Corn and Cheese Chowder

This soup was a hit at our house!  One of my favorite food blogs is the Pioneer Woman and she now has a food show on the food network.  She made this soup this last Saturday and it was super simple and very very good!

Soups are a wonderful meal in the winter!

Todd thought we should have had a sandwich or something else with it, but I thought it was great all by itself!  It depends on your feelings for meat in every meal or not!

This is definitely a keeper and one I will make often~just add a sandwich or maybe some potatoes to the soup would make it a little heartier!

Corn and Cheese Chowder

(Pioneer Woman via Food Network)

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 whole onion, chopped (I used 1/2 onion)
• 3 slices bacon, cut into pieces (I used 4 to add a little more bacon)
• 3 whole bell peppers, finely diced ~ red, yellow, orange
• 5 ears corn, kernels sliced off (or 1 pkg frozen white corn thawed, which is what I used)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups chicken stock or broth
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 heaping cup of Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 heaping cup of Pepper Jack cheese
• 1/3 cup sliced green onions
• salt and pepper
• Bread bowls if you want to serve in them or crusty bread to dip and eat with it

I pre chopped all my vegies before I started and had my cheese grated.  It seemed to make it simpler for me especially as you might be helping kids with homework etc.

In a large pot, melt butter.  Over medium-high heat, add your chopped onions and cook for a few minutes.  Add your bacon (I find it easy to cut my bacon as I put it in the pot with kitchen scissors) and cook for another minute or so.  As the onions and bacon are cooking, I periodically stirred the mixture.  Now add your chopped bell peppers and stir occasionally cooking for a few minutes.  Finally, add your corn and cook again for a few minutes.

Sprinkle the flour evenly over your mixture and stir to combine.  Pour in the chicken stock and stir well.  Allow this to thicken for 3-4 minutes, and then reduce heat to low.  Stir in your half-and-half and then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or so. 

Stir in cheeses and green onions.  When the cheese is melted and the soup is hot, check your seasonings and add salt and pepper if needed. 

Serve in bread bowls, or in bowls with bread to eat with it.  My kids dipped their bread in the soup and also ate with saltines.  You can also eat this with a sandwich also!

Zuppa Toscana

This is another great find on pinterest.  It is described as better than Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana!

All I can say is soup is really really good this time of year and this soup was definitely really really good!

I will make a few changes next time I make it, and there will be a next time!

I will use less sausage.  We like to have more soup than sausage.  If you like lots of sausage, leave it the same. 

This is definitely a soup to add to my cold weather list! 

Zuppa Toscana

(found on pinterest via

www.steaknpotatoeskindagurl.blogspot.com)

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 lb hot (I used mild) Italian Sausage (I will do 1/2 lb next time)
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups (32 oz) chicken stock
• 3 cups potatoes, cubed
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 cups kale, in bite size pieces (didn't have this, added shredded zucchini instead)
• 1 cup heavy cream (used just whipping cream)
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• kids liked saltines too!

In a large pot, cook the bacon until crispy.  I like to use my kitchen scissors and cut the bacon before I cook it!  That way it is already diced.  Drain your bacon grease.  Add your sausage, breaking it apart as it cooks.  Once sausage is browned and crumbled, drain off the grease leaving a little to saute the onions in.  I put the sausage and bacon aside on a plate.

Cook the onion in the remaining small amount of grease.  Saute until translucent; add the minced garlic and saute a little longer.

Stir in your potatoes, sausage/bacon, and chicken stock (or I used bouillon).  Season with salt and pepper and simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add your kale (or zucchini) and cream.  Bring to a simmer.  Top each bowl with Parmesan cheese!

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

This is another great recipe found on pinterest.  It is originally from food.com.

Todd and I found a Panera in North Carolina and have loved that place ever since.  They have great sandwiches, bagels, bread, and soup too!

This soup was really really good!  In fact I had a kid ask for seconds!

Yummy and warm and perfect for a winter night!

