Thai Peanut Butter Pumpkin and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

10 cups water
8 chicken bouillon cubes (enough for 8 cups of broth)
2 sweet onions diced
1 Tbsp. ginger (minced fresh or dried)
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (you may prefer to add more, up to 1 cup)
10 oz. bagged Kale (cut, cleaned and ready to cook - I use the ones from Trader Joe's)
1 (15 oz.) can Pure Pumpkin
crushed salted peanuts for topping (optional)

Directions:

Add water, bouillon cubes or powder, diced onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and pepper.  Heat on high until boiling, add peanut butter and stir until combined.  Add kale.  Turn heat down to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add pumpkin and stir until combined.  Simmer 5 more minutes.  Serve hot.  Top with crushed peanuts if desired.  Great served along side couscous or jasmine rice.

If you like the peanut butter flavor feel free to add more!  I like to keep things on the lighter side, so I stick to a modest amount of peanut butter.  However, it is delicious with more!

Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower cut into large chunks
2 potatoes cut into cubes (unpeeled)
1 large Vidalia Onion chopped
2 Tbsp. garlic minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
8 cups chicken broth (or 8 cups water and 8 chicken bouillon cubes)
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 bay leaf
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a large baking dish (preferably with a lid) combine all chopped vegetables, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and stir until well coated.  Bake covered (cover with foil if your baking dish does not have a lid) at 350 for 1 hour until vegetables are tender.  You will want to mix the vegetables around 2-3 times while they are cooking.

3.  Once vegetables are tender, melt 1 tbsp. butter in a large soup pot.  Add cooked vegetables to soup pot.  Add all remaining ingredients except the milk and bring to a boil.  Then cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes.  Add milk and return to medium heat until soup is warmed through.

4.  Turn off heat.  REMOVE THE BAY LEAF (Bay leaves are bitter, do not blend in the bay leaf).  Use an immersion blended to blend soup until thick and creamy.

5. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot.

Options:  Serve with grated cheese on top, scallions, croutons (or all 3) and ENJOY!!!

Guilt Free Cabbage Soup

6 cups water

6 beef bouillon cubes

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 head chopped cabbage

1 minced Vidalia (sweet) onion

2 diced carrots

1 can green beans

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

salt & pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a large soup pot.  Cook on high, bring to boil.  Turn heat down to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes.  Serve hot. 

Carrot Soup

Peel and Chop into 1 inch rounds 1 bag of carrots (I like Trader Joe's multi-colored carrots)
1 vidala onion chopped into large slices
2 large potatoes chopped into cubes
2 tbsp. butter
8 cups chicken broth (or 8 cups water and 8 chicken bouillon cubes)
2 Tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 bay leaves
1 + 1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt (plus more to taste)
2 cups milk

1.  Preheat over to 350 degrees.  In a large baking dish place chopped vegetables.  Pour over 2 tbsp. olive oil.  Add 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper.  Stir to coat.  Bake for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender.

2.  In large soup pot melt 2 tbsp. butter.  Add roasted vegetables and all remaining ingredients except for the milk.  Bring to a boil.  Turn down to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove Bay Leaves.

3.  Add milk.  Cook for 5-10 minutes on medium-low to heat.  Use immersion blender to blend soup to a thick consistency.  Serve hot.

Vegetable and Bean Crock Pot Soup - Great for any Season

This soup is healthy and delicious.  I am currently addicted to it.  It is very filling and almost fat-free.  Enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

12-15 oz. Dried Beans (I love to use Bob's Red Mill Black Bean Mix or Bob's Red Mill 13 Bean Mix - you only need ahlaf a bag)
1 10 ounce can mild RoTel
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15.25 oz. can yellow sweet corn
3 sweet potatoes chopped (or chopped acorn or butternut squash also work well)
1 sweet onion chopped
5 stalks of celery chopped (incluidng stalks and leaves)
2 cups of diced carrots (I use baby carrots)
2 bay leaves
7 chicken bouillon cubes
7 cups of water
Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Chopped Spring Onions and Sour Cream for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a large crock-pot.  Cover and cook on high for about 8 hours (I turn it on before I go to work and dinner is ready when I get home).  Garnish as desired and serve.

