Creamy Potato and Broccoli Soup

This seems like the perfect recipe to share today. Here in Michigan we expected to get hit hard by a winter storm. This soup is hearty and will warm you up no matter what state you live in.
A couple of variations could be: 1. I used a hot pepper cheese, but I think any kind of cheddar or combination of your favorite cheeses would work well.  2. I used a smoked applewood thick cut bacon, but a peppered bacon, or pancetta might be nice. 3. If you have some wonderful chicken stock, that would be perfect. If you are like me than you can use a wonderful product. Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base. I love this stuff!! Also, you could use a vegetable broth. 

For those meat free-ers, just omit that step. Make sure if you don’t have some bacon grease to brown the vegetables, use 2 TBSP. of olive oil.

Stay warm and safe.

Enjoy and Happy cooking,

Vonnie

Ingredients:

 

3 slices Thick Bacon, Cut Into 1/2-inch Pieces

1  whole Medium Onion, Diced

3 whole Carrots, Scrubbed Clean And Diced

3 stalks Celery, Diced

3 whole medium Idaho Potatoes, Peeled And Diced

2 cups of broccoli,  chopped (fresh or frozen)

6 cups  Chicken or Vegetable Broth

3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour

2 cups Milk

1 cup Heavy Cream

2 cups grated cheese of your choice

1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste (optional)

 Pepper To Taste

 

 

Directions:

Add bacon pieces to a soup pot over medium heat and cook bacon until crisp and fat is rendered. Remove the bacon from the pot and set it aside. Pour off all but 2 TBSP. of grease, and do not clean the pot.

Return the hot to medium-high heat and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or so, then add the diced potatoes and broccoli. Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Pour in the broth and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to get tender. Whisk together the flour and the milk, then pour into the soup and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove  1/2 the soup and blend in a blender,food processor, or large bowl that you can use your immersion blender and blend until completely smooth. (Remember if you are using your blender, DO NOT PUT THE LID ON!! Pour it back into the soup pot and stir to combine. Stir in grated cheese, cream, and bacon. Stir until everything is combined and melted.
Serves:6

Irish Bacon and Cabbage Soup

This is what I like to make on St. Patrick’s Day.  It is so satisfying and easy to make.  I always serve it with some homemade Irish Soda Bread and a Killians beer, but since I was traveling yesterday I didn’t get a chance to make it.  It doesn’t have to be St. Patrick’s Day to enjoy one of my favorite soups.  The next day works too!

Hope you enjoy and Happy Cooking,

Vonnie

 

 

Ingredients:

1/2 pound Irish bacon, diced

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 large onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

3 cup chicken stock

salt and black pepper to taste

2 cups thinly sliced dark green savoy cabbage leaves

 

Directions:

Place bacon in a large, deep stockpot or saucepan.  Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown.  Drain off any excess fat.

Stir in potatoes, onions, celery, carrots, tomatoes, and chicken stock to cover.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in cabbage and allow the soup to simmer for a few minutes longer before serving.

Serves: 6

 

 

Zuppa Toscana

In need of a great dinner? Look no farther. This soup is so satisfying and takes no time to prepare! If you are not a fan of Kale or Swiss Chard you can substitute Spinach.  A nice salad and crusty bread makes this a perfect meal!

Enjoy and Happy Cooking,

Vonnie

 Ingredients:                                                                               

1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage

1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups chicken stock or broth

6  Yukon potato, thinly sliced

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups kale or swiss chard,  chopped

                                                                                                                

    Directions

Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.  Cook the bacon in the same Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain, leaving a few tablespoons of drippings with the bacon in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour the chicken stock into the Dutch oven with the bacon and onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat. Add potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Add Kale and simmer another 10 minutes. Check potatoes. They should be fork tender. Add cream and cooked sausage. Heat until warm.

