In finding this recipe, we expected a really good soup but not one of 5 star fame. In that regard, we came away very satisfied. We used spinach & cheese ravioli from Costco. We purchased two large sized butternut squash which unexpectedly produced 7 heaping cups. Given that circumstance, we added an extra onion (2 onions) and 2 leaks. Having not read the reviews beforehand, we adjusted the liquid to 1 cup white wine and 6 cups chicken broth. By dumb luck, the liquid seemed just right given the extra squash & veggies being used. We doubled the spices, used about 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger to prevent it from wasting, and added a dash of cayenne powder. After mixing in the squash, wine, broth, and seasoning, we adjusted the cooking instructions by bringing this mixture to a boil, and then simmering for 15 minutes. A 16 ounce tub of sour cream was subbed for the light cream. We would make this again.

Pretty good but over the top rich. The 3 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning made this excessively salty for our tastes, and half that amount or a bit less would have been more suitable . . . Karyn made me chuckle when cheering us on in the description to use more Old Bay. This just didn’t wow us for something so rich and high in calories. If we were to make this again, sautéed onion and celery or frozen white corn would be added even though this is not traditional by Maryland standards. Karyn821, thank you for sharing.

A creamy and very delightful soup. Made as written except as follows: subbed 3/4 lb. shrimp & 3/4 lb. sea scallops for 1 lb. shrimp, subbed seafood stock for water, doubled the red curry paste, and omitted the rice crackers and sliced basil. We did not remove the seeds from the jalapeno pepper which gave it a welcome hint of heat that was well within our tolerance zone. At this juncture, there are 4 other reviews. All but one mention adding ingredients to give more ‘heat’ to the soup (e.g., doubling the jalapenos or adding cayenne pepper). We would be comfortable with it but I can see where that may disappoint some folks, especially with children . . . taste as you go and only add more if sure you want it hotter. Another very good recipe, Chef John.

Made this as written, and it’s a very flavorful and healthy soup. Yes, you could alter a few ingredients to make it a bit healthier but you may give up on flavor. I agree with other reviewers that this is an excellent base, and can be easily customized for individual taste preferences. We will make this again.

This is an easy to make, healthy, and yummy soup. I will be making this again!

A wonderful blend of ingredients to produce an excellent tuna salad. Tweaked one thing by reducing 6 tablespoons mayo to 2 tablespoons and subbing 2 tablespoons Hidden Valley Lite Ranch dressing and adding some sweet pickle juice. We made flour tortilla wraps with romaine lettuce leaves and tuna salad. Makes for a quick and yummy lunch!!

We liked this soup and would make it again. Subbed Ro-Tel Hot Diced Tomatoes with Habaneros for the diced tomatoes w/ green chilies. Used 1 tablespoon Bill Echols Taco Seasoning from this site.

Yummy, and a great snack spread on veggies, crackers, etc. Did not have Greek olives so subbed Spanish manzanilla olives needing to be used, and that worked fine. Used a Vitamix blender to process the ingredients. Otherwise, made exactly as written. This was surprisingly a bit hotter than expected although fine for us . . . for those more sensitive to ‘heat’, you may want to first try 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper as more can be added if necessary. We will make this again!

This salad is delicious. We made two versions. We tweaked the ‘made recipe as written’ by subbing 1 tbsp Stevia in the Raw for the sugar and used fresh Italian parsley (probably closer to a tablespoon than a teaspoon). The 2nd version took the ‘made recipe as written’ and added about 1/8 teaspoon curry powder and 1/8 heaping teaspoon cayenne pepper powder. We felt the version with curry and cayenne took an already outstanding crab salad to an even higher level. While this was not tried, you might be able to cut the Hellmann’s mayo to 1/4 cup without sacrificing any taste while eliminating some fat. Rather than use crackers, we had this for lunch. We laid 3-4 romaine lettuce leaves on a 10 inch flour tortilla, spooned on the crab salad, and then wrapped them. Makes for a quick and easy lunch!! A really great recipe, Mel . . . and yes, we didn’t make enough.

