We are all eating at home more than usual during these trying times. This recipe will make more than one meal. Simply freeze leftovers in small Ziploc bags for individual portions and you’re all set for another dinner or lunch.
Chicken, Sausage and Black Bean Soup
Servings 10
Calories 454kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups carrots chopped
- 1 1/2 cups onion chopped
- 1 1/2 cups celery chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds spicy or mild Italian sausage or half spicy and half mild
- 1 jalapeno pepper deseeded and chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tbsp fresh minced thyme or 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 3 15 oz cans black beans drained
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
Instructions
- Heat oil in a stock pot over medium high heat. Add next 5 ingredients and sauté until sausage is cooked.
- Drain the grease and excess juices from the soup.
- Add the bay leaves, garlic and thyme and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 20 minutes.
- Add the beans and chicken and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.
Notes
Serve with low-fat corn muffins.
Grilled Chicken Udon Noodle Soup
Servings 4
Calories 400kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp white miso paste
- 5 ounces dried udon noodles about 2/3 package
- 1 ear fresh corn or 1 cup frozen
- 3 ounces snow peas
- 2 chicken breasts grilled and sliced (salt and pepper to taste)
- 3 green onions sliced
Instructions
- Cook udon noodles according to package and rinse with cold water.
- Place the chicken stock and miso in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, allow to simmer and add the cooked udon noodles, corn and snow peas. Warm through.
- Add the green onions to the soup and ladle into bowls. Top with chicken and serve.
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Want to make this in advance? Simply freeze the “soup” portion of the recipe and when ready to serve, heat through and pick up the recipe at instruction #6.
French Onion Soup
Servings 8
Calories 285kcal
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 yellow onions halved sliced thin
- 1 leek light green and white part only, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 8 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1/4 tsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 16 slices baguette bread thinly sliced
- 12 oz. Gruyère cheese grated, or similar cheese
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. .
- Add the onions and leek and sauté for about 15 minutes - until the onions and leek are soft and caramelized. Stir often.
- Add wine and simmer until wine has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Add the broth and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce, season with salt and pepper. Simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place 8 small soup crocks or large ramekins on the baking sheet and fill 3/4 full of soup.
- Place 2 slices of baguette on top of soup and top with shredded cheese.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until cheese has melted
Notes
You can broil for a minute or so if you want a brown crust.
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This soup is very hearty and makes a healthy, flavorful meal. The recipe can be changed by using whichever vegetables you have on hand.
Farmers Market Vegetable and Chicken Soup
Servings 10
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 yellow onions minced
- 4 carrots cut into one inch pieces
- 2 zucchini cut into one inch pieces
- 1/2 pound green beans cut into one inch pieces
- 1 eggplant peeled and cut into one inch pieces
- 1/2 medium head green cabbage shredded
- 4 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup canned fire roasted tomatoes chopped
- 3 quarts chicken stock or water
- 2 tablespoon basil chopped
- 1/4 cup arborio rice
- 2 cups canned white or cannellini beans well rinsed
- 4 poached boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces (see our Perfect Poached Chicken link below)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- Several dashes of hot sauce
- 1/2 cup pesto pre-made
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add onions and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the carrots, zucchini, green beans, and eggplant and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add cabbage and sauté until soft.
- Add mushrooms and sauté for several minutes.
- Add garlic and stir for another minute.
- Add tomatoes, stock and basil and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to simmer and cook until vegetables are tender and soup has slightly thickened - about 15 minutes.
- Add rice and beans and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add chicken, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Heat until chicken is warm.
- Place soup in bowls and top with a teaspoon of pesto and grated parmesan cheese.
Make this soup while you have the time so on those crazy nights, you can have dinner on the table in no time!
Thick Tomato Basil Soup
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp minced thyme
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can fire roasted tomatoes 28 ounce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 4 cups water
- 2 Tbsp sliced basil
- Large cut croutons
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large sauce pan.
- Add thyme, onion and garlic. Sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and continue stirring for 4 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, sugar and water.
- Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes.
- Either use an immersion/stick blender* directly in the pot or separate soup into batches and process in a blender. Leave soup slightly chunky and return to pot.
- Add basil and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Fill bowls with soup and top with croutons and parmesan cheese.
