Butternut and Ham Bisque

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 butternut squash (peeled and diced about 5 cups)
1 cup peeled, diced all-purpose potatoes
5 cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt
black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup light or heavy cream
1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham

Procedure:
1. Melt butter in large pot. Stir in onion and rosemary. Cover the pan and cook the onion over moderate heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute.
2. Add the squash, potatoes, chicken stock, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, cook for 20 minutes or until vegetables are very soft. Remove pan from heat.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the soup solids and a ladleful of broth to the food processor. Puree the vegetables, then stir them back into the broth. Stir in the pepper, the cream, and the ham, and heat for several minutes before serving.

So yummy! All of my boys love this soup!

Pumpkin Chowder

(It's the season for the great orange squash)
1/2 lb bacon, diced
2 c chopped onion
2 tsp curry powder
2 Tbsp flour
15 oz can pumpkin
2 large potatoes, peeled, diced
4 c chicken stock
1 c half & half (or canned evap milk)
kosher salt & ground pepper to taste
garnish: toasted pumpkin seeds / chopped green onion

Fry bacon in a large soup pot over low heat and cook gently until it releases its fat, about 5 minutes. add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 min. Add flour & curry once softened. Add pumpkin, potatoes & stock and heat toe med-low until the potatoes are tender.
(I wash the pumpkin seeds and roast them 45 min - 1 hour @ 300 with sprayed cooking oil and salt)

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 can kidney beans

1 can black beans

1 can pinto beans

2 cans corn/or use frozen

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 cans chicken breast

1 taco seasoning packet/or 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1 Tbsp. dried onions

1/2 cup squash puree-4 cubes (optional)

salt and pepper

Toppings:

sour cream

tortilla chips

cheddar cheese

fresh cilantro, chopped

avocados, diced

limes, cut in wedges

Directions:

Drain all three cans of beans and rinse. Dump all ingredients into a pot and add 2 cans of water. Bring to a simmer over medium high. To serve, put in bowls and add the toppings of your choice.

Quick Chicken & Vegetable Soup

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

4 carrots, diced

2 cups thinly cliced baby spinach

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups chicken broth

1 can chicken

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 zuchinni, chopped small cubes

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning

salt and pepper

PROCEDURE:

Heat olive oil in large pot over medium. Saute the onion, carrots and spinach for about 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the zuchinni and garlic; stir 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth, chicken, rice, garlic salt, Cajun seasoning. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-30 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Juanita's chicken soup via Shauna

The first time I had this was at book club. My friend Shauna made it and I loved it. Tonight I made this for dinner and the kids inhaled it!

1 lb. of chicken breast or thighs (cut into 1" pieces)
2 large white onions (finely chopped)
4 (or more) garlic cloves (minced)
2 T. butter
1 T. Cinnamon
1/2 Cayenne pepper or to taste (if you aren't a super spicy person I would be careful with this ingredient, I uded 1 tsp of chili powder which is milder)
2 t. Cumin

Saute all of the above until onions are translucent (add garlic at the end) then add the following to the pan

4 C. chicken broth (you may need more)
juice from half a lime
1 t. salt or to taste (check chicken broth for sodium content)
1/2 t. black pepper
2 cans of garbonzo beans drained

I like to garnish it with different things such as ripe avacados, extra wedges of lime, chopped cilantro, julienne some radishes and/or carrots, finely chopped red onions, scallions, tortilla chips and maybe some queso fresca.

Green Chile Chicken Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, grated
1 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1 can chicken
3/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
pepper, to taste
(Optional: I add 4 cubes* cauliflower, 1 cube* of zucchini)

PREPARATION
1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is tender. Stir in potatoes and carrots; cook one minute. Stir in flour; continue cooking for one minute.
2. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
3. Stir in milk, chiles, and celery salt; heat to simmering. Add chicken and optional vegetable cubes. Add cheeses; stir and heat just until cheeses melt. Do not boil. Add pepper to taste. Serve in individual bowls and eat!

*I am still making vegetable purees and freezing them in ice cube trays. Griffin will still eat a bowl full of vegetable puree at almost every meal. I have been putting these "vegetable cubes" in everything I make, soups, pasta, on pizza, even in scrambled eggs. So you may see these in other recipes.

White Chicken Chili

This is the soup I brought to the Christmas Eve party at Sym's. It was well-liked, even by the kiddos. I first saw the recipe HERE (there are other dishes on this site I want to try...let me know if you give any of 'em a whirl!)

INGREDIENTS
1 c. diced onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 14-oz. can chicken broth
2–4 chicken breasts, cooked, with broth to equal 14 oz.
1 4-oz. can diced green chiles, undrained
2 cans great northern beans, white, drained
2 11-oz. cans shoepeg corn, undrained (look for Green Giant)
3 T. lime juice
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. cumin seed (I didn't put this in because I didn't have it)
1 t. ground cumin

PREPARATION
Saute onion and garlic in a little oil. Add other ingredients and simmer to blend flavors. When served, garnish with grated cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream, green onion and avocado. Add slightly crushed tortilla chips if desired.

Sausage & Lentil Soup

This is one of those recipes I play with a little. Sometimes I use chicken stock instead of or as part of the water/bullion. Sometimes I just throw in "Italian Seasoning" instead of the other spices. I have also added fresh parsley at the end and I like that too. It tastes really good with crunchy bread and some Romano cheese on top.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb Sweet Italian sausage
1 large onion chopped
1 stalk celery (chopped fine)
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup carrot (chopped fine)
1 16 oz pkg dried lentils
8 cups water
6 tsp chicken bullion
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt -- or to taste
1/2 tsp pepper -- or to taste

PREPARATION
Rinse lentils and set aside.

Brown the sausage in your stock pot -- remove. Add the onion celery and carrot and sauté until tender -- as the veggies "sweat" scrape off the good brown bit of sausage off the bottom.

Add the sausage back into the pot with the water, lentils and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce and simmer for about 45 min.

Serve and enjoy!