Fiesta chicken soup

I know I usually post step by step photos on here, but since there is one step only in this recipe you only get a picture of the finished product.  My husband hates soup and he ate a giant bowl of this, and then texted me numerous times while I worked last night to tell me how much he loved it.  That is a big win coming from someone who is not a fan of soup.  This recipe is so easy my four year old could make it.

1 Can petite diced tomatoes

1 Jar mild salsa (I used Newmans Own this time)

8 Boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 Cup frozen corn

1 Can mild green chilis

1/2 Tsp cumin

1/2 Tsp chili powder

1 Tsp garlic powder

1/2 Tsp onion powder

1 Cup water

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and stir to mix well.  Cook for 4 hours on high or six hours on low.  Serve over like that or pour it over rice.  That's it, you are done.  If you cook it for the six hours peek in after a few hours to make sure it has enough water still.  My husband topped his with some hot sauce and said it was absolutely perfect.  Also this wasn't too spicy so the kids cold eat it.  I'm definitely keeping this recipe handy for nights I have to work late catering and don't have much time to throw anything together. Beans would be a nice addition to this but the hubby won't eat them so I left them out!

The easiest taco soup you'll ever make

I went to a Cinco De Mayo party this weekend and my friend Kari made this soup for me.  She made it because it is gluten free AND vegetarian (but you can't tell the meat is missing).  I inquired to the recipe because surely something this tasty would be difficult to make.  NOPE.  Here is the entire recipe, get ready to be blown away with simplicity.

1- Can pinto beans rinsed & drained

1- Can kidney beans rinsed & drained

1- Can black beans rinsed & drained

1- Large can Ro-Tel tomatoes* 

1- Can stewed tomatoes

1- Cup salsa of your choice

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Chili powder

1/2 white onion diced**

1- Cup frozen or fresh corn

1/2 Cup water

Cheese to top

Toss all of the beans in a strainer at once and rinse them off.  In a large pot or crock pot combine all ingredients.  Cook for 3 hours.  Eat and enjoy!

*(I bought the ones with green chilis and it was a little spicy for me, which means it will be totally normal for you)
**If you are in a real hurry you can leave the onions out

If you want you can sauté the onions before adding the other ingredients but it's not required if you are going to cook it the full three hours.  Also if you are really really hungry you can scoop out a couple bowl fulls after about 30 minutes and it will still be tasty.  But after trying it both ways 3 hours is the perfect cooking time.  I kept mine in the pot in the fridge and have just been scooping out a portion every morning to pack for lunch.  It has a thick texture so you could actually put it on top of tortilla chips if you wanted.  If you want it really soupy (not as good) add more water.  I also like to top mine with sour cream.  Also if you are a meat lover you can add shredded chicken to this to make it a chicken taco soup.

HURRY UP MAKE IT NOW!  It's soooo good I promise.  And so damn easy!

Egg drop chicken noodle soup

*6 cups water
*2 lbs chicken bone in
* 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
* 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
* 8 garlic cloves, smashed
* 1- 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
* 4 ounces noodles
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch
* 2 eggs, lightly beaten
*1 tsp pepper

In large pot add 6 cups of water, chicken , and pepper, Bring to a boil. Boil for 1 hour and remove chicken. You have now made chicken broth. Add in garlic, ginger and soy sauce. Boil for 10 minutes. Shred chicken and discard bones. Using a slotted spoon remove the garlic cloves. Add in noodles and boil for 4-6 minutes. Combine corn starch and 2 tbsp cold water in bowl. Stir corn starch into soup and add chicken. Boil for 10 minutes. Beat eggs in separate bowl turn off heat and slowly pour them in while stirring the pot in a circular motion.
Serve immediately.

*Notes. I did not have regular noodles I used little round ones I bought for making Brandon home made spaghettiO's.
* If your water boils down too much you can use the 2 cups of premade chicken stock to add more broth back into your soup.
*If you don't have an hour to boil the chicken, you can start this recipe with 5 cups of low sodium chicken broth and used pre cooked shredded chicken, making this meal in about 30 minutes.

