Curried Tomato Soup

"This soup was delicious and reminded me of tika masala. If you added chicken and rice you after you pureed it, you'd have chicken tika masala soup. The original calls it a bisque, which doesn't seem right since I have recently found out that to be a true bisque means that it has a fish base.  It also did not blend smooth enough to match the photo of the original.   I made a few changes which are included. You can find the original at Real Simple.com

INGREDIENTS:

4 T. butter
1  onion, chopped (I used a medium vidalia/sweet)
4  cloves  garlic, crushed
1 1/2 t. salt
3/4 t. black pepper
3  teaspoon  curry powder
3  28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 c. water
16 oz greek yogurt
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, diced



DIRECTIONS:

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds more. Add the tomatoes (with their juices) and water and bring to a boil.  In a food processor, puree until smooth. Return to pot and slowly stir in yogurt. Add cilantro.  Heat an addition 10 minutes.

Serves 6-8

Note:
The original recipe said to puree in the blender, but even though I held the lid down it exploded out of the top.  I would recommend a food processor with a locking lid.  You will only be able to blend part of it at a time, so keep a large bowl on hand to hold what you've blended already.

-for a chunkier soup, leave 1/4 of the soup unblened

Ale and Cheddar Soup

"I found this recipe on Pinterest.  The original came from HERE and they adapted it from Food and Wine.  This soup was awesome.  I served it with burgers for the family and the rest of the 1 lb package of bacon was used for the burgers.  Next time I would like to try it with dark brown ale as suggested in the original, but I didn't find that out until I traced the version I used back to the original."

INGREDIENTS:

 1/2 pound thick cut bacon (plus a couple pieces crumbled as a garnish)
 1 onion, diced
 2 stalks celery, diced
 4 jalapeno peppers, diced (I used mild from a jar...about 3/4 cup)
 2 cloves garlic, chopped
 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped (I used dried since it was what I had on hand)
 2 tablespoons butter
 1/4 cup flour
 1 (~12 ounce) bottle/can ale
 2 cups chicken broth
 1/2 cup heavy cream (I used 1/2 and 1/2)
 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
 cayenne to taste (I omitted this and was glad since it was spicy enough)
 salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the bacon in a pan over medium heat and set aside on paper towels to drain, reserving 1-2
tablespoons of the grease in the pan.
Over medium-high heat saute the onion, celery, garlic and jalapeno in the reserved bacon grease and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
In a large pot over medium heat,  melt the butter then sprinkle in the flour and let it cook until it starts to turn golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the ale followed by the broth and bacon and let cook for 10 minutes.
Add the cream, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and cheese and cook until the cheese has melted but do not bring it back to a boil.
Season with thyme, cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with  crumbled bacon.

Serves 6

Jen's Creamy Italian Gnocchi Soup

"I am so excited to share my new creation with you.  It's been a while since I came up with an original recipe.  This idea came about when I made a soup a few weeks ago that I wish was tomatoey so to the leftovers I added a cream sauce and spaghetti sauce, which made it perfect.  I racked my brain for  yummy  ingredients, and thought it'd be fun to try gnocchi in it."

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb ground sirlion
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 T. olive oil
3 T. butter
1 1/2 c. raw carrots, diced
1 c. sweet onions, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 1/2 T. garlic, minced

2 medium zucchini, diced (peeled or not)
3 c. beef stock
1 c. white wine
2 T. balsamic vinegar
3 - 28 oz. cans tomato sauce
28 oz. can diced tomatoes (not drained)
6 oz. tomato paste
3 c. water
1 T. basil
1 T. oregano
salt and pepper to taste
*******************
2 lbs cheese-filled gnocchi, cooked according to package directions
2 c. half and half
1 c. grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

In large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook beef and pork until browned, drain grease.  Meanwhile in large stock pot over medium heat melt butter and add olive oil, carrots, onions, celery and garlic.  Saute until carrots are soft.  To  pot mix in next 11 ingredients and cooked meat.  Simmer soup over medium heat for 30 minutes.  Mix in cooked gnocchi and garnish with shredded Italian blend cheese sprinkled over top.

*NOTE:  This recipe made about 16-20 servings, so to make a standard large pot to serve 6-8 I would half the recipe.

