Sausage Lentil Kale Soup

This recipe appealed to me because of the "healthy" foods in it, i.e., the kale and the split peas, but also the appeal-to-Dad food in it, i.e., the Kielbasa Sausage. The original is found on Kitchen Parade, here. Make sure you read her tip for how to prepare the Kale, as the hardest thing about eating kale (I think) is the stringy texture. So anything you can do to remove the strings can only help. Of course, I adapted it to what I had on hand, which is lots of cannery-canned dry soup mix, and a package of frozen tomatoes that needed to be used. But I did buy the kale and the sausage especially for this recipe. So here's how I did it:

4 oz. Kielbasa sausage
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 onions, chopped
1 quart tomatoes
1 quart water
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
1 cup dry soup mix
1 bunch kale
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large pot over medium high heat while you prepare the sausage. Cut the sausage in quarters lengthwise, then slice into little bits. Add to the hot pot (it should sizzle) and stir around. Chop the onions and the garlic and add them as well, being careful that the sausage doesn't burn while you do. In other words, turn the heat down if you have to, and stir often. While the sausage and veggies simmer, blend the tomatoes up on high. Then add the blended tomatoes, the water, and the bouillon granules to the soup pot. Stir in the dry soup mix (or split green peas or lentils or whatever you're using). Prepare the kale by soaking it in a sinkfull of water for a couple of minutes then remove the stems and just keep the curly leaves. Chop the leaves finely then add them to the soup pot, along with the carrots. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for 90 minutes or until the peas and lentils in the soup mix are cooked through. Stir in the vinegar and salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Garden Vegetable Soup

I'm putting this recipe on here so I have quick access to it. This version came from here. In fact, I think I'll add her blog and a few others to the sidebar of this blog.

WEIGHT WATCHERS ZERO POINTS GARDEN VEGETABLE SOUP RECIPE

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 1 1/4 hour
Makes 9 cups

6 cups broth 

Cooking spray
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
4 teaspoons garlic, minced 
1/2 cabbage, chopped 
1/2 pound frozen green beans
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large zucchini, diced

Bring the broth to a boil in the microwave. (This is a time-saving tip that can be skipped if there's no hurry.)

Spray a Dutch oven with cooking spray and heat on MEDIUM HIGH. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the zucchini and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to MEDIUM and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the beans are tender. Add the zucchini and cook until the zucchini are tender. Serve and enjoy!

ALANNA'S TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES 
 BROTH Canned broth or bouillon granules work fine but for more freshness, consider using Homemade Vegetable Bouillon or Light Vegetable Stock. 
 GARLIC Use garlic from a jar or substitute about four cloves minced garlic. 
 CABBAGE Fresh cabbage is best but you can use a bag of pre-cut slaw, just look for the biggest chunks you can find versus the fine angel-hair slaw. Don't skip the cabbage, somehow it makes the soup. 

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Cup: 61 Calories; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 13 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb10; 701 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; 4 g Protein.  WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS WW Old Points .5 & WW PointsPlus 1

WHAT? HOW DOES A ZERO-POINT RECIPE HAVE POINTS? This soup is low-cal, low-carb, high-fiber and no-fat. But hmmm. What about the claim that it has no points in the Weight Watchers world? I suppose so, since all the ingredients are "free". But the way I calculate points, a calorie's a calorie and so I count every one of them whether from chocolate cake or fresh vegetables. In my book, Garden Vegetable Soup counts as 1 point but if you want to count it as Zero Points, go ahead. Either way, it's a winning recipe.

Cheddar Leek Soup

In last weeks bountiful basket I got (among other things) a 5lb bag of petite golden potatoes, broccoli, and leeks. Now, I know what I can do with potatoes, and I know what to do with broccoli, but leeks? I actually had to ask someone what they were because I didn't recognize them. I mean I've heard of them, but never used them.
So what do you do with leeks? Make soup! I found this recipe on allrecipes (thanks Talena!) and actually I just glanced at the recipe and then did what I usually do to make soup, but it turned out delicious so I wanted to share.

Garlic Cheddar Leek Soup

Ingredients:

2 leeks
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion (roughly)
butter
olive oil

Sautee those veggies in a large pot in the butter and oil until tender (about 5 min)

Add:

5 cups water
2-3 chicken bouillon cubes
6-7 petite golden potatoes, cubed

Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Actually before the potatoes are quite done, add:

Broccoli, chopped (however much you want, I did one bunch)

Boil until the broccoli and potatoes are tender, meanwhile whisk:

1 cup milk and
1/3 cup (roughly) flour together

Add the milk mixture to the soup and stir until thickened then add about:

1-1/2 cups cheese

Stir until the cheese is melted. Add:

Salt and pepper to taste

And you have a delicious soup! Seriously, it tasted as good as some soups I've had at restaurants. I really liked it.

