Yummy Tomato Veggie Soup W/No Name

We just made this soup for dinner and Keith and I LOVED it. So freakin good. I had to share. :) I followed the recipe below w/the differences in parenthesis. I also doubled it.

Yummy Tomato Veggie Soup W/No Name

* 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
* 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (used way less then this. sprinkled some on tomatoes and some in pan)
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 stalk celery, diced
* 1 small carrot, diced
* 1 yellow onion, diced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (I used dried and just dumped some in)
* 1/2 cup heavy cream, optional (skipped)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Strain the chopped canned tomatoes, reserving the juices, and spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, to taste, drizzle with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and roast until caramelized, about 15 minutes. (more like 25 for me.)

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic, cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted chopped canned tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf and butter. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add basil and cream, if using. Puree with a hand held immersion blender (or regular blender in shifts!) until smooth.

Original HERE

Corn Chowder

I found two different corn chowder recipes that I like portions of and mixed the two. I'm sure I'll forget what I did if I don't write it down. So here 'tis!

Ingredients

• 2 slices Bacon, Cut Into 1/2-inch Pieces (or Smaller) (leave the fat in the pan for fl
  
• 5 ears Corn, Shucked (about 4 Cups) -- I just used 4 cups of frozen corn. You could also do canned corn.
• 2-3 potatoes, diced
  
• 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1-½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt (more To Taste)
• 3 Tablespoons Masa (flour made from corn) or flour (I found the masa near the mexican food at Meijer or Walmart)
  
• ¼ cups Water

Preparation Instructions

Add bacon pieces to a pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add corn and diced potatoes. Stir and cook for one minute.

Pour in chicken broth and cream. Add salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.

Combine masa (or flour) with water. Stir to combine, then pour into the chowder. Cover and cook for 15 minutes over low heat. If chowder needs more thickening, add another tablespoon of cornmeal mixed with water. Cook for another ten minutes.

Chicken Gnocchi Stew

We LOVED this soup. Loved it. New favorite and I bet it will taste even better in the winter!!!!!!!!

Enjoy!

Chicken Gnocchi Stew

2 Tbls. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 slices bacon, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, pealed & thinly sliced on a diagonal
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded*
1 quart (32 oz) chicken stock
2 cans stewed tomatoes (2-15 oz. cans or 1-28 oz. can)
1 1/2 lbs. gnocchi (pasta isle or freezer section)
1/4 c. basil leaves, torn
grated parmesan cheese

Heat a large pot over med-low heat with olive oil, about 2 turns of the pan. Add bacon & cook through, until golden & crispy. Remove it to a paper towel-lined plate & reserve.

Turn the heat up to high & add garlic & toast slightly. Add the onion, carrots & bay leaf, cook 3-4 minutes, until the onion starts to get tender. Season the veggies with salt & pepper, add the reserve bacon & shredded rotisserie chicken to the pan. Pour in the chicken stock & stewed tomatoes, & bring up to a bubble.

Once the stew has come up to a boil, add gnocchi & cook according to package (they'll sink-then wait till they stay floating for a few minutes; about 3-4 minutes). Once gnocchi are done, remove pan from the heat, stir in the basil & serve with grated parmesan at the table.


*tip: if rotisserie chicken is still warm/HOT from purchase, place in freezer or fridge while you prepare the rest of your ingredients; then shred without your hands burning!


Original Recipe HERE

Vegetable Soup

We've been eating a lot of soup this winter. It's comforting, can be extremely healthy, and cheap too. So here's the recipe of the soup I made tonight.

Vegetable Soup

• 1 pound beef for stew (I usually buy mine pre-cut, cause I'm lazy and busy too)
• 1 clove of garlic
• a little flour
  
• 1 (46 ounce) bottle V8 vegetable juice
• 2 cups of chicken/beef/vegetable broth (this is approximate - I just emptied the box I had in the frig from last week. So add as much as you want, I say)
  
• 1/4 of an onion, chopped (we can't tolerate much onion in our home, so use more if you want)
  
• 2 carrots, sliced
  
• 2 potatoes, diced
• 2 cups of frozen corn or 1 can whole kernel corn
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can green beans (I would have used fresh if they were in season)
  
• 1 pinch ground ginger (I'm not sure why, but I tried it)
  
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Throw some flour, salt, and pepper along with the meat into a ziploc bag and shake it around a bit. Heat a little olive oil in the bottom of your pan and brown a clove of garlic. Then throw the meat in there. Let it brown the outside and then drain the fat. Put the beef back in the pot along with all the other ingredients. Let it cook for over an hour or all afternoon. This would also do great in the crockpot.

