Category: SOUPS & STEWS & CHILIS

Veggie Tales by Kris: Soup’s On!

Well, it’s still winter. Might as well make soup!

Butternut Squash Soup… & a Simple Salad

I’ve been getting a lot of use out of my Immersion Blender. I just love it. So simple now to make wonderful thick soups without the use of fattening cream or burning myself to death by pouring hot mushy veggies into a blender 1 cup at a time! This recipe is great because I love how savory it turned out. I am not a fan of the Butternut Squash Soups of the world that taste like pumpkin pie. You won’t find cinnamon or nutmeg in this version!

Savory Butternut Squash Soup

What you’ll need:
2 tbs olive oil
1 large yellow onion (diced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 inch fresh ginger (peeled and minced)
1 butternut squash (skin peeled, seeded and cubed)
2 medium-large yellow potatoes (peeled and cubed)
1 teaspoon dried sage (add more to taste)
2 tsp fresh chopped thyme (add more to taste or as garnish)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
About 6-8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
(the goal is to have enough to cover the vegetables in your pot so it depends on pot size. You can just add water if you run out of stock but do mind your seasonings if that is the case!)

What you’ll do:
Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add in onions and cook until softened- about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger. Cook another 5 minutes (don’t let them burn!). Add squash, potatoes and herbs and a little salt and pepper to start. Cover the vegetables with the stock/water. Just until it covers the top veggies. Bring soup to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes covered, or until the veggies are soft. Turn off heat. In meantime make the salad below. When soup has just cooled a bit (but still hot) blend the soup until it is a nice smooth consistency.
The Salad
So simple. Just finely shop cucumber, red onion, and cherry tomatoes. Add to some chopped romaine. To get your protein add your favorite beans. I love butter beans! I used a lovely red wine vinaigrette to dress this one.

Chicken Noodle Soup


2-4 packages of Ramen Soup mix
Boneless chicken
Bag of frozen vegetables
Water or Chicken Broth

I use this recipe to clean out the fridge…
Using leftover chicken, vegetables, rice, whatever looks good to add…


Simmer on stove…


Happy Eating…

Creamy Cheddar Potato Soup

 Join me at My Sweet and Savory and at Bizzy B. Bakes.  I would love to have you Cook with Chaya.

I am one of those gals who is cuddling by the non-existent fire place because outside, there are great mounds of snow, some weeks old and ice on the sidewalks.  One can slide from place to place.  Getting out of my car, the other night, I was greeted with a mountain blocking my way.  I wonder how many people threw their snow in that spot.

The truth is, there is no place left to throw snow for many of us.  We have piled up around the driveway, along the sidewalk, against the house.  You name it….there is snow.

These are days to stay home and make a warming pot of soup and what better than a creamy cheddar potato soup?

Cheddar Potato Soup adapted from Taste of Home Annual 2003
Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup chopped onion
  • 1/3 cup chopped celery
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4 cups diced peeled potatoes
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • Dash paprika

Method:

  • In a large saucepan, saute onion, red pepper and celery in butter until tender. 
  • Add potatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
  • Puree in small batches in a blender until smooth; return to the pan. Stir in the cheese, milk, pepper and paprika. Cook and stir over low heat until the cheese is melted.  I should have used my immersion blender but I forgot.  It would have been much easier than shlepping out the blender and then wash out the jar.


Cheeseburger Soup

CHEESEBURGER SOUP adapted from Recipes from Dawn’s Daily Life
1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup of chopped onion
3/4 cup of shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced, peeled potatoes (1-3/4lbs)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups (8oz) processed cheese (Velveeta)
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions:  In a 3-quart saucepan, brown beef; drain and set aside. In the same saucepan, saute onions, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour, cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat; blend in sour cream.

Modifications:
-I used 93/7 lean ground beef
-I used whole wheat flour
-I used light sour cream

Brown the ground beef.  Once browned, pull it out of the pan and set it aside.
Peel and dice the potatoes, dice the celery, shred the carrots, and dice an onion.
Throw the veggies in the same pan that the beef cooked in along with 1 Tbsp of butter.  Cook until tender (about 8-10 minutes).
Add the chicken broth and potatoes.  Put the ground beef back into the pot.  Cook on high until boiling, cover, and reduce.  Cook until potatoes are soft.

While the potatoes are cooking, melt the rest of the butter in a separte pan.  Add the flour.

Add the flour into the soup pot and stir well.
Add the milk.
Add the Velveeta and stir until melted.
Once the cheese melts, pull the soup off of the stove and add the sour cream.  Stir until the sour cream is mixed well.
Here’s what you’ll end up with:
I’m not sure it tastes like a cheeseburger but it does taste fantastic! 

Fire Roasted Acorn Squash Soup

It’s Fire Day Friday and the day after Thanksgiving, so naturally you’d expect me to write about the turkey I smoked yesterday, right?


Brined in bourbon and maple syrup and then smoked with hickory/cherry wood, it was a spectacular bird. However, I want to tell you about the soup we made instead. I’m used to making a great turkey but this was my first time ever cooking acorn squash.


