Black Bean Soup

I'm on a soup-kick lately.  Probably because I'm so ready for fall.  If you have been to Panera and had their Black Bean soup --- you're gonna be so happy because this tastes JUST LIKE THEIRS!  It is amazingly good and amazingly easy.  All the kids and McFatty loved it and have requested it again.

INGREDIENTS:  
1 small yellow onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1/4 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 {15 oz} cans black beans {do NOT drain}
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the first six ingredients in a large pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Add half a can of beans, salt and cumin, and cook for 5 more minutes. Puree soup slightly in a blender, then return to pot. Add the rest of the beans.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch with 1 1/2 tablespoons of water. Add the lemon and the cornstarch mixture to the soup, and cook until thickened.

You.Are.Welcome.

Thai Curry-Corn Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup sweet onion, chopped
1 t garlic powder
2 cups frozen sweet corn
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
15 oz can light coconut milk
2 cups So Delicious coconut milk (or dairy-free milk of choice)
1 cup vegetable stock
4-5 t red curry powder (adjust to taste)
1 T lime juice
4 cups baby spinach, washed
1 T sea salt, more or less to taste
Directions:

Water saute the onions over medium-high heat until translucent, 8-ish minutes. Add water as necessary.
Add garlic powder, corn and bell pepper, and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
Stir in both kinds of coconut milk, veggie stock, curry powder and lime juice. Cover and wait until it starts to simmer. Stir, then let it simmer for about 5 minutes until heated through.
Stir in the spinach and allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add salt, taste and adjust.

Chili spiced chicken soup with stoplight pepper and avocado relish

Ingredients

Spice blend:

2 1/2  teaspoons  chili powder
2  teaspoons  ground cumin
1 1/2  teaspoons  ground coriander
1  teaspoon  dried oregano
1  teaspoon  cracked black pepper
1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
Soup:

1  tablespoon  canola oil, divided
1 1/4  pounds  skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
2  cups  chopped sweet onion
1  cup  chopped red bell pepper
1  cup  chopped green bell pepper
1  cup  chopped yellow bell pepper
1  tablespoon  minced garlic
1/2  teaspoon  salt
2  cups  fresh corn kernels
1  (32-ounce) carton fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1  (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained
2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
Relish:

1/2  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
1/3  cup  chopped green onions
1  teaspoon  grated lime rind
3  ounces  queso fresco, crumbled
1  diced peeled avocado
Cilantro sprigs (optional)
Preparation

To prepare spice blend, combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.

To prepare soup, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons spice blend over chicken. Sauté 8 minutes or until done; cool. Chop chicken; set aside.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat; add onion, bell peppers, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with remaining spice blend; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chicken, corn, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Add lime juice.

To prepare relish, combine chopped cilantro and next 4 ingredients (through avocado).

Ladle 1 1/4 cups soup into bowls; top with 1/4 cup relish. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Buffalo chicken Chowder

Buffalo Chicken Chowder
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes Servings: 4
A hearty and creamy chowder with all of the flavours of buffalo chicken wings!
ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup flour (rice flour for gluten free)
3 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
1 pound cooked chicken, diced or shredded
hot sauce to taste (I used 1/4 cup Franks Red Hot sauce)
1 large yukon gold or other boiling potato, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
directions
Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
Mix in the flour and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, chicken, hot sauce and potatoes, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, mix in the cream and blue cheese and remove from heat when the cheese has melted.

Slow Cooker 1: Implement steps 1-3, place everything except the cream and cheese in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours or high for 2-4 hours before adding the cream and cheese.
Slow Cooker 2: Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the flour, cook for 2-3 minutes, add the broth, place everything except the cream and cheese in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours or high for 2-4 hours before adding the cream and cheese.
Slow Cooker Option: Instead of using cooked chicken, used uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, place them in the slow cooker with everything else and when done cooking, remove them, dice or shred them and return them to the soup.

