Sausage and Tortellini Soup

I made this soup for my family a few weeks back and everyone absolutely loved it. It was so quick and easy too!

Here's the recipe.

Carrabba's Spicy Sausage Lentil Soup

This recipe cam in an email I receive with restaurant recipes. It is so good! It's also simple to make. You could even make it easier by putting everything in the slow cooker. If your family doesn't like spicy, you can easily use regular Italian sausage and omit the red pepper. I'm not a measurer when it comes to recipes like this. The only changes I made were - I used 1 whole onion, 4-5 carrots, 3 cloves garlic, and about 2 tsp each of dried basil and parsley. I added a little extra bullion at the end to enhance flavor.

Carrabba's Spicy Sausage Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup minced onion
3/4 cup grated and minced carrot
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound uncooked hot Italian sausage
2 ounces diced ham (about 1/2 cup, cut from a ham steak)
7 cups water
5 cups chicken broth
1 pound dry lentils
1 medium tomato, diced
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat up olive oil in a Dutch oven or large sauce pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic. Remove sausage from casing, and add it to the pan. Saute for 8 minutes, stirring often. Break up the sausage into bite-size bits as it cooks. Add ham, and cook for an additional minute.

2. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

3. Serve 1 cup for a "cup" portion, or serve 2 cups for a "bowl"serving.

Makes 12 to 13 cups.

Hit the Spot Ham and Potato Soup

I have been dreaming about ham and potato soup for awhile. I made a few different recipes and none of them satisfied my craving. Then I made this one and I couldn't get enough! It was just what I was looking for. It is also a good base recipe for variations.

Servings: about 8

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs.)

1/3 cup diced celery

1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1-2 cloves garlic, or to taste

3/4 cup diced cooked ham
2-3 carrots, small dice

3 1/4 cups water

4 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules or 4 cubes

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste

5 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

Stove Top Directions:

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Slow-Cooker Directions:

Combine all ingredients except last three in slow-cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours. Combine the butter, flour, and milk then add to slow-cooker. Cook on low 1 hour more.

Add Ins or Substitutions:
corn
green beans
Instead of ham add Italian sausage and peppers,
or chicken and broccoli,
or clams.

Millet, Quinoa, and Corn Chowder Soup

This hearty chowder is a great way to add different grains into your diet. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids. I adapted this recipe from "Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way," by Lorna Sass.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups finely chopped leeks (white and light green parts)
1 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt; plus more to taste
1/4 amaranth or millet
1/2 cup ivory quinoa, thoroughly rinsed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
4 cups stock (chicken, turkey, or vegetable)
1 cup whole milk
2 Tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley
Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. In a large heavy pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the leeks, celery, red bell pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the amaranth or millet and 3 cups of stock. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the quinoa and thyme. Return to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook at a gentle boil, partially covered, for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, puree 3 cups of the corn kernels with 1 cup of stock. When the quinoa has cooked for 10 minutes, stir the corn puree and the remaining corn kernels into the soup. Add salt to taste. Reduce the heat and simmer until the quinoa and amaranth or millet are tender, 3 to 5 more minutes. When the quinoa is done, there will be no starchy white dot in the center of each grain, and some of the germs' "tails" may unfurl and float freely. On close inspection, the amaranth or millet will look like tiny opaque bubbles floating on the surface.

4. Stir in the milk and remaining tablespoon of butter. Add more salt, if needed, and pepper to taste. Divide into portions and garnish each with a little parsley.

The soup thickens upon standing; thin as needed with additional milk, and add salt to taste.

Dairy Free Cream Soup Replacement

Kristin's post reminded me of a cream of soup replacement that I use quite often in place of Campbells. The perk with this one is that it uses no dairy, yet is still creamy, and uses your food storage! Shriveled, hard, old beans work great for this. Just grind as you would in your wheat grinder (after cleaning and sorting of course!).

Ingredients:
4 Cups Water
4 tsp chicken or beef base/bouillon
1 cup fine white bean flour

Directions:
Heat 2 cups of water on stove. Combine 2 cups cold water and bean flour and mix until smooth. (This can also be done in a blender). Add to heated water (not boiling) and simmer on stove until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Store in refrigerator for up to a week; or freeze for up to six months.

