Category Archives: Soups

Tomato Basil Bisque

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Are  you dreaming of fresh tomatoes from your garden? Or maybe, you are just ready to feast on some simple, uncomplicated meals, after all the great holiday food assortment from the last two weeks.

For me, it is a little of both. I walk by my raised garden beds everyday when I check on the backyard chicks. My garlic and onions are planted, mulched for winter, to make their reappearance this coming spring. But, the other beds are just hibernating, waiting till spring, when they will be full of veggies and (my favorite) tomatoes.

I have also eaten my fair share of…mmm…how do I say this politely….superfantastichighcaloriescrumptiousanddelicious creations that just so happened to cross my path. And, yet, I am not giving up till I finish that bag of Doritos. LOL

Regardless, I am just ready to eat simple for a bit. Most of you already know that I love soup. I have more soup recipes on this blog that I do anything else. (at least I think so)

This Tomato Basil Bisque, is one of my favorites. I peel and freeze tomatoes, that I grow in the summer, just to make this soup in the winter. But…don’t worry…you don’t have to grow your own tomatoes to make this cause canned tomatoes and tomato juice works just fine!

You will need some sort of blender to blend up all the veggies to make this smooth and creamy soup. I have used an immerseable blender to make this, or you can use a food processor.

Just be sure and try it once. If you love tomato soup, just think of rich and creamy (from a tad of whipping cream) soup with the perfect amount of basil seasoning. Yes, it goes perfect with some grilled cheese sandwiches.

Anywho, enough of me chatting away….let’s get to the recipe.

This is what you need:

You will need some fresh carrots, celery, garlic and onion, along with dice tomatoes, chicken broth, whipping cream, tomato paste, butter, sugar, pepper and oregano and basil.

Dice up your carrots. I peeled mine first.

Dice your celery.

And dice your onions and garlic (the garlic is not pictured)

In a large stock pan, add in your butter and celery, onions, carrots and garlic.

Sauté, stirring until they soften.

Add in tomato juice.

Then some chicken broth.

Diced tomatoes

tomato paste

oregano

basil…I used dried.

cracked pepper

Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

Be careful…..blend the hot soup until smooth and creamy.

It will change color as you blend it smooth.

Pour the tomato mixture back into the stock pot

Add in the whipping cream

add in the sugar

and stir and cook on medium heat until heated through. Now, is the time to make the grilled cheese sandwiches.

Here is a close up, time to get your spoon ready. : )

Print Pin

Tomato Basil Bisque

Creamy and delicious, perfect with your favorite grilled cheese sandwich.
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1 cup celery chopped
  • 3/4 cup carrots chopped
  • 1/4 cup onion chopped
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3 cups tomato juice
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 7.5 ounce can diced tomatoes or 3/4 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup whipping cream or you can save calories and use fat free half and half
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup snipped fresh basil for garnish optional

Instructions

  • Chop the celery, carrot and onions. Mince the garlic.
    In a large saucepan, cook celery, carrots, onions and garlic in butter until tender. Add in tomato juice, chicken broth, undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano and pepper.
    Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.
    Place half of soup on in a blender or a food processor and blend or process until smooth. Repeat with the other half.
    Return tomato mixture to the saucepan. Stir in whipping cream and sugar. Heat through.
    Can garnish with fresh basil leaves or some pesto.

Notes

asmalltownkitchen.com

Here is the recipe:

Adapted from a fundraiser cookbook

Tomato Basil Bisque

1 cup chopped celery

3/4 cup chopped carrots

1/4 chopped yellow onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon butter

3 cups tomato juice

1 cup chicken broth

1 small can (7 1/2 ounce) can of diced tomatoes or use 3/4 cup chopped fresh tomato

1/2 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup whipping cream

4 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup snipped fresh basil for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Chop the celery, carrot and onions. Mince the garlic.

In a large saucepan, cook celery, carrots, onions and garlic in butter until tender. Add in tomato juice, chicken broth, undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Place half of soup on in a blender or a food processor and blend or process until smooth. Repeat with the other half.

Return tomato mixture to the saucepan. Stir in whipping cream and sugar. Heat through.

Can garnish with fresh basil leaves or some pesto.

Makes 8 servings.

Velvet Chicken Soup

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Last night the Oldest Daughter who does not cook, bought a rotisserie chicken.

She made mashed potatoes (from instant, but good).

She thawed freezer corn and heated it up in the microwave.

She sliced some chicken.

Dinner was ready!

Woot Woot! I came home from tutoring at school and dinner was there waiting for me.

