Hearty Veggie Pesto Soup

Ingredients

1 small onion, diced
1 leek, chopped (optional)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups vegetable broth
3 small potatoes, diced
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 cup green beans, cut in 3/4 inch pieces
1 medium zucchini, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 can white beans
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoons pesto

Directions

1. In a pan, saute onion, leek, and garlic in olive oil for 10 minutes.
2. pot, heat the broth and bay leaf until boiling. Lower the heat to medium and add the onion and leek mixture. Also add the potatoes, celery, and carrots. Cook for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to simmer and add the zucchini, green beans, and tomatoes. Cook for another five minutes.
3. Then add the beans to the soup and the pesto. Mix well and take off heat. Allow to sit for five minutes before serving with warm bread.
4.  

Chili's Southwest Chicken Chili

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup diced onions
1 1/3 cups diced green bell pepper
2 tablespoons diced seeded jalape?o pepper
3 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
4 1/2 cups water
8 teaspoons chicken base
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons ground cumin
2 1/2 tablespoons ground chili powder
4 teaspoons ground paprika
4 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons freshly minced cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
1/2 cup crushed canned tomatillos (see note)
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles, drained
2 (15 ounce) cans navy beans or small white beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained
3 pounds diced cooked chicken breast
Shredded cheese and sour cream for garnish (optional)
Tortilla chips

In 5-quart or larger pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and saut? along with bell pepper, jalape?o and garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender.

In another container, combine water, chicken base, lime juice, sugar, cornstarch and seasonings. Add to vegetable mixture.

Add tomatillos and diced green chiles to pot; bring to boil. Add beans and chicken; simmer 10 minutes. Serve topped with cheese and sour cream if desired, with tortilla chips on the side.

Yields about 4 quarts.



Butternut Squash Soup

 

Ingredients                

• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cube chicken bouillon
• 1 pinch ground cumin
• 1 pinch ground allspice
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat; cook the onion, garlic, and thyme in the hot butter until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Add the squash and chicken stock; bring to a simmer and cook until the squash is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Crumble the bouillon into the soup; season with cumin, allspice, salt, and pepper; remove from heat.
2. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway. Hold the lid of the blender in place with a kitchen towel and carefully start the blender using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a serving bowl. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup in the pot.

              Makes 4 Servings

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Ingredients

Chicken boullion                                 
 9oz Package Refrigerated   small cheese tortellini                              

1/2 c chopped fresh parsley
 1 t. dried basil

 salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (14) oz. can diced tomatoes

1 c chopped carrots

1 c chopped celery

3 large chicken breast

Directions

1. Cooked chicken and chop into bite size pieces. Add water and enough chicken boullion to taste. Add chopped vegies, cook until tender. Add tortellini, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer until tortellini  is done.

Italian Bean And Sausage Soup In A Bread Bowl

This is a very simple recipe, and another family favorite.  This soup disappears quite quickly in our house.

Sautee Italian sausage and onions in olive oil.

12 oz. Sweet Italian sausage

2 tsp. olive oil

1 c. chopped onions

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 (28 oz.) can plum tomatoes

3 1/2 hot water

2 c. med. sized pasta shells (4 oz.)

2 chicken  bouillon cubes or 2 tsp. instant broth granules

1 (19 oz.) can white beans

Break up tomatoes. Add tomatoes with juice, water, pasta and bouillon to pot.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 7 minutes, Rinse and drain beans. Add to soup and simmer until pasta is cooked..

 Serves 6

You may bake these bowls ahead of time, I usually have some from when I last baked bread.  You can use the bread recipe listed on this site, or even buy a bag of frozen already made.  After taking the centers out I suggest that you bake the bowls again on low heat for at least an hour so that it will be able to hold the soup!

It's What's For Dinner Tonight- Beef Barley Soup!

This is quick barley, there is also Pearl Barley which has to cook a whole lot longer!

This is one of my childrens very favorites!

1 lb stew beef or left over roast beef
8 cups water
1 pkg beef bouillon- I usually cook it down for an  hour or so, taste it and adjust the flavor
1 cup celery
1 cup carrots
1 cup onion
1/2 cup barley
1/4 cup parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic to taste (optional)

Brown beef In 2 tbsp. oil. Add 8 cups water to pot and boil, then simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove meat and shred. Dissolve bouillon in 1/2 cup of water. Add vegetables and bouillon to pot. Add barley, parsley spices and meat.
Simmer until barley is cooked.