Crockpot Tomato Basil Soup

I picked up more hours this fall which means I am not home until at least 3:30pm most days.  With dinner between 5 & 5:30pm, I really need to "keep it simple" this year.  Because of my limited prep time, my crockpot is getting a workout this year!  A coworker pinned this recipe and brought in her leftovers for lunch.  She let me snitch a spoonful.  It was delicious, so I made it later that week.  Although my kids didn't really like it, my husband & I did.

NOTE: This recipe has about 45 minutes of work at the end to finish it, so prepare accordingly.

• 2 (14-ounce each) cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained (I used the garlic & olive oil variety)
• 1 cup finely diced celery (I omitted this)
• 1 cup finely diced carrots (I used matchstick carrots)
• 1 cup finely diced onions
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 (4 tablespoons) butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

• In crockpot, combine the tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, oregano, basil, broth, and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours until the vegetables are tender.
• About 45 minutes before serving, melt the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is golden, about 3 minutes. 
• Whisking constantly, slowly ladle in 1 cup of the hot soup from the slow cooker. Whisk until smooth and bubbly. Add another cup and stir again until smooth. Add another cup or two and stir until smooth.
• Stir the creamy, hot mixture back into the slow cooker. Add the Parmesan cheese, half-and-half, salt and pepper, adding more salt and pepper if needed.
• Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes until ready to serve. Top with croutons.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

My sister passed this recipe along years ago. Not sure of where it came from, but it is delicious!

2 tbl oil
1 medium onion
2 cups cooked chicken (shredded or diced)
1 (15.25 oz) can corn (drained)
1 (15 oz) black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 (15 oz) diced tomatoes (NOT drained)
1 (4 oz) green chilies (drained)
1 (1.25 oz) taco seasoning packet
2 (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 tbl lime juice

Saute onion in oil until onion is clear/tender

add all except broth and lime juice, mixing to blend seasoning & heating through

add broth and bring to a boil

simmer for 10 to 15 minutes

add lime juice

top with tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips (we did those with "a hint of lime"), shredded cheddar cheese, cilantro & sour cream

Spicy Sausage Corn Chowder

While clipping coupons the other day, I came across a picture of this delicious chowder with instructions to find the recipe online. Here is where to find the original recipe. Ironically, my sister made note of the exact same recipe this week. Funny!


I changed the recipe a little bit, so here is my version.


19 oz Gold'n Plump® Hot Italian Chicken Sausage(my grocer didn't carry, so I bought "The Turkey Store Hot Italian Sausage")
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion
1 large red pepper (chopped)
1 large carrot (chopped)
2 stalks celery (chopped)
3 medium russet potatoes (cubed, unpeeled)
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
4 cups chicken broth
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 can (about 15 ounces) cream-style corn
1 cup whole kernel corn (I used frozen corn & I would add more next time)

Directions

I didn't want big sausage "coins" in my soup, so I took the skins off the sausage and browned it so it would be "ground turkey". I will do the same next time as well.

In soup kettle, saute onion, pepper, carrot & celery in olive oil.

Stir in potatoes, Italian seasoning, and broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until vegetables are very tender.

Stir in evaporated milk, cream-style corn, whole kernel corn, and ground sausage. Simmer 1o minutes over low heat until hot.

Zuppa Toscana

Derek and I enjoy the Olive Garden when we get a chance...especially if it is the Olive Garden sans kids. About a month ago, we went while my kiddos spent the night with grandma and grandpa. Man, without our kids along, I was extra annoyed by other peoples' children. Anyways...Derek ALWAYS gets Zuppa Toscana. I finally decided to also order it to see what the big deal was. It was delicious! I decided to look online for a copycat recipe. I didn't follow one specific recipe that I found, but rather put bits and pieces of different ones together, picking out what I thought would mimic it the most... It was pretty close, but lacked the "punch" (next time I'll try either "hot" Italian sausage or the addition of red pepper flakes). I brought it to work and it got rave reviews. Now all I need is one of those hand cheese grinders so I can ask "Would you like fresh grated cheese on that?"

