Tag: Soup

Easy Chicken and Rice Soup

Great for cold weather or when your stomach is upset, especially if you need something gluten free. This is adapted from a great recipe on twopeasandtheirpod.com

And as previously mentioned, this one is naturally gluten free.

Make it a meal with:

Easy Chicken and Rice Soup

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy-medium
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Mild and great for cold weather or upset stomachs.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 1 Onion, chopped
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, minced (abt. 1 tsp. minced)
  • 2 medium Carrots, chopped
  • 2 Celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
  • 1 tsp. + Dried Thyme Leaves
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 2 qts. Chicken Stock or Broth (I often just do 3 Tbsp. chicken base and 9 cups water)
  • 1 c. Water
  • 1/2 c. Rice, uncooked
  • 2 c. Shredded Cooked Chicken (can use about 1/2 rotisserie chicken)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Place a large pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Pour in the chicken broth and water and bring to a boil. Add the rice and chicken; season with salt and pepper.
Cook on medium-low until the rice is tender, about 25-30 minutes.


 

Jalapeno Cheddar Soup

This is another decadent cream-based soup based on a Harmons deli soup recipe. It makes quite a lot. (Check out the tomato basil soup also.) I’m so glad the deli director at Harmons was always happy to share any recipe you’d ask for, because everything that Harmons makes is so amazing. Anyway, at the hot soup bar, you can find their turkey cheddar jalapeno soup. I adapted it to use chicken (cheaper and more convenient), cut the broth in half, and I also added more ingredients so it wasn’t so much broth in relation to chicken. It also calls for a lot of butter–I feel like I cut it in half the last time I made it (to 1/2 c.), and it was good.

This soup is great, spicy, and best with chips and cheese on top. Depending on how spicy it turns out, you may need to add sour cream. This is another soup where we freeze the leftovers in gallon bags–sometimes the potatoes can get a little mushier after thawing, but mostly it heats up and tastes just fine. And this soup still has a thin broth instead of a thick gravy like a stew–so I put cheddar and sour cream on top of the soup for the picture, and of course they both just sank right in. Haha. 

If you’re making this gluten free, make your roux with the cornstarch instead of flour.

Make it a meal with:

  • Corn Muffins
  • Tortilla Chips
  • Grapes

Jalapeno Cheddar Soup

  • Servings: 15?
  • Difficulty: medium-hard
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Spicy and delicious–you can freeze leftovers in gallon bags.

Ingredients

  • 1 c. Butter (or 1/2 c. for less oil on top of the soup)
  • 1/2 c. Flour (or 1/4 c. cornstarch)
  • 6.5 lb. Chicken Breasts, cubed
  • 1/4 c. Canola Oil
  • 1 Onion (.6 lb.)
  • 2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
  • 1 Red Pepper (3.25 oz.), diced
  • 1 Green Pepper, diced
  • 1 Jalapeno (1 oz.), diced
  • 1/4 c. Water
  • 1 oz. (about 1+ Tbsp) Member’s Mark Chicken Base
  • 1/2 gal. Chicken Stock (2 boxes)
  • 1 qt. Cream
  • 2 qt. Milk (8 cups)
  • 1/2 Tbsp. Salt
  • 1 tsp. Black Pepper
  • 1/2 Tbsp. Red Pepper Flakes
  • 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced  
  • 1 lb. sharp or extra sharp cheddar, grated
  • 1/2 bag Frozen Corn

Directions

In a separate pan from the stock pot, create the roux by melting the butter and adding the flour or cornstarch to cook. In the large stock pot, brown the chicken. Add oil, onion, garlic, peppers, and jalapeno and cook until onion is translucent. Add water, stock, base, cream, and milk. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and bring to boil. Add potatoes and cook until they’re done (about 15 minutes). Reduce heat and add roux and cheese. Stir until soup thickens and cheese melts, then add corn. Adjust seasonings as needed (add more red pepper flakes to make it spicier). Serve with sour cream, extra cheese, and crushed tortilla chips on top.


