Italian Baked Cauliflower Bites with Rustic Tomato Soup

I don't have much to say here--these little bites are crispy on the edges and soft and pillowy on the inside. Perfect for dipping in a simple tomato soup or some marinara. Or hot sauce--whatever works for you. These look like I had them on a griddle pan, but my parchment sheets were just a little crinkly. 

Ingredients (serves 4):

Italian Baked Cauliflower Bites:

½ cup garbanzo bean flour

¾ cup buttermilk

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon garlic salt

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into 2 inch pieces (about 3-4 cups of pieces)

Rustic Tomato Soup:

2 cups light chicken or vegetable broth, divided (now is not the time for the ‘hearty’ stocks-it will mask the tomato flavor)

½ of a medium white onion, diced

½ teaspoon garlic salt

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray the parchment with cooking spray.

For the cauliflower bites:

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the garbanzo bean flour, buttermilk, seasonings and parmesan to make a batter. Toss the cauliflower pieces into the batter and remove the pieces one at a time, letting any excess batter drip off. Place the coated cauliflower on the baking sheets and spray the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through. The edges should be just turning golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

For the soup:

Put ¼ cup of the broth in a medium saucepan and warm over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic salt and cook about 5 minutes until the onions are tender. If the onions get dry, add a little more broth. Add the remaining broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and red wine vinegar to the pot. Cook for 15 minutes.

Serve the cauliflower bites with a side of tomato soup for a really warm and comforting meal.

Caramelized Butternut Squash Soup

Yum If velvet had a taste, this would be it. This full-bodied soup hits you with flavor and then melts on your tongue. I know I’m waxing poetic here, but this soup is really that good and I’m not typically a creamy soup kind of woman. Caramelizing the squash, onions and carrots in the oven before making this soup give it an incredible depth of flavor and really highlights the sweetness of the vegetables. To balance the sweetness, I added the bite of ginger and/or black pepper (I used both) plus salt and sage. The addition of ginger and nutmeg give warmth and a bit of mild heat to this rich, velvety soup.

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces (about 4 ½ to 5 cups of chunked flesh)

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 cups water

1 vegetable bouillon cube

1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon sage

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Freshly grated nutmeg and/or black pepper to taste

¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (optional, but it makes everything blend together better)

½ cup fat free half and half (or coconut milk)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the diced butternut squash on one sheet and the onions and carrots on the other. Drizzle the olive oil and 2 teaspoons kosher salt over all the veggies and toss, trying to lay everything in a single layer.

Put both baking sheets in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Stir and place back in the oven for another 30 minutes (if the onions and carrots are turning dark, don’t put them back in for the last 30 minutes).

Place all the roasted veggies in a Dutch oven or large pot and add the water, bouillon cube, salt, sage, ginger, thyme, nutmeg/black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 minutes.

Add in the xanthan gum and half and half, then either puree in batches in a blender (center out, but covered with a towel) or use an immersion blend to thoroughly combine the soup.

Ladle into bowls and serve hot. 

Double Mushroom Ramen with Tempeh

Cool, rainy weekend days call for something comforting. For me, anything brothy always hits the spot, so I wanted to do ramen today. This ramen is deep and earthy from the mushrooms, miso and a hearty vegetable stock. The tempeh was a last minute idea, but it really balanced all of the flavors and gave even more depth to the bowl.

Ingredients (serves 2):

½ ounce package dried shitake mushrooms

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 (8 ounce) package tempeh

2 eggs

1 package ramen noodles, flavor packet removed (I used brown rice and millet noodles, because I had them—otherwise, I would’ve used regular ramen noodles)

¼ cup diced onion

1 carrot, sliced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 (1/2 inch) piece of fresh ginger, grated

4 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon miso paste (I used dark, but whatever you like is fine)

1 Tablespoon Tamari or regular soy sauce

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed

Salt, to taste

2 green onions, sliced-for topping

1 few drops of toasted sesame oil-for topping

Directions: Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl with about a cup of hot water. Let sit for 15 minutes. Remove the mushrooms to a cutting board and save the mushroom water for later. Slice the mushrooms into thin strips.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the canola oil in a skillet and sauté the tempeh for about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and cut into thin slices. Set aside.

