Creamy Rosemary Potato Soup

We got potatoes in our Bountiful Basket last weekend, and one of my favorite ways to enjoy potatoes is potato soup. I love the comforting, creamy goodness of potato soup. I couldn't decided on a specific recipe to try, so I kind of made up my own.

Creamy Rosemary Potato Soup

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8-10 hours
Yield: 10-12 cups

Ingredients

• 3 large baking potatoes, cubed
• 3 veggie bouillon cubes
• 1/2 large white onion, finely chopped
• 2 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup almond milk

Cooking Directions

1. Stir all ingredients together in a 4-quart slow cooker.
2. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.
3. About 1/2 an hour before serving, remove about 1/2 of the soup to a blender or food processor; blend until creamy. Stir back into the remaining soup. Add almond milk and continue cooking until heated through, another half hour or so.

Tweet
Other ways to follow us:
Facebook → Tale of Two Sisters and Their Kitchens
Pinterest → Tale of Two Sisters and Their Kitchens board

Black Bean Soup

I love black beans. And black bean soup has always been one of my favorites, so when I saw this recipe over at Happy Fit Mama for Roasted Corn Black Bean Soup, I could hardly wait to try it out. I didn't have any peppers, roasted corn, or zucchini, so I had to modify it a bit with what I had on hand.

The last soup I made had been a complete disaster, so I decided to stick to the recipe instructions for this one and not attempt to make it in the slow cooker. It probably would've been fine since there is no kale or pasta in this soup, but I didn't want to risk it. I mean, really, it doesn't take that long on the stove top anyway.

I did, however, risk making this with the salvaged broth from the disaster soup. Turns out, it was a risk well taken. It cleared out some space in my fridge and tasted pretty good in the soup. Well, it didn't taste bad, at least.

Black Bean Soup

Yield: 6 cups

Healthy Recipe: White Bean Soup

This recipe has been in my drafts since 2010. It was in a Healthy Living company newsletter.

Simple and nutritious, this hearty soup is incredibly rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals that will fill you up without filling you out.

Doesn't that sound perfect? I've been wanting to try it ever since but never seemed to have the ingredients on hand (namely, the kale). Since I've resolved to try 2 new recipes a month in 2013, I figured this week was the perfect time. I added kale to my shopping list and was very excited to give it a try.

It was a complete disaster! Even though it didn't turn out seriously, it was so bad that we ended up eating pizza for dinner instead. 
I figured I'd still share the recipe.

Pasta turned Soup

I needed to make something for dinner. I thought pasta with red sauce sounded good, but, of course, I didn't have any red sauce on hand. I did have some veggies and tomato sauce. I could make a sauce from scratch. Without a recipe. Right?

Turns out, nope.

It turned out way too thin, so I improvised. Instead of serving it like a regular pasta, I served it like a soup. It was delicious!

Veggie Pasta Soup

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/4 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (8oz) can water
• 1 (15.5oz) can black beans
• seasoned salt
• dried oregano
• dried basil
• crushed red pepper
• 6 oz elbow macaroni

Directions

1. Heat oil in large skillet. Add celery, onion, and carrots. Saute until slightly soft. Add garlic and saute for another minute or so.
2. Add tomato sauce, water, black beans and seasonings (to taste).
3. Meanwhile cook macaroni according to package directions.
4. Combine sauce and pasta and simmer for at least an additional 10 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.

Loaded Potato Soup

I'm kind of a sucker for potato soups. I don't know what it is about them, but there's hardly been one I didn't like. This recipe was no exception. Originally found on MyRecipes.com, I, of course, made some very minor alterations.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 4 (6-ounce) red potatoes
• 2 tsp olive oil
• ½ cup chopped celery
• ¼ cup dried, minced onions
• 1 heaping tsp Organic Better Than Bouillon™ chicken base
• 1¼ cups water
• 3 T all-purpose flour
• 2 cups skim milk, divided
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¾ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 4 bacon slices
• ⅓ cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Directions:
1. Wash potatoes. Pierce with a fork and microwave on HIGH for 12 minutes or until fork tender. Cut in half; cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion; sauté 2-3 minutes. Add chicken base and water. Stir until base dissolves.

3. Combine flour and ½ cup milk; add to pan with remaining 1½ cups milk. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream, salt, and pepper.

4. Arrange bacon on a paper-towel lined microwave safe plate. Cover with a paper towel and microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. Crumble bacon.