So tonight, I took the left over chicken from the rotisserie chicken and made her some soup.

She loves soup about as much as I do.

About as much as her Auntie Trina does.

But not as much as me.

Anywho. I remember having bought these cookbooks from The Blue Owl restaurant when I went there for my birthday three years ago. I have not made anything from this adorable cookbooks until tonight.

I took a chance and made their Velvet Chicken Soup recipe.

It was good, yummy, yum yum…..

You get my drift….it was good.

So before I put the recipe away and forget to load my pictures to the computer, I thought I would go ahead and post this simple and delicious soup recipe.

And my sweet friend Lori S. asked for the recipe.

I love it when people ask me for a recipe.

So  here you go Lori S.!

Here is what you need to make this soup.

You will need some cooked chicken, (I used left over rotisserie chicken) whipping cream (I used half and half) milk, chicken broth, butter, flour, chicken soup base, salt and pepper.

First thing you do is melt the butter in a large saucepan.

Add in the flour to the melted butter.

Stir it with a whisk and cook for a couple of minutes to remove the raw flour taste.

Add in the whipping cream and the milk

Whisk and cook until smooth. Don’t panic the lumps cook out…just keep whisking.

Add in 2 cup of chicken broth and whisk in until smooth. Then add in the rest of the broth and bring to a simmer.

Now, taste your broth and add small amounts of soup base until you get the flavor you want. Be careful the soup base is salty!

I added about a half a teaspoon of Trader Joe’s 21 seasonings that I love to use. So, if  you want to add a little extra seasoning to yours it is fine. A little garlic, basil…

Lastly, add in your diced cooked chicken.

Stir and heat to a simmer until the chicken is heated through.

Now, you are ready to serve!

So here is the recipe!

Velvet Chicken Soup

I did make a few minor changes : )

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup flour

6 cups chicken stock

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream (you can use half and half or evaporated milk)

2 to 3 cups diced cooked chicken (I used 3 cups)

2 teaspoons chicken soup base OR 2 tablespoons instant chicken broth

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add in the flour and whisk to remove any lumps. Cook till flour bubbles and to remove any raw flour taste. Stir in the milk and the whipping cream. Keep whisking to make a smooth paste. Stir in 2 cup of chicken both and whisk till smooth.

Add in 2 cups of the chicken broth and whisk until smooth. Now add in the rest of the chicken stock and whisk together.

Now, taste it and if you feel like it needs more depth add in 1 to 2 teaspoons of chicken soup base. Be careful with the soup base as it is very salty. Add a little at a time and taste after each time till you get the way you want it to taste.

I added in some of this…cause I love this stuff. This is optional.

Add in the diced chicken

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Becky

Tuscan Veggie Stew

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If you have been reading and following along with me on my recipe and garden PLUS chicken journey, you already know by now that I love soup!

AND, what better time to have soup than in the spring and summer.

No, I am not teasing you…honestly I am not.

I mean you have heard of soup and salad or soup and sandwich meal combinations, right?

If that soup just happens to be made from a medley of veggie goodness and we grow veggies in the spring and summer….that makes this soup pretty perfect for making a big batch now that spring has sprung.

In the spring and summers I do not crave those creamy soups that I do in the winter when there is snow outside and a snow day from school.

I prefer a broth and veggie laded soup that has a great flavor.

This one just happens to have kale in it. MMM…I just happen to be growing kale in my raised garden beds.

Ok, so maybe you are not a kale fan…you can put spinach in this soup instead of the kale….and I just happen to be growing that too.

See…I told you this soup was perfect : ).

I spied this recipe in my Mom the Princess’s Good Housekeeping magazine a few months ago. I really wanted to make it because it had kale in it and Oldest daughter and I love kale. The  broth and veggie combination sounded like it went perfect together too. So, I was anxious to make this soup.  There was one little tiny thing I was hesitant about putting in the soup and that was the stale bread. Not because it might not taste good, but because I do not like soggy bread or crackers. I do like soggy bread so bad that I do not even dunk my cookies in milk.

Yes, I am weird.

I did follow the recipe and make it with the stale bread in it and it was fine, but next time I make it, I will be using gnocchi or a small pasta in the soup instead of the stale bread..

I forgot to mention that this soup also freezes well. I love to take soup I have made at home and froze to take to work for lunch.

MMMM soup in spring and summer….

Now, I just need a sandwich…preferable with bacon on it…lots of bacon, to go with my soup!

Hope you give this super simple delicious soup a try!

