Chicken Noodle Soup

Homemade chicken noodle soup is healing for the mind and the body!  Truly it is!  This is the kind of comfort food that can change a bad mood into a good one.  This soup reminds me of my mother and grandmother, which makes me feel like I am loved and taken care of.  It that isn't enough, the base of this soup is made from "bone broth."   Check out this article to learn more about the physical health benefits of "bone broth."

I always make this with the turkey bones the day after Thanksgiving.  Other times during the year I use the bones of a Rotisserie chicken to make the broth for this soup.  My husband and kids LOVE coming home to the smell of this simmering in the kitchen.

Ingredients -

Bones and leftover meat of a roasted chicken

Onions

Carrots

Celery

Chicken Bouillon

Uncooked Pasta, I prefer the thick, curly noodles that I can only find at Costco in the pasta variety pack.

Salt

Pepper

Rosemary

Thyme

Desired Seasoning and Herbs

Directions -

1.  Place bones in a large stock pot, and add enough water to cover the bones, and a few inches more.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer, covered, for 2-3 hours.

2.  Using a mesh strainer, and slotted spoon, carefully take out all the bones and meat that has fallen off the bones.  I spread this out, and carefully separate the meat from the un-edible pieces.   Throw the bones etc away, and keep the meat, cut up or torn into bite sized pieces.  

*At this point you can freeze the stock to use later, and use the meat in other recipes or continue on to make soup right now!

*I usually add a quart of broth or bouillon to the stock to help it go further for my big family.   

3.  Add all the vegetables, cut up, and let simmer for 20 minutes.  

4.  Add Chicken, Pasta, and season to taste.  

Clam Chowder

I am not a seafood fan at all!  However, I grew up on this recipe for clam chowder, and I LOVE it!  In my own humble opinion, this is the best one out there!   Serve this up for dinner with a side salad, and sourdough bread.  Delicious any night of the week!

1 cup chopped onions (finely chopped)                  1 1/2 tsp salt

1 cup celery chopped                                             1/2 tsp sugar

2 cups potato, peeled and chopped                         Pepper to taste (I always put pepper on the table also.)

3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 cubes)                                    3/4 cup flour

1 quart milk (4 cups)

2  6 1/2 oz. minced clams, drained (If you want a more seafood flavor then drain one of the cans into the soup.  My family prefers that.)

In a pot place all the veggies, onions, celery, potatoes - with just enough water to cover them all.  Bring to a boil, slightly reduce heat.  Cover, and simmer about 15 minutes, until all the veggies are cooked.  I test by poking a larger potato piece with a fork.  DO NOT DRAIN!  

In a separate sauce pan, melt butter over medium-hi heat.  Take off heat.  Whisk in flour, salt, sugar and pepper.  Put back over heat, and add in milk a little bit at a time, whisking the whole time.  As it heats it will thicken.  

Add white sauce to the cooked veggies.  Stir to combine the white sauce with the water.  Stir and heat over medium-hi heat.  Add in clams.  Season with pepper.

Tortellini Sausage Soup with Mushrooms and Leeks

I am embarrassed to say that a month ago I meant to buy kale, but instead bought leeks!  I have lots of excuses like, I'm pregnant, and I had kids with me in the grocery store and I was in a hurry!  Oh well!  As I put groceries away and realized my mistake I thought, "What can I make with leeks?"  I got on allrecipes.com and found a recipe I had already saved in my recipe box there for this yummy soup.  Here is the original link.

I thought, what the heck.  So I tried it, making a few adjustments of my own and voila!  DELICIOUS soup!  Here is the recipe as I make it.  I've changed the measurements to make a larger, healthier pot for my big family.  Try it and enjoy it!

Ingredients -
5-10 large mushrooms, chopped
3-4 large leeks, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds, cut first, then rinse in cold water
2 cups chicken broth
10 cups water with 5 chicken bouillon cubes
19.5 oz. Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage

1 (24 ounce) package cheese tortellini
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™), or to taste - I use a Thai Garlic sauce
salt and pepper to taste
5 sprigs chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

 

  Directions -

1. Cut skins off sausage links, crumble and brown over medium-high heat. Drain off most of oil and liquid.  Stir in the mushrooms and leeks; cook and stir until they soften, about 5 minutes. 
2.  Pour in the chicken broth, water and bouillon, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the tortellini, garlic, and hot sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Cover, and simmer soup mixture for 30 minutes. 
3. Serve garnished with cilantro. 

Albondigas Soup

I really love soup.  Monday night is soup night at our house, except for the hot parts of Summer.  This soup is a favorite around here.  This is another recipe from my mom.  I do not know who she got it from.  

Albondigas is Spanish for Meatball.  This is a slightly spicy, meatball stew.  It is really delicious!  

Freezer Meal Directions - Potatoes do not freeze well.  If preparing for the freezer leave the potatoes out, then add when you heat it up, then cook long enough to cook the potatoes.  I prefer to prepare and freeze the meatballs only.  In the original recipe the meatballs are plopped into the soup, raw - after the veggies are in and cooking.  I prepare the raw meatballs then line them on a silpat to freeze.  After an hour of individually freezing I throw the frozen meatballs into a Ziploc bag.  When I am ready to prepare the soup I take the meatballs out of the freezer, prepare the veggies and soup, then plop the still mostly frozen meatballs into the soup.  It works great, and saves me a lot of time at dinner to have the meatballs pre-made.

