Jill's Chicken Soup

We taste-tested this easy recipe at our Ronald MacDonald Enrichment Service Project!

4 cans cream of chicken soup
4 chicken breasts
2 cups salsa
3 small cans of green chilies
1 package taco seasoning
2 cups drained black beans

Put in crock pot for 8 hours, shred chicken and serve. Serve over tortilla chips, garnish with sour cream, olives, cheese.

Karen Thrailkill's Corn Chowder Soup

(from "The Schwarzbein Principle Cookbook")

2 T unsalted butter                                                 
1 C finely chopped shallots (green onions)              
2 minced garlic cloves                                            
1 red bell pepper, 1/4" dice                                    
1 sm diced jalapeno, or 1-2 T canned diced green chilies                            
2 red potatoes, 1/2" dice                                         
1 bay leaf
4 C ckn. stock (I use 3 C because I like it thicker-KT)
2 C raw diced chicken
1 C fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 C heavy cream
1 T finely chopped fresh cilantro
 freshly ground black pepper to taste
dash cayenne pepper

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In a large pot, melt butter over med-high heat, add onions, garlic, and peppers; saute till softened, about 5 - 8 minutes.  Add potatoes, bay leaf, stock and chicken.  Bring to boil, then simmer uncovered till potatoes and chicken are tender, about 10 minutes.  Add corn, cream, cilantro, black pepper and cayenne.  Cook over low heat until well blended and heated through, about 5 minutes.  Do not boil.  Adjust seasonings and serve.

Spiced Pumpkin Soup

From Napa Valley Grille restaurant in the Mall of America

1 lb pumpkin puree (1 sm. can + a bit more)
1/2 stalk of celery, diced
1 yellow onioin, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
1 T allspice
1 T cinnamon
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
4 T. butter
6 c. vegetable stock (3, 14 oz cans)
salt and pepper to taste
paper thin apple slices, cut into small bits for garnish

Sweat celery, onion, carrots and ginger together until tender with a little vegetable oil. Add cinnamon and allspice and let flavors develop. Add vegetable stock and pumpkin puree. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 30 min. DO NOT BOIL! (Boiling will make your soup turn a brown rust color)Add sugar, cream and butter. Puree in a blender. Add salt and pepper to adjust flavor at the end. If your soup is too thick, add more liquid. Garnish with apple bits.

Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

A hearty filling soup-comfort food to warm you up . . . great for a family or crowd!

2 14 1/2 ounce cans chicken broth
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1/3 cup leek or green onions, sliced
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter
1 cup half and half milk
1 cup carrots, sliced (may use canned to speed things up)
1/3 cup wild rice, uncooked
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped (bite size pieces)

In a saucepan, mix broth, carrots, celery, uncooked rice, leek (or onion), thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Cover, simmer 50 minutes or until rice is tender.
Melt margarine or butter. Stir in flour, then stir in half & half. Cook and stir 1-minute more. Slowly add half & half mixture to rice mixture, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken; heat through. Best when served immediately or same day. (Next day it separates a bit and has some condensation that can be resolved by re-warming it.) Toppings like chives, bacon or cheese can be added, but are not necessary. The soup stands on its own fine without them.

Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower Soup

I got this recipe from Ree, aka, the Pioneer Woman. I've tweaked a couple things for the next time I make it. It was really delicious!

1 stick Butter, Divided (you could probably reduce this by a 2-4 tablespoons.

½ whole Onion, Finely Diced

2 whole Carrots Finely Diced

1 stalk Celery, Finely Diced

1 whole Cauliflower Head (roughly Chopped)

2 Tablespoons Fresh Or Dried Parsley (chopped)

2 quarts Low-sodium Chicken Broth Or Stock

6 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour

2 cups Whole Milk - I used reduced fat milk, and it tasted fine!

1 cup Half-and-half

2 teaspoons To 4 Teaspoons Salt, To Taste

1 cup (heaping) Sour Cream, Room Temperature - I omitted this, don't know what I missed!

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt half of the butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.

Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine.

Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.

Chicken Sausage Gumbo

Chicken Sausage Gumbo

(from Southern Living, December 2004, slightly modified)

submitted by Amy Stephenson

1 t. olive oil

11/2 lb. low fat smoked sausage, cut into slices

1 c. chopped onion

1 c. chopped celery

2 large cloves garlic, pressed

1 medium green pepper, chopped

5 T. instantized flour (Wondra)

2 c. chicken broth

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 - 2 t. Creole seasoning (like Tony Chachere's, which is also great on grilled burgers!)

