Turkey Pozole Soup

Here’s a tasty option for that leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. This is a spin off a traditional Mexican soup, typically made with pork.

 

4-6 Servings

½ Tbs1p oil

1 large carrot, diced
1 large celery stalk, diced
8 cups of chicken broth
1 red onion, sliced
5 large garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp dried Oregano
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Bay leaves (remove before serving)
3 15 oz cans of hominy, drained & rinsed (use 2 cans as is; puree one can)
1 cup cooked turkey, cubed or shredded
1 small can of diced fire roasted chiles
Fresh lime juice from 1-2 limes

Topping options:

Romaine lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Diced avocado
Sliced radishes
Sliced jalapenos
Chopped cilantro
Lime wedges
Crushed tortilla chips
Crumbled queso fresco

In a large pot over med-high heat, add oil with carrots and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add broth and ingredients through Bay leaves. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add hominy, turkey and chiles. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Add lime juice before serving.

Spoon soup into shallow bowls and top with a variety of toppings, or serve toppings on the table and allow everyone to create their own topping combinations.

Enjoyed the soup with warm tortillas or cheese quesadillas.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Vegetables

When I was up in the Bay Area last weekend, we went to a Polish market and found the perfect thin egg noodles for a broth based soup. This soup is too good and easy to not make from scratch every time! Perfect meal in a bowl to enjoy on a cold evening.

 

8 cups water
2 bouillon cubes (or cook chicken in vegetable or chicken broth instead of cubes with water)
1 large chicken breast (about 1 lb)
Celery greens

Lighter colored middle parts (remove these later)

½ cup dried chopped mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 cup dried egg noodles
2 large carrots, sliced
2 large celery stalks, sliced
4 large Brussels sprouts, sliced
1 cup broccoli crowns, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
3 green onion sprigs, chopped

In a large pot, add water and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil and add chicken breast, celery greens and center stalks, dried mushrooms and garlic. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove chicken from pot; cool and cut into cubes. Remove celery stalks and discard.

 

Bring broth to a boil again and add noodles, carrots, celery, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and spices. After about 2 minutes, remove broccoli crowns with a slotted spoon; set aside. Turn heat to medium heat and cook until noodles are tender. Add cubed cooked chicken and broccoli back to soup. Add green onions. 

 

Serve with a nice crusty bread.

Chicken Sausage & Vegetable Soup with Pasta

A tasty and healthy soup to enjoy on a chilly day. 

5 cups of broth

½ cup dried pasta (I used Ditalini pasta)
1 can of diced tomatoes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
2 large carrots, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
2 cups chopped fresh kale
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 precooked Chicken sausage links
Dash of Tabasco
A few dashes of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot, bring broth to a boil and add pasta. Cook for about 8 minutes.

In a large sauce pan over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO and add veggies. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Once pasta is al dente, add a can of diced tomatoes and sautéed veggies. In the same sauce pan, add sliced sausage and brown both sides. Then add to soup. Season with Tabasco, pepper flakes and salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve with a nice crusty bread.

Creamed Hearts of Palm & Jalapeno Soup

My husband and I went out to dinner one night and had a hearts of palm and white corn chowder. It was delicious and we still talk about it. Ever since then, I love to experiment with hearts of palm puree and different creamed soup variations.

 

4 servings

3 Tbsp butter

½ yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 16-oz can hearts of palm, drained and chopped
2 large fresh jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
8 oz of lump crab meat
Salt and pepper, to taste
Freshly minced parsley leaves to garnish

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add hearts of palm and jalapenos; stir to combine. Add wine and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by 1/2, about 3 minutes. Add broth, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Using a blender, puree the soup. Return to medium heat and add the cream. Stir in the crabmeat and cook until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve in a shallow bowl and garnish with parsley. Enjoy with garlic bread or cheese toast serve.

Variations:

·         Add a can of corn
·         Substitute the crab for ½ lb bay shrimp
 

Seafood Vegetable Chowder

For my wedding favors, I made all my guests little cookbooks with a consolidation of recipes from family and friends. One of them included my dad's New England Clam Chowder recipe, which is delicious. So I took the main parts of his recipe and added crab with tons of veggies to make it a Seafood Vegetable Chowder. It was awesome.

