Did you know that soup is one of the easiest low calorie main dish meals you can make? All you need are some basic ingredients and you can make a delicious almost fat-free, gluten-free meal!
Over the past four years, I have come to realize that a you only need to keep a few basic ingredients on hand.
Pantry:
1 quart of chicken broth or a chicken broth cubes
I quart of beef broth or a jar of beef broth cubes
1 14-oz can of diced tomatoes
Rice or a small box of you favorite pasta (bow ties, orzo, ditalini)
Seasonings like salt, pepper, dried or minced onions, garlic salt, oregano, sage, bay leaves, and something spicy like cumin, creole, or cayane pepper.
Vegetables
Onion
Celery
Carrots
Garlic
1 10-oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables
Meat and Poultry (I keep frozen)
Chicken
Any kind of ground meat (beef, pork, turkey)
Any kind of sausage ( sweet, hot, andouille, smoked, chorizo)
Here is a good basic recipe:
1 cup each diced onion, celery, and carrots sautéed in a tiny bit of olive olive until onions are translucent. If using ground meat, add to the onion mix and cook till browned. Add 1 qt. of broth and diced meat (chicken, or pre-cooked sausage). Add seasonings to taste, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes till meat is heated through or if using chicken-is cooked throughly.
Add pasta during the last 10 or so minutes ( check package for recommended al dente cooking time)..
Some basic combos:
Chicken soup- onions, garlic, carrots, chicken broth, chicken, rice or pasta
Beef vegetable. - onions, garlic, celery, carrots, ground beef or small cubes of bottom round, beef broth, diced tomatoes, mixed veges, bay leaf.
Spicy soups- onion, garlic, celery, peppers, ground meat or spicy sausage, diced tomatoes, cumin or creole seasoning
I have made some great variations using other items that I happen to have on hand:
Fresh spinach (you just want to wilt it so add right before serving)
Yellow squash- diced
Zucchini- diced
Potatoes- peeled and diced
Beans- any kind! Chick peas, red kidney, navy, butter, black, you-name-it! (Rinsed and drained)
Grated cheese- add to top when serving.
Frozen ravoli and tortellini
Serve with bread and salad and you'll have a great meal or two. Freeze left overs for another easy meal.
Have fun- taste as you go!
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Friday, February 13, 2015
Happy Mardi Gras!
Purple, green, and gold! Mardi Gras here we come! Well, only Arlene is really in NOLA, but the rest of us are there in spirit. This week we celebrated with Jambalaya Soup (thanks to Food Network!), corn bread, salad, and King cake! Thanks to Erica and Mark for doing the shopping for this week's soup.
Barbara, our salad chef, came up with a new take on salad tonight. I think she is determined to infuse me with 'southern'. Instead of a traditional salad, she prepared a tray of stuffed (aka deviled for my friends up north) eggs, pickles, black olives, celery stuffed with pimento cheese and potted meat. Potted what? Barbara explained that potted meat was a staple in her home growing up in TN. It tasted like a ham spread - in case you want to give it a try.
Taylor used the time to distribute the Girl Scout cookies and I can't for the life if me figure out why I didn't order a box of Thin Mints!!!! I guess I'll finally have to defrost the box (or eat them frozen) that I have stashed away.
To the soup!
It's a little different take on traditional jambalaya but everyone thought that it was the best soup yet. There were a lot of second helpings so I guess it was a good thing that we has a less-than-full house. Of course I made some changes that I will note as I go along. If you make it, and it got a two thumbs up all around, please let me know how you liked it.
Jambalaya Soup
3 TBS olive oil
8 oz. sweet Italian sausage. Par-boiled, cooled, halved lengthwise then sliced
8 oz. andouille sausage. Halved lengthwise then sliced
4 scallions chopped. Separate white from green. White goes into the soup, green goes on top when serving
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper ( there is a story about male and female red pepper- but I'll leave that for another day!)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
4 cups of long grain white rice
4 cups chicken broth
11/2 cups water
1 14-oz can of diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf ( remove before serving)
Heat oil in a large soup pot and brown sliced sausages until golden. Remove sausages and reserve to later. Add the scallions, pepper, celery to the remaining oil in the pot and cook till soft about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, Cajun seasoning, chicken stock, water, rice, tomatoes, and bay leaf.
Bring to a simmer and cook until rice is done, about 15 minutes. Return sausage to the pot and heat through. Season with salt it taste. Remove bay leaf and serve. Top with green scallions and serve with cornbread.
Enjoy! Come back next week for New England Clam Chowder!
Barbara, our salad chef, came up with a new take on salad tonight. I think she is determined to infuse me with 'southern'. Instead of a traditional salad, she prepared a tray of stuffed (aka deviled for my friends up north) eggs, pickles, black olives, celery stuffed with pimento cheese and potted meat. Potted what? Barbara explained that potted meat was a staple in her home growing up in TN. It tasted like a ham spread - in case you want to give it a try.
Taylor used the time to distribute the Girl Scout cookies and I can't for the life if me figure out why I didn't order a box of Thin Mints!!!! I guess I'll finally have to defrost the box (or eat them frozen) that I have stashed away.
