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Category Archives: Soups & Stews

Healthier Lasagna Soup

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Veronica

If you haven’t seen recipes for lasagna soup all over the web for the last couple years, then you don’t follow as many blogs as I do-lol!  It is everywhere.  It’s taking over the blogging world.  If it wasn’t so delicious, it might scare me a little, but now that I’ve made it I totally get it.

Everyone has their own variation and I just took the one from Suzie’s blog and made it a little healthier.  I have to tell you that Biz is actually the reason I finally made this soup because I think she’s made it (and raved about it) 55.7 times since Suzie posted it and I just couldn’t resist any longer.

So glad I gave in–this soup is completely frabrilis!  I mean hello, lasagna in soup form?  Frabrilosity! 

P.S. A lot of things went wrong with my pictures and I do not care to explain the unattractive, cold plops of cheese and how thick this is because you would scoff at me and I’m not in the mood for your scoffing beyond the scoffing you’re doing at my cheese plops.  :D  Just follow my directions and you will have frabrilis soup that looks as delicious as it tastes.

Healthier Lasagna Soup

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2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (19.5 oz) package lean sweet Italian turkey sausage
1 cup chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28 oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
8 oz. broken up whole wheat lasagna noodles or other pasta of choice
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the cheesy goodness:
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese or ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Remove sausage from casings and add to skillet along with the onions and cook, breaking up into bite-size pieces, for 5-10 minutes, until meat is cooked through. Add garlic, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute.

Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves and chicken stock. Stir to combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Don’t over cook or let soup simmer too long, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the broth.*

While pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy goodness by combining the cottage cheese or ricotta and Parmesan together in a small bowl. To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy goodness in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

*Note: If you are anticipating leftovers, it’s best to cook the noodles separately and add them to the bowl along with the soup, then store them separately, drizzled with olive oil so they don’t stick together.  They will become mushy if stored in the broth.

Recipe source: slightly adapted from Two Dogs in the Kitchen.

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Buffalo Chicken Chili

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Veronica

I have Biz to thank for this amazeballs recipe.  I like a lot of different chili’s (this is the eighth chili recipe on my blog!), but this is definitely a contender for my favorite.  I love the heat level–we like spicy and for us this was perfect.  Spicy but not so spicy that you can’t taste the wonderful flavor.  Your lips may burn a bit, but you can still feel your mouth after eating a bowl, which is a plus in my book.

Since the veggies are pureed and totally not visible, there’s less risk of complaints from picky eaters.  I felt super manly while eating it, with all the meat and beans and spiciness, and apparent lack of vegetables.  But then I couldn’t pee standing up, so that was the end of my manliness.

Also, just an FYI, your chili will not be this thick right after cooking it.  This was the day after I made it, and before I heated up the bowl.  Not many things look good cold, but apparently chili is one exception to the rule. I think it’s so purdy.  (I believe I just lost my man card again.)

Buffalo Chicken Chili

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2 large carrots, peeled & cut into 1-2″ pieces
3 stalks celery, cut into 1-2″ pieces
1 large red pepper, cored & cut into 1-2″ pieces
5 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken
5 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 cup Frank’s Hot Sauce
2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) black beans, drained
1 (15 oz) chili beans in sauce (do not drain)
salt and pepper to taste

Optional garnish: blue cheese crumbles or Spicy Ranch Crackers

Place carrots, celery, red pepper, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.  Process until pureed and set aside.  In a soup pot, heat oil and add ground chicken and cook about 10 minutes on medium heat until no longer pink.  Add vegetable purée to chicken mixture and cook about 5 minutes until veggies start to soften.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour.  Serve with blue cheese crumbles or Spicy Ranch Crackers, if desired.

Nutrition Per Cup (without garnish): 239 calories, 3.4 fat, 29 carbs, 7.5 fiber and 23.5 protein.

Recipe source: My Bizzy Kitchen

***

I won’t be posting Wednesday, so I’m going to take this opportunity to remind you to enter my cookies giveaway by Wednesday at midnight. Good luck!

