Soups Archives

Category: Soups

15
Feb
2019

Southwestern Chicken Soup

categories: Chicken, Lunch - Quick and Easy, Main Dishes, Soups

99 Shares

You’ll love this delicious Southwestern Chicken Soup, a Weight Watchers dish with corn, black beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, and avocado slices!

Recently I tried a new (to us) soup recipe that I found on Weight Watchers. The soup sounded really good, and since it was freezing cold outside (the middle of winter), I decided to make some. A bowl of hot soup really warms a gal up on a chilly February evening!

Whoa! This Southwestern chicken soup tastes amazing! The portion size is large (1¾ cups per serving = 3 Smart Points), and is packed with corn, black beans, tomatoes, in a Southwestern spiced broth. Trust me- this is one flavor-packed bowl of soup!

If you enjoy Southwestern flavored dishes, chances are you will LOVE this hearty soup! It’s very easy to make, so you can be serving up steaming hot bowls of Southwestern chicken soup before you know it!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Southwestern Chicken Soup

Place one teaspoon of olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Heat oil on medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Lightly season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add to the pot.

Cook the chicken on all sides, stirring often, for approximately 5 minutes. The chicken should be very lightly browned and cooked all the way through. Once the chicken is done, remove it from pan with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a plate. Set chicken aside until later.

Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil back into the pan (the same one you cooked the chicken in). Heat oil on medium-high, then add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño to the pan.

Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until veggies have softened up a bit. Add the chili powder, minced garlic, and ground cumin to the pan, and stir to combine. Cook this mixture for an additional 30 seconds once combined.

Stir the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, black beans and corn into the soup. Bring the soup to a boil. Once soup begins to boil, put a lid on the pan, and turn the heat down to LOW. Continue to cook the Southwestern chicken soup on low heat (covered) for about 8-9 minutes. The veggies should be nice and tender at this point.

Add The Cooked Chicken And Finish The Soup

Carefully add the cooked chicken pieces back into the hot Southwestern chicken soup. Stir the ingredients to combine, and continue to cook just until the chicken is fully heated through. It should only take about 2-3 minutes to reheat the chicken.

Remove the pot of soup from the heat, and stir in the fresh lime juice. The Southwestern Chicken Soup is now ready to garnish, then eat!

See all those nice veggies and chicken chunks in this soup? You’re gonna enjoy this!

To Serve Southwestern Chicken Soup

When ready to serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Each serving of this hearty soup is 1¾ cups, so full bowls of Southwestern Chicken Soup are in order! Garnish each bowl of soup with 2 slices of ripe avocado, and a few cilantro leaves, and some crumbled corn chips. Grab a spoon and help yourself to a big bite of this delicious Southwestern chicken soup!

NOTE: The original Weight Watchers recipe did NOT use corn chips. I added 3 crumbled up corn chips to each bowl of soup, for a nice looking presentation and “crunch”.

We really LOVED this soup! My husband said this might have become his new FAVORITE soup! Wow! That’s saying a lot, since I make a lot of yummy soups! The leftovers were yummy, too! The soup will keep for 4 days in refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.

Sure do hope you will consider trying this Southwestern chicken soup. It is incredibly easy to make, and tastes absolutely wonderful. If you follow the Weight Watchers program to track your food intake, this recipe has a value of 3 Smart Points (without corn chips). Have a great day!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of soup recipes published, including:

Grandma’s Southern-Style Chicken n’ Dumplings (my #1 most pinned recipe)
Albondigas Soup
Chicken, Wild Rice and Bacon Soup
Fully Loaded Potato Soup
Mom’s Old-Fashioned Chili

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so. If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Original Recipe Source: https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/recipe/southwestern-chicken-soup/59779f66112c2b4e18b0fd84

0 from 0 votes

Southwestern Chicken Soup

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

You'll love this delicious Southwestern Chicken Soup, a Weight Watchers dish with corn, black beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, and avocado slices!

Category: Entree, Soup

Cuisine: Southwestern

Keyword: Southwestern chicken soup

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 401 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil , divided use
1 pound chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) , cut in 1/2" cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium onion , chopped
1 small green bell pepper , seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic , minced
1 medium jalapeño pepper , seeded and chopped
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
29 ounces chicken broth (reduced sodium) (this is two 14.5 oz. cans)
14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes , drained
1 cup frozen corn kernels (or fresh)
15.25 ounces canned black beans , drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 medium avocado , pitted, peeled, cut into 8 slices
1/4 cup cilantro leaves

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a large soup pot, on medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Lightly season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add to pan Cook chicken on all sides, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Chicken should be lightly browned and cooked all the way through. Once chicken is done, remove from pan, and transfer to a plate. Set chicken aside.
Add remaining 1 teaspoon of oil back into the pan (the same one you cooked chicken in). Heat oil on medium-high, then add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until veggies have softened a bit. Stir in the chili powder, minced garlic, and ground cumin. Cook this mixture for an additional 30 seconds once combined. Stir in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, black beans and corn.
Bring the soup to a boil. Once it boils, put a lid on the pan, and turn heat to LOW. Continue to cook soup on low heat (covered) for about 8-9 minutes. The veggies should be nice and tender.
Carefully add the cooked chicken back into soup. Stir to combine, and continue to cook until chicken is heated through. This should take 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from the heat, and stir in the fresh lime juice.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Each serving is 1¾ cups. Garnish each bowl of soup with 2 avocado slices, and a few cilantro leaves. You can also add a few crumbled corn chips (optional) if you want! Serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

OPTIONAL: You can crumble up two or three corn chips on top to garnish each bowl of soup. The corn chips are NOT included in caloric or WW points calculation.

Nutrition Facts

Southwestern Chicken Soup

Amount Per Serving (1 bowl (1¾ cups + 2 avocado slices per serving))

Calories 401 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 72mg24%

Sodium 1085mg47%

Potassium 1457mg42%

Carbohydrates 40g13%

Fiber 12g50%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 38g76%

Vitamin A 1070IU21%

Vitamin C 41.4mg50%

Calcium 112mg11%

Iron 5.3mg29%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

01
Jan
2019

Chicken Noodle Soup

categories: Chicken, Main Dishes, Soups

52 Shares

Pin52

Yum

Delicious, homemade chicken noodle soup, made with leftover rotisserie chicken, celery, carrots, garlic, onions and spinach, will warm you up on a cold day!

We recently bought a rotisserie chicken at Costco. They always seem to have the best roasted chicken! After a couple days of enjoying it, we were left with a mostly picked over whole chicken in our fridge. About 75% of the meat was gone off the bones, and we had the “skeletal remnants” in the fridge.

A lot of folks would throw out the rest of the chicken, at that point. But did you know the bones and tiny bits of chicken left hanging on for dear life can make an incredible tasting chicken noodle soup? YEP! I decided not to waste the leftovers, and make a big pot of soup for our rainy night dinner!