Beef and Barley Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 ½ pounds beef stew meat
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon butter
10 cups beef broth
2 cups water
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup barley
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large skillet cook beef until thoroughly cooked, about 7 minutes stirring regularly. Drain excess fat.
2. In a large pot sauté celery, onions, and celery in butter until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the broth, water, beef, tomatoes, barley, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

Split Pea with Ham Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 pound dried split peas, picked through, rinsed and drained
1 ½ pound ham bone
8 cups cold water
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 potatoes, diced
2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large pot melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and potatoes cook, stirring until soft, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic cook another minute.
2. Add in the peas, ham, water, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
3. Bring to a boil then simmer for 1 ½ hours or until peas are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove the bay leaf and the ham bone. Cut off any remaining meat, chop up and return meat to the soup. Return soup to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Turkey and Rice Soup

INGREDIENTS
12 cups turkey or chicken stock

5 cups cooked turkey

1 onion, diced

5 garlic cloves, minced

5 stalks of celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 cup wild rice, uncooked

1 cup white rice, uncooked

olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon sage

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon rosemary

DIRECTIONS.

1. Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil. Saute the onions and garlic about 2-5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the celery and carrots, cook about 2-5 minutes stirring constantly. Stir in spices.

2. Add turkey, stock and rice. Simmer over medium low heat for about an hour, or until the rice is cooked and the vegetables are tender.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

If you ask anyone who knows me, you will know that I never used to eat mushrooms. When I recently mentioned to a friend of mine that I've started eating mushrooms, she responded with "It's like I don't even know you anymore!?!"

But in my attempt to eat things that are better for me (not in the whole 'grilled chicken - brown rice - wheat grass' kind of way, but in the eating more nutritious things, but in the same old delicious way!) I have started eating mushrooms. To work my way into the world of fungi, I have been making this recipe lately. Because really, anything can be tasty when it's 'creamy', right? But if I do say so myself...this is a pretty tasty dish, and pretty easy to make.

Ingredients
1/2-1 pound firm mushrooms, cleaned, mixed or crimini
1/2 medium lemon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons flour or 1 teaspoon cornstarch (dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water)
1 tablespoon minced parsley

Directions
Sprinkle the cleaned mushrooms with lemon juice and coarsely chop in a food processor (or, you know, with a knife!). Set aside. Next, melt the butter in a heavy saucepan and lightly saute the shallots. Add the mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaf and saute over moderate heat for 10 minutes. Add a little bit of salt, the pepper, cream, and chicken stock and bring ingredients to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the flour or cornstarch to the soup, mix thoroughly, and continue to simmer 10 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve in warm bowls, sprinkled with minced parsley.

Spicy Lentil Stoup

So this recipe came from Rachel Ray. Of course like most recipes I made some modifications. But you can compare and check out the original version here.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 large baking potato, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Salt and black pepper
1 1/2 cups dried lentils
2 32-ounce containers (2 quarts) vegetable broth
One 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 small can mexi-corn
1 roasted red bell pepper
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped (about 4 cups)
Crusty bread or rolls, for serving (I used a potato rosemary...yumm)

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large, heavy pot, heat the EVOO , 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the potato, carrots, corn, bell pepper, onion and garlic. Season with the rosemary sprigs, bay leaf, paprika, crushed red pepper, allspice and salt and black pepper to taste; cook until the vegetables are softened, 7 to 8 minutes.
2. Stir in the lentils, vegetable broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, stir in the kale and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and rosemary sprigs. Serve the stoup with the crusty bread.

NOTE: If you watch Rachel Ray, a stoup is a mix between a soup and a stew. This will turn out very thick. You can add small amounts of water during cooking if it appears to thicken too much.

