Black Bean Soup

You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients. Julia Child


Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 slices smoked bacon, finely chopped
• 1 medium onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 (14 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
• salt and black pepper taste
• 1 bunch cilantro
• Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Grated cheddar, for garnish

In a large pot, add the bacon and onions. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until bacon crisps up and onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook a couple minutes longer. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, chili powder and black beans. Chop the cilantro and add a handful the last 5 minutes of cooking. Ladle the soup into a bowl, top with a spoonful of sour cream, sprinkle chopped scallions and grated cheese over top.

Southwestern Chicken with Rice Soup

“With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bent arm for a pillow -- I have still joy in the midst of all these things.” Confucius

I live in southern Colorado and love the local cuisine...tomatoes and hot peppers, can spice up even the plainest meal...Add corn and black beans and you have a party! This dish started out to be chicken with rice soup, but when I saw the first fresh ears of corn on sale at the local grocery store, I decided to add some pizazz!

Southwestern Chicken With Rice Soup

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken, cooked chopped
6 cups chicken broth
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2-3 green chiles, seeded and chopped
1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained
1 can (14 oz) of Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 ear of corn, kernels removed
1/2 cup rice, uncooked
1 Tbsp chopped scallions, green tops
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Mix all ingredients except the scallions and cilantro together in a large pot and simmer for 30 minutes or until rice is done. Add chopped scallions and cilantro and simmer 5 more minutes.

This makes approximately 4 servings @ about $1.40 per serving.

Cabbage and Potato Soup

I like to get where the cabbage is cooking and catch the scents. Red Smith

This is just a nice hearty soup. We ate boiled cabbage when I was growing up so cabbage "soup" was not too hard for me to imagine... 1 1/2 Cups of Beef bullion can be used instead of the Bragg's Liquid Aminos.

Cabbage and Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. butter
1/2 lb. Polska Kielbasa sausage, thinly sliced (optional)
1 rib of celery, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
6 c. water
1/2 small cabbage, coarsely shredded
handful baby carrots, halved
1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos
2 tsp vinegar
1 large potato, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
Salt and Pepper, to taste

In large pot, melt butter. Add sausage, celery, and onion. Cook until celery and onion are tender. Add remaining ingredients, except potatoes. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add potatoes and cook 20 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Salsa Chicken Soup

When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste. ~Laiko Bahrs

Leftover chicken and some salsa were the inspiration for this soup. Sometimes I even surprise myself with how tasty an idea turns out! All the fresh vegetables makes this really good and good for you!


Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves minced garlic
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups of water
½ cup salsa
1 (29-ounce) can hominy, drained
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 avocado, pitted, diced
Coarsely shredded cabbage
Tomato, diced
1 Lime


Directions
In a large saucepan heat the vegetable oil. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Once the onions have softened add the garlic and cook for another minute. Pour the chicken broth, water and salsa into the pot and bring to a boil. Add the cilantro, hominy and chopped chicken. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Loosely fill a serving bowl with shredded cabbage. Ladle soup over cabbage and garnish with chopped cilantro, diced avocado and tomato pieces. Squeeze fresh lime juice over all.

Potato Soup

Potatoes served at breakfast, At dinner served again; Potatoes served at supper, Forever and Amen! Pennsylvania prayer

Plain and simple. There's nothing better than tators!

Potato Soup

Ingredients

6 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot, just cover the onion, potatoes and parsley with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Use a potato masher to lightly mash some of the potatoes to thicken the liquid.
Stir in milk and butter. Heat until butter is just melted. Season with salt and pepper and serve at once.

Thai Shrimp Soup

Shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sautee it. There's, um, shrimp kebabs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, pan fried, deep fried, stir fried. There's pineapple shrimp and lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich... Mykelti Williamson as Bubba in Forrest Gump

So here you have it. My version of shrimp soup! It is colorful and delicious, as well as quick and easy. A great change of pace from regular ole vegetable soup...

Thai Shrimp Soup

Ingredients

8 ounce(s) rice noodles
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
6 ounces baby carrots, cut in half
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes
4 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of water
8 ounces shelled and deveined shrimp
30 snow peas
1 small zucchini,sliced
1/2 cup coconut milk
4 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions

In bowl, cover rice noodles with hot water. Let stand 10 minutes; drain.

