Creamy Leek & Potato Soup

 Ingredients

• 3-4 stalks celery, chopped

• 2 onions, chopped

• 4 leeks (white portion),

• 1/2 green pepper, chopped

• 1/2 red pepper, chopped

• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

• 1 T minced garlic

• Oil for sautéing

• 5-6 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" chunks

• 6 c. vegetable stock or broth

• 1 t salt

• 1/2 t pepper

• 4 T flour

• 2/3 c milk

• 1 c. sour cream

• 1 bunch green onions, chopped

 

 

Instructions

1. In a large stock pot, sauté the celery, onions, leeks, peppers, jalapenos, and garlic in oil over medium heat until soft and fragrant.

2. Add the vegetable stock, potatoes, salt, and pepper.

3. Reduce heat and cook until potatoes are soft.

4. Combine flour and milk and blend until smooth. Add to soup to thicken. Stir until the mixture is fully incorporated.

5. Before serving, blend in sour cream. Again, stirring until fully incorporated.

6. Garnish with green onions.

 

"We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic..."

(Numbers 11:5)

White Bean & Kale Soup

Ingredients:

32 oz Vegetable Broth

30 oz. Cannellini Beans

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 T. Olive Oil

1 Bay Leaf

1 c. Chopped Carrots

1 T. Rosemary

1 t. Salt

1/4 t. Crushed Red Pepper

1/4 t. Black Pepper

1 lb. Fresh Kale, chopped

1/4 c. White Wine

Instructions:

Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil.

Place broth and half of the Cannellini Beans in a large soup pot.

Purée the other 15 oz. of Cannellini Beans with 1/2 cup water and add to the pot.

Add the sautéed onion and garlic.

Add chopped carrots.

Season with the Bay Leaf, Rosemarry, salt and peppers.

Simmer on stovetop until carrots are tender.

Add Kale and Wine 15 -30 minutes before serving.

Alternatively, we put all ingredients in the crock pot and add the Kale and Wine before serving.

Chicken/Wild Rice Soup

INGREDIENTS

 

1 - 1/2 cups (3 sticks) REAL Butter

2 onions (chopped)

1 - 1/2 cups diced/sliced carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms

1 - 1/2 cups flour

12 cups chicken broth

5 - 6 cups cooked Wild Rice

2 1/2 - 3 lbs chicken (Cooked and Diced)

1 Tbsp. salt

1 Tbsp. curry

1 Tbsp. dry mustard

1 Tbsp. black pepper

3 Tbsp. Dry Parsley

1 - 2 cups slivered almonds

1/2 - 1 cup Sherry Wine (ya' know-- depending)

1 cup (+/-) Half-n-Half

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook and dice chicken.  Cook rice according to package instructions.  Wash, prepare, and measure vegetables.

2. In a large stock pot -- sauté the onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms in the butter until soft. About ten minutes

3. Whisk in the flour to create a roux.

4. Add chicken broth and whisk to thoroughly blend and remove any lumps.

5. Add the cooked chicken and wild rice.

6. Season with salt, curry, dry mustard, pepper and parsley. 

7. Add wine and allow soup to simmer for about 30 minutes.

8. About 20 minutes before serving, add Half-n-Half.  Keep temperature on burner very low to avoid scorching after adding Half-n-Half.

My Notes...

We always make very large amounts of soup at our house and freeze leftovers (if there are any!).  This recipe could easily be cut in half.

We always use fresh parsley if  we have it.

To keep cream soups from burning when warming on stove, I turn a large frying pan upside down on the burner and put my stock pot on top of the frying pan.  This keeps the bottom of the stock pot at least an inch or so away from the direct heat of the burner.

I also found that adding too much Half-n-Half to this recipe distracts quite a bit from the flavor. More seasonings might be needed if adding more than 1 cup of Half-n-Half.....   The consensus of "taste-testers" walking through the kitchen:

"The soup was already creamy before adding the Half-n-Half. 

Adding cream seemed only to add to the richness of the soup --

not necessarily the creamy'ness."

 

-- Either way, "It's all good!"

