Vietnamese Pho with Beef

I've been wanting to make this soup for several years.  I probably have hundreds of magazines and cookbooks with the recipe for this dish yet I always had some reason why I didn't make it.  Well I finally gave it a try.  I have to say I like the soup.  It's probably not authentic but for someone who until about 15 years ago wouldn't touch anything that was American cooking I found it pleasantly good.  After smelling the 5 spice powder I had my doubts cause it didn't really smell good. Tip on the 5 spice powder look for it at a local Asian store.  I paid $1.99 for a nice size bottle for it there.  The local grocery store wanted $8.99 for a 2 oz. bottle. Nice thing is the soup didn't taste like the smell of the spice at all.  I'll admit I chickened out on using the fish sauce.  I bought the fish sauce and planned on using it but after opening the container I just couldn't do it.  If you know me you know I don't like fish or things that smell like fish.  I used soy sauce and my sweet husband swears you couldn't tell I had used soy sauce.   Overall this was a very fast dish to put together and made it to the table in less than 25 minutes.  Not bad for a night you really want take out.

Vietnamese Pho with Beef
The Best Simple Recipes America's Test Kitchen

8 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, halved lengthwise, and smashed
3 2 1/2 inch strips zest and 1 tablespoon juice from one lime
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
8 ounces thick rice noodles
1 pound sirloin steak tips, sliced thin
3 tablespoons fish sauce (note I used low sodium soy sauce)
1 teaspoon Asian chili garlic sauce
4 scallions, sliced thin
1/4 cup fresh whole cilantro leaves

Bring broth, ginger, lime zest, and five spice powder to boil in dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add noodles and cook until nearly tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in beef and simmer until cooked through and noodles are completely tender, about 2 minutes.

Off heat, stir in fish (soy) sauce, chili garlic sauce, and lime juice.  Remove ginger and zest with slotted spoon.  Stir in scallions and cilantro.  Serves 4.

Beefy Nacho Soup

I'll be honest here I usually snub any recipes I find on websites that are the makers of processed foods. The goal in my house is to not eat much, if any, processed food. However I was "gifted" a can of nacho cheese soup and since we were running really low on grocery money last month I googled looking for decent recipes calling for the nacho cheese soup. I ended up choosing this one and to be honest we loved it. It was a perfect blend of flavors. I topped the soup with some cubed avocado, green onions, and fresh tomatoes. This would have been even better with some freshly made tortilla strips. Overall this was a winner in our family and I guess I'll be buying more of the nacho cheese soup in the future. This was a very simple and really quick to make dish. Perfect for those nights when time is low and yet money is too tight for take out. Also I should point out this barely fed 3 adults with no extras. Two of the adults complained about needing more. You would need to double or triple this recipe for large families.

Beefy Nacho Soup
Pillsbury.com

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix (from 1 oz package) or make your own like I do
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed nacho cheese soup
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (1 oz)

In 2-quart saucepan, cook ground beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain.

Reduce heat to medium. Stir in remaining ingredients except shredded cheese. Cook 8 to 12 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Top individual servings with shredded cheese.

Summer Garden Vegetable Soup

Okay so looking at this picture it doesn't look like soup. I'm guessing the barley I added soaked up the broth in the half hour I waited to take the picture. However don't let this stop you from making this soup cause it was really really good. The flavors blended together well for a really delicious creamy soap. I added cooked pearl barley to the dish just for some added nutrients. And if you know me well you know I just had to add garlic to the dish. I think I add garlic to every recipe if it doesn't call for it. I especially love garlic with vegetables.

Summer Garden Vegetable Soup
slightly adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

3 medium zucchini, chopped into bite-size pieces
4 medium tomatoes, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk (can use fat-free or low-fat)
1 ½ cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
1 cup cooked pearl barley
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the zucchini, basil, parsley, garlic and onion and saute, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the flour, salt and pepper and stir and cook for one minute. Gradually add the chicken broth, whisking or stirring constantly. Add the lemon juice; mix well. Bring the soup to a simmer, stirring to prevent sticking, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the zucchini is tender but still has some bite to it (it will continue cooking for a few more minutes). Add the tomatoes, evaporated milk, pearl barley, and corn. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the soup and simmer until the corn and zucchini are tender. Stir in the cheese just before serving.

