Barley and Beef Soup

I saw this recipe in my latest issue of Cooking Light and knew I had to give it a try.  I’ve made Barley and Beef soup but it was in the crock pot.  I found this recipe to be really easy after the prep of chopping the vegetables.  I think that I liked this recipe better than the crock pot one but I do think that this one needs a bit more spices.  I definitely will be making this soup again.  Fair warning because it does make a lot.  I put half of it in the refrigerator for dinner next month.

Enjoy!

source: Cooking Light

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2  cups  chopped onion (about 1 large)
• 1  pound  chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 1/2  cups  chopped peeled carrot (about 4)
• 1  cup  chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
• 5  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  cup  uncooked pearl barley
• 5  cups  fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
• 2  cups  water
• 1/2  cup  no-salt-added tomato puree
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  bay leaves

Preparation

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chopped onion and beef to pan; cook 10 minutes or until onion is tender and beef is browned, stirring occasionally. Add chopped carrot and chopped celery to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in barley and remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes or until the barley is done and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaves.

Winter Squash & Sage Sausage Chili

I found this recipe in my most recent issue of  Better Homes and Gardens.  I had quite the stack of magazines to read through when I spotted this one.  Why do all magazines seem to come around the same time of the month??  In all honesty, some recipes in Better Homes and Gardens are hit or miss.  I’ve tried some doozies!  I made a casserole with hotdogs in it.  I should have known but I thought my husband would like it because of the hotdogs.  I don’t think we ate any of the leftovers from that casserole.  So, you can understand why I was a  little leary of this recipe.

I read the ingredients and they all sounded great.  I really was surprised by the flavor in the chili because of the lack of spices and the fact that there are only 5 ingredients too.  When I was reading the recipe the ingredient that sold me was the winter squash.  I love squash!  The chili came together quite quickly and would be great for a work night when you don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking after dinner.

Enjoy!

source: Better Homes and Gardens magazine

Ingredients

• 1 lb. bulk sage sausage or your favorite sausage
• 1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, drained
• 1 12-oz. pkg. frozen winter squash puree, thawed
• 1 cup chunky-style chipotle salsa or other salsa
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 3.5-oz. pkg. herb-flavored goat cheese, crumbled
• Fresh Sage (optional)

Directions

1. In large saucepan cook sausage over medium heat until brown and no pink remains, stirring to break up; drain fat. Stir in beans, squash, salsa, and water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve in bowls; sprinkle goat cheese and fresh sage. Makes 4 servings.

Parker’s Split Pea Soup

Another successful Barefoot Contessa recipe!  As soon as I saw this recipe in my new cookbook I knew I would have to try it.  My husband and I both love Split Pea soup.  There is often a race in our house to see who can take a can of it to work for lunch first!  This soup turned out delicious.   I will warn you that the recipe that I made out of the cookbook does make a lot. We put a large amount in the freezer for dinner  later on in the month or even next month.  I also put this into sevearl containers for us to take to work for lunches and for dinners.  I did make a few changes and didn’t add as much pepper as it calls for and I also pureed the soup because we like our smooth.

I will spare you a picture because I will assume that you know what Split Pea Soup looks like and I will also assume that you know it doesn’t photograph nicely!

Enjoy!

source: Ina Garten’s The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and Food Network

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 cup chopped yellow onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups medium-diced carrots (3 to 4 carrots)
• 1 cup medium-diced red boiling potatoes, unpeeled (3 small)
• 1 pound dried split green peas
• 8 cups chicken stock or water

Directions

In a 4-quart stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with the olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, 1/2 pound of split peas, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Skim off the foam while cooking. Add the remaining split peas and continue to simmer for another 40 minutes, or until all the peas are soft. Stir frequently to keep the solids from burning on the bottom. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Tortilla Soup with Black Beans

I saw this recipe in my new issue of Eveyday Food and thought it sounded good.  Turns out I was right!  I made this soup for dinner tonight and honestly couldn’t believe how easy it was to put together.  It feels strange to say but all I had to do was open 5 cans, and it wasn’t even stuff that is bad for you!  I was quite surprised how quickly this came together, I was reading the directions as I cooked and was amazed that I had put all the ingredients in and all I had to do was bring the soup to a boil!  I can handle that!  I’m hoping that my husband will like this soup.  He isn’t the biggest fan of diced tomatoes.

