mexican lime soup with turkey

Need another idea to use leftover turkey??
This is great.
Yes, another Tex Mex recipe but it's so so good.
Light but hearty with the addition of good-for-you-fat avocados.
Perfect and comforting but not too heavy after that big meal you just had on Thursday.
Try it!

Mexican Lime Soup with Turkey
Serves 4.
Adapted from Soup of the Day.
8-10 small limes
about 2 cups leftover turkey (or chicken!), shredded
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
3 cups chicken stock (or turkey, if you have it!)
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced

Cut 2 of the limes into wedges and set aside for serving.  Juice as many of the remaining limes as needed to measure out 1/3 cup juice.
Heat oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven.  Add the onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic and jalapeno and saute until fragrant, about a minute.  Stir in stock, 3 cups water, lime juice, and oregano.  Add shredded turkey.  Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 15-20 minutes.
Serve, passing avocado and extra lime wedges.  Enjoy!!

chunky heirloom tomato soup

Another awesome tomato soup.
This one is chunky, which I'm usually not a huge fan of but when the tomatoes are in season, you really want to let their lovely texture shine.
Combining the red and yellow tomatoes gives this soup a beautiful, Autumn color.
Still not my favorite, but another close one!
Serve with a huge chunk of crusty bread and a nice glass of white wine.

Chunky Heirloom Tomato Soup
Serves 6.
From Soup of the Day.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, chopped
3 red heirloom tomatoes, chopped
3 yellow heirloom tomatoes, chopped
2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large, heavy pot, warm the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, and carrots and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, stock, and sugar, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, combine cream and basil in a blender and puree until smooth.  Let sit while soup is simmering.
Puree half the soup, return to pot, and add basil cream.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

avgolemono

Avgolemono is a rich, lemony chicken and rice soup.
It's a signature dish of Greece.
Creamy but bright and satisfying yet light, it's a great dish to have the day after Thanksgiving.
Plus, we added turkey.
:)

Avgolemono
Serves 4.
From Soup of the Day.
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup long grain white rice
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon zest
1-2 cups shredded turkey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

In a large Dutch oven, bring the broth to a boil over medium high heat.  Add the rice and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 15 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Whisking constantly, slowly pour 1 cup of the hot stock into the egg mixture.  Reduce heat under the stock to medium low and slowly stir the tempered egg mixture back into the pot.  Add turkey and cook, stirring, until the soup is slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.  Do not let it boil!
Season to taste and garnish with the parsley.  Enjoy!

chicken soup with gnocchi, basil, and parm

This is perfect for a warm, comforting meal with the taste of summer.
The basil and tomatoes and spinach remind of a warmer day but the soup is still substantial enough to heat you through in November.
It's great.
And great for leftover turkey too ;)

Chicken Soup with Gnocchi, Basil, and Parm
Serves 4.
From Soup of the Day.
2 small skinless, boneless, chicken breasts....or the equivalent of leftover shredded chicken
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken stock
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
18 ounces potato gnocchi (frozen is fine but homemade is better!)
1-2 cups baby spinach, washed
1/4 cup chopped basil
Grated Parm for serving

Preheat your oven to 375*.  Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheets, brush with 1 tablespoon of the oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Roast the chicken until just cooked through, 18-20 minutes.  Let chicken cool a bit then shred into bite sized pieces.
In a large Dutch oven, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the stock and tomatoes, with their juices, and bring to a boil.  Add the chicken and gnocchi and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, add the spinach and basil, and stir until just wilted.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with Parm all over the top!  Enjoy!

ramen noodle soup with edamame

This is so easy.
And so flavorful!
And so cheap!
Win win win.

Ramen Noodle Soup with Edamame
Makes 4 servings.
From Soup of the Day.
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
6 cups chicken stock
3 ounces dried ramen noodles...and not the spice packet! (one package)
8 ounces spicy tomato sauce....you can find the "spicy" kind now in the regular grocery store, but if you can't, add more Sriracha
1 1/2 cups frozen, shelled edamame
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sriracha, for serving

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add shallots and garlic and saute for 3 minutes.  Add the stock and bring to a boil.  Add the ramen noodles and tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the edamame and green onions and cook for 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and Sriracha to taste and enjoy!

chili con carne

I love me some chili con carne.
I grew up with this stuff.
Being from Texas and all.

It's like a thick, Tex Mex chili.
With no beans.
And huge chunks of shredded, falling apart beef.
It's delicious.

Chili Con Carne
Serves 4-6.
From Soup of the Day.
2 pounds boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup mixed peppers, finely chopped....your call as to how spicy or mild
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups beef stock or water
1 cup sour cream
Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Sprinkle the beef evenly with salt and pepper.  In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat.  Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides and transfer to a plate.
Warm the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the same pot.  Add the peppers, bell pepper, and garlic and saute until the veggies get soft, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the chili powder, cumin and coriander and cook for about a minute.  Add the tomatoes with their juices and the oregano, season with salt and pepper, and stir well scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot.
Add the beef back in and stock.  Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the beef is tender and the liquid is slightly thickened, around 2 1/2 hours.  If too thin, remove cover and simmer for the last 30 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, garnish with sour cream and cilantro, and enjoy!

corn and cheddar chowder

I love chowder.
Usually, it's clam or potato or something white-ish.
Today, it's corn and cheddar!
Couldn't resist.
However, this is not a figure friendly meal.
This is a hearty, thick, and delicious-calorie-laden (and worth it!) meal.
Enjoy!

Corn and Cheddar Chowder
Serves 6-8.
Ina Garten.

8 ounces bacon, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

4 large onions, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional, I hate this stuff...)

12 cups chicken stock

6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)

10 cups corn kernels (I use frozen)

2 cups half and half

1/2 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

In a large stockpot over medium high heat, cook the bacon in the olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions, bell pepper, and butter to the pot, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are softened.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric, if using, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the corn to the soup, then add the half and half and cheese. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot and enjoy!

cream of onion soup

Continuing on with our soup theme...
If you like French onion soup, you'll love this!
It's like a pureed version.
Very comforting and very important for nights like these.
Lots of spit ups and accidents from my potty trained two year old.
But, nights like these make me remember why I married the man I did and that God has a plan.
And the importance of easy soups and how they make me feel all toasty on the inside.

ps-have a glass of red with this :)

Cream of Onion Soup
Serves 4.
From Soup of the Day.
5 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds of sweet onions, like Vidalia, sliced
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons flour
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup bourbon (optional)

In a large sauce pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat.  Add the onions, reduce to low, cover, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  Uncover and continue sauteing until golden, about 10-12 minutes.  Let cool slightly, then finely chop the onions in a food processor.
Pour the milk and stock into separate small saucepans and place over low heat.  Heat both until just barely scalding...small bubbles around the edges of the pan, and then remove from heat.
In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium low heat.  When the foaming subsides, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Slowly add the hot milk, whisking all the while, until the mixture bubbles and has thickened, about 3 minutes.  Slowly add the hot stock, whisking, and bring to a slow boil.  Let simmer for about 3 minutes.
Add the chopped onions to the pot and season to taste.  Reduce to a bare simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.
Puree soup again in a blender or food processor, in batches.  Return to pot and add the cream and bourbon, if using, and heat through.  Enjoy with tons of black pepper on top!

tomato soup with smoked paprika and peppered bacon

Mmmm.

Ever since I got over my fear of tomato soup, I've kinda been going crazy.
Still my fav.
But, this one is a close second.
And I've got a few more up my sleeve as well ;)

Tomato Soup with Smoked Paprika and Peppered Bacon
Serves 4-6.
From Soup of the Day.
4 slices peppered, super thick cut bacon
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon good smoked paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, fry the bacon over medium heat, until crispy.  Transfer to paper towels, let cool, then cut or crumble.
Add the butter to the pot and melt over medium.  Add the onion and garlic and saute until very soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Puree soup carefully in a blender or food processor until desired consistency.  Return to pot and add the cream, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.  Return to a bare simmer, just to heat through.
Serve with the bacon and more freshly ground black pepper and enjoy!

baked potato soup

Yup.

Still cuddling.

But, it's November and in my book, that calls for endless days of soup.

So, that's what we'll do!

Baked Potato Soup
Serves 4-6.
Smitten Kitchen!
3 tablespoons butter
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts, halved lengthwise, washed, and chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 head garlic, roasted and peeled

5 to 6 cups chicken stock, depending on how thick/thin you want it

2 bay leaves

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/3 cup sour cream

Ground black pepper

Toppings, optional:

Minced fresh chives or scallions

Bacon bits

Sour cream

Grated cheddar

A drizzle of melted (or melted and browned) butter

In a large, heavy pot (or Dutch oven), melt the butter over medium heat. Add leeks and cook them until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute. Add the roasted garlic, stock, bay leaves and 3/4 teaspoon table salt. Reduce heat and simmer until garlic is very tender when pierced with tip of knife, 30 to 40 minutes. Add potatoes and continue to simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Discard bay leaves. Add sour cream to soup and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper to taste. Using immersion blender, process soup until chunky-creamy, leaving lots of potato texture intact. (Alternatively, transfer a portion of the potatoes and broth to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.) 

Serve with whatever toppings you'd like and enjoy!