Category Archives: Soups

Sirloin Soup

This soup is rich and delicious and because it calls for Sirloin steak the meat is very tender.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 large leek, rinsed well and finely chopped
  • 2 carrots chopped
  • 1 pound sirloin steak, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper depending on your heat tolerance
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 quart beef stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Method:

  1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Add the leek and carrot and cook until soft, stirring frequently.
  4. Add the beef, salt, pepper and spices.
  5. Cook until the meat is no longer pink.
  6. Make a slurry with the flour and 2 tablespoons water.
  7. Add to the pot and stirring for a minute.
  8. Add the stock and bay leaf, stir well, and bring to a boil.
  9. Lower the heat and simmer partially covered for 1 to 1-1/2 hours stirring occasionally.
  10. Remove the bay leaf, add the parsley, stir well.
  11. Serve with good crusty bread.

This recipe makes about 4 servings.

First Weekend in January

The first weekend in 2024 proved to be a busy one. On Friday we enjoyed a last minute open house at the home of our friends and met some of their neighbors. On Saturday a big pot of borsch was cooked from scratch with broth from a seven bone roast. A few quarts of borsch will be shared this week. One small pot was delivered to our neighbor.

On Saturday evening we attended a Karaoke party for a friend from church who turned 50. We met another couple from our community and had a nice time getting to know each other. There have been lots of predictions of snow that didn’t materialize until Sunday in the wee hours. We woke up to a pretty blanketed landscape.

The following collage is photos of our ride into church on Sunday morning. Our series in Colossians continues to be excellent.

We didn’t have anymore snow on Sunday but they are threatening us with more starting Monday Evening into Tuesday. Time will tell if they are right.

Tomato Rice Soup

My husband has been making this soup longer than I’ve known him. That’s a lot of years! It’s our go to soup for a comforting meal for travelers.

Tomato Rice Soup

1 medium onion chopped
5 cloves garlic minced
olive oil
1- 28 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1- 6 oz. can of tomato paste
4-5 small bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
small pinch of saffron
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed in mortar with pestle
1/2 cup uncooked rice
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in heavy bottomed pot or cast iron Dutch oven and add chopped onion. Cook until almost translucent and add garlic. Cook the onion and garlic for a minute or two longer and then add the diced tomatoes. Cook till bubbly. Add broth and tomato paste. Add all the bay leaves and spices. When the soup comes to a boil add the rice and return to boil. Lower heat and allow to simmer partially covered until rice is cooked. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Serve with a good loaf of bread.

Tomato Florentine Soup

This is another new soup that was introduced from a grocery store flyer with great flavors. I made some adjustments according to what was missing in my pantry.

Tomato Florentine Soup

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup water
32 oz. chicken broth
1 can – 14oz. diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can tomato soup, undiluted (8 oz. can of tomato sauce can be used instead)
1 cup small shell pasta, uncooked
2 cups fresh spinach
salt and pepper to taste
Grated or shaved Parmesan cheese, for topping

Heat oil in dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.
Add garlic, cooking for 1 minute and stirring constantly.
Pour in water, broth, tomatoes, and tomato soup.
Bring to a simmer ad cook about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in pasta and cook 8 minutes.
Add spinach, cooking for a couple of minutes, until leaves wilt and the pasta is al dente.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve topped with Parmesan cheese.
Refrigerate any leftovers.

Serves: 4-6

Mexican Corn Soup

This soup has a good blend of flavors with a nice spice level to warm you up.

Ingredients:

  • 1 –12-16 ounce package frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
  • 2 – Cups chicken broth
  • 2 – Tbsp. butter or margarine
  • 1 – 4-1/2 ounce can diced green chili peppers
  • 1 – clove garlic, minced
  • 1 – Tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or l tsp. dried oregano, crushed
  • 1/4 – tsp. salt
  • 1/4 – tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 – cup milk
  • 2 – cups chopped, cooked chicken
  • 1 – cup chopped fresh tomatoes (You can substitute canned chopped tomatoes)
  • 1 – cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese or Mexican blend cheese
  • cilantro as garnish, optional
  • tortilla strips, optional

Method:

  1. In a blender container combine half of the corn and the chicken broth. Cover; blend until nearly smooth.
  2. In a large saucepan, combine corn puree, remaining corn, butter, chili peppers, garlic, dried oregano (if using dried instead of fresh), salt, and black pepper.
  3. Bring to boiling, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
  4. Stir in milk, chicken, tomatoes, and fresh oregano (if using instead of dried), heat through.
  5. Remove from heat.
  6. Stir in cheese until melted.
  7. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and tortilla strips, if desired.
  8. If you like heat add chopped jalapeno along with the diced green chili peppers.
  9. Serves 4-6.

Tips: For the tomato portion of this recipe I used a 14-1/2 ounce can of chopped tomatoes with jalapenos that really gave the soup a nice ramp of spice.

Lasagna Soup – Slow Cooker

This soup starts in the slow cooker. If you’d like, you can serve it up in oven proof bowls adding cheese on top and putting it under the broiler until the cheese melts. If you don’t want to do that you can add cheese on top without putting it under the broiler. I saw this idea on The Kitchen on Food Network.