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

(http://www.food.com/)

serves 4

• 1 tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 lb fresh broccoli (about 3-4 cups)
• 1 cup carrots, julienned
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 8 ounces (1 cup) grated sharp cheddar cheese (used medium)
• salt and pepper

Saute onion in 1 tbsp butter.  When softened and cooked set aside.

Using a whisk, combine 1/4 cup melted butter and flour.  Whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.  Next, add the half-and-half stirring constantly.

Add the chicken stock (I did water and bouillon).  Simmer for 20 minutes.

While the stock and cream are simmering, chop up your broccoli and julienne your carrots.  I looked up julienne and it looked like you cut the carrots into small sticks.  I did mine bite size sticks.

Once you have simmered for 20 minutes, add broccoli, carrots and onions.  Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes.

Add salt and pepper and cheese.  Stir in nutmeg and enjoy!

Cheeseburger Soup

Yummy, Yumm-o, Yummtastic, Yummerific,...

These were some of the words that my family used to describe this soup!  Well the words "This is yummy mom" were used, which are words to melt any mothers heart!  My husband was even completely thrilled and loved dinner too!

This is a Taste of Home recipe and received 4 stars! The ingredients were almost all ones I had on hand~the only thing I had to buy was Velveeta.

Very easy and a very comforting soup!

Cheeseburger Soup

(Taste of home)

• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup shredded carrots
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
• 4 tbsp butter, divided
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups diced, peeled potatoes (1 3/4 pounds) (or use red potatoes and you can leave skin on)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups (8 ounces) process cheese (Velveeta)
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup sour cream

In a sauce pan, brown your ground beef; drain and set aside.  While your beef is cooking, chop your onions, shred (grate with a cheese grater) your carrots and dice your celery.  I put all these ingredients in one bowl and then added the basil and parsley to it.

Once your beef is done and you have removed it from the pan, use the same pan and saute your onion, celery, carrots, basil, and parsley in 1 tbsp butter. 
Cook until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes. 

After the veggies are tender, add your broth (I did 3 cups water with 3 bouillon cubes), potatoes and beef.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

While everything is simmering, melt remaining 3 tbsp butter in a small skillet.  Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly.  Add this to your soup (when potatoes are ready) and bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and stir in the milk, cheese, salt and pepper.  Cook until cheese is melted.

Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.  Enjoy with saltine crackers!

Classic Minestrone Soup

I found this in my All You Magazine and since cold weather is upon us, I had to give it a try!

It was simple since you cook it in your crock pot!  The soup has great flavor and very healthy for all you trying to balance the candy intake!  It came out a little thick, so I added more water in the end to thin it out a little.  Either way it was great and will definitely be made again!

Classic Minestrone Soup

(October All You Magazine)

• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 ribs celery, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped (I used dried onion, just for simplicity)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 3, we love garlic!)
• 4 cups chicken broth (I added 4 cups water and 4 bouillon cubes~next time I will add 5 cups and 5 bouillon)
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes with liquid
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 cup small shell pasta or macaroni
• 1 cup shredded escarole or kale (I used my shredded zucchini instead)
• 1 15.5 oz can white beans, drained
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Combine carrots, celery, onion and garlic in slow cooker.  Pour in broth and stir in tomatoes, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and Italian seasoning.  Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.  I added the shredded zucchini about half way through cooking.

Thirty minutes before serving, stir in pasta, escarole (if using) and beans.  Cover and increase heat to high and cook until pasta is tender, about 30 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve hot with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top!

Easy Cream Cheese Zucchini Soup

I found this recipe in my LDS living magazine.  I thought why not try it since I have quite a few zucchini.  It was super simple and has really good flavor.  You taste the onion soup mix the most, but are getting lots of zucchini without really knowing it!  A good way to eat your veggies!  I will admit that I didn't give this to my kids, but want them to try it!  The magazine stated that it would be a favorite with kids!  You can't really taste the zucchini, so why not give it a try with your kids and some good french bread!

Easy Cream Cheese Zucchini Soup

(LDS Living magazine July/August 2011)

• 4 cups sliced zucchini
• 5 cups water
• 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
• 1 envelope of onion soup or vegetable soup mix

Cook zucchini in the water until zucchini is tender. 