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Slow Cooker Moroccan Turkey Stew

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Veronica

Rhonda from Dining Alone has a “Best Thing I Ever Made” feature where she highlights a favorite recipe each week from her archives. In October, she shared this stew as the best soup she’s ever made. All I had to do was take one look at her totally delicious picture (please, go look, and grab a napkin to catch the drool) to know I had to make it.

My sister’s best friend, Margo, married a Moroccan man (that’s them up there with the Twinkies during a Toot and Twinkies game night…but that’s another story for a different day) and she introduced me to their cuisine after she learned to cook it from her sister-in-law. Her Moroccan Chicken Couscous is so so delicious, and this stew has very similar ingredients so I was fairly certain I would love it.

Love it? No, I’m obsessed with it. If this soup were a person, it would have filed a restraining order on me because I stalked it for three nights in a row, made inappropriate noises while eating it, and almost cried when it was gone. I might have separation anxiety. Moroccan Turkey Stew, please don’t leave me! Come back!

So anyway, you should try this stew.  And please invite me over for dinner when you do.  I promise I’ll keep the inappropriate noises to a minimum.

Slow Cooker Moroccan Turkey Stew

Printable recipe
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1 teaspoon ground allspice
Kosher salt
4 skinless, bone-in turkey thighs (about 4 pounds)*
1/2 medium butternut squash, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with juices, broken up
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins
8 medium carrots, cut into 11/2-inch pieces
3 medium red onions, halved and cut into wedges
2 whole dried red chiles
1/2 lemon
2 cups fresh cilantro, including leaves and some stems
1 cup fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

*You can also use bone-in chicken thighs, which is what I opted to use since I couldn’t find turkey legs.

Combine the allspice and 3 teaspoons salt in a small bowl. Season the turkey thighs with half the salt mixture in a 5-quart slow cooker.

Toss the squash, chickpeas, tomatoes, apricots, raisins, carrots, onions and chiles with the remaining spiced salt. Pour the vegetables over the turkey (the cooker will be full; arrange the mixture so the lid fits.  And don’t be like me and think you can fit extra veg in because you can’t–trust me.). Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.

Spoon the vegetables and broth into bowls. Remove and discard the turkey bones and place the meat on top of the vegetables.

Juice the lemon; pulse with the cilantro, parsley, garlic, cumin and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Add the oil and process until smooth. Serve the stew in bowls; drizzle with the cilantro sauce.

*Veronica’s note: your cilantro sauce will probably not be as green as mine (compare it with Rhonda’s picture) because I didn’t measure it and probably used twice as much as I was supposed to.  I didn’t care, it was still phenomenal.

Recipe source: Food Network, as seen on Dining Alone

***

Disclaimer: I know I said I wasn’t going to apologize for my bad photos, but I do want to explain that I took these with zero natural light–all I had was the light from the light bulb overhead in the bedroom because for some reason, that is the brightest room in our house.  So I think they’re pretty good, considering.  Except for the swampy green blobs.  That’s not cool, but hey, this is real life up in my kitchen and swampy green blobs happen.

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Effortless Ham & White Bean Soup

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Veronica

Sometimes I save a recipe and it takes years for me to get around to making it.  Most I’ve never made and probably will never make, despite my best intentions.  And sometimes a recipe finds me at just the right moment, like this one, when I’m craving it, or I happen to have everything needed to make it.

This soup really is quite effortless.  Mary’s recipe is easy to begin with, as it is made in the slow cooker, but I cut out the step of soaking the beans overnight and now it’s even easier!  When I make refried beans in the slow cooker, I don’t soak them overnight and the beans cook up just fine and soft without the soak, so I just used the same amount of water for the soup as if I was making refried beans and it worked great.

