Simplified Italian Wedding Soup

1lb ground Italian Sausage

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

8 cups chicken broth (pick one that has good flavor)

10-12 oz tortellini

2 cups fresh spinach, chopping optional

salt and pepper to taste

parmesan cheese for garnish, optional

Brown sausage in a stock pot and drain. Add garlic and heat for 30 seconds. Add carrots and broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 min, or until carrot is tender. Add tortellini and cook until tender (just a few minutes). Taste broth and season with salt and pepper. Right before serving, add the spinach and stir. Serve hot with parmesan cheese.

Serves 6-8

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili (dairy free)

1.5-2 lbs chicken
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 16oz jar salsa verde
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 cups chicken broth or stock
limes
avocado
cilantro

Add everything except the limes, avocado, and cilantro to a slow cooker and give it a quick stir. Cook on high for 4 hours. After 4 hours, remove the chicken and shred, then place it back into the slow cooker and stir it all together. Top each bowl with fresh squeezed lime juice, cubed avocado, and cilantro.

Jambalaya

1 pkg andouille sausage, sliced
1 lb chicken breast, cubed
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 yellow onions, diced
2 green peppers, diced
1 head cauliflower, riced
1 6oz can tomato paste
2 14oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups chicken broth or stock
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic until it becomes fragrant then add onion and green bell pepper to begin to cook down. Once onion in translucent, add cauliflower, broth, chicken, and sausage. Mix together. Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and spices. Stir to incorporate. Cover and let cook for another 5-8 minutes or until cauliflower is tender and meats are cooked through.

This makes great leftovers and freezes really well!

Serves 6-8

Notes: To rice my cauliflower I put it through the shredder attachment of my food processor. The only thing spicy in this recipe is the sausage - If you want it spicier add 1 tsp cayenne. Would be great with  shrimp added!

Buffalo Chicken Chili

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp butter (or ghee)

2 lbs ground chicken (or ground turkey)

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

2 red, orange, or yellow peppers, seeded and chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 ribs of celery, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp paprika

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

4 cups chicken stock

1/4 to 1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce (or other hot sauce)

1 15oz can tomato sauce

1 15oz can crushed tomatoes

Place a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, add the ground chicken and brown it, about 5-10 minutes. Add the carrots, peppers, onion, celery, garlic, paprika, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. (If the pot seems too full you can remove the chicken and cook the veggies  alone for a few minutes, then add the chicken back in.) Add the chicken stock, hot sauce, tomato sauce, and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a bubble, then simmer for 10 more minutes.

* To make this paleo or Whole 30 approved, use ghee instead of butter and use Frank's Red Hot brand hot sauce.

Serves 6.

{Adapted from Rachel Ray}

Slow-Cooker Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
2 packages sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 cup fish sauce *see note
1/4 cup red curry paste
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans (14 oz each) coconut milk
2 red bell peppers, sliced, then slices cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
Sriracha to taste

1. In slow cooker add carrots, mushrooms, onion, sweet potato, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and curry paste. Place chicken over vegetables in slow cooker. Pour broth over chicken. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 hours.

2. Stir in coconut milk, peppers, and basil. Cover and cook an additional 30-60 minutes.

Add Sriracha to taste to each bowl depending on spice preference.

Alternate: Add whole chicken pieces to crock pot (don't cube). At the beginning of step 2, remove chicken and shred or chop, then add back to crock pot before proceeding.

* Substitute fish sauce with 4 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 Tbsp dry sherry.

{Adapted from Betty Crocker}

Turkey Barley Mushroom Soup

from Williams-Sonoma

Serves 6-8

1 lb mushrooms
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 leeks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup pearled barley
3 cloves minced garlic
2 turkey thighs (skin removed)
8 cups chicken broth
2 tsp soy sauce

Warm oil in a 6 quart stock pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and saute until softened -- 5-7 minutes. Add mushrooms, carrots, barley and garlic. Saute 1 minute more. Add turkey and stock, reduce heat to low and simmer 1.5 hours. Remove turkey, cut meat off the bones, cut into bite-sized pieces, return meat to pot. Stir in soy sauce and season soup to taste with salt, pepper and parsley.