Southwestern Red Bean Vegetable Soup

  What do you get when you combined a wonderful blends of fresh vegetables and herbs with a little kick from some seasonings  and hearty red beans?
A fantastic dinner! This soup is perfect for Meatless Monday or a Friday Lenten meal.
Enjoy and Happy Cooking,                                         

Vonnie

 

 

Ingredients:

3 large green bell peppers

3 celery ribs, chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

4 (16 ounce) cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, semi-drained

4 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

            Directions

In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the peppers, celery, onions and beans. Stir in the remaining ingredients.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaves before serving.

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

SNOW we have SNOW!!  Winter has finally arrived in Michigan and what better way to ward off the blues on a cold day than with a great bowl of soup.  This is the perfect dinner that will warm you and your family through and through.  It is so satisfying, and best of all it takes no time to make.  This is one of my favorite soups, and the leftovers are fantastic!!

Enjoy and Happy Cooking,                                                               

Vonnie

Ingredients:

3 slices bacon

3 large potatoes, peeled and diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 onion, diced

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – diced

3 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen peas

3 cups half-and-half

1 1/2 cups biscuit mix

1 cup milk

 

Directions:

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside; reserve bacon drippings in skillet.

Add potatoes, carrots, onion and chicken to bacon drippings and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in chicken broth; season with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir in corn, and simmer all together for 15 minutes Add frozen peas.

Pour in half-and-half and bring to a boil; add crumbled bacon. In a medium bowl, combine biscuit mix with milk and mix well (dough should be thick). Drop tablespoon sizes of dough into boiling mixture; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes uncovered, then another 10 minutes covered. (Note: Do not stir while simmering, or dumplings will break apart). Serve hot.

Red and Green Winter Soup

Nothing is more comforting and nourishing than a big bowl of Red and Green Winter Soup. It’s the perfect dinner now that winter has officially made it’s appearance, and the colors are very festive!  In less than 30 minutes you can have a very satisfying dinner that really good for you. Happy Holidays!

Enjoy and happy cooking,

Vonnie                                                                                                   

Ingredients :

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 onions, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced

2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 bunch kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped

1 can crushed tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes (28 ounces)

3 large roasted red peppers

Parmesan or Asiago cheese, shredded

Preparation :

In a medium soup pot heat olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, garlic, onions, rosemary and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 7-8 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil, 6-8 minutes. Add the kale in batches and cook until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes.

Using a food processor or a mini chopper, puree the roasted peppers. Stir the pureed peppers into the soup pot, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Top with a spoonful of shredded cheese.

Serve with some good crusty Italian bread or garlic bread.

Note : If you want to add meat to this winter soup, a 1/2 pound of Italian sausage cooked and sliced or a couple of leftover grilled chicken breasts, sliced is a nice addition.

Lasagna Soup

Do you like Lasagna?

Well, if so, you’re going to LOVE this recipe for Lasagna Soup!  The great thing about it is, it comes together so quickly and tastes so rich that your family and guests will think you worked long and hard to make them a wonderful dinner.  I like to serve this with some good Italian bread and a simple salad.

Enjoy and Happy cooking~                                                                                               

Vonnie

1 lb lean  ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

2 large green, red or orange bell peppers, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 cups water

2 cans (14.5 oz each)  diced tomatoes with Italian herbs,

undrained

2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, optional

1 can (6 oz)  tomato paste

2 cups uncooked mini lasagna noodles (4 oz)

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 ½ cup seasoned croutons

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

In Dutch oven, cook beef, onion, bell peppers, garlic and bay leaf over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown and onion is tender; drain.

Stir in water, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir in pasta, Italian seasoning, black pepper, red pepper                 flakes, and brown sugar.  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. Remove Bay leaf.

Set oven control to broil. Pour hot soup into 6 oven proof soup bowls or casseroles. Top each with 1/4 cup croutons. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil soup with tops 3 to 4 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Turkey Vegetable Soup with Stuffing Dumplings

I came across this recipe for a hearty soup a few years ago and fell instantly in love. It is a wonderful way to use up your Thanksgiving leftovers. I always make a little extra, just so I can make this after I have spent the day fighting the crowds!

