Chicken Tortilla Soup

Yes, another soup recipe!  This was so packed with flavor and just the right amount of spice, it was perfect for an unseasonably chilly day like we had today.  The recipe was by no means difficult and made the house smell fantastic.  I debated over using premade tortilla strips or frying up my own and I'm glad I chose to fry my own.  They only took a few minutes and were delicious!  My husband is a fan of spicy foods and he gave this one a "thumbs up" and said I can make it again any time.  I'm not as big of a spicy food fan, but this soup was spicy enough to make you sniffle, but didn't make your mouth burn, so it was just right!

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Spicy Crisps

Recipe courtesy of Relish!

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 3/4 c. beef broth
• 1 c. chicken broth
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder, plus more for spicy crisps
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 10 oz. Rotel tomatoes with chilies, undrained
• 4 6-inch corn tortillas
• 4 T. canola oil

For garnish

• 2 avocados, chopped
• 1/2 cup cheese
• sour cream

Directions

• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
• Drop in the chicken breasts and boil for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. 
• Drain chicken in colander and let cool. 
• Shred or cube the meat. 
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. 
• Add olive oil and sauté onion and garlic in oil. 
• Pour into the medium pot you used for chicken. 
• Add beef and chicken broth, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, jalapeno(to taste), salt, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes and chicken. 
• Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• In the skillet, heat the canola oil until hot. 
• Cut tortillas in narrow strips and fry. 
• Sprinkle with salt and a little chili powder. 
• When done, place on paper towels. 
• Place half of the strips in bowls. 
• Fill with the hot soup. 
• Garnish with more tortilla strips, avocado slices and cheese. 

Creamy Broccoli Soup with Blue Cheese

I'm a fan of soups no matter the time of year.  I'll make stews and soups all year round, I go against the grain that way, I guess...most people think of them only as a Fall and Winter meal, but I don't see a reason to wait when you have the air conditioning on!

This soup was delicious and it gave me a reason to break out my Cuisinart Hand Blender I've had in my basement since our wedding shower!  What a wonderful tool that is for any level of cook!  I've used it several times since this recipe and am loving it...I never knew what I was missing, but it definitely comes in handy and MUCH easier to clean than a whole blender.

Creamy Broccoli Soup with Blue Cheese

Recipe courtesy of Relish!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ white onion, chopped
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium bunch broccoli, cut into florets
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

• Heat oil in a large soup pan over medium heat. 
• Add onion & sauté until limp, 4-5 minutes. 
• Add potatoes & broccoli, cook until potatoes are beginning to color, about 5 minutes.
• Add chicken broth & bring to a boil. 
• Reduce heat to medium-low & cook until potatoes are very tender, 20 minutes. 
• Pour ingredients (in batches) in blender. (Or use hand blender right in the pot)
• Make sure to let steam escape before processing. Remove cap from hole in lid, cover lid firmly with a dish towel & blend. 
• Return soup to pan; add cream and blue cheese & cook, stirring, until soup is heated through & blue cheese is melted. 
• Season to taste with salt & pepper. 
• Serve garnished with extra blue cheese, if desired. 

French Onion Soup

I have made French Onion Soup frequently in the past, but never took the time to caramelize the onions for the soup.  I've seen so many rave reviews over caramelized onions and the flavor difference they make that I had to try this.  Overall, it was very easy, though just a tad time consuming.  Mine took about an hour and I stirred them every 5 minutes to prevent any major burning.

The onions definitely came through in this soup, sweet with a silky texture.  My version of French Onion soup is really the easy way to do it - instead of toasting French bread slices, I use bagged seasoned croutons.  Because the cheese is pretty much the best part, my trick is to lay a slice on the bottom of the bowl, then top with croutons, soup and another slice of cheese, that way when you scrape the bottom, you get a bite of cheese as well!

This recipe is also lower in sodium than regular French Onion Soup.

