Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

 

Photo Source:  Taste of Home

"While other homemade chicken and rice soup recipes typically require an extended cooking time on the stovetop or in a slow cooker, this simple version comes together in only 30 minutes. This short cooking time is possible thanks to precooked chicken, plus the fact that the rice doesn’t need to be cooked in a separate pot.

From the Recipe Creator: I came up with this creamy chicken rice soup recipe while making some adjustments to a favorite stovetop chicken casserole. We like this soup for lunch with a crisp roll and fresh fruit. —Janice Mitchell, Aurora, Colorado"  Comments from Taste of Home

This soup sounds delicious!!

Click here to go to the Taste of Home recipe page.

Roasted Cheesy Potato and Ham Soup In Pretzel Bowls

 

Photo source: Yammie's Noshery

Not only did Yammie provide an awesome recipe for Potato and Ham Soup, but also included her recipe for Pretzel Bowls.  

Those bowls remind me of what The Captain used to make for his potato soup which he never wrote the recipes down for.  It makes me so sad.  I would ask him for the recipes and he would respond with, "yes, I have been meaning to do that, but I'm not going anywhere."

There are other potato soup recipes I've posted, but this one is different with the addition of ham, which sounds delicious to me.

Click here to go to Yammie's recipe page for the soup and pretzel bowl.

Homemade Potato Soup

 

Photo source:  Taste of Home

"This easy potato soup recipe is just like one you’d find on a steakhouse menu. Its rich and velvety base is loaded with cubes of tender potato, pieces of salty bacon, a healthy dose of melty cheese and a final flourish of green onions for color. Once you learn how to make this potato soup, it will become your go-to comfort food dinner anytime the weather is chilly or you’re feeling a little under the weather."  Comment from Taste of Home

Potato soup recipes have gotten my attention today.  It was one of the dishes The Captain made that I loved, but he never wrote the recipe down for me.  Same for recipes I didn't get from my nana.  Learn from my lesson, get your favorite recipes written down by your loved ones so you can pass them on.

Anyway, several caught my attention and I will try out.  This one is made from scratch, using real potatoes.  I love both made from scratch recipes as well as semi-homemade recipes.  It all depends on how much time I want to spend in the kitchen.

Click here to go to the Taste of Home recipe page.

Ore-Ida Loaded Potato Soup

Every day is Potato Day in my house.  I absolutely love potatoes!

This recipe comes from one of my old magazines from back in the 80's.  Ore-Ida does not have this recipe listed on its website.  What is listed is a slow cooker recipe submitted to All Recipes, which I have also posted on this blog.

I've lost track of the magazine article, so I can't list the date of this article.  What I can tell you is that it was a winner in the Ore-Ida Employee Recipe Contest.

Click here to go to the Kraft/Heinz Ore-Ida potato recipes page for lots of yummy potato recipes.

Cooking time: 15 minutes
No. of Servings: 4-6


Ingredients:

1 24 oz. bag Ore-Ida® Steam n' Mash Garlic Seasoned Potatoes
2 cups broccoli florets, frozen
1 jar (12-16 oz) Creamy Alfredo sauce
2 cups milk
1/4lb bacon
1 cup cheddar cheese
¼ cup green onions, chopped


Directions:

Prepare Ore-Ida Steam n' Mash Garlic Seasoned Potatoes in the microwave, as directed on package.

While the potatoes are cooking, cut bacon into mall strips, chop green onions and shred cheddar cheese. Fry bacon in a sauce pan over med-high heat, set aside.

Turn heat down to medium-low and pour jar of Creamy Alfredo sauce into sauce pan.

Add milk and broccoli florets, and stir soup occasionally.

Pour one cup of cooked potatoes into small bowl, mash.

Blend mashed potatoes into soup.

Pour 1 cup of cooked potatoes into individual serving bowls. Ladle soup over
the potatoes.

Top with cheese, bacon and green onions.