Enjoy and Happy Cooking~                                                                  

Vonnie                                                                                                                      

Ingredients:

Carcass form one 12-14 pound roasted turkey, picked clean

4 peeled carrots, 2 coarsely chopped and 2 sliced

4 stalks celery, 2 coarsely chopped and 2 sliced

6 garlic cloves, 4 smashed and 2 chopped

1 bay leaf

10 whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 large eggs

6 tablespoons flour, plus more as needed

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups leftover stuffing

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 cups shredded leftover turkey meat

1 cup leftover corn kernels

Directions:

Put the turkey carcass, quartered onions, coarsely chopped carrots and celery, smashed garlic, bay leaf, and peppercorns in a large stockpot and add enough cold water to just cover, about 2 quarts. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hour. Remove from the heat and strain the solids from the broth. Pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer and reserve; you should have about 10-12 cups broth.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the eggs, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper together until smooth. Add the stuffing and mix until well combined; cover and reserve.

Wipe the stockpot clean with a paper towel. Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the sliced carrots and celery, thyme sprigs, and reserved broth and bring to a simmer; cook vegetables are just soft, about 10 minutes.

Roll level tablespoons of the dumpling mixture into balls with wet hands (see note) and drop into the simmering soup; cook until dumplings float, 3-4 minutes. Gently stir in the turkey meat, corn, and season with salt and pepper, and simmer until heated through. Serve immediately.

Note: Moistness of stuffing can vary; if the dumpling dough is too soft to roll, add flour a teaspoon at a time until it is firm enough to hold its shape while rolling.

Chili

Jesse James (1847-1882), outlaw and desperado of the old American West, refused to rob a bank in McKinney, Texas because that is where his favorite chili parlor was located.  

It is said that Will Rogers judge a town by the quality of its chili. He sampled chili in hundreds of towns, especially in Texas and Oklahoma and kept a box score. He concluded that the finest chili (in his judgment was from a small cafe in Coleman, Texas. 

Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson had “chili pangs” for President Lyndon Johnson’s, 36th President of the United States, “Pedernales River Chili” and had cards printed with the LBJ chili recipe. “It has been almost as popular as the government pamphlet on the care and feeding of children.” 

We have a love affair chili. You can’t pick up a recipe book without a couple of chili recipes in it. I acquired my recipe in 1990. It’s a traditional chili recipe with tomatoes, beans, beef, onions and peppers.

Hope you enjoy and Happy Cooking~                                          

Vonnie

 Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef

1 TBSP. shortening

1 1/2 cup onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup green peppers, diced

2 large can tomato sauce

2-14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

4 TBSP. chili powder

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. sugar

2 TBSP. Worcestershire sauce

2 cans red kidney beans, drained

 Directions:

Brown ground beef in shortening. Add garlic, onions, and green peppers. Cook until onions are transparent. Drain off fat. Add tomato sauce,  diced tomatoes, chili powder, salt, sugar, Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ever want to have bowl of  rich cream of mushroom soup, but all you have time to make is the canned variety?  This is a great recipe when you are short are time, but trust me it won’t be short on flavor. You will never go to the store and pick up a can of soup again when you put this recipe in your repertoire!   Serve this with a simple salad and you have a wonderful satisfying meal on a wonderful Fall day!

PS This is great for Meatless Monday!

Enjoy and Happy cooking~

 Vonnie                                                                                                    

Ingredients:                                                                                                 

 1 pound fresh mushrooms

 1/4 cup margarine

 1 small onion, chopped fine 

 3 cloves garlic, chopped

 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

 4 cups vegetable broth

 1 cup  cream (I use half and half)

 salt and pepper to taste

 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves

 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

 Directions

Thinly slice the mushroom cap. Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan and cook the onion, garlic and chopped thyme, stirring, for 1 minute, or until the garlic is golden. Add the mushrooms and salt and white pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the mushrooms  soften. Add flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

 Remove from the heat and add the stock, stirring continuously. Return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 Whisk the cream into the soup, then reheat gently, stirring. Do not allow the soup to boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and garnish with the chopped chives and thyme.