Pumpkin Soup

2 ~ 15 oz cans chicken broth
3 c canned solid pack pumpkin puree, not pie filling
1/2 t salt
1 t minced garlic
1/2 t fresh thyme, chopped
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/3 c heavy cream

Place all ingredients except cream in large stock pot, whisk well and bring to boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes stirring occasionally. Whisk in heavy cream and serve immediately. Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a side or appetizer.

Tomato Basil Soup ~ La Madeline copycat adapted from Girl Talk

1 ~ 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, recommended: Contadina
12 large basil leaves
1/4 c sweet cream butter, unsalted
1 c heavy cream
1/4 t salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Simmer tomatoes in medium pot 20 minutes over medium high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Transfer to food processor along with basil. Process until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile melt butter, stirring constantly. Return tomato and basil puree to pot and stir to combine with butter. Add cream and heat through. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with additional basil if desired. Serves 4.

Corn and Potato Chowder ~ adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

1 head cauliflower, chopped and washed
5 c chicken broth
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c milk
1 t salt
1 large carrot, diced
1 stem celery, diced
3 c frozen hash brown potatoes
2 c frozen sweet corn
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and chopped

In large stock pot, bring chicken broth to boil. Add cauliflower, cover and cook until just fork tender (3-4 minutes). While cooking, heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Transfer broth and cooked cauliflower to a blender when tender. Add milk and garlic with olive oil and blend until completely smooth (2 minutes). Return to stock pot over low heat.

In skillet used to sauté garlic, add carrot and celery. Sauté until tender (5 minutes), add more oil as needed. Add to stock pot along with frozen hash browns. Cover and cook 10 minutes over medium high heat. Add corn and heat just to boiling, season with salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with chopped bacon. Serves 8.

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Stew ~ adapted from Cabot Cheese

1 rotisserie chicken
3 ~ 14.5 oz cans chicken broth (approximately 5 c)
3 large carrots, trimmed and cut into chunks
3 ribs celery with leaves, cut into chunks
4 whole black peppercorns
1 small bay leaf
1 c uncooked wild rice
1/2 c half and half
1/2 c plain Greek style yogurt
2 T cornstarch
1 t dried thyme
1/2 t salt, more or less to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, more or less to taste

Pull off meat from chicken. Dice 2 cups of chicken meat, saving rest for another use, and set aside in refrigerator.

Add broth, wild rice, carrots, celery, peppercorns and bay leaf to crock pot. Cover and cook on high 4 to 5 hours or until carrots are tender.

In small bowl, whisk together half and half, yogurt and cornstarch until completely smooth with no lumps. Stir mixture into crock pot. Add thyme and 2 cups of diced chicken. Add salt and pepper as needed. Stir until heated through and serve. Serves 8.

Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Soup ~ adapted from Back For Seconds

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 c chicken broth
4 carrots, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 t Greek seasoning, or lemon pepper
2 bay leaves
3/4 c long grain white rice
1/2 c milk
1/3 c flour
10 oz frozen corn kernels
Salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken in bottom of crock pot. Add broth, carrots, celery, greek seasoning, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on high 3 hours. Add rice and cook 2 hours more.

Place milk and flour in a small jar with a lid and shake well, ensuring all lumps of four are incorporated. Pour flour mixture into crock pot, add frozen corn and stir well. Remove chicken from pot, shred, and return to pot. Cover and cook 1 hour more. Remove bay leaves, ladle into bowls, add salt and pepper as desired. Serves 6.


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Crock Pot Easy Beef Stew

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 c flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t fresh ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 one onion, chopped
4 yukon gold potatoes, diced
8 oz pack baby carrots
1 ~ 14 oz can beef broth

Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle over meat and stir to coat. Add garlic, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, onion, potatoes, and carrots. Pour in beef broth. Cover and cook on Low for 10 hours, or on High for 6 hours. Remove bay leaf prior to serving. Serves 6.
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8 Can Taco Soup

1 ~ 15 oz can black beans
1 ~ 15 oz can pinto beans
1 ~ 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 ~ 15 oz can sweet corn
1 ~ 12.5 oz can white chicken breast
1 ~ 10 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 ~ 10 oz can green chile enchilada sauce
1 ~ 14 oz can chicken broth
1 packet taco seasoning
2 c shredded Monterey jack cheese, optional.

