Oh, For the Love of Soup!

Did you know that January is National Soup Month? It is, really! Personally, I love soup, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Right? So, I pinged my NL subscribers and a couple Facebook groups to see if anyone else loves soup and might want to share their recipes. 

I got some wonderful responses, and some new recipes to try out!

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8 Can Taco Soup

Submitted by: Lea Kirk

Prep time: 30 min. (or less if you have help opening the cans)

Serves: 4-6

1 (15 oz) Can black beans (drained & rinsed)

1 (15 oz) Can pinto beans (drained & rinsed)

1 (14 oz) Can diced tomatoes, drained

1-2 (15 oz) Cans sweet corn, drained

1 (10 oz) Can cream of chicken soup

1 (12 oz) Can white chick breast (I use 12 oz bag of strips from grocery deli section)

1 (14 oz) Can chicken broth

1 Packet taco seasoning (can be reg. or chicken)

Mix all ingredients in a large pot.

Heat until warm, stirring occasionally.

Serve with tortilla chips or country bread, guacamole, & sour cream on the side.

“This is an amazingly simple and filling recipe that my family loves! Being that there are seven of us, I triple the recipe so we have plenty of leftovers. Great for a low-key dinner or winter weekend lunches.” ~Lea Kirk

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Portuguese Coriander Soup (Sopa de Coentro)

Submitted by: KJ Van Houton

Prep time: 1 hour

Serves: 4-6

4 Tbsp olive oil

2-3 onions, chopped

2-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

6 cups chicken stock

3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

Salt & pepper

Cayenne pepper to taste

1 cup chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)

Heat the oil in a large pot over moderate heat and sauté the onion and garlic until tender but not brown. Add the stock, potatoes, salt, pepper, and cayenne and cook until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Puree in an electric blender or food processor or press through a fine-mesh strained if desired. Serve hot or cold, adding the coriander immediately before serving.

“I had something like this is Portugal about 30 years ago and searched everywhere to find the recipe! I think the one I had there used a lot less potato though, as it seemed mostly broth and coriander.” ~Kim Van Houton

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Potato, Ham, and Cheese Soup

Submitted by Peggy Sue Darrow

Prep time: approx. 1 hour

Serves: A lot! Leftovers will be a thing.

5 lbs potatoes peeled, and chopped into multiple sizes,

4 cups water

2 cups milk

Salt and pepper

Celery seed to taste

12 oz. (or more!) ham, cubed

1 – 10 oz can cheese soup (Campbell’s)

1 cup milk

Veggies (fresh or frozen, optional)

Corn starch (as needed for thickening)

Put potatoes in a stock pot. Add water, milk, salt and pepper, and celery seed. Let cook till potatoes are somewhat still firm but not mushy.

Add can of cheese soup, 1 cup milk, veggies, and ham. Stir often to make sure the milk and cheese soup don’t scorch. Mix in little bit of corn starch to thicken. Heat to boil. Continue to add small amounts of corn starch every 15 min till your soup is thickened to your likes.

“This reminds me of my mom. She passed away and I am trying really hard to keep her recipes together. The potato, stew, some others are all that I got from her, but at least I can feed myself!” ~Peggy Sue Darrow

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Chicken and Potato Soup with Dumplings

Submitted by: Cara Bristol

Prep & Cook Time: 75 min.

Servings: 6-8

4 Skinned chicken thighs, rinsed

 2 Quarts chicken broth (fat-skimmed, low-sodium)

 5 Fresh sage leaves, rinsed

 2 Leeks

 5 Russet potatoes, peeled and diced

 2 Stalks celery, rinsed, trimmed, and diced

 2 Carrots, peeled and diced

 1 Cup all-purpose flour

 1/2 Cup cornmeal

 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

 1 tsp. salt

 2 tsp. fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

 1/3 cup milk

 1 large egg plus 1 large egg white, beaten lightly together

 2 Tbsp. melted butter

In a 6- to 8-quart pan over high heat, bring chicken, broth, and whole sage leaves to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, skimming off and discarding any foam that rises to the surface, until chicken is no longer pink at bone (cut to test), about 30 minutes.

Cut off and discard root ends and dark green tops from leeks. Cut white and pale green parts in half lengthwise and rinse well under running water, flipping layers to release grit. Thinly slice leeks crosswise.

Lift chicken from broth. When cool enough to handle, pull meat into shreds, and discard bones.

Add potatoes, celery, carrots, leeks, and 2 cups water to pan with broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender when pierced, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken.

Dumpling batter: In a large bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and the chopped sage. Stir in milk, beaten egg and egg white, and the melted butter just until combined.

Drop dumpling batter in 12 to 14 heaping tablespoon portions on the surface of the simmering soup. Cover pan and simmer over medium-low heat (do not allow soup to boil) until a knife inserted into the center of a dumpling comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Ladle hot soup into bowls.

NOTES: Use a wide pan in order to have adequate surface area to make the dumplings. You can make the soup through step 4 up to 1 day ahead if you like; cover it airtight and chill. Before serving, bring it to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then proceed with making the dumplings.