Meatless Tomato Macaroni Soup

I love the tomato mac soup that a local diner sells. They make it meatless (unlike most tomato mac soups) and I decided to attempt making my own. When I set out on this journey I realized I hadn't eaten their soup in probably a year so I really had to think hard when creating this dish. The soup turned out delicious and I have made it a few times since.

Meatless Tomato Macaroni Soup

Chop one medium onion and slice three celery ribs. Heat about 1 tablespoon butter in a dutch oven. After butter melts add onion and celery and cook until tender, about 5-10 minutes. Add 2 garlic cloves (less if your not a huge fan of garlic), minced. Cook thirty seconds. Add 1 cup fat free half and half, one can tomato soup, and one can diced tomatoes. I did not bring my soup to a boil. I just heated it till it was hot. Season with about 2 teaspoons chicken soup base and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This recipe comes from one of my favorite food bloggers, Melanie at My Kitchen Cafe , however I still haven't made this recipe just like she did. I've made this into a creamy turkey with wild rice and now a creamy chicken noodle soup. I used Spaetzle noodles that I had sitting in the cupboard but the frozen egg noodles or even homemade noodles would taste great in this recipe. Make it with the fat free half and half for a slightly healthier soup. I did try it with regular half and half and once with the fat free and you can not notice a difference so cut out some fat by using the fat free. This is a versatile recipe as I've proven by making in different ways than the original. This is a great recipe to add to your file just due to the endless possibilities for different soup.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
adapted from Melanie, My Kitchen Cafe

½ cup butter
1 finely chopped onion
½ - 1 cup frozen corn (or ½ cup chopped celery, if preferred)
½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
½ cup carrots, sliced
¾ cup all-purpose flour
6 ½ cups chicken broth (can use 7 bouillon cubes plus 6 ½ cups water)
1 8 oz package of Spatzle noodles, cooked
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon mustard powder
½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cups nonfat half-and-half (use normal half-and-half if you prefer, but you won't believe how delicious this is with the nonfat variety!)

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, corn, chicken and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté 3-4 more minutes. Then add flour and stir well. Transfer mixture to large pot. Over medium heat, gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly until all has been added. Bring just to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer.

Next, add the noodles, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper and almonds. Allow to heat through and then pour in the half-and-half. Let simmer 1 to 1 ½ hours. Be careful not to let the soup come to a boil or it won't thicken properly - let it simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I was looking for a recipe to use potatoes in since I have close to 50 lbs right now. I have always loved potato soup so I knew soup was a great option. I stumbled across this recipe in Cook's Country magazine and thought why not give it a try. Yes this is a little more complicated then your basic potato soup but as always with CC it turned out great. The recipe actually calls for you to puree the majority of the soup but I prefer a chunky potato soup so I only pureed about 1/2 of the soup. Adjust it to your liking. The fried potato skins, make them if you want but honestly no one but me noticed they were in the soup.


Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Cook's Country Dec./Jan 2006 issue

8 ounces bacon, chopped
3 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 sprig fresh thyme
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus additional for garnish
1 cup sour cream, plus additional for garnish
ground black pepper
3 scallions, sliced thin
Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. While bacon is cooking, use vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of potato peel; reserve peels. Cut peeled potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels. Add reserved potato skins to bacon fat in pot and cook until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potato skins to plate with bacon.

Add onion to fat remaining in pot and cook over medium heat until golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and flour and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in broth and cream, stir in thyme and potatoes, and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 7 minutes.

Discard thyme. Puree about one half of the soup, more if you want it less chunky and less if you want it more chunky. Return to pot and warm over medium-high heat. Off heat, stir in cheese until melted, then whisk in sour cream. Return reserved potatoes to pot and season soup with pepper. Ladle soup into bowls, garnishing with bacon, fried potato skins, scallions, cheese, and sour cream.

To reheat leftover portions, gently warm the soup in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do not let the soup boil, which will cause the sour cream to separate.

Black Bean Soup II

This was a winner in this house. The flavors melded together great and it was simple to make. Adding avocado as a garnishment was a wonderful addition. You could leave the bacon out if you wanted a vegetarian soup. As far as the bacon in this soup, I cooked mine longer so it was a little more crisp than the recipe called for. Next time I think I'll try using dried beans that I cooked but the canned beans are great for making this dish quick and easy.