5. Scoop insides of potatoes into pan; discard skins. Coarsely mash potatoes into soup. Top with cheese and bacon.

NOTE: My husband really likes salt, so I tend to make everything a little on the salty side. This could easily have the salt reduced to ½ tsp (per the original recipe), if you might like a little less salt. I thought it was perfect, but Jeff still added a bunch of salt to his bowl!

Peppery Squash Soup

I made this squash soup a couple weeks ago. I thought it was delicious and subsequently, it was my lunch throughout the week. Maybe even longer. While I did scour the Internet for some soup recipes, I ultimately came up with this recipe on my own - pulling from a few different recipes (sources for which I can no longer remember) I had found online. I mostly threw in a little of this and a little of that, so the measurements listed below are largely guesses but should suffice as a starting off point.

Peppery Squash Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 med Delicata squash
• 1 med Acorn squash
• 2 T Olive oil, separated
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 sm onion, chopped
• 4 oz cream cheese - this is the only ingredient I actually measured
• 4 tsp bouillon - I used a vegetable based, but chicken based would probably also be good
• 4 cups water
• 1 T Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions
1. Cut squash in half. Brush with 1T oil; season with salt and pepper. Cook until fork tender (roast, boil, microwave, whatevs). I'm lazy and impatient, so I chose the microwave method. Mash cooked squash with a fork.

2. In large pot, heat oil. Sautee garlic and onion. Add cream cheese. Cook and stir until cheese is completely melted. Add cooked squash to the big pot. Add the bouillon and water. Season with Mrs. Dash and cayenne pepper. Simmer for at least 20 minutes.

3. Blend soup in a blender, using an immersion blender, or in a food processor. I don't have any of those, but I do have a Magic Bullet. I used all 6 blender cups to get all the soup blended. Return to pot and simmer until hot again (or longer to let the flavors continue to meld).

Peppery Squash Soup with Cheez-Its®

Especially delicious served with Cheez-It® or Goldfish® brand crackers.

Crockpot Potato Soup

I love, love, love potato soup! I always have. I remember making it once as a teenager; it was delicious. This, unfortunately, is not that recipe. I found this recipe at Recipe Shoebox. I made a few minor changes and modified it to a slow cooker.

Click here for nutritional facts.

Click here for printable version.

Ingredients:

• 4 large potatoes
• 5 1/2 cups water
• 6 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/4 c dried, minced onions
• 9 baby carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 T parsley
• 1 T coarse Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour

Directions:

Peel and prep potatoes. I've made this soup with diced potatoes. Jeff has complained about the potato chunks being too big, so this time, I prepped the potatoes julienne-style using my Pro Chopper Plus that I got for my birthday last year. I love this little kitchen gadget!

Anyway, combine all but the last three ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until veggies are tender.

Stir in milk.

Prepare a roux with the butter and flour. Add a bit of the hot liquid from the soup. Stir until thick and smooth.

Add roux mixture to the crockpot, while stirring briskly.

Cook for an additional 30 - 45 minutes.

I just found this in my drafts. Seems all ready to go except for a picture of the actual soup. So my apologies, but I'll just post this now and maybe next time I make it, I'll update this post.

Cream of Broccoli soup

This is not going to be some fantastic, gotta try recipe.

I'm trying to be very conservative in my lunches (read: living like a poor college student), so I bought some condensed soups for those days when I have no leftovers from the night before and no time in the morning to pack anything else for lunch.

So, today, I threw a can of Cream of Broccoli soup into my purse as I rushed out the door to catch my bus.

Around 12:30, I was starving.

I grabbed that can of soup -- super excited for my delicious lunch -- only to read the label that clearly states MIX WITH 1 CAN OF MILK.

Milk?? Drats.
No milk here at work.

No credit card.
No cash.
Meant no run to the convenience store for a little jug of milk.

By now, I was super starving.

Guess I'll just make it with water and hope it's not too disgusting.

And then *epiphany* I'll just add some powdered coffee creamer to it to make it all creamy.

Is it the best tasting soup ever? Definitely not.

Points for creativity? You tell me.

At least I'm no longer starving.
At least there was some plain creamer in the cupboards and not Hazelnut flavored.

