Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients
2 small cans tomato soup
1 large can crushed tomatoes
2-4 tablespoons basil pesto
milk

Notes / Directions
Pour small cans of tomato soup into a large pot. Fill one can with milk and dump it in. Fill the can again with water and dump it in. Add crushed tomatoes and basil pesto to taste. Cook over medium heat until heated through.

Make it a dinner! Serve with dinner rolls and a rotisserie chicken. You can put the chicken in the soup or make buttered chicken sandwiches to dip into the soup.

Black Bean Soup

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 pinch black pepper
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cans black beans, drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can crushed tomatoes 

Notes / Directions
Saute onions, celery, carrots, and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add seasonings and cook for additional minute. Empty vegetables into a large stock pot. Add vegetable broth, 2 cans of black beans, and corn and bring to a boil. In a blender, blend remaining 2 cans of black beans and crushed tomatoes until smooth. Add to the stock pot and reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes.

Ham and Corn Chowder

My friend made me some yummy ham and corn chowder and I enjoyed the left overs so much! Feeling inspired from her chowder, I started making my roux and created what I thought would be delicious. Turns out, I nailed it. No offense to the author of that other recipe, but mine is WAY better. And during this time of year, it just really hits the spot. Serve it with with some yummy rolls. Bam.

Ingredients
3 medium potatoes, diced
2 cups water
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cups cooked ham, diced
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Notes / Directions
Bring water to a boil. Boil potatoes for 3-5 minutes (skip this step if you plan on leaving chowder in the crockpot for 4+ hours). Pour water and potatoes into a crockpot. In a large skillet, cook bacon. Set aside and crumble. Sauté onions in bacon grease and add to the crockpot. In the same skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour with a fork until well combined and bubbly. Slowly stir in milk making sure to get rid of all lumps. Continue stirring for 4-5 minutes until mixture thickens. Pour into crockpot and stir well. Add ham, corn, and seasonings. Stir and place a lid on the crockpot. Cook for about 2 hours on high until potatoes are soft.

Homemade Chili

Ingredients
2 lbs. ground beef or turkey, cooked and drained
2 quarts low sodium spicy V8
2 cans low sodium dark red kidney beans, drained
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
2-4 jalapenos, seeded if you don't want it too spicy
season with black pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder

Notes / Directions
Brown the meat and put into a pot on medium heat.  All remaining ingredients and reduce to low.  Simmer for 2-3 hours stirring occasionally.  If you want thicker chili, keep lid off.  For thinner chili, lid on.

Baked Potato and Dill Soup

Ingredients

4-6 large russet potatos, baked at 425 for 40-60 mintues

1/2 c butter

1/2 flour

2 tbsp dried dill (you can put less or more in, depending on how much you enjoy dill)

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 c milk

1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese (again, you can easily add more or less depending on your preference)

1 bag Hormel bacon bits - or - 6 strips crumbled bacon

6 tbsp thinly sliced green onion

 

Notes / Directions

Cut baked potatoes into bite size pieces.

 

In a large saucepan, melt butter over meduim-low heat. Add flour to melted butter and stir consistently for five minutes. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Add cheese, dill, black pepper, and green onion. Stir until well mixed. Add potato and bacon bits.

Minestrone Soup

I believe that this is a Taste of Home recipe.  It was VERY good.  I made it for dinner tonight but it did made a huge stock pot full of soup.  I recommend halving it.  I wasn't a huge fan of the garbanzo beans.  I'll leave those out next time.  I added a can of drained corn and that was absolutely delightful.  And as for the macaroni, I felt like it was a hassle and it really didn't add much to the soup at all.  I'll be leaving those out next time too.  I think this recipe would work excellently in a crock pot.

