Minestrone Soup

We ate this soup at a church activity and so I have to give tribute to Marina Rice for this recipe. I like to serve it with garlic breadsticks and salad.

• 3 chicken breasts (cooked in chicken broth) cubed
• 6 cups of chicken broth
• 1 lb. Italian sausage - cooked, drained
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup kidney beans, drained
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 3 Tbsp. parsley
• 2 cups carrots, diced
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 4 small or 2 large cans crushed tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. basil
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 oz. pasta, cooked and added to soup as needed

Combine all ingredients and let simmer all day in crockpot on low heat.

This recipe makes a lot of soup. So much in fact, that it doesn't fit in my crockpot so I just do it in a big pot over the stove. It tastes just as good...I just make it in the early afternoon instead so it can simmer and blend the flavors until dinner.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

I've been looking for a good chicken noodle soup recipe for quite some time. I haven't found anything that really strikes my fancy. It was a very "cold and blustery" day today. The kind of day where I didn't even step outside long enough to get the mail. My husband had to go out in it though. He's also in the middle of tests at school, and we haven't seen each other much in the past two weeks. So, considering these two factors, I wanted to make something for dinner that was "warm and togethery."

I decided to combine my favorite ideas from the chicken noodle soup recipes I've been looking at, and boy am I glad I did! YUM! The perfect comfort food on this not so comfortable day.

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1/4 cup green pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp. crushed dried marjoram leaves
• 1 chicken boullion cube
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 chicken breast, cooked and cubed
• 6 oz. bow-tie noodles
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

In a large pot, melt butter. Add carrot, celery, green pepper, onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are slightly tender, but still a little crisp. Add chicken broth and 1 cup of the milk. Stir in marjoram, boullion cube and salt and pepper.

Add noodles and chicken. Cook until noodles are almost done.

In a cup, stir together remaining milk and the flour until smooth. Add to soup. Stirring over medium-high heat, bring soup to a boil and boil for three minutes.

Taco Soup

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 15 oz. can stewed tomatoes
• 1 15 oz. can water
• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 8 oz. can water
  
• 1 package taco mix
  
• 1 15 oz. can chili beans
• 1 8 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 8 oz. can sliced olives, drained
• 1 can corn, drained

Toppings:

• cheddar cheese, grated
• sour cream
• Fritos corn chips
  

Cook ground beef with some chopped onion in large pot. Add all other ingredients up to the corn and cook until the flavors blend. Serve over fritos and top with cheese and sour cream.

Veggie Cheese Chowder

• 4 cups cubed potatoes
• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 tsp. salt
• 4 cups water
• 1 10oz. package frozen broccoli
• 3 Tbsp. chicken base
• 3 1/2 cup milk


• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp. dry mustard


• 1 lb. Velveeta cheese

Prepare first 4 ingredients. Place in large stew pot, add salt & water. Cook until veggies are tender (about 20 minutes). Add broccoli, chicken base, & milk. Simmer 5 more minutes. In a separate pan melt margarine. Add flour & mustard to margarine to create roux. Add roux to soup & stir until thickened. Cut cheese into cubes; add to soup. Stir until cheese is melted. Keep hot (do not boil!) until ready to serve. Yummy!!!

Three Bean Soup

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 can kidney beans, undrained
• 1 can garbanzo beans, undrained
• 1 can great northern beans
• 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Pour in oil and saute onion and garlic until golden-brown. Stir in tomatoes, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, northern beans, tomato paste, oregano, pepper, and salt. Turn heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Sprinkle in cheese and stir until melted. Serve immediately, or cool and freeze.