Bring about 3 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Drop in the eggs and cook for 6 minutes. Remove the eggs to a plate and return the water to a boil. When cool enough to handle, shell the eggs and cut in half. Set aside.

Drop the ramen in the boiling water and cook according to package directions (about 3 minutes). Drain and set aside.

Dump the water out of your pot and add the last 2 teaspoons of canola oil. Heat the oil and medium and add the onions and carrots. Cook for about 3 minutes until the onions and carrots are soft, but not browned. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 more minutes or until you can smell the garlic and ginger.

Pour the veggie stock into the pot along with the reserved mushroom water (being careful to leave the last bits of the mushroom water with the sediment in the bowl-discard the sediment). Add in the miso and tamari and stir to combine.

Add in the sliced mushrooms (both shitake and fresh) and spinach. Season with salt to your taste. Lower heat to a simmer and let cook for at least 30 minutes.

Add the noodles to the pot and then ladle into bowls (or put the noodles in the bowl and top with broth-whatever you like). Top each bowl with 1 or 2 egg halves, some sliced tempeh, sliced green onions and a few drops of toasted sesame oil.

Vegetable and Pepper Jack Soup

I wanted something heartwarming today. It’s a beautiful, spring showers kind of day and a bit chilly, so I turn to soup. I am also trying to keep my vegetable intake up, and this soup has loads of veggies and even more flavor. It’s an easy, one pot soup that only takes about 30 minutes to put together. Note: This is actually a mild soup, heat-wise; if you want heat, add a can or two of chopped green chiles.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon light butter or margarine

1/3 cup diced onion

1/3 cup diced celery

1/3 cup diced carrots

1/3 cup diced red bell pepper

1/3 cup diced zucchini

1/3 cup diced yellow squash

1/3 cup frozen corn, thawed

4 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup fat free half and half

Salt and pepper to taste (I added lots of freshly cracked black pepper)

Garnish:

4 slices of crispy bacon, crumbled

Parsley

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery and carrots and cook about 4 minutes or until soft but not browned.

Add in the bell pepper, zucchini and yellow squash and a few Tablespoons of the stock (to keep everything soft and not burnt) and cook for about 10 more minutes.

Add the corn and the remaining stock.  Bring the soup up to a boil.  

Toss the cheese with the cornstarch. Whisk the cheese-by handfuls- to the soup, making sure each handful is melted before adding the next. Boil for about 5 minutes, whisking constantly, and then reduce to a simmer. Stir until the soup is thickened.

Add in the half and half, taste, and season with salt and pepper.

Let simmer for 10 minutes and serve hot in bowls garnished with a bit of crumbled bacon and fresh parsley.

Tomato Soup

Purity and simplicity in a bowl, that’s what this soup is. There’s a lovely, deep flavor from the tomato paste and onions that just elevate this humble soup. Put on your flannel PJs, pull up some pictures of cute animals on the internet and have a bowl of this soup. All will be right with the world. PS-if you like your tomato soup smooth, you can certainly puree this with a hand mixer. I personally like the bits of tomato and onion.

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ of an onion, finely diced

1 clove of garlic, grated or minced

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 (28 ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes in their juice

1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree

1 ½ cups vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon sugar (or to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: In a large pot, heat the butter and oil over medium-low to medium heat until the butter melts.

Toss in the onion and cook about 3 minutes until the onion is soft, but not browned.

Add the tomato paste, stir and cook until the paste gets a deep red color—about another 3 minutes—stirring often so it doesn’t burn. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the whole tomatoes with their juice, the tomato puree, the veggie broth and the sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 45 minutes or more, stirring a few times to break up the tomatoes. The whole tomatoes should have broken into large bits at this point. If not, cook and stir a little longer.