The directions say to pour into blender.  It didn't specify to put the water in the blender with the zucchini or not.  I drained the water and only added the zucchini.  Mainly because my blender was not big enough to hold both the zucchini and all the water.  If you try keeping the water, let me know how it turns out!

Add the cream cheese and the soup mix.  Blend in blender until smooth.  Once smooth, return to the pot and heat through.

Enjoy!

Chicken Cream Cheese Soup

It is still soup weather around here and I found another winner!

I tried to get a friend to post this herself (since she found it first) but since I didn't I tried to recipe too!

It is really simple and really easy! Has great flavor and the whole family loved it!

Next time I think I will add celery to it! I am sure there are a lot of other vegies that would be good added too!

Chicken Cream Cheese Soup

(found on Sisters Cafe)

1 lb chicken (breasts or combination)

1 onion, diced

1-2 Tb butter

2 handfuls baby carrots (about 2 cups sliced small)

4-5 potatoes, diced small

1 c milk

1/4 c flour

8 oz package cream cheese

• 
  
  Put chicken in pot and cover with water; boil until cooked. Take chicken out of water but keep the broth. When chicken is cool, shred.


• 
  
  Saute onion in butter. Put onion in pot and add carrots and potatoes. Add 3-4 cups of broth or enough to cover vegetables. Add bouillon cubes or soup base for flavor (I add 4 bouillon cubes). Bring to a boil and simmer until veggies are tender.


• 
  
  Mix flour with milk and add to soup. Soften cream cheese in microwave then add to soup in little pieces and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

(We ate ours with Saltine Crackers!)

California Chowder

I was searching for a different soup recipe and stumbled upon this awesome soup! Even my kids raved about it being soooo good! And think of all the veggies they got tonight!

If you got a Bountiful Basket in our area this last week, then you have about everything you need! That is what got me more interested in trying this soup out! It has 5 different veggies and was super good on a cold day like we had yesterday!

I made a few changes, but for the most part it has ingredients on hand. If you are missing one of the veggies, you could probably do more broccoli if you don't have cauliflower etc.!

Enjoy!!

California Chowder

(www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com)

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tbsp chicken soup base (I used 2 chicken bouillon)
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 cups whole milk (I used 1% milk I had on hand)
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 2 cups diced potatoes
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 clove minced garlic (or 1/2 tsp granulated garlic)
• 1/2 Tbsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onions (I used dried onions because I didn't have an onion)
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup fresh broccoli
• 1 cup fresh cauliflower
• fresh parsley for garnish

Melt 4 tbsp butter in a soup pot. Add flour and mix well. Add chicken base (or bouillon) then slowly and steadily mix in the whipping cream, milk and water. Bring to a low boil. I stirred frequently to prevent any burning. Add potatoes, celery, garlic, salt and Worcestershire sauce.

Cook for 45 minutes or until veggies are fork tender. It may only take 30 minutes depending in how small you dice your veggies.

Saute onions in the 1/2 tbsp butter for 3 minutes (or just throw in the dried onions) and add to soup along with the broccoli and cauliflower.

Cook another 15 minutes or until veggies are fork tender. Enjoy with fresh bread or we had saltine crackers with ours!

Makes about 6-8 servings!

Sunchoke and Sausage Soup

My camera has been hijacked by my husband! So I don't have a picture of this soup, but I wanted to post it in case there were some of you out there that got sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) from bountiful baskets and didn't know what to do with them!

This soup had great flavor, it was easy and it used the sunchokes and spinach that I got from my basket! It was rated with 4 stars on all recipes and had great reviews! My kids looked at it and weren't exactly sure about it! Luckily I was prepared for this and wasn't in one of my "You better eat this" moods!

We liked it and would make this again, if I got sunchokes again! I may even purposefully buy some!

