Hearty Vegetable Stew

Found this recipe labeled as a "soup" but it is so thick and wonderful I had to rename it as stew. A New fav for me - I'm going to make it again to use up the juice and freeze it for a rainy day.

Hearty Vegetable Stew (adapted from allrecipes.com)

• 3 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 small onions, chopped
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
• 3 cups low-sodium tomato-vegetable juice (like V8, I used Mott's)
• 2 cups water
• 1 small zucchini, chopped (or 1 leek, but I didn't have one)
• 1 large or 2 small red potatoes, chopped
• 1 cup corn
• 1 can of no-salt beans, drained and rinsed (use what you like, mine were pinto)
• 1 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper (with 1/2 you do get a bit of a bite to it)
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 pinch of dry dill
• *I think 1 cup of green beans would also be FAB in this, but I didn't do it the first time)
• Optional - a cooked grain, rice, barley, quinoa, etc.

Throw everything in your slow cooker and cook it on low until veggies are tender. I let mine go all day (about 8 hours), then saved it in the fridge to eat the following day. Serve over the grain it you'd like.*

* I say to do it this way, because the original recipe called for rice in the stew, and it pretty much completely dissolved. Saucier stew over brown rice would have been better.

"Cream" of Potato Soup

This soup is for my fam who's either vegan or lactose free. It's a potato soup that still packs some protein, is super easy to make, and can be a base for a multitude of other things (add veggies, grains, whatever you like).

"Cream" of Potato Soup

• 3 large baking potatoes
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2-3 green onions, just green parts chopped

Peel potatoes, place them whole with all other ingredients (minus green onions) in your slow cooker. Cook on low until the potatoes are tender - time will depend on size, mine took about 4 hours.

Scoop all of the chunks out of the slow cooker with some of the juices and put them into your blender. Blend until smooth then scrap back into the slow cooker.  Add green onions, stir to incorporate the broth, then let cook for about 30 minutes more.

Simple Lentil Soup

Not the best soup recipe ever, but it's easy to throw together and very healthy. The lemon juice gives it just the right amount of acidity.

Simple Lentil Soup

• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot sliced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup dry lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• dash salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation:

In a large pot, saute the onions and carrot in the vegetable oil for 3-5 minutes until onions turn clear. Add the broth, lentils, pepper, thyme, bay leaves and salt.

Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until lentils are soft, about 45 minutes. Remove bay leaves and stir in lemon juice before serving. Makes 4 servings of lentil soup.

Pasta E Fagioli Soup

I adore Pasta E Fagioli soup from the Olive Garden.  Ever since discovering the all-you-can-eat soup, salad, and breadstick combo there during high school, I’ve been hooked.

Lots of recipes online claim to have the exact Olive Garden recipe, but since most call for spaghetti sauce as an ingredient, I haven’t put a lot of stock in these claims.  However, as it is possibly my favorite soup, I took a stab at making it in my trusty crock pot, but Kim style (meaning no oil and extra veggies).  Hubby and I loved it, it was great the second time around, and it will definitely be a repeat in our house.

Pasta E Fagioli

• 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 1/3 of a large red onion, chopped
• 1 c. carrots, cut very fine (the larger the chunks the longer the cook time)
• 3 small-med celery stalks, cut lengthwise then chopped
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 c. low-sodium beef broth
• 3/4 of a 16.5 oz jar red pasta sauce
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt (this was with low sodium broth and may not be necessary if using regular)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 c. dry ditalini (small tube pasta), other small pastas could be substituted if needed

Brown the meat, then drain well.  Chop veggies to desired sizes – the larger the carrots, the longer the cook time.  Add all ingredients except the pasta to your slow cooker.  Cook on low for about 6 hours, check veggies for tenderness.  If the veggies are just about ready, add the pasta and cook for one more hour.  Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Three Bean and Barley Soup

This soup comes from my friend the Trainer Mama.  It was called a Southwestern soup, but the chili is such a mild flavor compared to the barely, that I'm dropping that part of the name.

But I won't be dropping the recipe - it's low-cal, heart healthy, full of fiber, and YUMMY!