Taste and add salt and/or pepper.

Spicy 3 Bean, Poblano and Corn Soup

In the Midwest, we are gearing up for a cold February week. I wanted to get a jump on it and make this wonderful, mildly spicy soup for workday lunches. This is very soothing on a cold day-- the refried beans give it a creamy consistency that comforts the soul. Like I said, this is mildly spicy—you can taste the heat, but it isn’t overwhelming. If you are a real pepper-head, you might want to sub some of the poblano with jalapeno or serrano peppers and add some hot pepper sauce. If you are a fan of Penzey’s® spices, you might want to add a teaspoon of Arizona Dreaming to the soup—it makes it even better. By the way, this soup is low fat, high fiber, vegan and gluten-free. Win!

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 cup chopped onion

¾ cup chopped fresh poblano pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (16 ounce) can refried beans (vegetarian, fat free—any kind will work)

1 (10 ounce) can tomatoes with green chiles (like Rotel®)

1 (15.5 ounce) can kidney beans, drained

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained

3 cups vegetable broth

½ teaspoon cumin

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

Salt to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the onion and poblano and cook for a few minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add in the refried beans, tomatoes with green chiles, kidney beans, black beans, vegetable broth and cumin. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the cover and add the corn. Cook for 10 minutes and taste. Add salt as needed.

Loaded Cauliflower Soup

Want comfort but still want to fit into your skinny pants? This soup has all the flavor of potato soup with a lot less calories and fat. It is creamy and thick and perfect for a winter’s night.

Ingredients (serves 4):

1/3 cup plus 4 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth, divided

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 small carrot, diced

½ of a medium onion, diced

2 (14.4 ounce) packages of frozen cauliflower, thawed

1 Tablespoon ham soup base (you can usually find this in the soup aisle, next to the stocks and broths)

1 Tablespoon flour

¾ cup fat free half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnishes:

Crispy bacon, crumbled

Sliced green onions

Light sour cream

Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat the 1/3 cup broth in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the celery, carrots and onion and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes, until the veggies get soft. Add in the cauliflower and the remaining 4 cups of broth.

Stir in the ham soup base and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Combine the flour and half and half in a jar with a tight sealing lid and shake vigorously. Add to the soup and bring back up to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 more minutes.

Turn the heat off and blend everything together with either an immersion (hand-held stick) blender or by placing a few ladlesful at a time into a blender (with the middle of the top removed and a towel placed over the top). Feel free to make it as creamy or as chunky as you like.

Taste and add salt and pepper to your preference. Serve hot in bowls with the garnishes alongside.

Creamy Broccoli, Potato and Cheese Soup

This soup is on the table in less than 30 minutes with minimal prep if you have leftover mashed potatoes (hey, you can whip up some instant mashed potatoes for this if you don’t have leftovers). It’s creamy, hearty, cheesy and perfect for a rainy night.  You can easily make this vegetarian by leaving out the chicken base and skipping the bacon.

Ingredients (serves 4);

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine

½ cup diced onion

1 (32 ounce) carton vegetable stock (or chicken stock, whatever)

3 cups leftover mashed potatoes

1 teaspoon chicken base (optional)

1 (12 ounce) package frozen broccoli

Salt and pepper to taste

½ to 1 teaspoon garlic salt (also to taste)

2 cups processed American cheese, diced into ½ inch cubes

Crumbled bacon for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and fragrant, but not brown. Add in the stock, potatoes, chicken base, broccoli, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Puree the soup using a hand mixer (gosh, I love that thing!). Add the cheese in handfuls, stirring to melt each handful before adding the next.

Spoon the soup into bowls and garnish with crumbled bacon. 

Japanese Style Vegetable, Meatball and Broth Hot Pot

My stars. This smells incredible. It tastes incredible. I could easily exist on this, cheese and fruit for my whole life. 