Fire Roasted Acorn Squash Soup
adapted from: Acorn Squash Soup

I set up Alexis’ Big Green Egg for indirect heat and got it settled in at 350f. While it was preheating, I halved the acorn squash and removed the seeds. (Note: Keep the seeds, toss with some oil, salt and cinnamon then roast for a tasty treat or garnish.)


I roasted the halves cut side down for 35 minutes while I was also roasting some sweet potatoes.

Then when the turkey was getting close to being done later that day, I made the soup. I could have done this stove top, but it was a gorgeous day with a record high temp of 74f so I could not resist being out on the deck. (NOTE: I don’t know what the heck happens at the 2:21 minute mark, skip to 3:15)

Saute the onions and celery over medium high heat for 5-8 minutes, until softened.

Stir in the flour. Add the dill, curry powder, cinnamon, cayenne, and mediterranian seasoned sea salt.

Whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.

Whisk in the evaporated milk and bring back to a simmer.

Stir the the acorn squash and heat through.

Let cool slightly and then process in small batches in a blender. I tried just using an immersion blender but found that I had to use a real blender to get the texture I wanted.

Season one last time with salt/pepper to taste.

Garnish with roasted seeds and parsley.

The soup was rich and had a velvety texture. The down side to it was that it was filling and put a dent in how much I could eat when the main course and sides hit the table.

Healthy Meals ~ Winter Soup ~ VEGETABLE BEEF

We’ve had several cold-snaps here in Texas already. It’s what I call “soup weather.” Makes you feel all warm inside. And I have a great, low fat recipe for vegetable beef soup that is super-simple! It uses ready-to-drink tomato juice as a base.

Ingredients
14.5 ounce can stewed tomatoes
14..5 ounce can green beans
8.5 oz can green peas
11 ounce can corn
14.5 ounce can carrots
1 pound lean ground beef (93/7)
46 ounce can of tomato juice
Italian seasoning (to taste. I just pour it in. I never measure. I’d guess 2 teaspoons minimum)

Preparation
Brown ground beef in a skillet. Drain the grease. Pour all ingredients into a stock pot and heat to boiling. Serve and enjoy! It’s a hearty, filling, tasty, low fat soup.
This will serve at least 8 people and has approximately 240 calories per serving and approximately 8 grams of fat per serving (less if you buy lower fat ground beef). I hope you like it!

FRENCH ONION SOUP

FRENCH ONION SOUP
1/3 cup butter
1 tablespoon sugar
4 medium onions, thinly sliced**
1 tablespoon flour
4 cups hot water
1 cup mild red wine
2 tablespoons Superior Touch Better than Bouillon Beef Base
1 tablespoon kitchen bouquet
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 thin slices french or sourdough bread, toasted
4 slices aged white cheddar cheese*

  • Melt butter in bottom of stock pot.
  • Stir in the sugar.
  • Separate onions into rings and add to butter. Cook until tender and golden.
  • Add flour and blend well with butter mixture and onions.
  • Add water, beef granules, kitchen bouquet, salt and pepper and stir well.
  • Simmer 15-20 minutes.
  • Toast bread and then butter it.
  • Ladle soup into 4 oven proof bowls that have been put on a cookie sheet for easier handling.
  • Place 1 slice of toast over top of soup.
  • Lay 1 slice of cheese on top of toast.
  • Bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes or until cheese is melted.

*mozzarella cheese works well too
**I like a mix of Vidalia, Bermuda, white and yellow onions

Green Chili Chicken and Lime Soup

I love chicken soup. Actually, I love homemade chicken soup.   
I’ve made this soup a number of times and each time it seems to get better and better.
I often cook a bunch of chicken and have bags of portioned cooked, shredded chicken in the freezer.  I cooked the rice early in the day so when it came time for dinner, this was able to be thrown together very quickly.  

We ate this with a pepper jack peach quesadilla with honey lime sour cream.  It was a wonderful meal!!  Very healthy and incredibly tasty!! 

Green Chili Chicken and Lime Soup Recipe
Adapted from Picky Palate
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cartons of chicken broth or 64 oz.
1 can Rotel with green chilies
2 – 4 oz. cans of green chilies
2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
2 cups basmati rice, cooked
1/4 cup lime juice
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
Salt & pepper to taste
Handful of cilantro, chopped
Place onion in pan with cooking spray and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, cook for one minute.  Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, green chilies, cooked chicken, cooked rice, lime juice and seasonings.  Cook for 5 minutes, taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.  Right before serving, add chopped cilantro. 
Total calories = 1162
6 servings = 194 calories per serving
Pepperjack Peach Quesadilla & Green Chili Chicken and Lime Soup = 485 calorie dinner
Check out Debbi Does Dinner Healthy for more recipes!

Tomatoes are good for you, no I mean REALLY good for you!

