Zuppa Toscana

 

There's a healthier version of this on Our Best Bites. I changed it so much to match what I have on hand that I created a totally different soup. My kids call it Pepperoni Soup and it's been a weekly favorite for the last few months.

16 oz. ground Italian sausage (I usually use Jimmy Dean)

1/2 tsp or more crushed red pepper flakes 

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 small sweet onion, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced

4 14.5-oz cans regular chicken broth

4 small to medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 tsp Italian seasoning

2 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

1 cup milk

1 cup cream

3 oz. cream cheese, softened and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup baby spinach, chopped (I chop more to add to individual bowls)

Parmesan cheese

Cook sausage in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add red pepper flakes and smoked paprika. When sausage is just cooked, drain the fat and add the onions, continue cooking for 2 - 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Transfer to a soup pot. Add chicken broth, Italian seasoning and potatoes and gently boil for about 7 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour. Slowly add milk and cream, whisking constantly to keep the mixture smooth. Turn heat down a little and add cream cheese. Continue to whisk until the cream cheese is melted completely. Pour the mixture into the soup pot when the potatoes are cooked. Add salt and chopped spinach. Serve with more spinach and grated Parmesan cheese.

Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

This recipe comes from my neighborhood cookbook and we love it, but I haven't made it very often because the directions are messy. I'm going to attempt to clear them up here so that my mind can rest.

2/3 of a 16 oz. bag of Country Pasta noodles

Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.


4 cups chicken broth

1 small cube chicken bouillon

3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 ribs of celery, diced

1 small onion, diced

Put all ingredients into a large soup pot, bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and cook vegetables for about 10 minutes or until they're soft.

Add to the vegetables and chicken broth:

2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup

2 cups chicken, cooked and diced (I used a rotisserie chicken)

1/4 cup melted butter and 1/3 cup flour whisked together

1 cup milk

Salt and pepper

With a large whisk, blend ingredients together. Add cooked noodles and stir with a large wooden spoon.

Hamburger Soup

A classic from the Woods Cross cookbook. That thing was published in 1988! Aaron and Lori weren't even born! I went into panic mode today when I realized it's not in any of the cookbooks we've made together and it's not on this website (well, now it is). Just in case your copy of the Woods Cross cookbook is disintegrating or you don't even have one to begin with, here you go. This soup reminds me of home and the old days. :)

1 lb. hamburger

2 c. diced carrots

2 c. diced potatoes

1 c. diced celery

2 T. parsley, chopped fine

1 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt (I used 2 cloves fresh garlic)

1 tsp. sugar

2 1/2 c. tomato juice

1/2 c. beef broth

1 T. tomato paste

1 large bay leaf

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

5 c. water

3 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 c. pearl barley

Brown the hamburger until almost all the pink is gone, drain. Add onions and garlic to the hamburger and cook until onions are translucent. Transfer meat mixture to a large soup pot. Add the rest of the ingredients to the soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for at least one hour. Stir occasionally. Before serving, remove bay leaf. (I made a few changes out of necessity, but it ended up making the soup taste even better so I included my changes. Also, I never have pearl barley.)

Creamy Chicken Soup

It's almost too warm for soup, but if you haven't tried Allyn's Creamy Chicken Soup from the second Sisters' Cookbook, do it. DO IT. It has cream cheese in it, so you probably thought I was the one who contributed it, but it was Allyn. :) The parsley adds a nice pepper-y flavor (bonus that our parsley is already growing in the garden). We had rolls with it, which you should also make. Get to work, will ya!

1 small onion, chopped

1 T. butter

3 c. chicken broth (or two 14.5 oz. cans)

3 medium carrots, peeled and diced

2 medium to large potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 c. chicken, cooked and cubed (as usual, I used a Costco rotisserie chicken)

2 T. fresh parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 1/2 c. milk

1/3 c. flour

1 8-oz. pkg cream cheese, cut into eight pieces

Saute onion in butter until translucent, add carrots and potatoes and stir. Immediately add broth to the vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let it simmer until the veggies are soft. Add chicken, parsley, salt and pepper.

Whisk together milk and flour until smooth. Add to the soup while stirring. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes, stirring often. Add cream cheese and stir until it's melted.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

One of my neighborhood friends contributed this recipe to a neighborhood cookbook I put together in 2007. I've changed quite a few things, so I want to have it MY way (always here are the QUEEN'S ways) somewhere. You know, just in case I lose my mind and someone else has to make this soup for me.

