[Mjp121212]

Soups and stews go here!

[scubagirl80]

This is one of my absolute favorite Italian soups!

Tomato Soup with Pancetta, Mascarpone Cheese and Rye Bread

Ingredients:
- 1 T olive oil
- 1/4-1/2 lb Pancetta, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 (3/4" thick) slices of rustic rye bread, cubed
- 6 cups low-salt chicken broth
- 1, 28 oz can diced tomatoes w/ juices
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves (do NOT use dry)
- 1/2 t dried oregano
- 1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
- salt and ground pepper
- 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1/4 cup sour cream

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and saute until tender.
2. Add the bread and toss to coat with pan drippings. Saute until the bread is crispy and golden.
3. Add the broth, tomatoes, basil, oregano and crushed red pepper. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until flavors blend, about 10 minutes...ladle soup into bowls.
4. Stir the mascarpone and sour cream in a small bowl to blend. Spoon a dollop of the mascarpone mixture atop the soup and serve!

[Mjp121212]

wow souinds good....but I've not even heard of most of that lol

[~Caroline~]

I've been craving pea soup lately and I bought cans and cans of it until I realized it would be healthier to make it myself!

I used this recipe last week and it was very good! I'll definitely make it again, though I want to try other pea soup recipes first to see if there are others I'd like better. If anyone wants to share theirs, please do!

[kl_life]

The lady I work for makes this soup and then splits it up into individual portions and freezes it....it is very good!!!!!

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 (16oz.) can chilli beans -----> she uses a can of chickpeas instead
1 (15oz.) can black beans
1 (15oz.) can whole kernal corn, drained
1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid oz.) can or bottle beer
2 (10oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1 (10oz.) pakcage taco seasoning
3 whole skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Directions:
1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

2. Remove the chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handles. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2hours. Serve topped with cheese, sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

[**jessie**]

This is a chick pea casserole (more like a stew) - absolutely wonderful! Yummy, very health, cheap (most of it is in cans), and it lasts me a couple days. I do a few things differently. 1. I used canned chickpeas, not dried, so I dont have to do all that soaking stuff, much easier and way faster. 2. I add one can sliced mushrooms. 3. I add a little bit of bacon (3 slices)

200g chick peas (dried)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
2 carrots (finely chopped)
1 small stick celery (finely chopped)
1 small zucchini (finely chopped)
1 medium leek (sliced into rings)
1 x 400g can tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
750ml vegetable or chicken stock
2 tbsp Italian parsley
1/4 tsp dried thyme

Soak the chick peas overnight or 12 hours.
Drain the chick peas and cook in fresh water at low simmer until tender.
It should take about 1 1/2 hours.

In a saucepan with the olive oil and butter over medium heat put onion, carrot, celery, leek and zucchini. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes. Add the tomato, tomato paste and the stock. Stir in a little flour to thicken.

Bring to boiling point, and then turn down to simmer for about 40 minutes.
Add parsley and thyme.

[Mythnea]

Highland Hot Pot


1 lb. lean bottom round
3 T flour
1 lb. link sausages
4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
2 apples, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
2 cups tomato juice
3 beef bouillon cubes
pinch of sage

Instead of the bottom round, I usually just buy stew meat, which is pre-cubed and usually comes in packages that are pretty close to 1 lb. Cut the sausages in half and cook the sausage and stew meat and dredge with flour. In a 2-quart casserole dish, put half of mixed potato, apple, and onion. Add meats, then remaining vegetable mixture. Sprinkle each layer lightly with salt and pepper. Heat tomato juice and dissolve bouillon cubes in it. Add sage. Pour over ingredients in casserole dish. Cover and bake at 350 for about 1.5 hours, until potatoes are tender.

[MrsStewart09]

I have the best recipe for French Onion Soup EVER! It's from Tyler Florence. Not the healthiest stuff in the world, but I don't make it often. It's definitely a treat when I take the time to prepare this!

1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs (i never use them and it turns out fine)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red wine, about 1/2 bottle (Not necessary if you don't purchase alcohol. Just add more stock/broth)
3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 quarts beef broth (I use Swansons, NOT the low-sodium kind)
1 baguette, sliced (I use a French Bread loaf)
1/2 pound grated Gruyere (I use deli slices of swiss cheese, Kraft makes a good one)

Directions
Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper (and I add a few more glugs of wine too).

When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls. Cut your baguette into bite-sized pieces and float in soup. Top with cheese and broil until melted and bubbly.