The results? A wonderful tasting homemade chicken noodle soup that we enjoyed for a few more days, for dinner and a couple lunches! So the next time you have a leftover roasted chicken (or have some leftover pre-cooked chicken and chicken broth in your kitchen), make soup! It’s EASY! Here’s how:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Making Chicken Noodle Soup Using Leftover Roasted Chicken

The photo below shows you what was left of our rotisserie chicken. Poor thing never had a chance! Most of the meat had already been eaten, but there was still some attached to the bones. This is PERFECT for making a delicious broth for the soup!

So, to make a good broth for the chicken noodle soup, place the chicken (or what’s left of it) into a large soup pot, and cover it with water.

Add sliced carrots, celery, chopped onions and two smashed cloves of garlic to the pot. The carrots, onion, and celery are considered the holy trinity of cooking, because they impart so much flavor. They will be perfect to flavor the chicken noodle soup base!

Add salt, pepper, and two large chicken bouillon cubes to the soup pot. Bring the water to a boil on medium high heat. Cook for about 35 minutes, then remove from heat. Carefully remove whole chicken from pot, and let it cool a bit.

Once it has cooled some, pick off all the pieces of chicken you can get from the bones, and add them back into the pot. Believe it or not, I ended up with about 2 cups of shredded chicken! Discard the bones once finished. Skim any accumulated grease off the top of the soup, and remove the two smashed garlic cloves.

If NOT Using A Whole Chicken To Make This Chicken Noodle Soup

NOTE: If NOT using a whole chicken, simply cook the veggies for about 15 minutes (to soften), then add two cups of cooked, shredded chicken into the pot. Make sure to add THREE large chicken bouillon cubes to the water, for flavor.

Timesaving Tip For Making Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

I made this soup to use up our rotisserie chicken leftovers. HOWEVER… IF YOU WANT TO SAVE TIME, simply use 4 quarts of store bought chicken broth with your veggies and precooked chicken. Then there is no need to make your own chicken broth, and it will still have lots of flavor!

It will end up costing you a bit more to make the soup, but will save you time, if that’s an issue!

Put the chicken noodle soup back on the stove on medium high heat. Bring the soup to a full boil, then add the uncooked rotini pasta. If you don’t have rotini pasta noodles, add your favorite! Stir, and cook the noodles for the time stated on package (typically this is between 11-13 minutes).

When the noodles are finished cooking, add 1 Tablespoon of butter to the pot. Stir in the thawed and drained chopped spinach. Continue cooking the soup for a couple minutes, until chicken noodle soup is heated through. Take a small taste, and add salt and/or pepper, as desired.

And there you have it! Instead of throwing away the remnants of a whole rotisserie chicken, you have used it to make a delicious pot of homemade chicken noodle soup!

Who’s Ready To Eat Some Chicken Noodle Soup?

All that’s left to do is ladle up a bowlful of hot soup, and serve it to those you love! It’s really quite easy to make a delicious, filling pot of chicken noodle soup very inexpensively! The best part is that this soup, filled with chicken, pasta, spinach, carrots, onions, celery and a wonderful tasting broth TASTES SO GOOD!

Sure hope you will consider trying this recipe for homemade chicken noodle soup! I think it’s fun to get a huge pot of delicious soup using only a few simple, common ingredients!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

You can find all my soup recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorites of ours include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Have a wonderful day!

0 from 0 votes

Chicken Noodle Soup

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

55 mins

Delicious, homemade chicken noodle soup, with leftover rotisserie chicken, celery, carrots, garlic, onions and spinach, will warm you up on a cold day!

Category: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken noodle soup

Servings: 8

Calories Per Serving: 152 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 cups cooked chicken
4 quarts water , to cover chicken
2 cubes chicken bouillon , large cubes
2 large carrots , peeled, sliced
1/2 cup onion , chopped
2 stalks celery , chopped
2 garlic cloves , peeled, smashed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1½ cups uncooked rotini pasta , or pasta of choice
1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped frozen spinach , thawed & drained

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

If Using Rotisserie Chicken Carcass (to make soup base)

Place the chicken carcass (what's left of it) into a large soup pot, and cover it with water. Add sliced carrots, celery, chopped onions and two smashed cloves of garlic to the pot. Add salt, pepper, and two large chicken bouillon cubes.
Bring the water to a boil on medium high heat. Cook for 35 minutes, then remove pan from heat. Carefully remove chicken carcass from pot, and let it cool a bit. Once it has cooled some, pick off all the pieces of chicken you can get from the bones, and add them back into the pot. Discard bones, once finished. Skim any accumulated grease off the top of the soup, and remove the two smashed garlic cloves.
Put the soup back on the stove on medium high heat. Bring the soup to a full boil, then add uncooked rotini pasta. Stir, and cook the noodles for the time stated on package until done (typically this is between 11-13 minutes).
When noodles are finished cooking, add 1 Tablespoon of butter to the pot. Stir in the thawed, drained chopped spinach. Continue cooking soup for a couple minutes, until it's heated through. Take a taste, and add salt and/or pepper, as desired. Serve, and enjoy!

If Using Pre-Cooked Chicken And Store Bought Chicken Broth (TIMESAVER)

Cook the veggies (carrots, onions, celery, garlic) in the boiling broth (4 quarts) for 15 minutes, then add shredded chicken and pasta (etc.) and cook per instructions above. Once noodles are cooked, add butter, spinach, and season with additional salt/pepper as desired. Serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation is based on "made from scratch" method (using leftover chicken and bones).

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Noodle Soup

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/8 of total))

Calories 152 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 30mg10%

Sodium 220mg10%

Potassium 264mg8%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 5410IU108%

Vitamin C 3.4mg4%

Calcium 45mg5%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

26
Nov
2018

Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup

categories: Beef, Main Dishes, Soups

83 Shares

Pin83

Yum

Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup is a delicious, flavor-filled dish, with baked ground beef meatballs and pearl couscous, in a simple garlic/shallot broth.

A couple of weeks ago, I tried a new soup recipe that I recently found on Pinterest. The recipe was for a Moroccan meatball couscous soup, and I thought it sounded really interesting, due to the spices used in the tiny meatballs.

Do you like meatballs in soup? We do! One of our favorite soups with meatballs is my Albondigas Soup, which has traditional Southwestern flavors. I wasn’t too sure how this Moroccan meatball couscous soup (using pearl / Israeli couscous) would turn out, but thought I’d give this unique sounding soup a shot!

WOW! We LOVED this simple soup! Tiny meatballs, made with ground beef or lamb (I used ground beef), are mixed with a variety of Moroccan spices. The spices include turmeric, cinnamon, chili powder, curry powder, and several more.