I hope these instructions aren't too general. You pretty much can't go wrong on this one, so enjoy making yours just right for your family!

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1/2 onion chopped
1 T olive oil
1 big can diced tomatoes
2 cans chicken broth
1 jar green enchilada sauce
1 can tomato soup
1 t chili powder
1 t garlic salt
1 t paprika
1 t worchestershire sauce
1 t tabasco sauce (i usually lave this out-you can add if needed/wanted!)
2-3 chicken breasts cut up

chop onion and brown in olive oil
combine remaining ingredients and and simmer for atleast an hour
put in warm chicken

serve with chips, cheese, sour cream YUM!!! we really enjoyed the flavor (and simplicity) of this!

Originally found HERE

Taco Soup

Winter is such a great time of year for soup! I love the warmth and comfort of a hot bowl of soup with some yummy bread. Following in Shelley's footsteps, here is my mom's taco soup that she always made for us growing up, and now I love to make too. Plus, soup is so, so easy and relatively quick, once you dump everything in you don't have to worry about it - just let it do its thing and it comes out so yummy!!

Taco Soup

2 lbs ground beef
1 sm onion
1 or 2 small cans of chopped green chilis
1 can pinto beans
1 can lima beans (I leave these out because Jer doesn't like them and use both red and black beans)
1 can red or black beans (depending on which you like better)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg dry ranch dressing (1 oz.)
3 cans of stewed tomatoes (can substitute one can V-8 juice for one can of tomatoes if you like)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups water

Brown beef in large saucepan with onion, salt and pepper. Drain off extra fat.
Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 min.
This makes a lot of soup! Enough to freeze leftovers!

This soup is super easy and YUMMY! We have made it three or four times since I found the recipe last month! We like to put parmesan cheese on it!

PASTA E FAGIOLI

1 lb ground beef
1 cup diced onion
1 cup julienned carrot
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) can v-8 vegetable juice
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 lb ditali pasta

Directions
1Brown beef in a large stock pot over medium heat-drain off fat.
2Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.
3Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.
4After 50 minutes boil pasta to al dente.
5Drain well.
6Add pasta to the large pot of soup and simmer for 10 minutes.

(I use 3 cans of V-8 low sodium rather then the regular v8 and the tomato soup)

Original recipe found here!

Chicken Taco Soup

We make this ALL the time. Easy, healthy, delicious!

Chicken Taco Soup

32 oz chicken broth
2 cans (15oz) chili beans
1 can Great Northern Beans
1 can Mexican style tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies
2 cans white corn
2 packages of Lawry's (or any type) Chicken Taco spices and seasoning
1.5 lbs boneless chicken breasts (I usually throw in the frozen ones from Meijer)

Throw everything in the crock pot
Close to dinner, take out chicken, shread, put back in.

Top with cheese, cilantro, etc.

It makes a HUGE pot and we always have extras to freeze too! Enjoy!

Baked Potato Soup

Here's another family favorite. I think I'll make it this week. I usually double it because it's so yummy.

Baked Potato Soup
from The Pampered Chef

4 med. baked potatoes
2 slices bacon
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup gr. onions with tops, thinly sliced
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. gr. black pepper
1 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Remove skins from baked potatoes. In bowl, coarsely mash potatoes with a potato masher.
2. In a large pot, cook bacon over med heat until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towel to drain; crumble and set aside. Discard all but 1/2 tsp. drippings in pot. You will be using this pot for the soup.
3. Meanwhile, chop celery and slice green onions. Add broth, milk, mashed potatoes, celery, onions, garlic, salt, and black pepper to drippings in pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.
4. Stir in sour cream and reserved bacon. Serve in bowls and sprinkle cheddar cheese over each.