_________________________

Sunchoke and Sausage Soup

(www.allrecipes.com)

• 4 slices turkey bacon, diced (I used regular bacon and 5 slices! If you cut it with your kitchen scissors it makes dicing really easy!)
• 1 (16 ounce) package turkey sausage, casings discarded, coarsely chopped (I used beef sausage, since that is what I had~I cut to bite size pieces)
• 1 lb Jerusalem artichokes, peeled, halved, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 6 small white potatoes, peeled and halved (I cut into bite size pieces)
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped (I didn't add since I didn't have any)
• 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 4 cloves~I like garlic!)
• 1 quart chicken stock (I used almost 2 qts, to make it more soup than stew!)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• (For fresh herb substitution use 1 tsp dried to every 1 tbsp fresh. I did this!)
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch ground paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• I sprinkled Parmesan cheese on our soup!

Place the bacon, sausage, artichokes, potatoes, celery, onion, leek, spinach and garlic in a large saucepan. Pour in chicken stock ~ this is where I added more. The stock didn't cover the veggies and I thought it could use more liquid! Add parsley, basil, oregano, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt and pepper. Cover, and bring to a simmer over med-high heat. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer 45 minutes.

Stir the flour into the 1 cup water until no lumps remain. Stir into the simmering soup, and continue simmering, covered, 30 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally! If you added more liquid, you may need to add more flour if you want it thick!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I found this recipe on Jack and Jill's Kitchen. I have found a love for Wild Rice and decided yesterday with the snowy weather we needed soup.

This soup was a hit with my family. It was hearty and it was yummy. Had lots of great flavor and good yummy veggies!

I halved the recipe for my family and it was perfect. We had enough for us and leftovers for 2!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

(Jack and Jill's Kitchen)

• 10 cups water
• 10 bouillon cubes or 10 tsp chicken base ~ chicken base found at Costco!
• 4 chicken breasts ~ can be frozen too!
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 boxes Rice a Roni Wild Rice flavor
• 1 onion, finely chopped ~ I used the dried onions, which worked out great!
• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 1 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1 small can stems and pieces mushrooms ~ I didn't add!
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup

Fill your pot with water and bring to a boil.

Add chicken, onion, b0uillon, salt, and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer about 25 minutes. Remove chicken pieces from the boiling broth after the 25 minutes. Use scissors or knife and cut or shred your chicken. Return chicken to the pot. The chicken should be cooked through.

Add the carrots, celery, mushrooms and boxes of rice (pour in the rice and seasoning packets that come along in the box). Cover and let simmer about 15 minutes more, until the veggies and rice are cooked.

Add the cream of chicken soups, turn up the heat and let it come to a boil. Once the soup is thickened (this takes just a few minutes after it comes to a boil again) it is ready to be served. ~ I added about 2 cups of hot water to this soup. The picture above was taken before the water was added. I wanted more of a soup, not a stew. I also found the seasonings to be really strong and the water softened it up alot! Just add how ever much hot water to make it the consistency you want. The flavors should still be strong enough!
YUMMY!!

Wild Rice Soup

I found this recipe on Sisters Stuff blog and had to try it! There is something about soup in the winter, the comfort and warmth of it that is super inviting!

This recipe is very easy, but one step gave me a little trouble! Don't burn the onions! I used dry onions and they got a little toasty and gave the soup a little bit of a burnt taste! So be careful and maybe add them a little later!

All in all it was a great soup and I loved that there were carrots added, but you really don't notice them if you have picky eaters! Also, the rice gave it a different taste and yum yum!!

Wild Rice Soup

(Sistersstuff.blogspot.com)

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 medium onion or 2 tbsp dried onion
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 cups chicken broth (I am going to add 5 cups next time for more liquid)
• 1 cup cooked wild rice
• 1 cup cooked white rice
• 1 cup diced ham or chicken (I used chicken but she said both are excellent)
• 1/2 cup finely shredded carrots
• 1/2 tsp salt (I think it needs more salt, so maybe 1 tsp)
• pepper to taste

Saute onion in butter. (Be careful with this step and make sure to not burn the onions!) Blend in flour and cook for 5 minutes. (I am going to do less time, this might have been where I burned the onions) Add ham or chicken, rice, carrots, and salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-20 minutes and enjoy!