4-6 servings

4 slices of bacon

1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 large zucchini, diced
1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1 Bay leaf
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
2 cups of half & half
1 small can of corn (about 8-10 oz)
10 oz of clams with juice (I used canned whole baby clams, but you can use minced clams too)
5 oz crab meat (you can usually find fresh crab in your meat department)
A dash of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot over medium high heat, cook bacon until crispy. When the bacon cools, roughly chop; set aside. Remove bacon from pot and onto a paper towel lined plate; set aside. In the bacon grease, add potatoes, carrots, onion and celery; sauté for 5 minutes to brown veggies. Add zucchini, jalapeno, garlic, rosemary and Bay leaf. Sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Mix in butter and flour and coat veggies. Add half and half, corn, clams and crab meat. Add a dash of red pepper flakes and cooked, chopped bacon. Cover, turn heat to low and cook until potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with sliced sourdough bread, or in a sourdough bread bowl. Garnish with extra bacon crumbs.

 

Do you enjoy a little heat? Try a few dashes of Tabascosauce in your chowder. Yum!

 

Watercress and Spinach Soup

It’s starting to get cold out. I don’t know about you, but this makes me crave soup! My Godmother makes delicious soups and two of my favorites are her watercress soup and her spinach soup, with just a splash of lemon.

 

She always talked about how important the splash of lemon at the end was, and it is! If you don’t believe us, taste the soup pre-lemon, then post-lemon and I dare you to disagree! J

 

 2-3 Servings

2 Tbsp butter
1 large Russet potato, peeled and diced
3 green onion sprigs, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups chicken broth
6 oz fresh watercress - leaves and tender stems only
1 lb fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 cup minced flat leaf Italian parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
Juice from ½ lemon
Plain Greek yogurt (or sourcream)

Over med-high heat, melt butter in a large pot. Add potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes. Add green onions and garlic. Sautee for about 2-3 minutes. Add broth and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 more minutes.

Add watercress, spinach and parsley. Mix together until wilted.  Puree in a blender until smooth. Return to pot and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon juice.  

Serve immediately with a dollop or drizzle of yogurt. Enjoy with a sliced baguette or grilled Panini sandwich.

Note: In order to keep the bright green color of the soup, I recommend serving immediately. The longer it sat on my stove top the more brown it turned.

 

Vegetable Soup with Turkey Meatballs

People ask me if I cook for myself when my husband is out of town. The answer is YES!!! I enjoy eating good food too! Cooking is also a stress release for me and a way to wind down after work. I made this pot of vegetable soup with turkey meatballs tonight, which I’ll eat (and enjoy) for the next few days. My husband was jealous that he wasn’t home to join me.

¾ lb ground turkey or chicken

3 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ yellow onion, minced
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 large carrots, sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 large jalapeno, diced (optional)
5 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp dried mushrooms
1 cup broccoli florets
1 tsp minced fresh Rosemary
1 tsp minced fresh Italian flat leaf Parsley
2 Bay leaves
2-3 green onion sprigs, sliced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, garlic, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, salt and pepper. Mix until combine; do not over mix. In a large sauce pan, drizzle EVOO and preheat over med-high. With wet hands, shape mixture into walnut sized meatballs. Drop into sauce pan and brown all sides. Remove meatballs from pan and transfer to a plate; set aside.

In the same sauce pan, add more EVOO if necessary, sauté carrots, celery and jalapenos. In a large pot, add broth and dried mushrooms; bring to a boil. Add carrots, celery, jalapenos, broccoli and herbs. Carefully drop meatballs into the broth, turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

Serve in a shallow bowl, sprinkle with fresh green onions and enjoy with sliced, crusty bread.

Note: If you don’t have dried mushrooms, use sliced, fresh mushrooms, such as baby bells, and sauté with the other veggies before adding to the broth.

Variations:

·         Add corn, zucchini and/or diced potatoes
·         Add pasta or rice
·         Add a can of diced tomatoes
·        Make meatballs from beef, pork or a combination of both

Asparagus Soup with Baked Caprese

A vegetarian Valentine’s Day dinner so tasty and filling that my hubby didn’t even notice the missing meat!

Soup:

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 small potato, cubed

2 lb asparagus, cut into 1” pieces

2 garlic cloves

Salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

½ cup cream or dollop of sour cream (optional)

In a large pot, add broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Add asparagus and cook for an additional 10 minutes. In batches, add mixture and garlic to a blender, puree until smooth. I like to save a little of the cooked potatoes and asparagus to add to the soup. Add soup back to pot over low heat and simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cream if you desire, or add a dollop of sour cream before serving.

Baked Caprese:

A loaf of crusty bread, sliced

Marinara sauce

Fresh mozzarella, sliced

Red, ripe tomato

Fresh basil, sliced

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brush EVOO on one side of bread. Toast until oiled side is crispy.

Spoon sauce over each crusty side of bread. Top with a slice of tomato and mozzarella; bake for 15 minutes. Broil for the last 2-3 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Sprinkle with basil and enjoy.

NOTE: I found if you skip the toasting with oil step, the sauce and juices from tomato make the bread very soggy after baking.