1 lb ground Italian sausage (next time I'll use "hot")
1 small onion, diced
3 strips of bacon (I cut mine small with scissors to avoid having to crumble)
3 medium to large potatoes unpeeled and cubed
2 tsp minced garlic
2 cups of kale, torn into bite sized pieces
32 oz chicken broth
2.5 cups of water
1 pint heavy cream
salt, pepper, garlic salt (to taste)
red pepper flakes if not using "hot" sausage (not sure on amount)

brown & drain sausage in fry pan, remove
fry bacon with onion until bacon is crisp and onion is tender, drain & remove
add sausage, bacon and onion to soup pot
add garlic, potatoes, kale, chicken broth & water
simmer until potatoes and kale are tender
stir in cream shortly before serving and heat through
season to taste

Crockpot Potato Chowder

I got a new crockpot and a Taste of Home Crockpot cookbook for my birthday recently. Yesterday was a total soup day, so I tried this since we had all the ingredients on hand. I wondered if this soup would be bland, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was sooooooo good. We of course topped it with some shredded cheddar cheese as well!

8 c diced potatoes (we left the skins on)
1/3 c chopped onion
3 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
1 can (10 oz) cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp pepper
1 (8 oz)cream cheese (cubed)
1/2 pound bacon (cooked and crumbled)
snipped chives
shredded cheddar cheese to top, if you'd like

In a slow cooker, combine the first five ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until potatoes are tender. Add cream cheese; stir until blended. Garnish with bacon and chives if desired. We topped our bowls with some shredded cheddar!

Chicken Broccoli Tortellini Soup

Say that three times real fast...Anyways, I LOVE this soup. The original was from a mini "check-out aisle" book of Soups & Breads by Betty Crocker and I changed it to fit our tastes.

1 tbl olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
1/2 c water
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 (10 oz) box frozen cut broccoli in cheese flavored sauce
1 (9 oz) package refrigerated cheese filled tortellini
2 chicken breasts, cubed and cooked
1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes (NOT drained)
shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese for topping
croutons for topping are also delicious

Heat oil and add onion. Cook until tender.
Stir in broth, water, Italian seasoning, broccoli, tortellini and tomatoes. Heat to a boiling, stirring occasionally and breaking up broccoli.

Stir in chicken. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until tortellini is tender.

Serve topped with cheese and croutons.

Baked Potato Soup

I'm back! Between the holidays and 10 days in Costa Rica, I hadn't posted in quite some time. But here I am with a wonderful, low fat, soup recipe.

One medium bulb of garlic (top trimmed off)
6 large baking potatoes
4.5 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp pepper (I'd use less)
mix-ins: fat free sour cream, turkey bacon, green onion or chives, low fat/fat free shredded cheddar cheese

wrap garlic in foil & pierce potatoes once with a fork
place garlic and potatoes on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes
remove garlic and let cool, bake potatoes for 15 minutes longer or until tender

Squeeze garlic bulb into soup pot, peel 3 of the hot potatoes and add to garlic, mashing until smooth

slowly at chicken broth and pepper and heat through

take remaining three potatoes and cube, leaving peeling on

add to soup and heat through

serve with bacon, sour cream, chives/green onions and cheddar cheese

Creamy Potato Soup

My mother-in-law gave me this recipe. I LOVE it.

6 medium potatoes, peeled and chunked
8 bacon slices (I cut mine into bite sized pieces with a pair of scissors)
1 onion
3 carrots
3 stalks of celery
(I throw the onion, carrots and celery into a food processor.)
3 cans of cream sauce (we use 1 mushroom, 1 celery and 1 chicken)
3 tbl parsley flakes
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1 1/4 c milk
shredded cheese (optional...but we top ALL soup with cheese! Hey, I was born in Wisconsin.)

Put potatoes in a pot and add just enough water to cover the potatoes. Boil until soft. Meanwhile, fry bacon in a frying pan along with the onions, carrots and celery. Cook until bacon is done and veggies are tender.

Once potatoes are done, mash the potatoes, including the water, to desired consistency. Add the soups, parsley, salt, pepper and milk. Combine. Stir in the bacon/veggie mix. Cook on low to medium low for 20 to 30 more minutes. We top ours with shredded cheese.

