Category: SOUPS & STEWS & CHILIS

Prime Rib Artichoke Bean Soup & Beer Bread


Those of you that know me, know that nothing goes to waste around our house – EVER! So in the spirit of cleaning out the fridge this soup recipe was born. You’ll remember that I recently purchase Navy beans, Great Northern Beans and black eyed peas for recipes this month. I made the Navy Bean and Ham Soup which was a HUGE success and then the Texas Caviar aka Cowboy Caviar for New Year’s which was also a HUGE success so I had high hopes for this soup. It was good, but I think it will be better next time with the change to the Navy bean which I found to be more tender and flavorful.

The small, white navy bean, also called pea bean or haricot, is particularly popular in Britain and the US, featured in such dishes as baked beans and even pies, as well as in various soups such as the famous Senate Bean Soup.

Navy bean varieties include:
* Great Northern beans
* Rainy River
* Robust
* Michelite
* Sanilac

Other white beans include Cannellini, a quite popular variety in Central and Southern Italy which is related to the kidney bean and like the kidney bean has higher levels of the toxin lectin (Phytohaemagglutinin).

PRIME RIB ARTICHOKE BEAN SOUP
2 cups prime rib pieces or any other meat of your choice
8 cups stock – I used the stock from last week’s ham bone
1 1/2 cups Au Jus – left over fro the prime rib, but any stock would do
1 pound Great Northern beans – next time I’ll use Navy beans
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch green onions, sliced
3 large carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
Handful parsley, chopped

Beer Bread

Navy Bean & Ham Soup with Garlic Cheese Biscuits

I guess I’ll be the bad guy that breaks the chain of puff pastry recipes, but I have to. Soup is one of my favorite foods and well of course I also love the breads that we eat with soups! I went to buy some black eyed peas to make for the new year and was confronted with a bean dilemma if you will. In front of me were not only the black eyed peas, but also Navy beans and great northern beans which also intrigued me. More about those later though. I bought all 3, started with the Black Eyed Peas for Texas Caviar or Cowboy Caviar and now on with the Navy beans.

According to Wisegeek, Navy beans are pea sized white beans which can be used in a variety of dishes. These very common beans are known by a variety of alternate names, including haricot beans, Boston beans, pea beans, and Yankee beans, and they are closely related to larger white beans such as Great Northern and cannelloni beans. Most markets carry navy beans, typically in both dried and canned form, and they are also very easy to grow in the garden, if you have a little bit of room.

The flavor of navy beans is fairly mild, and the texture of the beans tends to be fairly dense. The common name “navy bean” is a reference to the fact that the beans were once widely included among the staple supplies of the United States Navy, since dried beans do not go bad, and they provide an excellent source of nutrition. Many classic American bean dishes call for navy beans as a result, since they were so widespread and well known; Boston baked beans, for example, are made with navy beans. So of course I am now researching these recipes to replace my current BBQ bean recipe and get away from using canned products.

My recipe was developed from what I had on hand along with childhood memories of navy beans and ham hocks cooking on the stove. Min from the Bad Girl’s Kitchen recently ran a recipe for Ham & Bean soup that is most similar to what my family cooked when I was young. I developed this biscuit recipe after I fell in love with the Red Lobster’s cheddar biscuits.


NAVY BEAN & HAM SOUP

1 ham bone with meat on it
2 stalks celery, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
3-4 fresh thyme sprigs
cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Frank’s red pepper hot sauce
1/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese

  • Soak the beans in room temperature water overnight.
  • Cover ham bone with water. Sprinkle generously with cayenne pepper, salt, thyme sprigs and black pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours or ham falls off the bone.
  • Strain the stock and separate into 2 separate 8 cup portions. Freeze 1 portion for your next batch of soup.
  • Return the stock to your pan and add the vegetables.
  • Bring to a boil. Add beans and ham pieces. Lower to a simmer for 2 hours.
  • Sprinkle with a few drops of Frank’s red pepper sauce and some grated cheese.
  • Serve with Garlic Cheddar Biscuits.

GARLIC CHEESE BISCUITS
2 cups biscuit baking mix
1 1/2 cups finely shredded Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup milk
1 clove finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons butter

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
  • In a large bowl, combine baking mix, 1 1/4 cups of the Cheddar cheese, minced garlic and garlic powder.
  • Stir in milk.
  • Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
  • Brush biscuits with melted butter, and sprinkle with parsley, garlic salt and remaining cheese.
  • Bake for 5 more minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.