My Favorite Potato Soup for an Almost Snow Storm

This is my favorite Potato Soup ever.  It's so good I can eat 4 bowls without blinking.  I hope you love it too!

Ingredients:

5-6 Medium sized potatoes peeled and cut into small cubes
2 Vidalia Onions chopped
1/2 a stick of butter
2 Tbsp. of flour
2 Bay leaves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (or dried)
Salt & Pepper to taste
8 cups of chicken stock (or 8 cups water and 8 chicken bouillon cubes)
2 cups of milk
Optional Garnish (Bacon, Croutons, Shredded Cheddar Cheese, scallions)

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large soup pot, add the vegetables and saute on medium heat for 10-12 minutes.  Add flour and stir until just mixed.  Add chicken broth.  Add spices, salt and pepper.  Simmer for 30-45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Add milk and heat at medium heat until hot.  Serve immediately.  Garnish with croutons, shredded cheese and/or scallions.  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Bisque for a Cozy Winter's Night

Sweet Potato Bisque for a Cozy Winter's Night

Ingredients:

1 12 oz. package bacon (I love Trader Joe's Applewood Smoked Bacon)
2 medium sized sweet potatoes cubed (or one very large sweet potato)
1 cup sliced carrots (I use baby carrots)
1 medium Vidalia onion chopped
1 bag of frozen stir fry vegetables (mix of green, red and yellow peppers and onion)
1 can of light-colored beer (I used Keystone Light that someone left at my house)
1 tsp. pepper
6 chicken bouillon cubes
2 bay leaves
6 cups water

Directions:

1.  Cook bacon in a large soup pot until crisp.  Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towel and set aside; reserve bacon grease.  

2.  In the soup pot, heat 3 Tbsp. of reserved bacon grease.  Add sweet potatoes and carrots and saute for 5-8 minutes until the potatoes are tender.  Add onion and saute until onion is soft, about 4 minutes.  Add 1 bag frozen stir fry veggies and 1 can of beer and cook on high for 5 minutes.

3.  Add pepper, chicken bouillon cubes and 6 cups of water, bring to a boil.  Turn down to medium low and simmer covered for 30 minutes or until all vegetables are soft.

4.  Use a hand blender to blend soup until think and smooth.  If you don't have a hand blender you can use a blender, but its messier.  After blending the soup, add in the reserved bacon and heat.  Serve hot.

INCREDIBLE Bacon Butternut Squash Soup for a Dreary Almost Fall Eveving

I love this soup, this is my favorite fall meal...period.

Ingredients:
1 lb bacon (sliced into small pieces)
2 sweet onions diced
2 stalks celery diced
4 small-medium white potatoes diced
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. minced fresh sage
4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup white wine
8 cups chicken broth
4 (15 oz.) cans butternut squash (I buy Farmer's Market Organic sold at whole foods)
2 cups milk

Directions:

1.  Cook bacon in a large soup pot over medium heat until done.  Reserve oil.  Set bacon aside on paper towels to drain.

2.  Heat 2 Tbsp. of reserved oil back in the same soup pot.  Saute onions, celery, potatoes, bay leaves, sage, salt and pepper for 10-12 minutes or until tender.  Add 1/2 cup white wine and cook 2 additional minutes.  Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Simmer on low for 15 minutes.