In large pot, combine onion, parsley, carrots and garlic. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, water, chicken stock and boil for 20 minutes.

Stir in snow peas, zucchini a pinch cayenne pepper cook for another 5 minutes. Then add the shrimp and soaked noodles. Reduce heat and simmer 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut milk, and lime juice. Sprinkle lightly with crushed red pepper flakes before serving.

Mama's Chili

Next to music there is nothing that lifts the spirits and strengthens the soul more than a good bowl of chili. - Harry James (1916-1983) band leader and trumpeter

This is one of my favorite foods. Okay, I'll admit that pretty much any thing that I am eating is my favorite while I'm eating it....but this really is one of my favorites....We ate this with saltine crackers when I was growing up, but now I like it with grated cheese and crushed tortilla chips.

Mama's Chili

Ingredients

1 pound hamburger
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
2 cans dark red kidney beans, drained
1 Tablespoon chili powder
salt
pepper
cheddar cheese and tortilla chips for topping

Brown hamburger with onions and parsley. Drain fat if necessary. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the tomatoes plus one can of water, kidney beans and chili powder. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the desired consistency.

Strawberry Ambrosia Soup

Vegetables are the food of the earth; fruit seems more the food of the heavens. ~Sepal Felicivant

Oh my goodness....This is definitely food from the heavens....a fun and very pretty soup.

Strawberry Ambrosia Soup

Ingredients

2 cups hulled sliced strawberries
1 cup orange/pineapple juice
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
Extra yogurt
Crushed strawberries with a little sugar sprinkled in
Banana
Walnut pieces
Flaked coconut

Blend the first 3 ingredients (strawberries, juice and yogurt) until smooth. Slice a banana into the bowl and pour the soup over top. Add a dollop of yogurt to the soup. Top with the crushed strawberries, walnut pieces and flaked coconut, if desired. Add a mint sprig for the final touch.

Pretty to look at and delicious to eat!

Corn Chowder

“Food is the most primitive form of comfort.” Sheilah Graham

This is an extremely simple and delicious recipe. We ate this frequently growing up. It is a very satisfying potato soup without the corn. With the corn it is a great corn chowder. Enjoy!

Ingredients

6 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cups whole kernel corn
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot, just cover the onion, potatoes and parsley with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Use a potato masher to lightly mash some of the potatoes to thicken the liquid.
Stir in corn, milk and butter. Heat until butter is just melted. Season with salt and pepper and serve at once.

Asparagus Soup

The idea for this spring soup came from The Lavender Cookbook by Sharon Shipley. I found this cookbook at The ChocolateSmith in Santa Fe.

This is an interesting recipe. We all enjoyed it, but all of the testers thought that the spices were a little overwhelming and so we recommend using less and adjusting up as you like.

Blending hot soup turned out to be quite a challenge so I decided to let the soup cool then blended it. I warmed it for eating. I hope you enjoy it.

Asparagus Soup

1 pound asparagus
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1 White Onion, diced
4 medium potatoes peeled and diced
1/2 cup uncooked rice
8 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender buds,
finely ground in spice grinder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Greek yogurt

Cut the asparagus into 2 inch pieces reserving the tips for garnish. In a large stockpot melt the butter in the oil. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the potatoes and rice. Add the broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the asparagus, parsley, lavender, and thyme. Simmer until the rice and potatoes are soft. Blend batches of soup until smooth. Return to the pot and add the lemon juice and the salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.

To serve, swirl a tablespoon of the Greek Yogurt into the soup, garnish with the reserved asparagus tips and serve immediately.

African Peanut Soup

Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” James Beard
African Peanut Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 cup chunky salsa
8 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
2/3 cup extra crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup uncooked rice
Sour Cream
Chopped cilantro

Directions

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Cook onions until lightly browned and tender, stirring in garlic when almost done to prevent burning. Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, pepper, and chili powder. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Stir in rice, cover, and simmer another fifteen minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in peanut butter until well blended, and serve with sour cream and cilantro.