Pumpkin Soup

"I originally found this recipe on allrecipes.com.  The original called for fresh pumpkin, but I was lazy, so I used canned.   If you want to try it the hard way, you can find it HERE.  My hubby and I loved this, but the kids were not impressed...I suppose they were expecting it to taste like a pie"

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup chopped onion
2 T. butter

1 lg plus 1 reg can pumpkin
6 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/4 t. nutmeg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS:

In large stock pot saute onions in 2 T. butter until soft and clear.  Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes.

*I served mine with a dollop of sour cream and some shredded Parmesan cheese

Serves 8-10

Creamy Vegetable Soup

"I found this recipe on Pinterest, and you can find the original HERE .  The original title of this recipe was "Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup" which was misleading since it didn't taste like tomatoes.  That's what I was hoping for.  The soup was delicious, however.  I would either keep the title and add a large can of tomato sauce in place of some of the chicken stock, or not put tomato in the title, like I did.  I want to try it with tomato sauce next time.  I have added just two things (garlic and white wine)...feel free to remove those."

 

INGREDIENTS:

3 large tomatoes, diced
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 c. white wine
½ bay leaf
½ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
1/2 cups half and half, warmed
 1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.

3. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper.

4. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

Creamy Potato Leek Soup

"I'd never tried leeks before this and I'd been wanting to. Most of the leek recipes I came across were for creamy soups with potatoes. I decided to try this one out and it was very good."



INGREDIENTS:

8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups chicken broth
1 pound bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 leeks, sliced
1 cup heavy cream (or Half and Half for less fat)
2 cloves garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS:

In a large saucepan or stockpot, bring potatoes and chicken broth to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of grease and set aside. Sautee the leeks and garlic in the frying pan with the reserved bacon grease 8 to 10 minutes.
When the potatoes are tender, stir in the fried leeks, heavy cream and bacon. Stir to blend and remove from heat. Serve hot.

Butternut Squash Soup

"I have been wanting to try this for a while, and I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. This is the original recipe, but I made changes, so please check my suggestions at the bottom."


INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 (32 fluid ounce) container chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS:

Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.


Tips:

-I baked the squash whole in the oven for 1 hour to allow for easier peeling and cutting, and it cuts down the simmering time from 40 to 25/30 minutes.

-I did not use potatoes at all

-I used a can of carrots instead of fresh because that's what I had on hand.

-I added garlic, nutmeg and curry, but next time I think I'd make it without the curry.

-Add a dollop of sour cream to the top of each bowl of soup, and stir in before eating

Black Bean Vegetable Soup

"I was looking for vegetable soup recipes that did not include bags of frozen mixed vegetables. I came across this one on allrecipes.com. Check out my tips and changes at the bottom."



INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 carrots, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups vegetable stock
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes


DIRECTIONS:

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, garlic, and carrots, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Add chili powder and cumin; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add stock, 1 can of the beans, corn, and pepper; bring to boil.
Meanwhile, in food processor or blender, puree together tomatoes and remaining can of beans; add to pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Tips:

-I used 1 Tablespoon butter instead of vegetable oil
-I used 3 cloves garlic
-I used 4 teaspoons chili powder
-I used beef stock instead of vegetable stock
-I used three cans of black beans (putting 1 1/2 in the blender)
-I used two cans of diced tomatoes instead of stewed (putting one in the blender)
-I used canned corn with peppers instead of plain corn

Cream of Spinach Soup

"I love spinach, and I'm always excited to try a new spinach recipe. Since I'm on a soup kick, I thought I'd try this. Check my tips and changes below"

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• salt and pepper to taste

  DIRECTIONS

• In a medium saucepan, combine water, bouillon, and spinach. Bring to a boil, and cook until spinach is tender.
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Season with minced onion, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in spinach mixture.

Tips:

-I used a 10 ounce bag of fresh baby spinach and a large pot to boil it in.

-After tender I blended it in a food processor along with all of the broth. I rinsed the pot and used it for the next step.

-The milk I used was skim to save on fat, but you can use any milk or cream instead

-I added two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

-I added 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

-I added 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Mulligatawny Soup

"In my quest to find delicious soup recipes to add to my box, I came across this one on allrecipes.com. I love the flavor of curry, and indian food, so I couldn't wait to try this, especially since it got such rave reviews. Check my notes at the bottom for some tips."

