SNUGGLE UP TO A STEAMING BOWL OF SOUP

Stew Leonard’s Offers Super Soup Recipes for January National Soup Month

NORWALK, Conn., December 19, 2005 – It is no coincidence that January is National Soup Month. Stew Leonard’s soup sales spike 60 percent during the month of January as customers ladle up the more than 15 varieties of fresh-made soups sold daily to take a bite out of the chilly weather.

"Soup is the perfect comfort food in the cold winter months. It is also a healthful meal option after indulging during the holidays. Studies show that having a bowl of soup before a meal can help decrease the number of calories eaten at a meal," said Meghan Flynn, M.S., R.D, a registered dietitian at Stew Leonard’s. "Heartier cream or bean-based soups, such as Stew Leonard’s chicken chili or lobster bisque, can be a meal in themselves when combined with a salad and a piece of crusty French bread."

"Making soup from scratch can be time consuming, and canned soup just doesn’t measure up to fresh. What makes Stew Leonard’s soups so popular is that we not only prepare them fresh, but also use the best ingredients. For example, our New England Clam Chowder uses only the freshest cream from our dairy, and has twice the clams and half the potatoes of typical clam chowder," said Danbury executive chef Chaz Fable.

Stew Leonard’s soups are available in quart-size containers from $3.99 to $5.99, as well as ready-to-go on the hot bar at $2.99 for an 8-ounce container and $4.99 for a 16-ounce container. The best-selling soups at Stew Leonard’s during January are: New England Clam Chowder, Three Bean Chicken Chili and Lobster Bisque.

These soup recipes have all won awards in festivals and culinary competitions and are featured in Stew Leonard’s Winning Recipes Cookbook (available at Stew Leonard stores, and online at ( www.stewleonardsgifts.com and www.amazon.com). Here are two of the top-selling soup recipes to keep warm with this winter:

Stew’s Award-Winning New England Clam Chowder
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
11/2 cups diced onion (about 2 medium onions)
1 cup flour
1 14-ounce can or jar clam juice
1 cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
2 cups cubed potatoes, peeled (4 medium potatoes)
1 28-ounce can of chopped clams

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. In a soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and some black pepper. Sauté until translucent. Add the flour and mix well. Add the clam juice and mix well. Add the milk and cream and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook over medium-high heat until they start to soften — don’t cook them too much or they will become mushy by the time you eat them. Add the clams and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste — very important! Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Stew’s Award-Winning Three-Bean Chicken Chili
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-½ pounds ground chicken, preferably thigh meat
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1-tablespoon light chili powder
1-tablespoon sugar
1-teaspoon cumin
1-teaspoon chipotle paste
1-teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1-cup chicken broth
1 can (15 ounces) small white beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1-½ cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro

In a stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook well, stirring occasionally until the chicken is no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, chili powder, sugar, cumin, chipotle paste, salt and black pepper. Stir to mix well and cook for 10 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Add the white beans, pinto beans, and black beans and cook for 15 minutes, or until the flavors are well blended. Stir in the corn and cilantro and cook for 2 minutes. Makes 12 servings.

Stew Leonard’s, a family-owned and operated grocery founded in 1969, has three stores in Norwalk and Danbury, Conn. And Yonkers, N.Y., with additional stores planned in Orange, Conn. and East Farmingdale, N.Y. The company was named among FORTUNE magazine’s "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" for the past four consecutive years. For more information visit Stew Leonard’s website at www.stewleonards.com