Fennel and Carrot Soup

This is not normally a recipe I would try on a weeknight, it takes about an hour and a half to complete and though it isn't super labor intensive, it does take time.  Tonight I got home super energized, went grocery shopping, and then changed my menu (this was going to be made on Sunday!) to make this tonight!
This turned out super yummy, I made a few changes to make it more affordable/so I was able to find all the ingredients in my grocery store.  This was more fennel-y than carrot-y, but still was very tasty and definitely was a perfect cool fall night dinner.  I accompanied my dinner with Nightmare Before Christmas and a nice blanket.  Perfect!

Fennel and Carrot Soup

Fennel and Carrot Soup

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large fennel bulb, chopped
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3 carrots, peeled, chopped
1 small russett potato, peeled, halved
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable if you're vegetarian)
1/4 cup roasted unsalted almonds, chopped
¼ cup plain Greek Yogurt
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Preparation:
Heat 4 Tbsp. butter in a large heavy pot over medium. Add fennel, onion, carrots, potato, thyme, and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if needed, until vegetables are soft but not browned and have released their moisture, 40-50 minutes.
Add broth, bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until potato is falling apart, 8–10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Remove bay leaf.
Working in batches, purée in a blender until smooth. Strain into a clean pot; season with salt and pepper.
Mix yogurt and maple syrup in a small bowl. Serve soup topped with maple yogurt and almonds.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup

After all the unhealthy eating/eating out we did over Christmas break, I was excited to be cooking things from scratch.  Though I wouldn't exactly call this recipe healthy, it does have broccoli, so that's a plus, right?  (In reality, this isn't that bad for you, there's only a half cup of heavy cream.)  Anyhow, this turned out super delicious and as an extra plus, I served it with homemade bread.  It was just what I needed!

Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, sliced
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
6 Tbsp. flour
2 (12 oz.) cans fat-free evaporated milk
5 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock to make it vegetarian!)
5 cups diced broccoli*, (about 2 medium heads)
1/8 tsp. dried chives
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and saute until they soften, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic powder, flour, salt, and pepper, cook, whisking continuously for about 2 minutes.  Add milk, whisk until smooth.  Cook until it begins to thicken, stirring continuously.  Pour into slow cooker along with chicken stock, broccoli, and chives.  Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, or on low for 5-6 hours.
Turn heat on warm and stir in heavy cream, shredded cheese, and parmesan, stir to blend.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

*Make sure to dice the stems quite fine if you're using them so they cook evenly

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy

Thai Curry Butternut Squash Soup

This soup was delicious!  It's perfect for fall and had just the right amount of spice!  I was a bit surprised that it was so filling being vegan, but I got a thumbs up from Matthew, which is the true test of how good vegetarian/vegan meals are.  The best part is that the spiciness can be modified for people who are a little more sensitive.  I served this with homemade bread for a great fall meal.

Thai Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Thai Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium butternut squash, cubed (you of course may cheat and buy pre-cubed butternut squash which will greatly cut down on the labor of the soup)
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste (you can go more or less depending on your spice level, but this is very spicy)
1 (15 oz.) can coconut milk
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/2 lime, juiced
Salt
Pepper
Cilantro, for garnish

Preparation:
Place a large pot over medium-low heat.
Add vegetable oil.
Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add curry and ginger.  Stir until well-incorporated.
Raise the temperature to medium. Add vegetable stock and squash.  Cover and cook until squash is soft, about 20 minutes.
Take the pot off of heat.
Either use an immersion blender or carefully put into a blender and blend until a puree.
Add coconut milk, lime, salt, and pepper (to taste). Stir. Heat for another 5-10 minutes, until soup is hot.
Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is

Pumpkin Curry Soup

It has gotten quite cold here in Philly and I had a can of pumpkin just waiting to be made into soup.  Then came the decision of what kind.  Plain pumpkin soup?  Though yummy, a little boring... so I decided to spice things up with some curry.  Delicious!

Pumpkin Curry Soup

Pumpkin Curry Soup

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
*2 cups chicken broth
1 cup cream
2 Tbsp. curry
1 Tbsp. butter
2 limes
Topping: Cilantro, plain yogurt

Preparation:
Simmer pumpkin, broth, and cream, whisking.
Meanwhile, toast curry powder in a small pan in butter.  Add to the soup with the juice from the limes.
Simmer about 5 minutes.
Top with fresh cilantro and plain yogurt, if desired.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine

*If you would like to make this vegetarian, just sub in vegetable broth!

Meatball Soup

Today I really wanted a comforting soup to ease the chilliness that has set upon Philly.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and found that I had most of the ingredients, except a few; with a few substitutions, I was ready to go!  I also totally cheated and used pre-made meatballs, but hey, I get home from work at 6:30 and did not feel like making meatballs.  Of course, this recipe would have been better with homemade meatballs, but the frozen ones worked just fine and the soup was done so fast!  