Tomato Basil Soup (huge batch)

Oh man, this soup is so glorious and rich. It does take a fair amount of time and cream (probably one of the reasons it’s so delicious), so we’ll often look for cream to go on clearance and then freeze it for making this soup or ice cream in the future. This soup is adapted from a deli recipe at Harmons, so get out your scale for this recipe. I’m so glad the deli director at Harmons was always happy to share any recipe you’d ask for, because everything that Harmons makes is so amazing. I did adapt it to make it a little easier and cheaper for certain ingredients, and to add chicken and pasta. This soup is fantastic when served in a bread bowl or with bread in general–dip your bread in it. Or grilled cheese. Delicious. (Also try the Jalapeno Cheddar Soup recipe adapted from Harmons.)

You can add chicken and/or tortellini to the soup, which we usually do. Take note that this soup does require an immersion blender (unless you make a tiny batch and blend it up in your regular blender). We usually make a giant batch and freeze leftovers in gallon bags, so it always takes longer to make than I think. But it’s so worth it. And it’s wonderful to have in the freezer for an easy meal or in case a friend is sick and needs a quick meal.

*This is purposely a huge recipe–we basically make it once or twice a year, fill several gallon bags (a single batch fills 3-4 gallon bags. If we double the recipe, we get 7-8 gallon bags), place them in metal disposable pans, freeze them in our large freezer, and eat them throughout the whole year.

If you’re making this gluten free, just don’t add the tortellini. You could potentially cook some gluten free pasta separately and put it in the bottom of each person’s bowl before adding the soup. But it’s pretty great as it is.

Make it a meal with:

  • Bread Bowls, French Bread, or Garlic Bread
  • Grapes or Jell-O
  • Green Salad

Tomato Basil Soup (huge batch)

  • Servings: About 45
  • Difficulty: medium-hard
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You need a scale and an immersion blender. Freeze leftovers in gallon bags.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. Olive Oil
  • 2 lb. Yellow Onions, diced (buy close to 3 lb.)
  • 2 oz. Garlic, minced
  • 2 oz. Salt
  • 0.6 oz. Ground Black Pepper
  • 6 c. Water
  • 3 lb. Fresh Tomatoes, cored and diced (buy a little over 4 lb.)
  • 2 large (102 oz.) cans Diced Tomato (I’ve also sliced whole tomatoes after Sam’s Club stopped carrying the large diced can)
  • 6-8 lbs. Chicken Breasts, cubed (optional) (like a pack of fresh chicken breasts from Sam’s Club)
  • 2.5 qt. Heavy Cream 
  • 2 lb. shredded Italian Cheese 
  • 2 c.+ Parmesan (like the cheap powdered parmesan)
  • 0.8+ oz. dried Basil
  • 40-60 oz. Frozen Tortellini (optional)

Directions

In a very large stock pot (at least 12 qt.), heat oil over medium heat. Sauté garlic, onions, salt, and pepper until translucent. Add water, fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes, and basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cooking for 40 minutes or until thickened. Remember to stir periodically, scraping the bottom so it doesn’t burn. If using chicken, cook the chicken in a separate large pan while the soup simmers, and keep the chicken separate until the end. Once the soup is thickened, add cream and cheeses. Puree with a stick blender. Add more cheese, salt, or basil to taste–I often add more of all–but remember that the basil flavor will get stronger as it sits. Add chicken and tortellini at end to heat through before serving. If your soup pot is really full, keep the chicken and tortellini separate and add them to the bottom of each person’s bowl before serving. Or divide the soup into two large pots and add the chicken and tortellini.
 
To freeze leftovers: Ladle two ladles full per person into a gallon bag. We usually do 12 ladles so we get a meal plus lunch the next day for our family of two adults and 3 small children. When we double the batch and use two giant pots, we get 7 or 8 gallon bags for the freezer after our dinner and lunch, depending how many leftovers we want in the fridge (if it’s a single batch, it’s about 3-4 gallon bags). Then we place the bags in disposable metal pans and take them to the freezer.
 