Simple and delicious. Subbed Mr. Yoshida’s Original Marinade & Cooking Sauce for balsamic vinegar. Topped with mozzarella cheese.

A creamy and yummy seafood soup. We made several changes: reduced butter to 1/4 cup, subbed golden mushroom soup for cream of mushroom, subbed seafood stock for water, 24 ounces of evaporated milk for half-and-half, and used Old Bay seasoning in lieu of liquid shrimp and crab boil seasoning. We will make this again.

This is a good hearty soup, and five plus stars for nutritious. A great way to include kale which is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet. Used 1 lb. of honey gold potatoes. Hard to judge on flavor: four stars shortly after finishing this soup; close to five stars the next day. Given the flavorful array of ingredients, including fresh herbs & wine, this soup was borderline bland tasting but distinctly more flavorful after resting in fridge overnight. Briefly read a few reviews before making this soup, and resisted the temptation to add some spicy sausage as other reviewers did. If we make this again, we will add sausage and/or dried spices to give this a flavor boost unless we plan to serve it at least one day later.

A delectable rich and creamy soup. We cut the butter to 1/4 cup, upped the garlic to 3 cloves, and used a heaping 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. We used the entire 16 ounce package of frozen white corn. This worked out perfectly, and one of the better soups we’ve enjoyed from this site.

This recipe makes a fantastic stroganoff. Made exactly as written, including fresh crème fraiche per Chef John’s recipe on this site. This is easy to make and you’ll impress anyone who enjoys a great beef stroganoff. See CJ’s videos for making this dish, as well as crème fraiche, if you have any questions. You rock, Chef John.

The crème fraiche was made exactly as written, and used in conjunction with Chef John's Classic Beef Stroganoff recipe. We used pasteurized cream, and found it at Whole Foods. One cautionary note . . . pasteurized cream has a fairly short shelf life so the crème fraiche will not last long in the fridge IF any is leftover. This added a special finishing touch to the beef stroganoff and so easy to make. Thank you, Chef John.

A wonderful side dish that is simple to make. In a separate nonstick pan, sautéed 1/3 cup pine nuts until golden, about 4 minutes. Used them to garnish the roasted asparagus along with a touch of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

This crab dip is a winner. Used canned lump crab meat from Costco, about 2-1/2 cups. Also added 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded & diced and 1 teaspoon paprika. Served over warm Italian Salt & Pepper Pita Chips & crackers. You’ll luv this and so will your guests if looking for a special occasion appetizer.

An ice cream luver’s delight. Used half & half instead of milk, and reduced sugar to 3/4 cup. We’ve made this ice cream a few times. We have used pasteurized heavy cream as well as the more readily available ultra pasteurized. Since no cooking is involved in this non-custard based ice cream, the pasteurized will be fresher tasting (although having an appreciably shorter shelf life). It’s great either way but if it’s a matter of choosing one from the shelf versus the other, DON’T pick the ultra pasteurized. We found it at Whole Foods. We used Sanders Classic Carmel Dessert Topping but hope to also use Chef John’s Salted Carmel Sauce from this site. We have a Cuisinart 2 qt. ice cream maker, and doubling this recipe filled it close to the top but didn’t run over when freezing. Reviewers overwhelmingly love this ice cream, and you will too!!

The broth, with veggie/corn combination, was tasty. Used 5 cups beef broth rather than water & beef bouillon, and we think that is a difference maker. Our disappointment was the ground beef had little chewiness after being browned and simmered for 1-1/2 hours. Doing this again, we would go with a cubed cut of beef sirloin or round to get a more meaty texture or less simmering time for the hamburger. We see more potential for this soup but think it needs work.

Delicious and exceptionally creamy due to its cooked custard base. The 3/4 cup sugar was just right. I followed the recipe except for substituting 1/4 cup almond milk for 2% milk because it was on hand (how could almond milk go wrong in an almond ice cream?) and using 1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla paste rather than extract. After cooking, we placed the warm ice cream in the fridge to cool down before pouring into our ice cream maker. The only disappointment was that the finished product disappeared so quickly, and everyone was left with wanting more.