To the soup!
It's a little different take on traditional jambalaya but everyone thought that it was the best soup yet. There were a lot of second helpings so I guess it was a good thing that we has a less-than-full house. Of course I made some changes that I will note as I go along. If you make it, and it got a two thumbs up all around, please let me know how you liked it.
Jambalaya Soup
3 TBS olive oil
8 oz. sweet Italian sausage. Par-boiled, cooled, halved lengthwise then sliced
8 oz. andouille sausage. Halved lengthwise then sliced
4 scallions chopped. Separate white from green. White goes into the soup, green goes on top when serving
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper ( there is a story about male and female red pepper- but I'll leave that for another day!)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
4 cups of long grain white rice
4 cups chicken broth
11/2 cups water
1 14-oz can of diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf ( remove before serving)
Heat oil in a large soup pot and brown sliced sausages until golden. Remove sausages and reserve to later. Add the scallions, pepper, celery to the remaining oil in the pot and cook till soft about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, Cajun seasoning, chicken stock, water, rice, tomatoes, and bay leaf.
Bring to a simmer and cook until rice is done, about 15 minutes. Return sausage to the pot and heat through. Season with salt it taste. Remove bay leaf and serve. Top with green scallions and serve with cornbread.
Enjoy! Come back next week for New England Clam Chowder!
Saturday, January 31, 2015
That's Greek to me!
Who needs dancing when we have yummy Greek meatball soup with a super Greek salad and grilled pita bread! Our Souper Tueday gathering was a little smaller this week. We were missing Erica and Marybeth and Ryan's family. Some weeks are just like that!
Bruce entertained the troops by relating how we started going together..Since it involved sand, piggyback racing, ambulance, surgery, and subsequent recovery, and a row boat, it was quite a story. The best part was that he hooked me in with a phony limp and the need to put his arm around me. Seems like yesterday not 49 years ago!
I digress. The soup was fairly easy to make except that the recipe (than you, Food Network!) didn't call for any egg in the meatball mixture. Some of the meatballs fell apart so I'd add an egg to the mix next time I made them.
2 cups chicken broth
2 14-oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes with Green chilies. ( Jesse our shopper this week had trouble finding these in our local markets. He was able to get them at a Whole Foods.)
1 lg red onion roughly chopped
1 cup fresh dill
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pimento-stuffer gree olives (I made one batch without these and one batch with)
4 slices of bread
1 egg
1 lb of ground beef
1 14-ox can of butter beans (drained and rinsed)
1 zucchini quartered and cut into small pieces
1 lemon
Prepare onion, olives and spices including the fresh dill by finely copping in a food processor. In the meantime, Bring broth and tomatoes to a boil over med heat. Add half the onion-spice mixture into the tomato mixture.
Crumble the bread in a blender, add to onion-spice mixture and mix in the ground beef. Add an eggs and mix until well blended. Roll into 1 inch meatballs. Drop gently into the soup mixture and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add the beans and zucchini. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the zucchini is tender. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the soup just before serving.
Original recipe from the Food Network Magazine, May 2013.
If you' like to make grilled pita, brush both sides with olive oil. Use a pizza cutter to cut each pita into 6 pieces. Bake in a 400 degree oven- about 5 minutes on each side. These were delicious warm or cooled.
Serve with a tossed Greek salad (thank you, Barbara) and a fabulous sherry laden coconut cake from our resident pastry chef, Arlene!
Enjoy! Next up- Black Bean Soup!
Bruce entertained the troops by relating how we started going together..Since it involved sand, piggyback racing, ambulance, surgery, and subsequent recovery, and a row boat, it was quite a story. The best part was that he hooked me in with a phony limp and the need to put his arm around me. Seems like yesterday not 49 years ago!
I digress. The soup was fairly easy to make except that the recipe (than you, Food Network!) didn't call for any egg in the meatball mixture. Some of the meatballs fell apart so I'd add an egg to the mix next time I made them.
2 cups chicken broth
2 14-oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes with Green chilies. ( Jesse our shopper this week had trouble finding these in our local markets. He was able to get them at a Whole Foods.)
1 lg red onion roughly chopped
1 cup fresh dill
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pimento-stuffer gree olives (I made one batch without these and one batch with)
4 slices of bread
1 egg
1 lb of ground beef
1 14-ox can of butter beans (drained and rinsed)
1 zucchini quartered and cut into small pieces
1 lemon
Prepare onion, olives and spices including the fresh dill by finely copping in a food processor. In the meantime, Bring broth and tomatoes to a boil over med heat. Add half the onion-spice mixture into the tomato mixture.
Crumble the bread in a blender, add to onion-spice mixture and mix in the ground beef. Add an eggs and mix until well blended. Roll into 1 inch meatballs. Drop gently into the soup mixture and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add the beans and zucchini. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the zucchini is tender. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the soup just before serving.
Original recipe from the Food Network Magazine, May 2013.
If you' like to make grilled pita, brush both sides with olive oil. Use a pizza cutter to cut each pita into 6 pieces. Bake in a 400 degree oven- about 5 minutes on each side. These were delicious warm or cooled.
