Tuscan bean soup, my version!

My version of a recipe I’ve been wanting to make for a very long time.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1tablespoon butter

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup chopped celery 

1/4 cup chopped carrot

1/4 cup minced or chopped onion 

1/4 cup chopped spinach

1-15 oz can chicken broth 

1- can butter beans drained

1- 4 oz. Tomato sauce

1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half

Sauté onion carrots , onions, celery and garlic in vegetable oil and butter.  When tender add tomato sauce, chicken broth beans and spinach.  Slowly Add heavy cream and Cook slowly until

Slightly thickened.  It’s delicious!

Note: next time I’d add another can of beans to make the consistency to my liking.

It is delicious !

Short cut cream of chicken and vegetable soup

Soup time.  Whether we are ready or not Fall will be here soon  and there is always time for soup .

I decided today to try and make this soup easier than I have before.

32 oz. Chicken broth

1/2 cup each chopped carrots, celery and onions

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

I tablespoon butter

One half  of a 10 oz. Package frozen corn

1small potato cubed

One half of a package of frozen green beans

1cup acne de Pepe uncooked

1 small can cream of chicken soup 

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 tsp. Salt

1tsp. Pepper 

Frozen chopped spinach optional 

1cup rotisserie chicken shredded 

Sauté carrots, celery and onions in vegetable oil and butter until slightly soft.

On medium heat Add chicken broth and one can cream of chicken soup.  Wisk until blended.

Add parsley, salt and pepper.

Add frozen or fresh vegetables. Cook on medium heat for approximately I hour or less.  Add 1cup acne de Pepe or your favorite small noodle.  Cook until tender and then serve.  Optional bread and butter and side salad.

Enjoy!

This soup was very tasty and even better the next day! Yum!!

Easy Macaroni Soup!

Todays macaroni soup I added a little extra elbows so it’s pretty thick. ****  If necessary when it’s reheated I may add a little extra chicken or beef broth. Updated photo. 4/1/2024

Any day is a good day for this soup! Kiddo's will love this back to school recipe and it's so easy!

I've caught a "cold" and a bit under the weather so this Macaroni Soup will hit the spot for me.  I'm re-posting my blog post from last winter if you haven't checked it out.  A great dish for anytime but it hits the spot when you have a cold.  I add a little red pepper to it to open up those sinuses. Enjoy!

 I'm back in the kitchen and I totally surprised myself.  I thought I wouldn't touch a pot or pan for a week..  Guess I overlooked the fact that there weren't any leftovers so today I heard the weather guy say rain changing to snow in our forecast so soup's on..Macaroni soup that is!!!!

This recipe is one I have made and it's very easy...It's a basic recipe which takes no time to put together to warm you up on a chilly day.  You can add extra black pepper to spice it up..

Happy Cooking!

  

 1 lb. beef ground (I use 85 % ) so It'll give your soup good flavor..If you are worried about fat content use 90 %+.
1/4 +tsp. onion powder
1/4 +tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. parsley

1/2 tsp. Basil
1- 15 oz. can Hunts Sauce
1- large 32 oz. Beef Broth

1- large 32 oz. Chicken broth 
****1/2 lb. + elbow macaroni cooked rinsed and drained 
****salt and pepper to taste
grated Italian cheese


In a medium to large pot place about 3 tablespoon canola oil , add  ground beef, onion powder, garlic powder,  parsley, basil ,salt and pepper.  Saute until slightly browned....After browning, add sauce and beef and chicken broth. Cook over medium heat for approximately 30 minutes..Add cooked elbow macaroni and grated cheese....(for a thicker soup add extra pasta)  Note:  Do not overcook elbow pasta.

Note:  cook pasta separately (drain, rinse and cover in a bowl)if you like a more broth like soup and add the desired amount to broth. 

From my kitchen to yours,

9/16/12

1/19/16
8/21/16

10/4/2017

Mom’s Potato soup

Making Potato Soup on a very cold day!

Every now and again I get a craving for the way my mom made potato soup. It's quite simple and so delicious.  There are many days I think of my mom and feel so grateful for her sharing her passion and  love for baking and cooking to me.  I hope I am helping a lot of young and older people who have a passion for good home cooked food.

