Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups dried lentils
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, diced
½ clove garlic, minced
2 cups potatoes, diced
½ cup tomato puree or sauce
2 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
4 cups vegetable broth
OR 4 cups water and
vegetable bouillon cubes (Knorr’s is good)
2 tablespoons red or cider vinegar
1 cup sliced leeks
OR ½ cup green onion, diced
Instructions:
Rinse and pick over lentils, drop into 6 cups boiling water, turn off heat and soak for about ½ hour.
Sauté onion, celery, and garlic until limp.
Combine all ingredients except the last two. Cover pot and simmer for about 1½ hours.
Add vinegar, adjust for salt. (May not need more salt if using bouillon cubes.) Add a little water or broth if too thick. Add leeks/onion and heat through.
Potato Soup
Ingredients:
6 cups diced, peeled Idaho potatoes (raw)
½ cup diced onion
2 chicken bouillon cubes (have used Knorr’s vegetarian cubes and like it as well)
4 cups water
2 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon celery salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Combine first 7 ingredients in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Boil 10-15 minutes. DO NOT DRAIN.
As this is cooking, make a WHITE SAUCE of the next 4 ingredients.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add flour, salt, and pepper. Cook over low-medium heat until bubbly. Add milk. Cook until thickened. Will start to bubble.
Add white sauce to pot of potatoes (and water). Add 1 ½ cups parmesan cheese. Stir until melted.
Add 12 strips of crispy bacon, crumbled.
Mexican Chicken Soup
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped
2 Tablespoons all purpose white flour
12 cups chicken stock
3 cups diced fresh or canned tomatoes, drained
1 bunch scallions, including greens, thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper or a few drops of red pepper sauce
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
2 whole chicken breasts (1 ½ pounds), chopped or sliced
6 springs parsley or cilantro, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup uncooked white rice
Instructions:
Heat oil over low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add garlic and cook, covered, until golden, about 10 minutes.
Slowly add flour, stirring constantly, until thick and paste like. Cook the roux for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add stock very gradually, whisking with each addition.
Add vegetables and spices and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 ½ hours.
Add chicken and parsley or cilantro, stir, and simmer until chicken is cooked, about 20 minutes.
Add uncooked rice, stir well and remove from heat. Stir once or twice as it cools. (The rice will cook in the hot soup and not get mushy.)
Yield 12-14 cups
Suggestion: Use only as much of the chicken stock as you need to cook the ingredients. Bring the rest with you when you deliver the soup. It makes carrying it a lot easier!
Vegetable Beef Soup
Ingredients
Vegetable oil
½ pound beef, cut into small cubes
4 large carrots, pared and sliced
2 medium onions, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 medium clove garlic, crushed or chopped
2 medium leeks, white part only, chopped
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon pepper
Beef broth to equal ~ 52 ounces (3 cans of 14 oz. each or 6-1/2 cups water and 6-1/2 bouillon cubes)
1 teaspoon dried basil
2-1/1 cups water
2 cans (14-16 ox each) diced tomatoes with juice
2 medium zucchini, ¼ inch slices, (halved or quartered depending on size)
2 medium potatoes, pared and cubed
1 (19 oz.) can cannelloni or red kidney beans, drained
Instructions
In a large kettle, over low heat, sauté beef in a small amount of vegetable oil. Remove beef with slotted spoon and set aside.
Sauté onions and leeks until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove excess oil.
Add beef, broth, water, tomatoes with juice, potatoes, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, basil and pepper to onions. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Then discard the bay leaf.
Add zucchini and cannelloni or kidney beans. Continue to simmer covered for 15 more minutes.
The follow changes can be made:
Omit leeks or other vegetables and substitute other vegetables: celery, mushrooms, etc.
Substitute fresh tomatoes for canned
Vegetarian Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
Vegetable oil
4 large carrots, pared and sliced
2 medium onions, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 medium clove garlic, crushed or chopped
2 medium leeks, white part only, chopped
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon pepper
Vegetable broth to equal ~ 60 ounces (4 cans of 14 oz. each or 8 cups water and 8 bouillon cubes)
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 cans (14-16 ox each) diced tomatoes with juice
2 medium zucchini, ¼ inch slices, (halved or quartered depending on size)
2 medium potatoes, pared and cubed
1 (19 oz.) can cannelloni or red kidney beans, drained
Instructions
In a large kettle, over low heat, sauté onions and leeks until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add broth, tomatoes with juice, potatoes, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, basil and pepper to onions and leeks. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Simmer covered for 30 minutes.
Remove and discard bay leaf.
Add zucchini and cannelloni or kidney beans. Continue to simmer covered for 15 more minutes.
The follow changes can be made:
Omit leeks or other vegetables and substitute other vegetables: celery, mushrooms, etc.
Substitute fresh tomatoes for canned.
Vegetable Beef Soup
Ingredients
Vegetable oil
½ pound beef, cut into small cubes
4 large carrots, pared and sliced
2 medium onions, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 medium clove garlic, crushed or chopped
2 medium leeks, white part only, chopped
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon pepper
Beef broth to equal ~ 52 ounces (3 cans of 14 oz. each or 6-1/2 cups water and 6-1/2 bouillon cubes)
1 teaspoon dried basil
2-1/1 cups water
2 cans (14-16 ox each) diced tomatoes with juice
2 medium zucchini, ¼ inch slices, (halved or quartered depending on size)
2 medium potatoes, pared and cubed
1 (19 oz.) can cannelloni or red kidney beans, drained
Instructions
In a large kettle, over low heat, sauté beef in a small amount of vegetable oil. Remove beef with slotted spoon and set aside.
Sauté onions and leeks until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove excess oil.
Add beef, broth, water, tomatoes with juice, potatoes, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, basil and pepper to onions. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Then discard the bay leaf.
Add zucchini and cannelloni or kidney beans. Continue to simmer covered for 15 more minutes.
The follow changes can be made:
Omit leeks or other vegetables and substitute other vegetables: celery, mushrooms, etc.
Substitute fresh tomatoes for canned