Serve with a tossed Greek salad (thank you, Barbara) and a fabulous sherry laden coconut cake from our resident pastry chef, Arlene!
Enjoy! Next up- Black Bean Soup!
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Welcome to Souper Tuesday, 2015
Welcome to a new year of Souper Tuesday on Thursday! Sounds odd, doesn't it? This year we are getting together on Thursday nights. That's not the only change- we welcomed 2 new families to our gathering. Marybeth, Ryan, and their cute boys, Rocco and Turner and our newest neighbors Jesse and Jennifer helped us kick off a new Souper season.
And quite a gathering it was! Barbara is continuing to bring delicious salads, Marybeth and Arlene tempted us with sweet treats and Erica brought awesome popovers. With all this you might be thinking, "Who needs soup?"
This week I started us off with Chicken Nacho. I found the recipe in Food Network Magazine featured for a slow cooker. Since I am feeding 14, I adapted the recipe for my big soup pot. This version will feed 4-6.
Chicken Nacho Soup
1/2 can of tomato paste
1 14.5 oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 14.5 oz jar of spaghetti sauce
1 large potato- peeled and diced
1 small zucchini - diced
1 small onion- diced
1 small jalapeño- finely chop half; thinly slice the rest and reserve for the topping ( Wear gloves when working with the jalapeño!) Removing the seeds makes it less hot.
1 clove of garlic minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 sprigs of fresh cilantro
1 sm bag of frozen corn
1 qt of chicken broth
Salt to taste
1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 TBS vegetable oil
Topping
1 sm box of Velveeta cheese
1/2 cup milk
Tortilla Chips
Add oil into the bottom of the soup pot. Cook onions in oil over medium heat until onions are tender but not browned. Add the diced tomatoes including juice, tomato paste, sauce, zucchini, potatoes, finely diced jalapeño, garlic, cumin, cilantro, and chicken broth. stirring often, bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer on low for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the corn and chicken and simmer for another 30-40 minutes checking to see that the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Prepare the cheese topping by melting the Velveeta in a microwaveable bowl. Stir and thin with milk until the cheese is thick but can be poured. I used a 4 cup glass Pyrex measuring cup.
To serve: top each bowl with 3or 4 whole tortilla chips. Spoon (or pour) a little melted cheese on top of the chips. Add jalapeños if desired.
The soup was very easy to make but found that I had to keep a watchful eye to make sure it didn't stick to the bottom. So make sure to keep the heat low once it comes to a boil. Make sure you stir it as it comes to a boil, too!
Don't skip the topping- I think it really made the soup!
I hope you try it! Please let us know how you like it.
If you want to try the slow cooker version, I found it in the April 2014 Food Network Magazine.
And quite a gathering it was! Barbara is continuing to bring delicious salads, Marybeth and Arlene tempted us with sweet treats and Erica brought awesome popovers. With all this you might be thinking, "Who needs soup?"
This week I started us off with Chicken Nacho. I found the recipe in Food Network Magazine featured for a slow cooker. Since I am feeding 14, I adapted the recipe for my big soup pot. This version will feed 4-6.
Chicken Nacho Soup
1/2 can of tomato paste
1 14.5 oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 14.5 oz jar of spaghetti sauce
1 large potato- peeled and diced
1 small zucchini - diced
1 small onion- diced
1 small jalapeño- finely chop half; thinly slice the rest and reserve for the topping ( Wear gloves when working with the jalapeño!) Removing the seeds makes it less hot.
1 clove of garlic minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 sprigs of fresh cilantro
1 sm bag of frozen corn
1 qt of chicken broth
Salt to taste
1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 TBS vegetable oil
Topping
1 sm box of Velveeta cheese
1/2 cup milk
Tortilla Chips
Add oil into the bottom of the soup pot. Cook onions in oil over medium heat until onions are tender but not browned. Add the diced tomatoes including juice, tomato paste, sauce, zucchini, potatoes, finely diced jalapeño, garlic, cumin, cilantro, and chicken broth. stirring often, bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer on low for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the corn and chicken and simmer for another 30-40 minutes checking to see that the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Prepare the cheese topping by melting the Velveeta in a microwaveable bowl. Stir and thin with milk until the cheese is thick but can be poured. I used a 4 cup glass Pyrex measuring cup.
To serve: top each bowl with 3or 4 whole tortilla chips. Spoon (or pour) a little melted cheese on top of the chips. Add jalapeños if desired.
The soup was very easy to make but found that I had to keep a watchful eye to make sure it didn't stick to the bottom. So make sure to keep the heat low once it comes to a boil. Make sure you stir it as it comes to a boil, too!
Don't skip the topping- I think it really made the soup!
I hope you try it! Please let us know how you like it.
If you want to try the slow cooker version, I found it in the April 2014 Food Network Magazine.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Mardi Gras Time!
Well, it's hard to believe that our 2014 Souper Tuesday dinners went by so quickly! We had lots of fun evenings this year and tried some great new recipes. This year, we all chose to shop for a different soup. I think some of our shoppers even learned something along the way- like what shallots are and that white sauce in a package is hard to come!
