Creamy Cheddar Cheese Soup with Crispy Bacon & Chives

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb bacon, chopped (optional garnish)
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 leeks, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large pimentos or roasted red peppers, diced
• 6 Tbsp flour
• 4 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1 (12-oz) beer (preferably ale or lager)
• 1-1/2 cups cream
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 2-1/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 3/4 cup Colby cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1 bunch of chives or green onions, chopped (2 Tbsp reserved, optional garnish)
• Salt and white pepper, to taste (optional garnish)

Directions:

Render the bacon until crisp, stirring frequently, in a large stockpot over medium heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pan onto a platter lined with paper towels. Drain the grease from the pan, leaving 2 Tbsp remaining.

Turn the heat up to medium high and add the butter, onions, leeks, garlic, and pimentos. Cook for 4-5 minutes until onions soften and develop slight color. Add the flour and stir to form a pasty roux. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Whisk in the stock, beer, cream, and milk. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the soup begins to thicken. Whisk in the cheeses, cayenne, and half of the chives. Allow the cheese to melt, then season with salt and white pepper to taste. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with the crispy bacon and reserved chives, if desired.

Kung Fu Panda Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil
½ cup yellow onion finely chopped
½ cup celery finely chopped
½ cup carrots sliced in 1/2-inch rounds
1 clove garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
1 whole baby bok choy, chopped into ½-inch pieces (approx ½ cup total)
½ cup sliced mushrooms (Shitakes)
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
2 rounds of Udon noodles (it comes 3 rounds in a pkg so you’ll have one round left over; Soba would work too)
Soy sauce taste
Dash of sesame oil
Cilantro for garnish
Green onion for garnish


Directions:

In large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat

Add onion, celery, carrots; stir and sauté for approximately 1 minute

Add garlic and ginger; give it a stir and add Bok Choy, mushrooms, broth and water

Bring to boil then add Udon noodles, give it a good stir and cook for 3 minutes

Remove from heat, serve in bowls topped with soy sauce, sesame oil, cilantro and/or green onion

Mushroom Barley Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper
10 ounces button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 ounce dried sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 cup quick-cooking barley

Directions:

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high. Add onion, garlic, and thyme; season with salt and pepper.

Sauté until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Add button mushrooms and cook until beginning to soften, about 8 minutes.

Add broth, 4 cups water, and shiitake mushrooms. Bring to a boil and cook until all mushrooms are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Add barley, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook until barley is tender, about 12 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
1 pinch of garlic powder
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 1% milk
2 cups half & half (can lighten things up by using all milk)
3 chicken bullion cubes (4 might be better--I'm trying to reduce sodium)
2-3 cups cooked chicken, shredded, diced, or sliced (I used the breast & thigh meat from a store-bought roasted chicken & it was FANtastic.)
2 cups diced cooked potato
1 ½ cups mixed vegetables, cooked
1 batch of pie crust cut into cracker-sized pieces & baked (see below)

Directions:

In a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt butter and sauté onions until soft.  Add basil, thyme,  black pepper, celery salt, & garlic powder.  Stir and sauté for a minute.  Add flour and stir for about another minute.  

 

Gradually whisk in milk and half & half, making sure to whisk out lumps.  Add bullion cubes and continue to whisk until liquid comes to a simmer and thickens.  Stir in chicken & vegetables.  

 

Turn heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Serve hot with pie crust pieces. Makes 4-5 servings.

Pie Crust

(Note: you can also use store-bought refrigerated pie crust)

1 ¼ cups King Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
½ tsp salt
4 T butter
3 T Crisco
3 T ice cold water
flour for dusting

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 400°F.

 

In a medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut 4 T butter into flour until it looks like coarse meal, and then cut in Crisco until well blended. Add ice cold water and stir with fork. Then use your hands to gently work the dough into a ball.  Flour a rectangular sheet of wax paper, place dough ball in the middle, flour the ball, and cover with another rectangular sheet of wax paper. Roll dough out to a thickness of about 1/8”.  With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough roughly into 2”x 2” squares.  You can also be creative and use cookie cutters to make cute shapes.

