Chicken Noodle Soup

This weekend is going to bring the coldest temperatures we've had all year here in South Louisiana.  Plus it's raining.  Gross.  This weather definitely calls for a big pot of soup.  Chicken noodle soup might be the mother of all comfort foods.  It's like a nice warm hug for your insides.

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

2 boneless chicken breasts, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped (or a handful of baby carrots)
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 cups egg noodles (or broken spaghetti)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt/pepper
2 TBS oil


Season the diced chicken with salt and pepper.  Brown the chicken in the oil over medium-high heat in a big pot.  Once the chicken is browned, remove it to a plate and set it aside.

Add the onion, celery and carrots to the pot and saute for 10 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.  Add the broth and water.

Bring to a boil then lower heat to medium, cover the pot and let cook 20 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste the broth to see if you need to add more salt or pepper.

Next, add the chicken (If you add it earlier it will get tough and stringy).

Then add the noodles.  Stir.  Bring back to a boil and cook until the noodles are tender, about 10 minutes or so.

Finish the soup by adding the chopped fresh parsley.

This soup is easy to make and so yummy!  It is perfect on a cold, rainy night.  Stay warm and happy cooking!

Turkey Soup

In case you're wondering, yes the construction continues.  I was hoping we would be done by Christmas, but now I believe that might have been wishful thinking, seeing how today is December 1st and we still have a long way to go.  Oh well, I'll do my best to be merry and bright while my house is in shambles.  The show must go on, as they say.

I love left overs.  Always have.  I like to try to think of new ways to use them so that it's not just the same meal again.  Thanksgiving always leaves us with lots of left overs!  Everyone in my family makes too much.  We would rather have too much than not enough so we overdo it.  If you're like us and have left over turkey, here is a great way you can use it.  Turkey soup is a very easy recipe that warms you up while filling your belly.  It's perfect for those climates that actually have all four seasons.  Fall is my favorite time of the year, but I haven't seen much of it.  It seems this year, in South Louisiana, we're having two summers then skipping straight to winter.  No joke.  It was 81 degrees here yesterday and tomorrow night it will be in the 30s.  Go figure.  Anyway, when there is a chill in the air, this turkey soup is a great way to warm up.  Here's how I make it:

First off, I like to make my own turkey stock.  It's super easy and a great way to use up the turkey bones.  I'll tell you how to do it but if you don't want to, you can just use store bought turkey (or chicken) broth.

How to make turkey stock:  Debone the turkey (take all the meat off the bones).  Place some of the bones in a big pot and fill it with cold water.  Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 2 hours.  That's it.  So easy.  Remove the bones and ladle the stock through a fine mesh sieve to strain out any bits of turkey, etc.  You can keep this in the fridge for a few days or freezer for 4-6 months.

TURKEY SOUP

2 TBS oil
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cups diced left over cooked turkey
6 cups homemade turkey stock (Or 3 cups store bought broth + 3 cups water)
salt and pepper
2 cups pasta, uncooked (I like egg noodles or broken spaghetti)
chopped fresh parsley, optional

In a big pot (with a tight fitting lid), heat oil over medium-high heat.  Saute diced onion, celery and carrots until limp (a few minutes).  Season with a little salt and pepper.

Add the stock (or broth + water) and bring it to a boil.  Lower the heat and cover the pot.  Let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the noodles and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes or so, until the noodles are cooked.

Finally, add the turkey (it's already cooked so you only need to warm it up).  Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed.  Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

That's it.  So easy to make plus very filling and delicious!  This is such a great way to use that left over turkey.  Don't get me wrong, I like a turkey sandwich as much as the next guy, but after a while you want something different.  Give this recipe a try and enjoy your left overs!

Taco Soup

Living in South Louisiana is like riding a weather roller coaster!  We are well into November and we're wearing shorts and running the A/C.  But, not long ago, we were in sweaters.  And from what I heard the weatherman say last night, we will be in heavy coats this weekend.  It's a never ending up and down experience.  You know how most people get to put the summer clothes away and bring out the winter clothes for the "season"?  Well, we can't do that here in South Louisiana.  We may need a sweater or perhaps a sundress.  Sometimes you can wear both on the same day!  You never know how the day is going to unfold.  This cartoon pretty much nails it:

When it does get cold around here, I love a steaming bowl of soup to warm up.  Who doesn't?  Here's a recipe that is easy to make and I usually have all the ingredients on hand.  The best part is that it's hearty, warm and delicious on a cold day.

TACO SOUP

1/2 lb. ground beef (or turkey)
1/2 an onion, chopped
1/2 a bell pepper, chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 pkg taco seasoning
4 cups water
1 cup frozen corn

Brown the ground beef with the chopped onion and bell pepper.

Drain off any excess grease.  Add the tomatoes (including the juice), water, taco seasoning and beans.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the corn.