It is so much fun to see the little ones each week. Luke is old enough to sign up for T-ball this spring, Nate turned 2 in Dec, Andy is walking, and this was 9 month old Jacob's first Souper event! And who can forget the Girl Scout cookies delivered by our resident Brownie, Taylor! My Thin Mints are safely packed in the freezer ready for the next stress-emergency!
One of the favorite soups this year was chicken and sausage gumbo. We celebrated Mardi Gras this week complete with beads, masks, and gumbo. Let me just warn you that is was not a quick, throw-it-together meal. But even though it took some time, it was definitely worth the effort!
I made two different batches- one HOT, one NOT to accommodate everyone's preferences. The Not was pretty hot so I would suggest started with less of the Creole seasoning and hot sauce, seasoning to taste as you go along. I also only used andouille in the HOT pot and substituted beef smoked sausage for the andouille in the NOT batch. Like all good Cajun cooking, the vegetables always include the 'trinity' as my friend Winston says; chopped celery, green pepper, and onions.
So here we go!
Sausage Chicken Gumbo
1 lb. andouille cut into 1/4 in slices ( or other smoked sausage)
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
Vegetable oil
3/4 cup flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2-3 celery ribs, chopped
2 qts hot water
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 Tsp creole seasoning ( I use Tony Chachere's)
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 to 1 tsp hot sauce ( here is where you can really spice it up!)
Hot cooked rice ( make it in the crock pot)
Brown sausage slices in your soup pot. Remove and drain. Brown chicken in same pan till it is brown on both sides and remove. (It will finish cooking later.) Add enough oil to make about 1/2 cup to the browned bits on the bottom of the soup pot. Use medium heat. Quickly stir in the flour to make a roux. Stir constantly until it is the color of peanut butter. It will be thing so you have to stir it around so it browns but doesn't burn. This will take about 20 minutes or so. So be prepared!
Very gradually, add the hot water to make a thin gravy. I used a whisk to make sure there wen't any lumps. The rest is easy!
In a separate frying pan, cook the 'trinity' in a little vegetable oil till tender. Add to the soup. Add the chicken, garlic, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, and Creole seasoning. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour. Add the sausage and simmer for another 30 minutes. Remove, shred the chicken, and return to the pot.
Remove the bay leaves and enjoy!
It is so much fun to see the little ones each week. Luke is old enough to sign up for T-ball this spring, Nate turned 2 in Dec, Andy is walking, and this was 9 month old Jacob's first Souper event! And who can forget the Girl Scout cookies delivered by our resident Brownie, Taylor! My Thin Mints are safely packed in the freezer ready for the next stress-emergency!
One of the favorite soups this year was chicken and sausage gumbo. We celebrated Mardi Gras this week complete with beads, masks, and gumbo. Let me just warn you that is was not a quick, throw-it-together meal. But even though it took some time, it was definitely worth the effort!
I made two different batches- one HOT, one NOT to accommodate everyone's preferences. The Not was pretty hot so I would suggest started with less of the Creole seasoning and hot sauce, seasoning to taste as you go along. I also only used andouille in the HOT pot and substituted beef smoked sausage for the andouille in the NOT batch. Like all good Cajun cooking, the vegetables always include the 'trinity' as my friend Winston says; chopped celery, green pepper, and onions.
So here we go!
Sausage Chicken Gumbo
1 lb. andouille cut into 1/4 in slices ( or other smoked sausage)
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
Vegetable oil
3/4 cup flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2-3 celery ribs, chopped
2 qts hot water
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 Tsp creole seasoning ( I use Tony Chachere's)
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 to 1 tsp hot sauce ( here is where you can really spice it up!)
Hot cooked rice ( make it in the crock pot)
Brown sausage slices in your soup pot. Remove and drain. Brown chicken in same pan till it is brown on both sides and remove. (It will finish cooking later.) Add enough oil to make about 1/2 cup to the browned bits on the bottom of the soup pot. Use medium heat. Quickly stir in the flour to make a roux. Stir constantly until it is the color of peanut butter. It will be thing so you have to stir it around so it browns but doesn't burn. This will take about 20 minutes or so. So be prepared!
Very gradually, add the hot water to make a thin gravy. I used a whisk to make sure there wen't any lumps. The rest is easy!
In a separate frying pan, cook the 'trinity' in a little vegetable oil till tender. Add to the soup. Add the chicken, garlic, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, and Creole seasoning. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour. Add the sausage and simmer for another 30 minutes. Remove, shred the chicken, and return to the pot.
Remove the bay leaves and enjoy!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Where's the beef?
I recently read that chicken had overtaken beef as the most popular meat - to the dismay of beef lovers everywhere. But when to comes to soup, beef is still a great option and this beef vegetable soup proves it! We had a full house and even had a few new people to get to know. Everyone agreed that this soup warmed up a cold winter night.