Make up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate or freeze up to 2 months.

THIS IS THE TURKEY BARLEY MUSHROOM SOUP RECIPE MOM PREFERS.

Creamy Porcini Barley Soup

This grown-up version of creamy mushroom soup from Eating Well is rich with earthy porcini and white mushrooms and tender, nutty grains of barley. Stir in just a bit of reduced-fat sour cream at the end-hold the heavy cream.

ACTIVE TIME: 50 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 1/4 hours

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

Makes 4 servings, about 1 3/4 cups each. (These are very large servings.)

Ingredients

1/2 cup pearl barley

4-1/2 cups mushroom broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided

1 oz dried porcini mushrooms

2 cups boiling water

2 tsp butter

1 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup minced shallots (about 4 medium)

8 cups sliced white mushrooms (about 20 oz) [1/2 pound (225g) fresh sliced mushrooms = 2 cups fresh sliced = 1 cup cooked]

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 T minced fresh sage or 1 tsp dried

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 T all-purpose flour

1 cup dry-to-medium sherry [Christian Brothers California Golden Sherry, which is medium-sweet] 

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/4 cup minced fresh chives

Instructions

1. Combine barley and 1 1/2 cups broth in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until the barley is tender, 30 to 35 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine porcinis and boiling water in a medium bowl and let soak until the mushrooms are soft, about 20 minutes. Line a sieve with paper towels, set it over a bowl and pour mushrooms and soaking liquid through it. Reserve the soaking liquid. Transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board and finely chop.

3. Heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add white mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they have released their juices and started to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the porcinis, celery, sage, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, until the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Add sherry and cook, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until most of the sherry has evaporated, about 1 minute.

4. Add the soaking liquid and the remaining 3 cups broth, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the celery is tender and the soup has thickened, 18 to 22 minutes.

5. Add the cooked barley and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream until incorporated. Garnish with chives.

Notes

Tip: Prepare soup through Step 4. Cover and refrigerate the soup and cooked barley separately for up to 3 days. To serve, combine (Step 5) and reheat.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 288 calories; 10 g fat (5 g sat, 4 g mono); 22 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrate; 12 g protein; 3 g fiber; 498 mg sodium; 894 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Potassium (26% daily value), Selenium (23% dv), Vitamin A (20% dv), Iron (15% dv).

2 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 2 fat

Curried Lentil Soup

2 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil
1 large onion
1/4 cup peeled and minced fresh ginger
6 garlic cloves
1 1/2 Tbsp curry powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 medium carrots
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
5 cups diced, unpeeled sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 lb)
1 - 14oz can coconut milk (regular or light)
2 cups dried lentils, picked over and washed
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 tsp salt
Juice of 1/2 lime, or more to taste
1 bunch cilantro, minced
1/2 tsp orange zest (optional)

In a 6-quart saucepan sauté the onion and ginger in the oil until wilted and fragrant. Add the garlic, curry powder, red pepper flakes, carrots, bell pepper, and sweet potatoes and sauté briefly.

Add the coconut milk, lentils, water or stock, and salt. Simmer, partly covered, until lentils and sweet potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes.

Add lime juice, cilantro, and orange zest (if using) just before serving.

Serves 6-8.

{From Artisan Pizza & Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day}

Mushroom Turkey Barley Soup

1 Tbsp butter
1/2 c onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
5 c chicken broth
1/3 c pearl barley
1 T soy sauce
4 carrots, sliced
2 tsp dried dill weed
pepper to taste
8 oz mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 lb turkey breast, cubed

Melt butter in a stock pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until onions are tender but not brown. Add mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

 Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Add stock, barley, soy sauce, and turkey. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Add carrots, dill, and pepper. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until barley and vegetables are tender.