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 apple, cored and chopped
1/4 cup white rice
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half - cut into cubes
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch dried thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream, heated

DIRECTIONS:

Saute onions, celery, carrot, and butter in a large soup pot. Add flour and curry, and cook 5 more minutes. Add chicken stock, mix well, and bring to a boil. Simmer about 1/2 hour.
Add apple, rice, chicken, salt, pepper, and thyme. Simmer 15-20 minutes, or until rice is done.
When serving, add hot cream.

Notes:

-Most people suggested doubling the recipe because the left-overs are even more delicious.

-double the apple (I peeled mine even though the recipe didn't call for it)

-the recipe doesn't say whether to cook the chicken ahead of time, so I did, and just used cooking spray as to not add extra fat.

-there didn't seem like enough rice, so I would double that, also, if you don't use minute rice, you may want to put it in longer than the 15 minutes (as suggested by others)

-you can use coconut milk instead of cream for a more exotic flavor. You can also omit the cream, or just use milk

-adding garlic gives it extra flavor. I added 1 clove of minced to the pan when I sauted the onions, carrots and celery

-some people suggested doubling the curry for more flavor (yellow curry)

-you can add a spice called "garam masala"

-you can puree the soup in a food processor to make it thicker. I didn't, but i would think the best time is before you add the chicken rice and apples ( I wish I would have)

White Bean Chicken Chili

"First of all I would not call this chili. It is not thick at all, it's more like mexican flavored soup with chicken. It is very yummy, though. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. The following is the original, and I am putting my changes in the notes at the bottom."

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound diced, cooked chicken meat
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (18.75 ounce) can tomatillos, drained and chopped 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can white beans
2 ears fresh corn
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 lime, sliced

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil, and cook onion and garlic until soft.
Stir in broth, tomatillos, tomatoes, chilies, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Add corn, chicken, and beans; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with these toppings for people to choose from: limes, cilantro, cheese, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Notes:

-I did not add coriander because I didn't have it, and I didn't want to buy a spice I'd probably never use again.

-I juiced the lime and poured the juice into the soup instead of using the slices to garnish it, which I thought seemed a waste.

-Instead of cooking the chicken separately, I sauted it with the in the oil with the garlic and onions.

-I used 1/2 cup frozen corn instead of the fresh "off the ear", and put it in to boil with the other ingredients.

-I found the tomatillos in the mexican food section at the grocery store, but you can sometimes find them at the produce market. If not, you can just add another can of diced tomatoes.

-I didn't know what kind of beans "white beans" were unless I just didn't see them. I just used "great northern" because they were white on the front of the can.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

"I found this recipe here on allrecipes.com. I was inspired to make mushroom soup after trying some at a restaurant in San Francisco. If you want the original, follow the link. I am adding my changes here."


INGREDIENTS:

6 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (I used baby portabella)
2 cups (or 1 can) chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/3 cups half-and-half
2 tablespoons sherry

DIRECTIONS
In a large frying pan melt 3 of the 5 tablespoons of butter. Add mushrooms, onions, garlic, thyme, and 1/2 of the chicken broth. Cook until mushrooms and tender, and onions are clear. In blender or food processor, puree the rest of the chicken broth with 2/3 of the mushroom mixture , reserving 1/3 for chunkiness.
In large saucepan, melt the butter, whisk in the flour until smooth. Add the salt, pepper, half and half , reserved mushroom mixture and mushroom puree. Stirring constantly, bring soup to a boil and cook until thickened. Adjust seasonings to taste, and add sherry.

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortelini

"I found this on allrecipes.com. It is one of the best soups I've ever had. I've made it twice. I am adding the changes I made into the recipe."

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. Italian sausage, cooked, chopped and drained (reserve pan)

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 cups beef broth (or just use 1 carton and 1 can which gives you a little extra, but it's no big deal)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup red wine

4 large tomatoes, chopped

1 cup thin sliced carrots

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups zucchini, sliced

16 oz fresh tortellini filled with cheese

1/2 teaspoon parsley

DIRECTIONS:

In a large stock pot combine broth, water, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, wine, tomatoes, carrots, and sausage. Fry onion and garlic in left-over fying pan, and saute until soft and clear, and add to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add zucchini and parsley, and simmer covered for another 30 minutes. Add tortellini for the last 10 minutes of simmering.

