Sausage & Sweet Potato Soup

1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed (chicken if possible)

2 onions, diced

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces

kale, chopped and big stems removed

1 T Italian seasoning

5-6 cups chicken broth

Sautee onions in stock pot with a little olive oil, 4-5 minutes.  Add sausage and cook, breaking up, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes.  Add sweet potatoes, broth, and seasoning to stock pot.  Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 7 minutes.

Uncover pot at stir in kale (as much as you like).  Simmer until kale is wilted and sweet potatoes are tender, 5-7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Serve.

Tortellini Spinach Soup

8 c. low sodium chicken broth

2 (14.5 oz) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes (undrained)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp basil

pepper to taste

1 pkg (18-20 oz) three-cheese tortellini (or whatever tortellini/ravioli you prefer)

1 (11 oz.) bag/box fresh spinach

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened and cut into 1" cubes

Optional:

grated parmesan cheese

crusty bread

Combine the first seven ingredients (broth, tomatoes, and spices into soup pot and bring to a simmer.  Add tortellini or ravioli and cook according to package directions (approximately 10 minutes).  Then, add cream cheese and spinach, stirring to melt/combine the cream cheese and wilt the spinach.   Stir until well combined and spinach has wilted. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

Queso Taco Soup

Queso Taco Soup 6 servings 1 lb ground beef ½ small onion, chopped 6 oz cream cheese, softened 2-10 oz cans of Rotel ½ c heavy whipping cream 2 ½ c beef broth 1 tsp garlic powder 1 packet Taco seasoning S&P Brown ground beef and onions together, then drain. In a large saucepan, add beef and softened cream cheese on low/medium heat. Stir together to mix well before adding any other ingredients. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Add S&P to taste. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, and/or guacamole.

CP Green Enchilada Chicken Soup

CP Green Enchilada Chicken Soup 

6-8 hours to cook 

Ingredients 

2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs 

28 oz can green enchilada sauce 

24 oz chicken broth 

1 cup half and half (or heavy cream) 

2 cup Monterey jack cheese 

4 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened 

4 oz green salsa (salsa verde) 

salt and pepper to taste 

optional garnish: avocado, green onion, sour cream, cilantro 

In a 6-quart slow cooker add chicken breast or thighs, green enchilada sauce, and chicken broth. Cook on Low 6 to 8 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Add jack cheese, cream cheese, half and half, and green salsa. Turn the crockpot to warm and stir until the cheeses are melted. Add chicken back to the pot. Use hot sauce or additional salsa to taste. Delicious topped with avocado, cilantro, green onion, and sour cream. Serve and enjoy!

Ham Florentine Soup

 4 c. ham bone broth, divided*

1-1/2 c. sliced carrot

1 onion, diced

1/2 c. chopped celery

1/4 c. butter

1/3 c. a.p. flour

1 c. diced ham

1-1/2 c. fresh spinach

In a small saucepan, add 2 c. ham bone broth, diced onion, and carrot slices.  Bring to a boil and boil at least 10 minutes, until softened.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter.  Add the flour and stir continuously (in a figure-8 pattern) until the roux thickens, 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool for at least 2 minutes.  Whisk in the milk and 1 c. ham bone broth, stirring until bubbly.  Cook at least one more minute.  Add the rest of the broth and the diced ham.  Continue to stir.  Finally, add in the spinach and serve immediately or stir/cook until wilted and then serve.

*Don't have ham bone broth?  Check out the original recipe HERE.

CP Sausage Kale Soup with Sweet Potatoes

14 oz. sliced and halved (or diced) smoked sausage (I prefer Butterball Hardwood Smoked Turkey, 13 oz.)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
two diced carrots (about 1 cup)
two stalked celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
olive oil
3 kale leaves, chopped*
two small sweet potatoes, chopped (about 4 cups)*
2 cups fresh or frozen green beans, chopped into 1" pieces* (*I actually found frozen bags of these and dumped them in frozen)
2 TBSP Italian seasoning
pepper to taste

Begin by slicing and browning the smoked sausage in a little olive oil.  Chop the onion and add to the pan with the sausage.  Cut the carrots (my chunks were a little too thick so go thinner) and add.  Finally, chop and add the celery and cook until sausage is browned and onions are cooked.

Meanwhile, add the vegetable broth and two cans of tomatoes (without draining), the rest of the veggies, and the seasonings to your crockpot.  Add in the sausage mix.  Cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 6-8 hours.  (I used a preset that cooks on high for 1 hour and then low for 8, but didn't need to cook it the full 9 hours.)

Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana 6+ servings 1 lb Italian sausage (I like mild sausage) 2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices 1 large onion, chopped 1/4 cup bacon bits (optional) 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups kale or 2 cups Swiss chard, chopped 2 (8 ounce) cans chicken broth 1 quart water 1 cup heavy whipping cream DIRECTIONS Chop or slice uncooked sausage into small pieces, and brown sausage in your soup pot. Add chicken broth and water to pot and stir. Place onions, potatoes, and garlic in the pot. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. Add bacon (add red pepper flakes if you want a little heat.). Salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn to low heat. Add kale and cream. Heat through and serve.