To reheat: Remove a bag from the freezer and let it thaw overnight or microwave it a few minutes to thaw it a little. It’s okay if it’s not totally thawed. Just get it thawed enough to get in a big pot or even an electric skillet if it’s really frozen and won’t fit in a pot. Heat until it’s your desired temperature. No need to add water or anything else.

 


Chili

My sister-in-law Stephanie makes a great chili, and she shared the recipe with us. I love hominy and bell peppers, so we add those in. We’ve also made this with a pound of cubed, cooked pork chops for an extra meaty chili–haha, we called it “Meaty Meat Meat Chili”. You can make this in a pot or let it simmer in the crock pot.

And this one is naturally gluten free.

Make it a meal with:

  • Sour Cream and Cheese to top
  • Corn Muffins
  • Melon or Grapes
  • Green Salad

Chili

  • Servings: 6?
  • Difficulty: medium
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It’s got a fair amount of spice, but you can add even more chili powder to up the heat.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. lean Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
  • 1 lb. Sausage
  • 1 lb. Pork Chops, cubed (optional)
  • 1 Onion, diced
  • 2-3 Tbsp. Chili Powder
  • 1 heaping Tbsp. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 1 Tbsp. Paprika
  • 2 Tbsp. Cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. dried Oregano
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1 tsp. Pepper
  • 2 tsp. Garlic Powder (or fresh garlic)
  • 2 c. Beef Broth
  • 1 (15 oz.) can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
  • 1 can Rotel
  • 2 Bell Peppers
  • 1 can Kidney Beans, drained
  • 1 large can (25 oz.) Hominy, drained

Directions

Cook the meat, then add the onion (and fresh garlic if using). Add the spices (chili powder to garlic powder) and stir. Then add remaining ingredients and heat through.


Wonton Soup

The best part of wonton soup is the pork balls. Even if the wonton falls off while cooking, it’s still delightful to eat the pork balls. This is a fun soup, but we don’t make it very often because it takes a long time to make the wontons. And be careful that you keep the wontons covered with a damp cloth, so that they don’t crack (both the wonton wrappers in the pile and the finished ones with pork inside). The part of wonton making that takes the longest is shaping them–dipping your finger in water and sealing all the edges.

If you’re making this gluten free, make sure to use tamari or gluten free soy sauce (since soy sauce is usually made with wheat). And you’ll have to make your own wonton wrappers. I actually made mine the other day, and they turned out surprisingly well. They were a little thicker than usual, but I was so pleased. And they didn’t fall apart in broth like so many gluten free pastas do. I’m going to try making egg rolls with these wonton wrappers as well.

Wonton Shapes. We made 1.5 pounds of pork the other day, and I tripled the recipe from glutenfreeclub.com. It still wasn’t enough. But I included the recipe below so you don’t have to find it. I tried two different shapes when I made the gluten free wonton wrappers. It doesn’t matter what shape you use, as long as it tastes good. We traditionally made what I think my mom called “little nuns”, where you roll it in a tube, then bring down the two bottom corners of the tube and join them under her “chin”. But I also tried making one that’s more like a fancy ravioli or something. They were both great–I felt like the ravioli one shaped like an X was a little easier to make with the gluten free wonton wrappers. You just bring all the corners of the square to the middle. 

Make it a meal with:

  • Egg Rolls or Fried Rice
  • Fresh Fruit
  • Fortune Cookies

Wonton Soup

  • Servings: 5?
  • Difficulty: medium-hard
  • Print


Delicious pork balls–and don’t forget the green onions for the broth (that makes it good).

