Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Ingredients
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1-35 oz. can crushed tomatoes
8 c low-sodium chicken stock
1-15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp red-wine vinegar
1 bag baby spinach
2 c cooked ditalini pasta
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions
Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add onion, celery, potatoes and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and their juices, chicken stock and cannellini beans; season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in vinegar and spinach; season with salt and pepper. Prepare the pasta to al dente by following the directions included with the pasta. Drain pasta and dump into soup. Garnish with cheese.


Recipe adapted from Pinterest

Roasted Chicken and Veggies

I just love how my version of roasted chicken turned out. It was tasty and moist. The vegetables were also very good roasted. They all tasted good but we really loved the asparagus and carrots.

Ingredients
1 roasting chicken - can be whole or cut-up
3 tbsp lemon juice
2-3 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3-4 potatoes
5-6 carrots, cut into chunks
3-4 celery stalks, cut into chunks
1 bunch of asparagus
1 onion, quartered
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice

Directions
Remove chicken from packaging. On the day I made this, I used a whole chicken that was already cut-up because it was on sale. You can use also use a whole chicken. Pat chicken dry. Place chicken on a rack in a foil-lined, shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle lemon juice all over chicken. Rub garlic all over chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Baste occasionally with pan juices. In a large bowl, toss all vegetables with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place vegetables around and on top of chicken. Bake for an additional hour. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest about 10 minutes before serving.

Italian Bean Soup

/>I saw this recipe in a magazine. I changed a couple things - added more orzo and more spinach. This soup is so tasty. There is so much flavor going on that you will forget it doesn't have meat. It tasted even better the next day, as most soups do.

Ingredients
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 small potato, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 can (15 ounces) white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/4 c minced fresh parsley
1 tbsp prepared pesto
1/2 c uncooked orzo pasta
2-3 c fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

Directions
In a large pot, saute the onion, potato, celery and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the broth, beans, tomatoes, parsley and pesto. Bring to a boil. Stir in pasta. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Add spinach and cook just until wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Hamburger Soup

This soup looks so delicious. My friend Michelle sent this to me today. They are currently covered in snow and ice. I love a crock pot full of hot soup on cold days.

Update - I made this soup for the first time in June 2011. It was so good. The family loved it. And keep in mind that you can put in whatever you want to - the soup cannot be messed up.

Ingredients1 lb extra lean ground beef or turkey, browned
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
3 c hot water
8-oz can tomato sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 c carrots, diced
1 c celery, sliced
1 c macaroni, cooked
Parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients except macaroni & Parmesan cheese in crock pot. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Turn to high. Add macaroni and Parmesan cheese. Cook for another 15-20 minutes.

Freezer Directions
Make as directed, except for the pasta. Freeze in meal sizes or individual portions. To serve, thaw and reheat in microwave or in the crockpot.  Add cooked pasta when ready to serve.

Recipe courtesy: Michelle R of Ohio

Farmhouse Ham Chowder

I have made this soup two times. I actually thought I had already posted this recipe but when I went to look for it on here I could not find it. Now I am adding it. Whenever I make a ham I always have leftovers that I freeze for soups and beans. This soup was made from ham that I diced and saved from Christmas. It is a very quick dinner and the kids just love it too.

Ingredients
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1/2 c finely chopped celery
1/2 c chopped sweet red pepper
2 tbsp butter
1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
4-1/4 c milk
2 c frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 c frozen corn, thawed
2 c cubed fully cooked ham
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions
In a large saucepan, saute the onion, celery and red pepper in butter until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in flour and dressing mix until smooth; gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the potatoes, corn, ham and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese before serving.

Crockpot Creamy Chicken

My cousin Pam sent this to me. She has made it several times & she said kids even love it. I made it & must say that this was really, really good. I served it with wide, whole wheat egg noodles.

Ingredients
4 to 6 boneless chicken breast halves, skin removed
1/4 c melted butter
salt and pepper, to taste
dried leaf thyme, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (10 1/2 oz) cream of chicken soup
8 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes, can use reduced fat
1/2 c chicken broth
1 c chopped onions
1/2 c chopped celery
Can also add chopped carrots (I added carrots)

Directions
Place chicken breasts in crock pot. Brush the chicken with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add herbs and remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours. Serve with egg noodles or your favorite pasta. Even good over rice! My tips: Right before serving, I removed the chicken & used a whisk to mix/ smooth all the liquid. It thickened up real nice. Then I added the chicken back into the crock pot & used two forks to shred the chicken. I spooned the chicken, vegetables & gravy over the egg noodles. It was delicious.

Recipe courtesy: Pam B of Arizona