3-4 T unsalted butter

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 c. flour

3 (14 oz) cans chicken broth

2 c. half-and-half

4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (surprise, I use Costco rotisserie chickens)

1 (1.27 oz) fajita seasoning packet

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can creamed corn

1 c. salsa

2 tsp. cumin

3 tsp. cilantro, chopped

Garnishes (optional, but duh):

Cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Avocado

Tortilla chips

In a heavy bottomed pot, saute onion and garlic in butter over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add flour and stir until the butter is absorbed, then add one can of chicken broth slowly while stirring. Add the rest of the chicken broth and the half-and-half. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and add chicken, fajita seasoning, chicken soup, salsa, corn, cumin, and cilantro. Continue to simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, until flavors have blended and the soup is heated through. About 20 minutes. Garnish in individual bowls and serve.

Split Pea Soup

I made these awesome centerpieces for our Relief Society activity. But now I'm left with a ton of split peas, which I've never cooked with. Ever. My only experience with them is making split pea bags (like bean bags) in Kathy Clark's basement as a child. Heaven help me when my kids start using food storage for their entertainment and experiments.

I make soup when it's cold. My kids ask me what soup we're having for dinner on a daily basis. And they hate all but 1 of them. In fact when this one came out, my oldest said, "Why do you always make food that I don't like?". I know, I'm so mean. I ended up eating all of it because it was awesome. Also, I halved this recipe because I was psychic and predicted that my kids wouldn't eat it. 

Here's the whole thing. 

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 cups chopped onions

2 cups chopped carrots

2 cups chopped celery

1/2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 cup yellow split peas

1 cup green split peas (I only had green)

8 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp salt-free seasoning blend (I happened to have a Mrs. Dash table blend on hand)

1 tsp salt

In a large pot over medium heat, heat olive oil. Cook onion, garlic, carrots and celery until onion is fully translucent. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2.5 hours (I did less, or just until the peas were soft). Puree in a blender, return to pot to keep warm and serve. 

It has the appearance of what I imagine gruel to look like. But it's really good. Also, I forgot the garlic, so I substituted 1/2 tsp garlic salt and reduced the amount of salt I put in. That may be what made it so tasty.

Ham and Lentil Soup

It's Fall!  Let's eat soup!  This is my family's favorite soup from my favorite cookbook, The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great by Pam Anderson.  The original recipe calls for arugula, which I had never cooked with before.  When my family saw it, they said, "Why are there leaves in our soup?  I don't want to eat this.  Why are you making me eat wet leaves, mean lady?"  The next time I made it, I left the arugula out and my family said, "This is the best soup, ever!  Why haven't you made it before?"  So, I'll let you decide if you want to add the arugula.

This soup takes about 20 minutes from start to finish.  It's filling and delicious, especially with a loaf of crusty bread.

Ham and Lentil Soup with Tomatoes (and Arugula)

2 tsp. olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 pkg. (8 oz.) ham, diced
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasonings
2 cans (19 oz each) lentil soup (I use Progresso)
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth
4 cups (about 4 oz.) prewashed arugula (optional)
   salt and ground black pepper

In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, heat oil and garlic over medium-high heat until garlic begins to sizzle.  Add ham and sauté until ham starts to turn golden, about 5 minutes.  Add Italian seasonings, then soup, tomatoes, and broth.  Bring to a simmer.  Add arugula and continue to simmer until it wilts, 2-3 minutes longer.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Butternut Squash Soup

I have soup problems. It's all I make in the winter, and it's winter 9 months of the year in Colorado.
I like this one because it's got so many veggies in it and my kids might take a bite. That's exciting to me.  Sometimes they eat a cup full. And always I eat the rest.

1/2 T Olive oil

1 T butter

 1/2 c sliced carrots 

2 stalks celery, diced

1 c diced onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced

1 medium potato

32 oz chicken broth

1 T brown sugar (I add a lot more to taste)

1 T kosher salt

3/4 t dried sage

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil and butter. When butter is melted add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add the squash and potato, sage, salt and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer with the lid on for 30-40 minutes or until everything is tender. Check a piece of squash and also a piece of celery and potato to make sure they are fork tender. Stir in the brown sugar. 

Use an immersion blender, or transfer soup to a regular blender and puree until smooth. 

You can add a little parsley or drizzle a bit of heavy cream or sour cream on it. I just add more sugar until it tastes like I want. 

Tortellini Soup

I'm so ready for Spring, but right now it's snowing sideways outside.  Winter is mocking me.  But the joke is on winter, because I'm happy to stay inside as long as I have soup to keep me warm. 

 

This is one of my favorite soups.  Some soups are delicious, but work best as a side dish (like my Cream of Carrot Soup.  yum!) and some soups are just "stuff floating in water" (as my husband so eloquently put it) and are only delicious if you have a stomach bug and are craving something bland.  This soup is neither.  This soup is a meal.  ("I want a MEAL!")  It will fill you up and make you happy.  So there, winter!