Hearty Minestrone

About 6 servings

4 slices of bacon, diced
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 large carrot, halved and sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
1 small bunch of kale, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, pressed
A few dashes of red pepper flakes
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups V8 juice (use the spicy flavor to kick up the heat!)
1 piece of parmesan cheese rind
2 bay leaves
1 can cannellini beans

In a large pot heat EVOO over med-high heat, cook bacon until crispy. Remove from pot and set on paper towel lined plate to soak up excess oil. Wipe out a majority of the bacon fat, add veggies, garlic and red pepper flakes; sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add water, broth, V8, bay leaves, cannellini beans and bacon, turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Discard cheese rind and bay leaves before serving.

Enjoy in a shallow bowl with a rustic or garlic bread.

Crock Pot Tomato Basil Soup

I have 4 words for this soup: creamy, chunky, craveable and crock pot!

1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onion
4 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
½ cup butter
½ cup flour
2 cups heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup freshly sliced basil plus extra to garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, chicken broth and bay leaf in crock pot. Cook on low for 5+ hours.

About 30 minutes before serving, make roux. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Wisk in flour. Add one cup of soup and whisk until creamy. Add another 1-2 cups of soup and whisk until creamy. Stir roux mixture into crock pot. Stir in cream, garlic, cheese and fresh basil. Cook for an additional 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Garnish with fresh basil and serve with a nice crusty bread.

Chicken Vegetable Soup with Lentils

A warm, hearty soup for a cold day.

1 whole chicken

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

water
1/2 cup of dry lentils
3 celery ribs, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
2 garlic gloves, minced
¼ cup minced parsley
1 tsp minced Rosemary
2 Bay leaves
1 tsp all spice
Salt & pepper

In a large pot, add chicken and thyme, cover with water and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 ½ hours. When the chicken easily comes off the bone, it’s done. Give the drumstick a little wiggle to test it. Remove chicken and place in a bowl; set aside and let cool. Remove and discard the thyme stems.

Add lentils, celery, carrots, garlic, parsley, rosemary, bay leaves and all spice to the pot of chicken water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer; cook for about 40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Shred chicken and add bite sized pieces back to soup. When the lentils are tender, the soup is done.

Serve with a nice crusty bread and enjoy on a cold day!

Note: If you don’t want to cook a whole chicken or don't have the time, use chicken broth and start the recipe where you add the lentils.

Seafood Chowder

A yummy, creamy soup for a cold day. Adding bacon and shrimp turn this clam chowder into a unique and tasty soup.

4 slices of bacon

1 cup minced onions

1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
2 cups diced red skinned potatoes, unpeeled
¾ cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp butter
3 cups half and half cream
3- 6.5 oz chopped clams, save juice from two of the cans
½ cup small peeled shrimp
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat large pot over high heat. Cut bacon into small pieces. Sauté until crispy. With slotted spoon, remove from heat and to a paper towel lined plate. Using bacon grease from pot, add onion, celery, carrots and potatoes. Mix in flour to coat veggies. Sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add chicken broth and boil uncovered for about 15 minutes until potatoes are fork tender. Add butter, half and half, clams and shrimp. Turn heat to low and heat through for about 10 minutes. Do not bring to boil otherwise clams and shrimp will over cook. Season with pepper.

Stir in bacon and garnish with leftover bits. Serve with crusty bread and a dash of Tabasco sauce.

Split Pea and Ham Soup

2 cups (1 lb) dried green peas
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
½ onion, chopped
6 oz Farmer John ham, diced
Salt
Pepper
EVOO

In a large pot, combine peas and broth; bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and cook on low for 45 minutes or until peas are soft.

In a small sauce pan, sauté onion and garlic in a little EVOO until translucent. Add to a blender for later. In the same pan, brown cubed ham; set aside.

Add cooked peas to the blender with onion and garlic; puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour soup into a bowl and sprinkle with browned ham. Serve with toasted bread rubbed with garlic.

To make, brush sliced rustic bread slices with EVOO. Toast and when the bread is crispy rub with raw garlic. Probably not a first date food, but so good, especially when used to dip in soup!

Mexican Posole: Chicken and Hominy Soup

My mom and Larry are in town and that means ... GOOD EATIN'!

Larry whipped up a batch of this soup for dinner ... delicious! 

5 chicken thighs, bone and skin on
3 poblano chilies, roasted, seeded and peeled
1 jalapeno, roasted, seeded and peeled
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
5 New Mexico dried red chilies
2 cans of hominy
Juice from ½ lime
Salt
Pepper

Fill a large pot with approx 32 oz of water, covering chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, until chicken is fork tender and cooked through.