Optional:

Sprinkle each serving with with parmesan cheese

Serves 10

Rich and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

"I found this recipe HERE . I had never had tomato soup anywhere but from a can until I had some at Panera Bread (restaurant). I was so delicious that I wanted to try to find a recipe for something similar. While this isn't the same, it is definately going in my recipe box. Tomatoes are a little hard to peel. I tried using a vegetable peeler, and I also tried boiling them for five seconds and then peeling the skins off with my fingers...either way it takes a while. I might try canned next time. The only thing I changed is that I left about 1/4 of the tomato chunks, un-pureed, so that it'd be chunky."

INGREDIENTS:

4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

4 cups (32 oz) tomato juice

14 fresh basil leaves

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Place tomatoes and juice in a stock pot over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the tomato mixture along with the basil leaves, and return the puree to the stock pot.
Place the pot over medium heat, and stir in the heavy cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Do not boil.

Serves: 4

Salsa Black Bean Soup

"I got this recipe from Cooking Light magazine a few years ago. I have made it at least a half dozen times. The last time I made it, I finally put in chipotle chili powder, instead of the regular chili powder I'd been substituting, and it really made a difference."

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

3 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz. salsa

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon dried cilantro

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Stir in water, chipotle chili powder, cilantro, beans and salsa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Place 3 cups of mixture into blender, blend, and return to pot. Stir in lime juice, and simmer another 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Makes 4 - one and a half cup servings

Boilermaker Tailgate Chili

"This recipe came from allrecipes.com , and the original maker is MIGHTYPURDUE22. Here is the link to the original recipe in case you want to follow it exactly. I omitted all of the spicy ingredients so that it would be more child and heartburn friendly. This is the second time I have made it. We don't drink beer, so I bought a 24 oz. can, which was the smallest amount I could get. I wanted to cook it longer than two hours, and with the lid off, so I added all of the can of beer (instead of just the 8 oz., and cooked it for about five hours, stiring every 45 minutes. The preparation time is at least an hour."

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs ground beef chuck (I use sirlion)
1 lb ground sausage
4 cans mild chili beans
2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
3 tablespoons real bacon, bacon bits
4 beef bouillon cubes
1 cup (8 oz.) beer
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Brown meat and drain (I like to put mine in the food processor to get it finely chopped). Add meat and all other ingredients to large stock pot. Stir and simmer covered on low for two hours, stirring occasionally.

Jen's Chicken Noodle Soup

"I did some research to find out what ingredients most chicken noodle soup recipes called for and then created my own. I don't really like those floppy egg noodles very much, so I used Barilla Plus spiral pasta."

INGREDIENTS:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks

1 - 32 oz. carton chicken broth or chicken stock

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 can of sliced carrots, drained (or you could use the same equivalent fresh or frozen)

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup white wine

1 box pasta noodles cooked according to directions

1 can cream of chicken soup (I like Healthy Request by Campbell's)

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 chicken bouillon cube

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon curry powder


DIRECTIONS:

Saute chicken with butter, onions, celery, spices and wine until chicken is cooked through and onions are soft and clear. Put all ingredients including chicken mixture into large pot. Bring to a simmer and continue simmering for 20 minutes over medium to medium low heat.

Serves 6

Slow-cooked Beef Stew

"The original recipe called for a crock pot / slow cooker. I found that it didn't all fit in my crock pot, so I transferred it to my large Farberware pot and baked it. I suppose you could also use a roasting pan."

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. beef roast cut into 1 in. cubes

1/3 cup flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic minced

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon paprika

1 packet McCormick's Beef Stew Seasoning

1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce

1/2 cup red wine

1 onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups beef broth

3 potatoes, diced

4 carrots, sliced

1 stalk celery, chopped

4 fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Chop onions (keep seperate), celery, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms and set aside. In small bowl mix together flour, salt and pepper, then place in large plastic zipper bag along with meat cubes; shake to coat. Saute beef and onions with oil in large fry pan until meat is browned and onions are softened. Transfer to pot. In large bowl combine beef broth, wine and worchestershire sauce, stir and pour into fry pan (without heat on). Stir to mix in any drippings from pan. Transfer broth mixture to pot. Add all the remaining ingredients to pot and stir.

Crock Pot: Cook on Low 10-12 hours or on High 4-6 hours

In Oven with lid: Bake on 350 degrees for 1 hour and reduce heat to 200 degrees for six hours

Serves 6