I made this tonight for Mexican Meatloaf and it was fabulous! I loved the fresh flavor, so much better than canned yuck. I plan on making several batches and freezing them. I also thing you could use this recipe as a base for Cream of Whatever soup.
Cream of Chicken - Add a teaspoon of chicken boullion and some finely diced cooked chicken
Beefy Mushroom - Add a teaspoon of beef boullion
Cream of Celery - Use diced celery instead of mushrooms, maybe saute them a bit to soften them
Cream of Onion - Use onions in place of the mushrooms. Definitely saute these first!
Get the point? I haven't actually tried any of the above ideas yet, but I can't imagine why they would work! I will update this post after I do a few experiments.
Here is a link to the original recipe! Enjoy!
Showing posts with label soup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soup. Show all posts
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Vegetable Soup
I hated vegetable soup growing up. I didn't like anything about it. Even once I moved out, got married, had a family, I still never cared for it and never made it. Until about a year and a half ago, we were on vacation with my best friend's family and her parents. My friend's mom made vegetable soup for all of us to eat one night and it was awesome!
A few months later, I asked for the recipe and I couldn't believe how simple it was. You can add whatever seasonings you like, I usually stick with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Ground beef or bulk sausage works for this, I have used both depending on what kind of mood I am in. I use petite diced tomatoes because my kids don't like the bigger chunks, but italian diced tomatoes are very good with this. And cabbage. That was the worst thing about vegetable soup for me as a kid. Now I love it. Sometimes I add it, sometimes I don't. And to keep it simple, I buy the bag of coleslaw mix and add about half of the bag. I usually make this on the stove top, but a crockpot works too. Just brown the meats in a skillet and add everything to the crockpot.
This meal is a 4 out of 5 thumbs up for us. I don't really expect my 6 year old to like this much. Sometimes she will eat a tiny bowl of it. But my 8 year old son loves it and requests it every time I plan my meals. My 10 year old eats 2-3 bowls for dinner of it when I make it. Also, it lasts 2-3 evening meals and even a lunch. I have never frozen it, but I don't see why that wouldn't be ok.
So here is my best friend's son's aunt's cousin's dad's sister's recipe (that's redneck for my best friend's mom!):
Vegetable Soup
1 lb ground beef or bulk sausage
28oz diced tomatoes of your choice (italian is good, plain also works well)
2 10oz cans tomato soup
1 14oz can green beans
1 14oz can corn (I like the white corn)
1 14oz can sliced carrots
1 14oz can diced potatoes
1/2 bag of coleslaw mix (optional)
salt, pepper, garlic powder, and any other seasonings of your choice, to taste
First of all, do NOT drain any of the canned veggies, you will need those juices. Now that I got that out of my system, go ahead and brown the ground beef in whatever pot you will make your soup. I usually add the seasonings to the meat, but if you prefer to add them to the soup, then wait. Drain the meat if you want. Then open all of the cans and dump them on top of the meat, liquid included. If you didn't add the seasonings to the meat, now is the time. Stir until the veggies are evenly distributed in the soup. Bring to a simmer, stirring now and then. We like our soups fairly thick, if you like it thinner, simply add water about a 1/4 cup at a time until the consistency is right for you. Once it's hot, it's ready to serve! If you would like it to simmer longer, go ahead. Serve with crackers or a thick, crusty bread, or plain!
A few months later, I asked for the recipe and I couldn't believe how simple it was. You can add whatever seasonings you like, I usually stick with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Ground beef or bulk sausage works for this, I have used both depending on what kind of mood I am in. I use petite diced tomatoes because my kids don't like the bigger chunks, but italian diced tomatoes are very good with this. And cabbage. That was the worst thing about vegetable soup for me as a kid. Now I love it. Sometimes I add it, sometimes I don't. And to keep it simple, I buy the bag of coleslaw mix and add about half of the bag. I usually make this on the stove top, but a crockpot works too. Just brown the meats in a skillet and add everything to the crockpot.
