French Onion Soup
Makes 2 Servings
Open 1 pint of French Onion Soup
Pour soup into a small sauce pan
Bring soup to a simmer over medium high heat
Preheat broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source
Ladle hot soup into heat-proof crocks
Float a slice of toasted baguette on top of soup in each crock
Top with a few slices of provolone cheese
Place the filled crocks on a baking sheet, and broil until the cheese is golden and bubbly
Enjoy!
Spinach Tortellini Soup
Makes 6 servings
6 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 to 2 teaspoons minced garlic
One 9-ounce package cheese tortellini
Dried basil
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed
Salt and pepper
1 can Italian style stewed tomatoes
Parmesan cheese
In a large pot, bring stock to simmer.
Stir in tortellini and simmer gently for 3 minutes.
Stir in spinach, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and tomatoes.
Return to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes.
Serve hot with Parmesan cheese.
Lasagna Soup
Makes 6 servings
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound mild Italian sausage casing removed or other ground meat
32-ounce chicken stock
2 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes, with juice
6-ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2-3 Tablespoons freshly chopped basil more to taste
8 uncooked lasagna noodles broken into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper to taste
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Ricotta cheese
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat
Add in the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes
Stir in the garlic and cook an additional minute
Add in the sausage (break up with a wooden spoon) and cook until browned
Drain any excess grease and then add in chicken stock, tomatoes and tomato paste
Stir until combined and then add the oregano, Italian seasoning and basil
Bring to a light boil and then add in the noodles
Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the noodles are tender
Stir in the parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste
Ladle soup into bowls and top with mozzarella cheese and spoonful of ricotta cheese
Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Makes about 4 servings
6 cups steamed cauliflower
Olive oil cooking spray
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups Vegetable Broth
Celery Salt, Adobo and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Baguette Bread
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Arrange steamed cauliflower on a sheet of foil on a baking sheet
Spray olive oil cooking spray evenly on the cauliflower
Bake cauliflower for 30 minutes, baguette slices can be toasted 5-8 minutes
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot
Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes
Stir in garlic and roasted cauliflower
Pour in the broth, season with celery salt, adobo and pepper
Simmer about 20 minutes
Blend the soup in the pot with an immersion hand blender until creamy and smooth
Stir in brown sugar
Top with shredded Asiago Cheese
Serve with toasted baguette slices
Slow Cooker Green Beans, Ham and Potatoes
Serves 6
1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed and cut in half
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves chopped garlic
2 cups of cut up ham
1 pound new potatoes, quartered
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
3 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Black pepper to taste
Chicken broth
Place beans in a slow cooker and cover with broth
Add chopped onion, garlic and ham
Cover, and cook on High until simmering
Reduce heat to Low, and cook for 2 to 3 hours, or until beans are crisp
Add potatoes, and cook for another 45 minutes
Season with onion powder, seasoning salt, bouillon, brown sugar, and pepper
Cook until potatoes are done, then adjust seasoning to taste
To serve, use a slotted spoon to pull out beans, potatoes, and ham into a serving dish with a little broth.
Serve with fresh made cornbread
Chicken and Dumplings
6 servings
3 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups chicken, cut into chunks
1 cup each celery and onion, chopped
2 tsp of onion powder
1 tsp of garlic powder
1/2 tsp of garlic salt
2 tsp of poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup each potato and carrot, chopped
1 cup frozen green peas
1 1/2 cups baking mix (optional, see notes at end)
2/3 cups milk
In large, heavy pot, combine soup, stock, chicken, celery, onion and seasonings. Cover and cook over low heat about 1 1/2 hours.
Add potatoes and carrots; cover and cook another 30 minutes.
Add peas and cook only 5 minutes longer.
Add dumplings. To make dumplings: Mix baking mix and milk until a soft dough forms. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto BOILING stew. Simmer covered for 10 minutes, then uncover and simmer an additional 10 minutes.
*Helpful hint: DO NOT “drop” your dumplings to close together, to cook properly they need room to breathe and the liquid needs to bubble up between them.
*Instead of making dumplings you can use refrigerated buttermilk biscuits. Cut each biscuit into eights with a pair of scissors right into the pot of broth and simmer as stated above.
Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup
Makes about 6 servings
3/4 pound ground meat
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
14 oz can of diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup flour
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup uncooked pasta, I used Barilla Ditalini pasta
In a large skillet, sauté the ground meat and onion until meat is no longer pink
Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about one or two minutes
Season with salt and pepper
Add ground meat to slow cooker
Stir in the chicken stock and the can of tomatoes, including the juice
Cook on high for 3 hours or 6 hours on low
Thirty minutes before serving: Whisk together the heavy cream and flour in a small bowl until no clumps remain, this is to thicken the soup
Whisk into the soup
Add the cheese and stir until it’s melted
Cook on low for 25-30 additional minutes
While that’s cooking, cook pasta according to instructions on box
Drain and add to slow cooker, stir to combine
Serve the soup with toppings such as additional cheese, crumbled bacon, sour cream and chopped pickles.
*Leftovers will thicken a lot as they sit in the fridge. To reheat, add a little water or extra chicken stock.
