Pasta Primavera Soup with Parmesan Toast

1 Tb olive oil                                                               4 slices rustic bread such as ciabatta                   3 carrots, chopped                                                     2 Tb minced parsley, divided                                 1 small yellow onion, chopped                                   ¼ pound asparagus, trimmed and cut                     8 cups chicken or vegetable broth                                    diagonally into 1 “ pieces                               1 ½ tsp kosher salt                                                     1 c fresh or frozen peas                                      ¼  tsp pepper                                                              1 c grape tomatoes, halved                                  2 c small pasta, such as gemelli or penne                  1 ½ Tb lemon juice                                                 ¼ c Parmesan  

Preheat oven to 400

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add carrots and onion and cook for 5 minutes.  Add broth, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, stir in pasta and simmer until al dente, 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, lay bread on baking sheet and spinkle with Parmesan.  Bake until golden brown, 6-8 minutes.  Sprinkle with ½ Tb parsley.

Add asparagus to soup and cook for 2 minutes.  Stir in peas and cook 1 minute more.  Remove from heat, then stir in tomatoes, lemon juice, remaining 1 ½ Tb parsley and salt to taste.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with Parmesan toast.

This soup has a great flavor!  The second time I made this I added chicken and we thought it was even better than before.  

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Chili

I made this tonight and it got rave reviews from the grown ups and mixed reviews from the kids.  I totally plan on making it again though, because I loved it.

1 T olive oil

1 onion, diced

5-6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 can tomato paste

1 1/2 T chili powder

1 T cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

dash garlic powder

dash onion powder

salt, to taste

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

4 C. broth or water

1 large sweet potato, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

1 C. uncooked quinoa

In large pot, heat oil.  Saute onions until starting to brown.  Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute.  Next add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add tomatoes, beans, broth, and sweet potatoes.  Stir to combine, then add quinoa.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover with the lid slightly off, then cook for 40 minutes, or until the quinoa is cooked and the sweet potatoes are as soft as you like them.  Add salt to taste and feel free to add more water if it's too thick.

I got this from this website.  As I said, we really liked it, but I did add at least a cup of extra water and I cooked it longer because the sweet potatoes weren't as soft as I wanted them.

Potato Leek Soup

We had this soup a lot while we were in ireland and I loved it every time.  So when we got potatoes and leeks in the same week from our CSA, I had to try to recreate it.  This recipe did not disappoint!

Ingredients

1/2 c. butter
2 leeks, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 qt. chicken broth
1 T cornstarch
4 c. potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 c. heavy cream (I used kefir and I think it made the soup even better)

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook leeks in butter with salt and pepper until tender, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes.
2. Stir cornstarch into broth and pour broth into pot. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the cream, reduce heat and simmer at least 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Thai Coconut Soup

Wes and I have been on a Thai food kick lately. This recipe is DELISH... I'm not sure how healthy it is, but you'll love it! :)

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/03/quick-and-easy-thai-coconut-soup/

Rice Vegetable Soup

10 C water
1 large onion, diced
4 carrots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 small white potatoes, diced
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium summer squash, sliced
1/2 C rice, long-grain
2 bay leaves
2 cans tomato sauce
2 TB beef boullion
1/4 tsp ground thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
2 tsp Italian seasoning

Place onion, garlic, carrots into pot.  Cook until onion is translucent.  Add water, beef boullion, potatoes, rice, bay leaves, tomato sauce, thyme, and Italian seasoning.  Simmer for 20 min. or until rice and vegetables are done.  Add zucchini and summer squash, cook for an additional 5-10 min.
I made this recipe up a few days ago when I needed to take dinner to someone.  (I know, I know, great time to make something up...but I didn't have may ingredients on hand, I refused to go shopping, and I needed to use my squash and zucchini from my garden.)  Cheryl helped me a bit with the recipe (thanks Cheryl!!)  And it ended up tasting so good that I thought I'd post it here.  I was thinking that the next time I made it, I might add celery and/or barley.  If you make it, let me know what you think-even if you don't like it.  Thanks!

Healing Cabbage Soup

I talked about this cabbage soup recipe at the reunion.  It's a great tasting way to use up that cabbage you get from your co-op or CSA.  My kids really liked it too. 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 quarts water
• 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 head cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, drained and diced

Directions

1. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic; cook until onion is transparent, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in water, bouillon, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then stir in cabbage. Simmer until cabbage wilts, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes. Return to a boil, then simmer 15 to 30 minutes, stirring often.

Potato, Broccoli and Cheese soup!