Black Bean Soup II
Food Network

10 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheddar, for garnish
diced avocado, for garnish

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.

Beef and Vegetable Soup plus a Giveaway Winners announced

First the giveaway. I've discovered this really package of tomato paste that is great for those recipes that only call for a teaspoon or tablespoon of tomato paste. You just store in the fridge after opening and its good for a few months. No more opening a can of tomato paste and then forgetting to use the rest of the can. This is made by Amore products and has become a favorite of mine. I hope you'll enjoy using it too. Just leave a comment if you'd like a chance to win one of two packages. If your a follower leave two comments for an extra chance and if your not a follower yet become one and let me know in a separate comment for two chances to win. You have until Friday at 5pm (MST) to enter and winners will be announced Saturday.
Winners are:

he winners of the tomato paste tubes:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

13 6 

Timestamp: 2009-10-24 15:18:57 UTC

Number 6 is Frieda

Number 13 is Charmed

If you'd email your address at n_baron@msn.com I'll get them in the mail next week.

Now on to the soup. This had great flavor and was a favorite amongst everyone in our house. The depth of flavor was unbelievable. This is not a quick soup dish but not as long as some soup recipes. Next time I plan on adding some barely to the soup as I think that would really add to the dish.

Beef and Vegetable Soup
Cooks Country Dec./Jan. 2006

Broth
3 pounds beef blade steaks
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
4 cups low sodium beef broth
2 cups water
1 garlic head, top third cut off and discarded, loose outer skins removed
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Soup
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch half moons
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
salt and pepper
chopped fresh parsley

For the broth
Season blade steaks with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering. Add half of steaks and cook until well browned on both sides, about 8 minutes. Set steaks aside on plate. Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and steaks.

Pour fat from dutch oven and return to medium high heat. Add tomato paste and cook, mashing paste with wooden spoon for 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, beef broth, and water, and scrape browned bits from bottom of pot with wooden spoon. Return steaks and any accumulated juices to pot. Add garlic, bay leaves, and thyme and bring to a simmer, using a wide, shallow spoon to skim off foam or fat that rises to surface. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently until meat is tender, about 2 hours.

Transfer steaks and garlic head to a rimmed plate to cool. Once cool enough to handle shred meat into bite sized pieces, discarding any fat. Using tongs, squeeze garlic cloves into small bowl. Mash with fork until paste forms. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer. Return shredded beef and garlic paste to broth. Broth can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 2 months.

For the Soup
Melt butter in clean dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and carrots and cook until onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and carrots. Bring to simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

To serve, adjust servings with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley.

You can add other veggies or replace the veggies listed with others. Just adjust cooking times as needed.

Wisconsin Cheddar Beer Soup

I love cheese soup. I've had the recipe for this soup since November of last year and never got around to making it. I finally did the other day when the temperature took a drop and I was cold. While this recipe was not my favorite cheese soup recipe my husband loved it. He is not a fan of cheese soup but he went back for thirds of this soup. The flavors were good together and I really loved the popcorn mixed with the soup. This is a rich and creamy soup.

Wisconsin Cheddar Beer Soup
Cooks Country December/January 2009

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 (12 ounce) beer
2 cups whole or low-fat milk
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded American cheese, you need a 4 ounce chunk from the deli the sliced cheese will not work
2 teaspoons cornstarch
salt and pepper
popcorn

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Cook onion and carrots until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth, beer, and milk. Bring mixture to simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently (do not boil) until carrots are very soft, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss shredded cheeses and cornstarch in large bowl until well combined. Puree soup in blender in two batches until completely in two batches until completely smooth, return to pot, and simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk in cheese mixture, one handful at a time, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Top soup with popcorn.

Green Bean Soup II

We love soup in our house. I love finding a gem of a soup recipe from a source but I usually just make up soup recipes as I go. This is one of those made up recipes. I had just over a pound of fresh green beans from my csa pickup that needed to be used. This turned out to be a pretty tasty soup. My husband did not want to try it and told me he wanted something else for dinner. Well after smelling the soup cooking he changed his mind. Overall this was a simple recipe but it did involve a little bit of time to cook the beans. I'd say it took about one hour from start to finish. A huge bonus being it was much better tasting than a can of soup.