 

Tortellini Soup

1 lb. Italian sausage
1 c. chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5 cups beef broth
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 c. thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
2 cups cheese-filled tortellini
1 1/2 c. sliced zucchini
3 T. chopped fresh parsley

In a large soup pot, brown sausage over medium heat.  Remove sausage and drain all but 1 tsp remaining fat from the pot.  (If sausage is very lean, you may need to add a little olive oil to prevent sticking and burning.)  Saute onion and garlic in pot.  While the onion softens, slice carrots. 

When onions are soft, add beef broth, red wine vinegar (Full disclosure: I've never used red wine vinegar in this soup, so I'm not sure what magic I'm missing.  Do not substitute regular vinegar.  If you don't have it, just leave it out.  The soup will still be tasty.), tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, sausage and 2 cups water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer 30 minutes, uncovered.

While soup simmers, slice zucchini and chop parsley.  (Secretly I've never used fresh parsley, either.  My whole life is a lie!)  Skim fat from soup.  Stir in zucchini and parsley.  Simmer covered for 15 minutes.

Add tortellini and simmer five more minutes, or until tortellini is al dente.  Serve and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Makes 8 servings.

Brattens Famous Clam Chowder

Since I have had to hunt this recipe down twice, I decided to put it where I can find it from now on :)

Ingredients

• 1 cup onions, finely chopped
• 1 cup celery, finely diced
• 2 cups very finely diced potatoes ( peeled)
• 2 (6 1/2 ounce) cans minced clams, and juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup butter ( not margarine)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 quart half-and-half ( cream)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• pepper

Directions

1. Put the prepared vegetables in a saucepan.
2. Drain juice from clams and pour over the vegetables.
3. Add enough water to BARELY cover.
4. Simmer, covered over medium heat till barely tender.
5. (DO NOT overcook!).
6. In the meantime, melt butter in another medium saucepan.
7. Add flour.
8. Blend and cook, stirring constantly; add the cream.
9. Cook and stir with wire whip, until smooth and thick.
10. It is important that you stir constantly while cooking.
11. Add undrained vegetables, clams and vinegar.
12. Heat through, but do not boil again.

Southwestern Pork Stew

These days I'm all about stuff I can make ahead of time.  When I make a dish on the weekend, I can taste the love when we eat it later in the week.  (I can also taste the not-love when I have to make something in a hurry on a week night and we end up eating at 7:00pm.)  We almost always have country-style pork ribs in our freezer because they are fantastic and easy all by themselves.  When I found this recipe for stew with pork ribs I thought it would be fun to try one of our favorites in a new way.  So!  Do yourself a favor and make this on a Saturday or a Sunday, then let it sit in your fridge for a few days.  You will taste the love. :)

2 T. vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

Salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 T. minced fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried

1 T. chili powder

3 lbs. boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed

1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes

5 c. chicken broth

1 28-oz. can white hominy, rinsed (I found it near the salsa and other Mexican foods - it's kind of corn-y)

1 T. fresh lime juice

Pepper

Directions:
Turn oven to 300 degrees.

In a heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, oregano, and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the pork ribs and turn them to coat with the spices.  Cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 6 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and the broth.  Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer the pot to the oven.  Cook until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the pot from the oven and transfer the pork to a cutting board.  Stir the hominy into the broth.  Bring to a simmer on top of the stove and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes, removing any fat that rises to the top.

When the meat is cool, shred it using your fingers (really - it's the easiest way), discarding all gristle, and add the meat back to the pot.  Before serving, season the stew with lime juice, salt and pepper.

*I put the lid back on the pot (I used my Le Crueset oval) and put it in the fridge after it had cooled completely.  We ate it two days later, warming it up on the stove over low heat, with sour cream, romaine lettuce mixed with cilantro, and tortillas.  It was amazing. 

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

This soup is amazing! My kids scarf it and ask for more until it's gone.

4 c. chicken broth

2 c. water

2 cooked chicken breast halves, shredded or cubed

1 4.5 oz pkg Uncle Ben's quick cooking long grain and wild rice mix

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. butter

2 c. half & half

In a large pot combine broth and water. Bring to a boil and stir in rice (reserving the seasoning packet). Cover and remove from heat.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Stir in seasoning packet until bubbly and turn to low heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Whisk in half & half slowly. Cook until thickened, for about 5 minutes. Stir into broth and rice and heat until warmed through, adding your cooked chicken, as well.

I think it's good with a cup of frozen peas, too. I often use a rotisserie chicken and milk instead of half & half.

