Potato Soup

Posted by Lori:

 I received this recipe from a friend when I asked (begged) for recipes for the blog last week! I was out of new ones to share and hadn't made anything new in a long time. Thanks, Amber!

Potato Soup

1 can chicken broth and enough water to make about 5 cups liquid
1 pkg frozen O'Brien potatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream style corn
1/2 pound Velveeta cheese, cubed

 Bring liquid to boil and add potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes. Add soup (undiluted), corn, and Velveeta. Simmer and stir until soup and cheese are blended. Amber said she usually adds some shredded chicken breast to hers, but it's good without as well.
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Mexican Chicken Soup

Posted by Lori:
Last week my husband's cousin posted on Facebook that her husband had made a yummy and healthy soup for them.  I, and others, asked for the recipe.  Here it is for you to try, too!

Mexican Chicken Soup

1 red pepper

1 ancho pepper

1 can green chilies

2 chicken breasts

Chop these up. Saute together seasoned with onion powder, garllic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper.

Add:

1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilis)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 box of chicken broth

1 can tomato sauce (large)

1 can each of black beans

1 can red beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can corn

Cook for at 30 minutes to an hour. Add chopped fresh cilantro before serving.

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Mexican Chicken Soup

Posted by Donna:

I decided last week that I had to start eating healthier and not eat so many sweets. After I decided that, I went and ate several chocolate chip cookies just to get them out of the house. (tee hee) I hope I'm not the only one that does that. It's too wasteful to throw them away. Anyway, after I decided that, I started surfing the web for healthy recipes. This soup caught my eye. It was listed under "Healthy Soups." I wasn't disappointed in it at all. I really liked it---Larry thought it was good, too.

2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded


1/2 tsp. olive oil


1/2 tsp, minced garlic


1/4 tsp. ground cumin


2 cans chicken broth


1 cup frozen corn (I used white corn.)


1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped onion


1/2 tsp. chili powder


1/2 T. lemon juice


1 cup salsa


Crushed tortilla chips


shredded cheese ( I used the Mexican four blend cheese)

Cook the ground cumin and minced garlic in the olive oil for about 5 - 8 minutes.

Add the next six ingredients and simmer for about 20 - 30 minutes. Put cruched tortilla chips in each serving bowl. Pour the soup on top of the chips. Top with the shredded cheese. I also put a huge dollop of guacamole on ours. Sour cream can also be added to the top.

This is very, very filling. I couldn't eat all of mine. It is definitely worth making.
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Weight Watchers Potato Soup

Posted by Lori:

A friend gave me this recipe years ago, but it's been years since I've made it!  I'm thinking I need to try it again.  It's not just for the weight-health conscious.  It's good for everyone!

Weight Watcher's Potato Soup

2 cans fat free chicken broth
2 cups water
1 package frozen Ore-Ida O'Brien potatoes
1 package Fat Free Pioneer Country Gravy Mix

In medium saucepan, bring chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil.  In small bowl, mix 1/2 cup water and gravy mix until well blended. Add potatoes and gravy mix to boiling liquid. Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes.  1 cup of soup =1 Weight Watchers' point

*Can be cooked in Crock Pot.  Soup can be frozen.
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Chicken Noodle Soup

Posted by Lori:

Chicken Noodle Soup isn't only great when your feeling a little sick, but it's also a hearty any-time meal.  This recipe is very simple, but also full of flavor.  I started with the basic Swanson Chicken Broth recipe, which is found on the side of their carton, but added a few ingredients for extra flavor.

Chicken Noodle Soup

3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
6 cups chicken broth
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 cups extra wide egg noodles
Pepper to taste

Heat broth, pepper, carrot and celery in 2 quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. (I cooked it until the vegetables were tender). Stir in noodles and chicken. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender.

My kids like eating this soup topped with the small oyster crackers.

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Chicken Soup

Posted by Kimberly:

We have some dear friends here in Lubbock who have been like adopted grandparents to our kids. Last week, he had to have quadruple bypass surgery. The kids and I went to see him at the heart hospital on our way back in to town from spending spring break at mom and dad's. While we were at the hospital, our friends and their daughter were raving about a chicken soup that a lady from our church had made for them. So, when I asked her if she would share her recipe, she kindly agreed. She emailed it to me, and when I saw her at church Sunday morning, she asked me if I had received it and told me to not let its length scare me. My reply to her was "Well, it does!" Not only was the recipe two pages long and required two days to make it, but it also involved cooking a whole chicken which I had never done before. (I am a skinless, boneless chicken breast girl!) So, on Sunday afternoon while I was making my menu and grocery list out for the week, I decided I would give it a try under the condition that my husband would pull out the insides of the chicken for me! :)

Below is the recipe she emailed to me just as she wrote it. I even included her hints that she color-coded in blue and the ones she included at the bottom. She is my kind of lady..... she tells EXACTLY what to do and doesn't assume that I know what she is talking about. :)

Chicken Soup

It is best to do this in two stages. Cook and debone the chicken and chop the vegetables and bag them one day. The next day, put it all together. (While chicken is cooking, I usually chop the vegetables...see types and amounts on Day Two.)

Day One:

Cook together and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until the chicken is tender:

1 whole chicken (around 4 pounds with packaged insides removed.)

3 quarts water

1 whole, peeled, medium onion

2-3 ribs of celery, twisted

3 bay leaves

While chicken is still warm, take meat off the bone, cut in bite-sized pieces and place in plastic bag. Place in refrigerator as soon as possible, with bag open. When meat has cooled, close bag, expelling as much air as possible.

Cool broth as soon as possible to lessen chance of toxic conditions. Try to refrigerate within 35-40 minutes.

Day Two:

Melt: 4 tablespoons margarine/butter

Saute in the margarine for 6-10 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently:

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2/3 cup uncooked rice

1 cup finely chopped onions

1 cup scraped and finely chopped carrots

1 cup finely chopped celery

Skim any fat off the top of the broth that was refrigerated the day before and add enough water to have 10 cups liquid. Be sure and remove the whole onion, celery ribs and bay leaf, throwing them away. DO NOT THROW AWAY THE BROTH!!!!

Combine:

the sauteed vegetables

10 cups broth

6-8 chicken bouillon cubes

1 rounded teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until rice is tender.

Blend together and add to the soup, stirring constantly as you add it to avoid lumps:

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup water

To all of the above, add and stir in: (about 30-45 minutes before serving....if chicken is cooked too long, it becomes mushy)

1 cup half & half cream

the chicken meat cut in bite-sized pieces

This should yield about 4 quarts (1 gallon)

Some other hints:

• While chicken is cooking, I cut the onions, carrots, and celery. (They can all be stored in the same plastic bag.)
• Leave the skin on the chicken while cooking. Then throw it away with the bones.
• The next morning, the fat from the skin is easily skimmed off the broth.
• You can add more chicken bouillon cubes to taste.
• If you like thicker soup, add more cornstarch than suggested.
• This freezes well.
• I usually double this recipe as I have a three gallon pot, then freeze in smaller containers to take to those who are under the weather.

As I said above, this recipe scared me at first. I have to say, though, it really wasn't that hard. I just had to plan where I had a chunk of time to cook the chicken and cut it up. By day two, it is really nice because all of the chopping is done....it is just a matter of putting it all together. One change that I am planning on making the next time I make this is adding more rice to make it a little heartier and because my husband and I really liked the rice. I am going to increase the rice to 1 cup instead of 2/3. After I see how that works, I may try to increase it to 1 1/3 cups.

This soup was really delicious and I will definitely be making it again for friends and family. I am now even considering cooking a whole chicken and using real broth every time a make soup that calls for canned broth and chicken. It makes such a difference in the flavor. So for those of you, who, like me, entertained the thought of substituting this with canned broth....DON'T DO IT! It won't be near as good! Plus, you will really feel like a Food Network chef by the time you are done! I know I did!! :) Pin It Now!

Taco Soup (Weight Watchers' Recipe)

Posted by Lori: 
This is another Weight Watcher's recipe, passed along to me by a friend.  Weight Watcher's recipes are good and healthy for everyone!

TACO SOUP

1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey meat
1 large chopped onion
3 - 16 ounce cans Mexican style chili beans undrained
1 - 16 ounce can whole kernel corn undrained
1 - 16 ounce can chopped tomatoes, undrained
1 - 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1 - 4.5 ounce can chopped green chilies
1 package (1.25 ounce) taco seasoning mix
1 envelope Ranch Style Salad Dressing Mix

(My friend substitutes a can of Rotel for the chopped green chilies and can of tomatoes.)

Cook beef and onion in large dutch oven or stock pot until meat is brown, then drain. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.

May be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition facts per serving: 170 calories, 5 g fat, 13 g fiber
Makes 3 1/2 quarts. 1 serving of 1 Cup = 3 points

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4 Can Soup

Posted by Donna:

I'm going to be honest with you. I'm posting a recipe that I haven't made. A friend of mine gave me this recipe yesterday afternoon. Since I'm leaving to go out of town, I knew I needed to pre-post my recipe before I left; so, this seemed to be the easy thing to do. It sounds so good, and my friend from church said it was wonderful. So, here goes-----

2 lbs. hamburger meat, cooked and drained

1 can rotel

1 can ranch style beans

1 can veg-all

1 can minestrone soup ( Use the Progresso brand.)

Simple, isn't it? It does sound really, really good. I'm anxious to try it when I get home.

If anyone makes it before I do, let me know what you think.

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Hodge Podge Soup

Posted by Kimberly:

With the weather getting colder, I get in the mood for soups. This soup is very hearty and really easy to make. It is perfect for the cold days ahead!

Hodge Podge Soup:

2 lbs. ground beef
1 1/2 cup yellow onion
1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
2 cans Ranch Style beans
3 cans minestrone soup
2 tsp. chili powder
1 can Rotel
garlic powder

Brown meat with celery and onions and drain. Add all other ingredients together and simmer until hot. See.... I told you it was easy!

This goes great with cornbread and freezes well, too!
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Fun Idea - Soup in a Bread Bowl

Posted by Lori:

Today was another cold-ish, wet day in southwest Oklahoma. We've had quite a few of them lately....perfect "soup" weather!

Years ago when I worked part-time in Altus (about 30 minutes away), I would go to a local bakery at noon and order their "Soup in a Bread Bowl". It was a sure way to warm me up on cold winter days, and the benefit of being able to eat the bread after eating the soup was extra fun! I haven't eaten soup like that in years, but last week, when I stopped by the grocery store (also in Altus), I noticed they were selling soup bread bowls. I picked up four of them - that's all they had - to use sometime this week. It worked out okay to only have four of them because my husband is out of town and I didn't want the bread anyway.

Soup in a Bread Bowl

These looked HUGE, but once the middles are out, it makes a perfect size to hold the soup.

Using a large serrated knife or bread knife, slice the top off of the bread - about 1/3 down from the top.

Using a smaller serrated knife, cut a circle around the bread about 1/2 inch from the edge.  Be careful not to go too low or you will poke a hole in the bottom of the bread.

Pull out the middle of the bread, leaving 1/2 inch in the bottom and all the way around.  I saved my crumbs and will give them to my mother-in-law to freeze for her Thanksgiving dressing.  I don't like to waste food!

I placed the bread on this large sheet pan and covered it all with foil, but you could wrap each bread bowl in foil individually, being careful not to smash them.  Heat them in the oven until time to serve.  I put the oven on warm about an hour before time to eat, but you could do a hotter temperature for a shorter amount of time.

Serve with your favorite soup.  I served my kids potato soup and a Mexican beef soup.  YUMMY!

The kids were soooooo excited about eating their soup out of the bread bowls. They didn't really like the bread itself (it didn't have much flavor), but they thought the whole concept was really neat. Plus, I took extra time to garnish each bowl and make it pretty for them, which they really thought was neat. Homemade bread bowls would be great. Maybe I'll try that....someday....:)
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Chicken Tortilla Soup

Posted & Created by Lori:

This soup was created many years ago as I was preparing for Wednesday night meals for our church family. Using a huge roaster pan, I just began dumping cans of soup, tomatoes, beans, broth, tomatoes and green chilis - plus the chicken - into it until the mixture "looked about right". Since that time I've made it countless times and had numerous requests for the recipe. Most people are really surprised that it's so simple to make. I serve this soup with Garlic Cheese Biscuits. (I use the Bisquick recipe (on the outside of the box) except I use more milk than is called for.)

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
(This is a 3cherrycokes' original recipe)

2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cooked and chopped or shredded)
2 family-sized cans cream of chicken soup (*see note below)
1 or 2 cans chicken broth (*see note below)
1 can tomatoes and green chilis (ex. Rotel or other brand)
1 can ranch beans (Ranch Style or other brand)
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tsp. cumin
8 corn tortillas, torn into pieces
1/2 cup sour cream, optional

Place all ingredients, except tortillas and sour cream, into large stock pot or crock pot. Heat thouroughly. Before serving, add tortillas and sour cream. (Sour cream would be pretty as a garnish on top, then put a little bit of cheddar cheese.)

