When it's chilly outdoors or we're not feeling so great what makes us feel better? For many of us, it’s a warm bowl of soup. Did Mom, Dad, your Grandma, Gigi, Lala, Nana or Mimi give you chicken noodle soup when you weren't feeling well? Soup is often associated with being cared for.
Today, before the warm weather arrives, we thought we'd share some of our favorite soup recipes with you all, to enjoy on a chilly day. We hope you enjoy them!
Gigi Lori
I get bored with my repertoire of recipes, chicken, steak, pasta; you know the drill. So when I want to create some dinnertime excitement, I pull out a homemade soup recipe. It is guaranteed to please the pickiest of eaters.
Potato soup is one of my favorites. It has chunky potatoes and a thick sauce with bits of bacon, oh so yummy.
Potato Soup
Ingredients:
1 lb of bacon chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 7 oz. can of diced green chiles
6 to 8 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups of chicken broth (enough to cover potatoes)
2 heaping Tbsps of flour
1/2 cup of water
1 cup of heavy cream
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
chopped chives or scallions
chopped cilantro
Directions:
In a dutch oven, saute bacon until crispy, remove from pan, leave several tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan. Add onion, carrots, celery and cook until onion is translucent. Transfer ingredients, minus the bacon to a large stockpot. Add the potatoes, cream, green chiles, and cover with chicken broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium, cook until potatoes are tender. To thicken soup, add flour to a measuring cup, slowly add 1/2 cup of water and stir with fork until flour dissolves to a smooth mixture; add mixture to soup to thicken. Use an immersion blender to partially blend potatoes, leaving chunks of potatoes. Stir in 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and a handful of bacon into soup.
Serve with chopped cilantro, cheese, chives and bacon.
Enjoy!
Gigi Lori
"Only the pure in heart can make a good soup" Ludwig Van Beethoven
Gigi Susie
Taco Inspired Tortilla Meatball Soup
From Cooking Light Magazine
Ingredients
2 jalapeños
1 red bell pepper
2 ears corn on the cob
4 (6" corn or flour tortillas), cut into 1/2" thick strips
cooking spray
1 pound ground sirloin
1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
6 garlic cloves, mined and divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups cubed red potato
1 cup slice carrot
3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
lime wedges (optional)
Instructions
Preheat broiler
Cut jalapeños and bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil lined baking sheet. Arrange corn on baking sheet with peppers. Broil 4-6 minutes or until blackened, turning corn once. Place peppers in a paper bag; fold to seal. Let stand 15 minutes; peel. Mince jalapeños and coarsely chop bell pepper. Cut corn kernels from cobs. Set aside.
Place tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat with cooking spray. Broil for 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning after 2 minutes. Set aside.
Combine sirloin, breadcrumbs, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 garlic clove, egg and chipotle chile in a large bowl and gently mix until combined. With moist hands, shape meat mixture into 24 meatballs.
Place a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add meatballs to pan; saute' 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pan. Add onion, potato and carrot to pan. Sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 5 garlic cloves; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add peppers, broth and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally. Return meatballs to pan. Add remaining 1/2 tsp salt and corn; return to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes or until meatballs are done. Ladle soup into bowls; top with cheese, cilantro and tortilla strips. Serve soup with lime wedges, if desired.
This is such a yummy and flavorful soup. I like it spicy so I've played with adding more jalapeños and the adobo chile but it really kicks it up a notch so proceed with caution.
xoxoxoxoxo
Gigi Susie
Lala Malana
Creamy White Bean Lemon Pesto Orzo Soup
My daughter, Emily made this when we were visiting her in California. I have never really cooked with orzo but I loved it. It is a form of short-cut pasta, shaped like a large grain of rice. It is a simple dish that is made in one pot and takes around 25 minutes to complete. Kind of like creamy risotto, kind of like soup, wholesome and comforting and so delicious!! Serve some crusty bread on the side and your meal is complete.
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, smashed
red pepper flakes
2 T. salted butter
2 cups dry orzo pasta
6 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 can white beans
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 bunch kale, finely shredded ( I used a kale/baby spinach mix)
1/2 cup basil pesto
1/2 cup whole milk or canned full fat coconut milk
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and chili flakes and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Drop in the butter, then stir in the orzo. Cook until golden, 1-3 minutes. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the beans and kale or spinach. Season with salt and pepper. If you have one, add a parmesan rind. Simmer 8-10 minutes until the orzo is al dente, stirring often. It should become very creamy.
2. Stir in the pesto, milk, parmesan, and lemon, cook another few minutes until warmed through.
3. Divide the orzo and broth among bowls and add additional parmesan and black pepper. I prefer shaved parmesan for the topping. You can also add some fresh dill, parsley, or basil too!
Notes: the orzo will soak up the broth over time. If eating leftover, add additional broth to thin. It should be creamy, but with just a touch of liquid.
Happiness is hot soup on a cold day!
Stay warm!
Lala Malana
Mimi Jackie
I’ve been making this delicious soup for over 20 years and my family continues to ask me to make it. I’ve also given them a copy of the recipe to have but, honestly meals are always best when they’re prepared for you! We’ve made this soup in advance and then frozen it and brought it along on our ski trips for a quick and easy meal, after skiing all day. Just add a salad and warm bread and butter!
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs ground beef or turkey
1 28oz can chopped tomatoes
3 cans beef consommé soup
4 carrots, chopped fine
3 celery sticks, chopped fine
½ tsp thyme
8 Tbsps Barley
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 ½ cups of water
1 can of tomato soup
1 Bay leaf
Parsley to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
Brown meat and onions. Drain well. Combine all other ingredients in a large pot and add meat and onion mixture. Simmer with lid on, at least 2 hours or all day.
Happiness is hot soup on a cold day, ENJOY!!
xoxo
Mimi Jackie
Nana Alison
All of you cheese lovers, myself included, will love this easy, five ingredient, broccoli cheddar soup from Maya Krampf at WholesomeYum…plus, it’s Keto and low carb. Anything with melted cheese is comfort food and this fits the bill. Even if you don’t like broccoli, you will probably enjoy this soup. You don’t have to be on a Keto diet and your grandkids will love it. (See the pureed option if you need to hide the broccoli.) I’m all about easy-cooking on a busy weeknight and this is ready in about 20 minutes.
Easy 5 Ingredient Broccoli Cheese Soup
-4 cups broccoli florets (chopped into bite size pieces)
-4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
-3 1/2 cups chicken broth or bone broth
-1 cup of heavy cream
-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I recommend a good quality, sharp cheddar)
Optional--chopped bacon, chopped red peppers, seasoning of your choice
In a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, sauté garlic in a little bit of olive oil or butter.
Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, and chopped broccoli.
Increase heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-20 minutes until broccoli is tender.
Add the grated cheddar cheese 1/2 cup at a time stirring constantly, until all the cheese is added and melted. (Make sure this is at a very low heat). Remove from heat immediately.
Note-There is also an option to pureé the soup which helps to thicken it and helps hide the veggies for picky eaters. You can check out that option and a “how to” video here.
Nana says eat your broccoli!
Enjoy,
Nana Alison
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