Soup For You

Last soup season (yes, I'm officially declaring it as a season) I posted some recipes of friends of mine.  I'm re-posting them here today for you.  It's always nice to have a bevy of soup ideas.  If you've got a great soup recipe to share with all of us put it in the comments section below or email it to me at j.yphotography@yahoo.com.  {Once upon a time a dear friend of mine whose first name started with K & last name started with B, said she had a fabulous zucchini soup recipe.  Sure wouldn't mind getting that in my hot little hands.  Hint, hint.}   It's always nice to get new soups for the official soup season.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup 

Submitted by Sarah S.

1 stick butter

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, thinly chopped

2 carrots, grated

about 1lb fresh broccoli, chopped well

1 red pepper, finely diced

5 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

2 cups half and half

3/4 cup flour

16oz cheddar cheese, shredded

4oz whipped or very soft cream cheese

salt and pepper

dash of hot sauce

dash of nutmeg 

1- In large soup pan or dutch oven celery, onion, red pepper and carrots in butter until soft. 

2- Add chicken stock and broccoli and cook at medium heat broccoli is done (15-20 min)

3- Season with salt and pepper (you will need a fair amount of each.) 

4- Whisk together the flour and water to form a slurry

5- Add slurry to cream cheese to soup and increase heat to thicken. 

6- Add cheese until melted. 

7- Add half and half, nutmeg, hot sauce and more fresh ground pepper and heat through. 

Curry Squash Soup

Submitted by Amanda W.

1 butternut squash, cut lengthwise, seeds scooped out and discarded

2 large onions, peeled and cut into quarters

1 head of garlic, top trimmed so you cna see the cloves; wrapped in tinfoil

 6 cups of broth

bay leaf

1 tsp curry

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 pinch nutmeg

1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Place first three ingredients on baking sheet with enough water to cover bottom of sheet. Cook for one hour.

Squeeze cloves out from garlic and scoop cooked squash out from skin. Puree squash, onions and garlic in blender with some of the broth. Pour into soup pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer ten minutes. Serve with spoon of yogurt or sour cream on top.

Booba's Soup (but if I had to give it a proper name I'd call it "Chicken & Rice")

Submitted by Angela (Booba) H.

2 T Butter
1/2 onion chopped
2 t. minced garlic
2 carrots chopped into small pieces
1 stalk of celery chopped into small pieces
1/2 c. chopped mushrooms if desired
8 c. Chicken broth*
2+ c. cooked shredded chicken*
*It really tastes best if you boil an entire chicken and use that chicken broth and debone and clean the chicken to use that but that takes a lot of work and time so its totally up to you.
1/2 c. uncooked wild rice
1t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 c. half N half

In a pot, melt butter and cook onion and garlic for a few minutes. Add everything else but the half N half. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat and simmer on med-low for about 45 minutes (until rice is tender). add half N half. Heat until hot and serve (do not boil after the half N half is added.)  Also, I guessed on the amount of chicken broth so if its not enough, add more or water.   Its pretty hard to mess up so you can probably add more or less of anything. Season to your taste.

Creamy Potato & Ham

Submitted by Jami R.

This soup is SO creamy but not fatty....instead of cream I add Cream cheese (the 1/3 less fat kind) It's AWESOME and YUMMY:

5-6 cubed and boiled med potatoes
2 cups chicken stock
3 cups milk
3 TBLS spoons butter
3 TBLS flour
1 tea garlic
1 tea celery salt
salt and pepper to taste
1 8oz block of 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup shredded ham
1 cup Cheddar cheese

In med to large pot melt butter, add flour and stir to make rue. Add cream cheese and milk. stir until cream cheese is melted. Add the rest of ingredients to the pot and heat through! Enjoy!