French Onion & Tomato Soup with Baked Cheesy Croutons

This soup turned out sooooooooooooooooo good and tasted great even in the summer. I can’t wait to have it on a cold winter’s eve.


Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Jen over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
Trista over at Southern Fried Mama hosts Tasty Thursday
Tuesdays at the Table is normally hosted by Andrea over at My Chihauhau Bites but Andrea is taking a break while she has her baby. The button will take you to Andrea’s site, but TATT is being hosted by Cole for a while.

FRENCH ONION & TOMATO SOUP
4 tablespoons salted butter
3 medium Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
3 medium hot house tomatoes
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
6 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon Better than Beef Bouillon
1 tablespoon kitchen bouquet
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
4 thin slices french or sourdough bread, toasted
4 slices Gruyere cheese*

  • Melt butter in bottom of stock pot.
  • Separate onions into rings and add to butter. Cook until tender and golden.
  • Add flour and blend well with butter mixture and onions.
  • Add broth, beef bouillon, kitchen bouquet, paprika, onion powder, celery salt, sea 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.

Another great option is to use these cheesy baked croutons to top the soup. Both ways are super yummy!

BAKED CHEESY CROUTONS
6 slices thick sourdough bread
butter, melted, enough to coat bread
½ cup Fontina Cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread slices on oven rack and bake until dry and golden. Melt butter in flat bowl. Combine cheeses in flat bowl. Dip first in butter and the cheese mixture. Bake on cookie sheet 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted. Float croutons on top of soup bowls just before serving.

Yields: 6 BOWLS
Time to make: 1½ hr

*you’d think living close to Wisconsin, the cheese state, I could get all sorts of flavors of cheese, but alas I still can’t find gruyere and have been substituting provolone.
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Cleaning the Fridge Soup

I love this soup! I make it whenever I clean the refrigerator. I start with all the vegetables that are on then wilting side. You’ll notice the tomatoes are a bit wrinkly and the lettuce is limp. I clean all the outsides and trim the edges and then put them all in the pressure cooker with 3 cups of homemade chicken broth. When the rocker starts, I let it go for 10 minutes and then let it cool naturally. I’ll use whatever I have, fruit included, last time there was also a banana, apple and kiwi in the mix.

After it cools I open it and drain the broth out through a colander Then I mash all of the vegetables and and let them drain through the colander for a few minutes also.

I add 1 tablespoon of sea salt and 1 teaspoon of white pepper to the broth and a 2 1/2 pound chuck roast to the broth. I start the pressure cooker again and when it starts rocking let it rock for 20-25 minutes this time. I let it cool down naturally again.

I mix the vegetables back in and add 2 cups dry pasta and let it simmer for an hour.

You haven’t wasted anything because it’s wilted and you have a super tasty soup. It makes 8 servings.

Head over and say hi to Katie @ A Listmaker’s Life for more great soup recipes!

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Slow Cooking Thursday ~ TOMATO SPINACH SOUP


Hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

TOMATO SPINACH SOUP
1/2 (+/- to taste) pound baby spinach, washed
1/3 bag baby carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
2 cans diced tomatoes with herbs
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon basil

  • Toss all ingredients together in slow cooker.
  • Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours.

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Favorite Ingredient Friday ~ Soup Edition II


Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy

I haven’t had time to submit any new recipes, but offer you these tried and true family favorites:
I participate in the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks, Homemaker Mondays hosted by Robyn at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven, Making a Happy Home Monday hosted by LL at As for me and my house…, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace, Slow Cooking Thursday & Tips on Tuesday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

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Split Pea Soup


SPLIT PEA SOUP

1 Honey Baked Ham Bone
2 cups ham pieces
3 quarts water
1 small bag baby carrots, chopped
5 large stalk celery, leaves included, chopped
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
2 cups split green peas
2 cups split yellow peas
1/4 cup barley
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper & white pepper mix
1 bottle beer – Mystery ingredient