Ingredients

  • 1 qt. Chicken Broth
  • 1 bunch Green Onions, sliced
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 lb. Ground Pork
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1/4 tsp. Ginger
  • 2 Shakes Soy Sauce (or gluten free soy sauce/tamari)
  • Wonton Wrappers (or gluten free wonton wrappers)

Gluten Free Wonton Wrappers (from glutenfreeclub.com)

  • 3 c. Gluten Free Flour (with xanthan gum), plus extra for rolling
  • 3 Eggs
  • 3/4 tsp. Salt
  • About 3/4 c. Water (adding a Tbsp. at a time)

Directions

In a small pot, combine broth, green onions, and salt to taste. Heat until steaming but not boiling. In a medium bowl, mix the pork, 1 tsp. salt, ginger, and soy sauce together. Place a small ball in the middle of a wonton wrapper and fold the wrapper into wonton shape, using water to seal edges (you can dip your finger in a small bowl of water to do this). Keep finished wontons under damp paper towel to prevent drying/cracking. When a large pot of water is barely boiling, place wontons in water and cook until they float and the pork is no longer pink in the middle (generally a few minutes). Don’t let them stay in the water too long or they’ll start to fall apart. Scoop out finished wontons with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl, then cover with broth and serve.

For gluten free wonton wrappers: In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the flour, eggs, and salt. Add the water 1 Tbsp. at a time until the dough is the consistency of Play Doh. Generously flour your work surface and place a small ball in the middle. Flour your rolling pin and roll out the dough as thin as you can without cracking. Cut off the rough edges so you have a square, then use a pizza cutter or bench scraper to cut into squares about 2″ x 2″. Brush any extra flour from the wontons and place in a pile, then cover with a damp paper towel to prevent cracking. (Refer to glutenfreeclub.com for more pictures if needed.)


Pea Soup

Pea soup always makes the house smell so amazing, with the warm aromas of ham, onion, and peas. But we usually only make it once a year or once every few years, with the leftover ham from New Year’s. Haha, mostly it turns into Ham Soup (with some peas) because the ham is what makes it so delicious. It’s best if you can find Hurst’s Ham Peas (like at Walmart) because it comes with an enclosed flavoring packet. I have made it with just straight up split peas because I couldn’t find one with a flavor packet at a different grocery store, but the flavors of course need more tinkering.

Also, I generally wait until the end to add the ham cubes. I’ve had the ham boil with the rest of the soup before, and the ham often kind of shrivels up and loses its flavor. So I prefer to wait to add the ham cubes until the end, just to warm them up in the soup before serving.

And this one is naturally gluten free.

Make it a meal with:

  • French Bread or Rolls
  • Fruit Salad

Pea Soup

  • Servings: 6?
  • Difficulty: medium
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Great way to use your leftover ham bone.

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg. Hurst’s Split Peas
  • 12 c. Water
  • 1 medium Onion, chopped fine
  • 1 Carrot, diced
  • 4 Tbsp. Butter
  • 2 tsp. Salt
  • ½ tsp. Pepper
  • Enclosed packet of Ham Flavoring
  • Leftover Ham with bone (cut ham into cubes)

Directions

Rinse peas. Combine peas, water, onion, carrot, butter. Cover loosely, boil rapidly 30 minutes. Add ham flavoring, salt, pepper, and ham bone. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Then stir ham cubes in soup, to warm up before serving.


Mulligatawny Soup

The first time I tried mulligatawny was from the Harmons hot soup bar. Normally I’m not a fan of curry, but the soup was delicious, so I searched out a recipe from Food Network and found one from a restaurant owner in Massachusetts. I made a few modifications, like adding more chicken, potatoes, and curry powder. The additions make it more like a stew because it gets thicker, but I love it that way. And it’s even better if you serve it with naan and dip the naan in the soup.

This is naturally gluten free, and I’ve even made it dairy free before by using a can of coconut milk instead of cream (the picture below is made with coconut milk). You couldn’t taste coconut at all, probably because of the curry powder–I was delightfully surprised. And this freezes well in a gallon bag.

Make it a meal with:

Mulligatawny Soup

  • Servings: 8?
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print


Indian flavors in a hearty soup, perfect with naan.