Creme de Carottes (Cream of Carrot Soup)

This recipe is from my friend Jill who says it was passed down from her Swiss grandmother.  She says, "When the larder is low and you do not want to think too much, this soup and a hearty loaf of bread make a dinner."  I don't even know what it means to have larder be low, but it sounded very poetic.  Be sure to read the entire recipe before making this because it takes longer than you might think.  If you start it too late in the evening you may end up serving your children macaroni and cheese because you realize the soup won't be ready until after their bedtime.  Just, you know, as an example.  Or you could just be a Saturday Chef and do all the carrot peeling and slicing ahead of time.  You could even get as far as the pureeing stage and then reheat it and add the cream the day you plan to serve it.

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. butter
1 to 2 lbs. sliced carrots
1 large onion, diced
3/4 c. uncooked rice (not Minute)
1 c. cream, half & half, or milk (your choice, says Jill, though the cream is amazing)
2 qt. chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley (optional)

Melt butter on medium-low heat, then add onions and cook slowly until golden.  Add carrots and saute for several minutes.  Add broth and rice.  Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for at least an hour.  Allow to cool, and then puree either with a hand blender, or in batches in a stand-up blender.  Return to pot and add cream, correct seasoning with salt and pepper.  When serving, it looks lovely with a bit of chopped parsley on the top.

Serves 6 to 8.

Cream of Tomato Soup

Our family is all about the soup. Mostly Dad is all about soup. I love Conference weekend for many reasons - the two big ones are Mom and Dad coming and staying with us and good food. This time I did Cream of Tomato Soup and Allyn's Creamy Chicken Soup (Sisters' Cookbook Volume 2) and artisan bread with salami and fun cheeses. We had sugar/salt/cinnamon roasted almonds, too. And jellybeans. (Seriously?! I just looked through our blog to link a recipe for the almonds and Allyn's soup and neither one of them are there. I could have sworn I posted those. Bah. One more thing to do...)

4 T. unsalted butter

2 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained with 3 cups of the juice reserved

1 onion, chopped fine

2 T. light brown sugar

1 T. tomato paste

2 T. all-purpose flour

1 3/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 c. heavy cream

Salt

Pepper

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add drained tomatoes, onion, brown sugar and tomato paste. cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and the tomatoes begin to caramelize (about 15 minutes).

2. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the broth and the reserved tomato juice, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth.

3. Return the pureed soup to the pot and stir in the cream. Bring to a brief simmer, then remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Corn Chowder

I recently started a love affair with America's Test Kitchen. I bought their heavy duty "family" cookbook a few weeks ago. So far we've only tried a few recipes (in addition to the magazine size Best Recipes of 2010 that I've been using), but they have been FANTASTIC. STUPENDOUS. If you do everything they tell you, it will turn out perfectly. And there are pictures. Go buy it.

While you're waiting for it to arrive at your house, here is one of our favorites. Bridget and I refer to Brian as The Great Cornholio because the man can put away up to eight ears of corn on the cob in one sitting. To me corn on the cob is too much work for too little pay off. Plus, corn in my teeth is not cool. All beside the point. For three nights after we had this chowder when I asked Bridget what we should make for dinner she said, "I liked that corn soup. We should have corn soup."

10 ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed

4 oz. bacon

1 onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 T. all-purpose flour

3 c. low-sodium chicken broth

2 c. whole milk

12 oz. red potatoes (about 2 medium sized) scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. minced fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried

1 c. heavy cream

2 T. minced fresh parsley

Salt & Pepper

1. Standing the corn on end inside a large bowl, cut the kernels from 4 ears using a paring knife. (You should have 3 cups.) Grate the remaining 6 ears corn over the large holes of a box grater into a separate bowl. Using the back of a butter knife, scrape any remaining pulp from teh cobs into the bowl with the grated corn.

2. Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. slowly stir in the broth and milk, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the potatoes, bay leaves, thyme, and grated corn. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Stir in the remaining corn kernels and cream. Continue simmering until the corn kernels are tender yet still slightly crunchy, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

*I just realized after typing this up that we used the recipe in my pamphlet rather than this one. it called for 6 ears of corn and 2 cans of whole kernel corn. After cutting the corn off the 6 ears, that recipe instructed me to add the cobs to the soup until I was ready to add the cream, then I took them out. Much easier? Maybe. Probably great either way.

Ham & Bean Soup

Have you ever realized you have a tradition and you didn't know it? This morning Brian called his mother to ask for the recipe for Ham & Bean Soup. We make it at least once a year - usually around the holidays because that's when we have a ham bone. The call to Brian's Mom is part of our ritual. First we look for the hand written recipe in the pockets of all my cookbook covers and in the random accordion files of recipes I've collected. (We found some coupons from 1999 in one file folder. Just missed those deals...) No matter where you're from, this soup makes you feel like you've gone home. Ahhhhh! And it's so simple.