Meatball Soup

Yummy!

Meatball Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

11 cups chicken broth

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

1 cup carrots, peeled and diced

1 cup corn

1 cup small pasta

1/2 Tbsp. red pepper flakes

1 lb. Italian-Style frozen meatballs

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large stockpot.  Saute the onion and garlic until translucent.  

Add broth, tomatoes, carrots, and seasonings.  Heat to boiling.  Add meatballs, corn, and pasta.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.  

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Becoming Betty

White Bean Stew

Today it was really cold in Philly, so I decided to make a stew for dinner... bonus, this one took about 30 minutes to make!  Of course I changed a few things, fresh spinach wasn't on sale this week, but frozen was, so I used that instead, and I added some red chili flakes for a little spice!

White Bean Stew

Matt, helping out with dinner!

White Bean Stew

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 14 oz. turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/4 inch thick medallions
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 15 oz. cans Great Northern beans, drained (I used one can of cannellini beans and one of Great Northern)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 box frozen spinach, thawed
Salt
Pepper
1/4 tsp. red chili flakes

Directions: 
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and onion, stirring occasionally, about five minutes.
Add beans, broth, rosemary, paprika, salt, and pepper (both to taste.)  Crush the beans with the back of the spoon, to thicken, about eight minutes.
Add spinach and kielbasa.
Cook until heated through.
Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from Eat. Drink. Smile.

Green Chicken Chili

So, I just started my job this week, which means I won't get paid until next week, which means I was looking for a meal that I could make with only the ingredients I already had on hand.  This one fit the bill!  (It actually called for some things I didn't have, but I got creative.)  My only complaint was that there were so few leftovers!

Green Chicken Chili

Green Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

2 chicken quarters, skin removed

2 cans (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, drained

1 can (15.5 oz) whole kernel corn, drained

1 jar salsa verde

1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles

2 garlic cloves, diced

2 tsp. chopped onion

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

Preparation:

Put chicken in bottom of crock pot.  Add beans and corn. 

Mix salsa, chiles, garlic, onion, cumin, and salt in a medium bowl.  Pour over top. 

Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.  Remove chicken and shred, discarding any bones.  

Return meat to crock pot.  Stir. 

Top with sour cream, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado

Enjoy! 

Recipe Adapted from The Woman's Day Everyday Cookbook

Turkey Noodle Soup

Obviously I needed a way to use some of the turkey leftovers because Matt and I can't eat 11 pounds of turkey meat before it would go bad.  I decided to transform some of it into turkey noodle soup, especially because my stomach had been upset, and what's better than chicken noodle soup?  (Or I suppose in this case, turkey noodle soup.)
This was a very easy soup to make.  First, I put one box of frozen mixed vegetables in the crockpot, celery, then added 4 cups of chicken stock, a couple cups of turkey, some parsley, salt, and pepper.  About an hour before I was ready to eat, I added some spiral noodles.  After they had cooked for a half an hour, I added two more cups of broth, as the noodles had sucked up a bunch of the broth.  I let it cook another half and hour, and it came out great!

Turkey Noodle Soup

Turkey Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
1 box of frozen mixed vegetables (I used one with corn, carrots, and peas)
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cups cooked turkey (or chicken)
1 cup uncooked spiral pasta
6 Cups Chicken Stock
Parsley
Pepper
Salt

Preparation:
Turn Crockpot on low
Add vegetables, turkey, 4 cups of broth, and seasonings to taste.
Let cook for four hours (actually it doesn't really matter how long you cook this, as long as it's hot)
About 1 hour before you're ready to eat, add the remaining broth and the noodles.  Let cook one hour and you're ready to eat!
Enjoy!

Drunken Venison Chili

Tonight I decided to make some chili (I know I've been doing a lot of chilis lately, but it's just so good!)  I've never cooked venison before, but I decided to it a whirl because friends of ours left some venison in our freezer!  I also figured that chili would take away the gaminess.  I combined several different chili recipes into the final product, and it turned out great!
First, I browned the venison with some onions and garlic.  After the meat browned, I added a little bit of salt and pepper, tomato paste, and half a can of beer.  I cooked that down for about 5 minutes.

Venison cooking away!

Then to the crockpot, I added kidney beans, diced tomatoes, corn, the rest of the beer, the venison, and some spices.  I let that cook on high for about five hours.

Frozen corn!  (It's so much better than canned!)

Drunken Venison Chili

After it cooked, I served it with a sprinkling of cheese and a dollop of sour cream.  The venison turned out super tender and not at all gamey... it was great!  I also used a piece of cornbread I made a couple weeks ago that I froze!

