Soup's On!

This time of year, I rely on big pots of soup to get me through the week. To me, there is nothing better - or more comforting - than making a big pot of soup on a cold night and having it last a couple of days! Even better? I have dinner for the next night already done! I also have to brag on my sweet mama, because she is the BEST soup-maker I know! I love how she uses spices - not a ton of salt - to give a big pot of soup flavor and zest! I will give some of my favorite tips, below, so you can have a tasty pot of soup that is healthy and full of flavor! Please tell me or link in the comments what your favorite soup recipe is! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love this Pumpkin Turkey Chili from the Tone It Up girls! Recipe here.

I use a pound of lean, ground turkey in mine.

Spice it up with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon!

Veggie Soup! We make this ALL the time in my house!

The best thing about it is, you can use any meat or veggie in this. Just use whatever you already have!

I keep a lot of frozen veggies in my freezer this time of year so I can make this on the fly. 

I have a recipe that I use all the time, which I will share below, but I just found Martha Stewart's Big Batch Vegetable Soup recipe (Thanks Jen!), and it just might be my new favorite veggie soup recipe!

I served it with Honey Cornbread, and my husband RAVED over the whole meal. See the cornbread recipe here at Jen Chooses Joy blog… she has some fantastic repines, too, so check her out!

This recipe is from Jennifer Chandler's cookbook called Simply Suppers. 

This is a go-to cookbook of mine, and when my husband played baseball, it was one of only 3 cookbooks I took on the road with me. It's THAT good! I have made it this way before, and it's good… but here are the changes I make:

*Use 1 lb lean ground turkey, browned 

*Sometimes I substitute Rotel tomatoes for a spicy kick

*I always double the spices that she calls for… it needs it! Plus I add a little of the following:

white pepper, chili powder, cayenne, garlic powder, and a little more sea salt.

MARY LYNN'S WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 7-9 chicken tenders

3 cups water

1 tsp lemon pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup (or more) chopped onions

2 (9oz) packs of frozen Shoe Peg corn, or 2 cans whole kernel corn

2 (4oz) cans chopped green chilies 

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

2 tsp chili powder

Red pepper flakes to taste

3 tbs fresh lime juice

2 (15oz) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

2 or 3 cans of chicken broth, as much or little as you want

Rinse chicken well.  In big soup pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil with the 1 tsp lemon pepper and 1 tsp cumin. Add chicken and simmer on low heat 25-30 mins until chicken is done. Remove chicken and shred or cut into 1 inch pieces. In same pot, using nonstick spray, sauté onion until tender then add garlic and cook for 1 min. Add chicken, corn, green chilies, 1 tsp cumin, lime juice, white pepper, black pepper, salt, chili powder, and oregano, red pepper, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then add drained beans. Cook until heated through, 30-45 mins. Taste to see what seasonings you need to add. I would add more of the seasonings in the recipe, instead of adding other things, so you keep the taste the same. 

FAVORITE TACO SOUP

1 1/2 cups Water + 1/2 -1 c. chicken or veggie stock (if you want more liquid)

1 package taco seasoning 

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix 

1 can white shoe peg corn, drained

1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies

1  can diced tomatoes 

1 can black beans, drained

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies

1lb lean ground beef, ground turkey, or chicken (I love turkey!)

Avocado (optional) garnish

Sour cream/greek yogurt (optional) garnish

Shredded mexican blend cheese (optional) garnish

Pickled jalapeños (optional) garnish

Brown the meat, and once it is almost done, add onion and cook until tender. Once meat is brown, drain if needed. Then add all ingredient to the pot. Bring soup to a boil, reduce and simmer for 45 mins to an hour. 

This soup is foolproof! I've served it after only simmering for 30 mins, and it was still wonderful! You can double or triple the ingredients for a larger crowd, too. You can add or omit any of the beans, too, with whatever you have on hand.

MY TIPS FOR A BETTER SOUP: (aka Things My Mom Has Taught Me)

*Instead of chicken stock from a box/can, use a soup starter, because it delivers a richer and tastier flavor.

*Instead of chicken stock from a box/can, use bouillon cubes. If you do this, you don't have to use as much salt because the cubes are pretty salty themselves. 

*Don't be afraid to add more spice to your pot of soup! Add more salt if needed, of course, but don't assume salt is the only way to add flavor. Taste along the way, and add more if needed. Many times I end up doubling the spices that the recipe calls for!

*Here are my favorite additions:

White Pepper

Chili Powder

Cayenne

Cumin

Lemon Pepper

Red pepper flakes

Basil, Oregano, and Thyme

Italian Seasoning

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Lawry's Seasoning Salt

Hot sauce

A teaspoon or two of beef or chicken soup base adds flavor easily and quickly. I do this little trick a lot, especially if I did not use the soup base in the soup at all. 

Here is a picture of the soup base I use. You can get it at any grocery, and there is a chicken one, too!

So good!