Category: Soups and Stews

Sausage and Mushroom Lasagna Soup

Third weekend in a row of snow (not nearly as much, but still annoying) and yet another pot of soup. This time, I tried Bobby Deen’s Lighter ‘Tastes like Lasagna’ Soup. I am happy to report it really lived up to the name!

I made this soup even lighter by reducing the amount of sausage and adding mushrooms for more bulk. You still get all the flavor from the sausage, I promise. And I mixed in both mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, just like lasagna.

Thanks to Tuttorosso for the tomato sauce which they generously provided to me. You can’t have lasagna without tomato sauce, and it was great to have this can in my pantry. It gives this soup a rich red color and fresh tomato taste.

Sausage and Mushroom Lasagna Soup

3 links mild Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 t minced garlic
1 (16 oz.) package mushrooms, sliced
4 c. vegetable broth
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 t Italian seasoning
4 whole grain lasagna noodles (such as Ronzoni’s Healthy Harvest), broken into bite sized pieces
1/2 c. reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

In a large pot on medium heat, begin to brown sausage meat. As it cooks, add onion and garlic. When meat is almost browned, add mushrooms and saute until tender.

Add broth and tomato sauce, and bring to a boil. Add Italian seasoning. Add noodle pieces, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheeses.

-Lightly adapted from Bobby Deen

Kale, White Bean, and Sweet Potato Soup

It snowed (again!) and I made a big pot of soup (again!) I found the original recipe through Pinterest, but changed quite a few things. First, I haven’t had sweet potatoes in a while and missed them. I cut the potatoes into 1″ chunks to make this recipe go faster. The recipe also called for some fantastic fresh herbs, but those were nowhere to be found around here. You can use either fresh or dried rosemary, sage, and/or thyme, but I decided to use my Penzey’s Mural of Flavor spice.

The lighting is not great in this picture, but it was so nice to see the bright orange sweet potatoes and green kale. This soup has a simple flavor that I really enjoyed. It kept me warm during the weekend and made lunches for the week.

Kale, White Bean, and Sweet Potato Soup

1 T olive oil
1 T minced garlic
1/2 c. chopped onion, fresh or frozen
10 baby carrots, diced
6 celery stalks, diced
4 c. vegetable broth
2 t Mural of Flavor
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ chunks
1 (15 oz.) can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 oz.) package frozen kale (or 1/2 of a 16 oz. bag)

Heat oil in a large pot. Add garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Saute for 10-15 minutes, until lightly brown. Add broth, seasoning, sweet potatoes, beans, and kale. Cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Pepperoni Minestrone

Big snowstorm = Big pot of soup.

This week, I decided to try Pepperoni Minestrone, loosely based on this recipe from Eating Well. I normally make vegetarian soups, so this was a nice change of pace. The (turkey) pepperoni is really just an accent, but it does add flavor.

I thought I didn’t have any pasta left in the house after my Tuna Noodle Casserole, but I had some leftover lasagna noodles from the Crockpot Vegetarian Lasagna project. I broke them up, and while they weren’t as pretty as elbow pasta, they worked.

Even using low sodium broth, this soup was just a bit salty for my taste. Of course, I could also blame that on the pepperoni! But it was still a good bowl of warm soup, and will make lunches for the week.

Pepperoni Minestrone

1 T olive oil
1 c. chopped onion (fresh or frozen)
4 c. low sodium fat free beef broth
1 t thyme
3 whole wheat lasagna noodles, broken into small pieces
1 (16 oz.) package frozen zucchini
1 (12 oz.) package frozen peas, carrots, and green beans
1 (28 oz.) can plum tomatoes in juice, tomatoes coarsely chopped
2 oz. diced turkey pepperoni
1 (15 oz.) can white beans, rinsed and drained

Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onion, and saute until tender and lightly brown. Add broth and thyme and heat until boiling. Add pasta pieces, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add vegetables, tomatoes with juice, pepperoni, and beans and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Serve garnished with freshly grated Parmesan.

Meaty Superbowl Chili

I was headed to a Superbowl party this year, and asked to make a meaty chili. I had to try a new recipe of course, and I used this Hearty Halftime Chili as a springboard. I also wanted to use my Penzey’s Chili 3000!

