Comfort food for those that are sick with a cold, or on a cold day…
Bean and Bacon Soup - serves 8
2 cup beans(dried)
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
4 bacon slices, cut in squares
4 carrots, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 tsp Thyme (dried)
1 garlic clove, minced
4 oz Can of tomato paste
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 Onion, chopped
1 tbsp Wine vinegar
Cover the washed beans with 6-8 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 1 hour and then simmer while still covered. Stir about every 15 minutes for the ENTIRE time the beans are cooking.
After the beans have been cooking for about 1 hour and 45 minutes chop the onion and celery and carrots. Slice the four slices of bacon into 1" squares. Saute the onion, celery and bacon squares in the olive oil for about 10 minutes. Add to the beans along with the thyme, chopped carrots and tomato paste. Simmer uncovered for another hour until the beans are tender and slightly mash the beans. Add the salt, pepper and wine vinegar before serving.
Vegetable Stock Recipes
Vegetable stock is easy to make and can be froze for convenience.
1 gallon cold water
3 celery ribs
3carrots
1 onion
1 onion
1 parsnip
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole thyme leafs (dry)
1 bunch of parsley (fresh)
Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot and simmer for 2 hours. Strain and use as needed
Chicken Stock Recipes
Traditional Stock Method
4 # chicken bones
1 gallon + 1 quart water
3 celery stalks
2 carrots
2 onions
3 whole bay leafs
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole thyme leafs
1 bunch fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
Rinse the chicken bones well with cold water. Place chicken bones in a stock pot and cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Once the stock has begun to boil remove from heat, discard the cooking liquid and rinse off the chicken bones with cold water. Add the 1 gallon plus 1 quart of cold water and all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Once the stock has come to a boil reduce the flame to a low setting and simmer for 2 hours
Wild Mushroom Soup Recipes
This wild mushroom soup recipe is accented with roasted pine nuts and fresh thyme and rosemary. This wild mushroom soup is also a vegetarian recipe which can be enjoyed by non meat eaters.
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons whole butter
1 large yellow onion (finely diced)
2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
10 Roma tomatoes (diced)
1 pound fresh shitaki mushrooms (stems removed, sliced)
1/2 pound fresh crimini mushrooms or whole button mushrooms (sliced)
3 tablespoons flour
6 cups vegetable stock (canned is fine, use low sodium if possible)
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley (Italian - minced)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (minced)
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (minced)
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Spread the pine nuts evenly on a sheet pan (cookie sheet) and toast until fragrant and golden (5 minutes approximately). Remove from the oven and let cool, reserve.
In a large heavy stock pot over a medium flame warm the olive oil and the butter. Add the onion and saute frequently until soft and golden brown (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic, tomatoes and mushrooms and continue to saute for another 5 to 10 minutes stirring often. Once the mushrooms begin to release there cooking liquid add the flour and stir to create a roux to thicken the soup.
Add the stock and herbs and bring to a boil, once the soup has reached a boil reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes to blend the flavors. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Top soup with toasted pine nuts and serve
VERY QUICK Potato Soup
6 slices bacon
1 cup chopped onion
4 cups peeled cubed potatoes
2 cups water
3 chicken boullion cubes
2 teaspoons chopped Garlic (Or dried chopped Garlic bits)
1/2 teasoon dried Basil
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 soupcans of milk
2 Tablespoons Flour
In large saucepan, sprayed with no-stick spray, brown bacon. Set bacon aside. Pour off all but 1 Tablespoon of bacon fat. and saute` onion, garlic and basil. Add potatoes, water and chicken boullion. Cook COVERED for 5 minutes,and stir, to break up boullion cubes.Then cook 12 minutes more or until potatoes are tender. Whisk soup, 2 Tablespoons of flour and milk together. Blend into potato mixture. Heat, but do not boil. Taste to check for saltiness and adjust (If too salty, add some more milk) Garnish with crumbled bacon and Serve.
**Note, may add 1-2 cups frozen corn with potatoes and also 1-2 cups ham may be added, if desired.
Hungarian goulash (Gulyas-Hus)
750 g. stewing beef (c. 1.5 lbs.)
250 g. onions (c. 1/2 lb.)
1 tbsp. shortening or vegetable oil
1 rounded tbsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 glass red wine
3/4 tsp. caraway seed
1 tsp. marjoram
1/2 clove of garlic
Cut the meat and onions into small cubes and brown in the shortening or oil. Add the paprika, salt and tomato paste, stir well. Add the red wine, caraway seed, marjoram and finely chopped garlic. Allow to simmer for 90 minutes at low heat. Thicken with more tomato paste as needed. Serve over egg noodles or potatoes.