Drunken Venison Chili 

Drunken Venison Chili:

Ingredients:
1 loin of venison (approx. 1 lb.) chopped into bite size pieces
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 15 oz. can of kidney beans
1 can of beer (I used Labatt's!)
1 package frozen corn
1 large onion
1 Tbsp. garlic
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 Tbsp. cumin
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
Brown venison in pan.  After almost browned, throw in onion, garlic, salt, and pepper.
After about 5 minutes, add tomato paste, and half a beer.  Cook another 5 minutes, so the beer cooks out a little.
While the beer cooks out, put beans, tomatoes, corn, venison mixture, spices, and the rest of the beer into the crockpot.  Cook for 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low.  I always stir occasionally, but if you're just leaving for the day, that's fine too!
Top with some shredded cheese and sour cream.  Serve with a side of cornbread that you froze from last week!
Enjoy! :)

Bean and Beef Chili

I decided to make chili tonight and I tried a new recipe I found in the Food Network magazine.  I didn't have any beef chuck, but I used the same amount of ground beef and it worked out well.  I also didn't have any pinto beans, so I used one can of black beans and one can of kidney beans.  I also couldn't find any regular chili powder in the house, so I used a combination of a bunch of different chiles my mom had; it was a combination of cayenne pepper, red pepper chili flakes, adobo chile, and some others.  I used much less than called for, but it still had plenty of heat from the hotter chiles.  I also ended up cooking it on a low simmer for about six hours rather than the two it originally called for.  That really let the flavors marry!

Bean and Beef Chili with a piece of Cornbread!

Bean and Beef Chili

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 pounds ground beef
Salt and Pepper
2 large onions, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. adobo chile
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. oregano
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14 oz.) can low-sodium beef broth
1/3 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained
Topping: Shredded cheese, sour cream

Preparation:
Heat 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Season beef with salt and pepper.  Brown in batches, about 4 minutes, adding more oil as needed (especially if you're using lean ground beef), about 4 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium and add 1 1/2 Tbsp. oil to pot.  Add garlic and onions, and cook, stirring, about 6 minutes.  Add cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, adobo chile, chili powder, oregano, and tomato paste, cook, stirring, about 30 seconds.

Return the meat to the pot and stir in the tomatoes with their juices, broth, coffee, and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, about 4-6 hours.
Top with whatever you like.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Turkey Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup

When Matt and I were on our road trip, Matt had a version of turkey sausage, potato, and kale soup and since then I have wanted to make it.  I looked at a bunch of recipes for similar soups, but ulitmately decided to make up my own recipe.  I threw an onion and four cloves of garlic into a big pot with some olive oil.  I accidently had the heat up too high and burned a little bit of the garlic, but it tasted fine.
After I cooked that down, I put in the potatoes and cooked those down for a few minutes.  After that I put in the sausage and kale.  I should have put the kale in in batches because it practically overflowed out of the pot I had so much!

There's soup under there!

After the kale cooked down for a minute or so, I added two cans of low sodium chicken broth and added some salt and pepper.  Then, I let that simmer for about an hour.

Simmering Soup!

I tasted it and added some more seasoning and it was ready to serve!

Turkey Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup

Turkey Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 lb. turkey sausage, removed from casing
1 bunch kale, ribs removed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and Pepper

Preparation:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  When hot, add onion and garlic.  Saute until onions are soft, about three minutes.  Add potatoes.  Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add sausage and kale.  Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until kale has cooked down for the most part.  Add broth and salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer for 30-45 minutes.
Enjoy!

Apple Cheddar Squash Soup

Today I really wanted to get into the fall spirit, especially because I had guests over for dinner!  I decided to make a butternut squash soup but take it to the next level with this recipe I found that also included apples, cheddar cheese, and bacon!  First, I cooked down the apples, onions, squash, and some butter.

All sorts of fall vegetables!

After I cooked them down, I added the broth, milk, and some cider.  I brought the soup to a boil and then simmered it for a while.  Then I added a brick of extra sharp cheese!

Before pureeing the soup!

I was supposed to puree the soup in a blender in batches, however, remember when I chopped up the rubber part of my blender?  Yeah, so, in following my mom's advice, I used my hand mixer and pureed it the best that I could.  It wasn't as smooth as I would have liked, but it still tasted good, so that's fine.

Post pureed soup!

After pureeing the soup, I cooked up some bacon for the garnish... aka the best garnish I have ever heard of.

Mmm, bacon!

After the bacon was finished, I cut the bacon into smaller pieces and let the guests sprinkle however much bacon they wanted to top their soup.  I also cut up some really yummy Italian bread for dipping, delicious!