3.  Add butternut squash, reserved bacon and milk, and heat until done.  Serve hot.  Enjoy!

Light Tomato Bisque for a Night in during a Steamy Summer Storm

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon chopped

2 small sweet onions diced

2 carrots diced

3 Tbsp. minced garlic

3 Tbsp. flour

6 cups water (reserved from tomatoes)

6 chicken boullion cubes

8 medium tomatoes

2 Tbsp. parsley

1/2 tsp. ground thyme

1 bay leaf

1 cup skim milk
1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese

1 tsp.  black pepper

salt to taste

Directions:

Bring about 8 cups of water to a boil in a medium sauce pan.  Cut out the tough vine area from the top of the tomatoes.  Slice an "X" shape on the bottom of the tomato.  Add tomatoes to boiling water.  Boil tomatoes for 2-3 minutes until skin starts to peel off, transfer to a bowl, reserving the hot water.  Rinse tomatoes with cold water.  Peel the skin from the tomatoes and put in a bowl.  Use a masher to mash tomatoes.  Set aside.

Cook bacon in a large soup pot until crisp.  Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towel and set aside; reserve bacon grease. 

In the same large soup pot, in the reserved bacon grease saute the onion, carrots and garlic for 6-10 minutes until tender.  Add flour and stir.  Add 6 cups of the reserved tomato water, chicken bouillon cubes and the tomatoes including any juice.  Add parsley, thyme, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil.  Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Turn off heat.  Add Parmesan.  Using a hand blender blend soup until mostly smooth.

Put soup on medium heat and add milk, and pepper.    Add reserved bacon.  Add salt to taste.  Serve soup hot.  Great with some homemade croutons and fresh Parmesan cheese grated on top.  Enjoy!

Creamy Bacon Corn Chowder for a Snowy Afternoon at Home

  So on Wednesday my office closed early due to some crazy winter weather.  First there was a lot of rain, then a downpour of sleet, next there was hail and finally it ended with an evening snow.  I decided to make the most of my afternoon off by making Creamy Bacon Corn Chowder.  I generally make this with whatever I have lying around the house (and I rarely make it with every optional ingredient since undoubtedly I will be out of something and generally after a long day the last place I want to be is at the grocery store).  Thus, there are many optional ingredients; and they really are optional, make it with what you have available or try adding something new.  Regardless of what you may have on hand, it will turn out great.  It's a hearty filling soup perfect for a snow day.

Ingredients:


1/2 lb bacon chopped (if you love bacon try adding a whole pound, bacon makes everything better)
1 onion chopped
1 sweet potato cubed (or use potato if desired)
2 Tbsp. Garlic
2 sticks of celery finely sliced (optional)
2 carrots finely sliced (optional)
1/2 bell pepper chopped (any color will do; optional)
1 tomato diced (optional)
4 cups frozen yellow corn (feel free to substitute fresh corn off the cob or canned corn)
1/2 cup white wine
1 Tbsp fresh chopped sage (or 2 tsp. dried sage)
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 bay leaves
4 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup flour (or more if needed)
2 1/2 cups skim milk (or more if needed)
more salt and pepper to taste
Shredded Cheddar Cheese for serving (optional)

Directions:

Cook the bacon on medium heat in a large soup pot until crispy.  Please bacon on a plate covered in  paper towels to drain; set aside.  Pour out all but 2 Tbsp. of the bacon oil.  Cook the onion, sweet potato, garlic, celery, carrots and bell pepper in the oil on medium high heat until the onion is transparent (about 6 minutes).  Add the tomato and corn.  Cook on med high for 5 minutes or until corn is thawed.  Add the wine, sage, pepper, salt, nutmeg, bay leaves and cook on medium high heat for an additional 5 minutes.  Add the chicken stock; and bring to a boil.  Then turn down heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, make your roux.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.  Add the flour and stir with a small whisk while incorporating the milk.  Cook on medium-high heat stirring constantly until mixture is thick (should be consistency of cake batter).  Once the roux is prepared, set aside.  Add the roux to the soup slowly after the soup has simmered for 10 minutes.  Add bacon.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  I prefer this soup hearty and chunky, but you can blend the soup in a food processor if you prefer a smooth consistency.  Serve your soup with shredded cheddar on top, if desired.

Serves a lot!