Green Bean Soup II

1 pound fresh green beans, ends cut off and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2-3 strips bacon, I used peppered bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced (use less if your not a huge fan of garlic)
2 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
3 cups water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4-5 drops of hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon until almost crisp in a dutch oven. Drain the grease from the bacon and reserved about 1-2 tablespoons. Place the grease in the pot add the cooked bacon and onion. Cook until onions are soft about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, cook 30-45 seconds. Add water and green beans. Bring to a boil and then add all the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until beans are soft, anywhere from 20-40 minutes. You may need to adjust seasonings to your taste and you may need to add water to the pot.

Quick Corn Chowder with Bacon

This turned out pretty tasty. It's a quick and easy to make chowder that would be perfect on a busy weeknight with some rolls. You can use fresh corn instead of frozen corn but I would not use canned corn. The flavors went together well and I am adding this to our quick weeknight meals file.

Quick Corn Chowder with Bacon
adapted from Cook's Country magazine June/July 2008 issue

8 cups frozen corn kernels. thawed (or one dozen fresh ears)
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
6 slices bacon, chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
3 shakes of Hot sauce
salt and pepper

Puree 4 cups of corn and 2 cups of broth in blender or food processor until smooth. Cook bacon in large pot over medium high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes; transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Reduce heat to medium and cook onion and potatoes in bacon fat until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

Whisk in pureed corn mixture, cream, thyme, hot sauce, and remaining broth and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in remaining corn and cook until corn is heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with crisp bacon. Serve.

Lima Bean Soup

This was something I threw together to use up some leftovers in the fridge. I think I did a pretty good job of making a very tasty soup out of those leftovers. I was worried that we would not like it but in the end there were no leftovers. I am hoping for some more leftover lima beans so we can make this soup again. It was quick and easy to make as from start to finish I'd say it took me about 30 minutes.

Recipe
Please remember I am trying to do this off the top of my head. You may want to adjust for your personal preferences.

Heat about one tablespoon olive oil in a dutch oven. Once the oil is heated add
1 medium onion, minced
Cook until onion is tender but not browning and add
1 cup ham cut into bite size pieces
Cook until the ham starts to smell fragrant and then add
3 garlic cloves, minced
after 30 seconds add
4 cups water
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon beef bouillon
5 shakes of hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups cooked lima beans
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Bring to a boil and then simmer 15-20 minutes.
Serve

Corn Chowder

I want to preface this post by telling all of Norah's avid readers that this is Mary, her sister, making a post. I don't post that often, Norah is by far the better cook in the family, but I strive to be more like her. But every once in a while I make something that I just want to share with others.

I was up at her house last weekend and I got to personally look through her latest issue of Cook's Country, the one she has been making everything from. Well I saw a recipe that I wanted to try and she told me she probably wouldn't be making because her husband had no desire to try it. So I thought "yay, a post for me!" Corn chowder was my poision.

I didn't write the recipe down when I was up there, so I called Norah several days later and jotted it down over the phone. Unfortunately, this meant I shorthanded some ingredients and directions so my actual recipe is slightly different than the Cook's Country one. Plus I tried to scaled it down to serve less, there is only 2 of us in my household, but I'll talk more on that later.

Corn Chowder

adapted slightly from Cook's Country

3 cups frozen corn, rinsed of any frozen water particles and patted dry

1 15oz. canned corn, drained

3 cups chicken broth, divided

1 onion, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

6-8 red potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons chives, thinly sliced

1. Puree the canned corn and 1 cup of the chicken broth until smooth.

2. In a sautee pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add chopped onion and frozen corn. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until the vegetables start to brown. I found, or maybe I was too impatient, that adding about a teaspoon of sugar helped brown the vegetables quicker. Of course I will almost eat sugar on anything, so you probably don't want to listen to me.

3. In a heavy stockpot, combine potatoes, corn puree mixture, the onion/frozen corn mixture and the remaining chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until potatoes are tender.