Dennis made a point to tell me several times that this soup was “really good.”  Like I mentioned before, I usually have to pull food opinions from him like teeth, so for him to offer this one up so many times tells you how good it is.  I prefer a ham and bean soup without tomatoes or spices, but did like the addition of the carrots and onions and will definitely include those from now on.  This is a quick, nearly effortless meal to throw into the crock before work and when you get home, you can serve some hearty, warm comfort to your family.  And don’t forget the cornbread. :)

Effortless Ham and White Bean Soup

Printable recipe
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1 pound dry Cannellini or Great Northern white beans, rinsed
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning (or ½ teaspoon each oregano, basil, and parsley)
8 ounces ham, diced (I used ham steak)
9 cups water
1 (14 1/2 oz) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large crockpot, combine all the ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours. Mash some of the beans to make the soup creamier if desired. Serve hot.

Recipe source: adapted from One Perfect Bite

***

I recently finished the book The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce.  During a walk that originally should have ended at the post office but led him cross country in an effort to reach an old friend dying of cancer, with the unlikely hope his pilgrimage might save her, Harold realized something that resonated with me.  Not wanting to squander his retirement, he eventually depended upon the kindness of others during his journey.  He realizes, “It was as much a gift to receive as it was to give, requiring as it did both courage & humility.”

I thought of Suzie then, because she has exhibited such courage and humility in the face of her inability to pay for an operation she needs.  She has been so thankful in her communications with me, and now extends her gratitude to everyone on her blog today.  (You can read it here if you haven’t already.)  I think it does take incredible courage and humility to admit you need help and frankly, Suzie, I think we can all say that it truly was a gift to pitch in whatever way we could, if only with well wishes and prayers.  We all wish you the best, and thank you for the chance to join with others to make a difference for the better. <3

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Taco Chili

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Veronica

Usually on the rare occasion I ask Dennis if he will make something while I’m at work, I get the irritated face.  The “I hate to cook why must you torture me?” face.  The “wouldn’t you rather me rather scrub the toilet and clean the sink drain out by hand instead?” face.  Cooking just isn’t his thing.  It stresses him out.

But chili is another story.  It’s what he lived on as a bachelor and may be the only thing that he really likes to cook.  I handed him the recipe for this with instructions for adapting it to what we had, preparing myself for the sound of grinding teeth (worst sound ever!), but there was no teeth grinding and he didn’t even frown a little.  He actually seemed excited.  It was like I’d been speaking a foreign language all these years and I finally communicated something he understood.  Even better, he reported that he “really enjoyed” making it.  I think his enjoyment translated into the final product because this chili is incredible!  It’s very simple, but oh so good, and if you top it with sour cream and cheese and scoop it up with tortilla chips, you get the total deluxe taco effect. :)

Taco Chili

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1 lb. ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning (or 2 1/2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning)
1 (16 oz) can black beans, drained
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
10 oz package frozen corn kernels (Dennis used fire-roasted frozen corn)
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Optional toppings: Additional cilantro, shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, chopped scallions, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, etc.

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; drain.  Combine with remaining ingredients in a large pot  and stir together.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until you can stand it no longer.  (Dennis simmered his for one hour.)  Serve hot with optional toppings.

Veronicas note: There’s no need to remove the seeds from the jalapeno, unless you are very sensitive.  Dennis left half the seeds in and this was a mild chili.

Recipe source: adapted from The Comfort of Cooking

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Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Veronica

I don’t think there is anything else to say.  Although this is the first chicken tortilla soup I’ve ever made, I’ve had many versions in restaurants and deli’s, and this is so much better than any of them.  If you couldn’t tell from the above exchange, I kinda get excited about food, and I’m pretty sure I moaned and squealed simultaneously when I took my first bite of this soup.  It is so bangin’ with flavor.  I just love it.

Now, I know my pictures aren’t portraying a creamy-type soup.  The day I made it, it looked super creamy like I had poured real cream into the soup, but then the leftovers betrayed me when I reheated them the next day for lunch and a photo, and it just looked like regular chicken tortilla soup.  Well, my pictures may be misleading, but I promise you this is one soup worth trying.