Simmer, uncovered for 5 - 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

I serve it with a few tortilla chips (for the hubby) or with sour cream, chopped green onions and crushed tortilla chips (for me).

This soup really warms you up and fills you up.  The meat and beans are very filling.  It has a great flavor, thanks to the taco seasoning, and a bit of sweetness from the corn.  The sour cream adds creaminess (obviously) and the chips add crunch and that great tortilla flavor.

If you live in a part of the world where the cold is constant throughout the season, make this soup to warm your belly.  If you live in South Louisiana and time it just right, it might warm you up, too.  (Or it might make you sweat.  Oh well, just crank the A/C).

Old Fashioned Beef Vegetable Soup

My family has been under the weather.  From sinus infections to summer colds, we are not feeling our best.  So, it's time for a little old fashioned medicine, vegetable soup!  Nothing makes you feel better when you're sick than a big steaming bowl of soup.  Plus, it's easy ('cause who feels like doing a ton of work when you're sick?),  It uses leftover beef and canned or frozen veggies!  Here's how I make it:

OLD FASHIONED BEEF VEGETABLE SOUP

2 cups diced cooked roast beef (use up your leftovers!)
1 can beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small pkg frozen veggies (or a can of mixed vegetables, rinsed and drained)
2 cups water
2 potatoes, diced (frozen hash browns work, too)
1 small onion, diced
salt/pepper

Put everything in a big pot.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Then lower the heat and simmer, covered until potatoes and onions are tender, stirring occasionally.

That's it!  Easy easy easy and so good!  Plus, it's super versatile.

If you don't have leftover roast beef, you can use chicken or turkey.  You can even use cooked ground beef.  Leftover taco meat would be delicious!

You can substitute 1/2 cup uncooked small pasta or rice for the potatoes.

You can make it totally vegetarian by omitting the meat and using vegetable broth.

So, the next time you are feeling a bit under the weather, make this soup.  It will help you feel better for sure.  It's like a warm hug for your insides!

Turkey Meatball Soup

I wanted to make a big pot of soup with veggies.  But, I knew the only way my Pickiest Eater Ever Son wouldn't complain is if I stuffed it full of meatballs, too.  Here's how I did it:

TURKEY MEATBALL SOUP

Soup Base:

1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 medium potatoes cut into large chunks (if too small they will disintegrate in the soup)
1 quart chicken broth
2 cups water
Salt & pepper to taste


Meatballs:

1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix broth, water, onion, celery, carrots and potatoes in a big pot.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, gently mix all of the meatball ingredients until combined.  If you over mix, the meatballs will be tough.  Roll into small meatballs (use about a tablespoon of mixture per meatball).  It should make about 30 or so meatballs.

Put them on a baking sheet with sides (I say that because my daughter baked chicken on a cookie sheet without sides once and the juices ran over and messed my oven up pretty bad and smoked up the kitchen.  You get the picture) and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Here's how they look once baked:

Now, transfer the meatballs to the soup pot and let simmer for a few minutes and your done!  Easy peasy!

This soup is light but very filling!  It's perfect on a cold day!  And my Pickiest Eater Ever Son kept his word.  He ate it, vegetables and all, and didn't complain once!  I'd say that's a success!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

The other day I got a hankering for broccoli cheese soup.  I called the hubby to see if he would swing by Quiznos and pick some up.  He told me that Quiznos had closed down!  Aw man!  I love their broccoli cheese soup.  What was I to do?  I searched the kitchen and guess what?  I had everything I needed to make it myself.  And boy was it good!

BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP

2 TBS butter
2 TBS flour
1/2 an onion, diced
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (shred it yourself)
1 cup shredded Velveeta
1 (12 oz) pkg frozen chopped broccoli
Salt/pepper

Microwave the broccoli according to the package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large pot, melt butter.  Saute the diced onion in the butter until soft (about 5 minutes).  Sprinkle the flour over the butter.  Let it cook, stirring, for a few minutes.  Salt and pepper (to your taste).  Whisk in the milk.  Bring it to a boil, whisking.  Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until it thickens (it doesn't take long).  Add the chicken broth (to make it totally vegetarian, use vegetable broth instead), then add all of the shredded cheese.

A note about cheese:  Don't use the pre-shredded stuff!  It has some weird stuff on it to keep it from sticking together in the bag and it doesn't melt well.  Shred it yourself.  It's so much better!  And the reason I use cheddar and Velveeta is because cheddar has great flavor and the Velveeta makes it super smooth.  Good combo.

Once the cheese melts, add in the cooked broccoli.  Taste it and see if it needs more salt and/or pepper.  At this point you can leave it as it is (with big chunks of broccoli) or you can use an immersion blender to puree it.  I just got an immersion blender so, of course, I pureed mine.  (I love kitchen gadgets!). But, it's good chunky, too.

Smooth, creamy, cheesy goodness!  Sorry Quiznos, I like mine better.