Chicken Noodle Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
3 small carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
10 ounces egg noodles
96 ounces chicken stock
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
garlic powder

DIRECTIONS
1. Bake chicken seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder at 375 degrees for 40 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked, flipping halfway thru. Chop into small pieces once done.
2. Coat bottom of large pot with EVOO. Sautee onions, celery, carrots and garlic for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent.
3. Add chicken stock, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
4. Add egg noodles and chicken, and bring back to a boil for about 20-25 minutes, until carrots and celery are soft. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 Large White Onion, chopped
8 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Jalapeno Peppers, diced
1 Pablano Pepper, diced
1 Roasted Red Bell Pepper, chopped
2 Cans of Diced Tomatoes with Chilies
1 Can of Fiesta Corn
1 Can Black Beans
1 1/2 Pounds Chicken Breasts
Chicken Stock (around 80 ounces)
2 Tablespoons Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Cilantro
Salt
Pepper
6 Corn Tortillas
Shredded Pepperjack Cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. Season chicken breast with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until fully cooked, turning over half way thru.
2. While chicken is baking, saute onions, garlic, jalapeno peppers. pablano peppers, and bell peppers in EVOO until onions are translucent.
3. Add tomatoes, corn, black beans, chicken stock, cumin, cayenne pepper, cilantro, salt and pepper. Simmer to a boil. Add more or less chicken stock to get desired thickness.
4. When chicken is cooked, chop and add to soup. Return soup to a boil.
5. Thinly slice corn tortillas in 1/4" strips and fry in veggie oil until crispy. Remove and set on paper towel and sprinkle with salt.
6. Serve soup topped with tortilla strips and cheese.

Spicy beef and sausage chili

1 lb good ground beef
1 package spicy Italian sausage removed from casing
1.5 large onion diced
7 cloves garlic rough chopped
1/8 cup chili powder
4 Tbsp ground cumin
2- Tbsp crushed red pepper (more or less to taste)
1/4 cup chicken stock
1- Tbsp cayenne pepper
1- 16 oz can diced tomatoes
1- 4 oz can tomato sauce
Lots of shredded cheddar cheese
Salt
Pepper

In large pot/dutch oven brown beef. In skillet crumble sausage into 1 inch pieces and brown with 1-onion (reserve rest for topping) and garlic. Once beef is brown add chicken stock and spices. Cook until mixed well, add sausage, onions and garlic and combine. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce and simmer on low until you are ready to eat. The longer it cooks the spicier it will get. Also the longer it simmers the more flavor you get. Top with cheddar cheese and onions. I like to dunk Fritos in mine!

Also, this recipe has no beans because my husband hates them. I think you should add a can of red beans though!

Beef Stew with Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Beef Stew with Polenta (premade) and Parmasen

To start off, this isn't one of the quick and easy receipes that could be features on Rachael Ray's "30 Minute Meals". This meal takes some commitement. But the rich stew and creamy polenta you end up with are worth it. And to make you feel better for the 3 hours you'll spend on making this the first time, if you make enough to freeze a few servings, the stew freezes and reheats great!

I divided this receipe into 2 parts. The first part is the stew, which of course, can be served without the polenta. The second part is the receipe for the polenta.

Ingredients for Beef Stew

• Olive oil, for searing
• 1.5-2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 medium onions, cut into 6ths
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour or to cover
• 10 cups beef broth or cold water (broth leads to a more intense favor)
• 6 sprigs fresh parsley
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 large bay leaves
• 1 1/4 pounds medium red or yellow potatoes, quartered --> do not use russet potatoes, the texture is not right for a stew
• 4 medium carrots, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
• 3 celery stalks, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
• 5 (for step 2, 1 tbsp of tomato paste can be substituted) + 7 medium sized tomatoes (for step ___, canned whole tomatoes can be substituted), cut into medium-large pieces
• 2 to 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar, or to taste

Cook's Notes:

• You will need some kitchen twine for this recipe.
• Beef chuck, from the shoulder, because of its marbling of intra-muscular fat, is the choice for any type of stew. If you can't find chuck cubed for stew in your meat department, buy a thick chuck steak and cut it into 2-inch cubes.
• I've found that using tomato paste in step 2 leads to a much more tomato-y (how's that for a word?) base for the stew. I'm not really a big fan of tomatoes so I use fresh ones because the tomato flavor is much more subtle than when using the paste. By the way, I totally cannot spell tomato.

