Wingin' It Soup

This soup could easily be called Hamburger Veggie Soup, but what fun would that be? This is a throw-what-you-got-in-the-pot meal – and it’s easy on the budget too – so have fun with it. If you want to go meatless make it without the hamburger. I enjoyed this soup for lunch at a friend’s home a few years ago. I was surprised that something so simple tasted so good! For this recipe, I just threw in what I had on hand and for a kick, I added 1/2 tsp. red curry paste to my bowl of soup – yum!

Ingredients:
9 C. water
6 beef bouillon cubes
2-3 medium-sized potatoes, diced
2 carrots, sliced
1/4 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp. dehydrated onions
3-4 green onions, sliced
3/4 C. frozen corn
1/2-1 C. hamburger, cooked with salt and pepper
Thai red curry paste, optional (about 1/2 tsp. per serving)

Directions:
Bring water and bouillon cubes to a boil and add the diced potato. Return to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Slice and dice the other ingredients and add them and the cooked, drained hamburger to the pot. Return to a boil, giving an occasional stir, and simmer for another 15 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender. Serve with rolls, toast or crackers. Serves 5-6.

Angel’s Tips: I added dehydrated onions instead of extra salt to keep the sodium lower. You could also add peas, green beans, a can of diced tomatoes and/or a cup of your favorite pasta (such as rotini or macaroni salad pasta) to the mix – add pasta at the right time (according to package directions).

Hearty Lentil Soup

Lentils are a delicious way to add a healthy boost to the diet, providing the highest amount of protein of any legumes, after soybeans, also adding cholesterol-lowering soluable fiber.
This recipe comes from Chely Carpenter of John Day who served this up for a crowd of ladies a while ago. It’s easy and hits the spot!

Ingredients:
2 C. lentils
2 C. onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 28 oz. cans whole tomatoes, chopped
4 C. chicken broth (use bouillon instead if needed)
6 carrots, chopped
2 cloves, garlic, crushed
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. white sugar
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. curry powder
Shredded cheese to garnish

Directions:
Do a quick check of the lentils for any small stones or debris, then rinse them in a colander (no soaking needed). Place lentils in a stockpot and add water, twice the depth of the lentils. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Cover and let simmer about 20 minutes.
Keep in mind, red lentils cook faster than brown lentils, so check for desired tenderness.
While lentils are boiling, place onion, celery, tomatoes, carrots, chicken broth, garlic and seasonings to a saute pan. Slowly saute these ingredients until your lentils are done boiling. Rinse and drain the lentils and combine all ingredients in a large stockpot.
Cook ingredients, simmering on low-medium heat for 1 hour or 1 1/2, covered, to desired tenderness. Add additional chicken broth or a small amount of water for desired consistency.
Serve in bowls and garnish with you favorite cheese!

Serves a crowd, about 14

Angel’s tip: In the photo above, I cut the recipe in half, and made it a stew-like consistency. Sour cream is also a nice topping. I recently enjoyed adding the stew, without the carrots and celery, to chicken burritos.

Ham and Potato Soup

The calendar says "spring," but we know Grant County, Oregon – the chill could hang on for who knows how long. Here's a lovely Ham and Potato Soup from the kitchen of Rachel Carpenter of John Day. The recipe is so simple that you may have everything on hand for this. Just about the only ingredient I didn't have in the kitchen was dill – I must have run out after making potato salad a few months ago – but never fear, the local health food store had some at a very reasonable price!

Dill adds a nice surprise to this recipe, so if you can, give it a try!

If you love onions, by all means, add more. A diced yellow onion can be used if you prefer. Rachel uses dehydrated onions to "hide" them from her children who otherwise may not eat the soup. It's same with the finely chopped celery – if you have no picky children at home, then regular slices are just great!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 quarts water
4 C. diced potatoes (Yukon Gold)
3 sliced green onion, or a handful of dehydrated onion
2/3 C. celery, chopped fine

Combine in a big pot and simmer for 20 minutes.

Soup base (rue) ingredients:
6 Tbsp. butter
6 Tbsp. flour
2 1/2 C. milk

In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk. I like to add about a cup of the milk and continue to whisk out the lumps and then add the remaining milk and whisk some more. Simmer until thickened slightly and smooth.

Add in:
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp. dill

Remove from heat and add:

1-2 C. cheddar cheese, grated
16 oz. canned corn (or prepared frozen or fresh)
2 C. ham, diced

Stir to combine, then add the rue mixture to the pot of potatoes.

Good idea: If you use yellow onion for this soup or other recipes, my co-worker Kim Kell suggests storing diced onions in the freezer in a Zip-Loc bag for convenience.