Seafood Chowder

Seafood Chowder

Ingredients
25 g butter
1 small onion, diced
1 leek, trimmed and diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 potato, cubed
50 g smoked salmon slices (cut into julienne, long thin strips)
120 ml dry white wine
450 ml tarragon-scented fish stock or water
225 g mixed fresh fish fillets (skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces - cod, haddock, hake orsalmon)
175 g raw dublin bay prawns and mussels (scrubbed clean)
1 tblsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
175 ml cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
This seafood chowder always goes down well but particularly when it is bitterly cold outside. It is just so rich and tasty with the most wonderful infusion of shellfish, fresh and smoked fish. The secret of this soup is not to overcook the fish, so bear in mind that everything continues to cook even after it is taken off the heat.
Heat a large pan over a medium heat. Add the butter and once it is foaming, tip in the onion, leek, carrot, potato and smoked salmon. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until softened.
Pour the wine into the pan and allow to bubble down and reduce by half. Add the fish stock or water and bring to a simmer, then add the fresh fish and shellfish.
Return the pan to a simmer and add the parsley and cream, then season to taste.
Cover with a lid and simmer gently for another 2-3 minutes until the fish and prawns are tender and all of the mussels have opened, discard any that do not.
To Serve: Ladle the chowder into warmed serving bowls, piling plenty of the fish and shellfish into the centre of each one.

Slow cooker Mav and cheese with chedder cheese soup

1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 (16 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese, divided 1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
2 eggs, well beaten
2 cups whole milk
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup (such as Campbell's®)
1 pinch paprika, or as desired (optional)
Add all ingredients to list

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain and transfer pasta to slow cooker.
Add butter to pasta and stir until melted; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle about 1/2 the Cheddar cheese over pasta and stir.
Whisk evaporated milk and eggs together in a bowl until smooth; stir into pasta mixture.
Whisk milk and Cheddar cheese soup together in a bowl until smooth; stir into pasta mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese over pasta mixture; garnish with paprika.
Cook on Low for 3 hours.

Minestrone Soup

Trust me on this one (although I'd let it simmer a bit longer for the carrots to be a bit softer).  Jake said it looked gross but everyone really liked it.

http://www.food.com/recipe/copycat-olive-garden-minestrone-soup-77585

{slow cooker} white chicken chile soup

Mom made this while she was in town and it was a HUGE hit. We've made it twice this week because it's sooooo yummy.

(from mom herself...)

Ingredients

3 cans 15 oz. Great Northern Beans,

    drained and rinsed

3 ½ cups chicken broth

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp oregano

1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper

½ to 1 cup roasted green chilies,

    diced*

1 -2 cups chopped onions, sautéed

     in butter

Directions

Place all ingredients in crock pot; cook on low for up to 8 hours –or- simmer in large pot for 2 hours. Add 4 cups shredded chicken (use slightly undercooked chicken because the heat of the soup will toughen it if it is fully cooked). Allow to cool slightly before stirring in 2 cups sour cream. (If too hot the cream will curdle, but the soup will still be ok!)  Add 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Warm and serve; do not boil after adding sour cream and cheese.

*I try to use fresh-roasted chiles, but if I can’t get them I can usually find a container of frozen ones in most grocery stores around here. Otherwise, you can use the canned ones.

Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup

I don't remember where I found this recipe...it's one I've been using for a few years because it's so easy and quick.  Again, we usually half the recipe for our little fam [and I'd say half the recipe yields about 6 servings -- we usually have enough for at least two more meals each following the original meal].

Ingredients:

[this is the whole recipe]

5 pounds russet potatoes, washed but NOT peeled.  Diced into 1/2 inch[ish] cubes

1 medium/large yellow onion, diced

10 cloves of garlic, minced [Mom, you'll love that :)]

64 ounces [8 cups] chicken stock or broth

16 oz cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon seasoned salt [I just realized this was an ingredient...I don't think I've ever actually used it and it still tastes great]

Toppings -- crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, green onions, etc.

Directions:

1. Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning, and chicken stock to slow cooker.

2. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.

3. Add the softened cream cheese and puree soup with an immersion blender until the cheese is incorporated and about half the soup is blended.  [We don't have an immersion blender so we put the cream cheese along with half the soup in a blender and puree and then re-incorporate into the crockpot].

4. Stir well, top with your choice of garnishes and enjoy :)

slow cooker taco pumpkin soup

Made this soup last night and it was hit with Ben and Avery. It tastes similar to other taco soups I've made, but there was just something about this recipe that made it better, and I think it had to do with the pumpkin. You cannot taste the pumpkin in the soup - at all. But it gave the soup a very creamy flavor. 

Ingredients

• 
  
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast (I put mine in totally frozen)
• 1 (28oz) can (or two 14oz cans) fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 (14oz) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 4 cups vegetable broth (or you could use chicken broth broth)
• ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped, plus more to serve
• 1 lime - for the lime juice

serve with tortilla chips and/or avocado chunks 

Directions 

Place all the ingredients sans cilantro and lime in the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hrs. or high for 3-4 hours. Shred the chicken and mix back in with the soup - add cilantro and lime juice. Top with avocado chunks and serve with tortilla soup.

