Autumn Harvest Soup

I'm into soups. And, I'm always looking for new, yummy soup (healthy) recipes. So, if you have some, send them my way. Either email me or post them in the comments section.

I just found this one off of Leeks and Bounds Blog. I'll definitely make it.

Autumn Harvest SoupServes 4-6
1-2T olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, smashed or minced

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2-3 carrots, cut into rounds

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeds removed and crushed

1 15oz can kidney beans

1 15oz can pinto beans (or, any combo you like)

1 bunch kale or chard, chopped
Grated

Parmesan cheese, to tasteSalt + Pepper to taste

In a soup pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat; add the onions and garlic and cook until soft and fragrant then . . .
Add chicken/vegetable stock
Add carrots, bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes
Add tomatoes (crush them up with your hands first), beans and chard/kale
Bring to a boil, cover and cook until chard/kale is wilted, about 5 -10 minutes
Ladle into bowls, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on grated Parmesan

the BEST Squash and Sun Dried Tomato Soup

On page 222 of Nourishing Traditions, is the BEST Squash and Sun Dried Tomato soup recipe ever!

photo compliments of www.channel4.com

Ingredients and Directions
1 butternut squash
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
3 TB butter
1 cup sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil. I only had sun dried tomatoes in a bag, so, I added a bit of olive oil to the cup and let it sit for a tad.
1 quart chicken stock (I used Trader Joes Chicken Broth and actually I used more than what it called for - it seemed to need to be more brothy.)
1/4 tsp. red chili flakes
2 Tb finely chopped basil (I used fresh from my garden.)

Cut squash in half lengthwise and place, cut sides down, in a glass baking pan with about 1/2 inch of water. I chose to liberally douse my squash with olive oil instead. Bake at 350 degrees until tender, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, sauté onions gently in butter until tender. Add tomatoes, broth and chili flakes. Bring to a boil and skim. Scoop squash out of skin and add to the soup. Simmer for about 1/2 hour. Puree soup with a handheld blender. I didn't do this - I chose to leave it as it was.

Thin with water (I added more chicken broth.) Add basil and season to taste. Simmer gently about 5 minutes, ladle into heated bowls.

La Table de Nana's Soupe-de-jur

One of my very, VERY, VERY favorite beauty pauses that inspire is Nana at La Table de Nana.

I've never met Nana, but feel this kindred spirit with her - her love of beauty, good food, grandchildren and being surrounded by lovely things in life.  Maybe too, it's because of the name Nana that we both share with the littles in our life.

Today's blog roll popped up Nana's Soupe - de - jur and of course, I needed to take a quick peek and it was YES at first glance.  I'd just been saying to myself how I was in the mood to be inspired by some new soup recipes and oooh....la la....Nana came through with her potato celery soup.

You can only imagine since it is soup season here at the farm (just made my special chicken noodle soup last night) that this one will grace our table quite soon.

Thanks Nana~love Nana.

Like Nana said ~ Recipe copied directly from The Little Teochew's blog

Recipe
(Serves 1 hungry, growing child)
- 2 sticks celery, cut into small chunks
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 floury potato, cut into small chunks
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 to 1 cup stock
- Knob of butter
- Croutons (optional)
- About 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (optional)
- Parsley (optional)

1. In a saucepan, heat up a knob of butter. Fry onions until they begin to sweat. Add in celery and potato and cook for 2-3 minutes.

2a. Pour in water and allow to simmer over a low-medium flame until the vegetables have cooked through and softened. The water would have been reduced considerably. Use a hand held-blender to mash everything into a smooth puree.

2b. If you do not have a hand-held blender, use a food processor (turn off the fire when you do this, obviously). Be careful, as the lids of some food processors can get blown off by the hot steam! After you get a smooth puree, return it to the saucepan, on a low flame.

3. Add stock according to how thick or thinned out you want your soup to be. I added slightly less than 1 cup.

4. Add 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese. This imparts a nice salty flavour. :) I did not need to add salt at all.

5. Top with croutons, or plain toasted bread. Sprinkle parsley before serving.

The Farm's Salsa Corn Chowder

Cooler weather definitely calls for soup simmering on the stove. And now that the cilantro in my personal potager is growing nicely, I'm going to add this favorite back on to the family menu of soups.

It's called Salsa Corn Chowder and it's a wonderful soup at this time of year.

Salsa Corn Chowder– Serves 6—8

Ingredients
1 1/2c chopped onion

1 T chili powder

1 t ground cumin

1 T flour

1 16 oz pk. sweet corn (thawed)

2 c salsa

13 3/4 oz can chicken broth,

1 8 oz container of soft cream cheese,

1 c milk, fresh

springs of cilantro


First, in a large saucepan saute your onions in butter in a large saucepan.
Stir in your flour and your seasonings.Add your thawed corn, salsa, broth and bring this to a boil and then immediately remove it from the heat.

Now, gradually add 1/4c of your hot mixture to your cream cheese (which you have already put into a bowl).Stir this well until it’s blended.

Continue until it’s all combined and blended.

Cook this until it’s thoroughly heated. DO NOT BOIL. Serve immediately in bowls and top each bowl with a small sprig of cilantro.

Soup & Stew Recipe from Dawn's "Farm"

Spicy Chicken & Hominy Stew  

Prep:  25 min

Cook: 10 min

Makes: 6 servings

1T EVOO

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into 1" cubes

1 c chopped red onion

6 cloves garlic (1 T minced)

2 15oz cans hominy, rinsed & drained

2 14oz cans reduced sodium chicken broth

1 c pitted olives, quarted (I omit as I am not an olive fan)

1/2 to 1 c purchased green salsa or green enchilada sauce (can adjust amount to taste - more salsa = more spice.  We like a full cup)

1/4 c finely chopped red bell pepper

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro (we ALWAYS use more - can never have too much cilantro)

1/2 of an avocado, chopped (optional)

2 T sour cream (optional)

2 T finely shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

1.  In a 4 qt Dutch oven, heat EVOO over medium high heat.  Add chicken.  Cook & stir for 3-4 min until browned.   Add red onion; cook & stir 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook & stir 1 minute more. 

2.  Add hominy to chicken mixture; cook & stir 4 minutes.  Stir in chicken broth, olives, salsa & bell pepper.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from heat.  Stir in cilantro. 

3.  If desired, top individual servings w/avocado, sour cream & cheese.  

Tangy  Black Bean Soup

Prep: 35 min. 

Cook:  25 min

Makes: 6 servings

1/2 c chopped onion

12 cloves garlic (2T minced)

2 T EVOO

1/2 t ground cumin

8 c reduced sodium chicken broth

3 15oz cans black beans, rinsed & drained

1 lemon, sliced 1/2 " thick

1/2 c snipped dried tomatoes (not oil packed)

1 small fresh jalapeno chile pepper, seeded & finely chopped (optional)

1 T chopped fresh oregano or 1 t dried oregano crushed

1 1/2 t sherry or balsamic vinegar

1.  In a 4 qt Dutch oven cook onion & garlic in hot oil over medium heart until tender, stirring occasionaly.  Add cumin; cook & stir for 1 minutes more.  Add broth, beans, lemon slices, tomatoes. jalapeno & oregano if using dried.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered for 15 min. stirring occasionally. 

2.  Discard lemon slices. Remove 3 c of the soup mixture to a large heatproof bowl.  Use an immersion blender or potatoe masher to coarsely puree or mash the mixture in the bowl (I just our regular blender).  Return to Dutch oven.  Return to boiling; reduce heat.  Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. 

3.  Stir in vinegar & oregano (if using fresh).  

What to do with your butternut squash - make soup!

Butternut Squash & Coconut milk soup
2 cups butternut squash
1 can coconut milk
about 1/3 cup water
Curry to taste

In a deep large saucepan fry up butternut squash till it's soft. Then . . .

Add coconut milk. Stir on medium to low heat. Then . . .

Add curry. Add water as needed. Mash with a potato masher.

You could also add a diced carrot and some sauteed onion.

Serve with a sprig of rosemary! 

Tortilla Soup from the Farm

Now that there is some hope of cooler weather, I thought I'd share one of the soups that's a weekly mainstay at our home. You've got to try it and let me know!

It's Tortilla Soup from the Fix-It and Forget It Cookbook (Good Publishers) and it's done in your crockpot!

My husband LOVES this soup. Both our daughters make it frequently and everyone they serve it to LOVES it.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast halves (cook, debone and shred chicken)
1 garlic clove, minced,
2 Tbsp. butter,
2 14 1/2 oz cans of chicken broth,
2 14 oz cans chopped stewed tomatoes,
1 cup salsa (mild, medium, or hot),
1/2 cup chopped cilantro,
1 Tbsp or more of ground cumin.

Melt the butter and add the minced garlic to it. Combine all the other ingredients in a slow cooker THEN add the sautéed garlic. Cover and cook on low for 8 - 10 hours.

Then shred or cube 8 oz of Monterey jack cheese - put this in your soup bowls. Ladle your soup over the cheese THEN sprinkle tortilla chips on the top and add a dollop of sour cream.

IT'S that easy and very yummy. I always double the recipe. It's great the first day and even better the second. And it freezes well— Enjoy! Let me know how you like it!

Cooler weather definitely calls for soup simmering on the stove. Also with this cooler weather I'm seeing the cilantro I planted a few weeks ago pop up!

I used to make this Salsa Corn Chowder frequently but for whatever reason, haven't made it in ages.

Guess what will be on our dining room table soon?


Corn Chowder– Serves 6—8

                 Ingredients
1 1/2c chopped onion

1 T chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1 T flour
1 16 oz pk. sweet corn (thawed)
2 c salsa
13 3/4 oz can chicken broth,
1 8 oz container of soft cream cheese,
1 c milk, fresh
springs of cilantro

First, in a large saucepan saute your onions in butter in a large saucepan.
Stir in your flour and your seasonings.Add your thawed corn, salsa, broth and bring this to a boil and then immediately remove it from the heat.

Now, gradually add 1/4c of your hot mixture to your cream cheese (which you have already put into a bowl).Stir this well until it’s blended.

Continue until it’s all combined and blended.

Cook this until it’s thoroughly heated. DO NOT BOIL. Serve immediately in bowls and top each bowl with a small sprig of cilantro.

Hot and Sour Cabbage Soup

Awhile ago I had a half head of cabbage in my refrig. I'd wanted to make sauerkraut, until I ran across this FABULOUS recipe. You must try it and let me know if you like it as much as we did!

Hot and Sour Cabbage Soup   Serves 4
1 Tbs Oil
1 Small Onion, minced
1 Small Cabbage, about the size of a grapefruit
2 Large Carrots, chopped
1 15oz Can Tomatoes, blended smooth
6 Cups Water
1/4 Cup Tamari, low sodium
1/3 Cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar,
1 tsp Hot Red Chili Flakes
1/2 tsp Salt, Black Pepper, to taste (a lot!)

Heat a large 5 qt soup pot that has a heavy lid over medium heat. Add oil and onion, and saute until golden. Meanwhile, quarter your cabbage, remove the core, and shred the cabbage with a large chef’s knife. Add carrots, tomatoes, cabbage and water to the pot and stir well. Add the Tamari, vinegar, chili flakes and salt.

Bring to a boil, cover, then turn heat down to medium low. Simmer for 20 minutes or until cabbage and carrots are the desired tenderness. Grind a lot of fresh black pepper over the top and serve.

Autumn Harvest Soup

I'm into soups. And, I'm always looking for new, yummy soup (healthy) recipes. So, if you have some, send them my way. Either email me or post them in the comments section.

I just found this one off of Leeks and Bounds Blog. I'll definitely make it.

Autumn Harvest SoupServes 4-6
1-2T olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, smashed or minced

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2-3 carrots, cut into rounds

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeds removed and crushed

1 15oz can kidney beans

1 15oz can pinto beans (or, any combo you like)

1 bunch kale or chard, chopped
Grated

Parmesan cheese, to tasteSalt + Pepper to taste

In a soup pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat; add the onions and garlic and cook until soft and fragrant then . . .
Add chicken/vegetable stock
Add carrots, bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes
Add tomatoes (crush them up with your hands first), beans and chard/kale
Bring to a boil, cover and cook until chard/kale is wilted, about 5 -10 minutes
Ladle into bowls, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on grated Parmesan

Autumn Harvest Soup

I'm into soups. And, I'm always looking for new, yummy soup (healthy) recipes. So, if you have some, send them my way. Either email me or post them in the comments section.

I just found this one off of Leeks and Bounds Blog. I'll definitely make it.

Autumn Harvest Soup Serves 4-6

1-2T olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, smashed or minced

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2-3 carrots, cut into rounds

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeds removed and crushed

1 15oz can kidney beans

1 15oz can pinto beans (or, any combo you like)

1 bunch kale or chard, chopped

Grated

Parmesan cheese, to tasteSalt + Pepper to taste

In a soup pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat; add the onions and garlic and cook until soft and fragrant then . . .

Add chicken/vegetable stock

Add carrots, bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes

Add tomatoes (crush them up with your hands first), beans and chard/kale

Bring to a boil, cover and cook until chard/kale is wilted, about 5 -10 minutes

Ladle into bowls, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on grated Parmesan