I was doing some reading last night and everything kept coming up ‘broth’. I’m a huge broth fan and will choose a brothy soup over a cream one any day. A cup of broth can be just the pick me up you need when you are feeling kind of hungry, but don’t really want a meal. It’s also great for when you are feeling blue, or tired, or just not up to par. I always keep vegetable bouillon cubes at home and at work that I can just put in a mug and add hot water to. It’s great when I have a sore throat.

Last night I was especially entranced by the Japanese Sumo wrestlers making Chankonabe, the traditional food for Sumo training. The meal itself seemed healing and healthy (if you don’t eat 2 gallons like those guys do). I knew today was going to be a lovely rainy day, so I decided to try my hand. This meal will make you feel whole again.

I’m sure my spelling of Chankonabe is off, but then again, I didn’t set out to make a ‘traditional’ Chankonabe-I just wanted what I liked.

Big bonus: The ingredients I used can be swapped out, added to, removed, whatever you want. You can make this vegan, you can add noodles/rice,  potatoes, chicken, or seafood and make it the kind of hearty meal Sumo wrestlers eat.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey or chicken

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 egg white

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon finely sliced green onions

1 teaspoon salt

Stock:

4 cups chicken stock

4 cups vegetable stock

2 teaspoons miso paste

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon mirin (optional)

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

Salt to taste

Everything else:

1 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 medium onion, thinly sliced into half-moons (about 1 cup)

3 cups chopped bok choy

1 small daikon radish, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

2 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced

8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced (I’m using cremini, but shitakes would be awesome)

8 ounces extra firm tofu (not silken), squeezed dry between paper towels and cut into bite sized cubes (if you see fried tofu, get that-it will hold up better as you cook)

4 green onions, sliced on the diagonal

A few drops of toasted sesame oil

Directions: Mix all the meatball ingredients together in a mixing bowl and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Place the chicken and vegetable stocks in a large Dutch oven and add in the miso, soy, mirin and ginger and some salt (maybe a teaspoon). Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium or medium low-you want it simmering, not boiling. Simmer for 15 minutes. Put some in a bowl, let it cool slightly and taste. Adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Add in the carrots, onions, bok choy, daikon and Napa cabbage to the stock. Drop the meatballs carefully in. Cover and let cook for 20 minutes.

Add in the mushrooms, tofu and green onions. Cook for another 20 minutes. Add a few drops of toasted sesame oil and taste one more time. Adjust the seasonings and serve in big bowls.

Chicken, Lemon, Egg and Spring Vegetable Soup

This is simply a take on Greek Avgolemono Soup and it is a deeply comforting dish on a cool spring night. The chicken stock and eggs make it rich and satisfying while the lemon and veggies brighten it all up.

Ingredients (makes 3-4 bowls):

4 cups chicken stock (I’m using the good quality, salted box o’ stock)

1 cup cooked chicken breast, shredded

2 eggs

¼ cup half and half or milk (I’m using fat free half and half)

1 cup fresh asparagus, cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup fresh peas

1 handful of fresh baby spinach leaves, torn into pieces

2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice (start with 2 and taste—I like more, so I use all 3 TB)

½ cup grated parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

Maybe some chopped fresh chives or parsley to garnish

Directions: Heat the stock to a boil in a sauce pan. Lower the heat to medium and add the chicken breast.

While the stock is heating up, whisk the eggs with the half and half and set aside.

Add the asparagus to the chicken stock and cook for about 3 minutes. Then add the peas and spinach and slowly whisk the egg mixture into the soup. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in the lemon juice and parmesan. Taste and add salt/pepper if you like and then ladle into big bowls, garnish if you want and serve. 

Goulash for a winter’s night

Somewhere between a soup and a stew, this is a hearty and warming bowl of comfort on a cold night. I love how satisfying this is and the fact that it has lots of veggies. Also, this is a one pot dish that you can easily make the day before and just warm up. You won’t believe how much flavor you get from the 2 different paprikas and the caraway—this is just great. If you really want to kick this up, serve it over True Grits. YUM!