4. Add cream and chives to the pot. Season with additional salt and pepper. Serve warm.

The Cook's Country orginally called for fresh ears of corn, which I subbed with my frozen corn. It's not in season yet that I can tell. It also called for bacon, which I had none of, so it got omitted. My mother says she missed the bacon but still enjoyed the meatless soup. And scallions are called for but I have chives I am trying to use up.

I simmered my soup with no lid, which reduced the soup and I had to keep adding more chicken broth so the potatoes would get tender. I never thought to put a lid on it. By adding more broth I effectively didn't scale the recipe down. It probably would serve four people heartily. Next time I'll put a lid on it.

Overall it was delicious and I, personally, didn't need bacon. I would and will make this again.

Baked Potato Soup

I've had this recipe for close to 6 years. I have no idea where I found the recipe so I can't give it the credit it deserves. However this is my favorite potato soup recipe. Every once in awhile I try another recipe but it never tastes as good as this one. All the flavors blend together just right and it's so easy to make. Whenever I make baked potatoes I usually end up baking a few more just so I can make this soup.

5 large potatoes, baked
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz. sour cream
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup butter
6 cups milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1. After potatoes have cooled, scoop out pulp into a bowl and mash.

2. Melt butter in large pot. Add flour. Stir until smooth. Gradually add milk over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly. Do not let milk burn on the bottom of pot!

3. Stir potatoes into cream sauce.

4. Add salt, pepper, bacon, 2 TB. green onions, and cheddar cheese. Cook until heated through, but do NOT boil.

5. Stir in sour cream, but do NOT let boil.*Serve with extra cheese, bacon, and green onions for toppings.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

So we are home from Disneyland and sadly I have not felt well enough to do much cooking. However last night I wanted soup and since I really liked the soup I had at the PCH Grill at the Disney Paradise Pier hotel I tried to make it. I could not find the recipe so I made do with a recipe from allrecipes. It turned out really good with a few additions but it was not exactly the same as the soup I had at PCH Grill. I'll make this recipe again as it was quick and easy and so much better than canned cream of mushroom soup.
allrecipes
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
1 cup chopped portobello mushrooms
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the shiitake mushrooms, portobello mushrooms, and shallots for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Mix in the flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the chicken broth. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes, or until thick and bubbly.
Stir in the half-and-half, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Heat through, but do not boil.

Things I did different:
I did not chop the mushrooms. I sliced them. The soup I had was sliced not chopped.
I added about one teaspoon cooking sherry.
I added one minced garlic clove with the shallots and mushrooms
I used evaporated milk instead of half and half.
I add a piece of parmesan rind to the soup.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

My husband summed up this recipe with a "best broccoli cheese soup I've ever tasted." He even asked for it to be cooked again, which considering it was a creamy and cheesy soup means that he really liked. It was so simple to cook yet tasted so good. I found the recipe here. Again another wonderful recipe from Melanie at My Kitchen Cafe. We are adding this to our rotation of soup recipes.

1 can chicken broth
1 small onion, diced

1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
Pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)

2 c. milk (I used 1% with great results)
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (the sharper the better for flavor - I used sharp cheddar and hopefully next time will have extra sharp cheddar on hand)
1/2 c. shredded swiss cheese
steamed chopped broccoli (the amount of broccoli really boils down to preference - I wanted a lot of broccoli in my soup, so I chopped and steamed approximately 2 1/2 to 3 cups of broccoli florets)

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 and pepper. Cook together for a couple of minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium-high heat until soup starts to thicken. Next add chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses and steamed broccoli. Serve immediately.

Makes approximately 4 servings (with two adults and three kids, we finished the pot of soup in one dinner serving it in bread bowls, so if you are serving more adults or serving the soup in regular bowls, I would consider doubling according to the number of people)

Creamy Turkey with Wild Rice

This soup was really tasty. I used the last of the turkey from the turkey I made on Tuesday for the soup. I had my doubts at first with the soup since I was using a creamy chicken recipe but it turned out really good. I used a little too much curry powder but I was the only one who noticed this. I threw the turkey in after I added the mushrooms since my meat was already cooked and I believe the recipe called for raw chicken. I also did not have fresh mushrooms on hand so I used a can of mushrooms. This recipe was really quite easy to make and tasted much better than any canned soup I have tried. I halved the recipe because Melanie said it made quite a bit and I knew only three adults were eating the soup. Half of the recipe was plenty for 3 adults with an extra serving leftover. I found the recipe on Melanie's site.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
from Mary G.