Yummy!

Recipe found at: http://www.onelovelylife.com/

spicy tortilla soup

Beth made us this soup when we were visiting Tulsa during a cold front. It is SO yummy! Just made a pot for dinner and we all gobbled it down {even Avery!}. Make some, because it's probably cold where you live and this is a perfect soup for cold weather. 

Ingredients

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 c. chopped onion

1/3 c. chopped carrots

1/3 c. chopped celery

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. minced garlic

4 c. chicken broth

2 15. oz can white hominy, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (with chile if you like)

12 oz. peeled and deveined shrimp 

OR

shredded chicken (1/2 rotisserie chicken or 2 chicken breasts shredded)

1 tbsp lime

salt and pepper to taste

Optional: (for garnish)

2 avocados, diced

cilantro

cotija cheese, shredded

baked tortilla chips or strips

Directions

Head a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. 

Add oil to pan - swirl to coat.

Add onion and next 6 ingredient (through garlic); cook 6 minutes or until carrot is crisp, stirring occasionally. 

Add broth, hominy, and tomatoes and bring to a boil

Cover and cook for 6 minutes. 

Add shrimp or chicken. For shrimp cook about 2 more minutes or until shrimp is done. For precooked chicken, add to warm. For raw chicken add for 6-10 mins. until chicken is cooked through.

Remove from heat and add lime juice. 

Top servings with avocado, cilantro, cotija cheese, and/or tortilla strips.

ENJOY!

Ham Chowder

This is a Bunker Christmas Eve tradition that we've carried into our home because the Jensen Christmas Eve of tamales is not a meal I ever really liked.

2 Tbsp. butter

1 onion, chopped or cut into rings

6 Tbsp. flour

6 c. milk

1 c. potato water

16 oz. Velveeta cheese, cut up

ham to taste, probably about 2-3 cups

8-10 potatoes (depending on if you'd rather have more potatoes or soup)

Peel, dice, and boil potatoes for 10 minutes.  Save 1 c. of the water but drain the rest.  Saute the onions in the butter really well, then add the flour and stir really well.  Add the milk and potato water and stir constantly so it doesn't burn till it thickens and is a bit fluffy (boiling it does not help, trust me).  It takes close to 30 minutes.  (If you don't want to do it that long, the taste is good, it's just not as creamy of a base.)  Add the cheese and stir till it's all melted, then add your ham, then your potatoes.  We usually use ham from a Honey Baked ham soup bone and chop it up.  We also usually add some pepper and garlic powder.

Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo

Spring Treats:

The beautiful tulips my children gave me for Mother's Day!

Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo

Thursday night I went to dinner with some of my most favorite people in the world, Carol, Heather and Mindy. Trying to find a place that would be easy for all the catching up we needed to do, we landed on the patio at the Corner Bakery. I ordered the Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo and loved it (pretty sure I won for choosing best meal this time around!) Today I pulled up a few recipes and worked with what I already had at home to recreate the soup for dinner tonight. With some fresh French bread it made an easy and delicious meal. Plus leftovers!

In large pot sauté 2 cups sliced chicken in 2 tablespoons heated olive oil until cooked through. Remove from pan. (I used some shredded cooked chicken I already had in the freezer.)

Mince 1 carrot, 1 stalk celery and 1 small bunch of green onions (I used a leek instead). Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in same pot and sauté about 5 minutes, adding 1 clove garlic, minced, the last minute or so.

Add 7 cups chicken broth, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 tablespoon parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken; bring to a boil. Add 1 cup orzo and cook about 8 minutes. During last few minutes of cooking time heat 1 cup chicken broth to a boil. Gently pour into bowl with 2 beaten eggs, stirring constantly. Add to soup just before serving.

* Next time I think I'll use a little more broth and/or a little less orzo, as the orzo absorbs a lot of the liquid.

Thursday Night Stew

There has been no "perfect" time to make this stew, because it just hasn't been cold enough

to enjoy this kind of comfort food. But I couldn't get it out of my head, it just sounded so 

yummy, so I bit the bullet and made it. And it was so yummy!

It took some time, and I ended up putting it in the crockpot since I wouldn't be home to

monitor it on the stove. I think it turned out just fine. I bet you could just throw everything 

in the crockpot and let it cook that way if you wanted to.