The chili was served as part of a mashed potato bar at the party, which was a really fun idea! There were mashed potatoes, both meaty and vegetarian chili, and tons of other toppings. This was just my first bowl.

This chili came out pretty well – it was nice and thick which was perfect to use as a topping. You could definitely stretch out the number of servings by adding some tomato sauce to the pot. The chili also had a nice kick from the chili powder and cayenne, and the Italian sausage of course. The goal was a chili that would please a crowd of Superbowl watchers. Since I took home an empty serving bowl, I think it was a success.

Meaty Superbowl Chili

1 lb. ground chicken
1 lb. ground Italian sausage (mild)
2 small onions, chopped
1 T minced garlic
2 T Chili 3000
1 t cumin
1/2 t cinnamon
2 T cocoa powder
1/4 t cayenne pepper
28 oz. diced tomatoes in juice
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
2 (15 oz.) can beans, rinsed and drained

Place the chicken, sausage, onions, garlic, chili powder, and cumin in a large pot. Cook until meat is well browned. Drain any excess fat. Add remaining spices and tomatoes, and heat until the chili simmers. Add beans, cover, and cook on low heat for 30-60 minutes.

Crockpot Hot and Sour Soup

It seems there are a lot of people coughing and sneezing these days. I certainly hope that all of you stay healthy, but if you are unlucky enough to get a bad cold, this is the soup that will clear your head. And your slow cooker can make the soup while you lounge on the couch catching up on bad TV.

This is a very basic version of the traditional Asian hot and sour soup. If I were serving this to company, I’d add some shiitake mushrooms and use baby bok choy instead of spinach. This is also a very mild version; I added quite a bit of vinegar and cayenne to each bowl to really bring out the hot and the sour flavors. If you think your crowd can handle it, go ahead and double the amounts of each below.

I really enjoyed this soup, especially after I adjusted it to taste. It’s filling, but not quite hearty enough for a main dish. It would be perfect though with a side of homemade fried rice or maybe a cold noodle salad.

Crockpot Hot and Sour Soup

1 (16 oz.) package sliced mushrooms
1 (16 oz.) package frozen leaf spinach
1 (8 oz.) can bamboo shoots, drained
1 T minced garlic
1 (14 oz.) package lite firm tofu, cut into 1″ cubes
1 T fresh minced ginger
2 c. vegetable broth
4 c. water
2 T soy sauce
1 t sesame oil
2 dashes cayenne pepper, plus more for serving
2 T rice vinegar, plus more for serving

Add all ingredients to crockpot. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours. Add more pepper and/or vinegar to each bowl just prior to serving, depending on your tastes.

-Inspired by Fat Free Vegan’s Slow-Cooker Hot and Sour Soup

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

I knew I couldn’t let my Chili 3000 spice sit in the cabinet for long. I had to make a batch of chili. And maybe with some upcoming football games you could use a new chili recipe too?

I made just a few changes to Skinnytaste’s Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili recipe, which calls for a taco seasoning packet. I tried to replace the packet with my own spices, but I didn’t use enough. The Chili 3000 was great, I just needed more. I updated the directions below with the amount I’ll use next time.

As you can see, this recipe yields a lot of chili! I had containers for lunch all week, plus extras for the freezer. This would be a great recipe to make for a crowd, and you could serve it with shredded cheese, sour cream, and sliced jalapenos or olives. It’s a great basic chili recipe no matter how you use it.

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can red beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 (14.5 oz.) cans petite diced tomatoes in juice
1 c. water
2 T Chili 3000
1 1/2 T cumin
1/4 t cayenne
24 oz. chicken breasts (about 3-4)

Add onions, beans, tomato sauce, tomatoes, water, and spices to the crockpot and stir well. Place raw chicken breasts on top. Cook on Low for 9-10 hours. Shred chicken, and stir into chili. Cook on High for 30 minutes.

-Lightly adapted from Skinnytaste

Butternut Squash Soup

My family made a double batch of this soup over Christmas, to freeze for busy days (and nights) ahead. Yes, we’re still working through the bushel of squash from October. (There’s just one squash left.)

