Category: Soups

Beef · Soups

Italian Wedding Soup

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We have had family from Texas here all this week. I made them promise that they would not go home and tell that we didn’t have a home cooked meal here except for breakfast one morning. It is embarrassing to admit that, especially since I write this cooking blog and continually tell you how much I enjoy having company to cook for; but the truth is that we would run around all day to sightsee and by the time we got home, the last thing I wanted to do was cook, so we ended up taking them to several of our new favorite places. On Saturday night, we were all so tired from going all day, we ordered pizza. Today, we are back to being by ourselves and now it’s not as much fun to cook, just for two. Randy wants to know when it is “fun” enough to actually get a home cooked meal. He reminded me that I am always saying, “when we have company, it will be more fun to cook, because there is more than the two of us” but that didn’t work as we would just fall on the couch every night after touring Los Angeles with Don and Janece. Now it is back to the two of us and now it’s not fun anymore to cook, so guess I will wait until more company shows up from Texas. It  will surely be more fun to cook then.

Tonight, I had promised him a home cooked meal and this soup is a great way to, not only please my man, but so easy for me to fix. I already had cooked chicken breasts in the freezer and had bought a package of chopped soup veggie mix (the carrots, onion and celery) so how much easier can you get?

2 cups small pasta shells

2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes

2 tables olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1 pkg frozen fully cooked italian meatballs (ok, this is where I have to leave this recipe) I just cannot buy meatballs, I love making them and they tastes so much better, homemade, but for convenience sake, I won’t tell if you use the frozen)

1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 pkg frozen-chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 cup chicken broth

2 teas minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teas dried thyme

1/2 teas each, salt and pepper

3/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, when tender and set aside.  Meanwhile in a large skillet, sauté chicken in 1 tables oil until no longer pink; remove and keep warm.

In same skillet, sauté the onion, carrot and celery in remaining oil until tender. Add the meatballs, soup, spinach broth and thyme, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 15 min and then add pasta. Add to soup and sprinkle each bowl with cheese.

Meats · Soups

Green Chile Stew

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Since I have overdosed on chocolate biscotti and chocolate cookies yesterday, I thought today I would eat something a little more healthy and something that does not have chocolate in it. When I saw this in my new FoodNetwork magazine, I knew I had to make it. Makes those cold evenings in the kitchen smell so good and it is one of my hubbies favorite soups.

2 tables veggie oil

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, diced (or you can use cup up pork chops)

1 large white onion, diced

1 1/2 cups diced Hatch or Anaheim chile peppers

1 small green bell pepper, diced

1 small red bell pepper, diced (have you ever noticed that some recipes always say, “diced” while others always say “chopped finely” But…..I think you can take your pick of whether you want to dice or chop.)

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups chicken broth

1 pound yukon gold potatoes, peeled and…..you guessed it, “diced”

2 (15 oz) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed

1 large bunch cilantro leaves, chopped (hum…guess they decided they were tired of dicing)

2 tables cornstarch

Flour tortillas, warmed for serving

Heat 1 tables veggie oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the pork with 1 teas salt. Working in batches, cook the pork, stirring, until browned about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a plate and discard the fat from the pot.

Heat the remaining 1 table oil in the pot. Add the onion, chile peppers, bell peppers and garlic and cook, stirring until softened which will be about 7 minutes.

Return the pork to the pot along with the chicken broth; cover and bring to a boil. Stir the stew and reduce the heat to medium low; simmer, covered until the pork is tender. About 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Increase the heat to medium high and bring the stew to a low boil. Add potatoes and hominy and enough water to cover the pork and potatoes. Add half of the cilantro and 1 teas salt. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and the stew is slightly thickened. About 30 minutes.

Whisk the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir into the stew along with the remaining cilantro and continue cooking, stirring, occasionally, until the liquid thickens. About 5 more mins. Serve with tortillas.

 

Chicken · Meats · Soups · Vegetables

Vegetable Soup

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I know, I know, I should be posting recipes that will help you stick to your New Year’s Resolution of losing that extra 10 lbs, but let’s wait till spring when cold salads sound better than they do when it is 50 degrees and the fireplace is just calling our name to sit by it with a book, blanket and a bowl of hot soup. Now, see doesn’t that sound better already? Besides, we really need this extra little “roll” to help us stay warm. So head to the kitchen and whip up this delicious vegetable soup.

