Hearty Tomato Soup

I know this isn't really a side dish but I've been asked by several people for the recipe so here ya go. Enjoy!

Hearty Tomato Soup

2 Tbls. butter
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 c. milk
2 cans condensed tomato soup
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) crushed tomatoes

-Melt butter and cream cheese in a sauce pan.

Stir in garlic, basil, and paprika. Gradually stir in milk and soup.

Beat with a wire whisk until smooth. Stir in tomatoes and stir until hot.
I like to grate cheese on top before serving.

Potato Soup

This doesn't fit with the theme, but I got this recipe from my friend Tara and it was so good!

Potato Soup

Bake 3 large potatoes in foil at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Cool , peel and cut in cubes. (I actually peeled and cubed the potatoes and cooked them in the microwave until they were really soft. Much faster.)

Sauté 1/2 cup finely chopped onion in 2 TBSP. of butter.

In a large pan melt 1/2 cube butter, add 1/3 cup of flour. Mix, let cook until bubbly. Slowly add 3 cups milk. Use wire whisk and cook until looks smooth. Add faired onions and potatoes. Add 3 cubes chicken bouillon. Add 2 cups heavy cream (I used half and half) and 8 ounces Velveeta cheese. Cook on low heat until cheese is melted. Salt and pepper to taste. Do not boil, let simmer on low heat.

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

This soup is soooo good. I won't post the recipe here, but wanted to link it for you all!

Rookie Cookie's Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

Minestrone Soup

I got this recipe from Ginger, and I think that Carla has one that is similar, if not the same one. I love this soup, and would make it more often if the kids were better at eating it. As it is, we have it more than they would like. :) It's great in the summer when you have fresh garden vegetables, and it's a kind of comfort food in the winter.

Minestrone Soup
1 onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, sliced
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 zucchini, chopped
1 summer squash, chopped
1 potato, chopped
1 cup cooked medium pasta shells
vegetable broth
italian spices (I usually use basil and oregano)
olive oil
salt to taste (depends on the broth you use)

Saute the onion, garlic, and carrot in a little bit of olive oil until they start to get transparent.
Add the potato and the vegetable broth. Bring to boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potato starts to get tender.
Add the kidney beans, canned chopped tomatoes, zucchini, and the summer squash.
Cook for another 10 minutes or so, and add a little water if necessary.
Add the cooked shells and heat through.
Serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Options: You could saute some celery with the onion, garlic, and carrot at the beginning. Frozen peas can be added with the beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and squash. You could also add green beans at that point. You could also substitute some other type of beans, like garbanzo beans, for the kidney beans. I like to have this soup with warm homemade bread. Ginger suggests a baguette and some kind of french cheese, like camembert.

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

8 Cups water
7 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
Chicken breasts
Carrots
Onion
Grandma's Frozen Packaged Egg Noodles (in freezer section by garlic bread) or other egg noodles

Boil water, bouillon, chicken, one carrot and a slice of onion until chicken is cooked. Strain the juice (make sure you keep it) from the floppy carrot, onion, and chicken. Throw out onion and carrot. Shred the chicken and return to the juice, adding new sliced carrots. Bring to a boil and add egg noodles as directed on package. Cook until noodles and carrots are done.

Cheese Potato Soup

10-12 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 quarts water
Minced onion

Boil until potatoes are tender.

To make cheese sauce:
Melt 1 cube butter. Add 1/2 cup. flour, using whisk to keep smooth. Add milk to make a thick sauce. Add grated sharp cheese. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Then add to soup, stirring until well mixed in, making sure to leave the water in. Then let soup simmer 5-10 minutes.

I've added celery to this as well, but celery takes a little longer to boil.

Taco Soup

1 can Kidney Beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 lb cooked hamburger (cooked with onion)
1 small onion, diced
1 small can Tomato Sauce (8 oz)
1 Large can Tomatoes (Quart Size)
1/2 pkg. taco seaoning

Mix together and heat through. Serve with chips, cheese and sour cream.

Poor Man Soup

2 cups water
Chopped onion
Chopped celery
2 beef bouillon cubes
Cubed potatoes
Sliced carrots

Put all in crockpot. Top with browned hamburger. Add 1 can cream of celery and 1 can cream of chicken. Cover and cook on low about 4-5 hours.

Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 pkg Hidden Valley ranch drsg mix
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can Pinto beans
1 can Chili beans
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can Mexican Stewed tomatoes
1 can stewed tomatoes any flavor

Brown meat, drain. Mix ranch and taco seasoning with meat. Without draining, add all other ingredients. Simmer for 1 hour.