Place dough pieces on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Prick each piece a few times with a fork.  Bake at 400°F for 11-13 minutes, or until browned on the edges.   Remove from oven. 

 

Serve with the soup.

Reuben Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups water
4 cubes beef bouillon
8 ounces shredded corned beef
1 cup sauerkraut, drained
3 cups half-and-half cream
3 cups shredded Swiss cheese
8 slices rye bread, toasted and cut into triangles
 

Directions:

In a large saucepan, cook onion and celery in butter until tender; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in water and bouillon, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in corned beef, sauerkraut, cream, and 1 cup of the cheese. Cook and stir for 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Preheat broiler.

Ladle soup into 8 ovenproof bowls. Top each serving with a slice of bread and sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese on top of each slice of bread. Place in oven under broiler until the cheese melts and lightly browns.

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 – 15 ounce cans black beans – drained and rinsed
2 cups gluten free chicken or vegetable stock
½ cup prepared salsa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt & Pepper
1 lime – optional

Garnish

½ cup sour cream
Juice of ½ a lime (more or less)
Sliced green onion tops (green part) or cilantro

Directions:

Put 1 can of black beans in a blender with the chicken or vegetable stock, salsa and ground cumin. Blend until smooth. Put into a saucepan with the other can of beans and heat over medium heat. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Add the lime juice.

Stir some lime juice into the sour cream until smooth and swirl some over the top of each serving and garnish with chopped green onions or cilantro.

Lemongrass Coconut Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil

4 lemongrass stalks, pale parts only, crushed with the flat side of a knife

2 medium onions, sliced 1/8 inch thick

2 Thai or serrano chiles, stemmed but not seeded, minced (optional)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips

3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)

6 cups Master Chicken Broth or low-sodium canned chicken broth

1/2 cup coconut milk

Juice of 2 lemons

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallion greens

Directions:

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the lemongrass, stir, and sweat it, uncovered, for 2 minutes. 

Add the onions and chiles, if using, and sauté, stirring, for 1 minute. 

Add the chicken and sauté until opaque, about 1 minute. 

Add the fish sauce and broth, stir, bring to a simmer, and cook until the liquid is reduced slightly to intensify its flavor, 15 to 20 minutes. 

Whisk in the coconut milk and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with the scallions, and serve.

Minestone Soup

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 small zucchini, trimmed and quartered lengthwise, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 celery stalks (the tender inner stalks with leaves), sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 small head cauliflower, cored, florets removed and separated into bite-sized pieces
• 6 ounces green beans, sliced in 3/4-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• 1 small head cabbage, cored, outer leaves discarded, and thinly sliced
• 16 ounces fresh or canned tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
• 1 rind of Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 (15-ounce) can, rinsed and drained
• 2 large whole basil sprigs
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the onion, and garlic in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and the celery and keep cooking, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes more. Add another tablespoon of the olive oil and the cauliflower and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, as the vegetables slowly begin to soften. Stir in the green beans, cabbage, and remaining olive oil and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and 2 cups water and simmer until all of the vegetables are softened, 5 to 8 minutes more.
2. Add the salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese rind and stir. Add more water if needed for the desired consistency -- it should be very thick. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add the chickpeas and basil sprigs and cook until chickpeas are heated through, 5 to 6 minutes. Serve in bowls with the Parmesan cheese grated over top and freshly ground pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.

Nine Bean Soup Mix

Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
4 cups chicken broth
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound pasta
4 ounces ricotta
1/2 cup parmiginao reggiano (parmesan), grated
2 cup mozzarella, shredded
1 handful basil, chopped

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. 

Add the sausage and cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes, breaking it apart as you go and set aside. 

Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. 

Add the garlic, red pepper flake and fennel and saute until fragrant, about a minute. 

Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes and remove from heat. 