Over high heat on the grill, or under the broiler, blacken poblano and jalapeno peppers until skin chars and blisters, turning frequently. Remove from grill and place in paper bag for about 15 minutes, allowing peppers to steam. Remove from bag and peel skin and seed. Chop half of the peppers; set the other half aside.



In a sauce pan, combine diced tomatoes, onion and garlic. Cook until soft. In a small bowl, soften dried chilies in warm water for about 15 minutes. Puree chilies with water in blender; strain. Discard pulp and seeds. Add tomato mixture to blender and combine. Add half of roasted peppers into the blender too.

Remove chicken from pot. Remove skin and bones; dice meat. Drain and rinse hominy.

Into the pot of broth, mix in tomato and chili mixture, hominy, chopped peppers and chicken; bring to a boil. Turn heat low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with warm tortillas or top with crushed tortilla chips. Garnish with onions, cilantro, radishes, lime wedges or sour cream.

Broccoli Potato Soup

1/2 onions, chopped

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 potatoes, diced
1 large broccoli head, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
½ sour cream
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

In a large pot over med-high heat, combine onions, broth, potatoes, and broccoli and cook until vegetables are tender.

Puree mixture in a blender until creamy. Add most of sour cream, saving a spoonful. Puree again until blended together.

Swirl a dollop of sour cream into the soup and serve.

Clam Chowder in Sourdough Bread Bowls

2 strips of smoked apple wood bacon, diced

3/4 cup chopped onion

2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup water
1 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2-3 ribs of celery
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 Tbsp butter
2 (6 ounce) can minced clams (1 drained, save the juice of one)
2 small sourdough bread bowls

In a frying pan over med-high heat, cook diced bacon until crispy. Add onions, celery, thyme, rosemary and garlic; cook 5 minutes. Stir in water and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.

Pour in half-and-half and butter. Drain clams, reserving clam liquid from one can; stir clams and 1/2 of the clam liquid into the soup. Cook until heated through. Do not allow to boil.

Cut tops off bread and scoop out insides. Be careful not to puncture bottom or sides of bowl.

Serve chowder in bread bowls and season with Tabasco and more pepper, if desired.

Broccoli Potato Soup

This week I’m cleaning out the fridge from our Christmas party last Saturday. We’ll be gone next week and I want to eat up all the food before it goes bad. This is what I made from the broccoli and sour cream I had.

Veggie Soup

Soup mix: lentils, barley, ABC pasta



Sauté veggies



Serve with warm, crusty bread

Matzo Ball Soup

It's starting to get cold and I was craving some warm chicken and vegetable soup, especially with matzo balls!

3-4 cans of chicken broth
3 large carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
½ cup of broccoli crowns, cut into bite size
1 medium red-skinned potato, cut in small cubes
¼ cup of dried mushroom
¼ cup of fresh mushroom, baby portabella
1/3 small onion, chopped
1 cup of shredded chicken (used a rotisserie chicken from the deli)
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp parsley, minced
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 box of matzo balls, follow directions on packet and make small walnut sized balls

French bread, sliced
1 garlic clove
Gruyere cheese, shredded
EVOO

In a large pot, add broth, garlic and dried mushrooms, bring to a boil. Add vegetables and matzo balls. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Add chicken, parsley and pepper towards the end and heat chicken through.

Brush one side of bread slices with EVOO until toasted. Once toasted, rub with garlic clove. Add Gruyere cheese and toast until melted.

Serve soup with garlic cheese bread.

Albondigas Soup (My version)

6-8 servings (Yes, I make this much for just the 2 of us because it’s so good we eat it all week!)
About 2 hours to prepare and cook (So worth it!)

Meatballs
1 lb of beef
1 egg
¼ onion, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced (2/3 for the meatballs, 1/3 for the soup)
¼ cup cilantro, minced
1 tsp of dried oregano
Salt and pepper

Soup
2-32 oz. broth (beef and/or veggie)
2-14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, undrained (I used one can with onion & garlic and one with green pepper and onion)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4-5 carrots, chopped (I love carrots in soups and stews!)
2 red potatoes with skin on, chopped in bite sized pieces
1 jalapeno, diced (use gloves when handling)

Sourdough bread
White aged cheddar, shredded

In a large pot, add broth and tomatoes. Bring to a bowl.

In a medium bowl, add all ingredients for meatballs and mix together with your hands. Form little walnut shaped balls and plop into boiling soup.

Chop all the veggies and add to soup. Add garlic. Bring to a low, simmer and cover for about 40 minutes, until carrots and potatoes are fork tender.

When soup is almost ready, slice the bread, top with cheese and toast in oven until cheese melts. Broil for the last minute or so to get some color.

Enjoy!