Those little meatballs are baked, then added to a simple chicken or vegetable broth, which has been flavored with garlic and shallots. The end result? A wonderful tasting Moroccan meatball couscous soup that will knock your socks off! The soup is very easy to make – here’s how:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup

The first thing you will need to do is preheat your oven to 375° F, and line a 13×9 inch baking sheet (with edges) with parchment paper. Place a rack in the middle of the oven.

Mix together the spices for the meatballs in a small bowl. Place the ground beef (or ground lamb) in a medium bowl. Add the spice mixture and tomato paste to the meat in the bowl. Mix thoroughly (with clean hands), until all ingredients are completely blended.

For each meatball, use a rounded teaspoon of meat. Roll meat between your hands to form a small meatball. Place meatballs onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the meat is gone. I ended up with 43 little meatballs out of this mixture.

Place meatballs into the oven (on the middle rack). Bake at 375° F. for 10-12 minutes, until they are fully cooked through. When done, remove baking sheet from oven, and set aside.

Preparing The Couscous

While the meatballs are baking, you can cook the Israeli (pearl) couscous. For this recipe the couscous is lightly “dry toasted” first, then cooked. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium heat in a saucepan. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the pearl couscous. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally while it lightly “toasts”. Lightly “toasting” the couscous, helps develop a slightly nutty flavor.

Add 1¾ cup water, and a tiny pinch of salt to the toasted couscous. Let the water come to a full boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pan. Cook the couscous for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until the water has been fully absorbed. Remove pan from heat once done. Set aside.

Putting The Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup Together

Heat 3 Tablespoons olive oil on medium high heat, in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the minced garlic and 3 chopped shallots to the hot oil. Cook, stirring often, for one minute.

Add the chicken (or vegetable) broth to the pot, along with 2 more cups of water. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and carefully add the meatballs and the cooked couscous to the hot broth.

Simmer the Moroccan meatball couscous soup (uncovered) on low heat for 10 minutes. See how nice and plump the pearl couscous is?

Time To EAT!

Once the Moroccan meatball couscous soup is finished cooking, remove the pot from the stove. Taste test the broth. If you find more salt or pepper is necessary to suit your taste, add it now. Ladle the hot soup into individual serving bowls. To serve, garnish each bowl of Moroccan meatball couscous soup with some chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.

That’s how simple it is to make this delicious soup! I wasn’t sure I was gonna like it at first (being honest), but my husband and I ended up loving it! The leftovers were fabulous for lunches, too! YUM.

I really do hope you will consider trying this scrumptious Moroccan meatball couscous soup recipe. You will be surprised at the wonderful flavors in the meatballs and in the broth! Have a wonderful day, friends.

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

You can find all of my soup recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. Some of our favorites include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Source: littlespicejar.com/moroccan-meatball-couscous-soup/

0 from 0 votes

Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup is a delicious, flavor-filled dish, with baked ground beef meatballs and pearl couscous, in a simple garlic/shallot broth.

Category: Main Dish, Soup

Cuisine: Moroccan

Keyword: Moroccan meatball couscous soup

Servings: 8

Calories Per Serving: 360 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Meatballs:

1½ pounds ground beef (or lamb)
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For Soup:

8 ounces Israeli (pearl) couscous
2 teaspoons olive oil ,for toasting couscous
3 Tablespoons olive oil ,for cooking shallots/garlic
8 cloves garlic ,minced
3 shallots , finely chopped
4 cups chicken broth ,may substitute vegetable broth
3¾ cups water , divided
chopped flat leaf parsley ,for garnish - optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F, and place a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a 13x9 inch baking sheet (with edges) with parchment paper.
Mix spices for the meatballs in a small bowl. Place the ground beef (or lamb) in a medium bowl. Add the spice mix and tomato paste to the meat. Mix thoroughly (with clean hands), until completely blended. For each meatball, use a rounded teaspoon of meat. Roll meat between hands to form a small meatball (40-45 total). Place meatballs onto parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat until meat is gone. Place meatballs into oven (on middle rack). Bake at 375° F. for 10-12 minutes, until fully cooked through. When done, remove baking sheet from oven, and set aside.
While meatballs bake, cook the couscous. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium heat in a saucepan. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the pearl couscous. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally while it lightly "toasts". Add 1¾ cups of water and a pinch of salt to the toasted couscous. Let water come to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, and cover the pan. Cook couscous for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until the water has been fully absorbed. Remove pan from heat and set aside when done.
Heat 3 Tablespoons olive oil on medium high heat, in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add minced garlic and chopped shallots to the hot oil. Cook, stirring often, for one minute. Add the chicken (or vegetable) broth to the pot, along with 2 more cups of water. Bring liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to low; carefully add meatballs and cooked couscous to the hot broth. Simmer the soup (uncovered) on low heat for 10 minutes. Once the soup is finished cooking, remove the pot from the heat. Taste test the broth. If you find more salt or pepper is necessary to suit your taste, add it. Ladle the hot soup into individual serving bowls. To serve, garnish each bowl of soup with chopped fresh flat leaf parsley. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 360 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 57mg19%

Sodium 667mg29%

Potassium 449mg13%

Carbohydrates 24g8%

Fiber 1g4%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 60IU1%

Vitamin C 10.1mg12%

Calcium 36mg4%

Iron 2.8mg16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

03
Sep
2018

Garden Vegetable Chowder

categories: Soups, Vegetable Dishes

3.1K Shares

Pin3.1K

Yum

Easy to make, thick and creamy Garden Vegetable Chowder, with broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, celery, and carrots will fill and warm you up, any time of year!

Do you have an overabundance of garden veggies or a produce drawer (filled with veggies) in your refrigerator begging for mercy? If so, then do I have a SOUP for YOU! I found it in one of my old Taste of Home magazines from July 1998 (yes… I kept them ALL from years of subscriptions!)..

Well, it’s actually a thick, wonderful vegetable chowder that is filled with a LOT of veggies… such as carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, and celery. The best part besides using all those yummy vegetables? Trust me – this chowder is EASY to make!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How Do I Make Garden Vegetable Chowder?

Sauté chopped onions and green bell peppers in butter. While they are cooking, prep the remaining veggies.

The vegetables in this chowder besides the onions and bell peppers are carrots, red potatoes, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower. These additional veggies are all cut into bite sized pieces. Add veggies, water, chicken bouillon, and salt and pepper to onion/bell pepper mixture in pan.

Bring this mixture to a boil. Once the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat. Cover the pan, and simmer the soup for 20 minutes.

Make a slurry (used to thicken soup) by whisking together milk and flour until all lumps have disappeared. Once soup has cooked for 20 minutes, stir the slurry into the soup.

Once the flour slurry has been added, stir to combine, then bring the soup to a boil. Cook soup for 2 minutes. The liquid will thicken as it cooks.

Time For Some Cheese!