“I make this chicken soup all the time. It's my go-to recipe. I don't make the dumplings and I serve it with noodles, not potatoes. But I love the soup. I used to make my grandmother's chicken soup, but I like this one better. Sorry, Nana.” ~Cara Bristol

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Minestrone

Submitted by: Lynn Beaumont

Prep time: 1 hour

Serves: 4-6

½ lb. Italian sweet sausage (I always double the amount of sausage so normally 1 lb.)

1 T. olive oil

1 c. diced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 c. diced carrots

1 tsp. basil

2 small zucchinis

1 lb. can Italian-style tomatoes (undrained)

2 – 10 oz. cans beef bouillon (not sure this size is available – I usually use whatever size I can find and then make up the difference with more red wine)

2 c. finely shredded cabbage

salt & pepper to taste

1 lb. can white beans (undrained)

½ c. rice

½ c. red wine

grated Parmesan cheese

Slice sausage crosswise & brown in oil.  Add onion, garlic, carrots & basil, and then cook for 5 minutes.  Add zucchini, tomatoes (with liquid), bouillon, cabbage, salt & pepper.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour.  Add beans with their liquid, rice & wine then cook another 20 minutes until rice is done.  Serve at once, or cool and refrigerate.

“I don’t remember the first time my mom made this for us as kids but we all liked it right away.   One thing about the soup is that for some reason it stays hot for a really long time.  We had a family joke that we could solve the energy crisis if we could figure out how to get the heat generated by a black car with black seats in the CA summer into the minestrone where we could store it for use later.  Okay, not much of a joke but we always snickered.  My sister-in-law asks my mom to make it for her every year for her birthday.  It is a filling and delicious recipe!  A pot of soup, some good hearty bread and a salad and you have a meal!” ~Lynn Beaumont

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White Chicken Chili
Submitted by: Kate Botting

Prep. Time: 45 min.

Serves: 4-6

16 oz. canned white beans (Great Northern, White Kidney) 
2 large onions, chopped 
1 stick unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour 
¾ cup chicken broth (add more as needed)
2 cups half and half
1 tsp Tabasco 
1 1/2 tsps chili powder 
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
8 oz. whole mild green chilis, drained and chopped (or other hot peppers, jalapenos) 
2 lbs skinless chicken breasts, cooked (see below) 
1½ cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

Optional additions:
Sweet Corn kernels
Minced Garlic Cloves
Oregano 
1/2 cup sour cream (at end)

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Coat the chicken with salt and pepper and maybe some chili powder. Throw them in the skillet with butter/oil and brown both sides, and fully cooked. 

2. Shred the chicken with your fingers and set aside.

3. Cook the onion with 2 tbsp butter until softened. 

4. Melt the remaining 6 tbsp of butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Cook the roux, with constant stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the onion and gradually add the broth and half/half, whisking the whole time. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until thickened. 

5. Stir in Tabasco, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add beans, chilis/peppers, chicken, and cheese. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Add sour cream (optional).

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Easy Chicken Stew

Submitted by: Elizabeth Robbins

Prep time: Varies

Serves: 4-6

Chicken breast, chunked to 3/4 inches

1 qt box of chicken broth 

Chunks of potato

Baby carrots

1/2 cup Bisquick 

Cold water

All-day directions:

In the morning, place chicken, broth, potato, and carrots in a slow cooker on high. After around 5 hours, mix the Bisquick with cold water and whisk until you have a thin consistency (like for crepes, but not pancakes) add this mixture to your crock pot and stir well. Reduce heat to low, and cook until your dinner time. 

Quick dinner:

Boil the carrots

15 min later, start boiling the potatoes

Meanwhile, pan cook the chicken.

Whisk together the Bisquick and cold water to a thin consistency. 

Whisk in the chicken broth

Combine all fully-cooked ingredients in a 4-qt pot. 

Simmer for 15 minutes or so, until thickened. 

Serve with biscuits or rice.

“This is a recipe I adapted a couple of years ago, from my mother's chicken gravy recipe. I live in the Northeast, so I'm always looking for food I can cook in my crockpot. I swear, the smell of food cooking makes the house FEEL warmer. For those interested, the gravy can be made with more Bisquick or flour and no veggies, served over biscuits, rice, or potatoes.” ~Elizabeth Robbins

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Thank you to everyone who shared recipes! XOXO 

Do you have a fantastic soup recipe you love? Share it in the comments, and tell us why!

(Side note: I have no idea why some words are showing up with a blue back ground and some with white. I'm still trying to figure out how this site works.)

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USA Today Bestselling Author Lea Kirk loves to transport her readers to other worlds with her science fiction romance Prophecy series. She’s an avid Trekkie, Gryffindor, and wannabe space explorer. She’s made one foray into paranormal romance with her Magic, NM vampire novella, Made for Her, and hopes to write more stories in this world.

When she’s not busy writing, she’s hanging out with her wonderful hubby of twenty-eight years, their five kids (aka, the nerd herd), and a spoiled Dobie mix pup.

For more on Lea's books (past, present, and future), check out her:

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