Beef Vegetable
1 lb of ground beef
1 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion diced
1 cup of celery - diced
1 large can of diced tomatoes (28 oz)
I bag of frozen mixed vegetables (10-12 oz; no need to defrost)
1 large potato - peeled, diced into 3/4 inch pieces (You can add more or cut larger pieces, but you may need to increase your cooking time to make sure they are tender before serving.)
4 cups of low sodium beef broth
Salt and pepper to taste
A dash of Worcestershire and a dash of steak sauce to taste
In a soup pot, heat oil and cook the beef, onions, and celery until cooked through and tender. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potato is tender.
Makes about 6 servings. Serve with warm dinner rolls and a tossed green salad for a quick and easy dinner.
Enjoy!
Beef Vegetable
1 lb of ground beef
1 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion diced
1 cup of celery - diced
1 large can of diced tomatoes (28 oz)
I bag of frozen mixed vegetables (10-12 oz; no need to defrost)
1 large potato - peeled, diced into 3/4 inch pieces (You can add more or cut larger pieces, but you may need to increase your cooking time to make sure they are tender before serving.)
4 cups of low sodium beef broth
Salt and pepper to taste
A dash of Worcestershire and a dash of steak sauce to taste
In a soup pot, heat oil and cook the beef, onions, and celery until cooked through and tender. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potato is tender.
Makes about 6 servings. Serve with warm dinner rolls and a tossed green salad for a quick and easy dinner.
Enjoy!
Souper Tuesday 2014 Edition
Well it's been a while since I last posted, but we're baaaaack! We've hosted 2 Souper Tuesday dinners so far with a few more set to go. In case you don't know, Souper Tuesday started as a way for my husband, Bruce, and I to get to know the neighbors in our new neighborhood. Now it is used to get us together during the cold winter months, after the holidays and before we are all outside again in spring.
I will be posting the soup recipes again and hope that you give them a try. We have also had some awesome salads made by our friend, Barbara, and devine desserts made by the ever-so-adventurous, Arlene. With their permission, I will post some of those, too.
I'll be back with some too-good-to-miss recipes shortly. In the meantime, stay warm and have a Souper day!
I will be posting the soup recipes again and hope that you give them a try. We have also had some awesome salads made by our friend, Barbara, and devine desserts made by the ever-so-adventurous, Arlene. With their permission, I will post some of those, too.
I'll be back with some too-good-to-miss recipes shortly. In the meantime, stay warm and have a Souper day!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Happy Valentine's Day, Y'all!
I hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day! Our Souper Tuesday group celebrated Valentine's Day with a steaming bowl of Italian Wedding Soup, aptly named for it's "married" flavors. Coupled (no pun intended) with some crusty Italian bread, a great green salad (thanks, Melissa!), and delicious dark chocolate dessert, it was a sweet, sweet evening.
We'd be remiss if we didn't send special happy birthday wishes to Miss Helen. She celebrated 21+ on Valentine's day. Happy Birthday! She and Arlene went out on the town (Nash-Vegas?) so we'll just have to celebrate with her next week.
Sage gives this soup a distinctive flavor. I love the little meatballs and the mix of spinach and cheese. Like Arlene always says, you can't go wrong with cheese! It was really easy to make. I made the meatballs ahead of time and the hardest part seemed to be getting them small enough. They should be about an inch in diameter. Mine kept getting bigger and bigger so I ended up taking a pinch away from most and re-rolling. Other than that, this is a very quick, easy and delicious dish. Enjoy!
Italian Wedding Soup
1 TBS olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp fresh sage, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 parmesan cheese rind, plus one TBS grated parmesan, plus more for topping
1/2 lbs ground pork
3 Tbs seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup orzo
8 oz baby spinach
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until soften, about 4 minutes. Add half the garlic and 1 tsp each of Worcestershire sauce and sage - cook about a minute. Add the chicken broth, 2 cups of water and the parmesan rind. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for 7 minutes.
Make the meatballs: mix the port, breadcrumbs, 1 tsp grated cheese, remaining garlic, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp sage in a bowl. Form into 1 inch balls.
Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Stir in the orzo and cook for 5 minutes. Add the meatballs and cook until firm and float to the top - about 4 more minutes. Stir in the spinach stir just until wilted. Ladle soup into bowls and top with additional parmesan.
You will need to add some broth if you reheat for another meal.
Please let me know how you like this soup. Rate it on a scale of 1-5 (5=fabulous). See you next week!
I hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day! Our Souper Tuesday group celebrated Valentine's Day with a steaming bowl of Italian Wedding Soup, aptly named for it's "married" flavors. Coupled (no pun intended) with some crusty Italian bread, a great green salad (thanks, Melissa!), and delicious dark chocolate dessert, it was a sweet, sweet evening.
We'd be remiss if we didn't send special happy birthday wishes to Miss Helen. She celebrated 21+ on Valentine's day. Happy Birthday! She and Arlene went out on the town (Nash-Vegas?) so we'll just have to celebrate with her next week.