Twenty-Minute Chili

I received this recipe the other day in my Inbox. There was a chill in the air outside, and chili sounded great for dinner! This was pretty simple and quite delicious. I modified it a bit, including making it a meatless. Since my husband generally likes his soups/chilis pretty thin, I tripled the amount of liquid in this dishes. I have included the original ingredients in brackets or you can visit the link above for the original recipe on MyRecipes.com.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups chili, 1/2 cup rice, and 1 tablespoon cheese)

Ingredients

• 1 c long-grain white rice [originial recipe: 1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice]
• 1 T vegetable oil
• 1/4 c dried, minced onion [originial recipe: 1 cup chopped onion]
• 3/4 c chopped green bell pepper
• 1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed [originial recipe: 1/2  pound  ground turkey breast]
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 tsp Wrcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14.5-oz can Southwestern-style diced tomatoes with green chiles, jalapeños, and lime juice, undrained [original recipe: 1 (14.5-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with jalapeño peppers and spices, undrained]
• 2 (5.5-oz) cans V8 [original recipe: 1 (5.5-ounce) can tomato juice]
• 1 (5.5-oz) can of water (use empty V8 can) [original recipe did not call for water]
• 1/4  cup (1-oz) preshredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Preparation

Cook rice according to package directions.

While rice cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, [and turkey]. Cook 3 minutes or until done. Stir in chili powder and the next 9 ingredients (chili powder through water); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Serve over rice, and sprinkle with cheese.

Two-Bean Soup with Kale

I know, I know. It's been forever. Hopefully this is the beginning of a long stint in updating regularly.

Anyway, a week or so ago I received in my Inbox a recipe from MyRecipes.com. As you may remember, my husband loves himself a good soup. I asked him if he'd be willing to try a soup that had kale in it. We've been so.very.adventurous (*rolling eyes*) with our dining in the past that, yes, I did have to google kale. It sounded like something that might be good, and we are trying to make some changes and experiment more with good food, so I decided to take it for a whirl.

It was delicious! We couldn't stop eating it. If I'd known how yummy it would turn out, I probably would have doubled or tripled the batch to gobble up (and maybe save for later).


It was the perfect consistency - not too creamy, not too brothy.
It was colorful and had a delectable flavor.

The only complaint I got was the kale. Not the taste but the size. It was slightly bigger than the spoon. I know I could have cut it a little finer. Next time for sure!

Since I didn't really make any changes to this recipe, I'm not going to post it all here. You can click here to get the printable version from the MyRecipes website.

Hope you make this soup. You'll LOVE it!

Back to Blogging: A Post I Wish More People Had Read - "Homemade Tomato Soup"

NOTE: This was originally posted January 26, 2010. I've reposted it as part of SITS Back to Blogging event. This was probably one of my favorite recipes. It tasted so delicious! Soup season is nearly upon us again, and I'm excited to try this again soon. I hope you enjoy it, too.

A couple weeks ago, we had a "Soup and Swap" for a church activity. It's always so fun to gather together and share some delicious soup and browse through *new* treasures. This is one of my favorite activities each year. I signed up to bring a soup. I was really hankering for some tomato soup, so I found this recipe at FoodNetwork.com and decided to try it out. My husband loved it, and I got so many compliments and requests for the recipe. :-) A couple people did their very best to clean the serving spoon and crockpot - not one drop to be missed!

Ok...so this picture of the finished product doesn't really do it justice, but trust me, this is the BEST tomato soup recipe!!

Click here for Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Strain the chopped canned tomatoes, reserving the juices. I used Hunt's® Diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano.

Spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, to taste, drizzle with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and roast until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil (I actually ran out of olive oil with the tomatoes, so I used canola oil) over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic, cook until softened, about 10 minutes.

Add the roasted chopped canned tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf and butter. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Add basil and cream, if using. (I left out the cream. The basil I used was some I had frozen last summer.)
Puree with a hand held immersion blender until smooth.

I, of course, don't have an immersion blender or a full-size blender, so I had to blend it in batches in my Magic Bullet®.

Voila! Super, yummy tomato soup!

ENJOY!!

Sorry about the poor final product pictures. :-(

Hamburger Soup

Today, I wanted to make a soup in the Crockpot because I knew that I wouldn't be home at dinnertime. I wanted to use hamburger as the base but didn't have a specific recipe in mind. I briefly looked in a couple cookbooks. I couldn't find anything that jumped out at me, so I decided to just wing it. I browned the hamburger with some onions and garlic (who can go wrong with that!) and added that to some veggies from the fridge/freezer and water with beef bouillon cubes in the Crockpot. I wasn't sure how to flavor it, so I looked up my spices in one of my cookbooks. I chose a few that were suggested for soups...and voila! My soup was born. Jeff LOVED this soup! He loved the flavor. The spiciness was just perfect. I thought it was quite tasty myself. Hope you enjoy it, too!