Notes
* An immersion/stick blender is a great kitchen gadget. It makes puréeing soups much easier since you can leave the soup in the pot and avoid the messy process of transferring the mixture to a blender. They sell for $30 - $40.
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This chili is chock full of flavor thanks to its fresh ingredients. It also comes together very quickly once the chopping has been done. Double the recipe for a large crowd such as a school event or neighborhood pot luck. Freeze leftovers to have a hearty, tasty meal in seconds!
Vegetarian Chili
Servings 12
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup carrots chopped
- 1 cup onions chopped
- 1 cup green pepper chopped
- 1 cup red/yellow pepper chopped
- 2 Tbsp chili powder add more if you want more kick
- 1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms chopped
- 1 can whole fire roasted tomatoes 28 ounce can with juice, chopped
- 1 can black beans 15 ounces, undrained
- 1 can pinto beans 15 ounces, undrained
- 1 can kidney beans 15 ounces, undrained
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 3 Tbsp fresh oregano chopped
- 3 Tbsp fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Using a large stock pot, heat the vegetable oil.
- Add the garlic, carrots and onion and stir until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the green and red/yellow peppers.
- Season with chili powder and stir.
- Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add in all remaining ingredients.
- Bring chili to a boil and reduce heat.
- Simmer for 20 minutes.
Notes
Serve with a rustic loaf of bread.
Family traditions often revolve around recipes and cooking. Vicki shares her chili recipe memory … “This recipe has been in my family for as long as I can remember. It is so simple to put together. Each time I make it, I am reminded of sitting around the kitchen table in Indiana with my mom, dad, and sisters, Kristal and Holly. This tradition was then carried on to my table in Florida where it has become a cool-weather favorite.”
Servings 12
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 46 ounce bottle of tomato juice
- 6 ounces ketchup
- 3 16 ounce cans red kidney beans drained
- 3 Tbsp or more chili powder (spicy if you prefer)
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Sliced green onions
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic, and cook until onion is translucent.
- In a separate pot, brown beef with salt and pepper. Drain off fat.
- Return beef to pot, add cooked onion and garlic, and the rest of the ingredients up to the cheddar cheese. Bring to a boil.
- Turn down heat and simmer for at least 45 minutes.
- Place chili in bowls and top with cheese, green onions and sour cream.
Notes
Freeze leftovers - it tastes even better reheated!
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Cinnamon and cloves in a beef stew recipe? Absolutely! Prepare this updated version of beef stew and your home will be filled with a wonderful aroma and your family and friends will be filled with a delicious, hearty meal. This isn’t your grandmother’s beef stew …
Contemporary Beef Stew
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless beef chuck cut into 2 inch cubes
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 whole cloves
- 3 whole allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- pinch nutmeg
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
- 20 ounces skinned pearl onions use frozen if you are crunched for time
- 3 stalks celery chopped in slices
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 can can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes 14 ½ ounces
- 1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
Instructions
Marinade
- Place all ingredients up to pearl onions in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate over night.
Stew
- Drain the beef, but reserve the marinade.
- Melt butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a dutch oven.
- Sauté onions and celery on medium heat for about 5 minutes and place in a bowl using a slotted spoon.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.
- Sear beef, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
- Add marinade, onion, celery, tomatoes, tomato paste and enough water to cover the beef.
- Bring to boil and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until meat is fork tender.
Notes
Serve over egg noodles, or herbed noodles, such as the basil noodles, pictured above.This stew can be made several days in advance. Freeze any leftovers.
If you want to impress your guests with a wonderful tortilla soup that is literally made in minutes – here is your recipe!
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 2 cans chicken broth 14.5 ounces
- 2 cans Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chilies 10 ounces - mild, hot, or one of each
- 1 can traditional refried beans 16 ounces (non-fat)
- 1 1/2 pounds poached chicken shredded (or one rotisserie chicken, skinned and shredded)
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- Shredded Mexican cheese
- Avocado diced
- Sour Cream
- Tortilla Chips
Instructions
- Place broth, diced tomatoes, and refried beans in a medium sauce pan. Stir well.
- Add chicken, bring mixture to a boil and turn heat down to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add corn and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Place soup in bowls and garnish with cheese, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla chips.