Here is what you need:

You will need some chicken broth, carrots, onion, kale, white beans, diced tomatoes, olive oil, parmesan cheese and some stale bread. Now…I did sneak in some roasted garlic flavoring in after I taste tested it. I love me some garlic!

First thing you do is chop up the carrots.

Now you dice up the onion.

Be sure and take the stalk out of the kale first. Then you cut or chop the kale into large chunks.

Heat up some olive oil on medium heat in a large sauce pan.

Saute the onions and the carrots.

They should start to get tender.

Pour in one can of diced tomatoes.

Add in two cans of white beans, drained and rinsed.

Now add in all that kale. Don’t worry it cooks down.

Add in your stale bread cut into chunks. (next time I am going to try potato gnocchi instead.)

Pour in you chicken stock.

Let simmer until the kale is tender, about 20 minutes.

Do a little taste test and add some seasonings if you want. I add in some roasted garlic seasoning cause I love garlic. It was about a teaspoonful.

Lastly, add in the parmesan cheese and give it a quick stir.

And, now it is ready to eat!

Adapted from Good Housekeeping

Ingredients:

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound of carrots, chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 quarts Vegetable or Chicken broth (I used Chicken)

1 bunch kale Tuscan or curly, stalk removed and chopped

4 ounce of stale bread turn into small pieces about 4 cups worth (you could substitute the bread for gnocchi, tortellini or even a small pasta, I would just use 1 to 1 1/2 cups worth though)

2 can white beans rinsed and drained

1 – 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes

1/3 cup parmesan cheese (additional amounts make be served as a garnish)

Directions:

In a large stock pot, heat oil on medium and saute the carrots and onions. Cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables are starting to get tender.

Add the broth, kale (after removing the stalks) bread, beans and tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes or until Kale is tender. Stir in the parmesan cheese and serve.

You can garnish with parmesan cheese or olive oil if you want.

This recipe is so quick and simple to make and taste so good!

Enjoy!

Becky

Other post you may enjoy reading:

     

Glazed Strawberry Bread                                                      Apple Sour Cream Crumb Pie

    

Brown Sugar Meatloaf                                                            Knorr Spinach Dip

Tomato-Basil Bisque

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I guess I must be missing my backyard garden full of ripe, off the vine, tomatoes.

AWWWW…

I know spring will come and I can start planting again. When I can start enjoying all the bounty that a backyard garden has to offer.

BUT, in the meantime, it is super cold outside and I miss those tomatoes.

Wha-laaaaa, Shazaaammm…Hocus Pocus….

I will make Tomato Bisque.

Lets see if I did my kitchen math right……missing tomatoes plus freezing cold weather equals Warm and Delicious Tomato Bisque.

Looks like it adds up to me!

Though my math skills are lacking…just ask Oldest Daughter who is a walking calculator.

Anywho, I have been saving this little gem of a recipe for some time and this past week was the perfect time to cook a batch up. Actually I made two batches. Yes, me and the kiddos ate the first batch right up, so I made another.

Yes, I have problems like that. : )

Here is all the things you need to make this easy, creamy and delicious Tomato-Basil Bisque.

You will need, tomato juice, canned diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, whipping cream, celery, carrots, sugar, onion, garlic, basil, oregano and pepper.

First thing you do is start chopping. I chopped the carrots first.

Then the celery.

Next, I did the onion and lastly I diced up the garlic.

In my large sauce pan, I sauted the celery, carrots, onion and garlic with 2 tablespoons of butter.

Suate the vegetables until they get tender but do not brown.

Now, you can add in the tomato juice.

Then you add the chicken stock.

Add in the diced tomatoes.

Add in the tomato paste.

Sprinkle in the basil.

Then the oregano.

Lastly, add the pepper.

Stir and simmer the soup for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are really tender and the bisque starts to thicken.

With a blender, food processor or an immersible blender, blend the bisque, a half batch at a time, until smooth.

When you blend it, the color lightens up and the bisque is very smooth.

Now, put the bisque back into the sauce pan.

Pour in the whipping cream.

Sprinkle in the sugar.

Stir the cream and sugar in. Heat the bisque through.

Lookie lookie, the bisque is all ready. Nice and thick and cream and deliciously easy to make.

If you are missing your fresh garden tomatoes, this bisque might be the perfect substitute.

Enjoy!