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

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1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (16 oz) carton chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes (I used roasted)
1 (7 oz) can green chiles, or 2 (4 oz) cans
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
6 corn tortilla, cut into thin strips
1 (15.25 oz ) can corn, drained
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Optional toppings: Tortilla strips*, sour cream or Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese or avocado

Add chicken breasts, broth, tomatoes, green chiles, onion, green pepper, garlic, bay leaf, and spices to a large stock pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 ½-2 hours, or until the chicken is very tender.  Add the tortillas during the last fifteen minutes of cooking.  Remove chicken to a cutting board and let rest ten minutes, or until it is cool enough to touch without burning your fingers.  If your tortillas haven’t completely broken down yet, continue simmering the soup while the chicken rests.  Shred or chop the chicken and return to the pot, along with the corn, Greek yogurt, and cilantro.  Heat through and serve with optional toppings.

Crockpot directions: Add everything but the Greek yogurt and cilantro to the crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 – 8 hours, until chicken is tender.  Shred chicken, return to crock.  Add yogurt and cilantro.  Cook an additional half hour.  Garnish as desired.

*Tortilla Strips:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and pour 1-2 teaspoons of vegetable oil on it.  Cut 3 corn tortillas into strips, then put on the baking sheet and use your hands to toss them with the oil until coated.  Spread out, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake until crispy, about 10 minutes.I made my tortilla strips super thin and burnt most of them, so if yours are thin, keep an eye on them–they may only need five minutes.

Recipe source: Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

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Classic Chili

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Veronica

First of all, I apologize to those of you who have me in a reader.  I’ve started updated my posts from 2009 because the photos went missing from most of them, and I’m afraid I’ll be junking up your readers with all these old “new” posts for the next week or so.  Thank you for bearing with me.

Second, remember that snow I mentioned last week? Well, it didn’t stick but it’s snowing like cuh-razy as I type this on Sunday night.  And it’s sticking!  We took a long walk in the middle of it and Jessie was in HEAVEN.  Snow walks are her absolute favorite.  She’s definitely got some husky in her blood.  Thank goodness she’s past her “pulling” phase where she’d pretend Dennis was her sled and try to drag him by the leash! lol

Anyway, I’m hoping it’s arctic where you live too, not because I wish you ill, but if there is one good thing about cold weather days, it’s the hot and delicious foods you can fill them with.  Like this classic chili.  I grew up eating plain beans and cornbread every winter and now I don’t feel right unless I make chili or beans and cornbread at least once every winter.  I’ve made many recipes, and never the same one twice, but I wanted to track down a recipe that had a classic flavor that would please kids and adults alike (for family gatherings) and that I could rely on as my go-to recipe.  I knew that Mel would probably have one for me (she has a whole collection of best recipes and she’s never let me down), and I was right!  I knew when I found her momma’s chili recipe this would probably be the one I was looking for.

We all have our different preferences when it comes to chili.  I love a lot of veggies–bring on the celery, tomatoes, onion, green pepper (and red, yellow, and orange pepper, for that matter) and lots of beans.  I do like some ground beef and spiciness, but it’s not essential.  But I think this is a chili that anyone would like, which is exactly what I was looking for.  I do believe this is my favorite chili now, even without an over-abundance of veg!  So delicious.

The original recipe doesn’t have any veggies save the onions in it, but I’m a big Wendy’s chili fan, so I went ahead and added some celery and green pepper to mine to give it a similar feel.  Though I thought the taste was excellent with them in, I’m sure it’s just as excellent without so leave them out if veggies in chili isn’t your thing.  I also adapted the recipe for the crockpot (less liquid so it doesn’t get too runny), but if you want the stovetop directions you can get them from Mel’s site here.