3 quarts chicken broth

2 lbs red potatoes, cut into 2″pieces

1 lb carrots, cut into 1″ pieces

1 large onion, cut into 1″ pieces

1 stalk celery, peeled and chopped

1 (2 lb) bag frozen baby lima beans

1 (1 lb) bag frozen niblet corn

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

2 (14.5 oz) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes

3 tables garlic powder

1 1/2 tables salt

1 tables sugar

1 tables Worcestershire sauce

In large stockpot, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer uncovered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (I like to put it in a heavy pot and bake it at 300 for 2-3 hours). Also that allows you to leave the house and come home to a great smelling kitchen. Serve with fried garlic toast (find that recipe on the blog)

Breads · Soups · Starches

Homemade Egg Noodles

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Because of the cooler weather, I have been in a major cooking mood. Yesterday, I remembered my Aunt making homemade egg noodles and thought to myself, “self…how hard could that be?” So I went online and googled recipes for egg noodles and up popped this recipe below. After making these incredible little dumpling noodles, I was transformed to my Aunt’s kitchen back in Ardmore, OK where she would roll out the dough until it was paper thin and drop them in boiling chicken stock. 

This recipe does not disappoint. It is easy, although it does take up time. While the noodles were drying, I left and ran errands and when I came back, I proceeded to make the chicken stock and dropped them in. Depending on how thick you roll the dough is how long they need to cook. So you will need to adjust the time to fit the size noodle. They really were so good and so different from just the noodles that come out of the package. Make a pot of turkey noodle soup, using leftover turkey the Fri after Thanksgiving. These will impress your family. These came from the food.com network!

Ingredients

    • 2 cups flour
    • 3 egg yolks
    • 1 eggs
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 1/4-1/2 cup water

Directions

  1. Measure flour into bowl; make a well in the center and add egg yolks, whole egg and salt.
  2. With hands, thoroughly mix egg into flour.
  3. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
  4. (Add only enough water to form dough into a ball.).
  5. Turn dough onto well-floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
  6. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
  7. Divide dough into 4 equal parts.
  8. Roll dough, 1 part at a time, into paper-thin rectangle, keeping remaining dough covered.
  9. Roll rectangle around rolling pin; slip out rolling pin.
  10. Cut dough cross-wise into 1/8-inch strips for narrow noodles and 1/4-inch for wide noodles.
  11. Shake out strips and place on towel to dry, about 2 hours.
  12. When dry, break dry strips into smaller pieces.
  13. Cook in 3 quarts boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt) (We use chicken broth.) 12 to 15 minutes or until tender.
  14. Drain thoroughly.
Soups

Italian Fennel Stew

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I have received this recipe from a most precious dear friend, Cora in Dallas. She cut it out of the Dallas Newspaper and said she made it and it was to die for….so knowing that she loves to eat as much as I do and is sweet to share this, she told me I could post it on the blog. I am going to make it Sunday night when it is suppose to be turning rainey and chilly here…..hope you enjoy it.

1 pound spicy or mild Italian sausage
1 large onion
1 large fennel bulb, coarsely chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
32 oz chicken broth
2 (15 oz) cans white kidney bans, drained and rinsed (I will be using white navy beans)
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes with garlic and Italian herbs
10 oz frozen spinach leaves, thawed and drained well (or you can use fresh)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, cut up and brown the sausage over medium high heat. Add onion, fennel and garlic and continue until sausage is crumbled and cooked through, about 7 minutes total.
Add broth, beans, tomatoes with juices and spinach and stir will to mix. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer from 15 min to 45 min until ready to serve. Serve with hot crusty bread and butter.

Soups

Italian Sausage Soup

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When you are short on time and energy but you are in the mood for Italian, this soup is a spin off from the taco soup original. The other night, we had just flown in from Texas and I was just wanting to stay home and not have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so since I had some meatball mixture in the freezer, I decided to thaw it out and use it for the base for a soup. It was delicious and all I had to do was serve it with some slices of garlic bread and Randy and I chilled out in front of the TV and enjoyed our evening home, enjoying the feeling of already getting unpacked and settled in for a night of American Idol.

1/2 lb of mild italian sausage
1/2 cup each of the following: onion, bell pepper and celery (I had bought this frozen mixture, Stillwell brand in the freezer at the grocery, so just used it this time)

1 large can of Hunts Spaghetti sauce (any flavor you like, we use the garlic herb, cost is usually about $1.09 at Wallmart)
1 can of chopped tomatoes (16 oz)

1 envelope of Lawry’s or McCormick Spaghetti Seasoning packet (1.37.oz)
1 cup water
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 cup cubed zucchini
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup cooked pasta
Cook meat in large dutch oven until crumbly and done and looses it’s pink color. Combine remaining ingredients and cook for about 2 hours over low heat or in a 300 degree oven for 2 hours, or until veggies are done. You can add a can (15.8 oz) of white navy beans ( I use Bush’s Brand), drain before adding to soup mixture.