Caramelized French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 large white onions, sliced thinly
• Olive oil
• 3 cans reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• Seasoned croutons - I used Garlic & Cheese
• Slices of cheese - I used no-sodium Swiss this time, but love it with Provolone also

Directions:

• Cover the bottom of a heavy-bottomed large pot with olive oil.  
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat.  
• Place the sliced onions in the pot and stir to coat with the oil.

It looks like a lot - trust me, they shrink down a LOT.

•  Leave onions alone and let cook away, stirring every 5 minutes for approximately 1 hour.  It could take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, but you're looking for an even deep golden brown color.  Caramelizing brings out the sugars and sweetness of the onion.

After about 10 minutes

After about 40 minutes

All done!

• After onions are caramelized, pour in the reduced-sodium beef broth.

• Add garlic powder, thyme and pepper and stir.
• Let simmer for about 20 minutes.
• In an oven-proof bowl, lay 1 slice of cheese on the bottom, top with some croutons, ladle the soup over the croutons and then top with 1 slice of cheese.
• Place bowl in oven under a broiler set to high, keep an eye on it and take it out when the cheese is gooey and delicious!

Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup

When my husband is sick, he craves spicy foods. Since he now has a pretty nasty cold, I looked up a quick, spicy soup to help speed his healing. I found this little recipe and it fit the bill perfectly.

Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup
Recipe courtesy of Group Recipes

Ingredients

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs.) - I used chicken tenderloins

2 TB. olive or vegetable oil
2 medium onions, minced - I used half of one onion

4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 - 1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper - I used 1 tsp. (Paul said it was very spicy)

1 tsp. powdered ginger
8 Cups broth, chicken or vegetable
3/4 lb. extra wide egg noodles - I used arancini di pepe, tiny pasta

2 scallions, chopped

Directions

• Cut the chicken meat into 3/4" cubes.
• In a large, heavy pot or soup kettle, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken, and then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly.
• Add the onion and garlic. Don't be too concerned about things sticking and even burning just a bit on the bottom of the kettle; this is what gives the soup its flavor.
• When everything starts to brown up, about 5 more minutes, add the Cayenne pepper and Ginger. Adding the full amount of Cayenne pepper will make the soup fairly hot.
• Stir constantly for about a minute, then add the broth.
• Let everything come to a slow boil and then reduce the heat to low, cover, simmer for at least 20 minutes.
• In the meantime, bring a separate pot of water for the noodles to a boil, add noodles and cook for 1 minute less than the recommended cooking time on the bag.
• Drain the noodles and add to the pot of soup, turn off the soup, let stand 5 minutes and serve.
• Top each bowl with a sprinkling of chopped scallions.

Polish Mushroom Soup

Ok, I've made Hungarian Mushroom Soup recently, but it didn't give me the Mushroom Soup fix I was craving...you see, for the majority of the holidays I have been with my husband, we have visited his Grandma and Aunt, where they have fixed us lovely meals complete with a delicious Mushroom Soup and that soup is absolutely spectacular. His step-mother also makes this soup when we visit their house too...so I decided this is a recipe I just have to be able to make in my own home as well!

I was inquiring about it with my lovely mother-in-law and she said she would be able to tell me how to make it myself...I love to gather family recipes and master them, so I will be able to make them at home for my husband and eventually be able to pass them on to our children one day. She told me how to make this and though mine turned out a teeeeeny bit too thin, with a little adjustment, I will be able to get the texture down better. It did, however, have the same tangy, mushroom-y flavor that I was aiming for. With some practice, it will *almost* be as good as the soup that comes from the other wonderful women's kitchens in Paul's family, but *almost* as good is great for me!! You really can't mess with perfection anyway.