Creamy/Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp butter or margarine

• 2 medium onions, chopped

• 2 tsp minced garlic

• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

• 2 tsp curry powder

• 1/2 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp ground pepper

• 45 ounces of 100% pure canned pumpkin

• 5 cups chicken broth

• 2 cups milk

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 - 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions
• Melt butter/margarine in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add chopped onions and minced garlic and cook until soft -- about 5 minutes.

• Add red pepper, curry, coriander, salt and pepper. Blend well.

• Add the pumpkin and chicken broth. Blend well with a wire whisk.

• Bring soup to a boil and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.

• Turn heat down to low, add the brown sugar and blend.

• Slowly add the milk, blending well with wire whisk.

• Thoroughly blend in 1/2 cup cream and then taste -- adjust seasonings to your liking.
If the soup is too spicy, add more cream to absorb the spiciness.

• Garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds, chopped green onion or cream.

~*~*~*~*~*~
I adapted this recipe from one which called for real raw pumpkin.
I simply do not have time to roast, strain and blend real pumpkin.
The canned pumpkin makes it less than 100% homemade, but this soup is SO good!
--> So creamy and spicy - yet mild and comforting.
I LOVE THIS SOUP.

... and more than one bowl might just give you a tummy-ache :-)

~ Shepard, age 6

Seafood Chowder/New Year's Day Oyster Stew

So . . . what's the difference between chowder & stew?
Traditionally, seafood stew is made with seafood and milk or cream. . . and that's about it.
With a chowder, you can toss in some onions and potatoes -- or you can get fancy and add white wine and fresh parsley too!
~*~*~*~

Ingredients
• 3/4 c. (1 -1/2 sticks) butter - divided
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 potatoes
• 3 cups whole oysters
• 3 cups baby clams
• 3 cups milk - divided
• 2 cups half & half - divided
• 1/4 c. flour
• 1/2 cup cooking sherry wine
• 1/4 c. fresh or dried chopped parsley
• Pinch of cayenne pepper.

Instructions
• Peel and cut potatoes into 1/2" chunks. Boil until soft. Drain and set aside.

• Melt 1/2 c. butter in large stock pot. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant and onions are soft: 5 - 10 minutes.

• Add oysters, clams and potatoes to the butter mixture and cook over medium heat for 5 - 10 minutes. Add just enough liquid (from the oysters and/or clams) to keep mixture from burning. Do not allow it to boil.

• Add 2 cups of the milk and 1 cup of the Half & Half to the pot and continue cooking over LOW heat.

• Meanwhile in smaller saucepan, melt 1/4 c. butter. Whisk in the flour to create a roux. Add 1 cup milk and 1 cup Half & Half and cook -- stirring frequently -- until mixture is thick.

• Add the sherry to the roux mixture and continue to cook another 3-5 minutes until very thick.

• Stir the mixture into the chowder

• Add the parsley and cayenne pepper.

• Allow the chowder to warm/cook over very low heat for up to 20 minutes for flavors to combine.

• Stir frequently to keep milk from forming a film.

•The chowder will have a real tendency to thicken. Save some of the juices/liquid from the clams and oysters to add if yours becomes too thick.
Thinning the soup will also help it go farther!

~*~*~*~*~
Oyster Stew is a New Year's Day tradition in our family.
In 2010, I changed it up . . .
I'm not a huge fan of oysters, but I do like clams.
In this recipe, I added clams, potatoes and sherry-wine!
Delicious!!!

Corn & Potato Chowder The Crock-Pot Version

Ingredients

•5-6 Potatoes,
diced into 1/2" -1" cubes
•4 cups frozen corn
•2 small cans chopped green chilis
•1 jar roasted red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
•1 medium onion, chopped
•8 cups chicken broth or stock
•1/2 cup butter or margarine
•6 Tbsp flour
•1 1/3 cups dry milk
•2-4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
•1 Tbsp (or to taste) Tony Chashere's© Creole Seasoning

Garnish
•Crumbled bacon
•Chopped Chives

Instructions
1. Combine potatoes, corn, green chilis, red bell pepper, onion,
and chicken stock in crock pot.
2. Cook at desired setting. (I usually set the pot on slow for 8 hours.)
3. About one hour before serving: drain most of the vegetable stock from the crock pot and set aside. (Do leave a bit of liquid with the vegetables.)
4. Melt the butter or margarine and make a roux by whisking in the flour. Using the wire whisk, add the vegetable/chicken stock and combine thoroughly. Continue to cook over medium heat.
5. Add dry milk and cheese. Continue stirring over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and pour the mixture into the crock pot, combining thoroughly with the liquid and vegetables remaining in crock pot. Season as desired.
6. Allow to cook an additional 1/2 hour for flavors to combine.
7. Garnish with bacon and chives.

