Italian Sausage Soup

I bought some of those chicken sausage links (Italian seasoned) the other day and didn't really know what to do with them. And with all this snow and cold, a soup was calling me.  I've never actually made a sausage soup...weird, I know. So I just started throwing things together and this is what I came up with. It was actually really good and warmed me right up. Kids liked it, too.

Ingredients:
2 Italian sausage links, I prefer chicken sausage (probably about half a pound?) Or ground Italian sausage.
1/2 cup diced onion
1 large or 2 small potatoes, chopped
1 can white beans (any type you like), drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped spinach
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water (or more, depending on how thin you want it)
1 cup milk
Bay leaf
Basil
Garlic powder, Salt & pepper to taste

Optional: Small pasta, like Ditilini

Directions:
Remove sausage from casings and cook in pot with onions. (I cooked it in bacon grease, because I love the flavor it adds. You could use oil.) Add potatoes and broth/water, bay leaf and other spices. Cook for a few minutes then add beans and pasta, if using. (I don't think it really needs pasta, but I wanted it to be more filling.  Either way will be yummy.)  When potatoes are almost done, add spinach. Cook until noodles and potatoes are tender. Stir in milk. Taste and adjust if needed.

White Chicken Chili

Adapted from melskitchencafe.com

This is seriously amazing. I like how quick and easy it is to make. I LOVE it with crusty bread to dip, but you could also serve with tortilla chips. Or plain. It's good enough for that.
Tip: if you have lots leftover, thicken it up and use it as enchilada filling! Yum!

INGREDIENTS

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (4 cups) white beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (or about 2 cups) chicken broth
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies (or 1/4 cup salsa Verde)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
Fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Cook onions and garlic with chicken in a little oil or butter.
Add remaining ingredients except sour cream and whipping cream. Simmer for about 30 minutes. (less is fine, really) Stir in sour cream and whipping cream. (I add some of the hot soup to the sour cream first, it mixes better that way.)

Ham Bone Soup

A great use for leftover ham. A filling, comfort food. Great for chilly winter nights. I used the cock pot but can be done on the stove as well. Serve with cornbread. Oh, and remember to soak the beans the night before!
Ps. Even my picky girl LOVED this. She said, "I just ate a carrot and it didn't even taste like a carrot!" Score.

Ingredients:
Leftover ham bone with some meat left on it. (You can throw in some extra ham if there's not much on the bone.)
1-2 carrots
1 stalk celery
1/2 cup-ish onion
1-2 cloves garlic (a spoonful of the jar garlic works great.)
1lb dry beans, pre soaked (I used a bag of mixed beans meant for soup, minus the flavoring packet. You can use just white beans or a mix)
Seasonings-parsley, thyme, pepper, paprika. To taste. (don't add salt until you taste it, it may not need it. Ham is usually salty enough)
4 cups chicken broth (or bouillon)
4 cups water (if your slow cooker doesn't fit that much, you can add more water after you take the bone out.)
Instructions:
Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover them plus an extra two inches. Dice veggies. Cut fat off of ham bone. Add all ingredients to crock pot. Mine was done on high in about 5 hours. Maybe over done... If its going to be in there all day, I'd suggest a low setting.

Cauliflower Soup

Jim and I really like this. It's basically an awesome creamed broth with cauliflower in it. Kids are not thrilled with it.

Saute 1/2 cup onions, 1-2 carrots, 1 T garlic, and maybe some celery in a little butter. Add a head of cauliflower, chopped. Sprinkle in salt, pepper, parsley and a bay leaf. Add about 2 quarts of chicken broth (or water with bouillon) and cook until cauliflower is soft.

Meanwhile, cook white sauce. (melt 4T butter, add 6T flour and cook one minute. Add a couple cups of milk. Cook until thick, stirring regularly.) Add sauce to soup.

Wild Rice and Lentil Soup

Very yummy and healthy. We picked up some wild rice and lentil mix at winco and used that instead. It had a little more rice and less lentils than recipe calls for, but I liked it that way. Can be frozen after cooled.

Ingredients:
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup wild rice
16 ounces uncooked lentils, rinsed
1 cup tomatoes
8 cups chicken broth
1 cup spinach
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
non-stick cooking spray
Directions:
Heat heavy pot on medium. Once hot spray with non-stick cooking spray, add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and sweat until the onions are translucent. Add the rice lentils, tomatoes, broth, spinach and spices. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils and rice are tender, approximately 35 to 40 minutes.
Option: add chicken or sausage

Chicken Soup/ Dumplings

This recipe is pretty versatile. Can be made with noodles, dumplings or even rice I suppose. In this picture, I used a little noodles and dumplings. I will add the dumplings recipe at end.

Ingredients:
-1 or 2 chicken breasts (depending on size and how much meat you want. I sometimes cook extra to use in a casserole another night.)
-couple cups of vegetables (carrots, potatoes, celery, onions..)
-chicken base/stock (I use "better than bouillon")
-garlic, parsley, thyme (go easy), 1 bay leaf, salt, pepper, onion powder (if not using fresh onion) all to taste
- about 1 or 2 cups medium egg noodles (depends on how much broth you have...) or dumplings

Directions:
1. Boil your chicken and vegetables together in pot of water. (start chicken first) Season while cooking. Check chicken and vegetables often to avoid over cooking. When chicken is done, remove from pot to cool on plate.
2. Add chicken base a little at a time and play with seasoning, tasting the liquid until it's just right!
3. When vegetables are almost done (but not quite!) add noodles or dumplings.
4. While that is cooking, chop the chicken, cutting out gristle and fat.
5. When noodles are tender, stir in the chicken and serve!

