Minestrone Soup

My cousin's wife sent me a Minestrone Soup recipe - and then I found another recipe online. So....I combined what I really liked from each of the recipes - some things were the same - and came up with my own version. It's pictured with the garlic rolls that are made cinnamon roll style.

Minestrone Soup
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small zucchini, cubed (if not available - leave out)
1 handful kale or spinach, chopped (I use kale)
1 (14.5 oz) can white beans (the above picture has red beans since I was out of white. Both work well.)
1 TBSP dried parsley
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
6 cups broth - either chicken or vegetable
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb Italian sausage, cooked and drained
1/2 cup dry pasta of your choice (I used dry ravioli found in the WinCo bulk section.)

Simmer all ingredients for a couple hours. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired.

This recipe also freezes really well.

Zucchini Soup

This is a different kind of soup. I really enjoyed it. The rest of the family - not so much. But then again....I love zucchini. I will eat it just about any way I can get it. mersaydees from Southern Maine was my teammate who shared this recipe. This was part of the September 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap. I also added in some diced carrots for color.

Zucchini Soup
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 lbs zucchini, washed and sliced
28 oz chicken broth
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup half and half

In large pot melt the butter and saute onion until golden. Add the zucchini and saute over medium high heat until limp. About 10-15 minutes. Add chicken broth, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half and half. I partially mashed the soup with a potato masher to thicken it up a bit. The original recipe called for sending the whole pot through a blender. I prefer my soup to have some body so opted not to do the blender. I did add extra salt and pepper to taste. We served this with homemade rolls for a yummy dinner.

White Bean Soup with Ham

I am a sucker for white bean soups. I've had some that were super bland. I've had some that were very flavorful. This one has lots of flavor. I really liked it with cornbread. This is also part of the September 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap. My teammate is Dreamgoddess from Alabama, USA.

White Bean Soup with Ham
1 lb smoked ham hocks
3 cups dried small white beans, rinsed and picked over
12 cups chicken OR beef OR vegetable stock OR water (I used beef stock)
2 medium onions, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Put smoked ham hock, beans and liquid together in a large saucepan. Turn heat to medium high. Add onions. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium low and cover so lid only partially covers pan. Cook, stir occasionally until beans are soft and meat is falling apart. About 1 hour. Turn off heat. Remove meat and chop it up if desired and return to pan.

You definitely want to serve this with some type of cornbread.

Egg Drop Soup

I absolutely love egg drop soup. I found this recipe back in 2008 on recipezaar, printed it, made it once and lost it. I recently found it and made it again. This post is for you Michelle! :) The chef who gets the credit is Joy Boss on recipezaar.

Egg Drop Soup
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1 dash white pepper
1 medium green onion, chopped with top
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Heat broth, salt and pepper to boiling. Stir green onions into eggs. Pour egg mixture slowly into broth, stirring constantly with fork until egg forms shreds. Makes about 3 cups.

Savory Meatball Soup

Oh my goodness gracious! This was a perfect cold weather day dinner. I chose this recipe from my teammate Baby Kato in the March 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap on recipezaar.com. She hails from Ontario, Canada. Everyone really enjoyed this soup. It's a keeper at my house! I served this with homemade french bread. Perfect in every way! Don't let the long list of ingredients make you run the other way.

Savory Meatball Soup
2 TBSP butter or margarine
1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot OR small onion finely chopped
1 zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
3 cups beef broth
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
2 tsp worchestershire sauce
28 oz diced tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme (I just threw in some dried thyme)
1 tsp fresh oregano (I used dried)
1/2 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
24 small meatballs, frozen (you can also use homemade)
3 large red potatoes, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
grated parmesan cheese for garnish

Fry onion, garlic and shallots in butter or margarine for 5 minutes. Add zucchini and bell pepper. Fry an additional 5 minutes.
Pour into large crockpot. Add remaining ingredients except cheese. Cook on low all day. Serve with parmesan cheese garnish and your favorite crusty bread.