1 lb. navy beans

6 peppercorns (if you're Brian, put in 7 and forget you did - fun for the whole family!)

1 onion, diced

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. salt

1 ham bone (and any leftover meat still on the bone)


DIRECTIONS:

Soak beans 6 to 8 hours in two quarts of cold water.

OR

Bring beans to a boil in two quarts of water. Boil one minute. Remove from heat and let the beans sit in the water for 45 minutes. (Whichever method you choose, do not drain the beans. DO NOT SEEK THE TREASURE. Hahahaha!)

Add bay leaf, peppercorns, and ham bone to beans and simmer on low heat, covered, for three and a half hours. Remove ham bone(s), bay leaf, and peppercorns. Add onion and any meat from the ham bone. Simmer on low, covered, for another half hour.

Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

This is one of the three soups we tried out at Girl's Night (during the Priesthood Session of Conference). I forgot the tomatoes even though there was a box of tomatoes in my kitchen. Whatever - it was still the most delicious, cheesy, chicken-y bowl I've had in a long long time. Sigh. (The mini corn muffins are courtesy of the Marie Callender's Corn Bread Mix. Just do what Sister Callender says and everything will turn out fine.)

1 1/2 lb. chicken breasts

1 1/2 c. chopped onion

1-2 garlic cloves (or 1 tsp. minced)

3 T. butter

2 chicken bullion cubes

1 c. hot water

1 tsp. cumin

2 c. half-and-half

2 c. shredded Monterey-jack cheese

1 can creamed corn

1 can (4 oz.) green chiles, drained

1 med. tomato, chopped

Cut and cube chicken. Brown with onion, garlic, and butter.

In a separate pan, dissolve bullion cubes in hot water. Add cumin, bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.

In 3 qt. pan, add bullion mixture, chicken, and rest of ingredients (except tomatoes) Add shredded cheese after all mixed together. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Add tomatoes.

Chicken Noodle Sour Cream Soup

We had this at the Williams' when we went there for lunch and she was kind enough to give me the recipe. It looks like a lot of ingredients but it really is very easy. I made it when Makenzie was here last weekend and there were no leftovers!

Chicken Noodle Sour Cream Soup
Broth:
4 c. water
4 tsp. chicken bouillon (granules)
1 tsp. parsley (dried works)
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. Accent (optional)
Add: 4 carrots, peeled and sliced. Cook 10 minutes (cover with lid)
Add: 2 large red potatoes, peeled and cubed. Cook 14 minutes
Add: noodles (crinkly or flat). Cook 6 minutes.
When soup is cooked and flavored to your liking,
Add:
2 c. cooked, cubed chicken or turkey
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can canned milk
Heat through to simmering, not rolling boil.
At the last minute add 1/2-1 c. sour cream and stir continually, being careful not to break up the noodles as you stir. This is good "left-overs" soup.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

It's that time of year! Time to win the Ward Chili Cook-Off! This one is different - special, even. I got it from Rachael Ray during an episode of her show I watched at the gym. I couldn't hear her screeching, so I was able to endure the entire recipe. Also, I took out the beer.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs ground chicken (or turkey)
2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T. smoked sweet paprika
1 bay leaf
Salt & freshly ground pepper
2 c. chicken stock
1/2 cup hot sauce (I used Buffalo Wings hot sauce)
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 15-oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes
Tortilla chips
Crumbled blue cheese (optional)

Place a large pot over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Add ground chicken/turkey and break it up, lightly browning for about 5 minutes.

Add the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, paprika and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently for 7-8 minutes. Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot.

Add hot sauce, tomato sauce and fire-roasted tomatoes to the chili and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with tortilla chips and blue cheese.

Creamy Tomato Soup

As requested by Nicole....this is my favorite from Ginny Callan and The Horn of the Moon:

2 Tb butter

1 1/2 c chopped onion (3 onions)

Two 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (or the fresh equivalent)

Juice of 1 lemon

2 c. water or stock

1 c. heavy cream

4 Tb. flour

1/3 c. minced fresh parsley

1/2 tsp salt

dash pepper

Heat the butter in a fry pan and saute the onions over medium heat, cooking until golden brown. Combine the onions and tomatoes in a soup pot. Add lemon juice and water or stock and simmer on low heat, covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix cream and flour together until smooth. Add to soup, and return to a simmer, uncovered. Add parsley, salt, and pepper. Serve hot! Serves 6.