Directions for Beef Stew

1. Heat a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. You can also use a large soup pot with a well-fitting lid. Pour in enough oil to fill the pan about 1/4-inch deep. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, and add to the pan. Saute half the meat, uncovered, stirring only occasionally, until well-browned, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef. Discard the oil and wipe out the pan.
2. If using a Dutch oven, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. If using a pot, you will not be using the oven. Return the pot to the stove and melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the 5 chopped tomatoes (or tomato paste) and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute more. Add the reserved beef and scatter the flour over the vegetable and beef mixture (enough to lightly coat) and cook stirring until lightly toasted. Add the water or broth, and bring to a simmer.
3. Tie the parsley, thyme, and bay leaves together with a piece of kitchen twine and add the bundle to the pot. Season with 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste. Cover and transfer to the oven (if using the Dutch oven) or cook over low simmer on the stove. Cook the meat until just tender, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove pot from the oven (if using the Dutch oven). Skim the fat from the cooking liquid with a spoon or ladle. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and the tomatoes, and bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens and the vegetables are tender, about 1 hour.
5. Remove and discard the herb bundle. Stir in the vinegar (taste as you go along...too little and the flavor isn't right, too much and you may have just ruined an entire pot of stew!) and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
6. If serving without the polenta, divide among bowls and serve. Remaining stew can be frozen.

Ingredients for Polenta

Polenta is now readily available in most grocery stores. You can either by it in a roll that just needs to be reheated, or you can buy uncooked, dry polenta/corn meal. I prefer the uncooked because it is so easy to make and tastes a little fresher than the roll. The crappy picture I included is featuring the premade roll of polenta instead of homemade polenta.

• ~1 cup Dried Polenta or Corn Meal
• 4 cups water
• Salt, to taste
• 1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp butter

Directions for Polenta

1. Boil water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce heat to low and add dry polenta until mixture begins to thicken. Continue to stir and add polenta until mixture is like a think gravy, but not too thick. The polenta will continue to absorb water over the next few minutes so there should be some free water in the pan.
3. Remove from heat and let sit for about 5 minutes. Add grated Parmesan and butter, stir to combine.
4. To serve with the stew, add a serving of the polenta (~1/2 cup) to the bottom of a bowl. Fill remainder of bowl with beef stew and top with some freshly grated Parmesan. Serve and Enjoy!

Low calorie Thick Fiesta Bean soup

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic rough chopped 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 2" long thin strips 1-serrano pepper, diced 1/4 cup yellow onion chopped 6 mushrooms, rough chopped 2 stalks celery chopped 1 cup vegetable broth 1 cup canned fiesta bean mix (or any mixed beans) 2 Tbsp cumin 2.5 Tbsp chilli powder 1 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Saute vegetables in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add bean mix, broth, seasonings, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with cheese and tortilla chips crumbled on top.

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 2-4
• Amount Per Serving 1.5 cup
• Calories: 96.1

Adding roasted and shredded chicken breast would be a great addition to this soup however, you must add in the calories for your chicken. Also the amount of tortilla chips and cheese you use, is so small it barely counts!

