SOUPS

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Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice 




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Tuscan Sausage and White Bean Soup





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Roasted Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup




PRESSURE COOKER CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER
melskitchencafe.com
INGREDIENTS
·         3 cups chicken broth (I use low-sodium)
·         3 cups (15 ounces) frozen corn kernels
·         2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 to 8 medium potatoes), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
·         1/2 to 1 cup small diced celery (about 3-4 stalks)
·         3 cloves garlic, finely minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
·         1 bay leaf
·         1/2 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
·         1/4 teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground)
·         1 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch strips
·         Crumbled bacon and chopped chives or green onions, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
1.     In the insert of a 6-quart pressure cooker, add the broth, corn, potatoes, celery, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Give the mixture a good stir to combine.
2.     Season the chicken pieces lightly with salt and pepper and place them on top of the other ingredients. Don't stir. 
3.     Secure the lid on the pressure cooker, set the valve to seal, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before quick releasing the remaining pressure. 
4.     Remove the cooked chicken from the pressure cooker to a plate or cutting board. Shred or cut into bite-size pieces. Remove the bay leaf from the soup and discard.
5.     Ladle out about 3 cups of the soup into a blender and puree until smooth (take care to vent the lid just a bit since hot liquids will expand when blended). Stir the pureed soup and shredded chicken back into the pressure cooker. 
6.     Heat through, if needed (the soup should still be plenty warm). Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with crumbled bacon and chopped chives or green onions.



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PRESSURE COOKER CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER
melskitchencafe.com
INGREDIENTS
·         3 cups chicken broth (I use low-sodium)
·         3 cups (15 ounces) frozen corn kernels
·         2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 to 8 medium potatoes), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
·         1/2 to 1 cup small diced celery (about 3-4 stalks)
·         3 cloves garlic, finely minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
·         1 bay leaf
·         1/2 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
·         1/4 teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground)
·         1 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch strips
·         Crumbled bacon and chopped chives or green onions, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
1.     In the insert of a 6-quart pressure cooker, add the broth, corn, potatoes, celery, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Give the mixture a good stir to combine.
2.     Season the chicken pieces lightly with salt and pepper and place them on top of the other ingredients. Don't stir. 
3.     Secure the lid on the pressure cooker, set the valve to seal, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before quick releasing the remaining pressure. 
4.     Remove the cooked chicken from the pressure cooker to a plate or cutting board. Shred or cut into bite-size pieces. Remove the bay leaf from the soup and discard.
5.     Ladle out about 3 cups of the soup into a blender and puree until smooth (take care to vent the lid just a bit since hot liquids will expand when blended). Stir the pureed soup and shredded chicken back into the pressure cooker. 
6.     Heat through, if needed (the soup should still be plenty warm). Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with crumbled bacon and chopped chives or green onions.



Tortellini Sausage Soup   (most requested)  
3 links Italian sausage
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
½ cup apple cider (don’t leave this out!)
1/2 cup water
2 (15-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 cup sliced carrots
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 medium zucchini, shredded
1 (8-10 ounce) package cheese tortellini (Costco is a great source for this)
Parmesan cheese
  • Remove the casings from link sausage.  Use a sharp knife to cut a slit down one side of the sausage and then peel back the casing.  Crumble sausage into a large soup pot and begin cooking it over medium heat.
  • Add onion and garlic to the pot.  Continue cooking until the onion is translucent and the sausage is cooked.
  • Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, apple cider, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, and basil.  Cover and simmer ½ hour.  Add parsley and zucchini and simmer another 15 minutes or so.  Add tortellini and cook until tender.  Serve with bread and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
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Tomato Bisque  (October 2013)
(Barefoot Contessa)

3 Tbls. olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
1 Tbl. Minced garlic (3 cloves)
4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
1 ½ tsp. sugar
1 Tbl. Tomato paste
¼ cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 Tbl. Kosher salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup heavy cream
Focaccia Croutons for Garnish
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat.  Add the onions and carrots and sauté for about 10 minutes until very tender.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well.  Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat , and simmer, uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes until the tomatoes are very tender.

Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill or pulse in food processor.  Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with basil leaves, croutons and top with cheese.
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Broccoli Cheese Soup   (most requested)

1 ½ pounds fresh broccoli or 2-10 oz. packages frozen, chopped broccoli
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
½ cup finely chopped onion
6 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups light cream or Half and Half
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Wash and chop broccoli.  Peel and chop stem ends also.  Steam broccoli until tender.  Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy saucepan, add onion and cook until clear and starting to brown.  Stir in flour to make a roux.  Slowly add broth and cream or half and half.  Stir and cook over medium heat until thickened.  Add salt, nutmeg and cooked broccoli.  Just before serving, stir in cheese.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.
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Sopa de Tortilla (new recipe April 2014--my favorite!) 