Tomato Bisque
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped small
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups fresh Roma tomatoes, peeled
4 cups chicken broth
3 or 4 sprigs fresh parsley
5-10 fresh basil leaves
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Sea salt and white pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

  • Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. 
  • Add chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
  • Cook stirring often until soft, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Add chicken broth and tomatoes, stirring well.
  • Tie herbs together in cheesecloth and drop into the soup. This makes it easy to remove later.
  • Season with sea salt and white pepper to taste.
  • Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
  • Remove herbs and discard.
  • Add whipping cream and blend until smooth.
  • Ladle into bowls and top with freshly grated cheese and fresh basil.
Pairs really well with Tuna Melts.

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TOMATO BISQUE

Tomato Bisque
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped small
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups fresh Roma tomatoes, peeled
4 cups chicken broth
3 or 4 sprigs fresh parsley
5-10 fresh basil leaves
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Sea salt and white pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

  • Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. 
  • Add chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
  • Cook stirring often until soft, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Add chicken broth and tomatoes, stirring well.
  • Tie herbs together in cheesecloth and drop into the soup. This makes it easy to remove later.
  • Season with sea salt and white pepper to taste.
  • Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
  • Remove herbs and discard.
  • Add whipping cream and blend until smooth.
  • Ladle into bowls and top with freshly grated cheese and fresh basil.
Pairs really well with Tuna Melts.

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How to replace Campbell’s condensed soups from scratch

I am not supposed to eat processed and preserved foods on a normal basis so have been working on replacing creamed condensed soup with “scratch” ingredients.  The following  recipes make perfect substitutes for 1 can of soup.
BASIC
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup milk 
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Whisk in flour and salt and cook until bubbly. 
  • Remove from heat and gradually whisk in liquid. 
  • Return to heat and cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened to desired consistency.
CREAM OF CHICKEN
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup chicken stock

  • Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Whisk in flour, poultry seasoning and salt.
  • Cook until bubbly. 
  • Remove from heat and gradually whisk in liquid. 
  • Return to heat and cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened to desired consistency.
CREAM OF CELERY
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup chopped celery  
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 cup milk 
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add. chopped celery and  finely chopped onion. Saute’ until tender.
  • Whisk in flour and salt and cook until bubbly. 
  • Remove from heat and gradually whisk in liquid. 
  • Return to heat and cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened to desired consistency.
CREAM OF MUSHROOM
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 cup milk 
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add. chopped mushrooms and  finely chopped onion. Saute’ until tender.
  • Whisk in flour and salt and cook until bubbly. 
  • Remove from heat and gradually whisk in liquid. 
  • Return to heat and cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened to desired consistency.
CREAM OF TOMATO
2 tablespoons butter 
3 tablespoons flour 
1 cup pureed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups milk 
dash each of garlic salt, onion salt, basil, and oregano.
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Whisk in flour and seasonings and cook until bubbly. 
  • Add tomato puree’ and blend well.
  • Remove from heat and gradually whisk in liquid. 
  • Return to heat and cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened to desired consistency.

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STEAMED ARTICHOKES & CREAM OF ARTICHOKE SOUP

I had made out my menus for the week and then WHAM the new sale ads came from my local stores. There are 3 stores all within 5 miles which makes it soooooooooo easy to make a list for each and get the best sales. Then I walked in to my favorite one and saw these as an unadvertised special. My taste buds became instantly alert and drooling as my mind was saying be careful they have been so expensive lately. Some stores have actually been charging up to $5 for a medium size artichoke. So when I read the sign for these extra large babies and saw 2/$3 I quickly amended my menus to include these babies.

The first night we had Shrimp Scampi and I kept the leftover scampi drippings and heart from the first artichoke we steamed to use as a base for the soup. I was afraid that because they were sooooooooooooo large they would be flavorless and tough, but it was just the opposite, they had more flavor than I can remember in a long time. Now I have a sneaky suspicion that many restaurants add a touch of food color as mine turned out a very pale green.

So for tonight, we’re having:

CREAM OF ARTICHOKE SOUP
6 large artichokes
1 Vidalia onion, diced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
Juice of 1 large lemon (3 tablespoons)
2 + 1 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup long grain rice*optional
1 cup heavy cream

  • Prepare the artichokes for steaming: Remove and discard tough outer leaves of the artichokes.
  • Bring 1-2″ of water to boil in a pot large enough for all the artichokes. Add 2 cloves minced garlic, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and oil. Place artichokes on steaming apparatus in pot, cover tightly, and steam 45 minutes or so.
  • Remove artichokes and allow them to cool sufficiently to be handled.
  • Scrape the tender artichoke “meat” from the inside of each leaf (I use a heavy knife for this). If the steamed artichokes are particularly tender, you may be able to dispense with the scraping and just cut off the top portions of the leaves.
  • Puree the artichoke “meat” and artichoke hearts with the onion, 1 clove minced garlic and chicken stock.
  • Add rice and the final tablespoon of lemon juice.
  • Simmer over low heat for about 1 hour.
  • Add cream, adjust salt and pepper, and serve.
  • Add a dollop of sour cream and garnish with chives or parsley.

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