Mushroom Soup
Recipe courtesy of: Mom (Sofia)

Ingredients

• 6 cups water + 1/4 cup
• 2 small containers of fresh white button mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped (with stems) into a small dice
• 3 tbs. butter
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced finely
• 4 tbs. flour
• 1 16 oz. container of sour cream
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Green onions, sliced very thin, to garnish

Directions
Place chopped mushrooms and 6 cups of water into a large pot (I also added salt and pepper at this point, but not much). Bring to a boil, then cover and turn down to simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute onions in butter in a separate small pan until soft and golden. Set aside.

In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk sour cream, flour and 1/4 cup of water together until all incorporated and smooth.

After about 30 minutes of simmering you will see the water has turned a nice deep brown, whisk in the sour cream mixture into the soup....whisk quickly while you pour to mix fully and have no lumps. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add onions and mix. I added salt & pepper at this stage as well. Then simmer for another 10 minutes or so until it's all warmed through and the flavors have all mixed.

Ladle into bowls, garnish with green onion & serve...you can add some small chunks of boiled potato at this point or small pieces of kielbasa, or eat it as is.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I was browsing through my Google Reader and saw that I had this recipe for Broccoli Cheese Soup starred from Carrie's wonderful blog, Carrie's Sweet Life. I had all the ingredients on hand and it would make for a spectacular dinner. I decided to make focaccia bread to go along side, using this recipe that I had made before.

My husband's first reaction was "WOW" and after we both began eating, we loved this soup! It is creamy, hearty and comforting. Of course, I did a few very minor tweaks, but it didn't need many tweaks at all!!!

Broccoli Cheese Soup
Recipe courtesy of Carrie's Sweet Life

• 3 tbsp. of unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup of yellow onions or sliced leeks (use only the bottom white part) *I used shallots*
  
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/4 tsp of ground pepper
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp of chopped garlic *I used about 1 tbsp.*
  
• 1/2 tsp of chopped fresh thyme or 1/8 tsp of dried
• 3 tbsp. of flour
• 3 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed & separated or 2 to 3 cups of fresh
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups of shredded medium Cheddar *I used 2 cups of cheddar blends*
  

Directions

In a medium pot, melt 3 tbsp. of butter over medium-high heat.

Add the onions, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook until soft about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme. Stir frequently for 20 seconds while it cooks.

Add the flour and stir until throughly mixed for about 3 minutes. Slowly add chicken broth while whisking constantly. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened for about 5 minutes.

Add the broccoli and cook for 10 minutes until tender.

Add the cream and barely bring to a simmer. Then add the cheese and lower heat till the cheese is melted.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter. Stir until it is mixed throughly.

I'm not missing...and a delicious soup!

No, I'm here and very much healthy (now, after being sick on Christmas Eve and Christmas)...However, I have been lazy in updating my blog and for that I apologize. One of my goals is to go through and replace all my missing pictures and to post more!

In talking to my dear friend Melinda today, she mentioned that she made Hungarian Mushroom Soup and being Hungarian myself, I asked her for the recipe. She shared that she found it on AllRecipes.com and after reading it, I knew a stop at the grocery store was in order to pick up a few ingredients I needed for this soup. My husband has a cold, so I knew this soup would be the perfect dinner to make him feel better and be quick and easy for me!

Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Recipe courtesy of: AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (I omitted this)
  
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onions in the butter for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 more minutes. Stir in the dill, paprika, soy sauce and broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. In a separate small bowl, whisk the milk and flour together. Pour this into the soup and stir well to blend. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Finally, stir in the salt, ground black pepper, lemon juice, parsley and sour cream. Mix together and allow to heat through over low heat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not boil. Serve immediately.

*This recipe was delicious, it had a little heat from the Paprika and a really good flavor. We both enjoyed it very much and I was happy to make something from my Hungarian heritage!

Ina's Cream of Mushroom Soup

I saw this recipe on lots of blogs, but the one I followed most closely came from Chelley at Brown Eyed Baker. She gave me the idea to replace the leeks with shallots and I thought it worked perfectly. It made a comforting and filling dinner for a lovely fall day.

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup
(Source: Ina Garten - The Food Network)

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms -( I used white mushrooms and baby bella mushrooms)
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks) -( I used 2 shallots)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine - (I used chicken broth)
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don’t wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

Mom's Beef Stew

Growing up, my mom would simmer this delicious Beef Stew on the stove top for hours during the day to serve as dinner...the smell would make everyone so hungry that we couldn't wait for dinner. This is my all-time favorite Beef Stew recipe and I can't imagine changing it any time soon...It's perfect for a fall day, extremely easy and though I'm changing it up a little by simmering it in my Crockpot, it still reminds me of the comforts of my parents home.

Mom would serve this with warm Italian bread and butter, however, I am making fresh Focaccia bread and that will be what I serve this evening.

Mom's Beef Stew
Recipe courtesy of my mother, Diane :)

Ingredients 1-2 lbs. stew meat (I got 1 lb. and cut it into smaller chunks)
3 cans of French Onion Soup (I used Campbells)
1 can of water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. ground Sage
4-5 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
4-5 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2-1 onion, diced
2 Tbs. vegetable oil


Directions
In a large pot, brown your stew meat in the vegetable oil. Once browned, reduce heat to simmer and add French Onion soups, 1 soup can full of water, salt, pepper & Sage. Cover and simmer until beef is almost tender, about 1 1/2 hours or so.

Add carrots, potatoes, and onion, cover again and simmer until the vegetables and meat are tender. Serve with bread to dunk. :)

*Now, for me, I browned my meat, which I always cut into smaller chunks, in the oil in a medium skillet. While that was browning, I added my soups, water and seasonings to my Crockpot and set it to high. Then I added the browned meat and covered to simmer...I'll put my veggies in around 1.5 hours before dinner so that they will be tender, but I don't like my carrots too soft, so I'll keep an eye on them!*

Easy as .......um.......stew! :)

French Onion Soup

Who wouldn't love a steaming bowl of comfort???

I improvise my French Onion Soup most of the time...come to think of it, I have never followed a recipe for this dish. It's been a trial and error process, but it seems to work out each time. I have found that in the past, my soup has lacked a certain "something"...a richness, a thickness that typically is found at restaurants. So, alas, I improvised more this time and came out with something that had that certain spark I was searching for! Normally I use 1 can of beef broth, water and other various items...this time, I reached for the beef broth, found I didn't have a can and found a can of Campbells French Onion soup...cheating? OK, a LITTLE...but I added love to it, so it's totally mine!

Feel free to make this recipe your own, vary the ingredients to your taste, use a pot on the stove rather than a crock pot...whatever floats your boat!

French Onion Soup - serves 2-3
Recipe - courtesy of ME!

Ingredients

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 4 beef bouillon cubes dissoved in 3 cups of water
• 1 can of French Onion canned soup (I used Campbells)
• 5 tbs. butter (the real stuff, people!)
• Salt (sparingly) and Pepper (a lot) to taste
• About 3 tbs. Worcestershire Sauce - can be varied to taste
• Croutons - any kind
• Provolone cheese - or any kind you wish, hey, I'm not picky.

Directions

Dice the onion and put into a medium saute pan with 2 tbs. of the REAL butter. Caramelize the onions over medium high heat until they are golden.

Break out the crock pot... Add dissolved bouillon, can of soup, 3 tbs. of butter, salt, pepper and Worcestershire and turn crock pot on (did you know that if you add ingredients after you turn the crock pot on to heat, it will crack the ceramic?? I found that out a crock pot ago!). Add onions and stir. Pop the lid on and let simmer away on high for about 3-4 hours. Or longer, depending on when you want to eat...

To serve - In an oven-proof bowl, lay one slice of cheese in the bottom of the bowl, add a layer of croutons (shortcut for the toasted bread, it works wonderfully), ladle soup into the bowl at this point and cover with another slice (or two...) of cheese. Place under the broiler on high until cheese is melty and delicious. Enjoy!!!!