Apple Cheddar Squash Soup

Apple, Cheddar, and Squash Soup

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 apples, thinly sliced
1 white potato, diced
1 1/2 cups butternut squash, chopped and peeled
Salt and Pepper
1/2 tsp. sage
2 Tbsp. flour
1/3 cup apple cider
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
6 strips bacon

Preparation:
Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in a large pot over medium-low heat.  Add onion, apples, potato, and squash.  Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes.  Stir in sage and flour.  Add cider and increase heat to high, stirring, until thickened.  Add the broth and milk, cover, and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring, until potato is soft, 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook bacon in medium skillet until crisp, draining on paper towels.
Increase heat to medium and add the cheese to the soup and stir until melted.  Puree in a blender in batches, until smooth. (Or use an immersion blender)  Garnish with bacon.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Slow Cooker Chicken Soup

Today I was feeling a little under the weather so I decided to make Matt and I soup for dinner.  Chicken soup is so easy because you can throw just about anything in it and it will taste good.  I got home from work too late to get a good base, so I just threw a can of Campbell's condensed cream of celery soup, water, half an onion, two chicken breasts, and a bag of mixed frozen vegetables.  I also added a bunch of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion flakes, and parsley.  If I had had more time, I would have used fresh vegetables, but the bagged veggies worked out great!

Chicken Soup cooking away in the crock pot!

Chicken Soup (Note the new festive table cloth!)

 I added a little shredded cheddar cheese at the end for some added creaminess and a little extra saltiness.  Delicious!

Slow Cooker Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 (10 oz.) cream of celery soup
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. garlic
1 Tbsp. onion flakes
1 Tbsp. parsley
Salt and Pepper
1/4 cup shredded cheese

Preparation:
Add all ingredients to slow cooker.  Stir.
Cook for 3-4 hours on high.
Sprinkle cheese on top as you're serving.
Enjoy!

Mexican Chicken Soup

Okay, so I know I didn't post yesterday, but I went out to an Indian restaurant in the city, near Avenue of the Arts.  Also, it was appropriately named Indian Restaurant... at least I knew what I was getting!  I went with Matt and my friend Chris, and we got a smorgasbord of food.  I got chicken malai, chicken cooked in coconut milk and Indian spices and we all got some naan (Indian bread) to share.  Delicious!

Well, that's enough about yesterday, today I made Mexican chicken soup from a Food Network Magazine recipe.  Everything was going fine until I had to add my canned tomatoes.  I didn't realize that it was a can of cooked plum tomatoes, not diced ones.  So after I dumped the entire can in, I had to scoop them out and cut them up.  Whoops!  Other than that snafu, it turned out pretty good, though a little under-seasoned.  Perhaps after a day, the flavors will strengthen and be better as leftovers!

Step 1: Chicken broth, celery, onions, and spices.

Step 2: Add tomatoes and green chiles.

Accidental step: Cut up all the tomatoes.  

Finished product: Add chicken and cilantro!

Mexican Chicken Soup

Ingredients: 

2 Tbsp. canola oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

6 cups chicken broth

1 (4 oz.) can green chiles

1 (15 oz.) can corn

1 (15 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp. oregano

1 cup cooked chicken breast, shredded

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, celery, garlic, chili powder, and cumin; cook until the onion turns translucent, about five minutes.  Add the chicken broth, bring to a bowl.  Reduce heat, summer, uncovered for about ten minutes.  Add the green chiles, corn, tomatoes, and oregano; cook for another five minutes.  

Take saucepan off heat and stir in chicken, cilantro, and lime juice.  Season to taste, with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!  

Recipe adapted from Food Network

My Mom's White Chicken Chili

Today was so chili (haha, see what I did there) that I decided to make chili.  This went much better than yesterday!  It tasted great, though it was more like a soup than chili.  My mom uses instant mashed potatoes to thicken hers, but I didn't have any and I didn't want all the wasted calories of flour.  I decided to blend another can of beans instead.  Well, they didn't really do much and it was still pretty runny.  Well, what can you do?  The chili came out tasty, so maybe I will just cut my losses and call it soup.

Step 1: Add chicken and onions to the pot.

Step 2: Add chicken broth, green chilis, and spices.

Finished product: Delicious soup! 

My Mom's White Chicken Chili

Ingredients: 
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 lb. boneless/skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chiles
2 cans white cannellini beans, undrained
Potato flakes, for thickening
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cilantro
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Toppings (optional): scallions, sour cream

Preparation: 
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and onions, cook until done.
Stir in broth, chiles, garlic, cumin, oregano, cilantro, and red pepper flakes.  Simmer 20-30 minutes.
Stir in beans, simmer 5 minutes.
*Thicken (if desired) with instant potato flakes until desired consistency
Enjoy!