Mix the ricotta, parmiginao reggiano and mozzarella and serve the soup garnished with a tablespoon of the mixture along with the basil.

White Bean and Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 pound dried navy beans
5 cups chicken stock
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 cup diced onion
1 1/2 cups chopped green chiles (fresh or canned)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 to 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions:

Rinse beans well, cover with cool water, and soak for 2 hours. Drain. Put the beans in large pot with the chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat.

In a saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and chiles and saute for 5 minutes. Add chile mixture to pot with beans. Add the chicken, cumin, oregano, pepper, white pepper, red pepper flakes, and cilantro. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Serve with cornbread, if desired.

Bacon Cheddar Soup

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
8 tablespoons butter
5 cups diced peeled potatoes
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth
12 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 pint whipping cream
2 cups water
3 ounces bacon bits 
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon dried parsley
seasoned croutons, for garnish

Directions:

Chop onions and celery, if using a food processor don’t chop these too fine.  In a large saucepan, sauté onion and celery in 4 ounces of butter until tender.  Add potatoes and broth, bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes till potatoes are tender.

In a small skillet, melt remaining 4 ounces of butter, add flour to make roux, cook roux over low heat until yellow blond in color and set aside.  To cooked potato and broth mixture, add water, cream and roux stirring continuously until mixture thickens.

Stir in the cheese, bacon bits, parsley, pepper and paprika.

Cook over low heat until the cheese is melted, stir continuously and remove from heat when cheese is melted.

Garnish with croutons, if desired.

Corn Chowder with Bacon and Cheddar

 Ingredients:

6 slices of bacon
1 1/2 quart chicken broth
10 baby yellow potatoes, quartered
5 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
Two 10 ounce bags of frozen corn
1 1/2 cup extra sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a medium-sized skilled over medium-low heat, cook the bacon until crispy, about 8 minutes (turn the pieces over about 4 or 5 minutes in). Once cooked, set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. 

Add the chicken broth, potatoes, and thyme to a large stock pot over medium heat. Bring the broth to a simmer and cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, or until fork-tender. Next, remove the thyme sprigs, and add in all of the corn from 1 bag, as well as the grated cheese.

Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth. Once it has achieved the desired texture, mix in the corn from the remaining bag, and cook for another 5 minutes. Crumble the cooked bacon you've set aside and mix it into the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with thyme.

Easy French Onion Soup

Ingredients:   2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter 10 cups thinly sliced onions (from about 5 large) 1 cup dry white wine 10 cups chicken broth or water Three 3-inch pieces baguette, halved diagonally 1 cup grated gruyere cheese

Directions:    Melt butter in a heavy chef's casserole or a large pot over medium-low heat. Stir in onions. Cover and cook until onions are very tender but not brown, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Add wine. Cover and cook until liquid has evaporated and onions are pale golden, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Add broth or water. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. DO-AHEAD TIP: Soup can be made 1 day ahead. Cool. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before continuing.

Chicken Barley Soup

 Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
4 carrots, diced small
4 celery stalks, diced small
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
salt and pepper
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 sprigs thyme
1 cup quick-cook barley
5 ounces baby spinach leaves (5 cups)

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add carrots, celery, and onion.  Cook until tender, about 8 minutes.  Add chicken, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring until all chicken is opaque at edges, about 2 minutes.

Add broth and thyme and bring to a boil.  Stir in barley.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer until barley is tender and chicken is cooked through, 10-12 minutes.

Add spinach leaves and turn off heat and cover pot.  Let stand a few minutes until leaves are wilted.  Season to taste -- salt and pepper. 

Caramelized Onion Soup

Ingredients:

3 pounds onions; thinly sliced

4 tablespoons of butter

1 cup of Balsamic Vinegar

2.5 cups of veggie broth

salt

pepper

Directions

Combine onions, butter and vinegar in Crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Pour cooked onions with juice into large pot. Add 2.5 cups of broth. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook on medium to low heat until simmering.