Becky

Tomato-Basil Bisque

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped celery

3/4 cup chopped carrots

1/4 cup chopped, yellow onion

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

2 tablespoons butter

3 cups of tomato juice

1 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup diced canned tomatoes

1/2 can of a 6 ounce can of tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup whipping cream

4 teaspoons sugar

1/4 cup snipped fresh basil or to taste

Directions:

In a large saucepan, saute celery, onions and garlic in butter until the vegetables are tender. Do not brown.

Add in the tomato juice, chicken broth, undrained diced tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. It will start to thicken.

Take the soup off of the heat. Pour half of the soup into a blender or food processor. Blend the soup until smooth. Repeat with remaining soup. Return all the pureed soup back into the saucepan. Stir in the whipping cream and sugar. Bring the soup back to a slow simmer and heat through.

Stir in the fresh basil.

Now it is ready to serve.

Makes about 8 servings.

Here is other post you may enjoy:

                   

Lime Cake                                Chocolate Shortcake Brownies         Broccoli Rice Casserole

Stuffed Pepper Soup

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Soup….glorious soup….awwww so delicious!

I just want to break out into a song when I find a new soup recipe that is easy to make, taste great and will go into my freezer for school lunches.

Seriously….why buy soup in a can, when you can make some pretty awesome soup at home.

What I love most about soup it that is a meal on spoon. Every spoonful is brimming with deliciousness…..you can use a big spoon or a little spoon…but I suggest a BIG spoon.

I know that I have posted several….or maybe more than several….(Minerva how many equals several?) soup recipes in the last few weeks.

But I have NO willpower. I could not resist making this recipe last night for my baby college girl. Baby College Girl came home yesterday for a quick 8 hours to do some wedding planning….yes this is big news I have not told you about yet…and to go to her dentist for a filling and cleaning. Oh…and most importantly to spend a whole three hours with me! We were trying to decide to either just go out to dinner or make something quick at home. After a bit, we decided we could visit better and have more quality time together if we just stayed home and make a quick dinner.

That is what eating at home is all about right? Eating at home at the table, sharing funny stories, getting our feet tickled by a three year old who was hanging out under the table, laughing and gobbling down soup and rolls.

It was a perfect visit with my baby girl!

Anywho, I caught my eye on this recipe when I was shopping at a flea market looking at cookbooks. Since I have an addiction to cookbooks, I have a rule that I have to find ONE recipe in a cookbook that I promise myself I will make, before I can buy it. When I seen this recipe for Stuffed Pepper Soup, it looked interesting, had simple ingredients and would not take long to make.

Looks Delicious doesn’t it?

So glad I bought that cookbook. I hope you are too!

Here is what you need to make this recipe.

Now, before we go any farther, you will need MORE chicken stock than 2 cans. You will need 5 to 6 cans depending on how much liquid you want in your soup. When I took the picture, Oldest Daughter was not home yet from the store. You need red and green peppers, onion, salsa, diced tomatoes, garlic, hamburger and cooked rice. After you make the soup you season it with salt and pepper.

First thing you do is start browning two pounds of hamburger.

         

While the hamburger is browning, dice up the green and red peppers and the onion. (yes, Company picked out all the onions out of the soup…so I should have diced them up smaller…hehe)

Brown and drain the grease from the hamburger.

Add the chopped veggies to the hamburger.

Don’t forget the minced garlic.

Cook the veggies with the hamburger for a few moments, until the veggies begin to get soft. Make sure and stir while you are doing this.

Time to add is some diced tomatoes.

And some chicken broth/stock.

Pour in 2 cups of salsa. I used mild because I am allergic to jalapenos and I also cook for a three year old. But, if you like spicier salsa, go for it!

Add in four cups of cooked rice.

          

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat through.

Now, it is time to make a big bowl and get a BIG spoon and dig in.

Here is the recipe:

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Recipe from a semi old church cookbook called, “Please Pass the Salt and Pepper.”

Ingredients:

2 pounds of hamburger

2 red peppers diced

2 green peppers diced

1 yellow onion dice

1 tablespoon mined garlic

5 to 6 cans of chicken stock (about 2 1/2 quarts to 3 quarts)

2 cups of salsa (pick the amount of heat you want, I used mild)

2 regular cans of diced tomatoes

4 cups of cooked rice

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large stock pot, brown the hamburger and drain all the grease off. Add in the diced onion, red and green peppers and garlic. Saute all together for several minutes or until the veggies turn somewhat soft. Add in the tomatoes, chicken stock, salsa and the cooked rice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat on medium until the soup is heated through.

Enjoy!

Becky

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

                   

Strawberry Bread                      Buttermilk Chocolate Cookies      Stuffed Acorn Squash

 

 

 

 

 

Vermont Cheese Soup

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Yes…..it is yet another soup recipe….