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 cups beef broth
4 cups chicken broth
½ cup tomato juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ to 2 cups cooked brown rice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1or 2 large avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed

Corn tortilla strips



In a 4 quart saucepan, sauté onion until clear.  Add garlic and cook for one more minute.  Add beef and chicken broth, tomato juice, cumin, chili powder, jalapeno pepper, salt and Worcestershire sauce.  Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer covered for 30-45 minutes.  Add chicken, tomato and rice to soup and cook for 5 minutes.  Garnish soup with tortilla strips, avocado and sour cream if desired.  Serves 8.  

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Cheesy Chowder  (October 2012)
Janel Brinkerhoff

2 c. water
2 c. diced potato’s
¼ c. onion ( I don’t put the onion in)
½ c. diced carrots
½ c. diced celery
1 tsp. salt
Combine and boil for 10-12 min.
I dice up ham and put in when the vege. Are done cooking
2 c. cubed ham
I like to add hotlinks.. I slice 5-6 hotlink and fry in pan while vege. Are boiling and then add to them with the ham.
Cheese sauce
¼ c. butter
¼ flour
2 c. milk
Melt butter in the pan, stir in flour to make a paste and then add milk, I add pepper into the white sauce . Stir and simmer until thick add
2 c.  grated cheese
Stir into soup and simmer for a minute…
ENJOY!!!
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Greg's Zuppa Toscana

10 cups water
4 Knorr Extra Large Bouillon Cubes
1 teaspoon salt
3 medium cloves of garlic
1 pound Johnsonville ground Italian Sausage
1-2 pounds red potatoes
1 bunch of fresh kale
1 small onion
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup of fresh bacon

Mince garlic ultra fine.  Slice potatoes approximately 1/4 inch wide and bite side.  Dice onion in small pieces.  Brown Italian sausage and onion in skillet and drain grease.  Brown bacon and drain.   Combine water, garlic and bouillon cubes and bring to a boil.  Add potatoes and boil on medium for 10-15 minutes.  Add sausage, onion and bacon and simmer for 2 minutes.  Add heavy cream and kale and simmer on low until kale wilts and potatoes are tender. 

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Chili 
(this recipe comes from Jeanette Lynton, founder of Close To My Heart)

1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon oil  
3 pounds ground beef
2-10 oz. cans Campbell's French Onion Soup
1-12 oz can tomato paste
1-15 oz can tomato sauce
2-27 oz. cans kidney beans with liquid
2-15 oz. cans red beans with liquid
2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
5 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper  

Brown chopped onion, oil and ground beef in a large soup pot.  Drain.  Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.  Or transfer to a large crock pot and set at low for 2 hours--this is best to bring out flavors.  Serves 10-12.   

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Minestroni Soup (Lion House Cook Book)

1 cup navy beans or other small white beans such as great northern beans
1/2 pound diced bacon
1/3 pound diced ham
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups beef stock
1 1/2 cups canned, diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup green beans
1 cup chopped cabbage 
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup spaghetti, broken into pieces
Salt and Pepper to taste

Soak beans overnight in water to cover.  Boil beans in soaking water until tender (about 2 hours).  Add more water as needed.  Can substitute canned beans if desired.  Cook bacon until crisp; drain, and crumble.  Saute ham and onion in bacon fat.  Add to beans the beef stock, bacon, ham, onion, celery and carrots.  Cook until vegetables are tender.  Add green beans (I used canned), cabbage and spaghetti and cook until pasta is al dente.  Add salt and pepper and more beef broth if needed.  Makes about 12 one-cup servings.

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Artichoke and Cheese Soup (a new favorite Spring 2015)
1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped
10 cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
32 ounces chicken stock
1 quart half and half
1/2 pound chopped, cooked bacon
1 jar artichoke hearts in water
8 ounces Swiss cheese grated
1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Melt butter in a large pot.  Saute shallots and mushrooms until soft.  Sprinkle in flour and cook 1-2 minutes.   Slowly whisk in stock.  Bring to a boil and stir until thickened.  Stir in chopped artichoke hearts, bacon, cheeses and seasonings.  Stir until cheese is melted.  Season to taste.  

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