Tuscan Kale and Cannellini Bean Soup

 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 bunch of kale, washed, stemmed and chopped coarsely
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can cannellini bean
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Chop carrots and onions and mince garlic. 

In a large Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup olive oil and the minced garlic over medium-low heat until the garlic begins to soften (about 2-3 minutes).  DO NOT BROWN the garlic!

Add the chopped carrots and onions to the minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until all of the vegetables are softened.  This will probably take 6-7 minutes. 

Wash and rinse kale thoroughly.  Drain well.  Remove stems and coarsely chop the kale.

Stir in the kale and add about 1/4 cup of water to carrot, onion and garlic mixture.  

Cover the pot and let the kale cook until wilted, about 10-12 minutes. 

 To the kale mixture cooking in your Dutch oven, add in the can of tomatoes with the liquid and the can of cannellini beans with the liquid. 

Add desired amount of crushed red pepper flakes and the parsley. and stir thoroughly.  

Lower the heat, cover the pot partially and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  (You can add as much as a cup of water, if desired, to thin the soup.)

Serve up this Italian "Comfort In A Bowl" and enjoy!

Southwestern Taco Soup

This is a very hearty soup (more like chili) and is always a "hit" with my family.  It is one of my favorites, too, because it could not be any simpler to prepare.  AND it is one of those "comfort foods" that we ALL love this time of year as the weather is starting to get colder!

2 lbs. ground beef
1 (1.25 oz.) packet of taco seasoning
1 can chili beans
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 4 oz. can green chilies
2 - 2 1/2 cups water
1 packet ranch dressing mix

Place ground beef in a large pot or Dutch oven.

Brown ground beef over medium heat until there is no pink remaining.  Drain thoroughly.

Sprinkle entire packet of Taco Seasoning mix over the top of the ground beef and stir thoroughly.

Add all of the canned vegetables and continue to stir until well combined.

Sprinkle the packet of Ranch Dressing mix over top of mixture.

Stir until well-combined and simmer over low heat for a minimum of 20-30 minutes.  (The longer the mixture simmers, the better the finished product will be.)

Serve with desired toppings such as grated cheese, sour cream, corn chips, and/or cornbread.   

*Shown here with a buttered and toasted slice of good ole' Southern Buttermilk Cornbread.

Beef Bourguignon Soup

4 bone-in short ribs

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup cornstarch

4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 oz. mushrooms, cut into 1/8's

3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

1 medium onion, diced

4 carrots, finely chopped

1 carrot, cut into 1/2" pieces

2 strips bacon, thinly sliced diagonally

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 cup dry red wine

8 cups beef stock

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)

Season ribs with freshly ground salt and pepper.

Coat ribs in cornstarch.

Heat olive oil in heavy pot (I use enameled cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add ribs to preheated pot.

Brown ribs on all sides until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate.

Add chopped mushrooms to pot.

Cook mushrooms until brown. Transfer to a bowl.

Add onions, celery, carrots and sliced bacon to pot and cook until caramelized; about 7-8 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste.

Place the ribs back into the pot.  Add minced garlic, bay leaf and thyme.

Raise the heat to high.  Add red wine; stirring constantly and scraping up brown bits on bottom of pan with a wooden spoon.  Continue cooking until slightly reduced; about a minute or so.

Add beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for approximately 2 1/2 hours, or until beef is tender.

Remove ribs from pot and allow to cool. Separate the meat from the bones and discard bones.  Shred meat into bite size pieces and return to pot.

Return mushrooms to pot and bring to a simmer.  Add 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar (optional) and stir. 


Season with salt.

Serve in a bowl over cooked egg noodles or jasmine rice for a really hearty soup.  

Note: Can also thicken slightly with cornstarch if desired.

Spicy Smoked Sausage Soup

1 (14 oz.) turkey smoked sausage, or kielbasa

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 stalks of celery, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (32 oz.) box of chicken broth

1 can (15.5 oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes, cut up

1 small zucchini, sliced

2 medium carrots, shredded

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a nonstick skillet, cook smoked sausage over medium heat until lightly browned.  
Add onion, green pepper, celery and garlic. Cook approximately 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender; stirring constantly.

Transfer sausage and vegetable mixture to slow cooker. 

Add shredded carrots.

Add sliced zucchini.

Add rinsed and drained beans.

Add stewed tomatoes.

Finally, add chicken broth and stir until well combined.

Cover and cook on Low for 8-9 hours.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

My family loves mushrooms and we love Cream of Mushroom Soup. Canned soups are fine for convenience in recipes, but this Cream of Mushroom Soup is delicious and does not have any of those "ingredients you can't pronounce" that are found in many canned soups. You can really taste that yummy mushroom taste in this soup!

It is said that "Necessity Is the Mother of Invention" and I originally came up with this recipe because my son has a Gluten allergy. With 2 small changes to this recipe, I was able to adapt it to his dietary needs.  I simply used brown rice flour in place of the All-purpose flour and I substituted Coleman's dry mustard.

Of course, whole milk would be the best in this recipe, but, as you can see, I make mine with 2% milk and it is quite delicious! I don't think the taste is compromised and it makes it a little more healthy! Enjoy!

olive oil

1 lb. of mushrooms (whatever kind you like)

6 Tablespoons butter

2 cups chicken broth (could also use vegetable or beef)

2 cups milk

6 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon dry mustard 

Dash of garlic powder

Scant 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Chop or slice mushrooms to desired size.

Saute mushrooms in olive oil and set aside.

Melt butter in large saucepan.

Once the butter is completely melted and beginning to bubble, add flour. Then add your spices and stir with wire whisk to make a roux.

Let the roux continue to cook and bubble, stirring constantly, until it is light brown in color.

Add milk and broth.

Continue to whisk until sauce thickens.

Once the sauce has cooked to desired thickness, add sauteed mushroom.

Stir until well-combined and heated through.