Monday, October 20, 2008

Colder Days Mean Soup!

I love cool days.

I love leaves changing from vibrant green to orange, yellow and red.

I love decorating my house with pumpkins, gourds and leaves.

And I LOVE the return of soup to my meal plans.

There is nothing quite so cozy as a meal of hot soup on a cold fall (or winter) day.

(Do you see where this is heading?)

I am perfectly happy to fix a pot of soup (there are so many to choose from) at least once a week when the days turn colder. I have my favorites that make their way to our table with regularity (one I am sharing below), BUT I also love to try new concoctions.

So, What is your favorite soup? Would you share the recipe with me (please, please, please)?
(I'm also looking for a really good Chili recipe - any thoughts? Amber did you discover any good ones from your blog post?)

Here is one of my favorite soups (I shared this on Jami's blog a few weeks ago, but it is THAT good):

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients: 1 (6 oz) pkg. chicken and wild rice mix; 5 cups water; 2 medium carrots, shredded; 2 tsp. dried minced onion; 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, cubed; 1 can cream of chicken soup; 2 c. cooked cubed chicken

Directions: In a large saucepan, combine rice, contents of seasoning packet. and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the carrots and onion. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Stir in soup and chicken and cook until heated through. Yields 6 servings.

So, what is your favorite?

4 comments:

Kirk and Keri Plattner said...

This is a favorite chili recipe of mine!

Southwest Chicken Chili
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can chicken broth
1# chicken, cooked and cut
1 can black beans
1 can chili beans
1 can corn
pasta shells (optional)
chili powder, to taste

Anonymous said...

Not Chili - but a very good soup. Best served with hot, fresh bread.

CHICKEN AND PASTA SOUP

2 TBS olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cubed
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 ½ c chicken broth
16 oz can Italian stewed tomatoes with juice
¼ cup fine chopped, fresh parsley or cilantro
½ tsp black pepper
¾ tsp dried basil
¾ tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
6 oz. spiral pasta

In Dutch oven combine oil and chicken. Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently till chicken is cooked. Remove chicken. Add onion, red pepper and garlic to pan. Cook and stir till tender. Add stock and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes. Return chicken to pan. Add parsley, basil, oregano, bay leaf and pepper. Stir. Simmer covered for 5 min. Bring to boil. Add pasta. Lower heat and simmer 12 min. or till pasta is done. Serve with shredded parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, if desired.

christine said...

I agree, Megan! Love, love, love soup. Here is a recipe taken from last year's 'Good Eating' section of the Chicago Tribune. It's got a little kick, but not too much.

2 large boneless chicken breasts
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 large onion (chopped)
1 jalapeno (chopped)
32 oz. (preferably) low-sodium chicken stock
3 cups frozen whole kernel corn
1 can (15.5oz) black beans
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper OR hot sauce
1/2 cup cilantro
juice from 1 lime
salt (to taste)
black pepper (to taste)
shredded Monterery Jack cheese (optional)
tortilla chips (optional)

Broil chicken breasts, turning once, approximately 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in stockpot over medium heat. Add gralic, onion and jalapeno; cook until soft (about 3 minutes). Add chicken broth, corn, beans, lime juice, salt, red/black pepper. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to simmer. Slice or shred the cooked chicken; add to stockpot. Add the cilantro about 1 minute before serving. Ladle soup into bowls; top with shredded cheese & crumbled tortilla chips (if desired).

amariaf2000 said...

My favorite soup is Potato Cheddar - which unfortunately I don't have the recipe with me at the moment. I did make a great chili last weekend though:

1 package ground turkery
1 package chili beef
Brown those.
Do you have one of the veggie/onion choppers? If so, chop all of this stuff up:
red and yellow pepper, carrots, purple onion, tomatoes. If you don't have fresh tomatoes, canned will do. I use no salt added. Add all of this to the pot, some beef broth, beans and pasta of your choice, and two packs of the chili seasoning that costs about $1 each. I use one hot and one regular. Simmer til heated through. ~angela