Add parsley and grated cheddar cheese to vegetable chowder. Stir and cook on medium low heat until soup is heated through and all cheese has melted.

Serve The Garden Vegetable Chowder

Ladle hot, thick vegetable chowder into serving bowls. Garnish each bowl of soup with additional parsley, if desired. Serve it immediately, and enjoy a hot bowl of veggie chowder!

I really hope you enjoy this thick, creamy and DELICIOUS garden vegetable chowder! It’s so easy to make, and I think you will really LOVE it! What a delicious way to get your kids (or spouses or friends) to eat their veggies!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of delicious soup recipes you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Source: Taste of Home Magazine, July 1998 edition.

5 from 1 vote

Garden Vegetable Chowder

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

Easy to make, thick and creamy Garden Vegetable Chowder, with broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, celery, onions, bell peppers and carrots will fill and warm you up, any time of year!

Category: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: vegetable chowder

Servings: 6

Calories Per Serving: 356 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup onion ,chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper ,chopped
1 cup (EACH) potato/celery/broccoli/cauliflower/carrots ,chopped, sliced or florets
3 cups water
3 cubes chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 Tablespoon parsley
2 cups cheddar cheese ,grated

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Sauté chopped onions and green bell peppers in butter in bottom of soup pot. While they are cooking, prep the remaining veggies, by slicing, chopping or cutting them into florets.
Add veggies, water, chicken bouillon, and salt and pepper to onion/bell pepper mixture. Bring this mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat. Cover pan, and simmer soup for 20 minutes.
Make a slurry (used to thicken soup) by whisking together milk and flour until all lumps have disappeared. Once soup has cooked for 20 minutes, stir the slurry into the soup. Once the flour slurry has been added, stir to combine, then bring the soup to a boil. Cook soup for 2 minutes. The liquid will thicken as it cooks.
Add parsley and grated cheddar cheese to vegetable chowder. Stir and cook on medium low heat until soup is heated through and all cheese has melted. Ladle hot, thick vegetable chowder into serving bowls. Garnish each bowl of soup with additional parsley, if desired. Serve... and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Garden Vegetable Chowder

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/6) of total)

Calories 356 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 14g88%

Cholesterol 68mg23%

Sodium 775mg34%

Potassium 554mg16%

Carbohydrates 23g8%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 15g30%

Vitamin A 4580IU92%

Vitamin C 39.8mg48%

Calcium 408mg41%

Iron 2.2mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

12
Jan
2018

Weight Watchers French Onion Soup

categories: Soups

803 Shares

Pin803

Yum

You’ll love this recipe for Weight Watchers French Onion Soup, with caramelized onions! All the flavor without the extra calories!

If you enjoy a robust, flavor-filled bowl of soup, but are dieting OR looking to cut a few calories, then you will LOVE this recipe for Weight Watchers French Onion Soup! It has caramelized onions and the amazing flavor of the original, but with less calories!

On a cold day recently, I was craving a big bowl of French Onion Soup, but since I am watching my calories, and have lost over 26 pounds the past several months, I wanted the TASTE of this delicious soup, but without the extra calories from bread and that yummy, gooey CHEESE! The most difficult thing about making this (and it’s a cinch), is cutting up those crazy onions (wiping away the tears!).

So… I found this recipe using my Weight Watchers app, and decided to try it. The original recipe was designed to use a slow cooker, but it took almost 12 hours to make, so I modified the recipe so it could be made on the stove top in about 40 minutes total (prep and cook time). OH MY GOODNESS… it is so incredibly delicious! The caramelized onions swimming in a rich, flavorful broth, and a bit of Parmesan cheese on top tasted amazing. I didn’t even miss the bread! You need to make this soup ASAP!

My husband and I LOVED this meal, and since a serving size is 1½ cups, we each had a large bowl of soup (with a salad on the side). *Note: I made HALF the recipe… so my photos reflect this!) Here’s how easy it is to make:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Onions (and wipe away the tears)

Peel onions and thinly slice. Remember, slicing onions is not for sissies… (wiping away more tears). I cut them in half (top to bottom), then peeled them and then sliced.

Caramelize The Onions

Melt butter in large skillet. Add sliced onions and salt. Cook on medium heat until the onions are well browned, stirring often. This will take about 20 minutes. I made a salad while the onions were cooking, but came back and gave them a good stir every few minutes!

**Here’s my tip on cooking the onions… don’t rush the process. Take your time cooking the onions… you want them nice and brown, caramelized, soft and fragrant, for the best tasting soup!

Finish “Building” The Weight Watchers French Onion Soup

Once the onions are wonderfully brown (and smell so good!), add a bay leaf and some fresh thyme to the skillet. If you do not have access to fresh thyme, you can add dried thyme, but you will need to reduce the amount by 1/3, since dried herbs are more concentrated in flavor.

Add sherry, minced garlic, sugar, chicken broth and beef broth to skillet. Stir well, to combine all ingredients. Let this cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will allow the alcohol (sherry) to burn off, and allow the flavors to develop. When done, remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs from soup. Stir in soy sauce and black pepper.

Time To Eat!

Ladle the soup into bowls, and immediately garnish each serving with 1/2 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese and fresh thyme (if desired). Serve, and enjoy! Here’s a photo of my bowl of soup BEFORE I gobbled it up!.

Shown below is a photo of my husband’s bowl of soup. He wanted a bit of the traditional melted “stringy” cheese on his at the last minute, so I grabbed a thin slice of Swiss cheese we keep on hand for sandwiches.

The cheese was put on the top and I microwaved the soup for about 30 seconds to melt the cheese. It was nice and “gooey” and stringy… just the way he likes it (and only added 70 more calories!)

We both really loved this soup! If you happen to follow a Weight Watchers plan, the total for this delicious bowl of “yummy-ness” is 3 Smart Points! I highly recommend this recipe… low in calories, high in taste and satisfaction! Have a great day!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of yummy soup recipes to check out, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Adapted From: https://www.weightwatchers.com

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Weight Watchers French Onion Soup

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

40 mins

You'll love this recipe for Weight Watchers French Onion Soup, with caramelized onions! All the flavor without the extra calories!

Category: Soup

Cuisine: French

Keyword: french onion soup

Servings: 6 (1½ cup) servings

Calories Per Serving: 116 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

6-7 large uncooked brown onions , peeled and thinly sliced (approx. 3 lbs.)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf
5 sprigs fresh thyme (plus extra if using for garnish)
1/4 cup sherry
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 cups beef broth (reduced sodium)
3 cups chicken broth (reduced sodium)
1 teaspoon soy sauce (low sodium)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (to garnish hot soup)
Additional sprigs fresh thyme (to garnish hot soup)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Peel onions and thinly slice.
Melt butter in large skillet. Add sliced onions and salt. Cook on medium heat until the onions are well browned, stirring every couple of minutes. This will take approximately 20 minutes. Once the onions are wonderfully brown (and smell so good!), add a bay leaf and fresh thyme sprigs to the skillet (if using dried thyme, reduce by 1/2 the amount used). Add sherry, minced garlic, sugar, beef broth and chicken broth to skillet. Stir well, to combine all ingredients. Let this mixture cook, uncovered for 20 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. This will burn off the alcohol (sherry). When done, remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs from soup. Stir in soy sauce and black pepper.
Ladle the hot soup into bowls, and immediately garnish each serving with 1/2 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese and fresh thyme (if desired). Serve, and ENJOY! (the leftovers are wonderful, as well!)

