Chicken Tortilla Soup

Maren gave me this recipe a couple years ago and it is definitely one of our favorites. Plus it is seriously quick and easy, the hardest part is waiting 20 minutes for it to simmer.
Ingredients:
-1/2 onion chopped
-1 green bell pepper chopped
-4 cups chicken broth
-2 cans cream of chicken soup
-3 cooked chicken breasts shredded
-1/2 cup medium picante sauce
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. pepper
-1/2 tsp. chili powder or chili pepper
Directions:
Put a little butter in the bottom of your sauce pan and sauté the onion and pepper until soft. Then add everything else and simmer 20 minutes.
Crush tortilla chips in the bottom of a bowl. Pour soup over the chips and grated cheese (sour cream is optional). Makes 4-6 bowls of soup

Bacon & Baked Potato Soup

This is super yummy and super easy!

Ingredients:

1Tbsp. Butter or Margarine

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

1 can reduced sodium chicken broth

1-1/4 cups milk

2 baking potatoes, baked, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

8 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled and divided

3/4 cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp. green onion sliced, divided

1/4 cup sour cream



Melt Butter in heavy saucepan or dutch oven. Add onions and celery; cook and stir 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add broth, milk, potatoes, salt and pepper; bring just to boil, stirring constantly. Slightly crush potatoes with back of spoon (I put them in the blender with the juices to make a puree). Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Reserve 2 Tbsp. each of the bacon and cheese and 1 Tbsp. of the green onions for toppings; set aside. Add remaining bacon, cheese and green onions to soup just before serving; cook until cheese is melted, stirring constantly.

Serve topped with reserved bacon, cheese, green onions and sour cream.

Black Bean Soup.

Delicious. Fast. Easy.

Black Bean Soup

1 cup salsa (fresca is best, but any type will do) plus more for garnish
2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken broth

sour cream, for garnish
lime, for garnish

Heat salsa in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Stir in beans and broth; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Cool slightly and spoon half of soup into blender or food processor to puree.

Serve with sour cream and salsa. Also good with shredded chicken, tortilla strips, avocado, tomatoes, and cheese.

Crockpot chicken Tortilla Soup

4-6 chicken breasts (I usually just put them in the crock pot frozen)
2 cans black beans
1 can of corn
1 can chicken broth (water and chicken boullion cubes also works)
1 packet taco seasoning mix1 cup salsa (any kind, sometimes I'll just add the whole jar)
Top with grated cheese, sour cream, and chips before eating.

This recipe is great because you can throw it in the crock pot in the morning, cook it on low, and it's perfect by dinner time. The chicken usually shreds on it's own, but you may want to shred it yourself before serving it.

Pumpkin Soup

This has become our family's traditional Thanksgiving dinner appetizer. It freezes really well too....just a little FYI!


1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 turn of the pan 2 tablespoons butter
1 fresh bay leaf
2 ribs celery with greens, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
***I don’t add the celery or onion****
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or 2 teaspoons ground thyme
2 teaspoons hot sauce, or to taste
6 cups chicken stock
1 (28-ounce) can cooked pumpkin puree
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Heat a soup pot over medium to medium high heat. Add the oil and melt the butter. Add bay, celery, and onion (optional in my opinion). Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 6 or 7 minutes, until tender. Add flour, poultry seasoning and hot sauce, to taste. then cook a minute. Whisk in chicken stock and bring liquid to a bubble. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Add the Chili powder, honey and ground cinnamon. Simmer soup 10 minutes to thicken a bit then add in cream and nutmeg. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

Pasta Fijole

-1 lb ground beef -2 14oz cans of diced tomatoes -1 tsp. dried basil
-1 c diced onion -1 15oz can tomato sauce - 1/2 tsp. pepper
-1 c diced carrots -1 15oz can red kidney beans (with liquid) -1/2 tsp. dried thyme
-1 c diced celery -1 12oz can V8 juice -1 1/2 tsp oregano
-2 cloves minced garlic -1 Tbsp white vinegar -1/2 pound of
ditali pasta

In a large pot brown beef then drain the fat. Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Let saute for 10 minutes or until tender. Add remaining ingredients except the pasta. Bring to a boil and let simmer 1 hour. Cook pasta just until about done then add to the soup. Let simmer another 5 to 10 minutes then enjoy. I also add salt and if you can't find the ditali pasta just use any type of small pasta. This is great!