Chicken Nacho Soup

I came across this recipe from Valerie Phillips, editor of the Food section in the Ogden Standard Examiner newspaper, and before that for the Deseret News, for a Slow Cooker Nacho Chicken soup. I decided to make it for dinner last night, so here is how I did it. 

First of all, I mixed up my own taco seasoning mix from what I had in my cupboard based on this recipe from allrecipes.com. But since the original soup recipe called for TWO cans of chicken broth and TWO cans of chopped chili, in my mind I was doing TWO recipes of taco seasoning mix. Then I realized I should have only done one. Oh, and also since I didn't have chicken broth, then I just did water with chicken bouillon powder in it, so I added the bouillon into the taco seasoning mix. So, whether it's "right" or not (I'll let you know later), here's what I did for the taco seasoning mix:

1 tablespoon chili powder (I just did one tablespoon instead of doubling it so it wouldn't be so hot)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (again, I'm afraid of the heat!)

1 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (didn't double this one as ground cumin smells like stinky socks to me, so I have a hard time adding a lot of it, even though I always like the end product)

1 teaspoon black pepper (also didn't double this one, plus I left out the salt that the recipe calls for because I figure that between the bouillon and the canned goods that I'll be adding there will be plenty of sodium in this soup.)

I also noticed that in her recipe, the two cans of diced chili are 7 oz. each, but my cans of diced chili are 4 oz. each. I still only added two of them, again not wanting to make the soup too hot.

Another adaptation: I didn't start the chicken in my crock pot until 4 p.m., which means that I didn't do it in the crock pot, but instead cooked it in the broth and soup and seasonings in a pot on the stove so it would cook faster than it would have in the crock pot. But, you know, I bet two hours in a crock pot on the high setting would have been plenty of time to cook the chicken thoroughly.

Okay, the results are in. The soup was yummy! A little on the hot side, but that can be adjusted. As I went through the recipe, I realized that she has the ingredient of "2 cups crushed tortilla chips" listed twice. But in the directions, she talks about adding "the cheddar." So I think that one of those chips listings must really be for cheddar cheese. But it doesn't matter to me; I think it tasted fine without the cheese, and is likely better for me anyway. (In fact, I'm wondering if the cream of chicken soup is even necessary. Leaving it out would eliminate some fat.) Also, I'm glad I didn't add the salt to the taco seasoning mix that I put together, as the soup had plenty of flavor and was salty enough. Here's how I would do it next time:

Chicken Nacho Soup (Does it count as "Nacho" soup if there's no cheese?)
1 or 2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
3 1/2 cups water
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cans (4 oz. each) chopped green chilies
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup fat free sour cream
a couple handfuls crushed tortilla chips

In a small bowl combine the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika, ground cumin, black pepper, and chicken bouillon powder.Put the water, soup, green chilies, combined seasonings, and chicken pieces in a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 to 2 hours until chicken is done. Half an hour before serving, turn off the heat and remove chicken to a platter with a slotted spoon. Stir the beans, corn, cilantro, sour cream, and chips into the soup pot. Shred the chicken with a couple of forks, or chop it on a cutting board with a knife, and then return to soup pot. Stir all ingredients and serve.

Thursday Leftovers or Soup

Menu: Hamburger Soup. Or, as an alternative, I recommend trying Josie's Chicken Noodle Soup.


Hamburger Soup
1 1/2 lb. hamburger
2 cups potatoes, cubed
3 medium carrots, diced
2 tbsp. parsley, minced
1 large bay leaf, crushed
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup diced celery
1 tbsp. sugar
2 cups tomato juice
1 1/2 qt. water
2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup dry soup mix (from the dry-pack cannery)
pepper to taste
Brown hamburger. Mix all ingredients and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or simmer several hours in a crock pot. (Add 1 can cream of mushroom soup for a creamier texture.)

I Love Soup!!!

This poor neglected blog. I'm sure nobody reads it anymore, but tonight I made some really yummy chicken noodle soup and I wanted to tell somebody about it so I thought this was as good a place as any to share my yummy recipe for anyone who cares to see.

Sunday's are a relaxing day for cooking because Wayne can take the kids and play and I can cook at my leisure and experiment. Sometimes that's not such a good thing but tonight it was! So here's my recipe.

