IPA Leek Onion Soup

georgehirsch September 9, 2025

The Addition of a good craft beer to this classic recipe adds another dimension of flavor, which complements the caramelized leeks and onions. My favorite, an IPA or dark beer, is better, but you can use your favorite brew.

IPA Leek Onion Soup

Makes 4 servings

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4 cups leeks, white and green, split-washed and chopped

2 cups sweet onion, sliced

2 large shallots, chopped

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup craft-brewed IPA beer

2 quarts or 8 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

4 shredded slices of Gruyere cheese or good Swiss cheese

*4 large sourdough bread slices.

Preheat a soup pot to low-medium temperature.

Add olive oil, leeks, onion, and shallots. Add salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add beer and simmer for 2 minutes. Add broth and hot sauce, cover, and bring to a boil. Remove cover, stir, cover again, and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, make cheese toast.

Top 4 pieces of bread with cheese and toast like a crouton in a hot oven, or broil for 2 minutes or until cheese melts and is slightly browned.

To serve, fill 4 bowls with soup and top with cheese toast.

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Summer Corn Chowder

George Hirsch August 21, 2025

When the corn is fresh, it's time for chowder. Make magic with the goodness from the earth, simply with corn and potatoes.

One of my most often requested soup recipes, especially during summer when the farms are abundant with fresh, candy-like corn and our famous Long Island East End Yukon Potatoes.

It is known that eastern Long Island has some of the best soil for farming in the world. Off the record, I have had some farmers tell me - that farmers in other regions are envious of the rich, well-drained earth here on the East End. Adding the pancetta and chicken adds flavor and protein for a hearty meal, or omit it for a lighter, warm-weather soup.

Summer Corn Chowder

Makes four to six servings

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1 Tablespoon olive oil

Optional: 4 Tablespoons pancetta or bacon, chopped

3/4 cup chopped sweet onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

Optional: 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped carrot, chopped

1/2 cup chopped celery, chopped

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

2 cups corn (about 4 ears), fresh cut from the cob, or leftover grilled corn

1 cup Yukon potatoes, well-scrubbed skin left on, chopped 1/4 inch pieces

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

pinch of sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup half-and-half

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, or one sprig fresh thyme

Preheat a soup pot to medium temperature. Add olive oil and pancetta, and cook until light brown. Add onion, garlic, and chicken and cook until lightly colored.

Add carrot and celery, and cook for three to four minutes. Add flour, cook for two minutes, and slowly add chicken broth. Bring soup to a boil, and add corn, potatoes, thyme, hot sauce, and bay leaf. Simmer the soup for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat half-and-half, add sea salt and pepper to the soup, and top with fresh chopped parsley or fresh thyme.

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Sausage Campagnola, an Old World Tradition

georgehirsch August 11, 2025

Cooler nights and a bounty from the garden. Campagnola, an italin style hearty country dish fitting for this time of year.

The old world tradition of sausage and vegetables makes this rustic country dish ideal for cooking on the grill or stovetop. Cook it today and it will taste even better tomorrow.

Note: With this country-style dish, you can add seasonal and readily available vegetables such as mushrooms, zucchini, and peeled carrots.

Sausage Campagnola

Makes 4-6 servings

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2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 pound Italian Ring Sausage or 4 links

½ sweet onion, chopped

6 cloves of garlic

1 red bell pepper, cut into small strips

2 small Yukon potatoes, sliced thin

¼ cup dry white wine

pinch red pepper flakes

3 Tablespoons Fresh Basil, torn

¼ cup pecorino Romano cheese

Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Add olive oil and sausage and cook until the sausage has browned. Add onion, garlic, red bell, and Yukon potatoes and cook on low to medium heat until soft and a rich golden color and fully cooked.

Add Kale, red pepper flakes, fresh ground black pepper, and wine, cook 4-5 minutes.

Serve topped with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

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Seafood Chowder, as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch June 16, 2025

My inspiration for this chowder is living so close to the water with an abundance of fresh seafood to choose from. The nice part of this recipe is its versatility. The first part of the chowder is a rich tomato broth base, and the second part is adaptable, allowing you to swap out any of the seafood based on seasonal availability and your own personal preference.

Is it soup or stew? Early versions of chowder originated from the New England area: a frugal recipe consisting of pork fat, onions, potatoes, fish, herbs, and dry biscuits or flour for thickening. The ingredients were layered in a pot and cooked in water, with a bit of milk added at the end. In the 1800s, Manhattan clam chowder was notable for containing tomatoes. Manhattan clam chowder has been described as "that rather horrendous soup resembling a vegetable soup that accidentally had some clams dumped into it." All respect, Mr. Beard, but those are fighting words. As a New Yorker and from coastal Long Island, an East Ender, we take our chowder VERY seriously.

Tomato-based clam chowders emerged with the newfound popularity of the tomato in the mid-1800s, particularly in the New York and Rhode Island regions, where large populations of Italians and Portuguese were established. In 1939, Maine legislators introduced a bill outlawing tomatoes in chowder because it is far more of a vegetable soup. What?

Manhattan Style Seafood Chowder, "Hee-ah er wicked good CHOWDAH"!

Makes 6-8 servings

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1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped

1/4 cup fennel, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup carrots, chopped

2 cups Yukon potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 1/2 pieces

2 cups fresh plum tomatoes, deseeded and chopped or 1 (28 ounce can of chopped San Marzano tomatoes)

2 cups vegetable or fish broth

1 teaspoon dried basil

For the seafood:

1 dozen fresh littleneck clams

1/2 pound fresh cod, cut into one-inch pieces

1/4 pound calamari, cleaned and cut into thin rings

1 pound mussels, cleaned

a few leaves of fresh flat-leaf parsley, basil, and oregano

fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat a large soup pot to medium temperature. Add olive oil, onions, fennel, carrots, and garlic, and cook until tender. Add tomatoes, broth, potatoes, and dried basil. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer for 10 minutes. Add clams and cod fish and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Add fresh basil, parsley, and mussels, and cook for 3-5 minutes or until mussels open.

Add fresh ground black pepper to taste & serve immediately.

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George’s Cheddar-N-Jack Mac

George Hirsch January 14, 2025

It's that time of year again; cooler evenings, more events going on and tailgates to organize. That's when I turn to my crowd-pleasing Mac-N-Cheese. You can make my mac-mix ahead if you're grilling at a tailgate. Chill it, then just bake it right on the grill. It's good time food.

Use my recipe as a guide, and feel free to add smoked ham, cooked bacon, grilled chicken, or grilled shrimp to make your own home spin.

George’s Cheddar & Jack Mac

Makes 6 servings

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2 Tablespoons Butter

1 onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth

1 4-ounce can diced green chilies

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 teaspoon hot sauce

pinch fresh grated nutmeg

2 cups half & half

1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Jack cheese, shredded

2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

1 1/2 pounds uncooked elbow, shells, or other small pasta

Melt Butter in a large soup pot or saucepan. Add onion, and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the broth, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add the bay leaves, thyme, diced green chilies, hot sauce, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the half & half and heat to a simmer. Slowly add the Cheddar, Jack, and Parmesan cheeses, stirring until they melt and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the cooked pasta. Place in a serving dish and eat immediately or sprinkle with Mac Topping, and bake five minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Optional Additions:

1 cup each Chorizo, chopped plum tomatoes

For the Mac Topping

4 Tablespoons butter, melted

6 Tablespoons bread crumbs

2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

1 Tablespoon each fresh cilantro & parsley, chopped

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.