4 portions
Beef-Barley Soup
Ingredients:
1-1/2 lb beef stew meat
1 tb oil
1 c carrots; sliced thin
1 c celery; sliced
1 md onion; sliced thin
1/2 c green pepper; coarsely chopped
1/4 c parsley; snipped
4 c beef broth
1 cn tomatoes; cut up
1 c spaghetti sauce
2/3 c pearl barley
1-1/2 ts
basil; dry & crushed
1 ts salt
1/4 ts pepper
Cut meat into 1" cubes. In a large skillet brown meat, half at a time, in hot oil. Drain well.
Meanwhile in crockpot combine carrots, celery, onion, green pepper, and parsley. Add broth, undrained tomatoes, spaghetti
sauce, barley, basil, salt, and pepper. Stir in browned meat.
Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 10-12 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 hours. Skim off fat.
B-man 
Homey Split Pea Soup (stove top)
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. dried split greet peas
10 cups chicken stock
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
Smoked meat such as 2 smoked ham hocks, or smoked turkey wings, or a ham bone
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Freshly ground pepper
Saute carrot, celery and onion in the butter and olive oil until soft. Add garlic and saute one minute more. Add stock, split peas, potatoes, meat, bay leaf and thyme; bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer, partially covered, until the peas and potatoes are tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove bay leaf. Remove meat and shred. Puree the pea mixture in a blender or food processor. Return the meat and puree pea mixture to the pot. Add pepper to taste.
B-man
Spicy Ground Beef and Vegetable Soup (Crockpot)
This soup has old-fashioned flavor and is spicy in the sense that a molasses cookie or cabbage roll(s) are spicy - lots of flavor rather than being hot. Lots of veggies - good nutrition for the homebound in one bowl.
Ingredient:
12 ounces ground beef
2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken broth
3 cups shredded cabbage
1 large carrot, chopped
2 cups frozen corn
1 - 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup uncooked rice
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 bay leaf
Brown the ground, onions and garlic. Drain off the fat. Combine meat and all other ingredients in a slow cooker; stir to combine. Cook over low heat for 9 hours.
B-man
Classic American Split Pea Soup
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 cup green or yellow split peas, rinsed
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
4 cups ham or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup celery
1/3 cup carrots
1 cup diced cooked ham
Combine all ingredients in large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce
heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until
vegetables are tender and soup has thickened, about 45 minutes to
one hour. Add salt and pepper to taste, but only after the cooking
time.
B-man
Fiesta Chicken Soup
Chicken, corn and rice in broth are seasoned with chili powder and garlic powder and served with a squeeze of lime in this quick soup.
Yield: 5 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cut into cubes
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 lime
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Combine rice and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes, until rice is tender.
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Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Cook chicken, bell pepper, onion, chili powder and garlic powder 5 minutes, stirring often. Pour in broth and corn. Stir in 1 cup cooked rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. Serve with lime wedges.
B-man
Pasta Fagioli Soup II
A quick and easy Italian favorite. Garnish with grated Romano cheese.
Serves 8
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Ingredients
1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (14 ounce) cans Great Northern beans, undrained
1 (14 ounce) can chopped spinach, drained
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 cups water
1 tablespoon minced garlic
8 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1.5 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 pound seashell pasta
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In a large stock pot, combine diced tomatoes, beans, spinach, chicken broth, tomato sauce, water, garlic, bacon, parsley, garlic powder, salt, pepper and basil. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 40 minutes, covered.
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Add pasta and cook uncovered until pasta is tender, approximately 10 minutes. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, sprinkle cheese on top, and serve.
B-man
Cream of Bacon and Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, cooked and chopped
1 pound bacon
2 pints cream
Flour
Milk, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parsley for garnishing
Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces and fry until just beginning to crisp.
Remove bacon and drain on a paper towel. Add flour to drippings to
make a paste. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, gradually adding cream, stirring
into the paste mixture. Add cauliflower pieces. Add milk until
desired consistency is reached. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer
until ready to eat.
B-man
Barndt’s All Vegetable Soup
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped cabbage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (15 oz) can green beans including liquid, I use Blue Lake cut beans
1, (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, including liquid
1, (15 oz) can sliced carrots, including liquid
1, (4 oz) can sliced mushroom(optional), including liquid
2 to 4 tablespoons Hidden Valley ranch dip mixture, optional
2 to 3 tablespoons beef or chicken granular broth, or you
could use a can of broth
Dump all this including the liquid from the cans into a crock pot
then add 1 to 2 cups of water depending on the amount of liquid that
you want. Let it cook all day on low. It will be ready when you get home.
B-man
Marie Callenders Cream of Potato Cheddar Cheese Soup (clone)
Ingredients:
4 C. Finely Sliced and Diced Potatoes (peeled)
4 Tbsp. Butter
1/2 C. Finely Diced Yellow Onion
1/2 C. Finely Diced Celery
2 Cans Chicken Broth (14.5 oz)
1/4 C. Water
4 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
8 oz Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 + 1/4 C. Half and Half ( add a little more if needed)
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp. White Pepper
1/4 tsp. Salt (or to taste)
Shredded Colby/Jack Cheese (garnish)
On medium low heat in a 3 quart sauce pan sauté celery and onions with butter. Cook onions until clear and celery take care not to let onions brown. Add chicken broth, potatoes and water. Place on medium low heat and cook until potatoes are very soft and tender.
When potatoes are done add chicken bouillon cubes and cook until cubes have been dissolved. Mash the potatoes slightly but leaving most of them in chunks. Reduce heat and add half and half, stir mixture. Add shredded sharp cheddar cheese and stir until cheese is completely melted and dissolved into mixture. Sprinkle sugar, pepper, and salt into soup, stir.
Let soup simmer very slowly for 20 - 30 minutes taking care not to let soup scorch. When ready to serve garnish with shredded colby cheese, jack cheese and maybe a little parsley. Add a crisp salad and hard rolls and you have a wonderful meal.
B-man
Outback Steakhouse Croutons
2 Loaves of bread
2-1/2 Pounds of lightly salted butter (not margarine)
2-1/2 Tablespoons McCormick cajun seasoning (closest to outback seasoning)
3/4 Cup of finely chopped fresh garlic
.
Preheat oven to 250-275 F. Cut bread into bite size pieces (1 inch cubes).
Melt butter until it looks like mayonnaise (do not melt to a liquid). Add
garlic and seasoning to butter. Set aside. Put bread on cookie sheet and
toast bread until it’s golden brown; this will take about 20 minutes or less
depending on your oven. Watch them! When bread has toasted to a golden
brown, take out of oven and let cool (do not try and coat croutons when warm
or they will not come out right). When croutons have cooled, place butter
mixture in a large bowl. You might have to soften butter mixture again.
That’s ok, but remember, not to a liquid. Add croutons to butter mixture and coat each crouton gently using your hands (you might want to use plastic gloves). Make sure that the garlic is staying on the croutons. If you need more butter go ahead and add a little more. One important thing that you need to make sure you do, is not overdo on the butter or they will burn and become soggy.
Put croutons back on cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Gently shake the pan to make sure they are all browning correctly. Do not over shake though, garlic might come off the croutons.
Creamy Onion Soup like The Outback’s®
Serves: 6-8
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3 Tbls. cornstarch
1 tsp. ground sage
10.75 oz. can condensed cream of onion soup
10.75 oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
10.75 oz. can condensed cream of celery soup
1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Colby cheese
1/4 cup shredded Provolone cheese
-In a blender, combine broth, cornstarch, and sage.
-In the top pan of a double boiler over medium heat, combine broth mixture with soups. Mix well.
-When heated through, stir in cheese and heat until melted.
-Pour into oven-proof bowls.
-Broil in oven until tops are lightly browned.
Notes: Use soup within 3 days; do not freeze. It seems as though many grocery stores have stopped carrying Campbell’s Cream of Onion Soup. If it’s not available in your area, I have yet to find a suitable substitution.
B-man
Potato, Ham and Corn Chowder
Ingredients:
3 lbs of potatoes cubed into bite size pieces
1 lb of cooked ham diced
1 bunch of scallions including greens sliced
2 carrots shredded
2 stalks of celery chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped
5 chicken bouillon cubes
5 cups of water
1 1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbls mrs dashes original seasoning
1 clove of garlic minced
1 cup of frozen corn kernals
1 12 oz can of evaporated milk
Prepare vegetables and place in crockpot. add bouillon cubes water and seasonings. Cover and cook 6 to 8 hours on low. 2 hours before serving add evaporated milk and mash potatoes lightly. Ladle into bowls and serve with warm french bread.
B-man
Bennigan’s Ultimate Baked Potato Soup
This makes either 8 cup servings or 4 main dish servings.
Ingredients:
3 lbs all-purpose potatoes, scrubbed and pierced in several places
1 Tbsp. stick butter or margarine
1 1/2 C. finely chopped onions
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 can (14 1/2 oz) chicken broth
3 C. milk
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
TOPPINGS: shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon & chopped scallions
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Heat oven to 400°F.
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Bake potatoes 1 hour or until tender when pierced. Peel when cool enough to handle.
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Melt Butter in a 4 to 6 qt pot over medium low heat. Stir in onions and garlic, cover and cook 10 minutes until soft, but not brown. Add 2/3 of the potatoes and mash with a potato masher. Add broth, milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
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Cut remaining potatoes in small cubes. Add to soup and stir gently to reheat. Sprinkle each serving with toppings.
B-man
Pressure Cooker Russian Sweet & Sour Cabbage Soup
Ingredients:
1/4 cup oil
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cups grated red cabbage
4 cups grated white cabbage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 quarts chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Heat oil and butter in pressure cooker, just until butter foams.
Add onion& cabbage, stirring until cabbage is wilted.
Add the remaining ingredients.
Cover with pressure cooker lid.
Set on high heat until the pressure control & release valve jiggles.
Reduce the heat ( medium ) and cook for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
Run cold water over cooker to finish reducing pressure.
Serve with sour cream if desired.
B-man