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 big carrot, peeled and sliced (I would have done another if I had another)

2-3 celery sticks, sliced

1 small onion, diced

2-3 teaspoons (or cubes) chicken boulion

1/2 can chicken chunks

pepper (aobut 1/2-1 tsp)

garlic salt (however much you dare add, I just kept sprinkling it in, and I think this is what made it so good. Oh, and I use the one that has parsley flakes mixed in with it.)

1 small pinch of rosemary

1 small pinch of thyme

(those last two spices are optional, just make sure you only use a small pinch or they will overpower the soup! (I've learned that the hard way, but not tonight))

1 recipe homemade egg noodles

So basically you just boil the veggies in a pot until they are getting tender, but still a little crisp (about 5-10 minutes) then you add the noodles and continue to boil about ten minutes as you have fun throwing in spices feeling like a real chef and hoping it actually turns out tasty...Oh, and don't forget to add the chicken towards the end so it can heat up.

This was my first time making homemade egg noodles and I will never go back to store bought! The homemade were easy to make and tasted much better too. Audrey loved the noodles and Briella loved the chicken and vegetables. I served it with baking powder biscuits and apples for a side dish and that's what Rylen ate. This meals a keeper.

What's your favorite soup recipe?

Crockpot Bean Soup

I threw some things in the crockpot last night around 5 p.m., knowing that we would be hungry after our session at the temple. It turned out pretty good, so I thought I'd share the "recipe" on here.

In a crockpot combine:

2 quarts water

1 cup dry soup mix from the cannery

1 cup 12-bean soup mix (this is a combination of dry beans--pinto, red, kidney, black, lentils, black-eyed peas, Navy, split peas, etc.)

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder

1/2 large onion

2 huge carrots peeled and diced

2 ribs celery cut up

1/2 pound ground turkey, broken into pieces

Cook for 4 hours on high. Then add a can of corn (I included the liquid) and a can of stewed tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste.

We ate it with toast and butter, and a big plum for dessert. It hit the spot for me.

Basic Vegetable Soup

2 carrots, sliced

1/2 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups cabbage, chopped

1 14.5-oz. can tomatoes

1 can water

1 tsp beef bouillon

1 cup frozen cut green beans

1/2 dried basil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1 small zucchini, sliced

Spray a large saucepan with cooking spray and saute carrots, onion and garlic over low-to-medium heat until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and continue to saute a couple of more minutes until cabbage begins to soften slightly. Add tomatoes, water, bouillon, green beans, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook for about 15 minutes, or until green beans and cabbage are cooked. Add the zucchini and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until soft. Serve warm.

Menu and Shopping List

Brown Rice
Cucumbers
Lemons
Zucchini
Cabbage
Potatoes
Onions
Squash
Oranges
Spinach
Bananas
Strawberries
Lettuce
Peppers
Cauliflower
Pork chops
Fish
Frozen green beans

Monday
Breakfast: Grain Compote with fruit
Lunch: Tuna Sandwich with spinach and celery, orange
Dinner: Apple pork chops, mashed potatoes, broccoli and carrots, spinach-strawberry salad
Snacks: Apple, Popcorn, green smoothie popsicle from freezer (last week's green smoothie)

Tuesday
Breakfast: Pancake and peaches
Lunch: Vegetable Soup (see below), bread and cheese
Dinner: Pizza with veggies, strawberry-banana smoothie, chocolate chip cookies
Snacks: green smoothie, apple, popcorn

Wednesday
Breakfast: Grain compote with strawberries, apples
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Bean enchiladas, corn, green salad
Snacks: green smoothie

Thursday
Breakfast: pancake and peaches
Lunch: Vegetable Soup
Dinner: leftovers
Snacks: apple, orange, veggie tray

Friday
Breakfast: Grain compote with strawberries, apples
Lunch: Tuna sandwich with spinach and celery
Dinner: Spaghetti noodles with chicken-vegetable prima vera
Snacks: apple, orange, green smoothie

Saturday
Breakfast: pancakes and peaches
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: fish, mac & cheese, carrots-broccoli-cauliflower
Snacks: apple, orange, green smoothie, popcorn

Here's the Vegetable Soup Recipe that I plan to use. I got it from Weight Watchers when I did that program a couple of years ago:
2/3 cup sliced carrot
1/2 cup diced onion
3 cups fat-free broth (beef, chicken or vegetable)
1 1/2 cups diced green cabbage
1/2 cup green beans
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup diced zucchini
Spray a large saucepan with nonstick cooking spray, heat. Saute the carrot, onion, and garlic over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add broth, cabbage, beans, tomato poaste, basil, oregano, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until beans are tender. Stir in the zucchini and heat for 3-4 minutes. Serve hot.