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon canola oil

½ cup chopped carrots

½ cup chopped celery

1 small onion, chopped (about ¾ cup)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large green pepper, diced (about 1 cup)

1 pound ground beef

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with liquid

2 cups water

1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms (optional, but I love mushrooms)

2 cups shredded cabbage (I cheat and use slaw mix)

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons ketchup (yes, really)

2 teaspoons beef base (like “Better than Bouillon”®)

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

Green onions and sour cream for garnish

Directions: Heat the canola oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Toss in the carrots, celery and onion. Cook, stirring often, for about 4 minutes or until the veggies are fragrant. Add in the garlic and green peppers and cook for another 3 minutes or so—just until you can smell the garlic, but it isn’t brown.

Crumble the ground beef into the pot and cook, stirring often, until the beef is browned. Drain off any excess fat if you like.

Next add in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cook, stirring occasionally for 1 hour (longer is even better). Note: I left mine uncovered to get it thicker, but you can certainly cover yours if you want.

Serve in bowls garnished with a spoonful of sour cream and some sliced green onions. Great with crusty bread or spooned over noodles.

Spicy ham, white bean and corn soup

Spicy from Salsa Verde and green chiles, but not over-the-top hot, this soup will warm you up on a cold fall night. The mashed beans make it thick and satisfying and you get a nice little pop of sweetness from the corn and bell peppers. You can totally make this vegetarian by leaving out the ham and using vegetable broth instead of chicken.

Ingredients (serves 6):

2 cans white kidney beans (cannellini), drained and rinsed

2 teaspoons of canola oil

½ cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup diced ham, plus a little bit extra for garnish

1 cup diced bell pepper (whatever colors you have—I had red, orange and yellow), plus a little bit extra for garnish

1 (16 ounce) jar Salsa Verde

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup frozen corn, thawed, plus a little bit extra for garnish

Salt to taste

Directions: Mash half of the beans with a fork or in a food processor. Add to the rest of the beans and set aside until needed.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it’s translucent. Add the garlic, ham and bell peppers and cook until everything becomes fragrant, but not brown. Add in the Salsa Verde, green chiles, broth, beans and frozen corn. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40-50 minutes, stirring and tasting along the way and adding salt to your liking. Serve in bowls and garnish with your extra bits of ham, corn and peppers as well as your favorite toppings: maybe cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado and/or parsley. Serve with crackers, corn bread or tortilla chips.

Feel Better Broth (AKA Cold Potion #9)

Cold and flu season has officially arrived in my neighborhood. This warming broth will make everything better. You don’t even have to peel or finely chop the veggies, just drop them in. You don’t even have to measure.

If you want you can add the chicken back into the broth along with some noodles for a hearty soup. You could also lightly beat an egg and whisk it into a mug full of the hot broth for a hit of protein, but I’m a big fan of sipping on a mug of plain old broth when I’m ill.

Ingredients:

64 ounces good chicken broth

5 cups water

2 pounds bone-in chicken

2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled but left whole

1 big onion, quartered

2 stalks of celery, cut into big chunks

2 chubby carrots, chopped into big pieces

1 big chunk of fresh ginger (oh, about an inch long), cut into 2 or 3 pieces

2 thin dried red chili peppers (I’m using Japones, which are a 7 on a 1-10 heat scale, but use what you like)

6 whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon kosher salt (more or less to taste)

1 cluster of fresh parsley, tied with kitchen twine

Directions:

Pour the broth and water into a big stock pot. Add in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 2 hours. Stir occasionally and skim off any foam that forms on top.

Remove the chicken to a plate and let cool. Take the meat off the bones (discarding bones and skin) and save for another use. Pour the broth through a strainer and discard the solids. Serve the broth hot.

Cheeseburger Soup

This is such a great soup on a fall evening. It's especially great if you love a good cheeseburger. This is hearty, quick to put together and a great anecdote to a chilly evening. 

