Chicken Tortilla Soup

Everyone needs a good chicken tortilla soup recipe. Most recipes are so similar that only a few ingredients change here and there this is one that I always come back to. We had it for dinner tonight and it was delicious and satisfying in this chilly weather!! The kids like it too because they can put in all the little toppings they want!

Chicken Tortilla Soup:

adapted slightly from Our best bites.

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed, skins, and fat, and bones discarded.

season chicken with garlic salt, pepper, cumin, and chile powder to taste

1 large onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

4 cans chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes

1 jalepeno pepper, diced, and seeds removed. (wash your hands really well after doing this, before you accidentally scratch and itch on your eye and scream out because the hot oils are already burning your retina...)

1/4 c fresh lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

1. Head some olive oil in a large stockpot and cook the onions over medium heat until softened. add garlic and jalepeno pepper and cook for a couple more minutes. Add chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add chicken and simmer for 15-20 minutes.While soup is simmering prepare your toppings:

We like:

Avacados, cubed

sour cream

grated cheese

olives

cilantro

crushed up Fritos, or Torrilla chips

Right before serving add the lime juice to the soup, layer up those toppings and have a fiesta in your mouth!!

Asian Beef Noodle Soup

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I have a sister in law who makes the best Pho you have ever tasted. (Pho is a vietnemese noodle bowl with steak and broth and lots of other yumminess). It quickly became a favorite of ours and we would request it every time we would visit. The problem is the original recipe takes all day to make and try as I might I could never duplicate her deliciousness. So when I found this recipe, I was hopeful that it would be a quick and close substitute that I could make on a weeknight. We weren't disappointed! While of course it isn't too authentic the flavors are there and the kids and hubby devoured it!

Asian Beef andaa Noodle Soup

(adapted slightly from Cook's Country)

8 c. chicken broth

1 T. greated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T fish sauce (found by the asian foods in the supermarket)

1/4 t. chinese 5 spice powder

4 (3 oz) packages of ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded)

1 small flank steak, cut lengthwise into thirds and then crosswise into 1/4 inch slices

1/2 medium hadaa napa cabbage sliced thin (about 4 cups - I just bought the preshredded package at the grocery store)

Toppings:

1/4 c finely chopped cilantro

sliced green onions

a couple limes cut into quarters
soy sauce

Siracha chili sauce

Bring broth, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, and 5 spice powder to boil in a large pot. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until flavors blend, about 10 minutes. Add noodles to simmering broth anda cook until nearly tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in beef and cabbage and simmer until cabbage is wiltedaa anda beef is cooked through. Top with your choice of any of the above toppings and serve immediately!

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced (you can use a rotisserie chicken)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 quart half and half
1 14 ounce can chicken broth
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
1 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon parsley
Freshly grated parmesan cheese – optional
1 pound potato gnocchi – can buy this in the gourmet section of many supermarkets
Sauté the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil, over medium heat when the onion becomes translucent, add the flour, and make a roux, let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.
Cook gnocchi according to package directions.
Into the roux add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasonings, simmer until soup is heated through.
Comments about this recipe: You can add more chicken if you like. While you could use left over cooked chicken breasts, I really think using the rotisserie chicken that are found in many grocery stores is the best way to get the optimal flavor of this soup. If you want to make the soup lower calorie you can use milk instead of half and half. Half and Half, does taste better, and it also reheats better than milk does.
Serve with some homemad breadsticks on a cool fall evening!!!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I love soups! This is a gem from my friend Kristi. It literally took like 10 minutes to make and is soooo creamy, warm, and delicious!
4 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

2 1/2 - 3 cups cooked and cubed chicken (I used the white meat from a rotisserie chicken)

1 (6.2 oz) box of quick cooking long grain and wild rice mix with seasoning packet

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup butter

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 - 1 cup frozen peas and carrots