Click here for printable recipe.

Click here for nutritional information.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup dried, minced onion
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup sliced baby carrots
• 1 cup diced potatoes
• 6 cups water
• 6 beef bouillon cubes
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• Tabasco sauce, to taste (not included in nutritional info)

Directions:
Brown hamburger with onion and garlic. Combine hamburger mixture with remaining ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Turkey Bean Soup

You know what I both LOVE and HATE about making soup?

You can work without really having a recipe.

I love it because you can clean out your fridge/cupboards with whatever you have on hand.

I hate it because it's often difficult to duplicate a masterpiece.

I love it because it's never the same, and therefore not boring.

I hate it because it might not be as good as last time.

Good thing my husband LOVES soup, and it's difficult to screw up. :-)

Today's soup was modified from a soup I found a Recipe Shoebox.

Click here for Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup dried, minced onion
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 cups black beans
• 2 cups water
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 can cooked turkey (or 2 cups cooked turkey)
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped baby carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 dash cayenne pepper
• 1-2 drops of Tabasco
• Salt, to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until hot and veggies are tender.

Homemade Tomato Soup

A couple weeks ago, we had a "Soup and Swap" for a church activity. It's always so fun to gather together and share some delicious soup and browse through *new* treasures. This is one of my favorite activities each year. I signed up to bring a soup. I was really hankering for some tomato soup, so I found this recipe at FoodNetwork.com and decided to try it out.  My husband loved it, and I got so many compliments and requests for the recipe. :-) A couple people did their very best to clean the serving spoon and crockpot - not one drop to be missed!

Ok...so this picture of the finished product doesn't really do it justice, but trust me, this is the BEST tomato soup recipe!!

Click here for Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Strain the chopped canned tomatoes, reserving the juices. I used Hunt's® Diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano.

Spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, to taste, drizzle with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and roast until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil (I actually ran out of olive oil with the tomatoes, so I used canola oil) over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic, cook until softened, about 10 minutes.

Add the roasted chopped canned tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf and butter. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Add basil and cream, if using. (I left out the cream. The basil I used was some I had frozen last summer.)
Puree with a hand held immersion blender until smooth.

I, of course, don't have an immersion blender or a full-size blender, so I had to blend it in batches in my Magic Bullet®.

Voila! Super, yummy tomato soup!

ENJOY!!

Sorry about the poor final product pictures. :-(

Super Simple Chili

Last night I actually planned ahead and got dinner ready in the Crock Pot before heading to class. I made the simplest chili ever, and it was so tasty. Jeff especially loved it.

Click here for Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cans Turkey Chili, plus 3 cans of water
• 2 cups black beans, not drained
• 1/2 can diced tomatoes, slightly pureed
• 1/4 cup minced onions
• scant 1/4 Wahoo Chili
• scant 2 T Garlic Garlic
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Not pictured:
• cayenne pepper, to taste
• onion powder, to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a Crock Pot, or slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

My husband loves soupy chili, so this is really thin. Adjust the amount of water to satisfy your family's tastes.

Oh So Simple Bean Soup

I've had a pound of white beans in my cupboard for more than 2 years, so I thought I should try to put them to good use. I soaked them yesterday, so they would be ready for me today.

I tried looking for a good recipe to use, but nothing was jumping out at me, so I decided to do a little experimenting. This is NOT something I usually do.

Feeling a little daring, I put the beans in some fresh water, put it on to boil, and started grabbing cans from my cupboard.

Here's the end result:

Oh So Simple Bean Soup

• 1-15.25oz can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1-10.75oz can cheddar cheese soup + 1 can of water
• 1-15oz can of crushed tomato + 1 can of water
• 1-15oz can of tomato sauce + 1 can of water
• 1-15oz can of chili beans
• 1-15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 lb of dried white beans, soaked and cooked
• 1/4 cup of Wahoo! Chili (Tastefully Simple)
• 1 1/2 T Garlic Garlic (Tastefully Simple)
• 1/4 c minced onion
• 1 T salt
• 1 tsp basil

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Simmer for at least 30 minutes until hot and flavorful.

I topped this with Texas Toast(R) Cheese & Garlic croutons. Yummy!