Use in casseroles in place of cream of soups, or as a base for cream of broccoli, celery, mushroom etc

*If you grind a lot of bean flour to keep on hand be sure to keep it in an airtight container, in the freezer, to keep it from going rancid.

Homemade Cream Soup Mix

Cut the fat and keep the convenience with this cream soup mix.

2 cups powdered nonfat milk
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup instant chicken or beef bouillon
2 Tbsp. dried onion flakes
2 tsp. basil leaves
1 tsp. thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients. Mix well. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. Makes equivalent of 9 cans of creamed soup.

To reconstitute: 1/3 cup of cream soup mix with 1 1/4 cups cold water in a saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened. Substitute for 1 can of soup.

Curried Lentil Soup

I made this a while back and loved the earthy taste and the fact that it is super healthy. I've been very interested in getting good protein lately in forms other than meat. I am no vegetarian by any means, but I do believe good health can come from reducing our meat intake. I found it in a magazine called Family Circle. I just love lentils in any form. If you're looking for a healthy and very filling meal, this soup will definitely be enough. For someone looking for good-tasting food that is also good for you, this hits the spot.

-1 Tablespoon olive oil
-1 large onion, chopped
-1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
-2 teaspoons curry powder
-1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
-1 Cup dried lentils, picked over
-4 1/2 Cups low-sodium chicken broth
-1 Cup water
-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 bunch (about 3/4 pound) fresh kale, rinsed, tough stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped (about 8 Cups)
-1/4 Cup 2% Greek yogurt

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook onion and carrot, stirring occasionaly, 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and cook one minute more. Add tomatoes, lentils, broth, water and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to pot. Bring to a boil, then partially cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes or until lentils are tender. In batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth; return to pot and gently reheat. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, salt and kale. Cook 5 minutes or until kale is wilted and tender. Dollop each serving with 1 Tablespoon yogurt.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes

Per Serving: 314 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat.); 22 g protein; 50 g carbohydrate; 11 g fiber; 1,028 mg sodium; 7 mg cholesterol

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I got this recipe from Jami Harward, and was pleased with just how simple and delicious it is. A can of this and a dump of that into the crock pot, and come dinner time all I have to do is dish up! I used chicken I had previously canned, and it was not only fall-apart tender, but it couldn't have been easier. This is a flavorful, fun recipe I would recommend anyone try.


1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
1 can (15 oz) crushed or petite tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies*
1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn, undrained
1 medium onion, chopped or 1/2 cup dry minced onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp dried chopped cilantro (I used fresh)

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat 4-6 hours or on low heat 8-10 hours. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream and Monterrey Jack cheese.

*I didn't have green chilies in my cupboard, so I used tomatoes with green chilies and the spice was just about right for us. If you like to heat things up a bit more, you could add more chilies to your liking.

Cream of Crab Soup

Oh, I made this again the other day, and just couldn't go the week without sharing!! This is one of those "can-opener gourmet" recipes. You, and you're guests, will be suprised at how FANTASTIC it is!! I usually serve it with a hearty bread that has a thicker crust, like Beer Bread (made with ginger ale though).

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Tomato Soup
1 can Split Pea Soup (can use with Ham and Bacon version, I like it better...)
2 cans Crab Meat (I use one "lump" and one just regular white crab meat)
1 pint Heavy Cream (I have used 1/2 & 1/2 and it was fine)
1 can Beef Boullion or 1 cube Beef Broth prepared

Combine all ingredients, except the can of lump crab meat. Heat on medium heat in a 3 quart soup pot or saucepan. Add lump crab meat after all the soups have mixed, so as to keep some lumps together for serving.

*I have also used fresh crab meat, mmmm , at least 1/2 a pound (I use more cause I like lots of crab, I am from Maryland). I added 1/2 in the beginning, and the rest at the end to keep some of the lumps.

If you have ever eaten the Cream of Crab soup at Clyde's in DC, this is just about the same as that one!

Cheesy Potato & Veggie Chowder

So, here's my first post! I'm just a little excited :)

If you like cheese, you will love this recipe! It is a fan favorite for everyone in my home, even my veggie-picky husband!