Ore-Ida Slow-Cooker Loaded Potato Soup

 

Photo source:  All Recipes

"This ORE-IDA slow-cooker loaded potato soup recipe makes a rich and creamy slow-cooker loaded baked potato soup with Cheddar cheese, hash brown potatoes, and bacon — it's comfort food at its finest."  Comment from All Recipes

This recipe was submitted by Ore-Ida, who has had years to perfect this recipe, so you know it has got to be good.  Love the semi-homemade type of easiness and the convenience of using the slow cooker.  Got to try this recipe soon!

Click here to go to the All Recipes recipe page, recipe submitted by Ore-Ida.

Navy Bean Soup

 

Photo source:  Taste of Home

"When comfort food calls, make this hearty navy bean soup. It's soul-warming and filling, a perfect way to use up leftover ham."  Comment from Taste of Home

Lima bean soup is my favorite soup that I make often.  It is always my way to use up leftover ham.  This recipe is different than mine and I am happy to have another version of one of my favorite meals.

Click here to go to the Taste of Home recipe page.

Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup

 

Photo source:  Mom On Timeout

"Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup is the ultimate in comfort food! Loaded with juicy ham and beans, onion, garlic, smoked paprika, and thyme all cooked together to perfection in the slow cooker. Delicious and satisfying, this will certainly bring those warm fall feelings straight to your family dinner table! (Stovetop instructions too!)"  Comment from Mom On Timeout

One of my favorite meals and it is so easy.  I've made it in the crockpot, but will love to try it.  Trish of Mom On Timeout also has stovetop instructions, she is always so detailed and thorough in her instructions.

Click here to go to Trish's recipe page.

Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup

 

Photo Source: Taste of Home

"This hearty vegetable soup is easy to replicate at home using a few pantry staples and fresh produce from your grocery store or farmers market."  Comment from Taste of Home

Olive Garden is one of my favorite restaurants and have had their minestrone soup many times.  I'd love to make it myself.  

Click here to go to the Taste of Home recipe page.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

 

Photo source: Southern Living

Quick and easy comfort food in a one-pot meal.  The perfect choice on a busy day with some hot biscuits.  Great choice for a cold day.

This recipe comes from Southern Living.  Click here to go to the recipe page.

Drop Dumplings for Soup

 

Dumplings are not just for Chicken n Dumplings.  They are kind of like biscuits, but their fluffy texture will add to any type of soup or stew.

Actually, I would have never thought of dumplings as anything other than an important part of chicken n dumplings.  But Ashley at The Recipe Rebel knew that they were important on their own to enhance other meals.  She's very clever!

Click here to go to Ashley's article about dumplings, other ideas of how to use them and how to make them.

Bean with Bacon Soup

Most people bring out their soup recipes when it gets cold, but for me, I love bean soup any time of the year.  Great Northern White Beans are my favorite.

I've made the same tried and true simple recipe as long as I can remember. Start with dry Great Northern White Beans and prepare them as described in this recipe, add fresh water just past the beans and add diced ham.  If you have one, a ham bone works best, especially if you have left meat on the bone for the soup.  Cook several hours until beans are tender.  Taste . . . you will know when they are ready.  

Don't forget to make some fresh cornbread.

Here is the Pioneer Woman's recipe for soup using Great Northern White Beans. 



Ingredients

1 pound Great Northern White Beans
4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock
1 pound Thick-cut Bacon, Cut Into 1 Inch Pieces
1 whole Onion, Diced
2 whole Large Carrots, Peeled And Diced
2 stalks Celery, Diced
Salt And Pepper, to taste
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
2 whole Bay Leaves
Minced Parsley, To Taste
3 whole Roma Tomatoes, Chopped (optional)


Instructions

Give the beans a rinse. Put them in a large pot and cover with water by two inches. Let them soak overnight.

Drain the beans. Add chicken stock and 4 cups of water, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until just barely crisp while the beans are cooking.  Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Add 2/3 of the bacon to the beans and reserve the rest for garnish.

Drain the bacon grease from the pan; add onions, carrots, and celery. Season with some salt and pepper and cook until just beginning to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute or two. 

Add vegetable mixture to the beans. Add the bay leaf and stir. 

Cover and cook on low (to medium-low) until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add a cup of broth if the liquid level gets too low.

When ready to serve, taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. If desired, stir in the tomatoes. Serve with chopped reserved bacon and chopped parsley.