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1/3 cup chopped onion

¼ cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon grill seasoning (I used Montreal steak seasoning)

½ teaspoon dry mustard

3 cups chicken broth

1 large russet potato, diced

4 ounces American cheese, diced (like Velveeta Light®)

2 teaspoons cornstarch

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions: In a large non-stick pot, brown the ground beef. Add in the onions and celery and cook for 3 minutes. Add in the grill seasoning, dry mustard, broth and potato.

On a piece of wax paper, toss the diced cheese with the corn starch. Bring the soup up to a boil and then add the cheese/cornstarch to the soup, stirring to combine. Add in the salt and pepper. Once the soup has boiled for 3 minutes, drop to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the potato pieces are fork tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. 

Mom’s Cheese Soup

One of my most treasured memories is of mom making soup. It always filled the house with warmth, great scents and (most importantly) love. This is not quite how mom made hers but, knowing her love of slightly spicy food, I think she would like the addition of pepper jack cheese.

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 stalks (about ¾ cup) celery, diced

½ cup onion, diced

½ cup carrots, diced

½ cup red bell peppers, diced

4 cups (one good chicken broth (or veggie broth)

½   cup pepper jack cheese, shredded or diced

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded or diced

1 cup processed American cheese, shredded or diced

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Salt and pepper to taste

A sprig or two of fresh parsley for garnish

Directions: Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add in the celery, onion, carrots and bell peppers and cook for about 8 minutes, or until the veggies are soft but not browned. Add in the broth and simmer for 15 minutes.

While the veggie and broth mixture is simmering, toss the cheeses with the cornstarch in a small bowl. Bring the heat on the soup up to medium high and add the cheese one handful at a time. Once the first handful of cheese melts, add another. Continue until all the cheese is incorporated and melted and the soup has thickened. Serve in bowls, garnished with parsley and with pieces of crusty bread. 

Ham, Bean and Green Chile Soup

Here’s a quick and hearty soup that is ready to serve in no time and uses mostly pantry staples (well, for me, onions, beans, chilies and broth are staples). Personally, I like the two different colors of beans, but you can use three cans of any beans you like. This is just the thing for a chilly night. Bonus: if you are serving vegetarian family/friends, you can just use veggie broth and leave the ham out or serve it in a bowl alongside and let those who want it, add it to the soup.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ cup chopped yellow (or white) onion

2 (15 ounce) cans Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups diced ham

1 jar (16 ounces) salsa Verde

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

4 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth)

Salt and pepper to taste

Possible Garnishes (Use none, some or all—they are totally optional):

Sour cream

Tortilla chips

Cilantro or parsley

Lime wedges

Sliced green onions

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Crumbled Cojito cheese

Avocado slices

Directions: Heat the oil in a large sauce pan. Add the onion and cook on medium low until the onion is translucent, but not browned (about 5 minutes). Add in the beans, ham, salsa Verde, green chiles and broth. Bring the pot up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes (hey, if you can simmer it for an hour, it’s even better). Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper to your liking. (For me, I simmered the soup for 40 minutes and didn't need additional salt or pepper). Serve in big bowls with lots of garnish choices.

Cheese and Tomato Soup

I ran across one of my mom’s old recipes (yeah, I’m doing that a lot lately) for Cheese Soup and thought I would put a twist on it by adding tomatoes. Because the flavoring is so simple and straightforward here, you can taste the carrots, the cheese, the tomatoes, everything!

Ingredients:

¼ cup butter

1 large carrot, diced

1 stalk of celery, diced

½ cup chopped onion

¼ cup flour

2 cups milk

2 cups vegetable broth

¾ pound sharp American cheese, diced

1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onions and cook until they just get tender, but not brown. Stir in the flour for 2 minutes and then add the milk and broth. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring often. Stir in the cheese in portions, stirring each portion until it melts completely before adding the next. Crush the tomatoes in the can with a wooden spoon and add them to the pot. Cook for about 10 minutes and serve hot.