Nutrition Facts

Weight Watchers French Onion Soup

Amount Per Serving (1 serving (1½ cups))

Calories 116 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Fat 5g8%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 12mg4%

Sodium 1751mg76%

Potassium 326mg9%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 180IU4%

Vitamin C 18mg22%

Calcium 72mg7%

Iron 0.8mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

26
Oct
2017

Chicken Wild Rice and Bacon Soup

categories: Bacon, Chicken, Main Dishes, Soups

638 Shares

Pin617

Yum21

Chicken wild rice soup, w/ thick-cut bacon, carrots, onions and spices are the backdrop for this easy, delicious, creamy and filling dish!

On a cool Fall day, nothing warms you up better than a hearty bowl of Chicken wild rice and bacon soup! Chicken, wild rice, thick-cut bacon, carrots, onions and spices are the backdrop for this easy, delicious, creamy and filling meal!

I found this recipe in a cookbook I bought for my friend Shari last Christmas! I gave her the cookbook (she LOVES to cook), and cringed just a bit when she said her son had given her the exact same cookbook. It was funny (and kind of sad) when she gave it back to me and told me to keep it. Gadzooks!

Of course, I kept it (a small sacrifice, right?), and I have loved finding new soup recipes for our family in it, including THIS one. My husband and I loved this amazing Chicken wild rice soup (with bacon)!

Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At the bottom Of the Page

Is This An Easy Soup To Prepare?

The chicken wild rice soup has a rather long cook time (60 minutes) in order to soften the wild rice, but other than that, it was a simple soup to prepare. I recommend this recipe (AND the cookbook) whole-heartedly, and hope you will consider trying it! Here’s how to make the soup:

How To Make Chicken Wild Rice and Bacon Soup

Cook bacon pieces in a large, heavy pot. *TIP: I cut the bacon into 1″ strips with kitchen scissors before cooking, because it cooks faster. Simply stack the bacon, then cut through strips with scissors (or sharp knife).

Cook the bacon on medium-high heat until crisp (takes about 5-7 minutes). When done, transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Set aside. Leave bacon grease in pot.

Place butter, chopped carrot and onion into the pot. Cook on medium-high, stirring often, until carrot begins to soften (about 5-6 minutes).

Add minced garlic and dried thyme. Cook for one minute, stirring, so the garlic doesn’t burn. Pour in the white wine. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often to scrape up any bacon “bits” from bottom of pan (these will add flavor to soup).

Add Wild Rice And Cook Until Tender

Now add chicken broth and wild rice to pot. Stir to combine. Turn heat down to Low, put a lid on the pot and cook for 60 minutes or until rice is tender.

Once rice is tender, add cooked bacon and chicken to soup. By the way, I quickly cooked the chicken while the soup was cooking, so it was ready to go once the rice was tender. TIP: You can also use rotisserie chicken or leftover baked or boiled chicken to save time, as well!

Add the heavy whipping cream. Stir to combine. Return the chicken wild rice soup to a low simmer; cook soup, uncovered for 5 more minutes, until heated through, and soup has thickened a bit.

Once chicken wild rice soup has heated through, season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Now it’s ready to serve!

Chicken Wild Rice Soup Is Ready To Serve!

This is how it looked when I ladled it into our soup bowls… doesn’t it look yummy? Guess what… it TASTES yummy, too! Serve the soup with some crusty french bread, and enjoy!

I really hope you will consider trying this soup! I know it’s hard to look at a picture and wonder if it actually tastes good… but it does! The kitchen smelled incredibly good, too, while this was cooking!

The leftovers were good for lunch the next day, as well. You will notice with the leftovers (IF you have any leftovers… wink, wink) that the rice absorbs more of the broth if refrigerated overnight. Simply add a bit more broth when you reheat the soup, and it will be as good as the first night you made it! Have a great day… and make some SOUP!

Looking for More SOUP Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of yummy, comforting homemade soup recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Adapted From: The cookbook “Williams-Sonoma Soup Of The Day”, published by Weldon Owen, Inc. and Williams-Sonoma, Inc., 2011, page 61.

0 from 0 votes

Chicken Wild Rice and Bacon Soup

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 5 mins

Total Time

1 hr 25 mins

Chicken, chewy wild rice, thick-cut bacon, carrots, onions and spices are the backdrop for this delicious, creamy and filling soup!

Category: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken wild rice soup

Servings: 4 servings

Calories Per Serving: 471 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

6-7 slices thick cut bacon , cut into 1" strips (use kitchen scissors or sharp knife to cut)
1 Tablespoon butter
1 carrot , peeled and chopped
1 yellow onion (medium), chopped
2 cloves garlic , minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup uncooked wild rice
1 chicken breast (skinless, boneless), cooked and chopped (1" chunks)
3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Salt and fresh ground black pepper , to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut bacon into 1" strips with kitchen scissors (stack bacon, then cut through strips with scissors or sharp knife). Cook bacon pieces in a large, heavy pot on medium-high heat until crisp (takes about 5-7 minutes). When done, transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Set aside. Leave bacon grease in pot.
Place butter, chopped carrot and onion into the pot. Cook on medium-high, stirring often, until carrot begins to soften (about 5-6 minutes). Add minced garlic and dried thyme. Cook for an additional minute, stirring, so the garlic doesn't burn. Add wine. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often to scrape up any bacon "bits" from bottom of pan (these add flavor to soup). Add chicken broth and wild rice to pot. Stir to combine. Turn heat down to Low, put a lid on the pot and cook for 60 minutes or until rice is tender.
Once rice is tender, add cooked bacon and chicken to soup. Add heavy whipping cream. Stir to combine. Return soup to a low simmer; cook soup, uncovered, for 5 minutes, until heated through, and soup has thickened a bit. Once soup is heated through, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Wild Rice and Bacon Soup

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 471 Calories from Fat 234

% Daily Value*

Fat 26g40%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Cholesterol 62mg21%

Sodium 1291mg56%

Potassium 669mg19%

Carbohydrates 36g12%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 2655IU53%

Vitamin C 20.2mg24%

Calcium 39mg4%

Iron 1.8mg10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

17
Aug
2017

Albondigas Soup

categories: Beef, Mexican / Southwestern, Soups

794 Shares

Pin757

Yum37

Delicious Albondigas Soup (“little meatball”) is an easy, inexpensive, Southwestern flavored dish, and can be served as a first course or an entree!
I made Albondigas Soup for dinner a couple of days ago… did you know that “Albondigas” simply means “little meatballs”? That’s right!

