Chicken Asparagus Soup

It has rained pretty steady for the last few days...this type of weather makes me want soup.  It just tastes so much better when it is raining outside, and being stuck inside makes for some recipe blogging time..so here am I!

I "heart" asparagus.  We have been eating it a lot in our house lately, to the utter dismay of my children...but I like it so we are eating it!  And right now they are in season here and they are thin and crisp and delicious.  And to top it all off they are super cheap!  So I will be posting a couple of my favorite recipes that use Asparagus, starting off with this wonderful soup.

I LOVE this soup!

This soup is full of flavor and yet really showcases the asparagus because all other veggies in it are blended up into the broth.  And just so you know, this soup is even tastier the next day.  I found the original recipe in the April & May 2008 Taste of Home Magazine.  I have added some ( ) in the recipe...that is my own commentary...you can edit them out if you want.  Enjoy!

Chicken Asparagus Soup
2 lbs thin fresh asparagus
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion, chopped
12 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cans chicken broth (14 1/2 oz each)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper, divided
1 bay leaf
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 cups half n half cream (or milk..or heaving whipping cream)
Shaved (or shredded) Parmesan, optional

Cut tips from asparagus spears and set aside (I keep 2-3 inches from the top).  Place stalks in a large skillet; cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.  Strain, reserving 4 cups cooking liquid (I usually only end up with only 3-3 1/2 cups but it is fine).  Discard stalks.
In a Dutch oven (I use a big soup pot), saute the potatoes, onions, celery, carrot, parsley and garlic in oil until vegetables are tender.  Stir in the broth, salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, bay leaf and reserved cooking liquid.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes (I only simmer for 5-10 min. usually because we are in a hurry to eat).  Discard bay leaf. Cool slightly!!!(This is important if your blender is like mine...really hot liquid will pop the top when you blend=burns and messy kitchen...not that I've ever been impatient enough to try it...)
In a blender, cover and puree soup in batches until smooth.  Return to pan.  Add the chicken, cream (I used Heavy Whipping Cream last night and it was marvelous), remaining pepper and reserved asparagus tips.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until asparagus is tender.  Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired (and yes you will desire it, it is amazing!)  Yield about 2 quarts.

 

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Homemade chicken noodle soup was my favorite meal as a child. I have so many memories of my Mother and Aunt Sharon making this yummy soup. It feeds the belly and the soul. I even asked for it to be the meal at my luncheon when I got married. I believe the key ingredient to this masterpiece is the homemade noodles. Big thick homemade noodles are a necessity for this soup. Making your own noodles can be a little nerve-wracking at first but they really are simple and are worth the extra time. So here is the recipe.

{Chicken Noodle Soup}
6-8 cups water
2 chicken breasts

*3-4 carrots, cut in slim 1/4 inch pieces

*2-3 celery ribs, cut in slim 1/4 inch pieces

*1 large onion, diced

3 Tbsp Chicken Stock (I buy my stock in bulk from Winco or you can get a good priced jar from Sam's Club. I have also used bullion cubes.)

*Veggies depend on your preferences. I love to use lots of veggies in my soup but I have gotten by with only 2 small carrots.

I boil the above ingredients until the chicken is completely cooked. I take out the chicken and then I let it cool on a cutting board. When it is cooled, I dice it up into tiny pieces (you can shred or chunk up the chicken, but I like it diced up) and then I put it back into the soup.

{Noodles}

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
3-4 TBS water or milk

Make a well in a bowl with your dry ingredients. Crack your eggs into your well and then mix together with fork until you start forming dough. When you have a stiff dough slowly add your milk (or water), a tablespoon at a time, until your dough is a ball of workable dough (not too sticky). Split dough in half and then lightly sprinkle flour on a surface and roll out your dough as thin as you can. Cut noddle desired thickness with pizza cutter  and repeat with other half.  Add noodles into your BOILING soup.  Boil for 5-10 minutes and then serve with some yummy homemade rolls. 

Hopefully that all makes sense and it works out when you make it :) This is the best way to eat chicken noodle soup- with home made noodles!! The ultimate comfort food!