This recipe is a guesstimate because she never gave me the actual recipe written down. I decided to do exactly what I remember on those oh so good soup days.

She always made a pot of chicken or beef soup once a week and it usually was Monday(laundry day).

I pretty much do the same and I remember her pot was a big and I mean big stock pot.  She always used mostly thighs and breasts but did use (the pic of the chic) which contained legs too as I recall or even she'd cut up a whole chicken.  Note:  She always had extra broth which she would freeze for another day.

I will simplify my recipe as there are only two of us.  

2  to 3 lb.  bone in chicken breasts and thighs.(Bone in makes the broth hearty).
Celery tops (green tops and a few pieces( don’t skimp).  You can cut the whole top from the celery bunch.

Fresh or dried parsley (optional)
1 medium onion
Several cleaned carrots

2 tablespoons Better than Boulion or you can add chicken or beef broth for more flavor.
Salt (a few Tablespoons) depending on your taste.
At least 6 cups water or more (fill a Dutch oven or stock pot to a reasonable amount with water).  Enough to have chicken immersed completely in the water.

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot in COLD WATER place all ingredients.  Cook on medium heat until chicken starts to fall off bone. That will be several hours.  Note:  Use a crockpot for convenience and you can allow it to cook for at least 6 hours on low heat or 4 hours on high heat.

After chicken is cooked (mine will usually fall of bone)  Remove chicken, carrots, onion and celery from broth/soup.  Cut carrots in small pieces. Remove chicken from bone and allow to cool.   Discard the rest.  After cooled cut chicken in cubes or shred.  Mine usually shreds.  If you have too much chicken I would use the rest for chicken salad or I have frozen cooked chicken in freezer for later use.  Use a large freezer storage bag or wrap in clear wrap and aluminum foil and label it cooked chicken.  

Note:  I have found cooked chicken is handy to have in the freezer.  I have used it in casseroles and actually made chicken salad with it later.  
 

After chicken is STRAINED I cut up two medium potatoes and add to broth(you could CUBE potatoes and cook separately and drain while you are cleaning chicken parts.  They will need to be cooked in broth until tender.  I have found to like my potatoes for this soup cooked separately and added to broth after I have thickened it.

   Speaking of thickening the soup/broth.  Here's how I do it.  I melt several (at least 2 TO 4 Tablespoons butter in a small pot.  Once the butter has completely melted I add approximately 1/2 cup of flour and a ladle of the chicken broth to the pot while whisking until incorporated.  It'll be like a smooth thicker liquid.  Once I have done that I add that mixture to the pot of broth making sure to keep stirring until butter/flour mixture has blended in soup.

Next I add the potatoes, carrots and chicken to the slightly thickened soup. Keep stirring and allow everything to heat to a slight boil and serve.

Please note:  I refer to soup/broth.  They are both the same.

If you desire you can use an immersion blender and puree it for a thicker consistency.  I would not puree the carrots with it.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and I also hope it was clear for you to understand.  I can get a little wordy at times trying to explain my recipes.  Enjoy!!

NOTE: make sure you strain your soup before you thicken it

9/24/19

Shortcut cheeseburger soup

This was a very delicious shortcut recipe that I’m sure you can make with other brands of Tomato soup.  I happened to have Costco’s creamy tomato soup

on hand so I used it as my base.

 

 

Going to put either the toast on the bottom or top of this soup when I serve it.

Shortcut cheeseburger soup.

Ground beef fry until browned thoroughly.(1/2 lb. Works fine)

Add tomato soup (1quart)(Costco) and 1 cup milk.  ( you can add less but this soup was a bit salty).  After it boils for about 10 minutes add American cheese (I added 6 to 8 slices) and I’ll pour the soup into my bowl and top it with a nicely browned slice of Texas toast.   You can use plain croutons if you prefer.

**** I think a thicker crustier bread is your best choice imo.

Easy and delicious!

Enjoy!

Healthy white minestrone

I had seen this recipe on Eating well .com and was really curious about the taste as it was a white minestrone and different than any minestrone recipe I had made; so today I went grocery shopping for ingredients.