This is a yummy, Southwestern flavored “little meatball soup”. It’s very simple to make… and it sure tastes good!

How I Got This Recipe

I was given this recipe at my bridal shower (almost 40 years ago) by the Mom of one of my bridesmaids. This recipe for albondigas soup has been made so many times over the years, and we still enjoy it, to this day.

Simple and economical to make, the soup has a mild Southwestern flavor, due in small part to chili powder and other spices! The tiny meatballs made with ground beef, rice, and spices, really fill you up, too!

Albondigas soup is cooked all in one pan. Even the meatballs are added uncooked to the hot broth, and they cook in the pan.

No pre-browning of the meatballs is necessary, so it really doesn’t take much work at all to serve up a hot, steaming pot of albondigas soup! Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Albondigas Soup

Sauté chopped onions in a large soup pot in hot oil until the onions are translucent in color and tender, but not yet browned.

Add the rest of soup ingredients to the pan. These ingredients are chili powder, garlic powder, bisque of tomato soup, condensed beef consommé, water, sliced celery and carrots.

Simmer, uncovered, on medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the albondigas soup is simmering, make the meatballs.

Prepare The Meatballs

Make the meatballs while the soup is simmering. Place the ground beef, cooked rice, cornstarch, garlic powder, oregano, egg, salt, pepper, and dried parsley in a large bowl.

Stir (or use your hands) until the ingredients are fully mixed together. Form the meat mixture into small meatballs about the size of a walnut shell (about 1½” wide).

I was able to make 31 little meatballs with this mixture. Place the meatballs on parchment paper as they are formed.

Add The Meatballs To The Soup

Carefully place the uncooked meatballs into the simmering broth. They will sink to the bottom of the pot. I took this first photo below, so you could see the meatballs go into the pot “uncooked”.

The meatballs will begin to cook immediately after putting them in. You can see this in the 2nd photo below, taken 30 seconds after adding the meatballs to the hot broth.

Cook the Soup

Simmer the albondigas soup on low heat for 30 minutes after adding the meatballs. Do not put a lid on the saucepan.

When done, the meatballs will float to the top of the soup, as shown below. They should be fully cooked through, as well.

The Albondigas Soup Is Ready To Eat!

All that’s left to do is to ladle the hot soup into individual serving bowls. Serve albondigas soup hot with a slice of warm bread and a mixed green salad on the side. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this simple to prepare, yet tasty albondigas soup! It is a family favorite, and I really think you will enjoy it!

Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon, for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, and have a GREAT day!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of delicious soup recipes to choose from, including:

Mom’s Old-Fashioned Chili
Grandma’s Southern-Style Chicken n’ Dumplings (my most pinned recipe!)
Chicken Noodle Soup
Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon
Creamy Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Source: Mrs. Phyllis Dean

0 from 0 votes

Albondigas Soup

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

55 mins

Delicious Albondigas ("little meatball") Soup is easy and inexpensive Southwestern flavored soup to prepare, and can be served as a first course or an entree!

Category: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Southwestern

Keyword: albondigas soup

Servings: 6 servings

Calories Per Serving: 338 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For the broth:

1/2 cup onion , chopped
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
dash garlic powder
1 can Campbells Bisque of Tomato Soup
3 cans Campbells Condensed Beef Consomme soup
3 cans water
1½ cups carrots , sliced
1½ cups celery , diced

For the meatballs:

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup COOKED rice
1 Tablespoons cornstarch
dash garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
1/4 cup parsley flakes

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oil in large soup pot. Saute onion until limp, but not browned. Add remainder of soup ingredients (chili powder, garlic powder, salt, tomato soup, beef consomme, water, sliced carrots and celery). Simmer uncovered on medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. While soup simmers, make the meatballs.
Combine all ingredients for meatballs in medium bowl (ground beef, cooked rice, cornstarch, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, egg and parsley). Stir well, to fully combine. Form little meatballs with your hands (meatballs should be only about 1½ inches wide). Set formed meatballs on wax paper or parchment paper while you continue to make meatballs.
When soup is done simmering (after 20 minutes), carefully add the uncooked meatballs to the hot broth. They will sink to bottom of pan, but will begin to cook immediately. Cook, uncovered, on a low simmer for 30 minutes. When done, the meatballs will be cooked through and will float to the surface of the soup. Ladle up the hot soup into individual bowls... serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Albondigas Soup

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 338 Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Fat 21g32%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Cholesterol 80mg27%

Sodium 1493mg65%

Potassium 822mg23%

Carbohydrates 18g6%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 18g36%

Vitamin A 5760IU115%

Vitamin C 11.3mg14%

Calcium 73mg7%

Iron 2.7mg15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

Save

09
Jan
2017

Beef and Barley Soup

categories: Beef, Main Dishes, Soups

65 Shares

Pin65

Yum

You will love this simple, yet hearty Beef and Barley Soup, with tender beef chunks, barley, carrots, celery and onions! It will hit the spot on a cold day!We had snow, freezing rain, and below freezing temperatures in Oregon this weekend. Brrr. We were stuck inside waiting for the ice and snow to melt, so I made a large pot of delicious Beef and Barley Soup. A big bowl of hot soup sounded perfect on such icy cold days!

When I was growing up, my Mom occasionally bought cans of a name brand’s Beef and Barley Soup. I always liked it, so it was a natural choice to try making my own. I found the recipe on Pinterest (from blogger and author Gina Homolka at Skinnytaste.com), and loved the SIMPLE ingredients it takes to make it.

The soup cooks on low for a couple hours, which allows the meat to become VERY TENDER. The addition of barley helps make it very filling – the soup tastes delicious… AND only has 336 calories per serving (1½ cups of soup). Interested? Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Beef And Barley Soup

Heat oil in a large heavy pot on medium heat. Once oil is hot, add beef, which has been lightly seasoned with salt. Brown the meat on all sides (this will take 3-4 minutes).

Once the meat is browned, drain grease. Add chopped carrots, onion, celery and minced garlic. Stir to combine.

Time To Cook The Soup!

Add water, salt, and a couple of bay leaves to the pot. Stir well, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it begins to boil, turn the heat down to LOW. Put a cover on the pot. Let the soup simmer on low heat for 1½ to 2 hours (leaving the lid on the pot the entire time).

The long cooking time helps tenderize the beef. While it cooked, I worked on a puzzle, read, played with our dog, did some laundry, and enjoyed it as the amazing smell from the cooking soup began to fill our home.