Cheese Ham and Bean Soup

I saw a similar recipe and it game me inspiration for this soup. I had some extra ham in the freezer and I had been craving soup. So this is what I threw together. Sorry I don't have a picture. I meant to take one but the soup was all gone by the time I remembered (that is how good it was).

Cheese Ham and Bean Soup

2TBS olive oil

1 large onion

2-3 peeled and chopped carrots

2-3 cups chopped ham(I love lots of ham so I added extra. Use whatever works best for you and your family)

1 rinsed can of white beans

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 (large)brick of Velveeta cheese

1 cup half and half or whole milk

milk or water to thin soup consistency if needed

So I add onion and carrots in olive oil and saute. Once the onions turn transparent add ham and saute together for 10-15 minutes.

Then I add beans, cream of mushroom, and Velveeta cheese. Slowly I add in the milk as the cheese melts down. When I get the consistency I want, I let it simmer for 10-15 minutes and then I serve.

It really was SO yummy. This is a great recipe for those that don't like broccoli(like my husband). You get that yummy cheddar soup taste and no complaints from the picky eaters. BAHaHa

Corn Chowder from Our Best Bites!

I got this recipe book for mother's day and I am most likely going to be posting a lot of recipes from this website. These ladies are AMAZING!!! I love this website and it is one of my "go to" blogs for dinner ideas :)

Here is thier YUMMY corn chowder. It was a big hit for Andrew and Damien!!!

Our Best Bites Website Link

Creamy Corn Chowder
Recipe by Our Best Bites

2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. water
2 1/2 c. milk (skim or 1% work just fine and lighten it up considerably)
2 regular-sized chicken bouillon cubes, 1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube, or 2 tsp. chicken base
1/2 lb. bacon (optional)
1 small onion, minced
2 red potatoes, diced into small cubes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can corn, drained or about 1 1/2 C frozen fresh corn
Salt and pepper to taste
A few dashes of hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula)

Fry bacon until crisp. In the meantime, melt butter over low heat in a soup pot. When melted, add flour to make a roux and whisk until it comes together in a little ball. Add water and whisk until completely combined and there are no lumps. Add milk and chicken base or bouillon and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes, onions, and garlic, and simmer (but don’t boil!), stirring very frequently, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add crumbled bacon and corn and heat through. Add a few drops of hot sauce and then salt to taste. The reason why I don’t have an exact measurement is that while the soup REALLY needs salt, bacon also really differs in its saltiness, so it can be super easy to make this soup waaaaay too salty. Start with about 1/4 tsp., give it a few minutes, and then add more if you need it.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with extra bacon and/or cheese if you want. Because, you know, if there’s anything a perfectly healthy bowl of soup (it’s only 3 Weight Watchers points!) needs, it’s some extra bacon and cheese!

Serves 6-8.

This is what mine looked like!

Italian Potato Soup- Olive Garden

1 lb. ground Italian Sausage 5 cubes chicken bouillon

1 t. crushed red peppers 1 cup half & half

1 large onion, diced 1 ½ cups white beans, dry(or I use a can), 2-3 small potato's

3 cloves garlic, pressed 1 cup kale, chopped

10 cups water ¼ cup parmesan cheese

2 stalks celery, dice


Place beans in sauce pan, cover with water and soak overnight. (or use can of beans) Saute’ sausage and red pepper in a large pot. Drain fat and rinse sausage. Sauté onion, celery and garlic in 1 T olive oil until onions are soft. In a crockpot, mix chicken bouillon and water and then add sauted vegetables. Cook on low for 4 hours. Add *half & half, stir in sausage. Keep on warm until ready to serve. Just before serving, add kale and parmesan cheese. Garnish with grated Asiago cheese or Parmesan.


*For a lower fat recipe, omit half & half. Then remove 2 cup of beans with a slotted spoon and set aside. In a blender at low speed, blend remaining soup in small batches until smooth. Once blended pour soup back into crockpot; stir in reserved beans and add sausage.

Cider Beef Stew Taste of Home

3 TBS flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 TBS vegetable oil

1 cup apple cider

1/2 cup water

1 TBS vinegar

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 large carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 celery rib, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 large potato, pealed and cubed

1 medium onion sliced.