Wheat Berry & Black Bean Vegetarian Chili

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large yellow bell pepper,chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
2 14-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
3 cups roughly chopped kale
2 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 cups Cooked Wheat Berries (recipe follows)
Juice of 1 lime
1 avocado, diced (optional but recommended)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional but recommended)

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, chipotle to taste, kale, broth and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Stir in cooked wheat berries and heat through, about 5 minutes more. (If using frozen wheat berries, cook until thoroughly heated.) Remove from the heat. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each bowl with avocado and cilantro. This freezes well.

Cooked Wheat Berries:
1 cup hard red winter-wheat berries
3.5 cups cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Sort through wheat berries carefully, discarding any stones. Rinse well under cool running water. Place in a large heavy saucepan. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse.
(Make-ahead tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.)


6 servings: about 1 1/2 cups each
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour (or 40 min if wheat berries are made ahead of time)

Nutrition:
Per serving: 386 calories; 11 g fat ( 1 g sat , 7 g mono ); 61 g carbohydrates; 14 g protein; 15 g fiber; 703 mg sodium; 311 mg potassium.

{adapted from Eating Well}

Light Baked Potato Soup

{from Cooking Light}

4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk

1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup reduced-fat sour cream

3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided

6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash. Discard skins.
3. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Sprinkle each serving with cheese, onions, and bacon.

Chicken Wild Rice Cranberry Soup

8 T. unsalted butter
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 c. onion, finely chopped
6 T. flour
6 c. chicken stock
3 c. cooked wild rice
2 - 12.5oz cans of chicken (or about 2 cups cubed or shredded chicken)
1 c. dried cranberries
2 c. milk or half-and-half
4 T. dry sherry
Few dashes of Worchestershire sauce
S & P to taste

Melt butter in Dutch overn over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrot is tender, about 8 minutes. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Gradually add the stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken, rice and cranberries. Reduce heat; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries are softened and plumped, about 15 minutes. Stir in all the reminaing ingredients. Stir occasionally until warmed through. Season to taste.

Serves 6-8.

{From Michael's cousin Marija}

White Bean and Lamb Soup

1/2 pound dried great Northern beans, sorted and rinsed


1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/4 pounds ground lamb
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 1/2 cups canned roma tomatoes, with liquid
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste
6 cups chicken broth

1/2 pound baby spinach leaves
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled


Soak the dried beans in water overnight. After soaking, drain off remaining water, and rinse.

In a large stockpot, cook the onion in oil over low heat until just beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium, and add lamb; cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in carrots and celery, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, and season with parsley, thyme, oregano, and with freshly ground pepper and salt to taste. Add beans and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 - 2 hours hours, or until beans are tender.

Rinse spinach, and then place in a saucepan. Place over medium heat, and cook until wilted. This will only take a short time, and you will not need to add more liquid to the pan.

Top each serving of soup with wilted spinach and crumbled feta cheese.

 
Notes: When I made this, I used leftover lamb roast, cubed. I also used some chopped kale in place of the spinach (just tossed it in raw half an hour before eating) since kale holds together when cooked where as spinach gets slimy.

Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup

3 T olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 C (32 oz) marinara sauce
28oz chicken or vegetable broth
1 (15 oz) can cannellini or other white beans
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 C small pasta
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Warm olive oil over medium heat. Add carrot, onion and garlic. Cook until soft, about 2-5 min. Add marinara sauce, broth, beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 min, or until pasta is tender.

West African Chicken & Peanut Soup

This recipe is a combination of contributions from several people and cultures. With so many of the ingredients strong in nature, it is a perfect soup to customize to your taste! Add or subtract at will.