French Onion Soup

I tried French Onion Soup a while ago and had a disatrous outcome! So when a friend made some this last month, I was sooo excited and hers turned out really good! I don't know how I messed up, but with the abundance of onions I have I am going to try her tried and proven recipe! This is her recipe from the Lion House Christmas recipe book!

French Onion Soup

• 3 cups sliced onions
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups beef stock (or 2 cups water and 2 tbsp beef soup base)
• 2 cups chicken stock (or 2 cups water and 2 tbsp chicken soup base)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 recipe Parmesan Toast Cubes (see below)

In a medium saucepan, saute sliced onions in melted butter until golden brown. Add beef stock, chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan Toast Cubes just before serving. Makes 4 servings.

Parmesan Toast Cubes

• 1 loaf French Bread
• Butter, room temp.
• Parmesan cheese, grated

Slice French Bread into thick slices and place on a large baking sheet. Spread each slice with enough softened butter to cover each slice. Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan cheese. Place slices under broiler and toast until light brown.

Remove and cut into large cubes.

Apple Cider Beef Stew

Kora loved this stew and loved the sweet potatoes too!

I also halved this recipe for my family of four eaters. FYI - Christian thinks that his picture looks awful, but we really did like it.

2 lbs. stew meat
6 carrots, sliced
6 potatoes, sliced ( I used sweet potatoes this time)
2 apples, chopped
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups apple cider

Place apples and vegetables in crock pot. Add meat lightly sprinkled with salt and pepper. Pour cider over meat. Cook on low for 8 hours. You can add flour if you want the sauce to be thicker. I also added a little brown sugar with my sweet potatoes!

Chicken Noodle Soup

This recipe came from Simplify Supper. It is super simple and was really good! I didn't use vegetable broth this time, because I only have chicken bouillion. I added more noodles and more broth than called for too!

Chicken Noodle Soup

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 4 cans chicken broth
• 1 can vegetable broth
• 4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 1 1/2 cups egg noodles
• 1 cup carrots, sliced
• 1/2 tsp basil, dried
• 1/2 tsp oregano, dried

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Cook onion and celery in butter until tender (about 5 minutes). Pour in broths and stir in chicken, noodles, carrots, basil and oregano. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes before serving!

Mom's Chili

It is feeling "chilly" outside and doesn't that just make you feel like eating "CHILI"!

This is my mom's recipe and it turns out great everytime! I think you could adapt it to go in your crock pot too!!

Mom's Chili

5 cans (15 oz) kidney beans

(other option is to use 1 lb dried kidney beans and soak in 6 cups water overnight)

2 onions chopped (I had large onions and only used 1)

1 clove garlic (I added 2 cloves)

2 lbs ground beef

3 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1-3 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp paprika

4 cups tomato juice

(I added a can (14.5 oz) of crushed tomatoes or could use diced also)

Cook the ground beef and drain. Add all ingriendients to a stock pot and you may need some water depending on how thick you like it. Simmer together for at least one hour on low. (Or put everything in your crock pot and turn on low for a few hours!)

Tortilla Soup

I love making Emily's Tortilla Soup from Pampered Cheif, but I tried this one last night and LOVED it. It has a lot of good flavors and my kids were asking for more! I didn't make the chipotle crema, but the spice one the fried tortillas was YUMMY! You'll have to give the fried tortillas a try!

Tortilla Soup
from: Emeril "BAM"

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 green bell pepper and 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 cups chicken stock
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
6 stale corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped, for garnish
Chipotle Crema, accompaniment, recipe follows

Directions

In a Dutch oven or large heavy pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, peppers, salt, cumin, and coriander for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cilantro and lime juice, and stir well. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
Heat the oil in a heavy pot or electric fryer to 350 degrees F. Add the tortilla strips in batches and fry until golden and crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with the Essence.
Ladle the soup into 4 or 6 serving bowls. Garnish each serving with the diced avocado, the fried tortilla strips, and Chipotle Crema.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch
Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Chipotle Crema:

1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients. Process on high speed until smooth. Serve with the soup.
Yield: 1/2 cup

Potato Soup

This is a recipe I decided to try for potato soup not only because I love potato soup but I wanted one for the crock pot. It makes it so easy and it is really become one of my favorites. We had this for St. Patrick's Day and made it green.