Soups

French Onion Soup (from Southern Living)

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I hear that back in Dallas you are experiencing a little chill in the air. I thought maybe you might enjoy this really rich, great soup on a Fri night. Yesterday I received in the mail from Amazon my new torch with 4 ramekins to make creme brulee. The instructions said that you could use the torch to melt the cheese on French Onion soup, so tonight that is what we are having. This is a great onion soup recipe and only takes 35 min.
4 large onions, thinkly sliced and separated into rings
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 3/4 cups beef stock or 2 (10 1/2 oz) cans ready to serve beef broth, undiluted
2 cups water
1/4 cup dry white wine *optional
1/4 teas pepper
8 (3/4 in thick) slices of french bread, toasted
8 slices swiss cheese (I use provolone)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Saute onion in butter in a dutch oven over medium heat 20 min or until tender. Gradually add beef broth and next 3 ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer uncovered 15 min.
Place eight ovenproof serving bowls on a baking sheet. Place 1 bread slice in each bowl; ladel soup over bread. Top with 1 cheese slice; sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Broil 5 1/2 in from heat until cheese melts. Or use the torch to melt the cheese. Serve immediately while hot. (I am going to dish up the soup, one at a time, since I am using the torch, that way, it will not get cold while I am torching the cheese)

Soups

Taco Soup

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The Recipe below was just sent to me by Micah Reis, a sweet friend who continues to encourage me to “get that cook book done.” She is a newly married young lady who continues to amaze me in the recipes she attempts, and does such a great job at cooking. Thanks, Micah for sending this, am going to make it this weekend.
Below is a recipe from Cooper Clinic for a “famous quick and easy Pronto Taco Soup”. Trudy, I know it isn’t cold where you are but you can turn your AC up really cold pretend with us!

Pronto Taco Soup – serves 12; serving size 1 cup (please, who can only eat 1 cup?) HA

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey (or ground round or a mix of both)

1 large onion, diced

¼ cup water (if needed)

1, 15 oz can low sodium whole kernel corn, not drained

2, 14 ½ oz cans chopped tomatoes, not drained (any type)

1, 14 ½ oz can yellow hominy, not drained

1, 15 oz can pinto beans with jalapeno, not drained

1 package reduced sodium dry taco seasoning mix

1 package dry Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

½ cup light sour cream (optional as garnish)

Directions

Spray large skillet with no-stick spray. Brown turkey in skillet until done. Set turkey skillet aside. Spray soup pot with non stick spray. Sauté onion until transparent. If onion begins to burn, add water and continue cooking until done. Add cooked meat and all remaining ingredients. Simmer 15-20 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Garnish each cup with a small dollop of light sour cream. (optional)

Nutritional Analysis (per 1 cup serving)

134 calories; 1 gram fat (0 sat); 6 grams protein; 650 mg sodium; 28 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram sugar; 1 mg cholesterol

Exchange = 2 Protein; 1 Starch

Variations

Add 4 ounce canned chopped chilies. Trying adding one more can of tomatoes and/or delete the meat and add one more can of beans.

Low Sodium Method – drain and rinse all canned vegetables and beans. Replace liquid with no-salt added V8 Juice. Use only half of the dry mixes due to their high sodium content.

Soups

Fabulous Friday

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A very interesting FYI to pass on to you today. A friend, Dianne, invited me to come to her house today for “taco soup” and I told her, Dianne, “I don’t want you cooking, let’s just go eat at the mall” and she informed me that she could make this in 10 minutes. When I questioned her further this was what she told me.

“All you have to do is keep Progresso Southwestern Vegetable soup on hand and add a little cumin, chile powder and garlic powder. She always keeps cooked deboned chicken in her freezer, so she adds some cup up chicken to the soup.  Heat for a few minutes and dish in the bowl. She then adds a dollop of sour cream, fresh cilantro and grated cheese and serves tortilla chips alongside.”In 15 min. she is putting this on the table. So there you have it. Great taco soup in less than 15 min. It really is good and so very easy. Made a believer out of me so am headed to the store to stock up on Progresso Southwestern Vegetable soup. Then you are welcome to come over and join me for soup. I also have some cupcakes in the freezer, so we can sit and talk over a cupcake and tea…..what a great afternoon!

Soups

Super Simple Cheesy Potato Soup

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OK, if you love potato soup, this one is for you. I tried something a little different tonight and it was scrumptious. Randy ate 3 bowls and I ate 2. Yummy. So am passing it along.

6 medium to large red potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 cups water & 2 cups chicken broth

1 cup of PictSweet Seasoning veggies *These come frozen and sell for about $1.50/bag, there is onions, celery and red and green peppers in it) Actually, $1.37 at Wallmart

2 teas garlic powder, 1 teas dill, 1 teas pepper and salt, 1 tables dried parsley

Boil all of the above until potatoes are done. When almost done, take 1 packet of Pioneer Country Gravy Mix and mix it in a cup of cool water. Whisk until blended and then add to the potato mixture when it is boiling. Stir until the mixture thickens a little. As you are stirring this, add 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese and continue stirring until melter. Take off burner and let sit for about 5 mins. Ladle into bowls and serve with cornbread or crackers. Very simple, very fast and very yummy………