Ingredients

  • 1 c. Onion, diced
  • 4 – 6 Carrots, diced
  • 4 Celery stalks, diced
  • 4 Small Potatoes, diced
  • ½ c. Butter
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
  • 4 Tbsp. Curry Powder
  • 8 c. Chicken Stock
  • 2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and diced
  • 1/2 c. Uncooked rice (then cook)
  • 1 Rotisserie Chicken, broken down into bite size pieces
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1/4 tsp. Dried Thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. Pepper
  • 1 c. Cream, hot (or 1 can of coconut milk)

Directions

In a large stockpot over medium heat, add the onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, and butter. Cook until tender but do not burn. Stir in the cornstarch and curry powder, and cook for 3 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and let simmer for 30 minutes. Then add the remaining ingredients except the cream. Let simmer for 15 minutes, then add the cream. Add more spices or liquid as needed. Serve with naan.


Beef Stew

Oh man, this is one amazing stew in the Dutch oven at camp. We’ve made it several times while camping, and it smells so amazing. Nowadays we mostly make it in the huge crock pot instead of a big Dutch oven, but it’s still very delicious. You can also just make it in a pot in the oven. We often will get up to 5 lbs. of beef. Just make sure you don’t cut the potatoes too small or they’ll get mushy. I’ve also used lamb instead of beef. At first it tastes a little gamey when you cook it, but the longer it cooks, the more the flavor tastes like beef. Just give the lamb several hours and it will taste totally beefy and normal.

If you’re making it gluten free, haha, it needs a lot of alterations because all the soups, even the onion soup mix, have wheat in them. Which is too bad. 😦 But I’ve made it gluten free! Just Leave out the cream of celery soup (you can add 2 ribs diced celery if you want, but it’s not necessary), replace the tomato soup, and replace the onion soup mix.

Make it a meal with:

  • Muffins or French Bread
  • Fresh Fruit
  • Green Salad

Beef Stew

  • Servings: 8?
  • Difficulty: medium
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Make your house smell like heaven, haha.

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs.+ Stew Beef Cubes
  • 2 Onions
  • 8 medium Potatoes
  • 8 medium Carrots
  • 3 Bay Leaves
  • 1 envelope Onion Soup Mix (or replace with:
    • 1/4 c. Dried Minced Onion
    • 2 Tbsp. gluten free Beef Bouillon Granules
    • 1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
    • 1/4 tsp. Parsley Flakes
    • 1/8 tsp. Celery Seed
    • 1/8 tsp. Paprika
    • 1/8 tsp. Pepper
  • 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup (or gluten free mushroom soup from Campbell’s or Great Value)
  • 1 can Cream of Celery Soup (or leave out – can optionally use 2 ribs diced celery)
  • 1 can Tomato Soup (or replace with 16 oz. tomato sauce, 1 Tbsp. sugar, 2 Tbsp. corn starch, 1 tsp. salt)
  • 1 can Water

Directions

Cut vegetables into big chunks. Brown beef cubes (optional). Layer beef and vegetables, twice. Sprinkle top with onion soup and bay leaves. Mix soups and water and pour over all. Bake in large roaster pan with lid 8-10 hours at 225-250° and 2-3 hours at 325°. If in crockpot, cook 5-6 hours on high. Check for drying. May add water. Remove bay leaves before serving or warn your guests to look for them while eating, haha.


Minestrone

Add chicken to this flavorful soup to make it more filling. This soup is a great way to get lots of veggies. It does take a lot of dicing but it requires very little cleanup–just a knife and cutting board besides the pot. I’ll often leave out the beans and add a yellow squash instead. You can kind of put in whatever veggies you’d like.

If you’re making it gluten free, you can easily add gluten free rotini instead of macaroni.

