Autumn Soup

I love fall days! The air is getting crisp and I feel the intense need to eat soup with homeade bread. After going to the grocery store, I saw those premade tortellini (spelled wrong?) packages. I threw it in my cart and decided to make something with it. When I got home, inspiration hit and I made the most satisfying soup ever! It tastes fantastic when you top it with fresh parsley and shredded cheese. If your grocery store has the pre-cut butternut squash, buy it. I think the convenience is well worth the money.
-Christine

1 package of tortellini (the spinach kind tastes great)
3 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of diced and peeled butternut squash
1 pound of italian seasoned sausage (turkey sausage works well too)
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 onion, diced
1 Tbl canola oil

*Over medium high heat, saute onion in canola oil. Add the sausage and crumble in the pan with your spatula. Cook until no longer pink. Add the broth, tortellini, squash and tomatoes. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Simmer until squash is tender (but not mushy!). Enjoy with fresh parsley and shredded cheese.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Curried Butternut Squash Soup is a great way to get rid of all the squash your neighbors keep giving you from their garden. This is great for a cool fall evening. It is very filling and has great flavor. I could have eaten the whole pot myself! ~BJ

Curried Butternut Squash Soup
recipe from Ellie Krieger 

1 TBS olive oil
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (2 1/2 lb) butternut squash
3 large carrots, peeled and cut (about 1 cup)***
5 cups chicken broth
1 TBS curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS honey
Sour cream or plain yogurt

Slice  butternut squash in half length-wise, scoop out the seeds and then place cut side down in a roasting pan with about 1/2 inch water. Bake at 400 degrees until flesh is tender, approximately 30-45 minutes. After slightly cooled, scoop cooked squash into a separate bowl and set aside.

Heat oil over medium heat in a 6-quart stockpot. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft but not brown, about 6-7 minutes. Add the cooked butternut squash;, chopped carrots, broth, curry powder and salt . Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes until carrots are very soft. Remove from heat and stir in honey and puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender until smooth. Season with salt to taste.

Dollop with yogurt.

***My secret ingredient....Use one bag of baby, peeled carrots. Place in saucepan with 1/4 cup of water, 1 TBS. honey, 1 TBS butter, and a dash of cinnamon and salt. Boil then simmer until tender. Use this for your carrots in the soup and I promise you will not be disappointed! 

Asparagus Soup

We have some friends that grow asparagus and they so generously share with us. I love grilling it...wrapping it in bacon and frying it... boiling it and dipping it in melted butter. I created this great soup recipe for this wonderful vegetable. My husband, who is NOT a soup person, LOVED this soup and went back for seconds.~BJ

Asparagus Soup

recipe by BarbaraJo 

2 bundles of asparagus

1 onion

3 cups chicken broth

2 TBS lemon juice

1/2 cup cream

Chop the asparagus and onion. Boil in the broth until tender. Remove from pot and blend until smooth. Return to soup pot and add cream and lemon juice. Serve warm or cold.

Black Bean and Chicken Stew

I love this recipe because you can do this in your crock pot or leave it on low or simmer all day. I didn't even need to thaw out my chicken (if you have less time, you probably should, though.) I found this from Woman's Day magazine, but I tweaked it quite a bit to fit my tastes. It tastes great with cheese quesadillas or homeade rolls. -Christine

Black Bean and Chicken Stew

6 cups chicken broth

1 red onion, chopped

2 cans black beans

4 cloves of minced garlic

1 small can of diced green chilis

1 can of refried beans

1 cup corn

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast

GARNISH:

sour cream

chopped tomatoes

chopped cilantro

shredded cheese

1. In a 6-qt slow cooker, combine the chicken broth, onion, garlic, chiles, green chilis, chili powder and cumin.

2. Add the black beans, refried beans, corn and chicken; cook, covered, until beans are tender and chicken easily pulls apart, 8 hours on low or 6 hours on high.

3. Transfer chicken to a bowl and, using a fork, break into large pieces. Optional: Using a blender, purée half the soup.
4. Stir the meat back into the soup and adjust the seasonings to your taste. Serve with the garnishes.

Tip: To freeze leftovers, cool the soup to room temperature, then ladle into freezer-safe containers or resealable bags and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the container or bag in the refrigerator and let sit overnight. To reheat, transfer the soup to a pot. Cook covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 15 minutes.

Grandma Matheny's Potato Soup

Our grandma is one of the most amazing cooks I know. A few years ago, she gave all of us grand kids her own cookbook for Christmas. It is one of the best gifts I have EVER received. In this recipes, I like to add fresh or dried parsley.- Christine

Potato Soup

6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 or 3 carrots, sliced
1/2 onion, diced
*Boil vegetables in 2 inches of water until just tender.

Add Sauce:
3 TBS. butter
4 TBS. flour
1/2 c. cheddar cheese, grated
pepper
garlic salt
2 c. milk
* Melt butter. Add flour and mix. Gradually add milk, salt and pepper. Add cheese and blend, stirring until mixture boils. Pour over vegetables.

Spicy Chicken Soup

I found this recipe off the internet a few years ago.It has been a staple at our house ever since. It tastes so good with hot, buttered rolls.-Christine

Spicy Chicken Soup

8 skinless, boneless chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces.
salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, diced
2 cups water
2 tsp. chicken bouillon
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 TBS. chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 Tbs dried parsley
1 (12 oz.) jar of your favorite salsa
1 can stewed and diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can corn, drained
1 can of pinto beans, drained
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 small (8 oz.) container of sour cream

garnish: cilantro and shredded cheese

In a large pot, brown  and season the chicken and the diced onions.  Add  the garlic towards the end. Add 2 cups of water to the pan, along with bouillon. Stir in the chili powder, parsley and cumin. Throw the rest of the ingredients in the pot. If your soup is too thick, add more water and bouillon. Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour. Right before serving, stir in the sour cream. Garnish with chopped cilantro and shredded cheese.