4 cups chopped cooked chicken (rotisserie)

Saute sausage, onion, celery, garlic and green pepper in oil in Dutch oven until onion is tender.  Combine flour and 1 cup broth in shaker container or jar with tight fitting lid and shake well.  Add remaining broth, tomatoes and creole seasoning to pot and bring to a slow boil.  Slowly stir in broth and flour mixture and simmer to thicken.  Add chicken, stir well.  Serve over hot cooked rice.  (Wondra is an easy way to thicken a soup without making a roux or adding extra fat.)

Southwest Pumpkin Soup

2 T Olive Oil
3 Cups Chicken Broth
1 15 oz can drained black beans
1 Cup Heavy Cream (Can use half and half for healthier version!)
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
2 15oz cans pumpkin puree
1 T Curry powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
Garnish with tortilla chips, sour cream and chives

In sauce pan over medium heat, add oil and saute onions 5-10 minutes.  Add broth, tomatoes, black beans and pumpkin.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Add rest of ingredients and simmer.  Add more salt and black pepper to taste as well as more broth if the soup seems too thick.

White Chicken Chili

2-3 chicken breasts
1 T. oil
1 c. onion
1 minced clove of garlic
3 C. chicken broth
2 T. cilantro
1 16 oz can butter beans (small beans if you can find them, otherwise use normal sized ones)
1 can notrhern beans
1 can white kidney beans
1 can white corn
2 T. lime juice
1 T. cumin
1 T. oregano
2 tsp. tabasco sauce
Salt

Heat oil in a skillet and saute chicken with the onion and garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer 20-30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado if desired.

***You can make this in a crock pot after sauteeing the onion
***If I am in a huge rush I will sometimes use a large can of chicken and onion flakes. Still tastes good but the other version is better

Amy Lanning's Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Amy Lanning) note--corrected recipe!!

Ingredients:
1 large diced white onion
2 minced garlic cloves
2 TBS oil
4 oz. can of green chilies
1 can (15 oz) stewed tomatoes (Mexican style)
2 cans chicken broth
2 cans creamy chicken soup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp Tabasco
4 TBS flour
½ Cup water
1 chicken (rotisserie) shredded
4 oz. Velveeta cheese
1/3 Cup sour cream

Toppings:
chopped cilantro
corn tortilla strips (Jose Peppers will sell their tortilla strips cheap)
avocado (diced)

Directions:
1. Sauté (5 min.): onion, garlic, and oil.
2. Add (then simmer 20 mins.): chilies, tomatoes, broth, creamy chicken soup, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, Tabasco.
3. Mix: flour and water (smooth consistency), then add to soup, bring to boil and simmer 5 minutes.
4. Add: chicken, sour cream, and Velveeta cheese.
5. Add: garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
6. Garnish with toppings: tortilla strips (corn tortillas sprayed with Pam, salted and baked in oven until crispy), cilantro, and avocado to taste. (Serves 8 people)

Northwoods Wild Rice Soup

Northwoods Wild Rice Soup

3 cups cooked wild rice
2 cups cubed 1 inch cooked turkey or chicken
1 cup cooked ham
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup sliced 1/2 inch celery
1 qt. half and half (I use fat free)
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 med. onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup flour
3 tbl. butter, melted

In a pot combine all ingredients except flour and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through (15 to 20 min. ). In a small bowl stir together flour and butter; stir into hot soup. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until thickened (5 to 8 min.). Voila!

Creamy Chicken and Potato Soup

A delicious, easy soup

1 T. margarine
1 small onion, diced
1 c. sliced carrots
2 large potatoes
3 c. chicken broth
2 c. cooked chicken
parsley
salt
pepper

White Sauce:
1 c. milk
1/4 c. flour
1 8oz package cream cheese

Sautee onion in margarine. Add carrots, potatoes and chicken broth, simmer until tender. Add cooked (cubed or shredded) chicken and simmer. Meanwhile make the white sauce by smoothing flour, milk and cream cheese. Combine and simmer until thick. Add salt, pepper and parsley to taste. Serve in a bread bowl or with homemade rolls.

Sweet Potato Peanut Soup

This soup has a bit of everything. It's thick, chunky and so warm and nourishing!

Sweet Potato Peanut Soup

1 TB vegetable oil
1 large onion
1 medium sweet potato
2 cloves garlic
8 cups chicken broth
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp cumin
3 cups thick and chunky salsa (medium can get a little spicy, so try mild if you want less heat)
3 cans (16oz) rinsed garbanzo beans
1 cup diced zucchini
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter (i know, crazy!)
4-5 cups cooked rice (the more rice, the thicker; reduce rice for a less "stoupy" consistency)
garnish with roasted peanuts

saute onions, sweet potato and garlic in oil. stir for 5 minutes. add broth, thyme and cumin and bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer covered for 18 minutes. add salsa, beans and zucchini. simmer for 10 minutes. add peanut butter and rice. let thicken. serve with peanuts on top.