Mix all ingredients in a large soup pot. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Serve with shredded cheese and tortilla chips, if desired. Serves 10.

Spinach and Tortellini Soup

24 oz reduced sodium chicken broth
2 c fresh baby spinach leaves, washed
8 oz cheese tortellini, prepared
1/2 t each dried oregano and basil
1/4 t garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
shaved parmesan cheese, optional

Place chicken broth, dried spices, and garlic powder in medium saucepan and heat over medium-high flame until simmering. Add spinach, reduce heat and cover until wilted, approximately 3 minutes. Uncover and add tortellini, continue cooking until heated through.

Remove from heat, ladle into bowls and garnish with parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. Serves 2.

Tater Soup

8 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 c white onion, finely diced
1 - 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1/4 c (1 stick) butter
1 1/2 c milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 t garlic powder
1 t salt
grated cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and chives for garnish if desired
salt and pepper to taste

In large pot with heavy bottom, add potatoes and onion with just enought water to cover. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender and beginning to fall apart. Add cream cheese (in clumps) and stir well until completely melted. Add butter, milk, mushroom and celery soups, garlic, and salt. Cook until butter is melted and soup is heated through.

Ladel into bowls and top with cheese, bacon bits, and chives if desired. Season with pepper and additional salt to taste. Serves 8.

Chef's Note: This soup was so simple to put together, the hardest part was peeling the potatoes! The total time needed for the potatoes to reach the desired consistency is one hour minimum. This soup can be made well in advance and left covered on the stove over extremely low heat for several hours.

Although the recipe claims it serves 8, it's really more like 10 servings. I had enough for several days of lunches and I think it gets better the longer it sits.

Thank you Ann Margaret for sharing this easy and delicious recipe!

Spicy Sausage Soup with Kale

This recipe is very similar to my Toscana Soup in the main ingredients, however the taste is completely different. This soup is spicy and flavorful, tasting like it has been cooked for hours but the good news is it's ready in about 30 minutes (especially if you have a sous chef to chop all your veg!)




1-1/2 T olive oil
1 lb hot Italian sausage
1/4 one yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1-1/2 t fresh rosemary, minced
2 T tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart chicken broth
Two 15-oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
6 oz kale, center ribs removed, leaves chopped (approx. 4 c)
1-1/2 t cider vinegar
fresh grated Parmesan (optional)

Heat olive oil in 5-quart dutch oven or heavy bottom stock pot over medium high heat. Add sausage (casing removed) and crumble while cooking until browned, about 8 minutes. Add onion, carrot, celery, and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes.

Add tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add broth, beans, and kale and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Uncover, raise heat to medium low and cook 5 minutes more to meld flavors. Remove from heat, stir in vinegar and garnish with fresh parmesan, if desired. Serves 4.

Chef's Note: Do not omit the vinegar. It may sound strange, but it adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the spicy sausage.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I've tasted Chicken Tortilla soup at just about every Mexican restaurant in Southern California and Phoenix and have yet to be as impressed by any of them as I am with this recipe. It tastes exactly as I intended. Salty and mildly spicy with the tang of lime juice. It is wonderful.

I created this recipe by going for a specific taste combo of lime, cumin, cheese, and cilantro. I didn't have any fresh cilantro, so I used twice the amount of dried that any recipe I found called for because I love it. Feel free to decrease the cilantro to your taste, but I wouldn't change it much because the flavor balance with the other spices will be affected.