Make it a meal with:

  • Garlic Bread or Breadsticks
  • Jell-O or Fresh Fruit

Minestrone

  • Servings: 6?
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print


Nice garlicky soup with lots of veggies.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 – 2 lb. Chicken, cubed (optional) or rotisserie chicken
  • 1 can (16 oz.) Kidney Beans, drained (optional) or 1 yellow squash, diced
  • 1 clove Garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp. Salt
  • ¼ tsp. Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
  • ¼ c. chopped fresh Parsley (optional)
  • 1 small, unpeeled Zucchini, diced
  • 2 ribs Celery with leaves, finely chopped
  • 2 small Carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 small Onion, minced
  • 1 can (14 ½ oz.) Diced Tomatoes
  • 3 Tbsp. Butter
  • 2 ½ c. Water
  • 1/3 c. uncooked Elbow Macaroni (or gluten free rotini)
  • ½ c. Beef Broth
  • Salt to taste
  • Parmesan cheese to top (optional)

Directions

If using the chicken, add a little oil to the bottom of the pot and cook the chicken. Then remove to a bowl. Mash beans slightly in pot. Stir in ingredients from garlic to parsley. Then add zucchini to water. Add back chicken. Boil, then reduce heat, cover, simmer 1 hour. Add more water if needed. Add macaroni and beef broth. Simmer 15 minutes until macaroni is tender. Top with parmesan cheese if desired.


Chicken Noodle Soup

This soup tastes so wonderfully of childhood, I make it even in the summer. I love how the whole house fills with the warm aroma of cooking chicken and a light oniony broth. Haha, when I worked at Harmons, we had a meeting every week and started off by saying the best thing we ate the last week–I said so often that my favorite thing was homemade chicken noodle soup, that my coworkers started to request that I bring it in one day, since it was apparently so delicious. I never actually did, though. I did make it for a district meeting on my mission once, though. Haha, except it sat on the stove the whole meeting and the bottom burned, and the noodles turned to mush. It still tasted pretty good, though.

In all fairness, I don’t know that it’s such an amazingly stellar recipe so much as it reminds me of warm, comforting days with my mom. Of sneaking pieces of chicken, and one time being bold enough to ask my mom if I could eat one of the wings. She kindly obliged, smiled, put some salt on the wing, and handed it to me, letting me enjoy the whole thing.

I also remember my mom, at my request, teaching us for a Young Women’s activity about how to make a meal when our mom was sick. So she taught us how to make chicken noodle soup and blueberry muffins. Some girls didn’t want to get their hands goopy in breaking down the chicken, but I never minded. Plus, you get to sneak lots of pieces of chicken yourself. I’ve made this soup so many times in my life, and I look forward to making it with my girls.

If you’re making this gluten free, make sure to use Members Mark Chicken Base from Sam’s Club or Better Than Bouillon instead of bouillon cubes. And I generally cook the noodles separately and add them in after because gluten free noodles tend to fall apart in soup. So the smallest amount of time the noodles can be in the soup, the better.

Make it a meal with:

  • Muffins or Rolls
  • Fresh Fruit

Chicken Noodle Soup

  • Servings: 8?
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print


Warm and comforting, but it takes tons of time to make.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole Chicken, washed and cleaned out
  • Water to cover chicken
  • 4-5 Chicken Bouillon Cubes (or 4-5 tsp. Members Mark Chicken Base)
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 2 Carrots
  • 1 Onion, chopped
  • Optional: 2 whole stalks Celery
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • ½ bag Egg Noodles (or 1/2 box gluten free rotini)
  • ~½ c. frozen Peas
  • ~½ c. frozen Corn

Directions

In large pot, cover chicken with water. Place bouillon cubes, bay leaves, carrots, and onion in water. Optional: Add 2 whole stalks of celery for flavor. Boil for 1 hour, occasionally skimming off foam on top. Remove bay leaves and celery, then remove celery stalks and chicken from water and let cool in a pan for about 20 minutes. (Cools faster if you use a spoon to separate off large chunks while hot.) Once cool, pull chicken off bone and place bite-size chunks in broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Soup always needs lots of salt and sometimes another bouillon cube or two for flavor. Add egg noodles and boil for 8 minutes, then remove from heat and add peas and corn–or cook the gluten free noodles separately and add them to each person’s bowl individually before adding broth.