Italian Style Bean Soup (Mix)

Italian Style Bean Soup (Mix)
I chose this recipe as part of the March 2009 Aussie/NZ recipe swap. Then our ward Scouts put on an Italian dinner for the ward. I made this soup to take and it was a HUGE hit! The original recipe says this would make an excellent mix. PaulaG from El Paso, TX gets the credit for sharing this wonderful recipe! She got it from Gifts from a Jar Soups, Chiles and More.

Mix
1 3/4 cups dried great northern beans or navy beans
1 TBSP dried onion flakes
2 tsp dried basil
2 chicken bouillon cubes, unwrapped
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp instant minced garlic
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups uncooked medium pasta shells

Soup
5-6 cups water
1 cup prepared pasta sauce
2 oz baby spinach
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

To make the mix: layer the beans in a 1 qt jar with tight fitting lid. Combine the onion, basil, bouillon cubes, parsley, garlic and pepper in a small food storage bag. Close bag. Place the seasoning bag over the beans, spreading out bag to cover beans; add pasta shells.
Place lid on jar. May cover with fabric or raffia. Attach gift tag. Attach directions for preparing soup to jar.

Soup Directions (to be placed with jar)
Remove the pasta and seasoning packet from jar; set aside. Place the beans in a large bowl; cover with water and soak for 6-8 hours or overnight. Drain beans, discarding the water. Combine the soaked beans, water, pasts sauce and contents of seasoning packet in Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover. Reduce heat and simmer 2 - 2 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Add the pasta and spinach; cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Season to taste, serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

This is what I did:
I skipped filling the jar. I went right to the soaking of the beans and added all the seasonings and everything else except the pasta and spinach. I let it simmer for a couple hours then put it in the fridge overnight. The next day I added 8 oz spinach, 1 pound of cooked ground sausage and a large package of Three Cheese Tortellini. I made this for a crowd. The tortellini did expand and were nice and plump. Probably 4 times as big as they were when in the package. I will make this again using other "Italian" style pastas like ravioli. :) We served this with grated Parmesan cheese and croutons. There was also french bread for people who like to dunk bread with their soup.

Macaroni Ratatouille Soup

I have made this a few times for our family. I found two recipes I likes parts of and combined them from recipezaar to make one I liked. This is the end product. We like this served with french bread, french bread rolls or bread sticks.
**No rats or mice were used in the making of this soup. :)

Macaroni Ratatouille Soup
1/2 lb sausage
1/2 lb hamburger
1 medium onion, chopped

Brown meats and onion until meat is cooked. Drain. Add the following...
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp oregano
1 small - medium eggplant, peeled and diced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 qt tomatoes OR 2 14 oz cans
1 qt beef stock OR 2 14 oz cans
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 TBSP minced parsley OR 1 TBSP dried parsley
1/2 cup uncooked macaroni

Add remaining ingredients except pasta. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour. Add macaroni. Simmer for about 15 minutes more or until pasta is tender. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Taco Soup

This recipe belongs to my Grandma Stone. It is perfect for a dreary, drizzly, rainy Oregon day!

Taco Soup

1 - 1 1/2 lb ground turkey or hamburger
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red or green pepper, chopped
3 cups water
1 qt tomato sauce
1 qt stewed tomatoes
1 qt pinto beans
1 pint corn, drained
1 pkg taco seasoning mix

Brown turkey and add onion and peppers to saute. Add remaining ingredients and heat through. Serve with tortilla chips. May also add cheese, sour cream and guacomole.

**This does very well in the crockpot simmering all day.
**Freezer friendly.

Lasagna Soup

I was on the prowl for a tasty soup/stew I could make in the crockpot that we haven't had before. My father-in-law and brother-in-law were over working on Russell's car and I had cub scouts to do. I needed something that I could make during the day and leave for a few hours to simmer. I've seen this recipe several times on recipezaar's Aussie/NZ recipe swap and the pictures people took were so outstanding! The chef is Seasoned Cook from Eastern North Carolina.
Just before we served this tasty soup.
Christopher said this soup was Amazing! Michael took it to school for lunch the next day.