Chicken Tortilla Soup

3 large chicken breasts, washed and dried
1/4 t ground cumin
salt and pepper
2 T olive oil
1/4 one white onion, chopped
2 ~14 oz cans chicken broth
1 ~14 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 ~4 oz can diced mild green chilies, undrained
3 T lime juice
2 T dried cilantro, or 1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
1 T dried oregano
1 t garlic powder
1 c frozen corn
1 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
corn tortilla chips

Heat olive oil in dutch oven over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper and cumin and add chicken to heated oil. Cook over medium heat until no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Add onion to pan and cook over medium heat until translucent. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, chilies, lime juice, cilantro, oregano, garlic, and corn. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Using fingers, shred chicken into bite sized pieces. Return chicken to pan and heat an additional 5 minutes.

Ladle into bowls, top each bowl with 1/4 c shredded cheese and a handful of crushed tortilla chips. Serves 4.

Note: In summer, I frequently broil a whole pan of chicken breast with olive oil and salt and pepper and store it in the fridge for use in recipes such as this. Feel free to use any leftover chicken you have from a previous meal to make this a super quick dinner. However, I wouldn't recommend using bbq flavored chicken. But then again... that just might end up a Tex Mex Chicken soup. I might just have to try that.

Italian Sausage Stew ~ adapted from Cooking Light

12 oz Italian sausage, sweet or mild
2 medium green bell peppers, chopped
1/2 one medium white onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ~15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 ~15 oz can stewed tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
1 t dried oregano
1 t dried basil
1/4 t dried parsley
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat large saucepan over medium heat and add enough olive oil to coat pan. Add green peppers and onion, saute 5 minutes. Cover saucepan, reduce heat and cook until soft. Add minced garlic and saute until garlic is fragrant.

Remove sausage casing and add to saucepan. Crumble and cook until no longer pink. Add beans, tomatoes and spices and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and crostini. Serves 4.

Chef's Note: Technically, this isn't a proper "stew" because there's no long cooking or stewing time. But the addition of stewed tomatoes gives the taste of a long cooked dish which gives the recipe a nod to being a stew.

Salsa Verde Chicken Stew

Tomatillo Salsa Verde
1 lb tomatillos; paper leaves removed, rinsed and cut in half
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t salt
2 T lime juice
Pinch of sugar

Place tomatillos cut-side down on aluminum foil-lined roasting pan. Broil under high heat 5-7 minutes until blackened in spots. Let cool to touch. Place tomatillos along with any juices rendered, jalapeño, garlic, salt, lime juice and sugar in blender and pulse until well blended. If prepared ahead, refrigerate until needed.

Chef's Note: Don't be worried when your tomatillos look like this picture. That's what makes them release their juices and come out so yummy.



Salsa Verde Chicken Stew
1 1/2-2 lbs boneless-skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t ground cumin
1 t sage
1 1/2 c chicken stock
2 c tomatillo salsa verde
1 t oregano
1/2 c cilantro stems and leaves, chopped

In large, heavy-bottomed stock pot heat 2 T olive oil over medium high heat. Dry cubed chicken with paper towels and sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium-high heat until all sides are golden. Remove the chicken pieces from pan and lower heat to medium. Add additional oil, if needed, and ground cumin and coriander. Cook until spices are fragrant, approximately 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.

Return chicken to pot and add tomatillo sauce, chicken stock, and oregano. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Serve over white rice and garnish with cilantro and sour cream if desired. Serves 4.

Ham and Lentil Soup

1 c dried lentils
1/2 lb ham, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 bay leaves
1 t thyme
1 t oregano
4 c beef broth

Heat dutch oven over medium heat, add ham and cook until brown. Add lentils, garlic, and carrots and saute 5 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and cover, simmer 45-50 minutes until lentils are tender. Remove bay leaves and serve. Serves 6.