I had my homemade chicken broth so I used it otherwise I would have used what this recipe called for in broth 

I will put an asterisk next to how I adapted this recipe to my liking.  I only used one zucchini and as far as seasoning cut back to 1 tsp. Thyme and I tablespoon of cider vinegar because I just wasn’t sure of what boost it would give to the soup.  Having said that I would follow the recipe as is the next time.  It was really delicious.

     

     
           

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 medium leeks, trimmed, washed ) and thinly sliced( note: I watched a video as how to thoroughly clean and cut the leeks)

• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth

• 1 cup water

• *1 large red potato, diced(white)

• *2 teaspoons dried thyme( I used one)

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• *½ cup whole-wheat orzo(I used wheat instant rice at the end and allowed to sit 5 minutes without stirring )

• 1 -15-ounce can white beans, rinsed

• *2 medium zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced( I used one zucchini)

• *1 pound fresh spinach, stems removed(I used 1/2 bag frozen spinach rinsed )

• *2 tablespoons cider vinegar(I used one)

• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add broth, water, potato, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 5 

Minutes.

1. Add orzo and cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, for 5 minutes. Add beans and zucchini and continue to cook, partially covered, until the vegetables and pasta are tender, about 8 minutes more.

2. Stir in spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season the soup with vinegar. Ladle into bowls and garnish with Parmesan.

   Delish!

   Enjoy!

 

Homemade chicken stock

Today more than ever wise grocery shopping is a must.

One of the best values I have found is using 100% of a Costco rotisserie chicken.  After you have eaten all you enjoy why not make chicken stock?  The below is what I do and you can do it too!  One of the many ways to save your money.

Enjoy!  

 I clean the chicken of almost all the fat.  We don’t eat the legs so I leave the legs and wings on it.  (You can still use the carcass if you clean it better than I do).  It’s those ribs and bones that make an awesome stock.

My recipe in my words.

Note: after refrigerating overnight you will notice the stock will be gelled slightly.

Immerse the chicken in a pot of cold water.  I add lots of celery tops and some celery stalks too, maybe two carrots some salt and dried parsley (if fresh I would add it).  When it comes to a boil and turn it down and let it cook for 2 hours or more.  I keep push ing the chicken down and turning it over. I leave a lid tilted on it. 

When it is room temperature I remove the carcass and There is usually enough chicken on the carcass to pull off and add to the soup. I strain the broth. 

I allow it to cool completely before I refrigerate it.

I haven’t used a bay leave to it but since reading Barbara’s post I would consider adding g a bay leaf to the original recipe I mentioned.  Hope this helps😘

I recently used a larger pot and used two carcasses.  After I strained it I allowed it to stay in refrigerator overnight.

  I’ve made two pots of vegetable soup with it and it was delicious.  Below is vegetable soup.

I also froze 2 quarts so when I want to make soup again. If needed after frozen I wouldn’t  hesitate to add some canned chicken broth or better than bouillon to the frozen one if it needed it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mondays vegetable soup

Updated photo Vegetable Soup

10/7/2023

To the original recipe today I added garbanzo beans drained, a handful frozen chopped spinach, a medium size(14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, a handful frozen green beans, dried parsley and acne de Pepe.

Today was an excellent day to make some vegetable soup with what I had in my freezer and pantry.

I’ve been nursing a cold:sinus infection and have had no desire to eat but today I needed something that would taste really good and also get me warmed up!  This Pa weather is so damp and downright cold.

I know it’s only April but some sunshine is definitely needed to get me on the right track.

Using my medium size Dutch oven I knew starting my vegetables in vegetable oil and butter would certainly give it some yummy flavor.  I was right.  The soup turned out spectacular!  I even managed to drink all that broth you see too! Feel good feeling for sure.

Sauté in vegetable oil and butter the following until tender 

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 medium potato chopped 

Add 2 quarts chicken broth ( I use part homemade broth and 1 can Swanson chicken broth but approximately 3 quarts of broth would be perfect.

Cook slowly until broth starts to boil then add 1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup chopped escarole 

1/2 cup Italian flat beans

1/2 cup  barley 

Note:  I had all of these handy in my freezer.  I save as not to waste all my extras.  They do come in handy for times like today…

Simmer until barley is tender but still a little chewy.

Start to finish about one hour or more.  Do not overcook!

Delicious!