Green Soup

I found this article and recipe in a Reader's Digest when I was home, and when I got back home Kara and I tried it out.  Here's the recipe, then I'll give the review.

2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 tsp salt, divided
1/4 cup arborio rice
1 lb greens: green chard, kale, mustard greens, or beet greens
14 cups gently packed spinach (about 12 oz)
4 cups vegetable broth
Big pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp lemon juice, more to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in large skillet over high heat. Add onion and 1/4 tsp salt; cook, stirring, until onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add 2 tbs. water, and cover. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are greatly reduced and have a caramel color, 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine 3 cups water, remaining 3/4 tsp salt, and rice in soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes. Trim ribs and tough stems from the greens and spinach; discard. Coarsely chop greens and spinach.

3. When rice has cooked 15 minutes, stir in greens. Return to a simmer; cover and cook 10 minutes. When onions are caramelized, stir a little greens' simmering liquid into them; immediately add them to rice along with spinach, broth, and cayenne. Return to a simmer, cover, and cook until spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes more.

4. Puree soup in pot with immersion blender until perfectly smooth, or in a regular blender in batches. Stir in lemon juice and garnish with olive oil.

We also garnished with croutons. And feta cheese.

Review:

It was very...green. Tastes like greens. The lemon juice and cayenne add some nice flavor to it. Kara suggested adding a Parmesan cheese rind into the soup as it's cooking. I liked the feta cheese in it because it's very salty and the creaminess offsets the kind of bitterness from all the greens. If you are feeling like you're getting scurvy or otherwise lacking in vitamins, go ahead and try this recipe and feel free to dress it up with whatever you like.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

Ever since we got back from vacation I've been on a healthier eating kick. There's nothing like eating snacks and pizza for a week to motivate me to try something new, and this one was super yummy. I found this soup quite a while ago from two peas and their pod, which is a blog that I don't really follow regularly, but where I occasionally find some good recipes to try out. This soup is colorful, flavorful, and relatively easy. I definitely recommend it. I was also surprised at how spicy it was. I guess I had forgotten that there were red pepper flakes and chili powder in there. :)

 

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

1 T olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped (I used one large and one small because I like sweet potato and it definitely didn't seem like too much... I think it was just right)
1 roasted red pepper, chopped (I used jarred because I didn't want to roast a red pepper just for this soup. I had never purchased a jarred roasted red pepper before but it smelled super duper good right when I opened it. bonus. I also used some of the juice from the jar as part of the 2 cups of water below.)
2 cans low sodium vegetable broth (15 oz. size)
2 cups water
3 cans low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 T chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
Dash of red pepper flakes
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add in the onion and cook until tender. Add in the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the sweet potato and roasted red pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add in the broth, water, black beans, and tomatoes. Stir well.
4. Add the chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Stir and toss in the cilantro. Stir again. Let the soup simmer on medium low for 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft.
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

I didn't use any of these, but she says you can garnish the soup with cilantro, avocado slices, cheese, tortilla strips, and/or sour cream. 

I had to put the soup on medium-high for part of the 30 minutes because my potatoes just weren't getting soft, and I didn't end up adding any salt and pepper at the end because I thought it tasted great. However, I didn't get the low sodium versions of beans and vegetable broth so you may want to add some salt if you do get the low sodium stuff. I served it with buttered wheat toast which was super good to dip in the soup broth. Yum yum yum. I'm looking forward to lunch leftovers tomorrow. :)

Garden Fresh Tomato Soup

Garden Fresh Tomato Soup

recipe altered slightly based on recipe from AllRecipes.com

4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 slice onion

2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed (optional)
4 whole cloves (I used ground cloves)
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white sugar, or to taste

In a stockpot, over medium heat, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, cloves and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and gently boil for about 20 minutes to blend all of the flavors. Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender or just pour it into a blender and blend it up until smooth.

In the now empty stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour to make a roux, cooking until the roux is a medium brown. Gradually whisk in a bit of the tomato mixture, so that no lumps form, then stir in the rest. Season with sugar and salt, and adjust to taste.

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We are this with grilled cheese sandwiches and I added a few basil leaf bits to the top of my soup. Yum!

Clam Chowder

This recipe makes an awesome clam chowder. I used 'fat free" half-and-half (what is that anyways? I thought it was the fat content that determines whether it is milk or heavy cream or half-and-half, etc. Anyone know?) and it still thickened up just fine and tasted great. Also I substituted apple cider vinegar for the red wine vinegar. The vinegar really makes the flavor pop so don't leave it out! Last time I made it I added extra onion, potatoes, celery, carrots and 4 cans of clams, making it a little heartier but still very delicious, without needing to increase the sauce (besides the added water to cover the veggies while cooking).

Clam Chowder

3 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
1 cup minced onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart half-and-half cream
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste
bacon (optional)

Pour juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water if necessary to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil.

Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

Zuppa Tuscano Soup

I've been meaning to share this recipe for a while, and I found the magazine while cleaning my room today, so here it is. I made it for soup night a while ago, and it was a big hit! Since I was making large quantities, I fudged and added some more of stuff, but this is the basic:

12 oz. Jimmy Dean hot pork sausage

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 tsp. garlic, minced

2 c. collard greens

1 49 oz. can and 1 14 oz. can chicken broth

4 russet potatoes, chopped with skins on

2 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tsp. Italian seasonings

1 point heavy cream (can use milk)

salt & pepper to taste

Heat wok or large soup pot. Add sausage, onion, and garlic. Fry until sausage is cooked through and onions are tender. Break sausage into small pieces as it is cooking. Add chopped collard greens and saute 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, potatoes, and seasonings. Bring to a boil then reduce head and let simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in cream and warm through. Adjust seasonings and serve. Serves 6-8

This is delicious, and easy to tweak according to needs. I would probably drain the fat from the sausage sauteing, but it doesn't matter too much.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Cream of Broccoli Soup

4 cups chicken broth
½ (10.75 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
¼ cup chopped onion ++
1/4 cup chopped celery ++
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ pinch ground white pepper
1 cup milk
2 T + 2 t cornstarch (or inst. potatoes)
2 tablespoons water
1 ½ cups fresh broccoli florets, cooked
¾ cup shredded American cheese
¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

In large saucepan, combine broth, cream of mushroom soup, onion, celery and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. (If not cooked already, start your broccoli cooking.)

After 20 minutes, add milk to the cream mixture and bring to a boil.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until cornstarch is completely dissolved.
Gradually add mixture to soup, stirring constantly. Simmer for 5 minutes and then add broccoli and cheeses, mixing until melted.

If you want, you can add extras like shredded carrots, chopped potatoes, etc. or substitute some for the celery.

Spicy African Yam Soup

from AllRecipes.com

We have eaten a lot of soup recently and most of it has been very delicious. I was honestly not expecting this soup to be very good when I found the recipe. I just searched for a recipe that used sweet potatoes and zucchini (which we had and needed to use up) and this was one of the few results. Honestly I was shocked there were any of that weird combination. We are not big eaters of either of these vegetables so I started this soup with very low expectations. Compound this with a few bad experiences with peanut butter in soup and it seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. Surprise! It was tasty and delicious and even Jeran liked it. I just love cumin.

Also this was the recipe that caused me to discover that garbanzo beans are the same as chick peas. And they are delicious. It ends up being like a tasty vegetable chili. Enjoy.

Spicy African Yam Soup

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup chunky salsa
1 (15.5 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained (aka chick peas)
1 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup cooked rice
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1. Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Saute onion, sweet potato, and garlic until onion is soft. Turn down heat if necessary to prevent burning.
2. Stir in the chicken broth, thyme and cumin. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in salsa, garbanzo beans and zucchini. Simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Stir in the cooked rice and peanut butter until the peanut butter has dissolved. Serve hot with pita chips and a green salad.

Can add some ginger and paprika if you want.

Clam Chowder

from AllRecipes.com

Not the healthiest soup with the butter and cream base, but it is a very nice creamy, tasty chowder. Clams are so easy!

My Best Clam Chowder

3 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
1 cup minced onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart half-and-half cream
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste
bacon (optional)

Pour juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water if necessary to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil.

Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

Butternut Squash Bisque

from Better Homes and Gardens

This delicious soup is so very rich and nutritious. It is a creamy, smooth soup that makes excellent leftovers. If you don't have an immersion blender, pour some of it into a blender or food processor. We had it topped with mozzarella cheese instead of Gouda and it was marvelous!

Butternut Squash Bisque

Ingredients

1 2-1/2- to 3-lb. butternut squash or 3, 12-oz. pkgs. frozen cooked winter squash, thawed

1/4 cup butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large carrot, coarsely chopped

1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large Braeburn or Gala apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1 48-oz. box reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup apple cider or apple juice

2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

3 oz. smoked Gouda or smoked cheddar cheese, finely shredded

Crumbled cooked bacon, celery leaves, and/or shaved Gouda cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Peel, seed, and cube butternut squash. In 6-qt. Dutch oven melt butter over medium-high heat. Add fresh squash (if using frozen squash add with apples and broth), onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add apples, broth, cider, and peppers. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 25 minutes or until vegetables and apples are tender. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

2. When slightly cooled, puree in pot using an immersion blender. (Or puree in batches in a blender; return soup to saucepan.) Blend in sour cream. Heat through. Remove from heat; stir in shredded Gouda until melted. Top with bacon, celery leaves, and/or Gouda cheese. Makes 8 servings.

Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup

from AllRecipes.com

I tried this soup out the other day for a Soup Party we had with some friends. It was very easy and very tasty. I love cumin! If you like spicy, you could add a little more pep, like some jalapeños. The corn tortilla strips are pretty good but tortilla chips would work just as well. Also, a dollop of sour cream on top is excellent.

Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 1/2 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth or Natural Goodness™ or Certified Organic Chicken Broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
• 1 (11 ounce) can whole kernel corn with red and green bell peppers, drained
• 1 cup Pace® Thick & Chunky Salsa
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Crisp Tortilla Strips:
• 4 corn tortillas
• Cooking spray

Directions

1. Spray a 6-quart sauce pot with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken to the sauce pot. Cook until it's browned, stirring often.
2. Stir in the broth, cumin and rice. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the corn, salsa, cilantro and lime juice. Cook until the rice is tender. Top each serving of soup with Crisp Tortilla Strips.
4. Crisp Tortilla Strips: Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut 4 corn tortillas into thin strips and place them on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.