White Bean and Kale Soup (with Sausage)

White bean and kale soup is nothing new. In fact, there are a veritable treasure trove of recipes for this one across the web and in many cookbooks. The sausage is in parentheses here because it truly is optional.

Go vegetarian with vegetable stock, add carrots for color and feel free to use any sausage you like. Variation and additions can only make this one better. On a day like today (we had nearly a foot of snow overnight) this is a bowl full of bliss.

White Bean and Kale Soup (with Sausage)
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 6 - 8

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
6 cups stock - chicken or vegetable
6 cups water
1 pound kale, cleaned and chopped, large stems removed
2 cans (15 ounces each) small white beans, drained and rinsed
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced thinly
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook until
translucent.
2. Add stock, water and kale. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
3. Add beans and sausage and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cauliflower Leek Soup

In a household filled with kids, cheese soups are a favorite. This one was gone so quickly and when I realized the kids thought there was cheese in it I knew why. I told them there was none and they were all surprised, but asked for seconds anyway. Guess that means this one is a keeper. It's another super-simple one and made really quickly.

Cauliflower Leek Soup
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

2 large leeks - green parts removed, split lengthwise, washed well and sliced thinly
1 head cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds) broken into small pieces
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup half and half
salt and white pepper to taste
freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:

1. Combine stock, leeks and cauliflower in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Lid well and cook until veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Puree in batches until smooth and return to pot. Add cream, salt and pepper. Stir well.
3. Top each bowl with freshly grated nutmeg.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Pot pie has been big stuff around here since I was a kid. There have been arguments about the differences between Pennsylvania Dutch pot pie and the kind I grew up on, but that's a whole different post.

This is based on the actual pie type of pot pie with a tiny twist, the pie dough is puff pastry baked with shredded cheese on top. Those little extras can really put an ordinary bowl of soup over the top.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 small leek - cleaned well and sliced thinly - white part only
8 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups diced white potatoes
2 cups diced carrot
2 cups frozen cut green beans
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts - cooked and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg white - beaten
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat chicken stock in a large soup pot to boiling. Add leek, potatoes, carrots, bay leaf and thyme. Reduce to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender - about 20 minutes.
2. Add chicken and green beans and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf and thicken soup if necessary with flour and water or beurre maniér.

While soup is cooking, preheat oven to 400 degrees F and unroll puff pastry. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with cheese. Cut into 9 equal squares and bake for 15 minutes or until puffy and golden brown.

*Note- Beurre Manie is French for "kneaded butter". It consists of equal parts four to butter. Combine flour and butter and knead until well combined. Add a small amount at a time to a simmering liquid and whisk until smooth. Add more as needed.

Asian Dumpling Soup

I seem to be on a super-easy soup kick lately, and that's a good thing for the rest of you. A couple weeks ago I wasn't feeling too well and just about any food available was looking rather unappetizing. The first day I felt a little more like eating, I threw together a few things I had on-hand and turned out this soup.

Once I researched a bit it turns out this is nothing new at all. Don't be afraid to add chopped kale or freshly grated ginger to this, it will only make it better.

Asian Dumpling Soup
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

24 Asian dumplings such as gyoza (I used frozen vegetable dumplings)
6 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups shelled edamame
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
2 Tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

1. Heat stock to boiling and drop in dumplings and carrots. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
2. Add in edamame and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in soy sauce just before serving.

Posole

Posole is another of those recipes that everyone has a recipe for, from aunts to mothers to grandmothers and on. Billed as a curative or even preventative for hangovers, it's also one of the simplest soups ever (2 steps!) and the garnishes are only limited by your imagination.

Posole
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Serves 8

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or loin cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups canned hominy - rinsed and drained
5 cloves garlic - minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups water

Garnishes:

thinly sliced radishes
shredded cabbage or lettuce
diced avocado
diced red onion
chopped fresh cilantro
lime wedges

1. In a large heavy pot combine pork, hominy, cumin, oregano, salt and water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 1 1/2 hours or until pork is tender.
2. Serve in bowls topped with garnishes.

Harvest Meatball Stew

This stew just oozes fall flavors and colors. Even the kids like pumpkin this way and it's a fun change-up to the usual sweet preparation of their favorite squash. This recipe came from Cooking with Anne as my own submission to one of our Ready, Set, Cook! games. I made it up on the fly, but when I actually made it I found it was pretty spot-on. I've tweaked little bits here and there and love it the way it is now.

Harvest Meatball Stew
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Serves: 6 - 8

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg - lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 clove minced garlic
4 cups beef broth
2 cups peeled pumpkin, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup peeled potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup carrots, cut into 1 inch dice
1 cup green beans in 1/2 inch lengths
1/2 cup thick applesauce or 1 apple peeled, cored and diced fine
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper to taste
flour as needed to thicken

Mix ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, nutmeg and salt together well. Form into 1 1/2 inch meatballs and brown well in a large soup pot with a little oil.
Remove meatballs and set aside.
Add onion and garlic to pot and stir over medium heat until onion is barely translucent.
Add remaining ingredients except meatballs and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Add meatballs back into pot and simmer for an additional half hour. Remove from heat and take out the bay leaf.
Return to medium heat and thicken if necessary with flour and/or cornstarch with water.

Cool and Creamy Cucumber and Tomato Soup

Cool and Creamy Cucumber and Tomato Soup

Tomatoes are my very favorite food and this is another soup that is just plain good. Creamy and full of just-picked flavor, it's the perfect thing on a hot day.

It goes together quickly and easily with the use of a blender - no heat required! Choose an herb that you really enjoy, I like dill with the sour cream and cucumber in this, but basil would be lovely, too. Sriracha would also be excellent stirred into each serving. Use very ripe and fresh tomatoes for the best flavor.

Cool and Creamy Cucumber and Tomato Soup

Printable Recipe
Ready in 15 minutes

Serves 4 as a starter

6 large or 8 medium ripe plum tomatoes - peeled and seeded

3 medium cucumbers - peeled and seeded

1 small bunch green onions - tops and whites

2 cloves garlic - minced

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup sour cream (I like Mexican crema for this)

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 Tablespoon freshly snipped dill plus more for garnish (or whichever herb you like)

Pop everything into a blender and puree until smooth. Chill for several hours if desired or serve as-is topped with extra herbs and sliced green onion.