In a large pot combine broth, water, and chicken. Bring to boiling and stir in the rice only from the rice mix. Turn heat down to low and simmer with cover on for 5 minutes.Meanwhile in a small bowl combine salt, pepper and flour. In a medium saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Stir in the rice seasoning packet. Reduce heat to low, then whisk in flour to form a roux. Slowly whisk in cream until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, until slightly thickened.Stir cream mixture into the broth, chicken, and rice in pot. Cook over medium heat until heated through. Add drained peas and carrots and heat through. If needed add more chicken broth to thin the soup to desired consistency.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This is one of the best comfort, sit wrapped in a blanket, read a book, soups that I know how to make. It is a staple at our house on cold nights (and even an occasional summer night too!). I make up a batch of soup and some breadsticks and ENJOY! 4 cups cubed potatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 c. shredded carrots (I use a bag of preshredded carrots from the grocery store)
2 c. chopped celery
3 c. cut up broccoli

Boil all veggies but broccoli in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Add the broccoli and boil for 10 more minutes. DO NOT drain!

Sauce:
1/2 c. butter
3 T. flour
2 c. milk
1 pound velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
1 t. dry mustard
1/4 t. pepper
3 chicken bouillon cubes (or 3 t. granules)

In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour. Add milk and cook, stirring constantly, until thick. Add cheese and other ingredients. Mix until smooth. Add to undrained veggies and heat together but do not boil.

Uncle Craig's Rattlesnake Chile

This has been a long, long love affair. My husband and I have been in love with this chile since we first tasted it a little over 5 years ago. My Uncle Craig made it for us one Halloween night and we have been dying for the recipe ever since. He finally handed it over, and I literally ran to the store for all the indredients. It is the perfect recipe to kick off the fall/winter season. We had it with some navajo fry bread and followed up the meal with caramel apple cinnamon rolls. So turn on the fireplace, grab a good book and a warm blanket and serve yourself up a bowl. It won't disappoint!!


Look at the steam rising up...This will warm you down to your bones!!

We were at first coaxed into believing that this was made with real rattlesnake meat, (hence the name), and we try to keep the joke going. So make this for Halloween and let your guests in on the "secret ingredient".... :)

1 six foot rattler, skinned, boned, and de-rattled (Or for those without de-rattling skills: substitue 1 lb. lean pork shoulder, cut into bite size pieces)

1 15 oz can mild roasted green chiles

4 c. onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pound bacon

2 T. corn meal

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (undrained)

4 T. mild chile powder

5 jalepeno peppers

1 T. cumin

1 t. oregano

1 T. smooth peanut butter (yes, I'm serious.)

1/3 oz semi sweet chocolate (again, trust me.)

1 15 oz. can kidney beans

1 15 oz. can pinto beans

1 15 oz can black beans

optional: 1/2 c. tequila

Fry the bacon until crisp, and set aside to cool. In a large soup pot, saute the onions and garlic in about 2 T of the bacon drippings until transparent. Add the corn meal and chopped tomatoes with their juice, the chopped green chiles, cumin, chile powder, oregano, and 1 cup of water, simmer for half an hour.

Meanwhile, seed and chop the jalapeno peppers (avoid touching the seeds and any part of your face or body while doing this....it will burn if you do!) Add the chopped pepper and 1/2 c of water to a blender and puree. Add about half of the water/pepper mix to the pan saving the rest to be added to taste later. Continue to simmer the chile base for another 15 minutes.

Drain the beans and stir them into the pot. Remove about 1/2 c of the chile and puree in a blender with the peanut butter and chocolate (these ingredients mellow the acidity of the chiles and allow the flavors to come thorugh, without imparting any of their own flavor). Return the blended mixture to the pan.

Using another tablespoon or so of the bacon drippings, saute the diced rattlesnake (or pork) until done. Chop the cooled bacon and add all of the meat to the chile. Simmer for another 1/2 hour, or until the meat is tender. Add more water if necessary, and add more of the blended jalapeno's if the chile needs more kick. Salt to taste. If using tequila, add at the end.

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and chopped green onions if desired.

*Side note: we may try ground pork next time because we weren't sure about the big chunks of meat. Or maybe cut the pork into smaller pieces.