Lasagna Soup

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 onion, chopped

28 oz chicken broth (I used my homecanned chicken broth)

28 oz diced tomatoes (I used my homecanned tomatoes)

15 oz tomato sauce (I ran a pint jar of tomatoes through the blender to make sauce)

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (I only had the non-grated kind)

1 1/2 cups lasagna noodles, broken (I used the kind that don't have to cook first)

2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

In large 5 qt saucepan - brown meat and onion. Drain. Put in 5-6 quart crockpot. Add remaining ingredients except lasagna noodles and mozzarella cheese. Two hours before serving add broken lasagna noodles. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. We loved this with garlic bread.

**This makes awesome leftovers! I bet it would freeze well too. There wasn't any left to find out.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

I was at WinCo yesterday stocking up on essentials in their bulk section. I love the bulk section! I came across a wild rice mixture so bought just enough to try. I knew I had saved this recipe and today was the time to make it! This recipe comes from recipezaar and the chef is Juenessa. This is a thick hearty soup and one we will be making often!
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
2 quarts chicken broth
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, chopped (this was the only item left out)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules (I ended up with 4 tsp. Personal preference)
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
3 cups cooked wild rice
2 cups cubed cooked chicken

In a dutch oven melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in chicken broth. Add vegetables, bouillon and spices. Reduce heat and simmer until veggies are done. Add cream soup, rice and chicken. Heat through and serve with your favorite bread. We enjoyed this with homemade biscuits. It will be awesome in school lunches on Monday!

Chicken Soup with homemade noodles

Homemade Noodles
We will take this step by step if you find the thought intimidating. It's really not. I promise. We will be making egg noodles today. Let's get started.

2 1/2 cups flour
1/8 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 TBSP soft butter or margarine

Combine all ingredients in medium size bowl. Now for the steps.
Your dough should look like this - a ball. Here it's on the table with flour. You will need a large place for rolling.
Very gently with your rolling pin start rolling the dough flat. I flip mine over and add a little extra flour so it won't stick to the table or the rolling pin. I flip the dough a few times.

Once the dough is approximately 1/8 inch thick get out a trusty knife or in my case a pizza cutter. I have discovered pizza cutters cut more than just pizza. They cut for example - pancakes, french toast, waffles and even noodle dough! It's fast and efficient.
I don't measure as you can see. I just start cutting into desired widths. Cut the length of the dough.
Now move to the width and cut into desired sizes.
I moved my noodles to a floured towel to dry out for a couple hours. I have since learned if there is enough flour on the table - I can just leave them there. I do have to use a metal spatula most of the time to scrape them up though. Just thought I would forewarn you.
When your favorite chicken soup is ready - add the noodles about 30 minutes before it's time to eat. They will puff up like so and be so thick and tasty. If you don't know how to make chicken soup - or you would like to see how I do it...keep reading.

Chicken Soup

For this large family this is what we do...

4 large chicken breasts, frozen

6 quarts water

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Place chicken in 12 qt stockpot. Fill it about 1/2 full (6 quarts) with water. Add ground pepper. This will be the chicken stock base when the meat is done cooking. I cook my stock on low for about 3 hours. Remove chicken and using a strainer - strain out large fat chunks from stock.

Add...

4 large carrots, sliced

4 celery stalks, sliced

1 lg onion, chopped

1 1/2 TBSP dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

chicken boullion to taste

Cut the above chicken that was removed and return to pot. It is cool enough to not burn our fingertips now. When the soup has simmered for a couple hours and it's about 30 minutes before time to eat - turn up the heat to about med-high. Just high enough to get the water to start boiling. Add your noodles a handful at a time. If you discover they are kind of sticky - you will need to break/pull them apart before adding to the pot. You don't want a big clump of pasta in there. After each handful of added noodles - stir. After about 30 minutes - it will be time to eat and your pasta will look like the soup picture above.