Darlene's Cheesy Potato Soup

This is my mom's recipe.  It's a quick and easy  "pantry" recipe (things I already have on hand).  I love it in a bread bowl with a little bit of crumbled bacon on top.

Stir together in large pot:
5-6 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes (I prefer Yukon Golds, but Russets work too)
5 chicken bullion cubes
1.5 - 2 cups water (this will make a very thick soup.  Increase to 4 cups for a more traditional consistency)
1/4 cup dried onions

Boil until potatoes are tender.  Stir with a whisk to break cubes up just a bit.

Add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
Add parsley and pepper to taste.

Food Storage Chili

I love this chili because it's quick and helps me use up my stored canned foods.  All cans are 15 oz unless otherwise specified.

1 lb lean ground beef
1 large onion
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can refried beans
1 can corn
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 4 oz can green chilis
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (NOT buttermilk) dry mix

Chop onion and brown with ground beef.  Add remaining ingredients (don't drain anything).  Bring to boil over medium heat.  Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Avocado Soup

Avocado Soup
serves 4
from Best Ever Three & Four Ingredient Cookbook

2 large ripe avocados
1/2 pint (or 1 1/4 cups) sour cream (I found the soy kind - it was awesome)
4 cups chicken stock
small bunch of fresh cilantro (if you like it - my family doesn't)
ground black pepper
crumbled bacon (from Costco)
shredded cheese (the kids and the hubby like cheese on everything)


Cut the avocados in half, remove the peel and lift out the pits. Chop the flesh coarsely and place it in a food processor with 3-4 Tbsp of the sour cream. Process until smooth.


Heat the chicken stock in a pan. when it is hot, but still below simmering point, stir in the rest of the cream.

Gradually stir the avocado mixture into the hot stock. Heat but do not let the mixture approach boiling point.

Chop the cilantro. Ladle the soup into individual heated bowls and sprinkle each portion with chopped cilantro, bacon, cheese and black pepper. Serve immediately.

We had this with the Crab and Cucumber Wraps.

Seafood Chowder

This is another recipe from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Parties. I was trying to decide what to make one night and I remembered my friend Carrie had brought me over some of this delicious chowder. I thought I might have all the ingredients in my fridge or freezer..and I nearly did. It turned out delicious...the girls love seafood and soup...so this was a hit.

Seafood Chowder (makes 3 quarts)

1 pound large shrimp (32-36 per pound), peeled and deveined (save shells for stock) [so I thought I had raw shrimp from trader joe's... turns out they were cooked - but the shells worked just fine. The shrimp was less tender than I would have preferred...but it worked given I didn't want to run out and go shop]
1/2 pound scallops [I had this in the freezer also from trader joe's - very tender]
1/2 pound monkfish [I had tilapia in the freezer from Costco...so I used it it worked fine - although monkfish is also delish]
1/2 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked over to remove shells [this was the one of the ingredients I didn't have on hand]
1/4 pound unsalted butter
1 cup peeled and medium-diced carrots (4 carrots)
1/2 cup medium-diced onion (1 onion)
1 cup medium-diced celery (3 stalks)
1 cup medium-diced small white or red potatoes
1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 recipe Seafood Stock (recipe follows)
1 1/2 Tbs heavy cream (optional) [I used milk - didn't have cream]
2 Tbs minced parsley [didn't have this either - not even the dried seasoning]
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cut the shrimp, scallops, and monkfish into bite-sized pieces and place them in a bowl with the crabmeat.

In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter; add the carrots, onions, celery, potatoes, and corn and saute over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are barely cooked, stirring occasionally. Add the flour; reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add the Seafood Stock and bring to a boil. Add the seafood; reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 7-10 minutes, until the fish is just cooked. Add the heavy cream, if desired, and the parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.


Seafood Stock (makes about 1 quart)

2 Tbs good olive oil
Shells from 1 pound large shrimp
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup good white wine
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 Tbs kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
10 sprigs fresh thyme, including stems [I didn't have this when I made it]

Warm the oil in a stockpot over med heat. Add the shrimp shells, onions, carrots, and celery and saute for 15 min, or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook 2 more min. Add 1 1/2 quarts of water, the white wine, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Strain through a sieve, ssing the solids, You should have approx. 1 quart of stock.You can make up the difference with water or wine if you need to.

Scarlett's Simple, Hodge-Podge Soup

I've been meaning to post this... and other simple recipes I make. I tend to only post recipes from credible sources that I've actually tried...rather than the ones I whip up out of what's available. It's because I don't consider myself an expert... I wing it. Anyway - I noticed Compulsive Writer was looking for soup recipes and that motivated me to finally type it up. ;-)

This soup is something I throw together when "baby it's cold outside"... and/or I'm too tired to do anything else. The girls love it and so does my hubby. It's sort of a take of my Dad's soup... his soups are perfection...mine are like a little girl learning to write with chicken scratch. This soup is also more embellished from the soup my brother and I used to make when we lived as neighbors at the FLSR. Fond memories of going to college with my brother.