5 cups of potatoes, diced
1/3 cup chopped onion
3 cups chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/8 tsp pepper
Combine in crock pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until potatoes are tender. Add:
8 oz. cream cheese
bacon pieces
Stir until blended may take a few minutes for cream cheese to melt and mix. Add fresh chives (I use bottled sometimes and they are still good. I think chives really makes this soup. I love it!!) to the top of your soup and serve.
This makes quite a bit. It feeds our family of seven with no leftovers (I will be doubling it next time!)

Italian Lentil Soup

I have been really interested in trying new BEAN recipes, in order to find ones I like since they are great for the food storage! I found this recipe on a craft blog I look at called A feathered Nest and decided to give it a try!
It turned out really good and even my kids ate it up!!

Italian Lentil Soup

1/2 cup olive oil

2 carrots, peeled, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp dried Italian Seasoning (or 1 tsp each of thyme, oregano, & basil)

1 bag dried, green lentils

16 cups broth (or bullion cubes & water)

2 tsp salt (I prefer less)

1/2 tsp black pepper

cooked pasta or 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

grated Romano cheese for sprinkling on top (I used parmesan cheese)

Half and Half (optional)

~In a large stockpot, heat olive oil and saute carrots, celery, and onion. Cook 3-5 minutes until soft. Add garlic, seasoning, and lentils. Stir; cook 30 seconds. Add broth, salt and pepper. If using brown rice, add it now.

~(Keep in mind that the rice will absorb liquid. If you like a runnier soup, cook rice separately or add more broth) I found there was plenty of broth with normal amounts!

~Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes on low heat until lentils are tender. If using pasta, add cooked pasta (like macaroni or small shells) separately. If you're planning on freezing some in containers or freezer bags, do not add pasta to the whole soup. Set aside the soup you plan on freezing and then add your pasta.

~Top your soup with some fresh grated cheese. To make it a little more delish, add the half and half here and enjoy!!

Creamy Mushroom and Chicken Soup

I had this at a friends house and it was really yummy. She got it from the
Family Fun magazine.

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
6 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup sliced celery
3/4 cup chopped carrots
2 cups quartered baby red potatoes
1 cup chopped yellow squash
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 teaspoons thyme
2 cups light cream (I used milk instead, it made it not as thick but still good)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish if desired
2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper and mix until smooth. Gradually add the broth, then turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Add the mushrooms, celery, carrots, potatoes, squash, corn, and thyme. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

2. Add the cream, Parmesan, and chicken. Heat the soup for an additional 10 minutes, but do not let it boil.

3. To serve, ladle the soup into a bowl and sprinkle it with more Parmesan, if desired. Makes about 15 cups.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I found this recipe on mykitcen cafe and copied it exactly as she had it on her blog! I followed all her directions as she added! It turned out great and next time I am going to try it in a bread bowl like she did!!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 can chicken broth
1 small onion, diced
1/3 c. flour1/4 c. butter
Pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)
2 c. milk (I used 1% with great results)
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (the sharper the better for flavor - I used sharp cheddar and hopefully next time will have extra sharp cheddar on hand)
1/2 c. shredded swiss cheese
steamed chopped broccoli (the amount of broccoli really boils down to preference - I wanted a lot of broccoli in my soup, so I chopped and steamed approximately 2 1/2 to 3 cups of broccoli florets)

Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour and pepper. Cook together for a couple of minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium-high heat until soup starts to thicken. Next add chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses and steamed broccoli. Serve immediately.Makes approximately 4 servings (with two adults and three kids, we finished the pot of soup in one dinner serving it in bread bowls, so if you are serving more adults or serving the soup in regular bowls, I would consider doubling according to the number of people)