3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped (3 cups)*
4 carrots, peeled & chopped*
2 cans whole kernel corn*
¼ cup dried onions*
2 cups water
1 10 ¾ ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 cup chopped ham**
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon multi-colored (or black) pepper
12 ounces American cheese***

1- In 3 ½ or 4 quart slow cooker combine all ingredients except cheese.
2- Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or high for 4 to 4 ½ hours.
3- Stir cheese into hot soup until melted.


Notes:
*- If you want a quicker prep time, I have used the Hanover frozen stew vegetables mixture and just added extra corn (we like corn).

**- I buy either a ham steak and use half of it, or just use leftover ham that was chopped and frozen.

***- I just buy the store-brand American cheese slices and use ¾ of the package.


Also, this recipe is great for sneaking in vegetables, I have put lima beans, okra, green beans, small amount of spinach, zucchini, you name it. The cheese does a great job of covering it (my husband is the most picky veggie eater, and he’s the one that always loves this one!).

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana

I am not a huge fan of Olive Garden but I do love this soup and usually order just this, indulging in three or four bowls. I found the recipe on the Internet where they said someone who used to work at the Olive Garden sent in the original recipe. I knew it would be blog worthy but as our blog title says, we always try it for ourselves and cook then tell. So I just got done making a triple batch, for the freezer of course, and haven't stopped sampling since (I should just have a bowl or two but have to save my appetite for supper). It is as good or better than Olive Garden's and it will definitely be on my list of favorites. You can also find a recipe for Olive Garden's Salad online which makes a complete meal paired with the soup. As for freezing, I would freeze it without the kale and add that in fresh when reheating. Makes: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ground Italian sausage
• 1½ tsp crushed red peppers
• 1 large diced white onion
• 1/4 cup bacon pieces
• 2 tsp garlic puree
• 10 cups water
• 5 cubes of chicken bouillon
• 1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
• 1 cup heavy cream*
• ¼ of a bunch of kale or spinach*

1. Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
2. In the same pan, saute bacon, onions and garlic for approximately 15 min. or until the onions are soft.
3. Mix together the chicken bouillon and water (or 10 cups broth), then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.
4. Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
5. Add heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated.
   
6. Stir in the sausage.
7. Add kale or spinach just before serving. Delicious!

* If preparing in advance, reserve cream and kale and add just before serving.

White Bean Chicken Chili

When the hearty goodness of chicken, corn and beans mixes with the colorful flavors of tomato, cilantro and cumin, your mouth will never be the same again. This one is a must make! A big thank you to Analisha Peterson for the recipe!!

2 Tbs vegetable oil or canola oil
1 lb diced, cooked chicken
1 onion
1 can chicken broth
4-6 tomatillos, pureed
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 green chiles, diced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 bunch cilantro chopped
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 can great northern beans
1 can butter/lima beans
1 can white corn (optional...I use frozen corn)

Saute chicken, onions and garlic in oil. Add all ingredients except for the beans. Simmer 10 min. Add beans, simmer 5 min. Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips. Enjoy!

***This is a great freezer cooker! Especially when ingredients are on sale, just double, triple, or 'even more' the recipe and then bag up the extra meals. Perfect for a fast, yet substantial meal worthy of company.***

Rich and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

This flavorful soup is perfect for using up fresh garden tomatoes and basil, and it is delicious with grilled or broiled sandwiches. Between Austin making dinner suggestions, or friends hoping to make it for their own families, this recipe is requested often. Thanks to Jami, our newest author, for the picture!

4 tomatoes--peeled, seeded, and diced
4 cups tomato juice
14 leaves fresh basil
1 cup heavy whipping cream*
1/2 cup butter*
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the tomatoes and juice in a stock pot over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the tomato mixture along with the basil leaves, and return to the stock pot (It also works well to puree in the pot if you have a Bamex or hand-held blender). Over medium heat, stir in the heavy cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Do not boil.

*If you wish to cut back on the fat, reduce the butter by 1/3 and consider using half and half instead of the heavy whipping cream.

Kristin's Chili

Well, I just got off the phone with two more people requesting this recipe so I thought it must be worthy of being posted. This chili recipe does take longer to make and is a little more expensive than most chili so when I make it I usually double or triple the recipe so I have a couple more meals of it to freeze for a rainy day. Then I have a homemade pot of chili ready in just the time it takes to defrost and reheat. Be warned that it is very spicy.