Chicken Noodle Soup

This is a staple in our house all year round. Lamb family comfort food at its best. This is my own recipe, adapted from my mom's, and I usually just add ingredients to taste, but I will try to give measurable amounts as close as possible. So feel free to add more or less to your own tastes. I also use homemade noodles (recipe follows). The tradition at our house is to put a big dollup of mashed potatoes in the bottom of your bowl and then pile the soup on top. It may sound weird, but it makes the soup creamy and delicious. Give it a try!

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 small whole chicken
1 onion
3-4 stalks celery
4 whole carrots, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic
salt
pepper
garlic salt
poultry seasoning
celery salt
thyme
water to cover
Put all above ingredients in a large saucepan, cover and bring to a boil. No need to chop veggies as this is just to cook the chicken and make the broth. Cook for 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate and let cool. Strain out veggies and discard. SAVE BROTH. When chicken is cool enough, remove all the meat from the bones and discard bones and skin. Bring reserved broth to a boil and add:
1 onion, chopped
10-15 baby carrots, chopped into bite-size pieces
3-4 celery stalks, chopped
1 bay leaf
thyme to taste
salt and pepper to taste
shredded reserved chicken pieces
Bring to a boil and cook until veggies are cooked through, skimming off the fat as it cooks (the frothy stuff that collects at the top of the pan). If you are adding homemade noodles add them during the last 5-7 minutes. (If not you can add premade bowtie or macaroni noodles at this point).

Noodles:
3-4 eggs
about 2 cups milk
pinch salt
wisk together and add enough flour to make into a dough (1-2 cups i think). dough shouldn't be overly sticky. Roll out onto a floured surface, and cut into thin, long noodles. I usually make the noodles before I start the soup, because they need to sit on the counter and dry out for a little while.
Add to soup during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
Scoop a big dollup of mashed potatoes in the bottom of the bowl and cover with soup. ENJOY.
***Try the potatoes, you will never eat chicken noodle soup without them again****

Beef Stew

mmmmmm! One of the ultimate comfort foods in my opinion! I love Fall, and all of its warm foods, and beautiful colors. This recipe is actually my OWN, believe it or not! I adapted it from how I remember my mom making it. And we can't get enough.....especially when there's lots and lots of warm, buttery breadsticks around. Beef Stew

1-2 lbs of stewing beef
4 T. flour
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
10-15 baby carrots, chopped
3-4 potatos, peeled and chopped into bitesize pieces
1 lg. can stewed tomatoes in juice
1 bay leaf
1 c. dried soup mix (not seasoning packets, but the kind from the cannery).
2 cans beef broth
garlic salt
salt
pepper
onion salt

Season the beef pieces with seasonings and dredge in the flour. Saute onion, garlic, celery, and carrots in olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add beef pieces and brown on all sides until cooked through.
Add the rest of indgredients and bring to a boil. If more liquid is needed to cover meat and veggies, add water or more beef stock as needed. Cook for 15 minutes or until veggies are cooked through.

Ham and potato Soup

3 1/2 c. peeled and diced potato's. (i used red ones).
1/3 c. diced celery
1/3 c. chopped carrots
1/3 c. finely chopped onion
3/4 c. diced cooked ham
1 clove chopped garlic
1 can chicken stock plus 2 can fulls of water
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
5 T. butter
5 T. flour
2 c. milk

Combine veggies, onion, garlic a ham in large soup pan. saute for a few minutes and then add chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil, the cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add salt and pepper.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook stirring constantly until thick, about one minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form. continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick and creamy, about 4-5 minutes.

Stir the milk mixture into the soup and cook until heated through. We like to top ours with grated cheese and chopped green onions, and have breadsticks to dip into the soup. yummy!!!

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

I'm not one for straight tomato soups, but this one is different. Really good when eaten with my breadsticks dipped in it! It requires a lot of pans, but the result is DELISH!!