1.5 cups cooked chicken, cubed (or 1 or 2 large cans—it’s super easy that way!)
1 cup sweet onion diced in ½ inch pieces
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh garlic
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
4.5 cups chicken stock
1.5 cups diced canned tomato (feel free to use varieties w/ roasted garlic, caramelized onion, Cajun spice, etc.—they all work very well for this dish)
1/2 cup peanut butter (chunky or not, it’s up to you)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (or more to taste)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (more or less to taste)
Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, place the sesame oil, onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the curry powder and red pepper flakes, stir for about 1 minute. Then add the chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add the peanut butter and cilantro and whisk until smooth and heated thoroughly.

Add chicken, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Turn off heat and let rest for about five minutes, then adjust the seasonings and serve. Tastes even better the next day!

Serves 4-6

White Chicken Chili

1-1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cans (15.8 oz ea) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 envelope (1.25 oz) Old El Paso less-sodium taco seasoning mix
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
1 can (10.75 oz) Healthy Request cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup chicken broth
Sour Cream, if desired
Chopped green onions, if desired (they do add a lot)

Place chicken in a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker. Top with remaining ingredients except sour cream and onions. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Before serving, gently stir to break up chicken pieces. Served topped with sour cream and onions. 6 servings, 1-1/3 cups each.

Nutrition per serving:
Calories: 314
Fat: 3.7 g
Protein: 31 g

Butternut Squash and Roasted Garlic Puree

1 large or 2 small butternut squash (4lbs)
20 cloves of garlic (1.5-2 heads)
4 T olive oil, divided
¼ C water
2 leeks, finely chopped
5 C stock (chicken or vegetable)
salt and pepper to taste
2 T finely chopped chives

Preheat oven to 350. Peel, seed and cut squash into 1” slices.

In a large roasting pan, combine squash, garlic and 2 T of the oil. Toss. Pour in the water. Roast, stirring occasionally until the garlic and squash are golden and soft, 50-60 min. Add more water if the squash begins to scorch.

While the squash and garlic are roasting, in a heavy frying pan over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 T of oil. Add leeks and sauté until golden brown, 12-15 min. Set aside.

In a blender, in batches, combine roasted squash, garlic and lees with 1 cup of the stock. Puree until very smooth, about 1 min. Transfer pureed squash to a large saucepan. Stir in remaining 4 cups of stock and bring to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle into warmed bowls and garnish with chives.

4-6 servings


[based on 4 servings]

Calories 386
Calories from Fat 134

Total Fat 14.9g (23%)
Saturated Fat 2.2g (11%)
Cholesterol 0mg (0%)
Sodium 985mg (41%)
Total Carbohydrates 65.3g (22%)
Dietary Fiber 10.2g (41%)
Sugars 12.8g
Protein 7.1g

Vit A 981% Vit C 177%
Calcium 29% Iron 25%
Nutrition Grade A

Hummus and Zucchini Soup

1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion
1 pound zucchini, sliced (peeled if you want a paler soup)
2 C veggie or chicken broth
6 oz hummus
Lemon juice, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Finely chopped parsley to garnish (optional)

Heat oil in sauce pan over med heat. Add onion and zucchini and cover. Cook 3 min. Add stock and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 min. Puree until smooth in a blender or food processor. Add hummus and blend. Return soup to sauce pan and reheat gently over med heat. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve. Serves 4.

NOTES:
A good summer soup, too, served cold.
Serve with flatbread or Naan.

Deb's Tomato Basil Soup

48 oz diced tomatoes (2 of the huge cans)
4 C milk
4 C cream
3 C V8 (or similar)
3 C shredded carrots (about 4 med-lg)
1 large onion diced
1.5 T dry basil
2.5 tsp pepper
2.5 tsp salt
2.5 tsp garlic powder

Bring to a boil.

In a separate bowl, mix 1 C water and 1 C flour. Slowly dump this mixture into the boiling soup and stir without stopping until well incorporated. Simmer for 5 min.

NOTES:
Makes a TON (1.5 gallons)
Use half and half or whole milk instead of cream to reduce calories.