Kristin's Chili

Mix to form paste:
2 Tbsp ancho chili powder
2 Tbsp Mexico chili powder
1 1/2 Tbsp cumin seed, toasted
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp Mexican oregano
1/2 cup water

Saute:
1 onion
5 cloves garlic
4-5 jalapenos

Add chili paste to onions and saute 3 minutes more.

Brown 1 pkg bacon, save fat
2 lbs beef chuck, toss with salt and brown slightly in bacon fat, about 5 minutes. Do not cook it all the way through or it will not be as tender. It will cook in the simmer.

Add all together:
1 large can diced tomato, with juice
3 cans beans, any kind
1 can beer, opt
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp lime juice
Worcestershire Sauce
6 cups broth, chicken or beef
bacon and beef

Simmer two hours. Season with salt and pepper. Chill overnight. Mix 4 Tbsp corn starch and some of the broth from chili together to form paste. Add to chili, increase heat, simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve with fresh red onion, cheddar cheese, and sour cream. And Mom's corn bread of course!

*Regular oregano is fine. If you can find any two different kinds of chili powder that works best. They really do taste different because they are made from different kinds of peppers. Depending on how hot you like it, you might want to cut back on the chili powder. This is really spicy. The first couple times I made it I had to add a whole container of sour cream, another can of tomatoes, another can of beans, and another can of beef broth to tame it down and it was still hot. Next time I make it I will probably add 1 1/2 Tbsp of each chili powder, then to taste. Kellen likes it hot and said he liked it better before I made all the adjustments so we'll see. You will have to make it to the taste of your family. Also, this is a lot of beef so you could easily add a pound or so less and have enough. There was still plenty in mine after adding all the extra stuff.

Mom's Cornbread
(I think this recipe originally came from Nancy Lueck)

2 Jiffy Corn Bread Mixes
1 Jiffy White Cake Mix
3 eggs
2/3 cup whole milk
1/2 cup cold water

Mix all together. Let rest 3-4 minutes before filling cups or 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

(The only store I can find Jiffy White Cake mix at out here is Walmart.)

Tom Kha Gai

(This recipe might not do many of you much good because you either have to go to an oriental market, or order the ingredients online. It's worth it though!) Kellen and I went to eat at a Thai restaurant two weeks ago. Soup is served as a main course at some restaurants like these so I asked Kellen if he wanted to share and get soup and one other dish. He said no, he wasn't in the mood for soup. So I ordered a half order anyway. It was love at first bite and Kellen agreed, begging me to learn how to make it. I researched the recipe online the very next day and found this one on a recipe blog called www.tigersandstrawberries.com (other great recipes here also). Kellen and I made a trip to an oriental market to get most of the ingredients. This was a fun experience all in itself. It was like walking into a foreign country but we got all the authentic ingredients. I made it last night and was pleasantly surprised that it turned out very similar to the restaurant's. This soup is so silky, flavorful, and comforting. I know it will be requested again.

Tom Kha Gai

Ingredients:

2 19 ounce cans of coconut milk (I prefer Mae Ploy brand, but Cha Khao is also good)
1 quart chicken broth or stock
5 1/4″ thick quarter-sized to half-dollar sized slices of fresh or frozen galangal root
3 stalks lemongrass–bottom 1/3 only, bottom of stalks trimmed, and outer layers stripped away–cut into three equal pieces and bruise with the back of the cleaver
5 kaffir lime leaves, or the zest of two regular limes (I just cut the zest off in big pieces with a peeler to make it easier to fish out when all the flavor is gone from it)
2 tablespoons red curry paste, or to taste (recipe here, or you can use Mae Ploy brand–it is good)
fish sauce to taste*
6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced thinly
1 whole boneless skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into thin strips
juice of two limes or to taste*
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems removed
3 scallion tops, thinly sliced
red and green Thai bird chiles, sliced thinly as a garnish

Method:

Combine coconut milk, chicken broth, galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves, zest or oil, and curry paste in a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer. Season to taste with fish sauce. Turn down heat and allow to simmer for at least one half hour, forty minutes is better.

Fish out galangal and lemongrass. Add mushrooms and chicken. Simmer until chicken is done. Fish out lime leaves, add lime juice to taste, and garnish with cilantro leaves, scallion tops and sliced chilis.**

The flavor should be a balance of spicy, refreshingly sweet and herbal and sour, with a musky note from the galangal.