Sage gives this soup a distinctive flavor. I love the little meatballs and the mix of spinach and cheese. Like Arlene always says, you can't go wrong with cheese! It was really easy to make. I made the meatballs ahead of time and the hardest part seemed to be getting them small enough. They should be about an inch in diameter. Mine kept getting bigger and bigger so I ended up taking a pinch away from most and re-rolling. Other than that, this is a very quick, easy and delicious dish. Enjoy!
Italian Wedding Soup
1 TBS olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp fresh sage, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 parmesan cheese rind, plus one TBS grated parmesan, plus more for topping
1/2 lbs ground pork
3 Tbs seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup orzo
8 oz baby spinach
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until soften, about 4 minutes. Add half the garlic and 1 tsp each of Worcestershire sauce and sage - cook about a minute. Add the chicken broth, 2 cups of water and the parmesan rind. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for 7 minutes.
Make the meatballs: mix the port, breadcrumbs, 1 tsp grated cheese, remaining garlic, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp sage in a bowl. Form into 1 inch balls.
Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Stir in the orzo and cook for 5 minutes. Add the meatballs and cook until firm and float to the top - about 4 more minutes. Stir in the spinach stir just until wilted. Ladle soup into bowls and top with additional parmesan.
You will need to add some broth if you reheat for another meal.
Please let me know how you like this soup. Rate it on a scale of 1-5 (5=fabulous). See you next week!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Apres Souper Bowl
Although most of us on "Glenlivet" Court are sad to see football season end, many of us are already gearing up for the Final Four! Go Cats! In the meantime we are all focused on our expanding group. Taylor is going to be a big sister and we are excited that we'll soon know if she'll be welcoming a baby brother or sister. Speaking of expanding, her mom is doing fine!
This week I prepared one of my go-to soups, Minestrone. This recipe feeds a big group so I rarely have to double or triple the recipe. I have fixed the soup several times and it always comes out a winner. It freezes really well, so even if you don't have a big family or a neighborhood to feed, make it as written and freeze some for another meal. When reheating, you may need to add a little water or more broth to thin the soup.
I honestly wish I knew where this recipe came from, but if I had to guess, probably Southern Living magazine. (Love that magazine and the Annual Recipe Cookbooks!) Don't let the long list of ingredients put you off - this soup is definitely worth it!
Vegetable Minestrone
3 large carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (12 oz) package of frozen cut string beans cut
3 TBS olive oil
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic, undrained [ I didn't even know this existed until I made this soup!]
2 (32 oz) containers of beef broth
1 (15.8 oz) can of great northern beans, drained
1 (16 oz) can of dark red kidney beans, drained
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups of uncooked ditalini pasta
1 (6 oz) package of baby spinach
2 1/2 TBS jarred pesto
Freshly grated Parmeasan cheese
Preparation tip: I always cut my vegetables up ahead of time. It is the most time-consuming part of the preparation and makes the cooking process much easier!
Saute the first 6 ingredients in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat 7 minutes of until crisp tender. Add both cans of tomatoes and the next 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Add pasta to soup. Cook 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in spinach and cook for about a minute or until the spinach wilts. Stir in pesto and serve. Top each serving with Parmesean cheese.
I served this with some crispy garlic Italian bread. Barbara made another fabulous salad - this one with coated walnuts and mandarin oranges. Alrene out did herself with a delicious dark chocolate cake - infused with cherry-flavored liquor, of course! BTW, the dark chocolate went perfectly with the cold bottle of Arrington Vineyards Raspberry wine I had chillling! PS, Arrington Vineyard ships, too!
I hope you enjoy this soup as much as we did. If you try it, please tell us how many "spoons" (0-5, 5 is best) it was.
Although most of us on "Glenlivet" Court are sad to see football season end, many of us are already gearing up for the Final Four! Go Cats! In the meantime we are all focused on our expanding group. Taylor is going to be a big sister and we are excited that we'll soon know if she'll be welcoming a baby brother or sister. Speaking of expanding, her mom is doing fine!
This week I prepared one of my go-to soups, Minestrone. This recipe feeds a big group so I rarely have to double or triple the recipe. I have fixed the soup several times and it always comes out a winner. It freezes really well, so even if you don't have a big family or a neighborhood to feed, make it as written and freeze some for another meal. When reheating, you may need to add a little water or more broth to thin the soup.
I honestly wish I knew where this recipe came from, but if I had to guess, probably Southern Living magazine. (Love that magazine and the Annual Recipe Cookbooks!) Don't let the long list of ingredients put you off - this soup is definitely worth it!
Vegetable Minestrone
3 large carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (12 oz) package of frozen cut string beans cut
3 TBS olive oil
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic, undrained [ I didn't even know this existed until I made this soup!]
2 (32 oz) containers of beef broth
1 (15.8 oz) can of great northern beans, drained
1 (16 oz) can of dark red kidney beans, drained
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups of uncooked ditalini pasta
1 (6 oz) package of baby spinach
2 1/2 TBS jarred pesto
Freshly grated Parmeasan cheese
Preparation tip: I always cut my vegetables up ahead of time. It is the most time-consuming part of the preparation and makes the cooking process much easier!