{the actually recipe is called Sunday Night Stew because the author made it on Sunday for

dinner- obviously we made it on Thursday :) 

Ingredients

(for the stew)

4 tbsp olive oil

2 lbs. beef stew meat (chuck roast cut into chunks)

salt and pepper

1 whole medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 oz. tomato paste (I used the whole 6 oz. jar)

4 cups low sodium beef stock/broth- more needed for thinning

several dashed worcestershire

1/2 tsp. sugar

6 whole carrots, peeled and diced

1 turnip, peeled and diced

(mashed potatoes- essential with this dish!)

5 lbs. russet potatoes (peeled and diced)

1 stick butter

1/2 c. cream/milk

salt and pepper to taste

(I added a few spoons full of sour cream)

Instructions

Salt and pepper stew meat. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown half the stew meat until the outside gets nice and brown, about 2 minutes. (Turn it as it browns.) Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and put it on a plate. Add the rest of the meat to the pot and brown it, too. Remove it to the same plate. Set the meat aside. (If you are going to cook the stew in the crockpot, I would do this step regardless).

(you could then start the following steps in the crockpot): Add the onion and garlic to the pot, stirring it to coat it in all the brown bits in the bottom of the pot. Cook for two minutes, then add the tomato paste to the pot. Stir it into the onions and let it cook for two more minutes.

Pour in the beef stock, stirring constantly. Add the Worcestershire and sugar. Add the beef back to the pot, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours.

(save this step for the last 30 minutes before dinner- the carrots and turnip will cook for the perfect amount of time in the crockpot): After 1 1/2 to 2 hours, add the diced turnips and carrots to the pot. Stir to combine, put the lid back on the pot, and let it simmer for another 30 minutes. The sauce should be very thick, but if it seems overly so, splash in some beef broth until it thins it up enough. Feel free to add beef broth as needed!

When the carrots and turnips are tender, stir taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve piping hot in a bowl with mashed potatoes, letting the juice run all over everything. Sprinkle with extra minced parsley at the end.

MASHED POTATOES

Cut the potatoes into quarters and cover with water in a large pot. Boil until potatoes are fork tender, about 25-30 minutes. Drain the potatoes, then put them back into the same pot. With the heat on low, mash the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes to release as much steam as possible.

Turn off heat, then add butter, cream/milk, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve potatoes immediately or spread them into a buttered baking dish to be reheated later. To reheat, put them in a 375 degree oven, covered in foil, until hot.

GET IN MY BELLY!

recipe found at: http://thepioneerwoman.com/

Crockpot Beef Stew

I never get good pictures of my food, and this one is no different cause I used the flash, but I was in a hurry to eat!  No one else in my family thought this was anything special, but my 4 children are...children, and my husband doesn't appreciate stew like I thought he did.  I thought it was delicious, probably increased so by the fact that it's made in the crockpot and I didn't have to slave away all day.

1 onion, chopped

2 c. celery, chopped

1 1/2 lbs. stew meat (I like lots of meat, so I used 2 c.)

2 c. chopped carrots (I just used the baby carrots, not cut up)

2 c. cubed potatoes (red are recommended but I used russet cause I had it and it was still gooood)

1 regular size can tomato soup

1 regular size can cream of mushroom soup

salt and pepper to taste (I also added some garlic, basil, and oregano)

Dump it all in, set on low for 8 hours, serve it up with some yummy sourdough or other good bread.  I think we'll have it again soon, with our weather demanding more dishes like this!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

HO.LY.COW.

This soup is amazing!! It takes a little while to make (took me about 2 hours total but an hour of it is simmering) but it is sooooooooooooooooooooo worth it. And it makes a ton, at least 10 huge, whopping servings. And, I calculated it -- it's only 319 calories (and that's like a 2 cup serving) and it has 21 grams of protein...ultra healthy (except for the white bread bowl I ate it in...). Anyway, here it is. You should make it. Tonight.

½ cup butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
½ – 1 cup frozen corn
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup carrots, sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
¾ cup all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked wild rice (I used brown rice and it still tasted amazing)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cups nonfat half-and-half (use normal half-and-half if you prefer, but you won’t believe how delicious this is with the nonfat variety!)

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery, corn, chicken and carrots and sauté for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through. Add the mushrooms and sauté 3-4 more minutes. Then add flour and stir well. Over medium heat, gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Bring the soup just to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer, while stirring, for 5-6 minutes, until it has thickened slightly.

Next, add the rice, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper and almonds. Allow all the ingredients to heat through and then pour in the half-and-half. Let the soup gently simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The soup should not boil but should simmer over low heat so that it thickens slowly.