Soup

2 cans beef consomme soup

2 cans water                                               Carrots

1 Bay Leaf                                                  salt & pepper

celery                                                          potatoes

green bell pepper                                         zucchini

1/4 tsp. cumin                                              onion

1 large can of diced tomatoes

Meat balls

1 1/2 pounds of hamburger (if your family is smaller you can use less - 1 pound.  I use more like 2 pounds.)

3/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1 cup bread crumbs

3/4 cup rice, uncooked

1 egg

Place all veggies in large soup pot, with consomme and water.  Add all soup ingredients and simmer for 1 hour.  If meatballs were not made ahead and frozen, now is when you make them.  Drop meatballs in and cook for another 45-60 minutes.  Stir gently occasionally, so meatballs do not fall completely apart.

Some meatballs will fall apart, as the rice cooks in side them,and as you stir, but it adds a wonderful texture and is really good.  This is less likely to happen if they were previously frozen. 

Tortellini Soup

I got this out of a ward cookbook from Colleen Widmer.  My family LOVES this soup!  It is often made in our house!  I have changed the recipe a bit - the measurements, to fit my family.  This is the recipe as I make it.  When I make it as a freezer meal, I prepare the whole dish without the tortellini.  I thaw the soup and bring to a simmer before adding the tortellini.

1 1/2 lbs. turkey sausage (sweet or mild)               
1 can tomato sauce

2 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup chopped onion                                        
1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini

5 cups beef broth (water with beef bouilion)          
3 cups cheese tortellini

1/2 cup water                                                       
1/2 tsp. oregano

1 can chopped tomatoes                                       
1/2 tsp. basil

1 cup peeled, sliced carrots           

Brown sausage, drain off any grease and rinse with hot water to eliminate more fat.  Add garlic and onions to cook and stir a little longer.  Add everything else and simmer for 25 minutes. 

***If doing a freezer meal simmer for 10-15 minutes in order to half cook the vegetables before cooling and freezing in a freezer bag.  When ready to prepare, thaw, heat and add tortellini.  Simmer for another 15-20 minutes.                        

Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup

 We have a flash of cold weather moving through here so soup was on the menu.  I added some things and eliminated other parts.  I will print the original recipe with my notes to the side.  The original comes from Cooking Light Magazine August 2006.

1 Tbsp. Canola oil     (I used Olive Oil)

1 1/2 tsp. bottled minced garlic

3/4 lb. chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

1 tsp. chipotle chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 cup water (I did 2 cups water)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth, low sodium  (I used 2 cups regular Organic chicken broth)

1 (14.5 oz.) can stewed tomatoes, un-drained
1 can corn, drained (this is not part of the original recipe - I added this)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (this is not part of the original recipe - I added this)

1 cup crushed tortilla chips (I left these off and served cornbread instead.)

1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro

1-2 limes cut into wedges

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan.  Add garlic and chicken, saute 2 minutes.  Add Chile powder and cumin, stir well.

2.  Add water, salt, broth, tomatoes, corn and black beans.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.  Top with tortilla chips and cilantro.  Serve with lime wedges.

Yields only 4 servings, so I doubled the recipe.  The garnish really added so much flavor, do not leave it off!
Nutritional information - (this does not account for the changes I made - taking off the tortilla chips and adding the corn and black beans.)  Calories - 228   Fat - 5.4g   Protein 22.9g   Carbs 21.8g   Fiber 3.5g

Cheese & Vegetable Soup

                I love this soup, it is my favorite soup.  The pictures above were taken on my birthday 2006.  This is often my birthday dinner request, even as I was growing up.  This is one of my mom's recipe's.  I do not kow where she got it from.  

It is like eating Fondue with little bits of Veggies in the dip.  It is SO good!  Of course, it has to be served in a toasted bread bowl.  Sourdough is my favorite.

1½ cups peeled, diced carrots                           1 cup diced celery

½ cup onion, diced                                              ½ cup margarine or butter

4 cans chicken broth, or 5 cups chicken bouillon

2 cups shredded cheddar (sharp)                      2 cups half n half

1 cup bisquick                                                      ½ t paprika

1/8 t pepper                                                           1/8 t cayenne pepper

Cook celery, onion and carrots in butter until tender.  Stir in bisquick and spices.  Remove from heat.  Gradually stir in chicken broth.  Heat again to boil, stirring constantly boil for 1 minute.  Reduce heat and add half n half and cheese.  Heat until cheese is melted.  Serve in a hot bread bowl, dip bread pieces in like fondue.  YUMMY!

Clam Chowder

                I love this soup, but hate sea food.  That tells you how good it is.  It is so creamy and good!

1 cup onions, finely chopped                            1½ teas. salt

1 cup celery, finely chopped                             ½ teas. sugar

2 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped               pepper to taste

¾ cup butter (1½ cubes)                                  2 - 6.5 oz. minced clams

¾ cup flour                                                                          

1 quart milk

Place chopped veggies in pot.  Add water to barely cover.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer.  25-30 minutes until tender.  Do not drain. 

In a separate pot melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add flour, salt, sugar and pepper stirring and cooking one minute. 

Add milk and stir until thickened.  Add white sauce to vegetable mix.  Add drained clams.  If you want more clam flavoring, add the liquid from one of the cans of clams.  Season with pepper and salt. 

Eat with yummy bread and side salad.