Even though I enjoyed this soup without meat I think it would be good with some chicken pieces or even some ground beef or even shredded beef.  I was also impressed with how quickly the soup thickened up when I added the crushed tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

source: Everyday Food

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 cup crushed tortilla chips, plus more for serving (optional)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Cook garlic and chili powder until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes (with juice), beans, broth, corn, and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper.
2. Bring soup to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Add tortilla chips; cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Serve soup with lime wedges and, if desired, more chips.

Beef and Barley Soup

Ahh! The crock pot is becoming my good friend! Now, if only it had a better home than in a closet on a high shelf with stuff stacked on top of the box! I love apartment living! Can’t you tell? I would love to incorporate it into our menu rotation once a week. We’ll see how I do!

This soup came together quite quickly, even though I’m not sure what I’m going to do with all my leftover barley that I have! Recipes would be appreciated! The only glitch that I had was finding French onion soup in my regular grocery store! They were sold out. I really hate going to two different stores in one trip!

My husband and I will eating this for leftovers this weekend. I’m so sneaky, I even scheduled leftovers on the menu!

Enjoy! Check out my new soup tureens from Crate and Barrel from my friend Brooke! Thanks!

source: 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Recipes

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray

12 oz boneless beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

4 cups water

1 10 1/2 oz can condensed French onion soup

1 cup grated carrot

1/2 medium pearl barley

1 tsp dried thyme or oregano, crushed

Directions:

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. In hot skillet cook meat until brown. Drain off fat.

In a 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 quart slow cooker combine the meat, water, soup, carrot, barley and thyme.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Season with salt and black pepper.

White Bean Chicken Chili

For a while I felt like this recipe was popping up everywhere I looked. A lot of people were talking about it on the Nest. It was also showing up in my Google Reader and then I bought a new small cookbook from Papmpered Chef and there it was right on the cover. I finally gave into the hype and decided to find a recipe that sounded good. This was the one. I really found this recipe to be more of a soup than a chili as it was pretty brothy (is that a word?). Also, fair warning, this is not for faint of heart. This was a spicy chili, consider yourself warned!!

Bon Appétit

source: Epicurious.com

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons corn oil
1 large onion,chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon aniseed
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 15-ounce cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 cup canned chicken broth
1 7-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 cup whipping cream
Grated cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, aniseed and dried red pepper. Sauté 5 minutes. Push onion to 1 side of pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pan. Sauté chicken approximately 5 minutes.

Drain beans; reserve 1/2 cup bean liquid. Add beans, broth, chilies, cream and reserved bean liquid to chicken. Simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat before using.) Ladle chili into bowls. Top with cheese and sprinkle with cilantro.

Lentil Soup with Beef

About a year ago I was watching Everyday Italian with Giada and saw her making this soup. It looked so easy and so tasty. I knew I had to try it! I was right it was easy and tasty. I also loved that the ingredients are pretty much items that you’ll have around the house or things that are easy to find in the grocery store! This was the second time that I’ve made this soup. This soup is very filling and makes enough for leftovers and also enough to freeze for a busy week in the future. I will admit that this soup does take some time to cook so it is more of a weekend soup that you might like to make when you’re doing things around the house. Next time I would like to serve this soup with a slice of French Bread.

Enjoy!

source: Everyday Italian

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large celery stalks, chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 6 (14-ounce) cans beef broth
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
• 2 cups (about 11 ounces) lentils, rinsed
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

Heat the oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper. Add half of the beef and cook until brown, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef. Add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, rosemary, and oregano to the pot. Saute until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Return the beef and any accumulated juices from the bowl to the pot. Add the broth and tomatoes with their juice. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the meat is just tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Add the lentils. Cover and continue simmering until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season the soup, to taste, with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Golden Potato Leek Soup with Cheese Toasts

I love this soup and to me it says Fall. I went to the Farmer’s Market in town for it’s last weekend until it starts again in May. It was so relaxing to stroll around the market with my Caramel Apple Cider, thank you Starbucks, on a sunny crisp afternoon. So many of the vendors were having great specials on their fruits and vegetables. I think it was because of all the produce they had that they needed to get rid of quick. One farmer had bunches of leeks that were $2 so I had to take advantage. I ended up buying 2 bunches at that price. I’m giving one to my mom in a few days.