When the long cook time is done, add dry barley to the soup. Stir well. Taste the broth. Season with ground black pepper. Add additional salt, if needed (to taste). Stir well.

Let the soup simmer on LOW (uncovered) for an additional 35-40 minutes, while the barley cooks. The barley will “plump” a bit as it cooks and will absorb some of the liquid.

Beef And Barley Soup Is Ready To Enjoy!

When done cooking, remember to take out the bay leaves, then ladle some of this delicious beef barley soup into individual bowls. If you want, garnish each bowl of soup with a bit of dried or fresh chopped parsley, and serve!

Hope you enjoy this simple, yet hearty and filling beef barley soup. My husband and I sure enjoyed it, served with a slice of crusty sourdough bread. I’m looking forward to the leftovers for lunch today! The beef was incredibly tender, and the taste was wonderful. Best of all, it was a very simple soup to prepare!

Have a great day! The last report I heard on the news yesterday said that 47 of the 48 mainland states have snow in one part of them or another. That’s a whole lot of COLD WEATHER! Stay warm, make a big pot of hot beef and barley soup… and enjoy your day!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of delicious soup recipes I’m confident you will enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Source: http://www.skinnytaste.com/beef-barley-soup/

0 from 0 votes

Beef and Barley Soup

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs 15 mins

Total Time

2 hrs 25 mins

You will love this simple, yet hearty soup with tender beef chunks, barley, carrots, celery and onions!

Category: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef and barley soup

Servings: 7 ½ cup servings

Calories Per Serving: 266 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

1 teaspoon oil
1½ pounds beef round stew meat (1-2 inch pieces)
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic , minced
6 cups water
1-2 teaspoons salt (season to taste)
2 bay leaves (in spice section-added for seasoning)
2/3 cup dry barley
1/2 teaspoon Ground black pepper (approx. 1/2 teaspoon)
Additional salt , to taste
Dried parsley (for garnish-optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oil in a large heavy pot on medium heat. Once oil is hot, add beef, which has been lightly seasoned with salt. Brown meat on all sides (this will take 3-4 minutes). Drain grease from pan.
Add chopped carrots, onion, celery and minced garlic. Stir to combine.
Add water, salt, and a couple of bay leaves to the pot. Stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it begins to boil, turn the heat down to Low. Put a cover on the pot. Let the soup simmer on low heat for 1½ to 2 hours. The long cooking time helps to tenderize the beef. Meat should be tender when done.
Add barley. Stir to combine. Season with ground black pepper. Taste the soup. Add additional salt, if needed. Let soup simmer on low (uncovered) an additional 35-40 minutes, while the barley cooks.
When done cooking, remember to take out the bay leaves (!!!), then ladle some of this delicious soup into individual bowls, garnish with a bit of dried parsley, and serve!

Nutrition Facts

Beef and Barley Soup

Amount Per Serving (1 1/2 cup serving)

Calories 266 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 75mg25%

Sodium 399mg17%

Potassium 405mg12%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 29g58%

Vitamin A 3085IU62%

Vitamin C 3.3mg4%

Calcium 34mg3%

Iron 3.1mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

Save

20
Oct
2016

Italian Orzo and Spinach Soup

categories: Soups

522 Shares

Pin522

Yum

Make a big pot of Italian Orzo Spinach Soup (delicious and easy to make), with pasta, spinach, Italian spices, and diced tomatoes in 30 minutes!
We’ve had some stormy, windy, and rainy weather in Oregon lately. I decided to make a big pot of Italian Orzo Spinach Soup for dinner! The soup sounded so scrumptious, comforting, and WARM on a wet, cold, and blustery day! It was wonderful (the soup, NOT the weather).

I found the recipe while searching Pinterest and decided to give it a try! Glad I did, because this was a very delicious meal, PLUS we had great leftovers for our family! Italian Orzo Spinach Soup is extremely easy to prepare! It also can be ready in about 30 minutes, which is fairly “do-able” on a busy night, after a long day!

Scroll down for A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Italian Orzo Spinach Soup

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil until very hot (on medium-high heat). Add diced onion, and sauté it, stirring occasionally for about 4-5 minutes. The onion will become translucent in color and soften.

Add the diced carrots and celery to the onions, then add the minced garlic. Stir to combine, then cook the veggies, stirring occasionally for another 3-4 minutes.

Cook The Italian Orzo Spinach Soup

Now add your chicken stock, canned diced tomatoes, the orzo pasta, thyme, oregano, and rosemary. Stir all the ingredients together, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to Low, then let the Italian orzo spinach soup cook on a low simmer, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes.

When done, the pasta should be al dente. Be sure to stir the soup occasionally, scraping the bottom, to make sure the pasta doesn’t stick to the pot.

Add the fresh spinach to the hot soup. Stir to incorporate into the soup, then cook for 2 minutes. The spinach will wilt as it cooks in the soup.

This is what the Italian orzo spinach soup will look like when it’s is done! The spinach will be wilted and the orzo pasta will have greatly expanded in size.

Time To Serve This Delicious Soup!

Now all that is left to do before serving is to taste test it. Season the soup with salt and pepper, to taste. To serve, ladle this delicious Italian orzo spinach soup into individual serving bowls. Top each bowl of soup with grated Parmesan cheese, for even better flavor! Serve… and enjoy a hot bowl of delicious, homemade Italian orzo spinach soup!

See how simple that was? In no time at all and with minimal effort, you can enjoy a big pot of Italian orzo spinach soup on a cold day! The leftovers are wonderful, as well. This would be a great soup to have for lunch with a side salad. YUM. Sure hope you will consider making this Italian orzo spinach soup. I’m sure I will be making it again!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of great soup recipes you’ll enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Have a blessed day.

Recipe Source: http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/italian-orzo-spinach-soup-recipe/

0 from 0 votes

Italian Orzo and Spinach Soup

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

30 mins

Make a big pot of Italian Orzo and Spinach Soup (delicious and easy to make), with pasta, spinach, Italian spices, and diced tomatoes in 30 minutes!