In a bowl combine flour, S&P, and beef and toss to coat. In pan brown meat in oil. Add cider, water, vinegar, and thyme and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Add vegetables and cover and simmer until soft (45 minutes) 4 servings

The apple cider really adds to the flavor!

Argentine Locro (A Soup with Everything in it)

This is a special occasion meal, they make this to celebrate their May Revolution Day in Argentina (25 de Mayo)  it is super filling and loaded with calories.  My kids liked it.  The Quiquirrimichi sauce adds great flavor and kick, and they put a white cheese over top. 



Saute the below ingredients until onions are translucent and meat is cooked
11 oz Italian sausage or chorizo (cut into ~1 in pieces)
11 oz stew meat--beef
11 oz smoked bacon (cut into tiny pieces)
1 white onion diced
2 cloves garlic (diced)

ADD to meat:

2 cups white corn (I used frozen, but fresh is best)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp black ground pepper
dash of salt

stir over medium heat for 5-10 minutes then pour into a crock pot with:

2 cups boiling water and 1 cube vegetable bullion
1 large can hominy (with juice)
1 cup cubed butternut squash
1 cup cubed sweet potato
1 cup cubed baking potato
2 Roma tomatoes in wedges
2 cans Navy Beans

Let cook in crock pot for 3-5 hours on high, during the last hour mash the soup to desired thickness.

Serve with cheese (I used mozzarella) and quiquirimichi sauce (put on a little or a lot depending on how much heat you want)

QUIQUIRIMICHI SAUCE:

Saute:
3T olive oil
1 red bell peppers (finely diced)
1 medium white onion (finely diced)
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp red chili flakes (or to taste)
a pinch of chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Baked Potato Soup

Baked Potato Soup

½ c butter
1 small diced onion
Sauté butter and onion until tender & add ½ cup flour. Stir!
Add slowly 2 c of chicken broth then add 2 c milk
Stir with whisk until thick- add more milk for desired thickness
Add 3 large baked potatoes (peeled & diced)
Heat until hot- add salt and pepper to taste
You can sprinkle with green onion, crisp bacon and cheese

Bean and Ham Soup!

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry great Northern beans
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 ham hock
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups chopped ham
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Directions

1. Rinse the beans, sorting out any broken or discolored ones. In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and the beans and remove from heat. Let beans sit in the hot water for at least 60 minutes.
2. After the 60 minutes of soaking, return the pot to high heat and place the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mustard and bay leaves in the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 60 more minutes.
3. Remove ham bone and discard. Stir in the chopped ham and simmer for 30 more minutes. Season with ground white pepper to taste

SO I got this recipe off of All Recipes and I LOVE it! I did it a little bit differently though.

I used canned white beans and I don't think it made any difference. Also I didn't use the ground mustard because I didn't have any. When I do it again I am going to make sure I have it on hand because I think it was defiantly missing something and I think the mustard would help. Other than that, the soup was so hearty and yummy. It was a good soup for a "yucky" day. I was really nervous about using a ham hock, but I think it made the soup that much better. So go out and buy them. They look yucky but they are worth it in the end. Plus they don't cost to much.

White Chicken Chili

This recipe was Award Winning at the Menan Chili cook off by none other than Cindy Lou Cunningham...for all you Menanites--is it any surprise Cindy would whip out such a perfect Chili?  I think not!  You're amazing Cindy!

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp. canola oil

2 cans (15.5 oz ea.) great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 can chicken broth

2 cans chopped green chilies***

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipping cream

In a large saucepan, saute the chikcen, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink.  Add the beans, broth, chilies and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and whipping cream.

I ate a chili similar to this at a Relief Society Retreat and it was SO amazing! (Thanks Sarah!)  She had cheese, tortilla chips AND guacamole to put on top...something I NEVER would of thought of but I ABSOLUTELY loved it! So try it...especially if you like Avacodos...its life changing!

***I only added 1/2 can green chilies and it was STILL too hot for my husband and littlest boy.  If you don't like the heat you may consider leaving the chilies or cayenne out...just a warning.  I thought it was perfect with half the can but Evan couldn't eat it without adding A LOT of extra Sour Cream (Brandi you know how the Sonderegger men love their Sour Cream...ha!)