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

1 pound Italian sausage (sweet or mild), casings removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 c beef stock (or low-sodium broth)
1/2 cup red wine
2 ~14 oz cans Italian style diced tomatoes
1 c carrots, sliced
1/2 t dried oregano
1 T tomato paste
1 1/2 c zucchini, sliced
3 T fresh parsley, chopped
8 oz cheese tortellini, prepared
fresh grated Parmesan and red pepper flakes for garnish

Brown sausage in large dutch oven over medium high heat. Remove sausage and drain on paper towel. Saute garlic 2 minutes in sausage drippings in dutch oven. Stir in beef stock, wine, canned tomatoes, carrots, oregano, tomato paste and sausage. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered 30 minutes.

Stir in zucchini and parsley. Simmer covered 30 minutes. Divide prepared tortellini in individual bowls and ladle soup on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if desired. Serves 4.

Spinach Brotchen

1/4 c butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 one onion, chopped
2 T steel cut Irish oats
3/4 lbs spinach, washed and chopped
4 c chicken broth
2 medium potatoes, diced
fresh nutmeg
salt & pepper, to taste
1 c heavy cream

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat and cook onion until soft, do not brown. Stir in oatmeal and continue cooking until oatmeal begins to darken slightly.

Add spinach, chicken broth, potatoes and pinch of grated nutmeg; season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium low and simmer gently for 10 to 20 minutes until spinach is just cooked.

Purée with immersion blender, add cream. Adjust salt and pepper as necessary. Bring to a boil and serve immediately, sprinkle with additional nutmeg for garnish. Serves 4 - 6.

Chef's Note: The word "brotchen" refers to Irish soups thickened with oats. These primitive soup recipes predate those containing meat, which later became known as "broth".

Sausage Minestrone

1 pound turkey Italian sausage (sweet or hot)
1 T garlic, minced
3 c beef broth
1 ~16 oz can white beans (drained and rinsed)
1 ~14.5 oz can diced Italian tomatoes
1 c spaghetti sauce
3 small zucchini, diced
2 carrots, grated
2 t Italian seasoning
2 c cooked pasta (elbow or rotini)

Remove sausage from casing. In large saucepan, crumble and cook sausage and garlic over medium heat until sausage is browned. Remove from pan to drain on paper towel.

Add remaining ingredients except pasta to saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and return sausage to pan. Simmer for a minimum of thirty minutes, for best flavor allow to simmer several hours.

Ladle into large bowls, add pasta and top with fresh grated parmesan cheese. Serves 8.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

1 t olive oil
1/2 one white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 15~oz jars roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 14~oz can diced peeled tomatoes
1 1/2 t dried thyme
2 t paprika
dash cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 t kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
4 c chicken broth
1 t Tabasco sauce (optional)
1/4 c sour cream

Heat olive oil in stock pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft but not brown, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in thyme and paprika (and cayenne if desired). Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes until spices become very aromatic.

Add chicken broth, red peppers, tomato, salt and pepper and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes. Using immersion blender, process soup to desired consistency.

Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with sour cream and Tabasco. Serve with pita chips. Serves 4.

For Linda.

Pasta E Fagioli

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
1/4 one white onion
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (16 oz) can white kidney beans, drained
2 (14 oz) cans beef broth
1 t oregano
1 t pepper
3 t parsley
1 t Tabasco sauce, to taste
1 (10 oz) can spaghetti sauce
4 oz pasta, uncooked

Combine all ingredients in crock-pot excluding pasta. Cook on low 8 hours. Add pasta during last hour, garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese if desired. Serves 8.

Toscana Soup

4 c chicken broth
1/4 t salt
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 medium russet potato, un-peeled
3 c kale, rinsed and chopped
1/2 pound sweet Italian Sausage (preferably turkey)
1/4 c half and half
1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat broth in saucepan over medium heat. Add pepper flakes and salt. Quarter potato length-wise and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Add potato and kale to soup. Remove sausage from casing, cook over high heat until brown and add to soup.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer on low until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, approximately 20 minutes. Add half and half, stir and remove from heat. Serve immediately topped with parmesan cheese. Serves 2.