This meal is a 4 out of 5 thumbs up for us. I don't really expect my 6 year old to like this much. Sometimes she will eat a tiny bowl of it. But my 8 year old son loves it and requests it every time I plan my meals. My 10 year old eats 2-3 bowls for dinner of it when I make it. Also, it lasts 2-3 evening meals and even a lunch. I have never frozen it, but I don't see why that wouldn't be ok.
So here is my best friend's son's aunt's cousin's dad's sister's recipe (that's redneck for my best friend's mom!):
Vegetable Soup
1 lb ground beef or bulk sausage
28oz diced tomatoes of your choice (italian is good, plain also works well)
2 10oz cans tomato soup
1 14oz can green beans
1 14oz can corn (I like the white corn)
1 14oz can sliced carrots
1 14oz can diced potatoes
1/2 bag of coleslaw mix (optional)
salt, pepper, garlic powder, and any other seasonings of your choice, to taste
First of all, do NOT drain any of the canned veggies, you will need those juices. Now that I got that out of my system, go ahead and brown the ground beef in whatever pot you will make your soup. I usually add the seasonings to the meat, but if you prefer to add them to the soup, then wait. Drain the meat if you want. Then open all of the cans and dump them on top of the meat, liquid included. If you didn't add the seasonings to the meat, now is the time. Stir until the veggies are evenly distributed in the soup. Bring to a simmer, stirring now and then. We like our soups fairly thick, if you like it thinner, simply add water about a 1/4 cup at a time until the consistency is right for you. Once it's hot, it's ready to serve! If you would like it to simmer longer, go ahead. Serve with crackers or a thick, crusty bread, or plain!
Monday, January 28, 2013
Lasagna Soup
I found this recipe at Live Love Pasta. It sounded good to me and since most of my family likes lasagna, I added it to my list. I made a few minor changes to suit our tastes and simply out of my own laziness.
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Lasagna Soup
Soup:
1 pounds bulk sausage
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
8 ounces mini lasagna noodles (or noodles of your choice)
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
½ cup fresh baby spinach
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cheese topping:
8 ounces ricotta cheese
2 cups Italian cheese
In a large pot, brown sausage over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, cook for an additional minute. Add the tomato paste and stir well to incorporate.Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock; stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for a bit. Next, add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Remove from heat and stir in basil and spinach and season with salt and pepper to taste.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese mixture. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and Italian cheeses; set aside. To serve, pour the soup into bowls and add a tablespoon or so of the cheese mixture to each bowl.
**********
I accidentally added too much pasta and it became Lasagna Stew instead of soup, but that's ok, it was still delicious! Easy 5 out of 5 thumbs up! Even my lasagna haters enjoyed it. This is definitely going to become a regular meal in my house. My kids didn't mind the spinach (they usually don't) and I can easily see adding some chopped carrots or zucchini for extra nutritional value.
**********
Lasagna Soup
Soup:
1 pounds bulk sausage
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
8 ounces mini lasagna noodles (or noodles of your choice)
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
½ cup fresh baby spinach
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cheese topping:
8 ounces ricotta cheese
2 cups Italian cheese
In a large pot, brown sausage over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, cook for an additional minute. Add the tomato paste and stir well to incorporate.Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock; stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for a bit. Next, add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Remove from heat and stir in basil and spinach and season with salt and pepper to taste.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese mixture. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and Italian cheeses; set aside. To serve, pour the soup into bowls and add a tablespoon or so of the cheese mixture to each bowl.
**********
I accidentally added too much pasta and it became Lasagna Stew instead of soup, but that's ok, it was still delicious! Easy 5 out of 5 thumbs up! Even my lasagna haters enjoyed it. This is definitely going to become a regular meal in my house. My kids didn't mind the spinach (they usually don't) and I can easily see adding some chopped carrots or zucchini for extra nutritional value.
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