*The fish sauce is what makes it salty and cannot be skipped. I would add 1-2 Tbsp to start, then to taste after adding lime (I read that it tastes pretty bad without the lime. It tames the fish sauce). I would also add one lime to start, then to taste.
**In the restaurant it is served with red onions and fresh tomato. Great additions.

Classic Italian Chicken Soup

As you can tell by most of my recipes, I love soup! Here is another one I made just this week. It is very satisfying but not too heavy like a cream soup. I judge how much I like something by if I would make it again, and this one I would!

This recipe serves: 8
6 chicken breasts with the bone, about 3 pounds total
12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups canned crushed Italian tomatoes
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
8 ounces orzo or other small, shaped pasta
4 cups chopped fresh spinach, escarole or kale
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper

1. Remove and discard the skin from the chicken breasts and place the breasts in a large soup pot. Add the chicken broth, bring it to a boil and reduce the heat so that the broth just simmers. Simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and transfer to a plate to cool.

2. Skim the fat from the broth and bring it back to a boil. Add the tomatoes, onion, carrots, celery and red pepper. Simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the orzo or other pasta and cook for 5 to 8 more minutes, until the pasta is al dente.

4. Meanwhile, discard the bones from the chicken and chop the meat into small pieces.

5. Add the chicken, spinach, parsley and oregano to the soup pot and simmer for another minute or two. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in warm soup bowls with a thick slice of Italian bread.

Easy Creamy Cheesy Soup

This soup is just as its name says, easy and creamy. No chopping veggies or dirtying many pots. Just open and stir. It is definately a comfort food, not figure friendly, but that's ok every once in awhile, right.

6 chicken bouillon cubes
6 cups water
2 lbs. frozen shredded hash browns
1 lb. frozen California blend veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 lb. Velveeta cheese
1 cup milk

Boil bouillon cubes and water in a large pot. Add hash browns and veggies. Cover; simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover and simmer for another 10 minutes. In a separate pot, warm soup, cheese, and milk. Add to large pot and serve.

Taco Soup

This soup is among our favorite, quick meals. Also great for taking dinner to a family in need. For full effect, don't forget the sour cream, cheese, and tortilla chips. It makes a world of difference. Warm cornbread is also nice on the side.

1 lb hamburger
½ large onion, diced
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can kidney beans (16 oz)
*1 can diced tomatoes (16 oz)
*1 can whole kernel corn (or frozen)
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp oregano
¼ tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Brown the hamburger, onions, and garlic. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or longer. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, and shredded cheese. You will most likely want to double this recipe if cooking for a family.

*If you can find diced tomatoes with spices or chilies added, this makes for a nice addition to the flavor. You can mix and match to create the flavor you want.

*Del Monte brand whole kernel corn provides a nice flavor and texture to the soup. Be sure you do not use creamed corn.

Creamy White Chili

1 tablespoon oil

1 pound chicken, cubed

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

1 jar Randall's Great Northern beans, not drained

1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies

1 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne, to taste

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipping cream

Heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the chicken, onion, and garlic powder until chicken is almost done.

Add the rest of ingredients except the sour cream and whipping cream. Brig to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add the sour cream and whipping cream just before serving. Stir to blend.

(The above is my mom's recipe.  I like to triple the recipe and use a whole rotisserie chicken from Costco.  I make homemade broth from the carcass.  I use regular canned great northern beans and I do rinse and drain them.)

Quick Tri-Bean Soup

Ah, my first post. This soup is SO easy, and Elliot really likes it (of course, Elliot likes most everything...). Just the same, he's who eats the stuff I make, so he's my only guinea pig most of the time.
The recipe is supposed to feed six. (from 'Saving Dinner' book)

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 can white beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can chicken broth
1 tsp. basil
1 can diced tomatoes
6 Tbsp. Romano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, over medium-high heat, cook the onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent.
Add the rest of the ingredients except the Romano cheese and stir well.
Salt and pepper to taste, and heat until nice and hot.
Top each bowlful with a tablespoon of Romano cheese and serve.

Suggestion:
Serve with a big salad and some whole-grain rolls