Oh, and by the way, guess what I did with the leftovers?  I added some more cans of stuff to bulk up the amount (canned chili, salsa-style roasted tomatoes) and stirred in some chopped all-beef hot dogs, then sent it with Dennis to the family Christmas party along with shredded cheddar cheese to garnish it.  I didn’t get to attend due to my work schedule, but Dennis brought home an empty crock so I guess the “chili dog chili” went over well! :)

Classic Chili

Printable recipe
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2 medium onions, diced
2 teaspoons salt
2 to 2 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 large cans (29 ounces each) pinto beans, drained
46 oz. (one large can) tomato juice
1 cup ketchup
2 bay leaves
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

Brown the hamburger and onion in a large skillet with the salt. Drain grease.  Add to a large 6-quart crockpot, then stir in the remaining ingredients until well combined.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4.

Recipe source: adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

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Chunky Chicken Soup

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Veronica

It was snowing here in Kansas yesterday, and what better way to chase away the chill than with a big bowl of soup?  This is from The Pioneer Woman‘s recipe collection, and it is fantastic.  Although I adore noodles in my chicken soup, the chicken and vegetables are the stars here and I found that I didn’t even miss the noodles.  This soup is so delicious and flavorful, the health factor was an afterthought, but realizing how healthy it is makes it a win-win in my book.  Happy mouth, happy body.

Chunky Chicken Soup

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1 whole chicken
2 (32 oz) cartons chicken broth
1 whole bay leaf
2 large onions, chopped
8 ribs of celery, trimmed & chopped
8 carrots, peeled and chopped
5 parsnips, peeled and chopped
Freshly ground black pepper, for serving

Place chicken in large stock pot and pour broth over it. Add the bay leaf and chopped vegetables. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until meat is cooked through. Remove chicken to a cutting board and allow to cool until you can touch it without burning your fingers, about ten minutes. Pull the chicken from the bone, discarding the skin, and shred or chop the meat before returning it to the pot. Taste and add salt if desired. Serve hot with freshly ground black pepper over the top.

Recipe source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman

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Suzie’s Next Day Chili

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Veronica

Thank you guys for sticking with me through my “no recipes” week! I had a lot of fun with it, especially reading all your comments about the pigs you’d like to make fly on Danielle’s Flying Pig. If you didn’t catch that post, you might want to check it out–there is a giveaway for one of Danielle’s kumquat bath & body sets on it, and the deadline for entry is this Thursday. (Update: this giveaway is now closed. Congrats to Ken!)

Now, let’s get back to the recipes, shall we? I’ve got enough saved up that I’m going to be sharing all OLD recipes that I’ve been saving especially for December, which means, you guessed it, LOTS of sweets. Which is why I’m starting off with a savory recipe, to stabilize your blood sugar in preparation for all the sweetness that is soon to come your way from my blog. :)

“You know I luvs you…I have never, ever shared this recipe with anyone!! I’ve been making it for about 10 years now.  :)”

This was the note at the end of the recipe my friend, Suzie, emailed me for her Next Day Chili.  She’s been holding an annual chili cook-off in her neighborhood for the last five years and her chili has won four years out of those five.  She doesn’t allow herself to win the prize since it’s her contest, but hers is almost always voted number one!  She has kept the recipe secret, telling everyone that if they could guess some of the secret ingredients she used, she would share it, but no one ever has.  Knowing all this, I still had the audacity to ask for the recipe.  And I was pleasantly surprised when she obliged me!  (I guess I’m just irresistible, right? LOL!)

I was so excited to get my hands on such a precious recipe, and promised I wouldn’t share it on my blog, thinking she’d want me to keep the secret recipe a secret.  But she surprised me again by granting me permission to share it here.  WOW!  Thank you, Suzie!  Don’t we feel special?! :)

Usually, I like my chili with lots of beans and veggies, so I was actually pretty nervous to make this since it only has one can of beans and a scant 1/2 cup of onion for veggies.  When a friend shares a recipe with you that you’ve never tried, do you get nervous that you won’t like it?  I’m probably ridiculous, but I feel almost obligated to like a recipe that comes highly recommended from a friend, and sometimes put off making it just for the fear that I won’t like it and will have to disappoint the friend when I tell them.  But not this time!  I was nervous, but I wasn’t going to wait–this recipe is special.