I love the simplicity of this recipe as well as how quick the soup is ready as opposed to slaving away in the kitchen all day over the stove! This is the second time I have made this recipe. I did make a few changes in the recipe but it still turned out fine. I used red potatoes and dried Thyme instead of sprigs of it. I also used chicken stock instead of vegetable broth and I used about 2 cans and a half instead of just 2 cans. This recipe also freezes well too.

I found this recipe at my favorite website, Cooking Light. I really need to get a subscription of my own to the magazine instead of waiting for my mom to give me her leftovers!! Hint hint!! Nudge Nudge!!

Enjoy!

Golden Potato-Leek Soup with Cheddar Toasts

source: Cooking Light

Yield

8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup soup and 1 toast)

Ingredients

• Soup:
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 cups thinly sliced leek (about 3 medium)
• 6 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potato (about 2 1/4 pounds)
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 (14-ounce) cans organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
• 2 thyme sprigs
• Cheddar Toasts:
• 8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut sourdough French bread baguette
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• Remaining Ingredients:
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Thyme sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare soup, melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leek; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally (do not brown).

Add potatoes, water, salt, broth, and 2 thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.

To prepare cheddar toasts, place baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 7 minutes or until toasted. Turn slices over; coat with cooking spray, and sprinkle 1 tablespoon cheese over each slice. Bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Sprinkle evenly with red pepper.

Remove pan from heat; discard thyme sprigs. Partially mash potatoes with a potato masher; stir in cream. Sprinkle with black pepper. Serve with cheddar toasts. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I woke up with a sore throat yesterday and today it appears to be worse. I really can’t get sick, especially as a substitute teacher, I’m supposed to be there when others get sick! So in an attempt to ward off the cold I’ve been resting when I can and taking Advil Cold and Sinus on a regular basis. This morning I made the decision to scrap what was on the menu for tonight and make Chicken Noodle Soup instead. I’ve only made the soup without my mom’s help a few times and if I do say so myself, it turned out pretty well! Here is my recipe, which is probably a combination of my mom and Grandma’s recipes.

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 carrots, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

3 Chicken bullion cubes

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1/4 tsp Onion Powder

1 TB dried Parsley

1 cup dried egg noodles

Directions:

Place whole chicken breasts in large pot of water. Boil until chicken is cooked through, 10-15 minutes, skimming foam that forms on surface. Add carrots, onion, celery, chicken bullion, garlic and onion powder to broth. Remove chicken and cut into small bite-size pieces. Add chicken back to pot. Add parsley and egg noodles. Boil until egg noodles are done, 10 minutes or so. Taste and add additional seasonings as necessary.

Broccoli Chowder with Corn and Bacon

Yet another great recipe from Everyday Food that will be made again. I put this recipe on our menu for the week because I was thinking that it was going to cold today, but it turned out to be in the low 70’s. Well, I’ll make it again when the weather cools off even more. Nate loved this chowder even though he was apprehensive about the broccoli. He worked in a store that had a cafe that sold broccoli soup and the smell was a bit too much for him. The broccoli is put in at the end of the recipe so it doesn’t have time to get too smelly! Ohh! How appealing! Nate also loved the bacon in the soup. Anything is better with bacon!

Enjoy!

source: Everyday Food

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 large baking potato, peeled and diced
• 1 head broccoli (about 1 pound), cut into bite-size florets, stalks peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup whole milk
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot, cook bacon over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Increase heat to medium. Cook onion, stirring, until it begins to soften, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Add flour; cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add broth and potato; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cook until potato is tender, about 10 minutes. Add broccoli, corn, thyme, and milk. Cook until broccoli is crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with bacon.