Ingredients:

  • 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 large onion, chopped
  • 1 can 28 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 1 can 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons parsley flakes (or 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8-12 ounces pasta of your choice
  • grated Mozzarella Cheese
  • sliced Provolone cheese

Method:

  1. Heat oil in frying pan.
  2. Add ground beef and cook thoroughly, seasoning with salt and pepper.
  3. Drain the ground beef and set aside on a plate with paper towel to soak up excess oil.
  4. Add onion to the crock pot.
  5. Add the meat on top of the onion.
  6. Add the remaining ingredients except for the pasta and cheeses and stir together.
  7. Cook on high for 6 hours.
  8. Add the pasta and cook for 30 more minutes.
  9. Remove bay leaf and serve in bowls adding grated Mozzarella cheese on top.
  10. Or, fill broiler-proof bowls with soup adding grated Mozzarella cheese on top and one or two slices of Provolone cheese on top of the Mozzarella.
  11. Place under broiler on a baking sheet watching carefully until the cheese melts and starts to brown.
  12. Serve with salad and bread, if desired.

This recipe can serve 8 people generously.

Crockpot Potato Soup

This easy Crock Pot Potato Soup is inspired by a Paula Deen recipe that was shared on bj’s Sweet Nothings blog. I changed it up with some fresh ingredients and we really enjoyed it.

Ingredients:

  • 10 golden or new potatoes, diced, 4-5 cups
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 2 cans chicken broth or 29 oz. of homemade broth or stock
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 10-1/2 oz.
  • 2 stalks of celery chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 block softened cream cheese, 8 ounces, cut into 8 pieces
  • cooked bacon for topping
  • shredded cheese for topping

Method:

  1. Spray crock pot with cooking spray.
  2. Add diced potatoes, onion, broth, soup, celery and pepper and mix well.
  3. Set crock pot on low and cook for 5-6 hours.
  4. After 5-1/2  hours add the softened cream cheese stirring to blend.
  5. Heat for another 1/2 hour.
  6. Serve topped with cooked chopped bacon and shredded cheese if desired.

Serves 6-8

Creamy Cubano Soup

This is a simple to make creamy soup version of the popular Cubano Sandwich that is typically made with roasted pork, ham, swiss cheese, dill pickle, and mustard. The homemade crunchy croutons for the top of the soup stand-in for the bread in the sandwich. This is a soup with a Latin flair.

Ingredients:
1 sub roll or other rolls you have on hand cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Tablespoon oil
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon mustard
2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken stock
1-1/2 cups half and half
1/4 lb. Swiss cheese, shredded
1/4 lb. cheddar cheese, shredded
1-1/2 cups fully cooked diced ham
Salt and Pepper for seasoning, to taste
2 dill pickles, minced

Heat a pan (cast iron if you have one) over medium-high heat. In a mixing bowl, combine bread cubes with the oil, toss to coat. Spread in single layer in the pan and toast, turning often, until the croutons are crisp and blackened in spots, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the mustard and flour, and whisk well to combine. Add the stock and half and half, bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and add the cheeses, whisking until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in the ham and continue cooking until the ham is warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. I found that no extra seasoning was needed since the cheese and ham are salty to begin with. Ladle into serving bowls, top with a spoonful of minced pickles and a handful of the reserved croutons. Serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Serves 4 generously.

Note: My photo of the bowl of soup is not topped with the diced pickles because I forgot them. Photo fail but the soup was delicious.

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a easy Crock Pot soup my high school girlfriend Nancy shared with me that is filling and will warm you up.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup chunky salsa (mild, medium or hot)
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 1 can (approx 15 ounces) black beans rinsed and drained
  • 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can (approx 15 ounces) diced tomatoes with jalapenos or green chilies ( choose according to the spice level/heat you prefer)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 or 2 6inch corn tortillas cut into strips
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Method:

  1. Stir the salsa, chicken, corn and beans in a 4 quart slow cooker/crock pot.
  2. Stir the soup, tomatoes, water, cumin together in a separate bowl. Pour over the crock mixture.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
  4. Stir in tortilla strips, cheese and cilantro.
  5. Cover and cook an additional 15 minutes.
  6. Enjoy with warm tortillas or corn bread!

Chicken Tetrazzini Soup

I saw this soup in a grocery store magazine and the ingredients sounded good so I made a smaller portion for my husband and me. I had Bucatini on hand and used that instead of spaghetti. Regular spaghetti or angel hair pasta would be easier to manage in this great flavored soup. Don’t forget the lemon zest, it really adds a nice finish to the soup.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 4 cups of chicken broth
  • 4 ounces spaghetti, broken in half
  • 1 cup chopped fully cooked chicken
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 1/4 cup half and half
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  1. In large soup pot melt the butter over medium heat.
  2. Add the onion and mushrooms seasoning with a little salt and pepper, cooking and stirring occasionally until soft, 8-10 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
  4. Add chicken broth and spaghetti, increasing the heat to medium high and bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.
  6. Add the chicken, peas and half and half, and cook until heated through.
  7. Just before serving, stir in the lemon zest, Parmesan, and parsley.
  8. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
  9. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Serves: 4-5