Alas, I really do eat other things than soup, but I just can’t help but love a big bowl of hot soup on a wintery cold day!

It is minus 15 or so wind chill outside and they have delayed my start time at school by 2 hours. So, I thought I would take a minute and post a cheese soup recipe one of my students gave me last year. It has bits of carrots, onions and celery in it (that is why you see those tiny bits of orange in the soup) along with chicken stock and half and half. You season the soup with some dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and because I could not stop myself, I added a touch of garlic powdered.

YUM!!!

The Oldest Daughter Who Does NOT cook, had actually made sloppy joes one night then brought home a rotisserie chicken another night, this past week to feed us all for dinner. She told me she was ready for me to cook something from scratch and since I really wanted to share this recipe, I decided to make us Vermont Cheese Soup. I made a double batch so I would have enough left over to take to lunch at work for a couple of days.

Here is what you need. Some carrots, celery, onion, flour, chicken stock, half and half, dry mustard, butter, worcestershire sauce and some seasonings, like pepper and salt. 

First thing I did was do a lot of chopping. I chopped up the carrots, celery and the onion. (yes, I know that Company does not like onions, but I love them and I have help but sneak them in when I can).

In a large stock pot and in the diced vegetables and the butter.

Saute’ down until the vegetables are tender.

Sprinkle the flour over the sauted vegetables. Stir and cook the flour for about 3 minutes, or until you think the raw flour taste has been cooked out of the flour.

It will start to thicken as you cook the flour.

Add in the chicken broth or stock.

Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 30 t0 40 minutes. The mixture will start to thicken. The vegetables will also get very soft.

To make the soup really smooth, you take the soup and put it in a blender or food processor or one of those immersible blenders and blend until smooth. You can strain the soup to remove any small pieces of vegetables, but I did not because I do not mind the very tiny pieces of carrots.

After you blend the soup until smooth, add in the cheese.

Add in the half and half.

Add in the dry mustard.

Now, add in the worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper and it you are like me and you have to add a little garlic powder it is ok.

Heat the soup on low until the soup is heated through and the cheese has melted.

We ate ours with some fresh fruit and some rolls and some homemade jelly.

Here is the recipe:

Vermont Cheese Soup

Shared with me from one of my students at school.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of unsalted butter

1/2 small onion, diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

2 medium celery stalks, finely chopped

1/4 cup of flour

4 cups of chicken stock

1 cup of half and half or light cream

1/2 pound (8 ounces) Vermont sharp cheddar cheese (I used mild and it was still great tasting)

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Cayenne pepper to taste optional

Directions:

Melt butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery. Saute until tender or about 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and  stir and cook for 3 minutes to cook the raw taste out of the flour.

Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking to combine. bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer uncovered for about 40 minutes. The soup will start to thicken.

Puree the soup in a blender or food processor or with a immersible blender to blend the soup until smooth. You can strain the soup to remove any large pieces of vegetables. (i did not do this)

Pour the pureed soup back into the stock pot and add in the half and half, cheese, dry mustard and worcestershire sauce. Season to taste with pepper and salt, and even a tad of cayenne pepper or garlic powder.

Soups ON!

Enjoy

Becky

Here is some other posts you may enjoy!

                   

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake     Homemade Sausage Gravy    Strawberry Spinach Salad with Feta Cheese

 

 

Brunswick Stew

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You will have to forgive me for posting, yet another soup/stew recipe.

I just could not help myself.

Soup is (almost) like a steak…well…maybe that is taking it a little too far…..soup is like a great grilled piece of chicken breast for me.

I have been wanting to make a Brunswick stew ever since I went to Destin Fl and tried some at a Hogs Breath restaurant. It was not spicy (though you can make this recipe spicy if want), it had the perfect combination of meat and veggies. And…it was very filling.

With the world series going on, homecomings and play offs at school, you just might have some left over pork and chicken or beef you need to use up. This stew is perfect for that! I had some left over chicken in the freezer, and some left  over pork butt I cooked in the crock pot (to make BBQ pork sandwiches) that I used to make this recipe. You could use left over roast too. OR a combination of all three meats. Since the meat is already cooked, it does not take long to prepare this stew and get it on the table. My home made  Crusty White Bread recipe would go perfect with this stew.

As the temperature dips down later this week, dip your spoon into some hearty Brunswick Stew.

Here is what you need.