Source:  The Pioneer Woman

Seafood Pasta Chowder

© 2009 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

This is one of those recipes that calls for spoiling yourself and making this a special meal.  Of course you can also serve it for a casual lunch.  But it can be made very special.  

First of all, there is something about having this chowder out of a bread bowl that makes you feel spoiled.  I also like to garnish the top with larger shrimp.

However you choose to serve it,  the chowder aims to please!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup uncooked miniature pasta bow-ties or shells 
• 5 tablespoons butter 
• 8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• 2 cups fish stock (clam juice can be used if it is your preference) 
• 2 cups half-and-half 
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 
• 1 teaspoon dill 
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg 
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, amount depends on your heat preference 
• 1 cup canned fresh crab meat 
• 8 ounces shrimp (whatever size you prefer . . . we prefer bigger shrimp and sometimes use more than 8 ounces depending on our budget) 
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions, green tops included 

Preparation:

Cook pasta in salted water in a large pot. Drain and rinse.

While pasta is cooking . . . 

Saute mushrooms on low heat in 3 tablespoons butter in a large pot. Salt and cook about 3 minutes, until they have cooked down a bit.

Saute an additional minute after adding garlic, making sure the garlic does not brown.

Stir in 2 tablespoons butter until melted. 

Add flour into the mixture, stirring constantly and cook for 2 minutes. 

Continue stirring and add the fish stock, then the milk. Heat until thickened.

Add paprika, nutmeg, and cayenne, stir in crab and shrimp.  

Cook only until heated through! 

Add drained pasta and green onions. 

Taste and season accordingly, if necessary.

Awesome when served in a bread bowl, but make sure to enjoy with some hot crusty bread.


Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Photo credit © 2009 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, recipe adapted from About.com

Disneyland's Loaded Baked Potato Soup

.

This recipe comes from Disneyland's Carnation Cafe . . . a park favorite that is perfect for those chilly days of winter.  

I can't wait to try out this version of one of my favorite soups!

Ingredients

1 pound bacon, roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
3/4 cup diced celery
4 large Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 medium red potatoes, diced
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Coarse salt, freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 cups heavy whipping cream
Optional garnishes: chopped chives, bacon bits, sour cream, shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese

1. In a 6- to 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp.
2. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving half for garnish. In bacon fat, cook onions, carrots, and celery until the onions are translucent. Add potatoes and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Whisk in flour and stir constantly over low heat until the flour is cooked and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add chicken stock and half of the bacon. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Over medium-high heat, bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Mash some of the potatoes for thicker, creamier texture. Add whipping cream and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Adjust thickness by adding water or stock. Soup should have a creamy consistency.
6. Season to taste, and garnish with toppings.

Cooks’ notes: Soak diced potatoes in cold water until ready to use to keep them from turning brown. To make bacon easier to chop, lightly freeze.

Source:  http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/

Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1-1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1-1/4 cups uncooked medium egg noodles
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Directions

• In a large saucepan, saute the carrot, celery and onion in butter until tender.
•  Stir in the broth, chicken and seasonings; bring to a boil. 
• Reduce heat. Add noodles; cook for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. 
• Sprinkle with parsley.
  
• Yield: 6 servings.

Recipe and Photo Source:  Taste Of Home

Old Fashioned Split Pea Soup

All I need are carrots and celery to make this yummy soup . . . my mom just brought me the ham bones from Easter dinner . . . can't wait for the aroma of this soup cooking to fill my house! Oh yeah . . . don't forget some really good bread to go with this.


INGREDIENTS:

1 pound dry green split peas
2 quarts water
1 meaty ham bone
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
dash pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste


DIRECTIONS:

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cover dried peas with 2 quarts of water. Bring split peas to a boil; boil gently for 2 minutes. Set aside to soak for 1 hour. Add ham bone, chopped onion, garlic powder, marjoram, thyme, and pepper. Bring split pea soup to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove meat from bone; dice and return to pea soup with chopped celery and carrot. Simmer split pea soup slowly for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste split pea soup and add salt.