Top with sour cream, cheese, avocadoes.

Makes 12 1c. servings

January's Theme!

Hey Everyone,

This month's theme is SOUP!

Can't wait to try your yummy soup recipes!

As always, please vote for February's theme!

Thanks!

Leah

Cheese and Broccoli Soup

• 6 large carrots
• 1 medium cauliflower
• 1 stalk broccoli
• 3 quarts chicken broth
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 3 cubes butter
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 large jar Cheese Whiz
  

Cut up veggie’s and simmer in broth for 25 minutes. Add bouillon cubes. In another pan melt butter. Add flour and stir until thick and bubbly. Add this to veggie pan. Once this is all stirred in add cheese whiz. Simmer until cheese whiz is melted.

Chicken Barley Soup

• 8 Cups water
• 2 cans Cream of Chicken
• 1 Cup carrots
• 1 Cup celery
• 1 onion
• 1/3 Cup Barley (quick cook)
• 2 to 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  

Boil chicken in 8 cups water until cooked. Shred chicken into bite size pieces. Using the same water, add cream of chicken, barley and chopped carrots, celery and onion. Bring to a boil and stir. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Let sit for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pioneer Stew

• 1 large can kidney beans (drained)
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 3 Cups water
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes
• chopped onion
• 1 lb ground beef, browned
• 1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 bay leaves
  

Add all of the ingredients into a large pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve with shredded cheese sprinkled on top. This may be done in a crock-pot as well.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

5 2/3 c. water
1 pkg long grain and wild rice mix (4.3 oz)
1 envelope chicken noodle soup mix
1 celery rib, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1/3 c. chopped onion
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 c. cubed cooked chicken

In a large saucepan, combine water, rice with seasoning pack and soup mix. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in celery, carrot and onion. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in chicken soup and chicken. Cook 8 minutes longer until rice and veggies are tender.

Tortilla Soup (white chili)

• 3-4 cans white (Great Northern) beans, drained
• 1 can green enchilada sauce
• 1 can green chilis
• 1 jar Pace Picante sauce
• 1-2 small bags shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Throw everything in the crock pot. Cook for several hours. Serve with tortillas or tortilla chips.

Potato Bacon Soup

This is Jesse's favorite soup!

1 can chicken broth
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cans corn kernels
2 cans cream of corn
4 slices bacon, crumbled
1 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken broth and potatoes in a pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. While simmering, cook bacon and crumble. Add corn and bacon. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Add milk, salt, and pepper. Cook for an additional 10 minutes on medium heat.

Serve with hot corn bread.

June's theme!

Its a tie!!!

We'll be doing
Casseroles & Soups
for the month of June!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken, cooked and shredded
1 can (15 oz) whole tomatoes
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 can (14 1/2 oz) chicken broth
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 package (10 oz) frozen corn
1 TBSP dried chopped cilantro
tortilla chips
grated Parmesan cheese

Combine chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chilies, and garlic in slow cooker. Add water, chicken broth, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover and cook on Low 6 - 8 hours, or on High 3 -4 hours. Remove and discard baby leaf.

Serve with tortilla chips and grated Parmesan cheese on top.

From the book Best Loved Slow Cooker Recipes, page 44.

Easy Beef Stew(more soup than stew)

This is what I made for our conference meal. It's great to keep cook and keep warm in the crock pot. Then you can dish up as your hungry. Enjoy.

Tip Sirloin Steak (cut up and brown in pan sprayed with Pam) (I just get Beef Chunks for stew already cut up)

3 Potatoes- Peeled, cut up
2 Carrots- Peeled, cut up
2 Celery Sticks- Cut up
4 Beef Bullion cubes (or more to taste)
Onion- Cut up (as much as you like)
2- Cans or frozen bags of mixed vegies (Can has more varieties of veggies)

Place everything in crock pot. Add hot water to cover the veggies and steak. Boil. Cook on low all day or high for a few hours.

Beef Stew

I got this recipe from Jeanette and it's yummy.

1 lb beef stew meat
1 Tbsp cooking oil

5-7 large peeled, cubed potatoes
2-3 large peeled, sliced carrots
1-2 celery ribs, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)
2 tsp instant beef bouillon granules
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp, dried basil, crushed
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1 LARGE can tomato juice (I buy the big can of Wal-mart brand juice on the bottom shelf)

Brown the stew meat in oil. Layer vegetables in crockpot. Sprinkle bouillon, garlic, basil and thyme over vegetables. Add meat on top. Pour tomato juice over meat. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or high 3 1/2-4 1/2 hours until meat and vegetables are tender.