Smoked Pork and Salsa Verde Soup

Here’s a four ingredient, quick and easy soup that is a nice break from traditional chili. If you have leftover smoked pork tenderloin, roast or pork chops this is a terrific way to create a new dish using up any extras. Non-smoked pork is good, too but I love the flavor of smoke here. You can buy smoked pork chops right in the store and cook extra one night to have some leftover for this soup.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings):

Soup:
1 (16 ounces) Salsa Verde
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups cooked, smoked pork, chopped  
1 cup frozen corn-no need to thaw

Garnish (any or all-completely optional):

Sour cream
Crumbled Cotija cheese
Crumbled tortilla chips
Diced red and yellow peppers

Directions: Pour the Salsa Verde, stock, pork and corn into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes. Serve in bowls with choices for garnish. Done!

Kale, Sausage and White Bean Soup

Don't stop me now, I'm in full-on soup mode and it feels good. Autumn is here and this soup make everyone feel comforted and warm.  

Ingredients:

1½ pounds bulk Italian sausage (sweet, mild, hot-whatever kind you like. I’m using Salsiccia)
½ cup diced onion
1 clove of garlic, minced
5 cups chicken broth (feel free to sub in vegetable broth or even water)
2 (15.5 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with liquid
5 cups torn kale, packed (feel free to use swiss chard, turnip greens or spinach instead)
Salt and pepper to taste

Grated parmesan to garnish

Directions: Add the sausage to a Dutch oven or large pot and heat on medium until brown, stirring and breaking the meat into crumbles. Drain off excess fat. Add in the onion and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the onions and garlic are translucent, but not brown. Add in the broth, beans, tomatoes and kale. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce it to a simmer. Cover and let cook, stirring occasionally for about 40 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Split Pea Soup with Pumpernickel Croutons

Simple food is comfort food to me. This is a very hearty and flavorful soup that is perfect for a fall or winter day. What’s better than soup simmering away on the stove? You can make this soup all fancy pants by using vegetable stock in place of part or all of the water and maybe dropping in a bouquet garni. You could also make this vegetarian by leaving out the meat. I’ve done that, too and it is still fantastic. When I go vegetarian on this, I always use half water and half veggie stock to amp up the flavor. I also like to use some Penzey’s ® Pork Chop seasoning in there, which contains natural hickory smoke flavor, to get the smokiness going.

Ingredients:

Soup:
1 pound (16 ounces) dried split peas
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 smoked ham hock or smoked ham shank (or a leftover ham bone-whatever you have)
8 cups water
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
Salt and pepper to taste

Croutons:
2 Tablespoons canola oil
4 slices pumpernickel bread, torn
1 (or 2) teaspoon(s) garlic salt

Directions:

Prepare the split peas by one of two methods:

1)      Rinse the peas in a strainer under running water. Drain and place in a bowl. Cover the peas with 2 inches of clean water. Cover and let soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set the peas aside.

2)      Rinse the peas in a strainer under running water. Drain and place in a pot. Cover with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. As soon as it comes to a boil, turn the heat off and cover the pot and let sit for 1 hour. Drain and set the peas aside.

After the peas have soaked and you’ve drained them, heat up the oil in a Dutch oven on medium heat. Add in the onions, carrots and celery. Cook for a few minutes until the veggies are translucent and fragrant, but not brown. Add in the ham hock (or whatever) and cook for several minutes more until you can smell the porky goodness. Pour the water on top. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and let cook for 40 minutes. (Look! Ham stock!) Add in the peas and seasonings and bring back up to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.

While the soup is cooking, prepare the croutons by heating the oil in a skillet and tossing in the bread chunks. Sprinkle on the garlic salt and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes on medium until toasty and fragrant. Remove the croutons to a paper towel lined plate and set aside until you are ready to serve.

Remove the bay leaf from the soup and discard. Take out the ham hock and cut the meat off the bone, dicing it into small pieces. Return the diced ham to the soup.

Spoon the soup into bowls and top with croutons.