½ cup butter
1 finely chopped onion
½ - 1 cup frozen corn (or ½ cup chopped celery, if preferred)
½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
½ cup carrots, sliced
¾ cup all-purpose flour
6 ½ cups chicken broth (can use 7 bouillon cubes plus 6 ½ cups water)
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon mustard powder
½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cups nonfat half-and-half (use normal half-and-half if you prefer, but you won't believe how delicious this is with the nonfat variety!)

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, corn, chicken and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté 3-4 more minutes. Then add flour and stir well. Transfer mixture to large pot. Over medium heat, gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly until all has been added. Bring just to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer.

Next, add the rice, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper and almonds. Allow to heat through and then pour in the half-and-half. Let simmer 1 to 1 ½ hours. Be careful not to let the soup come to a boil or it won't thicken properly - let it simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally.

Easy Beef Barley Soup

Another recipe from the Taste of Home Healthy Cooking November 2008 issue. This recipe reminded me a lot of the hamburger soup we use to eat when I was a kid. The difference being we used quick cooking barley and no milk. I was not sure about adding the milk but it really did taste good. I added a few things to this recipe but I posted the recipe as is without my additions. I added one minced garlic clove right after draining the meat and veggies. I also added about 5 drops of Tabasco sauce and 4 drops of Worcestershire sauce. This recipe is going in the we will be eating it again file.
1/2 lb lean ground beef
2 large fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 celery rib, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoons all purpose flour
3 cans (14 1/2 oz each) reduced sodium beef broth
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup pearl barley
1 can (5 oz) evaporated milk
2 tablespoons tomato paste

In a dutch oven over medium heat, cook and stir the beef, mushrooms, celery and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add broth. Stir in the carrots, potato, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil. Stir in barley.

Reduce heat; cover and simmer 45-50 minutes or until barley is tender. Whisk in milk and tomato paste; heat through.

Black Bean Soup

This was a pretty great tasting soup. Not too spicy, for me, and with some spice for Don. The kids would not try it but I really did not think they would. Its a pretty simple recipe and takes about 15 minutes prep with another 20-30 minutes for the cooking. So much better than a canned black bean soup. I found the recipe in the Taste of Home Healthy Cooking November 2008 issue. I did cook my beans from dried, I used 2 cups cooked beans for each can of beans. I also used chicken broth from the freezer.

3 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
3 celery ribs with leaves, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium sweet red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 can (14 1/2 ounce) diced tomatoes with green peppers and onions, undrained
3 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped green onions

In a small bowl, mash one can black beans; set aside. In a dutch oven, saute the celery, onion, red pepper, jalapeno, and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, cumin, coriander, hot sauce, pepper, bay leaf, remaining beans, and reserved mashed beans.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 1/2 teaspoons green onion.

Lima Bean and Ham Soup

This is another one of those recipes that somewhere I probably had a recipe for but over the years I've just adapted it to our family and tastes. Its simple and easy to make and can even be done in the crockpot if you want. Even the kids will eat this. The longer you let it simmer the more flavor the soup gets.

1 lb dried baby lima beans, soaked overnight and drained

4 carrots chopped into bite size pieces

1 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

1 ham hock, I prefer ham hocks but you can do this with ham pieces

water

seasonings to taste, I use salt, pepper, bay leaves, and tabasco sauce

Place all ingredient, except water and seasonings in a large stock pot (or crock pot), add water to cover (use a little less if using the crockpot). Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for about 2 hours keeping an eye on the water, add more if needed. Also add 2 bay leaves. If your doing this in a crockpot place on high for 6 hours. After the two hours remove the ham hock (if using) and shred. Return meat to soup. Taste and adjust seasonings. Simmer until thick or to the consistency you prefer. Add more water as necessary. Serve

I do not add salt and pepper until near the end. Salt seems to make my beans tough so I prefer to have them soft before I add any salt. Also if your using ham or ham hocks it does add some sodium to the soup so always taste before adding the salt.