Ingredients
1 lb. pork sausage
2 cloves garlic
2 onions, chopped
4 c. carrots, sliced
2 c. celery, sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
2 28-oz. large cans tomatoes
28 oz. can beef broth (or bouillon)
2 c. fresh mushrooms
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 tsp. basil
3/4 tsp. oregano
parsley
1 can green beans, rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 handful of macaroni

Notes / Directions
Break up sausage in large stockpot and pour 1 quart boiling water over. Begin
simmering. Add the rest of the above ingredients except green beans, garbanzo beans, and macaroni, and simmer two hours.

One hour before serving add the green beans and garbanzo beans.  Add macaroni for the last 20 minutes of simmering.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 small onion, diced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup swiss cheese, shredded
2 1/2 cups broccoli, lightly steamed and chopped

Notes / Directions
Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour, salt and pepper. Cook together, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium heat until soup starts to thicken, about 5-8 minutes. Add warmed chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses and stir until completely melted. Stir in seamed broccoli. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve immediately in bowls or bread bowls.

Note: To make my life easier, while the soup is coming together, I put the chopped broccoli in a large glass bowl with a little water, cover with saran wrap and microwave for about 3-4 minutes. It cooks perfectly and just in time to add it to the soup.

Benihana Japanese Onion Soup

 

Ingredients
4 cups canned chicken broth
2 cups water
1 white onion, chopped
1/2 carrot, coarsely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 celery, coarsely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 medium mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 green onions, diced (green part only)

Notes / Directions
1. Combine chicken broth and water in a large saucepan over high heat.

2. Slice the white onion in half, then coarsely chop one half (save the other half for later).

3. Add coarsely chopped onion, carrot, celery and salt to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to become translucent. As the broth simmers, heat up 1 cup of vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.

4. Slice the remaining white onion into very thin slices. Separate the slices, dip the slices into the milk, then into the flour. Fry the breaded onions, a handful at a time in the oil until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.

5. When the soup has simmered for 10 minutes, strain the vegetables out of the broth and toss them out. Pour the broth back into the pan and keep it hot over low heat.

6. To serve soup, ladle about 1 cup of broth into a bowl.

7. Drop a few pieces of fried onion into the soup, followed by 6 to 8 mushroom slices (about 1 mushroom each) and a couple pinches of diced green onion. When the fried onions sink to the bottom of the bowl (a couple of minutes), serve the soup.

Taco Soup

I love this soup.  I always have the ingredients on hand so if I'm in need of a dinner, this is what I make :)

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef, sauteed
1 onion, sauteed
1 can black beans, undrained
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 can corn, undrained
1 can tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can green chile peppers, drained
1 package taco seasoning
Fritos
Cheddar cheese
sour cream

Notes / Directions
Put everything in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Serve with Fritos, cheese, and sour cream.

Potato Bacon Chowder

Adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients
2 cups potatoes, cubed
1 cup water
8 bacon strips 
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 3/4 cups milk
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

Notes / Directions
In a covered saucepan, bring water to a boil and cook potatoes until tender (5-8 minutes).  In a separate skillet, cook bacon until it's nice and crispy.  Place on a paper towel to drip off grease.  Add celery and onions to the bacon grease and saute until tender.  Add to the pot of potatoes and stir in soup, milk, sour cream, salt and pepper.  Cook over low heat until heated through.  Crumble bacon and add to soup along with parsley.

* I reheat pre-cooked bacon strips and over cook them a little so they will crumble.  This makes the process WAAAY easier.

Ham and Potato Soup

I love this soup.  I love it so much.  Every Christmas Eve growing up we had clam chowder and it was pretty good but I don't really like clams.  This is the soup I make instead.  It is a perfect Christmas Eve soup.  I also always make my French baguettes to go with it which is WAY better than any kind of bread you'd buy at the store.  For a fraction of the price as well.  You can even make the dough into a bread bowl.

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups potatoes, diced
1/3 cup celery, diced
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup cooked ham, diced
3 1/4 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Notes / Directions
1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.

2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

-It can also be cooked in a crock pot for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.