Saute the first 6 ingredients in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat 7 minutes of until crisp tender. Add both cans of tomatoes and the next 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Add pasta to soup. Cook 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in spinach and cook for about a minute or until the spinach wilts. Stir in pesto and serve. Top each serving with Parmesean cheese.
I served this with some crispy garlic Italian bread. Barbara made another fabulous salad - this one with coated walnuts and mandarin oranges. Alrene out did herself with a delicious dark chocolate cake - infused with cherry-flavored liquor, of course! BTW, the dark chocolate went perfectly with the cold bottle of Arrington Vineyards Raspberry wine I had chillling! PS, Arrington Vineyard ships, too!
I hope you enjoy this soup as much as we did. If you try it, please tell us how many "spoons" (0-5, 5 is best) it was.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Getting Ready for the "Souper" Bowl
What fun we had tasting chili last night! I don't know about your family, but we have had chili on Super Bowl Sunday for at least 20 years. I think the first time I noticed it had become a tradition was when we lived in NY. We'd get together with our good friends to watch the BIG GAME. The boys wore their jerseys and created a score board made out of some crudely cut plywood.
Rob (our son and a charter member of Souper Tuesday) kept the score. It really didn't matter who won, we had a great time - and the chili was hot!
There are plenty of variations of chili readily available. Rob sent me some recipes from Men's Health magazine and my own subscription to food network magazine featured this fine dish on the cover the Jan/Feb issue. Let's just say, that you can't go wrong with some simple ingredients and a little chili powder!
Big Game Chili (an original recipe)
2 lbs ground beef (turkey works well too)
1/2 lb of ground sweet Italian sausage (love the flavor the pork brings to the dish)
2 lg cans of whole Italian tomatoes
1 lg can of Hunts tomato sauce
3 medium onions - chopped (2 for the chili and save 1 for topping)
2 cloves of garlic - chopped
3-4 cups of celery - chopped
5-6 TBS chili powder (to taste)
2 TBS Worstershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 lg cans of kidney beans
1 lg can pork and beans (remove bacon), my friend, Lynn, uses black beans - so feel free to experiment.
In a large soup pot, brown meat,onions and garlic. Drain. Add tomatoes, celery and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer at least 2 hours. Stir in beans and cook for an additional 45 minutes on low.
Top with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped onions.
I served this with a delicious tossed salad that Barbara made (awesome salad-maker) and a mix of three kinds of tortilla chips. Crusty bread works well, too!
We're all ready for the big game on Sunday, so may the best team win! Go Giants!!
What fun we had tasting chili last night! I don't know about your family, but we have had chili on Super Bowl Sunday for at least 20 years. I think the first time I noticed it had become a tradition was when we lived in NY. We'd get together with our good friends to watch the BIG GAME. The boys wore their jerseys and created a score board made out of some crudely cut plywood.
Rob (our son and a charter member of Souper Tuesday) kept the score. It really didn't matter who won, we had a great time - and the chili was hot!
There are plenty of variations of chili readily available. Rob sent me some recipes from Men's Health magazine and my own subscription to food network magazine featured this fine dish on the cover the Jan/Feb issue. Let's just say, that you can't go wrong with some simple ingredients and a little chili powder!
Big Game Chili (an original recipe)
2 lbs ground beef (turkey works well too)
1/2 lb of ground sweet Italian sausage (love the flavor the pork brings to the dish)
2 lg cans of whole Italian tomatoes
1 lg can of Hunts tomato sauce
3 medium onions - chopped (2 for the chili and save 1 for topping)
2 cloves of garlic - chopped
3-4 cups of celery - chopped
5-6 TBS chili powder (to taste)
2 TBS Worstershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 lg cans of kidney beans
1 lg can pork and beans (remove bacon), my friend, Lynn, uses black beans - so feel free to experiment.
In a large soup pot, brown meat,onions and garlic. Drain. Add tomatoes, celery and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer at least 2 hours. Stir in beans and cook for an additional 45 minutes on low.
Top with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped onions.
I served this with a delicious tossed salad that Barbara made (awesome salad-maker) and a mix of three kinds of tortilla chips. Crusty bread works well, too!
We're all ready for the big game on Sunday, so may the best team win! Go Giants!!
Monday, January 30, 2012
If you are looking for some great comfort food, then look no farther than Loaded Baked Potato Soup! I served it in sourdough bread bowls and it was delicious. Even my new friend Arlene approved! She admitted that she really didn't think she would like it, and loved it! Arlene was my first friend here on "Glenlivet" Court - that is if you don't count Mike, who we met when the moving van backed into his mailbox. But that is another story!
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
6 large baking potatoes - baked, peeled and chopped into small pieces (use a masher or fork)
1/4 cup of butter
1 medium onion - chopped
1/2 cup flour (I like it thick - use less if you'd like a thinner soup)
1 quart half and half
3 cups of milk
salt and pepper to taste
Top each serving with:
Crumbled bacon (about 1/2 a pound)
Sour cream
Chopped green onion (about 1 cup)
Shredded cheddar cheese (at least 2 cups- in my house you can never have enough cheese!)
Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook till tender. Add flour and stir until smooth. Stir in potatoes, half and half and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low until heated through. Add topping to each serving and enjoy!
Please let me know if you try this recipe and rate is on a scale of 1 to 5 spoons! (1spoon = fabulous,
5 = not so much!)
I hated to throw away good potato skins, so here is a bonus! Make your own baked potato skins appetizer: Cut the baked potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the potato leaving a little potato in each skin. Top with crumbled bacon, green onions and shredded cheddar cheese. Bake in 350 oven until the cheese melts. Serve with sour cream.
I'm cooking chili this Tuesday in honor of the Super Bowl ("souper" bowl?) so I'll post again before the big game!
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
6 large baking potatoes - baked, peeled and chopped into small pieces (use a masher or fork)
1/4 cup of butter
1 medium onion - chopped
1/2 cup flour (I like it thick - use less if you'd like a thinner soup)
1 quart half and half
3 cups of milk
salt and pepper to taste
Top each serving with:
Crumbled bacon (about 1/2 a pound)
Sour cream
Chopped green onion (about 1 cup)
Shredded cheddar cheese (at least 2 cups- in my house you can never have enough cheese!)
Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook till tender. Add flour and stir until smooth. Stir in potatoes, half and half and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low until heated through. Add topping to each serving and enjoy!
Please let me know if you try this recipe and rate is on a scale of 1 to 5 spoons! (1spoon = fabulous,
5 = not so much!)
I hated to throw away good potato skins, so here is a bonus! Make your own baked potato skins appetizer: Cut the baked potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the potato leaving a little potato in each skin. Top with crumbled bacon, green onions and shredded cheddar cheese. Bake in 350 oven until the cheese melts. Serve with sour cream.
I'm cooking chili this Tuesday in honor of the Super Bowl ("souper" bowl?) so I'll post again before the big game!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Welcome to the Souper Tuesday Blog. Being new to our neighborhood, Souper Tuesday started as a way for my husband and I to get to know our new neighbors. We decided to invite everyone in our little cul-de-sac for soup every Tuesday night in January and February - a dine and dash,of sorts. So, I hand delivered invitations to everyone on the block and to my surprise, everyone was in! The first night we had a small group but it has grown each week. We now have neighbors bringing salad and dessert to accompany the soup! So, in this blog, I will share soup recipes, some "soup stories" and funny things that happen along the way.
Since it is always good to use a tried and true recipe when having company (a rule I often break!), I selected one of our favorites, Southwest Vegetable Soup. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity a few years ago to start a business. Building a business is challenging, but the rewards are unbelievable. On one of our cross-country trips, we had the good fortune to meet with Lisa Hall in Indiana. It was a snowy January day when we arrived in Indy, but Lisa was ready for us with a piping hot bowl of this delicious soup!
If you like it "hot", then make it as directed. My family likes it a little less spicy, so I use half the Chorizo sausage and add half a pound of ground turkey. Ground beef would work well too.
Lisa Hall's Southwest Vegetable Soup
1 lb. Chorizo Sausage
1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 each chopped red pepper, zucchini, and yellow squash
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables (10-12 oz.)
2 T tomato paste
2 tsp. cumin
2 cups chopped tomatoes (1 small can)
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
fresh cilantro to taste
In a large stock pot over medium-high heat, cook chorizo sausage until done. If you are adding ground meat, cook it thoroughly at the same time as the chorizo. Add olive oil and vegetables. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, stock, and cilantro. Cook for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
I always add shredded cheddar cheese to the top of each bowl and serve it with either crusty Italian bread or tortilla chips. This soup freezes well, so double to recipe and freeze some for another meal.
I hope you enjoy this soup as much as we do! Next week, Baked Potato Soup!
Enjoy!
Since it is always good to use a tried and true recipe when having company (a rule I often break!), I selected one of our favorites, Southwest Vegetable Soup. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity a few years ago to start a business. Building a business is challenging, but the rewards are unbelievable. On one of our cross-country trips, we had the good fortune to meet with Lisa Hall in Indiana. It was a snowy January day when we arrived in Indy, but Lisa was ready for us with a piping hot bowl of this delicious soup!
If you like it "hot", then make it as directed. My family likes it a little less spicy, so I use half the Chorizo sausage and add half a pound of ground turkey. Ground beef would work well too.
Lisa Hall's Southwest Vegetable Soup
1 lb. Chorizo Sausage
1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 each chopped red pepper, zucchini, and yellow squash
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables (10-12 oz.)
2 T tomato paste
2 tsp. cumin
2 cups chopped tomatoes (1 small can)
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
fresh cilantro to taste
In a large stock pot over medium-high heat, cook chorizo sausage until done. If you are adding ground meat, cook it thoroughly at the same time as the chorizo. Add olive oil and vegetables. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, stock, and cilantro. Cook for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
I always add shredded cheddar cheese to the top of each bowl and serve it with either crusty Italian bread or tortilla chips. This soup freezes well, so double to recipe and freeze some for another meal.
I hope you enjoy this soup as much as we do! Next week, Baked Potato Soup!
Enjoy!
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