Yield: 8 Servings



Source: my recipe files . . . I have no idea where this recipe came from

Seafood Bisque

2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) condensed cream
of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of
celery soup, undiluted

2 2/3 cups milk

4 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce

1 1/2 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled
and deveined

1 can (6 ounces) crabmeat, drained, flaked, and
cartilage removed

1 jar (4 1/2 ounces) whole mushrooms, drained

3 tbsp Madeira wine or chicken broth

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Minced fresh parsley



In a dutch oven or soup kettle, combine the first eight ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat.

Add the shrimp, crab, and the mushrooms. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Stir in the wine or broth. Add the salt and the pepper.

Cook for 2-3 minutes longer.

Garnish with parsley.

Makes 10 servings


Source: Taste of Home

Cream soup base

Since I use Campbell's Cream of whatever soups alot in my cooking, I have been on a quest to find a recipe so I can save money and make my own . . . this one looks promising. I'll comment on it when I have tried it . . . if you try it first, please comment . . . or if you have a recipe for cream soup base to share.

You can use this recipe to make cream soup from most vegetables. Consider this for asparagus, fresh pea soup, carrot soup, celery soup, and more. Since tastes and veggies vary, be ready to tinker with amounts until you have it just right. You can make hot or cold soup with this recipe.

This is a great recipe for summer when the garden is overflowing with produce.

1 sweet onion, diced
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups vegetables of choice, diced
salt to taste
2/3 cup cream

Sauté the onion dices in the butter until they are tender and translucent but not browned.

Add the flour and stir and cook until a soft paste has formed but not browned.

While still cooking, pour in 1/2 cup of the broth while stirring with a whisk. Gradually add the rest of the broth, stirring to make the mixture smooth and not lumpy as if you were making gravy. Continue cooking until the mixture is bubbly and has thickened.

Add the vegetables and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are soft enough to mash easily.

Pour two to three cups of the liquid into your blender. Puree the mixture until it is smooth. Continue in batches until the entire soup is puréed.

Pour the soup through a strainer into a clean pan. Press any pieces through the sieve with the back of a spoon.

Salt the soup to taste. Add the cream. If the soup needs further thinning, add water. Reheat and serve.


Source: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BettyCrocker-PillsburysYesterdaysRecipes/

Corn and Crab Chowder

INGREDIENTS: 4 slices bacon 1 large sweet onion, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups) 2 cloves garlic, minced 6 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth OR Natural Goodness™ or Certified Organic Chicken Broth 2 tsp. seafood seasoning 6 to 8 red potato OR fingerling potato, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups) 2 cups frozen whole kernel corn 1 container (8 ounces) refrigerated pasteurized lump crabmeat 1/2 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS: Cook the bacon in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Remove the bacon with a fork or kitchen tongs and drain on paper towels. Crumble and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of drippings. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions and garlic and cook in the hot bacon drippings until tender. Stir in the broth, seafood seasoning, potatoes and corn. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the crabmeat and cream. Cook for 5 minutes. Divide the chowder among 6 serving bowls. Top each with about 1 tablespoon of bacon. www.Swansonbroth.com.

Potato Soup with Shrimp

1/2 stick butter
1 small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced about the same size as the onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups milk, whole, reduced fat (2 percent) or low fat (1 percent)
2 chicken bouillon cubes, dissolved in 1/2 cup hot milk or chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups salted water
1 pound medium shrimp
Crumbled bacon bits, for garnish
Grated sharp Cheddar, for garnish
Dill sprigs, optional garnish

In a 4-quart saucepan, melt the butter and saute the onion and carrots until both are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, milk, and dissolved bouillon cubes. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are very soft and some of them have begun to dissolve into mush. Add the half-and-half, salt, and pepper.

In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups lightly salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp all at once and stir well. Watch the shrimp closely; as soon as they all turn pink, about 2 to 3 minutes, turn off the heat and drain. The shrimp should be slightly undercooked. When they are cool, peel them, and chop roughly into big chunks. Add the shrimp to the soup and stir well. Serve soup sprinkled with bacon bits and grated cheese. Garnish with dill sprigs, if desired.

Cook's Note: If you don't have access to shrimp, use corn.

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen, The Food Network