You will need 7 to 8 cups of shredded meat (I used a combination of chicken and pork), some potatoes, onion, canned corn, butter beans, diced tomatoes, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar,  brown sugar, ketchup and some steak seasonings. You will also need 2 cups of beef broth which I forgot to put in the picture.

Here is my frozen chicken and pork butt. You could also use a pork loin or left over roast.

First thing you do is saute the onions in some olive oil until they are translucent.

Add in the beef broth

Add the cooked combination of meat that you choose.

Pour in the diced tomatoes.

Add in the can of drained butter beans. These might also be called lima beans.

Add in two cans of drained corn.

Add in two cans of creamed corn.

Now, add in the diced potatoes.

Lets get this stew seasoned. Add in the Worcestershire sauce.

Add in the apple cider vinegar.

Add in the ketchup.

Spoon in the brown sugar.

Add in the steak seasoning. Stir it all together.

Cook on low until the potatoes are cooked through. Stir often as this is a thick stew and you do not want the bottom to scorch.

When the potatoes are tender, it is time to ladle the stew up in bowls.

Hope you are hungry!

Enjoy,

Becky

Brunswick Stew

Adapted From Add a Pinch.com

Ingredients:

7 to 8 cups of shredded meat. (combination of chicken, pork or beef) Feel free to use just one meat or all three

2 cups of beef stock

1 medium onion, diced

5 medium red potatoes, cubed into bite size pieces ( I used small yukon gold potatoes and it worked great)

1 (15 ounce) can of butter beans, drained

2 cans corn (drained)

2 cans cream corn

1 (24 ounce) can of diced tomatoes

1/4 cup ketchup

3 to 4 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons apple cidar vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon steak seasoning

Cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

Dice up the onions. Cut the potatoes into bite size cubes.

Over medium heat, saute the onions in about 2 to 3 table spoons of olive oil. Saute until translucent. Add in the cooked shredded meat (combination of chicken, pork and beef).

Pour in the beef stock. Add in rest of the ingredients. Simmer on low until the potatoes are tender.

This picture makes me want to make some more even though I already have some in the freezer!

Other post you may enjoy reading:

                   

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds                  Oven BBQ Brisket                                Taco Soup

 

 

Shoney’s Cabbage Soup

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Have you ever heard of a Shoney’s Restaurant?

Shoney’s used to be in several towns/cities in Missouri. Way back when my kids were just sprouts, me and their dad would take them to Shoney’s and we would pig out on their all you could eat breakfast bar. It is embarrassing to think how many pieces of their crispy bacon I would eat at one sitting. If you timed it just right, you could eat breakfast, but they would start putting out the all you could eat salad and soup bar.

And….if you know anything about me by now, you know that I am love’n me some soup.

One of my favorite soups was their Cabbage Soup.

Now….hang on there….there is more to this soup than cabbage.

Let’s just say the cabbage is the finishing touch. AND you can add as little or as much as you want.

BUT, don’t be afraid to add some.

When I came back from Savannah GA on vacation. I was ready for just some soup. (Even though I went to the Pirate House three times just to eat their Crab Bisque, corn muffins and orange marmalade). I had eaten at a Irish Pub, a local BBQ, At Robert Irvine’s restaurant Nosh and a couple of more restaurants on River Street.

I just needed some homemade soup.

So….I made a big batch of Shoney’s Cabbage Soup, took it to Mom’s after church for lunch. Niener Wiener and her hubby, Jeanie Beanie, Company, The Princess and Prince (Mom and Dad) and me. We slurped on this soup and smacked out lips and Nieners hubby Gary ate a few bowls. There was just enough soup to send home Jeanie Beanie and Nierner a container for dinner.

Anywho, it is officially fall. You can eat soup everyday (like me) or make a batch, have it for dinner, then freeze the rest in containers to take to work for lunch (like me also).

Here is what you need to make this recipe.

Yes…CABBAGE…some celery, red pepper (you could use green) diced tomatoes, hamburger, tomato paste, beef soup base, Worcestershire  sauce, kidney beans, sugar, onion, garlic powder, pepper and salt.

    

First brown  you hamburger and drain well. (sometimes I rinse mine with water after I fry it to get all the grease off).

         

Chop up the celery in bite size pieces.                                              Chop up the red pepper into bite size pieces.

         

Now, saving the best for last, chop up the onion. Add all the chopped vegetables to the brown and drained hamburger meat.

         

Add in the dice tomatoes and season with a little bit of pepper (to taste).