  • In a large stock pot, bring ham bone* & water to a boil. Boil until the meat is falling off the bone, about 1 – 1 1/2 hours)
  • Remove the bone and let cool enough so you can cut the meat off the bone.
  • In the mean time add the carrots, celery, onion (4 cups total) and seasonings to the water and return to a slow boil for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
  • While the vegetables are boiling, rinse the peas and pick out any bad ones.
  • Cut the ham pieces off the bone. Refrigerate the ham pieces and discard the bone.
  • After the vegetables have cooked 45 minutes or until tender, add the peas and barley. Cook for another 1 1/2 hours.
  • Add the beer and ham pieces back in and cook another 1 1/2 hours.
*I always save my honey baked ham bones after the meat is all cut off. I then freeze them and save them for future soups. I always get at least 2 cups of meat off when I boil the bone.

This makes a huge batch and I always freeze it in several batches (3-4) for future easy weeknight meals. In this case it will be a big batch when everyone is here at Christmas.

TODAY’S TRIVIA as heard by hubby on an old game show – Campbell’s soup used to fill the bottom of the bowl with marbles so the vegetables would be at the top giving the appearance of more vegetables in each bowl of soup. That trick was not done here – what you see is what you get.

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Cream of Mushroom Soup or chicken mushroom or ham mushroom or …

8 + 4 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 box sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup sliced carrots
2 cups chicken or ham stock*
1 cup chopped chicken or ham* (optional)

In the bottom of a stock pot melt the 4 tablespoons of butter. Saute’ the mushrooms, celery, onion and carrots until tender. Add the 2 cups of stock and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Salt, pepper and paprika to taste.

In a saucepan melt the 8 tablespoons of butter. Add the flour and stir until well mixed and golden. Add milk and whipping cream slowly and alternately, stirring until smooth. Simmer over low heat until desired consistency. Add to mushroom mixture and simmer another 30 minutes.

*When using ham I like to use a Honey Baked Ham Bone to make my stock and I usually get more than a cup of ham pieces from it.

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Slow Cooking Thrusday ~ Everything But the kitchen sink…

I’m going to have a houseful for Christmas and here in the North Woods there is always the possibility of enough snow to keep us all indoors so I’m starting to think menu for a crowd and how I can make it ahead to avoid my spending the entire time in the kitchen. While cleaning out the freezer and fridge today I had an idea and came up with the yummiest soup I can remember in a long time. So we’re calling it Everything but the Kitchen Sink Soup. I plan on making this (and many others) ahead of time and freezing them. I can then just put them in the crock pot and have a delicious meal without all the prep and mess.

4 cups frozen chicken broth (leftover from the last several chicken carcasses)
4 cups water
1 can Campbell’s tomato soup
1 tablespoon Classico tomato pesto
2 tablespoons beef flavor Better Than Bouillon
1 tablespoon minced garlic, Jar
1 bunch green onion, sliced
1 small onion chopped
1 large red pepper, seeded and cut into small slivers
1/2 bag baby carrots, halved
1 1/2 boxes mushrooms, sliced
1 bag frozen white shoepeg corn
2 tenderloin steaks, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup long grain rice
1/4 cup barley
1/4 cup wild rice
1/3 cup split peas

  • Mix together the chicken broth, tomato soup, pesto, better than bouillon, salt, pepper and garlic into the slow cooker.
  • Add veggies and meat as you prep them, stirring well in between.
  • Cook on low 6 hours.
  • Add the rices, barley and split peas.
  • Cook on low 2 more hours or so.
  • Serve with warm beer bread.
I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks, Tasty Thursday hosted by Pumpkin Patch, Watchin’ What We Eat hosted by Lorie at Honey I Shrank Myself and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

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RIB STICKING WINTER SOUP

Rib Sticking Winter Soup

2 pounds ground beef
1-6 oz. Contadina Italian tomato paste
1-28 oz. Contadina diced tomatoes with garlic and herbs
1 medium onion, diced
3 teaspoons minced jar garlic
1/2 cup split peas, rinsed
1/2 cup yellow peas, rinsed
1/4 cup barley
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 1/2 quarts water
1 cup pasta, elbow or egg noodle

In a large pot brown hamburger, onion and garlic. Drain fat. Add everything except pasta, mix well and bring to a simmer. Simmer slowly on low heat for 2 hours. Add pasta and simmer another 45 minutes. Serve with fresh baked biscuits, beer bread or crackers.

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