Thai Chicken and Rice Soup

While this recipe does call for fish sauce, trust me, it is not even slightly fishy tasting - it just adds to the overall flavor, which is very good!
8 C. chicken stock
4 C. water
1 Tbsp. Thai green curry paste
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 (2-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. coriander seeds, crushed
2 C. loosely packed whole fresh cilantro leaves plus 1/2 C. chopped
1 C. jasmine rice
3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced crosswise, then slices cut lengthwise into thin strips
1 14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk, stirred well
1/4 lb. snow peas, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1/4 inch strips
2 Tbsp. Asian fish sauce
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
Combine stock, water, curry paste, garlic, ginger, coriander seeds and whole cilantro leaves in a 3 to 4 quart saucepan, simmer, uncovered until ginger is softened, about 15 minutes. Pour through a paper towel lined sieve into a 5 to 6 quart heavy pot and discard solids. Stir rice into soup and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes.
Add chicken and poach at a bare simmer, uncovered, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir coconut milk, snow peas, and fish sauce and simmer, uncovered, until peas are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice, salt and chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Serves 8 main course settings.

Soup's on!

Winter’s not over yet. Until the dark clouds clear and the evening chill warms, the thought of a nice bowl of soup and some bread for lunch or dinnertime sounds pretty good. Share your favorite recipes any time – your comments are always welcome!


Toasted Bread, Bean and Vegetable Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Olive Garden Toscana Soup

Crescent Rolls

Marie Callender’s Famous Golden Cornbread

Toasted Bread, Bean and Vegetable Soup

This recipe was found in a recent Sunset Magazine. It’s a hearty soup for a winter-won't-ever-end day. It’s easy to fix and healthy.



About 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1/2 white onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium carrots, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

2 celery stalks, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 quarts chicken broth

1 can (15 oz) cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed

4 whole canned tomatoes, quartered plus some juice

2 C. chopped Swiss chard

4 C. rough-textured day-old bread (like a french loaf), ripped into 1-1/2 inch pieces

Salt and pepper

2 Tbsp. each chopped fresh basil and cilantro

Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in large pot and saute onion and garlic until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook, stirring often, about five minutes. Stir in broth and beans, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 15 minutes.

Add tomatoes and chard and simmer another 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put bread pieces on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toast in oven until slightly golden, about 10 minutes.

Just before serving soup, add basil and cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls and put crusty croutons on top. Add Parmesan if you wish.

Olive Garden Toscana Soup

From the “Top Secret Restaurant Recipes” cookbook by Todd Wilbur.



2 3/4 C. chicken stock or broth

1/4 C. heavy cream

1 medium russet potato

2 C. chopped kale

1/2 lb. spicy Italian sausage

1/4 Teas. salt

1/4 Teas. crushed red pepper flakes



1. Combine the stock and cream in a saucepan over medium heat.

2. Slice the unpeeled potato into 1/4-inch slices, then quarter the slices and add them to the soup.

3. Add the kale.

4. Grill or saute the sausage. When cooked and cooled, cut the sausage at an angle into slices about 1/2-inch thick. Add the sausage to the soup.

5. Add the spices and let the soup simmer for about 1 hour. Stir occasionally.

Serves 4 as an appetizer, 2 as an entree.

Jazzy Potato Soup

This recipe was adapted from Chef Paul Prudhomme's “Fork In The Road” cookbook and was found on the internet. I’ve prepared this before, when I checked out his book at a library. It has a long list of ingredients, but is worth the effort. It’s anything but boring potato soup - very jazzy! Ingredients 2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
2 Teaspoons Dry Mustard
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Rosemary
1 Teaspoon Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Can Evaporated Skim Milk
1/2 Cup Nonfat Cottage Cheese
2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
1 Small Onion -- chopped
3 Stalks Celery -- chopped
5 Large Potatoes -- diced
1 Cup Apple Juice
3 Cups Vegetable Broth
1/4 Cup Parsley -- chopped
1/2 Cup Green Onion -- finely chopped Directions Combine spices in small bowl. Place 1/4 cup of the milk, cottage cheese and flour in a blender and puree. Add remaining skim milk and blend until mixed. Put a large stock pot on high heat for 4 minutes. Add the onions, celery, 2 of the 5 diced potatoes, and 2 tablespoons of spice mixture. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add apple juice and cook until liquid evaporates about 10 minutes. Add 1 cup stock and remaining spice mixture. Scrape the pan and transfer contents to a blender. Puree until smooth. Return to pan. Cook over high heat for 8 minutes, a brown crust will form on the bottom of the pan. This is necessary. Add 1 cup stock and stir to remove and break up the crust. Add remaining potatoes, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cook for 12 minutes. Whisk in the milk mixture and bring to a gentle boil. Remove from heat and add parlsey and green onions. Serves 4