Three Bean and Barley Soup

• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 large stalk celery, diced
• 2 large handfuls of baby carrots, diced
• 9 cups water
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup medium pearled barley
• 1/3 cup dried black beans
• 1/3 cup dried great northern beans
• 1/3 cup dried red beans
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon salt 

In a large stock pot, saute onion, celery and carrots and stir until the vegetables become tender, around 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a high simmer on high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally until the beans are soft. This takes around 2- 2 1/2 hours.

Bean and Brown Rice Minestrone

Found this recipe on hearthealthyonline.com and it's a new fav for a veggie based meal.  I made a double batch, froze half, and it came out fantastic!

Bean and Brown Rice Minestrone (adapted from hearthealthyonline)

• 1  cup chopped onion
• 2  medium carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 4  cloves garlic, minced
• 3  14 1/2-ounce petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2  14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2  cup water
• 1/2  cup brown rice
• 1  Tbs dried Italian seasoning
• 3  cups fresh baby spinach
• 2  15-ounce can navy beans, rinsed and drained
• 2  medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced into small cubes
• 1/2  teaspoon ground black pepper

In a 4-quart Dutch oven, saute onion, carrot, and garlic; cook about 5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in undrained tomatoes, broth, the water, uncooked rice, and Italian seasoning. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes or until rice is tender.

Stir in spinach, beans, zucchini, pepper, and salt. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes more. If desired, sprinkle individual servings with Parmesan cheese.

Split Pea Soup

Creamy, warm, and delicious. This soup is one of my favs and with all the great protein in split peas (who knew?) it is fine to serve as a vegetarian dish (though you can add ham if you're a traditionalist).

Split Pea Soup (adapted from The Kitchn)

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced or diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp thyme (or more to taste)
•  pepper to taste
• 2 cups of dried split peas
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I use low sodium)

Spray your large soup pot with some cooking spray. Add the vegetables, and cook until the onions are soft. Add the bay leaves, thyme, and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the split peas and stir to coat with the spices, then add the broth (and add ham if you want to use it). Turn heat down to low, cover, and simmer for a hour. Check on the soup. It should be creamy and soft, but not solid. If it's getting too thick, you can add a little more broth. When the peas are soft, about a hour to a hour & half, remove bay leaves and carefully ladle about half of your soup into a blender and liquefy it - this makes for a wonderful, creamy texture, but also leaves a few chunks to nibble.  Return blended soup to the pot, mix up, and serve warm.

Chicken Tomatillo Soup

I know that Mexican Tortilla soup recipes are a dime a dozen on line, but I dare you to compare the freshness of this recipe to any of those others that use taco meat seasoning packets or bottled salsa.  This recipe got the whole family excited - even my sister in law who was visiting.  It doesn't have a lot of kick to it since my boys are spice sissies, but if you want more spice adding some diced jalapenos or Tabasco Sauce would be a very simple alteration.

Chicken Tomatillo Soup

• Shredded chicken meat (about 2 breasts worth)
• 4 c. chicken broth (I used low-sodium)
• 1 can beans, drained and rinsed (I used black, but pinto or kidney would go great)
• 1/2 c. corn
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 tomatillos, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes, including liquid
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 bay leaf

Top soup with:

• shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, mexican blend), if desired
• 1 avocado, diced (Recommended - Josh and I couldn't get enough of the avocado in ours)
• sour cream, if desired
• tortilla chips

Add a little cooking spray to your soup pot and set over medium heat. Add onions and the tomatillos and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes, until the onions have softened and are beginning to turn a light brown. Stir in the chopped garlic cloves and all other spices, and cook for another 2 minutes.  Next, add the chicken breasts (if not using leftover chicken) chopped tomatoes with liquid, and the chicken broth bring to a boil over med-high heat, then as soon as you see bubbles, reduce the heat to med-low.  When the chicken is cooked through (about 20 min, more or less depending on size and heat of stove), remove to a plate. Now add the beans and corn to the soup. Shred the chicken and return it to the pot as well. Let everything heat through on a med-low heat.  Salt & pepper to taste (if flavors are weak, I'll sometimes add more chili powder and cumin at this point too).  Only add the cilantro in the last few minutes before serving.

Serve the hot soup with the toppings I used or others to your liking.

Happy Cooking!