         

Add some salt (I used sea salt) and some garlic powder. You could probably sneak in a diced garlic clove if you wanted to. Also, you are using a beef soup base which can be salty, so you may want to wait to salt the soup after all the ingredients are in and you taste it first.

         

Add the Worcestershire Sauce and the tomato paste.

         

Add the sugar and the beef soup base. The beef soup base can be salty so be careful how much salt you use.

         

Add in the water and bring the soup to a simmer.

         

Add in the shredded cabbage. (I used already shredded cole slaw cabbage)

Simmer until the cabbage is tender.

There you go…Shoney’s Cabbage Soup.

MMMM….I wish I could eat some now….OH I CAN….I have some in the freezer.

See, there is the cabbage soup right next to the Roasted Cauliflower Soup  in the freezer.

Here is the recipe:

Shoney’s Cabbage Soup

Adapted from church cookbook I bought at Goodwill

Ingredients:

3 pounds of ground beef, browned and drained

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 green or red sweet pepper, chopped

4 to 6 cups of water (depending on how thick you want the soup)

2 large cans diced tomatoes and juice

2 large cans kidney beans and juice

2 to 3 tablespoon beef soup base (be careful here, this can be salty…good but salty)

1 tablespoon pepper

Salt to taste (taste after adding beef soup base and then salt)

3 tablespoons sugar

4 ounces tomato paste

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

I package of pre shredded cole slaw mix ( I used about 3/4 of the bag)

Directions:

Bring all the ingredients to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add the cabbage and simmer until tender.

Now, you if you live in Missouri, you don’t have to go all the way to Branson to enjoy some Shoney’s Cabbage Soup.

Enjoy!

Becky

Happy Fall…Roasted Cauliflower Soup

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Have you noticed the chill in the air?

It is officially Fall!

Are you a soup eater?

I am!

I can eat soup year round, (and do).

This past summer school, the foods class (taught last summer by another teacher) made a whole selection of healthy food. My class was lucky enough to get to sample everything! One of the recipe they made was this delicious Roasted Cauliflower Soup. Everyone was so surprised how rich and so unlike cauliflower it tasted. I could have eaten the whole pot. I have been wanting to make this recipe since July and even bought the cauliflower to make it one time, but the stars did not align for me to get er done. So, two weeks ago I bought another cauliflower and it has been tucked in the back in my fridge (still looking great) until I finally got it to make soup.

I finally got it made today.

Anywho, I changed it up just a bit, nothing major. I just had to use what I had on hand, and it still tasted great. I am going to give you the original recipe and let you know what I used to make mine.

So, here we go!

You need 10 cups of roasted cauliflower or one large cauliflower. To roast it you just cut the cauliflower up, drizzle with some olive oil and roast on 400 for 30 minutes. You were suppose to roast the dice onions and garlic too, but I forgot and it still tasted great.

Add in one large onion, diced.

Add in two garlic cloves, diced. I used a table spoon of dice garlic from a jar.

Now, you add in one cup of water and two can of chicken broth. I was out of chicken broth, so I used water and my chicken soup base. The base if very salty, so if you choose to use it instead of the chicken broth, be careful how much you add to the water. I used about 2 tablespoons.

Next, you add the seasoning. The recipe calls for thyme and a bay leaf. Well………..

I decided to use my veggie grill seasoning instead. I like the color it adds and the flavor. The only thing to watch out for is that it has garlic in it too, so you could really taste the garlic in my soup. I love garlic, so I did not mind.

Now, you simmer for 30 minutes until the cauliflower is really tender.

         

This a smooth pureed soup. I first tried using my immersion blender but it was taking too long and I was hungry. So, I switched to my blender. You can use a food processor too, just used something to puree the soup until smooth.

The only left to do before you can eat the whole of pot of this soup…cause you will want too….is pour in one cup of half and half. I think  you could use whipping cream or fat free half and half (if you want to save on some calories).

I just ladled some soup into a bowl and sprinkled a touch of veggie grill seasonings on top to add a little color.

I found some crackers and got out some of my home made apple butter (the best batch I have ever made), to eat with my soup

The rest of the soup went into freezer containers. I can take these to school for lunch.

The soup is in the freezer next to the Shoney’s Cabbage Soup I made a couple of weeks ago. I will get that terrific soup recipe posted later this week.

Here is the recipe:

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Adapted from Better Homes and Garden

Ingredients:

1 large Cauliflower, cut into florets (10 cups)

1 large onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, cut in half

2 tablespoons olive oil

2—14 1/2 ounce cans chicken broth

1 cup water

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme or 1/4 crushed dried thyme

1 cup half and half or light cream

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large roasting pan combine cauliflower, onion and garlic. Drizzle with oil, toss gently to coat. Spread vegetables in an even layer. Roast,  uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring once.