Pasta e Fagioli

1 lb turkey sausage, diced (or ground beef)
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 C onion, chopped
3 tsp garlic, minced
 3 oz pancetta [Unavailable?  Try bacon!]
 4 C fat-free, low sodium chicken both
3 celery stalks, sliced 3 carrots, chopped
2 (14.5 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 (14.5 oz) cans white kidney beans (or great northern), drained and rinsed
2 (14.5 oz cans) low sodium diced tomatoes
2 (14.5 oz cans) low sodium tomato sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp basil
½ tsp dried rosemary
1 TBSP parsley
1 bay leaf
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
½ C ditalini pasta
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, etc,. for serving

 Directions: Brown the sausage. Saute the onion, garlic, and pancetta in EVOO until tender. Toss everything into a large 6 qt crockpot. Stir well and cover. Cook on low for 8 hours. During last hour, add the pasta. Serve with crusty French bread.
~Compliments of Barb G.

Kale, Cannellini Beans, and Potato Soup

6-8 servings
15 minutes prep
1 hour cooking time

 2 Tbsp EVOO
1 large onion, diced
3/4 C chopped carrots
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 C low-sodium chicken broth
2 C water
1 C white wine
3-4 potatoes, cut in chunks
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp sage
1 tsp thyme
1 16 oz can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
2 C finely chopped kale leaves
1 small red chile pepper, seeded, chopped fine (optional)
ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; cook and stir the onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes more.Pour in the chicken broth, water, and white wine; stir in the potatoes, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the cannelini beans, kale, chile pepper, and black pepper, and simmer, covered, for 30 more minutes.

Italian Meatball and Tortellini Soup

6-8 servings

2 Tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp minced fresh garlic
2 quarts beef stock
1 (12 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup green beans
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup chopped kale
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf (I left this out)
1 pound frozen, cooked Italian-style meatballs - thawed
1 pound fresh cheese tortellini
grated Parmesan cheese


Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat; cook the onion and garlic in the melted butter until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour the beef stock into the pot; add the tomatoes, green beans, carrot, kale, Italian seasoning, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the meatballs and tortellini; simmer 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top each with grated Parmesan cheese to serve.

Busy Day Soup

6 c water (I used beef stock)
1 lb ground beef
1 L can tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg frozen mixed vegetables
1 pkg onion soup mix
2 cubes of beef bouillon (use if cooking with water)
½ c macaroni or rice
minced garlic
salt & pepper
Italian seasonings

Brown and drain the ground beef. Add water and bring to a boil. (The original recipe called for cooking the beef in the boiling water rather than browning it.) Add remaining ingredients and simmer for one hour. Freezes well.

Fish Chowder

6-8 servings

1 Tbsp EVOO
5 slices bacon, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 celery ribs and their greens, finely chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp flour
2 small baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 qt. chicken stock or broth
1 c heavy cream or half and half
1 8-o. bottle clam juice
2 lbs. lean, flaky fish (cod, haddock, halibut, monkfish, or Tilapia,skinned and cut into 1-2" pieces
Hot sauce to taste
3 Tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
3 Tbsp basil

Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove the crispy bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and reserve.

Add the onion, celery, thyme sprigs, basil, garlic, and S&P to the pot, and cook for about 3 minutes, mixing it every now and then. Add the flour to the vegetables, stirring to distribute, and cook for 1 minute. Add the thinly sliced potato, then whisk in the chicken stock, heavy cream, and clam juice. Bring the mixture up to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the fish and continue to gently simmer for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down a little if the pot is boiling rather than simmering. Add the desired amount of hot sauce and taste for seasoning; add more S&P accordingly.

To serve, carefully ladle the soup into bowls, trying not to break up the fish too much. Garnish each bowl with a little of the reserved crispy bacon and some chopped parsley. Serve the soup alongside a simple mixed green salad.

Tortellini Tuscan Soup

Tortellini Tuscan Stew

1(2 lb) butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into 1" chunks
1 large zucchini cut in 1" chunks
1 large yellow summer squash, cut in 1" chunks
1 large onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, cut in 1" dice (I did not use)
4 oz thin green beans, trimmed and cut in 2" lengths
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 14 ½ oz can chicken or vegetable broth
2 Tbs fresh oregano chopped
1 ½ tsp chopped garlic
3/4 tsp salt
1 9 oz pkg fresh cheese tortellini
1 5 oz bag baby spinach
3 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese (I used more)

Combine all ingredients, except tortellini, spinach, and Parmesan cheese, in a 5 quart or larger slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 3 hours, or low 6 hours.

Uncover; turn slow cooker to high and stir in tortellini. Cover; continue to cook 15 minutes, or until pasta is almost tender.

Uncover; gently stir in spinach and Parmesan. Cover; cook 5 minutes until spinach is cooked down and tortellini is tender.

6 servings

Taco Soup

Taco Soup

2 cans each (undrained):
kidney beans, white beans, black beans, pinto beans

1 large can each:
whole corn, tomato sauce, water from the tomato sauce can, chopped tomatoes

1 lb. ground beef or turkey browned
1 large onion, chopped
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing powder
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning powder

Dump ingredients into a pot and simmer until everyone is ready to eat!
Makes 25 or so servings.

Tortellini Soup

Tortellini Soup

1 lb Italian Sausage (with the casings taken off)
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp basil
1 Tbsp dried parsley
½ cup water
½ cup red wine
5 cups of beef broth
2 cups chopped, peeled tomato
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 ½ cup sliced zucchini
1 med green pepper, chopped
8 oz tortellini

In a large kettle, brown meat, onion, garlic. Drain. Combine rest of ingredients. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Top with grated Parmesan cheese when serving.

Serve along with hot bread, and a wonderful dessert. This is a large volume recipe (from the Olive Garden).