Category: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Italian orzo spinach soup

Servings: 6 servings

Calories Per Serving: 329 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion (diced)
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
3 cloves garlic (minced)
6 cups chicken OR vegetable stock
1 can (14 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes OR regular diced tomatoes
1½ cups orzo pasta (uncooked)
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves (loosely packed)
Salt and pepper , to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil until very hot (on medium-high heat). Add diced onion, and sauté it, stirring occasionally for about 4-5 minutes. The onion will become translucent in color and soften.
Add the diced carrots and celery, then add minced garlic. Stir to combine, then cook, stirring occasionally for another 3-4 minutes.
Now add your chicken stock, canned diced tomatoes, the orzo pasta, thyme, oregano, and rosemary. Stir all the ingredients together, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to Low, then let the soup cook on a low simmer, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes. When done, pasta should be al dente. Stir soup occasionally, scraping the bottom, to make sure pasta doesn't stick to the pot.
Add the fresh spinach to the hot soup. Stir to incorporate into the soup, then cook for 2 minutes.
Taste test soup. Season with salt and pepper, then ladle soup into individual serving bowls. Top each bowl of soup with grated Parmesan cheese, for even better flavor! Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Italian Orzo and Spinach Soup

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 329 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 11mg4%

Sodium 574mg25%

Potassium 598mg17%

Carbohydrates 45g15%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 14g28%

Vitamin A 5820IU116%

Vitamin C 10.9mg13%

Calcium 130mg13%

Iron 2.2mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

Save

23
Sep
2016

Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

categories: Copycat Recipes, Soups

1.3K Shares

Pin1.3K

Yum

This delicious, copycat version of Olive Garden’s beloved thick and creamy chicken gnocchi soup is easy to make in 30 minutes, for lunch or dinner!
Last year a friend from out of state was staying in our home for several days. My friend Patti and I went to a local restaurant, where I tasted an amazing soup… Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup! It was so good I’ve been on a quest ever since, to find a great recipe to duplicate it.

I think I found a great recipe on Pinterest. The soup tastes amazingly similar to the restaurant version, and it is crazy delicious! Did I mention it only takes 25-30 minutes from start to finish to make, as well? Yep. EASY and delicious – now that’s my kind of meal! Here’s how you make this main course soup:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Add butter and olive oil to a large soup pot. Turn heat to medium-high heat, and melt butter. Add diced onion and celery and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and tender. During the last minute, add the minced garlic and continue cooking, stirring to prevent garlic from burning.

Once onions and celery are tender, add the flour to the pan. Stir to combine all the ingredients. This makes a “roux” which helps to thicken the soup. Cook the roux for an additional minute, stirring well.

Add the half and half and the chicken broth to the soup pot, and stir well, to fully combine ingredients.

The chicken gnocchi soup will look like the photo below. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until the soup begins to thicken.

Finish Making The Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Once the soup has begun to thicken, add the shredded carrots, chopped spinach, fresh thyme leaves, diced chicken breast, and potato gnocchi. Stir well, to fully blend all these ingredients into the chicken gnocchi soup.

Continue to cook the soup on medium heat until soup is heated through, and the potato gnocchi is fully cooked (between 5 and 10 minutes). The soup will thicken up a bit more, too. See that good looking gnocchi? YUM.

Serve The Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Once the chicken gnocchi soup is finished cooking, give it a taste test. Season with salt and ground black pepper, to taste. See the bites of gnocchi, chicken, spinach and shredded carrots in the photo below? This is a meal in a bowl, friends!

Ladle the creamy soup into serving bowls, and serve this chicken gnocchi soup while HOT! I think you’re gonna love this soup… we sure did! The potato gnocchi in the soup taste like little dumplings!

We ate our Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup with thick slices of crusty French bread. French bread tasted GREAT dipped in the soup to “sop up” some of that delicious creamy broth!

Sure hope you will consider making this absolutely delicious and filling chicken gnocchi soup. It’s quick and easy to prepare on a busy day, but is so filling and super delicious! The leftovers were just as good, as well! Have a great day, and thanks for taking the time to check out this recipe. Hope you enjoy it.

Looking For More GNOCCHI Recipes?

You can find all my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some delicious gnocchi recipes you might be interested in, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Source: http://therecipecritic.com/2016/09/creamy-chicken-gnocchi-soup-olive-garden-copycat/

0 from 0 votes

Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

This delicious, copycat version of Olive Garden's beloved thick and creamy chicken gnocchi soup is easy to make in 30 minutes... for lunch or dinner!

Category: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken gnocchi soup

Servings: 6 servings

Calories Per Serving: 383 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup brown onion , diced
1/2 cup celery , diced
2 garlic cloves , minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half and half
1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth (**See NOTES section below for tip)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup fresh spinach leaves , chopped (may substitute frozen, chopped spinach-drained well)
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup cooked chicken breast , diced
1 package (16 ounces) potato gnocchi (found in pasta aisle)
Salt and ground black pepper , to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place the butter and olive oil in a large soup pot. Melt butter on medium-high heat. Add diced onion and celery. Sauté until onions are translucent and tender (about 3-4 minutes), stirring occasionally. During the last minute, add the minced garlic.
Add flour to the pan, stir well, to combine (this makes a "roux"). Continue to cook this for an additional minute.
Add the half and half, then the chicken broth to the soup pot. Mix well, to combine, and continue to cook, stirring frequently until the soup begins to thicken.
Once soup has begun to thicken, add shredded carrots, chopped spinach, fresh thyme leaves, diced chicken and gnocchi. Simmer on low for 5-10 minutes, until soup is heated and thickened, and gnocchi have fully cooked. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Serve hot... and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

If you prefer a thinner soup, simply add an additional can of chicken broth to soup. (I like it thick and creamy, so only used one can!)

Nutrition Facts

Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 383 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Cholesterol 64mg21%

Sodium 625mg27%

Potassium 381mg11%

Carbohydrates 40g13%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 14g28%

Vitamin A 4585IU92%

Vitamin C 12.5mg15%

Calcium 137mg14%

Iron 3.9mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

Save

Category: Soups

How To Make Southwestern Chicken Soup

Add The Cooked Chicken And Finish The Soup

To Serve Southwestern Chicken Soup

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Making Chicken Noodle Soup Using Leftover Roasted Chicken

If NOT Using A Whole Chicken To Make This Chicken Noodle Soup

Timesaving Tip For Making Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Who’s Ready To Eat Some Chicken Noodle Soup?

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

How To Make Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup

Preparing The Couscous

Putting The Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup Together

Time To EAT!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

How Do I Make Garden Vegetable Chowder?

Time For Some Cheese!

Serve The Garden Vegetable Chowder

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media: Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks! Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks! Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Prepare The Onions (and wipe away the tears)

Caramelize The Onions

Finish “Building” The Weight Watchers French Onion Soup

Time To Eat!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

Is This An Easy Soup To Prepare?

How To Make Chicken Wild Rice and Bacon Soup

Add Wild Rice And Cook Until Tender

Chicken Wild Rice Soup Is Ready To Serve!

Looking for More SOUP Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

How I Got This Recipe

How To Make Albondigas Soup

Prepare The Meatballs

Add The Meatballs To The Soup

Cook the Soup

The Albondigas Soup Is Ready To Eat!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

Find Me On Social Media:

How To Make Beef And Barley Soup

Time To Cook The Soup!

Beef And Barley Soup Is Ready To Enjoy!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media: Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks! Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks! Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

How To Make Italian Orzo Spinach Soup

Cook The Italian Orzo Spinach Soup

Time To Serve This Delicious Soup!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

How To Make Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Finish Making The Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Serve The Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Looking For More GNOCCHI Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media: Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks! Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks! Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks