Toscana Soup
First up is a thinner potato soup with Italian sausage, kale and garlic. Let me just say this is my favorite. It seriously is one of the best soups I've ever made. I haven't made it this season yet, but you can bet I will be making it soon.
1 lb fresh spicy Italian sausage, casing removed (you can do regular if not a spice fan)
1 Tbs canola or olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart plus 2-4 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth (depends on how thick or thin you like it)
5 medium potatoes, diced
1/2 bunch of kale, leaves pulled from center stems and chopped
1/3 cup cream
Remove casings from sausage and brown in heavy bottomed stock pot with oil, onion and garlic. In another pot, boil the potatoes in 1 quart chicken stock 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Blend half of the potatoes once they're tender. Pour everything into pot with sausage. Reduce heat and add kale and cream. Simmer until kale is wilted, about 5-8 minutes. I usually serve with garlic bread and top the soup with grated Parmesan.
Taco Soup
Besides browning hamburger meat, if you can use a can opener, you can make this soup no problem :) I have used only 1 lb of meat and added another can of kidney beans before. I have also made this with ground turkey and it's just as delicious. If you're not a fan of spicy, use 3 cans diced tomatoes instead of the cans of tomatoes with green chiles.
2 lbs ground beef (i use 93/7)
2 medium onion, diced
2 cans pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
2 cans tomatoes with green chiles
1 can diced tomatoes
2 4oz cans diced green chiles
1 small can sliced black olives
1/2 cup sliced green olives
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
Garnish:
tortilla chips
grated cheese
sour cream cream
pickled jalapenos
Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet. Drain any fat. Transfer meat to a slow-cooker or large stock pot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, olives, taco seasoning, and ranch packet. Cook in slow-cooker on low 6-8 hours or in a pot on stove over low for 1 hour. If the soup is too thick for you, feel free to throw in a couple cups plain water or stock if you have it. Season with salt and pepper if needed at the end of cooking. To serve, ladle into bowl and top with desired garnish.
Stellar Legume Soup
If you aren't doing a meatless night of the week, please start by making this soup. Carnivores will not miss the meat in this soup. It is so filling and delicious. Legumes are a serious source of protein and fiber. The flavor reminds me of a minestrone. Goes great with a good chunk of fresh bread. This makes a TON. I have to divide it into 2 stock pots and it fills them to the top. I always freeze 2, 6 cup Tupperware of this after we're done eating. Will feed an army of people!
1 bag of mixed dried beans, peas and lentils (they sell them with like 16 varieties inside)
or you can buy them separate if you can't find a mixed bag. You'll need 2 cups total in any amounts of
dried beans: kidney beans, black beans, navy beans, pinto beans, great northern beans. you'll
also need 1/2 cup dried lentils and 1/2 cup dried split peas
1/2 cup barley or real brown rice (not the minute kind)
water for soaking the beans
2 onions, diced
1 bell pepper, diced, color of your choice
4 garlic cloves
4 large carrots
6 celery stalks or about half of a bunch
1 gallon water (12-16 cups) 16 cups is a gallon
4 Tbs chicken bouillon
3 cans diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 1/2 Tbs dried parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, for serving, optional
Put dried beans in a large saucepan and cover with generous amounts of water. If using a mixed bag you'll obviously just pour them all in. If using separate bags, keep the split peas and lentils out until noted. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat uncovered. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit 1 hour. Drain. Rinse barley and if using separate bags, the lentils and split peas too. Drain. In a very large stock pot or 2 large stock pots if you don't have one that holds a gallon, add onions, bell pepper, garlic, carrot and celery (divide them if using 2 pots). Pour in everything except fresh parsley, if using it. Cover and simmer 2 hours or until all the beans are tender. Stir in fresh parsley, if using, in the last 5 minutes of cooking. I like to blend a few cups of the soup and pour back in to make it a smoother consistency. Season with sea salt if needed at the end of cooking.
If you have a large enough crock pot, you could also do this in the crock pot and cook on low all day after you have boiled the beans and let them sit an hour.
Freeze any extra soup you have for a go-to meal the next week. Cook on 50% power in the microwave until you can dump it out of your freezing container and bring to a low simmer in a pot.
Stellar Legume Soup
If you aren't doing a meatless night of the week, please start by making this soup. Carnivores will not miss the meat in this soup. It is so filling and delicious. Legumes are a serious source of protein and fiber. The flavor reminds me of a minestrone. Goes great with a good chunk of fresh bread. This makes a TON. I have to divide it into 2 stock pots and it fills them to the top. I always freeze 2, 6 cup Tupperware of this after we're done eating. Will feed an army of people!
1 bag of mixed dried beans, peas and lentils (they sell them with like 16 varieties inside)
or you can buy them separate if you can't find a mixed bag. You'll need 2 cups total in any amounts of
dried beans: kidney beans, black beans, navy beans, pinto beans, great northern beans. you'll
also need 1/2 cup dried lentils and 1/2 cup dried split peas
1/2 cup barley or real brown rice (not the minute kind)
water for soaking the beans
2 onions, diced
1 bell pepper, diced, color of your choice
4 garlic cloves
4 large carrots
6 celery stalks or about half of a bunch
1 gallon water (12-16 cups) 16 cups is a gallon
4 Tbs chicken bouillon
3 cans diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 1/2 Tbs dried parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, for serving, optional
Put dried beans in a large saucepan and cover with generous amounts of water. If using a mixed bag you'll obviously just pour them all in. If using separate bags, keep the split peas and lentils out until noted. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat uncovered. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit 1 hour. Drain. Rinse barley and if using separate bags, the lentils and split peas too. Drain. In a very large stock pot or 2 large stock pots if you don't have one that holds a gallon, add onions, bell pepper, garlic, carrot and celery (divide them if using 2 pots). Pour in everything except fresh parsley, if using it. Cover and simmer 2 hours or until all the beans are tender. Stir in fresh parsley, if using, in the last 5 minutes of cooking. I like to blend a few cups of the soup and pour back in to make it a smoother consistency. Season with sea salt if needed at the end of cooking.
If you have a large enough crock pot, you could also do this in the crock pot and cook on low all day after you have boiled the beans and let them sit an hour.
Freeze any extra soup you have for a go-to meal the next week. Cook on 50% power in the microwave until you can dump it out of your freezing container and bring to a low simmer in a pot.
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