Basically, it's still the same as from it's beginning (except I added the evaporated milk a few years ago to make it extra creamy and the cumin for extra flavor)...just dump everything together and the flavors do all of the work! (*NOTE: These ingredients are for a very large crock pot size (6 quart); you may need less of the cream of chicken soup and broth for your crock pot and for your desired preferences of thickness.) It's still a great recipe for large groups. Just pull out your roaster pan and double or triple.

**Tip - Do you use frozen chicken breasts? Frozen chicken is much cheaper than fresh chicken and can be great to keep on hand for quick and easy meals. You can still boil the chicken, chop or shred it, then freeze it to use later on...such as in Chicken Tortilla Soup!
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Chunky Potato Soup

I know most of us usually look forward to the fall/winter seasons because we eat more soups and stews. However, I love potato soup anytime of the year. This particular recipe came from a book published by women from my home town, Hollis, OK. The recipe is my aunt's; so, that makes it special. The book is also very special to me because my daddy bought it for me about eight months before he passed away. I think we all agree that cooks from our home town, especially our relatives, are some of the best. This is the only potato soup recipe I make now.

Chunky Potato Soup
Posted by Donna:

4 medium potatoes, cubed
2 cups water
1/4 cup chopped onion
6 T. butter/margarine
3 T. all-purpose flour
3 cups milk (I always use 2% for this.)
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Bring the 2 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add potatoes and cook until tender. (Do not drain the water off the potatoes.) Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is clear and tender, but not browned. Add flour, salt, and pepper to this mixture. Stir until well mixed. Add this mixture to the potatoes. Whisk until it is well mixed. Add the milk and cheese. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the cheese has melted.

I always add crumbled bacon, extra cheese, and chopped green onions on top of each bowl of soup. To me, soup is such a comfort food. I've taken it to those who have been "under the weather," as I know many people do. It's always so appreciated.
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Chicken Enchilada Soup

Posted by Kimberly:

Being a stay-at-home mom, I like to make things that I can stretch out for two or three meals to help save on our grocery bill. An added bonus of this is that I don't have to cook every night of the week. One of my favorite ways to accomplish this is by fixing soups. This chicken enchilada soup is really quick and easy to make, is a crowd pleaser, and freezes well.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
3 cans chicken broth
One 23 oz. can Ranch Style Beans
One 10 oz. can Rotel
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 lb. Velveeta cheese

Add all ingredients into a pot and cook on medium-high heat until the cheese melts which takes approximately 30 minutes. Serve over crushed tortilla chips. I also like to serve this with Mexcian cornbread. (My next post will be a healthier version of Mexican cornbread.)
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Squash Soup

Posted by Lori:
Sunday night after worship a little boy came up and asked if I would like some squash. His family has a big garden this summer and they were sharing the bounty. The back of their van was filled with HUGE squash like these. I took one of each, since my family only likes fried squash and I'm trying to keep us eating healthier. I know that the yellow squash is regular summer squash and the green one is zucchini, but WHAT IS THE WHITE SQUASH? The little boy told me it was "hand" squash, but the site I read says that's not in America. I looked at squash pictures, but found nothing that looked like this.
I decided to make a squash soup. It was really good! I tallied up the whole pot and it's only 5 Weight Watcher points, so one serving isn't even one point.

SQUASH SOUP
10 cups squash, cut in chunks
2 cans (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 carton (32 oz.) chicken broth
1 T. Italian seasoning (you may prefer less)
1 T. onion powder
1 T. garlic powder
1 t. salt
pepper, to taste

Place ingredients in large pot. Simmer until vegetables are tender - about 45 minutes.

I don't make soup too often in the summer time, but it's a proven fact that soups are more filling, so that's always a good thing. My youngest son probably would have tried it, but he had already eaten when it was ready. My oldest would have tried it, but she's at camp this week. The two middle boys and my husband - not a chance!

I didn't use the white squash, just the yellow summer squash and zucchini. Do you know what it is? I think it's so pretty! It looks like a flower :). I'll think I'll just save it until fall and put it out with our pumpkins.

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