3 c. whole tomatos with juice
1/4 c. veg oil
1 c. finely diced celery
1 c. finely diced onions
1 c. finely diced carrots
4 T. fresh oregano (or 1 t. dried)
4 c. chicken broth
2 T. butter
1/2 c. flour
2 c. half and half, warmed
1 c. parm cheese
1 t. salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper
bay leaf
1 T. basil

Place whole tomatos and juice in a bowl or food processor, and puree. Set aside. Heat oil in soup pot, add celery, onions, and carrots. Saute 5 minutes. Add basil, oregano, and bay leaf. Add tomatos and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer until carrots are tender. About 15 minutes. While soup simmers, prepare a roux. Melt butter in skillet over low heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 5-7 minutes. Stir one cup hot soup into roux, stirring constantly. Add another 3 c. hot soup and stir until mixture is smooth. Add the roux mix back into rest of hot soup and bring to a simmer stirring constantly. Soup will begin to thicken. In a separate saucepan, warm half and half over low heat and set aside. add parm cheese to soup and wisk to blend. Stir in warm half and half. Add salt and pepper. Simmer soup over low heat 15-20 min, stirring occasionally to blend half and half and parm cheese into soup as soup thickens. Remove from heat and serve.

Cheesy Veggie Soup

1 16 oz. bag frozen veggies (California Medley - broccoli, cauliflower, carrots) 1 16 oz. bag frozen broccoli 1 can broccoli soup 1 can cheddar cheese soup 1 can evaporated milk 1/4 c. finely chopped onions (or 1/8 c. dried minced onion) 1/2 tsp. minced garlic (optional) 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper Pour ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, or high for 1-2 hours. Sprinkle with cheese and serve in bread bowl or with crusty french bread. Delish

Zuppa Toscana Soup (like Olive Garden's)

2 ¾ cups chicken broth
¼ cup heavy cream
1 med russet potato
2 cups chopped kale
½ lb Italian sausage (spicy to taste)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (if you like spicy)

Combine broth and cream together over med. Heat. Cube unpeeled potato and add, add kale. Saute sausage and break into small pieces and add to the soup. Add spices and simmer for an hour!

If you have a big family, double the recipe!( or triple...) We like to dip breadsticks in it....

White Chicken Chili

4 Chicken Breasts
3 cans of chicken broth about 10 oz each
2 cans of Great Northern Beans 10 oz each
2 cans of shoepeg white corn
2 cans of green chilies 4 oz each
1 cup chopped onion
1-2 garlic cloves minced
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Place chicken in large pot with broth, onion, and garlic and cook med heat for 20-30 minutes. Remove chicken and shred, add the rest of the ingredients (do not drain any of the cans) and cook for another 30 mintues.
Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream and shredded Monterey jack cheese!!

Corn chowder

I had this at my friend Kristi's house and fell instantly in love!!! serve with homemade breadsticks right out of the oven!

8 oz bacon, chopped
1/4 c. olive oil
4 large onions, chopped
4 T. unsalted butter
1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 t. kosher salt
1 t. ground black pepper
1/2 t. ground tumeric
12 c. chicken stock
6 c. medium diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled
10 c. corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 c. half and half
1/2 lb. sharp white cheddar cheese, grated.

In a large pan on med high heat, cook the bacon in olive oil until crisp. Remove the bacon and save on a plate. reduce heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cobs and blanch the kernels for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (if using frozen corn, skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half and half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. serve hot with a garnish of bacon.
****This makes a large batch - you can half the recipe and still make a lot!!! (or make a full batch and enjoy the leftovers the next day!!!******

Pasta Fagol

1 lb. hamburger
1 small onion chopped
1 c. julienned carrots
2 cloves garlic chopped

saute together for 10 minutes and then drain grease.
add:
2 cans diced tomatos
1 can red kidney beans
1 can great northern beans
1 can tomato JUICE (not sauce!)
2 cans v8
1 T. white vinegar
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. oregano
1 t. basil
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. thyme
simmer together for 1 hour.

cook 1/2 bag of salad roni pasta (or other small tube pasta) separately and add to soup right before serving! delicious when served with my yummy breadstick recipe!