Oh my, this soup has been the FAVORITE soup of all times according to the girls. My friend Andrea made it for me after surgery in Seattle and it was so good I had to have the recipe.
Last time I made it Elena gave it 100 Thumbs up!
enjoy.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 pounds peeled and cubed potatoes
5 cups boiling water
4 cubes chicken bouillon
3 cups fresh broccoli, cooked and drained
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I use SHARP)
DIRECTIONS

1. In a large stock pot saute onion in butter. Add potatoes, water and bouillon cubes. Cover, bring to boil and then reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minute
2. Remove tough outer skin of broccoli stems and cook broccoli. Once cooked add to soup.
3. In a blender or food processor puree half of the soup and return to stock pot. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add cheese and heat soup through until cheese is melted. Serve warm

Cauliflower Soup

So, to give credit where credit is due--this recipe is from The Pioneer Woman.  I have made several of her recipes and almost all of them have been major hits with the whole family.  Or at least, 3 out of 4 family members (the 5th hasn't been eating solids long enough to be a part of the statistics).  But I've made a few tweaks to make it a little healthier.

Cauliflower Soup (from Pioneer Woman)

2-3 T. olive oil

1/2 onion, finely diced

2-3 carrots, finely diced

1-2 celery stalks, finely diced

1-2 heads cauliflower, roughly chopped

2 T. chopped parsley

2 quarts chicken broth

4 T. butter

1 C. milk

6 T. flour

2 C. fat free half & half

2-4 tsp. salt

1 C. sour cream, room temp.

Heat oil in large pot.  Add onion and cook to brown.  Add carrots and celery.  Cook a few minutes.  Add cauliflower and parsley.  Cover and cook over very low heat 15 min.  Pour in chicken broth.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer.

In medium saucepan, melt 4 T. butter.  Stir in flour and salt.  Slowly add milk and whisk to combine.  Remove from heat and stir in 2 C. half & half.  Do this slowly, or you'll have lumps.  Lumps are no good.  Add mixture to simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15-20 min.  Check seasoning and add  more salt and pepper if necessary.

Place small amount of sour cream in each bowl and add the soup.

I usually forget the sour cream and Blake has decided he likes it better that way, so try live it up and try it both ways!

Excellent Pumpkin Soup

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
3 garlic cloves, minced or chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 1/4 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
3 cups chicken broth
16-ounce can solid-pack pumpkin (or squash)
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
Melt butter in a large saucepan, and sauté garlic and onions till golden brown. Add curry powder, salt, coriander, and cayenne pepper; simmer gently for 2 minutes. Stir in broth and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.

Add pumpkin, stirring till smooth. Add evaporated milk. Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes; don't allow soup to boil (but a simmer is OK).

In batches, transfer soup to blender or food processor. Process till very smooth. Serve hot. Yield: about 8 servings.

NOTES: I love to use shallots instead of onion in cream of vegetable soups. You can try both and decide which you like better.
If you don’t have evaporated milk, use 8 or 9 oz of milk and 3 of 4 oz of cream.
I like this better with roasted squash instead of canned pumpkin. I roasted an Uchiki squash the night before and used the cooled squash in the soup the next day. Everybody loved it. Look for Uchiki; it’s very smooth and quite flavorful.

Chicken And Gnocchi Soup

First off, this is a recipe that is a composite of several others I found on-line.  Like all of my recipes, it's kind of shady when it comes to amounts and whatnot.  I'll do my best.

1/3 C. butter (margarine or olive oil, if you're going dairy-free)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 lbs. chicken, cubed (sometimes I cook it in the soup first and then cube it before serving.  No real reason, just whatever I'm in the mood for)
1 carrot, diced
1/2 or 1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 C. Spinach (this amount varies greatly depending on my mood and how much I have, and you can use fresh or frozen, I haven't noticed a difference)
1 tsp. thyme
Salt & Pepper (I actually don't add extra salt because I think there is enough from the chicken stock)
4 C. chicken stock
2 C. milk or half n' half (rice or almond milk work just fine)
16 oz. Gnocchi (I actually double this because my family love these little dumplings)
1-2 heaping T. flour
1/3 C. cold water

Melt butter and cook the chicken in it.  Add and saute onion, celery, garlic, and carrot until onion is clear.  Add chicken stock, milk, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Heat to boiling, then add gnocchi.  Gently boil 4 minutes, then turn down and simmer for 10 minutes.

Whisk flour into cold water then stir into the pot to thicken the soup.  Add spinach.  Heat to boiling.  Once it has reached desired thickness, serve.

Sometimes this thickens up so much in the fridge overnight, I add more water to it before serving it the next day.  It's so flavorful it handles this just fine and still tastes just as delicious.  ENJOY!!!