In a 4 quart Dutch oven or stock pot, combine the roasted vegetables, broth, water, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. cool slightly. Remove and discard bay leaf. Transfer vegetable mixture in batches to a food processor or blender. Cover and process of blend until smooth. Returned pureed mixture to saucepan. Stir in half an half, salt and pepper. Heat through.

Happy Fall!

Becky

Other Post You May Enjoy:

                     

The BEST Chicken Pot Pie             Coconut Cream Cake                    Southern 7up Biscuits

 

Cheddar Corn Chowder

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Yesterday, I was helping to make food for a crowd of about 80 or so. It was the monthly treat day that different department provide snack, desserts or lunch for the entire staff. Our departments provided a bunch of soups and chilis for all three lunch shifts and it turned out great. I volunteered to make this Cheesy Corn Chowder and my Chicken Gnocchi Soup, along with the Coconut Cream Cake, Peanut Butter Sheet Cake (I will post this yummy recipe in the next few days) and 10 loaves of the Crusty White Bread.

I have loved corn chowder after I tried my first bowl down at Branson last summer.  I have been looking for an excuse to try my hand at making my own, and treat day provided me my perfect opportunity. I looked and looked for a recipe that had the combination of ingredients that I thought I would like. When I finally ran across this one from Ina Garten, I knew it was time to finish my search. I did change up the amounts on some of the ingredients a bit. I wanted mine a little thicker, so I added more flour. I also wanted a more creamy taste, so I added more  half and half. I also wanted a little more cheese flavor, so I added more cheese. I got raved reviews on this chowder on Friday. I am taking the left overs to The Princess’s house for lunch tomorrow after church. I am sure that Mom and Dad will go corny over this Cheesy Corn Chowder.

You will go corny too! LMK (let me know) if you give this chowder a try!

Here is what  you will need.

You will need corn, of course : ), potatoes, onions (lots of onions) flour, salt, pepper, basil, butter, half and half, olive oil, chicken broth, olive oil and cheese.

         

First thing you need to do is chop all those onions (or talk a someone else into it like I did), then cube the potatoes.

         

The first thing you will need to do is fry up the bacon in little pieces. I used some kitchen shears to cut the raw bacon into little squares before frying off. When the bacon is fried, scoop out the bacon and pour the bacon grease into a large stock pot.

         

In the large stock pot, put the bacon grease, olive oil and butter and melt together. Add the onions and sauté until tender.

         

Once the onions are sautéed, add in the flour and cook for a minute, stirring while the mixture becomes thick.

         

Pour in the chicken stock. Now add in the chopped potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. Stir occationally.

         

Add in the frozen corn and the half and half. Season with basil, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low, until the corn is heated through.

         

Add in the shredded cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Now, it is all done.

Served with shredded cheese and the fried bacon pieces.

That is all there is to it!

Make this large batch of Cheesy Corn Chowder to keep you warm until Spring is here.

Here is the recipe.

Cheddar Corn Chowder

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients:

8 ounces of bacon (I cooked a whole pound package, cause you use the bacon for garnish when you serve it and we love bacon around here)

1/4 cup olive oil (or you can use vegetable oil if you do not have any)

5 cups chopped onion

4 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup flour

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon basil

10 cups of chicken stock

4 cups of half and half

6 cups diced potatoes

10 cups of sweet frozen corn kernels

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut the raw bacon in small strips. In a large (and I mean large) stock pot, fry the bacon until the bacon is crispy on medium heat. Leaving the bacon grease in the bottom of the stock pot, strain out the crispy bacon to use as a garnish for the soup when you serve it.

Add the olive oil and the butter to the bacon grease. Keeping the heat on medium, sauté the onions until they are translucent.

After the onions are sautéed, add flour, salt, pepper and basil. Cook and continuously stir the flour and onion mixture for about 3 minutes.

Pour in the chicken stock and stir,

Add in the diced potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are tender.

Add in the frozen corn and the half and half.

Cook for around 5 more minutes, or until the soup is heated through.

Add in the cheddar cheese and stir until all the cheese is melted.

Taste the soup, to see if you need to add more salt or pepper.

Serve and garnish with bacon and cheddar cheese.

Enjoy!

Becky

Other post you may enjoy:

                                      

Velveeta Cheese Soup                                  Poppy Seed Bread                              Oven BBQ Brisket

 

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