Scarlett's Simple, Hodge-Podge Soup
Serves 4-6
1 box Organic Chicken Broth (I buy the pack of boxes at Costco)
1 can Cream of Mushroom
1 can Chicken Noodle
1 can Corn kernels (drain the water)
1 can Chinese mushrooms (optional - you know the cute ones that look like they're wearing hats?)
1 can of tuna (optional)
1/2 box of butterfly (farfalle) pasta, or what I prefer to use a package of 3 servings Japanese noodles (regular or buckwheat) or the Japanese Udon (course, you can use whatever pasta you prefer)
1 egg beaten in a separate bowl
Kosher salt (optional)
Freshly Ground Pepper
Shredded Cheddar Cheese (optional)
Tabasco or Cholula (optional)
Left over chili (optional)

In a medium pot heat broth at medium high heat. Add cream of mushroom soup, chicken noodle. In a separate pot (or before you heat up the soup) cook the noodles per package instructions and drain. Set aside noodles.

When the cream of mushroom dissolves add corn, mushrooms, tuna. Bring soup to a boil and then slowly pour the beaten egg into the soup as you quickly stir the soup. It should cook quickly from the boiling water and give you that egg drop soup texture.

Add the noodles and pepper. Simmer for 5-10 minutes...depending on how soft you like your noodles.

Serve in the bowls. Add cheese, hot sauce and/or chili.

Cheese - because my girls love cheese.

Hot sauce because... my hubby and I love everything spicy.

So the chili story. I like to freeze the extra chili and then use it when I need a fast meal. Well - we had some left over from that quick meal in the fridge and I thought I'd just add a cold dollop (better than putting an ice cube to cool off the soup for my girls) of it on the bottom of the bowl and then ladle the hot soup over it. It was YUMMY. Course I know everyone's tastes are different. We're the type that like new things and are definitely not meat and potatoes ...but we love chili.

Spinach and Yogurt Soup - soupfest part 1

Holy CRAP! This was good soup, and extremely easy. Even Edamame liked the soup...until he started tasting the spicy in it.

1 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 pinch cayenne pepper(we used red pepper flakes...the spicy kind!)
6-10 bunches fresh spinach, washed and chopped including stems or 1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup plain yogurt

1. Fry up the onions in the butter until clear then add the flour, salt, nutmeg and spicy spice of your choice.
2. Once you can smell the nutmeg add the spinach and broth. Let it all simmer for about 15 min.
3. In batches take to the blender and blend( I used the hand held blender, and it was awesome, but be careful).
4. Once everything is blended add the yogurt and heat until desired eating temperature...DO NOT BOIL.
5. Garnish with lemon if you choose(we didn't take this road).

Tonjiru - soupfest part 2

I fell in love with this soup two winters ago when I ate it at one of the schools I was working at. I was smack dab in the middle of having morning sickness, but for some reason this warm winter soup was something I could down without fear of any retribution from my stomach. It is GREAT, but depending on your location within the US you may or may not be able to get some of the ingredients.

Serves about 4 people

4 cups water
2 tsp. dashi(Japanese kelp/fish bullion) or follow the directions on the box..you need it to make 4 cups(see above water) of broth
1/2-3/4 lb sliced uncooked pork.
1-2 carrots sliced and then quarter the larger slices
10 cm(5 inches....remember your high school science people) of Japanese diakon radish, sliced and then quartered
15 cm burdock root cleaned, sliced and soaked for a few minutes( it turns the water black so you soak it separate first)...this is COMPLETELY option, and totally tasty without this. If you go for super authentic though, you need it.
1 bunching onion(REALLY big green onion...use regular green onions in a pinch) sliced in 1/4 slices
1 pack of firm tofu, cut up into cubes
3-4 small taro root potatos, peeled and cut into cubes
1 regular potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 bunch of Bunashimeji mushrooms(small and brown....sliced shiitake also taste good if you want).
3 Tbs. miso paste

1. Turn the stove on and heat up the water with the dashi stock. As you cut up the veggies throw them in and begin to cook them.
2. Add the pork and finally the tofu. Once everything is almost cooked, add the miso by dissolving the paste in a ladelful of soup. If you find you want a strong miso taste, feel free to add more.
3. Let simmer/very low boil until the veggies and meat are completely cooked
4. Serve!

Some hints: If you can find miso with dashi already in it, WOW does that make your life easier, but I have no idea what gets imported over there. I've added links to pictures, so you know what you are looking for. It is a lot easier than it may seem at first glance.

Salmon Chowder

Today was Edamame's 1st b-day, so we decided to feed the little fish lover, fish chowder. He picked all the fish and corn out and made mommy struggle with feeding him the rest. The Grandma's ate the whole thing and gave it the vote of approval.

1 onion, minced
2 potatos, petitly diced
2-3 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. olive oil
2-3 strips of bacon, chopped(more as you desire)
7-8 sprigs of fresh dill chopped
1 ish lbs. of fresh salmon deboned and without the skin, cut into smaller than bite sized pieces
1 (12 oz?) can evaporated milk
3 cups water
3 bullion cubes(optional)
1 cup corn(optional)

Saute the onions and potatos in the butter olive oil mixture(start with the butter and add the oil as needed to prevent sticking), then add in the bacon for a bit until the onions are completely cooked and the potatos are starting to soften. Add in the water, dill, bullion cubes and salmon(I left the cubes out for baby-allergy reasons, still tasted good, if slightly bland). Let that boil for about 20 minutes until the potatos are very soft and the salmon is cooked. Finally, add in the evaporated milk and corn and let simmer for a few minutes. Serve as is or with grated cheese.

Hints: sweet fresh cooked corn tastes RAD with this. Add some cooked rice to make a easily feedable meal for a baby or toddler with less spilling. Garlic would also probably taste pretty dang good in this. Bacon is entirely optional.