Brad and I are both in heaven right now...and I'm excited to eat it for lunch tomorrow. And mine really turned out like the picture above. I got this recipe from the same blog that Ayrel's posted some recipes http://www.melskitchencafe.com

Broccoli Cheese Soup

All our snow melted this week.
And tonight we are under a winter weather advisory with 1-3 or 3-5 inches of new snow predicted. plus rain. plus sleet.
So, what better to prepare for dinner than a warm, filling soup.
This is the first time I've made a broccoli cheese soup, and it turned out great.
It was super easy to prepare- in fact I made it all while the Rhodes rolls were cooking (15-20 mins). Our stomachs are full and happy tonight, and we are hoping this is the last snow fall of the season...probably not.Broccoli Cheese Soup

(4 servings)

1 can chicken broth, about 1 3/4 cup

1 small onion, chopped

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

pepper to taste

2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

2 1/2 -3 cups broccoli, chopped and lightly steamed (about 2 heads)

Saute chopped onion and some butter or olive oil until tender. In a separate pot melt butter and add flour and pepper. Stir together until well mixed, stirring so it doesn't burn and then whisk in the milk. Stir and heat together over medium-high heat until the soup starts to thicken. Next, add the chicken broth and onions and continue to stir until blended. Add the cheese and broccoli and stir until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Serve with warm bread/rolls.
Hurry and make it before it's too warm to make it anymore.

found at: barefoot and baking

Loaded potato soup

I made this soup last year, but sort of made it differently {and we loved it}. Tonight I followed the recipe and it was DELISH, it literally tastes like a baked potato, plus it's a really easy recipe. This made plenty for tonight and for leftovers for at least 1 or 2 more meals. I also made some bacon to crumble on top, and this sealed the deal.

Baked Potato Soup

2 large baked potatoes
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
6 cups milk
1 heaping T chicken bouillon or base
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for garnishing
3/4 t pepper
3/4 t salt
8 oz sour cream
2 green onions, chopped
crumbled bacon, optional

Bake potatoes at 400 for 1 hour. When cool, cut into small cubes and set aside. In a large pot, melt butter and add flour. Mix well, then add milk and bring to a boil. Stir until it thickens. Add bouillon, salt, and pepper. Then add cheese and potatoes. A few minutes before serving add sour cream. Garnish with more cheese, green onion and bacon.

Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup

As of tonight we have a new favorite soup recipe! How lucky I am to have married a man who loves soup as much as I do, and how wonderful that Kris enjoys soup as well. This recipe was easy to prepare, and made the house smell heavenly all day. Oh, did I mention that it's a crock pot recipe?  I wish I had made a half-batch more because it would have easily fit in the pot.

Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup

2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes, with juice

1 cup finely diced celery

1 cup finely diced carrots

4 cups chicken broth*

1 cup finely diced onions

½ bay leaf

¼ cup fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ cup butter (you better not use margarine if you know what’s good for you)

½ cup flour

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 cups half and half, warmed

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1. In a large crock pot combine tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, bay leaf, fresh basil, and oregano (if using dried basil and/or oregano add the last hour of cook time).
2. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour then turn to low and cook for 4-6 hours, or until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.
3. The fun part – about an hour before serving prepare roux: melt butter over low heat in a skillet; add flour and stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes (the roux will be golden brown and smell heavenly, but if you don’t whisk it constantly it will burn and you will have to start over).
4. S-l-o-w-l-y stir in 1 cup hot soup from the crock pot. Gradually add another 3 cups of soup in 1 cup increments, stirring after each addition until smooth.
5. Add all back into the crock pot. Stir and add Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on low for another hour or until ready to serve. Do not allow to simmer after adding cream and cheese or they will curdle.

*I prefer Better Than Bouillon chicken base

I should have taken some to the Waymans because I used basil from their plant that I'm still babysitting, but instead we took a quart jar to Marie who is recovering from some dental work. She called later this evening to rave about it.

 

tasty Tomato Soup

Easy. Yummy. Makes the house smell terrific. Great with Grilled Cheese- just like lunches with Dad on Sat. afternoons.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil (used dried bc I didn't have fresh)
  
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 pounds plum tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil (used a dash of dried)
  

Preparation
Combine first 6 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.
Place half of tomato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender.
Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters).
Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl.
Repeat procedure with remaining tomato mixture.
Stir in salt and pepper.
Ladle 3/4 cup soup into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon yogurt and 1 1/2 teaspoons basil.

found at: http://www.cookinglight.com/