French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

3 lbs Vidalia (or yellow) onions, sliced thin
1 stick butter or 8 Tbsp margarine
2 Tbsp canola oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp white sugar (or Splenda® )
1/2 cup flour
8 cups beef broth
2 tsp thyme leaves (or to taste)
3 bay leaves
1 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cup dry white wine or cooking wine

Garnish:

1 loaf French bread, sliced thick
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp fresh minced parsley or dried parsley

Instructions:

1. Heat butter and oil in large stock pot until hot but not burning.

2. Add onions and cook on low-medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until onions are deep brown, tender and cooked down.

3. Meanwhile, as the onions are cooking, mix the two cheeses together and put equal amounts of the mixture on each slice of bread and place on a baking sheet. Broil or back in a 350 degree oven just until cheese in bubbly. Do not allow it to burn. Set aside.

4. Add garlic and sugar to the onions. Cook an additional 10 minutes.

5. Sprinkle flour over the top and stir, making a roux.

6. Add beef broth 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly on low heat until soup is thickened.

7. Add thyme, bay leaves and pepper and simmer on low for another 30 minutes.

8. Stir frequently. Do not allow the soup to burn.

9. Turn of heat and add the wine and allow to sit for a few minutes. Remove the bay leaves.

Before serving, place a slice of bread with cheese in the bottom of a bowl or crock and ladle soup over the bread. Sprinkle with parsley.

This recipe serves 10 - 12.
(. . . and, Try as I might, I still cannot figure out how to make this soup in a crock pot.)

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium head of Cauliflower
2 c. Chicken broth
1/4 c. Butter or margarine
1/4 c. Chopped onion
1/4 c. Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Pepper
2 c. Milk
1/2 - 1 c. Grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 - 1 c. Grated Mozzerrella cheese
Croutons or Buttered bread crumbs & Parsley for Garnish

Instructions:
Cook cauliflower in chicken broth until tender. Do not drain. Cool just a bit and run through blender to desired texture. Set aside. Melt butter in saucepan. Add onion and saute until soft - not brown. Mix in flour, salt and pepper. Add milk. Heat and stir until it boils and thickens. Add cheese and cauliflower mixture. Stir to heat and melt the cheese. Garnish with buttered bread crumbs. Makes 5 cups.

My children LOVE this soup and it has CAULIFLOWER in it!

Mexican Chicken Soup

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. canola oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 - 2 jalapeno pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp ground cumin

10 cups chicken broth

3 lbs chicken - cooked/diced or cut into strips

4 cups mild salsa

1 - 15 oz. can whole kernel corn

salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeno; cook, stirring often until vegetables are tender, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cumin; cook about a minute more. Add broth, increase heat to high, and bring to rapid simmer. Add chicken. Stir in salsa and corn, bring back to a simmer, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with sour cream/shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla chips. (Serves 8.)

My kids love this soup! Last week I heated up some leftovers - added a basic cream sauce and some cheddar cheese to thicken it and they loved it even more as "dip."

Tammy: This is one of those "doctored" South Beach Diet Recipes :-)

Cheesy Ham & Potato Soup

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
1 cup shredded carrots
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 lb finely shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:
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 a half-hour.

2. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
3. 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.

4. 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.
5. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through.

6. Add cheese as last step before serving. (Serves 8)

Ingredients: (For 30 Servings)
13 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1 ¼ cups diced celery
1 ¼ cups finely chopped onion
3 cups diced cooked ham
3 cups shredded carrots
12 cups water
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1 ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 Tbsp and ¾ tsp ground white or black pepper, or to taste
1 cup and 3 tablespoons butter
1 cup and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
7 ½ cups milk
3 lbs finely shredded cheddar cheese