up before I take my first bite. Watching my dad cook this is why I love cooking so much now. It’s something we both enjoy; we smile the whole time we’re in the kitchen, as long as someone else cleans!

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup vegetable oil • 1 cup flour • 1 bell pepper, chopped • 1 medium onion, chopped • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1 lb smoked kielbasa or andouille sausage • 1 tsp salt • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper • 3 bay leaves • 4-6 cups chicken broth • 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into smaller pieces (quartered) • 2 tbsp chopped parsley • 1 tbsp gumbo file powder • 1 cup chopped fresh okra • Chopped green onions, for garnish

Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 45 minutes

Directions:

• Make the roux: combine flour and oil in a large pot over low heat.

Constantly stir for 20-25 minutes until the roux is a dark chocolate color. Don’t leave it unattended, it can burn easily. • Add bell pepper, onion, garlic and salt. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. • Add sausage and stir. • Add broth to desired thickness. • Add chicken, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves. Stir and simmer 1-2 hours, the longer the better. • Stir in parsley, gumbo file or okra.

Cook another 10 minutes. Sprinkle in green onions and serve.

Contributor: Kyle Longstreth, Mrs. Alvarez’s Dad

Soups & Salads

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Ajiaco Colombiano

Ingredients:

• About 2 lbs boneless chicken breast • 3 cups potatoes, cubed • Adobo (seasoning) • 5 cups chicken broth • 1 yellow onion, chopped • 1 head of garlic, chopped • 2 carrots, chopped • 3 scallions • 1 cup corn • 2 bay leaves • 2 tsp oregano • 2 tsp onion powder • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, reserve 1tbsp for garnish • 2 tsp salt and pepper • 2 tbsp olive oil

Garnish:

• Avocado • Sour cream • 1 tbsp cilantro

Directions:

• Sauté boneless chicken breast in salt, pepper, onion powder and adobo until cooked. • Shred chicken with fork, hand or blender. • Sauté onion and garlic in a large pot with olive oil. • Blend 1 cup corn and 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth making a creamy purée, then add to pot with garlic and onion. • Cut potatoes into 1-inch cubes and add to pot. • Add another 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth to pot. • Add carrots, scallions, corn, bay leaves, oregano, cilantro, and shredded chicken to pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. • Simmer soup on low heat for about 45-60 minutes. • Garnish soup with avocado, sour cream and cilantro and serve with rice!

Contributor: Marina Ruiz ND Class of 2017

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All-American Potato Salad (kicked up a notch)

This is a slight twist on the typical American potato salad. It’s always a hit at a picnic or barbeque.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs red potatoes • 1 onion, sliced • 1 red bell pepper, sliced • 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced • 3 eggs, hard boiled • Olive oil for cooking

Dressing:

• 2 cups mayonnaise • ⅓ cup deli or Dijon mustard • ¼ cup light brown sugar • Roasted garlic (optional) • 1-2 tsp lemon juice • Hot sauce to taste (1-2 tsp)

Directions:

• Boil the potatoes until tender, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and drain. • In a separate pan, sauté the onions and peppers in olive oil. Remove from pan and cool completely. • Peel and roughly chop the eggs. • Mix all ingredients for dressing. • Roughly chop potatoes. Add potatoes and eggs to the cooled vegetables. • Mix gently with dressing. • Add salt and pepper to taste.

Contributor: Kyle Longstreth, Mrs. Alvarez’s Dad

Soups & Salads

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Entrées & Main Dishes

Contribution by the World Languages Department

Hallmark Six of the Sisters of Notre Dame calls us to “create community.”

Community is forged and strengthened at the dinner table. Over meals, conversation flows. Jokes, stories, and ideas are shared. In the process, relationships deepen. The Notre Dame World Languages Department strives to give our students the linguistic tools they need to have these conversations with people from across the globe. The entrée recipes shared in this cookbook are some of our faculty and student favorites; they represent diverse culinary traditions stemming from such places as Mexico, the American South, Italy and China. We hope they spark some exciting conversations!

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