Low calorie No Cream, Creamy asparagus soup

I decided I would pull up a few of my recipes from my diet days that I uploaded onto my diet page in case some of you are trying to diet. I followed a low calorie diet and lost 20 pounds in 2.5 months and would have kept going if I didn't get knocked up. My first few recipes will be soups but I have plenty more. I like doing soups because you can make a lot and easily have some for lunch or dinner the next day. Something we all know about dieting is if it isn't right there in front of you, you will pick something less healthy. That is why I encourage you to work hearty soups into your diet! (Also these recipes will appear in a fancier format since I had uploaded em to my sparkpeople.com page already)

Ingredients

3 Pounds Asparagus 1 Cup Shallots 2 Boxes (8 cups) vegetable broth 1- large jar marinated artichoke hearts drained salt to taste Pepper to taste Dash of Cayenne Pepper 2- Tbsp olive oil

Directions: First bring 4 cups broth to a boil. While this is happening, separate asparagus into three parts. The woody ends, the tips and the middle. ** Tip at recipe end** Place the woody ends in the broth to boil for flavor. Chop middles and reserve for later. Reserve pretty tops for end. Boil until woody ends are tender. Remove with a slotted spoon. Reserve broth in blender or food processor. In pot add olive oil, shallots, middles of asparagus, artichoke hearts salt, pepper and cayenne. Saute over low heat until asparagus is tender. Add aspargus, shallot mixture to broth in blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Place asparagus tips on microwave safe bowl and heat with two tablespoons broth for 2 minutes. Pour soup from blender into pot and add softened asparagus tips and cayenne pepper. Add remaining broth to desired constancy. Check for seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 7
• Amount Per Serving: About 1 1/3 cup
• Calories: 123.3

**(To do so hold the asparagus in both hands using thumb and pointer finger, with one hand on each end. Slightly bend until asparagus snaps, this is the natural tender point. You will want to lay this piece next to all the rest and cut at the same point. everything on the edge is considered your woody edge.)**

What to do with leftover soup?

Being a single gal, I often find myself cooking for one. This either means I cook too often or don't date often enough. I'm guessing it's the second option...sorry, I digress. I also, however, have found it impossible to cook soup for one. Here is a suggestion for those of you who find yourself staring down the cereal box some nights because you don't feel like cooking a whole meal

When I make soups, I make enough to feed an army. This gives me dinner for that night, leftovers for another day or two and enough to freeze a few portions for later on. Soup freezes great and I like to freeze soup in individual sized portions. This makes for easy, quick meals when I get home too late to cook anything else! Like with the French Onion Soup, you just have to make the croutons, defrost the soup and you've got a great meal in less than 10 minutes.

French Onion Soup with Croutons

Makes: 6-8 servings

Total Time To Eating (TTTE): 1 hour

Ingredients

Soup

• 3-4 Large white onions - I prefer Maui or Vidalia onions because they are sweeter but any white or yellow onion will work.
• 3 sprigs of fresh Thyme or 1 tsp. dried Thyme
• 3-4 Bay Leaves
• Water
• Beef broth or Beef bullion
• 1-2 cups Sherry or Dry Red Wine
• Salt and Freshly ground pepper
• 1-2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• EVOO
• Flour

Croutons

• Sourdough bread or french baguette (cut into pieces). Allow 1 piece per serving.
• Swiss or Gruyere cheese (I actually prefer Swiss Cheese)
• Garlic

Directions

1. Quarter onions and then slice into ~1/4" slices. Over med-low heat, coat a deep pan or soup pot with EVOO. Add sliced onions and cover. Let onions saute over medium-low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions have caramelized.
2. Add ~2 tbsp. butter and lightly (I mean lightly here!) coat onions in flour (1-2 tbsp. tops!). Stir continuously until the flour has browned. Deglaze pan with 1 cup Sherry or Dry Red Wine. Add thyme and bay leaves to the mixture. Simmer on low heat until the liquid has been reduced by about half.
3. Add water and beef broth or bullion until you have 6-8 cups of soup. Salt and pepper to taste. If taste needs adjustment, add additional water, broth or sherry.
4. Over medium-low heat, let soup simmer for 15 minutes.
5. While soup is simmering, peel a clove of garlic. Place your bread in the toaster for one cycle (or in the oven for about 2 minutes). Remove and rub the garlic over the pieces of bread. Cover each piece of bread with cheese and place in the oven at Broil until cheese has melted and bread is toasted.
6. To serve: remove the bay leaves from the soup. Fill bowl with a serving of soup and place a crouton in each bowl.