Dumplings
Ingredients:
-1 cup flour
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1 teaspoon sugar
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 Tablespoon butter, melted
-1/2 cup milk

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients, gently stir in milk and butter, just until moistened.
Drop by spoonful into boiling soup. Cover pot and cook for about 15 minutes without lifting lid.

If you like a lot of dumplings, you can double recipe. I found that making 1 and 1/2 this recipe was just right for my average pot of soup.

Greek Lentil Soup

(From allrecipes.com by  Diana Moutsopoulos)

Jim and I both really liked this. Kids wouldn't eat it, but maybe they just need a few tries. This made just enough to feed my family with no leftovers.

Note from Jolie: You may not need to simmer for more than 10 more minutes at the end... it depends on how mushy you want your lentils. I like them to still be individuals, so I watch it and when they are soft, they are done.

"Fakes (pronounced 'Fah-kehs') is a staple in the Greek kitchen, and an especially filling meal. It is traditionally served with a drizzle of olive oil and lots of vinegar. Though the vinegar is of course optional, try it--it lifts the lentils and adds another dimension of flavor!" (um..I'm sure this is true but I don't do vinegar..)

Ingredients:

8 ounces brown lentils

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 onions, minced

1 large carrot, chopped

1 quart chicken broth (or water, bullion)

1 pinch dried oregano

1 pinch crushed dried rosemary

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon tomato paste

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place lentils in a large saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; cook for 10 minutes, then drain lentils into a strainer.


Dry saucepan, pour in olive oil, and place over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and carrot; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in lentils, 1 quart chicken broth, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until the lentils have softened, 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add additional water if the soup becomes too thick.

Spill the Beans Minestrone

Jolie gave me this recipe. I made it tonight and thought it was delicious. I found its even better after sitting for a while? I suppose you could always make it a crock pot meal too- Just add the noodles about 30 min before eating.  Excuse the cell phone picture- I couldn't find the camera. Atleast you got a picture, right? Oh, and dont forget to serve with SOME form of bread, this was a great dipping soup.

Spill-the-Beans Minestrone
1 T olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 c. chopped celery

2 14.5oz cans chicken broth

1 15oz can of Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 14.5oz can Italian style stewed tomatoes

1 15oz can Red Kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup uncooked small shell-shaped pasta (I used and loved Ditallini)

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning (1 tsp. if using plain tomatoes)

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

2 cups chopped kale, Swiss chard, or spinach (optional) (do it, though)

Grated parmesan cheese (optional)



In a soup pot, sauté onion, garlic, and celery in oil until translucent. Add broth, beans, tomatoes, pasta, and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10-12 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Stir in chopped spinach. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Potato Soup

What can I say, this soup ROCKS! I love it. My husband loves it. My company loves it. And my kids will actually eat it.

Ingredients: (to serve about 4)
bacon grease (I suppose you could just use butter)
4 to 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (any kind)
1/2 onion, diced (more or less to taste)
1 stalk celery, diced (include leaves on top)
1 cup (or more) cubed ham
1 cup?? milk
salt, pepper and thyme, maybe parsley (to taste)
Cheddar Cheese

Method:
Saute onions and celery in grease until tender.  Add potatoes and ham then cover with JUST enough water to barely cover potatoes. Boil until potatoes are tender. Mash with potato masher. (if you prefer thicker, smoother soup you could use imersion blender. I like a little chunks.) Add milk and spices and cook another couple of minutes. Stir in however much cheese you like. Remove from heat and let sit to thicken, unless you like thin soup. I serve it, then let sit it bowls. Thickens faster. Garnish with additional cheese. 2 years later...an update: When I make this soup, I always add a cup or two of frozen corn, some chicken broth, and make a small amount (2 cups?) of white sauce (milk thickened with flour/butter) in place of the milk. This is Ella's 2nd favorite dinner.

Tortilla Soup

From Susan, a friend of Vern's family. This soup is similar to the tortilla soup you can find at Cafe Rio. :-) It is a delicious and filling soup. Yum! We eat it often. This recipe is also very easy to modify to your own tastes. For example, I like it with a little more rice. Tortilla soup is also good for leftovers for lunch the next day!

The recipe's ingredients are included in bold.

Boil and cube:

4 chicken breasts

Simmer the following in canola oil:

6 cloves crushed garlic (2-3 TB.)

1 medium onion minced

1 green bell pepper cubed

1 TB cilantro

Add chicken and saute for a few minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, place the following in a large pot:

5 cans chicken broth

2 small cans tomato sauce

2 cans black beans (drained)

1 can of corn (drained)

1 small can of diced jalapenos (optional)

1 cup uncooked rice

3 celery sticks chopped

Add the following spices to the soup:

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. cumin

Add the chicken mixture to the rest of the soup and simmer until rice is fully cooked.

Serve with grated cheese and sour cream. Makes 4 quarts.

Five Hour Oven Stew

This is one of Jim's favorites.

Mix together in LARGE casserole dish:
1 large can tomato soup
1 soup can of water
2 T. quick cooking tapioca
1 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 t. basil
1 bay leaf

Add:
2 lbs stew beef
4 carrots, cut in chunks
4 potatoes, cut
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped onion

Cover and bake at 250 for 5 hours. Do not open oven during baking time!