The recipe is lightly adapted from Skinnytaste’s Butternut Squash Soup, but we just used basic black pepper for seasoning and added a touch of applesauce. It was a good chance to test out the new immersion blender that my Dad got for Christmas. It’s a fun gadget, and makes the soup so smooth. The soup is really simple, but has a rich flavor. I treat the containers in my freezer like gold.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
6 c. vegetable broth
1 t minced garlic
Black Pepper
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce

Place squash, onion, carrots, broth, and garlic in a large pot. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft. Puree with an immersion blender. Season with black pepper. Stir in applesauce, and more water if the soup is too thick. Cook just until heated through.

-Adapted from Skinnytaste

Stracciatella (Italian Egg Drop Soup)

Am I drowning you in soup recipes? Sorry about that. But is IS cold here. And soup generally requires just one big pot which minimizes the dishes. I’ll try to do something different this weekend. Maybe I’ll make some bread to go with the soup?! 🙂

Stracciatella is a traditional Italian soup, although it’s not something that my Italian grandmother ever made. I learned about the soup from this recipe in Eating Well, which inspired me to try my own. My version includes broth, beans, pasta, and spinach, but traditionally you don’t need to include all of these. The eggs are whisked in at the end, and create thin, white strands throughout the soup. It’s very cool to watch!

It’s also very delicious, and the kind of soup that makes the perfect meal on a cold day. I wasn’t sure how this would hold up as leftovers, but it reheated beautifully. The second bowl was a little thicker because the pasta soaked up some of the broth, but it tasted just as good. Now I’ll go work on some bread.

Stracciatella (Italian Egg Drop Soup)

6 c. vegetable broth
2 c. water
1 (14 oz.) can small red beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. pasta stars, or other small pasta
8 oz. frozen leaf spinach
4 eggs, beaten
Black Pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan

In a large pot, heat broth, water, beans, pasta, and spinach until boiling. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove cover and pour in eggs very slowly, whisking them into the hot soup. Season with black pepper, and serve garnished with Parmesan.

-Adapted from Eating Well

Navy Bean Squash Soup

After the Christmas festivities were over and the kitchen was (almost) restored to it’s pre-holiday state, there was a ham bone that just had to be used in a big pot of soup. There was also some butternut squash still remaining from the bushel that my parents bought this fall. We pulled them together using this recipe for Navy Bean Squash Soup.

The recipe uses a quick soak method for the dried navy beans, so you don’t need to soak them overnight. When the beans are ready, the soup comes together fairly easily, and then simmers for about 2 hours. We followed the recipe as written, omitting the additional salt. Between the ham and broth, the soup had plenty of taste!

We all thoroughly enjoyed a bowl of soup, and then froze the remainder in containers. This will be great to enjoy on a cold winter night, with memories of Christmas!

Spinach, Tomatoes, and Stars

I featured plenty of sweet treats on the blog last week, so I thought we’d start off the new week with a simple, healthy recipe. A dish with a lot of vegetables, but still warm and comforting. Sometimes you just need a BIG pot of soup.

I was initially inspired by this Spinach, Tomato, and Orzo soup recipe. But when I was strolling down the pasta aisle looking for orzo, I spotted these adorable little stars. They aren’t whole grain, but I couldn’t resist. I do think they make the soup a little more fun!

The soup is very thick, more like a stew, but the consistency makes it quite filling. You can easily add another few cups of water or broth to thin it out if you like. I added Parmesan cheese, and then swirled it in the soup with a spoon until it melted. It was exactly the kind of recipe I needed, and I will be digging into this pot all week long.

Spinach, Tomato, and Stars

1 T olive oil
1 t minced garlic
2 onions, peeled and chopped
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes with basil
1 (16 oz.) package frozen spinach
4 c. vegetable broth
2 c. water
1 c. stelline, or other small pasta

Heat oil in a large pot. Add garlic, and saute for 1 minute. Add onions, and saute for 10-15 minutes, until soft and lightly brown. Add tomatoes, spinach, broth, and water, and bring to a boil. Add pasta, and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until tender.