Well, I needn’t have worried.  This chili is spectacular!  Spicy, hearty, meaty, with a wonderful & unique flavor. Once you scan the ingredients, you’ll see why it doesn’t taste like any other chili.  I bet you’ve never seen a chili recipe with bacon, chorizo, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire, sage, or maple syrup in it!   My husband loved it and ate most of the batch by himself.  In fact, he told me this was his favorite of any chili I’ve ever made!  This is also the only chili that Suzie’s husband will eat so I’d say this is some real man-pleasin’ chili.

Thank you, Suzie, for sharing your wonderful recipe with us!  Rock on, Chili Queen. :)

Suzie’s Next Day Chili

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3 lbs. good ground beef
1 lb. chorizo
1/2 lb. bacon
1 tablespoon bacon grease
1 can Bush’s mild chili beans, undrained
1/2 cup diced white onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt (or 2 1/4 teaspoons table salt)
1 teaspoon dried sage
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3-5 tablespoons hot sauce (depending on your taste)
1/2 cup chili powder (more if desired)
1 teaspoon dried cilantro (or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped)
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1-2 cups chicken or beef broth (or mix 1/2 and 1/2), depending on desired thickness
1 (6 oz.) can of tomato paste
1 large can tomato juice
Red pepper flakes, to taste

Brown beef and chorizo. Drain grease, cover and set aside. Slice 1/2 lb. bacon into 1 inch pieces. Cook bacon until crisp, set aside on paper towels to drain off excess fat. Take 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease and add to the burger/chorizo mixture. Add all remaining ingredients, except bacon, to a large pot. Simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting to adjust salt, pepper, chili powder and red pepper flakes to taste. Let cool for an hour or so and then refrigerate overnight. Refrigerate the bacon separately.  Simmer again the next day for 2-3 hours, adding bacon the last hour. It’s now ready to serve.

Suzie recommends serving with homemade cornbread, so I served mine with Lighter Northern Cornbread.  I also have a southern-style Homestead Cornbread recipe if you like yours without sugar and flour.

Recipe source: Suzie S.

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Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Veronica

Grilled cheese sandwiches paired with tomato soup seem to be childhood staples in America, but I never had a grilled cheese sandwich until I was a teen, and never with tomato soup until much later.  I remember when I went to babysit my neighbor’s little boy she asked me to make him a grilled cheese sandwich and I meekly asked her how to do it.  She was dumbfounded, needless to say.  That was my first grilled cheese experience, at sixteen, but after that I started making them at home.

No one gave me the memo that tomato soup pairs perfectly with them until a few years later, but I ignored it since I’ve never liked condensed tomato soup.  That is until I discovered Pacific Natural Foods’ Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup.  That’s when I started serving the classic combo of grilled cheese and tomato soup.  I loved that stuff!

This homemade version is thicker and a little tangier, perhaps because I used jarred red peppers and yogurt rather than roasting them myself and adding heavy cream or milk, but it is just as delicious with the benefit of a homemade taste.  Add more or less sugar to your tastes, and if you decide to use peppers you roasted yourself, please let me know how that turns out–that’s how I’m going to try it next!

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

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1 jar (12 oz) roasted red peppers in brine, drained
1 can (14.5 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can (28 oz) tomato puree/crushed tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium and fat-free chicken broth
3 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
Croutons, for serving

Combine drained peppers and diced tomatoes in a blender. Puree until smooth. Alternatively, you can place them in your pot and use an immersion blender to puree until as smooth as you like. I left some little chunks in mine because I like a little texture. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, or just add it to the pot if your puree is already in it. Add pepper-tomato mixture, tomato puree, chicken broth, sugar, salt and pepper. Heat just to simmering, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in yogurt. Return to stove and heat through. Ladle soup into bowls; top each with a few croutons.

Makes 6 servings.  Per serving:  139 calories; 2.5 g fat; 24 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 3.5 g protein.  (Calories calculated with 4 croutons per serving)

Recipe source: adapted from Family Circle, February 2011.

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