Minestrone Soup

As you know, I think a lot of Rachel Ray's recipes look fabulous, but never go through the work of making them (weird ingredients that I may never use again, time consuming, etc) BUT this soup is delicious. It is from her magazine. You are supposed to serve with homemade Garlic Bread Croutons, but Ellie and I made homemade French Bread instead. If you are curious about the recipe for the Garlic Bread Croutons, let me know and I will post it.

2 tbls EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1/4 pound pancetta or thick cut prosciutto, finely chopped (optional)-we opted out for what we call "Meatless Monday"
1 pound zucchini, cut into bite sized chunks
2 ribs celery with leafy tops, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped (oops, I forgot this)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt & pepper
32 ounce container chicken or vegetable stock (we used chicken broth)
15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed
15 oz can crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
1/4 pound pasta (we used bow tie)
handful torn basil

Heat EVOO in soup pot over medium high heat. add pancetta or prosciutto if using and cook until browned. Add the zucchini, celery, carrot, onion, bay leaf and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender.

Stir in stock, beans and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Stir in the basil and lower the head to low. (I cooked pasta separately and added later.) We served with shredded mozzarella on top and some yummy homemade French Bread (recipe posted).

Perfect Fall Meal in my opinion...

Ground Beef Noodle Soup

I'm a sucker for mini cookbooks hanging out at the checkout aisle... I found Taste Of Home's "Easy Back To School Meals" one day late summer. I've got a list of recipes I plan to try from it including this easy soup. I had ALL the ingredients on hand (oh, except 1). The broth was REALLY flavorful. It's hearty enough to act as a meal. We topped the soup with some shredded mozzarella and paired it with some yummy dinner rolls.

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (I used only 1 pound)
1/2 c EACH chopped onion, celery and carrot
7 cups water
1 envelope au jus mix
2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
2 bay leaves
1/8 tsp pepper
1 1/2 c uncooked egg noodles (we use "NO YOLK" b/c of my cholesterol problem)

In a large saucepan, cook the beef, onion, celery and carrots over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.

Add the water, au jus mix, bouillon, bay leaves and pepper; bring to a boil. Stir in the noodles. Return to a boil. Cook, uncovered for 15 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves.

Minestrone (tastes just like Olive Garden's)

My friend Kristen gave me this recipe. She brought this delicious soup over after I had Ellie. I HAD to have the recipe. I LOVE soup. I make soup all year round. Derek will come home on a hot August day to a pot of Chili and make a comment like "Do you know it is 90 degrees outside?". What can I say, I love me some good soup. I've learned to turn my leftovers into soup as a way to reduce throwing away leftovers that sit in my fridge too long. Enjoy this soup with some Italian cheeses sprinkled over the top and some fresh warm bread to dip.

(Sorry there isn't a picture)

ITALIAN SOUP

3 (14 oz) cans of chicken broth

1 can Italian Style tomatoes (undrained)

1 can of beans (kidney, garbonzo, etc)

Frozen bag of Italian Stir Fry with Marinara Packet (I've only found this at Aldi....I've had to substitute frozen Italian vegetables with about a cup and a half of marinara sauce)

garlic, salt, & pepper

pasta cooked and drained (small or medium shells are great)

*Throw everything in a big pot and simmer.

2 for 1 with Dirty Rice

On Sunday, I made dirty rice and served it on tortillas. Today, I made the leftovers into soup. Here is what I did for both.

Sunday:

2 boxes Zatarans Dirty Rice Mix
1 pound ground beef (browned and drained)
1 can corn (drained)

Prepare as instructed on box but used only 1 pound of beef and added corn.

Serve on flour tortillas with shredded cheddar cheese. We had company and everyone had seconds (and some even thirds and fourths) So glad everyone enjoyed it, and it was SOOOO easy.

Today:

used my leftover rice mix
added a can of petite diced tomatoes (undrained)
and enough chicken broth to cover rice and still be "soupy"

heated through and served with shredded cheddar cheese and crushed tortilla chips. Am thinking a dollop of sour cream might be tasty too.

(Note: No picture of tortillas from Sunday)